Lee Heidhues 6.13.2023

San Francisco media has its priorities straight.

Donald Trump may in the Federal criminal docket down in Florida but the local media knows what sells.

Dr. Jill Biden had her morning workout in the City’s Castro neighborhood.

Give a cheer to The Standard for being on top of this important story.

The San Francisco Standard 6.13.2023

First Lady Jill Biden was spotted leaving a workout class at a San Francisco SoulCycle on Tuesday morning.

“[Dr. Biden] was sitting in the front, in the very front. It was kind of an empty class, so it was like whatever,” said Kaylyn Shinault, a class attendee. “She did great! She was kind of right in front of me—she crushed it.“

What appeared to be Secret Service agents in suits and plainclothes gathered outside the 400 Castro St. studio at around 8:15 a.m., flanked by black Chevrolet Suburban SUVs lining the curb outside.

“Happy Pride, Jill!” yelled an onlooker as Dr. Biden headed into a car.

Dr. Biden is visiting San Francisco for a busy day of fundraising for her husband’s reelection campaign. President Joe Biden is also expected to visit the San Francisco Bay Area from June 19 to June 21. Further details have not been released.

Dr. Biden attended an 8 a.m. SoulCycle spin class with instructor Chris Layda for 45 minutes and was spotted leaving in blue leggings paired with white running shoes and a black top. Layda did not respond to requests for comment by publication time.

Attendees said security checked their bags and waved airport-style security wands. Shinault and another attendee said they had no idea the First Lady was riding in their SoulCycle class.

A SoulCycle area manager, Caroline McConnell, declined to confirm the presence of any special guests at the site in an e-mail.

SoulCycle is a popular exercise chain with three San Francisco locations. It offers a signature spin class it describes as a “45-minute cardio dance party on a bike.” Classes start at $25 for new riders.

https://sfstandard.com/politics/jill-biden-spotted-san-francisco-soul-cycle/

Lee Heidhues 6.11.2023

Liz and I went to our first San Francisco Giants game since the Pandemic put a damper on many social activities.

Taking advantage of a Levi’s ‘501’ ticket promotion we bought tickets to see the Giants play the Chicago Cubs. The City of Lee’s birth.

On a pleasant Sunday afternoon we walked down 3rd Street from Market to Oracle Park at 3rd and King. As the following photos show there was certainly a lot of street activity. It made the day more memorable.

By the way, the Giants thrashed the Cubs 13-3. Hitting four home runs. What made the game more exciting. All-Star shortstop Brandon Crawford pitched the 9th inning. Since the Giants were ahead 13-3 manager Gabe Kapler must have thought, “Let’s give the fans a thrill.” Good call. They cheered lustily as Crawford put down the Cubs with a scoreless inning to end the game.

Top photo – Statue of Willie Mays in front of Willie Mays Plaza at Oracle Park – Third and King Streets – San Francisco

Lee Heidhues 6.10.2023

The Twilight Zone would be hard put to come up with a better plot line.

Amidst the carnage of Friday’s night’s senseless Mission District mass shooting (aren’t they all senseless?) is a local business called DYING BREED.

It was five years ago this month London Breed was elected Mayor. Five years later London Breed has successfully rid herself of a Progressive District Attorney, Chesa Boudin, who she held responsible for the dismal state of San Francisco safety. One year after Chesa’s ouster, and five years after Breed became Mayor, the situation has gotten worse under the tutelage of Brooke Jenkins, her handpicked successor to Chesa Boudin.

The Mayor now owns it. So, it’s an eerie coincidence that a store called Dying Breed may be the political epitaph for London Breed.

Lee Heidhues 6.10.2023

San Francisco can’t catch a break. The doom loop has even caught a historic brewery in its web in a form of “corporate Darwinism.”

The beer gods are abandoning San Francisco. At least in part. Iconic Anchor Brewing, now owned by Japanese brewing giant Sapporo, is canceling its annual holiday beer. And cutting back its national distribution.

It could be that Anchor workers unionized. This is how another corporation treats its workers and disrespects its loyal customers.

Excerpted from The San Francisco Chronicle 6.10.2023

Anchor Brewing Co. is significantly scaling back its distribution — and canceling Christmas this year.

Garrett Kelly, a former brewer at Anchor, said the recent news confirmed concerns he and others voiced after the sale to Sapporo. “The loss of a beer as iconic as the Anchor Christmas Ale, the first American holiday beer post prohibition, is a loss for not only beer nerds like me, but anyone with an interest in preserving culture against the grinding pressure of corporate Darwinism,” Kelly wrote to The Chronicle.

Anchor, founded in 1896 and rescued from bankruptcy in 1965 by longtime owner Fritz Maytag, was acquired by Japanese beer giant Sapporo in 2017. Fearing changes, workers of the brewery successfully formed a union in 2019. A representative for Anchor said it has just reached a tentative second contract with that union.

The San Francisco brewer will halt national distribution of all of its beers, including its signature Anchor Steam Beer. Currently, the beer is available in all 50 states.

Going forward, Anchor beers will be available only within California, which represents 70% of its sales, according to a company representative.

Then, this coming holiday season, Anchor won’t be releasing one of its signature offerings: Anchor Christmas Ale, a dark winter warmer made annually since 1975. A small amount, however, will be for sale solely at Anchor Public Taps for visitors to the tasting room. 

An Anchor representative cited “time-intensive and costly brewing and packaging requirements” as the reason for the change. Christmas Ale is unlikely to return next year, the representative said.

https://www.sfchronicle.com/food/wine/article/anchor-brewing-cuts-christmas-ale-18145920.php#photo-23923782

Lee Heidhues 6.9.2023

Nobody thinks this is going to be Easy.

Either by random choice or conscious decision by the Federal Court in Florida a Judge, who has already shown extreme favoritism to Trump was assigned to the Case.

Judge Aileen Cannon’s rulings last year regarding the FBI search a Mar a Lago were so bad that she was over ruled and admonished by a three Judge Federal Appeals panel.

The legal pundits are already in overdrive on how Judge Cannon will handle her second go around with Trump.

At least, for now, Trump can’t whine and moan about Judge Cannon. That could all change. Quickly. Stay tuned.

Excerpted from The New York Times 6.9.2023

Even as prosecutors publicly unveiled a deep and detailed array of evidence against former President Donald J. Trump in the documents investigation on Friday, they suffered a potential setback with the surprise assignment of the case to Judge Aileen M. Cannon.

Judge Cannon, 42, a Trump appointee in Florida, shocked legal experts across ideological lines last year by intervening in the investigation and issuing rulings favorable to Mr. Trump, only to be rebuked by a conservative appeals court.

The chief clerk of court for the Southern District of Florida has said that new cases there are randomly delegated to its judges even if they are related to previous ones. It was not immediately clear whether Mr. Trump lucked out, or if an exception was made. Either way, legal specialists said Judge Cannon’s return was significant.

The unsealed indictment offered “a strong factual presentation,” said Paul Rosenzweig, a former Bush administration official and federal prosecutor who worked on the independent counsel investigation into President Bill Clinton. “If this were a normal person and a normal case, you’d be talking to your client about pleading guilty. So I think the Cannon draw is actually a serious blow to the prosecution.”

Lee Heidhues 6.9.2023

Special Counsel Jack Smith didn’t mince his words in discussing the indictment of ex-President Donald Trump.

https://www.c-span.org/video/?528657-1/special-counsel-jack-smith-delivers-statement-indictment-president-trump

Only a New York tabloid could convey the lengths Trump went to conceal his crimes in a manner the average American can understand.

I choose to have the article from Rupert Murdoch’s New York Post.

Excerpted from The New York Post 6.9.2023

Donald Trump unlawfully kept hundreds of classified government documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate after leaving the presidency — including papers detailing America’s conventional and nuclear weapons programs, potential weak points in US defenses, and plans to respond to a foreign attack, federal prosecutors charged Friday.

The 45th president stored boxes containing the documents throughout the Palm Beach property, including “a ballroom, a bathroom and shower, an office space, his bedroom, and a storage room,” according to a 49-page indictment filed in Miami federal court Thursday.

Trump also wasn’t shy about showing off the material, according to prosecutors, who cited a recorded July 2021 meeting at which the ex-president reportedly displayed a “plan of attack” against Iran prepared by Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. 

https://nypost.com/2023/06/09/federal-indictment-against-former-president-trump-unsealed/

MAR-A-LAGO MESS

Federal indictment against Trump unsealed, reveals ex-prez kept documents in Mar-a-Lago ‘ballroom, a bathroom and shower’

Lee Heidhues 6.8.2023

It’s about time. Why have the Feds taken so long? Trump should have been indicted two years ago for his Insurrection and Sedition on January 6, 2021. Hopefully, that is coming soon. Along with an indictment in Georgia for his blatant 2020 election interference; i.e. “Get me another 11,000 votes.” In any other civilized country this Criminal Loser would have been behind bars, already.

Excerpted from The Guardian 6.8.2023

In a historic development Donald Trump has been indicted for charges connected to his alleged retention of national security documents.

The charges – which include willful retention of national security material, obstruction and conspiracy, according to a person familiar with the matter – came more than a year after federal prosecutors began investigating the former president for knowingly retaining the classified materials at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida after he left office.

Federal prosecutors have charged Donald Trump with violating the Espionage Act and conspiring to obstruct the criminal investigation among other counts, according to a person familiar with the matter, a historic development marking the most significant legal peril yet for the former president.

The exact nature of the seven-count indictment, filed by the office of special counsel Jack Smith in federal district court in Miami, remains unclear. At least some of the counts include willful retention of national security materials, obstruction, scheme to conceal, false statements and conspiracy, the person said.

Trump and his legal team were told of the charges on Thursday afternoon. Trump is expected to surrender himself to authorities in Miami on Tuesday at 3pm, the person said, confirming what the former president posted on his Truth Social platform.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jun/08/donald-trump-charged-retention-classified-documents

Lee Heidhues 6.7.2023

Is ex-Prez Donald Trump about to be indicted, again? This time in Federal Court.

The investigation being led by Hague War Crimes Tribunal prosecutor Jack Smith.

The Feds only indict when the Case is solid. And Jack Smith is a tough guy. Having prosecuted War Crimes before taking the Trump criminal portfolio.

Excerpted from The New York Times 6.7.2023

Federal prosecutors have informed the legal team for former President Donald J. Trump that he is a target of their investigation into his handling of classified documents after he left office, according to two people familiar with the matter.

The notification to Mr. Trump’s team by prosecutors from the office of the special counsel, Jack Smith, was the clearest signal yet that the former president is likely to face charges in the investigation.

It remained unclear when Mr. Trump’s team was told that he was a target of the special counsel’s inquiry, but the notice suggested that prosecutors working for Mr. Smith had largely completed their investigation and were moving toward bringing an indictment.

In court papers last year, prosecutors indicated that they were scrutinizing whether Mr. Trump had broken laws governing the handling of national security documents and whether he had obstructed government efforts to retrieve them.

On May 7, 2018, Jack Smith was named to a four-year term as chief prosecutor for the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague, investigating war crimes committed in the Kosovo War,^[8][9][13] including the case of Salih Mustafa.^[16] He took up the post on September 11, 2018, and was appointed to a second term on May 8, 2022.^[8]

On November 18, 2022, United States Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed Smith special counsel to oversee the criminal investigations into Donald Trump‘s actions regarding the January 6 United States Capitol attack, and Trump’s handling and storage of government records, including classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate.^{[9][12][17][18]} He worked initially from the Netherlands while recovering from a fractured leg which was injured when he was struck by a scooter while cycling.^[3] Smith has since returned to the United States.^[19]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Smith_(lawyer)

Top photo – Federal prosecutor Jack Smith.

Lee Heidhues 6.6.2023

The Biden Administration is in a tough position.

The Washington Post reports that the US government has sufficient documentation to point the finger at Ukraine for the September 2022 Nordstream 2 pipeline explosion hundreds of feet beneath the Baltic Sea.

An explosion which severely damaged the Russian built pipeline which was to have carried natural gas from Russia to Germany.

For nearly nine months the party responsible has not been conclusively named. Even today’s Washington Post story is receiving a healthy dose of skepticism and pushback.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2023/06/06/nord-stream-pipeline-explosion-ukraine-russia/

If Ukraine is responsible the optics will not be positive. Particularly since the Biden administration has discouraged these aggressive actions by the Kyiv government as it pushes to gain funding for its ongoing defense of Russia’s February 2022 invasion.

Excerpted from The New York Times 6.6.2023

U.S. intelligence agencies learned from a European ally that the Ukrainian military had planned an attack on the Nord Stream pipelines, three months before saboteurs bombed the underwater network, The Washington Post reported on Tuesday.

The Post withheld some details of the intelligence, including the name of the European country giving the report to the United States, to protect the sources of the information.

American officials had previously told The New York Times that they believed pro-Ukrainian groups were responsible for the Nord Stream attack. More recently, American officials have said that groups loosely directed by Ukraine’s government were responsible for a series of covert attacks, including on the Nord Stream pipelines.

But an intelligence summary posted on a Discord server and obtained by The Washington Post showed that U.S. and European allies had reason to believe even before the September attacks that Ukraine viewed the pipelines as a tempting sabotage target — and had specific details about a planned operation using divers and deepwater equipment.

The C.I.A. shared the European intelligence report with Germany and other countries last June, The Post reported. When warning Germany, officials said, nothing was held back from what the U.S. government knew.

While some U.S. officials are becoming more comfortable with Ukraine’s covert attacks on Russia, concerns remain about the possibility of miscalculation by Ukraine while conducting such operations. Sabotaging the Nord Stream pipelines was exactly the kind of operation that would concern the United States — a symbolic attack with little military value that carries a high risk of fracturing the alliance supporting Ukraine.

So far, that has not happened. Even as Germany and other European countries have learned of Ukrainian involvement in the pipeline attack, they have nevertheless increased their military aid.

American officials insisted on Tuesday there has been no determination about who within the Ukrainian government may have planned or authorized the attack. If it is eventually pinned on senior officials, European attitudes about support for Ukraine could change.

Top photo – Detailed map of the Nordstream 2 pipeline. Mired in controversy deep beneath the Baltic Sea.