July 18, 2023

Late Morning/Afternoon Update:

Michael Shear of the New York Times: "President Biden met with President Isaac Herzog of Israel on Tuesday at the White House, a diplomatic overture to one of America's key allies amid tensions between the Biden administration and Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's prime minister.... [Mr. Biden] gave Mr. Herzog a fist bump and called the relationship between the United States and Israel 'simply unbreakable.' Mr. Herzog said he brought 'greetings and gratitude' from 'all sides of the political spectrum' in Israel." ~~~

~~~ Patrick Kingsley of the New York Times: "Despite temperatures climbing higher than 90 degrees Fahrenheit in some parts of [Israel], tens of thousands of Israelis held dozens of rallies across central Israel on Tuesday to protest Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's plan to finalize a law next week that would limit the power of the Supreme Court. In what has become a regular weekly episode of disruption, demonstrators marched through several cities in a renewed effort to stop the government proceeding with a binding vote on the law in Parliament, which is likely to come on Monday. This is the 28th consecutive week of protest against the judicial plan.... They thronged the platforms of major train stations, waving Israeli flags, creating a sea of blue and white next to railways across central Israel. They blocked highways, tunnels and an access road to the headquarters of the Israeli military. They rallied outside the homes of government ministers, banged on the glass doors of the Tel Aviv stock exchange and chanted outside a branch of the United States Embassy."

Jane Timm of NBC News: "Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced Tuesday that she has filed charges against 16 people who signed paperwork falsely claiming that ... Donald Trump had won the 2020 election as part of a scheme to overturn the results.... The 16 people being charged in Michigan allegedly met [in December 2020] in the basement of the state's Republican Party headquarters and signed multiple certificates claiming they were 'the duly elected and qualified electors for president and vice president of the United States of America for the state of Michigan,' Nessel said in recorded remarks. 'That was a lie. They weren't the duly elected and qualified electors, and each of the defendants knew it,' she continued.... The documents were later sent to the U.S. Senate and the National Archives 'with the intent that Vice President Pence would overturn the results of the election, using the false electoral slate,' Nessel said. Nessel said the 'false electors' are being charged with eight felony counts each, including forgery." The New York Times story is here.

Tierney Sneed, et al., of CNN: "US District Judge Aileen Cannon signaled she is likely to push back the start of a trial in the Mar-a-Lago classified documents case beyond the mid-December date proposed by federal prosecutors -- but appeared deeply skeptical of arguments from Donald Trump's lawyers that he couldn't get a fair trial while running for president.... During [a] hearing in Fort Pierce, Florida, Cannon said a proposal from federal prosecutors that the trial of Trump and his aide be held in mid-December was 'a bit rushed.' Cannon did not decide on a trial date but said she plans to 'promptly' issue an order on the matter. The judge also pressed the Trump legal team to commit to a timeline for at least some of the steps in the pre-trial process.... Trump himself did not attend to the hearing on Tuesday. [Walt] Nauta, a bodyman and aide to the former president, did appear for the hearing with his two attorneys." Includes some helpful background info. The New York Times story is here.

** Maggie Haberman of the New York Times: "... Donald J. Trump said on Tuesday that he recently received a so-called target letter from the special counsel Jack Smith in connection with the criminal investigation into his efforts to hold onto power after he lost the 2020 election, a sign that he is likely to be indicted in the case.... It is not clear what specific aspect of Mr. Smith's investigation into the efforts to obstruct the transfer of power that Mr. Trump may be indicted in." This is a breaking news story.

     ~~~ Update: The breaking story has been moved to a liveblog. Charlie Savage speculates on some of the possible charges. ~~~

     ~~~ Alan Feuer notes that in the classified documents case, it took "about three weeks before an indictment ... was returned." ~~~

     ~~~ Haberman: "When [Trump] was indicted in the documents investigation, his advisers were blunt that in their view, he needs to win the election as a defense against possible jail time. That only increases with an indictment related to Jan. 6 at the federal level." ~~~

     ~~~ Haberman: "There have been at least two grand juries investigating Trump's efforts to remain in power after he lost the 2020 election. One is related to Trump's fundraising off his false claims of widespread fraud and his claim he needed money to fight it. The other relates to the so-called 'fake' electors that his allies sought to have votes tallied for Trump in the electoral college count."

~~~ The AP story is here. The NBC News story is here.

     ~~~ At 9:50 am ET, none of the other major outlets is reporting the story. CNN has a top-page headline, but the link to the story is broken. Update: The CNN link has been fixed:

     ~~~ Katelyn Polantz & Jeremy Herb of CNN: "'Deranged Jack Smith, the prosecutor with Joe Biden's DOJ, sent a letter (again, it was Sunday night!) stating that I am a TARGET of the January 6th Grand Jury investigation, and giving me a very short 4 days to report to the Grand Jury, which almost always means an Arrest and Indictment,' Trump posted on Truth Social." MB: Hilariously, Trump seems upset that Smith sent target letters on Sundays, Trump's day of prayer. (Probably amuses the two Corinthians, too.) ~~~

     ~~~ CNN's liveblog of developments contains quite a number of interesting points: "... Donald Trump reached out to some of his top allies on Capitol Hill to discuss how they're going to go on offense against the special counsel's investigation, according to sources familiar with the conversation." ~~~

     ~~~ CNN: "Will Russell, a close adviser to ... Donald Trump is expected to appear before a grand jury in Washington, DC, on Thursday in the special counsel's investigation into the aftermath of the 2020 election, two sources familiar with the matter told CNN. Russell, who has testified to the grand jury at least twice before, served as a special assistant to the president as well as deputy director of advance and trip director in the Trump White House. He has continued to work for Trump after he left office. His appearance indicates there will be additional activity in the grand jury, which is meeting today at the federal courthouse in Washington, DC." ~~~

     ~~~ CNN: "In the Department of Justice's criminal investigation into efforts to overturn the 2020 election leading up to the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol, a key issue for prosecutors will be looking into ... Donald Trump's intent and his direct role, a CNN senior legal analysts said." ~~~

     ~~~ CNN:  "The [target] letter caught Trump's team off guard, who had not been anticipating Smith to potentially bring charges this month, or against Trump. The letter indicates he could do so soon."

     ~~~ Sources have confirmed to both the NYT & CNN that Trump received a target letter.

     ~~~ The Washington Post story, by Perry Stein, is here. The story has been updated. ~~~

~~~ Marcy Wheeler provides a redacted version of Trump's Liars Social post announcing receipt of a target letter (well, okay, a TARGET letter) to spare you "the whining and lies." Thanks to unwashed for the link.

Gawon Bae, et al., of CNN: "An American believed to have been detained in North Korea after crossing the inter-Korean border during a tour is a US Army soldier, a US official told CNN on Tuesday. He was detained during a Joint Security Area tour after crossing the demarcation line separating North and South Korea, according to the United Nations Command, which oversees the border area. A US defense official said the service member is a junior enlisted soldier assigned to US Forces Korea and was not in uniform when he crossed into North Korea. The official also added that he was on a tour as a civilian."

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Marie: I will be shutting down Reality Chex at the end of this month. If anyone would like to take it over, let me know. I think I'm paid up till some time in September, and the annual fees for host & domain are not prohibitive.

Many thanks to all of you for your kind comments in yesterday's thread. If I had nothing else to do, I'd keep going. But I have been building a house for years, and much of the reason for the never-ending build is that, because I have to constantly monitor the news, I have not had time to properly babysit New Hampshire's lazy, irresponsible, crooked, stupid builders who have supposedly overseen the work. In short, I cannot do both. I am angry that a project that should have gone relatively smoothly has taken me away from my "volunteer" work here. But basically, I have to stand over these yahoos with a whip yelling, "Follow the blueprints!" When I don't, I stop by the site to discover things like: oops, built the first floor two-and-a-half feet too short; used the wrong material on all the exterior walls; forgot to build a fairly elaborate front stoop; forgot to put in a bay window, followed by built an illegal bay window; mismeasured the garage door opening by six inches; cannot get the trim done; disappeared altogether; didn't finish the roofing; didn't finish the siding; argued again and again that they would not tear down their gross, obvious mistakes and made up "justifications" that make the dog-ate-my-homework excuse sound smart. I even had to call the police once to force the framers off the property so they would not proceed with a major mistake. And these are just some of the problems that occur every single day because I'm not there cracking my whip. As for any sort of "real" private life, I have had no time for any of it.

I do want to thank all the readers, and especially the comments contributors, who have injected sanity not only into public discourse but also into my life these past years, particularly during the pandemic. It would have been lonely without you. I know you didn't think you were engaging in a therapy project, but you were.

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Patrick Kingsley & Michael Shear of the New York Times: "President Biden has invited Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel to a meeting in the United States for the first time since Mr. Netanyahu re-entered office in December, easing months of tensions between the two leaders. Mr. Netanyahu's office said that Mr. Biden made the invitation in a 'warm and long' phone call on Monday evening, on the eve of a visit to Washington by Isaac Herzog, the Israeli president, that had until Monday night been widely seen as a slight to Mr. Netanyahu." This is an update of a story linked earlier. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Haley Britzky of CNN: "US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has ordered F-35 and F-16 fighter jets deployed to the Middle East, as well as the destroyer USS Thomas Hudner, in response to Iranian activities in the Strait of Hormuz.... The deployments come after two incidents earlier this month in which Iranian Navy ships attempted to seize merchant vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman."

The Temp Is Too Damn High. Vivian Wang & Lisa Friedman of the New York Times: "The heat wave choking China is so intense that it even became a repeated talking point for John Kerry, President Biden's special envoy for climate change, as he met with China's premier on Tuesday in Beijing to discuss cooperation on slowing global warming. 'You and I know things are changing,' Mr. Kerry told the premier, Li Qiang, while sitting in the Great Hall of the People, on the edge of Tiananmen Square."

Karoon Demirjian of the New York Times: "An increasingly deep divide among Democrats in Congress about how strongly -- or even whether -- to support Israel has reared its head on the eve of a visit by the nation's president to Washington, as progressives openly condemn the Jewish state and others toil to reconcile their backing for the country with disdain for its current government. The rift burst into public view over the weekend when Representative Pramila Jayapal, a Washington Democrat who leads the Congressional Progressive Caucus, said at a conference of the liberal Netroots Nation that Israel 'is a racist state,' leading to a swift condemnation from House Democratic leaders that prompted her to walk back the comment. Now Republicans, working to exploit the discord roiling Democrats, plan to keep the infighting in the spotlight by holding a vote on Tuesday proclaiming that Israel is not a racist or apartheid state and condemning antisemitism.... Other progressives in Congress came to [Jayapal's] defense. Representative Rashida Tlaib, Democrat of Michigan and the first Palestinian American woman elected to Congress, defended Ms. Jayapal's comments on Monday in a Twitter post in which she said, 'The Israeli government is committing the crime of apartheid,' adding: 'Apartheid is a racist system of oppression.'" ~~~

      ~~~ Marie: A rational person would have to agree that Israel has been dedicated to maintaining an apartheid state. The entire project that is today's Israel was fraught from the get-go with perhaps irreconcilable problems. From the start, these problems was handled badly by all parties involved. This is likely true of all projects that are imposed by force. I don't know precisely what a viable solution would be, but it certainly is not the ones extremists on both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian standoff propose. Peace and prosperity are always possible, even in a 3,000-year-old war. But people are stupid, selfish and stubborn, and unless wiser minds can prevail, it is not possible in the near future. I do know this: no one should die over who owns the dirt under his feet. (What a shame Jared Kushner couldn't resolve the situation in the several hours he devoted to it.) In the meantime, we are granted yet another reminder that the Enlightenment's concept of the "rational man" was a hopeful but misguided view.

Maggie Astor of the New York Times: "Several members of the Kennedy family have condemned a bigoted conspiracy theory from the Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who suggested that the coronavirus was 'ethnically targeted' to spare Jews and Chinese people.... His sister Kerry Kennedy called his remarks 'deplorable and untruthful.'... His brother Joseph Kennedy II issued a similar statement.... And former Representative Joseph Kennedy III wrote on Twitter on Monday afternoon: 'My uncle's comments were hurtful and wrong. I unequivocally condemn what he said.'" ~~~

~~~ MEANWHILE. Jordain Carney of Politico: "House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan said Monday that he is moving forward with his plan to have Robert F. Kennedy Jr. testify at a subcommittee hearing on Thursday.... There are growing calls from Democrats, both on and off Capitol Hill, urging Jordan to disinvite Kennedy Jr." ~~~

     ~~~ Scott Wong & Rebecca Kaplan of NBC News: "House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said Monday he disagrees with 'everything' Robert F. Kennedy Jr. reportedly said last week about Covid-19's being bioengineered 'to attack Caucasians and Black people' and about Jewish people's being 'most immune.' But McCarthy, R-Calif., rejected calls by Democrats to cancel Kennedy's public appearance Thursday before a Republican-controlled House committee. Kennedy ... has pushed conspiracy theories, some of them about the safety of vaccines."

Jordan Threatens Wray with Contempt. Miranda Nazzaro of the Hill: "House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) threatened Monday to hold FBI Director Christopher Wray in contempt of Congress for what he claims is the agency's 'wholly inadequate' compliance with two subpoenas issued earlier this year. 'We write to notify you that if the FBI does not improve its compliance substantially, the Committee will take action -- such as the initiation of content of Congress proceedings -- to obtain compliance with these subpoenas,' Jordan said in a letter to Wray, giving the FBI a deadline of July 25 at 12 p.m. to hand over the documents before the committee will 'take action.'"

Jordan Threatens Zuck with Contempt. Miranda Nazzaro of the Hill: "House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) is considering holding Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg in contempt of Congress, a source familiar with the situation confirmed to The Hill Monday.... Zuckerberg was among five tech company heads who received subpoenas in February from the House Judiciary panel to turn over 'documents and communications relating to the federal government's reported collusion with Big Tech to suppress free speech,' along with any documents related to their content moderation measures, the committee said at the time."

What if the Shit Show Sucks? Greg Sargent of the Washington Post: "Stephen K. Bannon ... infamously declared in 2018 that the secret to political warfare was 'to flood the zone with s--t.' For many observers, this quote continues to capture the perils of our 'post-truth' moment: Our democratic culture remains deeply vulnerable to being swamped by disinformation.... We're now seeing what happens when the zone gets so flooded with excrement that it threatens to drown the MAGA movement itself. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) chaired a House Judiciary Committee hearing last week that purported to expose the FBI's 'weaponization' against conservatives. But GOP lawmakers floated so many allegations and conspiracy theories that the spectacle devolved into a haphazard, scattered mess with no storylines developed in meaningful depth.... Blame it on the 'MAGA persecution complex' -- the vast array of outlets in the right-wing media ecosystem that incentivizes GOP lawmakers to pander to conservative victimization and grievance. It's feasting on so many claims of persecution that it's essentially eating itself to death." (Also linked yesterday.)

Peter Stein & Mark Berman of the Washington Post: "The federal judge presiding over Donald Trump's trial for allegedly mishandling classified documents is scheduled to meet with prosecutors and the former president's attorneys for the first time Tuesday afternoon in a Fort Pierce, Fla., courtroom. The public hearing is expected to focus on administrative procedures required in a case that relies on classified government materials as evidence. It could also provide insight into whether U.S. District Judge Aileen M. Cannon will push to resolve the trial before or after the 2024 presidential election.... On Monday, federal prosecutors asked in court filings for Cannon to issue an order that would require Trump, [co-defendant Walt] Nauta and their attorneys to sign an agreement that would prohibit them from divulging the classified material in any manner before they were able to examine the evidence as part of the pretrial discovery process. This proposed order is a typical pretrial move under CIPA [the Classified Information Procedures Act]...." The New York Times story, by Charlie Savage, is here. An AP story is here.

Danny Hakim of the New York Times: "In a ruling on Monday, the Georgia Supreme Court rejected a long-shot attempt by ... Donald J. Trump's legal team to scuttle an investigation into election interference weeks before indictment decisions are expected.The pronouncement from the court was both unanimous and swift, coming just three days after Mr. Trump's lawyers submitted their filing. They had sought a court order that would throw out the work of a special grand jury in Atlanta and disqualify Fani T. Willis, the district attorney of Fulton County, from the proceedings.... Most of the court's nine justices were originally appointed by Republican governors.... They ... said that Mr. Trump's lawyers had not presented 'either the facts or the law necessary to mandate Willis's disqualification.'" An NBC News story is here.

Based on what information is available, this has the look of a textbook billionaire tax scam. -- Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Finance Committee chair ~~~

~~~ Paul Keil of ProPublica: "Tax data obtained by ProPublica provides a glimpse of what congressional investigators would find if [billionaire Harlan] Crow were to open his books to them. Crow's voyages with [Justice Clarence] Thomas, the data shows, contributed to a nice side benefit: They helped reduce Crow's tax bill.... Despite Crow's representations to the IRS, ProPublica reporters could find no evidence that his yacht company was actually a profit-seeking business, as the law requires.... [For years, Crow took deductions on a supposed 'yacht charter business.'] By using those deductions to offset income from other sources, the Crows saved on taxes.... [But the yacht business appears to have been a fake business.] According to the former staff and the schedules, use of the vessel appears to have been limited to Crow's family, friends and executives of Crow's company, along with their guests.... Since April, when the Senate Finance Committee first sent Crow a long list of questions about Thomas' trips on his jet and yacht, Crow has refused to provide extensive answers.... One focus of the investigations is whether Crow disclosed his generosity toward Thomas to the IRS, since large gifts are subject to the gift tax. Another is whether Crow treated his trips with Thomas as deductible business expenses." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Amanda Marcotte of Salon suggests a cure for crazy billionaires: "Our billionaires are not okay. The most obvious example, of course, is [Elon] Musk, who is having a midlife crisis so unhinged that it would be upsetting if he weren't such a terrible person.... Paul Krugman of the New York Times argues that their money and privilege are rotting their brains: '... rather than accepting that the world is a complicated place nobody can control, they're susceptible to the idea that there are secret cabals out to get them.'... Too much money is not good for you.... The good news is that we already know how to save the hyper-wealthy from themselves: Tax them until their nest eggs make them merely rich.... It's not just better for society if a handful of people are unable to hoard all the wealth. It's better for the rich, as well.... The worst that could happen is people like Musk have less money to invest in harebrained schemes like 'ChatGPT, but more racist.' With so much to gain and nothing to lose, it's time to tax billionaires until they are billionaires no longer."

Presidential Race 2024

Jonathan Weisman of the New York Times: "At an event at Saint Anselm College in Manchester, N.H., the ... ostensibly bipartisan interest group No Labels ... had something of a soft launch of its potential third-party bid for the presidency when Senator Joe Manchin III, Democrat of West Virginia, and Jon Huntsman Jr., the former Republican governor of Utah, formally released No Labels' policy manifesto for political compromise.... But the dream unity ticket seemed anything but unified when it came down to the nuts and bolts." Huntsman & Manchin disagreed on both climate change and modest gun control.

Beyond the Beltway

Alabama. We Shall Not Comply. Kim Chandler of the AP: "Alabama Republicans, under orders of the U.S. Supreme Court to redraw congressional districts to give minority voters a greater voice in elections, rejected calls Monday to craft a second majority-Black district and proposed a map that could test what is required by the judges' directive.... Republicans, who have been resistant to creating a certain Democratic district, proposed a map that would increase the percentage of Black voters in the 2nd congressional district from about 30% to nearly 42.5%, wagering that will satisfy the court's directive.... However, the National Redistricting Foundation, one of the groups that backed challenges to the Alabama map, called the proposal 'shameful' and said it would be challenged.... Deuel Ross, a lawyer with the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund who argued the case before the Supreme Court, said they will challenge the proposal if it is enacted by the Alabama Legislature."

Florida. Brianna Sacks of the Washington Post: Residents of southwest Florida, not yet recovered from the punishments imposed by Hurricane Ian, are now suffering under oppressive heat. "... this year, the state has been enduring the hottest and most humid year in modern history.... Abnormally warm sea waters and temperatures could produce another powerful hurricane season, underscoring the sobering reality that more and more Americans will endure significant compounding disasters and climate-intensified threats every year.... Category 5 Ian destroyed 5,000 homes and damaged about 30,000 more in Lee County [Fort Myers, Cape Coral, etc.] alone, home to around 800,000 people. Seniors and people with lower incomes owned and rented many of them, and they've been further beaten down by much higher rents, a tight housing market, and difficulties getting federal aid and insurance payouts.... Disasters like Ian harshly expose and further tip the inequality scales." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I'm sure Gov. White Boots would like to help, but he's busy doing his vanity presidenty campaign thing when he's not signing bills to ruin the lives of women, transgender kids, non-white people and librarians or unceremoniously disposing of hapless immigrants and fighting with the state's largest employer (Disney). As his campaign slogan says, "Make America Florida." Right.

Iowa. Jack Forrest of CNN: "Abortions in Iowa will for now remain legal up to 22 weeks into a pregnancy after a judge on Monday temporarily blocked the state's newly signed law that would ban the procedure as early as six weeks.... The law will now be placed on hold until the court can issue a final decision, according to the ruling." (A developing version of this story was linked yesterday afternoon.) The New York Times story is here.

New York. A Move that Is Decades Past Time. Benjamin Weiser & Jonah Bromwich of the New York Times: "Manhattan's top federal prosecutor is calling for an outside authority to take control of New York City's troubled jails, a major shift that could help persuade a judge to strip Mayor Eric Adams of his power over Rikers Island. The federal prosecutor, Damian Williams, said in a statement on Monday that Rikers has been in a crisis for years -- 'a collective failure with deep roots, spanning multiple mayoral administrations' and correction commissioners. 'But after eight years of trying every tool in the tool kit,' Mr. Williams said, 'we cannot wait any longer for substantial progress to materialize. That is why my office will seek a court-appointed receiver to address the conditions on Rikers Island.'"

Pennsylvania. Luz Lazo of the Washington Post: "A train hauling a chemical used for dry cleaning clothes derailed early Monday, prompting evacuations in a Philadelphia suburb in the latest instance of a freight train to go off its rails. The CSX train derailed about 4:50 a.m. on Norfolk Southern tracks in Whitemarsh Township, Pa., about 14 miles from downtown Philadelphia. No injuries or chemical spill were reported. Crews from both railroads were at the scene while beginning cleanup efforts, railroad officials said.... CSX spokeswoman Sheriee Bowman said the cause of the derailment appears to be a sinkhole stemming from weather-related issues." MB: So if CSX is correct & is not just deflecting blame, train safety is yet another casualty of climate change.

South Carolina. Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs of the New York Times: "... looming large over the [murder] trial [of Alex Murdaugh] was another tragic death: that of Mallory Beach, a 19-year-old woman who was killed in a boat crash involving the dead son years earlier. The authorities said that the son, Paul Murdaugh, had been driving the boat when it crashed in 2019, and a lawsuit brought on behalf of Ms. Beach's family -- threatening to reveal the lies and thefts surrounding Alex Murdaugh's finances -- was part of the tightening circle of events that was closing in on Mr. Murdaugh in the weeks before the murders. This week, Ms. Beach's family agreed to settle that lawsuit with a co-defendant, the owners of a gas station convenience store that sold alcohol to an underage Paul Murdaugh -- who was using his older brother's ID -- on the night of the crash. The $15 million settlement, which must still be approved by a judge, comes on the eve of a civil trial ... that had been scheduled for next month."

Way Beyond

Ukraine, et al.

The Washington Post's live briefing of developments Tuesday in Russia's war on Ukraine is here: "After Ukraine's pre-dawn attack on a crucial bridge connecting mainland Russia and Crimea, which killed two people, a Kremlin official wrote early Tuesday on Telegram that part of the transit way had been reopened and posted videos of cars passing over it.... Russia carried out a wave of overnight attacks across southern and eastern Ukraine, Ukrainian authorities said Tuesday. According to the Ukrainian Air Force, Russia launched six Kalibr cruise missiles and 36 Shahed drones, with some targeting the Odessa and Mykolaiv regions.... Russia and Ukraine have each achieved marginal advances in different areas over the past week, the British Defense Ministry said.... Russia has positioned more than 100,000 troops and more than 900 tanks near Kupyansk in Ukraine's northeast, Ukrainian media reported.... Ukraine is 'not afraid' to continue shipping grain from its ports, despite Russia's withdrawal from the Black Sea initiative, President Volodymyr Zelensky said while speaking to African media." ~~~

     ~~~ The New York Times' live updates for Tuesday are here. The Guardian's live updates are here. The Guardian's summary report is here.

Matthew Bigg & Ivan Nechepurenko of the New York Times: "Russia said on Monday that it was ending an agreement that had allowed Ukraine to export its grain by sea despite Moscow's naval blockade, upending a deal that had helped to keep global food prices stable and alleviate one element of the global fallout from the war. Ukraine is a major producer of grain and other foodstuffs, and the United Nations secretary general, António Guterres, said he was 'deeply disappointed' by the decision. Millions of people who face hunger, or are struggling, as well as consumers around the world facing a cost of living crisis, will 'pay a price,' he said. 'Today's decision by the Russian Federation will strike a blow to people in need everywhere,' he told journalists." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Trump's Plan to End the War, Ha Ha Ha. Aaron Blake of the Washington Post: On Sunday, Friend of Trump & Fox "News" host Maria "Bartiromo asked Trump how he would end the war within 24 hours, [as he has repeatedly claimed he would,] and he deflected.... [But Bartiromo pressed, and Trump said,] 'I would tell Zelensky: No more. You got to make a deal. I would tell Putin: If you don't make a deal, we're going to give them a lot....'... What Trump ... seemed to be saying was that he was going to tell ... Putin [one thing] while telling Zelensky the opposite.... Trump [is] telling everyone that's he's going to bluff before the negotiations ever begin. Generally speaking, bluffs work best when the other side doesn't know that's what you are doing." MB: The guy's a genius. How come Joe Biden, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and U.N. Secretary General António Guterres think of that?

News Ledes

AP: "Phoenix's relentless streak of dangerously hot days was finally poised to smash a record for major U.S. cities on Tuesday, the 19th straight day the desert city was to see temperatures soar to 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43.3 C) or more. Nighttime has offered little relief from the brutal temperatures. Phoenix's low of 95 F (35 C) on Monday was its highest overnight low ever."

New York Times: "Less than two weeks after the Earth recorded what scientists said were likely its hottest days in modern history, punishing heat waves are gripping much of the Northern Hemisphere." This is a liveblog.

Washington Post: "Canada deployed its military to help overwhelmed local authorities and emergency workers fight intensifying wildfires, which have burned nearly 25 million acres in the country this year.... Since the weekend, steering currents in the atmosphere have carried another massive plume of smoke from Canada into the Lower 48. Code Orange air quality, signifying unhealthy levels for vulnerable people, were predicted to effect parts of 23 states through Tuesday. Cities including Pittsburgh; Chicago; Albany, N.Y.; Baltimore; and Nashville had reached this level through Monday afternoon, according to AirNow, a tracker maintained by a group of U.S. government agencies."

AP: "An Australian sailor who had been adrift at sea with his dog for three months has been rescued by a Mexican tuna boat in international waters, the fishing vessel's owner said Monday. Timothy Lyndsay Shaddock, 54, was aboard his incapacitated catamaran Aloha Toa in the Pacific about 1200 miles (1900 kilometers) from land when the crew of the boat from the Grupomar fleet spotted them, the company said in a statement. The company said Shaddock and his dog Bella were in a 'precarious' state when found, lacking provisions and shelter. The tuna boat's crew gave them medical attention, food and hydration, it said."

July 17, 2023

Marie: I will be shutting down Reality Chex at the end of this month. If anyone would like to take it over, let me know. I think I'm paid up till some time in September, and the annual fees for host & domain are not prohibitive.

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Afternoon Update:

Iowa. Jack Forrest of CNN: "Abortions in Iowa will for now remain legal up to 22 weeks into a pregnancy after a judge on Monday temporarily blocked the state's newly signed law that would ban the procedure as early as six weeks." At 5:45 pm ET, this is a breaking news story.

Patrick Kingsley & Michael Shear of the New York Times: "President Biden has invited Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel to a meeting in the United States for the first time since Mr. Netanyahu re-entered office in December, easing months of tensions between the two leaders. Mr. Netanyahu's office said that Mr. Biden made the invitation in a 'warm and long' phone call on Monday evening, on the eve of a visit to Washington by Isaac Herzog, the Israeli president, that had until Monday night been widely seen as a slight to Mr. Netanyahu." This is an update of a story linked earlier.

What if the Shit Show Sucks? Greg Sargent of the Washington Post: "Stephen K. Bannon ... infamously declared in 2018 that the secret to political warfare was 'to flood the zone with s--t.' For many observers, this quote continues to capture the perils of our 'post-truth' moment: Our democratic culture remains deeply vulnerable to being swamped by disinformation.... We're now seeing what happens when the zone gets so flooded with excrement that it threatens to drown the MAGA movement itself. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) chaired a House Judiciary Committee hearing last week that purported to expose the FBI's 'weaponization' against conservatives. But GOP lawmakers floated so many allegations and conspiracy theories that the spectacle devolved into a haphazard, scattered mess with no storylines developed in meaningful depth.... Blame it on the 'MAGA persecution complex' -- the vast array of outlets in the right-wing media ecosystem that incentivizes GOP lawmakers to pander to conservative victimization and grievance. It's feasting on so many claims of persecution that it's essentially eating itself to death."

Based on what information is available, this has the look of a textbook billionaire tax scam. -- Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Finance Committee chair ~~~

~~~ Paul Keil of ProPublica: "Tax data obtained by ProPublica provides a glimpse of what congressional investigators would find if [billionaire Harlan] Crow were to open his books to them. Crow's voyages with [Justice Clarence] Thomas, the data shows, contributed to a nice side benefit: They helped reduce Crow's tax bill.... Despite Crow's representations to the IRS, ProPublica reporters could find no evidence that his yacht company was actually a profit-seeking business, as the law requires.... [For years, Crow took deductions on a supposed 'yacht charter business.'] By using those deductions to offset income from other sources, the Crows saved on taxes.... [But the yacht business appears to have been a fake business.] According to the former staff and the schedules, use of the vessel appears to have been limited to Crow's family, friends and executives of Crow's company, along with their guests.... Since April, when the Senate Finance Committee first sent Crow a long list of questions about Thomas' trips on his jet and yacht, Crow has refused to provide extensive answers.... One focus of the investigations is whether Crow disclosed his generosity toward Thomas to the IRS, since large gifts are subject to the gift tax. Another is whether Crow treated his trips with Thomas as deductible business expenses."

Matthew Bigg & Ivan Nechepurenko of the New York Times: "Russia said on Monday that it was ending an agreement that had allowed Ukraine to export its grain by sea despite Moscow's naval blockade, upending a deal that had helped to keep global food prices stable and alleviate one element of the global fallout from the war. Ukraine is a major producer of grain and other foodstuffs, and the United Nations secretary general, António Guterres, said he was 'deeply disappointed' by the decision. Millions of people who face hunger, or are struggling, as well as consumers around the world facing a cost of living crisis, will 'pay a price,' he said. 'Today's decision by the Russian Federation will strike a blow to people in need everywhere,' he told journalists."

~~~~~~~~~~

Isaac Herzog, the president of Israel, will meet President Biden on Tuesday before giving a joint address to Congress a day later. His visit highlights the endurance of Israel-U.S. ties but also underscores tensions between Mr. Biden and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has not received an invitation to the White House since taking power again in Israel last year.... Mr. Biden has pointedly refused to reward Mr. Netanyahu with an invitation to the White House since he returned to office in December at the helm of the most right-wing government in Israel's history.... Mr. Biden also recently described Mr. Netanyahu's coalition as 'one of the most extremist' since the 1970s, and said he would not welcome Mr. Netanyahu to Washington 'in the near term.'... The timing of Mr. Herzog's visit comes just days before Mr. Netanyahu is expected to move forward with a contentious plan to limit the influence of his country's judiciary. That plan has set off political unrest in Israel and drawn particular criticism from Mr. Biden...."

~~~~~~~~~~

Peter Baker of the New York Times: "Thirty years after Congress ordered that papers related to the killing [of President John Kennedy] be made public with limited exceptions, President Biden has declared that he has made his 'final certification' of files to be released, even though 4,684 documents remain withheld in whole or in part. Going forward, agencies will decide any future disclosures that may be warranted by the passage of time. The president's certification, issued at 6:36 p.m. on the Friday before the long Fourth of July holiday weekend, when it would not draw much attention, has frustrated researchers and historians still focused on the most sensational American murder of the 20th century. But they suffered a setback on Friday when a federal judge refused to block Mr. Biden's order....

"Of roughly 320,000 documents reviewed since the law passed, 99 percent have been disclosed, according to the National Archives and Records Administration. But 2,140 documents remain fully or partially withheld as a result of Mr. Biden's action, officials said, while another 2,502 remain withheld for reasons outside the president's purview, like court-ordered seals, grand jury secrecy rules, tax privacy limits or restrictions imposed by people who donated papers, and 42 for a mix of both. A vast majority of excluded documents have actually been released but with certain parts redacted, officials said.... Officials said they were confident that none of the withheld information would change the essential understanding of the assassination."

Carl Hulse of the New York Times: "Senate Democrats plan to push ahead this week with legislation imposing new ethics rules on the Supreme Court in the wake of disclosures about the justices' travel and outside activities, despite blanket opposition by Republicans who claim the effort is intended to undermine the high court. The Judiciary Committee is scheduled on Thursday to consider legislation by Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, Democrat of Rhode Island, that would require the Supreme Court to establish a new code of conduct for justices, set firmer ground rules for recusal from cases, create a new investigatory board and promote transparency about ties with those before the court. Senate Republicans have made it clear they won't support the legislation, and it has no chance in the G.O.P.-controlled House."

Ana Swanson of the New York Times: "A congressional committee focused on national security threats from China said it had 'grave concerns' about a research partnership between the University of California, Berkeley, and several Chinese entities, claiming that the collaboration's advanced research could help the Chinese government gain an economic, technological or military advantage. In a letter sent last week to Berkeley's president and chancellor, the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party requested extensive information about the Tsinghua-Berkeley Shenzhen Institute, a collaboration set up in 2014 with China's prestigious Tsinghua University and the Chinese city of Shenzhen."

I have an Article 2, where I have the right to do whatever I want as president. -- Donald Trump, 2019 ~~~

~~~ The Dictator's Playbook. Jonathan Swan, et al., of the New York Times: "Donald J. Trump and his allies are planning a sweeping expansion of presidential power over the machinery of government if voters return him to the White House in 2025, reshaping the structure of the executive branch to concentrate far greater authority directly in his hands.... Mr. Trump and his associates ... [plan] to alter the balance of power by increasing the president's authority over every part of the federal government that now operates.... Mr. Trump intends to bring independent agencies -- like the Federal Communications Commission, which makes and enforces rules for television and internet companies, and the Federal Trade Commission, which enforces various antitrust and other consumer protection rules against businesses -- under direct presidential control. He wants to revive the practice of 'impounding' funds, refusing to spend money Congress has appropriated for programs a president doesn't like -- a tactic that lawmakers banned under President Richard Nixon. He intends to strip employment protections from tens of thousands of career civil servants.... And he plans to scour the intelligence agencies, the State Department and the defense bureaucracies to remove officials he has vilified as 'the sick political class that hates our country.'... [The plan's] legal underpinning is a maximalist version of the so-called unitary executive theory." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: In case you think this is a plan only Trump could love, think DeSantolini. As the reporters note, the Trump plan is backed by "a well-funded network of conservative groups ... led by the Heritage Foundation.... The agenda being pursued has deep roots in the decades-long effort by conservative legal thinkers to undercut what has become known as the administrative state...."

Devlin Barrett of the Washington Post: "Since his indictment last month on charges of withholding classified documents..., Donald Trump has publicly called special counsel Jack Smith 'deranged' and a 'psycho' and said he 'looks like a crackhead.' In response, Smith and the federal judge overseeing his pending criminal trial have said ... nothing.... Trump's broadsides on social media against the Justice Department, the FBI, and Smith in particular have not gone unnoticed. The government spent $1.9 million for U.S. Marshals to provide security to Smith and other officials between November 2022 and March, according to officials.... 'Trump has bought for himself more latitude than other litigants would have. He's campaigning for office, and the scope of things that are said in campaigns are often far out and unsupported,' [attorney Bruce] Rogow said.... 'These are the kind of comments that might provoke some judges to issue a gag order,' said Ken White, a former federal prosecutor.... Stephen Gillers, a professor of legal ethics at New York University, said that the calculus for a gag order could change if Trump starts talking about witnesses or evidence...." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

~~~ MEANWHILE. Brett Samuels of the Hill: “Former President Trump praised the judge overseeing his classified documents case as his legal team seeks a postponement of his trial in Florida.... 'I know it's a very highly respected judge. A very smart judge, and a very strong judge,' Trump said. When host [Fox 'News host] Maria Bartiromo noted that Trump appointed the judge in the case, Trump said, 'I did, and I'm very proud to have appointed her.'... We need judges that love our country so they do the right thing.'" MB: I'm just overwhelmed by Trump's sincerity. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Presidential Race 2024. David Morgan of Reuters: "The third-party No Labels group will stay out of the 2024 U.S. presidential race if polling shows its candidate would play a 'spoiler' role by helping to elect either the Democratic or Republican nominee, co-chairman Joe Lieberman said on Sunday. The group will on Monday release what it calls a 'common sense' agenda of policies meant to help unite the country behind a cooperative moderate alternative to the partisanship that characterizes contemporary U.S. politics." MB PS: You can trust Joe Lieberman's word about as far as you can throw Donald Trump. And he lies about big things that affect millions of people.

Beyond the Beltway

California. Eduardo Medina of the New York Times: "A California man who crashed into a car of six teenagers after they played a doorbell prank on him in 2020 was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole on Friday after his conviction on murder charges, officials said. The man, Anurag Chandra, had been found guilty in April of three counts of first-degree murder and three counts of attempted murder in the crash in Riverside County, Calif. The Riverside County District Attorney's Office argued that the crash, which killed three 16-year-old boys, was intentional."

Kentucky. Chris Cameron of the New York Times: "A Civil War-era treasure of more than 700 gold coins was unearthed in a Kentucky cornfield, a find that has at least partly vindicated legends of lost Civil War gold that have driven American treasure hunters for more than 150 years. The discovery, which coin sellers have called the Great Kentucky Hoard, was made on a farm by a man who has so far remained anonymous. In a video posted on June 9 on YouTube, the man is seen frantically counting mounds of coins caked with dirt. 'This is the most insane thing ever,' he said, pointing out coins that were later certified by the Numismatic Guaranty Company as genuine $1, $10 and $20 gold coins minted before and during the Civil War.... The total value of the treasure could exceed $1 million."

New York. Hurubie Meko & Erin Nolan of the New York Times: In 2011, profilers compiled lists of the characteristics they expected the Gisco Beach serial killer had. There are similarities between the profiles and the suspect arrested late last week for three of the murders. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Way Beyond

Ukraine, et al.

The Washington Post's live briefing of developments Monday in Russia's war on Ukraine is here: "Russian-installed officials reported an 'emergency' at a key bridge connecting the Crimean peninsula to the Russian region of Krasnodar, amid reports of explosions early Monday. Vyacheslav Gladkov, governor of the Belgorod region, said two people were killed and a child was injured.... The Black Sea Grain Initiative ... that allows millions of tons of essential foods from Ukraine to safely traverse the Black Sea is set to expire Monday, fueling concerns that some lower-income countries could suffer acute food shortages.... Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that his country has a 'sufficient stockpile' of cluster munitions and 'reserves the right to take reciprocal action' if Ukraine uses their own." ~~~

     ~~~ The New York Times' live updates for Monday are here. The Guardian's live updates of developments Monday are here. The Guardian's summary report is here.

Jasmine Wright of CNN: "The US will allow European countries to train Ukrainians on F-16 fighter jets, a top Biden administration official confirmed Sunday, a potential boon for Ukraine's efforts to counter Russia's air superiority. 'The president has given a green light and we will allow, permit, support, facilitate and in fact provide the necessary tools for Ukrainians to begin being trained on F-16s, as soon as the Europeans are prepared,' national security adviser Jake Sullivan told CNN's Jake Tapper on 'State of the Union.' The decision cements a stark turnaround for President Joe Biden, who said earlier this year that he did not believe that Ukraine needed the F-16s. One of the main issues Kyiv's ground forces have faced as their counteroffensive gets underway is Russian air power holding them back." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

News Ledes

The Guardian is live-updating developments in the extreme heat that is affecting many parts of the Northern hemisphere: "Parts of Europe, Asia and North America are preparing for scorching heat on Monday that threatens to break records, drive wildfires and has prompted health warnings and evacuations. Europe could record its hottest-ever temperature this week on Italy's islands of Sicily and Sardinia where a high of 48C (118F) is predicted, the European Space Agency said."

Pennsylvania. The Dog That Barked. Washington Post: A family dog spotted Pennsylvania prison escapee & fugitive Michael Burham and ran toward him, barking. Upon engaging with Burham, the family recognized him and "called 911 as he headed back into the woods -- relaying a tip that would allow authorities to recapture him that evening and conclude the manhunt, Lt. Col. George Bivens of the Pennsylvania State Police said in a Saturday news conference."

South Korea. Washington Post: "Thirteen bodies were recovered from a tunnel in South Korea as the flooding death toll across the country rose to at least 40.Cars were trapped in a tunnel underpass in Osong near the city of Cheongju, about 70 miles south of Seoul, when the Miho River burst its banks on Saturday."

July 16, 2023

Afternoon Update:

Jasmine Wright of CNN: "The US will allow European countries to train Ukrainians on F-16 fighter jets, a top Biden administration official confirmed Sunday, a potential boon for Ukraine's efforts to counter Russia's air superiority. 'The president has given a green light and we will allow, permit, support, facilitate and in fact provide the necessary tools for Ukrainians to begin being trained on F-16s, as soon as the Europeans are prepared,' national security adviser Jake Sullivan told CNN's Jake Tapper on 'State of the Union.' The decision cements a stark turnaround for President Joe Biden, who said earlier this year that he did not believe that Ukraine needed the F-16s. One of the main issues Kyiv's ground forces have faced as their counteroffensive gets underway is Russian air power holding them back."

Devlin Barrett of the Washington Post: "Since his indictment last month on charges of withholding classified documents..., Donald Trump has publicly called special counsel Jack Smith 'deranged' and a 'psycho' and said he 'looks like a crackhead.' In response, Smith and the federal judge overseeing his pending criminal trial have said ... nothing.... Trump's broadsides on social media against the Justice Department, the FBI, and Smith in particular have not gone unnoticed. The government spent $1.9 million for U.S. Marshals to provide security to Smith and other officials between November 2022 and March, according to officials.... 'Trump has bought for himself more latitude than other litigants would have. He's campaigning for office, and the scope of things that are said in campaigns are often far out and unsupported,' [attorney Bruce] Rogow said.... 'These are the kind of comments that might provoke some judges to issue a gag order,' said Ken White, a former federal prosecutor.... Stephen Gillers, a professor of legal ethics at New York University, said that the calculus for a gag order could change if Trump starts talking about witnesses or evidence...." ~~~

~~~ MEANWHILE. Brett Samuels of the Hill: "Former President Trump praised the judge overseeing his classified documents case as his legal team seeks a postponement of his trial in Florida.... 'I know it's a very highly respected judge. A very smart judge, and a very strong judge,' Trump said. When host [Fox 'News host] Maria Bartiromo noted that Trump appointed the judge in the case, Trump said, 'I did, and I'm very proud to have appointed her.'... We need judges that love our country so they do the right thing.'" MB: I'm just overwhelmed by Trump's sincerity.

New York. Hurubie Meko & Erin Nolan of the New York Times: In 2011, profilers compiled lists of the characteristics they expected the Gisco Beach serial killer had. There are similarities between the profiles and the suspect arrested late last week for three of the murders.

~~~~~~~~~~

Presidential Race 2024

What to do when you're a lousy, obnoxious, losing candidate? Blame your staff: ~~~

Maggie Haberman & Rebecca O'Brien of the New York Times:"Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida has started cutting campaign staff just months into his presidential bid, as he has struggled to gain traction in the Republican primary and lost ground in some public polls to ... Donald J. Trump. The exact number of people let go by the DeSantis team was unclear, but one campaign aide said it was fewer than 10. The development was earlier reported by Politico." But Ronnie the Also-Ran has more problems at home; see link under "Beyond the Beltway."

Daily Check-up: Is RFK, Jr. Still Crazy? Yes, Yes, He Is. Lucy Hodgman of Politico: "Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. denied allegations of racism and anti-Semitism Saturday after he reportedly suggested Covid-19 could have been genetically engineered to reduce risks to Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese people. Kennedy -- a longtime vaccine skeptic who is running a longshot primary campaign against President Joe Biden -- said during a Tuesday night press event that Covid-19 was 'targeted to attack Caucasians and Black people.' He went on to say that 'the people who are most immune are Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese.' After a broad backlash to his comments, first reported by the New York Post, Kennedy took to Twitter to defend himself[:]... 'I have never, ever suggested that the Covid-19 virus was targeted to spare Jews.'..." (Also linked yesterday.)

Jonathan Weisman & Luke Broadwater of the New York Times write about the No Labels party. Blah-blah. Here's the punch line, buried way down the story: "'We like puppies and kittens and pie,' said Rick Wilson, a former Republican and a founder of the anti-Trump Lincoln Project. 'They think they can be tapioca vanilla pudding as long as possible, to keep up the message,"Hey, we're just centrist do-gooders. What could possibly go wrong?" And the thing that could go wrong is the election of Donald Trump.'"

Pence Shows What a Cruel, Careless SOB He Is. Nick Robertson of the Hill: "Former Vice President Mike Pence said abortions in the case of nonviable pregnancies should be banned, taking a hard stance on abortion policy, which has served as an emphasis of his campaign.... 'I just have heard so many stories over the years of courageous women and families who were told that their unborn child would not go to term or would not survive. And then they had a healthy pregnancy and a healthy delivery.'... Pence is the only GOP presidential candidate to publicly support a national abortion ban at six weeks." Pence's anecdotal "evidence" is pure conjecture.

Marie: If, like me, you blame Hitler & the Nazis for the Holocaust, this Washington Post report by Gordon Sander, may give you another think, because the U.S. and the rest of the world -- except the Dominican Republic -- effectively collaborated with the Nazis. And they did so, in great part, because our representatives -- and our people -- were antisemites.

Beyond the Beltway

Florida. Frances Robles of the New York Times: "Early last summer, complaining that Washington had failed to provide adequate staffing for Florida's National Guard, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced that for the first time in 75 years he was activating the State Guard, a force of volunteers that could respond to hurricanes and other public emergencies. But the deployment this spring has been mired in internal turmoil, with some recruits complaining that what was supposed to be a civilian disaster response organization had become heavily militarized, requiring volunteers to participate in marching drills and military-style training sessions on weapons and hand-to-hand combat. At least 20 percent of the 150 people initially accepted into the program dropped out or were dismissed, state officials acknowledged, including a retired Marine captain who filed a false imprisonment complaint against Guard sergeants with the local sheriff after he got into a dispute with instructors and was forcibly escorted off the site." The Guardian's story is here.

Way Beyond

Ukraine, et al. The Washington Post's live briefing of developments Sunday in Russia's war on Ukraine is here. The Guardian's live updates are here. The Guardian's summary report is here.

News Ledes

New York Times: "Jane Birkin, who helped define chic female sexuality of the 1970s as an actress in arty and erotic European movies and in her relationship -- equal parts romantic and artistic -- with the singer Serge Gainsbourg, died on Sunday in Paris. Ms. Birkin, who later became known for inspiring one of the best known lines of luxury handbags, was 76."

Weekend in Guns America. New York Times: "At least four people were dead and three others remained missing on Sunday morning after severe floods on Saturday swept through areas of Pennsylvania. In a news conference Sunday morning, Tim Brewer, the fire chief of Upper Makefield in Bucks County, said that 11 vehicles were trapped by rising waters on the flooded Washington Crossing Road on Saturday afternoon. 'The flash flood occurred some time after that,' Mr. Brewer said. 'We believe approximately 11 cars were on the road. Three were confirmed swept away.'" ~~~

     ~~~ Washington Post Update: "A gunman who police said fatally shot four people in an Atlanta suburb Saturday before going on the run was killed Sunday afternoon in a police shootout that left two officers injured, authorities announced Sunday."

New York Times: "A 25-year-old woman in Alabama who was reported missing on Thursday night after telling a 911 dispatcher that she saw a toddler walking along the side of an interstate and would pull over to help was found late Saturday, according to the police. The woman, Carlee Russell, showed up at her family's front door on Saturday night, knocked and was greeted by her stunned relatives, said Nicholas Derzis, the police chief in Hoover, a suburb of Birmingham.... The case began on Thursday night when Ms. Russell told the dispatcher about the child around 9:35 p.m., called a family member to report the same details, and then pulled over on I-459 South near mile marker 11 to check on the toddler, the Hoover Police Department said.... The Hoover Police Department said it had not received any calls of someone missing a child."