Bob’s Hailstone 7-17-25
Leaky Judges, Fed Fumbles, Epstein Echoes—and AI’s Big Question
Bob’s Hailstone 7-17-25
Leaky Judges, Fed Fumbles, Epstein Echoes—and AI’s Big Question
By Jim Reynolds – www.reynolds.com
Grook:
When secrets stream in torrent form,
Truth finds cover in crowded storm.
A leaking vault breathes louder still—
And exposes cracks no spin can fill.
🔍 Unifying Introduction
Today feels like a dam breaking: documents leak, narratives sputter, and memos heat up. With stories from Russia to AI, and the Fed under fire, the real question isn’t who says it loudest—it’s who can survive the flood. Strap in: the data’s spilling—and someone’s going to sink.
📌 Story Summaries
1. Secret Meeting Opens Document Floodgates on Russia Hoax
• Summary: Paul Sperry (RCI) reports a classified meeting where intelligence chiefs allegedly coordinated to suppress or spin Trump–Russia theories. The files now show heavy-handed memos and redactions meant to protect the “narrative”—not necessarily the truth.
• Leans: Right‑vindicated
• Bob: Classified? Or just desperate to hold their story line together.
• Jim: When vault doors creak, sometimes they're opened from the inside. Sorry, but I’m still skeptical about anything significant befalling these bad actors.
2. These Strategists Have a Few Fixes for Dems' Message
• Summary: Ellen Ioanes (New Republic) says Democrats are scrambling to replace protest politics with retail messaging ahead of 2026 midterms. Focus: deliver real proposals and reclaim relevance in key districts.
• Leans: Cautiously Center
• Bob: “We have solutions”—campaign slogan 101.
• Jim: Retail messaging? About what? We’ve been waiting for the beef.
3. Hassett Emerges as Early Frontrunner To Replace Powell
• Summary: Bloomberg’s Cook & Saraiva report on Kevin Hassett pushing ahead as a candidate for Fed chair. Markets like his pro-growth inclinations—but inflation hawks worry about accountability.
• Leans: Right‑market‑friendly
• Bob: New guy, new bias—toward business.
• Jim: Every time I see Hassett he’s smiling outside on the WH lawn. Must know something. Or maybe just a happy guy.
4. Something Is Rotten at the Federal Reserve
• Summary: Oren Cass (Commonplace) argues the Fed is “too large, too hidden, and too powerful for accountability.” He tracks secret committees and shifting mandates that evade Congressional review.
• Leans: Right‑alarmist
• Bob: The beast grows in dark rooms.
• Jim: Trump-hater Powell factors in tariff-driven inflation policy that never happened. So speculation is now part of the Fed decision process? My speculation? Powell walks plank.
5. Bondi Dodges Bongino Question as DOJ Drama Heats Up
• Summary: Marita Vlachou (HuffPost) catches former AG Pam Bondi walking away from Dan Bongino’s questions about DOJ interference in Trump/Hunter cases. The dodge suggests more than political caution—it signals unresolved tension.
• Leans: Left‑defensive
• Bob: If she’s walking, the question’s running.
• Jim: Bongino is the kind of guy you generally want to agree with.
6. Comey’s Daughter Fired From DOJ; Worked Epstein Case
• Summary: NY Post reports Tracey Comey, former DOJ lawyer and James Comey’s daughter, exits in Epstein-related personnel moves. Sparks questions about insider policy and nepotism in ongoing investigations.
• Leans: Right‑rule‑of‑law
• Bob: Even the family name can’t buy immunity.
• Jim: Named after a popular detective with a wrist radio..
7. Base Interested in Epstein for Proof of Deep State's Corruption
• Summary: Charlie Kirk (RAV) says his MAGA base sees Epstein's files as a tool to expose deep-state networks. The emerging theory: Epstein is a lens on systemic rot inside D.C.
• Leans: Righteously Right
• Bob: Epstein: the gift that keeps giving subpoenas.
• Jim: When you promise a whale and deliver a minnow — you may have an expectation mismatch.
8. DNC Launches X Account Dedicated to the Epstein Files
• Summary: Lauren Egan (Bulwark) reports the DNC’s new X account is amplifying Epstein-related material, aiming to distract from right-wing exploitation of the issue. Part pre-emptive spin, part narrative arms race.
• Leans: Left‑combative
• Bob: If you can't win a scandal, you spin a new one.
• Jim: They are only one Joe Rogan away from being successful with this idea.
9. Memo: D.C. Judges Predisposed Against Trump Admin
• Summary: Margot Cleveland (Federalist) examines memos arguing that some D.C. judges held anti-Trump predispositions, possibly influencing rulings before arguments were even heard. Raises alarm about impartial justice.
• Leans: Right‑warning
• Bob: The deck might be stacked—and we’re holding the joker.
• Jim: Blind justice with bias in her hand. Mind-reading now a popular sport in some jurisdictions. Or is this another case of intent assignment?
10. Democrats Should Dump Mamdani
• Summary: Ryan Clancy (The Hill) urges Dems to detach from Zohran Mamdani's socialist brand to remain competitive beyond Brooklyn. The conflict: identity-forward politics vs. voting majority.
• Leans: Center‑pragmatic
• Bob: Radicals don’t pay the rent.
• Jim: What could possibly go wrong? Doesn’t socialism always work?
11. Trump Bullish on America at Pittsburgh Summit
• Summary: Salena Zito (Wash Examiner) covers Trump’s bullish rhetoric in Pittsburgh, where he emphasized U.S. strength and resilience, contrasting sharply with global panic narratives.
• Leans: Righteously Right
• Bob: Sell hope—not doom—with a free hard hat.
• Jim: The Mellon is rolling towards the right.
12. The AI Deal of the Century?
• Summary: Jason Hausenloy (RealClearPolitics) delves into a massive AI deal combining data licensing, cloud infrastructure, and private–public partnerships. The promise: innovation. The risk: unchecked techno-power.
• Leans: Center‑analytical
• Bob: If AI is the new oil, who owns the rig?
• Jim: I asked AI about this. Told me it didn’t have a clue. Then it made a faint giggling sound. Weird.
💓 End Note
Leaks, scandals, and AI alarms—today’s news cycle feels relentless. But in the flood of megaphones, credibility is calm persistence. You’re not drowning in noise—you’re watching what sinks. Today’s overload is tomorrow’s sand—choose steady.
Note on Sources:
All stories come from the RealClearPolitics homepage. For full context, visit www.realclearpolitics.com.
🎭 Optional Add-On:
SKIT: "Bob & Jim in the Archives"
Setting:
Dimly lit federal basement. Rows of leaking file boxes. Fluorescent hum overhead. Dust in the air. One flickering light.
[Interior – The Archives. Late. Bob rifles through boxes labeled “Classified,” “Epstein,” and “DOJ – Misplaced.” Jim watches from a stool, sipping from a metal thermos.]
BOB (grumbling):
You ever notice how the more they say “nothing to see here,” the taller the stack gets?
JIM:
That’s Washington’s idea of transparency—hide everything, then tweet about it later.
BOB (pulls file):
Here’s one—“Strategic Messaging Memo, 2021: Say ‘Russia’ every time you panic.”
(reads)
Note to self: don’t lose the script during hearings.
JIM (deadpan):
They didn’t. They just ran out of synonyms.
BOB (holds up sealed envelope):
What do you think’s in this one? “Operation Ignore Until It’s Trending”?
JIM:
Or “Operation We All Knew But Didn’t Want to Say It Out Loud.”
BOB (tosses it aside):
Might as well label these boxes “Trust Deficit – Authorized for Public Erosion.”
JIM (rising):
You think it matters? You dig up the truth, they bury it in a press release. End of day, folks believe what matches the team scarf they’re wearing.
BOB:
Yeah? Maybe.
But I’m not digging for the crowd.
I’m digging for whoever comes in after the lights go out—
And still wants to know where the bodies are buried.
JIM (quiet):
That’s why I brought the shovel.
[Fade out. Light flickers. Crates labeled "AI Ethics" and "Election Integrity" slide into view.]