The Ledes

Wednesday, February 12, 2025

New York Times: “U.S. inflation rose to 3 percent in January, strengthening the case for the Federal Reserve to extend a pause on interest rate cuts. The Consumer Price Index jumped more than expected, data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed on Wednesday, rising 0.5 percent from December in what was the fastest monthly increase since August 2023. Last month, the annual pace was 2.9 percent. 'Core' C.P.I., which more closely reflects underlying inflation by removing volatile food and energy prices, also showed little improvement. It rose 0.4 percent from December or 3.3 percent on a year-over-year basis, both higher than economists expected.”

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Marie: Sorry, my countdown clock was unreliable; then it became completely unreliable. I can't keep up with it. Maybe I'll try another one later.

 

Public Service Announcement

Zoë Schlanger in the Atlantic: "Throw out your black plastic spatula. In a world of plastic consumer goods, avoiding the material entirely requires the fervor of a religious conversion. But getting rid of black plastic kitchen utensils is a low-stakes move, and worth it. Cooking with any plastic is a dubious enterprise, because heat encourages potentially harmful plastic compounds to migrate out of the polymers and potentially into the food. But, as Andrew Turner, a biochemist at the University of Plymouth recently told me, black plastic is particularly crucial to avoid." This is a gift link from laura h.

Mashable: "Following the 2024 presidential election results and [Elon] Musk's support for ... Donald Trump, users have been deactivating en masse. And this time, it appears most everyone has settled on one particular X alternative: Bluesky.... Bluesky has gained more than 100,000 new sign ups per day since the U.S. election on Nov. 5. It now has over 15 million users. It's enjoyed a prolonged stay on the very top of Apple's App Store charts as well. Ready to join? Here's how to get started on Bluesky[.]"

Washington Post: "Americans can again order free rapid coronavirus tests by mail, the Biden administration announced Thursday. People can request four free at-home tests per household through covidtests.gov. They will begin shipping Monday. The move comes ahead of an expected winter wave of coronavirus cases. The September revival of the free testing program is in line with the Biden administration’s strategy to respond to the coronavirus as part of a broader public health campaign to protect Americans from respiratory viruses, including influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), that surge every fall and winter. But free tests were not mailed during the summer wave, which wastewater surveillance data shows is now receding."

Democrats' Weekly Address

As we watch in horror the rapid destruction of our democratic form of government, it is comforting to remember there is life outside politics. I took a break a while ago to enjoy a brief lesson in the history of the moonwalk: ~~~

But it may go back even further:

And this chronological account is helpful:

New York Times: “Chuck Todd, the former 'Meet the Press' moderator and a longtime fixture of NBC’s political coverage, told colleagues on Friday that he was leaving the network. A nearly two-decade veteran of NBC, Mr. Todd said that Friday would be his last day at NBC.... Mr. Todd, 52, is the latest TV news star to step aside at a moment when salaries are being scrutinized — and slashed — by major media companies. Hoda Kotb exited NBC’s 'Today' show this month, and Neil Cavuto of Fox News and CNN’s Chris Wallace departed their cable news homes late last year.”

CNBC: “ CNN plans to lay off hundreds of employees Thursday [Jan. 23] as it refocuses the business around a global digital audience.... The layoffs come as CNN is rearranging its linear TV lineup and building out digital subscription products. The cuts will help CNN lower production costs and consolidate teams, said the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss nonpublic changes. Certain shows that are produced in New York or Washington may move to Atlanta, where production can be done more cheaply, said the people. For the most part, the job cuts won’t affect CNN’s most recognizable names, who are under contract, said the people. CNN has about 3,500 employees worldwide.... NBC News is also planning cuts later this week, according to people familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss nonpublic changes. While the exact number couldn’t be determined, the job losses will be well under 50....”

New York Times: “The president of MSNBC, Rashida Jones, is stepping down from that position, the company said on Tuesday, a major change at the news network just days before ... Donald J. Trump takes office. Rebecca Kutler, senior vice president for content strategy at MSNBC, will succeed Ms. Jones as interim president, effective immediately. Ms. Jones will stay on in an advisory role through March.... MSNBC is among a bundle of cable channels that its parent company, Comcast, is planning to spin out later this year into a new company.” ~~~

~~~ MSNBC: “On Monday, Jan. 20, MSNBC will present wall-to-wall coverage of the inauguration of ... Donald Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance and will kick off special programming for the first 100 days of the new Trump administration.... On the heels of her field reporting during the last 100 days of the 2024 presidential campaign, Alex Wagner will travel the country to follow the biggest stories as they develop in real-time during Trump’s first 100 days in office, reporting on the impact of his early promises and policies on the electorate for 'Trumpland: The First 100 Days.'... During the first 100 days, Rachel Maddow will bring her signature voice and distinct perspective to the anchor desk every weeknight at 9 p.m. ET, offering viewers in-depth analysis of the key issues facing the country at the outset of Trump’s second term. After April 30, 'The Rachel Maddow Show' will return to its regular schedule of Mondays at 9 p.m. ET and Wagner will return to anchoring 'Alex Wagner Tonight' Tuesday through Friday.”

New York Times: "Neil Cavuto, a business journalist who hosted a weekday afternoon program on the Fox News Channel since the network began in 1996, signed off for the final time on Thursday[, December 19]. Mr. Cavuto could be an outlier on Fox News, often criticizing President Trump and his policies, and crediting the Covid-19 vaccination with saving his life."

Have Cello, May Not Travel. New York Times: “Sheku Kanneh-Mason, a rising star in classical music who performed at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in 2018 and has since become a regular on many of the world’s most prestigious concert stages, was forced to cancel a concert in Toronto last week because Air Canada refused to allow him to board a plane with his cello, even though he had purchased a separate ticket for it.... 'Air Canada has a comprehensive policy of accepting cellos in the cabin when a separate seat is booked for it,' it said in a statement. 'In this case, the customers made a last-minute booking due to their original flight on another airline being canceled.' The airline’s policy for carry-on instruments, outlined on its website, specifies that travelers must purchase a seat for their instruments at least 48 hours before departure.”

 

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Feb122025

The Conversation -- February 13, 2025

⭐Maggie Haberman, et al., of the New York Times: Donald “Trump said on Wednesday that he had a 'lengthy and highly productive phone call' with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, characterizing it as the beginning of a negotiation to end the war in Ukraine.... 'We discussed Ukraine, the Middle East, Energy, Artificial Intelligence, the power of the Dollar, and various other subjects,' Mr. Trump wrote in a social media post.... For Mr. Putin, the call was a major milestone, signifying the collapse of Western efforts to isolate him diplomatically after he invaded Ukraine nearly three years ago.... Mr. Trump campaigned last year on a pledge to settle the war in Ukraine in '24 hours.'... Mr. Trump did not elaborate on how [Ukraine President Volodymyr] Zelensky would factor into the discussions that he and Mr. Putin were setting in motion....

“The Ukrainians appear to be facing an effort in which they have little leverage. The call between Mr. Putin and Mr. Trump came on the same day that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, speaking at the NATO headquarters in Brussels, said that it was an 'unrealistic' objective for Ukraine to restore its borders as they were before 2014, when Russia annexed Crimea. Mr. Hegseth added that the United States did not support Ukraine’s desire to join NATO as part of a realistic peace plan. Mr. Hegseth also suggested that Europe needed to assume a greater role in its own defense, echoing a point that Mr. Trump has made for many years.” This stand-alone story is an update and expansion of a liveblog post that was linked here yesterday.

     ~~~ Marie: Wednesday, February 12, 2025, was the day that cemented the Trump Revolution. It brought into clear view the end of the Pax America. The U.S. dictator is now collaborating with the Russian dictator. They have largely squeezed out Ukraine and have agreed between themselves to give large parts of Ukraine to Putin, parts Putin has taken by force. They have squeezed out the NATO nations that support Ukraine. The United States has left the Western alliance of liberal democracies and joined a League of Dictatorships. And as Chris Hayes pointed out Wednesday night, we're talking about imperialistic dictatorships, led by autocrats who will use force to expand their borders. Joe Biden warned us about the likelihood Putin would not stop at Ukraine; I don't think he envisioned that Trump would threaten Gaza, Panama, Greenland and Canada. This is not the first time in my life we were the bad guys; it is the first time in my life it was our goal to be the bad guys.

There's Public Corruption and There's Flagrant Public Corruption. Maggie Haberman & Kate Conger of the New York Times: “X has agreed to pay in the range of $10 million to settle a lawsuit brought by ... [Donald] Trump over the 2021 suspension of his account on the social media platform, according to a person briefed on the matter.... Details of the agreement were not made public in court filings, but X and Mr. Trump notified the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday that they had agreed to dismiss the lawsuit. Both parties agreed to pay their own costs, according to a court filing.... Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, settled its lawsuit last month, agreeing to pay the president $25 million. Mark Zuckerberg, Meta’s chief executive, has also courted Mr. Trump in recent months.... In December, ABC News agreed to pay $15 million to settle a defamation lawsuit by Mr. Trump.”

Marie: For those relieved to learn that Trump said Tuesday that he would abide by court decisions, I point you to this absurd moment right out of Sinclair Lewis' It Can't Happen Here and many a dystopian work of fiction. ~~~

~~~ Travis Andrews, et al., of the Washington Post: “The Kennedy Center board of trustees voted Wednesday afternoon to install ... Donald Trump as chairman of the board, cementing the plan Trump announced Friday to overhaul the storied arts institution with him at its helm. It also voted to terminate Deborah Rutter as president and made former acting director of national intelligence Richard Grenell interim president, according to multiple people with knowledge of the meeting.... Trump attended the virtual board meeting. 'It is a Great Honor to be Chairman of The Kennedy Center, especially with this amazing Board of Trustees,' Trump wrote on Truth Social after the vote. 'We will make The Kennedy Center a very special and exciting place!' Soon the center’s website was updated with several new presidentially appointed trustees including White House personnel office director Sergio Gor, chief of staff Susie Wiles and Usha Vance.” (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ William Saletan (linked yesterday) presents a convincing case that Trump believes his own lies and hype, but can even he be so delusional to think it's a great honor to be voted into a position for which he is laughably unqualified by "amazing" lackies whom he has just appointed to the board? ~~~

      ~~~ Javier Hernández & Robin Pogrebin of the New York Times: “The Kennedy Center has historically been run by bipartisan boards in the past. On Monday, the Trump administration officially removed 18 board members who had been appointed by former President Joseph R. Biden Jr., and the board chairman, the financier David M. Rubenstein.... While the board had been roughly split between Biden and Trump appointees until recently, it is now entirely made up of appointees of Mr. Trump. The new board includes a litany of Trump loyalists, including the president’s chief of staff, Susie Wiles; Dan Scavino, a longtime Trump aide; and Usha Vance, the wife of Vice President JD Vance.

     ~~~ Marie: Well, at least Scavino is a genuine cultural icon. Although his main claim to fame is his dicey "managment" of Trump's social media accounts, he started his career as Trump's caddy.

Olivia George, et al., of the Washington Post: “A judge on Wednesday lifted his pause on the federal government’s deferred resignation program, prompting the Trump administration to swiftly declare victory as it closed the offer to any more workers who might still have been mulling it. The program — which encouraged federal workers to resign with the promise of pay through September — had been halted since last Thursday, when U.S. District Judge George A. O’Toole Jr. temporarily stopped the Office of Personnel Management from moving ahead. Unions representing more than 800,000 federal workers had filed a lawsuit to stop the program.... In his ruling, O’Toole wrote that the unions’ lawsuit could not succeed because they lacked standing to sue and because his court lacked jurisdiction. The unions, the judge said, were not directly impacted by the administration directive.... O’Toole, who was nominated in 1995 by President Bill Clinton, did not opine on the buyout program’s legality.... About 75,000 workers have accepted the deal,” according to an Office of Personnel Management spokesperson.

Mizz Hochul Regrets She's Unable to Lunch Today. Devlin Barrett of the New York Times: “The Trump administration sued New York on Wednesday over its migrant policies, accusing state officials of prioritizing 'illegal aliens over American citizens,' as Washington ramped up its political and legal battles with states over deportations. Attorney General Pam Bondi, in her first news conference, specifically cited New York’s 'green light' law, which allows people in the state to get a driver’s license regardless of citizenship or legal status. Ms. Bondi, flanked by federal agents in raid jackets, vowed to put an end to those practices.... Gov. Kathy Hochul’s spokesman, Avi Small, said the governor 'supports deporting violent criminals who break our laws, believes that law-abiding families should not be targets and will coordinate with federal authorities who have a judicial warrant.' Ms. Hochul was scheduled to head to Washington on Thursday for a hastily arranged lunch at the White House with ... [Donald] Trump, but she canceled the trip once Ms. Bondi announced her intention to sue Ms. Hochul and the state.... The administration had already filed a similar challenge against Democratic officials in Illinois.”

I have clawed back the full payment that FEMA deep state activists unilaterally gave to N.Y.C. migrant hotels. -- Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, on X ~~~

~~~ Luis Ferré-Sadurní of the New York Times: “The Trump administration quickly made good on its vow to claw back federal funding meant to cover some of the costs of housing migrants borne by New York City, unilaterally reversing the transfer of $80 million that the Federal Emergency Management Agency made to the city last week. City leaders said on Wednesday that they noticed $80 million had suddenly gone missing from city bank accounts. Shortly after, the Department of Homeland Security, which houses FEMA, confirmed that the money had been taken back on Tuesday, a significant escalation of ... [Donald] Trump’s attempts to freeze or reverse funding that had previously been appropriated by Congress. The clawback occurred one day after Elon Musk targeted the FEMA funds in a post on X, inciting a Republican uproar over the use of federal dollars to shelter migrants and prompting the Trump administration to fire four FEMA officials involved in the transfer. City officials questioned the legality of the move, which appeared to be among the first known instances of the Trump administration seizing back congressionally appropriated funds from a locality.”

The Secret Career of J-6 Hunter Emil Bove. Ken Dilanian & Ryan Reilly of NBC News: As the Trump-appointed acting attorney general, Emil Bove “has been leading an effort to identify everyone who worked on Jan. 6 cases and remedy what Trump called 'a grave national injustice by rooting out 'those who acted with corrupt or partisan intent' when they investigated Trump and Capitol rioters.... Bove has been the face of the effort to demand that the FBI hand over the names of every bureau employee who worked on Jan. 6 cases.... [But i]n the months after the Jan. 6 attacks, [Bove was] a hard-charging federal prosecutor in Manhattan eagerly [overseeing] efforts to find and arrest Capitol rioters in the New York area, his former colleagues say, and even proposed to the Justice Department that his office should play a central role in the investigation.... Over the ... months [following the January 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol], he worked closely with FBI agents as they hunted down suspects in the New York area....” Then he became one of Donald Trump's defense attorneys. (Also linked yesterday.)

Team of Sociopaths. Julia Metraux of Mother Jones: “Last Friday, [the National Institutes of Health] announced that it would cap grants for 'indirect' research costs — such as building-related and equipment expenses — at 15 percent, from a current average of around 30 percent.... The [NIH] ... came under attack by Project 2025 well before its architect, Russell Vought, was confirmed to Donald Trump’s second-term cabinet as head of the Office of Management and Budget. Vought’s pet project — the playbook for the Trump presidency — asserts that 'funding for scientific research should not be controlled by a small group of highly paid and unaccountable insiders.'... But some of those so-called insiders — that is, the NIH — funded research that helped scientists better understand cystic fibrosis, which led to Vertex Pharmaceuticals developing a cutting-edge treatment that Vought’s daughter Porter benefited from.... But Vought appears to be shutting that door firmly behind him, helping to mount a dizzying range of attacks on lifesaving medical research at (and beyond) NIH.” (Also linked yesterday.) Thanks to RAS for the link.

Charlie Savage of the New York Times: “Eight former inspectors general who were summarily fired by ... Donald J. Trump last month filed a lawsuit on Wednesday asking a judge to declare their removals illegal and order the government to reinstate them.... The lawsuit asserts that the plaintiffs remain the lawful inspectors general of their agencies because Mr. Trump’s dismissals broke the law. It asks for an injunction requiring the executive branch to allow them to return to work and awarding them back pay. Four days after Mr. Trump returned to office last month, the White House notified as many as 17 inspectors general in tersely worded emails that they were being terminated because of 'changing priorities.' Those were all in direct conflict with statutory restrictions on firing such officials in the Inspector General Act of 1978 and strengthened by lawmakers in the bipartisan Securing Inspectors General Act of 2022.” (Also linked yesterday.)

Team of Sociopaths. Julia Metraux of Mother Jones: “Last Friday, [the National Institutes of Health] announced that it would cap grants for 'indirect' research costs — such as building-related and equipment expenses — at 15 percent, from a current average of around 30 percent.... The [NIH] ... came under attack by Project 2025 well before its architect, Russell Vought, was confirmed to Donald Trump’s second-term cabinet as head of the Office of Management and Budget. Vought’s pet project — the playbook for the Trump presidency — asserts that 'funding for scientific research should not be controlled by a small group of highly paid and unaccountable insiders.'... But some of those so-called insiders — that is, the NIH — funded research that helped scientists better understand cystic fibrosis, which led to Vertex Pharmaceuticals developing a cutting-edge treatment that Vought’s daughter Porter benefited from.... But Vought appears to be shutting that door firmly behind him, helping to mount a dizzying range of attacks on lifesaving medical research at (and beyond) NIH.” (Also linked yesterday.)

Dan Diamond of the Washington Post: “The Senate voted 53-47 along party lines Wednesday to advance [Robert Kennedy, Jr.'s] nomination to a final vote, which is expected to be as soon as early Thursday.” Diamond reports that HHS political appointees are already calling him Secretary Kennedy. Meanwhile, MSNBC has reported Wednesday evening that Democratic senators plan to pull an all-nighter to oppose his confirmation.

Team of Numskulls. Julian Barnes & Robert Jimison of the New York Times: “The Senate on Wednesday confirmed Tulsi Gabbard to be the next director of national intelligence in a 52 to 48 vote that demonstrated ... [Donald] Trump’s political control over Republican lawmakers. Ms. Gabbard had one of the most contentious confirmation hearings of all of the president’s nominees. A number of Republican senators joined Democrats in asking tough questions about her previous support of Edward Snowden, a former government contractor who released reams of classified data, and her skepticism about warrantless wiretaps of overseas communications. Her defense of Bashar al-Assad, the former Syrian dictator, and her sympathy toward President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia also gave some Republican lawmakers pause. But in the end only one Republican was willing to oppose her. Senator Mitch McConnell, Republican of Kentucky and the former majority leader, voted against her.” From a liveblog. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Mitch reminds me of the evil character in a standard-issue morality play who on his deathbed sees his life pass before him and asks, "Lord, what have I done?"

Sara Ruberg of the New York Times: “Joann, the financially troubled arts-and-crafts retailer, announced Wednesday that it was preparing to close 500 of its 800 remaining stores after its latest bankruptcy filing.”

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Marie wrote: “Mitch reminds me of the evil character in a standard-issue morality play who on his deathbed sees his life pass before him and asks, ‘Lord, what have I done?’”

And in my rewrite of that morality play, the lord says “Well, let’s see, Mitch, your history of hyper-partisan ratfucking and scurrilous gaming of the system has caused a lot of heartache, chaos, criminality, death, and destruction, not to mention a crapload of former believers convincing themselves that I couldn’t possibly exist if I allowed a piece of shit like Donald Trump to win at every turn, which extra pisses me off because no one was in a better position to stop that asshole than you. Instead, you not only protected him, you made sure that he put other assholes on the Supreme Court who are sticking it to millions of my children. This is all your fault. I hear they call you the Turtle. I hope that shell is thick, because where you’re going, you’ll need it. If I remember correctly, turtles become soup at around 400 degrees.

You’ll get there in about 30 seconds. Bye now.”

February 12, 2025 | Unregistered CommenterAkhilleus

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