Mrs. Shelly Luther probably did not expect to take this role, but the rebellious Texas salon owner has become the face of resistance to overbearing totalitarian dictates.

Mrs. Luther opened her salon in defiance of the economic shutdown that was causing financial ruin for her and her employees.

As a result Texas Judge Eric Moye sentenced her to a week in jail. Facing massive public outcry and support for Luther the Texas Attorney General and Governor are now asking Dallas County authorities to let her out of jail.

DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) – Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has called for the “immediate release” of a Dallas salon owner who was arrested and sent to jail for opening her business in defiance of Gov. Greg Abbott’s stay-at-home orders.

Paxton said he believes the judge is abusing his authority and that her arrest seems like a “political stunt.” In a full statement, Paxton said:

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Senior economic adviser to President Trump, Kevin Hassett, discusses the latest data showing over 20 million people have lost their jobs due to the Wuhan Virus. Hassett notes the administration is ready for a phase-4 financial package if necessary; but waiting to measure the impact of states beginning to reopen.

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In an effort to keep the Daily Open Thread a little more open topic we are going to start a new daily thread for “Presidential Politics”. Please use this thread to post anything relating to the Donald Trump Administration and Presidency.

This thread will refresh daily and appear above the Open Discussion Thread.

President Trump Twitter @POTUS / Vice President Pence Twitter @VP

Kayleigh McEnany Twitter @PressSec

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. THY WILL BE DONE, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but DELIVER US FROM EVIL.

For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen †

U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and U.K. Secretary of State for International Trade Elizabeth Truss announced today [joint statement] the beginning of a series of fast-tracked trade negotiations toward a new free trade agreement. [USTR Release]

In the foreground is a trade agreement between the U.S. and the United Kingdom. However, in the more strategic background context these negotiations create leverage for the U.K. in their post-Brexit negotiations with the European Union. First from today:

LIGHTHIZER – […] The US negotiating team will be led by Dan Mullaney, Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Europe and the Middle East; and the UK negotiating team will be led by Oliver Griffiths, Director for US Negotiations at the Department for International Trade. Over 200 staff from U.S. and UK government agencies and departments are expected to take part in the negotiations.

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It doesn’t come as a shock but it is ridiculous in the extreme. A Dallas County Texas salon owner has been sentenced to a week in jail for defying the order to keep her business closed.  “I couldn’t feed my family and my stylists couldn’t feed their families” Ms. Shelly Luther testified.  The court didn’t care.

The stakes are escalating daily as economic desperation takes over and the oppressive hand of the authoritarian government officials refuse to loosen their grip on their new found power over the population.  Confrontation is likely to get much worse quickly.

TEXAS – A Dallas salon owner will spend a week in jail after she was found in contempt of court Tuesday for violating a court order to close her salon during the coronavirus pandemic.

In addition to the jail time, Shelley Luther was fined at least $3,500 for continuing to operate her business, Salon à la Mode, in violation of a temporary restraining order issued against the business.

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An interesting article from Fox News asks the question of whether Mueller’s special counsel attorney Brandon Van Grack misled Judge Sullivan in the Flynn case by not being forthcoming about the background documents under the DOJ Brady obligation.

Additionally, as a consequence of the Flynn evidence discoveries people are now asking why the FBI and DOJ did not produce these documents earlier.  Representative Jim Jordan is specifically asking these questions of current FBI Director Chris Wray.

In response to the Fox News article the FBI has released a statement which itself is very interesting.  Apparently the FBI Director is trying to dig himself and his institution out of a hole; but it is only getting worse.  First, here’s the follow-up from the FBI.

[FOX NEWS] – After this article was published, the FBI provided a statement to Fox News saying that under Wray’s leadership, the bureau had turned over relevant Flynn materials to the U.S. attorney probing possible FBI criminal misconduct during the Trump probe, John Durham — but the FBI didn’t say when exactly the handoff happened.

“Under Director Wray’s leadership, the FBI has fully cooperated and been transparent with the review being conducted by U.S. Attorney Jeff Jensen, just as it has been with U.S. Attorney John Durham and was with Inspector General Michael Horowitz,” the statement read.

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Today President Donald Trump tours the Honeywell manufacturing facility and delivers remarks about mask production in Arizona. Honeywell’s facility is making millions of N95 masks for the U.S. government.  Anticipated start time 4:30pm ET

UPDATE: Video Added

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Joint Base Andrews pressers are not as good as Chopper pressers, but they’re close. President Trump impromptu remarks departing Andews AFB. [Video and Transcript]

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[Transcript] – THE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much. I’m going to Arizona. We’re going to see Honeywell. They’ve done a fantastic job on many different fronts on the pandemic, and we’re going to pay our respects and also see the great people of Arizona.

Okay. Go ahead.

Q Mr. President, with these new projections, a lot of people do want the country to reopen quickly. Are you willing to accept these new projections that show that many more people will die and — with interaction?

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President Trump delivers remarks to the media as he prepares to depart the White House for a trip to Arizona. [Video and Transcript Below]

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[Transcript] – THE PRESIDENT: Hello, everybody. So, I’m leaving for Arizona. We’re going to be at the Honeywell plant, which is doing great work for us. And it’ll be, I think, a great day. I love Arizona.

Go ahead, please.

Q What happened in Venezuela, sir? Apparently a couple of Americans were detained.

THE PRESIDENT: I just got information. Nothing to do with our government, but I just got information on that.

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