The LuLac Edition #5,539, January 7th, 2026

 

WRITE ON WEDNESDAY

Our “Write on Wednesday” logo

Yesterday was the 5^th anniversary of the insurrection led by the pig President and his criminal minions. Today serves as a visual reminder (below) of how that news was covered the day after.

All those newspapers DIDN’T LIE.

Your Republican MAGAs LIE!

One Facebook poster provides an apt description as to why there is still a deep divide about all of this. The MAGAs view it as a game. Fake, but in reality, it was deadly real.

The LuLac Edition #5, 538, January 6th, 2025

 

JANUARY 6^th @ 5 YEARS ON

The Trump administration and GOP LIE MACHINE is doing it’s very best to erase January 6^th as nothing more than a day of protest by civil Americans who were dressed in their Sunday best and polite as an 1880 bunch of school marms in bonnets.

But it was nothing BUT.

As a member of the Wilkes-Barre Health Department, I was working that day at 169 South Main Street helping to give vaccines for VOVID. Word had gotten out through cell phones about the danger that was taking place.

On January 6, 2021, the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C., was attacked by a mob of supporters of President Donald Trump in an attempted self-coup, two months after his defeat in the 2020 presidential election. They sought to keep him in power by preventing a joint session of Congress from counting the Electoral College votes to formalize the victory of then president-elect Joe Biden. The attack was unsuccessful in preventing the certification of the election results. According to the bipartisan House select committee that investigated the incident, the attack was the culmination of a plan by Trump to overturn the election. Within 36 hours, five people died: one was shot by the Capitol Police, another died of a drug overdose, and three died of natural causes, including a police officer who died of a stroke a day after being assaulted by rioters and collapsing at the Capitol. Many people were injured, including 174 police officers.[9] Four officers who responded to the attack died by suicide within seven months. Damage caused by attackers exceeded $2.7 million.

Called to action by Trump on January 5 and 6, thousands of his supporters had gathered in Washington, D.C., to support his false claims that the 2020 election had been "stolen by emboldened radical-left Democrats", and to demand that then–vice president Mike Pence and Congress reject Biden's victory..  Starting at noon on January 6, at a "Save America" rally on the Ellipse,Trump gave a speech in which he repeated false claims of election irregularities and said "If you don't fight like hell, you're not going to have a country anymore". As Congress began the electoral vote count, thousands of attendees, some armed, walked to the Capitol, and hundreds breached police perimeters. Among the rioters were leaders of the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers militia groups. It is the only attempted coup d'état directed towards the Federal government in the history of the United States.

The FBI estimates 2,000–2,500 people entered the Capitol during the attack. Some participated in vandalism and looting, including in the offices of then-House speaker Nancy Pelosi and other Congress members.[50] Rioters assaulted Capitol Police officers and journalists. Capitol Police evacuated and locked down both chambers of Congress and several buildings in the Complex. Rioters occupied the empty Senate chamber, while federal law enforcement officers defended the evacuated House floor. Pipe bombs were found at the Democratic National Committee and Republican National Committee headquarters, and Molotov cocktails were discovered in a vehicle near the Capitol. Trump resisted sending the National Guard to quell the mob. That afternoon, in a Twitter video, he restated false claims about the election and told his supporters to "go home in peace". The Capitol was cleared of rioters by mid-evening, and the electoral vote count was resumed and completed by the morning of January 7, concluding with Pence declaring the final electoral vote count in favor of President-elect Biden. Pressured by his cabinet, the threat of removal, and resignations, Trump conceded to an orderly transition of power in a televised statement.

A week after the attack, the House of Representatives impeached Trump for incitement of insurrection, making him the only U.S. president to be impeached twice. After Trump had left office, the Senate voted 57–43 in favor of conviction, but fell short of the required two-thirds, resulting in his acquittal. Senate Republicans blocked a bill to create a bipartisan independent commission to investigate the attack, so the House instead approved a select investigation committee. They held public hearings, voted to subpoena Trump, and recommended that the Department of Justice (DOJ) prosecute him. Following a special counsel investigation, Trump was indicted on four charges, all dismissed following his reelection to the presidency. Trump and elected Republican officials have promoted a revisionist history of the event by downplaying the severity of the violence, spreading conspiracy theories, and portraying those charged with crimes as hostages and martyrs.

Of the 1,424 people then charged with federal crimes relating to the event, 1,010 pled guilty, and 1,060 were sentenced, 64% of them to jail time. Some participants were linked to far-right extremist groups or conspiratorial movements, including the Oath Keepers, Proud Boys, and Three Percenters, some of whom were convicted of seditious conspiracy. Enrique Tarrio, then chairman of the Proud Boys, received the longest sentence, a 22-year prison term. On January 20, 2025, upon taking office, Trump granted clemency to all January 6 rioters, including those convicted of violent offenses.

Recently former Special Prosecutor Jack Smith testified before Congress that January 6^th could not, would not have happened WITHOUT TRUMP!

For as much as they want to deny it, it was an Insurrection, it was an insult to the nation and an assault on democracy.

The pig President can pardon, lie and distract us all he wants, but THIS SHOULD NEVER BE FORGOTTEN!

The LuLac Edition #5, 537, January 5th, 2026

 MONDAY MEMES 

The LuLac Edition #5, 536, January 1st, 2026

 HAPPY NEW YEAR 

2026  

" RESOLVED 

 to maintain my successes, treat each day as a gift from God, and strive to make the future years I have left impactful in a positive way for those who cross my path".

 

The LuLac Edition #5, 535, December 30th, 2025

 

TOP 5 LOCAL

MEDIA STORIES 

  2025

1. BACK WHERE THEY BELONG: WVIA Public Media is now back in its old locale. After a year and a half at  Benco Dental, WVIA is back in Jenkins Township with a renovated facility.

2. GEORGE GRAHAM RETIRES: One of the founding members of WVIA TV/FM George Graham has retired. Graham was a mainstay on the radio with his “Mixed Bag”, “All That Jazz” and “Homegrown Music” shows. His presence, talent and advocacy for local musicians will be missed.

3. MALEK ON THE MOVE: Pa Live’s Rachel Malek has gone to Philly to do her wonderful brand of TV interviewing.

4.  A PLEASANT WAKE UP CALL:  Eyewitness News new morning anchor is  very familiar to viewers. Gianna Galli takes over from the post left vacant Kelly Byrne.

5.  CHRISTMAS MUSIC MANIA: There seemed to be more Christmas music than ever this holiday season. Leading the way on Halloween was the new 92, Mix FM followed closely by Magic 93. I usually don’t warm up to it until the day after Thanksgiving but once I hear it, I’m in.

The LuLac Edition #5, 534, December 30th, 2025

 

TOP TEN

LOCAL STORIES

1.THE NEW KIDS IN TOWN: The year started out with two new Representatives at the Federal; level for LuLac land. Rob Bresnehan took the oath of office in both Washington, D.C. and under the dome at the Luzerne County Courthouse. Bresnahan hit the ground running engaging his staff at area events. By contrast his Senate cohort Dave McCormick took forever trying to establish an office in Scranton.

2.DÉJÀ VU FOR YOU: President Trump returned to the region with an appearance at Mount Airy Lodge in the Poconos promoting his work on tariffs and the economy. In a rambling 90 minute speech, Trump as well being Trrump.

3.I’LL TAKE TWO PLEASE: Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti announced a run for Congress in 2026 to oppose incumbent Rob Bresnehan. The Democratic Policy Committee wanted a yes from her in order to solidify a commitment to get the seat back. In the meantime Cognetti said she’d run for re-election as Scranton Mayor. There were skeptics who thought this wouldn’t work but the mayor prevailed.

4.    MATT SAYS BYE AND ALL HELL BREAKS LOOSE: Incumbent County Commissioner resigned to take a nonpolitical job and that set off a political odyssey in trying to name a successor. There was more drama in this one than an old episode of “General Hospital”. In the end though an interim commissioner was named and a special election was held. Bottom line is Thom Welby won the Special Election and will serve out the McGloin term.

5.MORE FOOD SIR, PLEASE? Because of the uncertain economic circumstances brought on by the tariff nonsense of the President and his chaotic economic policies food banks and pantries are relying on community support more than ever. Other mitigating factors was the state budget impasse delaying the distribution of funds, federal aid reduced by the Trump administration and the effects of the federal government shutdown. 

6.CAN WE FINALLY GET THIS DONE NOW?

Luzerne County Council unanimously approved Tenor Health Foundation's financing proposal to purchase Wilkes-Barre General Hospital, part of a larger deal under which Tenor would buy three Commonwealth Health hospitals in Northeast Pennsylvania.

 

7.JUDICIAL RACES WATCHED CLOSELY: Candidates running for the very crucial State Supreme Court made numerous visits to LuLac land. Justices Wecht, Donahue and Dougherty  were making their presence known in a retention race. These contests are usually pro forma but a MAGA based coalition spent millions trying to defeat them. They did win retention.

In the Lac, DA Mark Powell had an easy path to be the new Common Pleas Court Judge. Luzerne County was a bit more of a climb but Attorney Mark Bufalino was elected as a Democrat and was sworn in as the County’s newest Common Pleas Judge. It was the first time in ast least 6 years that a Dem got to the bench. 

8.WATCHING OUT FOR THAT AI: Local governments are trying to grasp with the possibilities of data centers and how it will affect the economic possibilities of their communities.

9.NO VICTORY LAP: Luzerne County Democrats won 4 of the 5 seats on Luzerne county council seats. They now have control of the council. Instead of taking a victory lap, they fired the chair of the party before his term was up, deposed the vice chair and began investigations into what they thought was disloyalty to the party. Meanwhile in Pittston thee was a huge gathering of moves and shakers, both Dems and Republicans  celebrating the season.

10.           175 YEARS STRONG: This year marked the 175^th anniversary of the Wilkes-Barre Law and Library Association. The Wilkes-Barre Law and Library Association is the official name of the bar association of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania.  The Bar Association is one of the oldest county bar associations in the United States.

Founded on June 18, 1850 as the “Wilkes-Barre Law Association”, the name of the association was altered in 1855 to the “Wilkes-Barre Law & Library Association” to reflect the important role of the operation of a community law library for its member attorneys. A series of events were held to mark the occasion.