The Conversation -- May 2, 2024

Danielle Paquette, et al., of the Washington Post: “Colleges and universities reckoned Wednesday with the aftermath of major shows of police force across the country that cleared some protest encampments and emptied a Manhattan classroom building in a turning point following two weeks of contagious pro-Palestinian demonstrations. Even after a fragile calm resettled over campuses that have seen the bulk of the chaos, footage of officers in riot gear extracting students from Columbia University’s Hamilton Hall — the most searing images from 24 hours of tense confrontations between law enforcement and protesters — sparked debates nationwide as Americans struggled to make sense of it all. In a nation that prides itself on free expression — but where people report feeling less safe, even in places where crime is dropping — some administrators, criticized by all sides, have sought police help when negotiations with students, in their view, failed.” ~~~

     ~~~ Peter Nicholas, et al., of NBC News: “Joe Biden’s advisers believe that tensions over U.S. support for Israel in the war in Gaza spreading through college campuses will soon flame out and that there is neither a need nor an upside for him to weigh in more directly.... Speaking Wednesday at a campaign event in Wisconsin, Trump derided the protesters as 'raging lunatics and Hamas sympathizers' and called on Biden to 'speak out' — accusing him of being 'definitely against Israel.'... Trump’s stance is simple enough for a bumper sticker: 'People have to respect law and order in this country,' he wrote Tuesday on social media.” ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Uh, wait one minute. You mean Alleged Criminal No. 1 is complaining about other people not respecting the law?? Most of the "raging lunatics" will not be arrested. Even among those who are arrested, many will not be charged, and authorities will like drop charges against many others. (Judges and juries may acquit others.) By contrast, prosecutors have charged Donald Trump with 91 felonies (a Georgia judge threw out three of those charges). Protests are generally legal under the First Amendment (although they may violate local laws or regulations); plotting to seize the presidency after losing the election -- not so much.

Danielle Douglas-Gabriel of the Washington Post: “The Biden administration will forgive $6.1 billion in debt held by 317,000 former students of the defunct for-profit chain the Art Institutes, marking one of the Education Department’s largest group discharges of federal student loans. The decision covers people who were enrolled at any Art Institute campus from Jan. 1, 2004, to Oct. 16, 2017, a period in which Education Management Corp. (EDMC) owned the chain of schools.... 'This institution falsified data, knowingly misled students, and cheated borrowers into taking on mountains of debt without leading to promising career prospects at the end of their studies,' President Biden said in a statement. 'While my predecessor looked the other way when colleges defrauded students and borrowers, I promised to take this on directly to provide borrowers with the relief they need and deserve.'”

Jeanna Smialek of the New York Times: “Federal Reserve officials left interest rates unchanged and signaled that they were wary about how stubborn inflation was proving, paving the way for a longer period of high borrowing costs. The Fed held rates steady at 5.3 percent on Wednesday, leaving them at a more than two-decade high, where they have been set since July. Central bankers reiterated that they needed 'greater confidence' that inflation was coming down before reducing them. 'Readings on inflation have come in above expectations,' Jerome H. Powell, the Fed chair, said at a news conference after the release of the central bank’s rate decision.”

Maxine Joselow of the Washington Post: “The Environmental Protection Agency announced Tuesday a ban on most uses of methylene chloride, a toxic solvent used in paint stripping that has been linked to at least 88 accidental deaths since 1980.... Methylene chloride is often used to refinish bathtubs and furniture, and to make pharmaceuticals and refrigerants. Short-term exposure can cause dizziness, headaches and damage to the central nervous system. Long-term exposure is linked to several types of cancer, including those of the brain, breast, liver and lung.... Experts say the Biden administration’s actions [to ban toxic chemicals] represent the most significant restrictions on toxic chemicals in decades.”

Clare Foran of CNN: "The House voted on Wednesday to pass the bipartisan Antisemitism Awareness Act.... Supporters of the legislation say it will help combat antisemitism on college campuses, but opponents say it overreaches and threatens to chill free speech. The bill would mandate that when the Department of Education enforces federal anti-discrimination laws it uses a definition of antisemitism put forward by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance.... The House vote was 320 to 91 with 70 Democrats and 21 Republicans voting against the bill. The GOP opposition largely came from the right flank of the conference. The bill would next need to be taken up by the Senate." ~~~

     ~~~ Andrew Solender of Axios: "House Democrats found themselves in an increasingly familiar position on Wednesday — bailing out Speaker Mike Johnson despite their frustration with his tactics.... Democrats raged about Johnson holding a vote on the bill, introduced by Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.), rather than a more comprehensive and bipartisan antisemitism bill introduced by Rep. Kathy Manning (D-N.C.). The bill was seen by many Democrats as more of an effort to divide their party than actually combat antisemitism.... Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), a Jewish progressive with concerns about the IHRA antisemitism definition, said he voted for the bill 'on the theory that it's basically meaningless and harmless.... The one we really need is Kathy Manning's bill ... [this] was just one more superficial "gotcha" bill,' Raskin said." MB: Why, it's almost as if Mikey is not grateful that Democrats keep bailing him out.

Scott Wong, et al., of NBC News: “Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., said Wednesday she will force a vote next week to oust Speaker Mike Johnson, daring Democrats and the speaker's GOP allies to step in and save his job. Wearing a red 'MAGA' hat, Greene accused Johnson of betraying the GOP and going against conservative wishes on government funding bills, passing Ukraine aid and reauthorizing the FISA surveillance program without new warrant requirements, among other issues. 'So next week, I am going to be calling this motion to vacate. Absolutely calling it,' Greene said at a news conference outside of the Capitol. 'I can’t wait to see Democrats go out and support a Republican speaker and have to go home to their primaries and have to run for Congress again.'” Here's the New York Times' story. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: So, according to Miss Margie's "logic," I'll vote for a Republican in this year's Congressional election because I'm so upset the Democrats helped Republicans save a slightly functioning Congress from MAGA Marge. Okay, then. ~~~

~~~ Andrew Solender of Axios: "House Democrats met Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's (R-Ga.) plan to force a vote on ousting Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) with dismissal and derision.... 'She is about to realize her inevitable irrelevance,' one senior House Democrat told Axios just minutes after Greene made her announcement. Another senior House Democrat cast Greene's motion as 'drama that hurts Republicans.'" (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

Attn: Jack Smith. Chris Cameron & Michael Gold of the New York Times: “... Donald J. Trump said on Wednesday that he asked his Secret Service detail to take him to the Capitol after his speech at the Ellipse on Jan. 6, 2021, acknowledging a key detail of his actions that were central to the findings of the House committee established to investigate the attack. During a campaign rally in Waukesha, Wis., Mr. Trump brought up a sensational but disputed element of testimony given to the House Jan. 6 committee by a Trump White House aide: that Mr. Trump had lunged for the wheel and physically struggled with Secret Service agents when they refused to take him to join the large crowd of supporters who were marching toward the Capitol. 'I sat in the back,' Mr. Trump said, giving his version of events. 'And you know what I did say? I said, “I’d like to go down there because I see a lot of people walking down.” They said, “Sir, it’s better if you don’t.” I said, “Well, I’d like to.’” 'It’s better if you don’t,' Mr. Trump recounted an agent saying. The former president said he replied, 'All right, whatever you guys think is fine,' and added, 'That was the whole tone of the conversation.'...

“In an interview with the [House January 6] committee, Mr. Trump’s driver, whose name was not disclosed, said: 'The president was insistent on going to the Capitol. It was clear to me he wanted to go to the Capitol.'... The driver said that while he did not see Mr. Trump accost agents or reach for the steering wheel, 'what stood out was the irritation in his voice, more than his physical presence.'” MB: Trump's account of his even-keeled, polite demeanor is obviously fantastical, but he seems to want to portray himself as a hero who would lead his troops into the Capitol as in the equally fantastical 1851 painting of George Washington crossing the Delaware (or, as they say on Fox, Julius Caesar crossing the Rubicon [see yesterday's Comments on this]).

Presidential Race

Nicholas Nehamas of the New York Times: “On the day that Florida began to enforce its six-week abortion ban, Vice President Kamala Harris delivered a searing attack on ... Donald J. Trump in Jacksonville, calling the measure 'another Trump abortion ban' and saying he was forcing women to live a 'horrific reality' without access to essential medical care.... 'Just this week, in an interview, Trump said that states have the right to monitor pregnant women to enforce these bans, and to punish pregnant women for seeking out abortion care,' Ms. Harris warned.... President Biden has made abortion — a rare issue on which he polls strongly against Mr. Trump — a pillar of his re-election campaign.”

Michael Gold & Chris Cameron of the New York Times: “... Donald J. Trump told The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on Wednesday that he would not commit to accepting the results of the 2024 election, as he again repeated his lies that the 2020 election was stolen from him. 'If everything’s honest, I’ll gladly accept the results. I don’t change on that,' Mr. Trump said, according to The Journal Sentinel. 'If it’s not, you have to fight for the right of the country.' In an interview with Time magazine published on Tuesday, he also dismissed questions about political violence in November by suggesting that his victory was inevitable.... Mr. Trump’s vow to 'fight for the right of the country' also echoes his speech on the Ellipse on Jan. 6, where he told his supporters that 'if you don’t fight like hell, you’re not going to have a country anymore,' before urging his supporters to march to the Capitol. As he campaigns in battleground states this year, Mr. Trump has repeatedly ... [told] the same lies that he used to assail the integrity of the 2020 election. Months before any voting has taken place, Mr. Trump has regularly made the baseless claim that Democrats are likely to cheat to win.”

Donald Trump Has Been Asking, “Are You Better Off Than You Were Four Years Ago?” Let's Check. Top News in the New York Times, May 1, 2020: “With a flood of unemployment claims continuing to overwhelm many state agencies, economists say the job losses may be far worse than government tallies indicate. The Labor Department said Thursday that 3.8 million workers filed for unemployment benefits last week, bringing the six-week total to 30 million. But researchers say that as the economy staggers under the weight of the coronavirus pandemic, millions of others have lost jobs but have yet to see benefits.” (Also linked yesterday.)

Shayna Jacobs of the Washington Post: “Former film producer Harvey Weinstein’s rape case is expected to be retried sometime after the Labor Day holiday, a judge said Wednesday, as the frail-looking defendant made his first Manhattan court appearance in years. Weinstein’s 2020 conviction in the rape case was overturned last week by New York state’s highest court, the Court of Appeals, which determined that rulings by the original judge allowed prejudicial evidence into the proceeding. Jurors at the 2020 trial heard testimony from women who were not part of the case but were allowed to speak about alleged misconduct.... Prosecutor Nicole Blumberg told New York Supreme Court Justice Curtis Farber that Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is committed to retrying the case.”

Dan Lamothe of the Washington Post: “The U.S. airman convicted in a sprawling leak of classified government secrets that revealed sensitive intelligence about America’s allies and adversaries will face military criminal proceedings later this month, Air Force officials said Wednesday. Jack D. Teixeira, a member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard who in March pleaded guilty to a raft of federal crimes, faces charges under the military justice system of obstructing justice and failing to obey a lawful order, service officials said in a statement. The Air Force intends to hold a hearing to review evidence May 14 at Hanscom Air Force Base in Massachusetts, the officials said. If prosecutors present a sufficient case, the case could then move to a court-martial trial.”

~~~~~~~~~~

Arizona. Maegan Vazquez of the Washington Post: “The Arizona state Senate voted Wednesday to repeal a Civil War-era ban on nearly all abortions that was set to take effect in June. The vote in the Republican-led Senate followed passage in the Arizona House last week. The ban briefly went into effect after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, before being blocked by the courts, and was revived by the state’s highest court on April 9 in a ruling that spurred public outcry and threatened to upend politics in the state during an election year.... Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs is expected to sign the repeal into law in the coming days, but the timing for when the repeal can legally go into effect could still complicate abortion access in the state.” (Also linked yesterday.) The AP report is here.

~~~~~~~~~~

The Washington Post's live updates of developments Thursday in the Israel/Hamas war are here: “U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Hamas to accept the most recent cease-fire and hostage-release agreement proposed by Israel. In remarks Wednesday in Ashdod, Israel, he said there had been 'meaningful progress' on increasing aid to Gaza, and that a maritime corridor for deliveries via a temporary pier under construction by the U.S. military was 'probably a week awa' from being operational.... In the proposal, Israel has made 'very important compromises' that 'demonstrate its desire, willingness' to get the deal done, Blinken said after meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The proposal 'would produce an immediate ceasefire, get the hostages home, alleviate suffering of the Palestinian people in Gaza,' in the short term, Blinken added before departing Israel. Fifty-seven Democratic lawmakers in Congress signed an open letter urging President Biden to withhold sending offensive weaponry and other military support to Israel that could be used in an assault on the southern Gazan city of Rafah. The letter was spearheaded by Reps. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) and Madeleine Dean (D-Pa.).”

May Day! May Day! 2024

Arizona. Maegan Vazquez of the Washington Post: “The Arizona state Senate voted Wednesday to repeal a Civil War-era ban on nearly all abortions that was set to take effect in June. The vote in the Republican-led Senate followed passage in the Arizona House last week. The ban briefly went into effect after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, before being blocked by the courts, and was revived by the state’s highest court on April 9 in a ruling that spurred public outcry and threatened to upend politics in the state during an election year.... Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs is expected to sign the repeal into law in the coming days, but the timing for when the repeal can legally go into effect could still complicate abortion access in the state.”

Donald Trump Has Been Asking, "Are You Better Off Than You Were Four Years Ago?" Let's Check. Top News in the New York Times, May 1, 2020: "With a flood of unemployment claims continuing to overwhelm many state agencies, economists say the job losses may be far worse than government tallies indicate. The Labor Department said Thursday that 3.8 million workers filed for unemployment benefits last week, bringing the six-week total to 30 million. But researchers say that as the economy staggers under the weight of the coronavirus pandemic, millions of others have lost jobs but have yet to see benefits."

Scott Wong, et al., of NBC News: “Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., said Wednesday she will force a vote next week to oust Speaker Mike Johnson, daring Democrats and the speaker's GOP allies to step in and save his job. Wearing a red 'MAGA' hat, Greene accused Johnson of betraying the GOP and going against conservative wishes on government funding bills, passing Ukraine aid and reauthorizing the FISA surveillance program without new warrant requirements, among other issues. 'So next week, I am going to be calling this motion to vacate. Absolutely calling it,' Greene said at a news conference outside of the Capitol. 'I can’t wait to see Democrats go out and support a Republican speaker and have to go home to their primaries and have to run for Congress again.'” Here's the New York Times' story. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: So, according to Miss Margie's "logic," I'll vote for a Republican in this year's Congressional election because I'm so upset the Democrats helped Republicans save a slightly functioning Congress from MAGA Marge. Okay, then. ~~~

~~~ Andrew Solender of Axios: "House Democrats met Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's (R-Ga.) plan to force a vote on ousting Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) with dismissal and derision.... 'She is about to realize her inevitable irrelevance,' one senior House Democrat told Axios just minutes after Greene made her announcement. Another senior House Democrat cast Greene's motion as 'drama that hurts Republicans.'"

~~~~~~~~~~

** Confessions of an Aspiring Dictator

Eric Cortellessa of Time: “What emerged in two interviews with Trump, and conversations with more than a dozen of his closest advisers and confidants, were the outlines of an imperial presidency that would reshape America and its role in the world. To carry out a deportation operation designed to remove more than 11 million people from the country, Trump told me, he would be willing to build migrant detention camps and deploy the U.S. military, both at the border and inland. He would let red states monitor women’s pregnancies and prosecute those who violate abortion bans. He would, at his personal discretion, withhold funds appropriated by Congress, according to top advisers. He would be willing to fire a U.S. Attorney who doesn’t carry out his order to prosecute someone, breaking with a tradition of independent law enforcement that dates from America’s founding. He is weighing pardons for every one of his supporters accused of attacking the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021....

“He might not come to the aid of an attacked ally in Europe or Asia if he felt that country wasn’t paying enough for its own defense. He would gut the U.S. civil service, deploy the National Guard to American cities as he sees fit, close the White House pandemic-preparedness office, and staff his Administration with acolytes who back his false assertion that the 2020 election was stolen.... [Trump's] obsessions could once again push the nation to the brink of crisis.... 'If we don’t win, you know, it depends,' he tells Time. 'It always depends on the fairness of the election.' When I ask what he meant when he baselessly claimed on Truth Social that a stolen election 'allows for the termination of all rules, regulations and articles, even those found in the Constitution,' Trump responded by denying he had said it.”

     ~~~ Here is the transcript of the interviews.

Ed Pilkington of the Guardian: “Donald Trump has warned that Joe Biden and his family could face multiple criminal prosecutions once he leaves office unless the US supreme court awards Trump immunity in his own legal battles with the criminal justice system.... Trump not only repeated his falsehood that the 2020 election had been stolen from him, but said he would be unlikely to appoint anyone to a second Trump administration who believed Biden had legitimately prevailed four years ago.”

Pema Levy of Mother Jones: “Eight years ago, in his 2016 run for president, Donald Trump said that women who have abortions should be criminally charged. 'There has to be some form of punishment,' Trump said at the time. The comment caused a firestorm and his campaign walked it back within hours. It marked one of the few times that Trump recanted. But as he mounts another run for president, both Trump and the anti-abortion movement that’s supported him now feel unrestrained.... [Trump] said that he would not stop states from prosecuting a woman for having an abortion. 'It’s irrelevant whether I’m comfortable or not,' he told Time‘s Eric Cortellessa. 'It’s totally irrelevant, because the states are going to make those decisions.' Trump further said he would also not interfere with states that may decide to monitor pregnant women, gathering information that could aid such prosecutions. It’s a chilling vision of a future surveillance state for women.... In his interview with Time, he hedged by saying that [a nationwide abortion ban] would never reach his desk. But he would not promise to veto a ban, and unrestrained in a second ... term, there’s no logical reason he would not.”

Rebecca Santana of the AP: “Donald Trump says he’d use the National Guard as part of efforts to deport millions of migrants across the country if he’s reelected, signaling that he’s doubling down on anti-immigration rhetoric that fueled his previous rise to power.... 'If I thought things were getting out of control, I would have no problem using the military,' he said. 'We have to have safety in our country. We have to have law and order in our country. And whichever gets us there, but I think the National Guard will do the job.'... When Trump was asked specifically whether he would override restrictions on using the U.S. military against civilians, Trump said the people that would be targeted aren’t civilians. 'These are people that aren’t legally in our country. This is an invasion of our country. An invasion like probably no country has ever seen before,' Trump told the magazine.”

Nicholas Nehamas & Reid Epstein of the New York Times: “The Biden campaign is mounting a concerted push to attack ... Donald J. Trump over statements he made to Time magazine in a wide-ranging interview published Tuesday morning, particularly on abortion.... 'This is reprehensible,' President Biden wrote on X. 'Donald Trump doesn’t trust women. I do.'... 'He’ll see what women think about that this November,' said Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, also a Democrat.”

The Trials of Trump & the Gang, Ctd.

Ben Protess, et al., of the New York Times: “On Tuesday, [lawyer Keith] Davidson took the witness stand at Mr. Trump’s criminal trial in Manhattan, telling jurors the behind-the-scenes story of how Mr. Trump’s allies bought his clients’ silence. His hours of testimony opened a rare window on the seamy world of celebrity hush money and corroborated key facts underpinning the prosecution’s case against Mr. Trump, the first American president to face a criminal trial. In a crucial back-and-forth with prosecutors, Mr. Davidson began to tie Mr. Trump to the $130,000 hush-money payment to [Stormy] Daniels, the porn star whose payoff is at the heart of the case. Although Mr. Trump did not pay Ms. Daniels directly — his fixer, Michael D. Cohen did — Mr. Davidson portrayed Mr. Trump as the hidden hand shaping the machinations. 'Michael Cohen didn’t have the authority to actually spend money,' Mr. Davidson told the jury, adding, 'My understanding was that Mr. Trump was the beneficiary of this contract.'

“The testimony punctuated a high-stakes day that began with the judge holding Mr. Trump in contempt, fining the former president $9,000 for repeatedly violating a gag order and warning that he could go to to jail if he continued to attack witnesses and jurors. 'The court will not tolerate continued willful violations of its lawful orders,' the judge, Juan M. Merchan, said in an ominous warning to open the third week of Mr. Trump’s trial. He added that although he was 'keenly aware of, and protective of, defendant’s First Amendment rights,' he would jail Mr. Trump 'if necessary and appropriate.'” ~~~

     ~~~ Here's the judge's order, via the court system. (Also linked yesterday.) 

Jesse McKinley & Kate Christobek of the New York Times report five takeaways from yesterday's courtroom developments.

Trump is still falling asleep in court, and now it's in front of the jury. According to MSNBC law reporter Lisa Rubin, Trump's lawyers are trying various methods to keep him awake, without much success.

The New York Times' live updates of developments yesterday in the Trump 2016 election interference trial are here. See also yesterday's Conversation for details of the proceedings.

“Irreparable Breakdown.” Ken Bensinger of the New York Times: “A law firm that has long defended Donald J. Trump’s campaign and businesses from employment lawsuits has abruptly asked to withdraw from a yearslong case over what it calls an “irreparable breakdown in the attorney-client relationship.' The firm — LaRocca, Hornik, Greenberg, Rosen, Kittridge, Carlin and McPartland — has represented Mr. Trump’s political operation in numerous suits dating to his first presidential run.... But late on Friday, it asked a federal magistrate judge to allow it to withdraw from a suit filed by a former campaign surrogate, A.J. Delgado, who says she was sidelined by the campaign in 2016 after revealing she was pregnant. The timing of the motion was notable, just two days after the same federal court had ordered the campaign to turn over in discovery all complaints of sexual harassment and gender or pregnancy discrimination from the 2016 and 2020 campaigns — materials that the defendants have long resisted handing over.... Ms. Delgado, who is representing herself in the matter, objected to the withdrawal in a filing Monday..., calling the request a 'scheme to avoid compliance.' Magistrate Judge Katharine H. Parker said that LaRocca Hornik would have to continue to represent the campaign for the time being and that she would schedule a conference with the law firm and the campaign....”

Get Out! Brandi Buchman of Law & Crime: “The District of Columbia’s Office of Disciplinary Counsel issued a recommendation this week battering the credibility of former Donald Trump Justice Department attorney Jeffrey Clark, saying Clark’s 'dishonest attempt to create national chaos' in the run-up to Jan. 6 meant the only suitable sanction would be disbarment because, put simply, nothing else would do.... 'We must do what we can to ensure that this conduct is never repeated. The way to accomplish that goal is to remove from the profession lawyers who betrayed their constitutional obligations and their country. It is important that other lawyers who might be tempted to engage in similar misconduct be aware that doing so will cost them their privilege to practice law...,” wrote disciplinary counsel Hamilton Fox III. 'Jeffrey Clark betrayed his oath to support the Constitution of the United States of America. He is not fit to be a member of the District of Columbia Bar.'”  

Sharon Otterman of the New York Times: “Exactly 56 years to the day after the 1968 student occupation at Columbia University was violently cleared by the New York Police Department, hundreds of police officers moved into the Manhattan campus on Tuesday night to quell a different kind of antiwar protest. Dozens of pro-Palestinian demonstrators were arrested as police officers entered Columbia’s main campus, which was on lockdown, and cleared Hamilton Hall of a group who had broken in and occupied it the night before.... As hundreds of students and other onlookers watched and rallied in support of the encampment, rows of police officers in riot gear entered campus just after 1 p.m. At least 108 students were arrested. But some of the hundreds of supporters who remained simply moved to the next lawn and started a new encampment.” An AP report is here. ~~~

     ~~~ For perhaps the most up-to-the-minute, comprehensive coverage of the Columbia protests, Columbia Spectator reporters are on the job. Here's a link to the paper's front page.

Nick Robertson of the Hill: "The president of Barnard College lost a faculty-wide vote of no confidence on Tuesday, as criticism mounts over the school’s response to a pro-Palestine encampment that has sparked a national movement and beckoned the political spotlight. About 77 percent of participating Barnard faculty voted in no confidence on Tuesday against President Laura Rosenbury, the college confirmed to The Hill. The Columbia Spectator reported that it is the first no confidence vote against a president in the college’s history.... The no-confidence vote does not remove Rosenbury...."

The New York Times is liveblogging student demonstrations at some campuses around the country.

CNN: "Clashes between law enforcement and protesters are disrupting colleges across the nation, with students facing arrest or expulsion in their call for divestment from companies that support Israel and the war in Gaza. Police have arrived on campus at the University of California, Los Angeles, after a violent confrontation broke out between pro-Palestinian protesters and Israel supporters. Video from CNN affiliate KABC shows fireworks, objects being thrown, and physical violence. Hours earlier, over 100 protesters were arrested at Columbia University and City College of New York, according to a law enforcement official. At Columbia, officers cleared protesters from encampments and an occupied building. The university has asked NYPD to stay on campus until May 17. Since April 18, more than 1,000 people have been arrested on more than 25 campuses across at least 21 states." This is a liveblog.

Here's a New York Times liveblog that seems to cover only New York City universities and was last updated just before 4 am ET today.

Eileen Sullivan, et al., of the New York Times: “The Justice Department said on Tuesday that it had recommended easing restrictions on marijuana in what could amount to a major change in federal policy. Even though the move, which kicks off a lengthy rule-making process, does not end the criminalization of the drug, it is a significant shift in how the government views the safety and use of marijuana for medical purposes. It also reflects the Biden administration’s effort to liberalize marijuana policy in a way that puts it more in line with the public as increasingly more Americans favor legalizing the drug.” The AP's report is here.

Democrats Will Save Bible Mike. Marianna Sotomayor of the Washington Post: “Democratic leaders in the House officially declared Tuesday that they would vote to keep order in the House by protecting Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) from any far-right Republicans seeking his ouster.... House Democratic leaders — Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), Katherine Clark (D-Mass.) and Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.) — announced after discussions with colleagues that Democrats would be willing to block any motion to oust Johnson from the speakership.... Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) is leading the effort to remove Johnson from the speakership because he has relied on Democratic support to pass major bills....

Louisiana Congressional Map. Rick Rojas of the New York Times: “A newly drawn congressional map in Louisiana was struck down on Tuesday by a panel of federal judges who found that the new boundaries, which form a second majority Black district in the state, amounted to an 'impermissible racial gerrymander' that violated the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution. The 2-to-1 ruling now leaves uncertain which boundaries will be used in the elections that are just six months away and that could play a critical role in determining the balance of power in the House of Representatives. Critics warned that the decision could have broader implications on voting rights. Eric H. Holder Jr., the former U.S. attorney general and current chairman of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, said the 'ideological nature of the decision could not be more clear.'” ~~~

     ~~~ NPR's report is here. Rick Hasan comments. The two judges who nixed the majority-Black district are Trump appointees.

New York Special House Election. Nicholas Fandos of the New York Times: “Timothy M. Kennedy, a Democratic New York State senator, easily won a special House election on Tuesday to replace a retiring congressman in western New York, according to The Associated Press. The victory was hardly a surprise. Democrats have controlled the Buffalo-area district for decades. And Mr. Kennedy outspent his Republican opponent, Gary Dickson, by an eye-popping 47 to 1. But his victory will have an immediate impact on the House at a time when Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana is laboring to hold onto a narrow Republican majority and fend off a rebellion on his right flank. Once Mr. Kennedy is seated, Mr. Johnson’s margin will effectively shrink to just a single, tenuous vote on partisan issues. A handful of special elections in Wisconsin, Ohio, Colorado and California are expected to offer Republicans reinforcements, but not until this summer.” The NBC News story is here.

~~~~~~~~~~

Florida Abortion Ban Starts Today. Lori Rozsa & Caroline Kitchener of the Washington Post: “Clinics, patients and abortion rights activists in Florida are bracing for the impact of a new law that will transform the state overnight from one with the fewest restrictions for the procedure in the South to a place where it will be all but banned. The six-week abortion law signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis last year and confirmed by the Florida Supreme Court earlier this month takes effect Wednesday. In the days leading up to the ban, clinics have seen a surge in demand. Meanwhile, advocates have started getting the word out on how to access abortion pills by mail.”

~~~~~~~~~~

Israel/Palestine, et al.

The Washington Post's live updates of developments Wednesday in the Israel/Hamas war are here: “Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday in Jerusalem, as the United States presses Israel to speed aid distribution for Gaza. The meeting comes on the heels of Netanyahu’s statement that Israel will invade Rafah regardless of any cease-fire deal with Hamas:'We will enter Rafah, and we will eliminate the Hamas battalions there — with or without a deal,' Netanyahu said.... Netanyahu’s Tuesday comment came as mediators had expressed optimism that Israel and Hamas were inching toward a cease-fire agreement. Israel presented terms to negotiators last week that softened its position, an Israeli official ... told The Washington Post.... In Amman, Blinken said the first aid shipments from Jordan through a newly opened crossing into northern Gaza were leaving on Tuesday. Humanitarian groups have been sounding the alarm about an imminent famine in the enclave. Blinken called the effort 'real and important progress' but said 'more still needs to be done.'”

Camilo Montoya-Galvez of CBS News: “The Biden administration is considering bringing certain Palestinians to the U.S. as refugees, a move that would offer a permanent safe haven to some of those fleeing war-torn Gaza, according to internal federal government documents obtained by CBS News. In recent weeks, the documents show, senior officials across several federal U.S. agencies have discussed the practicality of different options to resettle Palestinians from Gaza who have immediate family members who are American citizens or permanent residents.”

U.K. William Booth of the Washington Post: “King Charles III is back at work. It’s been three months since he told Britain he has cancer. He’s been getting treatment. He looked good. His first outing in the public eye on Tuesday was a symbolic one, a visit to a cancer hospital in the capital, where he spoke with staff, marveled at the CT scanner and met with patients. He took the stairs, not the elevator.”

The Conversation -- April 30, 2024

The New York Times' live updates of developments in the Trump 2016 election interference trial are here: ~~~

Nate Schweber: “Several dozen raucous Trump supporters gathered in Collect Pond Park across the street from the courthouse, wearing red hats and waving big flags. They cheered for a small procession of vehicles flying Trump flags, led by a large pickup truck with a decal of a bound President Biden on the back gate. But the arrival of Trump’s motorcade just before 9 a.m., blocked from view by N.Y.P.D. vehicles, elicited no reaction.”

Maggie Haberman: “Trump has arrived in court, with a much larger entourage than usual in tow, including his son Eric, the first family member to join him during this trial.... Trump is also joined by Susie Wiles, his top campaign adviser, and Dan Scavino, his longtime aide.”

** Alan Feuer, et al.: Judge Juan Merchan “held [Trump] in contempt on Tuesday and fined him $9,000, punishing the former president for repeatedly violating a gag order that bars him from attacking witnesses, prosecutors and jurors.” [MB: Merchan issued a written order, finding Trump had violated the gag order nine times; he also ordered Trump to remove the offending social media posts.] ~~~

~~~ Haberman: “Of note — Justice Merchan explicitly called Trump’s claim that reposts don’t count as violations of the gag order 'counterintuitive and absurd.'” ~~~

~~~ Haberman: The judge preceded his ruling on violations of the gag order “by saying Trump can have May 17 to attend the high school graduation of his youngest son, Barron.... 'I don’t think the May 17 date is a problem,' the judge says.” ~~~

~~~ Jonah Bromwich: “Justice Merchan wrote that he was 'keenly aware of, and protective of, Defendant’s First Amendment rights.' But nonetheless, he wrote that he would not tolerate continued violations of his orders and that if necessary and appropriate, he would 'impose an incarceratory sentence.' In plain language, he is warning Trump that he will send him to jail if necessary.” ~~~

[~~~ Here's the order, via the court system.]

Haberman: “Gary Farro, the banker who testified Friday and is continuing today, is back on the stand. Farro is testifying about Michael Cohen’s efforts to set up a financial account that was used to pay Stormy Daniels. The jurors have just been let in.”

Haberman: “'Everything was urgent with Michael Cohen,' Gary Farro testifies about Cohen’s interest in opening his account quickly. Cohen used the account to make the hush-money payment to Stormy Daniels.”

Wesley Parnell: “First Republic Bank did not do business with the porn industry, as Farro testified last week. If the paperwork Cohen submitted had made allusions to its actual purpose, 'there would be a determination made by the second and third line of defense' at the bank. The payment would have been flagged by bank auditors, as 'it is an industry that we do not work with,' said Farro.”

Kate Christobek: “Rebecca Mangold, one of the prosecutors, is walking the banker Gary Farro through a wire transfer that occurred immediately after Essential Consultants L.L.C. was created. The documents being displayed in court show that on Oct. 27, 2016, Michael Cohen and the L.L.C. wired $130,000 to Keith Davidson, Stormy Daniels’ lawyer at the time. Cohen wrote that the purpose of the wire transfer was for a 'retainer.'” [MB: CNN reporters say Cohen made the transfer to Davidson within about 20 minutes of the time he transferred $131,000 into the account from his home equity line of credit. Also, this all took place on Oct. 26 & 27, 2016, right before the election & after the WashPo published the “Access Hollywood” tape.]

Bromwich: “Todd Blanche’s cross-examination of Gary Farro is a bit difficult to follow, as he tries to cast doubt on Michael Cohen but gets stuck in the weeds of the financial documents about which Farro testified. Other than casting doubt on Cohen here, it’s not always clear what Blanche is trying to accomplish. But he seems to have succeeded in irritating Farro, who is a bit punchy on the witness stand.” ~~~

~~~ Haberman: “Blanche is now trying to separate Cohen's actions from Trump's, arguing that the account was never established as related to Trump. We are in many ways seeing the crux of the defense's argument laid out here: that Cohen was freelancing.”

Bromwich: “Todd Blanche ... has now hit upon a clever line of questioning, harnessing Gary Farro’s irritation to the defense’s advantage. The lawyer suggests that Farro opened up a shell corporation, and Farro bites back: 'I dont open up shell corporations. I open up L.L.C. accounts.' Blanche is directing jurors' focus to what Michael Cohen did -- that is, effectively start a shell corporation that was used to pay Stormy Daniels. This is a savvy way to attack Cohen through Farro, making the former fixer sound deceptive and potentially criminal.”

Bromwich: “This [next] witness, Robert Browning, works for C-SPAN as an executive director of its archives.... In most trials, you might not get too many witnesses like Robert Browning, who is what’s called a custodial witness, or records custodian. These witnesses certify the truth of records presented at trial. But in this trial, the defense did not agree on certain facts that the prosecution sought to stipulate were true. Thus, the prosecutors need these sorts of witnesses to help the jury understand the basic truth of the episodes they want to talk about at trial.”

Haberman: “Prosecutors are now playing C-SPAN clips, starting with one from a Trump campaign rally in North Carolina in October 2016, where he talks about two women who said Trump touched them inappropriately. 'I have no idea who these women are,' Trump said at the time. 'These are lies being pushed by the media and the Clinton campaign to try and keep their grip on our country. They’re all false, totally invented, fiction.'... Next up in evidence is video of a campaign event Trump did in Gettysburg, Pa., in October 2016. He blasts media outlets and says, 'Every woman lied when they came forward to hurt my campaign.' He later vows to sue, saying 'the events never happened, never.'... The third video shows Trump at a news conference in 2017 during the presidential transition, saying, 'Michael Cohen is a very talented lawyer, he’s a good lawyer.'” ~~~

~~~ Feuer: “... Justice Merchan precluded the prosecution from introducing direct evidence that many women, near the end of the 2016 campaign, accused Trump of sexual assault. They seem to be getting some flavor of that evidence into the trial, however, with these videos of Trump attacking the women on the campaign trail.”

Bromwich: “[The next] witness, Phillip Thompson, works for a company that takes down transcripts and records video during civil proceedings, specifically depositions. He is relevant to this case — as another custodial witness — because his company was involved in a deposition of Trump that stemmed from one of E. Jean Carroll’s lawsuits against him.”

Haberman: “Prosecutors are now playing video, and having Thompson verify the corresponding transcript, of Trump describing when he married his wife Melania (it was 2005).... And now is the portion of the deposition in which Trump was asked by E. Jean Carroll’s lawyer if he was familiar with the infamous 'Access Hollywood' tape. Trump confirmed in the deposition that it was him speaking on that video.”

[MB: Evidently the defense asked no questions of either Thompson or Browning.]

Bromwich: “Prosecutors call Keith Davidson, who was a lawyer to Stormy Daniels during the hush-money transaction, to the stand.... Joshua Steinglass, the prosecutor, asks Keith Davidson if he was given immunity from prosecution in this case. Davidson says, despite not having wanted to be here, that he did not seek immunity. This is a way for prosecutors to show that he is not simply cooperating to avoid prosecution himself.”

Bromwich: “We just saw Davidson’s contract with [Karen] McDougal. Remarkably, the arrangement consisted of an agreement to either make a claim against Trump, negotiate a confidentiality agreement with Trump, sell her life rights as related to her story of an affair with Trump, promote herself in an 'exclusive' press opportunity, or some or all of the above. What a menu of options.”

Haberman: “Prosecutors are walking Keith Davidson through his text messages with Dylan Howard, who was editor of The National Enquirer, in which Davidson tells Howard: 'I have blockbuster Trump story.' In his reply, Howard asked, 'did he cheat' on Melania.”

Bromwich: “These text messages are remarkable to see on screen as Trump sits at the defense table looking on. Jurors already understand, from last week, the basics of Karen McDougal’s account of an affair with Trump. But now they are seeing it corroborated with incredibly damning texts, right after they were reminded Trump was married to Melania at the time. It’s not clear how the jurors are reacting — some are watching the speakers and others are looking at their notes or their screens. But this is another big moment.”

Feuer: “... it’s fascinating to watch how prosecutors are stitching their case together with lots of different types of evidence. This morning there’s been live testimony from witnesses, videos of Trump campaign events, excerpts of a deposition he gave in a separate trial and text messages — all woven together to advance the prosecution’s story.”

Christobek: “... Davidson sent a text to Dylan Howard where he said, 'Don’t forget about Cohen. Time is of the essence. The girl is being cornered by the estrogen mafia.' Davidson addresses this term in court, calling it an 'a very unfortunate regrettable text,' and adding that he thinks it was a term that Karen McDougal’s associates used during the first meeting. He continued that several women were leaning on McDougal to sign a deal with ABC.... Pressed further by the prosecutor, Joshua Steinglass, he adds that he understood that getting McDougal a deal would help Trump’s candidacy.”

Feuer: “The gossip industrial complex that Keith Davidson is describing is remarkable — and remarkably crass. He’s out there leveraging his client’s sexual liaisons for money and employment opportunities in a way that resembles a Mafia shakedown.”

Haberman: “At the time these text exchanges were taking place, in July 2016, Trump was becoming the official Republican presidential nominee and beginning a long, hostile takeover of the party.”

Haberman: After the lunch break, “Davidson tells a long story about dealing with Cohen for the first time in 2011. The interaction he says, was 'not pleasant or constructive, and I didn’t particularly like dealing with him, and that’s why I was trying like hell to avoid talking to him.'”

Jesse McKinley: “Keith Davidson’s testimony about the Karen McDougal deal backs up, in granular detail, David Pecker's testimony from last week: this was a deal to not publish a story, and that is what the $150,000 was paying for, despite the other perks McDougal was offered.”

Bromwich: “... Michael Cohen has been insulted by three witnesses, and jurors are not getting a complimentary portrait of him. But Joshua Steinglass, the prosecutor, just leaned into the witness characterizations of Cohen: Davidson referred to a 'jerk' without using his name and Steinglass asked, with some humor in his tone, 'Who was that jerk?'”

Christobek: “Keith Davidson says that when he talked to Cohen, he was met with a 'hostile barrage' of 'insults,' 'insinuations' and 'allegations' and that went on for quite a while.”

Bromwich: “Keith Davidson, speaking about the deal reached with Stormy Daniels, brings up another episode that has been raised multiple times and is key to the timeline here: The 'Access Hollywood' tape on which Trump described assaulting women. Davidson ... says they had 'tremendous influence' in raising interest in Daniels’s story.... It wasn’t until the tape came out, Davidson testifies, that 'interest reached a crescendo' in her story.”

Christobek: “After the 'Access Hollywood' tape became public, Davidson texted Dylan Howard, the editor of The National Enquirer, that Trump's campaign was doomed, using an expletive. Howard responded: 'Wave the white flag. It’s over people!'”

Haberman: “Davidson, asked what Cohen’s interest in the Stormy Daniels story was, says, 'I believe that Michael Cohen was the personal attorney or general counsel for Donald Trump and that this story involved his client, that that was his interest in the story.'... Prosecutors are arguing in sum that the 'Access Hollywood' tape put immense pressure on the Trump campaign, which was floundering after the tape was released. Thus, they say, Michael Cohen was pressured to pay hush money for the Stormy Daniels story. Davidson is a perfect witness for them right now, as he is testifying that he conveyed that things were bad for Trump but — if the Daniels story were public — could get worse.”

Haberman: “Davidson is now being asked about the settlement agreement with Daniels. A lot of evidence is mounting that cuts against the idea Trump would have been unaware of all this.... Emails and text messages are repeatedly being brought up as corroborating evidence. For decades, Trump didn’t want his lawyers taking notes and didn’t use email or text himself.”

Jonathan Swan: “The prosecution brings up an email in which Keith Davidson told Michael Cohen that unless he paid the $130,000 by the end of the day — he was already past deadline — Stormy Daniels would consider the hush-money deal canceled. Joshua Steinglass, the prosecutor, makes a point of getting Davidson to confirm that he sent the email to Michael Cohen’s Trump Organization email address — another way of reinforcing for the jury that Cohen was acting as Trump’s agent.”

Haberman: “Joshua Steinglass gets Keith Davidson to recount how Michael Cohen told him 'my guy' was in several different states, on the campaign trail, and that Cohen could not make decisions in his absence. Davidson says it meant to him that 'Michael Cohen didn’t have the authority to actually spend money.'”

Bromwich: “Steinglass has made a habit of getting witnesses to explain who these coded references are describing. In this case, 'my guy,' in another, 'the boss.' It’s always Trump. But Steinglass emphasizing that point reinforces the notion that Trump is the hidden hand operating Cohen on the chessboard.... As we prepare to take a short afternoon break, Keith Davidson provides one last telling quote about Michael Cohen’s finagling of the Stormy Daniels story: 'I thought he was trying to kick the can down the road until after the election,' Davidson says. This drives home, again, prosecutors’ stated motivation for the hush-money payment: to silence Stormy and smooth Trump’s road to the White House.”

Bromwich: “Steinglass asks Davidson whether Cohen was clear at the outset of their negotiations who he was working for. Davidson responds that while he doesn't remember if Cohen ever stated it explicitly, 'it was part of his identity, and he let you know it, every opportunity he could, that he was working for Donald Trump.'”

Haberman: “Keith Davidson is now reading his texts with Dylan Howard aloud. One of them joked about hiring a Trump impersonator who had more money than Trump. Pressed on what that meant, Davidson, appearing deeply uncomfortable and choosing his words carefully, says he took it to mean that Trump was not as wealthy as he claimed.”

Bromwich: “Keith Davidson says that he understood that the deal with Stormy Daniels may have been held up because of 'frugality.' 'Whose frugality?' Joshua Steinglass ... asked, prompting another objection and yet another sidebar.”

Haberman: “While much of the language the defense objected to is gone from the record, the jury heard it nonetheless. Steinglass is trying to establish that Trump was the beneficiary of the contract and would likely be paying.”

~~~~~~~~~~

Judd Legum of Popular Information: "On November 21, 2021, President Biden signed the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The new law included the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), which provided up to $30 per month to individuals or families with income up to 200% of the federal poverty line to help pay for high-speed internet.... The program has particularly benefited 'rural communities, veterans, and older Americans where the lack of affordable, reliable high-speed internet contributes to significant economic, health and other disparities.'... [Tuesday], the program will abruptly end. In October 2023, the White House sent a supplemental budget request to Congress, which included $6 billion to extend the program through the end of 2024. There is also a bipartisan bill, the Affordable Connectivity Program Extension Act, which would extend the program with $7 billion in funding. The benefits of the program have shown to be far greater than the costs. An academic study published in February 2024 found that 'for every dollar spent on the ACP, the nation’s GDP increases by $3.89.' The program will lapse [Tuesday] because Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) refuses to bring either the bill (or the supplemental funding request) to a vote. The Affordable Connectivity Program Extension Act has 225 co-sponsors which means that, if Johnson held a vote, it would pass." Thanks to RAS for the link. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: It's stunning the way Bible Mike won't help even the people who may support him. As Legum points out, fully one-third of Johnson's own constituents use the ACP to pay for Internet service. But, see, the winger Republican Study Committee opposes  the ACP because it's a "government handout that disincentivize[s] prosperity." Right. Obviously, the Internet is a crucial vehicle for enhancing, not "disincentivizing," prosperity.

Rachel Weiner of the Washington Post: “A federal appellate court in Richmond became the first in the country to rule that state health-care plans must pay for gender-affirming surgeries, a major win for transgender rights amid a nationwide wave of anti-trans activism and legislation. The decision came from a set of cases out of North Carolina and West Virginia, where state officials argued that their policies were based on cost concerns rather than bias. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit rejected that argument, saying the plans were discriminating against trans people in need of treatment. Judge Roger L. Gregory, an appointee of President Bill Clinton, wrote for the majority that the restrictions were “obviously discriminatory” based on both sex and gender.”

Eryn Davis, et al., of the New York Times: “Protesters at Columbia University marched across the campus and occupied a building after midnight early Tuesday, hours after the university moved to suspend students who had failed to leave a pro-Palestinian encampment. Dozens of students left the encampment about 12:35 a.m. and entered Hamilton Hall, a neoclassical building on the campus that is home to the Department of Classics and Columbia College.... On the West Coast, demonstrations were also heating up at California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt, where students had occupied the president’s office for a week and at Portland State University in Oregon, where a library was taken over by students.” And more. ~~~

     ~~~ The New York Times is liveblogging developments at Columbia.

Maggie Haberman & Jonathan Swan of the New York Times: “Although [Todd] Blanche [-- the lead defense attorney in the Manhattan criminal trial --] has been [Donald] Trump’s favorite lawyer for some time, behind closed doors and in phone calls, the former president has complained repeatedly about him in recent weeks, according to four people familiar with the situation. He has griped that Mr. Blanche, a former federal prosecutor and veteran litigator, has not been following his instructions closely, and has been insufficiently aggressive. Mr. Trump wants him to attack witnesses, attack what the former president sees as a hostile jury pool, and attack the judge, Juan M. Merchan. Mr. Trump, who often complains about legal fees and sometimes refuses to pay them, has also wondered aloud why his lawyers cost so much....

“Mr. Trump views himself as own best legal strategist. Since becoming president, he has cast about for lawyers who would do exactly what he wanted, including helping him stay in office after he lost the 2020 election. He has vented to others that he does not have 'a Roy Cohn,' a reference to his notoriously ruthless former lawyer. Mr. Cohn, who represented Mr. Trump in his formative business years, was repeatedly indicted and ultimately disbarred.” ~~~

     ~~~ BTW, today is another Trump Day in Court. Here's a link to last week's trial transcripts, including Friday's.

Alex Griffing of Mediaite: “Far-right cable news network, One America News, published a full retraction on Monday of a March 27th article regarding former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen. The retraction came following Cohen retaining the same legal counsel used by Dominion Voting Systems who sued Fox News and secured a settlement of $787.5 million in damages. 'OAN today has retracted its March 27 article entitled “Whistleblower: Avenatti Alleged Cohen­ Daniels Affair Since 2006, Pre-2016 Trump Extortion Plan,” and is taking it down from all sites and removing it from all social media. This retraction is part of a settlement reached with Michael Cohen. Mr. Avenatti has denied making the allegations. OAN apologizes to Mr. Cohen for any harm the publication may have caused him,' read the opening paragraph of the retraction posted to OAN’s website. The settlement with Cohen, procured by Justin Nelson, did not include any money paid to Cohen.... 'The article, quoting a source, falsely claimed that Mr. Cohen and Ms. Daniels “were having an affair since 2006” and that, according to a source, “the whole hush money scheme was cooked up by [Mr. Cohen] to extort the Trump Organization before the 2016 election.” These statements were false. OAN regrets their publication,' added the retraction.” ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: In Right Wing World, "journalism" = "making up stuff." In case you're feeling all sorry for Michael Cohen for being the object of a hit job, I remind you that we learned via David Pecker's testimony last week that making up negative stories about Donald Trump's rivals was what Michael Cohen did for a living in 2015 and 2016.

Presidential Race

     ~~~ ** Philip Bump of the Washington Post helps explain why Bill Barr (and other Republicans) prefer Dictatorial Don to Joe Biden (or any Democrat): “Barr likes and agrees with Trump’s efforts to undermine democracy — and, in fact, was standing alongside him for most of those efforts. He dislikes what Biden is doing in part because he has gobbled up nonsensical claims about what Biden is doing and in part because he just thinks it’s what the left does. The left 'has always' been the threat to democracy, he said; ergo, it is currently the threat to democracy. Before Barr was the guy noting correctly that Trump’s claims about the 2020 election were false, he was the guy defending and extending Trump’s line-crossing approach to the presidency.” Read on. ~~~

~~~ Joe Sommerlad of the Independent: “Bill Barr has claimed Donald Trump often suggested executing his political rivals during heated moments of his four-year tenure in the White House. Former White House communications director Alyssa Farah Griffin told The View back in December that Mr Trump once called for a staff member to be put to death for leaking a story about the then-president going down to a bunker during Black Lives Matter protests in summer 2020. Former Trump administration attorney general Mr Barr was asked about the claims during an interview on CNN last week.... [He said,] 'I actually don’t remember him saying ‘executing’ but I wouldn’t dispute it, you know… The president would lose his temper and say things like that. I doubt he would’ve actually carried it out.... He would say things similar to that on occasions to blow off steam. But I wouldn’t take them literally every time he did it.'...” MB: But this killing stuff is okay because Joe Biden is a socialist.

Dominick Mastrangelo of the Hill: “Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) accused MSNBC’s Katy Tur of being an 'apologist' for former President Trump on Monday. During an appearance on the network, Pelosi touted President Biden’s record on the economy, saying, he 'created 9 million jobs in his term in office. Donald Trump has the worst record of job loss of any president. So we just have to make sure people know.' Tur briefly interjected, telling Pelosi 'there was a global pandemic' during Trump’s presidency. Pelosi paused, looking shocked, before shooting back at Tur that 'he had the worst record of any president.... If you want to be an apologist for Donald Trump, that may be your role, but it ain’t mine,' she added. Tur pressed back, saying, 'I don’t think anyone can accuse me of that.'” ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I've been watching Tur since she covered Trump during the 2015-16 campaign. Despite the fact that he has harassed her, sexually and otherwise, there is something oddly pro-Trump about her remarks about him -- something off. Even though she is the daughter of journalists and has been in the news business for 15 years, she seems naive about politics and detached from political realities. I suppose its a "both-sides" effort, but Tur's observations sometimes come off as weirdly inappropriate. ~~~

Donald Trump Has Been Asking, “Are You Better Off Than You Were Four Years Ago?” Let's Check. Top News in the New York Times, April 30, 2020: “U.S. gross domestic product ... fell at a 4.8 percent annual rate in the first quarter of the year, the Commerce Department said Wednesday. That is the first decline since 2014, and the worst quarterly contraction since 2008, when the country was in a deep recession. There is much worse to come.... Economists expect figures from the current quarter, which will capture the shutdown’s impact more fully, to show that G.D.P. contracted at an annual rate of 30 percent or more, a scale not seen since the Great Depression. 'They’re going to be the worst in our lifetime,” Dan North, chief economist for ... Euler Hermes North America, said of the second-quarter figures. 'They’re going to be the worst in the post-World War II era.'”

Sarah Fitzpatrick of NBC News: “Lawyers for Hunter Biden plan to sue Fox News 'imminently,' according to a letter sent to the network and obtained by NBC News. The letter, dated April 23, puts the Fox News Channel and Fox News Digital on notice for litigation claims arising from the network’s alleged 'conspiracy and subsequent actions to defame Mr. Biden and paint him in a false light, the unlicensed commercial exploitation of his image, name, and likeness, and the unlawful publication of hacked intimate images of him.' Biden has hired attorney Mark Geragos and his firm to represent him in the Fox litigation efforts.... An earlier letter was hand-delivered to Fox’s counsel two weeks ago, and the network asked for more time to respond.... The network has not yet responded to the letter sent April 23, which included a Friday evening, April 26, deadline to respond, according to Geragos.” (Also linked yesterday.)

~~~~~~~~~~

Meet the Trump Gang. Not sure if this will stay up because Sen. Tammy Baldwin, not MSNBC, posted it, but while it's here, I invite you to Rachel Maddow's "Meet the 2024 GOP Candidates" evening at home: ~~~

Arizona, et al. ~~~

Texas. Sneha Dey of the Texas Tribune: "Gov. Greg Abbott ordered the Texas Education Agency on Monday to ignore a Biden administration rule that expanded federal sex discrimination protections to include LGBTQ+ students. The Biden administration recently revised the rules for Title IX, the sweeping civil rights law that prohibits sex-based discrimination at federally funded colleges and K-12 schools. The new rules, which are set to go into effect in August, redefined sex discrimination and sex-based harassment to prevent misconduct based on sex stereotypes, pregnancy, gender identity and sexual orientation. It codifies initial guidance documents that prompted Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to sue the Biden administration last year. Abbott's order came the same day Paxton announced he had sued the Biden administration Monday to block the Title IX changes. Texas joins a growing number of Republican-led states that have berated the new rules, setting the stage for a legal fight over LGBTQ+ student protections."

~~~~~~~~~~

Israel/Palestine, et al. The Washington Post's live updates of developments Tuesday in the Israel/Hamas war are here: “U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken continues his tour of the Middle East on Tuesday, heading to Jordan and Israel with a focus on getting more humanitarian aid to civilians in the embattled Gaza Strip. The visit, his seventh to the region since Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack on Israel, comes amid fresh optimism that negotiations could lead to a cease-fire.... British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said Monday that there is a potential deal for a 'sustained' 40-day Gaza cease-fire. Blinken called the proposal 'extraordinarily generous on the part of Israel.' A former Egyptian official with knowledge of the talks said the initial truce would involve the release of 33 hostages. Israel had originally demanded the release of 40. Members of Congress are warning of a backlash if the International Criminal Court issues arrest warrants for senior Israeli political figures, as foreshadowed by Israeli media but not confirmed by the global court. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) wrote on social media that the ICC 'should stand down on this immediately.'” ~~~

     ~~~ The New York Times' live updates Tuesday are here.

Jennifer Hansler of CNN: “The US State Department has determined that five Israeli security units committed gross violations of human rights prior to the outbreak of the war with Hamas in Gaza, but is still deciding whether to restrict military assistance to one of the units under US law. The other four 'have effectively remediated these violations,' State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel said Monday, without detailing those remediation actions. The US is still deciding whether to restrict the military assistance to the remaining unit – reported to be the ultra-Orthodox Netzah Yehuda battalion. That battalion was implicated in the January 2022 death of an elderly Palestinian American man.”

Scotland. Stephen Castle of the New York Times: “Scotland’s first minister, Humza Yousaf, resigned on Monday in a fresh setback for his Scottish National Party, which has been engulfed in a slow-burning crisis over a funding scandal that erupted after a popular leader, Nicola Sturgeon, stepped down last year. Mr. Yousaf’s departure had looked increasingly inevitable after he gambled last week by ending a power-sharing deal with the Scottish Green Party.” (Also linked yesterday.)