The Conversation -- October 20, 2023

Joan Greve & Rachel Leingang of the Guardian: "Jim Jordan of Ohio was forced out of the House speakership race on Friday after his Republican colleagues voted against his continued bid for the seat in a secret ballot after his third failed attempt to corral enough support to win the gavel.... There's a deadline of Sunday at noon for candidates to announce interest in the speakership. The conference is expected to return on Monday evening to hear from candidates for the speakership, with voting set for Tuesday."

Alex Marquardt, et al., of CNN: "Hamas released two American hostages, Judith Tai Raanan and her 17-year-old daughter, Natali Raanan, on Friday after they abducted around 200 people from Israel in a deadly attack on October 7. The US citizens were handed over at the border with Gaza and are now in the care of the Israel Defense Forces, IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari said on Friday. They are currently on their way to an Israeli military base to be reunited with family, according to the office for Israel's prime minister. The Raanans are from Chicago and had been visiting relatives in Nahal Oz, a farming community in southern Israel, when they were taken, according to their family. The two were handed over to the Red Cross and are 'on their way out,' a source familiar with negotiations for their release said earlier on Friday. They are being released on 'humanitarian grounds' because the mother is in poor health, the same source said. The release was the result of negotiations between Qatar and Hamas."

** The Chese Cops a Plea. Marshall Cohen, et al., of CNN: "Kenneth Chesebro, a Donald Trump-aligned attorney who helped craft the 2020 fake elector plot, is pleading guilty in the Georgia election subversion case. The plea deal is another major victory for Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, who charged Trump and 18 others in the effort to overturn the 2020 presidential election results. Thursday, former Trump campaign lawyer Sidney Powell also pleaded guilty. Chesebro is pleading guilty to one felony -- conspiracy to commit filing false documents. Fulton County prosecutors are recommending that Chesebro serve 5 years of probation and pay $5,000 in restitution. He agreed to testify at any future trials in the sprawling election subversion case and write an apology letter. The plea came shortly after jury selection began Friday. Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee had met with the pool of prospective jurors Friday and told them the trial could last four to five months." ~~~

     ~~~ Richard Fausset & Christian Boone of the New York Times: "... Mr. Chesebro's plea has added to a sudden sense of momentum in favor of prosecutors in Fulton County, Ga. As part of his plea deal, Mr. Chesebro agreed to 'truthfully testify' against the remaining co-defendants, as did [Sidney] Powell and Scott Hall, an Atlanta bail bondsman who accepted a plea deal in the case in late September. These developments spell only bad news for [Donald] Trump and his 15 remaining co-defendants, including Rudolph W. Giuliani, his former personal lawyer, and Mark Meadows, his former White House chief of staff, who are set to be tried at a later date." @ 12:45 pm ET, this was a developing story.

Kara Scannell & Sabrina Souza of CNN: "The judge overseeing Donald Trump's civil fraud trial admonished the former president's attorneys for a 'blatant violation' of a gag order and suggested that violations could result in 'imprisonment.' Judge Arthur Engoron said despite his clear order to take down a social media post attacking his clerk, 'I learned that the subject post was never removed from the website.... And, in fact, had been on that website for the past 17 days. I understand that it was removed late last night but only in response to an email,' Engoron said. The post was removed from Truth Social right after the gag order was issued but not from Trump's campaign website, DonaldJTrump.com.... 'I will now provide defendants an opportunity to explain why this blatant violation of this gag order should not result in serious sanctions including financial penalties ... and or possibly imprisonment.'" ~~~

     ~~~ Update. Michael Sisak of the AP: "... Donald Trump was fined $5,000 on Friday after a disparaging social media post about a key court staffer in his New York civil fraud case lingered on his campaign website for weeks after the judge ordered it deleted. Judge Arthur Engoron avoided holding Trump in contempt, for now, but reserved the right to do so -- and possibly even put the 2024 Republican front-runner in jail -- if he again violates a limited gag order barring people participating in the case from personal attacks on court staff. Engoron said in a written ruling that he is 'way beyond the "warning" stage,' but that he was only fining Trump a nominal amount because this was 'first time violation' and Trump's lawyers said the website's retention of the post had been inadvertent."

Another Day at the Races
(Yes, It's a Marx Brothers Sequel, But With More Mayhem)

The New York Times is liveblogging developments Friday in the Headless House story:

Luke Broadwater: "Representative Jim Jordan of Ohio made it clear on Friday morning that he was not giving up in his faltering campaign to be House speaker just ahead of a 10 a.m. vote in which he was expected to fail for a third time. At a brief news conference at the Capitol, Mr. Jordan ... emphasized the need for the House to elect a new leader so the chamber could resume its business...."

Broadwater: "Top Democrats are holding a news conference to denounce Jordan's candidacy. 'Jim Jordan is a clear and present danger to our democracy,' says Representative Hakeem Jeffries of New York, referring to how Jordan attempted to overturn the 2020 election on behalf of former President Trump."

Broadwater: "Former Speaker Kevin McCarthy is giving Jordan's nominating speech.... 'Jim Jordan is an effective legislator,' McCarthy says, prompting laughter and jeers from the Democrats in the chamber. Jordan has not been the lead sponsor on any bill that has been signed into law during his 16 years in Congress. But McCarthy is arguing he shepherded many bills through the Judiciary Committee."

Robert Jimison: "Representative Katherine M. Clark of Massachusetts, the No. 2 House Democrat, starts her nomination speech of Hakeem Jeffries by highlighting the solid unity of the 212 members who haven't wavered in voting for Jeffries ballot after ballot this year."

Broadwater: "Representative Jim Jordan of Ohio failed for a third time on Friday morning to win election as House speaker, leaving his party with no consensus on a way forward and the chamber paralyzed in the face of growing pressure to get back to business. Mr. Jordan had pushed ahead with the vote despite clear signs that he would fall short, and the outcome showed that he had actually lost ground, with 25 Republicans opposing him compared to the 22 who voted against him on his last try on Wednesday. Needing 215 votes to win, he received 194. Three Republicans from swing districts won by President Biden -- Representative Marc Molinaro of New York, Representative Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania and Representative Tom Kean of New Jersey -- abandoned Mr. Jordan after supporting him earlier. What happens next is unclear."

Jimison: "The eight Republicans led by Matt Gaetz of Florida, left, who voted to oust Kevin McCarthy as speaker have sent a letter to their colleagues saying they are willing to accept some form of punishment if that will move holdouts to vote in favor of Jim Jordan." MB: I don't know, but I kinda think these old boys would enjoy "some form of punishment." I'm seeing a dominatrix thing happening here.

Broadwater: "House Republicans are about to meet behind closed doors in the basement to try to figure out next steps."

Broadwater: "Representative Jim Jordan of Ohio lost an internal vote to continue as his party's nominee for speaker on Friday, plunging the House into further uncertainty and sending Republicans searching for a new leader."

Catie Edmondson: "Representative Matt Gaetz of Florida says Jordan was 'knifed by secret ballot, anonymously, in a closed-door meeting in the bowels of the Capitol.' Gaetz says, 'This was truly swamp tactics on display.'"

     ~~~ Here are CNN's live updates: "Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said 'we're in a very bad place' after Jim Jordan again failed to win the speakership during the third round of voting. 'I think we'll go to conference here shortly and see which direction we go in,' McCarthy said while talking to reporters following the third vote for speaker. 'It's a problem for the party that we're in this place to begin with. And it's 4 percent, eight members here, crazy members led by Gaetz, that put us in a bad situation,' McCarthy said when asked if it's a problem for the GOP for Jordan to continue on without a path to the speakership. McCarthy said before walking away that he thinks they will conference at 1 pm ET."

Florida. Michelle Watson of CNN: "A former Florida state lawmaker who acquired more than $150,000 in Small Business Administration loans by lying on applications was sentenced Thursday to four months in federal prison, the US Attorney's office for the Northern District of Florida said. Former state Rep. Joseph Harding, a Republican, pleaded guilty in March to wire fraud, money laundering and making false statements in connection with Covid-19 relief fraud. Following his prison term, he will face two years of supervised release, a court record said. CNN affiliate WKMG reports that Harding tearfully addressed the court, saying he had 'no one to blame but myself.'... Harding has drawn the national spotlight before, as a sponsor of the controversial ... 'Don't Say Gay' law." Thanks to Akhilleus for the lead. See also his commentary in today's thread.

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Chris Megerian & Seung Min Kim of the AP: "Declaring that U.S. leadership 'holds the world together,' President Joe Biden told Americans on Thursday night the country must deepen its support of Ukraine and Israel in the middle of two vastly different, unpredictable and bloody wars. Acknowledging that 'these conflicts can seem far away,' Biden insisted in a rare Oval Office address that they remain 'vital for America's national security' as he prepared to ask Congress for billions of dollars in military assistance for both countries.... Biden's speech reflected an expansive view of U.S. obligations overseas at a time when he faces political resistance at home to additional funding. He's expected to ask for $105 billion on Friday, including $60 billion for Ukraine, much of which would replenish U.S. weapons stockpiles provided earlier." ~~~

     ~~~ A transcript of the President's speech, via the White House, is here.

The Right Hand Doesn't Know What the Right Hand Is Doing

Earlier Thursday. Luke Broadwater & Annie Karni of the New York Times: "Representative Jim Jordan, the hard-line Republican from Ohio, does not plan to force a third vote on Thursday on his bid to become speaker after running headlong into opposition from a bloc of mainstream G.O.P. holdouts, according to two people familiar with his decision. Instead, Mr. Jordan will endorse a plan to empower Representative Patrick T. McHenry of North Carolina -- the temporary speaker whose role is primarily to hold an election for a speaker -- to carry out the chamber's work through Jan. 3. In the meantime, Mr. Jordan will continue trying to build support to become speaker." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ @ 11: 25 am ET: Lauren Fox is reporting on CNN that the GOP House Plan of the Moment is that Gym Jordan will not seek a third losing vote but will push instead for a deal where Speaker Pro Tem Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.) will maintain his job until January 2024, with expanded powers to run the House, powers he does not have now. In the meantime, Jordan will continue his charm offensive behavior in hopes of garnering enough votes to grab the gavel at the beginning of next year. MB: Don't count on this being the last word. ~~~

     ~~~ @ 11:54 am ET: Fox says Democrats are meeting in private and have not yet announced how they would respond to Jordan's so-called plan. (MB: Not sure if Democrats even know just what the plan is.) Since some Republicans probably won't agree to the plan, to give McHenry more power, even temporarily, most likely would require at least some Democratic support.

     ~~~ @ 12:00 noon ET, Manu Raju of CNN reports on-air that the Bickersons are still bickering, & some Republicans are against the temporary speaker thang. ~~~

~~~ Later Thursday. ~~~

~~~ The House Without A Speaker, a Melodrama in Many Acts. Same Characters: Jim Jordan; rotating cast of other Congressmembers, most of whom perform offstage. Same Plot: the world is in crisis, the government is about to run out of money, but the United States House of Representatives is paralyzed because a few treacherous, villainous members defenestrated the Speaker. Jim, our hero, is trying to save the House. Same Setting: U.S. Capitol building. Same Playwright: Luke Broadwater & Annie Karni of the New York Times. Same Link.

Act V (Very much a reprise of Act III):

"In a day of whiplash and uncertainty on Capitol Hill, Representative Jim Jordan of Ohio said Thursday he would push for another vote to become speaker, even in the face of a growing bloc of Republican opposition. Just hours after the hard-right Republican said he would hit pause on his candidacy and support elevating the interim speaker, Representative Patrick T. McHenry of North Carolina, to temporarily lead the House, Mr. Jordan reversed course yet again and said he would move forward with his bid to win the post. It was not immediately clear when another vote could be scheduled.

"His decision came after a furious backlash from rank-and-file Republicans including many of his far-right supporters, who said empowering Mr. McHenry -- a stand-in appointed to his post after the ouster of then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy -- would effectively cede control of the House floor to Democrats and set a bad precedent. It was the latest abrupt turn in a Republican speaker drama that has played out for more than two weeks, underscoring the depth of the party's divisions and disarray. Unable to unite behind a candidate to lead them, the G.O.P. now can't even agree on a temporary solution to allow the paralyzed House to function while they sort out their differences." Read on. If you find the plot twists boring, that's because you've read them before with the same characters in the same setting.

     ~~~ Marie: By the time I got through copying & pasting Act V, Act VI was already underway. Here's the crux of it; same link: "By Thursday evening, Representative Jim Jordan of Ohio ... appeared no closer to winning the post after meeting with some of the 22 mainstream G.O.P. lawmakers opposed to his candidacy. Nevertheless, Mr. Jordan said he would push for another vote to become speaker, scheduled for Friday at 10 a.m., even though he was bleeding support and calls were increasing for him to step aside." ~~~

     ~~~ According to Jake Tapper of CNN, in video of "Speaker Designate" Gym Jordan leaving the meeting with the 22 holdouts, he "looked as angry as a man walking out of a divorce settlement hearing that he was losing badly." Tapper admitted that although he was no expert on body language, but he would guess the Jordan meeting did not go well. Update: Tapper could not have known that only a few hours later the ex-husband who lost a divorce case may have shot & killed a Maryland judge; link below. Authorities are search for the suspect. ~~~

~~~ Leigh Ann Caldwell & Marianna Sotomayor of the Washington Post write that the reason for Jordan's Act V about-face was that "... a significant number of his far-right colleagues balked at the idea [of empowering Patrick McHenry] in a tense, hours-long meeting...." MB: IOW, the super-wingers are still the lead writers in this production. ~~~

     ~~~ Politico's story on the all the flipflops is here. ~~~

~~~ Gnome Threatened to Abandon Petunia Patch. Scott Wong & Rebecca Kaplan of NBC News: "In a closed-door meeting Thursday, Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., told GOP colleagues he might resign as speaker pro tempore if Republicans push him to try to move legislation on the floor without an explicit vote to expand his powers, according to multiple lawmakers in the room. 'If you guys try to do that, you'll figure out who the next person on Kevin's list is,' McHenry told the room, three sources said, referring to former Speaker Kevin McCarthy's secret list of GOP awmakers who would serve as temporary speaker in the event of a vacancy." MB: He does seem like an angry, petulant little guy.

Olivia Beavers & others of Politico do a little study on what's wrong with House Republicans. "It seems that every day without a speaker brings a new release of pent-up anger from the House GOP, which is stuck in the bewildering position of technically controlling a chamber of Congress where it can't even vote on bills. At the moment, their latest pick for speaker, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), cannot win the gavel on the floor and yet still won't end his campaign -- preventing a half-dozen or more other ambitious GOP lawmakers from jumping into the race."

Lauren Peller, et al., of ABC News: "Several House Republicans who have voted against Rep. Jim Jordan for speaker are seething after threats have been made against them, their offices or even their spouses...." MB: I'd like to suggest to these seething representatives of the people who threatened them that if they had not continued to support an ex-president* who almost daily encourages violence against people who irk him, maybe said representatives and their families would not be subject to death threats. Anyhow, they could ask Nancy Pelosi and Paul Pelosi what they think about that. See also Maryland news, linked below.

Peter Baker of the New York Times: "Since he has been president, [Joe Biden] has visited the reporters traveling with him [on Air Force One] just once before and that was off the record to complain about their coverage.... But on Wednesday, he broke with his usual refusal to announce a breakthrough in humanitarian aid for Gaza. After taking a few questions [on his way back from Israel], he then prepared to make his exit. 'I'm going to get the hell out of here before you start asking about the House of Representatives,' he said with a smile. But then he stayed just long enough for the questions to turn to the House anyway.... A reporter ... asked him if he had any thoughts about Representative Jim Jordan's predicament in the House. 'I ache for him,' Mr. Biden said, putting his hand on his heart. Really? 'Noooo,' he said with a laugh. No sympathy there. 'Zero,' he said. 'None.'... Mr. Jordan has aggressively pushed investigations into the president and his son, relying at times on arguments that have been factually debunked."

While Trump Was at His Fraud Trial Country Club

Alan Feuer of the New York Times: "The prosecutors in the office of the special counsel, Jack Smith, said [Donald] Trump's expansive bid to claim ... 'absolute immunity' from criminal prosecution ... was unsupported by 'the Constitution's text and structure, history and tradition, or Supreme Court precedent.... The defendant is not above the law,' they wrote in a 54-page filing. 'He is subject to the federal criminal laws like more than 330 million other Americans, including members of Congress, federal judges, and everyday citizens.' The court papers, filed in Federal District Court in Washington, were a blunt rebuttal of Mr. Trump's attempt to have Judge Tanya S. Chutkan, who is overseeing the case, dismiss the four counts he is facing before they go to trial." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Feuer notes, "The Justice Department has long maintained a policy that sitting presidents cannot be indicted." Feuer doesn't say so, but that policy reflects practical considerations, not legal ones. The Senate can go about its business if a senator is distracted by personal legal peril, but the presidency cannot go on without the president. (Although sometimes that would be a good thing.) ~~~

     ~~~ Politico's story, by Kyle Cheney & Josh Gerstein, is here. The government's response to Trump's motion is here, via Politico.

Jeffrey Toobin in a New York Times op-ed: "The verdicts in [the] cases [against Donald Trump] remain months away, but he is reacting in apparent confidence that the consequences of his actions will, as ever, turn out well for him. But it's equally important to ask how Mr. Trump's response to his latest predicament will affect others, especially those who are now targets of his wrath.... [His] current language is an imminent threat to his rhetorical targets and those around them.... Angry people, especially those predisposed to violence, can be set off by encouragement that falls well short of the legal standard for criminal incitement.... All of [the] rhetoric [that persuaded Timothy McVeigh to bomb the Oklahoma City federal building], from the words of [a] novel to those of [Newt] Gingrich and [Rush] Limbaugh, was protected by the First Amendment.: Toobin believes President Biden should warn the public that "Mr. Trump's statements pose an immediate danger to the targets of his rage and the public at large."

Marie: I'm in pain, I'm on narcotics. Then Patrick writes to suggest I watch a vintage teevee comedy show. Patrick implies the footage might not be authentic, but everything about it is as true-to-life as any historical documentary I've ever seen. Perhaps you will put more trust in Patrick's sober assessment than in the assertion of a Temporary Junkie with a fat lip. Still, I'm pretty sure you're seeing not a TV comedy sketch, but a Queens man collecting rent at one of his family's whites-only apartment buildings in Brooklyn, ca. 1958:

In More Recent News.... No More Chese & KrackensTM Akhilleus! Maybe Ken Cheseboro just caught a break; he won't be tried with Sidney Powell, after all; to wit:

** The Kracken Kracks. CNN: "Former Donald Trump attorney Sidney Powell has pleaded guilty in the Georgia election subversion case, one day before her trial was set to start. Fulton County prosecutors are recommending a sentence of six years probation. Powell will also be required to testify at future trials and write an apology letter to the citizens of Georgia. As part of her guilty plea, Powell is admitting her role in the January 2021 breach of election systems in rural Coffee County, Georgia." This is a breaking story and will be updated. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Richard Fausset & Danny Hakim of the New York Times: "Sidney K. Powell, a member of Donald J. Trump's legal team after he lost the 2020 election, pleaded guilty on Thursday morning to six misdemeanor counts.... Ms. Powell, 68, who appeared in a downtown Atlanta courtroom, was sentenced to six years of probation for conspiracy to commit intentional interference of election duties..... She was also fined $6,000 and agreed to pay $2,700 restitution to the state of Georgia, as well as write an apology letter to its citizens. Prosecutors said in court that Ms. Powell had given them a recorded statement on Wednesday as part of her plea deal. She has agreed to testify against any of the 17 remaining defendants. Ms. Powell has also agreed to turn over documents in her possession related to the case. The guilty plea was a blow to Mr. Trump.... It means that a member of the Trump legal team will cooperate with the prosecution as it pursues criminal convictions related to efforts to keep the former president in power after he lost the 2020 election." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Here's video of Powell's hearing. Thanks to unwashed for the link:

Marie: A number of on-air commentators have said they were intrigued by one aspect of Powell's plea deal: she cannot reveal to the public the nature or substance of the evidence she may provide.

What Sidney Knows. Alan Feuer & Maggie Haberman of the New York Times: Sidney Powell's guilty plea marked "the first time that anyone who was closely tied to [Donald Trump's] attempts to stay in power had reached a cooperation deal with the authorities.... If she takes the stand in his election trial in Georgia, she could shed light on a number of gambits he undertook to stay in power despite the will of the voters. Word of her agreement, which emerged without warning during a court hearing in Atlanta on Thursday, raised other questions as well: Would she also lend her help to the federal prosecutors who filed their own election case against Mr. Trump in Washington -- one in which she appeared as an unindicted co-conspirator? And would any other figures in the case be open to accepting similar deals with prosecutors?" ~~~

Aaron Blake of the Washington Post assesses/guesses what Powell might address in testimony: "... he was obviously in touch with key players throughout the post-election period, as best exemplified by her participation in a wild Dec. 18, 2020, Oval Office meeting with Trump and other key players. She also worked closely with Giuliani.... The extent to which Trump and his team were involved [in the failed lawsuits Powell filed] will surely be of interest to prosecutors." But, Blake points out, Powell is "Co-Conspirator 3" in the federal case against Trump and "could invoke Fifth Amendment protections against testifying about key episodes in the federal case...."

     ~~~ Marie: Plus, there's this. I would be a little more breathless about the Importance of Being Sidney had I not seen an MSNBC segment in which Tim Heaphy, the top investigator for the House January 6 Committee and Andrew Weissmann agreed that it appeared any evidence Powell gave might be limited to elements of the Coffee County election interference conspiracy, the counts to which she pleaded guilty (to misdemeanors). I don't know if the two lawyers are right, and I don't know what, if anything, directly ties Trump to the Coffee County scheme. (It could be that Powell does just that.) But this may be much ado about not much.

Olivia Rubin of ABC News: "Attorney Kenneth Chesebro rejected a [plea] offer from prosecutors.... The deal would have allowed Chesebro to avoid prison time by pleading guilty to one felony count of racketeering, the top charge in the indictment, according to ... sources. He would have had to agree to testify against his codefendants -- including Trump -- in exchange for three years' probation and a $10,000 fine. The terms of the deal also included a written letter of apology, the sources said. The deal would have been made under Georgia's first-offender act, under which the conviction would have been wiped from Chesebro's record after probation was completed. Chesebro rejected the deal in late September...."

A New York Times story linked yesterday says jury selection in the Chese & Kracken cases (now the Chese stands aloneTM Akhilleus) is to begin on Monday. This Washington Post story about Powell's plea deal says jury selection starts today, Friday. (Also linked yesterday.)

Phil Stewart of Reuters: "The U.S. Army has charged Private Travis King with crimes ranging from desertion for running into North Korea in July to assault against fellow soldiers and solicitation of child pornography, according to documents obtained by Reuters." The New York Times story is here.

Michael Gold of the New York Times: "... in a new, deeply reported biography, 'Romney: A Reckoning,' set to be released next week, [Sen. Mitt] Romney goes beyond his broad disdain for the [Republican] party and gives his unvarnished opinion of some of his fellow Republicans. In interviews with the book's author, McKay Coppins, Mr. Romney, who was the Republican presidential nominee in 2012, offers frank appraisals that are rare in Washington." MB: Gold includes a taste of these "frank appraisals," so the article is a fun read in that regard. I'm just going to guess, however, that Romney doesn't make such "frank appraisals" of his own shortcomings. ~~~

     ~~~ Ha Ha. Update. Alex Beam in a Washington Post review titled, "In "Romney: A Reckoning," Mitt's self-awareness only goes so far." This review too is a pretty good read.

Elizabeth Williamson of the New York Times: "The judge in Alex Jones's bankruptcy case ruled on Thursday that he will not be allowed to use his Chapter 11 filing to evade paying more than $1 billion in verdicts to families of the Sandy Hook shooting. The ruling by Judge Christopher Lopez in a Houston bankruptcy court means that Mr. Jones, the Infowars conspiracy broadcaster, will likely be working the rest of his life to pay his debt to the families. Last year, they were awarded historic damages in defamation lawsuits against him. It also closes off the possibility that Mr. Jones could liquidate Infowars and force the families to accept whatever proceeds result, leaving him free to start a new business."

Annals of Journalism, Ctd. Drew Harwell of the Washington Post: "The social media platform X-...Twitter, has removed ... without notice ... the gold 'verified' badge from the New York Times' account amid ongoing complaints about the news organization from X owner Elon Musk. The badge was the only symbol distinguishing the Times'; 55-million-follower account from impostors.... X has hosted and helped amplify a flood of false information related to the Israel-Gaza war, some of which Musk has personally endorsed.... Times accounts related to coverage of world news, health and other subjects still show 'verified' badges. The move further extends Musk's attempts to use the social media company he bought with claims of defending free speech to undercut news organizations he dislikes. It also suggests Musk has adopted the kinds of secretive social media tactics he and Twitter's conservative critics once loudly denounced."

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California Senate Race 2024. Shawn Hubler of the New York Times: "Laphonza Butler, who was appointed less than three weeks ago to fill the Senate seat left vacant by Dianne Feinstein's death, said on Thursday that she would not run next year for the office, clearing the way for an open race in California that features three Democratic congressional members and a former Major League Baseball star." The NBC News story is here. MB: When you read stories like this, you realize that many Democrats in positions of power are there for reasons other than self-aggrandizement or abusing their positions. It's heartening, even when you do have to humbly take into account fellows like Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.).

Louisiana. Robert Barnes of the Washington Post: "The Supreme Court on Thursday agreed with a delay on proceedings that could lead to creating a second congressional district in Louisiana where Black voters make up a large-enough share of the electorate to have a significant chance of electing their preferred candidate.... The court's one-sentence, unsigned order contains no instructions as to what should happen next.... But Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson wrote separately to reiterate a previous Supreme Court statement that the litigation should be resolved in time for the 2024 congressional elections."

Maryland. Brian Dakss of CBS News: "An associate circuit court judge [-- Andrew Wilkinson, 52 --] was shot on the driveway of his home in Hagerstown, Maryland Thursday night and later died in a hospital, the Washington County Sheriff's Office said. His assailant was being sought. There was no initial indication of a possible motive or whether the slaying was related to Wilkinson's duties as a judge. But Maryland State police said Friday that 'troopers were deployed to protect judges residing in Washington County' Thursday night 'for precautionary reasons.'" ~~~

     ~~~ Matt Naham of Law & Crime: "In an update Friday, the Washington County Sheriff's Office said they were searching for 49-year-old Pedro Argote, a party to the divorce case, in connection with the shooting of Washington County Circuit Court Judge Andrew Fisher Wilkinson."

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Israel/Hamas. The New York Times' live updates of developments Friday in the Israeli/Hamas war are here: "With the humanitarian situation growing more desperate in Gaza, the Rafah crossing between the blockaded territory and Egypt still hasn't opened to aid, a day after a United Nations-led deal appeared to have had laid the groundwork to allow trucks carrying humanitarian supplies to enter. Diplomats familiar with back-channel talks were pessimistic about it opening at all on Friday, amid ongoing disagreements between Egypt and Israel on issues including how to institute a regular schedule of aid convoys, whether to allow in fuel and how to screen the convoys for arms. The U.N. secretary general, António Guterres, visited the Rafah crossing on Friday and said talks were underway 'with all the parties' to clarify any conditions on the movement of aid." ~~~

     ~~~ CNN's live updates are here: "The majority of hostages seized by Hamas on October 7 are still alive in Gaza, the Israeli military says. Meanwhile, the defense minister told Israeli troops massed at the border that they would soon see the enclave 'from the inside.'"

The Conversation -- October 19, 2023

Luke Broadwater & Annie Karni of the New York Times: "Representative Jim Jordan, the hard-line Republican from Ohio, does not plan to force a third vote on Thursday on his bid to become speaker after running headlong into opposition from a bloc of mainstream G.O.P. holdouts, according to two people familiar with his decision. Instead, Mr. Jordan will endorse a plan to empower Representative Patrick T. McHenry of North Carolina -- the temporary speaker whose role is primarily to hold an election for a speaker -- to carry out the chambe's work through Jan. 3. In the meantime, Mr. Jordan will continue trying to build support to become speaker." ~~~

~~~ @ 11: 25 am ET: Lauren Fox is reporting on CNN that the GOP House Plan of the Moment is that Gym Jordan will not seek a third losing vote but will push instead for a deal where Speaker Pro Tem Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.) will maintain his job until January 2024, with expanded powers to run the House, powers he does not have now. In the meantime, Jordan will continue his charm offensive behavior in hopes of garnering enough votes to grab the gavel at the beginning of next year. MB: Don't count on this being the last word. ~~~

     ~~~ @ 11:54 am ET: Fox says Democrats are meeting in private and have not yet announced how they would respond to Jordan's so-called plan. (MB: Not sure if Democrats even know just what the plan is.) Since some Republicans probably won't agree to the plan, to give McHenry more power, even temporarily, most likely would require at least some Democratic support.

     ~~~ @ 12:00 noon ET, Manu Raju of CNN reports on-air that the Bickersons are still bickering, & some Republicans are against the temporary speaker thang.

News Flash. No More Chese & KrackensTM Akhilleus! Maybe Ken Cheseboro just caught a break; he won't be tried with Sidney Powell; to wit:

** The Kracken Kracks. CNN: "Former Donald Trump attorney Sidney Powell has pleaded guilty in the Georgia election subversion case, one day before her trial was set to start. Fulton County prosecutors are recommending a sentence of six years probation. Powell will also be required to testify at future trials and write an apology letter to the citizens of Georgia. As part of her guilty plea, Powell is admitting her role in the January 2021 breach of election systems in rural Coffee County, Georgia." This is a breaking story and will be updated. ~~~

     ~~~ Richard Fausset & Danny Hakim of the New York Times: "Sidney K. Powell, a member of Donald J. Trump's legal team after he lost the 2020 election, pleaded guilty on Thursday morning to six misdemeanor counts.... Ms. Powell, 68, who appeared in a downtown Atlanta courtroom, was sentenced to six years of probation for conspiracy to commit intentional interference of election duties..... She was also fined $6,000 and agreed to pay $2,700 restitution to the state of Georgia, as well as write an apology letter to its citizens. Prosecutors said in court that Ms. Powell had given them a recorded statement on Wednesday as part of her plea deal. She has agreed to testify against any of the 17 remaining defendants. Ms. Powell has also agreed to turn over documents in her possession related to the case. The guilty plea was a blow to Mr. Trump.... It means that a member of the Trump legal team will cooperate with the prosecution as it pursues criminal convictions related to efforts to keep the former president in power after he lost the 2020 election." ~~~

     ~~~ Here's video of Powell's hearing. Thanks to unwashed for the link:

A New York Times story linked below says jury selection in the Chese & Kracken cases (now the Chese stands aloneTM Akhilleus) is to begin on Monday. This Washington Post story about Powell's plea deal says jury selection starts tomorrow, Friday.

A few additions below, marked "NEW."

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Chaos Is the Essence of the Scheme

Katherine Tully-McManus, et al., of Politico: "Opposition to Jim Jordan's speakership bid is increasing, as the Ohio Republican again failed to get the 217 votes he needs to win the gavel. After halting voting for nearly a day in hopes of securing more Republican votes, Jordan instead lost two more votes on the second ballot. The House then went into another recess, at Jordan's request, before a possible third vote. The GOP is expected to hold a conference meeting Wednesday afternoon as it keeps searching for a way out of its speaker mess." (Also linked yesterday.) The New York Times story, by Catie Edmondson, is here.

~~~ Déjà Vu All Over Again. The New York Times liveblogged developments yesterday in the House of Representatives. "Representative Jim Jordan, the hard-line Republican from Ohio, was battling on Wednesday to pick up the votes to become speaker, a day after a bloc of 20 G.O.P. holdouts handed him a defeat that raised questions about his ability to win the gavel. Mr. Jordan called for a second vote around 11 a.m. on Wednesday, hoping that he would be able to show he has the momentum on the House floor to win the majority he needs to be elected. A few Republicans who opposed him on Tuesday said they would relent and back Mr. Jordan on the second ballot. But other mainstream Republicans vowed to continue opposing Mr. Jordan...." Details in yesterday's Conversation & of course in the NYT liveblog. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

Closed Until Further Notice. Edmondson: "The final tally: Jordan won 199 votes and Representative Hakeem Jeffries of New York, the Democratic leader, won 212 votes. Four Republicans who backed Jordan on the first ballot rose to oppose him this time. Two Republicans who voted against Jordan yesterday changed their votes and supported him.... 'A speaker has not been elected,' the acting speaker, Patrick McHenry, says. He announces a recess."

     Marie: Hakeem Jeffries "won" the day with 212 votes for him over 199 for Jordan. I'll bet Jeffries had received more votes for Speaker of the House than anyone who was never Speaker of the House. AND, as a number of teevee commentators have pointed out, Gym Jordan received the fewest number of votes of any nominee for speaker in modern history.

NEW. Alex Griffing of Mediaite: Brianna Keilar of CNN tried to explain to Rep. Austin Scott (R-Ga.) why his claim that Democrats ousted Kevin McCarthy is false. Marie: Frankly, she didn't do a very good job. The real answer is the way speakers have been chosen in modern U.S. history is that each party picks a leader, then everyone (or almost everyone) in each party votes for his party's leader to be speaker. Naturally, the leader of the party with the most members -- the majority party -- wins the election. Often there are a few symbolic votes for others, but never enough to change the vote. A shorter explanation comes from NiskyGuy in today's Comments: "The next time any R starts blaming Democrats for my Kevin's ouster, the reporter needs to ask how many times that R voter for Nancy Pelosi when the Democrats had the same slim majority. Shut 'em down!"

Marie: I will not be able to timely cover whatever happens today in this continuing saga as I am having oral surgery. I'm not sure the surgery will be more painful than would be tuning into the Gym Jordan Show.

Miranda Nazzaro of the Hill: "Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa) revealed she has received death threats after reversing her support for Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) on the second Speaker ballot Wednesday. Miller-Meeks said she received 'credible death threats' and a 'barrage of threatening calls,' according to a statement posted to X-...Twitter.... Jordan commented on the reported threats later Wednesday, writing on X, 'No American should accost another for their beliefs. We condemn all threats against our colleagues and it is imperative that we come together. Stop. It's abhorrent.'" MB: The GOP has become an organization that condones and even encourages (see Trump, Donald) threats of violence and actual violence in response to political disagreements. It is not surprising then that even Republicans who defy the party's far-right agenda will themselves be subjected to such threats. At least Jordan, unlike Trump, has denounced the threats against his colleagues.

Nick Miroff of the Washington Post: "U.S. immigration authorities Wednesday returned nearly 130 migrants to Venezuela, starting deportation flights Biden administration officials view as a crucial step toward reducing the record number of illegal crossings at the U.S. southern border. The deportations follow an agreement by the Venezuelan government to hold competitive elections next year, a deal that paves the way for the Biden administration to ease economic sanctions." ~~~

~~~ Karen DeYoung & Ana Herrero of the Washington Post: "The Biden administration on Wednesday eased oil, gas and gold sanctions against Venezuela a day after the government of President Nicolás Maduro and the U.S.-backed opposition agreed to terms for a competitive presidential election next year. The Treasury Department issued a general license authorizing U.S. companies to engage in long-barred transactions primarily in the state-controlled energy sector. It said the license is to be valid for six months, to be renewed only if the authoritarian socialist government 'meets its commitments' for elections and 'with respect to those who are wrongfully detained.'" Politico's story is here.

The Trials of Trump

Donald Goes to Court, Behaves Badly. Gets a Scolding. Jennifer Peltz & Michael Sisak of the AP: "A woman was arrested Wednesday after she stood up at Donald Trump's New York civil fraud trial and walked toward the front of the courtroom where the former president was sitting. The woman, later identified as a court employee, retreated after a court officer told her to return to her seat. A short time later, officers escorted the woman out of the Manhattan courtroom and arrested her. She was charged with contempt of court for disrupting a court proceeding, state court spokesperson Lucian Chalfen said....

"Judge Arthur Engoron warned Trump and others involved in the case to keep their voices down after the 2024 Republican frontrunner conferred animatedly with his lawyers at the defense table during real estate appraiser Doug Larson's second day of testimony. State lawyer Kevin Wallace asked Engoron to ask the defense to 'stop commenting during the witness' testimony,' adding that the 'exhortations' were audible on the witness' side of the room. The judge then asked everyone to keep their voices down, 'particularly if it's meant to influence the testimony.'... Trump grew irritated as Larson testified.... Trump threw up his hands during the exchange.... Trump railed about that exchange during a court break. 'See what's happened? The government lied. They just lie. They didn't reveal all of the information that they had,' Trump said. 'They didn't reveal all the evidence that made me totally innocent of anything that they say.'" (Also linked yesterday.)~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Trump doesn't seem to understand that it's up to his own lawyers, not the prosecution, to present any exculpatory information to the judge. AND, since Engoron has already found the Trump Org committed fraud, it's kinda hard to reckon that Trump himself is "totally innocent of anything they say."

NEW. Tommy Christopher of Mediaite: “... Donald Trump complained bitterly outside the courtroom where his fraud trial is being held because 'I have to be here' instead of campaigning -- but by the end of his rant, he had forgotten his falsehood and announced he'd be blowing off the trial for a golf tournament.... [Trump said,] '... this is what we go through because they want to keep me here instead of Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and lots of other great places. They want me to be here. It's a disgrace what's happening! It's a rigged trial! The whole thing is rigged!' [A few minutes later, when a reporter asked if Trump would be at the trial the next day, Trump replied,] '... probably will have a very big tournament, professional golf tournament ... at Doral.'" MB: Hey, when everything you say is a lie, it's sometimes hard to remember the last one. Also, when you get Old Like Trump, you are likely to forget recent events.

Katelyn Polantz of CNN: "Donald Trump was interviewed under oath in New York on Tuesday for a lawsuit related to his time as president and the termination of a Russia investigation-era FBI official. The deposition was conducted by attorneys for the FBI official, Peter Strzok, and former FBI lawyer Lisa Page late in the day on Tuesday, sources familiar with Trump's schedule say." Thanks to RAS for the link. (Also linked yesterday.)

Maggie Haberman & Luke Broadwater of the New York Times: In the Fulton County, Georgia, conspiracy case, attorney Kenneth "Chesebro's lawyers have argued that his work was shielded by the First Amendment and that he 'acted within his capacity as a lawyer.' They have called for his case to be dismissed, saying he was merely 'researching and finding precedents in order to form a legal opinion, which was then supplied to his client, the Trump campaign.'... But Mr. Chesebro's emails could undercut any effort to show that the lawyers were focused solely on legal strategies.... Mr. Chesebro made clear [in the emails] he was considering politics and was well aware of how the Trump campaign's legal filings could be used as ammunition for Republicans' efforts to overturn the results when Congress met to certify the Electoral College outcome.... Of the chances of success [in court], Mr. Chesebro estimated the 'odds the court would grant effective relief before Jan. 6, I'd say only 1 percent.' But he wrote the filing has 'possible political value.'...

"On Wednesday, the judge overseeing the case, Scott McAfee, ruled that a handful of emails that Mr. Chesebro sought to shield from evidence are admissible under the crime-fraud exception, the standard by which probable cause has been established that the correspondence or a lawyer&'s advice was used in furtherance of a crime.... Jury selection is scheduled to begin on Monday. (Also linked yesterday.)"

Presidential Race 2016

Marie: The other day I linked to a NYT story that revealed that Oprah Winfrey had called Mitt Romney and suggested they run as a "unity" team with Romney at the top of the ticket & Winfrey as veep. Romney rejected the idea. BUT here's what he did think was a good idea: ~~~

~~~ Anyone But Trump. Martin Pengelly of the Guardian: "Mitt Romney considered a desperate, third presidential bid in 2016, aiming to stop Donald Trump as part of an unlikely unity ticket with Ted Cruz -- a hard-right Texas senator who Romney privately considered 'scary' and 'a demagogue', a new book reports. 'Romney was willing to wage a quixotic and humiliating presidential bid if that's what it took,' McKay Coppins writes in Romney: A Reckoning, a biography of the 2012 Republican nominee written in close cooperation with its subject."

Matthew Chapman of the Raw Story: "An extreme right-wing social media influencer was sentenced to seven months in prison Wednesday for an election interference scheme against Black voters in 2016, the Department of Justice announced. Douglass Mackey who went by the online persona of 'Ricky Vaughn' on Twitter-... X, used his 58,000-follower social media account to push misinformation intended to trick Black people into into believing they could vote by text message, shortly after discussing with his supporters the importance of limiting 'Black turnout.'" The New York Times story is here.

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Nebraska. Livia Albeck-Ripka of the New York Times: "Gov. Jim Pillen of Nebraska is facing criticism after he dismissed a news article about environmental concerns at his hog farms, saying that the reporter who wrote it was from 'Communist China.' The reporter, Yanqi Xu, 27, revealed her findings in an article published Sep. 7 by The Flatwater Free Press that detailed nitrate levels 'far above' the legal drinking water limit at more than a dozen farms owned by Mr. Pillen, a Republican. While the farms had brought prosperity to Platte Center, a village about 60 miles northwest of Lincoln, Neb., they 'also may bring risk' to the region's drinking water, Ms. Xu wrote. During an interview on the Omaha radio station KFAB four days later, Mr. Pillen ... was asked to comment on the investigation. 'Number one, I didn't read it and I won't,' he responded. 'Number two, all you've got to do is look at the author, author's from Communist China -- what more do you need to know?'" ~~~

~~~ NEW. John Oliver features a related story. Thanks to RAS for the link:

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Israel/Palestine

President Biden will make an Oval Office address to the nation at 8:00 pm ET today.

The New York Times live updates of developments Thursday in the Israel/Hamas war are here: "Prime Minister Rishi Sunak of Britain landed in Israel Thursday to meet with the country's top leaders and build on President Biden's progress in securing a deal for aid for the Gaza Strip.... The president is scheduled to give a prime time address from the Oval Office on Thursday about the war and is expected to request $100 billion for Israel, Ukraine and other crises from Congress by the end of the week. The decision to link aid for Ukraine to aid for Israel reflects the urgency of both wars -- and a calculation about Republican support. Mr. Biden said Egypt would allow 20 aid trucks into Gaza, though the timing of the delivery remained unclear. Israel agreed to it on the condition that the resources would not be intercepted by Hamas, which runs the enclave....

"Mr. Biden and senior congressional leaders from both parties backed Israel's contention that a Palestinian terrorist group had caused this week's explosion at a Gaza hospital, which the Hamas-controlled Gaza health ministry said had killed hundreds. Hamas has blamed an Israeli airstrike, without citing evidence. Neither side's claims could be independently verified.... The United States vetoed a U.N. Security Council resolution on the war, with the American ambassador saying the draft needed to mention Israel's right to self-defense. The veto generated complaints of an American double standard."

From the New York Times liveblog of developments Wednesday in the Israel/Hamas war (also linked yesterday) :

Peter Baker: "President Biden said on Wednesday that he had urged Israel to allow some humanitarian aid into Gaza as long as it did not go to the Hamas group, and Israel said it would not block deliveries from Egypt, offering the first sign of relief to civilians in the blockaded enclave besieged by days of deadly Israeli airstrikes."

Michael Shear: "President Biden announced $100 million in aid to help civilians in Gaza and the West Bank and said he had secured a commitment from Israel's government to allow food, water and medicine to be delivered to Palestinians in Gaza from Egypt in a humanitarian effort overseen by the United Nations and others."

Julian Barnes, et al.: "American officials say they have multiple strands of intelligence -- including infrared satellite data -- indicating that the deadly blast at a Gaza hospital on Tuesday was caused by Palestinian fighters." ~~~

Peter Baker of the New York Times: "As Israel seeks to destroy Hamas, which killed more than 1,400 people and took nearly 200 hostages, [President Biden's] message was that it should not give in to excesses that cause unnecessary loss of innocent life -- and in the process, squander the world's sympathy the way the United States eventually did two decades ago.... '... You can't look at what has happened here to your mothers, your fathers, your grandparents, sons, daughters, children, even babies and not scream out for justice. Justice must be done. But I caution this -- while you feel that rage, don't be consumed by it. After 9/11, we were enraged in the United States. While we sought justice and got justice, we also made mistakes.... No American president has ever visited Israel during a war [before this], and Mr Biden came to its defense on Wednesday not just by offering his symbolically potent presence but by backing its denial of responsibility for the catastrophic explosion that struck a hospital in Gaza. The health ministry in Gaza said hundreds of people were killed." ~~~

~~~ Najib Jobain, et al., of the AP: "Israel said Wednesday that it will allow Egypt to deliver limited quantities of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, the first crack in a 10-day siege on the territory. Palestinians reeled from a massive blast at a Gaza City hospital that killed hundreds the day before and grew increasingly desperate as food and water supplies ran out. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said the decision was approved after a request from visiting U.S. President Joe Biden. It said Israel 'will not thwart' deliveries of food, water or medicine, as long as they are limited to civilians in the south of the Gaza Strip and don't go to Hamas militants. The statement made no mention of badly needed fuel. It was not clear when the aid would start flowing." (Also linked yesterday.)

Vivian Yee of the New York Times: "Thousands of protesters marched in grief, fury and solidarity across the Middle East on Tuesday night and Wednesday, after hundreds of Palestinian civilians were killed in an explosion at a hospital in Gaza. Although Israel and the United States said the evidence pointed to a faulty rocket fired by Islamic Jihad, a Palestinian militant group, there was little doubt for those protesters that Israel was to blame -- and not just for the hospital deaths, but for the broader conflict as well."

Annals of "Journalism," Ctd. Max Boot of the Washington Post: "Hamas did not score a significant information-warfare victory until Tuesday's explosion at al-Ahli Hospital. The Hamas-controlled Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza immediately blamed the blast on an Israeli airstrike and claimed that 500 civilians had been killed. This 'breaking news' was immediately, and credulously, picked up by Western news media.... Yet, a few hours after the initial news, a competing version of events emerged: Israeli spokesmen claimed the casualties were caused ... by a Palestinian Islamic Jihad rocket that went astray. Israel even released a purported intercept of two terrorists discussing the terrible accident. Independent open-source intelligence analysts such as Eliot Higgins of Bellingcat and former U.N. war-crimes investigator Marc Garlasco joined in to say their examinations of photos and videos of the blast site did not reveal the kind of crater that an Israeli bomb would have left.... The 'battle of the narrative' is more important than ever. That makes it all the more imperative that the world -- journalists especially -- not echo the claims of either side without first checking them out." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Yesterday, during a joint MSNBC guest appearance with Helene Cooper of the New York Times, Jeremy Bash -- a usually mild-mannered former CIA & DOD top staffer -- laid into the New York Times for a headline that read something like, "Israel Strikes Hospital, Palestinians Say." MSNBC host Nicole Wallace was, uh, unprepared for Bash's critique. I should add that the Times story was better than the initial AP story I linked, which put the blame on Israel; the body of the Times report allowed that Israel said that it had not bombed the Gaza hospital. And the Times later altered its headline to reflect the disputed source of the attack.

Abigail Hauslohner & Michael Birnbaum of the Washington Post: "Jack Lew, President Biden's nominee to become the next U.S. ambassador to Israel, faced strident opposition from Republican senators during a Wednesday hearing to vet his nomination, as Democrats insisted that the urgent need to contain the deadly violence engulfing Israel and the Gaza Strip demands a speedy confirmation.... The proceedings ... centered on what lawmakers overwhelmingly agreed is Israel's need for a steadfast American ally in the wake of this month's devastating Hamas attack, though many Republicans signaled it would be difficult for them to support Lew given his past work to implement the now-defunct deal with Israel's sworn enemy." (This is an update of a story linked yesterday.) Politico's story is here.

The Conversation -- October 18, 2023

Katherine Tully-McManus, et al., of Politico: "Opposition to Jim Jordan's speakership bid is increasing, as the Ohio Republican again failed to get the 217 votes he needs to win the gavel. After halting voting for nearly a day in hopes of securing more Republican votes, Jordan instead lost two more votes on the second ballot. The House then went into another recess, at Jordan's request, before a possible third vote. The GOP is expected to hold a conference meeting Wednesday afternoon as it keeps searching for a way out of its speaker mess." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I just heard former Temporary Speaker My Kevin again blame Democrats for GOP dysfunction. Sorry, I didn't listen to hear what his supposed rationale was. ~~~

~~~ Here We Go Again. The New York Times is liveblogging developments in the House of Representatives. "Representative Jim Jordan, the hard-line Republican from Ohio, was battling on Wednesday to pick up the votes to become speaker, a day after a bloc of 20 G.O.P. holdouts handed him a defeat that raised questions about his ability to win the gavel. Mr. Jordan called for a second vote around 11 a.m. on Wednesday, hoping that he would be able to show he has the momentum on the House floor to win the majority he needs to be elected. A few Republicans who opposed him on Tuesday said they would relent and back Mr. Jordan on the second ballot. But other mainstream Republicans vowed to continue opposing Mr. Jordan...." ~~~

Luke Broadwater: "Jordan indicates he will support a vote on a proposal to empower [Patrick] McHenry [R-N.C.] as temporary speaker if he doesn't prevail. He tells reporters: 'People are talking about this resolution. I told leadership: "Call the question. Let's find out."'"

Annie Karni: "That doesn't mean he will stop his campaign for the gavel. If that proposal passes, it means Jordan will most likely try to grind it out as McHenry, in a temporary post, gets the House moving and business back to usual."

Catie Edmondson: "Tom Cole of Oklahoma, a veteran lawmaker and the chairman of the House Rules Committee, has risen to nominate Jim Jordan as speaker. The entire nomination choreography we saw play out Tuesday will be repeated again."

Annie Karni: "Representative Pete Aguilar, the No. 3 House Democrat, gives a nominating speech again for Hakeem Jeffries, the minority leader.... Today, Aguilar is going after Jordan as someone with no legislative record. 'Gutting Medicare, gutting Social Security and giving cover to Jan. 6 attackers,' he says of what Jordan stands for. He says 'the country can't afford more delays and more chaos.'"

(Marie: The roll call has begun.)

(Déjà Vu All Over Again. Marie: We're only partway through the roll call, and Jordan has already lost unless some Republicans change their "other" votes.... In the grand finale, Jordan had 22 GOP votes against him; yesterday he had 20 votes against him. As for Hakeem Jeffries, he "won" the day with 212 votes for him over 199 for Jordan. I'll bet Jeffries had received more votes for Speaker of the House than anyone who was never Speaker of the House.)

Closed Until Further Notice. Edmondson: "The final tally: Jordan won 199 votes and Representative Hakeem Jeffries of New York, the Democratic leader, won 212 votes. Four Republicans who backed Jordan on the first ballot rose to oppose him this time. Two Republicans who voted against Jordan yesterday changed their votes and supported him.... 'A speaker has not been elected,' the acting speaker, Patrick McHenry, says. He announces a recess."

From the New York Times liveblog of developments in the Israel/Hamas war, also linked below:

Peter Baker: "President Biden said on Wednesday that he had urged Israel to allow some humanitarian aid into Gaza as long as it did not go to the Hamas group, and Israel said it would not block deliveries from Egypt, offering the first sign of relief to civilians in the blockaded enclave besieged by days of deadly Israeli airstrikes."

Michael Shear: "President Biden announced $100 million in aid to help civilians in Gaza and the West Bank and said he had secured a commitment from Israel's government to allow food, water and medicine to be delivered to Palestinians in Gaza from Egypt in a humanitarian effort overseen by the United Nations and others."

Julian Barnes, et al.: "American officials say they have multiple strands of intelligence -- including infrared satellite data -- indicating that the deadly blast at a Gaza hospital on Tuesday was caused by Palestinian fighters." ~~~

~~~ Najib Jobain, et al., of the AP: "Israel said Wednesday that it will allow Egypt to deliver limited quantities of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, the first crack in a 10-day siege on the territory. Palestinians reeled from a massive blast at a Gaza City hospital that killed hundreds the day before and grew increasingly desperate as food and water supplies ran out. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said the decision was approved after a request from visiting U.S. President Joe Biden. It said Israel 'will not thwart' deliveries of food, water or medicine, as long as they are limited to civilians in the south of the Gaza Strip and don't go to Hamas militants. The statement made no mention of badly needed fuel. It was not clear when the aid would start flowing."

Abigail Hauslohner & Michael Birnbaum of the Washington Post: "Jack Lew, President Biden's nominee to become the next U.S. ambassador to Israel, faces a Senate confirmation test on Wednesday as the administration scrambles to prevent the eruption of deadly violence there and in the Gaza Strip from spiraling into a larger regional war. A former treasury secretary under President Barack Obama, Lew has attracted criticism from some Senate Republicans for his defense of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, which Israel's right-wing government and many in the GOP vehemently opposed, and related efforts by Obama to de-escalate the long-volatile relationship between Washington and Tehran. Lew's hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee opened with a plea from Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.), the chairman, for a speedy approval of the nomination. 'Now,' Cardin said, 'is not the time to play political games.'" The New York Times liveblog, linked above, has a number of posts related to Lew's hearing.

Donald Goes to Court. Jennifer Peltz & Michael Sisak of the AP: "A woman was arrested Wednesday after she stood up at Donald Trump's New York civil fraud trial and walked toward the front of the courtroom where the former president was sitting. The woman, later identified as a court employee, retreated after a court officer told her to return to her seat. A short time later, officers escorted the woman out of the Manhattan courtroom and arrested her. She was charged with contempt of court for disrupting a court proceeding, state court spokesperson Lucian Chalfen said....

"Judge Arthur Engoron warned Trump and others involved in the case to keep their voices down after the 2024 Republican frontrunner conferred animatedly with his lawyers at the defense table during real estate appraiser Doug Larson's second day of testimony. State lawyer Kevin Wallace asked Engoron to ask the defense to 'stop commenting during the witness' testimony,' adding that the 'exhortations' were audible on the witness' side of the room. The judge then asked everyone to keep their voices down, 'particularly if it's meant to influence the testimony.'... Trump grew irritated as Larson testified.... Trump threw up his hands during the exchange.... Trump railed about that exchange during a court break. 'See what's happened? The government lied. They just lie. They didn't reveal all of the information that they had,' Trump said. 'They didn't reveal all the evidence that made me totally innocent of anything that they say.'" ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Trump doesn't seem to understand that it's up to his own lawyers, not the prosecution, to present any exculpatory information to the judge. AND, since Engoron has already found the Trump Org committed fraud, it's kinda hard to reckon that Trump himself is "totally innocent of anything they say."

Katelyn Polantz of CNN: "Donald Trump was interviewed under oath in New York on Tuesday for a lawsuit related to his time as president and the termination of a Russia investigation-era FBI official. The deposition was conducted by attorneys for the FBI official, Peter Strzok, and former FBI lawyer Lisa Page late in the day on Tuesday, sources familiar with Trump's schedule say." Thanks to RAS for the link.

Maggie Haberman & Luke Broadwater of the New York Times: In the Fulton County, Georgia, conspiracy case, attorney Kenneth "Chesebro's lawyers have argued that his work was shielded by the First Amendment and that he 'acted within his capacity as a lawyer.' They have called for his case to be dismissed, saying he was merely 'researching and finding precedents in order to form a legal opinion, which was then supplied to his client, the Trump campaign.'... But Mr. Chesebro's emails could undercut any effort to show that the lawyers were focused solely on legal strategies.... Mr. Chesebro made clear [in the emails] he was considering politics and was well aware of how the Trump campaign's legal filings could be used as ammunition for Republicans' efforts to overturn the results when Congress met to certify the Electoral College outcome.... Of the chances of success [in court], Mr. Chesebro estimated the 'odds the court would grant effective relief before Jan. 6, I'd say only 1 percent.' But he wrote the filing has 'possible political value.'"

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House of Chaos, Ctd.

Carl Hulse of the New York Times: "While it was impossible to determine how, when or even if Republicans might emerge from their ongoing chaos, what was clear was that the House G.O.P. is badly stuck and in crisis, unable to settle on a leader at a time of international upheaval.... Mainstream [Republican] lawmakers -- usually the ones trying to cut deals and reach consensus -- have refused to countenance the prospect of [Rep. Jim] Jordan ascending to the job second in line to the presidency.... Mr. Jordan and his allies hoped to work the holdouts through a mix of pleas for party unity, negotiations and a social-media fueled pressure campaign that was already stirring a backlash and could cause more defections in the next round.... With Mr. Jordan at least initially stymied and more voting delayed until Wednesday, Republicans and Democrats were intensifying quiet discussions about a potential solution that would somehow empower Representative Patrick T. McHenry, who has been serving as speaker pro tem since [former Speaker Kevin] McCarthy was toppled, to conduct the business of the House even temporarily.... Representative Hakeem Jeffries [D-N.Y., the House Minority Leader,] went out to the Capitol steps to castigate Republicans for their predicament. He urged them to work with Democrats to find a solution, though he was not specific what that might be."~~~

~~~ Sarah Ferris, et al., of Politico: "The size of the GOP opposition to Jim Jordan's speakership bid has revived serious bipartisan talks to empower acting Speaker Patrick McHenry. And the members pushing it could pull the trigger as soon as Jordan's second failed ballot.... The push by centrist Democrats to work with Republicans to elevate McHenry -- at a certain price -- was first reported by Politico. Those Democrats are all leaders of the Problem Solvers Caucus. The idea has also picked up public support from Democratic leaders, with Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Whip Katherine Clark (D-Mass.) pushing for Republicans to work with them to reopen the floor Tuesday evening."

Joan Greve of the Guardian: "The House of Representatives was unable to elect a new speaker on its first ballot on Tuesday, as the hard-right congressman Jim Jordan of Ohio struggled to win the gavel following the historic ouster of the Republican Kevin McCarthy earlier this month. In the first round of voting, 20 Republicans opposed Jordan, while 200 Republicans supported the judiciary committee chair. The result left Jordan far short of winning the speakership, given that he can only afford four defections within his conference and still capture the gavel. All 212 House Democrats supported Hakeem Jeffries of New York, giving the Democratic leader more votes than Jordan.... Before the session began on Tuesday, Jordan indicated Republicans would keep voting until a new leader is chosen, potentially teeing up another lengthy speakership election. But after the first ballot failed to produce a result, the acting speaker, the Republican Patrick McHenry of North Carolina, announced that the House was in recess." (Also linked yesterday.)

The New York Times liveblogged this episode of an American tragedy. Here is a brief selection of entries. See more in yesterday's Conversation & many more, of course, in the linked liveblog: (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

Luke Broadwater: "Representative Jim Jordan of Ohio is grasping for the votes he needs to be elected speaker on Tuesday, but the outcome is far from certain as Republicans continue to feud internally over who should lead them.... A number of mainstream Republicans who had said they could not countenance a vote for Mr. Jordan, a close ally of ... Donald J. Trump, fell into line after a pressure campaign by his right-wing allies and a series of one-on-one calls with him."

Catie Edmondson: "Just 10 months ago Elise Stefanik of New York, the conference chairwoman, nominated Kevin McCarthy for speaker. Now she is nominating Jim Jordan of Ohio, kicking off the formal vote." MB: She keeps invoking the Old Testament. That's appropriate.

Broadwater: "When Stefanik quoted the Book of Esther, Democrats in the chamber groaned. When she attacked President Biden, they audibly groaned again. When Stefanik referenced Jordan's success on a wrestling mat, Democrats laughed and jeered."

Carl Hulse: "Representative Hakeem Jeffries now being nominated by Representative Pete Aguilar as the Democratic candidate.... Aguilar is delivering an extremely tough attack on Jordan and his record. Typically the opposition party simply pushes forward their own candidate and doesn't focus on the alternative."

Broadwater: "Aguilar references that Jordan during his 16 years in Congress has not be the lead sponsor of any bill that has passed into law."

Annie Karni: "Aguilar describes Jordan as an architect of a nationwide abortion ban, a vocal election denier and an instigator of an insurrection."

Jordain Carney, et al., of Politico: "Jim Jordan's allies attempted to badger House Republicans into making him speaker. Those tactics backfired on Tuesday.... The Ohio Republican's most vocal GOP defectors during Tuesday's failed speaker vote said they were pressured to back Jordan by party bosses back home and national conservatives with big megaphones. Most of those skeptics viewed it as a coordinated push with a threatening theme: Vote for Jordan -- or else. The arm-twisting campaign, which in many cases included veiled threats of primary challenges, ... has put the Judiciary chair's bid on life support and threatened to plunge House Republicans deeper into turmoil.... 'Jim's been nice, one-on-one, but his broader team has been playing hardball,' Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) told Politico about Jordan's network of supporters, adding that he's been getting calls from party chairs back in Nebraska. He added that his wife even received multiple anonymous emails and texts saying: 'your husband better support Jim Jordan.'" ~~~

     ~~~ Charlie Nash of Mediaite has the receipts, via Olivia Beavers of Politico: screenshots of some of the anonymous text messages Bacon's wife received.

Donald Trump Is a Very Old Man. Eva Surovell of the Messenger: "... Donald Trump said Tuesday he thinks Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, will be successful in his bid to become speaker.... 'He's a fantastic young man,' Trump said. 'He's pretty young still and very strong....'" MB: Jordan is 59 years old. You need a geriatric mindset to think 59 is "pretty young."

The Party of Fox. Sarah Ellison & Will Sommer of the Washington Post: Fox host Sean "Hannity's effort to personally whip up votes for [Jim] Jordan highlights the central role that right-wing media has played in the weeks-long drama engulfing Capitol Hill over who will wield the speaker's gavel. At each turn, conservative media figures such as Hannity and former Trump adviser Stephen K. Bannon have injected high-profile disruption into a process that normally plays out quietly behind the scenes in Capitol Hill corridors.... Some members have been unusually outspoken in blasting their colleagues for playing to the cameras. Rep. Mike Collins (R-Ga.) tweeted last week that his fellow members were making decisions based on 'egos and TV time.'"

The Party of Utter Incompetence. Jamelle Bouie of the New York Times: "For years, it has been evident that the Republican Party can't govern. When Donald Trump was in office, it was revealing to see the extent to which Republican majorities in Congress struggled to write and pass any legislation of consequence. To wit, after an unsuccessful herculean lift trying to repeal the Affordable Care Act and a successful effort to cut taxes (the lowest hanging fruit on the conservative menu), congressional Republicans essentially stopped legislating until they were dislodged from control of the House in the 2018 midterms. What's become clear of late, in the midst of the chaos that has left the House without a speaker at a particularly fraught moment in foreign and domestic affairs, is that Republicans are as unable to organize themselves as they are incapable of leading the affairs of state."

The Trials of Trump, Ctd.

Charlie Savage & Alan Feuer of the New York Times: "Judge [Tanya] Chutkan released the formal written [gag] order [against Donald Trump] on Tuesday. She detailed in three brief pages how Mr. Trump has now been barred from making public comments targeting the members of her court staff, the special counsel Jack Smith and any members of his staff, as well as 'any reasonably foreseeable witnesses' in the sprawling federal criminal case in which the former president stands accused of seeking to overturn the 2020 election. But the order left unanswered the hardest questions involved in gagging Mr. Trump. Judge Chutkan will still have to determine on a case-by-case basis which, if any, of the former president's statements violate her ruling. And she will have to decide how to punish him if they do. Mr. Trump's legal team swiftly gave notice on Tuesday that he was appealing the order.... In federal court, judges cannot unilaterally impose a fine or order someone imprisoned for criminal contempt. Rather, such an allegation is treated as a new offense that requires the appointment of a prosecutor and another trial -- including a right to a decision by a jury." ~~~

     ~~~ Judge Chutkan's order, via Axios, is here. CNN's story on the written order is here. (The CNN article also includes a link to the order.)

MEANWHILE. Travis Gettys of the Raw Story: "Donald Trump tested the boundaries of a gag order imposed by a judge overseeing his New York fraud trial by sharing an article that appears to show the home address of New York Attorney General Letitia James. The former president was prohibited earlier this month from commenting publicly about court staffers by state Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron after Trump disparaged a clerk on Truth Social, but MeidasTouch Network noticed he shared a post by right-wing activist Laura Loomer that appeared to expose the attorney general's home address. James is not a court staffer and the court order did not refer to her directly -- but as the person who filed the lawsuit against Trump and her associate, she is a central player." Thanks to RAS for the link.

Josh Dawsey, et al., of the Washington Post: "Special counsel Jack Smith has withdrawn a subpoena seeking records about fundraising by the political action committee Save America -- a group that is controlled by ... Donald Trump and whose activities related to efforts to block the results of the 2020 presidential election have come under investigation, people familiar with the matter said. The withdrawal of the subpoena earlier this month indicates Smith is scaling back at least part of his inquiry into the political fundraising work that fed and benefited from unfounded claims that the election was stolen, said the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing criminal investigation."

** Haroun Siddique of the Guardian: "Donald Trump's decision to declassify evidence given by a former British spy about the former US president's alleged links with Russia led to the disappearance of two Russian sources, according to a court document. Christopher Steele, who used to run MI6's Russia desk, compiled the notorious 'Steele dossier' investigating Trump's connections to Russia. In a witness statement released on Tuesday, Steele said publication of his testimony to the Mueller investigation on the matter, originally classified secret, was an 'egregious and reckless act' that 'served no purpose other than to expose me and Orbis [Steele's company], our sources and our methods'.... In his witness statement, Steele said the decision to declassify his testimony, taken on Trump's last day in office, resulted in several Russian sources being exposed and suffering 'varying consequences'. He said: 'Two of the named Russian sources have not been seen or heard of since. The publication of this document did serious damage to the US government's Russian operations and their ability to recruit new Russian sources. The claimant's [Trump's] actions in this regard were truly shocking and arguably constitute one of the most egregious breaches of intelligence rules and protocol by the US government in recent times.'" (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Read on. If Steele can provide evidence of his allegation, this seems to be more fodder, of a gravely serious nature, for Jack Smith's prosecution of Trump in the documents case. Oh, and there's an Ivanka angle to the story.

GOP Gubernatorial Candidate Sentenced to 60 Day's Jail Time. Daniel Barnes & Ryan Reilly of NBC News: "A former Republican candidate for Michigan governor was sentenced Tuesday to 60 days in prison for committing a federal crime during the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Ryan Kelley, who was arrested during the Michigan gubernatorial primary in 2022, pleaded guilty this July to a misdemeanor count of entering and remaining on restricted grounds, admitting he 'rushed past U.S. Capitol police officers' and 'used his hands to support another rioter who was pulling a metal bike rack onto the scaffolding.' Prosecutors also said he ripped a tarp on the inauguration stage." (Also linked yesterday.)

Julia Jacobs of the New York Times: "Prosecutors will convene a grand jury to consider whether to refile an involuntary manslaughter charge against Alec Baldwin in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer who was killed on the set of the film 'Rust' in 2021, New Mexico prosecutors said on Tuesday.... Mr. Baldwin was rehearsing on a New Mexico film set with a gun that was not supposed to contain live ammunition when it suddenly fired a live round, killing the film's cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins."

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Colorado. Ee-www. Rebecca Carballo of the New York Times: "The number of bodies found at a rural Colorado funeral home has grown to at least 189, officials said Tuesday, two weeks after they reported that a foul odor had led investigators to the decaying remains of 115 people there. Teams removed the remains of at least 189 individuals from the Return to Nature Funeral Home in Penrose, a facility about 100 miles south of Denver that provides green burial services, and transported them to the El Paso County Coroner's Office, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation said in a news release on behalf of Sheriff Allen Cooper of Fremont County and Randy Keller, the county coroner.... No one had been arrested or charged in the matter.... The funeral home offered 'green' burials, environmentally sensitive alternatives to funerals, which typically require embalming fluids and elaborate coffins."

North Carolina. Lauren Irwin of the Hill: "North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper (D) sued Republicans over a state Senate bill that changed election rules in the state. Cooper's lawsuit, filed against President Pro Tempore Phillip Berger, Speaker of the House Timothy Moore and the state of North Carolina, said they showed a 'flagrant disregard' for constitutional principles that establish separation of powers in state government and the executive powers granted to him as Governor.... The bill in question, SB 749, overhauled the state's elections by establishing bipartisan election boards. State and county elections boards will now be controlled by an equal group of appointed Democrats and Republicans, which could create gridlock when deciding early-voting locations or certifying election results. The governor's office previously oversaw who sat on the board."

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Israel/Palestine

The New York Times' live updates of developments Wednesday in the Israel/Hamas war are here: "Protests broke out in cities across the Middle East in response to the explosion ... at a hospital in the Gaza Strip that killed hundreds and left Palestinians and Israelis trading blame.... And [President] Biden's scheduled meeting with Arab leaders was canceled, as key allies in the region condemned the explosion. Mr. Biden will now meet only with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, who faces growing pressure from global leaders to allow humanitarian aid to Gaza.... Shortly before taking off for Israel on Air Force One on Tuesday, Mr. Biden said he was 'outraged and deeply saddened' by the explosion.... Hamas said its head of military intelligence was killed in an Israeli strike, the first time that the group acknowledged the death of one of its military leaders since it assaulted Israel.... Hundreds of thousands of people have heeded Israel's call to flee to southern Gaza, but Israel carried out strikes in southern cities, including Khan Younis and Rafah."

Peter Baker: "President Biden hugged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog and chatted briefly before getting into the motorcade."

Baker: “President Biden has arrived at the Kempinski hotel in Tel Aviv, where he is meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.”

Baker: "President Biden appears to endorse Israel's denial of responsibility for the explosion at the Gaza hospital. 'Based on what I've seen, it appears as though it was done by the other team, not you,' he said. 'But there's a lot of people out there not sure.'"

Najib Jobain, et al., of the AP: "The Health Ministry run by Hamas said an Israeli airstrike on Tuesday hit a Gaza City hospital packed with wounded and other Palestinians seeking shelter, killing hundreds of people. If confirmed, the attack would be by far the deadliest Israeli airstrike in five wars fought since 2008. The health ministry said at least 500 people had been killed. Photos and video purportedly from al-Ahli Hospital on social media showed fire engulfing the building and the hospital's grounds strewn with torn bodies, many of them young children. Around them in the grass were blankets, school backpacks and other belongings. The images could not immediately be independently verified.... Hamas called Tuesday's hospital strike 'a horrific massacre.'... In protest at the reported strike, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas cancelled his participation in a meeting with [President] Biden, Jordan's King Abdullah II and Egypt's president set for Wednesday in Amman, Jordan to discuss the war." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Update from the New York Times liveblog (Tuesday), also linked yesterday: "Hundreds of people were reported killed by a strike at a hospital in Gaza City on Tuesday night where thousands of civilians reportedly had been sheltering. The Gazan health authorities said the blast had been caused by an Israeli airstrike; the Israel Defense Forces said it was caused by a rocket fired by a Palestinian armed group that malfunctioned after launching. The health ministry in Gaza said the number of casualties was expected to rise. Many civilians were sheltering at Ahli Arab Hospital, better known as Al-Ma'amadani, before it was hit. In the past, rockets fired by Palestinian armed groups have occasionally malfunctioned and hit civilian neighborhoods. The Civil Defense in Gaza said medical teams were overwhelmed and unable to respond adequately because the hospital was so badly damaged." (Also linked yesterday.)

Times of Israel: "A group of Chicago-area rabbis attended the funeral of Wadea Al-Fayoume, the six-year-old Palestinian American who was killed in his Illinois home by his landlord in what police are investigating as a hate crime. Al-Fayoume was killed [Monday] and his mother was seriously injured by 71-year-old Joseph Czuba who witnesses said was screaming, 'You Muslims have to die' when he barged into their apartment and began to attack them unprovoked. In a Facebook post published after attending Wadea's funeral, Skokie Valley Agudath Jacob Synagogue Rabbi Ari Hart writes, 'We met with the Imam, heard from the father and stood with the boy's community as they mourned this horrific loss. We witnessed the pain. We expressed our shock and condemnation of the attack. We wept.... The murder of a six-year-old because of his faith and his identity is not complicated. It is a heinous crime. And that's why we went today, he says." (Also linked yesterday.)

Marie: Glad to see senators have taken my advice! ~~~

No (Alleged!) Spies for Egypt Allowed. Liz Goodwin of the Washington Post: "Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) will not be attending an all-senators classified briefing on Israel on Wednesday, after some of his colleagues aired concerns that his presence would risk national security. The former chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee faces federal charges of bribery and conspiring to act as a foreign agent for the Egyptian government.... 'Hey, I have a question for a friend,' [Sen. John] Fetterman [D-Pa.] asked reporters Tuesday. 'If someone has been accused of being a foreign agent for Egypt, should they be allowed to attend a classified briefing on Israel tomorrow?' The answer, apparently, is no. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer D-N.Y.) said on Tuesday that Menendez will not attend the briefing that will include Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and other top administration officials. Schumer's office would not say whether the leader had asked Menendez not to attend or whether Menendez is barred from all such gatherings in the future."

China/Russia. Christian Shepherd & Lyric Li of the Washington Post: "Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Wednesday laid out a vision for a revamped version of his signature 'Belt and Road' investment initiative and promised continued economic support for nations that sign on to China's remade world order. With guest of honor Russian President Vladimir Putin, who shares his discontent with the Western-led world order, Xi presented the plan as an alternative route to riches than that offered by the United States and other industrial democracies, which he accused of holding back developing nations with trade sanctions and demands for political reform."

Ukraine, et al. David Sanger, et al., of the New York Times: "Ukraine's forces used newly supplied American long-range missiles against Russia for the first time on Tuesday after President Biden overcame his longstanding reluctance to providing the weapons, permitting the Pentagon to deliver them covertly in the last few days, American officials said. The decision to send the missiles represented a shift by the Biden administration at a time when the Ukrainian military is struggling in a counteroffensive in the country's south and east.... Ukraine used the missiles, called ATACMS, to strike two air bases in Russian-occupied territory on Tuesday, according to an American official familiar with the assault. Ukraine's special operations forces said the attack damaged runways and destroyed nine helicopters, an ammunition depot, an antiaircraft missile launcher and military equipment." Politico's story is here.

A Boost for Vlad. Robyn Dixon of the Washington Post: "Russian President Vladimir Putin, increasingly isolated over the war against Ukraine, met Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in China on Tuesday. The meeting was Putin's first with a European Union leader since the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant in March, accusing him of war crimes in the forced deportations of Ukrainian children. Orban, a self-proclaimed proponent of 'illiberal' Christian democracy, has a cozy relationship with Putin and Tuesday declared his determination to maintain his ties with Moscow, despite the tensions between Europe and Russia over the nearly two-year-old war. Orban has irritated other NATO members by slow-walking Sweden's accession to the alliance and his refusal to fully support Ukraine. Putin quickly crowed about the significance of the encounter, in which the two men shook hands and then held private talks ahead of a summit in Beijing marking the 10th anniversary of China's Belt and Road Initiative, a giant global infrastructure program."

Russia. Robyn Dixon of the Washington Post: "Jailed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny appeared at a court hearing without legal representation Tuesday after three of his lawyers were arrested on extremism charges and two others left the country.... Navalny only learned of the arrest of the three lawyers Monday from journalists, and Tuesday he found out that a fourth lawyer, Alexander Fedulov, had fled the country. A fifth, Olga Mikhailova, was not in Russia when the others were arrested, but her offices were raided and a search warrant was issued."

News Lede

AP: "The chief suspect in Natalee Holloway's 2005 disappearance in Aruba admitted he killed her and disposed of her remains, and has agreed to plead guilty to charges he tried to extort money from the teen's mother years later, a U.S. judge said Wednesday[.] The disclosure came during a plea and sentencing hearing for Joran van der Sloot, 36, in a federal courtroom in Alabama -- just a few miles from the Birmingham suburb where Holloway used to live." The New York Times story is here.