August 9, 2022

Afternoon Update:

And a Trumpy afternoon to you.

Devlin Barrett, et al., of the Washington Post: "In the months before the FBIs dramatic move to execute a search warrant at ... Donald Trump's Florida home -- and open his safe to look for items -- federal authorities grew increasingly concerned that Trump or his lawyers and aides had not, in fact, returned all the documents and other material that were government property, according to people familiar with the discussions.... Over months of discussions on the subject, some officials also came to suspect Trump's representatives were not truthful at times.... On Tuesday, a lawyer for Trump said the agents who brought the court-approved warrant to Mar-a-Lago a day earlier took about 12 more boxes after conducting their search.... By [this past spring], officials at the National Archives had been aggressively contacting to people in Trump's orbit to demand the return of documents they believed were covered by the Presidential Records Act.... [A Trump lawyer] said the Justice Department officials commented [in June 2022] that they did not believe the storage unit was properly secured, so Trump officials added a lock to the facility." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I heard on TV Tuesday that among the items Trump stole from the White House were a model of Air Force 1 as Trump had redesigned it -- and some paper cocktail napkins. If true, here's this supposed billionaire who could easily afford to have another model made & could buy his own damned napkins down at the Palm Beach Publix (although I don't suppose any Publix napkins sport the presidential seal, as the ones Trump lifted may have). But no. So besides just a few other shortcomings you might have noticed, Trump is also a petty thief. Pathetic! I hope the plane model & napkins are returned to the White House. Joe & Jill's grandchildren can play with the model, and Joe himself, after enjoying some savory canapés, can delicately wipe his mouth with the napkins.

Tierney Sneed & Katelyn Polantz of CNN: "A federal appeals court on Tuesday signed off on a House Ways and Means Committee request to obtain ... Donald Trump's tax returns from the Internal Revenue Service. The 3-0 ruling from the DC Circuit Court of Appeals is a blow to Trump, who has argued for years in court against releasing his tax returns to any investigators. A trial-level judge he appointed while president previously rejected his arguments in the case. But Trump still could appeal, making the litigation unlikely to end at this time. The court said the judgment would not issued for seven days, giving Trump time to appeal."

Amber Phillips of the Washington Post looks at some of the implications of the FBI search of Mar-a-Lago: "Prosecutors could be probing whether the former president or his aides violated the Presidential Records Act, mishandled classified material or lied to investigators about whether they returned all the material to the archives when they were asked to do so.... For the FBI to search someone's home -- let alone a former president -- requires the government to show an extraordinary amount of evidence that they have reason to believe a crime has potentially been committed. That evidence was presented to a federal judge, who signed off on a court order okaying the search.... The relevant law regarding public documents says that a violator 'shall forfeit his office and and be disqualified from holding any office under the United States.' [But there would certainly be a challenge if the government attempted to apply that law] because the Constitution sets the qualifications for president -- and nowhere does it say that being convicted of a crime -- including one involving public documents -- would bar someone from holding office."

Matt Gertz of Media Matters: "The FBI and Justice Department have declined comment [on the search of Mar-a-Lago], following their typical procedure for press requests confirming active federal investigations. Trump is using that information vacuum to put his own spin on the events, describing himself in his release as the victim of 'prosecutorial misconduct, the weaponization of the Justice System, and an attack by Radical Left Democrats who desperately don't want me to run for President.' And his loyal henchmen at Fox News quickly adopted his talking points, denouncing the judge-approved search in the most demagogic terms imaginable on their Monday night programs as they sought to poison the well against any potential consequences for their beloved president."

David Gilbert of Vice: "After news broke that the FBI searched ... Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago home in Florida on Monday, his supporters openly called for an armed violent response, and ultimately, civil war. 'Civil War 2.0 just kicked off,' one user wrote on Twitter, with another adding, 'One step closer to a kinetic civil war.' Others said they were ready to take part: 'I already bought my ammo.' MAGA, QAnon, and far-right message boards and Telegram channels lit up Monday night with calls for a violent response to what some extremists see as a political attack directed by the Biden administration.... Within hours of the FBI search..., the term 'civil war' was already trending on Twitter, and hundreds of Trump supporters had already gathered outside Mar-a-Lago. Some claimed on Telegram channels that they were there to protect the former president.

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Oh, It's a Very Trumpy Day!

** Raid on Mar-a-Lardo. Devlin Barrett, et al., of the Washington Post: "... Donald Trump said Monday that the FBI had raided his Mar-a-Lago Club and searched his safe -- activity related to an investigation into the potential mishandling of classified documents, according to a person familiar with the probe. The person ... said agents were conducting a court-authorized search as part of a long-running investigation of whether documents -- some of them top secret -- were taken to the former president's private golf club and residence instead of sent to the National Archives when Trump left office.... 'My beautiful home, Mar-A-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, is currently under siege, raided, and occupied by a large group of FBI agents,' Trump said in a statement released through his political action committee, Save America. Trump said the raid was 'unannounced' and claimed it was not 'necessary or appropriate.' The former president, without evidence, accused Democrats of weaponizing the 'justice system' against him.... Trump's team was given no heads-up about the search, several advisers said." An AP story is here.

     ~~~ New York Times liveblog: "The search, according to multiple people familiar with the investigation, appeared to be focused on material that Mr. Trump had brought with him to Mar-a-Lago, his private club and residence, when he left the White House.... The news that the F.B.I. executed a search on Trump's home was a remarkable escalation and a truly stunning turn of events, even by the standard of the Trump years, during which norms were repeatedly shattered.... Those boxes contained many pages of classified documents, according to a person familiar with their contents.... Trump was not at Mar-a-Lago when the search took place. Instead, he was up north, where he's been spending much of his time at his club in Bedminster, N.J., preparing for a deposition with the New York attorney general in a civil matter related to his finances.... President Biden's top aides found out about the F.B.I.'s search of Mar-a-Lago from reports on Twitter and had no advance notice, according to a Democratic source familiar with the matter.... News that the F.B.I. had searched Mar-a-Lago appeared to have been first reported Monday by Peter Schorsch, the publisher of FloridaPolitics.com." ~~~

     ~~~ Update: Here's more from the updated summary report at the top of the Times liveblog: "Eric Trump ... told Fox News that he was the one who informed his father that the search was taking place, and he said the search warrant was related to presidential documents. Mr. Trump, who campaigned for president in 2016 criticizing Hillary Clinton's practice of maintaining a private email server for government-related messages..., was known throughout his term to rip up official material that was intended to be held for presidential archives. One person familiar with his habits said that included classified material that was shredded in his bedroom and elsewhere.... Mr. Trump ... [maintained the search] was an effort to stop him from running for president in 2024. 'Such an assault could only take place in broken, Third-World Countries.... They even broke into my safe!' he wrote.... Local television crews showed supporters of Mr. Trump gathering near Mar-a-Lago, some of them being aggressive toward reporters.... [Mr. Trump's]political team began sending fund-raising solicitations about the search late on Monday evening." ~~~

     ~~~ Kaitlan Collins, et al., of CNN: "The search began early Monday morning and law enforcement personnel appeared to be focused on the area of the club where Trump's offices and personal quarters are, according to a person familiar with the matter. The FBI's search included examining where documents were kept, according to another person familiar with the investigation, and boxes of items were taken."

Marie: Andrew Weissmann pointed out in an MSNBC segment that a search warrant is sought "when you do not trust that the person will turn the documents over pursuant to a subpoena." He also noted that the FBI did not conduct a "raid," as Trump claimed; a court approved the warrant. So neither Merrick Garland nor the judge who signed off on the warrant believed Trump could be trusted to lawfully respond to a subpoena. ~~~

     ~~~ According to a post by Glenn Thrush in the NYT liveblog linked above, "... the use of such a warrant does indicate a sense of prosecutorial urgency -- and is used only when 'it appears that the use of a subpoena, summons, request, or other less intrusive alternative means of obtaining the materials would substantially jeopardize the availability or usefulness of the materials sought,' according to the Justice Manual, the department's official guidebook on criminal procedure."

Colby Itkowitz, et al., of the Washington Post: "Top Republicans on Monday rallied quickly behind Donald Trump's efforts to discredit the FBI search of his Mar-a-Lago Club, embracing his claims, presented without evidence, that it was a political attack intended to impede Trump's chances if he runs for president again. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), a top Trump ally, responded with a threat to the Justice Department, vowing to investigate the agency if the Republicans win back the House in the midterm elections. Claiming without evidence that the department has 'reached an intolerable state of weaponized politicization,' McCarthy warned, 'Attorney General Garland, preserve your documents and clear your calendar.'" MB: Yet these same "top Republicans" thought it was necessary to carry out seven Congressional investigations/outrage sessions about "the emails!" And they were very, very disappointed that the FBI didn't arrest Clinton but instead put Trump in the White House when then-FBI Director Jim Comey went out and implicated her twice, once during the week before the 2016 election. ~~~

~~~ Aaron Blake of the Washington Post looks with dismay upon the Republicans' knee-jerk reaction to the FBI's search of Trump's modest residence. "Many blamed [President] Biden -- Fox News's Brian Kilmeade went so far as to say that the order for the raid 'has to have come from @POTUS and/or someone in White House' -- despite there being zero evidence the president had any role." House Republicans on the Judiciary Committee, led by Gym Jordan, perfectly invoking the drivers' you-should-be-out-finding-the-real-criminals defense, tweeted in part, "Doesn't the FBI have better things to do than harass the former PRESIDENT?" The tweet also reproduces Trump's full statement/complaint, so it's not entirely useless. ~~~

~~~ The linked stories contain some of the over-the-top plaints of Trumpists reacting to the search. But the prize has to go to Bernie Kerik: ~~~

     ~~~ Kipp Jones of Mediaite: "Former NYPD commissioner Bernard Kerik said Monday he is worried Democrats might try to assassinate ... Donald Trump.... '... This is the first time in my lifetime that I would say I am deathly afraid for Donald Trump. I would not put assassination behind these people.'"

This Day in History, 1974: ~~~

     ~~~ Nixon announced his resignation in a speech delivered on the evening of August 8,1974. (Link is to a video of Nixon's resignation speech.)

Crappergate. MEANWHILE, the Docu-Dumps (yeah, pun intended). Mike Allen of Axios: "Maggie Haberman's forthcoming book about former President Trump will report that White House residence staff periodically found wads of paper clogging a toilet -- and believed the former president, a notorious destroyer of Oval Office documents, was the flusher.... Trump denied it and called Haberman, whose New York Times coverage he follows compulsively, a 'maggot.' Well, it turns out there are photos. And here they are, published for the first time." Includes photos that show Trump did a half-assed (ha ha) job of everything: the photos show notes in Trump's handwriting still sitting at the bottom of Trump's commodes. Emphasis added.

Kyle Cheney & Nicholas Wu of Politico: "The Justice Department on Monday rejected an effort by attorney John Eastman -- a key ally in Donald Trump's effort to overturn the 2020 election -- to reclaim his cellphone, which was seized by FBI agents in June.... 'The movant's rights and privileges do not eliminate the Government's ability to seize and search his phone in furtherance of a criminal investigation,' Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Dohrmann wrote in the 24-page Justice Department filing. The filing is the latest salvo in the department's increasingly public effort to criminally investigate efforts by Trump and his allies to disrupt the transfer of power and overturn the 2020 election. It's also the latest indication that the Justice Department considers the Eastman matter a high priority...."

Eric Tucker & Kate Brumback of the AP: "Rudy Giuliani will not appear as scheduled Tuesday before a special grand jury in Atlanta that's investigating whether ... Donald Trump and others illegally tried to interfere in the 2020 general election in Georgia, his lawyer said.... Giuliani's attorney, Robert Costello, told The Associated Press on Monday that Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney, who's overseeing the special grand jury, had excused Giuliani for the day. Nothing in publicly available court documents indicates that Giuliani is excused from appearing....

Trump Aimed to Be More Like Hitler. Michael Shear of the New York Times: "President Donald J. Trump told his top White House aide that he wished he had generals like the ones who had reported to Adolf Hitler, saying they were 'totally loyal' to the leader of the Nazi regime, according to a forthcoming book about the 45th president. 'Why can't you be like the German generals?' Mr. Trump told John Kelly, his chief of staff, preceding the question with an obscenity, according to an excerpt from 'The Divider: Trump in the White House,' by Peter Baker and Susan Glasser, published online by The New Yorker on Monday morning.... The excerpt depicts Mr. Trump as deeply frustrated by his top military officials, whom he saw as insufficiently loyal or obedient to him.... [Mr. Kelly] told Mr. Trump that Germany's generals had 'tried to kill Hitler three times and almost pulled it off.' Mr. Trump was dismissive, according to the excerpt, apparently unaware of ... World War II history.... '"No, no, no, they were totally loyal to him," the president replied, according to the book's authors. 'In his version of history, the generals of the Third Reich had been completely subservient to Hitler; this was the model he wanted for his military. Kelly told Trump that there were no such American generals, but the president was determined to test the proposition.'" ~~~

     ~~~ Edward Helmore of the Guardian: "The stunning back-and-forth came during a dispute touched off by Trump's admiration for military parades, gleaned in part by personally observing Bastille Day celebrations thrown in France by that country's president, Emmanuel Macron. Trump stubbornly wanted a similar military parade to mark the Fourth of July independence day holiday.... Trump, on his return to Washington, hatched a plan for the 'biggest, grandest military parade ever for the Fourth of July'. But the plans went down badly with Trump's cabinet staff. 'I'd rather swallow acid,' the defense secretary and former Marine Corps general, James Mattis, is reported to have said.... But Trump was already formulating his vision, telling Kelly: 'Look, I don't want any wounded guys in the parade. This doesn't look good for me.' According to the publication, the subject came up repeatedly. With each pushback, Trump's admiration for the military advisers which he used to fawningly refer to as 'my generals' cooled.... In one exchange involving Kelly and Paul Selva, then vice-chairman of the joint chiefs of staff..., Selva said[,] 'It's what dictators do.'"

     ~~~ Shania Shelton of CNN: "In the wake of ... Donald Trump's infamous photo-op at the height of the George Floyd protests, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley penned a lengthy and vociferous critique of Trump in a resignation letter he ultimately never sent, The New Yorker reported on Monday.... Milley's letter was dated June 8, a week after the incident.... 'The events of the last couple weeks have caused me to do deep soul-searching, and I can no longer faithfully support and execute your orders as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff,' Milley wrote, according to The New Yorker. 'It is my belief that you were doing great and irreparable harm to my country. I believe that you have made a concerted effort over time to politicize the United States military.'... Milley ultimately decided not to quit. 'F*** that s***,' Milley told his staff, according to The New Yorker. 'I'll just fight him.'... Milley would later publicly apologize for his involvement in the [Bible photo-op] incident in a pre-recorded speech at the National Defense University."

Oliver Darcy of CNN: "Approximately two years' worth of text messages sent and received by right-wing conspiracy theorist Alex Jones have been turned over to the House select committee investigating the January 6 insurrection, a person familiar with the matter told CNN on Monday. The messages were handed over to the committee by Mark Bankston, the attorney who represented two Sandy Hook parents who successfully sued Jones in Texas and won nearly $50 million in a civil trial that concluded last week." ~~~

     ~~~ Luke Broadwater & Elizabeth Williamson of the New York Times: "But the files do not appear to include text messages from the time most of interest to the committee: the day of Jan. 6, 2021, and the weeks building up to the attack, according to people familiar with the document production. Though the phone data was retrieved in mid-2021, the most recent message is from mid-2020, according to Mark Bankston...."

Kara Scannell of CNN: "Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is meeting on Tuesday with the January 6 committee, a source familiar with the matter told CNN. The deposition will be conducted virtually, the source added."

Zachary Cohen & Sara Murray of CNN: "Doug Mastriano, the Trump-endorsed GOP nominee for governor in Pennsylvania, is expected to appear virtually on Tuesday before the House select committee investigating the January 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection but might not end up answering any questions due to a dispute over his testimony, a source familiar with the matter tells CNN. The committee has been negotiating the terms of Mastriano's deposition for weeks but the two sides still have not reached an agreement over whether his attorney would be allowed to videotape the deposition or be given access to the committee's own full recording after the fact, the source said. As a result, Mastriano's appearance Tuesday is expected to be brief and may end when the panel attempts to swear him in, the source added. Mastriano was a key figure in Trump's effort to overturn the 2020 election."

Nick Miroff of the Washington Post: "The Department of Homeland Security said late Monday it is preparing to quickly end the Trump-era 'Remain in Mexico' program and will no longer send asylum seekers back across the border to await a decision on their applications for U.S. protection. The announcement came after U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk lifted his injunction blocking Biden officials from ending the program, formally known as the 'Migrant Protection Protocols' or MPP. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled June 30 that the Biden administration had the authority to terminate the program, opening a path for DHS to finally bring a close to one of the Trump administration's most contentious border measures. DHS officials said asylum seekers waiting in Mexico for their appointments in the U.S. immigration court would be allowed to cross the border on the day of their hearings and stay in the United States while awaiting an outcome."

Marie: Jayne Mayer has a story in this week's New Yorker on Republicans' gerrymandering that defies court orders. Yesterday I linked a NYT story on the same topic, but Mayer's article, which apparently concentrates on Ohio, sounds interesting. Mayer pointed out in an MSNBC interview that when the courts tell Democrats to un-gerrymander their maps, they do it; Republicans revel in their defiance and think it's funny. Thanks very much to Ken W. for the link to Mayer's report.

Can Somebody Please Tell Republicans How Babies Are Made? Amanda Terkel of the Huffington Post:"In his latest fundraising email, Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) [wrote]..., 'If we don't take back the Senate, Dems will pack the courts, give DC statehood, grant abortions up to 52 weeks, and Republicans will never win again[.]'" MB: Maybe what confused Senator Tim is that donkeys -- the Democratic symbol -- have a gestation period of about a year.

Beyond the Beltway

Georgia. Richard Fausset of the New York Times: "A federal judge meted out a second layer of life sentences on Monday to Travis and Gregory McMichael, two of the three white Georgia men convicted of committing federal hate crimes for the pursuit and slaying of Ahmaud Arbery, an unarmed Black man, in February 2020. And in an equally dramatic move, U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood rejected requests by the McMichaels -- who were previously sentenced to life for their murder convictions in state court -- that they be allowed to serve some part of their the concurrent life sentences in federal prison." ~~~

     ~~~ The story has been updated: "[The McMichael's] neighbor William Bryan, 52 -- who joined the McMichaels in chasing Mr. Arbery, a 25-year-old Black man, through their neighborhood on a Sunday afternoon in February 2020 -- received a sentence of 35 years."

Michigan. Nick Corasaniti>, et al., of the New York Times: "The revelations of possible meddling with voting machines have set off a political tsunami in Michigan, one of the most critical battleground states in the country.... Documents detail deception of election officials and a breach of voting equipment that stand out as extraordinary even among the volumes of public reporting on brazen attempts by ... Donald J. Trump's supporters to scrutinize and undermine the 2020 results. But one of the most politically striking elements of the case is the identity of one of the people implicated in the scheme by the office of the attorney general: Matthew DePerno, who is now the presumptive Republican nominee for that very post.... Evidence provided by [the] office [of current state AG Dana Nessel, who is seeking re-election,] places Mr. DePerno at one of the 'tests' of voting equipment and suggests that he was a key orchestrator of 'a conspiracy' to gain improper access to machines in three counties...."

Way Beyond

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

     ~~~ The Washington Post's live briefings for Tuesday are here: "Ukrainian troops are 'moving very successfully' toward Izyum in the northeast, putting further pressure on Russian troops, Ukrainian presidential adviser Oleksiy Arestovych said in a YouTube video. The city of 50,000 is seen as the gateway to the eastern Donbas region, most of which is held by pro-Russian forces. Between 70,000 and 80,000 Russian troops have been killed or wounded during the conflict, Colin Kahl, the U.S. undersecretary of defense for policy, said at a Monday briefing.... Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is accusing Russia of 'nuclear blackmail' following recent attacks on Europe's largest nuclear power plant that the United Nations has warned could lead to catastrophic consequences. Two more grain ships sailed Tuesday under a deal brokered by the United Nations and facilitated by Turkey." ~~~

~~~ Karoun Demirjian of the Washington Post: "The Pentagon on Monday said it is sending Ukraine an additional $1 billion in military assistance, including tens of thousands more munitions and explosives -- the largest such package since Russia launched its invasion in February. The announcement comes as Ukrainian forces undertake a counteroffensive aimed at reclaiming the southern city of Kherson. The operation is seen in Kyiv and in Washington as a vital bid to prevent the Kremlin from making good on its vow to absorb occupied territories via planned referendums."

August 8, 2022

Afternoon Update:

Georgia. Richard Fausset of the New York Times: "A federal judge meted out a second layer of life sentences on Monday to Travis and Gregory McMichael, two of the three white Georgia men convicted of committing federal hate crimes for the pursuit and slaying of Ahmaud Arbery, an unarmed Black man, in February 2020. And in an equally dramatic move, U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood rejected requests by the McMichaels -- who were previously sentenced to life for their murder convictions in state court -- that they be allowed to serve some part of their the concurrent life sentences in federal prison."

Oliver Darcy of CNN: "Approximately two years' worth of text messages sent and received by right-wing conspiracy theorist Alex Jones have been turned over to the House select committee investigating the January 6 insurrection, a person familiar with the matter told CNN on Monday. The messages were handed over to the committee by Mark Bankston, the attorney who represented two Sandy Hook parents who successfully sued Jones in Texas and won nearly $50 million in a civil trial that concluded last week."

Trump Aimed to Be More Like Hitler. Michael Shear of the New York Times:"President Donald J. Trump told his top White House aide that he wished he had generals like the ones who had reported to Adolf Hitler, saying they were 'totally loyal' to the leader of the Nazi regime, according to a forthcoming book about the 45th president. 'Why can't you be like the German generals?' Mr. Trump told John Kelly, his chief of staff, preceding the question with an obscenity, according to an excerpt from 'The Divider: Trump in the White House,' by Peter Baker and Susan Glasser, published online by The New Yorker on Monday morning.... The excerpt depicts Mr. Trump as deeply frustrated by his top military officials, whom he saw as insufficiently loyal or obedient to him.... [Mr. Kelly] told Mr. Trump that Germany's generals had 'tried to kill Hitler three times and almost pulled it off.' Mr. Trump was dismissive, according to the excerpt, apparently unaware of ... World War II history.... '"No, no, no, they were totally loyal to him," the president replied,' according to the book's authors. 'In his version of history, the generals of the Third Reich had been completely subservient to Hitler; this was the model he wanted for his military. Kelly told Trump that there were no such American generals, but the president was determined to test the proposition.'"

Marie: Jayne Mayer has a story in this week's New Yorker on Republicans' gerrymandering that defies court orders. I linked below a NYT story on the same topic, but Mayer's article, which apparently concentrates on Ohio, sounds interesting. Mayer pointed out in an MSNBC interview that when the courts tell Democrats to un-gerrymander their maps, they do it; Republicans revel in their defiance and think it's funny. If you have a New Yorker subscription, please provide me with the link so I can share it. Thank you.

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** Emily Cochrane of the New York Times: "The Senate passed legislation on Sunday that would make the most significant federal investment in history to counter climate change and lower the cost of prescription drugs, as Democrats banded together to push through major pieces of President Biden's domestic agenda over unified Republican opposition.... Altogether, the bill could allow the United States to cut greenhouse gas emissions about 40 percent below 2005 levels by the end of the decade. It would achieve Democrats' longstanding goal of slashing prescription drug costs by allowing Medicare for the first time to negotiate the prices of medicines directly and capping the amount that recipients pay out of pocket for drugs each year at $2,000. The measure also would extend larger premium subsidies for health coverage for low- and middle-income people under the Affordable Care Act for three years. And it would be paid for by substantial tax increases, mostly on large corporations, including establishing a 15 percent corporate minimum tax and imposing a new tax on company stock buybacks.... The House planned to interrupt its summer break to reconvene briefly on Friday to clear the measure, sending it to Mr. Biden for his signature...." Portions of this article appeared at the top of yesterday's New York Times liveblog of developments in the Senate Sunday. ~~~

     ~~~ Tony Romm of the Washington Post: "The Senate on Sunday approved a sweeping package to combat climate change, lower health-care costs, raise taxes on some billion-dollar corporations and reduce the federal deficit, as Democrats overcame months of political infighting to deliver the centerpiece to President Biden's long-stalled economic agenda.... The party-line vote marked a key milestone in a tumultuous journey that began last year when Democrats took control of Congress and the White House with a promise to bring financial relief to average Americans. With a tiebreaking vote from Vice President Harris, the 50-50 Senate sent the bill to the House, which aims to approve it and send it to the White House for [President] Biden's signature later this week."; This is an update of a story linked earlier Sunday. The Guardian's report is here. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) An AP story is here. ~~~

     ~~~ President Biden's statement, via the White House, is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Evan Halper & Tony Romm of the Washington Post: "Republican lawmakers on Sunday successfully stripped a $35 price cap on the cost of insulin for many patients from the ambitious legislative package Democrats are moving through Congress this weekend, invoking arcane Senate rules to jettison the measure.... The insulin cap is a long-running ambition of Democrats, who want it to apply to patients on Medicare and private insurance. Republicans left the portion that applies to Medicare patients untouched but stripped the insulin cap for other patients.... The Senate parliamentarian earlier in the weekend ruled that part of the Democrats' cap, included in the Inflation Reduction Act, did not comply with the rules that allow them to advance a bill under ... reconciliation.... Some Republicans did support the price cap in the 57-43 vote for the measure, but not enough joined Democrats in support of it to meet the threshold for passage.... 'Republicans have just gone on the record in favor of expensive insulin,' said Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.). 'After years of tough talk about taking on insulin makers, Republicans have once against wilted in the face of heat from Big Pharma.'" (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

     ~~~ The NBC News story is here: "Republican Sens. Bill Cassidy and John Kennedy of Louisiana; Susan Collins of Maine; Josh Hawley of Missouri; Cindy Hyde-Smith of Mississippi; and Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan of Alaska joined Democrats in voting to keep the insulin cap for private insurers on Sunday." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Coral Davenport & Lisa Friedman of the New York Times: "In 1969, President Richard Nixon's adviser Daniel Patrick Moynihan wrote a memo describing ... [how] the increase of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere caused by burning oil, gas and coal ... would dangerously heat the planet, melt the glaciers and cause the seas to rise.... Fifty-three years later..., Senate Democrats muscled through a $370 billion bill designed to move the country away from fossil fuels and toward solar, wind and other renewable energy. If the House passes the legislation later this week as expected, it will be the nation's first major climate law.... [Passage was partly the result of] a shift in strategy, which set aside what experts consider the most efficient way to cut carbon dioxide emissions, a tax on pollution, for the less-effective but more politically palatable approach of monetary incentives to industries and consumers to switch to clean energy. Essentially, lawmakers replaced the sticks with carrots."

Hiroko Tabuchi of the New York Times: "[Joe] Manchin's recent surprise agreement to back the Biden administration's historic climate legislation came about in part because the senator was promised something in return: not only support for [West Virginia's Mountain Valley P]ipeline in his home state, but also expedited approval for pipelines and other infrastructure nationwide, as part of a wider set of concessions to fossil fuels. It was a big win for a pipeline industry that, in recent years, has quietly become one of Mr. Manchin's biggest financial supporters.... Mr. Manchin has been by far Congress's largest recipient of money from natural gas pipeline companies this cycle, raising three times as much from the industry than any other lawmaker.... NextEra Energy, a utility giant and stakeholder in the Mountain Valley Pipeline, is a top donor to both Mr. Manchin and Senator Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York, who negotiated the pipeline side deal with Mr. Manchin."

Jeff Stein of the Washington Post: "Senate Democrats agreed Sunday to protect firms owned by the private equity industry from a new minimum tax on billion-dollar corporations, bowing to pressure from Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), who insisted on making the change to the Democrats' sprawling climate, health-care and tax package.... The senator's objections came days after she persuaded Democrats to abandon a different effort to raise taxes on private equity managers by closing the so-called 'carried interest loophole,' which permits investment managers to pay lower rates on certain portions of their income.... The last-minute changes mark a significant victory for the private equity industry and an estimated savings of $35 billion over the next decade.... The Senate later voted 51-50 to make up the lost revenue by limiting 'pass-through' companies -- which can include private-equity firms -- from claiming more than $250,000 in annual tax deductions." As one tax expert said, Sinema's latest claim that the minimum tax would hurt small businesses was "absurd."

Damien Cave of the New York Times: "Caroline Kennedy, the United States ambassador to Australia, and Wendy Sherman, the U.S. deputy secretary of state, stood together at dawn on Sunday on the island of Guadalcanal to honor the 80th anniversary of the World War II battle there that nearly led to the deaths of their fathers, and that redefined America's role across Asia.... Their visit occurred as China's military was expected to wrap up 72 hours of drills around Taiwan simulating an invasion. And in their remarks at events with officials from Japan, Australia, New Zealand and Solomon Islands, both officials emphasized that the region -- and the world -- finds itself at another crossroads. Worth reading the whole story. A Guardian story, mostly about Ambassador Kennedy & her father, is here. ~~~

"The New Fascism." Max Boot of the Washington Post: "Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who has been destroying his country's democracy, received a standing ovation [at CPAC] less than two weeks after he gave a speech in Romania in which he endorsed the white supremacist 'replacement theory' and denounced a 'mixed-race world.'... Right-wingers in Dallas thrilled to his denunciations of immigration, abortion, LGBTQ rights and 'the Woke Globalist Goliath.' He even excoriated Jewish financier George Soros, a Hungarian native, as someone who 'hated Christianity.'... [Donald Trump] has made the marginal into the mainstream of the Republican Party, and vice versa.... Republicans are nominating far-right fanatics who claim that the 2020 presidential election -- and any election that they lose, for that matter --; was 'rigged.'... In four key swing states -- Arizona, Michigan, Nevada and Pennsylvania -- the GOP nominees to oversee state elections deny the legitimacy of [Joe] Biden's election. Two of those candidates, Arizona secretary of state nominee Mark Finchem and Pennsylvania governor nominee Doug Mastriano, were outside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.... Meanwhile, most House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump for inciting an insurrection are being driven out of Congress.... The most apt phrase for this American authoritarianism is the New Fascism, and it is fast becoming the dominant trend on the right. If the GOP gains power in Washington, all of America will be in danger of being Orbanized." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: You won't be surprised to learn that I have no problem with labeling Trumpolini & DeSantolini as neo-fascists. And that goes for this nitwit, too ~~~

~~~ MTG Accidentally Stands up for Antifa. Nina Golgowski of the Huffington Post: "Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) on Saturday said 'no one can convince' her that the rioters behind the Jan. 6 attack at the U.S. Capitol were not anti-fascist protesters and that she 'cannot wait for a real investigation' to take place.... Greene went on to call the federal government's response to the riot ― which has led to more than 800 arrests and more than 200 criminal sentences by the U.S. Attorney's Office ― 'political persecution.' At the same time, she said those who did things that 'they shouldn't have done' should be treated better while behind bars." MB: Margie is so damned dumb I don't think she realizes that her complaint is that the feds are mistreating (mostly left-wing) antifa radicals. So let me explain: see, Margie, if the rioters were antifa, as you assert, then the rioters the feds threw into jail are antifa.

Katie Shepherd & Frances Sellers of the Washington Post: "The sudden imposition of antiabortion laws after Roe's reversal has left patients, doctors and pharmacists wading through a minefield of treatment issues and legal and ethical dilemmas related to women's health care -- even in situations l... that have nothing to do with pregnancy. Medicines that treat conditions from cancer to autoimmune diseases to ulcers can also end a pregnancy or cause birth defects. As a result, doctors and pharmacists in more than a dozen states with strict abortion restrictions must suddenly navigate whether and when to order such drugs because they could be held criminally liable and lose their licenses for prescribing some of them to pregnant women.... Patients are also at greater risk because they can no longer seek abortions in their home states should they accidentally become pregnant while taking such drugs -- no matter how grievous the injuries to the developing fetus." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I'd guess that most medical professionals don't have the same problem with treating men who may need these drugs. The reporters write, "Civil rights and women's advocates denounce many of these changes [to drug protocols], questioning whether they may violate federal protections against discrimination on the basis of sex or disability." I don't suppose this worries Sam Alito & his confederate pals one little bit. Now, you combine this with the facts that in states with severe anti-abortion, women cannot get abortions and the most conscientious OB/GYNs don't want to work there, and you can see that women are truly second-class citizens who cannot get the best medical care in parts of the U.S.

Special Report: Dried-up Waters News. Bodies & Bombs. Nouran Salahieh & Elizabeth Wolfe of CNN: "More human remains have been found in the receding waters of Lake Mead, authorities announced Saturday. This is the fourth time human remains have been found at Lake Mead National Recreation Area since May. In the latest incident, park rangers got a call Saturday morning about skeletal remains at Swim Beach area, National Park Service officials said in a statement." ~~~

     ~~~ AND in Italy. Reuters, via the Guardian: "Heatwaves sweeping Europe this summer have brought not just record high temperatures and scorched fields: the drought-stricken waters of Italy's river Po are running so low they revealed a previously submerged second world war bomb. Military experts defused and carried out a controlled explosion on Sunday of the 450-kg (1,000-pound) bomb, which was discovered on 25 July near the northern village of Borgo Virgilio, close to the city of Mantua in the country's north." MB: I don't recall having seen any pleasure craft on the Po, but one can rent them & take commercial river cruises on the easterly parts of the Po, around Mantua (Mantova). Imagine what a deep keep might have done.

Peter Baker of the New York Times: "President Biden left isolation on Sunday morning after a weeklong rebound case of Covid-19, heading to Rehoboth Beach in Delaware for a short getaway before resuming official travel. The president appeared in good spirits as he emerged from the White House in the early morning hours without a tie and headed to Marine One for the flight to the beach. 'I'm feeling good,' he told reporters. The White House said that Mr. Biden had tested negative for the coronavirus for a second consecutive day before leaving the White House. 'He will safely return to public engagement and presidential travel,' Dr. Kevin C. O'Connor, the White House physician, said in a memo released by the White House."

Beyond the Beltway

Congressional Elections. Deemed Illegal But Good to Go. Michael Wines of the New York Times: "Since January, judges in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana and Ohio have found that Republican legislators illegally drew those states' congressional maps along racial or partisan lines, or that a trial very likely would conclude that they did. In years past, judges who have reached similar findings have ordered new maps, or had an expert draw them, to ensure that coming elections were fair. But a shift in election law philosophy at the Supreme Court, combined with a new aggressiveness among Republicans who drew the maps, has upended that model for the elections in November. This time, all four states are using the rejected maps, and questions about their legality for future elections will be hashed out in court later. The immediate upshot, election experts say, is that Republicans almost certainly will gain more seats in midterm elections at a time when Democrats already are struggling to maintain their bare majority."

Michigan Attorney General Race. Heidi Przybyla of Politico: "Michigan's attorney general is requesting a special prosecutor be named to investigate her Trump-endorsed opponent, citing evidence tying him to a potentially criminal scheme to seize and tamper with voting machines, according to documents obtained by Politico. The decision comes after a monthslong investigation by Michigan State Police and the attorney general, Dana Nessel, into voting machine breaches that took place in several Michigan counties. That investigation unexpectedly led to Kalamazoo lawyer Matthew DePerno, whom ... Donald Trump has taken an outsize interest in promoting to be Michigan's next attorney general.... In [a petition to then Michigan Prosecuting Attorneys Coordinating Council], Nessel's office states that DePerno -- who has been a pivotal figure promoting Trump's false allegations that the 2020 election was stolen -- was present at an Oakland County hotel room sometime in early 2021, during which tabulators were tampered with.... This is among multiple pieces of evidence linking DePerno to the breach of several voting machines.... DePerno is set to formally receive the GOP nomination for attorney general later this month after winning the endorsement of party delegates in April." ~~~

     ~~~ A Washington Post story is here. MB: The GOP seems to be little more than a criminal gang.

New Mexico. Elise Kaplan of the Albuquerque Journal: "On Friday afternoon, Naeem Hussain attended the funeral service for two Muslim men [-- Aftab Hussein & Muhammad Afzaal Hussain --] who were killed in the past two weeks.... Several hours later, a little before midnight, Naeem Hussain was shot to death in a parking lot of an organization that offers services for refugees and asylum seekers.... His death was the latest in what police suspect is a string of homicides [in Albuquerque] targeting Muslim men based on their race and religion.... On Saturday, an Albuquerque Police Department spokesman said the recent homicides have led detectives to try to determine whether the Nov. 7 fatal shooting of Mohammad Ahmadi, 62, is also related." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) A New York Times story is here. ~~~

      ~~~ From the Washington Post story by Bryan Pietsch & others: "Muhammad Afzaal Hussain, who was fatally shot on Monday, worked on the campaign team of Rep. Melanie Ann Stansbury (D-N.M.), the congresswoman said during a news conference Sunday."

Wisconsin Senate Race. Michelle Cottle of the New York Times: "How is it that Senator Ron Johnson, the two-term Republican from Wisconsin, remains a remotely viable candidate for re-election?... Mr. Johnson may be the senator who most fully embodies the detached-from-reality elements of MAGA-world.... His irrational and irresponsible conspiracy mongering about matters such as the Covid vaccine, the integrity of the 2020 election and who was really behind the Jan. 6 riots ('agents provocateurs'? antifa? The FBI? Nancy Pelosi?) unsettled even some of his Republican colleagues.... For all of Mr. Johnson's weird behavior, the June poll from Marquette showed him neck and neck with various Democratic candidates.... Plenty of Wisconsin voters came to terms with Mr. Johnson's brand of crazy years ago."

Way Beyond

Israel/Palestine. From the New York Times liveblog: "Israel and Palestinian Islamic Jihad militants in Gaza agreed to a cease-fire, the two parties announced late Sunday night, a move that was expected to end a three-day conflict that killed dozens of Palestinians, including children as well as key militant commanders; destroyed several residential buildings and militant bases in Gaza; and paralyzed parts of southern Israel. The conflict, which began on Friday afternoon, when Israel launched airstrikes to foil what it said was an imminent attack from Gaza, has left the status quo in Israel and the occupied territories almost unchanged. A 15-year blockade of Gaza remains in place, and there is no prospect of peace talks to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.... If the truce holds, the fighting will end with a death toll of at least 44 in Gaza, including 15 children, according to the health ministry there. Some 311 people were injured, the health ministry there said." (Also linked yesterday.)

Ukraine, et al. The Washington Post's live briefings of developments Monday in Russia's war on Ukraine are here: "U.N. Secretary General António Guterres demanded that international inspectors be given access to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, which was shelled in attacks that damaged radiation-monitoring sensors and raised fears of a 'nuclear disaster.'... Radiation levels at the damaged nuclear power plant remain in normal range, a Ukrainian official said Sunday.... U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken began a three-country tour of Africa on Sunday, seeking to strengthen support on the continent for Ukraine and its allies after a recent Russian charm offensive there -- a further sign that Africa is being dragged into Europe's conflict. Blinken will visit South Africa, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda. Two more ships carrying a combined 60,000 tons of soybeans and corn have set sail from Black Sea ports, Reuters reported Monday, taking the total of grain shipments to 10 since operations resumed last week under a U.N.-brokered deal facilitated by Turkey." ~~~

     ~~~ The New York Times' live updates for Monday are here. The Guardian's live updates for Monday are here. The Guardian's summary report, which is part of the live updates, is here.

News Ledes

New York Times: "David McCullough, who was known to millions as an award-winning, best-selling author and an appealing television host and narrator with a rare gift for recreating the great events and characters of America's past, died on Sunday at his home in Hingham, Mass., southeast of Boston. He was 89."

New York Times: "Olivia Newton-John, who sang some of the biggest hits of the 1970s and '80s while recasting her image as the virginal girl next door into a spandex-clad vixen == a transformation reflected in miniature by her starring role in 'Grease,' one of the most popular movie musicals of its era -- died on Monday at her ranch in Southern California. She was 73. The death was announced by her husband, John Easterling. She had lived with a breast cancer diagnosis since 1992 and in 2017 announced that the cancer had returned and spread. For years she was a prominent advocate for cancer research and had started a foundation in her name to support it."

August 7, 2022

Late Morning/Afternoon Update:

** Tony Romm of the Washington Post: "The Senate on Sunday approved a sweeping package to combat climate change, lower health-care costs, raise taxes on some billion-dollar corporations and reduce the federal deficit, as Democrats overcame months of political infighting to deliver the centerpiece to President Biden's long-stalled economic agenda.... The party-line vote marked a key milestone in a tumultuous journey that began last year when Democrats took control of Congress and the White House with a promise to bring financial relief to average Americans. With a tiebreaking vote from Vice President Harris, the 50-50 Senate sent the bill to the House, which aims to approve it and send it to the White House for Biden's signature later this week." This is an update of a story linked earlier. The Guardian's report is here.

The New York Times liveblogged developments in the Senate's "vote-a-rama" on the Democrats' spending bill. ~~~

     ~~~ Update: Now pinned at the top of the liveblog: "The Senate passed legislation on Sunday that would make the most significant federal investment in history to counter climate change and lower the cost of prescription drugs, as Democrats banded together to push through major pieces of President Biden's domestic agenda over unified Republican opposition.... Altogether, the bill could allow the United States to cut greenhouse gas emissions about 40 percent below 2005 levels by the end of the decade. It would achieve Democrats' longstanding goal of slashing prescription drug costs by allowing Medicare for the first time to negotiate the prices of medicines directly and capping the amount that recipients pay out of pocket for drugs each year at $2,000. The measure also would extend larger premium subsidies for health coverage for low- and middle-income people under the Affordable Care Act for three years. And it would be paid for by substantial tax increases, mostly on large corporations, including establishing a 15 percent corporate minimum tax and imposing a new tax on company stock buybacks.... The House planned to interrupt its summer break to reconvene briefly on Friday to clear the measure, sending it to Mr. Biden for his signature.... On Sunday morning, Republicans successfully forced the removal of a $35 cap on insulin prices for patients on private insurance, challenging it as a violation of Senate rules. While Democrats could not secure the 60 votes needed to keep that proposal, a cap on insulin prices for Medicare patients remained untouched in the legislation." ~~~

     ~~~ Evan Halper & Tony Romm of the Washington Post: "Republican lawmakers on Sunday successfully stripped a $35 price cap on the cost of insulin for many patients from the ambitious legislative package Democrats are moving through Congress this weekend, invoking arcane Senate rules to jettison the measure.... The insulin cap is a long-running ambition of Democrats, who want it to apply to patients on Medicare and private insurance. Republicans left the portion that applies to Medicare patients untouched but stripped the insulin cap for other patients.... The Senate parliamentarian earlier in the weekend ruled that part of the Democrats' cap, included in the Inflation Reduction Act, did not comply with the rules that allow them to advance a bill under ... reconciliation.... Some Republicans did support the price cap in the 57-43 vote for the measure, but not enough joined Democrats in support of it to meet the threshold for passage.... 'Republicans have just gone on the record in favor of expensive insulin,' said Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.). 'After years of tough talk about taking on insulin makers, Republicans have once against wilted in the face of heat from Big Pharma.'" ~~~

     ~~~ The NBC News story is here: "Republican Sens. Bill Cassidy and John Kennedy Susan Collins of Maine; Josh Hawley of Missouri; Cindy Hyde-Smith of Mississippi; and Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan of Alaska joined Democrats in voting to keep the insulin cap for private insurers on Sunday."

New Mexico. Elise Kaplan of the Albuquerque Journal: "On Friday afternoon, Naeem Hussain attended the funeral service for two Muslim men [-- Aftab Hussein & Muhammad Afzaal Hussain --] who were killed in the past two weeks.... Several hours later, a little before midnight, Naeem Hussain was shot to death in a parking lot of an organization that offers services for refugees and asylum seekers.... His death was the latest in what police suspect is a string of homicides [in Albuquerque] targeting Muslim men based on their race and religion.... On Saturday, an Albuquerque Police Department spokesman said the recent homicides have led detectives to try to determine whether the Nov. 7 fatal shooting of Mohammad Ahmadi, 62, is also related.

Israel/Palestine. From the New York Times liveblog: "Israel and Palestinian Islamic Jihad militants in Gaza agreed to a cease-fire, the two parties announced late Sunday night, a move that was expected to end a three-day conflict that killed dozens of Palestinians, including children as well as key militant commanders; destroyed several residential buildings and militant bases in Gaza; and paralyzed parts of southern Israel. The conflict, which began on Friday afternoon, when Israel launched airstrikes to foil what it said was an imminent attack from Gaza, has left the status quo in Israel and the occupied territories almost unchanged. A 15-year blockade of Gaza remains in place, and there is n prospect of peace talks to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.... If the truce holds, the fighting will end with a death toll of at least 44 in Gaza, including 15 children, according to the health ministry there. Some 311 people were injured, the health ministry there said."

~~~~~~~~~~

Emily Cochrane of the New York Times: "A divided Senate took a crucial step on Saturday toward approving Democrats' plan to tackle climate change bring down health care costs and raise taxes on large corporations, with a test vote that paved the way to enact a significant piece of President Biden's domestic agenda in the coming days. The measure advanced on a party-line vote of 51 to 50, with all Republicans opposed and Vice President Kamala Harris breaking the tie. The action suggested that Democrats, after more than a year of internal feuding and painstaking negotiation, had finally coalesced behind legislation that would provide hundreds of billions of dollars for climate and energy programs, extend Affordable Care Act subsidies and create a new federal initiative to reduce the cost of prescriptio drugs, particularly for older Americans.... The vote put the bill on track to pass the Senate as early as Sunday, with the House expected to give its approval by the end of the week." CNN's report is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Tony Romm of the Washington Post: "More than eight hours into a slow-moving debate, [Democratic] party lawmakers appeared on track to deliver the political centerpiece of President Biden's long-stalled economic agenda.... As they have for months, Republicans took to the Senate floor for hours to charge that the measure would worsen inflation, which is rising at the fastest rate in four decades. They painted its tax increases as a threat to workers and their wages, even though the bill would not raise tax rates for individuals, and derided its proposed increase in funding for tax collectors at the Internal Revenue Service.... Republicans soon began offering a battery of amendments seeking to undermine the bill -- or force Democrats to take politically difficult votes. But the GOP repeatedly found itself powerless to block or substantively change the legislation, defeated in its attempts to advance proposals that would toughen border enforcement and limit federal authority to regulate emissions.... The chief architect of their more expansive original ambitions, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), took to the Senate floor to express his alarm at its narrow scope." ~~~

     ~~~ Jordain Carney & Caitlin Emma of Politico: "A few more potential threats loomed at sunrise Sunday, particularly on the legislation's insulin price cap. But Republicans otherwise made little headway during a legislative endurance run of politically tricky votes on immigration, taxes and other issues.... Democrats are still facing a Republicans challenge to their proposed $35 monthly cap on what people pay out-of-pocket for insulin, a plan championed by [Sen. Raphael] Warnock [D-Ga.]. Republicans have argued that the provision doesn't comply with Senate budget rules. The Senate parliamentarian, or the upper chamber's rules referee, could decide in real-time whether the insulin provisions should stay or go. If the parliamentarian rules against it, Democrats are expected to try to muster 60 votes to overrule the decision and keep it in the bill. That would require finding support from 10 Republicans, which they're not expected to get. The outcome of the insulin provision was the biggest question mark as the hours-long voting marathon stretched into Sunday." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: It should not be lost on any American, and specifically on any voter, that every Senate Republican is for burning down Earth, for keeping U.S. healthcare services and prescription drugs unaffordable, and for tax breaks for wealthy Americans & corporations. ~~~

~~~ Caitlin Emma & Marianne Levine of Politico: "Democrats have survived the vetting of the Medicare portions of their prescription drug reform plan, but lost ground on a separate pillar that penalizes drug companies for raising prices on individuals with private health insurance, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Saturday.... The Senate's nonpartisan rules referee, who decides which provisions are eligible for sidestepping a GOP filibuster under the chamber's strict rules, signed off on Medicare-related drug price negotiation.... The Senate's rules arbiter [also] signed off on that the bill's energy provisions, including electric vehicle tax credits and a bonus tax credit to encourage clean energy developers to pay the prevailing wage." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: You might ask, "Okay, then, the Senate can just pass the parts that didn't pass muster under regular order." But no, that requires meeting the 60-vote filibuster threshold, and Republicans want you to have to pay high prices for drugs. If that's not true, let Republicans prove it by finding at least ten GOP senators who will vote for (or sponsor) a comparable stand-alone bill.

Josh Margolin of ABC News: "The U.S. Secret Service has given the House Jan. 6 committee a listing of agency-issued cell phone numbers belonging to agents based in Washington, D.C., for the period the panel is investigating, according to sources familiar with the matter. The move is an unusual step amid heightened scrutiny of the agency's cooperation with the congressional panel investigating last year's insurrection and the role ...t Donald Trump played in it. The committee can now determine which agents' call records they may want to review and, if they decide to do so, could either request them directly or conceivably issue subpoenas to their cell phone providers, an official familiar with the situation explained."

Maureen Dowd of the New York Times: "The timing of your exit can determine your place in the history books. This is something Joe Biden should keep in mind as he is riding the crest of success. His inner circle, irritated by stories about concerns over his age and unpopularity, will say this winning streak gives Biden the impetus to run again. The opposite is true. It should give him the confidence to leave, secure in the knowledge that he has made his mark.... He could leave on a high, knowing that he has delivered on his promises for progress and restored decency to the White House.... The country really needs to dodge a comeback by Trump or the rise of the odious Ron DeSantis.... Usually, being a lame duck weakens you. But in Biden's case, it could strengthen him..., freeing him from typical re-election pressures.... These are dangerous times .... It might be best to have a president unshackled from the usual political restraints." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I have a feeling Biden already has made the decision not to seek re-election. Dowd is right about timing (she cites Ruth Bader Ginsburg's disastrous decision to stay on despite her advanced age & multiple health issues), but I'd guess Biden thinks the time to announce his intentions is -- later.

Christopher Rowland of the Washington Post: There is a "hesitancy among some doctors and medical students who are reconsidering career prospects in red states where laws governing abortion have changed rapidly since the Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade, according to interviews with health-care professionals and reproductive health advocates. One large medical recruiting firm said it recently had 20 obstetrician-gynecologists turn down positions in red states because of abortion laws. The reluctance extends beyond those interested in providing abortion care, as laws meant to protect a fetus could open doctors up to new liabilities or limit their ability to practice.... Doctors said they are grappling with the fallout from broadly worded legislation written by politicians without detailed medical knowledge.... Additionally, many OB/GYN doctors, even if they don't perform abortions themselves, believe strongly in patient autonomy and decision-making, said academic and clinical leaders." See also links to stories below about the new Indiana abortion law.

You can't make up this stuff: ~~~

"Drop Box for Babies." Dana Goldstein of the New York Times: “The Safe Haven Baby Box at a firehouse in Carmel, Ind., looked like a library book drop. It had been available for three years for anyone who wanted to surrender a baby anonymously. No one had ever used it, though, until early April. When its alarm went off, Victor Andres, a firefighter, opened the box and found, to his disbelief, a newborn boy wrapped in towels.... Later that month, Mr. Andres pulled another newborn, a girl, from the box. In May, a third baby appeared. By summer, three more infants were left at baby box locations throughout the state. The baby boxes are part of the safe haven movement, which has long been closely tied to anti-abortion activism.... All 50 states have safe haven laws meant to protect surrendering mothers from criminal charges.... But what began as a way to prevent the most extreme cases of child abuse has become a broader phenomenon, supported especially among the religious right, which heavily promotes adoption as an alternative to abortion.... (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

~~~ "During oral arguments in the case Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, Justice Amy Coney Barrett suggested that safe haven laws offered an alternative to abortion by allowing women to avoid 'the burdens of parenting.' In the court's decision, Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. cited safe haven laws as a 'modern development' that, in the majority's view, obviated the need for abortion rights." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

     ~~~ Contributor Forrest M. is baffled: "... Republicans are fine with having drop boxes for newborn unwanted babies, but drop boxes for votes is dangerous."

Jared Gans of the Hill: "Former President Trump won a comfortable majority of the vote in the Conservative Political Action Conference's (CPAC) straw poll, maintaining his position as the favorite for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. Organizers announced at CPAC's convention in Texas that Trump won 69 percent of the vote, followed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) with 24 percent. Trump expanded his lead from the last CPAC straw poll in February, when he received the support of 59 percent of voting attendees to DeSantis' 28 percent." ~~~

~~~ Adam Schrader of UPI: "... an art performance dedicated to those who have faced criminal prosecution for their involvement in the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, [is] creating a stir at the [CPAC] conference. Video footage of the installation published by CNN featured a mock prison cell with Brandon Straka, a pro-Trump activist..., performing as a crying inmate in an orange jumpsuit...."

To the Right Wing, Even Cracker Barrel Is Too "Woke." Allison Morrow of CNN: "Cracker Barrel added Impossible sausage to its menus. Perhaps because they realized (20 years too late, in my case) that they weren't really providing for the growing number of vegetarians and vegans in America.... To be clear, Cracker Barrel isn't replacing its meat sausages with veggie alternatives. It's not mandatory or anything.... Ironically, an Impossible sausage is supposed to look and taste just like a real meat sausage -- it's designed to pass for meat, not make an obvious statement against it.... But of the more ravenous carnivores out there didn't like the addition of 'fake' meat, and they didn't hold back in their Facebook comments replying to Cracker Barrel's post announcing the update.... Several commenters decried the menu addition as 'woke.'..."

Peter Baker of the New York Times: "President Biden finally tested negative for the coronavirus on Saturday, a week after his rebound case emerged, but the White House physician said the president would remain in isolation 'in an abundance of caution' until a second negative test. In an expression of optimism, the White House separately announced on Saturday night that the president would leave Sunday morning for Rehoboth Beach in Delaware, finally escaping for a summer break after two weeks stuck at the White House with his dog Commander. The trip depends on a negative test on Sunday morning before he departs." An ABC News story is here.

Beyond the Beltway

Alabama. Amanda Holpuch of the New York Times: "A small city in Alabama moved this week to disband its three-member police force after one of them sent a racist text message that then circulated on social media. Pending an investigation into the text message, the City Council in Vincent, Ala., suspended the police chief and assistant chief at a meeting on Thursday and moved to dissolve the department, the mayor, James Latimer, said on Saturday. After that decision, the remaining member of the department resigned, the mayor said. After the suspensions and resignation, the Shelby County Sheriff's Office said in a statement on Friday that it was handling law enforcement emergency calls for the city. The statement added that officials at the Sheriff's Office 'equally condemn' the allegations of misconduct." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: There is a certain irony in this little Shelby County town's racist crisis; it was Shelby County v. Holder in which, in their wisdom, the confederate Supreme decided it would be a good idea to decimate the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which protected Americans in certain state and local governments from implementing racist voting laws.

Indiana. Amber Phillips & Tom Hamburger of the Washington Post: "Indiana's new sweeping ban on abortion produced immediate political and economic fallout Saturday, as some of the state's biggest employers objected to the restrictions, Democratic leaders strategized ways to amend or repeal the law, and abortion rights activists made plans to arrange alternative locations for women seeking procedures.... The Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce ... warned the ban was passed too quickly and without regard for how it will affect the state's tourism industry.... 'This has nothing to do with being "pro-life,"' tweeted California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D). 'It's about power and control.'... Indiana University Health, a major health-care provider in the state, issued a statement saying it was trying to determine what the ban meant for its doctors and patients.... Meanwhile, activists began discussing plans to raise funds and provide transportation for those seeking abortion access after the ban goes into effect, said Carol McCord, a former employee at Planned Parenthood.... Katie Blair, the advocacy and public policy director of the American Civil Liberties Union in Indiana, said Saturday that her organization will examine legal action." ~~~

     ~~~ Lora Kelley of the New York Times: "On Friday, the governor of Indiana signed into law a near-total abortion ban, making the state the first to approve sweeping new restrictions since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June. On Saturday morning, one of Indiana's biggest employers, the pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly, issued a strong objection to the new restrictions. 'Given this new law,' it said in a statement, 'we will be forced to plan for more employment growth outside our home state.' Shortly after, Jon Mills, a spokesman for Cummins, an engine company that employs about 10,000 people in the state, [also spoke out against the new law].... Some companies with a large presence in Indiana have previously stated that they will cover travel for employees." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: As I predicted some while back, red-state abortion bans could prove to be a boon for blue states whose laws allow for abortions and other medical care that protect women's rights to bodily autonomy. Economically-speaking, misogyny is not the best policy.

Florida. Selene San Felice of Axios publishes some apt reactions to King/Gov. Ron DeSantis' suspending elected Hillsborough County (Tampa) state attorney Andrew Warren. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

     ~~~ "Orban 2.0." digby: "This is how a true autocrat operates. He doesn't tweet insults (although his spokesperson does) he just acts and lets everyone else scream.... No abortion ban or LGBT cases to which DeSantis objects have been brought before the DA. The 15 week ban is still being decided in the courts. He removed him for what he said, not what he did. This is an ugly turn but it's how DeSantis operates. Unlike Trump he knows how to work the lever of government." digby republishes an article from Boltsmag that goes into not only what DeSantis did but how he failed to follow the law he used to justify suspending Warren. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Texas. Jolie McCullough & Jaden Edison of the Texas Tribune: "Gov. Greg Abbott has appointed an indicted Austin police officer accused of using excessive force during 2020 protests to Texas' regulatory law enforcement agency. Justin Berry was among 19 Austin police officers indicted earlier this year in the protests spurred by the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer. Berry is charged with two counts of aggravated assault by a public servant. He also ran as a Republican for Texas House District 19 but lost in the primary runoff election this year. Abbott had endorsed Berry in the race, saying his 'strong conservative values and experience stopping violent crime are exactly what we need in the Texas House.' Now, at the governor's hand, Berry will serve on the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement, which sets minimum licensing and training standards for police." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: It looks as if Ron-con & Greggers are in battle to prove who can be the worst governor and therefore most viable candidate for the Republican party's presidential nomination.

Way Beyond

China/Taiwan. Christian Shepherd of the Washington Post: "China has announced additional live-fire drills in the Bohai and Yellow Seas, as Beijing broadcasts its fury over a visit to Taiwan by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) with military exercises near the island.... China's Maritime Safety Administration on Saturday announced five exclusion zones in the Yellow Sea where exercises would take place from Aug. 5 to 15, as well as an additional four zones in the Bohai Sea where a month of unspecified Chinese military operations would take place from Aug 8.... The Eastern Theatre Command of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) on Sunday said it would continue joint air and navy exercises in the areas around Taiwan as planned, focusing on long-distance strikes against targets in the sky." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: China really is overreacting. While Pelosi is without question a federal VIP, she is not head-of-state, and it so happens that the head-of-state did not endorse her visit to Taiwan. Even if he had, or even if President Biden himself had gone to Taiwan, these extended military and other actions are unwarranted.

Israel/Palestine. Shira Rubin, et al., of the Washington Post: “Palestinian militants fired rockets toward Jerusalem Sunday morning after overnight Israeli air strikes killed a senior militant leader in Gaza, the second since the start of the operation. The escalation threatens to push the bout of violence that has already killed at least 31 in Gaza and sent thousands of Israelis running to shelters into an all-out war. The Israeli military and domestic intelligence agency Shin Bet killed Khaled Mansour, the head of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad's (PIJ) operations in the south of Gaza, in an air strike late Saturday night on a house in Rafah. Israel said that Mansour, who has survived at least five other assassination attempts, was responsible for dozens of terror attacks against Israelis. His killing follows a similar air strike against Tayseer Jabari, the chief of PIJ's operations in the north of Gaza, on Friday. PIJ has since responded with nearly 600 rockets toward Israeli cities, including Tel Aviv, Israel's financial capital, and dozens of southern towns surrounding the Gaza Strip."

Ukraine, et al. The Washington Post's live briefings on developments Sunday in Russia's war on Ukraine are here: "Four ships carrying almost 170,000 metric tons of grain headed out under the deal to ease the global food crisis, Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov said. The first foreign-flagged ship arrived in Ukraine to be loaded with grain since Russia's invasion, he said a day earlier == while the first ship to leave, the Razoni, will not arrive in Lebanon on Sunday as planned. [MB: The link is to a Reuters article, which is firewalled. I was able to check the Reuters report, and it gave no cause for the delay.] Ukraine's largest and most profitable port will join those restarting operations following months of blockades, Mustafa Nayyem, deputy infrastructure minister said on Facebook.... The United Nations is warning of a potential 'nuclear disaster' after heavy shelling struck Europe's largest atomic power plant, sparking a blame game between Russia and Ukraine over who was responsible.... The head of Amnesty International in Ukraine resigned following a report from the human-rights organization that criticized Ukraine's military, accusing troops of repeatedly endangering civilians by stationing themselves in heavily-populated areas. [President] Zelensky and other officials swiftly condemned the investigation, arguing that it unfairly blames the victim in Russia's war and would likely fuel Russian propaganda."

News Ledes

NBC News: "At least nine people were injured in a mass shooting in downtown Cincinnati early Sunday, police said. As the shooter was actively firing, Officer Joe Shook, who has been with the Cincinnati Police Department since 2016, fired a shot, Lt. Col. Mike John said at a news conference. It was unknown whether the bullet struck the shooter, he added. The shooter fled, he said, and nobody was in custody."

Washington Post: "Death Valley National Park was closed Saturday after exceptional amounts of rain drenched the park Friday, triggering flash floods that left about 1,000 visitors and park staff stranded. The park received 1.46 inches of rainfall at the Furnace Creek area -- just shy of the previous calendar day record of 1.47 inches, set on April 15, 1988. This amounts to about three-quarters of what the area typically receives in an average year, 1.94 inches, and is the greatest amount ever recorded in August, The lowest, driest and hottest location in the United States, Death Valley averages just 0.11 inches of rain in August."