Thursday
May022024
The Conversation -- May 2, 2024
Surprise! Allen Weisselberg Is a Shady Accountant. Charles Davis of Salon: "... emails obtained by The Daily Beast suggest not only that Weisselberg provided unreported labor for the campaign, in possible violation of campaign finance laws, but specifically helped on its filings with the Federal Election Commission.... Weisselberg's work appears to constitute an in-kind contribution to the campaign -- donated labor -- but does not show up on any FEC filings, The Daily Beast noted.... Though Weisselberg is not expected to testify in the [2016 election] case, he 'left behind a potentially priceless paper trail' for prosecutors, according to the report.... Prosecutors say they plan to introduce evidence at Trump's criminal trial showing that the former Trump Organization executive was involved in the hush money scheme."
Adam Cancryn of Politico: "President Joe Biden on Thursday condemned pro-Palestinian protests on college campuses that have turned violent or resulted in property destruction, emphasizing that Americans only have the right to protest as long as it remains peaceful. 'There is a right to protest,' Biden said, in his most extensive remarks since the campus protest movement began. 'But there is not a right to cause chaos.' The president, however, rejected the idea that the National Guard should be called in to quell some of the demonstrations at campuses across the country. And he rejected the suggestion that the protest movement might persuade him to change course in the Middle East, where Biden has remained largely supportive of Israel's war in Gaza.... In his speech, Biden acknowledged the demonstrations are part of a long history of Americans exercising a right to free speech and assembly that he called 'American fundamental principles.' But he insisted the protests must stay within the law...."
It's another Sleepy Time Daycare Center day for Alleged Criminal No. 1 in downtown Manhattan, and New York Times reporters are memorializing the occasion with their nearly-up-to-the-minute observations:
Jonah Bromwich: "We begin with prosecutors reviewing the four alleged gag order violations. The prosecutor handling this hearing, Chris Conroy, is the same one who succeeded at the last one, after which Trump was found to have violated the gag order nine of 10 times. The alleged violations today include attacks on Michael D. Cohen..., a compliment made about another witness, David Pecker.... Any speech directed toward witnesses, prosecutors say, even complimentary speech, is a violation."
Kate Christobek: "Moments into the prosecutors' argument, Trump slapped the arm of his lead lawyer, Todd Blanche, and gestured with his hands. They spoke briefly and then Trump sat back and immediately shut his eyes."
Bromwich: "Todd Blanche is speaking quickly as he defends Trump's comments about David Pecker, whom Trump said had been 'very nice.' Blanche says that Trump sidestepped the reporter's question about him and gave a 'factual and neutral answer.' He says there was no willful violation of the order. 'It's not just about Mr. Pecker,' the judge responds, saying Trump's comments affect other witnesses as well.... [Blanche] He now mentions a comment from President Biden at the White House Correspondents' Dinner in which the president made an oblique reference to Stormy Daniels, saying that Trump had been experiencing 'stormy weather.' But the judge asks, isn't it possible to respond to Biden without actually mentioning Daniels, a potential witness?"
Jesse McKinley: "Trump appeared to get frustrated during this exchange and motioned with his hands." [MB: IOW, Trump continues to behave like a bratty child, unable to behave in a manner appropriate to the and circumstance.]
Maggie Haberman: "It's quite something hearing Todd Blanche complain about media coverage, when Trump personally loves how much attention he gets from the trial.... An animated Todd Blanche is suggesting that Trump simply has to respond to reporters who ask him about witnesses. Justice Merchan is not buying it.... 'It was your client who went down to that holding area and stood in front of the press and started to speak. It wasn't the press that went to him.... Nobody forced your client' to go talk to reporters in the courthouse hallway when he attacked Cohen."
Bromwich: "Overall, I think it's fair to say that this hearing is going better for Blanche than the last one. THe judge is nodding at some of his arguments about one alleged violation and already said that he was not concerned about another one. Even now, saying 'you made your point' to Blanche, the judge softens the statement with a smile."
Haberman: "Todd Blanche is now talking about TikTok videos that Cohen has recently done criticizing Trump. 'This is not a man that needs protection from the gag order,' Blanche says."
Bromwich: "This is a serious concern for prosecutors. Their witness, who had said that he would be silent after having attacked Trump, has not fulfilled that pledge. And the judge has already written that he is somewhat sympathetic to the defense's argument here."
Bromwich: "Keith Davidson starts off the day by reminding the jury ... how bad things had gotten between him and Michael Cohen. Dylan Howard, the editor of The National Enquirer, had to step in because Davidson believed Cohen was 'not telling me the truth' about the delay in receiving a hush money payment for Daniels's story.... And now, on the screen, we see that Davidson, in the point he's reached in the story, has received the hush-money payment. In a text message to Howard, he writes: 'funds received.'"
Bromwich: "We are now looking at a January 2018 statement from Stormy Daniels, in which she denied reports of a relationship with Trump, a denial she would later rescind. Later, she would say that while she did not have an affair with Trump, she did have sex with him.... [The prosecutor Joshua] Steinglass asks: 'Did you intend for this statement to be cleverly misleading?' 'I don't understand the question,' Davidson responds, before going on to add that he would 'never' use the term 'hush money' for payment that was made. He prefers the term 'consideration.'"
Christobek: "We're hearing now that in mid-January 2018, Michael Cohen texted Keith Davidson that he had tentatively scheduled Stormy Daniels to appear on the television program 'Hannity,' which she never did. Joshua Steinglass ... asked why Cohen was pushing for her to appear on the program. Davidson answered that Cohen believed Daniels would further deny the sexual encounter with Trump."
Bromwich: "We're now seeing the aftermath of an unsuccessful hush-money payment, as Michael Cohen pleads with and cajoles Keith Davidson to bar Stormy Daniels from doing any interviews in response to The Wall Street Journal's reporting about the deal. Davidson says Cohen was in one of his 'pants-on-fire' stages.... As Keith Davidson testifies about how handling both Stormy Daniels and Michael Cohen made his life more and more complicated, he is describing the settings of conversations with remarkable vividness.... Keith Davidson is asked to explain an interaction with Michael Cohen as they drafted a statement to be sent to Chris Cuomo, then a journalist at CNN. We are starting to see -- at this point in the narrative, February 2018 -- the way that the story of Stormy Daniels was starting to draw broader attention from the news media."
Haberman: "Keith Davidson testifies that Michael Cohen threatened a lawsuit against Stormy Daniels 'many times.' He can be a 'very aggressive guy,' Davidson says."
Bromwich: "... Steinglass asked Davidson if he had any stake in the outcome of the trial. Davidson said that he did not."
Bromwich: "[Trump's lawyer Emil] Bove begins by establishing that Davidson has not met Trump, which may help outline the first stage of the cross-examination: that the former president had nothing to do with all this.... Bove returns to the topic of how Michael Cohen wanted a job in Trump's White House and acted despondent, on a call with Keith Davidson, when he did not receive it. Davidson, asked about that call, says: 'I thought he was going to kill himself.' Bove then squeezes into his questioning that Cohen had hoped for a high-ranking position, even as high as U.S. attorney general."
Haberman: "Emil Bove ... is going in a sharp direction with Keith Davidson. He recalls him saying Michael Cohen could be 'aggressive,' saying, 'And you can be aggressive too, can't you?' 'I suppose,' Davidson all but mumbles. 'What does the word "extortion" mean to you?' Bove asks. It is clear where this is going."
Bromwich: "The point here is to make Keith Davidson look like a scuzzy almost-criminal who extorted the Trump campaign in 2016, and it is very clear that Davidson understands that and he is visibly unhappy about it."
Haberman: "Emil Bove is now trying to paint Keith Davidson as a serial extorter, asking for money in various situations and being mindful not to cross the line into actual extortion."
Alan Feuer: "Emil Bove is successfully digging up unsavory episodes from Keith Davidson's past to cast him as shady -- for example, Bove says, a former of client of his leaked information that the Hollywood star Lindsayg Lohan was in rehab."
Bromwich: "Two more celebrities have just been named -- Tila Tequila, a reality television star, and the actor Charlie Sheen. Emil Bove is at the moment accusing Keith Davidson of essentially extorting Sheen. The jurors are glued to this, just as they were to Davidson's testimony earlier today."
Haberman: "Lots of 'I don't recalls' from Davidson during this cross-examination. Bove is making him appear not like a truthteller, but like someone who is unethical. And Bove is increasingly heading toward the suggestion that the money to Stormy Daniels may not have been paid to cover up an affair with Daniels, but because Trump was being shaken down.... This is getting very hostile quickly."
Bromwich: "Emil Bove just told Keith Davidson that he was 'not here to play lawyer games' and something in Davidson, who had been acting like a punching bag until this point, seems to have changed. He's now fighting back, telling Bove that he is 'getting truthful answers, sir,' with a very sarcastic spin on the word 'sir.' Very, very confrontational in here. The jurors are sitting straight up in their seats.... Emil Bove is back asking about Hulk Hogan, and the media outlet Gawker having run a sex tape involving Hogan. Bove says that Keith Davidson used connections at a different website, The Dirty, to get stills from the video posted there. Gawker was eventually sued out of existence by Hogan, in a lawsuit financed by the billionaire Peter Thiel.... It's remarkable just how much of American life over a decade or so is coming up in this trial: It's really a referendum, not only on the politics of 2016 but on the celebrity-obsessed digital media environment in which Trump rose to political prominence."
** Haberman: "Whereas David Pecker was almost carefree as he answered questions about the business of sleaze that he oversaw, Davidson appears something akin to ashamed as he is forced to answer questions about other celebrities who his clients purportedly had relations with, and from whom they sought money to stay quiet. Pecker's demeanor, meanwhile, resembled Trump's over the years: he did not give in and showed no signs of shame." [Lunch break.]
Haberman: "Susan Necheles, one of Trump's lawyers, begins by asking for a clarification on the gag order, giving a copy of some news articles to the judge. The articles are by what she calls 'legal commentators' including Jonathan Turley, saying, 'These articles are all articles which President Trump would like to post on Truth.' She says they involve some witnesses and aspects of the case, but Trump has 'concerns' about posting because they reference witnesses. She asks about 'ambiguity' in the gag order.... Christopher Conroy, the prosecutor, says they need to go through the articles but that it's 'odd' that the defense is asking for an advance ruling.... Justice Merchan says..., 'I'm not going to give advance rulings.... There is no ambiguity, I believe, in the order.' He advises that if Trump is in doubt, he should 'steer clear.'"
Haberman: "[Emil] Bove is introducing something that was almost certain to come up -- how Cohen would secretly tape people. Davidson acknowledges he believed Cohen was taping him at certain times.... Emil Bove is making Keith Davidson listen to a recording that Michael Cohen surreptitiously made of him, on which Davidson apparently talked about people having 'settler's remorse,' a reference to Stormy Daniels." [Only Bove, the prosecutor Steinglass, Davidson & the judge can hear the recording. MB: The reporters don't say how Bove used the tape other than to indicate he provided it to refresh Davidson's memory.]
Haberman: "Prosecutors are now playing a portion of a conversation with Keith Davidson that Michael Cohen secretly taped."
Bromwich: "In the recording we just heard, Michael Cohen said that Trump hates 'the fact that we did it.' Keith Davidson clarifies that this in response to the hush-money payment to Stormy Daniels. It's fascinating to hear this on redirect -- it's a key piece of evidence, that would seem to corroborate Trump's knowledge of and involvement in the deal.... For two days of testimony, the jurors have heard Davidson describe Cohen as a difficult man to deal with. But hearing Cohen's hectoring, imploring voice right now, they really get a visceral sense of it, in a way that no testimony could quite capture."
Bromwich: "A new witness, who works for the district attorney's office, has just been sworn in. His name is Douglas Daus and he is a senior forensic analyst."
Haberman: "The prosecutor is walking this witness, who extracted data from Michael Cohen's cellphones, through confirming that Cohen was texting with Hope Hicks, at the time Trump's spokeswoman.... The courtroom is now hearing a recording Michael Cohen secretly made of Trump talking. On the recording, Cohen is talking to Trump, with what sounds like Hope Hicks in the background. Cohen is explaining they had just gotten served by The New York Times to unseal records from Trump's first divorce. That divorce, from Ivana Trump, was incredibly contentious.... The key part of this tape is the end, where Michael Cohen is telling Trump, 'I need to open up a company for the transfer of all of that info regarding our friend David [Pecker].' Cohen says he talked to Allen Weisselberg, who was the Trump Organization's chief financial officer at the time. Cohen references 'the financing,' and Trump interjects, 'What financing?'"
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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." ~~~
~~~ New York Times live updates are here. CNN's live updates are here. ~~~
~~~ 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. ~~~
~~~ MEANWHILE. Stephen Groves of the AP: "House Republicans on Tuesday announced an investigation into the federal funding for universities where students have protested the Israel-Hamas war, broadening a campaign that has placed heavy scrutiny on how presidents at the nation's most prestigious colleges have dealt with reports of antisemitism on campus. Several House committees will be tasked with a wide probe that ultimately threatens to withhold federal research grants and other government support to the universities, placing another pressure point on campus administrators who are struggling to manage pro-Palestinian encampments, allegations of discrimination against Jewish students and questions of how they are integrating free speech and campus safety. The House investigation follows several recent high-profile hearings that precipitated the resignations of presidents at Harvard and the University of Pennsylvania. And House Republicans promised more scrutiny, saying they were calling on the administrators of Yale, UCLA and the University of Michigan to testify next month." (See also stories below on House passage of the Antisemitism Awareness Act.) ~~~
~~~ Marie: Trump and other Republicans are faulting President Biden for the "raging lunatics" disrupting campus life. But the intensity of some demonstrations certainly derives from House Republicans' attacks on universities & college administrators' blundering responses to those attacks. Oh, and maybe I should mention that for Republicans who expect to return to Israel just before Jesus beams them up to heaven, it's far more fun to agitate against the protesters than the atrocities they are protesting. ~~~
~~~ Tom Sullivan in Hullabaloo: "Young-uns, like minority groups conservatives disfavor, ought to know their places and stay in them. But no. Around the U.S., students upset at the disproportionate carnage and destruction Israeli forces are visiting upon the Gaza Strip are acting out. Naturally, the Deputy [Barney] Fifes in the House Republican caucus want to nip that in the bud." ~~~
~~~ ** Jeff Greenfield of Politico Magazine: "Most media retrospectives of the 1960s celebrate the marchers, the protests, the peace signs along with the compulsory Buffalo Springfield lyrics ('There's something happening here/ But what it is ain't exactly clear'). The reality is those upheavals were an enormous in-kind contribution to the political fortunes of the right. And if history comes even close to repeating itself, then the latest episode will redound to Donald Trump's benefit. Begin with this, unfortunately accurate, generalization: Protests of any kind, even those most justified, produce a sense of unease among the public." Read on.
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 [toxic chemical bans] 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." The Washington Post's story is here. ~~~
~~~ 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.) ~~~
The Trials of Trump & the Trump Mob, Ctd.
digby: "The reality is that Trump looks tired (very tired!) weak and vulnerable and the trial exposes him for the despicable creep he has always been. But not on Fox [as Greg Sargent of the New Republic relates]: '... both [Jesse] Watters and [Jeanine] Pirro insist Trump is shining in the role of defendant. They are trying to depict Trump as simultaneously a victim and a formidable warrior, one who is fighting back against corrupt, powerful forces that are persecuting him. Similarly, as Media Matters' Matt Gertz details, Fox figures praising Trump's courtroom naps are practically painting them as acts of heroic defiance against an illegitimate prosecution.'... You'd think he'd just act confident and self-assured about the outcome and treat the whole thing as a minor inconvenience instead of turning his whining up to 1. But then I guess he knows his cult better than anyone and understands that they love his whining and complaining more than anything."
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]). The NBC News story is here.
Where Did It All Go, Rudy? Eileen Sullivan of the New York Times: "Besieged by creditors and with his income drying up, Rudolph W. Giuliani laid out an austerity program of sorts in January for a federal bankruptcy court. He would stick to a $43,000-a-month budget, he said in court filings, roughly in line with the income he drew from his retirement accounts and Social Security.... Suggesting that he was mindful of the $153 million he owes to creditors, including two Georgia election workers he defamed..., he budgeted nothing for entertainment, clubs and subscriptions. It did not take him long to blow his budget. In another bankruptcy filing, he said he actually spent nearly $120,000 in January. The accounting of his spending that he provided to the court was spotty and incomplete. He later provided more information to the creditors' lawyers, listing 60 transactions on Amazon, multiple entertainment subscriptions, various Apple services and products, Uber rides and payment of some of his business partner's personal credit card bill.... His spending, and his inability or unwillingness to give the bankruptcy court a fuller look at his financial status, have left his creditors suspicious and angry."
Kyle Cheney of Politico: "A judge in California turned down an urgent plea Wednesday from John Eastman -- an architect of Donald Trump's bid to subvert the 2020 election -- to allow him to keep practicing law while he fights an effort to permanently revoke his license. Judge Yvette Roland recommended Eastman's disbarment in March after finding he repeatedly breached legal ethics in service of Trump's scheme to stay in power. Though her ruling is not the final word -- and Eastman plans to appeal -- it triggered an automatic suspension of Eastman's license.... 'Eastman's motion fails to demonstrate that he no longer presents a threat to the public,' Roland wrote in a three-page order."
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." ~~~
~~~ ** Stephen Collinson of CNN: "On a sun-soaked airfield in Michigan on Wednesday..., [Donald Trump] conjured a strongman's vision of a future America that would cause the country's founders to shudder.... Trump used his most energetic rally in months on Wednesday to show a second term would test the law even more than his first. 'When I return to the White House, we will stop the plunder, rape, slaughter, and destruction of the American suburbs, cities and towns,' Trump vowed, pledging mass deportations of undocumented migrants, crackdowns on the bureaucracy and higher education and on what he called the 'communists and criminals' in the Democratic Party. Earlier in Wisconsin, he updated his sketch of an 'American carnage' national hellscape, warning that the nation was under siege from 'radical extremists and far-left agitators who are terrorizing college campuses.'... Six months before the election, Trump's searing campaign rhetoric is becoming less an exercise in performative demagoguery than a blueprint for a potential second term."
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 2, 2020: "President Trump moved on Friday night to replace a top official at the Department of Health and Human Services who angered him with a report last month highlighting supply shortages and testing delays at hospitals during the coronavirus pandemic. The White House waited until after business hours to announce the nomination of a new inspector general for the department who, if confirmed, would take over for Christi A. Grimm, the principal deputy inspector general who was publicly assailed by the president at a news briefing three weeks ago. The nomination was the latest effort by Mr. Trump against watchdog offices around his administration that have defied him." ~~~
~~~ AND. 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."
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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.
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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 away' 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.)." ~~~
~~~ The New York Times' live updates Thursday are here.
News Lede
Wisconsin Public Radio: "A student who came to Mount Horeb Middle School with a gun late Wednesday morning was shot and killed by police officers before he could enter the building. Police were called to the school at about 11:30 a.m. for a report of a person outside with a weapon.... At the press conference, district Superintendent Steve Salerno indicated that there were students outside the school when the boy approached with a weapon. They alerted teachers.... Mount Horeb is about 20 minutes west of Madison."
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“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.”
“No, no, no, no…where does it say that those evil, capitalist hating administrative state EPA types can regulate methylene chloride? What line in what law passed by what congress in what year specifically says ‘The EPA can regulate methylene chloride’? What about the future of bathtubs? Huh? And what if some poor citizen sat in a piece of furniture in 2028 that was finished with some lesser product and…DIDN’T LIKE IT? Huh? What about that? The future of big pharma and refrigeration is at stake here. And 88 deaths? Pshaw. No biggie. Besides, whiny workers are lucky to have jobs. If a few are stupid enough to breathe while on the job, well, they’ll have to die for their corporation. Right, Neil? Thumbs down on regulation! ”
Signed,
Sam I am
All rise!
The honorable Judge Merchan will now continue overseeing one of the many trials of indicted Law and Order former guy. Keep your scorecards handy. Today we’ll be considering felony counts 15 through 32.
Democratic candidate for governor in Montana, Ryan Busse, offers a devastating take on two Trumpist superstar frauds, puppy killer, Kristi Noem, and Assault asshole, Greg Gianforte: Posers. A fake and a phony.
“[Noem’s] political brand is simply a veneer – a fake, stylized brand of dangerous Trump Republicanism whose moral roots are about as deep as a bad facelift. This brand not only fails what used to be the Republican party; it is also destroying and dividing the US, and it’s more evident than ever here in the American west.
In Montana, the Republican governor, Greg Gianforte, has a registered cattle brand, yet he owns no cattle. He takes agricultural tax exemptions on his luxury estate in Bozeman even though he doesn’t do much serious ranching or farming.
In 2021, Gianforte illegally shot and killed a collared Yellowstone wolf that had its leg caught in a steel-jawed trap. He wanted to stuff the wolf and display it in his office – presumably without its radio collar, which would have dampened the effect he was going for…politicians like Gianforte and Noem are phoneys. They’re trying to create fake versions of themselves to publicly demonstrate their capacity for cruelty and extremism without being bothered by any responsibility or morality.”
Sounds pretty Trumpy to me. The truly stunning thing is that cruelty, extremism, and fake tough guy veneers carry so much weight with MAGA voters. It’s like portraying a weak, whiny, mentally challenged crook like Fatty, whose lawyers have to supply him with distractions to try to keep him from falling asleep in court, as a tough, vibrant, manly man of the people.
A good read.
Moscow Margie might be headed back to irrelevant kookdom, but she’s not going quietly. (Surprised?)
She has announced her reason for not backing a bill aimed at addressing a rise in antisemitism:
Jews killed Jesus.
Yup.
Oh…you were expecting a REAL reason?
C’mon. MTG? She might as well have said “Because Jews control world banking and last week I had to wait 10 minutes in line at the bank to cash a bribery check! Fuckin’ Jews.”
And speaking of irrelevant kooks…
Bobo, aka Ms. Handjob in Public, moseyed on over to George Washington University yesterday to…something…whatever, and was met with chants of “Beetlejuice! Beetlejuice!”
Haha.
Bobo tried to tear down a Palestinian flag and made threats to end funding.
When that didn’t work, she started vaping and set up a sign that said “Handjobs $25”*
No takers.
*Okay, not really, but at least that would have been a change for Bobo: doing something productive.
Seth Meyers on the tired and weak defendant.
Another stable genius Elon is mass firing over at Tesla.
"included those of three entire groups that seem fairly important for running an electric car company:
Senior director of EV charging Rebecca Tinucci, as well as the entire team — more than 500 people — working on Tesla’s widely respected Supercharger fast-charging network;
Daniel Ho, head of new vehicle development and his entire team, too;
And hey, why not, the company’s entire public policy team got the axe as well"
Libertarians for Trump!
Okay…(*sigh*) once more with the Libertarian lap dance.
I have long considered libertarianism to be an ersatz, somewhat sketchy political philosophy which attracted both frauds, infantile Ayn Rand poseurs, and serious, if tone deaf and overly stilted philosophers (Robert Nozick). The former group, which include charlatans and narcissistic hucksters like Li’l Randy, can be ignored with impunity. In the latter group, some, like Nozick, who held a sanctified position as a libertarian shaman, have abandoned the idea completely.
Trump has become something of a shiny object for newly MAGAfied libertarians, who are being given the “come all ye”:
“Don’t miss this opportunity to hear insights from a prominent figure in American politics and watch him engage with Libertarian ideals.”
Right. Fatty “engaging with ideals” is like a shark “engaging” with noisy swimmers.
Libertarian dalliances with the Orange Monster should ring its death knell.
End of story.
Law Dork
"SCOTUS to Fifth Circuit: Do whatever you want"
Don't let the liberals win
Daily Bruin
"Pro-Israel counter-protesters attempt to storm encampment, sparking violence
Fireworks, tear gas and fights broke out just after 10:50 p.m. Tuesday night and continued early Wednesday morning as around 100 pro-Israel counter-protesters attempted to seize the barricade around and storm the ongoing Palestine solidarity encampment in Dickson Plaza."
RAS's link to a Daily Bruin story reminds me that some of the best sources on the protest stories are likely student news outlets. The reporters know the landscape and have access. Yesterday I heard an NBC News reporter say on-air that the only reason she could even get on the Columbia campus to do her reporting was that she was taking classes there.
So if you're wondering what's going on at your school, check the old school newspaper.
Saw part of this on Alex Wagner Tonight. A NYCPD video about the raid on Columbia last night.
"If you're thinking about doing something like this, take a look around. See how fast we cleared it out. This could be you,"
"Columbia reached out to us. We came in here and took action, and this is the result of our action," he says.
"If you are thinking of setting up tents any place else in the city, think again because the colleges will reach out to us and we will come there and we will strike you and take you to jail like we did over here."
Looks like they are practicing for a Trump administration and all the skulls they may have to crack "for safety".
From the No Such Thing as Bad Publicity* Dept.
The Fat Fascist, for all his infant whining about how cold he is, and how no one has ever been made to sit in a courtroom like this, and how this is all election interference, because if it weren’t for Joe Biden’s fake prosecution, he’d be in North Carolina, or Ohio, or wherever, campaigning…blah, blah, blah…
He loves this. Not the courtroom falling asleep looking like a sleazy loser part, but the publicity:
“The former president is getting into his limousine to head to the courthouse”
“His motorcade turns onto Centre Street…”
“Now former President Trump gets out of the car. He waves to supporters. He picks his nose…will he eat the booger? Hold on…hang on…don’t change that channel,,,No! He flicks the booger on the sidewalk. A crowd of MAGA hatted onlookers rush to pick it up!”
I mean, what the fuck?
He doesn’t need to attend rallies. Besides, mainstream media no longer cover his fascist hootenannies anyway. But the trial is covered breathlessly by everyone.
Here’s the thing. He has neither the money nor the energy to campaign anymore. He says “Oh! I could be doing a rally in Wisconsin, but I’m stuck here!” But on the off days, weekends and days when court is not in session, he’s not out at rallies whipping up the brown shirts, he’s off playing golf. He’s too tired and too broke. But the trial gets his fat face on the morning, afternoon, nightly, and overnight newscasts. And he shouts at the press after each session ripping into the judge, Biden, the witnesses, E. Jean Carroll…
A thousand dollars for each gag rule transgression? Big whoop. Think he cares about that? That shit is a fund raising goldmine for him. I’m not saying he shouldn’t be fined, I’m saying that a courtroom is not where Fatty will be held accountable. If he loses, he’ll say he won, he’ll say it was rigged. He’ll take in millions more.
There’s only one place we’ll get Justice.
The voting booth.
That’s why Fatty and his legion of authoritarian democracy haters are working so hard to make sure that doesn’t happen.
Meantime…
“Oh…former president Trump is getting back into his limo. Wait…he’s going to say something. Hang on…this could be huge! What was that? He’s asking for directions to his latest phony press op up in Harlem. We’ll cover every millisecond of this manufactured bullshit. Stay tuned!!”
*It’s not for nothin’ that this phrase was first uttered by a guy who made money hiring clowns.
Wyoming
"Wyoming voids 28% of its voter registrations in mandatory purge
While it’s not unusual for voter rolls to fluctuate, local election officials want residents to know that anyone who didn’t vote in the 2022 general election must register again to vote in 2024.
There are currently about 83,500 fewer registered voters in the state than at the end of 2022, a roughly 28% drop, according to data released Wednesday by the Wyoming Secretary of State’s Office.
The sizable dip follows a mandatory voter purge that was likely magnified by a major shift in voter turnout between the 2020 and 2022 elections.
Wyoming law has long required county clerks to purge voter rolls each February, a process that involves removing voters who did not cast a ballot in the most recent election."
Maybe Trump can give some tips on getting some sleep to the Pillow Guy.
Elon Musk repeatedly demolishes the central pillar of Republican economic policy. First Twitter, now Tesla.
But, Low taxes on the wealthy sweet will magically create jobs, right?
Republican policy has been to enact "Low Taxes on the Job Creators!" Because without low taxes, the wealthy will not Create Jobs!
High taxes hurts the Job Creators! (.. blah blah.)
But recently Q-Elon Musk has proven to anyone paying attention enough to notice: That policy is a Big Fat Lie.
For years Musk benefited from low marginal tax rates, tax loopholes and exemptions unavailable to the regular worker, plus government subsidies, handouts, and so forth. He became the world's most wealthy man, and thusly he ought to be the world's greatest job creator. He amassed a personal fortune never before seen on earth, with at least $44 Billion to spare. And with his $44 Billion from those low tax rates and rebates, he purchased Twitter. Then he immediately fired 80% of the Twitter workforce. Thousands of jobs destroyed. Lives turned inside out, and the financial plans of so many were obliterated. Sure looks like low taxes on the wealthy has brought mass job killing.
Thanks Q-Elon for clarifying this reality!
So I’m betting that lower taxes on billionaires will not save anyone’s job at Tesla, either.