December 7, 2022

Afternoon Update:

Kaitlin Collins of CNN: "Lawyers for ... Donald Trump recently hired a team to search four of his properties for any potentially remaining classified materials, according to a source familiar the matter. The team of two searched Trump Tower in New York, the Bedminster golf club and two other properties amid lingering concerns from the Justice Department that not all documents had been returned to the federal government." The story advances a WashPo story linked earlier today. ~~~

     ~~~ ** Update. Why, Lookie Here. Jacqueline Alemany, et al., of the Washington Post: "Lawyers for ... Donald Trump found at least two items marked classified after an outside team hired by Trump searched a storage unit in West Palm Beach, Fla., used by the former president, according to people familiar with the matter. Those items were immediately turned over to the FBI, according to those people.... A person familiar with the matter said the storage unit had a mix of boxes, gifts, suits and clothes, among other things.... There was no cataloguing of what was put in the storage unit, Trump advisers said...."

Adam Liptak of the New York Times: "The Supreme Court is hearing arguments on Wednesday about whether to adopt a legal theory that would radically reshape how federal elections are conducted. The theory would give state legislatures enormous and largely unchecked power to set all sorts of election rules, notably by drawing congressional maps warped by partisan gerrymandering. The Supreme Court has never endorsed the 'independent state legislature' theory, but four of its conservative members have issued opinions that seemed to take it very seriously. The theory is based on a reading of the Constitution's Elections Clause, which says: 'The times, places and manner of holding elections for senators and representatives, shall be prescribed in each state by the legislature thereof.' Proponents of the strongest form of the theory say this means that no other organ of state government can alter a legislature's actions on federal elections. They say that state supreme courts cannot require state laws to conform to state constitutions, that governors may not use their veto power to reject bills about federal elections, that election administrators may not issue regulations adjusting legislative enactments to take account of, say, a pandemic and that voters may not create independent redistricting commissions to address gerrymandering."

Michael Kranish of the Washington Post: "Democrats on a pair of congressional committees have launched an aggressive new effort to obtain information about whether Jared Kushner's actions on U.S. policy in the Persian Gulf region as a senior White House adviser were influenced by the bailout of a property owned by his family business. Citing previously undisclosed emails and other documents related to ... Donald Trump's son-in-law, the committees on Monday night sent letters to the State and Defense departments requesting material that they say could shed new light on whether 'Kushner's financial conflict of interest may have led him to improperly influence U.S. tax, trade and national security policies for his own financial gain.' The letters ... focus on efforts by Kushner and his father, Charles Kushner, to bail out a troubled 41-story Fifth Avenue office building in New York City. The Kushner company in 2018 made a deal with a Canadian company, Brookfield Asset Management, which invested $1.2 billion for a 99-year lease. As a result, the Kushner family company avoided defaulting on a loan that was due the following year. Democrats have long raised questions about the deal because the Qatar Investment Authority, a sovereign wealth fund, had a stake in one of Brookfield's investment arms."

Glenn Thrush & Serge Kovaleski of the New York Times: "A remarkable succession of administrative errors, gross incompetence and health system failures inside the federal prison system led to the bludgeoning death of James (Whitey) Bulger hours after he was transferred to a West Virginia prison in 2018, the inspector general of the Justice Department has found. The inspector general determined that officials in the federal Bureau of Prisons approved the downgrading of Mr. Bulger's medical condition -- even though they had determined he suffered from a life-threatening cardiac condition -- for the sole purpose of moving him out of a secure unit in a Florida prison to the Hazelton federal penitentiary after he threatened a nurse. They took minimal security precautions even though Mr. Bulger, 89, was widely known to have been a federal informant, which put him at heightened risk; they subsequently allowed word of his arrival to spread to hundreds of prison staff and eventually to the inmates who have been charged with beating him to death with a heavy padlock as he sat defenseless in his wheelchair, the report found. Mr. Bulger's death was preventable..., the Justice Department's inspector general, Michael E. Horowitz, concluded in the damning 65-page report."

~~~~~~~~~~

** Jonathan Weisman & Maya King of the New York Times: "Senator Raphael Warnock defeated his Republican challenger, Herschel Walker, in a runoff election on Tuesday that capped a grueling and costly campaign, secured a 51-seat Democratic majority and gave the first Black senator from Georgia a full six-year term. Mr. Warnock's victory, called by The Associated Press, ended a marathon midterm election cycle in which Democrats defied history, as they limited the loss of House seats that typically greets the party that holds the White House and now gain a seat in the Senate." This is the top-pinned story in a liveblog. The AP's story is here. The Washington Post's story is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Fox 5 Atlanta: "Republican candidate Herschel Walker took to the podium Tuesday night to thank his supporters, his staff, and God for giving him the opportunity to run in Georgia's Senate race after his projected loss to incumbent Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock. 'The numbers look like they're not going to add up,' Walker, an ally and friend of ... Donald Trump, told supporters at the College Football Hall of Fame in downtown Atlanta. 'There's no excuses in life, and I'm not going to make any excuses now because we put up one heck of a fight.'" MB: A bigger person than Trump.

~~~ Carl Hulse of the New York Times: "Senator Raphael Warnock's victory in Georgia's runoff election on Tuesday delivered Democrats just one additional seat, but that single layer of padding for their majority will hand them exponentially more leeway to control the chamber than they have now.... With an additional vote, Democrats can take much more operational control of the Senate, easing the confirmation of contentious nominees, clearing the way for investigations and in general availing themselves of breathing room on a variety of matters.... Having an edge on [Senate] committees will allow Democrats to overcome Republican opposition, if they can hold together.... An enlarged majority also dilutes the influence of individual senators such as Joe Manchin III, Democrat of West Virginia, who has used his swing-vote status to exert significant control over legislation.... Mr. Warnock's win also secured for Democrats the authority to subpoena witnesses before Senate committees without the cooperation of Republicans...."

Mary Jalonick, et al., of the AP: "Law enforcement officers who defended the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 were honored Tuesday with Congressional Gold Medals nearly two years after they fought supporters of ... Donald Trump in a brutal and bloody attack. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi praised the 'heroes' as she opened the ceremony in the the stately Capitol Rotunda, which was overrun that day when Trump supporters roamed the halls trying to stop Congress from certifying Joe Biden's election." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I could not find an isolated clip of Nancy Pelosi's remarks, but this video begins with her presentation. It's worth listening to her brief remarks wherein she pits Abraham Lincoln's most famous speech against Donald Trump's treachery. Masterful. ~~~

     ~~~ Mychael Schnell of the Hill: "In a moment that drew widespread attention, family members of former Capitol Police Office Brian Sicknick -- who died one day after the Capitol attack from natural causes following multiple strokes -- snubbed House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) during the ceremony, declining to shake their hands after the medals were presented. The family members were captured on camera shaking hands with Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), but when they got to McConnell and McCarthy, they continued walking. McConnell's hand was extended during the interaction. 'It's self-explanatory,' Ken Sicknick, the officer's brother, told reporters following the ceremony. 'They came out right away and condemned what happened on Jan. 6. And whatever hold that Trump has on them, they've backstepped, they've danced, they won't admit to wrongdoing.'"(Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

So Much Losing

** Guilty. Guilty. Guilty. Guilty. Guilty. Guilty. Guilty. Guilty. Guilty. Guilty. Guilty. Guilty. Guilty. Guilty. Guilty. Guilty. Guilty. Ben Protess, et al., of the New York Times: "The Trump Organization, the family real estate business that made Donald J. Trump a billionaire and propelled him from reality television to the White House, was convicted on Tuesday of tax fraud and other crimes, forever tarring the former president and the company that bears his name. The conviction on all 17 counts, after more than a day of jury deliberations in State Supreme Court in Manhattan, stemmed from the company's practice of doling out off-the-books perks to executives: They received luxury apartments, leased Mercedes-Benzes, extra cash at Christmas, even free cable television. They paid taxes on none of it." (This is an update of an item topping a NYT liveblog linked yesterday.) he top, Law & Crime's story is here. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

     ~~~ Update. The Washington Post's story is here. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Amy Gardner, et al., of the Washington Post: "Special counsel Jack Smith has sent grand-jury subpoenas to local officials in Arizona, Michigan and Wisconsin -- three states that were central to ... Donald Trump's failed plan to stay in power following the 2020 election -- seeking any and all communications with Trump, his campaign and a long list of aides and allies. The requests for records arrived in Dane County, Wis.; Maricopa County, Ariz.; and Wayne County, Mich., late last week, and in Milwaukee on Monday, officials said. They are among the first known subpoenas issued since Smith was named last month by Attorney General Merrick Garland to oversee the Jan. 6 Capitol attack case as well as the criminal probe of Trump's possible mishandling of classified documents at his Florida home. The subpoenas, at least three of which are dated Nov. 22, indicates that the Justice Department is extending its examination of the circumstances leading up to the Capitol attack to include local election officials and their potential interactions with the former president and his representatives." The AP's report is here. (Also linked yesterday.)

Luke Broadwater of the New York Times: "The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol will issue criminal referrals to the Justice Department based on its inquiry, the panel's chairman said on Tuesday. Representative Bennie Thompson of Mississippi, the Democratic chairman of the committee, told reporters on Capitol Hill that the panel had agreed to take the step, but had not agreed on who would be the subject of the referrals. A subcommittee of four lawyers on the committee -- Representatives Liz Cheney, Republican of Wyoming; Jamie Raskin, Democrat of Maryland; Zoe Lofgren, Democrat of California; and Adam B. Schiff, Democrat of California -- has studied whether to issue criminal referrals to the Justice Department for ... Donald J. Trump and some of his top allies. The group made its recommendations privately on Friday. Among the potential charges they have considered are conspiracy to defraud the United States and obstruction of an official proceeding of Congress." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Trump's Own Lawyers Don't Trust Him. Jacqueline Alemany, et al., of the Washington Post: "Lawyers for ... Donald Trump conducted a search of at least two of his properties for classified materials in recent weeks, after they were instructed by a federal judge to attest they had fully complied with a May grand jury subpoena to turn over all materials bearing classified markings, according to people familiar with the matter. Trump's legal team hired an outside firm to carry out the search of his golf club in Bedminster, N.J., and, more recently, Trump Tower in New York, according to the people.... The team also offered the FBI the opportunity to observe the search, but the offer was declined, the people said.... Trump's lawyers have told the Justice Department that the outside team did not turn up any new classified information during their search, according to people familiar with the process, and have said they utilized a firm that had expertise in searching for documents."

Alexander Bolton of the Hill: "Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Tuesday said anyone who suggests the Constitution could be suspended 'would have a very hard time being sworn in as president of the United States.' McConnell's comments appeared directed squarely at former President Trump, who recently called for the termination of parts of the Constitution.... 'What I'm saying is that it would be pretty hard to be sworn in to the presidency if you're not willing to uphold the Constitution,' McConnell added when asked if he would support Trump if he were the Republican nominee for president in 2024." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

AND General Buck Turdgidson Ordered to Testify. Again. Tamar Hallerman of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution: "A Florida appeals court on Tuesday cleared the way for Michael Flynn..., Donald Trump's onetime national security adviser, to testify before a Fulton County special grand jury. The order, from Florida's Second District Court of Appeal, upholds a lower court ruling denying Flynn's push for a stay on his appearance, which is currently scheduled for Dec. 8."

Cleve Wootson & Toluse Olorunnipa of the Washington Post: "President Biden on Tuesday lauded a pair of semiconductor factories taking shape in Phoenix, saying they're a direct result of his economic policies -- a prelude to what is likely to be two years of crisscrossing the country in an effort to persuade voters the bills he's passed are making a difference in their lives. As Biden heads into the slog of divided government, when legislative wins are likely to be much rarer, he faces pressure to remind voters that he made major gains when he had a freer hand, even as some Democrats complain privately that Biden has so far struggled to convey that his agenda is helping ordinary families."

2024 Presidential Race. Kate Rogers & Annie Karni of the New York Times: "Jill Biden ... told President Emmanuel Macron of France at the White House state dinner last week that she and her husband are ready for his re-election campaign, according to two people with knowledge of the discussion. President Biden then joined the French president and the first lady in a playful toast.... The fact that the Bidens were willing to signal to an important foreign ally about the president's plans hints at how committed they are to a second term. The interaction also offered a window into the thinking of Dr. Biden, who has been held up as a decisive voice in her husband's deliberations.... Mr. Macron asked her whether she was ready for another campaign. Absolutely, was Dr. Biden's emphatic reply.... Then Mr. Macron led the table in a toast to Mr. Biden's 2024 campaign. Mr. Macron raised a glass of wine, and Mr. Biden raised his glass of Coca-Cola.... [Dr. Biden's] East Wing is operating as if a second run is assured, according to several people familiar with the situation. But she has also been clear that the decision is her husband's to make."

Eugene Daniels & Sam Stein of Politico: "Come Wednesday, when top White House officials and Jewish leaders convene [a roundtable], it will further cement a status [Doug Emhoff] never set out to have: one of America's foremost Jewish political figures.... Emhoff has responded to his role as second gentleman by embracing his Jewish identity.... He put in place what he called a 'Jewish kitchen cabinet' on his staff to help address the community's issues. This past January, at a meeting on the White House grounds with then-Rep. Ted Deutch, he expressed a desire to find the right notes and role in responding to the rise of antisemitism.... Emhoff's role in future initiatives will not involve crafting policy but uplifting any administration announcements and continuing to speak out."

Craig Whitlock & Nate Jones of the Washington Post: "More than 500 retired U.S. military personnel -- including scores of generals and admirals -- have taken lucrative jobs since 2015 working for foreign governments, mostly in countries known for human rights abuses and political repression, according to a Washington Post investigation. In Saudi Arabia, for example, 15 retired U.S. generals and admirals have worked as paid consultants for the Defense Ministry since 2016.... Most of the retired U.S. personnel have worked as civilian contractors for Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and other Persian Gulf monarchies, playing a critical, though largely invisible, role in upgrading their militaries. All the while, the gulf countries' security forces have continued to commit human rights abuses at home and beyond their borders. With shared intelligence, aerial refueling and other support from the U.S. government and contractors, Saudi Arabia and the UAE have intervened in Yemen's civil war to disastrous effect, triggering a global humanitarian crisis and killing thousands of civilians, according to United Nations investigators." ~~~

     ~~~ This is the most recent of a seven-part series; all parts are linked at the bottom of this very long article & currently on the WashPo's front page.

A Victory for Republicans Forces an Unnecessary Danger on the Military. Catie Edmondson & John Ismay of the New York Times: "Lawmakers unveiled an $858 billion military policy bill on Tuesday night that would terminate the Pentagon's mandate that troops receive the coronavirus vaccine, a move that the Biden administration has resisted but that came after Republicans threatened to block the bill without it. The decision to scrap the mandate, the product of negotiations between Senate and House leaders in both parties, was a victory for Republicans in a dispute that had added a politically charged and highly emotional issue to the annual military policy debate. Top Republicans, especially Representative Kevin McCarthy of California, the minority leader who is campaigning for speaker, have made getting rid of the mandate a top priority in the bill, arguing that the requirement amounted to federal overreach and eroded military readiness.... Service members are required to be vaccinated against a whole host of viruses."

The Swan Song of Madison Cawthorn. Zoë Richards of NBC News: "The House Ethics Committee directed GOP Rep. Madison Cawthorn of North Carolina to pay nearly $15,000 to a charity Tuesday after finding 'substantial evidence' that he improperly promoted a cryptocurrency while in Congress. The fine caps an investigation announced in May that looked into whether the scandal-plagued lawmaker touted a cryptocurrency known as a Let's Go Brandon coin in which he had a financial interest, and whether he engaged in 'an improper relationship' with an aide on his congressional staff. The committee said in its 81-page report that it did not find evidence of improprieties between Cawthorn and the staffer. However, the subcommittee that conducted the probe said Cawthorn violated rules against conflicts of interest surrounding the cryptocurrency and directed him to pay $14,237.49 to an appropriate charitable organization by Dec. 31. It also found that Cawthorn, 27, failed to file timely reports to the House 'disclosing his transactions relating to the cryptocurrency."

Palling Around with U.S. Adversaries. Gary Fineout of Politico: "Sen. Marco Rubio acknowledged on Tuesday through a spokesperson that he met with indicted ex-Rep. David Rivera [in July 2017] to discuss a potential deal to normalize relations between the United States and Venezuela -- but didn't know that his one-time friend and long-time political ally was working on behalf of strongman Nicolás Maduro. Rubio's dealings with Rivera emerged Monday night after federal authorities arrested and charged the former Miami lawmaker with eight criminal counts, including money laundering, conspiracy and failing to register as a foreign agent for work allegedly connected to the Maduro regime." Rubio also met with a close associate of Maduro's. In August 2022, Rubio told a Miami television statement that Riviera's lobbying for Maduro had "nothing to do with me."

Edward Wong of the New York Times:"A U.S. federal court said in a filing on Tuesday that it was dismissing a lawsuit against the crown prince of Saudi Arabia over the killing of a Saudi columnist who lived in Virginia, after the State Department's determination that the prince has immunity as a head of state or government. The lawsuit filed on behalf of Hatice Cengiz, the fiancée of the columnist, Jamal Khashoggi, named Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as the most prominent defendant. Mr. Khashoggi was killed by Saudi agents while visiting Saudi Arabia's consulate in Istanbul in 2018 to get documents for his upcoming wedding." CNN's report is here.

Twitter Clusterfuck, Ctd. Faiz Siddiqui of the Washington Post: "Ads for more than three dozen brands including major corporations appeared on the Twitter pages of white nationalist accounts in recent days after Twitter owner Elon Musk restored hordes of banned users to the social media platform. Promoted tweets from Amazon, Snap, Uber and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, among others, appeared inadvertently on the pages of at least two white nationalists, Andrew Anglin and Patrick Casey.... In a vast cost-cutting campaign, Musk fired hundreds of Twitter of employees, including entire teams devoted to content moderation of the site, including ensuring ads not appear on content brands would find objectionable. According to a former Twitter employee..., the accounts must be flagged to prevent advertising from appearing near them -- or they will be treated as ad-eligible."

Beyond the Beltway

Alaska. Ian Livingston & Jacob Feuerstein of the Washington Post: "At the northern tip of Alaska, the city of Utqiagvik on Monday reached its warmest temperature ever observed between November and March, when the mercury shot up to 40 degrees-- 36 degrees above the norm. The record-crushing high temperature was six degrees higher than the next warmest December reading ever measured there, in more than a century of records. It marked yet another exceptional extreme event in a region that is rapidly warming because of human-caused climate change."

California. Killer Robots Nixed for Now. Niha Masih of the Washington Post: "San Francisco's Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to bar police from using robots to kill, in a striking reversal that comes just a week after it gave law enforcement that right in a limited number of situations. The board had received widespread criticism after voting Nov. 29 to approve a police proposal authorizing law enforcement to deploy remote-controlled, ground-based robots to use deadly force when there is 'imminent' risk to life and alternative measures to subdue the threat do not work. Officials on Tuesday also sent the issue back to a committee for additional review, leaving the policy open to future amendment."

Colorado. Karin Bruilliard & Emily Wax-Thibodeaux of the Washington Post: "Anderson Lee Aldrich, who is accused of fatally shooting five people and wounding 17 others at a Colorado Springs night club last month, was formally charged with 305 counts of murder, hate crimes and assault Tuesday. Aldrich, who appeared in court, allegedly entered the club shortly before midnight armed with a pistol and an assault-style rifle and began firing. Then attack ended when other patrons subdued the assailant, authorities say. Aldrich did not speak at Tuesday's hearing." The AP's report is here. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

     ~~~ Jim Mustian, et al., of the AP: "Anderson Lee Aldrich loaded bullets into a Glock pistol and chugged vodka, ominously warning frightened grandparents not to stand in the way of an elaborate plan to stockpile guns, ammo, body armor and a homemade bomb to become 'the next mass killer.' 'You guys die today and I'm taking you with me,' they quoted Aldrich as saying. 'I'm loaded and ready.' So began a day of terror Aldrich unleashed in June 2021.... But charges against Aldrich for the actions that day were dropped for reasons the district attorney has refused to explain due to the case being sealed and there was no record showing guns were seized under Colorado's 'red flag' law with similarly no explanation from the sheriff. All of it could be one of the most glaring missed warnings in America's sad litany of mass violence because, just a year and a half later, Aldrich was free to carry out the plan to become 'the next mass killer.'"

Florida. Ben Brasch of the Washington Post: "The chief of the Tampa Police Department has resigned after the release of a body-cam video showing the chief flashing her badge to get out of a traffic violation on a golf cart. Mary O'Connor resigned Monday after being asked to leave by Tampa Mayor Jane Castor. That move followed an internal investigation that found she violated department policy and 'compromised her and the city of Tampa's professionalism and ethics by using her position of authority.' A Pinellas County sheriff's deputy stopped O'Connor and her husband on the golf cart about 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 12 after seeing that they were driving without a tag."

Way Beyond

Argentina. Almudena Calatrava of the AP: "Argentine Vice President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner was convicted and sentenced Tuesday to 6 years in prison and a lifetime ban from holding public office for a fraud scheme that embezzled $1 billion through public works projects during her presidency. A three-judge panel found the Peronist leader guilty of fraud, but rejected a charge of running a criminal organization, for which the sentence could have been 12 years in prison. It's the first time an Argentine vice president has been convicted of a crime while in office. The sentence isn't firm until appeals are decided, a process that could take years. She'll remains immune from arrest meanwhile, as long as she can keep getting elected." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

China. Chang Che, et al., of the New York Times: "The Chinese government on Wednesday unveiled a broad easing of its strict 'zero Covid' policy, after an extraordinary outburst of discontent in mass street protests a week ago. The changes do not dismantle the policy, but they represent a loosening of measures that have dragged down the economy by disrupting daily life for hundreds of millions of people, forcing many small businesses to close and sending youth unemployment to a record high. Here are the highlights from the announcement."

Germany. QAnon über den Rhein. Melissa Eddy & Erika Solomon of the New York Times: "Special Forces in Germany have arrested 25 people suspected of supporting a domestic terrorist organization that planned to overthrow the government and form its own state, the federal prosecutor said on Wednesday. In early-morning raids carried out across the country, Special Forces officers detained people believed to be members and supporters of the group, which prosecutors said had been formed in the past year and was operating on the conviction that 'Germany is currently ruled by members of a so-called deep state' that needed to be overthrown. Prosecutors said two other people had been arrested outside Germany, one in Austria and another in Italy. The prosecutors described the group, which they did not identify, as being influenced by the ideologies of the conspiracy group QAnon and a right-wing German conspiracy group called the Reichsbürger, or Citizens of the Reich, which believes that Germany's post-World War II republic is not a sovereign country but a corporation set up by the Allies who won the war." The Guardian's report is here.

Ukraine, et al. The New York Times' live updates of developments Wednesday in Russia's war on Ukraine are here. The Guardian's live updates for Wednesday are here. The Guardian's summary report is here. ~~~

     ~~~ The Washington Post's live briefings for Wednesday are here: "Ukraine's allies are walking a fine line after a series of drone strikes targeting Russian military airfields this week, seeking to acknowledge Ukraine's right to defend itself by hitting military targets, while also balancing concerns about escalating the conflict. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters on Tuesday the United States has 'neither encouraged nor enabled' Ukraine to carry out attacks inside Russia, while a Western official, speaking on condition of anonymity to brief the press, separately said: 'Attacks on legitimate targets would be legal, but that's not to say that we support or endorse.'... Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited his country's forces near the front line in the eastern Donetsk region on Tuesday."

Matthew Bigg of the New York Times: "President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine was named Time magazine's person of the year on Wednesday in recognition of his leadership during his country's war against Russia. The magazine also recognized 'the spirit of Ukraine,' pointing to the country's resilience in a rebuke to President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia. The closely watched honor marks the latest step in a remarkable ascent that has seen Mr. Zelensky catapulted from a career as a television comedian, first to the presidency in 2019 and then, this year, to the status of a leader with global stature."

December 6, 2022

Afternoon Update:

** Guilty. Guilty. Guilty. Guilty. Guilty. Guilty. Guilty. Guilty. Guilty. Guilty. Guilty. Guilty. Guilty. Guilty. Guilty. Guilty. Guilty. Ben Protess, et al., of the New York Times: "Donald J. Trump's family real estate business was convicted on Tuesday of tax fraud and other financial crimes, a remarkable rebuke of the former president's company and what prosecutors described as its 'culture of fraud and deception.' The conviction on all 17 counts, after more than a day of jury deliberations in State Supreme Court in Manhattan, resulted from a long-running scheme in which the Trump Organization doled out off-the-books luxury perks to some executives: They received fancy apartments, leased Mercedes-Benzes, even private school tuition for relatives, none of which they paid taxes on.... While prosecutors stopped short of indicting the former president, they invoked his name throughout the monthlong trial, telling jurors that he personally paid for some of the perks and even approved a crucial aspect of the scheme." This is the top, pinned story in a liveblog. Law & Crime's story is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Update. The Washington Post's story is here.

Amy Gardner, et al., of the Washington Post: "Special counsel Jack Smith has sent grand-jury subpoenas to local officials in Arizona, Michigan and Wisconsin -- three states that were central to ... Donald Trump's failed plan to stay in power following the 2020 election -- seeking any and all communications with Trump, his campaign and a long list of aides and allies. The requests for records arrived in Dane County, Wis.; Maricopa County, Ariz.; and Wayne County, Mich., late last week, and in Milwaukee on Monday, officials said. They are among the first known subpoenas issued since Smith was named last month by Attorney General Merrick Garland to oversee the Jan. 6 Capitol attack case as well as the criminal probe of Trump's possible mishandling of classified documents at his Florida home. The subpoenas, at least three of which are dated Nov. 22, indicates that the Justice Department is extending its examination of the circumstances leading up to the Capitol attack to include local election officials and their potential interactions with the former president and his representatives." The AP's report is here.

Alexander Bolton of the Hill: "Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Tuesday said anyone who suggests the Constitution could be suspended 'would have a very hard time being sworn in as president of the United States.' McConnell's comments appeared directed squarely at former President Trump, who recently called for the termination of parts of the Constitution.... 'What I'm saying is that it would be pretty hard to be sworn in to the presidency if you're not willing to uphold the Constitution,' McConnell added when asked if he would support Trump if he were the Republican nominee for president in 2024."

Mary Jalonick, et al., of the AP: "Law enforcement officers who defended the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 were honored Tuesday with Congressional Gold Medals nearly two years after they fought supporters of ... Donald Trump in a brutal and bloody attack. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi praised the 'heroes' as she opened the ceremony in the the stately Capitol Rotunda, which was overrun that day when Trump supporters roamed the halls trying to stop Congress from certifying Joe Biden's election." ~~~

     ~~~ Mychael Schnell of the Hill: "In a moment that drew widespread attention, family members of former Capitol Police Office Brian Sicknick -- who died one day after the Capitol attack from natural causes following multiple strokes -- snubbed House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy <(R-Calif.) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) during the ceremony, declining to shake their hands after the medals were presented. The family members were captured on camera shaking hands with Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), but when they got to McConnell and McCarthy, they continued walking. McConnell's hand was extended during the interaction. 'It's self-explanatory,' Ken Sicknick, the officer's brother, told reporters following the ceremony. 'They came out right away and condemned what happened on Jan. 6. And whatever hold that Trump has on them, they've backstepped, they've danced, they won't admit to wrongdoing.'"

Luke Broadwater of the New York Times: "The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol will issue criminal referrals to the Justice Department based on its inquiry, the panel's chairman said on Tuesday. Representative Bennie Thompson of Mississippi, the Democratic chairman of the committee, told reporters on Capitol Hill that the panel had agreed to take the step, but had not agreed on who would be the subject of the referrals. A subcommittee of four lawyers on the committee -- Representatives Liz Cheney, Republican of Wyoming; Jamie Raskin, Democrat of Maryland; Zoe Lofgren, Democrat of California; and Adam B. Schiff, Democrat of California -- has studied whether to issue criminal referrals to the Justice Department for ... Donald J. Trump and some of his top allies. The group made its recommendations privately on Friday. Among the potential charges they have considered are conspiracy to defraud the United States and obstruction of an official proceeding of Congress."

Colorado. Karin Bruilliard & Emily Wax-Thibodeaux of the Washington Post: "Anderson Lee Aldrich, who is accused of fatally shooting five people and wounding 17 others at a Colorado Springs night club last month, was formally charged with 305 counts of murder, hate crimes and assault Tuesday. Aldrich, who appeared in court, allegedly entered the club shortly before midnight armed with a pistol and an assault-style rifle and began firing. Then attack ended when other patrons subdued the assailant, authorities say. Aldrich did not speak at Tuesday's hearing." The AP's report is here.

Argentina. Almudena Calatrava of the AP: "Argentine Vice President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner was convicted and sentenced Tuesday to 6 years in prison and a lifetime ban from holding public office for a fraud scheme that embezzled $1 billion through public works projects during her presidency. A three-judge panel found the Peronist leader guilty of fraud, but rejected a charge of running a criminal organization, for which the sentence could have been 12 years in prison. It's the first time an Argentine vice president has been convicted of a crime while in office. The sentence isn't firm until appeals are decided, a process that could take years. She'll remains immune from arrest meanwhile, as long as she can keep getting elected."

It's election day today in Georgia's runoff for U.S. senator. ~~~

~~~ Brittany Gibson & Natalie Allison of Politico: "In a brief interview with Politico on Saturday, [Herschel] Walker seemed to mistake which chamber of Congress he was running for and also appeared to think the outcome of his race would determine control of the Senate. 'They're not [less motivated] because they know right now that the House will be even so they don't want to understand what is happening right now,' he said of voters. 'You get the House, you get the committees. You get all the committees even, they just stall things within there. So if we keep a check on Joe Biden, we just going to keep a check on him.'" Thanks to Forrest M. for the lead. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I suspect the reporters are giving Walker too much credit. I doubt he realizes the U.S. Congress has two houses. He probably thinks "House" is another word for "Senate." That's not surprising; in fact, it's less confusing that the fact that "Congress" may refer to the House or to both houses or that senators are indeed also our "representatives." This doesn't make Walker much dumber than the majority of Americans, who can't name the three branches of government.

~~~~~~~~~~

Eugene Scott of the Washington Post: “Paul Pelosi, the husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), made his first public appearance Sunday, at the Kennedy Center Honors, since being violently attacked at the couple's San Francisco home in October. The 82-year-old business executive was welcomed with a thunderous standing ovation as he accompanied his wife to the storied event in the Kennedy Center's Opera House." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Are You Going to Believe Me ... or Me? Olivia Olander of Politico: "... Donald Trump on Monday denied he wanted to '"terminate" the Constitution,' two days after suggesting 'the termination of all rules ... even those found in the Constitution.' 'The Fake News is actually trying to convince the American People that I said I wanted to 'terminate' the Constitution. This is simply more DISINFORMATION & LIES,' Trump said on Monday on his own social media platform, Truth Social. The post seemed to be a complete denial of his post from Saturday, which remained online as of Monday afternoon...." MB: The man is completely insane. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Maya Yang of the Guardian: "Donald Trump failed to disclose a $19.8m loan from a company with historical ties to North Korea, while he was the US president, according to a new report. Documents obtained by the New York attorney general, and reported by Forbes, on Sunday indicate a previously unreported loan owed by Trump to Daewoo, the South Korean conglomerate. Daewoo was the only South Korean company allowed to operate a business in North Korea during the mid-1990s.... According to documents reviewed by Forbes, the $19.8m balance remained the same from 2011 to 2016. Five months into Trump's presidency, the balance dropped to $4.3m, according to paperwork that showcased Trump's finances as of 30 June 2017. Soon after, 'Daewoo was bought out of its position on July 5, 2017,' the documents said, without disclosing who satisfied the debt.... Under disclosure laws, Trump was required to submit the documents to federal officials during his presidential campaign and after he became president. In 2016, Trump's chief financial officer, Allen Weisselberg, said that Trump had disclosed all debts related to companies that Trump had a 100% stake in." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Gosh, could this help explain Trump's peculiar fondness for Li'l Kim?

Summer Concepcion of NBC News: "The jury began deliberations Monday in the tax fraud trial of the Trump Organization, which is accused of a sweeping, 15-year scheme to compensate top executives of ... Donald Trump's company off the books."

Jonah Bromwich of the New York Times: "The Manhattan district attorney, Alvin L. Bragg, is hiring a former senior Justice Department official with a history of taking on Donald J. Trump and his family business as the office seeks to ramp up its investigation into the former president. The official, Matthew Colangelo, who before he became a top official at the Justice Department led the New York attorney general's civil inquiry into Mr. Trump, is likely to become one of the leaders of the district attorney's criminal inquiry into the former president. The hire marks the latest turn in a long-running investigation that has proceeded in fits and starts in recent years." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Devlin Barrett, et al., of the Washington Post: "... Donald Trump's political action committee is paying legal bills for some key witnesses involved in the Justice Department investigation into whether Trump mishandled classified documents, obstructed the investigation or destroyed government records, according to people familiar with the matter. The witnesses include Kash Patel, who has testified in front of the grand jury and is key to Trump's defense, along with Walt Nauta, a potentially critical prosecution witness, according to these people, who like others interviewed spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing criminal probe. Nauta, a Trump valet, has told FBI agents he was instructed by the former president to move boxes at Mar-a-Lago, even as government investigators were trying to recover classified documents at that private club and residence.... [A] lawyer not involved in the case ... said [the pay arrangement] could encourage witnesses to not cooperate."

Tierney Sneed of CNN: "Facing possible professional sanctions, Rudy Giuliani described on Monday the Trump campaign's legal strategy for challenging the 2020 election results and how the former New York mayor had hoped to frame up an eventual case for the US Supreme Court. Giuliani is outlining his involvement in orchestrating the post-election legal strategy for ... Donald Trump's 2020 campaign as he testifies off in attorney disciplinary proceedings that the DC Bar has brought against him. Giuliani said that he had planned to consolidate an infamous Trump campaign lawsuit he brought seeking to throw out hundreds of thousands of 2020 votes in Pennsylvania with similar legal actions in other states to serve as a case that would go before the Supreme Court." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

The GOP Has the Best Politicians. Rubio's Former Roomie Arrested & Charged. Joshua Goodman & Terry Spencer of the AP: "A former Miami congressman who signed a $50 million consulting contract with Venezuela's socialist government was arrested Monday on charges of money laundering and representing a foreign government without registering. David Rivera, a Republican who served from 2011 to 2013, was arrested at Atlanta's airport, said Marlene Rodriguez, a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney's Office in Miami. The eight-count indictment alleges he was part of a conspiracy to lobby on behalf of Venezuela to improve U.S.-Venezuela relations, resolve an oil company legal dispute and end U.S. economic sanctions against the South American nation -- without registering as a foreign agent.... Before being elected to Congress, Rivera was a high-ranking Florida legislator, serving from 2003 to 2010 in the House. During that time he shared a Tallahassee home with current U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio...."

** Only Straight White Christians Need Apply. Adam Liptak of the New York Times: "The Supreme Court's conservative majority seemed prepared on Monday to rule that a graphic designer in Colorado has a First Amendment right to refuse to create websites celebrating same-sex weddings based on her Christian faith despite a state law that forbids discrimination based on sexual orientation. But several justices leaning in that direction appeared to be searching for limiting principles so as not to upend all sorts of anti-discrimination laws." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: So if you're a white Christian nationalist, you don't have to design Websites for, say, Jewish couples or for interracial couples or for immigrant couples??? This is a nonsensical case in which there is no aggrieved party; the plaintiff -- a Colorado Website designer -- has never been asked to design a site for a scary gay couple. ~~~

     ~~~ Nasty, Cruel "Justice" Thinks It's a Laughing Matter. Summer Concepcion of NBC News: "Justice Samuel Alito joked about Black Santa, children in Klan robes and dating websites as the Supreme Court heard arguments Monday in a case weighing a web designer's bid to avoid working on same-sex weddings because she is a conservative evangelical Christian." MB: Not surprisingly, Alito's "jokes" are not even remotely funny. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) If I were Justice Kagan, I'd bring a sexual harassment complaint against Insufferable Sam. The New York Times story is here.

Devan Cole of CNN: "Disgraced attorney Michael Avenatti was sentenced Monday to 14 years in prison and ordered to pay nearly $11 million in restitution for embezzling millions of dollars from four of his clients and obstruction. Avenatti pleaded guilty earlier this year to four counts of wire fraud for each client he stole from and one count of endeavoring to obstruct the administration of the Internal Revenue Code. Prosecutors said he obstructed the IRS' effort to collect $5 million in unpaid payroll taxes for Tully's Coffee. The sentence handed down by federal district Judge James Selna will begin after Avenatti completes a five-year prison term he's currently serving after being convicted in two separate trials in New York." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Jeremy Barr & Rachel Weiner of the Washington Post: "Rupert Murdoch, the 91-year-old chairman of Fox News parent company Fox Corp, will be forced to answer questions under oath next week about his network's coverage of the 2020 presidential election. Murdoch will be deposed on the mornings of Dec. 13 and Dec. 14 as part of election technology company Dominion Voting Systems' $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit against Fox News according to a filing in Delaware's Superior Court. The lawsuit alleges that the network purposely aired false claims about Dominion's role in the 2020 presidential election to boost ratings and fight off competition from more-conservative-leaning television networks." CNN's story is here.

Beyond the Beltway

Arizona. Alexandra Berzon of the New York Times: "Arizona's top officials signed papers to certify the results of the state's midterm election on Monday, completing a normally routine task that had become troubled in a state where Republican activists and candidates have claimed without evidence that the election results were irredeemably marred by widespread problems. Two heavily Republican counties in Arizona initially delayed certifying their results but ultimately did so. In one case, in Cochise County, certification came only under order from a judge. Finally, at an event on Monday that was closed to the public but broadcast live, the secretary of state, Katie Hobbs, a Democrat who won this year's race for governor, signed documents to certify the results in all 15 counties. Also signing the certifications were Gov. Doug Ducey and Arizona's attorney general, Mark Brnovich, both Republicans, along with Robert Brutinel, the chief justice of the State Supreme Court.... Ms. Hobbs's opponent for governor, Kari Lake, who lost by more than 17,000 votes..., and her allies have vowed to continue fighting the outcome, sowing doubts about the results with public statements and social media posts." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Georgia Election Fraud! The GOP Has the Best Candidates. Tom Boggioni of the Raw Story: "According to a report from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, a Georgia conservative talk show host has been accused by the state of voting illegally nine times while he was still serving out a felony conviction for forgery and theft in Pennsylvania. Brian K. Pritchard, a prominent conservative voice in North Georgia, is currently running for an open seat in the state legislature where he hopes to face the widow of former Speaker David Ralston who died last month. However, his campaign is now faced by accusations from the Georgia attorney general's office stating Pritchard broke state law each time he voted before his sentence was completed.... Pritchard ... has used his platform to complain about election fraud...."

Texas. Acacia Coronado of the AP: "Texas' top elections official resigned Monday after an intense year of trying to reassure election skeptics, navigating the rocky launch of new voting laws that resulted in thousands of discarded mail ballots and overseeing a limited audit of the 2020 election. Secretary of State John Scott, who was appointed by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, came under immediate scrutiny from the moment he took the job in October 2021. He was briefly part of ... Donald Trump's legal team that challenged the results of the 2020 election but said upon taking the job in Texas that he did not dispute that President Joe Biden was the winner."

Way Beyond

Ukraine, et al.

The New York Times' live updates of developments Tuesday in Russia's war on Ukraine are here. The Washington Post's live briefings for Tuesday are here. The Guardian's live updates for Tuesday are here. The Guardian's summary report is here.

Andrew Kramer, et al., of the New York Times: "Ukraine executed its most brazen attack into Russian territory in the nine-month-old war on Monday, targeting two military bases hundreds of miles inside the country using drones, according to the Russian defense ministry and a senior Ukrainian official. The drones were launched from Ukrainian territory, and at least one of the strikes was made with the help of special forces close to the base who helped guide the drones to the target, said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity to convey sensitive information. The strikes signaled a new willingness by Kyiv to take the fight to bases in the heart of Russia, raising the stakes in the war, and demonstrated an improved ability to attack at a distance. Shortly after the attacks on the bases, Russia sent a barrage of missiles streaking toward Ukrainian cities." An AP story is here.

December 5, 2022

Afternoon Update:

** Only Straight White Christians Need Apply. Adam Liptak of the New York Times: "The Supreme Court's conservative majority seemed prepared on Monday to rule that a graphic designer in Colorado has a First Amendment right to refuse to create websites celebrating same-sex weddings based on her Christian faith despite a state law that forbids discrimination based on sexual orientation. But several justices leaning in that direction appeared to be searching for limiting principles so as not to upend all sorts of anti-discrimination laws." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: So if you're a white Christian nationalist, you don't have to design Websites for, say, Jewish couples or for interracial couples or for immigrant couples??? ~~~

     ~~~ Nasty, Cruel "Justice" Thinks It's a Laughing Matter. Summer Concepcion of NBC News: "Justice Samuel Alito joked about Black Santa, children in Klan robes and dating websites as the Supreme Court heard arguments Monday in a case weighing a web designer's bid to avoid working on same-sex weddings because she is a conservative evangelical Christian." MB: Not surprisingly, Alito's "jokes" are not even vaguely funny.

Are You Going to Believe Me or Me? Olivia Olander of Politico: "... Donald Trump on Monday denied he wanted to '"terminate" the Constitution,' two days after suggesting 'the termination of all rules ... even those found in the Constitution.' 'The Fake News is actually trying to convince the American People that I said I wanted to "terminate" the Constitution. This is simply more DISINFORMATION & LIES,' Trump said on Monday on his own social media platform, Truth Social. The post seemed to be a complete denial of his post from Saturday, which remained online as of Monday afternoon...."

Jonah Bromwich of the New York Times: "The Manhattan district attorney, Alvin L. Bragg, is hiring a former senior Justice Department official with a history of taking on Donald J. Trump and his family business as the office seeks to ramp up its investigation into the former president. The official, Matthew Colangelo, who before he became a top official at the Justice Department led the New York attorney general's civil inquiry into Mr. Trump, is likely to become one of the leaders of the district attorney's criminal inquiry into the former president. The hire marks the latest turn in a long-running investigation that has proceeded in fits and starts in recent years."

Tierney Sneed of CNN: "Facing possible professional sanctions, Rudy Giuliani described on Monday the Trump campaign's legal strategy for challenging the 2020 election results and how the former New York mayor had hoped to frame up an eventual case for the US Supreme Court. Giuliani is outlining his involvement in orchestrating the post-election legal strategy for ... Donald Trump's 2020 campaign as he testifies off in attorney disciplinary proceedings that the DC Bar has brought against him. Giuliani said that he had planned to consolidate an infamous Trump campaign lawsuit he brought seeking to throw out hundreds of thousands of 2020 votes in Pennsylvania with similar legal actions in other states to serve as a case that would go before the Supreme Court."

Eugene Scott of the Washington Post: "Paul Pelosi, the husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), made his first public appearance Sunday, at the Kennedy Center Honors, since being violently attacked at the couple's San Francisco home in October. The 82-year-old business executive was welcomed with a thunderous standing ovation as he accompanied his wife to the storied event in the Kennedy Center's Opera House."

Devan Cole of CNN: "Disgraced attorney Michael Avenatti was sentenced Monday to 14 years in prison and ordered to pay nearly $11 million in restitution for embezzling millions of dollars from four of his clients and obstruction. Avenatti pleaded guilty earlier this year to four counts of wire fraud for each client he stole from and one count of endeavoring to obstruct the administration of the Internal Revenue Code. Prosecutors said he obstructed the IRS' effort to collect $5 million in unpaid payroll taxes for Tully's Coffee. The sentence handed down by federal district Judge James Selna will begin after Avenatti completes a five-year prison term he's currently serving after being convicted in two separate trials in New York."

Arizona. Alexandra Berzon of the New York Times: "Arizona's top officials signed papers to certify the results of the state's midterm election on Monday, completing a normally routine task that had become troubled in a state where Republican activists and candidates have claimed without evidence that the election results were irredeemably marred by widespread problems. Two heavily Republican counties in Arizona initially delayed certifying their results but ultimately did so. In one case, in Cochise County, certification came only under order from a judge. Finally, at an event on Monday that was closed to the public but broadcast live, the secretary of state, Katie Hobbs, a Democrat who won this year's race for governor, signed documents to certify the results in all 15 counties. Also signing the certifications were Gov. Doug Ducey and Arizona's attorney general, Mark Brnovich, both Republicans, along with Robert Brutinel, the chief justice of the State Supreme Court.... Ms. Hobbs's opponent for governor, Kari Lake, who lost by more than 17,000 votes..., and her allies have vowed to continue fighting the outcome, sowing doubts about the results with public statements and social media posts."

~~~~~~~~~~

Travis Andrews of the Washington Post: "... President Biden and first lady Jill Biden were back for a second year [at the Kennedy Center Honors] after four 'first couple'-less years thanks to a presidential boycott during the Trump years and the ensuing pandemic, which led to a mostly virtual show for the 2020 awards (held in May 2021). Joining them were Vice President Harris and her husband, Douglas Emhoff. Saturday's medallion ceremony was back in its proper place at the State Department after being held at the Library of Congress last year.... The ceremony -- held in the arts center's 2,364-seat Opera House theater and honoring actor, filmmaker and philanthropist George Clooney; contemporary Christian music sensation-turned-pop-star Amy Grant; the 'Empress of Soul,' singer Gladys Knight; Irish rock band U2 (Bono, the Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr.); and Cuban American composer-conductor Tania León...."

The Party of Sedition. Amy Wang of the Washington Post: "Donald Trump's suggestion this weekend that the U.S. Constitution should be terminated in response to his baseless claims that the 2020 election was stolen drew a largely muted response from Republicans.... Only a handful of Republican lawmakers have joined the White House and Democrats in condemning Trump's assertions. Representatives for House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) did not respond on Sunday to requests for comment.... Some GOP lawmakers who were asked on Sunday political shows about Trump's latest missive said they disagreed with the former president. However, most still hesitated to say that they would oppose Trump if he becomes the GOP's 2024 presidential nominee." An NBC News story is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Ruth Marcus of the Washington Post: "... the mere willingness to entertain and encourage extra-constitutional action is alarming coming from a man who is seeking to return to office.... This is insurrectionism by social media. Nothing -- and certainly not imaginary 'Fraud,' capitalized or not -- 'allows for the termination' of constitutional guarantees. Trump is laying the groundwork for a coup.... We do not want to give him oxygen, yet there are times we dare not ignore him. This is one. It should be neither excused nor forgotten."

Adam Liptak of the New York Times: "A Colorado graphic designer says she has a First Amendment right to refuse to create websites for same-sex weddings despite a state anti-discrimination law.... The basic arguments in the case, which will be made before the Supreme Court on Monday, are as familiar as they are polarizing. On one side are people who say the government should not force them to violate their principles to make a living. On the other are same-sex couples and others who say they are entitled to equal treatment from businesses open to the public.... Supporters of gay rights fear that a ruling for [plaintiff Lorie] Smith [-- a Colorado graphic designer --] will undermine that right, marking the marriages of same-sex couples as second-class unions unworthy of legal protection."

Marie: I must confess that I did not realize, until I read unwashed's comment yesterday afternoon that Elon Musk & Matt Taibbi's big Twitter "suppression" "exposé" was pretty much all about dick pix on Hunter Biden's stolen laptop (or possibly his lap). The WashPo story I cited yesterday was, to say the least, not forthcoming. (A New York Times story, published later, is no more specific as to the nature of Taibbi's, uh, bi reveal.) Unwashed links to a post by Marcy Wheeler, which -- as usual -- is not easy reading, but at least gives a flavor of the nonsense Elon & Matt tweeted out over the weekend. Nonetheless, it turns out that to some patriotic Americans, the Twitterstorm is a Big Deal! ~~~

     ~~~ Tim Miller, whom Wheeler cites in her blogpost, writes in the Bulwark: "... among Republican members of Congress, leading conservative media commentators, contrarian substackers, conservative tech bros, and friends of Donald Trump, the ability to post Hunter Biden's cock shots on Twitter is the number-one issue in America this weekend. They believe that if they are not allowed to post porno, our constitutional republic may be in jeopardy.... Taibbi and Musk are trying to turn this mundane moderation matter into the story of the century by emphasizing a few misconceptions about how platforms work with political campaigns and what First Amendment obligations they do or do not have.... To sum up what we learned: Big penis, little news, First Amendment not under threat." As you may guess, Miller does an excellent job of summarizing & mocking the whole brouhaha.

Beyond the Beltway

North Carolina. April Rubin, et al., of the New York Times: "A county in central North Carolina where about 45,000 people were without electricity declared a state of emergency and was under curfew on Sunday night, after two electric substations were damaged by gunfire the night before in what officials called an 'intentional' attack. The outages across Moore County, roughly 90 miles east of Charlotte, began just after 7 p.m. on Saturday, the Moore County Sheriff's Office said. Officials said the power could be out until as late as Thursday. It was not clear if the curfew, which started at 9 p.m. on Sunday and was to last until 5 a.m. on Monday, would be extended." ~~~

     ~~~ Nicole Grether, et al., of CNN: "Authorities have announced a mandatory curfew in a North Carolina county where around 40,000 customers lost power after two power substations were damaged by gunfire Saturday night. The county will implement a mandatory curfew from 9 p.m. until 5 a.m., starting Sunday night, Moore County Sheriff Ronnie Fields said at a news conference Sunday."

Way Beyond

Ethiopia. Katharine Houreld of the Washington Post: Ethiopian guards massacred "around 83 prisoners ... and another score missing, according to six survivors. Some were shot by their guards, others hacked to death by villagers who taunted the soldiers about their Tigrayan ethnicity, prisoners said. Bodies were dumped in a mass grave by the prison gate, according to seven witnesses.... The massacre at the camp near Mirab Abaya, which was covered up and has not been previously reported, was the deadliest killing of imprisoned soldiers since the war started, but not the only one. Guards have killed imprisoned soldiers in at least seven other locations, according to witnesses.... [The w]ar broke out in 2020 after [ethnic] Tigrayan soldiers in the Ethiopian army and other Tigrayan forces seized military bases across the Tigray region."

Iran. Vivian Yee & Farnaz Fassihi of the New York Times: "A senior Iranian official said this weekend that Iran had abolished the morality police, the state media reported, after months of protests set off by the death of a young woman who was detained by the force for supposedly violating the country's strict Islamic dress laws. The morality police 'was abolished by the same authorities who installed it,' Attorney General Mohammad Javad Montazeri said on Saturday during a meeting at which officials were discussing the unrest, according to state media reports. It was unclear whether the statement amounted to a final decision by the theocratic government, which has neither announced the abolition of the morality police nor denied it. But if the force is abolished, the change will be unlikely to appease protesters who are still clashing with other security forces and have become so emboldened that some are calling for an end of the Islamic Republic." A UPI report is here.

Ukraine, et al. The Washington Post's live briefings of developments Monday in Russia's war on Ukraine are here: "The European Union's embargo on seaborne Russian crude and the Group of Seven's oil price cap go into effect Monday, sending oil markets into uncharted territory as the West seeks to hit Russia's oil revenue without creating price spikes.... The Kremlin will still sell oil to countries that 'will work with us on market conditions,' Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak told the Russian news agency Tass.... China suggested it may still work with Russia to secure oil." ~~~

     ~~~ The Guardian's live updates for Monday are here. The Guardian's summary report is here.

News Lede

Washington Post: "Kirstie Alley, a two-time Emmy winner whose roles on the TV megahit 'Cheers' and in the "Look Who's Talking' films made her one of the biggest stars in American comedy in the late 1980s and early 1990s, died Monday. She was 71." Alley's New York Times obituary is here.