Worth Knowing, Probably Not Quite Threadworthy 6/17

[SVPete]

Jeffrey Epstein was obsessed with trying to take down Trump before suicide, report says

https://nypost.com/2026/06/16/us-news/jeffrey-epstein-was-obsessed-with-trying-to-take-down-trump-before-suicide-report/

Child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein tried to dig up dirt on President Trump in a desperate bid for leniency in the days leading up to his suicide, but was unable to deliver anything of substance, according to a report.

Epstein became fixated on the president after he was arrested in 2019, as his lawyers tried to hammer out a deal with prosecutors if the disgraced financier could provide helpful information about other defendants, according to the New York Times.

During his many marathon meetings with his parade of lawyers while he was locked up in a federal jail in Lower Manhattan, Epstein often had his nose buried in a legal pad scrawling disjointed one-liners about the commander-in-chief, such as “Trump is a total con artist — smoke & mirrors” and “Never had money.”

The deranged scribblings suggest that Epstein had nothing on Trump, who was serving his first term in office at the time.

His scribblings also included grousing about the difficulties he endured as a wealthy “Pedophile in jail,” which he claimed included being denied phone calls and visits, according to the outlet.

Progs parrot the talking-point that Trump is mentioned ##,000 times in the Epstein files, insinuating that proves Trump participated in Epstein's perversions. This NYT report suggests that a significant % of the mentions pertain to Epstein's Trump-Hatred. Further, it shows that if Trump indulged in Epstein's perversions,  Epstein could have had the evidence made public very easily ... and couldn't.

Maybe Progs should recognize that the NYT is "hinting" that it's time to move on from their Epstein Files obsession to their next Hate-Trump obsession.

[SVPete]

How Deep Are the Newsoms in It? THIS Deep.

https://pjmedia.com/vodkapundit/2026/06/17/how-deep-are-the-newsoms-in-it-this-deep-n4954052

It seems impossible — or just too revolting — to keep up with the financial hanky-panky of California Gov. Gavin Newsom and First Partner (gag) Jennifer Siebel Newsom. But thanks to a couple of investigative reporters with stronger stomachs than I have, let's see if I can't put everything you need to know into one easily digestible column.
...
MacDonald said Tuesday that the DOJ probe "is about California Democrats’ modern-day machine politics," which she described as a "feedback loop of Sacramento-corporate lobbyists-governor/wife nonprofit-behested nonprofit donations-lucrative state contracts-Sacramento."

Don't bother writing all this down — there won't be a quiz at the end of today's column. You're welcome.

"The modern Sacramento machine trades corporate compliance and nonprofit funding/donations for policy access and state business," MacDonald added, and then explained how that grift (allegedly!) worked for the Newsoms:

According to IRS Form 990 disclosures, her nonprofit frequently buys from Siebel Newsom’s for-profit film company—Girls Club Entertainment LLC—writer, producer and director services and the licensing and production rights for her documentaries. Then it sells the docs to the state and public schools.

 IRS records show that her nonprofit has paid her Girls Club Entertainment LLC roughly $1.64 million for these production and licensing rights since 2012, which includes a steady annual contracting fee of $150,000 since 2018.

TL;DR: Siebel Newsom produced unwatchable propaganda videos for children, for which Democrat-dominated schools then paid her handsomely. Or as MacDonald summed it up, "Over the past decade, Siebel Newsom has collected over $3.7 million in combined personal salary and LLC payouts funded by the nonprofit."

Then there are behested payments, which MacDonald explained are "a unique mechanism in California politics where an elected official asks a corporation, labor union, or wealthy individual to donate money to a specific charity, nonprofit, or government program." Unlike campaign donations, there are no caps.

As governor, Newsom requested a record $226 million in behested payments in one year. "Hundreds of thousands of dollars went to the California Partners Project," MacDonald wrote, "a nonprofit founded by his wife."

"Many of the biggest donors were corporate giants (like health insurers and utility companies) actively bidding for lucrative state contracts or fighting state regulations."

Self-dealing by Noisome (pun intended) "non-profits" ... pay-for-play ... Noisome (pun intended) home purchases with money sources unknown ...

[SVPete]

Magnitude-6.3 earthquake kills 1, injures 4 in China: report

https://nypost.com/2026/06/16/world-news/magnitude-6-3-earthquake-kills-1-injures-4-in-china-report/

BEIJING — A magnitude-6.3 earthquake hit the ​northwestern Chinese province of Qinghai ‌on Tuesday, killing at least one person and injuring four others, state media ​reported, citing emergency authorities.

The quake ​struck a high-altitude area in the ⁠prefecture of Haixi in Qinghai ​with a depth of ten kilometers ​at 5:06 p.m. Beijing time (0906 GMT) on Tuesday, the China Earthquake Networks Center said.

State ​media said all workers at ​coal mines near the epicenter have been ‌evacuated, and authorities are still assessing casualties and property damage.

Until 3 or 4 days ago, my daughter was visiting friends in provincial capital Xining, which is about 220 miles east of where this earthquake was. Qinghai province is a western province, pretty rural, with only Xinjiang province and Tibet west of it.

[SVPete]

Oregon suddenly backs down on $90k fine on Christian therapist for not blessing gay relationship

https://justthenews.com/nation/free-speech/oregon-suddenly-backs-down-90k-fine-christian-therapist-not-blessing-gay

Attorney General Dan Rayfield notified the Oregon Court of Appeals, ..., that the Board of Licensed Professional Counselors and Therapists withdrew the "final order assessing costs" against Frank Canepa May 12 and then the "notice of proposed disciplinary action" June 5.

The board's attached order says it moved to reconsider the fine in light of the Supreme Court's March ruling in favor of Colorado therapist Kaley Chiles, threatened by the Centennial State for refusing to affirm gender confusion in minor clients, and then took back the disciplinary notice "without prejudice."

Canepa's lawyers at the Alliance Defending Freedom announced the withdrawal Wednesday but not how it would respond, given that the board's withdrawal without prejudice means it could open a new proceeding against Canepa.

Reason 983 for Proggie-Faithful to hate the Alliance Defending Freedom. The ADF represents people who should not be represented and wins cases that should not be won (from a Prog POV).