A little treason, anyone?
ZWF #18: Sunday, June 12, 2022
It’s been 17 months since the attack on the United States Capitol in an effort to prevent the certification of the 2020 U.S. presidential election. However, the American people are now getting more clarity and information on what exactly happened on January 6, 2021, thanks to Congress.
Inside this week’s edition of Zander’s Weekend Facts, the Jan. 6 congressional committee begins their primetime hearings, the NBA Finals are far from over, and a look at what Zander’s been reading this week. Plus, a couple of the top headlines from the past week you’ll want to know about.
Also, go listen to the latest episode of the Zander’s Facts podcast! Episode 65 features an audio edition of Enough of your thoughts and prayers, along with a preview of the NBA Finals with ZF NBA analyst Hill Billy. Download and listen to the Zander’s Facts podcast wherever you get your podcasts!
Zander’s Weekend Facts is here to give you the facts about what has been going on in the world around us this past week. You’ll just have to read these facts, instead of listening to them on the Zander’s Facts podcast.
Here are Zander’s Weekend Facts for Sunday, June 12, 2022:
The January 6 hearings open with a bang
The House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol kicked off a series of congressional hearings on Thursday night. If the upcoming six hearings are anything like the first, we are all in for a wild ride.
The select committee was first organized in July 2021, with House Minority Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) rescinding all of his picks for the committee after Democrats rejected a few due to their percieved involvement in the attack. Only two Republicans are sitting on the committee, Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) and Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) against the wishes of the Republican Party. House Speaker Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) nominated seven Democrats to sit on the panel. Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS) serves as the Chair of the panel. Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-CA), Stephanie Murphy (D-FL), Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD), and Rep. Elaine Luria (D-VA) also serve on the committee. Rep. Cheney serves as the Vice Chair of the panel.
Over the past 11 months, the committee has investigated the attack on the capitol, it’s origins, and who should be held responsible. The information gained from numerous documents and testimonies is expected to be compiled and presented at the hearings, then prepared for a final report that is expected to be released in September.
The committee held its first hearing in primetime on Thursday night. During the nearly two hour window, the committee began to lay down their case against former President Donald Trump and those around him in regards to the January 6, 2021 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.
The hearing began with remarks from committee Chair Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS) and Vice Chair Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY).
The committee also unveiled never-before-seen footage of the attack, with new audio from law enforcement, in a startling 12 minute montage.
Testimony was also given by Nick Quested and Caroline Edwards. Quested is a documentary filmmaker who followed the Proud Boys around Washington D.C. on January 6, 2021. Edwards is a U.S. Capitol police officer who defended the capitol on January 6, 2021.
The hearing aired on every major television network in the U.S. including, ABC, CBS, CNN, NBC, and PBS. However, Fox News did not air the hearing. Instead, the network aired commercial-free showings of its primetime conservative opinion programming, with the hearing shown on a mute split-screen. Fox aired its coverage of the hearing on Fox Business Network.
Over 20 million people watched the hearing live on television in the United States, according to Nielsen. That number only includes those watching on television networks such as ABC, CNN, etc. That figure does not include livestreams on YouTube, social media, and those watching on PBS. The hearing also aired globally on networks such as BBC World News and Sky News.
You can watch the full hearing here (click to watch on YouTube):
The next hearing from the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol will take place on Monday morning at 10:00 am et. The major networks in the U.S. (ABC, CBS, NBC) are once again expected to interrupt programming to carry the hearing, along with the cable news networks. Additional hearings are scheduled to take place later this week and next week.
The Finals are just getting started
Four games may be complete in the 2022 NBA Finals, but it feels as though the NBA’s championship series is just beginning. With the series shifting back to San Francisco for game five, the Boston Celtics and Golden State Warriors are all tied up at two games a piece.
Here’s an updated look at the 2022 NBA Playoffs bracket:
Going into game three in Boston, each team had won one game. The Celtics held firm for most of game three, pulling out a 116-100 win over the Warriors. That result made game four an almost must-win situation for Golden State. Only once in NBA history has a team come back from down 3-1 to win a series. The Warriors know this well, since they were the team to blow a 3-1 lead in 2018 to LeBron James’ Cleveland Cavaliers.
Game four was arguably the best game in the series, so far. The Warriors and Celtics traded leads for a majority of the game, but the Warriors pulled ahead in the end to win 107-97.
Now the series is tied 2-2 with game five looming on Monday. Even with four games down, it feels as if anybody can win this series. Will the Warriors dynasty regain their throne after a three-year absence? Or will the young core of the Celtics look to begin a run of their own?
The answer may become more clear on Monday night, when game five takes place in San Francisco. Game six will take place on Thursday night in Boston. If no team has won four games and the series is tied at 3-3, game seven will be held next Sunday night in San Francisco. All games in the NBA Finals will tip off at 9:00 pm et and air on ABC.
For more on the NBA Finals: NBA - 2022 NBA Finals
What Zander’s reading this week
Continuing with the theme of the January 6, 2021 insurrection, one article I read this week finds another suspect to blame for the events, the electoral college. Kate Shaw, a law professor at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law at New York City’s Yeshiva University, writes about how the United States’ unique method of electing a President is at least partially to blame for the insurrection.
This piece is more opinion and analysis, but it is well worth a read.
Check out this week’s featured piece in The Atlantic - The Other Cause of January 6
Also available on Apple News: Apple News link
Zander’s Facts Sporting Club
Here’s a look at the latest headlines in sports with Zander’s Facts Sporting Club:
Not many could have thought the Washington Commanders’ offseason could get much worse, but it somehow did this week. Leaders in Virginia’s General Assembly killed a bill that would have given the franchise hundreds of millions of dollars in taxpayer money towards a new stadium. While opposition to the bill had been widespread for some time, the final nail in the coffin appeared to have been comments by defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio. On Monday, Del Rio posted a tweet asking why the Jan. 6 committee hearings were receiving coverage but violence during protests in the summer of 2020 were not. On Wednesday, he defended the tweet by referring to the insurrection as a “dust-up.” Del Rio has since apologized, been fined $100,000 by the Commanders, and has deleted his Twitter account.
The NHL’s Stanley Cup Final is officially set. The Colorado Avalanche will face the Tampa Bay Lightning in a seven-game series, with the winner set to take home hockey’s most coveted trophy, the Stanley Cup. The Avalanche swept the Edmonton Oilers in four games in the Western Conference Finals, while the Lightning defeated the New York Rangers in a 4-2 series in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Avalanche are seeking their third Stanley Cup and first since 2001. The Lightning are two-time defending champions and are trying to become the first team since the New York Islanders in 1983 to win the Stanley Cup three straight years. The Stanley Cup Final begins on Wednesday, with all games airing at 8:00 pm et on ABC and ESPN+.
LIV Golf, the new controversial golf tour funded by the Saudi Arabian government, teed off this week. The first event of the International Series was held in London, England this week. Included in the field of players were PGA Tour defects Phil Mickleson, Louis Oosthuizen, and Dustin Johnson. Any golfer who has been a part of the PGA Tour that participated in the event was suspended by the tour, meaning they can not participate in any future PGA Tour events for the time being. However, players may still be able to play in the four golf majors, as those are not run by the PGA Tour. The U.S. Open, which tees off later this week, announced that LIV players will still be eligible to participate.
Oklahoma softball took home the Women’s College World Series title for the second-straight year on Thursday. The Sooners swept the Texas Longhorns in two games to win the program’s sixth softball national championship. Finishing the season with a 59-3 record and looking nearly unbeatable all season, many have begun the debate as to whether' this year’s Sooners are the greatest college softball team of all time. In baseball, the College World Series is set to begin on Thursday from Omaha, Nebraska.
The Canadian men’s national soccer team refused to play in a friendly against Panama last Sunday due to an ongoing pay dispute with Canada Soccer, the governing body of soccer in Canada. Canadian players are asking for greater transparency regarding the tv rights deal Canada Soccer has with OneSoccer, along with a greater share of World Cup revenue and equal pay with the women’s national team. The protest comes just a few weeks after the United States Soccer Federation announced a record breaking CBA that included equal pay for the men’s and women’s national teams. While no agreement has been reached, the Canadian men did play in their CONCACAF Nations League contest on Friday against Curaçao.
Rapid-fire Facts
Here’s a look at some important stories from the past week in rapid-fire fashion:
Beginning in 2024, all smartphones and tablets sold in the European Union must have a USB-C type charging port. The E.U. agreed on the law this week that will mandate all personal devices use the same charging port. The same law will apply to laptops starting in 2026. The move is seen as a blow to Apple, which has sold its iPhones and most iPads with a lightning charging port since 2012. Other major technology companies, including Google and Samsung, have already switched most new devices to USB-C. While the law will not apply to countries outside of the European Union, it is likely to bring change worldwide as companies will likely use the USB-C port on devices outside of Europe as well. Technically, the law still needs to be formally approved, but it is seen as highly likely to be approved in the near future.
United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson survived a no-confidence vote that was held in the British parliament on Monday. The vote came as Johnson’s approval ratings have sagged partially due to the revelation that Johnson broke his own COVID protocols by holding parties during times of heightened restrictions in the U.K. Despite growing distrust within Johnson’s own Conservative Party, Johnson won 59% of the vote to remain Prime Minister. Johnson celebrated the results, calling the result of the vote “very good” and “convincing.” However, it is important to note, as the BBC does, that Johnson’s 59% falls below the 63% former PM Theresa May received in a 2018 no-confidence vote. May resigned six months later due to a Brexit stalemate. If no snap elections are called beforehand, the next British parliament elections are set to take place in January 2025.
Michigan Republican gubernatorial candidate Ryan Kelley was arrested by the FBI on Thursday. Kelly was arrested on misdemeanor chargers related to the January 6th insurrection, with the chargers accusing Kelly of “being an active participant in the riot.” Kelly was released on bond after a short court hearing on Thursday afternoon. Kelly is running in the Republican gubernatorial primary, where the winner will face incumbent Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer. As of now, Kelly’s name will remain on the ballot for the primary election, which is set to be held on August 2nd.
A four-day workweek is set to become a reality for thousands of British workers. Nearly 70 companies in the U.K. have signed on to participate in a six-month trial that will not reduce pay for any workers and will cut time on the job by 20 percent. The study comes as momentum is growing for workers worldwide in the aftermath of COVID’s shift towards work-from-home. Shorter workweeks, higher pay, working from home, and the resurgence of workers’ unions have all been brought into the spotlight over the last two years across the globe.
President Joe Biden announced a two-year tariff exemption to solar panels from four Southeast Asian countries on Monday. Biden’s executive order will allow solar panels from Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam to enter the U.S. without being subjected to tariffs. The move comes as those four countries are under investigation by the U.S. Commerce Department for potentially avoiding tariffs on goods that are made in China. Additionally, Biden invoked the Defense Production Act to ramp up the production of solar panels and other clean-energy products in the future.
Wrapping up the Facts
Before this week’s edition of Zander’s Weekend Facts wraps up, here’s another reminder to check out the latest episodes of the Zander’s Facts podcast. Download and listen to Episode 65, along with the latest ZF Flashback, wherever you get your podcasts. Check out Zander’s Facts’ Linktree page for more on anything Zander’s Facts related: Zander's Facts on Linktree
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That’s a wrap on this week’s edition of Zander’s Weekend Facts. The Facts in print return next Sunday, June 19, 2022.