May 25, 2023

Late Morning/Afternoon Update:

Texas. James Barragan, et al., of the Texas Tribune: "In an unprecedented move, a Texas House committee voted Thursday to recommend that Attorney General Ken Paxton be impeached and removed from office, citing a yearslong pattern of alleged misconduct and lawbreaking that investigators detailed one day earlier. During a specially called meeting Thursday afternoon, the House General Investigating Committee voted unanimously to refer articles of impeachment to the full chamber. The House will next decide whether to approve articles of impeachment against Paxton, which could remove the attorney general from office pending the outcome of a trial to be conducted by the Senate. If a majority of the 149-member House approves the articles before the regular legislative session ends Monday, senators would need to convene a special session to hear the case."

** Scenes from a Heist. Devlin Barrett, et al., of the Washington Post: "Two of Donald Trump’s employees moved boxes of papers the day before FBI agents and a prosecutor visited the former president's Florida home to retrieve classified documents in response to a subpoena -- timing that investigators have come to view as suspicious and an indication of possible obstruction, according to people familiar with the matter. Trump and his aides also allegedly carried out a 'dress rehearsal' for moving sensitive papers even before his office received the May 2022 subpoena, according to the people familiar with the matter.... Prosecutors in addition have gathered evidence indicating that Trump at times kept classified documents in his office in a place where they were visible and sometimes showed them to others, these people said. Taken together, the new details of the classified-documents investigation suggest a greater breadth and specificity to the instances of possible obstruction found by the FBI and Justice Department than has been previously reported." Read on.

** Alan Feuer of the New York Times: "Stewart Rhodes, the leader of the far-right Oath Keepers militia, was sentenced on Thursday to 18 years in prison for his conviction on seditious conspiracy charges for the role he played in helping to mobilize the pro-Trump attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. The sentence, handed down in Federal District Court in Washington, was the most severe penalty so far in the more than 1,000 criminal cases stemming from the Capitol attack -- and the first to be increased for fitting the legal definition of terrorism. It was also the first to have been given to any of the 10 members of the Oath Keepers and another far-right group, the Proud Boys, who were convicted of sedition in connection with the events of Jan. 6." Read on. Rhodes remains an unrepentant danger to society. ~~~

     ~~~ Hannah Rabinowitz & Katelyn Polantz of CNN: "A second Oath Keepers member, Kelly Meggs, the leader of the Florida contingent of the group, was sentenced to 12 years in prison. The sentences are the first handed down in over a decade for seditious conspiracy."

** Adam Liptak of the New York Times: "The Supreme Court on Thursday curtailed the Environmental Protection Agency's authority to police water pollution, ruling that the Clean Water Act does not allow the agency to regulate discharges into some wetlands near bodies of water. The court held that law covers only wetlands 'with a continuous surface connection' to those waters, Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. wrote for five justices. The decision was nominally unanimous, with all the justices agreeing that the homeowners who brought the case should not have been subject to the agency's oversight. But there was sharp disagreement about the majority's reasoning. Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh, joined by the three liberal justices in a concurring opinion, said the decision would harm the E.P.A.'s ability to combat pollution." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: The obvious fix for Sam & the Gang's ruling is for Congress to amend the Clean Water Act to include the bodies of water the EPA wants to regulate. Let's just ask My Kevin & Miss Margie to draft some legislation (ha ha ha).

Jonah Bromwich of the New York Times: "Stephen K. Bannon ... is scheduled to stand trial in May of next year for what prosecutors say was his role in defrauding Americans who paid money toward the construction of a southern border wall, a judge said Thursday. The judge, Juan M. Merchan, said that while the May 27, 2024 trial was later than he had anticipated -- he had originally considered a November date -- he was satisfied with the schedule proposed by Mr. Bannon's lawyers as long as prosecutors with the Manhattan district attorney's office were satisfied. A prosecutor, Daniel Passeser, said that he was."

Marie: There was something else that went wrong with DeSantis' presidential announcement, and this was something about which he had a couple of weeks' notice -- and still did nothing to adjust his plans. Sally Goldenberg & Meredith McGraw of Politico: "DeSantis' original plan had been for him to do his first post-announcement interview on Fox News with Tucker Carlson, according to two people familiar with his plans. When the Fox News host was fired, the governor kept his commitment to the network. He appeared with fill-in host Trey Gowdy in the 8 p.m. hour although the cable news channel has seen evening viewership plummet since Carlson's ouster." Good leaders know how to plan. Moreover, if their plans don't work out, they know how to pivot to Plan B or C or D. If DeSantolini had had Lincoln's job during the U.S. Civil War, we'd all be living in slave states and singing "Swanee Ribber." But then today's Ron DeSantolini would be good with that.

Florida. Andrew Lapin of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency: "Months before a Miami-area mother persuaded a local school to restrict access to an Amanda Gorman poem, she was posting antisemitic memes on her Facebook page. Now, Daily Salinas is apologizing for one of those things -- and unrepentant about the other. 'I want to apologize to the Jewish community,' Salinas told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency on Wednesday. She was saying sorry for a Facebook post she shared in March offering a summary of 'The Protocols of the Elders of Zion,' a notorious antisemitic forgery written more than a century ago in Russia. 'I'm not what the post says,' Salinas said. 'I love the Jewish community.'... [Salinas' Facebook] account, which JTA reviewed, features a flood of political posts reflecting right-wing ideologies -- and the antisemitic Protocols." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: This struck me from the JTA story: "[Salinas] added that English is not her first language." She used her unfamiliarity with English as part of her excuse for not knowing about the Protocols. English is my first language, and I've taken a lot of English classes over the years. But I'm still baffled by a lot of poetry that critics tell us is billiant. Do you suppose Salinas, who admits to having trouble with English, and member of that Miami Lakes school board, just might not "get" Gorman's poem? (Children, on the other hand, have open, receptive minds, and they are as likely as I or more likely than I to interpret the poem in positive ways. But I suppose that's what worries all the wingers: that their own children might grow up to be decent, caring human beings.)

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Leigh Ann Caldwell, et al., of the Washington Post: "House Democratic lawmakers are voicing frustration over President Biden's approach to negotiating a debt ceiling deal with Republicans, worrying that their priorities are not being championed aggressively enough and that Biden hasn't more forcefully pushed back publicly against Republican demands.... Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Tex.), who has served in the House for almost 30 years, encouraged Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) during Democrats' weekly caucus meeting Tuesday to ask the president to immediately address the nation, detailing how Republicans are toying with the economy and explaining that a default would catastrophically affect their lives. Jeffries acknowledged Jackson Lee's request and assured lawmakers that he and his leadership team would take a more aggressive approach to messaging while the White House adheres to a strategy of keeping negotiation behind closed doors." ~~~

~~~ Mike Lillis of the Hill: "Every House Democrat has endorsed the discharge petition to force a vote on legislation to hike the debt ceiling and prevent a default, party leaders announced Wednesday. The signatures of the last final holdouts -- Reps. Jared Golden (D-Maine) and Ed Case (D-Hawaii) -- puts the total number at 213, meaning Democratic leaders still need to find five Republicans if the petition is to be successful. 'It takes a handful of members of the GOP to say, "Enough,"' Rep. Katherine Clark (Mass.), the Democratic whip, told reporters in the Capitol. That's a heavy lift, since it would require GOP lawmakers to buck the wishes of Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), who is in tense negotiations with the White House over a debt-ceiling package and is opposed to a vote on the 'clean' debt-limit hike preferred by Democrats." (Also linked yesterday evening.) ~~~

Annals of "Journalism," Ctd. Dan Pfeiffer of the Message Box: "When speaking with reporters about his 'negotiations' with the White House over extending the debt limit, [Kevin] McCarthy was asked what concessions his side was willing to make. Were the Republicans willing to raise taxes on the wealthy? Close a single tax loophole? Provide additional funding for one of [President] Biden's priorities? Nope. McCarthy responded: 'We're going to raise the debt ceiling.' And with that one sentence, the Speaker of the House admitted ... [that] what is happening between the White House and the House Republicans is not a negotiation; it's extortion, pure and simple.... The Republican position is this: give us what we want or we will blow up the global economy. McCarthy admits that if his requests aren't met, he will let the U.S. default on its obligations. That's not a negotiation. And the media should stop calling it that.... The legacy media is incapable of accurately portraying the MAGA era of American politics."

     ~~~ Monmouth University: "Half of Americans say the debt ceiling issue should be dealt with cleanly, while just 1 in 4 want to tie it to federal spending negotiations, according to the Monmouth ... University Poll. A plurality agrees with predictions that the country will suffer significant economic problems if the debt ceiling is not raised -- a view that increases to a clear majority among those who have been paying a lot of attention to the issue." (Also linked yesterday evening.)

Helene Cooper of the New York Times: "President Biden intends to nominate Gen. Charles Q. Brown, the Air Force chief of staff, on Thursday to become the country's most senior military officer, formalizing what had been one of the worst kept secrets in Washington. If confirmed by the Senate, General Brown would be only the second Black man, after Colin L. Powell, to hold the job of chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the senior military adviser to the president. General Brown would succeed Gen. Mark A. Milley, whose term has spanned four tumultuous years that encompassed efforts by ... Donald J. Trump to use active-duty troops against American protesters; the riots at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021; the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan; and the war in Ukraine."

Jared Gans of the Hill: "The White House on Wednesday ripped GOP Reps. James Comer (Ky.) and Marjorie Taylor Greene (Ga.) for what it called 'bizarre' congressional probes of President Biden and his family members, arguing that the investigations are politically motivated. White House spokesperson Ian Sams said in a memo that Comer, who serves as the chairman of the House Oversight Committee, and other members of the panel have 'aggressively' pursued politically motivated investigations of Biden and his family that are designed to hurt Biden personally instead of look into potential wrongdoing.... Sams also pointed to an interview that Comer gave Fox News on Monday in which he connected the investigation into the Biden family to the poll numbers showing former President Trump improving in his standing in a hypothetical matchup against Biden in 2024."

Danielle Douglas-Gabriel of the Washington Post: "As the Supreme Court deliberates the future of President Biden's student loan forgiveness program, the House voted Wednesday to overturn the controversial plan to cancel more than $400 billion in debt, as well as restart loan payments for tens of millions of borrowers. The 218-to-203 vote fell largely along party lines, with two Democrats -- Reps. Jared Golden (Maine) and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (Wash.) -- joining Republicans in endorsing a resolution to scrap the president's plan to cancel up to $20,000 of federal student debt per eligible borrower. The measure would also end the pause on federal student loan payments, a policy first introduced by the Trump administration in response to the coronavirus pandemic more than three years ago. The resolution also would prevent the Education Department from pursuing similar policies in the future. The measure now heads to the Senate, but Biden has already threatened a veto if it passes."

Martin Pengelly of the Guardian: "Democrats in the House chamber burst into raucous laughter when Marjorie Taylor Greene called for 'decorum'. The far-right Georgia Republican, controversialist and conspiracy theorist was presiding over the House on Wednesday as Steve Scalise, the Republican majority leader, was speaking." ~~~

Gail Collins of the New York Times: "Dianne Feinstein is giving old age a bad name.... It's time for her to set a good example and retire immediately. The country shouldn't discriminate against older workers, and older workers shouldn't insist on staying in jobs they can no longer really carry out."

Lisa Rein of the Washington Post: "In the last two fiscal years, federal judges considering appeals for denied [Social Security] benefits found fault with almost 6 in every 10 cases and sent them back to administrative law judges at Social Security for a new hearing -- the highest rate of rejections in years, agency statistics show. Court remands are on pace to reach similar levels this year. Federal judges have complained of legal errors, inaccurate assessments of whether claimants can work, failures to consider medical evidence and factual mistakes.... The scathing opinions have come from trial and appellate judges across the political spectrum.... The high rate of rejections for cases handled by administrative law judges and the attorneys who write their decisions is driven by stringent monthly quotas set by Social Security officials and growing pressure to deny more cases, according to current and former officials, audits and attorneys who represent the disabled.... The result has been an unmistakable shift to an adversarial disability system...." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Don't worry, folks. If Congressional Republicans have their way, Social Security won't be paying any benefits at all. Lorie Konish of CNBC: "... experts are warning that Social Security checks could be at risk if there is a default. Based on the payment schedule for those monthly payments, the oldest and poorest beneficiaries could be the first who may have their payments affected, according to Kathleen Romig, director of Social Security and disability policy at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities."

Alan Feuer & Zach Montague of the New York Times: "An Arkansas man who became notorious for putting his foot on a desk in Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office during the attack on the Capitol by supporters of ... Donald J. Trump was sentenced on Wednesday to four and a half years in prison. The man, Richard 'Bigo' Barnett, was found guilty at a trial in January of eight criminal offenses, including interfering with law enforcement during a civil disorder and obstructing the certification of the 2020 election that took place at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. After deliberating for less than three hours, a jury in Federal District Court in Washington rejected Mr. Barnett's testimony that he had ended up in Ms. Pelosi's office suite while looking for a bathroom and that the 950,000-volt stun gun he was carrying that day was not working." The NBC News story is here.

Melanie Zanona, et al., of CNN: Former Congressman & White House Chief of Staff Mark "Meadows is viewed as a critical first-hand witness to the investigations of both special counsel Jack Smith and Georgia's Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. He's been ordered to testify before the grand jury in both investigations, and to provide documents to the special counsel after a judge rejected [Donald] Trump's claims of executive privilege.... It is unclear whether Meadows has responded to the special counsel's requests or appeared in front of that grand jury in Washington.... A source close to Trump's legal team said Trump's lawyers have had no contact with Meadows and his team and are in the dark on what Meadows is doing in the investigation, fueling speculation about whether Meadows is cooperating with the special counsel's probe -- or if Meadows himself is a target of the investigation.... One Trump adviser told CNN. 'No one really knows what he's doing....'" This story is largely about how Meadows advised MAGA-crazed members of the House on how to game out the disastrous House speaker selection process and how he's now advising them to blow up the economy in the debt-ceiling hostage-taking.

Trump, More Crazy After All These Years. Isaac Arnsdorf, et al., of the Washington Post: "On ... a host of subjects, from sexual assault to foreign and domestic policy, Trumps positions have become even more extreme, his tone more confrontational, his accounts less tethered to reality, according to a Washington Post review of Trump's speeches and interviews with former aides. Where he was at times ambiguous or equivocal, he's now brazenly defiant.... To experts who have reviewed his proposals, Trump is sketching out the contours of a second term potentially more dangerous and chaotic than his first. Critics across the political spectrum have voiced alarm at his increasingly menacing rhetoric. [For instance:] Not only has Trump never acknowledged his defeat in the 2020 presidential election, but over time his false claims of rampant fraud have become more elaborate." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Andrea Cambron, et al., of CNN: "A man arrested for having an AK-47 on school property walked up to the CIA Headquarters' gate in Virginia and allegedly said, 'I'm here and I have a gun,' a law enforcement source told CNN. Uniformed federal officers turned him away at the gate Tuesday and notified Fairfax County police of his description, the source said Wednesday. The suspect, identified as 32-year-old Eric Sandow of Gainesville, Florida, was later arrested and charged with felony possession of a firearm on school property, police said. He allegedly trespassed on the grounds of Dolley Madison Preschool around 11 a.m. Tuesday, police said. The preschool is less than 1.5 miles from CIA Headquarters and about a 10-minute drive to major landmarks in Washington, DC, including the National Mall." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Justin Jouvenal of the Washington Post: "The man with a Nazi flag who authorities say crashed a U-Haul truck into a security barrier outside the White House Monday and told investigators he would kill President Biden is not a U.S. citizen or lawful resident, a prosecutor said in court Wednesday.... [At a hearing Wednesday,] Magistrate Judge Robin M. Meriweather ordered Kandula held until a bond hearing on Tuesday."

David Ingram of NBC News: "Elon Musk's claims that he'd bring political balance to Twitter were already under heavy scrutiny given his ongoing embrace of Republican politicians and far-right politics. Now, after joining Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as he announced his presidential bid, the idea has taken hold among the left that Twitter is just another part of the conservative media apparatus. Democratic strategists said the joint Musk-DeSantis event was only the latest example of the tech billionaire aligning himself and Twitter with increasingly conservative politics in a rightward shift from the San Francisco company's previous identity.... The roughly hour-long event featured a series of people tapped to ask questions, all of whom were well-known conservative pundits and operatives who almost universally fawned over DeSantis. And those questions almost entirely centered on GOP culture war politics: Covid lockdowns, government overreach, the mainstream media, immigration, critical race theory and even bitcoin regulation." Much more on the DeSantis rollout linked below. ~~~

~~~ The technical problems that delayed the DeSantis-Musk event by more than 20 minutes and greatly reduced the live audience were a disaster for both DeSantis & his lovely host Elon Musk:

     ~~~ Ryan Mac of the New York Times: "The technical problems on Wednesday showed how Twitter is operating far from seamlessly, turning what was supposed to be a crowning event for Mr. Musk into something of an embarrassment.... As the Twitter audio livestream faltered, the reaction -- including on Twitter itself -- was shock and scorn that what should have been a carefully choreographed announcement of a presidential run had stumbled so badly.... Inside Twitter, employees had been alarmed by Mr. Musk's turn into politics and whether the social media site could handle the influx of traffic, three employees said. There was no planning for what are known as 'site reliability issues' for the event with Mr. DeSantis, two ... people said.... Mr. Musk later said that his account, which has 140 million followers and which promoted and launched the livestream, had brought in too many listeners and that Twitter's systems had been unable to handle them. Twitter's systems recovered, the employees said, but the restarted livestream with Mr. DeSantis had a smaller audience, with about 275,000 listeners. Even before the glitches, the event had drawn criticism, especially since Mr. Musk has said Twitter is a politically neutral platform." ~~~

~~~ Presidential Farce 2024.

     ~~~ Via Steve M. Thanks to Akhilleus for the link.

New York Times liveblog: "Ron DeSantis's long-awaited official entry into the 2024 presidential campaign went haywire at its start on Wednesday during a glitch-filled livestream over Twitter.... On Wednesday, Mr. DeSantis's official run for the White House got off to an embarrassing start as the planned livestream with Twitter's eccentric billionaire owner, Elon Musk, was marred by technical problems and dead air. The audio cut in and out amid talk of 'melting the servers,' hot mic whispering and on-the-spot troubleshooting.... The extended social media hiccup -- as more than 500,000 people were waiting -- was gleefully cheered on the very platform Mr. DeSantis was supposed to be commandeering for his campaign. Donald Trump Jr. wrote a single word: '#DeSaster.' Mr. Biden posted a donation button to his re-election campaign with the words, 'This link works.' The audience when Mr. DeSantis did deliver his remarks was smaller than it had been during the initial minutes when no one was speaking." The article, which is the item pinned to the top of the liveblog, goes on to discuss DeSantis' strengths (a rich campaign chest) & weaknesses (he's Ron DeSantis). ~~~

     ~~~ An NBC News story is here. Politico's story is here. ~~~

~~~ Stephen Collinson of CNN: "The Florida governor has been preparing for months to run for president, but his official campaign launch committed a cardinal political sin -- offering his opponents, especially ... Donald Trump, an opening to turn him into an object of ridicule.... The cliche that the best day of any presidential candidate's campaign is when they first announce will not apply to DeSantis, who managed to obliterate his own message. And even when the event got up and running, it felt more like a fan fest for Musk, as various conservative opinion leaders called in to boost DeSantis but seemed more effusive about his host.... DeSantis ... had almost nothing to say to Americans who do not share his stark conservative ideology. There was no outreach to a wider, less partisan audience. And no sense that DeSantis, if elected, would represent all Americans or has any vision for how he would lead the Western world at a time of great international instability." ~~~

~~~ Josh Marshall of TPM: "One way to summarize the conversation was that about 50% of it was various guests saying Elon Musk is totally awesome; the other 40% was DeSantis saying DeSantis is totally awesome. I'm budgeting 10% for times the connection crashed.... The one through-line that united most of these together was relitigating COVID lockdowns.... Most people probably wouldn't even know half the things these guys were talking about. Lots of jargon, very inside stuff.... Toward the end when they got deep into the 'woke mob', weaponized banking and more an excited [David] Sacks [-- a venture capitalist/DeSantis backer who joined the conversation --] said President DeSantis would be a 'cool headed ruthless assassin' destroying the woke mob. To most people that kind of language is a mix of laughable and disturbing. Most people aren't trying to elect a chief ninja or a mass shooter." ~~~

~~~ Matt Flegenheimer of the New York Times: "The Florida governor's chosen rollout venue was always going to be a risk, an aural gamble on Mr. Musk, a famously capricious and oxygen-stealing co-star, and the persuasive powers of Mr. DeSantis's own disembodied voice.... Twitter's streaming tool, known as Spaces, has been historically glitchy. Executive competence, core to the DeSantis campaign message, was conspicuously absent. And for a politician credibly accused through the years of being incorrigibly online -- a former DeSantis aide said he regularly read his Twitter mentions -- the event amounted to hard confirmation, a zeitgeisty exercise devolving instead into a conference call from hell.... At 6:26 p.m., Mr. DeSantis finally announced himself, long after his campaign had announced his intentions, reading from a script that often parroted an introduction video and an email sent to reporters more than 20 minutes earlier." ~~~

Ben Schreckinger of Politico: "With Donald Trump holding a lock on the populist right, and the remnants of the GOP establishment split between several low-polling alternatives, Ron DeSantis is casting in his lot with a third group: very online, anti-'woke' Silicon Valley moguls.... DeSantis' decision to announce his presidential run on Twitter Spaces, scheduled for Wednesday evening with Elon Musk and the outspoken venture capitalist David Sacks, represents an embrace of a strain of right-leaning, anti-establishment politics that has gained currency in recent years among the tech set.... By announcing his run with the two moguls on Twitter Spaces, DeSantis is betting that his ultra-wealthy supporters will be useful not just for writing checks, but for framing his campaign for public consumption." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Schreckinger never mentions how perfect it is that a guy who can't stand to associate with the hoi polloi launches his presidential campaign in the company of one of the world's richest people and a wealthy venture capitalist. What he needed to do was establish some bona fides with the unwashed masses. Instead, he sent a clear signal that he'd rather hang with smarmy billionaires. (As Steve M. put it in a headline the other day, "DeSANTIS: I WANT TO BE YOUR PRESIDENT, EVEN THOUGH I HATE PEOPLE.")

Jared Gans of the Hill: "Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) cleared his own path to keep his current position while running for president, signing a bill that will allow him to remain as governor while being a presidential candidate. DeSantis announced in a release on Wednesday that he signed 20 bills, including one that will create an exception to a state election law that has required official candidates for federal office to resign from their positions if the terms of the two posts would overlap were the candidate [t]o win their race. The bill that DeSantis signed will exempt candidates for president or vice president from the resign-to-run law."

Beyond the Beltway

Gloria Oladipo of the Guardian: "Cities across the US have agreed to pay out a total of more than $80m in settlements to protesters injured by police during 2020 racial justice protests -- a figure experts believe is unprecedented and will rise further as many lawsuits are still playing out.... Litigation has done little to curb excessive force and police departments face no direct financial consequences.... Individual officers are also largely spared from criminal charges."

Florida. Alisha Ebrahimji of CNN: "Minorities, immigrants and now members of the LGBTQ community are being warned of the risks of visiting Florida after the nation's largest LGBTQ advocacy group issued a travel advisory following newly passed laws and policies that may be harmful to people in those communities. On Tuesday, the Human Rights Campaign in partnership with Equality Florida, a state LGBTQ advocacy group, issued an updated travel notice outlining potential impacts of six bills that were recently passed, many of which have already been signed by the state's Republican governor, Ron DeSantis. 'While not a blanket recommendation against travel nor a call for boycott, the travel advisory outlines the devastating impacts of laws that are hostile to the LGBTQ community,' the advocacy group said in a statement. Over the weekend, the NAACP issued a travel advisory for Florida 'in direct response to ... DeSantis' aggressive attempts to erase Black history and to restrict diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in Florida schools.' And days earlier, LULAC -- the League of United Latin American Citizens -- issued its travel advisory after DeSantis signed a new immigration law that will go into effect in July."

Florida. Maham Javaid & Dan Rosenzweig-Ziff of the Washington Post: "Here is what you need to know about the challenges [poet Amanda] Gorman's book faces[.]... [A Miami-area] school district denied the book was banned or removed but acknowledged moving it so elementary school students had limited access to it." See also Akhilleus' comments in yesterday's thread on the banning of Gorman's poem.

South Carolina. Meredith Deliso of ABC News: "A grand jury has indicted convicted murderer Alex Murdaugh, the disgraced South Carolina attorney, on federal fraud charges, prosecutors announced Wednesday. Murdaugh, 54, is currently serving life in prison after being convicted of murdering his wife and their youngest son. The federal grand jury returned a 22-count indictment against Murdaugh for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud; bank fraud; wire fraud; and money laundering, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of South Carolina said.... The alleged schemes involved routing clients' settlement funds to his own accounts as well as a fake account under the name 'Forge,' as well as conspiring with a banker to commit wire fraud and bank fraud. The banker, Russell Laffitte, was convicted on six federal charges in connection with the scheme in November 2022, prosecutors said. The indictment further alleges that Murdaugh conspired with another personal injury attorney to defraud the estate of his former housekeeper, Gloria Satterfield, who died after a fall at Murdaugh's home in February 2018, and funnel nearly $3.5 million into his 'fake Forge' account 'for his own personal enrichment,' prosecutors said." (Also linked yesterday.)

Texas. David Goodman of the New York Times: "The barely concealed disdain brewing for months among top Republicans in Texas burst into public view this week when the attorney general, Ken Paxton, who is under indictment, accused the speaker of the Texas House of performing his duties while drunk and called for the speaker's resignation. The move on Tuesday sent a shock through Austin. Then, less than an hour later, word came that Mr. Paxton might have had a personal motive for attacking the speaker, Dade Phelan: A House committee had subpoenaed records from Mr. Paxton's office, as part of an inquiry into the attorney general's request for $3.3 million in state money to settle corruption allegations brought against him by his own former high-ranking aides." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

~~~ Jack Despart & James Barragan of the Texas Tribune: "A Texas House committee heard stunning testimony Wednesday from investigators over allegations of a yearslong pattern of misconduct and questionable actions by Attorney General Ken Paxton, the result of a probe the committee had secretly authorized in March. In painstaking and methodical detail in a rare public forum, four investigators for the House General Investigating Committee testified that they believe Paxton broke numerous state laws, misspent office funds and misused his power to benefit a friend and political donor." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Texas. Joyce Lee, et al., of the Washington Post: "In the year since the Robb Elementary School massacre in Uvalde, Tex., much of the blame for law enforcement's decision to wait more than an hour to confront the gunman has centered on the former chief of the school district's small police force. But a Washington Post investigation has found that the costly delay was also driven by the inaction of an array of senior and supervising law enforcement officers who remain on the job and had direct knowledge a shooting was taking place inside classrooms but failed to swiftly stop the gunman." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Way Beyond

Ukraine, et al.

The Washington Post's live briefing of developments Thursday in Russia's war on Ukraine are here: "Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu signed an agreement Thursday with his counterpart in neighboring Belarus, allowing for the storage of tactical nuclear weapons on the Russian ally's territory.... At the same time, he underlined that Russia 'is not giving nuclear weapons to Belarus' and that control over their use and deployment remains 'in the hands' of Moscow. [MB: That's reassuring.]... The delivery of the first F-16 fighter jet to Ukraine will be 'one of the strongest signals from the world that Russia will only lose,' Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his nightly address Wednesday.... Russia's Wagner forces began a planned withdrawal from Bakhmut, the mercenary group's chief, Yevgeniy Prigozhin, said in a video Thursday.... Regular Russian army units replaced Wagner forces in Bakhmut's suburbs, Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said in a Telegram message Thursday." ~~~

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

Andrew Kramer & Valerie Hopkins of the New York Times: "Fresh from leading a military incursion into Russian territory, commanders of anti-Kremlin armed groups on Wednesday taunted the Russian Army for its slow response and threatened Moscow with more raids to come. Russia, they told reporters at a news conference in a forest clearing in northern Ukraine near the border, should now understand that any section of the long frontier may become a new place that Moscow will be compelled to defend. Military analysts suggested that the cross-border attack in the region of Belgorod on Monday and Tuesday had twin goals, military and political. It appeared aimed at forcing Russia to divert badly needed troops from the front in eastern and southern Ukraine, even as Ukraine prepares a counteroffensive. And it threatened to embarrass President Vladimir V. Putin's government by showing Russia's vulnerability." ~~~

~~~ Valerie Hopkins of the New York Times: "As Russia vowed to respond 'extremely harshly' to a rare, two-day border incursion by pro-Ukrainian fighters, the leader of Russia's largest mercenary force warned that it faced further setbacks unless its ruling elite took drastic, and likely unpopular, measures to win the war. 'The most likely scenario for us in a special operation would not be a good one," Yevgeny V. Prigozhin, the founder of the Wagner mercenary group, said in a profanity-laced interview with a pro-Kremlin political observer published late Tuesday on the Telegram messaging platform. 'We are in such a condition that we could lose Russia,' he continued, his speech laced with profanity. 'We have to prepare for a very hard war that will result in hundreds of thousands of casualties." A related AP story is here.

Julian Barnes, et al., of the New York Times: "U.S. officials said the drone attack on the Kremlin earlier this month was likely orchestrated by one of Ukraine's special military or intelligence units, the latest in a series of covert actions against Russian targets that have unnerved the Biden administration. U.S. intelligence agencies do not know which unit carried out the attack and it was unclear whether President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine or his top officials were aware of the operation, though some officials believe Mr. Zelensky was not.... U.S. officials say their level of confidence that the Ukrainian government directly authorized the Kremlin drone attack is 'low' but that is because intelligence agencies do not yet have specific evidence identifying which government officials, Ukrainian units or operatives were involved."

May 24, 2023

Afternoon/Evening Update:

Mike Lillis of the Hill: "Every House Democrat has endorsed the discharge petition to force a vote on legislation to hike the debt ceiling and prevent a default, party leaders announced Wednesday. The signatures of the last final holdouts -- Reps. Jared Golden (D-Maine) and Ed Case (D-Hawaii) -- puts the total number at 213, meaning Democratic leaders still need to find five Republicans if the petition is to be successful. 'It takes a handful of members of the GOP to say, "Enough,"' Rep. Katherine Clark (Mass.), the Democratic whip, told reporters in the Capitol. That's a heavy lift, since it would require GOP lawmakers to buck the wishes of Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), who is in tense negotiations with the White House over a debt-ceiling package and is opposed to a vote on the 'clean' debt-limit hike preferred by Democrats." ~~~

     ~~~ Monmouth University: "Half of Americans say the debt ceiling issue should be dealt with cleanly, while just 1 in 4 want to tie it to federal spending negotiations, according to the Monmouth ... University Poll. A plurality agrees with predictions that the country will suffer significant economic problems if the debt ceiling is not raised -- a view that increases to a clear majority among those who have been paying a lot of attention to the issue."

In case you care, the New York Times is liveblogging Ron DeSantis' announcement(s) of his presidential candidacy. ~~~

     Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha. Twitter's "servers were apparently overloaded, crashing repeatedly. Twenty minutes into the 'broadcast,' Mr. DeSantis had yet to be heard from, though Twitter personnel could be heard lamenting the situation." [MB: This is not a broadcast, even if it ever gets running; "broadcast" means radio or TV signals sent over the air waves.] Maggie Haberman: "One Republican messaged with what may become a name used by the Trump team: 'DeSaster.'" Shane Goldmacher: "The Biden campaign is appearing to to revel in the glitches. The @JoeBiden account tweeted a donation link with the words, 'This link works.'"

Andrea Cambron, et al., of CNN: "A man arrested for having an AK-47 on school property walked up to the CIA Headquarters' gate in Virginia and allegedly said, 'I'm here and I have a gun,' a law enforcement source told CNN. Uniformed federal officers turned him away at the gate Tuesday and notified Fairfax County police of his description, the source said Wednesday. The suspect, identified as 32-year-old Eric Sandow of Gainesville, Florida, was later arrested and charged with felony possession of a firearm on school property, police said. He allegedly trespassed on the grounds of Dolley Madison Preschool around 11 a.m. Tuesday, police said. The preschool is less than 1.5 miles from CIA Headquarters and about a 10-minute drive to major landmarks in Washington, DC, including the National Mall."

Trump, More Crazy After All These Years. Isaac Arnsdorf, et al., of the Washington Post: "On ... a host of subjects, from sexual assault to foreign and domestic policy, Trump's positions have become even more extreme, his tone more confrontational, his accounts less tethered to reality, according to a Washington Post review of Trump's speeches and interviews with former aides. Where he was at times ambiguous or equivocal, he's now brazenly defiant.... To experts who have reviewed his proposals, Trump is sketching out the contours of a second term potentially more dangerous and chaotic than his first. Critics across the political spectrum have voiced alarm at his increasingly menacing rhetoric. [For instance:] Not only has Trump never acknowledged his defeat in the 2020 presidential election, but over time his false claims of rampant fraud have become more elaborate."

Joyce Lee, et al., of the Washington Post: "In the year since the Robb Elementary School massacre in Uvalde, Tex., much of the blame for law enforcement's decision to wait more than an hour to confront the gunman has centered on the former chief of the school district's small police force. But a Washington Post investigation has found that the costly delay was also driven by the inaction of an array of senior and supervising law enforcement officers who remain on the job and had direct knowledge a shooting was taking place inside classrooms but failed to swiftly stop the gunman."

South Carolina. Meredith Deliso of ABC News: "A grand jury has indicted convicted murderer Alex Murdaugh, the disgraced South Carolina attorney, on federal fraud charges, prosecutors announced Wednesday. Murdaugh, 54, is currently serving life in prison after being convicted of murdering his wife and their youngest son. The federal grand jury returned a 22-count indictment against Murdaugh for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud; bank fraud; wire fraud; and money laundering, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of South Carolina said.... The alleged schemes involved routing clients' settlement funds to his own accounts as well as a fake account under the name 'Forge,' as well as conspiring with a banker to commit wire fraud and bank fraud. The banker, Russell Laffitte, was convicted on six federal charges in connection with the scheme in November 2022, prosecutors said. The indictment further alleges that Murdaugh conspired with another personal injury attorney to defraud the estate of his former housekeeper, Gloria Satterfield, who died after a fall at Murdaugh's home in February 2018, and funnel nearly $3.5 million into his 'fake Forge' account 'for his own personal enrichment,' prosecutors said."

Texas. David Goodman of the New York Times: "The barely concealed disdain brewing for months among top Republicans in Texas burst into public view this week when the attorney general, Ken Paxton, who is under indictment, accused the speaker of the Texas House of performing his duties while drunk and called for the speaker's resignation. The move on Tuesday sent a shock through Austin. Then, less than an hour later, word came that Mr. Paxton might have had a personal motive for attacking the speaker, Dade Phelan: A House committee had subpoenaed records from Mr. Paxton's office, as part of an inquiry into the attorney general's request for $3.3 million in state money to settle corruption allegations brought against him by his own former high-ranking aides." ~~~

~~~ Jack Despart & James Barragan of the Texas Tribune: "A Texas House committee heard stunning testimony Wednesday from investigators over allegations of a yearslong pattern of misconduct and questionable actions by Attorney General Ken Paxton, the result of a probe the committee had secretly authorized in March. In painstaking and methodical detail in a rare public forum, four investigators for the House General Investigating Committee testified that they believe Paxton broke numerous state laws, misspent office funds and misused his power to benefit a friend and political donor."

~~~~~~~~~~

Olivia Beavers of Politico: "House Republicans are bidding for steep spending cuts in exchange for raising the debt ceiling. First, though, they paused during their private weekly meeting on Tuesday to bid for something else: Speaker Kevin McCarthy's used chapstick. Really. The fundraising auction of McCarthy's used cherry lip balm ended when Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) placed a winning $100,000 bid.... She only began bidding after the California Republican chose to sweeten the deal: He agreed to attend a dinner with the winner and whichever donors and supporters they planned to bring along. That cash is headed for the House GOP campaign arm." MB: I was sure My Kevin would use the proceeds to help close the deficit. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

AND for P.D. Pepe, this is what came to mind.Josh Gerstein of Politico: "A judge in Boston has ordered a hearing next week on one of the key arguments that President Joe Biden has the legal authority to ignore the debt limit statute and continue to pay the federal government's bills. U.S. District Court Judge Richard Stearns set a May 31 hearing on a lawsuit filed by a federal workers union contending that the 14th Amendment empowers Biden and other officials to sidestep the standoff with Congress that has threatened a potential default.... Before setting the May 31 argument date, Stearns said he didn't see the union's request for a decision by June 1 as realistic.... Stearns did not get a direct answer when he asked Justice Department lawyer Alexander Ely whether the department disagrees with the central argument in the suit.... Ely said he was not authorized to stake out a position on that question and he suggested that the department would argue that the union's suit is not a proper vehicle to force DOJ to come to a legal conclusion." Stearns is a Clinton appointee. (Also linked yesterday.)

** Matt Richtel, et al., of the New York Times: "The nation’s top health official issued an extraordinary public warning on Tuesday about the risks of social media to young people, urging a push to fully understand the possible 'harm to the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents.' In a 19-page advisory, the United States surgeon general, Dr. Vivek Murthy, noted that the effects of social media on adolescent mental health were not fully understood, and that social media can be beneficial to some users. Nonetheless, he wrote, 'There are ample indicators that social media can also have a profound risk of harm to the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents.' The report included practical recommendations to help families guide children's social media use." ~~~

     ~~~ An op-ed by Dr. Murthy, published in the Washington Post, is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: This is a bold move. Murthy recognizes that, as always, young people need to explore the outside world by the means available to them. At the same time, he urges, they must be active participants in the real world that surrounds them.

Mariana Alfaro of the Washington Post: "The House Ethics Committee closed its investigation into allegations that Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) had ties to a Chinese intelligence operative.... While Swalwell has maintained that he was not accused of wrongdoing, Republicans weaponized the allegation against him, most recently in January when House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) cited the alleged link to Fang when blocking Swalwell from serving on the House Intelligence Committee.... Swalwell -- who served as an impeachment manager in ... Donald Trump';s second impeachment -- noted that, despite the FBI repeatedly clearing him of any wrongdoing, an unnamed House Republican still filed a complaint against him, a move he described as an attempt to level 'false smears' to silence him.... 'The bipartisan House Ethics Committee had this case for over two years.... They received answers from me in response to requests for information. Today, they are closing this matter and did not make a finding of any wrongdoing,' [Swalwell said]."

This budget-conscious mom is making federal budgetary decisions for all of us: ~~~

     ~~~ Michael Luciano of Mediaite: On Tuesday, Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) said at a House committee hearing, "I actually have a fun little story. My staff is probably gonna talk to me about this later, but I left a prescription at a pharmacy once. I went to get birth control and I was there at the counter and went to pay for it. And the price was very, very high.... And I said, 'It's cheaper to have a kid.' And I left it there and now I have my third son, Kaydon Boebert." MB: According to a Brookings Institution study published last year, it costs more than $310,000 to rear a child to age 17. That of course does not include the costs of sending the kid to college. So what was the price of those birth control pills, Lauren? Half-a-billion-dollars or what?

Adam Liptak of the New York Times: "Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. said on Tuesday night that he and his colleagues on the Supreme Court were continuing to take steps to address questions about the justices' ethical standards amid a barrage of allegations of misconduct and a push by some lawmakers to tighten the rules. 'I want to assure people that I am committed to making certain that we as a court adhere to the highest standards of conduct,' he said. 'We are continuing to look at things we can do to give practical effect to that commitment, and I am confident that there are ways to do that consistent with our status as an independent branch of government and the Constitution's separation of powers.'... The remarks on Tuesday by Chief Justice Roberts, offered at an awards ceremony, were his first extensive public reflections, he said, since the start of the coronavirus pandemic." MB: Thanks, John. That should stop critics in their tracks. ~~~

     ~~~ For some reason, Akhilleus thinks that the video below is an analogy for Roberts' sudden interest in Supreme Court "ethics." Could Akhilleus be thinking of Mrs. John Roberts, who has raked in millions from law firms, some of whim had business before the Court? ~~~

When You're a Billionaire, You Can Do What You Want. Martin Pengelly of the Guardian: "Lawyers for Harlan Crow, the rightwing billionaire whose friendship with and gifts to the conservative supreme court justice Clarence Thomas are the focus of swirling scandal, have rejected Senate Democrats' request for answers about the relationship. In a letter first reported by Bloomberg News on Tuesday, lawyers for Crow rejected a request from Dick Durbin, the Illinois Democrat who chairs the Senate judiciary committee, for a list of gifts to Thomas. Durbin's committee, the letter said, had not 'identified a valid legislative purpose for its investigation and is not authorised to conduct an ethics investigation of a supreme court justice'... Crow has already rebuffed the Senate finance committee, which also sought a list of gifts. Earlier this month, the chair of that panel, the Oregon Democrat Ron Wyden, indicated he could seek to compel cooperation.... The judiciary committee could also issue a subpoena...." ~~~

     ~~~ Chris Geidner, the Law Dork: "Harlan Crow — through [law firm] Gibson Dunn's Michael D. Bopp -- told Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Dick Durbin that he has decided what the law is and that Durbin has no 'authority' here. What's more, Crow -- through Bopp -- has decided not just what the law is but what Congress can do. (He just needs to tell us what the president can do and he'd have a three-branch trifecta!)... Crow has told Durbin and the nation that he -- a private person -- can himself decide that the Supreme Court is exempt from statutory ethics rules and then can also decide that those limits he has created absolutely bar legislation from even being considered to address the Supreme Court's ethics and that, because of those conclusions he has made, he can ignore Durbin's requests." MB: The hubris of billionaires exceeds even their vast wealth.

So Unfa-a-a-a-ir! Maggie Haberman of the New York Times: "Lawyers for ... Donald J. Trump sent a letter on Tuesday requesting a meeting with Attorney General Merrick B. Garland related to the special counsel investigations into Mr. Trump's conduct. The letter cited no specifics but asserted that Mr. Trump was being treated unfairly by the Justice Department through the investigations led by the special counsel, Jack Smith.... 'Unlike President Biden, his son Hunter and the Biden family, President Trump is being treated unfairly,' the lawyers for Mr. Trump, James Trusty and John Rowley, wrote to Mr. Garland. 'No president of the United States has ever, in the history of our country, been baselessly investigated in such outrageous and unlawful fashion,' they wrote." The ABC News report, which broke the story, is here. MB: Sounds as if Trump ghost-wrote the letter. ~~~

~~~ Aruna Viswanatha, et al., of the Wall Street Journal: "Special counsel Jack Smith has all but finished obtaining testimony and other evidence in his criminal investigation into whether ... Donald Trump mishandled classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago resort, according to people familiar with the matter.... n recent weeks prosecutors working for Smith have completed interviews with nearly every employee at Trump's Florida home, from top political aides to maids and maintenance staff, the people said. Prosecutors have pressed witnesses -- some in multiple rounds of testimony -- on questions that appeared to home in on specific elements Smith's team would need to show to prove a crime, including those that speak to Trump's intentions, and questions aimed at undermining potential defenses Trump could raise, they said.... Smith's team ... has obtained evidence that appears to show Trump held on to sensitive documents after being asked to relinquish them...." Firewalled. If you can't access the article via RealityChex, try copying & pasting a significant clause into Google's search bar.(Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Very Unfa-a-a-a-ir!Jonah Bromwich of the New York Times: "The trial of Donald J. Trump has been scheduled for March 25, 2024, the judge presiding over his Manhattan criminal case said at a hearing on Tuesday. Mr. Trump attended the hearing remotely, making his first courtroom appearance since 34 felony charges were unveiled against him last month. He appeared to react angrily when the trial date was announced by Justice Juan Merchan, though his microphone was muted and it was unclear what he was saying to the lawyer seated next to him, Todd Blanche.... [Mr. Trump] immediately grew agitated, chattering at Mr. Blanche with his microphone muted, waving his hands and shaking his head. He then folded his arms in frustration as the judge reviewed the updated motion schedule that would precede the trial.... Mr. Trump's appearance on Tuesday ... last[ed] about 20 minutes. Justice Merchan mentioned the restrictions that he had placed on Mr. Trump's use of material from the case, asking Mr. Blanche whether he had reviewed those restrictions with his client. Mr. Blanche said that he had." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

     ~~~ Shayna Jacobs of the Washington Post: Justice Juan Merchan "warned [Donald] Trump that disclosing documents the defense obtains from the district attorney as part of pretrial discovery is strictly prohibited -- limits that were imposed in recognition of Trump's habit of making social media attacks against his detractors.... Trump, whose microphone was muted at this point, appeared annoyed as he was put on notice of potential punishments. Merchan has imposed a protective order on Trump and his defense team, barring them from publicly circulating -- including on social media -- evidence that is not already in the public domain. Such orders are not uncommon." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) The AP's report is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Trump responded to the trial date by writing, in part, on his knock-off Twitter account, "... Very unfair, but this is exactly what the Radical Left Democrats wanted. It's called ELECTION INTERFERENCE, and nothing like this has ever happened in our Country before!!!"

Eduardo Medina of the New York Times: "A Texas man who joined other rioters at the U.S. Capitol trying to break into the Speaker's Lobby, where a woman who was a part of the mob on Jan. 6, 2021, was fatally shot by the police, was sentenced on Tuesday to nearly seven years in prison, the Justice Department said. The man, Christopher R. Grider, 41, of Eddy, Texas, had also tried to shut off the electricity at the Capitol, pressing buttons on an electric utility box while yelling, 'Turn the power off!' according to prosecutors. Mr. Grider, who operates a vineyard in Central Texas, pleaded guilty last year to entering a restricted area and unlawfully parading at the Capitol, his lawyer said. He went to trial on seven other charges, including civil disorder and violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds, and Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly of U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., convicted him on all counts."

Leo Sands, et al., of the Washington Post: "A 19-year-old Missouri man was arrested after police say he intentionally crashed a rented U-Haul truck near the White House, and investigators recovered a Nazi flag from the vehicle. The man, whom police identified as Sai Varshith Kandula of Chesterfield, Mo., was charged with threatening to kill, kidnap or inflict harm on the president, vice president or a family member, along with other counts including assault with a dangerous weapon and trespassing.... The crash prompted the evacuation of the nearby Hay-Adams hotel, and roads and walkways were closed during the investigation, according to the Secret Service." This story updates a Reuters story linked yesterday. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ This story has been updated. New Lede: "A 19-year-old Missouri man with a Nazi flag who police say crashed a rented U-Haul truck into a barrier near the White House on Monday night told authorities he planned to seize power and kill the president if he had to, according to newly released court records. The man, identified as Sai Varshith Kandula, told police he bought the flag because 'Nazis have a great history' and he admired their 'authoritarian nature, Eugenics, and their one world order,' according to the court document. He called Adolf Hitler 'a strong leader' and said he would 'hurt anyone that would stand in my way,' the court document says." An NBC News story is here.

Anne D'Innocenzio of the AP: "Target is removing certain items from its stores and making other changes to its LGBTQ merchandise nationwide ahead of Pride month, after an intense backlash from some customers including violent confrontations with its workers.... Target declined to say which items it was removing but among the ones that garnered the most attention were 'tuck friendly' women's swimsuits that allow trans women who have not had gender-affirming operations to conceal their private parts.... Target's Pride month collection has ... been the subject of several misleading videos in recent weeks, with social media users falsely claiming the retailer is selling 'tuck-friendly' bathing suits designed for kids or in kids' sizes."

Presidential Race 2024. Marie: Okay, now I'm definitely voting for DeSantolini. Because ~~~

~~~ Shane Goldmacher, et al., of the New York Times: "Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida is planning to announce the start of his 2024 presidential campaign on Wednesday in a live audio conversation on Twitter with Elon Musk, the platform's polarizing owner, according to people with knowledge of his plans.... Mr. Musk said at an event with The Wall Street Journal on Tuesday that he was not formally throwing his support behind Mr. DeSantis, or any other Republican.... Mr. DeSantis [also] is expected to appear on Wednesday evening on Fox News in an interview with Trey Gowdy, a former congressman from South Carolina, according to the network." NBC News broke DeSantis' plan here. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: My slow brain just homed in on "a live audio conversation." Well, Radio Days. We're not going to even see DeSantolini announce his presidential intentions. A stealth candidacy for the 21st century. Outstanding!

Beyond the Beltway

Hannah Natanson of the Washington Post: "Books about LGBTQ people are fast becoming the main target of a historic wave of school book challenges -- and a large percentage of the complaints come from a minuscule number of hyperactive adults, a first-of-its-kind Washington Post analysis found.... Individuals who filed 10 or more complaints were responsible for two-thirds of all challenges.... The majority of the 1,000-plus book challenges analyzed by The Post were filed by just 11 people."

Arizona. Vaughn Hillyard & Tim Stelloh of NBC News: "More than six months after losing a bid to be Arizona's governor, former Republican candidate Kari Lake lost another court battle Monday in her effort to overturn Democrat Katie Hobbs' victory. In a 6-page ruling, Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Peter Thompson ruled that Lake had not provided evidence of misconduct in the county's signature-verification procedures for early ballots. Lake, a former TV anchor and prominent election denier, lost last year's gubernatorial race by 17,117 votes and alleged the victory was marred by misconduct and illegal votes." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Florida. Giselle Ewing of Politico: "A Miami-Dade elementary school has removed Amanda Gorman's presidential inauguration poem, The Hill We Climb, from circulation after a parent complained that it contained indirect 'hate messages.'... The book was removed from circulation from the K-8 Bob Graham Education Center in Miami Lakes after one parent complained in March.... 'I wrote The Hill We Climb so that all young people could see themselves in a historical moment," Gorman wrote ... in a lengthy Twitter statement.... 'Ever since, I've received countless letters and videos from children inspired by The Hill We Climb to write their own poems. Robbing children of the chance to find their voices in literature is a violation of their right to free thought and free speech.'... Last week, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law a slate of new educational laws, including a requirement for schools to pull challenged books within five days of a complaint while officials determine if the material should be permanently banned."

Illinois. Ruth Graham of the New York Times: "More than 450 credibly accused child sex abusers have ministered in the Catholic Church in Illinois over almost seven decades, the office of the state's attorney general Kwame Raoul, said Tuesday in an investigative report. That is more than four times the number that the church had publicly disclosed before 2018, when the state began its investigation. The 696-page report found that clergy members and lay religious brothers had abused at least 1,997 children since 1950 in the state's six dioceses, including the prominent Archdiocese of Chicago. The report adds 149 names to lists of child sex abusers whom the dioceses themselves had publicly identified before or during the investigation." MB: Yo, Francis, it's way past time to end the celibacy rule. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

South Carolina. Kate Zernike & Ava Sasani of the New York Times: "The South Carolina Senate passed a ban on abortion after six weeks of pregnancy on Tuesday, after a filibuster led by five women senators, including three Republicans, failed to block it. The bill will drastically reduce access to abortion in a state that has become an unexpected destination for women seeking the procedure as almost every other Southern state has moved toward bans. The legislation now heads to Gov. Henry McMaster, a Republican who has said he will sign it. Abortion-rights advocates said they would challenge the ban in court, where it would test a State Supreme Court ruling in January that struck down a previous six-week ban and found a right to abortion in the State Constitution." The Guardian's story is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: The South is now a legal abortion desert, a creation of the confederate Supremes and mostly white Republican men. I have news for Josh Hawley and all the GOP men with their pathetic, mistaken notions of what "manhood" is. Nothing shows more weakness and cowardice than the need to control and bully women, minorities, LGBTQ people, non-Christians, etc., and to strut around carrying guns. Real men -- and women -- have the inner strength and confidence to know and feel that dominating others is reprehensible.

Texas. Ari Berman of Mother Jones: "The Texas legislature passeda series of bills on Monday that amounted to a sweeping power grab giving Republicans more control over how elections are run and administered in the state's most populous Democratic county, which includes the city of Houston and is home to nearly 5 million people. One bill would allow the secretary of state, who is appointed by the state's Republican governor, Greg Abbott, to remove local election officials for 'good cause' based on a 'recurring pattern of problems with election administration.'... A second bill, SB 1750, abolishes the position of election administrator in counties with a population of more than 3.5 million. Once again, only Harris County fits that definition.... The real purpose of the bills, Democrats and voting rights advocates say, is to give Republicans more sway over how elections are conducted in large and diverse urban areas that are trending away from the GOP.... The bills must be approved once more by the state House and reconciled with the state Senate's versions before they are sent to Gov. Abbott." ~~~

     ~~~ Update. Natalie Contreras of the Texas Tribune: The Texas House passed both senate bills.

Texas. David Goodman of the New York Times: "A push to inject religion into public schools across Texas faltered on Tuesday after the State House failed to pass a contentious bill that would have required the Ten Commandments to be displayed prominently in every classroom. The measure was part of an effort by conservative Republicans in the Legislature to expand the reach of religion into the daily life of public schools. In recent weeks, both chambers passed versions of a bill to allow school districts to hire religious chaplains in place of licensed counselors. But the Ten Commandments legislation, which passed the State Senate last month, remained pending before the Texas House until Tuesday, the final day to approve bills before the session ends next Monday. Time expired before the legislation could receive a vote."

Texas. Azi Paybarah of the Washington Post: "Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Tuesday called for the resignation of the top lawmaker in the state House of Representatives, accusing fellow Republican Dade Phelan of being 'in a state of apparent debilitating intoxication' while presiding over the legislature late last week. Paxton's comments Tuesday appear to be referring to a video that seems to show Phelan moving slowly and speaking unclearly on Saturday, after what local television station KXAN said was 'the end of a 14-hour day' at the House.... A spokeswoman for Phelan, said in a statement that ... [a House] committee has been investigating Paxton's office since March 'and the motives for and timing behind Paxton's statement today couldn't be more evident.'" Paxton settled with three former aides who reported him to the FBI for corruption and "inappropriate conduct." "But Phelan and other Texas legislators have balked at using taxpayer money to pay for Paxton's settlement." The Texas Tribune story is here.

Way Beyond

Ukraine, et al.

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

     ~~~ The Washington Post's live briefing for Wednesday is here: "The United States is trying to distance itself from an incident in the Russian region of Belgorod, which Russia alleged was attacked by pro-Ukrainian fighters. Ukraine has denied direct involvement in the episode. Two heavily damaged U.S.-made Humvees were seen in a video verified by The Washington Post on the Russian side of a border station near Belgorod.... The Pentagon said it did not approve any transfers of equipment to paramilitary organizations outside the Ukrainian military.... Russian forces carried out dozens of airstrikes and rocket attacks over the past 24 hours, according to the Ukrainian military's early Wednesday update."

Mary Ilyushina of the Washington Post: "Russia now effectively controls Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine, where thousands of Russian and Ukrainian soldiers died in the war's longest and bloodiest battle. But it is unclear that Moscow's disjointed forces will be able to hold the decimated city amid a Ukrainian counterattack that has already begun.... Moscow's fighting forces are stretched thin after months of significant losses and riven by internal rivalries."

Roger Cohen of the New York Times: "A Moscow court, meeting behind closed doors Tuesday, extended the arrest of Evan Gershkovich, The Wall Street Journal correspondent accused of espionage, for more than three months, until August 30. The refusal of bail and the extension of Mr. Gershkovich's detention were widely expected, although Russia has presented no evidence to back the espionage accusation, which is vehemently denied by the United States government and The Wall Street Journal." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

News Lede

New York Times: "Tina Turner, the earthshaking soul singer whose rasping vocals, sexual magnetism and explosive energy made her an unforgettable live performer and one of the most successful recording artists of all time, died on Wednesday at her home in Küsnacht, Switzerland, near Zurich. She was 83."

May 23, 2023

Afternoon Update:

Josh Gerstein of Politico: "A judge in Boston has ordered a hearing next week on one of the key arguments that President Joe Biden has the legal authority to ignore the debt limit statute and continue to pay the federal government's bills. U.S. District Court Judge Richard Stearns set a May 31 hearing on a lawsuit filed by a federal workers union contending that the 14th Amendment empowers Biden and other officials to sidestep the standoff with Congress that has threatened a potential default.... Before setting the May 31 argument date, Stearns said he didn't see the union's request for a decision by June 1 as realistic.... Stearns did not get a direct answer when he asked Justice Department lawyer Alexander Ely whether the department disagrees with the central argument in the suit.... Ely said he was not authorized to stake out a position on that question and he suggested that the department would argue that the union's suit is not a proper vehicle to force DOJ to come to a legal conclusion." Stearns is a Clinton appointee.

Jonah Bromwich of the New York Times: "The trial of Donald J. Trump has been scheduled for March 25, 2024, the judge presiding over his Manhattan criminal case said at a hearing on Tuesday. Mr. Trump attended the hearing remotely, making his first courtroom appearance since 34 felony charges were unveiled against him last month. He appeared to react angrily when the trial date was announced by Justice Juan Merchan, though his microphone was muted and it was unclear what he was saying to the lawyer seated next to him, Todd Blanche.... [Mr. Trump] immediately grew agitated, chattering at Mr. Blanche with his microphone muted, waving his hands and shaking his head. He then folded his arms in frustration as the judge reviewed the updated motion schedule that would precede the trial.... Mr. Trump's appearance on Tuesday ... last[ed] about 20 minutes. Justice Merchan mentioned the restrictions that he had placed on Mr. Trump's use of material from the case, asking Mr. Blanche whether he had reviewed those restrictions with his client. Mr. Blanche said that he had." ~~~

     ~~~ Shayna Jacobs of the Washington Post: Justice Juan Merchan "warned [Donald] Trump that disclosing documents the defense obtains from the district attorney as part of pretrial discovery is strictly prohibited -- limits that were imposed in recognition of Trump's habit of making social media attacks against his detractors.... Trump, whose microphone was muted at this point, appeared annoyed as he was put on notice of potential punishments. Merchan has imposed a protective order on Trump and his defense team, barring them from publicly circulating -- including on social media -- evidence that is not already in the public domain. Such orders are not uncommon."

Aruna Viswanatha, et al., of the Wall Street Journal: "Special counsel Jack Smith has all but finished obtaining testimony and other evidence in his criminal investigation into whether ... Donald Trump mishandled classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago resort, according to people familiar with the matter.... In recent weeks prosecutors working for Smith have completed interviews with nearly every employee at Trump's Florida home, from top political aides to maids and maintenance staff, the people said. Prosecutors have pressed witnesses -- some in multiple rounds of testimony -- on questions that appeared to home in on specific elements Smith's team would need to show to prove a crime, including those that speak to Trump's intentions, and questions aimed at undermining potential defenses Trump could raise, they said.... Smith's team ... has obtained evidence that appears to show Trump held on to sensitive documents after being asked to relinquish them...." Firewalled. If you can't access the article via RealityChex, try copying & pasting a significant clause into Google's search bar."

Leo Sands, et al., of the Washington Post: "A 19-year-old Missouri man was arrested after police say he intentionally crashed a rented U-Haul truck near the White House, and investigators recovered a Nazi flag from the vehicle. The man, whom police identified as Sai Varshith Kandula of Chesterfield, Mo., was charged with threatening to kill, kidnap or inflict harm on the president, vice president or a family member, along with other counts including assault with a dangerous weapon and trespassing.... The crash prompted the evacuation of the nearby Hay-Adams hotel, and roads and walkways were closed during the investigation, according to the Secret Service." This story updates a Reuters story linked below....

Olivia Beavers of Politico: "House Republicans are bidding for steep spending cuts in exchange for raising the debt ceiling. First, though, they paused during their private weekly meeting on Tuesday to bid for something else: Speaker Kevin McCarthy's used chapstick. Really. The fundraising auction of McCarthy's used cherry lip balm ended when Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) placed a winning $100,000 bid.... She only began bidding after the California Republican chose to sweeten the deal: He agreed to attend a dinner with the winner and whichever donors and supporters they planned to bring along. That cash is headed for the House GOP campaign arm." MB: And here I was sure My Kevin would use the proceeds to help close the deficit.

Marie: Okay, now I'm definitely voting for DeSantolini. Because ~~~

Shane Goldmacher, et al., of the New York Times: "Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida is planning to announce the start of his 2024 presidential campaign on Wednesday in a live audio conversation on Twitter with Elon Musk, the platform's polarizing owner, according to people with knowledge of his plans.... Mr. Musk said at an event with The Wall Street Journal on Tuesday that he was not formally throwing his support behind Mr. DeSantis, or any other Republican.... Mr. DeSantis [also] is expected to appear on Wednesday evening on Fox News in an interview with Trey Gowdy, a former congressman from South Carolina, according to the network." NBC News broke DeSantis' plan here.

Roger Cohen of the New York Times: "A Moscow court, meeting behind closed doors Tuesday, extended the arrest of Evan Gershkovich, The Wall Street Journal correspondent accused of espionage, for more than three months, until August 30. The refusal of bail and the extension of Mr. Gershkovich's detention were widely expected, although Russia has presented no evidence to back the espionage accusation, which is vehemently denied by the United States government and The Wall Street Journal."

Arizona. Vaughn Hillyard & Tim Stelloh of NBC News: "More than six months after losing a bid to be Arizona's governor, former Republican candidate Kari Lake lost another court battle Monday in her effort to overturn Democrat Katie Hobbs' victory. In a 6-page ruling, Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Peter Thompson ruled that Lake had not provided evidence of misconduct in the county's signature-verification procedures for early ballots. Lake, a former TV anchor and prominent election denier, lost last year's gubernatorial race by 17,117 votes and alleged the victory was marred by misconduct and illegal votes."

Illinois. Ruth Graham of the New York Times: "More than 450 credibly accused child sex abusers have ministered in the Catholic Church in Illinois over almost seven decades, the office of the state's attorney general, Kwame Raoul, said Tuesday in an investigative report. That is more than four times the number that the church had publicly disclosed before 2018, when the state began its investigation. The 696-page report found that clergy members and lay religious brothers had abused at least 1,997 children since 1950 in the state's six dioceses, including the prominent Archdiocese of Chicago. The report adds 149 names to lists of child sex abusers whom the dioceses themselves had publicly identified before or during the investigation." MB: Yo, Francis, it's way past time to end the celibacy rule.

~~~~~~~~~~

Tony Romm, et al., of the Washington Post: "With as few as 10 days remaining until the U.S. government could default, President Biden on Monday resumed direct negotiations with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), hoping to resolve a stalemate over the debt ceiling that has started to spook Wall Street. The two men entered the new round of talks after a weekend of turbulence and acrimony, and mere hours after the Treasury Department issued its latest warning -- this time, using more urgent language -- that the U.S. is 'highly likely' to run out of cash and other options in early June, perhaps as soon as the first of the month." (Also linked yesterday evening.) See also Akhilleus' comment in Monday's thread on WashPo "journalism" re: the debt ceiling negotiations. ~~~

     ~~~ Alan Rappeport & Catie Edmondson of the New York Times: "As negotiators for the White House and House Republican leaders struggle to reach a deal over how to raise the nation's debt limit, a solution that harks back to old budget fights has re-emerged as a potential path forward: spending caps. Putting limits on future spending in exchange for raising the $31.4 trillion borrowing cap could be the key to clinching an agreement that would allow Republicans to claim that they secured major concessions from Democrats. It could also allow President Biden to argue that his administration is being fiscally responsible while not caving to Republican demands to roll back any of his primary legislative achievements. The Biden administration and House Republican leaders have agreed in broad terms to some sort of cap on discretionary federal spending for at least the next two years. But they are hung up on the details of those caps...." ~~~

~~~ Chris Hayes on Republicans' claim they are holding hostage the U.S. economy because they want to "cut spending." Includes nice Mitch McConnell quote: ~~~

~~~ Marie: You know who those irresponsible SOB Republicans are hurting? ME!!! And I'm not just talking about missing a few Social Security payments or being turned away at the doctor's office because Medicare isn't paying them. Like many retired Americans, my primary source of income is financial investments. And if Republicans succeed in tanking the markets, million of people like me are screwed.

Peter Baker & David Sanger of the New York Times: In the wake of the G-7 meeting, "it was easy to miss [President] Biden's prediction on Sunday of a coming 'thaw' in relations with Beijing, as both sides move beyond what he called the 'silly' Chinese act of sending a giant surveillance balloon over the United States, only the most recent in a series of incidents that have fueled what seems like a descent toward confrontation. It is far too early to say whether the president's optimism is based on the quiet signals he has received in behind-the-scenes meetings with the Chinese government in recent weeks. Mr. Biden's own aides see a struggle underway in China between factions that want to restart the economic relationship with the United States and a far more powerful group that aligns with President Xi Jinping's emphasis on national security over economic growth."

** Trump's Little Witch Hunt. Adam Goldman of the New York Times: "The Justice Department kept open the investigation into Hillary Clinton's family foundation for nearly all of ... Donald J. Trump's administration, with prosecutors closing the case without charges just days before he left office. Newly released documents and interviews with former department officials show that the investigation stretched long past when F.B.I. agents and prosecutors knew it was a dead end. The conclusion of the case, which centered on the Clinton Foundation's dealings with foreign donors when Mrs. Clinton served as secretary of state under President Barack Obama, has not previously been reported. Mr. Trump ... spent much of his four-year term pressuring the F.B.I. and the Justice Department to target political rivals. After being accused by the president's allies of serving as part of a deep-state cabal working against him, F.B.I. officials insisted that the department acknowledge in writing that there was no case to bring. The closing documents ... spelled the end to an investigation that top prosecutors had expressed doubts about from the beginning." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I don't suppose anyone will pay much attention to this, but it is shocking evidence of how corrupt the Trump DOJ was. In a healthy democracy, this just doesn't happen. ~~~

     ~~~ Update: See Patrick's comment below. Patrick thinks the DOJ/FBI were purposely slow-rolling a case without merit just to mollify Trump. The fact that the case shut down at the same moment Trump was stuffing classified docs into his bags as he was pushed out the White House door is strong evidence for Patrick's theory.

"Oops!" Jennifer Bendery of the Huffington Post: "Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.) on Monday inadvertently implied that House Republicans' high-profile investigation into President Joe Biden's family members and their finances is actually about helping Donald Trump win the presidency in 2024. Comer, who is leading the GOP's probe as chair of the House oversight and accountability committee, appeared to say the quiet part out loud during a 'Fox & Friends First' interview. 'We have talked to you .... about how the media can just not ignore this any longer...' said the show's host, Ashley Strohmier. 'So do you think that because of your investigation, that is what's moved this needle with the media?' 'Absolutely. There's no question,' Comer replied. 'You look at the polling, and right now Donald Trump is 7 points ahead of Joe Biden and trending upward, Joe Biden's trending downward. And I believe that the media is looking around, scratching their head, and they're realizing that the American people are keeping up with our investigation.'" (Also linked yesterday evening.)

Trumpster Dumpster Fire: Legal PROBLEMS:

Alan Feuer, et al., of the New York Times: "Federal prosecutors overseeing the investigation into ... Donald J. Trump's handling of classified documents have issued a subpoena for information about Mr. Trump's business dealings in foreign countries since he took office, according to two people familiar with the matter.... The subpoena suggests that investigators have cast a wider net than previously understood as they scrutinize whether he broke the law in taking sensitive government materials with him upon leaving the White House and then not fully complying with demands for their return. The subpoena -- drafted by the office of the special counsel, Jack Smith -- sought details on the Trump Organization's real estate licensing and development dealings in seven countries: China, France, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Oman, according to the people familiar with the matter. The subpoena sought the records for deals reached since 2017, when Mr. Trump was sworn in as president.... Collectively, the subpoena's demand ... suggests that Mr. Smith is exploring whether there is any connection between Mr. Trump's deal-making abroad and the classified documents he took with him when he left office." (Also linked yesterday evening.) CNN's story is here.

Paula Reid, et al., of CNN: "Donald Trump asked whether he could push back against Justice Department efforts last year to recover any classified documents still in his possession during conversations with his lawyer over compliance with a federal subpoena, according to multiple sources familiar with notes taken by his lawyer and turned over to investigators. Special counsel Jack Smith has obtained dozens of pages of notes that Trump's attorney Evan Corcoran took last spring, memorializing conversations with his client after the former president received the subpoena last May and before a key meeting with the Justice Department a few weeks later when Trump's legal team [falsely] said they had turned over all classified records they could find, the sources told CNN.... Some sources close to the former president say he was merely asking Corcoran for legal advice when he inquired about whether they could beat back the subpoena. But Trump has offered shifting explanations for why he did not return all the classified documents in a timely fashion. Trump has said he had 'the absolute right' to take the documents as recently as this month at a CNN town hall." (Also linked yesterday evening.) ~~~

     ~~~ See also the story by Hugo Lowell of the Guardian, also linked yesterday. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: IMO, just asking "Do I really have to do this?" is a perfectly legitimate question that anyone receiving a subpoena might ask his lawyer. The questions are, "What was the lawyer's advice?", "How did Trump respond to the advice?" and, ultimately, "What actions did Trump take in response to that advice?"

Aaron Blake of the Washington Post: "Donald Trump is running for president with a series of low-hanging legal clouds looming over him. It probably doesn't help that two of his former lawyers have pointed to the dissension, alienation and alleged missteps that have plagued his legal effort for years. Speaking to CNN on Saturday, attorney Timothy Parlatore, who recently left the Trump legal team, blamed infighting and one fellow lawyer in particular for his departure. And he seemed to warn of the problems that that lawyer, Boris Epshteyn, is creating for Trump's defense. Meanwhile, former top Trump White House lawyer Ty Cobb went so far as to predict that Trump 'will go to jail' in the classified-documents case, while also citing the Trump team's poor handling of it." (Also linked yesterday evening.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: For the first time since Bill Barr stood in front of a podium and misrepresented the findings in the Mueller report, I have a glimmer (and I mean glimmer) of hope that Donald Trump may pay for at least a tiny portion of his acts against the nation.

Keep on Talkin', Motor Mouth. Benjamin Weiser of the New York Times: "E. Jean Carroll, who this month won $5 million in damages from ... Donald J. Trump, is now seeking a 'very substantial' additional amount in response to his insults on a CNN program just a day after she won her sexual abuse and defamation case." (Also linked yesterday evening.) The Guardian's story is here.

Jamelle Bouie of the New York Times points to Neil Gorsuch's totally unnecessary statement, which he appended to a Supreme Court decision to declare moot Trump's Title 42 Covid border order. We discussed this in the Comments last week. Here's Gorsuch: "Since March 2020, we may have experienced the greatest intrusions on civil liberties in the peacetime history of this country." And so forth. Bouie asks if Covid restrictions really were worse than "the forced sterilization of more than 70,000 Americans under the eugenic policies from the 1920s through the 1970s. [Or] the mass surveillance of thousands of Americans involved in liberal and left-wing politics by the federal government during the 1960s. [Or] the McCarthyite purges of thousands of Americans accused of 'un-American activities' in the 1950s. The 'Palmer Raids' of 1919 and 1920." Or the stripping of voter and civil rights and the labor conflicts of the 19th century. Not to mention, ah, slavery. "A justice like Gorsuch who frequently struggles to see injustice and cruelty in the present -- from his votes in favor of capital punishment to his vote to let states curb women's bodily autonomy -- will surely struggle to see injustice and cruelty in the past."

Just Two Old Guys Who Love Motown! Amy Wang of the Washington Post: "Harlan Crow, a billionaire and influential Republican donor who has for years lavished gifts and financial favors upon Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, denied having any sway over Thomas's judicial decisions and said they do not discuss court cases in an interview published Monday with the Atlantic.... Crow ... claimed the two do not discuss work-related issues beyond 'casual' matters.... 'We talk about life. We're two guys who are the same age and grew up in the same era. We share a love of Motown,' Crow said in the interview."

Christopher Flavelle of the New York Times: "Arizona, California and Nevada have agreed to take less water from the drought-strained Colorado River, a breakthrough agreement that, for now, keeps the river from falling so low that it would jeopardize water supplies for major Western cities like Phoenix and Los Angeles as well as for some of America's most productive farmland. The agreement, announced Monday, calls for the federal government to pay about $1.2 billion to irrigation districts, cities and Native American tribes in the three states if they temporarily use less water. The states have also agreed to make additional cuts beyond the ones tied to the federal payments to generate the total reductions needed to prevent the collapse of the river.Taken together, those reductions would amount to about 13 percent of the total water use in the lower Colorado Basin...."

Naomi Nix, et al., of the Washington Post: "The European Union fined Meta a record $1.3 billion on Monday after finding the Facebook parent broke its privacy laws by transferring user data from Europe to the United States -- one of the most impactful penalties from the E.U. rules, which could have broad implications for American businesses. The Irish Data Protection Commission ordered Meta to suspend all transfers of personal data belonging to users in the E.U. and the European Economic Area -- which includes non-E. U. countries Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway -- to the United States. The Irish Data Protection Commission said in a statement that Meta's data transfers were in breach of the E.U.'s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), rules that restrict what companies can do with people's personal data. It is the largest GDPR fine handed down by the bloc...." (Also linked yesterday evening.)

Reuters, via the Guardian: "A Nazi swastika flag has been found after a rented truck crashed into security barriers on Lafayette Square, adjacent to the White House grounds in Washington DC.... A Reuters witness said investigators found the flag, which apparently came from inside the truck. Authorities in Washington DC have detained the driver of the truck.... There were no injuries or ongoing danger. 'Preliminary investigation reveals the driver may have intentionally struck the security barriers at Lafayette Square,' Anthony Guglielmi, the chief of communications for the Secret Service, said on Twitter."

Annals of "Journalism," Ha Ha Ha. Ross Lincoln of the Wrap, via Yahoo! News: "Last week Fox News did something it almost never does: Admit a false story it promoted incessantly actually was false.... [The story claimed that] 20 homeless veterans had been kicked out of hotels in upstate New York to make room for 'migrants.'... Laura Ingraham ... was tasked with disclosing the mistake, saying the network 'had no clue' why anyone would make that story up. 'I guess there's a first time for everything, [MSNBC's Chris] Hayes quipped after explaining his view that the story 'plays directly into the most deranged bias' of Fox News' audience."

Presidential Race 2024. Jonathan Weisman & Maya King of the New York Times: "Tim Scott, the first Black Republican elected to the Senate from the South since Reconstruction, announced his campaign for president on Monday, bringing a positive, aspirational message to a growing field of Republicans running as alternatives to ... Donald J. Trump. Mr. Scott's decision, which followed a soft rollout in February and the creation of an exploratory committee in April, came this time with a signal to the Republican establishment that he was the candidate to rally around if the party is to stop Mr. Trump's nomination. He was introduced by the No. 2 Republican in the Senate, John Thune of South Dakota, and will immediately begin a $5.5 million advertising blitz in the early nominating states of Iowa and New Hampshire."

Eugene Robinson of the Washington Post: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' campaign for the presidency "could be brief.... [Polls show] his prospects rapidly heading in the wrong direction.... Using GOP control of the Florida legislature as though it were a campaign billboard, DeSantis has loosened the state's gun laws; lowered the threshold for imposing the death penalty; expanded school vouchers; and imposed 'anti-woke' restrictions on teachers and administrators.... He has made it illegal for doctors to provide gender-transition care for minors. To top it off, he signed a bill establishing a six-week abortion ban.... DeSantis is not helping himself with his obsessive crusade against the Walt Disney Co...." ~~~

~~~ Marie: The one and only good thing about Ron DeSantis's presidential aspirations is that it has given the national media an excuse to focus on Ron DeSantis. Chris Hayes showed a few seconds of DeSantis attempting to do the "New Hampshire diner thing," and he could not have been worse at it if he ran out the door screaming, "Keep those jerks away from me!" The guy clearly despises (or is petrified by) people. Hayes suggested maybe DeSantis could learn to do a better job at "retail politics," but I think either you've got it or you don't. I still remember Barack Obama's pausing to shake hands with the bobby who was guarding the door at 10 Downing Street. The bobby seemed shocked that a world leader would recognize him, but that's Obama. Ordinary people matter to him. Not to Ron DeSantis.

Beyond the Beltway

Michelle Goldberg of the New York Times: "It's increasingly clear that it's not safe to be pregnant in states with total abortion bans. Since the end of Roe v. Wade, there have been a barrage of gutting stories about women in prohibition states denied care for miscarriages or forced to continue nonviable pregnancies. Though some in the anti-abortion movement publicly justify this sort of treatment, others have responded with a combination of denial, deflection and conspiracy theorizing.... In March, five women represented by the Center for Reproductive Rights sued Texas after enduring medical nightmares when they were refused abortions for pregnancies that had gone awry.... And this week, eight more women, each with her own harrowing story, joined the suit, which asks a state district court to clarify the scope of emergency medical exceptions to Texas' abortion ban."

California. Dodgers Repent & Relent. Todd Miyazawa & Dennis Romero of NBC News: "The Los Angeles Dodgers reversed course and reinvited a group known for its queer and drag membership to its Pride Night event after it faced blowback over its last-minute exclusion. The team announced the move Monday, saying the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence has agreed to appear at the event June 16 at Dodger Stadium during a game against San Francisco. 'The Los Angeles Dodgers would like to offer our sincerest apologies to the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, members of the LGBTQ+ community and their friends and families,' the team said. The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, established in San Francisco in 1979, was expected to accept the night's Community Hero Award."

Deleware Senate Race. Luke Broadwater of the New York Times: "Senator Thomas R. Carper, a veteran Democrat from Delaware, announced on Monday that he would not seek re-election next year, opening up a seat in a deep-blue state that he said he hoped would go to his handpicked successor. Mr. Carper, 76, is in his fourth term in the Senate and is the last surviving Vietnam veteran to serve there. He has held public office since the 1970s, first as Delaware's treasurer, then for a decade as a congressman, then as governor and, since 2001, as a senator. 'This just seems like a good time just to turn the page and move on,' Mr. Carper said at a news conference in Wilmington, Del.... The senator said he intended to do all he could to help Representative Lisa Blunt Rochester, the Democrat who serves as the state's only member of the House and was his former intern, win the race to succeed him." The AP's story is here. (Also linked yesterday evening.)

Florida. Lev, the Giver Who Keeps on Giving. Aram Roston & Joseph Tanfani of Reuters: "Ukrainian-American businessman Lev Parnas and his business partner were arrested in 2019, accused by the U.S. government of funneling a Russian oligarch's money into American political campaigns. One recipient of Parnas' donations -- Florida Governor Ron DeSantis -- has said he was barely an acquaintance.... But DeSantis and Parnas worked more closely together than the Republican governor has disclosed, according to a detailed account of their relationship Parnas provided to Reuters and 63 previously unreported text messages from DeSantis to Parnas between May and October 2018, as DeSantis campaigned for governor. A jury later found Parnas guilty of campaign finance crimes and other charges.... The disclosures from Parnas cast new light on the Florida governor's relationship with the businessman and the role Parnas played in helping DeSantis gain entree to the circle of .... Donald Trump." (Also linked yesterday evening.)

DeSantis Welcomes Violent Criminal Cops to Florida. Richard Luscombe of the Guardian: "Numerous police officers lured to new jobs in Florida with cash from Governor Ron DeSantis's flagship law enforcement relocation program have histories of excessive violence or have been arrested for crimes including kidnapping and murder since signing up, a study of state documents has found. DeSantis ... has spent more than $13.5m to date on the recruitment bonus program, which he touted in 2021 as an incentive to officers in other states frustrated by Covid-19 vaccination mandates.... Among the almost 600 officers who moved to Florida and received the bonus -- or were recruited in state -- are a sizable number who either arrived with a range of complaints against them, or have since accrued criminal charges, the online media outlet Daily Dot has discovered." (Also linked yesterday evening.)

Michigan, Minnesota. Joey Cappelletti of the AP: "Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer gave final approval Monday afternoon to a red flag law that aims to keep firearms away from those at risk of harming themselves or others as the state grapples with ways to slow gun violence in the wake of its second mass school shooting. Michigan joined Minnesota as the second state in under a week to implement a red flag law after Democrats in both states won control of both chambers and the governor's office in November. New Mexico previously was the last state to pass a red flag law in 2020. Whitmer signed the legislation just outside of Detroit, flanked by state lawmakers and individuals affected by gun violence. Former Arizona Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, who began campaigning for gun safety after she was shot in the head in 2011, was also in attendance."

Missouri Senate Race. Missourian Jon Hamm ("Mad Men") narrates an ad for Lucas Kunce, Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate (I originally wrote "voiceover," but it's more than that):

Montana. Drew Harwell of the Washington Post: "The popular video app TikTok sued Montana on Monday, saying the state's new law banning the app statewide would violate Americans' First Amendment right to free expression. The federal lawsuit will set the stage for a broader debate over the short-video app and its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, which some critics in the United States have said is vulnerable to Chinese government propaganda and espionage. The lawsuit seeks to overturn the law, which Gov. Greg Gianforte (R) signed last week and is set to go into effect Jan. 1. The legal challenge will probably delay the measure." (Also linked yesterday evening.)

Montana. Amy Hanson of the AP: "Republican Governor Greg Gianforte has signed a bill defining the word 'sex' in state law as only male or female -- joining Kansas and Tennessee, which have similar laws that LGBTQ+ advocates argue will deny legal recognition to nonbinary and transgender people. Medical professionals say the laws also ignore that some people are born as intersex -- a term that encompasses about 60 conditions in which a person is born with genitalia, reproductive organs, chromosomes and/or hormone levels that don't fit typical definitions of male or female."

Nebraska. Shawna Mizelle & Jack Forrest of CNN: "Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen, a Republican, signed a bill into law on Monday that bans most abortions after 12 weeks with exceptions for sexual assault, incest and medical emergencies. The bill does not define 'medical emergency' and the legislation includes a clause that will put the rules into immediate effect the day after it is signed. LB 574, which passed the state's Republican-controlled unicameral legislature in a 33-15 vote last week, also bans gender-affirming care for people under 19 years old. The abortion amendment was tacked onto the legislation after previous efforts to restrict abortions failed to overcome a filibuster. The bill only allows medical procedures for transitioning after a 'waiting period' and 'therapeutic hours' to determine if a person's gender dysphoria is 'long-lasting and intense.' The details of those provisions will be determined by the chief medical officer of Nebraska's Division of Public Health."

South Carolina. Danielle Paquette of the Washington Post: "Three times over the past eight months, as the [state senate]'s GOP leaders have sought to prohibit most procedures starting at conception, [Sen. Sandy] Senn [R] -- flanked by a bipartisan bloc of the Senate's only women -- has hustled to thwart what she views as attempts to 'shackle women.' The group -- three Republicans, an independent and a Democrat, who call themselves the 'Sister Senators' -- filibustered for three days last month to defeat a near-total ban."

Washington State. Caroline O'Donovan & Naomi Nix of the Washington Post: "On Monday, some Amazon workers at the company's Seattle headquarters announced internally their plans to walk off the job. In messages sent out via Slack and email, employee organizers urged their colleagues to walk out on May 31 -- one week after the company's annual shareholder meeting -- in response to frustration over layoffs and the return-to-office mandate, as well as concerns about Amazon's climate commitments.... The walkout, which organizers hope will draw at least 1,000 Seattle-based participants, is part of a greater wave of anxiety spilling over into agitation among Silicon Valley workers as hiring freezes follow mass layoffs amid a looming potential recession." (Also linked yesterday evening.)

Way Beyond

Ukraine, et al.

The New York Times' live udpates 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 briefing for Tuesday is here: "Ukrainian officials say troops are still battling around Bakhmut, despite Russia's claim over the weekend to have seized the city which has been a focal point of the war for months. Ukraine's armed forces and the country's deputy defense minister, Hanna Maliar, said fighting was ongoing in the embattled eastern city's outskirts....The governor of Belgorod, a Russian region bordering Ukraine, said it was targeted by a sabotage group. Vyacheslav Gladkov said on Telegram that drone attacks were reported in the town of Grayvoron and the Borisovka settlement, adding that the region had initiated counterterrorism measures. Responsibility for the attacks on Belgorod was claimed by groups that called themselves 'Freedom of Russia Legion' and 'Russian Volunteer Corps.' On Telegram, they said that they had 'liberated' a settlement there."

Jonathan Yerushalmy of the Guardian: "On Monday, a Russian anti-Kremlin militia claimed to have crossed over from Ukraine to attack two villages along the border. Belgorod's governor, Vyacheslav Gladkov, said eight people were wounded after the village came under Ukrainian artillery fire. Ukraine has disavowed any connection to the Russian partisan fighters. Another anti-Kremlin militia has said it also took part in the raid, but it was only the latest example of violence hitting the Belgorod region. Missiles launched from Belgorod have been among those that reduced cities across Ukraine to rubble, and Moscow has accused Kyiv of retaliating with attacks on the region.... But with a grim irony, it's perhaps the Russian army itself that has proven to be most disruptive to the citizens of Belgorod. Increasingly plagued by mismanagement and poor morale, Russian troops have been found responsible for a series of attacks, accidents and explosion that have fed the growing disorder in the region."