In summary

 So much has happened that I haven't had time to cover the other news of the week.  Let's dig in.

Jean Shepherd (may his memory be a blessing) used to say that New York was the only city that charges admission.  Right now tolls on the various bridges and tunnels connecting it with mainland America can run from $1.75 for the Bear Mountain Bridge* to $13.75 for the Lincoln Tunnel, depending on time of day, vehicle and whether you spring for an E-Z Pass.  And still people insist on driving into The City.  To further discourage this, Manhattan proposes to charge $23 for driving on downtown and midtown streets.  The idea is to ease traffic, reduce air pollution and raise billions for public transportation.  Sounds good, right?  Or does it just keep out the riffraff and irritate everyone else?  I believe Ken Livingstone initiated congestion charges in London.  That would be former mayor Ken Livingstone.

For two years banks in Lebanon have not allowed people access to their own money in an effort to discourage the kinds of "runs" that broke American banks in the early years of the Great Depression.  Only small amounts can be withdrawn.  Today Bassam al-Sheikh Hussein walked into the Federal Bank in Beirut with a rifle, took several hostages and demanded money from his account to pay his father's hospital bill.  He is being hailed as a hero by other cash-strapped Lebanese.  There's a movie here but Pacino is too old to play the 42-year-old Hussein.  Clooney maybe?

In Florida manatees are an endangered species, with more than 500 dead of starvation last year.  Now people are being asked not to bother them while they mate, an event which can last from two to four weeks.  Rising temperatures, poor water quality and now humans being jerks.  Would you like it if a seacow showed up in your bedroom?

How much would you pay to rid the world of a blood-thirsty loon?  The Justice Department says Shahram Poursafi of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard offered $300,000 to somebody for killing John Bolton in retaliation for the Qasem Soleimani assassination of 2020.  Bolton says he's insulted.  I know people who would do it for bus fare.

Spain seems to be in need of some critical race theory.  The Spanish Catholic Church says it will look into parishes that commemorate the "blood libel" and venerate children who were supposedly the victims of Jewish ritual murder in the fifteenth century.  The town of Castrillo Matajudios (Castrillo Kill the Jews) only changed its name in 2014.  This comes at an embarrassing time, when Barcelona is trying to attract Israeli tourists with its Shalom Barcelona campaign.  I guess they didn't expect a kind of Spanish Inquisition.

Trevin Thalheimer, who was thinking of running for the Brookville, Indiana, town council, was rumored to be "anti-police" (he denies it), so the police chief and one of his underlings arrested him on phony rape and drug charges.  The charges were dropped and the two are now being investigated by the state police.  "I knew politics was dirty but I didn't know I'd have to dumpster dive," said Thalheimer.  Now he knows.

FBI Director Christopher Wray pronounced himself "concerned" about the "violent and dangerous" threats made by Trumpanzees since agents executed a search warrant at Mar a Lago.  This was before an armed man in body armor tried to break into the FBI office in Cincinnati.  "Whatever happened to the Republican Party backing the blue?  And in particular the members of federal law enforcement at the FBI?"  Well, Steve Scalise, answer Steve Doocy.  Am I awake?

Starbucks employees are organizing in at least seventeen states despite massive anti-union efforts by the company.  Show your support!  When they ask your name say "Mother Jones" or "Joe Hill."  Better yet,  get your caffeine at an independent place.

Dark Brandon knows all.  Be afraid.

(sigh) OK, I guess I need to.  On June 3 a grand jury subpoena was served to the laird of Mar a Lago requiring him to produce all documents with "classification" labels.  In other words, he knew about the "desecration" for two months and did nothing but schmooze with the Arabs who underwrote his trashy new golf league and hold hate rallies.  According to Rolling Stone he was already antsy and asking people if they were "wearing a wire" as early as May.  Did the FBIs plant bugs during one of their visits?  What about those microwaves that were spying on Trump Tower?  Was it wire tapps?  Who tipped off the feds about the classified materials?  Was it Jared?  When was Vanessa here before she dumped Junior?  Was Eric the "confidential human source" (ha ha, human).  Why is he making so much noise now?  Why isn't he in North Carolina where they box the Trump Wine?  

By tonight he's ripping the place apart like Gene Hackman in The Conversation.  Or running across the street to use a pay phone like Paul Sorvino in GoodFellas.  There are no pay phones and alas, no Sorvino.  Or throwing a clammy embrace on Giuliani.  "I know it was you, Rudy.  You broke my heart."  Just don't dump him in Lake Mead.

I have seen too many movies.   

This just in:   Merrick Garland says the DoJ has asked a federal judge to unseal the warrant served on Monday.  

*I had to look it up.  It connects New York with Rockland County and its formal name is the Purple Heart Veterans Memorial Bridge.  You learn stuff every day.