Open Thread: Cuba, Torture And Zombies

Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) told Fox News that Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) is to blame for the chaos engulfing the House GOP caucus on Friday. Said Donalds: “Matt’s vacating Kevin McCarthy has brought us to Lord of the Flies on Capitol Hill. Not a good situation.”

“A young man set himself on fire after dousing himself with a flammable liquid in Collect Pond Park, across from the courthouse. As onlookers screamed, bright orange flames engulfed the man,” the New York Times reports. “He was in the area of the park cordoned-off for Trump supporters, around two dozen of whom fled screaming.”

“Twelve jurors and six alternates have been chosen in the Manhattan trial of Donald J. Trump, who is accused of falsifying business records to cover up a sex scandal that threatened to derail his 2016 campaign,” the New York Times reports. “Opening statements, where prosecutors and defense lawyers will introduce their dueling cases to the newly empaneled jury, are expected to begin as early as Monday.”

“Apparently Donald Trump needs to catch up on some sleep, as the former president appeared to doze off in a New York City courtroom yet again on Friday,” the Daily Beast reports. “This time around, reporters noted that Trump’s head repeatedly dropped, and he closed his eyes for quite some time.” “It’s at least the third time Trump has been spotted catching some ZZZs during the first week of his high-stakes hush-money trial.”

Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS), the former chair of the January 6 select committee, has filed legislation that would strip Secret Service protection for anyone sentenced to jail for a felony.

New York Times: “Interviews in Mr. McCormick’s hometown, as well as a review of public records, news coverage from his childhood and his own words, suggest that he has given a misleading impression about key aspects of his background.” “He has explicitly said and strongly implied that he grew up on a farm, claimed in 2022 that he had ‘started with nothing’ and that he ‘didn’t have anything,’ and he and his campaign have recently described his parents as schoolteachers.” “In fact, Mr.