The Conversation -- December 19, 2024
Maxine Joselow of the Washington Post: "President Joe Biden announced Thursday that the United States would aim to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by between 61 and 66 percent by 2035, compared with 2005 levels, even as the nation remains far off-track from meeting the climate goal he laid out for the end of the decade. The action comes despite the fact that ... Donald Trump has vowed to scrap dozens of climate rules and policies."
This is extraordinary. The Count of Mar-a-Lardo, who is currently an unemployed layabout, is about to shut down the government of one of the most important countries on Earth (as of this writing): ~~~
~~~ Catie Edmondson & Carl Hulse of the New York Times: "A bipartisan spending deal to avert a shutdown was on life support on Wednesday after ... Donald J. Trump condemned it, leaving lawmakers without a strategy to fund the government past a Friday night deadline. Mr. Trump issued a scathing statement ordering Republicans not to support the sprawling bill, piling on to a barrage of criticism from Elon Musk, who spent Wednesday trashing the measure on social media and threatening any Republican who supported it with political ruin. It was not yet clear how Speaker Mike Johnson planned to proceed as the package.... The bill appeared doomed when Mr. Trump weighed in late Wednesday afternoon, saying lawmakers needed to pass a 'temporary funding bill WITHOUT DEMOCRAT GIVEAWAYS,' and said it should be combined with an increase in the debt ceiling.... It reflected a recognition by the president-elect that his party would have a difficult time raising the limit next year when they have full control of Congress, and that he would not want to sign such a measure." JayDee cosigned Trump's statement, and apparently Elon has a sidekick, too, as the report notes that Vivek Ramaswamy "joined" him in deriding the deal. Kinda sweet. Everybody will have someone to dance with at the inaugural ball. The AP's report is here. ~~~
~~~ Update. Jacob Bogage & Marianna Sotomayor of the Washington Post: "The federal government is careening toward a weekend government shutdown deadline as congressional Republicans, egged on by ... Donald Trump and Elon Musk, feud over legislation to keep agencies open over the Christmas holiday. Republicans on Wednesday rejected a plan by House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) for a three-month stopgap funding extension, called a continuing resolution or CR, with more than $100 billion in aid for natural disaster survivors, bipartisan health-care policy changes and other unrelated provisions. In scrapping Johnson’s plan, Republicans cast doubt on his ability to maintain the speaker’s gavel in next year’s Congress."
~~~ Marie: The NYT report linked above says the government will probably run out of money in January. Still, it seems to me that Trump's push to raise the debt ceiling also is a tacit acknowledgment that he's going to drive up the national debt with his plans to continue tax cuts for corporations & the wealthy. ~~~
~~~ Or Is Trump Merely Elon's Puppet? Faiz Siddiqui, et al., of the Washington Post: "With a five-word post on X, [Elon] Musk threw the process [of passing a CR to keep the government runnin] into chaos. 'This bill should not pass,' [Musk] wrote at 4:15 a.m. Eastern time.... Over the ensuing 12 hours, Musk went on a prolific tirade against the bill — with more than 60 updates, some of which boosted false claims — that stood out even for a chronic poster who has commanded an audience of more than 200 million followers by broadcasting his largely uninhibited views on the site he owns. By midday, Musk’s barrage was increasingly acerbic, decrying the bill as 'terrible,' criminal,' '“outrageous,' 'horrible,' 'unconscionable,' 'crazy' and, ultimately, 'an insane crime.'... 'Any member of the House or Senate who votes for this outrageous spending bill deserves to be voted out in 2 years!' Musk wrote shortly after 1 p.m. Wednesday.... Trump stayed largely silent on the measure through Wednesday afternoon, putting Musk in the unusual position of exerting more influence on the bill than the incoming president. Finally, by late afternoon, Trump, too, aired his opposition." ~~~
~~~ Apparently "Vice President Trump" and "President Musk" were trending on X. ~~~
~~~ Update. Michael Luciano of Mediaite: “'What was confusing to me is Musk sends out one of his tweets, and he says no one should do anything until January 20th when Trump gets there,' [David Alexrod] noted [on CNN last night]. 'Trump sends out a tweet saying they ought to pass a clean, a clean [continuing resolution]… So they seem to be saying different things, and eventually they’re gonna have to get together and decide who the president is.' The crack prompted former Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) to laugh. Earlier in the segment, Kinzinger referred to Musk as 'President Elon.'” AND ~~~
~~~ Alex Griffing of Mediaite: "Rep. Daniel Goldman (D-NY) accused ... Donald Trump of being Elon Musk’s 'puppet' on Wednesday after Trump followed Musk’s lead in opposing House Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-LA) continuing resolution to keep the government open. 'As the shadow Pres-Elect, Elon Musk is now calling the shots for House Rs on government funding while Trump hides in Mar-a-Lago behind his handlers,' Goldman wrote on X...." MB: Ha ha. All this has to really irritate Trump.
~~~ Daniella Diaz & Katherine Tully-McManus of Politico: "Among the 100-plus tweets Musk sent as part of his campaign were a number of misleading or outright false claims — a possible preview of the mogul’s new role as co-leader of a Trump-blessed effort to slash government funding. Musk didn’t seem to think a government shutdown would have significant consequences for the country.... [But] a A five-week shutdown from 2018 to 2019 caused the economy to lose about $3 billion, according to estimates from the Congressional Budget Office. The billionaire falsely claimed that members of Congress would get a 40 percent pay raise as part of the package — something both Musk and the X account for his so-called Department of Government Efficiency got wrong.... Musk reposted a claim that the bill would provide $3 billion for a new NFL stadium in Washington. Not true.... He’s also wrong that the bill shields the Jan. 6 committee — a claim that may have helped draw Trump further into the debate." ~~~
~~~ Marie: Surely a number of GOP Congressmen who swore off the bill knew Musk was lying about it. But that didn't matter. ~~~
~~~ Mike Lillis of the Hill: "House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) suggested Wednesday that Democrats will oppose any federal spending bill that strays from the bipartisan deal announced a day before, accusing GOP leaders of reneging on the agreement at risk of a government shutdown. In a brief statement, Jeffries invoked the growing conservative outcry over the negotiated continuing resolution (CR) — including opposition from ... Trump — and warned Republicans that they will 'own' the economic and political fallout if a shutdown occurs."
Amy Gardner of the Washington Post: "The electoral college convened in all 50 states Tuesday to elect Donald Trump to be the 47th president of the United States over Vice President Kamala Harris by a vote of 312 to 226. The gatherings unfolded uneventfully.... Although Trump won the electoral college comfortably this time, and he defeated Harris in the popular vote by more than 2 million votes, his share of the popular vote when third-party candidate totals are included falls slightly below a majority, at 49.9 percent, according to data compiled by the Associated Press." (Also linked yesterday.) MB: Despite this, we are now unsure as to who will be the new president*.
Note to Justin: Relentless Bullies Are Relentless. Elena Giordiano of Politico: "Early on Wednesday ... [Donald Trump] suggested turning Canada into a part of the U.S., calling it 'a great idea.'... 'No one can answer why we subsidize Canada to the tune of over $100,000,000 a year? Makes no sense! Many Canadians want Canada to become the 51st State. They would save massively on taxes and military protection. I think it is a great idea. 51st State!!! he boomed on his social media platform.... [This and earlier] mocking posts land amid tensions between the two countries after Trump threatened to impose 25 percent tariffs on Canadian goods and accused the government of failing to address trade and immigration issues." (Also linked yesterday.)
Annals of "Journalism," Ctd. Dani Anguiano of the Guardian: "Patrick Soon-Shiong, the owner of the Los Angeles Times, reportedly asked the newspaper’s editorial board to 'take a break' from writing about Donald Trump, in the latest report of the billionaire owner’s growing influence over the newspaper’s coverage. The newspaper and its owner were embroiled in controversy for weeks this fall after Soon-Shiong blocked the board from endorsing Kamala Harris for president. The decision led to a wave of resignations on the editorial board and the loss of thousands of subscriptions.... Earlier this month, Soon-Shiong announced plans to incorporate an artificial intelligence-powered 'bias meter' into newspaper articles. He also reportedly barred the newspaper’s editorial board from publishing an editorial about Trump’s cabinet picks unless it also published a piece with an opposing view.... The extent of Soon-Shiong’s involvement was detailed in a memo from members of the opinion section to the newspaper’s executive editor that was published in the Status newsletter by the media reporter Oliver Darcy."
Eugene Robinson of the Washington Post: "Titans of industry and commerce, beware. When you bend the knee to the Mad King, when you shower him with money and bathe him in flattery, he will receive your gifts with apparent gratitude. But he will want more. He will always want more.... In Trump’s worldview, loyalty flows in one direction: toward him. Don’t take my word; ask Mike Pence.... Iif history is any guide, reasonable people who try to work with Trump eventually reach a point where they feel they have to part ways with him. And when those reasonable people tell the world why, Trump lashes out at them."
Alan Feuer & Maggie Haberman of the New York Times: "For years..., Donald J. Trump has made it known that people he believes to be his enemies should be prosecuted.... In a report released on Tuesday, House Republicans said [former Rep. Liz] Cheney [R-Wy.] should face an F.B.I. investigation for work she did for the congressional committee that examined Mr. Trump’s attempts to cling to power after he lost the 2020 election.... The House subcommittee’s report detailed a road map for what [a Justice Department] inquiry might ultimately look like — while also relieving Mr. Trump of the potentially fraught step of explicitly ordering the inquiry himself. Appearing to have it both ways, Mr. Trump seized on the House report on Wednesday morning, saying that it could present problems for Ms. Cheney, but avoiding responsibility for havi;ng been the cause of them." A similar AP report is here. ~~~
~~~ Marie: Wait! Doesn't Trump like to take credit for every turn of events he favors? Even if he had nothing to do with it? Well, yes, but here Trump wants the public to think that other, legitimate investigators -- prosecutors, members of Congress -- independently discovered Trump's enemies' wrongdoing and acted out of principle and the rule of law to punish/correct the bad guys. Trump can still boast that he "predicted" such actions would befall his perceived enemies. And he thinks people are dumb enough (many are!) to believe that "investigations" by toadies like Bill Barr & John Durham were a legitimate inquiries.
But the Emails! Trump & Co. Continue to Be a Major Security Threat. Alice Ollstein of Politico: "Federal officials say they’re worried about sharing documents via email with Donald Trump’s transition team because the incoming officials are eschewing government devices, email addresses and cybersecurity support, raising fears that they could potentially expose sensitive government data. The private emails have agency employees considering insisting on in-person meetings and document exchanges that they otherwise would have conducted electronically, according to two federal officials granted anonymity to discuss a sensitive situation. Their anxiety is particularly high in light of recent hacking attempts from China and Iran that targeted Trump, Vice President-elect JD Vance and other top officials....
Trump — who attacked his then-opponent Hillary Clinton over her use of a private email server for official business during his first presidential run — is overseeing a fully privatized transition that communicates from an array of @transition47.com, @trumpvancetransition.com and @djtfp24.com accounts rather than anything ending in .gov, and uses private servers, laptops and cell phones instead of government-issued devices.... The White House has sent guidance to federal agencies to be cautious when communicating with the Trump transition...."
Noah Berlatsky of Public Notice reviews Trump's "Person of the Year" interview with Time magazine and is reminded "He's staggeringly unfit. Always has been. Always will be.... When it’s possible to decipher what Trump is trying to say, it’s apparent he was trying to strike what for him him is a conciliatory tone, at least in comparison with the terrifying interview he did with Time last spring. This time around, he made mouth noises about compromise on abortion, on Ukraine, on Israel, and even, startlingly, on trans issues.... [But] even when Trump is trying to sound reasonable, he’s hampered by the fact that his knowledge of issues never goes deeper than talking points. Perhaps even worse, he’s clearly in thrall to the world’s worst conspiracy theorists and authoritarian rulers.... Amidst all the misty and disingenuous belching of verbiage, Trump did manage to demonstrate that to the extent he’s able to actually follow through on his policy agenda, it’ll be very bad news for the country." ~~~
~~~ Marie: A fun read, I guess, if you like scary stories. Thanks to Akhilleus for the lead, which he got via digby, who embeds an interview of Joe Biden & notes: "By contrast here’s a 15 minute interview with the president everyone says is demented. Joe Biden is no Barack Obama or Bill Clinton when it comes to oratory or political analysis. But he’s not Donald Trump either. It’s amazing that America hates this man and loves the addled weirdo who clearly has no idea what he’s talking about."
Olivia Rubin & Peter Charalambous of ABC News: "The state prosecution of Donald Trump on election interference charges in Georgia may be able to continue despite his impending inauguration, a lawyer for Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis signaled in a court filing that urged an appeals court to reject the president-elect's request to throw out the case based on presidential immunity. The filing argued that Trump's lawyers failed to demonstrate why a state prosecution would be subject to the Department of Justice memorandum prohibiting the prosecution of a sitting presidents -- which was cited by special counsel Jack Smith when he wound down his federal cases against Trump -- or impede Trump's duties as president."
Dominick Mastrangelo & Zach Schonfeld of the Hill: "... Trump’s attorney unsuccessfully asked a federal judge to move forward with his lawsuit against journalist Bob Woodward over published audio tapes of interviews the famed Watergate reporter conducted with Trump for a 2020 book. U.S. District Judge Paul Gardephe, an appointee of former President George W. Bush who is overseeing the case, denied the request to expedite it around five hours after the request was filed.... The case has stalled for months as the judge weighs the defendants’ bid to dismiss the lawsuit, but the sudden activity comes as Trump assumes a more emboldened posture in scrutinizing media outlets in the wake of his November presidential victory." (Also linked yesterday.)
Joe Gould of Politico: "At least a dozen senators are pushing to see the FBI’s background check on Pete Hegseth, Donald Trump’s embattled pick for Pentagon chief — a rare move for the committee that oversees his confirmation and a sign the former Fox News host still faces hurdles in the Senate. Unlike some other committees, the Senate Armed Services usually limits access to these types of background checks to its two lead senators. But pressure is building from both Democrats and Republicans to provide more lawmakers with the ongoing report, whose contents could determine whether Hegseth makes it to the Pentagon.... The FBI’s background investigation is expected to thoroughly examine Hegseth’s personal and professional history, including interviews with associates, reviews of financial records, and queries into past legal issues."
Alexander Bolton of the Hill: "Republican Sen. Eric Schmitt (Mo.) on Tuesday blocked a request by Democratic senators to pass legislation to protect federal workers from civil service reforms that President-elect Trump has endorsed to fight what he calls the 'deep state' in Washington, D.C. Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine (D) stood on the Senate floor Tuesday afternoon to ask for unanimous consent to pass the Saving the Civil Service Act, warning there have been 'attempts in recent years to erode the independence of the federal civil service,' referring to Trump’s efforts during his first term. Kaine and other Democrats fear that Trump, now reelected, may attempt to reclassify tens of thousands of federal workers as political appointees who could be hired and fired at will." (Also linked yesterday.)
And a Very Icky Christmas to All. Alayna Treene, et al., of CNN: "The House Ethics Committee secretly voted earlier this month to release its report into the conduct of former Rep. Matt Gaetz before the end of this Congress, according to multiple sources.... The report is now expected to be made public after the House’s final day of votes this year.... The vote, which has not previously been reported, amounts to a stark reversal for the panel after it had voted along party lines in late November not to release the results of the investigation. The decision to release the report suggests that some Republicans ultimately decided to side with Democrats on the matter.... When the committee voted last month to shelve the report, Gaetz was ... Donald Trump’s choice to be attorney general. Since then, Gaetz withdrew himself from consideration..., though he maintains frosty relations with many in his party and is still active in GOP politics." (Also linked yesterday.) The New York Times' report is here.
Paul Kiel of ProPublica: "Fourteen years ago, Congress ... created a new type of Medicare tax to capture the kinds of income the rich often enjoy: interest, dividends and capital gains from investments. A host of billionaires — sports team owners, oil barons, Wall Street traders and others — have managed to avoid paying it, ProPublica found.... We identified 17 people who, in the first six years of the law, 2013 through 2018, each shielded at least $1 billion in capital gains from the tax. Together, this small group, by collectively exempting more than $35 billion, saved about $1.3 billion in taxes. Most members of the group were able to sidestep the tax because of a huge gap written into the law, which allows owners to exempt gains from the sale of their businesses.... But others eluded the tax in ways that raise questions about how the law is being enforced." (Also linked yesterday.)
Jeanna Smialek of the New York Times: "Federal Reserve officials made their third and final rate cut of 2024 at their meeting on Wednesday. They also forecast two fewer rate reductions in 2025 than they had previously expected, as inflation lingers and the economy holds up.... Officials thought that it was clear that rates needed to come down notably from their 5.3 percent peak, and they have steadily lowered them to about 4.4 percent by making three back-to-back reductions. Policymakers do not want to cut rates so much that they reignite the economy, though — and they have now arrived at a point where it is uncertain how much further rates should fall.... Markets shuddered at [the Fed's] assessment, with the dollar soaring and stocks plummeting. The S&P 500 index fell nearly 3 percent, its worst tumble since August. The Dow Jones industrial average fell for a 10th-straight day, its longest losing streak since October 1974." ~~~
~~~ Marie: Oddly, Smialek doesn't mention anywhere in her report (as of 5 am ET) what the rate cut yesterday was, though the number does show up in an embedded chart. ~~~
~~~ Rob Wile of NBC News: "The Federal Reserve announced a quarter-point cut to its key interest rate Wednesday, an effort to keep what appears to be a steady but cooling economy stable." ~~~
~~~ John Towfighi & David Goldman of CNN: "The Dow plunged Wednesday on a disappointing outlook from the Federal Reserve. In the process, the blue-chip index extended its losing streak to 10 days — the longest such stretch since Gerald Ford was president. The Dow Jones Industrial Average ended the day down about 1,123 points, or 2.6%, after the Fed indicated in a policy statement that it is forecasting just two interest rate cuts in 2025, not the previously projected four. The Fed now anticipates inflation will remain stubbornly above its target range for longer than it had initially expected. The Dow has fallen for 10 days in a row, the first time it has had a losing streak that long since September 20 through October 4, 1974, when the index fell for 11 sessions in a row."
Chelsia Marcius, et al., of the New York Times: "The suspect in the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare’s chief executive on a Manhattan sidewalk this month will now face federal charges in addition to the state murder indictment brought against him, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. It was not immediately clear what charges the suspect, Luigi Mangione, would face in the federal case, which is being brought by prosecutors with the U.S. attorney’s office for the Southern District of New York. On Tuesday, state prosecutors in the office of the Manhattan district attorney, Alvin L. Bragg, indicted Mr. Mangione, 26, on three murder charges in the shooting of the executive, Brian Thompson, two of which branded him a terrorist. Federal charges, though, would potentially allow prosecutors to pursue the death penalty, which has been outlawed in New York for decades. It was not clear whether federal prosecutors would seek the death penalty, and any decision about capital punishment would most likely fall to the Justice Department once ... Donald J. Trump has taken office."
Lauren Gurley & Carolina O'Donovan of the Washington Post: "The Teamsters are launching strikes against seven Amazon warehouses Thursday, in the union’s biggest provocation yet against the nation’s second-largest private employer, threatening to delay some package delivery during the busy Christmas season. The strikes will take place at sites in New York City, Atlanta, San Francisco, Skokie, Ill., and Southern California. Roughly 9,000 Amazon workers around the country have joined the Teamsters, according to the union, but Amazon has refused to recognize their union and bargain with them. The Teamsters are hoping to force Amazon to the bargaining table...."
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California. L.A. Deputy Mayor in Charge of Public Safety Likely Sent Bomb Threat to City Hall. Will McCarthy of Politico: "FBI agents searched the home of Los Angeles Deputy Mayor Brian Williams this week as part of an investigation into a bomb threat made against City Hall, where Williams oversees public safety. The threat came earlier in the year and was quickly investigated by the Los Angeles Police Department, which concluded there was no imminent danger and referred the investigation to the FBI.... City police department officials in a statement said their initial investigation found Williams was 'likely' the source of the threat, and that they referred the case because the deputy mayor supervises their department. Williams has since been placed on administrative leave."
Louisiana, California. Lena Sun of the Washington Post: "An individual in Louisiana has the first severe illness caused by bird flu in the United States, federal health officials said Wednesday.... It’s the first case of H5N1 bird flu in the United States that has been linked to exposure to a backyard flock, and news of the infection comes the same day California officials declared a state of emergency to confront the outbreak spreading among dairy cows."
Michigan. Chris Benson of UPI: "A Michigan man pleaded guilty to plotting a mass shooting at a local bar and Democratic Party office over his hatred for gay people after a string of other related charges, according to court documents. Mack Davis, 22, of Owosso, pleaded guilty to a single count of committing a hate crime, according to a release Tuesday by the U.S. Justice Department. He faces a maximum penalty of life in a federal prison.... The local Owosso police previously had arrested Davis in connection to separate incidents. It's alleged he fired 60 bullets from a rifle into the property of several neighbors and vandalized the car of a neighbor he knew to be gay. He then was transferred to federal custody, where he remains."
Montana. Anna Phillips of the Washington Post: "Montana’s permitting of oil, gas and coal projects without consideration for climate change violates residents’ constitutional right to a clean environment, the state’s Supreme Court ruled Wednesday, upholding a landmark ruling in a case brought by youth activists. The 6-1 ruling is a major, and rare, victory for climate activists.... In their decision, the Montana justices affirmed an August 2023 ruling by a state judge, who found in favor of young people alleging the state violated their right to a “clean and healthful environment” by promoting the use of fossil fuels."
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France. Leo Sands of the Washington Post: "Judges on Thursday convicted a Frenchman of aggravated rape and other charges, after the 72-year-old admitted to repeatedly drugging his wife and recruiting dozens of other men to rape her over almost a decade. The court in Avignon, southern France, sentenced Dominique Pelicot to 20 years in prison — the maximum sentence allowed in French law — after finding him guilty on all charges in a case that has shocked the world. The other 50 defendants were also found guilty of various charges: 46 of rape, two of attempted rape and two of sexual assault.... The three-month trial, which took place in an open court at the request of Pelicot’s former wife Gisèle Pelicot, 72 — who said she wanted the world to know what had happened to her — shook the country, triggering a nationwide debate about rape as well as international scrutiny of the case."
Israel/Palestine, et al. The Washington Post's live updates of developments Thursday in Israeli's wars are here: "The United States and Arab mediators continued to push for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of the remaining Israeli hostages held there, as CIA Director William J. Burns arrived in Qatar on Wednesday for the latest round of talks, according to a U.S. official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive details.... Meanwhile, Israeli forces are continuing to carry out airstrikes in Gaza City and elsewhere in the Gaza Strip. A strike on one of the last functioning medical facilities in northern Gaza on Tuesday killed at least eight people, according to medics.... Israel’s military said Thursday it had carried out retaliatory strikes on Houthi rebel targets in Yemen, including ports and energy infrastructure, after intercepting a projectile that was launched from Yemen. Human Rights Watch in a report Thursday accused Israel of killing thousands of Palestinian civilians in Gaza by denying them adequate access to water since October 2023, which the organization said amounts to a 'crime against humanity of extermination and acts of genocide.'”
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Calling all opportunists:
https://www.goskagit.com/throw-the-book-at-em/article_975800f4-bc31-11ef-81cf-931c62a22e09.html
A syndicated column that appeared in our local paper this AM.