Blue 812 News Issue 79 - August 2

follow blue812news: facebook | instagram | bluesky | blue812.news

After Epstein survivors delivered files directly to Senate Judiciary Republicans, Sens. John Cornyn (R_TX) and Thom Tillis (R-NC) pulled the plug on their votes to confirm Todd Blanche as AG, indefinitely. Both senators now say the real obstacle was never Blanche; it was someone above him refusing to compromise. Trump responded on Truth Social by suggesting he’ll just wait out Cornyn and Tillis until they leave office next January. I’ll just note here that a new Fox News poll shows former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper (D) nine points ahead of Republican Michael Whatley in the race to fill Tillis’s seat, and in Texas, Democrat James Talarico has a five-point polling lead over corrupt creep Ken Paxton in the election for Cornyn’s spot.

Every Democrat is a no, so Blanche cannot lose a single Republican, and two of them are openly extracting concessions: John Cornyn and Thom Tillis want Blanche to formally kill the $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund and tighten the audit immunity deal that came out of Trump’s lawsuit against the IRS over his leaked tax returns. Lisa Murkowski, Bill Cassidy, John Curtis and Susan Collins have all also voiced reservations and are largely waiting to see what Cornyn and Tillis get in negotiations.

Trump and his GOP allies are back at their favorite pastime: demonizing scapegoats and opponents. To that end, MAGA’s least favorite health expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, withstood a three-hour grilling on Capitol Hill on Wednesday, taking the Fifth over 100 times while refusing to answer Republicans’ (mostly bad-faith) questions. Rand Paul is now trying to force a vote to hold him in contempt.

Dr. Anthony Fauci didn’t not want to answer the Senate’s questions, it’s just that he and his lawyer know Rand Paul was trying to use the hearing to find a way to invent a fake perjury referral to send to Donald Trump’s team at the Justice Department. Fauci explained in a short opening statement that Paul’s “obvious obsession with calling for my prosecution” was what brought us all together.

During the hearing, GOP senators raised longstanding conspiracy theories about origins of the Covid outbreak and criticized Fauci for his handling of the pandemic. “Who the fuck do you think you were for doing that?” Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-OH) asked Fauci (never mind that the literal answer is, the federal government’s top infectious disease expert). “It is a total disgrace what you did to this country.” Trump is also trying to rewrite the history books: “His ideas were CRAZY!” Trump wrote on social media. What? You were Fauci’s boss!

Monkeys sometimes have pets. Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

In a court filing on Friday, US Attorney Jeanne Pirro moved to drop charges against the Olympic canoeist charged with vandalizing the reflecting pool. Government lawyers said that additional documents provided by the Interior Department since the indictment of David Hearn show that the damage was the result of a botched installation by a contractor as well as “the rush to complete the project prior to events associated with the America 250 celebration in the weeks surrounding Independence Day 2026.” In addition, a recent visual inspection revealed damage throughout the pool, including in the middle — where prosecutors say a vandal would not likely have attempted to peel the lining.

Trump, in a posting on social media, caring about something it is very normal for a president to care about, acknowledged that there “may have been some contractor difficulty” in the installation of a new pool liner while he continues to insist “the major damage was caused by VANDALS!…I disagree 100% with Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, on the Reflecting Pool.”

About 1,000 Hoosiers supportive of immigrants marched through Fishers on Saturday in counter-protest to a pro-deportation event planned with remarks from Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith and Indiana AG Todd Rokita. Indiana State Sen. Fady Qaddoura (D-Indianapolis), who spoke in Holland Park, likened the mass deportation rally and its participants to the Ku Klux Klan: “What they are trying to do, they are replacing slogans, uniforms, and messages, but they are using the same playbook that played in Indiana over 100 years ago,” Qaddoura said. The KKK rose to prominence in Indiana in the 1920s. Hoosiers for Democracy has a great write-up on their history and how it intersects with our present.

The private mass deportation event was unexpectedly moved to Greenfield, to a tent in a field, as is befitting a circus. Daniel Poynter, executive director of event organizer Save Heritage Indiana said on X that the event was sold out but refused to give a specific number of attendees. According to photos of the event, less than 100 Hoosiers deigned to pay the $50 ticket fee to sit in folding chairs in fresh mud.

State election officials rejected Paula Copenhaver‘s request to subpoena voters during recount proceedings, a major blow to the Trump-endorsed candidate’s state Senate bid. In an unprecedented legal argument, Copenhaver requested that the state investigate political affiliations of voters she believed illegally crossed over to the GOP primary to swing the election in Sen. Spencer Deery’s favor. In her request for a recount, she argued that social media posts and interviews with a journalist prove that several Democratic voters wrongfully crossed over to the Republican primary. The 2-1 vote against her request was decided by Secretary of State Diego Morales. Though he voted not to subpoena voters, Morales said he was in favor of changing the law during Indiana's next legislative session to avoid this type of situation. Several Indiana Republicans, including Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith, have advocated for requiring voters to register with a party to vote in a primary election.

Churchill Downs Incorporated is exploring options to sell several of its wholly owned regional gaming properties, including the Terre Haute Casino Resort, according to a Form 8-K filing made with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 29, 2026. The announcement came alongside Churchill Downs’ quarterly revenue report showing an all-time record net revenue of $980 million, up $46 million from the second quarter of last year.

According to WTHI, “Churchill Downs said it cannot assure that the exploration of strategic alternatives will result in a transaction, or that any transaction, if pursued, will be completed on defined terms or at all. The company said it has not set a timetable for the completion of the process and does not intend to provide updates unless and until it is determined that disclosure is appropriate or required by law.” I quoted that because I have no idea what it’s supposed to mean, and I suspect WTHI didn’t have a strong grasp on it either.

Regarding recently-announced funding from the casino foundation, Vigo County Commissioner Mark Clinkenbeard clarified that “[a] significant portion of the funding the casino provides to our community is required under state law and would continue regardless of ownership.” Foundation Board member Kelsey Hancewicz responded by saying, “The Terre Haute Casino Foundation’s funding is established through the Local Development Agreement required under Indiana law for the Vigo County casino license. The casino being listed for sale does not change that agreement. Any change in ownership would be subject to approval by the Indiana Gaming Commission, and any changes to the agreement would also require the appropriate review and approval.”

It’s time to hit the ground running on the final stretch to the midterms. We know Republicans will try to steal the elections through all the usual means of voter suppression and election interference. All of those methods are harder to execute when an election is too big to rig, and it will take all of us doing everything we can between now and then to make sure that happens.

So Amanda’s Mild Takes made us a calendar of one action item per day, from Monday, August 3rd until the midterms on November 3rd. Some of them are small (sharing a candidate’s social media) and some are large (driving people to the polls, canvassing). Some will be uncomfortable, or you will be unable to do them for whatever reason; that’s fine. Use it as a guide. Skip what doesn’t work for your situation.

HERE IS THE CHECKLIST — I recommend you open this ON DESKTOP where it will prompt you to make a copy of it that you can then edit as you please. If you open it on mobile, save the document to your Google drive or your phone files where you can download/edit from there.

The City is committed to helping residents navigate questions, concerns, and service requests in the community. The 311 system is often the best place to start when you are unsure who to contact or need assistance with a service provided by the City. Here’s a list of what you can report to 311.

However, not every service or issue reported to 311 is handled directly by the City. Some services are provided by other government agencies, utility companies, contractors, or private service providers. In these situations, the City may not have the authority or ability to directly address the issue.

When possible, residents can often receive a faster response by contacting the responsible agency or service provider directly. Going straight to the organization that manages the service can help cut out the middleman, reduce delays, and get your request to the right team more quickly.

Frequent Examples:

Start with 311 when you need help determining which City department or agency is responsible for an issue, or when the concern involves a service the City directly provides. Contact the service provider directly when you know the issue is handled by another agency, utility, or organization. This can often save time and help you receive a more prompt response.

The goal is to make it as easy as possible for residents to get the help they need. Knowing who is responsible for a service—and contacting that organization directly when appropriate—can help resolve issues faster and keep 311 available for the services the City is responsible for providing.

visit the Blue812News Local Events calendar to see all upcoming events

Tuesday, August 4th at 5pm: Vigo County Council Meeting in the Council Chambers in the Vigo County Government Center, 127 Oak Street

Wednesday, August 5th at 5:30pm: Meet Nancy Allsup, candidate for Vigo County Council District 2 at the West Terre Haute Community Center

Wednesday, August 5th at 6pm: Mile with the Mayor at Sheridan Park. A 1-mile walk with the mayor.

Thursday, August 6th at 6pm: Terre Haute City Council Meeting at City Hall.

Saturday, August 8 at 8am: Last Second Saturday Sanitary District Cleanup of the Year at the Street Department Garage (1211 Deming St.) until 12 PM or dumpsters are full Large items accepted, including electronics (no items containing refrigerant, chemicals, or batteries), yard debris (sticks/branches under 1” diameter), bagged trash, and tires (limit of 4).

Tuesday, August 11th at 3pm: Mingle with the Mayor at Grand Traverse Pie Co. At this informal and relaxed gathering, various topics will be covered each month with opportunities to ask questions and voice concerns. Free pie and coffee will be served courtesy of Clinton Gardens.

Tuesday, August 11th at 5pm: Vigo County Council Meeting in the Council Chambers in the Vigo County Government Center, 127 Oak Street

Thursday, August 13th at 6pm: Terre Haute City Council Meeting at City Hall.

A new analysis of Black voters in the south indicates that Republican attempts to dilute their political power is driving them to the polls in larger numbers and shifting their counties further left. Let’s go, Streisand effect!

A federal judge has tossed Kash Patel's $10 million lawsuit against a blogger who called him a "googly-eyed Kremlin bitch" and a "blatantly incompetent chud." Can’t be libel if it’s true.

The Senate unanimously agreed that Ghislaine Maxwell, a convicted sex offender and collaborator of Jeffrey Epstein, should not be allowed a presidential pardon or clemency of any kind. Let’s enshrine it in law, then.

Trump’s net approval rating has fallen to a record-low 25 points underwater, with just 35% approving of his job performance and 60% disapproving. Plus, nearly one-quarter of those who voted for Trump in 2024 now say they regret their vote (23%), up four points from 19% in late June.

ICE has informed the Shapiro administration that it will not use two warehouses it purchased in Pennsylvania as detention centers.

The DOJ lost yet another voter roll lawsuit in New Jersey. For those counting at home, that makes them 0-18. Yikes.

Chickens have self-control. Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.