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Pity the voters of Georgia. From Stacey Abrams’s theatrics and red-on-red civil war to Donald Trump’s vote-stealing schemes and seemingly endless runoff races upon which, they are told, the future of the Republic depends, Peach State residents have found themselves close to the eye of the political storm of late.  The newest drama with which they must reckon is, of course, the RICO case brought against Donald Trump and eighteen of his allies over their efforts to overturn the election in the state in 2020. (For more on that indictment, read former US attorney Rachel Paulose’s piece for our site.) If any state’s voters have good reason to feel fatigued by the never-ending Trump psychodrama, it’s Georgia’s.

A Georgia district attorney operating in Fulton County unveiled a sprawling state indictment Monday charging former president Donald J. Trump and his allies with violating a mafia-era state law — modeled after a federal law known as the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (“RICO”) — for their alleged attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 election. Weighing in at ninety-eight pages, the forty-one-count indictment charges nineteen defendants with more than 161 overt acts in furtherance of a conspiracy “to unlawfully change the outcome of the election in favor of Trump.” The indictment is stunning on its face for several reasons.

Let them eat pineapple? President Joe Biden, who was approached by reporters while leaving the beach on Sunday, declined to comment on the deadly Maui wildfires that have thus far claimed ninety-six American lives. "No comment," Biden told the press as he trudged back over the sand dunes after a few hours catching some rays. Cockburn is shocked he didn't check his watch before bothering to offer those two words. The president's reaction has prompted disdain — even from apparent allies. “Not a great moment for Biden here,” tweeted former CNN political editor and current Substacker Chris Cillizza. Biden’s indifference to the death and utter destruction caused by the fires is quite perplexing, given his only job is beach.

Responding to a voter during a campaign stop this week, Florida governor and 2024 presidential candidate Ron DeSantis endorsed a once fringe idea that is becoming increasingly mainstream in Republican policy circles: that the United States has the right, indeed obligation, to use military force in Mexico to protect the American people from drug cartels. And yes, that includes the use of US drones, a revolutionary military technology the US military and CIA have deployed repeatedly to target terrorists in countries such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya and Somalia (among others).  "We will absolutely reserve the right if they’re invading our country and killing our people,” DeSantis told the voter.

At long last, Attorney General Merrick Garland decided to appoint a special counsel to continue the investigation of Hunter Biden, his family and associates. His choice: US Attorney David Weiss of Delaware, who has been on the case for several years. He was originally appointed as US attorney by Donald Trump, a point Democrats always highlight without noting that he was promoted by both Democratic senators from the state.  Being named special counsel gives Weiss some authority beyond that of a regular US attorney. In particular, he can bring federal cases outside his narrow territorial domain without consent from US attorneys in those other districts. That’s an important point, since Weiss was apparently denied the right to bring at least two other cases his office sought.

Earlier this month, a lawsuit was filed against Lizzo, the plus-size flute-playing singing sensation. It was alleged that she created a “hostile work environment and engaged in sexual harassment.” Lizzo has denied the allegations. But one week later and lawyers representing three of Lizzo's former dancers say they've received new complaints. Ron Zambrano said that his firm, which specializes in employment law, is vetting new allegations from at least six people who said they toured with Lizzo, including other dancers and some who said they worked on her Amazon reality show, Lizzo’s Watch Out for the Big Grrrls. The allegations are of a “sexually charged environment” and failure to pay employees.

You may have forgotten about the White House’s resident coke fiend after weeks of headlines about Hunter Biden’s various court battles, but now the story of drugs in the Executive Mansion is back in the news. A publication is claiming that Joe Biden knows whose dime-bag it was — and it’s not Hunty.  “The Secret Service told President Joe Biden the name of the person who brought a packet of cocaine into the White House last month, according to three security sources with direct knowledge of the incident," Susan Katz Keating of the relatively forgotten Soldier of Fortune magazine wrote Monday. "All three sources independently told Soldier of Fortune the same name, which arose from an investigation into the incident.

There has been no shortage of reminders of the gerontocracy in which we live lately. Last week brought two in the Senate.  One was Mitch McConnell’s worrying freeze-up at a press conference when he had to be helped away from reporters. The second came courtesy of Dianne Feinstein, who had to be prompted several times when asked to cast her vote on the Defense Appropriations Bill. “Say aye,” Senator Patty Murray of Washington told her ninety-year-old colleague from California. There are presumably other examples courtesy of the octogenarian commander-in-chief, but they are so frequent these days that it can be hard to keep track.  Feinstein’s age-related shortcomings have made news again.