The Ledes

Friday, September 6, 2024

CNBC: “The U.S. economy created slightly fewer jobs than expected in August, reflecting a slowing labor market while also clearing the way for the Federal Reserve to lower interest rates later this month. Nonfarm payrolls expanded by 142,000 during the month, down from 89,000 in July and below the 161,000 consensus forecast from Dow Jones, according to a report Friday from the Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics.”

New York Times: “Colin Gray, the father of the 14-year-old accused of killing two teachers and two students at his Georgia high school, was arrested and charged on Thursday with second-degree murder in connection with the state’s deadliest school shooting, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said. In addition to two counts of second-degree murder, Mr. Gray, 54, was also charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter and eight counts of cruelty to children, according to a statement. At a news conference on Thursday night, Chris Hosey, the G.B.I. director, said the charges were 'directly connected with the actions of his son and allowing him to possess a weapon.'” At 5:30 am ET, this is the pinned item in a liveblog. ~~~

     ~~~ CNN's report is here.

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The Ledes

Thursday, September 5, 2024

CNBC: “Private sector payrolls grew at the weakest pace in more than 3½ years in August, providing yet another sign of a deteriorating labor market, according to ADP. Companies hired just 99,000 workers for the month, less than the downwardly revised 111,000 in July and below the Dow Jones consensus forecast for 140,000. August was the weakest month for job growth since January 2021, according to data from the payrolls processing firm. 'The job market’s downward drift brought us to slower-than-normal hiring after two years of outsized growth,' ADP’s chief economist, Nela Richardson, said. The report corroborates multiple data points recently that show hiring has slowed considerably from its blistering pace following the Covid outbreak in early 2020.”

The New York Times' live updates of developments in the Georgia school massacre are here, a horrifying ritual which we experience here in the U.S. to kick off each new School Shooting Year. “A 14-year-old student opened fire at his Georgia high school on Wednesday, killing two students and two teachers before surrendering to school resource officers, according to the authorities, who said the suspect would be charged with murder.” ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I heard Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) speak during a press conference. Kemp is often glorified as one of the most moderate, reasonable GOP elected public officials. When asked a question I did not hear, Kemp responded, "Now is not the time to talk about politics." As you know, this is a statement that is part of the mass shooting ritual. It translates, "Our guns-for-all policy is so untenable that I dare not express it lest I be tarred and feathered -- or worse -- by grieving families." ~~~

~~~ Washington Post: “Police identified the suspect as Colt Gray, a student who attracted the attention of federal investigators more than a year ago, when they began receiving anonymous tips about someone threatening a school shooting. The FBI referred the reports to local authorities, whose investigations led them to interview Gray and his father. The father told police that he had hunting guns in the house, but that his son did not have unsupervised access to them. Gray denied making the online threats, the FBI said, but officials still alerted area schools about him.” ~~~ 

     ~~~ Marie: I heard on CNN that the reason authorities lost track of Colt was that his family moved counties, and the local authorities who first learned of the threats apparently did not share the information with law enforcement officials in Barrow County, where Wednesday's mass school shooting occurred. If you were a parent of a child who has so alarmed law enforcement that they came around to your house to question you and the child about his plans to massacre people, wouldn't you do something?: talk to him, get the kid professional counseling, remove guns and other lethal weapons from the house, etc.

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New York Times: “Hvaldimir, a beluga whale who had captured the public’s imagination since 2019 after he was spotted wearing a harness seemingly designed for a camera, was found dead on Saturday in Norway, according to a nonprofit that worked to protect the whale.... [Hvaldimir] was wearing a harness that identified it as “equipment” from St. Petersburg. There also appeared to be a camera mount. Some wondered if the whale was on a Russian reconnaissance mission. Russia has never claimed ownership of the whale. If Hvaldimir was a spy, he was an exceptionally friendly one. The whale showed signs of domestication, and was comfortable around people. He remained in busier waters than are typical for belugas....” ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Oh, Lord, do not let Bobby Kennedy, Jr., near that carcass.

New York Times: Botswana's “President Mokgweetsi Masisi grinned as he lifted the diamond, a 2,492-carat stone that is the biggest diamond unearthed in more than a century and the second-largest ever found, according to the Vancouver-based mining operator Lucara, which owns the mine where it was found. This exceptional discovery could bring back the luster of the natural diamond mining industry, mining companies and experts say. The diamond was discovered in the same relatively small mine in northeastern Botswana that has produced several of the largest such stones in living memory. Such gemstones typically surface as a result of volcanic activity.... The diamond will likely sell in the range of tens of millions of dollars....”

Click on photo to enlarge.

~~~ Guardian: "On a distant reef 16,000km from Paris, surfer Gabriel Medina has given Olympic viewers one of the most memorable images of the Games yet, with an airborne celebration so well poised it looked too good to be true. The Brazilian took off a thundering wave at Teahupo’o in Tahiti on Monday, emerging from a barrelling section before soaring into the air and appearing to settle on a Pacific cloud, pointing to the sky with biblical serenity, his movements mirrored precisely by his surfboard. The shot was taken by Agence France-Presse photographer Jérôme Brouillet, who said “the conditions were perfect, the waves were taller than we expected”. He took the photo while aboard a boat nearby, capturing the surreal image with such accuracy that at first some suspected Photoshop or AI." 

Washington Post: “'Mary Cassatt at Work' is a large and mostly satisfying exhibition devoted to the career of the great American artist beloved for her sensitive and often sentimental views of family life. The 'at work' in the title of the Philadelphia Museum of Art show references the curators’ interest in Cassatt’s pioneering effort to establish herself as a professional artist within a male-dominated field. Throughout the show, which includes some 130 paintings, pastels, prints and drawings, the wall text and the art on view stresses Cassatt’s fixation on art as a career rather than a pastime.... Mary Cassatt at Work is on view at the Philadelphia Museum of Art through Sept. 8. philamuseum.org”

New York Times: “Bob Newhart, who died on Thursday at the age of 94, has been such a beloved giant of popular culture for so long that it’s easy to forget how unlikely it was that he became one of the founding fathers of stand-up comedy. Before basically inventing the hit stand-up special, with the 1960 Grammy-winning album 'The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart' — that doesn’t even count his pay-per-view event broadcast on Canadian television that some cite as the first filmed special — he was a soft-spoken accountant who had never done a set in a nightclub. That he made a classic with so little preparation is one of the great miracles in the history of comedy.... Bob Newhart holds up. In fact, it’s hard to think of a stand-up from that era who is a better argument against the commonplace idea that comedy does not age well.”

Washington Post: “An early Titian masterpiece — once looted by Napolean’s troops and a part of royal collections for centuries — caused a stir when it was stolen from the home of a British marquess in 1995. Seven years later, it was found inside an unassuming white and blue plastic bag at a bus stop in southwest London by an art detective, and returned. This week, the oil painting 'The Rest on the Flight into Egypt' sold for more than $22 million at Christie’s. It was a record for the Renaissance artist, whom museums describe as the greatest painter of 16th-century Venice. Ahead of the sale in April, the auction house billed it as 'the most important work by Titian to come to the auction market in more than a generation.'”

Washington Post: The Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, D.C., which houses the world's largest collection of Shakespeare material, has undergone a major renovation. "The change to the building is pervasive, both subtle and transformational."

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Wednesday
Oct302019

The Commentariat -- October 31, 2019

Late Morning/Afternoon Update:

Nicholas Fandos of the New York Times: "A bitterly divided House of Representatives voted on Thursday to endorse the Democratic-led impeachment inquiry into President Trump, in a historic action that set up a critical new public phase of the process and underscored the toxic political polarization that serves as its backdrop. The vote was 232-196 to approve a resolution that sets out rules for an impeachment process for which there are few precedents, and which promises to consume the country a little more than a year before the 2020 elections. It was only the third time in modern history that the House had taken a vote on an impeachment inquiry into a sitting president." Politico's story is here.

The New York Times is liveblogging developments in the House. The Guardian's liveblog is here.

Bribing the Jurors. Alex Isenstadt of Politico: "... Donald Trump is rewarding senators who have his back on impeachment -- and sending a message to those who don't to get on board. Trump is tapping his vast fundraising network for a handful of loyal senators facing tough reelection bids in 2020. Each of them has signed onto a Republican-backed resolution condemning the inquiry as 'unprecedented and undemocratic.' Conspicuously absent from the group is Maine Sen. Susan Collins, a politically vulnerable Republican who's refused to support the resolution and avoided taking a stance on impeachment. With his new push, Trump is exerting leverage over a group he badly needs in his corner with an impeachment trial likely coming soon to the Senate -- but that also needs him. Republican senators on the ballot next year are lagging in fundraising, stoking uncertainty about the GOP's hold on the chamber, and could use the fundraising might of the president. Trump's political operation has raked in over $300 million this year."

Manu Raju & Jeremy Herb of CNN: "Tim Morrison, the top Russia and Europe adviser on ... Donald Trump's National Security Council, told House impeachment investigators that he was advised by then-White House official Fiona Hill to stay away from the parallel Ukraine policy being pursued by Trump's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani, according to a source familiar with his Thursday testimony. Morrison also told lawmakers that he was concerned the July 25 call transcript between Trump and Ukrainian President While he did deviate from Taylor on some details, Morrison testified that Sondland told him [the] President would release the aid if the Ukrainian prosecutor general announced an investigation, according to sources.... Morrison did not raise any concerns about the call to the National Security Council lawyers, as [Alexander] Vindman did, according to one source. [This last detail differs from the WashPo report below.]... Morrison also seemed critical of the role that US Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland played over Ukraine policy, one source said.... At times, Morrison's attorney has instructed his client not to answer questions about interactions with the President, multiple sources said."

Carol Leonnig, et al., of the Washington Post: "Tim Morrison, the top Russia and Europe adviser on President Trump's National Security Council, on Thursday corroborated the testimony of a senior U.S. diplomat who last week offered House impeachment investigators the most detailed account to date for how Trump tried to use his office to pressure Ukraine to investigate former vice president Joe Biden, according to people familiar with his deposition. Morrison told impeachment investigators that the account offered by William B. Taylor Jr., the acting ambassador to Ukraine, is accurate. He said that he alerted Taylor to a push by Trump and his deputies to withhold both security aid and a White House visit for the Ukrainian president until Ukraine agreed to investigate the Bidens and interference in the 2016 presidential election, said one person, who like others spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe sensitive discussions. Morrison, who told colleagues Wednesday that he plans to leave the Trump administration, said he did not necessarily view the president's demands as improper or illegal, but rather problematic for U.S. policy in supporting an ally in the region.... Yet Morrison twice reached out to the National Security Council's attorneys with apparent concerns about Trump's conversations pertaining to Ukraine policy, according to various witness' testimony." This is a second major update of a story linked below.

Coral Davanport & Hiroko Tabuchi of the New York Times: "Monday's surprise move by General Motors, Toyota and other auto giants to back President Trump in his fight with California over pollution rules came after days of White House pressure to support one of the administration's biggest efforts to weaken climate regulations. Previously, many automakers had indicated to California that they would not take a stand, according to Mary D. Nichols, chairwoman of California's clean air regulator, the Air Resources Board. Late last week, their stance quickly changed.... The auto industry was already divided. In July four other major companies -- Ford, Honda, Volkswagen and BMW -- publicly sided with California."

~~~~~~~~~~

Tom McCarthy of the Guardian: "For only the third time in the history of the modern presidency, the US House of Representatives was poised to vote on Thursday to formalize impeachment proceedings against the president of the United States. The House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, has scheduled a morning press conference to announce the next stage in a process that seemed likely to lead to Donald Trump's impeachment -- if not necessarily his removal from office. The vote on Thursday, which was expected to pass on party lines, would lay out a road map for impeachment that could produce televised public hearings within two weeks and a vote on impeachment itself by the end of the year."

Matthew Chapman of the Raw Story: "On Wednesday, the House Rules Committee voted 9-4, along party lines, to advance the resolution commencing a new stage of the impeachment investigation into ... Donald Trump[.]... The resolution, which will go to a vote of the full House on Thursday, is the first formal vote taken with respect to the impeachment investigation...." Christina Marcos of the Hill has a more detailed report.

Andrew Desiderio of Politico: "House impeachment investigators have asked former national security adviser John Bolton and two key White House lawyers to testify next week as part of the inquiry, according to a source familiar with the matter. Bolton is scheduled to be deposed on Nov. 7, while National Security Council attorneys John Eisenberg and Michael Ellis are slated to appear on Nov. 4, the source said. It was not immediately clear whether they plan to appear for testimony." Mrs. McC: According to MSNBC & CNN, Bolton has indicated he would testify under subpoena. However, according to this New York Times note, "... a lawyer for Mr. Bolton responded that he was 'not willing to appear voluntarily.... If Mr. Bolton is subpoenaed, his lawyer, Charles J. Cooper, is likely to ask a federal judge to determine whether he needs to comply."

Carol Leonnig, et al., of the Washington Post: "Tim Morrison, who is set to testify in the House impeachment inquiry [Thursday] about what he has witnessed as the senior National Security Council official handling Russian affairs, is leaving his White House post, according to people familiar with his plans. Morrison has been on the job for about 15 months, having joined the security council during John Bolton's tenure as national security adviser. Morrison could be a key witness in the inquiry into President Trump's efforts to get Ukraine to investigate his political rivals.... [John] Bolton handpicked Morrison to join the NSC because of his shared opposition to arms control agreements, which both men view as an unacceptable constraint on American power.... William B. Taylor Jr., acting ambassador to Ukraine, testified last week that Morrison told him that Gordon Sondland, the U.S. envoy to the European Union, relayed to a top Ukraine aide that the country wouldn't receive military aid money until the Ukrainian president agreed to pursue an investigation into Joe Biden's son." Franco Ordoñez of NPR first reported Morrison's plans to leave; his story is here. ~~~

~~~ Josh Rogin of the Washington Post: "... Democrats might not want to pin their impeachment hopes on his testimony Thursday, because there are three things [Tim] Morrison is not: a whistleblower, a Never Trumper or a potential member of the Resistance.... [His attorney Barbara Van Gelder said,] 'In the current impeachment inquiry, we hope there is enough open source information that he can avoid invoking the privilege.'... Morrison will have to answer for his part in the saga."

Kate Brannan of Just Security: "As the summer wore on, and ... Donald Trump would not budge on his decision to withhold almost $400 million in military aid for Ukraine, the Pentagon warned the White House: If its portion of the money wasn't released quickly, the Defense Department would not be able to spend it before the fiscal year ended on September 30. The Pentagon even gave the White House a deadline... [of] August 6.... And the Pentagon was also clear that providing Ukraine the security assistance was in the national security interests of the United States, on that point Trump's Cabinet agreed. 'At every meeting, the unanimous conclusion was that the security assistance should be resumed, the hold lifted,' Bill Taylor, the top U.S. diplomat in Ukraine, said in his opening statement to House investigators last week. As for corruption, the pretext being given for why the funding was being withheld, the Pentagon had certified in May that the 'Government of Ukraine has taken substantial actions to make defense institutional reforms for the purposes of decreasing corruption [and] increasing accountability.' When asked over the summer to perform an analysis of the effectiveness of the military aid, the Defense Department took one day to conclude the assistance was effective and should be resumed, Taylor testified. In late July, the Pentagon also alerted the White House that if the funding wasn't released in time, the Pentagon would be at risk of violating the Impoundment Control Act, which punishes the executive branch when it doesn't spend money that Congress has appropriated, the sources said. But, the White House did not heed the Pentagon's warnings. It continued to withhold the money through August and into September." There's more. (Also linked yesterday.)

** The Lawyer Did It. Carol Leonnig, et al., of the Washington Post: "Moments after President Trump ended his phone call with Ukraine's president on July 25..., Army Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman rushed to the office of White House lawyer John Eisenberg..., bringing with him his twin brother, Yevgeny, an ethics attorney on the National Security Council.... Vindman ... was disturbed by the pressure Trump had applied to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate his political rivals, according to people familiar with Vindman's testimony to lawmakers this week. Vindman told Eisenberg, the White House's legal adviser on national security issues, that what the president did was wrong.... Scribbling notes on a yellow legal pad, Eisenberg proposed ... moving a transcript of the call to a highly classified server and restricting access to it.... The White House lawyer later directed the transcript's removal to a system known as NICE, for NSC Intelligence Collaboration Environment, which is normally reserved for code-word-level intelligence programs and top-secret sources and methods, according to an administration official. Former Trump national security officials said it was unheard of to store presidential calls with foreign leaders on the NICE system but that Eisenberg had moved at least one other transcript of a Trump phone call there.... Vindman's account marks the first known instance in which a witness before the impeachment inquiry has provided a firsthand account linking Eisenberg to the decision to move the problematic transcript to a highly classified server.... By the time Vindman came to him in late July, Eisenberg was already familiar with concerns among White House officials about the administration's attempts to pressure Ukraine for political purposes.... Three weeks earlier, Vindman and another senior official had gone to him after a contentious July 10 meeting in which they said European Union Ambassador Gordon Sondland had pushed two Ukrainian officials to investigate Trump's political rivals...." ~~~

~~~ Mrs. McCrabbie BTW: Sondland is digging himself into a hole too deep to climb out of. More than one member of the professional diplomatic staff has testified, providing specific details, that during July 10 meetings, Sondland pressured the Ukrainians to "investigate" how Ukraine had helped the DNC cover-up its scam to frame Russia in the 2016 election hacks (nutty conspiracy theory) & dig up dirt on the Bidens. From the WashPo report: "Sondland's attorney, Robert Luskin, said Wednesday that his client did not mention the Bidens in the July 10 meeting or any other discussions about Ukraine policy. 'Ambassador Sondland has nothing to add to his prepared testimony in which he make clear that he did not then or on any other occasion mention any Biden by name and did not then know that Burisma was linked to Biden,' Luskin said." If we ever get a real attorney general, DOJ should open a criminal investigation, not just for lying to Congress but also for the underlying crime of attempting to use a foreign government to interfere in the 2020 election.

Jake Tapper of CNN: "Top White House Ukraine expert Alexander Vindman told congressional investigators he was convinced ... Donald Trump was personally blocking $400 million in military aid to Ukraine to force that country to publicly announce an investigation into Joe Biden and his family, two sources present at the deposition told CNN.... The sources at the deposition said Vindman believed the existence of a quid pro quo was clear during a July 10 meeting between American and Ukrainian officials. In his opening statement, Vindman wrote that date is when US Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland told Ukrainian government officials that they would need to deliver 'specific investigations in order to secure the meeting' with Trump that they so desired. But the fact that the $400 million in aid, including desperately needed military assistance, was also being used by the President didn't become clear until the next month, Vindman testified.... On August 16, Bolton and other senior Cabinet officials, including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Secretary of Defense Mark Esper, traveled to Trump's resort in Bedminster, New Jersey, to discuss a number of national security issues with the President [including a decision letter Vindman had written that showed government-wide support for releasing the funds to Ukraine]. Vindman learned after their meeting that Trump still refused to allow the security assistance funds to go to Ukraine, which made Vindman think the President was still waiting for the 'deliverable' [Trump had demanded]." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ Philip Bump of the Washington Post: "It's not clear how significant the omissions [in the abridged telcon] noted by [Col. Alexander] Vindman were, but his testimony blows a massive hole in Trump's claim that the transcript is a complete and thorough documentation of the call. Yes, that claim was always obviously false, but having a sense of something specific that was apparently excluded makes obvious just how many gaps there could be in the document.... What was revealed in Vindman's testimony isn't that the transcript wasn't complete; we knew that on the day it was released. What was exposed instead was how hollow Trump's claims about the transcript really were. Trump has learned over the past four years that it doesn't matter what he says." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ You Can't Make up This Stuff. Natasha Bertrand of Politico: "Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, the National Security Council's top Ukraine expert..., told lawmakers that a close associate of Republican Rep. Devin Nunes 'misrepresented' himself to ... Donald Trump in an effort to involve himself further in Ukraine policy.... [Vindman] told lawmakers that after attending Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's inauguration in May..., [he] had been looking forward to debriefing Trump and giving a positive account of Zelensky's vision for Ukraine's future.... But [his boss Fiona Hill] ... instructed [him] 'at the last second' not to attend the debriefing ... because ... Trump believed ... that Kashyap Patel, a longtime Nunes staffer who joined the White House in February and had no discernible Ukraine experience or expertise, was actually the NSC's top Ukraine expert instead of Vindman.... Vindman also testified that he was told Patel had been circumventing normal NSC process to get negative material about Ukraine in front of the president, feeding Trump's belief that Ukraine was brimming with corruption and had interfered in the 2016 election on behalf of Democrats." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ Jeff Schogol & Haley Britzky of Task & Purpose: "The Army intends to fully support Army Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, a combat veteran and a Purple Heart recipient, serves on the National Security Council. On Tuesday, he went before Congress after being subpoenaed by the House Intelligence Committee. Without referring to Vindman by name, Trump has repeatedly accused him of having a political axe to grind by describing him as a 'Never Trumper witness.' 'Lt. Col. Vindman, who has served this country honorably for 20+ years, is fully supported by the Army like every Soldier, having earned a Purple Heart after being wounded in Iraq in 2004,' Matt Leonard, an Army spokesperson, told Task & Purpose.... Gen. Joseph Dunford, the former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, also weighed in, telling CNN that Vindman 'is a professional, competent, patriotic, and loyal officer. He has made an extraordinary contribution to the security of our Nation in both peacetime & combat.'" ~~~

~~~ Julia Ioffe has a good piece in GQ on, "... the making of a decorated U.S. military officer, and the immigrant experience of Soviet Jews in America and abroad." --s (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Mrs. McCrabbie: Ioffe centers her story on the history of Alexander Vindman & his family. "While Trump has a history of attacking anyone who questions his power, there is a particularly insidious history to questioning the loyalty of Jewish émigrés." Critics so often see Hitler & Mussolini tendencies in Trump, but Ioffe's piece reminds us that Trump comes with a taste for Stalin, too.

Karen DeYoung of the Washington Post: "Senate Democrats on Wednesday opened a confirmation hearing for Deputy Secretary of State John J. Sullivan as ambassador to Russia with questions about why he recalled the former ambassador to Ukraine, Marie Yovanovitch, and didn't stand up more forcefully for the foreign service. Sullivan, responding to sharp questions by Sen. Robert Menendez (N.J.), the top Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee, agreed that Yovanovitch had 'served capably and admirably.' But Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, he said, told him 'the president had lost confidence with her,' and he was designated to deliver the news to her. Pompeo, he indicated, declined to specify any further reason in response to Sullivan's appeal.'... Menendez asked whether he knew that Trump's personal lawyer, Rudolph W. Giuliani, was 'seeking to smear' Yovanovitch. 'I believe he was, yes,' Sullivan said.... He was asked whether it was 'ever appropriate for the president to use his office to solicit investigations into his domestic political opponents.'Sullivan said: 'I don't think that would be in accord with our values.'" (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ Nahal Toosi covers the same ground for Politico, and her take is worth reading, too. Sullivan "also said he was looped in when the State Department was given a packet of material that appeared to be aimed at denigrating Yovanovitch. 'It didn't provide to me a basis for taking action against our ambassador,' said Sullivan of the packet, which Giuliani is suspected of helping put together. Sullivan said Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had tried to find out exactly why Trump was unhappy with Yovanovitch, but that after several months, the reason -- which Sullivan said he was never told -- became irrelevant because it was clear the president wanted her out." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ Catie Edmondson of the New York Times: "John Sullivan, the deputy secretary of state, said on Wednesday that President Trump's personal lawyer Rudolph W. Giuliani was involved in a smear campaign to oust the ambassador to Ukraine, publicly confirming a key part of the saga behind the impeachment inquiry."

Tinfoil Hat Time: Looking back at the timeline, Drumpf's infamous call with Ukraine Pres. Zelenskiy was July 25th. On July 31st, Drumpf and Putin had a telephone call that was first announced by the Kremlin, supposedly at the initiative of Trump, with the White House not acknowledging the call until August 1, saying the discussion revolved around Siberian "wildfires". This sounds about as credible as Drumpf worried about the scourge of "corruption". With this in mind, here's John Stoehr of Raw Story: "One of the reasons [Army Lt. Col. Alex] Vindman came forward against the wishes of the White House was because he was worried about the president and his allies outside of government working to establish a 'false narrative' about what happened in 2016 to undermine the special counsel's Russia investigation.... Trump is not engaging in conspiracy theory as much as making war against the truth so nothing is left but loyalty to The Leader.... He is the original victim and ultimate hero of this false narrative.... [T]he 'conspiracy theory' ... has gripped Trump's media allies and pretty much the whole of the Republican Party.... It is a big lie that would have gotten bigger had not patriots like Alex Vindman said enough is enough." I wonder if the July 31st call isn't one of those stashed away in Super Top Secret land?"--s ~~~

~~~ Donald Trump is a Russian asset:

A Chip off the Old Blockhead. Justin Wise of the Hill: "Donald Trump Jr. on Wednesday railed against the son of former Vice President Joe Biden over his foreign business dealings, claiming that if his name was Hunter Biden he could go abroad and make millions. 'I wish my name was Hunter Biden. I could go abroad, make millions off my father's presidency,' Trump Jr. said in an appearance on Sean Hannity's Fox News program. 'I'd be a really rich guy.'" Mrs. McC: I guess we'll have to assume Senior isn't paying Junior & the poor lad is living in a cardboard box under a bridge. He is, after all, a troll.

Rachel Frazin of the Hill: "Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said that President Trump's infamous July 25 phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was 'consistent' with the administration's policies. The phone call in which Trump pressed Zelensky to investigate Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden is at the center of House Democrats' impeachment inquiry into the president. 'The call was consistent with what I had a long set of conversations with President Trump on our policy for an awfully long time,' Pompeo said in an interview with Fox News. 'Our policy has been very clear all along with respect to Ukraine.'"


Dareh Gregorian of NBC News: "The Pentagon on Wednesday released dramatic video from the raid that killed ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, and shared new details about the strike -- and the mission's hero dog.... Marine Corps Gen. Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr., the head of U.S. Central Command ... [said,] 'five ISIS members inside the compound presented a threat to the force.' The four women and one man were wearing suicide vests and approached in a 'threatening manner,' the general said. They 'did not respond to commands in Arabic to surrender' or to warning shots and were killed, McKenzie said.... Meanwhile, al-Baghdadi fled into a tunnel with two children, although officials initially thought there were three.... McKenzie said [the dog had] been hurt by exposed live electrical cables in the tunnel. McKenzie said the dog, who sources have told NBC News is Belgian Malinois, has been returned to duty. He's a four-year veteran who's been on approximately 50 combat missions.... McKenzie was also asked about ... Donald Trump's assertions that al-Baghdadi was crying before he killed himself. He said he couldn't confirm that account 'one way or another, but I can tell you this: He crawled into a hole with two small children and blew himself up while his people stayed on the ground. You can deduce what kind of person he is based on that activity.'" Includes video.

Joby Warrick, et al., of the Washington Post: "U.S. commandos zeroed in on Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's final hideout with the help of an extraordinarily well-placed informant, an Islamic State operative who facilitated the terrorist leader's movements around Syria and even helped oversee construction work on his Syrian safe house, according to U.S. and Middle East-based officials.... The mole's detailed knowledge of Baghdadi's whereabouts as well as the room-by-room layout of his sanctuary proved to be critical in the Oct. 26 raid that ended with the death of the world's most-wanted terrorist, the officials said. The informant was present during the assault on Baghdadi's compound in the Syrian province of Idlib, and he was exfiltrated from the region two days later with his family. The man, whose nationality had not been revealed, is expected to receive some or all of the $25 million U.S. bounty that had been placed on Baghdadi's head, according to the officials. One official said he was a Sunni Arab who turned against the Islamic State because one of his relatives had been killed by the group." TPM has a brief summary of the WashPo report. (Also linked yesterday.)

Carol Lee, et al., of NBC News: “Acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney first learned about the U.S. military raid against ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi after the operation was already underway, according to five current and former senior administration officials. Mulvaney was at home in South Carolina when ... Donald Trump wrote on Twitter on Saturday night that 'Something very big has just happened!' He was briefed on the raid that night, officials said. The extraordinary move by Trump to leave his chief of staff out of the most significant U.S. military operation against the world's most wanted terrorist since the killing of Osama bin Laden in 2011 represents a major blow to Mulvaney, suggesting that he is increasingly sidelined inside the White House. The White House chief of staff typically would be central to such a momentous gambit for a president, coordinating logistics, public statements and notifications of congressional leaders and allies.... Andrew Card, former President George W. Bush's longtime chief of staff, said the exclusion of Mulvaney from a moment of such magnitude in the presidency is difficult to grasp because the chief of staff typically would be in national security meetings leading up to it and tasked with coordinating with other top officials on everything from a communications strategy to a plan in case the raid failed." Mrs. McC: Mulvaney isn't even "acting" chief-of-staff anymore. (Also linked yesterday.)

Trump Retweets Insensitive Photo. Again. Niraj Chokshi & Karen Zraick of the New York Times: "President Trump on Wednesday shared an altered photograph of himself placing a medal around the neck of the dog injured in the raid last weekend that led to the death of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the Islamic State's leader. The image, which bears a watermark for a social media account for the conservative news site The Daily Wire, appeared to be an altered version of a 2017 Associated Press photograph. In the original, Mr. Trump is seen awarding a Medal of Honor to James C. McCloughan, a retired Army medic who is credited with saving the lives of 10 men during the war in Vietnam.... In a phone interview on Wednesday, Mr. McCloughan, 73, who had not seen the image before a reporter sent it to him, said that he interpreted it as Mr. Trump recognizing the dog's heroism. He certainly was not offended and laughed when he compared the two images. After all, he said, Medal of Honor recipients accept on behalf of their entire teams, especially those that did not return from battle.... 'This recognizes the dog is part of that team of brave people,' he said. Mr. McCloughan ... added that he had worked with a dog in Vietnam who helped detect enemy activity during missions. 'They are very courageous,' he said of military canines. He was also concerned about the condition of the dog, after the president tweeted that the dog was injured when the terror leader detonated a suicide vest. 'Once a medic, always a medic,' Mr. McCloughan said." The Guardian story is here.

Deirdre Shesgreen of USA Today: "In a remarkable rebuke of a NATO ally, the House on Tuesday approved a biting sanctions bill that could cripple Turkey's economy and would punish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan personally by requiring an assessment of his net worth ami questions about his finances in Turkey. Lawmakers also passed a deeply contentious measure to commemorate the Armenian genocide, a historic move that will almost certainly exacerbate U.S.-Turkey tensions. The genocide measure officially recognizes the systematic killing of 1.5 million Armenians by the Ottoman Empire from 1915 to 1923. 'Members of my own family were among those murdered, and my parents fled with my grandparents to America,' said Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Calif. 'What all of the persecuted had in common was that they were Christians.'... Turkey condemned the House votes, saying the sanctions bill is "incompatible with the spirit of our allied relations under NATO.'" (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Mrs. McCrabbie: Right. And how did attacking Kurdish allies of the U.S. & other NATO countries conform to "the spirit of our allied relations under NATO"? Note to Erdogan: Just because Trump lets you do it, doesn't mean it's okay.

Thanks to Forrest M. for passing along this:


Burgess Everett & Anita Kumar of Politico: "Sen. Chuck Grassley is warning the White House that it cannot legally appoint Ken Cuccinelli to lead the Department of Homeland Security. President Trump is seeking an end-around to appoint the immigration hardliner to the position, and Cuccinelli is loathed by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and other Republicans to the point that he probably could not be confirmed. And Grassley, the most senior Republican, said under the Vacancies Act there's no legal way to put the acting U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services chief in the position as acting chief after acting DHS Secretary Kevin McAleenan leaves his post on Thursday. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Earlier. Zolan Kanno-Youngs of the New York Times: "The White House has found a way to bypass a federal statute that dictates who can fill secretary positions, potentially allowing President Trump to choose whomever he wants to lead the Department of Homeland Security, according to an administration official. The route may run through an office established to counter weapons of mass destruction.... The White House ... is exploring a loophole in the [federal vacancies] law, according to an administration official. Under this route, the White House would tap someone to be the assistant secretary of the Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office, which is vacant, and then elevate that person to be the acting secretary of homeland security." (Also linked yesterday.)

Nicole Acevedo of NBC News: "Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., on Wednesday accused acting Citizenship and Immigration Services director Ken Cuccinelli of pursuing a 'heinous white supremacist ideology' in seeking to deny public benefits to legal immigrants. Wasserman Schultz took particular offense that Cuccinelli did not know how many children would stop receiving access to essential social services if a proposed immigration rule that has been blocked by the courts goes into effect.... Wasserman Schultz was referring to the Trump administration rule, which would have gone into effect on Oct. 15, that limited a pathway to citizenship for legal immigrants who had enrolled or used publicly funded programs. Even though federal judges blocked the administration from implementing the rule, known as 'public charge, the ruling has caused a chilling effect among thousands of families in the U.S. who are eligible to receive public benefits. Many have dropped out of certain government programs or barred themselves from applying for assistance. In Miami, health officials are alarmed by the stark drop in insured children, and they attribute immigrants' fears over the rule as a main factor."

Noah Lanard of Mother Jones: "In the summer of 2017, the Trump administration made El Paso the test site for a family separation policy whose existence the administration denied. Now the administration is using El Paso to test another secretive policy that will allow it to rapidly deport asylum seekers with negligible due process.... The number of people taken into custody by Border Patrol agents dropped from 132,856 in May to 40,507 in September.... The number of parents and children traveling together stopped by Border Patrol agents plummeted from 84,486 to 15,824 during that period.... Since the fiasco of family separation, [the administration] moved toward policies like the new El Paso pilot program that are complex and hidden from public view..., another sign that the Trump administration concluded from the family separation crisis that deterrence is more sustainable when it is obscured and hard to understand." --s (Also linked yesterday.)

Heather Timmons & Hallie Gu of Reuters: "U.S. President Donald Trump's demand that Beijing commit to big purchases of American farm products has become a major sticking point in talks to end the Sino-U.S. trade war, according to several people briefed on the negotiations. Trump has said publicly that China could buy as much as $50 billion of U.S. farm products, more than double the annual amount it did the year before the trade war started. U.S. officials continue to push for that in talks, while Beijing is balking at committing to a large figure and a specific time frame. Chinese buyers would like the discretion to buy based on market conditions." --s

Dan Goldberg of Politico: "Three years into a presidency that promised to kill Obamacare, the health care law has never been stronger. Millions of people buying coverage during the enrollment period starting Friday will find that average premiums have dropped across the country. When consumers go to HealthCare.gov, they'll be paying 4 percent less on average for the most popular health plans -- with six states reporting a double-digit decline.... To be clear, Obamacare still faces potential extinction in the judiciary, as a lawsuit pending in federal court could deal a death blow to the law. On top of that, Republicans remain hostile to the law." --s ~~~

~~~ MEANWHILE. Jordain Carney of the Hill: "The Senate on Wednesday rejected a Democratic effort to roll back a Trump administration rule that allows states to ignore parts of ObamaCare. Senators voted 43-52 on the resolution, falling short of the simple majority needed to pass the chamber. Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) was the only Republican to vote for the resolution."

Elections 2020

Rachel Lerman & Barbara Ortutay of the AP: "Twitter, reacting to growing concern about misinformation spread on social media, is banning all political advertising from its service. Its move strikes a sharp contrast with Facebook, which continues to defend running paid political ads, even false ones, as a free speech priority. 'While internet advertising is incredibly powerful and very effective for commercial advertisers, that power brings significant risks to politics, where it can be used to influence votes to affect the lives of millions,' Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey said Wednesday in a series of tweets announcing the new policy."

Jonathan Chait: "'Hillary Clinton emerged recently to claim, with no basis in fact, that I am being "groomed" by the Russian government to undermine America,' claims Tulsi Gabbard in a Wall Street Journal op-ed today. In fact, as even the conservative Washington Examiner acknowledges, Clinton did not say that. She said Republicans were grooming Gabbard. And far from refuting that charge, everything about Gabbard's op-ed confirms Clinton was probably right.... In fact, nothing could do more to vindicate Clinton's suspicion that Gabbard is being groomed by the Republican party as a spoiler candidate than a Wall Street Journal op-ed previewing her case for a spoiler campaign.... Gabbard is now working hand in hand with the Republican party. This is apparent in her pattern of working closely with Republican-controlled media, like 'Hill TV' -- John Solomon's propaganda outlet -- and Sean Hannity. Gabbard used both forums to promote Republican talking points discrediting the impeachment process...." (Also linked yesterday.)

Christopher Cadelago & Scott Bland of Politico: "Kamala Harris is dramatically restructuring her campaign by redeploying staffers to Iowa and laying off dozens of aides at her Baltimore headquarters, according to campaign sources and a memo obtained Wednesday by Politico, as she struggles to resuscitate her beleaguered presidential bid. The moves come as Harris is hemorrhaging cash and in danger of lacking the resources to mount a competitive bid against better-funded rivals in Iowa. The overhaul will touch nearly every facet of Harris' operation, with layoffs or re-deployments coming at headquarters, as well as in New Hampshire, Nevada and her home state of California, a Super Tuesday prize that her advisers once viewed as a big asset."


Jeff Cox of CNBC: "The Federal Reserve approved an expected quarter-point interest rate cut Wednesday but indicated that the moves to ease policy could be nearing a pause. In a vote widely anticipated by financial markets, the central bank's Federal Open Market Committee lowered its benchmark funds rate by 25 basis points to a range of 1.5% to 1.75%. The rate sets what banks charge each other for overnight lending but is also tied to most forms of revolving consumer debt. It was the third cut this year as part of what Fed Chairman Jerome Powell has characterized as a 'midcycle adjustment' in a maturing economic expansion. Along with the decrease came language pointing to a higher bar for future easing." ~~~

~~~ Jeanna Smialek of the New York Times: "The Federal Reserve cut interest rates on Wednesday for the third time this year, reversing nearly all of 2018's rate increases as uncertainty from President Trump';s trade war and slowing global growth continue to pose risks to the United States economy. The decision to cut rates by another quarter point despite rock-bottom unemployment and decent overall growth shows the extent to which Mr. Trump's hot-and-cold trade war, paired with a tenuous global outlook, has put the Fed on the defensive. While the central bank was on a steady march to raise rates just a year ago, it has spent the past several months trying to insulate the American economy against those threats and keep a record expansion humming."


Boo-Hoo-Hoo. Everybody's Picking on Me Because I'm Mean to Gay People. Ariane de Vogue & Alex Rogers of CNN: "A federal appeals court nominee broke down in tears during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing Wednesday, reacting to a scathing letter against his confirmation by the American Bar Association after it conducted 60 interviews and concluded that he was 'not qualified" for the judicial branch. Lawrence J.C. VanDyke grew emotional, with his face turning red as he defended himself against the letter's conclusions that he could would not treat LGBTQ litigants fairly. 'I do not believe that,' VanDyke said. 'It is a fundamental belief of mine that all people are created in the image of God,' adding, 'they should all be treated with dignity and respect.'... "Mr. VanDyke's accomplishments are offset by the assessments of interviewees that Mr. VanDyke is arrogant, lazy, an ideologue, and lacking in knowledge of the day-to-day practice including procedural rules,' William C. Hubbard, chair of the ABA's standing committee on the federal judiciary, wrote. 'There was a theme that the nominee lacks humility, has an 'entitlement' temperament, does not have an open mind, and does not always have a commitment to being candid and truthful.'" (Also linked yesterday.)

Tami Luhby of CNN: "The number of uninsured children ballooned by more than 400,000 between 2016 and 2018, an unprecedented decline in health coverage for the youngest Americans, a new study has found. Roughly 4.1 million children were uninsured in 2018, up from a low of 3.6 million in 2016, according to the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families, citing US Census Bureau data. Their uninsured rate jumped to 5.2% last year, up from 4.7% in 2016.... The national uninsured rate for all Americans also rose last year for the first time in nearly a decade, according to the Census Bureau. It increased to 8.5% in 2018, up half a percentage point a year earlier. Some 27.5 million people were uninsured last year, a jump of 1.9 million." --s

Tara Copp, et al. of McClatchy DC: "Veterans saw a spike in urinary, prostate, liver and blood cancers during nearly two decades of war, and some military families now question whether their exposure to toxic environments is to blame, according to a McClatchy investigation. McClatchy found that the rate of cancer treatments for veterans at Department of Veterans Affairs health care centers increased 61 percent for urinary cancers -- which include bladder, kidney and ureter cancers -- from fiscal year 2000 to 2018. The rate of blood cancer treatments ⁠-- lymphoma, myeloma and leukemia ⁠-- rose 18 percent in the same period. Liver and pancreatic cancer treatment rates increased 96 percent and prostate cancer treatment rates increased 23 percent.... While sympathetic to veterans' concerns, Dr. Michael Kelley, chief of hematology and oncology for the VA, said much more research is needed to link a cause to the cancers." --s (Also linked yesterday.)

Iliana Magra of the New York Times: ""The family of Harry Dunn, the teenage motorcyclist who was killed in a crashin Britain in August, is suing the Trump administration for 'lawless misconduct,' a spokesman for the family said on Tuesday. Mr. Dunn, 19, died after his motorcycle collided with a car that the police said had been traveling on the wrong side of the road on Aug. 27 in Brackley, a town about 60 miles northwest of London. The case ignited a diplomatic tug-of-war between Britain and the United States after the woman thought to be driving the car, Anne Sacoolas, the wife of an American diplomat, claimed immunity and left the country a little over two weeks after the accident." The Hill's story is here. (Also linked yesterday.)

Julie Brown of the Miami Herald: "... a private forensic pathologist hired by Mark Epstein [-- Jeffrey Epstein's brother] to oversee his brother's autopsy bolsters what conspiracy theorists have suggested for months: that the evidence does not support the finding that Jeffrey Epstein killed himself. Dr. Michael Baden, one of the world's leading forensic pathologists, viewed Jeffrey Epstein's body and was present at the autopsy, which was held the day after Epstein was found dead at the notorious Metropolitan Correctional Center in downtown Manhattan.... Baden, in an interview first aired on Fox & Friends Wednesday, announced his own findings: that Epstein, who was found dead in his Manhattan jail cell on Aug. 10, had two fractures on the left and right sides of his larynx. He told the Herald that it is rare for any bones to be broken in a hanging, let alone for multiple bones to be fractured. 'Those fractures are extremely unusual in suicidal hangings and could occur much more commonly in homicidal strangulation,' said Baden, who added that there were hemorrhages in Epstein's eyes that are also more common in strangulation than in hangings. Baden's opinion contradicted New York City Medical Examiner Barbara Sampson, who ruled Epstein's cause of death to be a suicide by hanging." The New York Times story is here. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Mrs. McCrabbie: Sorry, Doc. Anybody who goes on "Fox & Friends" to explain science-y things immediately loses all credibility.

Beyond the Beltway

Florida. Max Dixon of Politico: "The Republican Party of Florida on Monday postponed its biggest annual fundraiser, a move that some officials blamed on lackluster interest from donors....[The event] was scheduled for Nov. 9 in Orlando. The postponement is a significant setback to the state Republican Party and potentially ... Donald Trump, who will need to win Florida to secure his reelection in 2020.... As of Friday, the only table sponsorships that had been sold were bought by local Republican Executive Committees. No donor or corporate tables had been sold and [Gov. Ron] DeSantis had not raised any money for the event, despite pledging millions of dollars." --s (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Update. Matt Dixon of Politico: "... Donald Trump's promise to headline the Republican Party of Florida's annual fundraiser has given it a much-needed financial and emotional boost going into 2020, even as the news has laid bare divisions within the state party's leadership. The party's scramble to land a Trump visit culminated in a political victory for Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday and effectively left state GOP Chairman Joe Gruters with a title but no influence. The power play caps a monthslong effort by DeSantis to elbow the chairman out of power. It also ended the 24-hour drama that saw the party's Statesman's Dinner canceled due to a lack of interest, then rescheduled with a bang." (Also linked yesterday.)

Way Beyond

Ernesto Londoño & Somini Sengupta of the New York Times: "President Sebastián Piñera of Chile said on Wednesday that his country, which has been rocked by a wave of recent protests, was not in a position to host a key United Nations climate change meeting and a major Asia-Pacific trade summit later this year. The announcements underscored how destabilizing the recent wave of protests and acts of vandalism have been for the country, which has long been regarded as an exemplar of stability in a tumultuous region.... The trade meeting, of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation group, had been scheduled for mid-November. That cancellation throws a wrench into trade talks between the United States and China. President Trump had been scheduled to attend the trade meeting, which was seen as an opportunity for the two economic giants to settle a monthslong fight over tariffs that has rippled across the global economy." (Also linked yesterday.)

News Lede

ABC News is liveblogging developments in the California fires: "Ferocious winds are hitting Southern California, fueling the already dangerous flames and igniting two new fires early Thursday. With wind gusts reaching 60 or 70 mph, the winds can easily shoot embers and sparks into the air and send them one or two miles away. In San Bernardino County, multiple homes were engulfed in flames early Thursday from the fast-moving Hillside Fire, which ignited as ferocious 70 mph wind gusts lifted burning embers into the air."

Comments Off

Reader Comments (7)

Rachel's reporting (see above video) illustrates once again Trump's blundering buffoonery in foreign affairs. When the U.S. spent months in historic negotiations with the Taliban, an effort at diplomacy collapsed spectacularly because in September Trump abruptly scuttled a nearly completed accord that would have provided for a phase withdrawal of American troops from the country including direct talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government.

I realize the importance of sticking to one impeachable thing but we have such a long and serious list of fuck-ups and dire consequences that I hope in the open hearings many of these will come to fore. I want desperately for this man to be humiliated, roasted over the coals and discarded like a piece of burnt pig.

October 31, 2019 | Unregistered CommenterP.D. Pepe

It seems to me that the Pretender's raft of self-serving, fantasy-based tweets qualifies as clear "political advertising."

What do you say to that, Mr. Dorsey?

Can we hope?

October 31, 2019 | Unregistered CommenterKen Winkes

The US- Taliban "peace talks" used phased US troop withdrawals as one of the major deliverables.

Then DiJiT up-ended the Risk Board. Game suspended. No deals.

Then he went ahead and started troop drawdowns with no buy-in from the Afghan Gov nor the Taliban.

See ... he can't even recognize a quid pro quo, much less agree to one. He gives away other people's stuff for no returns.

WGN - world's greatest negotiator.

October 31, 2019 | Unregistered CommenterPatrick

PD-- while I soooooo agree with you, I feel that you might have ruined my love for tasty barbecue, especially NC-style BBQ. I do love the imagery, however, of a fat and juicy trump on a spit over a raging fire. I fear, though, that even if we were to be successful in ousting him, he would leave behind a plethora of nasty, vindictive know-nothings, like some horror movie with crowds of evil imps.
Halloween is here, and "batshit crazy" seems descriptive of these morons.
My husband says he will never get over Moscow Mitch's perfidy-- no Supreme Court justice and now, no legislation ever. Are the senators all just sitting in their seats (when they are actually there in session--)knitting, or what??? Halloween impeachery sounds good to me...of all of 'em.

October 31, 2019 | Unregistered CommenterJeanne

"Worlds greatest witch hunt". Quite a declaration from a man who led the "Hillary hunt".

But Trump is finding out witch hunts aren't half as much fun when you're the one on the broom.

The other shoe has hit the floor and now we'll see how many other shoes are left to fall.

Then we see how many senators can ignore all the evidence.

October 31, 2019 | Unregistered CommenterBobby Lee

Think the Pretender will invite the Nationals, now MLB's reigning champions, to the WH?

And what would their fans, who don't seem too enamored of the WH inhabitant, think of them if they accepted?

October 31, 2019 | Unregistered CommenterKen Winkes

“Vast fundraising network” = Russian oligarchs and various other sources of dirty money.

October 31, 2019 | Unregistered CommenterAnonymous
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