Emptywheel Friday: Bribery, Binance, Bolton & More BS -- Nicole Sandler Show 6-5-25

*Technical note. For some reason, the audio doesn't begin until almost 2:15 in. I don't know why. It's just one of those days. Sorry! ** It's Emptywheel Friday, and Marcy Wheeler is here to help make sense of another week. Todd Blanche testified before Congress and basically said out loud that Trump can't be held accountable for accepting a bribe — then got promoted the next day. The FISA 702 reauthorization is being used as leverage over the Pulte appointment. The DOJ's so-called fraud task force is, as Marcy lays out, itself a massive fraud — designed to chase $1,000 in SNAP benefits while moving the prosecutors who go after real white collar crime (you know, the kind Trump and friends commit) off those cases entirely. Plus: the Pam Bondi/Epstein deposition dropped and there's a LOT in there, the SPLC superseding indictment accidentally exonerates them, Trump's sleeping through cabinet meetings on camera, and we've got a UFC cage in front of the White House that might never come down. Just another week in America. Timecodes: 00:00 — Intro / Another Crazy Week 01:00 — Trump puts Pulte in charge of intelligence & Todd Blanche's "bribery is fine" testimony 04:00 — The reconciliation bill, the terrorist slush fund & Republicans who caved anyway 06:00 — Ukraine funding passes the House & Russia's losing ground 08:30 — FISA 702 reauthorization used as leverage against Pulte 10:00 — The Binance/CZ pardon: Trump pocketed $2B while Iran kept laundering money 14:00 — The Broadview 6, Akash Singh & Abrego Garcia's case thrown out 16:00 — The SPLC superseding indictment accidentally confesses they have no case 22:00 — DOJ's fraud task force: what it's really for (hint: not fighting fraud) 30:00 — Clip: Brooke Rollins vs. Rep. McGovern on SNAP cuts 35:00 — Rick Scott's Medicare fraud vs. the $1,001 they're actually chasing 40:00 — Trump's tax immunity addendum & the crypto corruption chart 44:00 — John Bolton pleads guilty & what it actually means 48:00 — Pam Bondi's Epstein deposition: what was hidden, what wasn't, and the Melania question 59:00 — Hunter Biden on Bluesky, Jake Tapper, and why it's actually working 01:03:00 — Trump sleeping through meetings / Ted Lieu vs. Marco Rubio 01:07:00 — The UFC cage in front of the White House (maybe forever?) 01:08:00 — Iran, oil prices, and why Trump is coping with a reflecting pool 01:22:00 — Maine Democratic primary: Plattner, Janet Mills & what voters need to know now 01:27:00 — Wrap / Find Marcy at emptywheel.net ________________________________________ The Nicole Sandler Show is live weekdays from 3-4pm Eastern/noon-1 Pacific and then available to watch any time at your convenience. We have no paywall, but this show is listener supported, so please help us out if you're able to. Get more info and today's show notes & news notes at nicolesandler.com, where you can also make a contribution to support this program. And please subscribe to nicolesandler.substack.com to get it all delivered to your inbox.