June 6, 2023

Late Afternoon Update:

More Bad News for Trump. Jonathan Swan, et al., of the New York Times: "Mark Meadows, the final White House chief of staff under ... Donald J. Trump and a potentially key figure in inquiries related to Mr. Trump, has testified before a federal grand jury hearing evidence in the investigations being led by the special counsel's office, according to two people.... Mr. Meadows is a figure in both of the two distinct lines of inquiry being pursued by the special counsel appointed to oversee the Justice Department's scrutiny of Mr. Trump, Jack Smith. One inquiry is focused on Mr. Trump's efforts to cling to power after losing the 2020 election culminating in the attack by a pro-Trump mob on the Capitol.... The other is an investigation into Mr. Trump's handling of hundreds of classified documents after he left office and whether he obstructed efforts to retrieve them. It is not clear precisely when Mr. Meadows testified or if investigators questioned him about one or both of the cases." ~~~

~~~ Alan Feuer, et al., of the New York Times: "The latest twist in the inquiry into ... Donald J. Trump's handling of classified documents is the surprise revelation that a previously unknown federal grand jury in Florida has recently started hearing testimony in the case. The grand jury in Florida is separate from the one that has been sitting for months in Washington.... Among those who have appeared before the Washington grand jury in the past few months or have been subpoenaed by it ... are more than 20 members of Mr. Trump's Secret Service security detail.... It is an open question why prosecutors impaneled the Florida grand jury -- which is sitting in Federal District Court in Miami -- and whether it is now the only one hearing testimony.... Legal experts and people familiar with the inquiry suggested that there could be a number of reasons Mr. Smith may have chosen to use a grand jury in Florida for at least some elements of the case....

"A Florida jury might prove to be more sympathetic to Mr. Trump than a Washington jury. And the judges in the Southern District of Florida -- among them Aileen M. Cannon, who made an unusual decision to pause the investigation in its early stages to have an outside arbiter review the documents seized at Mar-a-Lago -- might be more inclined to rule in Mr. Trump's favor than those in Washington."

Presidential Race 2024. Maggie Haberman of the New York Times: "Chris Christie, the former governor of New Jersey who was eclipsed by Donald J. Trump in the 2016 presidential primaries, filed paperwork on Tuesday saying that he would seek the 2024 Republican nomination, setting up a rematch with the former president and expanding the field of G.O.P. candidates. In making a second run for the presidency, Mr. Christie, 60, has positioned himself as the person most willing to attack both Mr. Trump, his former friend turned adversary, and Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, who has been in second place in nearly every public Republican primary poll for months.... Mr. Christie, who is set to announce his run at a town-hall-style event in New Hampshire Tuesday evening, has already begun laying out an aggressive case against Mr. Trump...."

Marie's Sports Report. Rick Maese & Matt Bonesteel of the Washington Post: "After months of acrimony that stretched from tee boxes to court rooms, the PGA Tour and its deep-pocketed Saudi-funded rival, LIV Golf, announced Tuesday they are merging operations, bringing an end to a bitter feud that divided the golf world and revamped the economics underpinning the sport. The stunning announcement came after months of pointed rhetoric and heated debate about the human rights record of the breakaway tour's Saudi backers. It also came amid ongoing litigation between LIV and the PGA Tour.... The two sides have agreed to mutually end 'all pending litigation between the participating parties,' the organizations said in a Tuesday morning statement announcing the agreement, which also includes the DP World Tour, a Europe-based league. The three organizations will combine to create a new for-profit commercial entity...." ~~~

     ~~~ The New York Times is liveblogging developments here. Andrew Das wrote in an item, "A group of relatives of people killed on Sept. 11 issued a blistering criticism of the planned merger between the Saudi-backed LIV Golf series and the PGA Tour, calling the tour and its commissioner 'paid Saudi shills' for agreeing to it.... Critics of Saudi Arabia frequently deride its investments in teams and leagues as 'sportswashing' and say it is a thinly veiled effort to rehabilitate the kingdom's reputation amid accusations that it has financed terrorism and murdered a Washington Post journalist, Jamal Khashoggi. [9/11 Families United chair Terry] Strada criticized [PGA Commissioner Jay] Monahan for 'co-opting' the 9/11 community last year in the PGA Tour's initial and strident opposition to the Saudi-backed golf tour, only to cut a merger deal this week. 'Mr. Monahan talked last summer about knowing people who lost loved ones on 9/11, then wondered aloud on national television whether LIV golfers ever had to apologize for being a member of the PGA Tour,' Strade wrote. 'They do now -- as does he. PGA Tour leaders should be ashamed of their hypocrisy and greed.'" ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Like all professional sports organizations, the PGA is a for-profit corporation. Corporations may be people, my friend, but like many people, they only pretend there's such a thing as "corporate morality," and it exists, in the most malleable of forms, only insofar as it's convenient. If you encourage your children or others to participate in or "root for" a sports team, you are encouraging them to fail -- to fall for a careless, avaricious gang whose corporate model is designed to betray them.

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Luke Broadwater & Adam Goldman of the New York Times: "House Republicans said on Monday that they would move this week to hold the F.B.I. director, Christopher A. Wray, in contempt of Congress, escalating their attacks on the federal law enforcement agency as they grasp for evidence of wrongdoing by President Biden. Representative James R. Comer, the Kentucky Republican who is chairman of the Oversight Committee, made the announcement after summoning F.B.I. officials to Capitol Hill for a closed-door briefing on a document containing an unverified allegation of bribery against Mr. Biden when he was vice president. The Trump Justice Department investigated the allegation, which involved his son Hunter Biden's dealings in Ukraine, in 2020, but prosecutors could not substantiate the claims, according to two people familiar with the matter.... On Monday, [Mr. Comer] asserted that the allegation 'has never been disproven.' At the chairman's insistence, Mr. Wray's team brought the document to a secure area of the Capitol on Monday and briefed Mr. Comer and Representative Jamie Raskin of Maryland, the committee's top Democrat, on it for about 90 minutes. But Mr. Comer complained afterward that the agency, citing concern about protecting the identity of the informant, declined to allow other members of the committee to view it." Politico has a story here. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Gosh darn, the FBI failed to prove a negative. Contemptuous! I like the way Comer doggedly insists upon proving and proving again that he's a dimwit. ~~~

     ~~~ Perry Stein, et al., of the Washington Post: "The FBI and Justice Department under then-Attorney General William P. Barr reviewed allegations from a confidential informant about Joe Biden and his family, and they determined there were no grounds for further investigative steps, according to Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) and other people familiar with the investigation. Raskin revealed the information about the investigation after he and House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) on Monday reviewed a document containing details of the allegation. That document has been at the center of a weeks-long back and forth between the FBI and Comer, who last month sought to force the agency to produce the document via a subpoena.... The allegation contained in the document was reviewed by the FBI at the time and was found to not be supported by facts, and the investigation was subsequently dropped with the Trump Justice Department's sign-off.... After the two lawmakers reviewed the document in a secure area on Capitol Hill on Monday, Comer announced that House Republicans would still pursue holding FBI Director Christopher A. Wray in contempt of Congress." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: "Not supported by the facts"? Facts, scmacks, sez Comer. Contemptuous!

On the Trumpwatch. Jacqueline Alemany, et al., of the Washington Post: "Attorneys for Donald Trump went to the Justice Department on Monday morning to make their case that the government should not charge the former president in connection with his possession of classified documents after leaving office, according to people familiar with the matter. Trump lawyers Lindsey Halligan, John Rowley and James Trusty spent about two hours at the Justice Department and left without speaking to reporters. They met with Justice Department personnel including special counsel Jack Smith and a senior career official, but not Attorney General Merrick Garland or Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco, said people familiar with the matter.... While it is not uncommon in high-profile cases for defense lawyers to get such a meeting with Justice Department officials toward the end of an investigation, current and former officials say such presentations rarely change prosecutors' minds. Two Trump advisers ... said they are preparing for a potential indictment of the former president, and the meeting did not change their expectations." The CBS News report, which broke the story, is here. (Also linked yesterday evening.) ~~~

     ~~~ Devlin Barrett, one of the reporters on the above-linked story, said on MSNBC Monday night that it was his understanding that "the meeting did not go particularly well" for Trump's lawyers. Meanwhile, Andrew Weissmann, also appearing on MSNBC, said he expects an indictment in the documents case this week. Since it's likely that Weissmann, a former top federal prosecutor, has sources inside DOJ, so his opinion could be more than an educated guess.

Plan C: Let's Drain the Pool & Flood the Servers! Katelyn Polantz, et al., of CNN: "An employee at Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence drained the resort's swimming pool last October and ended up flooding a room where computer servers containing surveillance video logs were kept, sources familiar with the matter told CNN. While it's unclear if the room was intentionally flooded or if it happened by mistake, the incident occurred amid a series of events that federal prosecutors found suspicious. At least one witness has been asked by prosecutors about the flooded server room as part of the federal investigation into Trump's handling of classified documents, according to one of the sources.... Prosecutors have heard testimony that the IT equipment in the room was not damaged in the flood, according to one source. Yet the flooded room as well as conversations and actions by Trump's employees while the criminal investigation bore down on the club has caught the attention of prosecutors. The circumstances may factor into a possible obstruction conspiracy case, multiple sources tell CNN...." MB Advice to Criminals: These people are not Ocean's 11. Do not bring in Team Trump to advise you on your next caper. (Also linked yesterday evening.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: No, no, it was an accident! Many competent conspiracy theorists are quite reasonably positing that flooding the service room was an attempt to destroy incriminating surveillance tapes. But what about this? The water was looking murky, see, so the maintenance worker tried to drain the pool so staff could give it a good scrubbing. BUT what the worker didn't know was that Trump had tried to stuff incriminating documents down the pool's drain. The papers of course clogged the drain and the pool water just happened to run into the room where the surveillance videos were stored.

Jaclyn Peiser & Jacob Bogage of the Washington Post: Customers harass employees of Target and other retailers who have expressed support for the LGBTQ+ community. "At [a] Target in South Florida, shoppers have called employees 'child groomers' ... and accused them of 'shoving your woke agenda down our throats,' according to the manager who spoke to The Washington Post. When he donned a bright safety vest over his company-issued Pride-themed T-shirt to help a customer carry goods to his car, the shopper looked at him and said, 'Oh, is that so I could shoot you easier?'" MB: And you can't even have the pleasure of telling these people what ridiculous bigots they are because they really might shoot you.

Presidential Race 2024

Maggie Haberman of the New York Times: “Former Vice President Mike Pence filed paperwork on Monday declaring his presidential candidacy, embarking on a long-shot campaign against the former president he served under, Donald J. Trump. Mr. Pence, who filed the necessary papers to run with the Federal Election Commission, has polled in the single digits in every public survey taken so far, well behind Mr. Trump...." The Guardian's report is here. ~~~

Paul Waldman of the Washington Post: "Having spent the past 2½ years being booed by Republican audiences and mocked on social media, Mike Pence has decided that the American people are finally ready for him. So, with the obligatory period of prayer and contemplation out of the way, the former vice president has officially filed the paperwork to run for president. There's no mystery about whether Pence could overcome ... Donald Trump and seize the leadership of his party. The mystery is why he thinks he has any chance at all. Pence is a photo negative image of contemporary political attractiveness, simultaneously repelling Republicans, Democrats and independents.... There is almost no significant group of voters who does not already dislike Pence for one reason or another.... In his bewildering belief that he might become president, he demonstrates the power of ambition to cloud the mind of even the most experienced politician."

In a Washington Post op-ed, New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu (R) explains why he is not running for president: "I believe I can have more influence on the future of the Republican Party and the 2024 nominating process not as a candidate but as the governor of the first-in-the-nation primary state.... If [Donald Trump] is the nominee, Republicans will lose again.... The microphone afforded to the governor of New Hampshire plays a critical role in an early nominating state. I plan to endorse, campaign and support the candidate I believe has the best chance of winning in November 2024." A CNN story is here. (Also linked yesterday evening.)

How are we supposed to get our girls used to the fact that biological boys are in their locker rooms? And then we wonder why a third of our teenage girls seriously contemplated suicide last year. -- Nikki Haley, GOP presidential candidate, during a televised CNN town hall

There's no data to support this claim. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that she cited made no such connection.... Many other factors -- such as a lack of mental health resources during the pandemic and the rise of social media -- appear to play a role in the increase in suicidal thoughts [among girls].... Very few student-athletes are transgender. -- Glenn Kessler of the Washington Post

Quack, Quack, Quack. Another Loser Turns to Elon. Reid Epstein, et al., of the New York Times: "Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ... on Monday dived into the full embrace of a host of conservative figures who eagerly promoted his long-shot primary challenge to President Biden. For more than two hours, Mr. Kennedy participated in an online audio chat on Twitter with the platform's increasingly rightward-leaning chief executive, Elon Musk. They engaged in a friendly back-and-forth with the likes of Tulsi Gabbard, the former Democratic congresswoman turned right-wing commentator; a top donor to Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida; and a professional surfer who became a prominent voice casting doubt on coronavirus vaccines. Mr. Kennedy, who announced his 2024 presidential campaign in April, is himself a leading vaccine skeptic, and has promoted other conspiracy theories. Yet he has consistently hovered around 20 percent in polling of the Democratic primary, which the party has otherwise ceded to Mr. Biden. On Monday, he sounded like a candidate far more at ease in the mushrooming Republican presidential contest." ~~~

~~~ Twitter Was Always Stupid. Lauren Sforza of the Hill: "Former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey appeared to endorse anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for the Democratic presidential nomination over the weekend. Dorsey retweeted a video of Kennedy saying he could beat former President Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), who announced his bid for the White House on Twitter last month. Dorsey captioned the video with, 'He can and will.'" MB: It is not surprising that there's no transfer from technical acumen to political or philosophical intelligence, but many of these tech wizards seem to demonstrate that technical competence and critical thinking are mutually incompatible. (Also linked yesterday evening.)

Annals of "Journalism," Ctd. John Koblin & Benjamin Mullin of the New York Times: "CNN has had a tumultuous first year under Chris Licht, who took over as the network's chief executive last spring.... Ratings have plummeted. Profits have shrunk. A top star has been pushed out.... And then on Friday, a 15,000-word profile of Mr. Licht in The Atlantic cast new doubts about his leadership and future at the company.... Fueling speculation [that Licht's tenure at CNN may be shortlived] was a decision last week to appoint David Leavy -- a trusted associate of David Zaslav, the chief executive of CNN's parent -- to a top leadership role at the network, a sign that Mr. Zaslav thinks CNN needs urgent management help. Mr. Licht addressed the tumult on an editorial call Monday, saying he will 'fight like hell' to win back the trust of CNN's staff."

Sylvie Corbet & Tara Copp of the AP: "An overwhelming sound of gunfire and men's screams. That's how World War II veteran Marie Scott described D-Day, as Tuesday's ceremonies got underway in honor of those who fought for freedom in the largest naval, air and land operation in history. This year's tribute to the young soldiers who died in Normandy also reminds veterans, officials and visitors what Ukraine faces today. On Tuesday, the whistling sound of the wind accompanied many reenactors who came to Omaha Beach at dawn to mark the 79th anniversary of the assault that led to the liberation of France and Western Europe from Nazi control. Some brought bunches of flowers; others waved American flags."

Sarah Brumfield & Michael Balsamo of the AP: "The pilot of a business jet that flew over Washington and crashed in a remote part of Virginia appeared to be slumped over and unresponsive, three U.S. officials said Monday, recounting observations by fighter pilots who intercepted the wayward flight. The revelations came as federal investigators trudged through rugged terrain to reach the site where the plane slammed into a mountain Sunday, killing four people." (Also linked yesterday evening.) A New York Times story is here.

Caitlin Yilek, et al., of CBS News: "Robert Hanssen, a former FBI agent who was one of the most damaging spies in American history, was found dead in his prison cell Monday morning, according to the Bureau of Prisons. Hanssen, 79, was arrested in 2001 and pleaded guilty to selling highly classified material to the Soviet Union and later Russia. He was serving a life sentence at the federal penitentiary in Florence, Colorado.... Hanssen appears to have died of natural causes, according to two sources briefed on the matter." (Also linked yesterday evening.) The New York Times report, by Peter Baker, is here.

Beyond the Beltway

California, Florida. Shawn Hubler, et al., of the New York Times: "A group of [20] Latin American migrants aboard a chartered private plane landed at a small airport in Sacramento on Monday, the second such planeload in three days to arrive in California's capital city from an airfield in New Mexico.... One of the migrants, David Mata, 28..., said that he did not know who had orchestrated his trip to Sacramento, but that whoever did had paid for it in its entirety. Another group of migrants arrived on Friday at a different Sacramento airport aboard the same private plane. The authorities in California said those migrants carried papers indicating that their travel had been 'administered by the Florida Division of Emergency Management' and its contractor, Vertol Systems Company, which is based in Florida. It was not immediately clear whether the group that arrived on Monday carried similar papers, but a state Justice Department official said it appeared that the same company, and the state of Florida, was involved." ~~~

     ~~~ Jeremy White of Politico: "In a Monday tweet, [California Gov. Gavin] Newsom [D] called DeSantis a 'small, pathetic man' and asked 'kidnapping charges?' while citing California criminal code that states anyone who transports someone 'by force or fraud' is guilty of kidnapping." ~~~

~~~ Texas, Florida. Ben Brasch of the Washington Post: "A Texas sheriff's office has recommended that a San Antonio-area district attorney file criminal charges following an investigation into the transportation in the fall of 49 asylum seekers from Texas to Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts, allegedly on direction from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R). It is not clear whom the charges would be filed against, but the case would include both felony and misdemeanor charges of unlawful restraint, according to the sheriff's office. 'At this time, the case is being reviewed by the DA's office. Once an update is available, it will be provided to the public,' said ... a [sheriff's] department spokesman. 'We're not naming the suspect at this time or the amount of charges that are being filed.'" The Hill's story is here. MB: Now I suppose I'll have to take bets on who will go to jail: Rhonda Santis or the Trumpster. And, no, there's nothing in the Constitution that says a president* can't run the country from a jail cell. ~~~

~~~ MEANWHILE. Florida. David Edwards of the Raw Story: "Florida Republicans on Monday met with migrants to urge them not to leave the state in the wake of a new anti-immigration law that is sparking boycotts of the state.... On Monday, state Reps. Alina Garcia (R) and Rick Roth (R) spoke at an event advising migrants of the impacts of SB1718." Their remarks were sometimes untrue and often contradictory. But mainly they're worried about the Rhonda Santis Labor Shortage. Read the commentary in the embedded tweets.

Missouri. Julie Bosman of the New York Times: "Gov. Mike Parson of Missouri [R] said on Monday that he would not intervene to stop the execution of Michael Tisius, a 42-year-old who murdered two jail guards in 2000. In a clemency petition sent to Mr. Parson last month, several jurors who had voted to sentence Mr. Tisius to death said they now believe life imprisonment was appropriate. Mr. Tisius's lawyers had also argued that another juror from the sentencing trial was unable to read, a requirement under Missouri law for jury service.... On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court denied a stay of execution for Mr. Tisius, rejecting his lawyers' argument that his age at the time of the crime, 19, should spare him from the death penalty. Mr. Tisius's legal appeals have been exhausted."

Oklahoma. Sarah Mervosh of the New York Times: "Oklahoma approved what would be the nation's first religious charter school on Monday, handing a victory to Christian conservatives but opening the door to a constitutional battle over whether taxpayer dollars can directly fund religious schools. The online school, St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School, is to be run by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Oklahoma City and the Diocese of Tulsa, with religious teachings embedded in the curriculum. But as a charter school -- a type of public school that is independently managed -- it would be funded by taxpayer dollars. After a nearly three-hour meeting, and despite concerns raised by its legal counsel, the Oklahoma Statewide Virtual Charter School Board approved the school in a 3-to-2 vote, including a yes vote from a member who was appointed on Friday. The relatively obscure board is made up of appointees by Gov. Kevin Stitt, a Republican who supports religious charter schools, and leaders of the Republican-controlled State Legislature." A Politico story is here.

Way Beyond

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

     ~~~ The Washington Post's live updates of developments Tuesday in Russia's war on Ukraine are here.

     ~~~ Ellen Francis, et al., of the Washington Post: "A major dam and hydroelectric power plant in southern Ukraine have been destroyed, unleashing flooding in the region near the front lines on Tuesday. As water levels rose, officials in areas controlled by Ukrainian and Russian forces have ordered residents to evacuate. It was not immediately clear who was responsible. Ukraine's military intelligence agency accused Russian forces of blowing up the Nova Kakhovka dam on the Dnieper river, threatening the safety of the nuclear power plant in Zaporizhzhia.... Aerial video on social media showed heavy damage to the dam. Sections measuring hundreds of feet appeared to be missing.... Ukraine's foreign minister said thousands of people were at risk, and the interior minister said the torrent of water washed away some roads, complicating evacuation efforts. A local Russia-appointed official blamed Ukrainian strikes for damaging the dam, according to Russian news agencies." This is part of the liveblog linked above. The Guardian's main story is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Also incorporated into the liveblog: Samantha Schmidt, et al.: "Ukraine's military made gains against Russian forces in multiple locations along the eastern front, the country's deputy defense minister said Monday, as an increasing cadence in combat operations raised speculation that the much anticipated counteroffensive was finally imminent."

Andrew Kramer, et al., of the New York Times: "Ukrainian forces have stepped up artillery strikes and ground assaults in a flurry of military activity that American officials suggested on Monday could signal that Kyiv's long-planned counteroffensive against Russia had begun. The fighting, which began on Sunday, was raging along several points on the front line, but farther to the east of where many analysts had expected Ukraine's counteroffensive to launch."

Paul Sonne of the New York Times: "A faked declaration of martial law and military mobilization by President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia aired Monday on a number of Russian radio and television networks, an incident that the Kremlin described as a 'hack.' The bogus speech, which was broadcast on the Mir radio station and television networks, said Ukraine had invaded three border regions and urged their residents to evacuate to the Russian heartland. The clip also depicted Mr. Putin declaring a general mobilization, saying all the power of the country needed to be harnessed to defeat a 'dangerous and insidious enemy.' The press service of Mir, a Russian public broadcaster, said in a statement released to the state news agency Tass that its radio and television channels had been illegally interrupted for a little more than a half-hour before being restored."

Austria. Oops! Kelsey Ables of the Washington Post: "At a convention on Saturday, Austria's Social Democrats (SPÖ) declared that Hans Peter Doskozil, governor of the eastern Burgenland province, was the new leader of the center-left party. But on Monday, the party said Andreas Babler, a small-town mayor and lesser-known figure, had actually won, with about 52 percent of the votes.... Someone had messed up an Excel spreadsheet.... [One observer] posted what appears to be an Amazon order confirmation for the book 'Excel for Dummies' -- to be shipped to the SPÖ office."

News Ledes

Washington Post: "Two people were killed and several people were injured in a shooting near a park following a high school graduation in Richmond on Tuesday, police said. One of the victims was 18 and had just participated in Huguenot High School's graduation ceremony at the Altria Theater, which concluded about 5:15 p.m., police said. The other victim was 36 and 'was here for the graduation,' said Interim Police Chief Rick Edwards. He did not detail the relationship between the two." An ABC News story is here.

New York Times: "Françoise Gilot, an accomplished painter whose art was eclipsed by her long and stormy romantic relationship with a much older Pablo Picasso, and who alone among his many mistresses walked out on him, died on Tuesday at a hospital in Manhattan. She was 101."

New York Times: "The police in Davenport, Iowa, said on Monday that they had found the bodies of all three men who had been missing since a section of a downtown apartment building collapsed last week. City officials said on Sunday that one of the men, Branden Colvin Sr., a resident who had returned home shortly before the building fell on May 28, had been found dead. On Monday, they said the bodies of the remaining two -- Ryan Hitchcock and Daniel Prien -- had also been found in the rubble. No one else is known to have died in the incident, and the authorities said on Monday that they were not aware of any other people who were still unaccounted for.... The city initially moved rapidly toward demolishing the stricken building.... But protesters gathered at the site calling for a delay, and raising concern that some people might remain trapped. One woman was found and pulled out of the building alive, and officials announced that others were still missing."

June 5, 2023

Evening Update:

A Little Good News. Jacqueline Alemany, et al., of the Washington Post: "Attorneys for Donald Trump went to the Justice Department on Monday morning to make their case that the government should not charge the former president in connection with his possession of classified documents after leaving office, according to people familiar with the matter. Trump lawyers Lindsey Halligan, John Rowley and James Trusty spent about two hours at the Justice Department and left without speaking to reporters. They met with Justice Department personnel including special counsel Jack Smith and a senior career official, but not Attorney General Merrick Garland or Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco, said people familiar with the matter.... While it is not uncommon in high-profile cases for defense lawyers to get such a meeting with Justice Department officials toward the end of an investigation, current and former officials say such presentations rarely change prosecutors' minds. Two Trump advisers ... said they are preparing for a potential indictment of the former president, and the meeting did not change their expectations." The CBS News report, which broke the story, is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Devlin Barrett, one of the reporters on the above-linked story, said on MSNBC Monday night that it was his understanding that "the meeting did not go particularly well" for Trump's lawyers. Meanwhile, Andrew Weissmann, also appearing on MSNBC, said he expects an indictment in the documents case this week. Since it's likely that Weissmann, a former top federal prosecutor, has sources inside DOJ, so his opinion could be more than an educated guess.

Plan C: Let's Drain the Pool & Flood the Servers! Katelyn Polantz, et al., of CNN: "An employee at Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence drained the resort's swimming pool last October and ended up flooding a room where computer servers containing surveillance video logs were kept, sources familiar with the matter told CNN. While it's unclear if the room was intentionally flooded or if it happened by mistake, the incident occurred amid a series of events that federal prosecutors found suspicious. At least one witness has been asked by prosecutors about the flooded server room as part of the federal investigation into Trump's handling of classified documents, according to one of the sources.... Prosecutors have heard testimony that the IT equipment in the room was not damaged in the flood, according to one source.Yet the flooded room as well as conversations and actions by Trump's employees while the criminal investigation bore down on the club has caught the attention of prosecutors. The circumstances may factor into a possible obstruction conspiracy case, multiple sources tell CNN...." MB: These are not Ocean's 11.

Presidential Race 2024. In a Washington Post op-ed, New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu (R) explains why he is not running for president: "I believe I can have more influence on the future of the Republican Party and the 2024 nominating process not as a candidate but as the governor of the first-in-the-nation primary state.... If [Donald Trump] is the nominee, Republicans will lose again.... The microphone afforded to the governor of New Hampshire plays a critical role in an early nominating state. I plan to endorse, campaign and support the candidate I believe has the best chance of winning in November 2024." A CNN story is here.

Twitter Was Always Stupid. Lauren Sforza of the Hill: "Former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey appeared to endorse anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for the Democratic presidential nomination over the weekend. Dorsey retweeted a video of Kennedy saying he could beat former President Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), who announced his bid for the White House on Twitter last month. Dorsey captioned the video with, 'He can and will.'" MB: It is not surprising that there's no transfer from technical acumen to political or philosophical intelligence, but many of these Silicon Valley guys seem to demonstrate that technical competence and critical thinking are mutually incompatible.

Caitlin Yilek, et al., of CBS News: "Robert Hanssen, a former FBI agent who was one of the most damaging spies in American history, was found dead in his prison cell Monday morning, according to the Bureau of Prisons. Hanssen, 79, was arrested in 2001 and pleaded guilty to selling highly classified material to the Soviet Union and later Russia. He was serving a life sentence at the federal penitentiary in Florence, Colorado.... Hanssen appears to have died of natural causes, according to two sources briefed on the matter."

Sarah Brumfield & Michael Balsamo of the AP: "The pilot of a business jet that flew over Washington and crashed in a remote part of Virginia appeared to be slumped over and unresponsive, three U.S. officials said Monday, recounting observations by fighter pilots who intercepted the wayward flight. The revelations came as federal investigators trudged through rugged terrain to reach the site where the plane slammed into a mountain Sunday, killing four people."

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Justin Moyer, et al., of the Washington Post: "Fighter jets from Joint Base Andrews were scrambled to intercept a private plane over Virginia on Sunday afternoon, causing a sonic boom that reverberated across the area, North American Aerospace Defense Command officials said. The jets were responding to a Cessna that crashed later in Southwest Virginia, NORAD said in a statement issued Sunday night. F-16 jets from Andrews were scrambled, and the Cessna was unresponsive when hailed by authorities. It is unclear why the Cessna did not respond or why it crashed later. Three people with knowledge of the event ... said the military did not shoot the plane down and there is no indication that the military caused the crash. The jets used flares to try to get the Cessna pilot's attention, NORAD said." ~~~

     ~~~ Natasha Bertrand & Haley Britzky of CNN: "No survivors were found at the crash site of a plane whose pilot was unresponsive as it flew near the Washington, DC, area Sunday, prompting military fighter jets to attempt to intercept the aircraft before it ultimately crashed, authorities say. First responders reached the site Sunday evening, about four hours after state and local authorities launched a ground and air search for the crashed aircraft, Virginia State Police said. State police said they have suspended their search and will identify the plane's passengers when the information becomes available."

Josh Dawsey & Amy Gardner of the Washington Post: "The decision by ... Donald Trump's campaign to spend more than $1 million for two firms to study whether electoral fraud occurred in the 2020 election has become an increasing focus of federal and state investigators in recent weeks, according to people familiar with the matter. In recent days, the district attorney in Georgia's Fulton County has asked both firms to provide research and data as investigators intensify their probe into Trump's attempt to overturn the result of the 2020 presidential election in Georgia.... On the federal level, Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith is questioning witnesses about the companies' work and has obtained hundreds of pages of emails and research, two people familiar with the matter said.Both firms, Berkeley Research Group and Simpatico Software Systems, are said to be cooperating with the inquiries."

Jennifer Rubin of the Washington Post: "When CNN reported on Wednesday night that special counsel Jack Smith has a recording of ... Donald Trump boasting at his Bedminster, N.J., club in 2021 that he had a highly classified multipage document relating to war plans against Iran, months of punditry that Trump would never be indicted went out the window.... This evidence effectively destroys whatever defense Trump was trying to concoct (he didn't know there were classified documents, he declassified them, he thought they were not classified).... News reports now indicate the federal grand jury hearing the documents case will meet this week. An indictment, if there is one, could come within days.... To make matters worse, reporting suggests there are other recordings of Trump that could further implicate him." MB: The more often I read and hear that an indictment is just around the corner, the less confident I am that the DOJ will ever charge Trump.

Julia Shapero of the Hill: "Several Republican presidential hopefuls slammed former President Trump for his comments praising North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Saturday, after the country received a seat on the World Health Organization's (WHO) executive board. Former Vice President Mike Pence, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis all criticized the former president, who offered his congratulations to Kim in a Truth Social post on Friday." Asa Hutchinson also criticized Trump for the birthday greetings. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Presidential Race 2024. Marie: Okay, time to pick on the Missus. Digby republishes a big block of a wicked Daily Beast profile of Mrs. Rhonda Santis by Katie Baker. Blind ambition is never attractive, is it?

Trip Gabriel of the New York Times: "On Sunday night, [Nikki Haley] had a fresh opportunity to make the case for her candidacy during a 90-minute CNN town hall in prime time, in an effort to emerge from the low single digits in polls where she has been mired. Ms. Haley, the former governor of South Carolina and United Nations ambassador under Mr. Trump, was well versed on policy issues, consistently upbeat and evenly tempered. Although she drew contrasts with Mr. Trump, she dodged opportunities to make him -- or even President Biden -- into a political punching bag. At the end of the night, an audience member praised her demeanor as 'a breath of fresh air,' earning applause from the house full of Iowa Republicans. But that also meant that there were few shoot-out-the-lights moments...."

Michelle Cottle of the New York Times: "Last week, in a video posted on Truth Social, [Donald Trump] rolled out his latest Big Idea: a yearlong, nationwide celebration marking the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.... As campaign gimmicks go, Mr. Trump's proposed Salute to America 250, as he plans to name the related task force, is exquisitely on brand: an intoxicating blend of nostalgia, spectacle and performative patriotism -- with lots of sharp edges, of course. Even as Mr. Trump hawks the project as an opportunity for national uplift, he has woven in themes and language seemingly designed to provoke discord.... It is a sad commentary on our political climate that something as potentially unifying as a national birthday party comes loaded with divisive cultural baggage.... With Mr. Trump as the guiding spirit, any 1776 tribute seems destined to descend into a culture-war cage match."

Beyond the Beltway

California. Michael Sainato of the Guardian & Agencies: "A rights group has said 16 migrants had been 'lied to' and deceived after being transported from Texas to California and dropped off outside a church in Sacramento. The migrants from Venezuela and Columbia entered the US through Texas reported the Associated Press. They were flown to California from New Mexico via a private chartered plane, but it's unclear who paid for the travel. The California department of justice and California governor's office is currently investigating who paid for the travel and 'whether the individuals orchestrating this trip misled anyone with false promises or have violated any criminal laws, including kidnapping.'" (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Shawn Hubler, et al., of the New York Times: State officials have accused "a contractor for a state-funded Florid program of transporting the group from outside a Texas migrant center under a false promise of jobs if the migrants agreed to be taken to California. 'We're confident it was Florida,' California's attorney general, Rob Bonta, said in an interview on Sunday, citing documents the migrants showed authorities upon their arrival that indicated their travel had been 'administered by the Florida Division of Emergency Management' and its contractor, Vertol Systems Company.... Vertol Systems was the company used for transport in the fall when Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida directed two planeloads of South American migrants from San Antonio to Martha's Vineyard.... On Sunday, Mr. Bonta ... vowed to aggressively pursue the possibility of criminal or civil charges for those involved in the transport, calling the action 'morally bankrupt.'... Mr. Bonta and [California Gov. Gavin] Newsom, both Democrats, met with the migrants on Saturday, pledging to take care of them while they remained in the state." Meanwhile, on the campaign trail, Rhonda Santis "frequently highlights his decision to send migrants to Martha's Vineyard."

California. Ryan Mac of the New York Times: "California property owners hoping to open new insurance policies are no longer able to do so with one of the nation's largest homeowner insurance companies. Allstate, the state's fourth-largest property and casualty insurance provider, has stopped selling new home, condominium or commercial insurance policies in California, the company said in an emailed statement. It is the latest insurance giant to say it will no longer offer coverage, citing worsening climate and higher building costs that have made it harder to do business in the nation's most-populous state. California's largest homeowner insurance provider, State Farm, made a similar decision last week, pointing to 'rapidly growing catastrophe exposure.' Allstate stopped accepting new policies in the state last year, according to the statement."

Florida. Thalia Beaty, et al., of the AP: "Debate surrounding Florida's new restrictions on gender-affirming care focused largely on transgender children. But a new law that Republican presidential candidate and Gov. Ron DeSantis signed last month also made it difficult -- even impossible -- for many transgender adults to get treatment.... The new law that bans gender-affirming care for minors also mandates that adult patients seeking trans health care sign an informed consent form. It also requires a physician to oversee any health care related to transitioning, and for people to see that doctor in person. Those rules have proven particularly onerous because many people received care from nurse practitioners and used telehealth. Another new law that allows doctors and pharmacists to refuse to treat transgender people further limits their options."

Way Beyond

India. Sameer Yasir, et al., of the New York Times: "Officials intensified the investigation into the cause of the crash [of trains], saying that while they were looking into the malfunction of an electronic signaling system, they did not rule out human error -- or even sabotage.... What is known so far: A high-speed passenger train collided with a parked freight train around 7 p.m. Friday and derailed. Some of its cars slammed into another passenger train, leaving a sprawling tableau of twisted metal, crushed limbs and splattered blood.... The disaster cast a pall over Prime Minister Narendra Modi's efforts to modernize the country's infrastructure, which he has made central to his campaign for a third term. Mr. Modi's government has frequently publicized its investments in expanding infrastructure, but a recent official audit noted a glaring imbalance in the budgets. While India was drastically increasing overall spending, including for a fleet of new semi-high-speed trains, the amount it has invested in safety for the rest of the fleet of more than 13,000 trains was decreasing, the audit said." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Most "populists"/authoritarians are fake and flashy. So Modi plays out of the same, tired playbook. Fancy new trains rolling on dangerous old tracks might be more substantial than Donald Trump's fake year-long party, but both projects come from the same chapter of "The Dictator's Handbook," (which apparently someone read aloud to Trump).

Poland. Andrew Higgins of the New York Times: "Hundreds of thousands of people marched through Warsaw on Sunday in a huge display of opposition to the governing party before an October general election, summoning memories of Poland's rejection of Communist Party rule decades before. The event, organized by the government's political rivals, sought to deprive Poland's deeply conservative Law and Justice party of its claims to the legacy of Solidarity, the trade union movement that led the struggle against a Communist system imposed by Moscow after World War II. Large protests also took place in Krakow, Szczecin and other big cities controlled by the opposition, which is strong in urban areas but struggles in the countryside."

Ukraine, et al. The New York Times' live updates of developments Monday in Russia's war on Ukraine are here. ~~~

     ~~~ The Washington Post's live briefing for Monday is here: "Russia thwarted a Ukrainian attack in the eastern Donetsk region, a Russian Defense Ministry spokesman said in a video published Monday by the state-owned RIA Novosti news agency.... Ukraine reported 29 clashes in Donetsk and neighboring Luhansk on Monday and denied Russia's claim to have deterred an attack. Tensions remain high in Russia's western Belgorod region, where anti-Kremlin militias have carried out drone attacks and shelling in recent days, with the governor reporting a fresh attack overnight.... In Belgorod, a power facility caught fire after a drone attack, regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said Monday on Telegram. Earlier, opposition militias who had captured Russian troops had invited Gladkov for talks in exchange for the prisoners, but no meeting took place, they claimed.... A peace envoy from the Vatican [-- Cardinal Matteo Maria Zuppi, the archbishop of Bologna --] traveled to Kyiv on Monday, tasked by Pope strong> Francis with listening to Ukrainian officials on how to formulate a lasting peace plan."

Natasha Bertrand, et al., of CNN: "Ukraine has cultivated a network of agents and sympathizers inside Russia working to carry out acts of sabotage against Russian targets and has begun providing them with drones to stage attacks, multiple people familiar with US intelligence on the matter told CNN. US officials believe these pro-Ukrainian agents inside Russia carried out a drone attack that targeted the Kremlin in early May by launching drones from within Russia rather than flying them from Ukraine into Moscow. It is not clear whether other drone attacks carried out in recent days -- including one targeting a residential neighborhood near Moscow and another strike on oil refineries in southern Russia == were also launched from inside Russia or conducted by this network of pro-Ukrainian operatives."

New Zealand. Natasha Frost of the New York Times: "Jacinda Ardern was awarded the title of dame on Monday for service to New Zealand, barely four months after ending her term as prime minister, during which she became the global face of a compassionate brand of liberal politics. The accolade -- Dame Grand Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit -- is the country's second highest and was granted as part of an annual tradition of awarding honors for the King's Birthday holiday. The honorees are usually chosen by the prime minister and approved by the British monarch, King Charles III, who is New Zealand's head of state."

June 4, 2023

Afternoon Update:

Julia Shapero of the Hill: "Several Republican presidential hopefuls slammed former President Trump for his comments praising North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Saturday, after the country received a seat on the World Health Organization's (WHO) executive board. Former Vice President Mike Pence, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley Ron DeSantis all criticized the former president, who offered his congratulations to Kim in a Truth Social post on Friday." Asa Hutchinson also criticized Trump for the birthday greetings.

Michael Sainato of the Guardian & Agencies: "A rights group has said 16 migrants had been 'lied to' and deceived after being transported from Texas to California and dropped off outside a church in Sacramento. The migrants from Venezuela and Columbia entered the US through Texas reported the Associated Press. They were flown to California from New Mexico via a private chartered plane, but it's unclear who paid for the travel. The California department of justice and California governor's office is currently investigating who paid for the travel and 'whether the individuals orchestrating this trip misled anyone with false promises or have violated any criminal laws, including kidnapping.'"

~~~~~~~~~~

Michael Shear of the New York Times: "President Biden signed the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 into law on Saturday, ending for now the threat of economic calamity from a default on the nation's debt and putting limits on spending for two years. The White House issued a statement saying that Mr. Biden had signed the legislation, days after it was passed by the House and the Senate following weeks of sometimes bitter negotiations with Republicans. Mr. Biden's signature came just two days before the so-called X-date, when Janet L. Yellen, the Treasury secretary, had said the government would run out of cash to pay its debts. Economists had predicted that if it did so, the resulting collapse in faith in America's financial promises would cause economic instability around the world." (Also linked yesterday.) The AP's report is here.

Evan Perez & Jamie Gangel of CNN: "The US Secret Service implemented tougher disciplinary measures after preliminary findings from an internal investigation found agents missed an intruder at national security adviser Jake Sullivan's home in part because they were using their personal phones, people briefed on the matter said. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle in recent days ordered increased penalties for employees who violate policies on duty, including the use of personal devices while on the job."

Zoe Richards of NBC News: "A New Hampshire man has been charged with threatening to kill a senator, allegedly telling investigators he was upset after seeing news reports of a lawmaker 'blocking military promotions.' Federal prosecutors announced Friday that Brian Landry, 66, was charged with threatening to assault, kidnap or murder a U.S. official in connection with the official's performance of official duties in connection with a voicemail he left last month for the unidentified senator.... About 200 defense-related promotions have been stalled in the Senate over Sen. Tommy Tuberville's opposition to a Pentagon policy that provides paid time off and travel expenses for service members and dependents seeking abortions." MB: I have such lovely neighbors. And let us just stipulate that Tommy Tuberville thinks it's a good idea to arm this guy, who describes himself as "a veteran sniper."

Laura Jarrett, et al., of NBC News: "The federal grand jury that has been hearing evidence in the Justice Department's investigation of ... Donald Trump's handling of classified documents is expected to meet again this coming week in Washington, according to multiple people familiar with the investigation. Prosecutors working for Special Counsel Jack Smith have been presenting the grand jury with evidence and witness testimony for months, but activity appeared to have slowed in recent weeks based on observations at the courthouse and sources. It's unclear whether prosecutors are prepared to seek an indictment at this point."

Presidential Race 2024. Jonathan Weisman of the New York Times: "... politicians and Republican Party officials tossed out the red meat on Saturday at an event at the Iowa State Fairgrounds.... The event, called 'Roast and Ride' -- an annual motorcycle and barbecue-infused political rally sponsored by Iowa's junior Republican senator, Joni Ernst -- laid bare divisions in the party, with some attendees focusing on pocketbook issues and tone and others looking for a candidate who will take on Democrats on a social and cultural front. Saturday's gathering featured eight presidential hopefuls, prominent and obscure, declared and undeclared.... For the presidential hopefuls, winning over Iowa Republicans -- with their strong religious bent and tradition of political engagement -- is the imperative first step toward wresting the G.O.P. from the front-runner for the nomination, Donald J. Trump, the one major candidate who did not make the trip on Saturday."

Beyond the Beltway

Florida. Suppose if I told you that while the dear leader of the state was far, far away warning Iowa farmers of the dangers of child-bearing women, Black & brown people, gays, teachers, and mask-wearing germophobes (ai-yee, what about a mixed-race, pregnant, masked lesbian teacher!), giant blobs of flesh-eating beasties were attacking a state with the most coastline in the Continental U.S.A. You might call me a partisan, conspiracy-theorizing, science-fiction-spewing nutcase hack. But then suppose you found out I was telling the truth? ~~~

     ~~~ Make America Florida! Richard Luscombe of the Guardian: "... giant clumps of [a] 13m-ton..., 5,000-mile wide blob of murky seaweed ... labeled the Great Atlantic sargassum belt are washing up on Florida's beaches, [and] scientists are warning of a real-life threat from the piles of decomposing algae, namely high levels of the flesh-eating Vibrio bacteria lurking in the vegetation. The alarming discovery by marine biologists at Florida Atlantic University (FAU) lends a dangerous new aspect to the brown seaweed onslaught, which is already threatening to spoil the state's busy summer tourism season as coatings of decaying goop exude a pungent aroma akin to that of rotting eggs. Even more worrying, the researchers say, is the role of ocean pollution in the proliferation of the bacteria, which can cause disease and death if a person gets infected.... The seaweed belt stretching from the Gulf of Mexico to the African coast provided the perfect breeding ground for 'omnivorous' strains of the bacteria that target both plant and animal life...."

Tennessee. Caroline Anders of the Washington Post: "A federal judge has struck down a Tennessee law that banned drag shows in public or where children could watch them, writing that the unconstitutional measure was passed 'for the impermissible purpose of chilling constitutionally-protected speech.' In his ruling issued Friday, U.S. District Judge Thomas Parker wrote that the law violates First Amendment freedom of speech protections and was 'unconstitutionally vague and substantially overbroad.'... Parker, who was appointed to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee by ... Donald Trump, had issued a preliminary injunction at the end of March to block the law from taking effect." (Also linked yesterday.)

Texas. Jacey Fortin of the New York Times: "Greg Abbott, the Republican governor of Texas, signed a bill on Friday to ban hormone and puberty blocking treatments, as well as surgeries, for transgender minors. Set to go into effect on Sept. 1, the measure would make Texas the largest state to ban transition medical care for people under 18. The bill would prohibit a doctor from performing mastectomies or surgeries that would sterilize a minor or remove otherwise healthy tissue or body parts, and from prescribing drugs that would induce transient or permanent infertility.... There is a debate among medical professionals about the age at which adolescents should have access to these treatments. But leading medical groups in the United States, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, say this care should be available to minors and oppose legislative bans.... The law reflects an effort in Texas and in much of the country by Republican elected leaders to restrict transgender rights." MB: I'm grateful the Times had the fortitude to describe the law as Republicans restricting human rights & didn't try to couch it in some both-siderism light.

Way Beyond

Ukraine, et al. The Washington Post's live briefing of developments Sunday in Russia's war on Ukraine is here: "A Russian attack in the Dnipro area of central-eastern Ukraine has killed a toddler and left at least 20 people injured, including five children, according to the regional governor. Rescuers searched overnight for survivors in the rubble of what was a two-story residential building.... Ukrainian air defenses successfully repelled a series of missiles aimed at Kyiv overnight, the head of the capital's military administration said on Telegram.... Ukraine is ready to launch its highly anticipated counteroffensive, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with the Wall Street Journal.... Air-raid shelters in Kyiv are being audited after residents were unable to enter some sites during overnight attacks on the capital last week. Nearly a quarter of the 4,800 shelters inspected Saturday were unusable or closed, the Ukrainian National Police Telegram page said, citing Internal Affairs Minister Ihor Klymenko.... Protests are planned in Russia and around the world Sunday in support of detained Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, marking his 47th birthday. Here's the latest on the war and its ripple effects across the globe." ~~~

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

News Lede

Washington Post: "Thomas Buergenthal, an international law jurist and human rights defender who witnessed the horrors of Nazi concentration camps as a boy, and oversaw cases that included restoring assets to Holocaust survivors and probing atrocities in Central America by U.S.-backed governments, died May 29 at his home in Miami. He was 89."