The Ledes

Sunday, September 15, 2024

Washington Post: “The five-day space voyage known as Polaris Dawn ended safely Sunday as four astronauts aboard a SpaceX Dragon splashed down off the coast of Florida, wrapping up a groundbreaking commercial mission. Polaris Dawn crossed several historic landmarks for civilian spaceflight as Jared Isaacman, a billionaire entrepreneur and adventurer, performed the first spacewalk by a private citizen, followed by SpaceX engineer Sarah Gillis.”

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The New York Times lists Emmy winners. The AP has an overview story here.

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. ~~~

     ~~~ AP Update: “There’s no evidence that a well-known beluga whale that lived off Norway’s coast and whose harness ignited speculation it was a Russian spy was shot to death last month as claimed by animal rights groups, Norwegian police said Monday.... Police said that the Norwegian Veterinary Institute conducted a preliminary autopsy on the animal, which was become known as 'Hvaldimir,' combining the Norwegian word for whale — hval — and the first name of Russian President Vladimir Putin. 'There are no findings from the autopsy that indicate that Hvaldimir has been shot,' police said in a statement.”

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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Saturday
May182024

The Conversation -- May 18, 2024

     ~~~ Thanks to RAS for the link.

Donnie Delusional. Neil Vigdor of the New York Times: "... Donald J. Trump, speaking Friday night in Minnesota, which he vowed to boycott if he lost there in 2020, falsely claimed that he had won the state twice, adding that it was in play for him in 2024. 'I thought we won it in 2016,' Mr. Trump said during a fund-raiser for the state's Republican Party in St. Paul, Minn. 'I know we won it in 2020.' The last time a Republican presidential candidate won Minnesota was in 1972, when Richard M. Nixon carried the state.... Earlier on Friday, Minnesota's Democratic governor, Tim Walz, assailed Mr. Trump over his false claims to a local television station that he had won the state in 2020.... Mr. Trump began his day at the high school graduation of his youngest son, Barron, in Florida, which the judge presiding over his trial in New York had given him the day off from court to attend. That did not stop him from lobbing further attacks at the judge, Juan M. Merchan, whom he falsely accused of denying his request to be excused."

At Your Service! Conover Kennard of Crooks & Liars: "Arizona officials have been trying to locate formerTrump attorney Rudy Giuliani to serve him with an indictment after a grand jury indicted 18 people in late April over an alleged attempt to alter the results of the 2020 presidential election. So, Giuliani took to Xitter to taunt the authorities at his 80th birthday party in Palm Beach, saying in part, 'If Arizona authorities can't find me by tomorrow morning, they must dismiss the indictment.' And, of course, Giuliani was served.... 'It's unfortunate that they chose to barge up and startle guests during a celebration of this man's 80th birthday,' [Giuliani advisor Ted] Goodman told the [New York Post]."

Wafaa Shurafa, et al., of the AP: "Benny Gantz, a popular centrist member of Israel's three-member War Cabinet, threatened Saturday to resign from the government if it doesn't adopt a new plan in three weeks' time for the war in Gaza, a decision that would leave Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu more reliant on far-right allies.... Gantz spelled out a six-point plan that includes the return of hostages, ending Hamas' rule, demilitarizing the Gaza Strip and establishing an international administration of civilian affairs with American, European, Arab and Palestinian cooperation. The plan also supports efforts to normalize relations with Saudi Arabia and widen military service to all Israelis."

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Luke Broadwater of the New York Times has recounted the news from Thursday's meeting of the House Oversight Committee and Permanent Select Fight Club, a short clip of which was embedded yesterday. My favorite part of the exchange of ideas -- which you can hear in the video -- is this: "The fighting continued, but Ms. Crockett was not about to allow Ms. Greene's original insult to go unanswered. Couching her own jab in a procedural question allowed under committee rules, Ms. Crockett inquired of Mr. Comer: 'I'm just curious, just to better understand your ruling: If someone on this committee then starts talking about somebody's bleach-blonde, bad-built, butch body, that would not be engaging in personalities, correct?' 'A what now?' Mr. Comer said." (Also linked yesterday.)

William Rashbaum, et al., of the New York Times: "A state ethics panel quietly dismissed a complaint last summer against the New York judge presiding over the criminal trial of Donald J. Trump, issuing a warning over small donations the judge had made to groups supporting Democrats, including the campaign of Joseph R. Biden Jr. The judge, Juan M. Merchan, donated a total of $35 to the groups in 2020, including a $15 donation earmarked for the Biden campaign, and $10 to a group called 'Stop Republicans.' Political contributions of any kind are prohibited under state judicial ethics rules.... 'Justice Merchan said the complaint, from more than a year ago, was dismissed in July with a caution,' the spokesman for the court system, Al Baker, said in a statement."

Marie: Did Michael Cohen lie in his testimony this week as Trump's lawyer Todd Blanche tried to show? According to this analysis by Aaron Blake of the Washington Post, it doesn't look that way to me. Cohen, in direct testimony, had relied on reconstructions -- based on phone logs, texts and documents -- that prosecutors had presented to him during interviews & trial prep. If the conversation he recalled in direct testimony took place at a different time or was very brief, it really doesn't matter. Moreover, as Blake notes, "The importance of the Oct. 24 phone call is debatable." Of course it will be up to prosecutors to rehabilitate Cohen on this point, and it does seem the possible error might have been at least partially their faults. But it wasn't a lie, IMO, and it wasn't a knockout punch, either. Prosecutors should be able to clean up Cohen's testimony in redirect. (Also linked yesterday.)

Danny Hakim & Rowan Gerety of the New York Times: "John Eastman, a lawyer who advised Donald J. Trump's 2020 election campaign, was arraigned in Phoenix on Friday on state criminal charges that he helped try to keep Mr. Trump in power after he lost the last presidential election. Mr. Eastman is the first of 18 defendants to come before a judge in the Arizona case, which was brought by Kris Mayes, the state attorney general. Mr. Eastman faces charges of fraud, forgery and conspiracy.... In Phoenix, Mr. Eastman appeared in a cramped basement courtroom with a glass-walled holding cell on one side, where defendants awaiting arraignment in other cases wore shackles and orange jumpsuits. The arraignment of Mr. Eastman, who wore a blue suit, lasted less than three minutes. A judge read him his rights, and state prosecutors, citing his compliance, did not ask for any conditions to be imposed on his release pending trial." Eastman pleaded not guilty. (Also linked yesterday.) CNN's story is here.

Azi Paybarah of the Washington Post: "David DePape, the man whose embrace of right-wing conspiracy theories led him to break into Nancy Pelosi's San Francisco home and bludgeon her 82-year-old husband, was sentenced Friday to 30 years in prison. Federal prosecutors had asked for a 40-year term, arguing that the attack constituted an act of terrorism.... In a letter sent to the federal judge before Friday's sentencing, Nancy and Paul Pelosi asked the court for a 'very long' sentence for DePape, CBS News reported. Paul Pelosi also detailed the lingering effects of the attack in the letter." The AP's report is here.

Matthew Chapman of the Raw Story: "... a Fox News reporter who spoke to ['Justice' Sam] Alito is revealing new details [about the pro-coup flag flying in his front yard in January 2021].... 'I spoke directly with Justice #Alito about the flag story in the NYT.... He told me a neighbor on their street had a "F--- Trump" sign that was within 50 feet of where children await the school bus in Jan 21. Mrs. Alito brought this up with the neighbor,' posted Shannon Bream on X. 'According to Justice Alito, things escalated and the neighbor put up a sign personally addressing Mrs. Alito and blaming her for the Jan 6th attacks,' Bream continued. 'Justice Alito says he and his wife were walking in the neighborhood and there were words between Mrs. Alito and a male at the home with the sign. Alito says the man engaged in vulgar language, "including the c-word". Following that exchange, Mrs. Alito was distraught and hung the flag upside down "for a short time". Justice Alito says some neighbors on his street are "very political" and acknowledges it was a very heated time in January 2021.... Congressional staffer Aaron Fritschner pointed out ... [that area schools] were all remote in January of 2021. No children were waiting for buses.'..." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Oh, so no innocent children to protect from seeing dirty words? Why, it's almost as if Alito is lying! But hey, it's understandable! Isn't treason the most appropriate response to obscene language? ~~~

~~~ Rebecca Shabad & Monica Alba of NBC News: "Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said Friday that Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito should recuse himself from cases related to the 2020 election after a new report said an upside-down American flag flew outside his home in the days after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol and before President Joe Biden's inauguration. Some Trump supporters who were present at the Jan. 6 riot, fueled by ... Donald Trump's baseless claims that he had won the 2020 election, appear to have similarly displayed the flag around the time of Jan. 6 attack. 'Flying an upside-down American flag -- a symbol of the so-called "Stop the Steal" movement -- clearly creates the appearance of bias. Justice Alito should recuse himself immediately from cases related to the 2020 election and the January 6th insurrection,' Durbin, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said in a statement." See also yesterday's Comments for some discussion of Sam and his "distraught" wife.


Amanda Terkel & Monica Alba of NBC News: "President Joe Biden's campaign rejected two additional debates on Friday that ... Donald Trump's campaign says it agreed to do. One was a proposal for a presidential debate hosted by NBC News and Telemundo. The other was for a vice presidential debate hosted by Fox News at Virginia State University, a historically Black college.... 'The debate about debates is over,' a Biden campaign official said. 'No more games.'"

Jack Ewing of the New York Times: "Workers at two Mercedes-Benz factories near Tuscaloosa, Ala., voted on Friday against allowing the United Automobile Workers to represent them, a stunning blow to the union's campaign to gain ground in the South, where it has traditionally been weak. The defeat came after Kay Ivey, Alabama's governor, and other Republican leaders argued that a pro-union vote would choke off the investment that has transformed the state into a major auto producer. The union's setback dims the chances that it will be able to quickly organize workers at Hyundai and Honda, which also have large factories in Alabama." The AP's story is here.

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Israel/Palestine, et al.

** Ronen Bergman & Mark Mazzetti of the New York Times in the New York Times Magazine: "After 50 years of failure to stop violence and terrorism against Palestinians by Jewish ultranationalists, lawlessness has become the law.... This story is told in three parts. The first documents the unequal system of justice that grew around Jewish settlements in Gaza and the West Bank. The second shows how extremists targeted not only Palestinians but also Israeli officials trying to make peace. The third explores how this movement gained control of the state itself. Taken together, they tell the story of how a radical ideology moved from the fringes to the heart of Israeli political power.

News Ledes

Washington Post: "Paul D. Parkman, a scientist who in the 1960s played a central role in identifying the rubella virus and developing a vaccine to combat it, breakthroughs that have eliminated from much of the world a disease that can cause catastrophic birth defects and fetal death, died May 7 at his home in Auburn, N.Y. He was 91."

New York Times: "Dabney Coleman, an award-winning television and movie actor best known for his over-the-top portrayals of garrulous, egomaniacal characters, died on Thursday at his home in Santa Monica, Calif. He was 92."

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Reader Comments (7)

MAGA logic

The MAGA controlled House was more ineffective than usual last week. Typically, it’s because indolent, incompetent Trumpy stooges are there, bickering, lying, scheming, and, well, completely sucking at everything. Last week, the MAGA controlled House was ineffective and impotent because those indolent, incompetent Trumpy stooges weren’t there. They took their bickering, lying, scheming and sucking act on the road. To a New York courthouse, to support—at taxpayer expense—their MAGA master.

And while they were there, they all, to a person, took shots at the Judge and his daughter, who has nothing to do with anything. But they made an interesting argument. It goes like this:

The judge is outrageously compromised, cannot be trusted to be fair, and must recuse himself. Why? Well, it’s obvious, right? I mean, he’s a Democrat. That alone should be reason enough. But it gets worse, according MAGA logic. See, his daughter is a Democrat too. And she works pushing Democratic agendas, getting Democrats elected. And worse than that? She gets PAID to do it! And that judge is now in a position to make a ruling that Democrats will like? Bad!!

Case closed. They all agreed this was a fatal compromising situation and the judge must step down, Bible Mike, Sex trafficking Matt Gaetz, Bobo the Hand Job Lady, all of them.

And you know what? I agree.

So if there’s a judge out there of a particular party, who has a family member getting paid to push the agenda of that party, they simply must recuse themselves, especially if they are in a position to make a call that will benefit their party,

Lookin’ at you, Clarence Thomas. But there’s a difference. Judge Merchan’s daughter is working to get Democrats elected. Legally. Ginni Thomas is working to make sure legally elected Democrats never make it into office. In fact, she was working, illegally, with a cabal of traitors to make sure millions of legally cast votes never count.

By their own logic then, Clarence gotta go.

Yeah, and any other MAGA judge who has outside connections to his or her party making rulings that could benefit that party: Loose Cannon, for one.

Oh, but wait. That’s different, right?

It always is.

May 18, 2024 | Unregistered CommenterAkhilleus

So Samuel Alito once again runs to Rupert Murdoch to get his version of the story out, Fox News this time instead of the Wall Street Journal.

I saw speculation that it was fear of reprisals and death threats that kept the photos from coming out sooner. The Right's terroristic threats of violence have done their job once again. More people afraid of coming forward and participating with our society.

Scott Lemieux on Alito's judicial acumen

"I hope yesterday’s news about Sam Alito’s light treason doesn’t completely distract from how utterly insane and lawless his dissent in CFPB v. CFSAA is. I suppose I could just note that this is a case about the administrative state and quote “THOMAS, J., delivered the opinion of the Court” and drop the mic, but it’s worth unpacking this a little.

Ignoring both the plain text and literally centuries of settled practice requires remarkable amounts of illogic and bad faith. Starting with just lying about what the scholarship you quote says."

May 18, 2024 | Unregistered CommenterRAS

Missouri

"GOP infighting and a record-breaking, 50-hour Democratic filibuster appear to have killed a Republican push to make amending Missouri's constitution harder, an effort in part aimed at thwarting an upcoming ballot measure on abortion-rights."

May 18, 2024 | Unregistered CommenterRAS

RAS,

If it was not Mrs. Alito who did the research for her dear husband's dissent, per Scott Lemieux above, Alito's clerks must be contemporary American analogs of those boys (and girls) from Brazil of movie fame; elsewise they would or should have resigned in horror at what they were being tasked to do.

May 18, 2024 | Unregistered CommenterKen Winkes

Runny Hair Dye Man must have been a terrible lawyer, either that or he’s just become so used to lying and gaslighting that he thinks he can just say crazy shit and people will buy it.

“If they can’t find me, they’ll have to dismiss the indictment. Tee-hee!”

In what universe, Rudy?

You hide out, you don’t show up, they issue an arrest warrant and drag your dyed ass off in handcuffs.

And oh, oh…they “barged in” and interrupted your swanky birthday dinner? Well ex-cuuuuse me. You barged in and interrupted a peaceful transfer of power for tens of millions of Americans, you fascist fuckstick.

And if he’s so broke, how is he affording fancy dinner parties in Palm Beach, and flying around the country, and paying advisors and spokesmen?

Lock this fucker up.

May 18, 2024 | Unregistered CommenterAkhilleus

@AK You gotta give Rudy an A+ in his advanced stupidity class. As the old saying goes: "Even a fish wouldn't get caught if he'd keep his big mouth shut!"

May 18, 2024 | Unregistered CommenterBobby Lee
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