Topic: Intent

Ukraine and the United States signed a "memorandum of intent" regarding Ukraine's mineral wealth in exchange for military aid, though the deal's terms remain shaky. Concurrently, Vladimir Putin announced a 30-hour Easter truce in the conflict, following warnings from Donald Trump that the US might walk away from stalled peace negotiations. The administration reportedly reduced repayment demands from $300 billion to $100 billion to facilitate the agreement.

The crash of a China Eastern Airlines Boeing 737-800, which dropped vertically into the ground at 640 mph, is under investigation. U.S. intelligence sources suggest the crash may have been intentional, as the aircraft's flight path included a brief recovery before the final dive. The hosts express skepticism about the leaked video of the crash and jokingly reference Representative Eric Swalwell's connection to a Chinese spy named Fang Fang in the context of Chinese influence.

Dominion Voting Systems' VP of Product, Eric Coomer, is seen in a demonstration video explaining the "digital adjudication" process, which allows operators to manually change how a vote is counted based on "voter intent." The hosts point to the Dominion user manual, which explicitly mentions the "flexible management of results after the election occurs," as evidence of potential for manipulation.

The debate over SESTA involves concerns that the bill could stifle the internet economy, a position supported by Google and the EFF. Proponents argue the bill is narrowly tailored to target "bad actors" who show criminal intent. The hosts draw parallels between the "intent" requirement in SESTA and the legal standards applied in the Clinton email investigation.

Senator Jim Risch of Idaho questioned James Comey on the specific phrasing used by President Trump regarding Michael Flynn. Risch argued that expressing "hope" that an investigation would be dropped does not constitute a legal order or obstruction of justice, noting that people are rarely charged for their hopes or thoughts.

James Comey confirmed that classified information was found on Anthony Weiner's computer, having been forwarded by his then-spouse Huma Abedin for printing. Despite the presence of sensitive data, the FBI concluded that no crime was committed because they could not prove "criminal intent" on the part of Abedin. The hosts criticize this standard, noting that lower-ranking military personnel are often prosecuted for similar mishandling of classified documents regardless of intent.

FBI Director James Comey testifies before a House committee regarding the investigation into Hillary Clinton's private email server. Comey acknowledges that Clinton's actions met the definition of negligence and were "extremely careless," but claims there was no evidence of criminal intent. The hosts parse Comey's language, noting his distinction between administrative consequences and criminal prosecution.

The Alaska Senate race remains undecided as officials count write-in ballots for Lisa Murkowski, who ran against Tea Party-backed Republican Joe Miller. Miller's campaign has challenged the validity of misspelled ballots, while election officials focus on "voter intent." The hosts criticize Sarah Palin's involvement in the race and describe Miller as a "slimy" candidate whose supporters attempted to confuse voters by registering multiple write-in names.