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Friday, July 31, 2026

BEYOND THE GRAVE: TRUMP HOLDS SÉANCE TO FIND AMERICA'S MOST CORRUPT ATTORNEY


BEYOND THE GRAVE

TRUMP HOLDS SÉANCE TO FIND AMERICA'S MOST CORRUPT ATTORNEY

When the Senate Won't Play Ball, There's Always the Afterlife

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Oval Office, which has witnessed many historic moments — moon landing announcements, nuclear standoffs, the occasional fast-food summit — added a new chapter to its storied history last week when it briefly became the most powerful séance parlor in the Western Hemisphere.

🕯️ Setting the Scene: A Round Room, A Square Idea

The trouble began, as so many Trump-era troubles do, with the United States Senate having the audacity to exercise its constitutional role. After rejecting yet another Attorney General nominee, the White House was left scrambling for legal muscle. Normal administrations might consult legal scholars or review bar association directories. This administration consulted the dead.

The Oval Office was prepared with the kind of meticulous attention to detail one expects from a team that once tried to overturn an election with a press conference at Four Seasons Total Landscaping. Susie Wiles, Chief of Staff and now apparently Chief of Spectral Affairs, donned her fortune teller's shawl and took her position at the Resolute Desk. Stephen Miller arrived clutching a vial of what he described as "authentic vampire blood," sourced from what witnesses say was a very confused German mystic who had been promised a green card and a podcast.

JD Vance and Marco Rubio, demonstrating their trademark political flexibility, attempted to huddle together in the corner of the Oval Office — a geometrically ambitious undertaking in a round room that speaks volumes about the spatial reasoning skills currently advising the free world. They managed something approximating a corner through sheer force of sycophantic will.

Todd Blanche sat near the fireplace, still dabbing his eyes with what appeared to be a Senate rejection letter, whimpering softly into a glass of warm chardonnay. A framed photograph of Lindsey Graham gazed down from the shelf behind Trump's chair — serene, smiling, and apparently the only decoration the President felt truly captured his aesthetic.

Darkness Falls, Democracy Weeps

When the lights went out, Vance and Rubio — freed from the burden of being seen — immediately began crying and wailing with the kind of theatrical abandon usually reserved for Italian opera and Fox News prime time. The sound was, by all accounts, deeply unsettling.

Susie Wiles began her trance with a low moan that gradually escalated into something between a Gregorian chant and a Waffle House order at 3 a.m. The candles flickered. Miller's vampire blood bubbled ominously. The German mystic, having been told this was a "routine cabinet meeting," quietly reconsidered his immigration application.

Trump, seated at the center of the ritual in his customary golden chair, lasted approximately four minutes before falling asleep. He snored twice, muttered something about ratings, and then jolted awake as Wiles reached peak trance velocity.

"DAMMIT, SUSIE," he bellowed into the darkness, with the impatience of a man who has never once waited for anything in his life, "GET ME MY ROY COHN. NOW."

The Ghost Appears — And He Has Notes

The table trembled. Rubio shrieked. Vance grabbed Rubio. Blanche knocked over his chardonnay. Miller looked, if anything, pleased.

And then — hovering above the Resolute Desk in a cloud of sulfur and legal briefs — appeared the ghost of Roy Cohn, looking remarkably well-preserved for a man who had been dead since 1986 and disbarred shortly before that.

Trump, to the astonishment of everyone present, wept.

"ROY!" he cried, rising from his chair with arms outstretched. "WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?! Do you have ANY idea what I've had to work with?!"

He gestured wildly around the room.

"First there was Sessions — that old fart recused himself from EVERYTHING. Probably recused himself from breakfast. Then Barr — complete numbnuts, built like a tuba, acted like one too. Then Bondi — lovely woman, lovely, but not exactly what you'd call a legal weapon, Roy. And NOW," — here he pointed at the still-sniffling Blanche — "I've got THIS. A man who cries at Senate hearings. A man who brings a handkerchief to a knife fight."

Blanche, for the record, sobbed louder.

Roy Cohn Speaks — From Experience

The ghost of Roy Cohn, never one to waste a dramatic entrance, raised a translucent hand for silence.

"Dude," said Cohn — and yes, the ghost of Roy Cohn said dude"what exactly do you think I've been doing this week? I've been busy. You think haunting doesn't have a schedule?"

He drifted toward the fireplace, casting no shadow, which somehow made him more intimidating.

"I spent the better part of the last few years haunting my old stomping grounds in the Senate. Rattling chains in the cloakroom. Whispering in ears during committee votes. And didn't you notice what happened to Fauci? You're welcome, by the way. That whole thing had my fingerprints all over it — metaphorically speaking, given the whole ghost situation."

Trump nodded vigorously, as though this explained everything.

Cohn's expression — spectral, imperious, and faintly disappointed — settled into something resembling paternal exasperation.

"Face it, Donald. You will never — NEVER — have an attorney as magnificently, breathtakingly corrupt as the two of us were together. That was a once-in-a-civilization partnership. You're chasing a ghost." He paused. "Literally, as it turns out."

He glanced over at Blanche, who had now graduated from whimpering to full hiccup-crying.

"Fine. I'll work with him. A little. He's not terribly bright and he absorbs new information the way a decorative sponge absorbs water — technically, but not usefully. But I'll see what I can do."

Then Cohn turned back to Trump with the weary gravitas of a man who had corrupted his way through three decades of New York law and still found this exhausting.

"I told you, Donald. I warned you repeatedly. You said you loved the poorly educated." A long, haunted pause. "You didn't have to hire them."

Exit, Stage Supernatural

The White House shuddered. Every portrait on every wall rattled. The Lincoln Bedroom reportedly went ten degrees colder. The ghost of Roy Cohn — satisfied, superior, and already late for whatever infernal appointment awaited him — dissolved into the air like a subpoena that never quite gets served.

The lights came back on.

Rubio was under the desk. Vance was pretending he hadn't been under the desk. Miller was carefully recorking his vampire blood for next time. Blanche had cried himself into a light sleep against the fireplace mantle, the Lindsey Graham photo smiling benevolently above him.

Susie Wiles straightened her shawl, smoothed her hair, and made a note in her planner: "Séance — follow up. Source better German mystic. Check if Roy Cohn available for retainer — confirm afterlife billing rates."

Trump sat back down, stared at the ceiling for a long moment, and reached for his phone.

He had seventeen Truth Social posts to write and a country to run.

Some things, it turns out, not even death can fix.

— Filed from Washington, where the walls have ears, the desks have ghosts, and the corners of round rooms remain stubbornly theoretical.



TODAY'S TOP NEWS - YESTERDAY'S BEST BLOG POSTS JULY 31, 2026

 

TODAY’S TOP NEWS - YESTERDAY’S BEST BLOG POSTS
JULY 30, 2026
REMEMBER IN NOVEMBER


Here are today's top stories for July 31, 2026, organized by category:

U.S. NEWS

  • Canadian Wildfire Smoke Triggers Severe Air Quality Alerts: Wildfire smoke has drifted south, blanketing major Midwestern and East Coast metropolitan areas. Cities like Detroit and New York recorded severe air quality drops, prompting public health warnings.

  • Upstate New York Severe Weather & Flash Flooding: Torrential rains across upstate New York triggered emergency water rescues and washed out historic infrastructure.

  • Seattle Police Chief Resigns: Seattle's police chief stepped down following intense administrative pressure from the mayor regarding the department's operational response to a recent public event shooting.

  • NTSB Alaskan Aviation Safety Report: Federal accident investigators released findings on a fatal crash off the Alaskan coast, citing long-term oversight deficiencies and weight standard non-compliance.

POLITICS

  • White House Announces Gaza Disarmament Framework: President Donald Trump announced that the newly formed "Board of Peace" reached an agreement outlining a phased disarmament process in Gaza and planned withdrawal timelines for Israeli forces.

  • Cabinet Nomination Standoff: President Trump floated pulling Todd Blanche’s nomination for Attorney General amid escalating confirmation friction with Senate Republicans.

  • Dr. Fauci Appears Before Senate Committee: Former NIAID Director Dr. Anthony Fauci repeatedly invoked the Fifth Amendment during a contentious Senate hearing concerning his pandemic-era logs and policies.

  • Wisconsin Gubernatorial Race Shakeup: Former Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes officially withdrew from the Democratic primary for governor of Wisconsin.

WORLD AFFAIRS

  • Ukraine Forms 10-Nation Defense Coalition: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced a regional alliance with nine European nations aimed at co-developing mass-produced ballistic missile defense systems.

  • Japan Launches National Intelligence Bureau: Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s government officially inaugurated the National Intelligence Bureau to strengthen counterespionage and centralize defense intelligence operations.

  • U.K.–EU Gibraltar Border Treaty Enters Force: Routine land border checks between Spain and Gibraltar have been officially lifted following the implementation of a new bilateral agreement.

  • Border Escalation in Ceuta: Spain deployed military forces to its Ceuta enclave after thousands attempted to cross the border from Morocco.

EDUCATION

  • Proposed $100,000 Fee on Foreign Graduates: Reports indicate federal policy advisors are weighing a proposal that would require international university graduates to pay a $100,000 fee to secure post-graduation work authorization in the U.S.

  • Sentencing in Georgia School Shooting Case: Colin Gray, the parent charged in connection with his son's mass shooting at a Georgia high school, was sentenced to 15 years in prison.

  • Federal Audit of Institutional Oversight Misconduct: Federal investigators issued a report detailing systemic failures to address historic sexual misconduct claims at private academies linked to high-profile donor networks.

  • Air Quality Suspensions for School Activities: School districts across the Northeast and Midwest suspended outdoor summer learning, day camps, and athletic training due to hazardous air quality index (AQI) levels.

ECONOMY

  • Federal Reserve Holds Benchmark Rates Steady: The Federal Reserve opted to keep key interest rates unchanged, citing a cautious approach toward inflation trends and broader macroeconomic growth data.

  • Japan Announces Unprecedented Food Tax Cut: Prime Minister Takaichi announced plans to slash Japan's consumption tax on food and beverages from 8% to 1% starting in 2027, paired with targeted household cash relief.

  • Currency Volatility & Intervention Speculation: The Japanese yen experienced sudden volatility past 158 against the U.S. dollar, drawing scrutiny and public remarks from U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

  • De Beers Halts Production at Major Diamond Mine: De Beers suspended operations at its Venetia mine in South Africa for two years amid falling demand for mined diamonds and increasing market share for lab-grown alternatives.

TECHNOLOGY

  • Meta Faces Backlash Over "Muse Image" Privacy Feature: Meta sparked privacy concerns after rolling out an AI tool capable of generating images using facial data from tagged public accounts, requiring users to manually opt out.

  • xAI Sues State of Minnesota Over Deepfake Legislation: Elon Musk’s xAI filed a legal challenge against Minnesota over its first-in-the-nation legislation banning digital "nudification" and unauthorized synthetic media technology.

  • Federal Approvals for Pedal/Wheel-Less Robotaxis: Regulators authorized expanded operational testing for autonomous vehicles designed without conventional steering wheels or brake pedals.

  • Subscription Price Hikes Take Effect Across Tech Platforms: Streaming services and digital gaming platforms, including Disney+, Netflix, and Xbox Game Pass, implemented new monthly pricing tiers.

HEALTH

  • Ebola Outbreak Worsens Humanitarian Crisis in DRC: UN agencies issued urgent warnings as an accelerating Ebola outbreak in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo compounds severe regional food shortages.

  • Widespread Respiratory Warnings Across U.S. Metros: Health departments issued high-risk advisories for vulnerable populations as fine particulate matter ($PM_{2.5}$) levels spiked from wildfire smoke.

  • Medical Study Highlights Chronic Mold Exposure Risks: New research indicates that health conditions stemming from long-term environmental mold exposure remain underdiagnosed in primary healthcare settings.

  • Regulatory Shift on Radiation Safety Practices: Federal nuclear regulators moved toward adjusting longstanding radiation safety guidelines to streamline domestic energy production protocols.

SPORTS

  • Seattle Seahawks Sold for Record $9.61 Billion: NFL owners approved the sale of the Seattle Seahawks to an investment group led by venture capitalist Vinod Khosla, marking the highest purchase price for a professional sports franchise in history.

  • Search & Rescue Operations Underway for Himalayan Climbers: Rescue workers launched high-altitude operations in Pakistan to locate 10 mountaineers led by a prominent Nepalese climber who vanished during an expedition.

  • NFL Enforces Extreme Heat Schedule Adjustments: Training camps across the league modified practice hours and implemented enhanced heat-mitigation protocols amid nationwide summer heatwaves.

  • Premier League Pre-Season Tour Operations: European soccer clubs kicked off high-profile North American pre-season exhibition tours ahead of the upcoming domestic league openers.





Michael Hiltzik: Why Dr. Fauci Took the Fifth Amendment in Congressional Hearing https://dianeravitch.net/2026/07/30/michael-hiltzik-why-dr-fauci-took-the-fifth-amendment-in-congressiknal-hearing/ via @dianeravitch 

Heather Cox Richardson on the GOP Vendetta Against Dr. Fauci https://dianeravitch.net/2026/07/30/heather-cox-richardson-on-the-gop-vendetta-against-dr-fauci/ via @dianeravitch 

Signs of a Dying Democracy? https://dianeravitch.net/2026/07/30/signals-of-a-dying-democracy/ via @dianeravitch 

Peter Greene: Will the Federal Voucher Program Put Private Schools at Risk? https://dianeravitch.net/2026/07/30/peter-greene-will-the-federal-voucher-program-put-private-schools-at-risk/ via @dianeravitch 








Big Education Ape: THE GREAT AI SMACKDOWN: THE JAILBREAK OF 2026 https://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2026/07/the-great-ai-smackdown-jailbreak-of-2026.html 









Big Education Ape: THE KIDS HAVE LOGGED IN — AND THEY HAVE OPINIONS https://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2026/07/the-kids-have-logged-in-and-they-have.html 









Big Education Ape: THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH (Senate Edition) https://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2026/07/the-greatest-show-on-earth-senate.html 






Big Education Ape: THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING TECH BROS: HOW ZUCKERBERG AND MUSK WENT FROM CAGE-MATCH HYPE TO CORPORATE CAMOUFLAGE https://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2026/07/the-incredible-shrinking-tech-bros-how.htm

Big Education Ape: TODAY'S TOP NEWS - YESTERDAY'S BEST BLOG POSTS JULY 30, 2026 https://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2026/07/todays-top-news-yesterdays-best-blog_0257961188.html 





Big Education Ape: MORNING NEWS UPDATE: JULY 30, 2026 https://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2026/07/morning-news-update-july-30-2026.html






Look, It’s Fauci! How They Jingle the Keys to Keep You from the Truth – Cloaking Inequity https://cloakinginequity.com/2026/07/30/look-its-fauci-how-they-jingle-the-keys-while-america-burns/ 





America's Faith in Schooling https://larrycuban.wordpress.com/2026/07/30/americas-faith-in-schooling/ via @CubanLarry 






Banning Books Should Be Un-American "Tennessee reportedly has 1,000 to 2,000 total book bans, as does Texas. Florida has somewhere between 2,000 and 3,000." Peter Burditt, The Tennessean (27 July 2026) PAUL THOMAS https://paulthomas701128.substack.com/p/banning-books-should-be-un-american 




My Best Posts That Appeared In July     Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... | The latest news and resources in education since 2007 https://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/ 


















The Third Hemisphere: Schools Don't Need an AI Plan. They Need a Teacher Support Plan. | National Education Policy Center https://nepc.colorado.edu/blog/schools-dont-need 









Poem: Everyone (salad days) PAUL THOMAS https://paulthomas701128.substack.com/p/poem-everyone-salad-days 






Memphis Lift Issues Statement on Court Hearing, School System Audit – Tennessee Education Report https://tnedreport.com/2026/07/memphis-lift-issues-statement-on-court-hearing-school-system-audit/ 





glen brown: "We are in Senator Joseph McCarthy territory" https://teacherpoetmusicianglenbrown.blogspot.com/2026/07/we-are-in-senator-joseph-mccarthy.html 





Curmudgucation The Bad Administrator Matrix PETER GREENE https://curmudgucation.substack.com/p/the-bad-administrator-matrix 






GLP-1 Meds for Kids? Some Info. | deutsch29: Mercedes Schneider's Blog https://deutsch29.wordpress.com/2026/07/30/glp-1-meds-for-kids-some-info/ 






Schools Matter: Bigger Pumps Needed to Keep the AI Bubble Inflated http://www.schoolsmatter.info/2026/07/bigger-pumps-needed-to-keep-ai-bubble.html 






Usability, feasibility, and acceptability of a professional learning series on early learning practices    Education Research Report https://educationresearchreport.blogspot.com/ 









Choosing Democracy: Trump / Republican Voter Suppression https://choosingdemocracy.blogspot.com/2026/07/trump-republican-voter-suppression.html 






Trib editorial reveals shocking news about socialists. They're for socialism What’s surprising about the DSA program story is not the program itself but that the Tribune still treats socialism as an exotic import rather than part of a homegrown tradition https://michaelklonsky.substack.com/p/trib-editorial-reveals-shocking-news 





Most Adults Don't Want Standardized Testing and Neither Do Kids: So, Why Do We Still Run Schools Around It? BRUCE LESLEY https://brucelesley.substack.com/p/most-adults-dont-want-standardized 






TRUMP IN THE NEWS TODAY
REMEMBER IN NOVEMBER


Here are the top news stories involving President Donald Trump leading into July 31, 2026:

1. Announced "Board of Peace" & Hamas Disarmament Agreement

  • The Story: President Trump announced that his "Board of Peace" reached an agreement for the "complete disarmament" of Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza.

  • Details: According to the announcement, the framework involves a phased plan where Israeli forces withdraw as disarmament proceeds, with an international stabilization force stepping in alongside a new Palestinian police force to oversee security and reconstruction. Mediators in Cairo indicated progress on decommissioning weapons, though official statements from Hamas and Israeli leadership remain pending confirmation.

2. FCC License Probe & ABC Backlash

  • The Story: ABC and parent company Disney issued a formal response pushing back against an ongoing Federal Communications Commission (FCC) license probe.

  • Details: The friction stems from a Truth Social post where Trump called for the immediate firing of late-night host Jimmy Kimmel following a controversial monologue joke. ABC called the FCC scrutiny an "extraordinary and unprecedented" act of retaliation violating the network's First Amendment rights, while the FCC maintains the inquiry is unrelated to broadcast content.

3. National Infrastructure & Public Lands Funding

  • The Story: The National Park Service highlighted a major $69.5 million infrastructure project for Death Valley National Park.

  • Details: Funded via the Legacy Restoration Fund under President Trump's Great American Outdoors Act, the three-year project will modernize critical water and wastewater systems serving visitors, park staff, local campgrounds, and the Timbisha Shoshone Tribe.


Justice Kavanaugh: the great concurrer of the Roberts court? | SCOTUSblog https://www.scotusblog.com/2026/07/justice-kavanaugh-the-great-concurrer-of-the-roberts-court/ 

Threat of Deportation, Program Cuts Disrupt Student Learning | LA School Report https://www.laschoolreport.com/threat-of-deportation-program-cuts-disrupt-student-learning/

Completing the picture of the court’s criminal law term | SCOTUSblog https://www.scotusblog.com/2026/07/completing-the-picture-of-the-courts-criminal-law-term/ 

Hegseth is the new Dem campaign trail villain - POLITICO https://www.politico.com/news/2026/07/30/hegseth-democrats-campaign-trail-foil-01015359 

Democrats document staffing gaps in counterterrorism and election security - POLITICO https://www.politico.com/news/2026/07/30/democrats-document-staffing-counterterrorism-election-security-01016750 

Judge declines to block strict work rule for sick patients on Medicaid - POLITICO https://www.politico.com/news/2026/07/30/judge-declines-to-block-medicaid-work-rule-01016889 

For Museum Boss Who Became a Trump Target, It’s Déjà Vu All Over Again - The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/30/arts/design/trump-smithsonian-museums-sajet-hartig.html 

Trump says he will keep Blanche in acting status if needed - POLITICO https://www.politico.com/news/2026/07/30/trump-blanche-acting-nomination-01017021 

Why Trump is Afraid of International Law - POLITICO https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2026/07/30/trump-international-criminal-court-01015495 

ABC accuses FCC of ‘attempted censorship’ - POLITICO https://www.politico.com/news/2026/07/30/abc-accuses-fcc-of-attempted-censorship-01016992 

Mandela Barnes considering dropping out of Wisconsin governor race - POLITICO https://www.politico.com/news/2026/07/30/mandela-barnes-wisconsin-governor-democrat-race-01017783

Senate Committee Approves Measure to Block Trump’s Effort to Gut Education Dept. - The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/30/us/politics/senate-committee-education-dept.html 

Ben Wikler’s Roadmap for Success - Progressive.org https://progressive.org/latest/ben-wikler-roadmap-for-success-marklein-20260730/ 

Wiles tries to break the logjam - POLITICO https://www.politico.com/news/2026/07/30/susie-wiles-senate-republicans-01018532 

Texas Parents Try New Tactic to Remove Ten Commandments From Schools - The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/30/us/ten-commandments-texas-schools-lawsuit.html 

Mamdani’s finance agency urged him to tone down contentious tax-the-rich rollout - POLITICO https://www.politico.com/news/2026/07/30/mamdanis-finance-agency-urged-him-to-tone-down-contentious-tax-the-rich-rollout-01018620 

Amid escalation, US allies hang back on intervening in Iran war - POLITICO https://www.politico.com/news/2026/07/30/iran-war-allies-europe-asia-01018732 

Anthropic's AI models broke free and hacked 3 organizations during testing - POLITICO https://www.politico.com/news/2026/07/30/anthropic-ai-rogue-hacks-01018741 

White House unveils roadmap to demilitarize Gaza - POLITICO https://www.politico.com/news/2026/07/30/white-house-unveils-roadmap-demilitarize-gaza-israel-hamas-01018868