The Ledes

Saturday, September 28, 2024

Washington Post: “Rescue teams raced to submerged homes, scoured collapsed buildings and steered thousands from overflowing dams as Helene carved a destructive path Friday, knocking out power and flooding a vast arc of communities across the southeastern United States. At least 40 people were confirmed killed in five states since the storm made landfall late Thursday as a Category 4 behemoth, unleashing record-breaking storm surge and tree-snapping gusts. 4 million homes and businesses have lost electricity across Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas, prompting concerns that outages could drag on for weeks. Mudslides closed highways. Water swept over roofs and snapped phone lines. Houses vanished from their foundations. Tornadoes added to the chaos. The mayor of hard-hit Canton, N.C., called the scene 'apocalyptic.'” An AP report is here.

The Wires
powered by Surfing Waves
The Ledes

Friday, September 27, 2024

New York Times: “Maggie Smith, one of the finest British stage and screen actors of her generation, whose award-winning roles ranged from a freethinking Scottish schoolteacher in 'The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie' to the acid-tongued dowager countess on 'Downton Abbey,' died on Friday in London. She was 89.”

The Washington Post's live updates of developments related to Hurricane Helene are here: “Hurricane Helene left one person dead in Florida and two in Georgia as it sped north. One of the biggest storms on record to hit the Gulf Coast, Helene slammed into Florida’s Big Bend area on Thursday night as a Category 4 colossus with winds of up to 140 mph before weakening to Category 1. Catastrophic winds and torrential rain from the storm — which the National Hurricane Center forecast would eventually slow over the Tennessee Valley — were expected to continue Friday across the Southeast and southern Appalachians.” ~~~

     ~~~ The New York Times' live updates are here.

Mediaite: “Fox Weather’s Bob Van Dillen was reporting live on Fox & Friends about flooding in Atlanta from Hurricane Helene when he was interrupted by the screams of a woman trapped in her car. During the 7 a.m. hour, Van Dillen was filing a live report on the massive flooding in the area. Fox News viewers could clearly hear the urgent screams for help emerging from a car stuck on a flooded road in the background of the live shot. Van Dillen ... told Fox & Friends that 911 had been called and that the local Fire Department was on its way. But as he continued to file the report, the screams did not stop, so Van Dillen cut the live shot short.... Some 10 minutes later, Fox & Friends aired live footage of Van Dillen carrying the woman to safety, waking through chest-deep water while the flooding engulfed her car in the background[.]”

Help!

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The New York Times lists Emmy winners. The AP has an overview story here.

New York Times: “Hvaldimir, a beluga whale who had captured the public’s imagination since 2019 after he was spotted wearing a harness seemingly designed for a camera, was found dead on Saturday in Norway, according to a nonprofit that worked to protect the whale.... [Hvaldimir] was wearing a harness that identified it as “equipment” from St. Petersburg. There also appeared to be a camera mount. Some wondered if the whale was on a Russian reconnaissance mission. Russia has never claimed ownership of the whale. If Hvaldimir was a spy, he was an exceptionally friendly one. The whale showed signs of domestication, and was comfortable around people. He remained in busier waters than are typical for belugas....” ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Oh, Lord, do not let Bobby Kennedy, Jr., near that carcass. ~~~

     ~~~ AP Update: “There’s no evidence that a well-known beluga whale that lived off Norway’s coast and whose harness ignited speculation it was a Russian spy was shot to death last month as claimed by animal rights groups, Norwegian police said Monday.... Police said that the Norwegian Veterinary Institute conducted a preliminary autopsy on the animal, which was become known as 'Hvaldimir,' combining the Norwegian word for whale — hval — and the first name of Russian President Vladimir Putin. 'There are no findings from the autopsy that indicate that Hvaldimir has been shot,' police said in a statement.”

New York Times: Botswana's “President Mokgweetsi Masisi grinned as he lifted the diamond, a 2,492-carat stone that is the biggest diamond unearthed in more than a century and the second-largest ever found, according to the Vancouver-based mining operator Lucara, which owns the mine where it was found. This exceptional discovery could bring back the luster of the natural diamond mining industry, mining companies and experts say. The diamond was discovered in the same relatively small mine in northeastern Botswana that has produced several of the largest such stones in living memory. Such gemstones typically surface as a result of volcanic activity.... The diamond will likely sell in the range of tens of millions of dollars....”

Click on photo to enlarge.

~~~ Guardian: "On a distant reef 16,000km from Paris, surfer Gabriel Medina has given Olympic viewers one of the most memorable images of the Games yet, with an airborne celebration so well poised it looked too good to be true. The Brazilian took off a thundering wave at Teahupo’o in Tahiti on Monday, emerging from a barrelling section before soaring into the air and appearing to settle on a Pacific cloud, pointing to the sky with biblical serenity, his movements mirrored precisely by his surfboard. The shot was taken by Agence France-Presse photographer Jérôme Brouillet, who said “the conditions were perfect, the waves were taller than we expected”. He took the photo while aboard a boat nearby, capturing the surreal image with such accuracy that at first some suspected Photoshop or AI." 

Washington Post: “'Mary Cassatt at Work' is a large and mostly satisfying exhibition devoted to the career of the great American artist beloved for her sensitive and often sentimental views of family life. The 'at work' in the title of the Philadelphia Museum of Art show references the curators’ interest in Cassatt’s pioneering effort to establish herself as a professional artist within a male-dominated field. Throughout the show, which includes some 130 paintings, pastels, prints and drawings, the wall text and the art on view stresses Cassatt’s fixation on art as a career rather than a pastime.... Mary Cassatt at Work is on view at the Philadelphia Museum of Art through Sept. 8. philamuseum.org”

New York Times: “Bob Newhart, who died on Thursday at the age of 94, has been such a beloved giant of popular culture for so long that it’s easy to forget how unlikely it was that he became one of the founding fathers of stand-up comedy. Before basically inventing the hit stand-up special, with the 1960 Grammy-winning album 'The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart' — that doesn’t even count his pay-per-view event broadcast on Canadian television that some cite as the first filmed special — he was a soft-spoken accountant who had never done a set in a nightclub. That he made a classic with so little preparation is one of the great miracles in the history of comedy.... Bob Newhart holds up. In fact, it’s hard to think of a stand-up from that era who is a better argument against the commonplace idea that comedy does not age well.”

Washington Post: “An early Titian masterpiece — once looted by Napolean’s troops and a part of royal collections for centuries — caused a stir when it was stolen from the home of a British marquess in 1995. Seven years later, it was found inside an unassuming white and blue plastic bag at a bus stop in southwest London by an art detective, and returned. This week, the oil painting 'The Rest on the Flight into Egypt' sold for more than $22 million at Christie’s. It was a record for the Renaissance artist, whom museums describe as the greatest painter of 16th-century Venice. Ahead of the sale in April, the auction house billed it as 'the most important work by Titian to come to the auction market in more than a generation.'”

Washington Post: The Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, D.C., which houses the world's largest collection of Shakespeare material, has undergone a major renovation. "The change to the building is pervasive, both subtle and transformational."

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Publisher & Editor: Marie Burns


Wednesday
Apr122023

April 12, 2023

Afternoon Update:

Michael Shear & Katie Rogers of the New York Times: "President Biden on Wednesday made what amounted to a diplomatic toe dip in Northern Ireland, a territory that he said had been 'made whole by peace' in the decades since the Good Friday agreement brought an end to sectarian violence.... During his short stay in Belfast -- a whirlwind stop ahead of several days of Biden family-related excursions -- the president and his advisers generally tried to avoid thorny questions surrounding politics in Northern Ireland, where the legislature has been deadlocked after the Democratic Unionist Party pulled out over post-Brexit trade concerns. He told reporters earlier in the day that he was 'going to listen' during brief exchanges with leaders of the region's five main political parties. Mr. Biden met with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak of Britain before the speech."

Tennessee. Emily Cochrane of the New York Times: "Local officials unanimously voted on Wednesday to send Justin J. Pearson, one of two Black Democratic representatives ousted from the Tennessee House of Representatives after a gun control protest on the House floor, back to his seat in the state legislature.The vote came less than a week after Mr. Pearson of Memphis and State Representative Justin Jones of Nashville were abruptly expelled from the legislature.... The unanimous vote by the Shelby County Board of Commissioners allows Mr. Pearson to return to his seat as early as this week, ahead of a special election later this year. Both Mr. Jones and Mr. Pearson have vowed to run for their seats." The AP's report is here. ~~~

~~~ Matthew Brown of the Washington Post: "Senate Democrats are urging the Department of Justice to conduct an investigation into the expulsions of two Tennessee state representatives to determine whether their removal violated the Constitution or federal civil rights law. In a letter delivered on Wednesday, Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Sens. Raphael G. Warnock (D-Ga.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) call on Attorney General Merrick Garland to 'use all available legal authorities' to conclude whether federal statutes were violated and 'take all steps necessary to uphold the democratic integrity of our nation's legislative bodies.'"

Katie Robertson & Jeremy Peters of the New York Times: "The judge overseeing Dominion Voting Systems' lawsuit against Fox News said on Wednesday that he was imposing a sanction on the network and would very likely start an investigation into whether Fox's legal team had withheld evidence, scolding the lawyers for not being 'straightforward' with him.... In imposing sanction on Fox, Judge Eric M. Davis of the Delaware Superior Court ruled that if Dominion had to do additional depositions or redo any already done that 'Fox will do everything they can to make the person available, and it will be at a cost to Fox.' He also said he would very likely appoint a special master to investigate Fox's handling of discovery of documents and the question of whether Fox had inappropriately withheld details about Rupert Murdoch's role as a corporate officer of Fox News.... He said he would weigh whether any additional sanctions should be put on Fox." CNN's story is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Gosh, who could have guessed that a media outlet that makes its money lying to the public would lie to a judge overseeing a case in which the plaintiff accused the outlet of lying?

Maggie Haberman, et al., of the New York Times: "Federal investigators are asking witnesses whether ... Donald J. Trump showed off to aides and visitors a map he took with him when he left office that contains sensitive intelligence information, four people with knowledge of the matter said. The map has been just one focus of the broad Justice Department investigation into Mr. Trump's handling of classified documents after he departed the White House.... [One person] said the map might also have been shown to a journalist writing a book. The Washington Post has previously reported that investigators have asked about Mr. Trump showing classified material, including maps, to political donors." MB: There's a funny part near the end of the story where one of Trump's lawyers tries to get the DOJ off Trump's case. As for showing off classified maps, Trump probably has some of them framed & hanging on the walls of public rooms in his resorts.

Arthur Delaney of the Huffington Post: "New legislation from House Republicans aims to prevent local district attorneys from pursuing charges against former presidents. Thesymbolic bill is yet another show of support for Donald Trump, who faces the possibility of criminal charges in Georgia and was arraigned in Manhattan last week for allegedly violating state law with false business records. Republicans have subpoenaed a former prosecutor from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office ... and scheduled a Monday hearing to accuse Bragg of failing to prosecute real crimes. Now comes a proposal that Rep. Russell Fry (R-S.C.) said would 'prevent political prosecutions' by moving cases against former presidents from state jurisdiction to federal court, where judges are confirmed by the Senate, an institution reliably influenced by elected Republicans."

Mariana Alfaro of the Washington Post: "... Donald Trump is suing his former attorney Michael Cohen for $500 million over allegations that Cohen violated their attorney-client relationship and breached a confidentiality agreement. According to a 32-page lawsuit filed by Trump's lawyers on Wednesday, Trump accuses Cohen of revealing 'confidences' in an 'embarrassing or detrimental way.' Cohen, the suit alleges, also breached a confidentiality agreement and spread 'falsehoods' about Trump 'with malicious intent and to wholly self-serving ends.' The lawsuit comes after Trump pleaded not guilty in a Manhattan court on April 4 to 34 felony charges that he falsified business records to conceal $130,000 in reimbursement payments to Cohen, who paid adult-film actress Stormy Daniels in 2016 trying to keep her from publicly claiming she had an affair with Trump. Cohen is at the center of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's investigation into Trump's payment." Politico's report is here.

Michael Isikoff of Yahoo! News: "Former President Trump's claim to a Fox News anchor that New York court employees were 'crying' and apologizing for his arraignment on felony charges is 'absolute BS' and doesn't remotely resemble what took place, a law enforcement source familiar with the details of what transpired that day told Yahoo News.... 'There were zero people crying. There were zero people saying "I'm sorry."'... Trump told [Tucker] Carlson, 'People that work there, professionally work there, that have no problems putting in murderers.... It's a tough, tough place, and they were crying.... They said, "I'm sorry." They said, "2024, sir. 2024." And tears were pouring down their eyes.'" Related story linked below under "Presidential Election 2024." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: There's a tell here that many of you will recognize. Trump claims the tough, tough employees said, "2024, sir. 2024.&" I'll admit that most Trump tales are lies, but its a gare-un-tee that every story he tells in which someone calls him "sir" is an out-and-out fabrication. P.S. How do tears "pour down their eyes"?

Benjamin Weiser of the New York Times: "Lawyers for ... Donald J. Trump, citing a 'deluge of prejudicial media coverage' concerning his recent indictment and arraignment in Manhattan, asked a federal judge late Tuesday for a one-month postponement of Mr. Trump's civil trial over an allegation that he raped a magazine writer in the mid-1990s. The request for the delay comes just two weeks before the civil suit by the writer E. Jean Carroll was scheduled for trial in federal court in Manhattan." Politico's report is here. MB: Wait, wait. Trump is adding to the "media deluge" by suing Cohen in relation to the indictment, so an unrelated trial should be delayed??

David Von Drehle of the Washington Post: "Since the 1960s, if not earlier, self-styled legal conservatives have been saying -- with perfectly straight faces -- that judges must not legislate from the bench.... Judges don't make the laws. They don't execute the laws. They just read the laws.... Was it all a lie? Of course it was.... Just how far [Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk] would venture into lawlessness was revealed when the Amarillo freelancer shrugged off all deference to the other branches of government to assert his personal power to undo approval of a medicine cleared for American patients some 20 years ago: mifepristone, used to induce miscarriages early in pregnancy and prescribed as part of the most common abortion procedure in the United States.... The Justice Department has appealed the ruling. It had little choice, given the usurpation of both executive and legislative authority. Congress has given authority over prescription medicines to the executive branch, not some Panhandle praetor."

NPR Is Tired of Trying to Reason with Elon Musk. Laura Kelley & Katie Robertson of the New York Times: "National Public Radio said on Wednesday that it would suspend all Twitter use, a little over a week after the social network designated the broadcaster 'U.S. state-affiliated media.' Twitter has since changed the label on the NPR Twitter account to 'Government-funded Media,' a designation it also gave to PBS. That label also appeared on the account of the BBC, the national broadcaster of Britain, until Wednesday, when it was changed to 'publicly funded media.' NPR said Twitter's move could damage its reputation.... In a letter to staff on Wednesday morning, John Lansing, NPR's chief executive, said posting on the platform would be a disservice to the staff's journalism. 'Actions by Twitter or other social media companies to tarnish the independence of any public media institution are exceptionally harmful and set a dangerous precedent.'..." ~~~

     ~~~ NPR's story, by David Folkenflik, is here.    

U.K. Sammy Westfall of the Washington Post: "On Wednesday, Buckingham Palace confirmed that [Prince] Harry will attend the May 6 [coronation of King Charles & Queen Camilla], though his wife, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, will remain behind in California with their 22-month-old daughter, Lilibet, and son, Archie -- whose fourth birthday is on Coronation Day."

~~~~~~~~~~

Marie: CNN is now requiring sign-ins to access their reports. I find this extremely annoying, but I signed up because CNN is one of the best and most comprehensive non-subscription sources for news stories. The news org also often breaks stories. If you do sign up, I suspect CNN will flood your email inbox.

Darlene Superville, et al., of the AP: "President Joe Biden embarked Tuesday on a journey of diplomatic and family celebration, highlighting the U.S. role of 25 years ago in ending deadly bloodshed in Northern Ireland while catching up with distant relatives in the Republic of Ireland. It's his first trip back as America's president. Biden arrived in Belfast on Tuesday night and was greeted at the airport by United Kingdom Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. He will spend about half a day in the city on Wednesday, holding talks with Sunak before going to Ulster University to mark the Good Friday accord anniversary.... Monday marked a quarter-century since the Good Friday Agreement, signed on that day in April 1998, ended decades of violence in Northern Ireland that killed 3,600 people. Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom, is observing the milestone anniversary with a reunion of key players in the peace process along with Biden's visit." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) A related Washington Post report is here.

Christopher Flavelle of the New York Times: "After months of fruitless negotiations between the states that depend on the shrinking Colorado River, the Biden administration on Tuesday proposed to put aside legal precedent and save what's left of the river by evenly cutting water allotments, reducing the water delivered to California, Arizona and Nevada by as much as one-quarter. The size of those reductions and the prospect of the federal government unilaterally imposing them on states have never occurred in American history. Overuse and a 23-year-long drought made worse by climate change have threatened to provoke a water and power catastrophe across the West.... The river's flows have recently fallen by one-third compared with historical averages. Levels in Lake Mead and Lake Powell are so low that water may soon fail to turn the turbines that generate electricity -- and could even fall to the point that water is unable to reach the intake valves that control its flow out of the reservoirs." The AP's report is here.

Lindsey Makes a Friend. Mariana Alfaro of the Washington Post: "Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.), who once promised a 'bipartisan tsunami' against Saudi Arabia in the wake of the 2018 assassination of Washington Post contributor Jamal Khashoggi, held what he called a 'very productive' meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Tuesday. 'I just had a very productive, candid meeting with the Saudi Crown Prince and his senior leadership team,' Graham tweeted on Tuesday. 'The opportunity to enhance the U.S.-Saudi relationship is real and the reforms going on in Saudi Arabia are equally real.'... He added that he thanked Mohammed for Saudi Arabia's purchase of '$37 billion worth of Boeing 787s -- which are made in South Carolina -- for the new Saudi airline.'... [In October 2018,] Graham said he would not be 'going back to Saudi Arabia as long as this guy is in charge.'" MB: The MBS-Graham meeting took place in Saudi Arabia. This Twitter feed includes a photo of the two men smiling together in some Saudi palace-y place.

Scott Lemieux, in LG&$, extensively cites a Jezebel story: From Jezebel: "At what is clearly a critical time for confirming good federal judges, Sen. Dianne Feinstein's (D-Calif.) increasingly prolonged absence from the Senate is apparently holding up the process for a number of President Joe Biden's judicial picks this year.... Feinstein's team has been tight-lipped about when, if at all, she'll return to D.C." As for Lemiuex, he just can't think of a time when "an erroneous belief in one's own indispensability ever had bad consequences for the country." MB: Besides, judges & justices, they can't be all that important, can they? ~~~

~~~ Jennifer Bendery of the Huffington Post: "Of the 49 Republicans in the Senate, [Susan] Collins is also one of just two who have said anything about [Judge Matthew] Kacsmaryk's ruling [banning mifepristone].... 'In 2019, I voted against Judge Kacsmaryk's confirmation, and I disagree strongly with his decision in this case,' Collins said in a Monday statement. 'Mifepristone is an FDA-approved drug that has been on the market for more than two decades and extensively studied.' The other one, Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), celebrated the decision on Twitter as a 'victory for pregnant mothers & their unborn children.'... Of the 49 Republicans in today's Senate, 38 were there for Kacsmaryk's confirmation vote. On Tuesday, HuffPost reached out to all 38 of them for comment on whether they are pleased with his ruling on abortion medication. None gave an answer. Only Collins and Hyde-Smith had previously weighed in." ~~~

~~~ Hannah Hartwig of Pew Research Center: "Overall, 53% of adults say medication abortion -- that is, the use of a prescription pill or a series of pills to end a pregnancy -- should be legal in their state, while fewer than half as many (22%) say it should be illegal. About a quarter (24%) say they aren't sure.... A majority of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents (73%) say medication abortion should be legal in their state, while fewer than half as many Republicans and GOP leaners (35%) say the same."

Leigh Ann Caldwell, et al., of the Washington Post: "Congressional leaders in the House and Senate have been given access to the classified documents recovered from the homes of ... Donald Trump, President Biden and former vice president Mike Pence, according to two people familiar with the information.... The classified documents were shared last week with the 'Gang of Eight,' a bipartisan group of congressional leaders who typically receive briefings on classified intelligence. The documents were shared after months of pressure on the Biden administration from Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-Va.) and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), the chairman and vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

John Wagner of the Washington Post: "The Senate plans to consider a resolution next week condemning Donald Trump's call to 'defund' the Justice Department and FBI, Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) said in a letter to colleagues Tuesday, setting up a vote that will test the loyalties of Republicans to the former president. A day after being arraigned in a Manhattan courtroom on state charges last week, Trump said in a social media post that 'Republicans in Congress should defund' the two federal law enforcement agencies 'until they come to their senses.' His comments echoed those of several Republican House members, notably Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), who has called for using Congress's 'power of the purse' against agencies that he claims have engaged in 'egregious behavior.'" MB: A political gesture that seems a little stupid to me. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

** Alvin Bragg Is Tired of Trying to Reason with Gym Jordan. Jonah Bromwich, et al., of the New York Times: “The Manhattan district attorney on Tuesday sued Representative Jim Jordan of Ohio in an extraordinary step intended to keep congressional Republicans from interfering in the office's criminal case against ... Donald J. Trump. The 50-page suit, filed in federal court in the Southern District of New York, accuses Mr. Jordan of a 'brazen and unconstitutional attack' on the prosecution of Mr. Trump and a 'transparent campaign to intimidate and attack' the district attorney, Alvin L. Bragg.... Lawyers for Mr. Bragg are seeking to bar Mr. Jordan and his congressional allies from enforcing a subpoena sent to Mark F. Pomerantz, who was once a leader of the district attorney's Trump investigation and who later wrote a book about that experience.... Mr. Bragg's lawyers ... also intend to prevent any other such subpoenas, the lawsuit says.... 'Rather than allowing the criminal process to proceed in the ordinary course, Chairman Jordan and the committee are participating in a campaign of intimidation, retaliation and obstruction,' the suit said, adding that the district attorney's office had received more than 1,000 calls and emails from Mr. Trump's supporters -- many of them 'threatening and racially charged' -- since the former president predicted his own arrest last month." The AP's story is here. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) CNN's report is here.

Casey Gannon & Katelyn Polantz of CNN: "Donald Trump's close presidential aide and speechwriter Stephen Miller returned to testify to a federal grand jury in Washington on Tuesday after the courts ordered that he and other top advisers must share their recollections of direct conversations with the then-president related to the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Livia Albeck-Ripka of the New York Times: "A retired firefighter who threw a fire extinguisher at a group of police officers during the Jan. 6 Capitol riot has been sentenced to more than four years in prison, federal officials said Tuesday. Prosecutors said the former firefighter, Robert Sanford, 57, of Boothwyn, Pa., had struck three police officers in the head with the extinguisher, injuring at least two of them. Mr. Sanford, who later said he had gone to the Capitol at the direction of ... Donald J. Trump, also threw a traffic cone at the officers and called them 'traitors,' according to documents filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. On Tuesday, Mr. Sanford was sentenced to 52 months in prison and 36 months of supervised release after having pleading guilty in September to assaulting law enforcement officers with a dangerous weapon."

Jeremy Peters of the New York Times: "A judge ruled on Tuesday that Fox News could not argue that it broadcast false information about Dominion Voting Systems on the basis that the allegations were newsworthy, limiting a key line of defense for the network as it faces the beginning of a potentially costly defamation trial next week. The judge, Eric M. Davis of Delaware Superior Court, also ruled that Dominion could not refer to the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the Capitol except in very narrow circumstances, saying he did not want jurors to be prejudiced by events that weren't relevant to the central question in the case: Did Fox air wild claims about Dominion's purported involvement in a conspiracy to steal the 2020 presidential election from Donald J. Trump knowing that they were lies? In the first of two days of pretrial hearings, Judge Davis set many of the parameters that will govern how the trial is run...." CNN's report is here. ~~~

~~~ Fox Lawyers Lied to the Judge. Jeremy Barr of the Washington Post: "Justin Nelson, an attorney for Dominion [Voting Systems], told the judge in the case that the company had been led to believe that [Rupert] Murdoch held the title of officer only for Fox's parent company. But over the past few days, he said, Dominion learned that the mogul also holds an officer title for Fox News.... Judge Eric M. Davis echoed Nelson's frustration with Fox, saying the missing information about Murdoch's title may have affected his decision-making regarding a recent ruling that narrowed the scope of the case. 'I could have made an entirely wrong decision,' Davis said. Addressing an attorney for Fox News, the judge said the network has a 'credibility problem.' 'My problem is that it's been represented more than once to me that he's not an officer of Fox News,' Davis said.... '... I have to figure out how I deal with that.'" The AP's report is here. ~~~

~~~ Michael Luciano of Mediaite: "A former Fox News producer [Abby Grossberg] who is suing the network alleges the cable news giant has recordings of Rudy Giuliani admitting he cannot prove his allegations of voter fraud in the 2020 election.... Grossberg filed amended complaints on Tuesday in which she claims Fox News has recordings of Giuliani and other Trump allies admitting they could not prove their public allegations of voter fraud. She states in one recording that Giuliani told [Fox 'News' host Maria] Bartiromo the Trump team could not demonstrate widespread election rigging.... Grossberg further alleges the existence of a recording featuring her, Bartiromo, and a 'high-ranking advisor to and spokesperson for President Trump and the Trump 2020 presidential campaign.'... In a statement to Mediaite, Fox News said it has fulfilled its [discovery] obligations [in the Dominion case]." MB: Uh, not according to the judge.

The Hard Life of a Multi-billionaire. Faiz Siddiqui of the Washington Post: "Nearly six months into his ownership of Twitter, Elon Musk says he's been sleeping on a couch inside a seventh-floor library of the company he bought for $44 billion, which is being run by his dog. The Twitter CEO ... addressed a range of topics in a spontaneous interview Tuesday night on the site, and unloaded on the interviewer over questions about the alleged increase in misinformation since he took over.... Musk ... hailed many of the changes he has made since buying the company in October and laying off more than two-thirds of the staff in the ensuing weeks. The layoffs, he said, were 'not fun at all ... painful.'"

Champe Barton & Tom Jackman of the Washington Post: "More than 100 people allege that their P320 pistols [made by SIG Sauer] discharged when they did not pull the trigger, an eight-month investigation by The Washington Post and The Trace has found. At least 80 people were wounded in the shootings, which date to 2016.... The injured included both casual and expert firearm owners whose guns fired in their homes and offices and in busy public places.... In two cases, the guns went off on school grounds. Interviews with more than a dozen victims, video recordings, and a review of thousands of pages of court documents and internal police records reveal a pattern of discharges that were alleged to have occurred during routine movements. These have included the holstering or unholstering of the P320, climbing out of vehicles and walking down stairs. In several cases, records and videos show, the gun fired when a victim's hand was nowhere near it..... In a written response to questions, SIG Sauer, based in Newington, N.H., denied that the P320 was capable of firing without a trigger pull and cited accounts of unintentional discharges with other firearms as evidence that such issues with the P320 are neither uncommon nor suggestive of a defect with the gun."

Presidential Election 2024. Katie Glueck & Shane Goldmacher of the New York Times: "President Biden and his party have selected Chicago to host the 2024 Democratic National Convention, according to the Democratic National Committee, elevating a large liberal city in the heart of the Midwest, a critical battleground region. The convention will be held Aug. 19-22 of next year at the United Center, the committee announced." An ABC News report is here. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

      ~~~ Reid Epstein & Shane Goldmacher of the New York Times: "President Biden's decision to host the Democratic National Convention in Chicago represents the triumph of practicality over sentimentality. He picked a major Midwestern city with ample labor-friendly hotels, good transportation and a billionaire governor happy to underwrite the event. That combination overpowered the pull Biden felt from runner-up Atlanta, the capital of a state Mr. Biden won for Democrats in 2020 for the first time in a generation. Chicago -- unlike the last four Democratic convention cities — is not in a presidential battleground. But it is the cultural and economic capital of the American Midwest. The United Center, the convention arena, sits about an hour away from two critical presidential battleground states, Wisconsin and Michigan, with sometimes-competitive Minnesota nearby.... Here are the top reasons Chicago was selected."

Meg Kinnard of the AP: "Republican Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina is taking the next official step toward a bid for president in 2024.Scott is set to announce the formation of an exploratory committee, according to a person familiar with his plans...." ~~~

~~~ MEANWHILE. Kathryn Watson of CBS News: "Former President Trump said he won't drop his bid for president even if he's convicted of felony charges in the Manhattan criminal case against him. When asked by Fox News' Tucker Carlson if any of his legal troubles would cause him to drop out of the race, Trump responded, 'No, I'd never drop out -- it's not my thing. I wouldn't do it.' The Constitution does not prevent someone who has been charged with or convicted of a crime from seeking or holding office.... The former president also claimed that staff members at the courthouse in Manhattan 'were crying' and said "'I'm sorry'" to him. 'They'd say "2024, sir, 2024,'" Trump claimed." MB: Is there a New York jail cell big enough to hold a Cabinet meeting" ~~~

     ~~~ Isaac Arnsdorf of the Washington Post: "Most of the interview covered international affairs, with Trump reiterating favorable views of foreign dictators.... As for the people who investigated alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election to benefit him, Trump said they should be arrested for 'treason.' Carlson lauded Trump as 'moderate, sensible and wise.' Messages released in defamation litigation by Dominion Voting Systems against Fox News showed Carlson in early 2021 saying of Trump, 'I hate him passionately' and that he looked forward to being able to ignore him."

Beyond the Beltway

Today's Most Hilarious News. Arkansas. Matthew Chapman of the Raw Story: "Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders is asking applicants to serve on state boards and commissions to write explanations of what they admire about her leadership most, reported the Arkansas Times on Tuesday." Answers are limited to 500 words.

Florida. Jeanna Smialek & Linda Qiu of the New York Times: Gov. Ron "DeSantis has begun to criticize Jerome H. Powell, the Fed chair, in speeches and news conferences. He has alleged without evidence that the Biden administration is about to introduce a central bank digital currency -- which neither the White House nor the politically independent Fed has decided to do -- in a bid to surveil Americans and control their spending on gas. He has quoted the Fed's Twitter posts disparagingly.... [Mr. DeSantis] warned during an April 1 speech, with no factual basis, that Democrats wanted to use a digital currency to 'impose an E.S.G. agenda,' referring to environmental and social goals like curbing consumption of fossil fuels or tightening gun control.... Mr. DeSantis's claims echo those on right-wing social media, and they are in line with the interests of important Republican donors: Many banks and cryptocurrency firms are adamantly opposed to the idea of a central bank digital currency, worried that it would take away business. Florida, in particular, has been friendly to the digital currency industry, with lawmakers passing favorable legislation.... The Fed has been researching both the potential uses and technical feasibility of a digital currency, but has not yet decided to issue one. Mr. Powell has made clear that the Fed 'would not proceed with this without support from Congress.'"

Kentucky. Tim Arango of the New York Times: "The 25-year-old man who opened fire Monday at a bank in downtown Louisville, Ky., killing five people, told at least one person that he was suicidal before the rampage and legally purchased the AR-15-style rifle used in the shooting at a local dealership last week, officials said Tuesday morning." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Michigan. Beth LeBlanc of the Detroit News: "An estimated one million Michiganians will have certain misdemeanor and felony records automatically expunged or set aside starting Tuesday as the state begins to implement the final step in a 2020 law designed to give residents a 'clean slate.' On Tuesday morning, Michigan State Police will begin running software it's built over the last two years to sort through the state's criminal history database to determine which felonies and misdemeanors should be automatically expunged or set aside under the 2020 law and alert courts to those cases. The automatic expungement law will set aside certain misdemeanors after a seven-year, post-sentencing waiting period and certain non-assaultive felony convictions after a 10-year, post-sentence completion waiting period. Eligible convictions that are expected to be expunged include misdemeanor marijuana offenses for possession and use of the drug that became legal for adult recreational purposes in 2018."

Missouri. Kate Johnston of the Heartland Signal: "Missouri House Republicans voted to defund all of the state's public libraries, in a proposed $45.6 billion state budget that will soon move to a vote in the GOP-controlled state Senate. The Missouri House debated for over eight hours last Tuesday on a budget that is roughly $2 billion less than the one Gov. Mike Parson (R) proposed last January, cutting not only the $4.5 million Parson had slated for libraries, but also costs for diversity initiatives, childcare and pre-kindergarten programs. Missouri House budget committee leader Rep. Cody Smith (R-Carthage) proposed cutting library aid due to a recent lawsuit filed against the state last February. The lawsuit -- filed by the ACLU of Missouri on behalf of the Missouri Association of School Librarians and the Missouri Library Association -- seeks to declare Senate Bill 775 unconstitutional, a bill that has resulted in over 300 books getting banned from school libraries, many of which include LGBTQ characters or racial justice themes." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Who needs books anyhow, when you've got Fox "News" and Alex Jones' Story Hour? As for those kiddie programs, everybody knows we don't care about kids once they leave the womb. And diversity? You've got to be kidding.

Tennessee. Kyle Melnick of the Washington Post: Louisville "Mayor Craig Greenberg (D) told viewers during a news conference Tuesday that the firearm that was used to kill five people and injure eight in Louisville on Monday will ultimately be put up for auction.... Greenberg explained that a law the state passed in 1998 prohibits law enforcement from destroying confiscated firearms -- even when they have been used in crimes. Instead, those firearms -- including the AR-15-style rifle used in Monday's shooting at Old National Bank -- are required to be sent to Kentucky State Police, which sells the weapons to federally licensed gun dealers.... 'The laws we have now are enabling violence and murder,' added Greenberg, who himself survived a shooting at his campaign office in February 2022.... In February, Greenberg announced that Louisville police would remove firing pins from guns and add labels warning that the weapons may have been used in a homicide before sending them to Kentucky State Police. Greenberg has lobbied for Louisville to have the autonomy to set its own gun restrictions, including the ability to destroy confiscated firearms, but a bill that passed in 2012 prevents Kentucky cities and counties from doing so." ~~~

     ~~~ See also Akhilleus' comment in yesterday's thread. ~~~

~~~ Here's a Shocker. Emily Wax-Thibodeaux of the Washington Post: "Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee (R) on Tuesday signed an executive order attempting to strengthen the state's background checks for gun purchases. He also called on state lawmakers to pass what are known as red flag laws that would temporarily remove guns from people deemed dangerous.... The executive order, Lee said, would attempt to beef up background checks by requiring that criminal activity by a gun owner be reported to authorities. It would also require the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation to examine the state's current process for purchasing firearms and submit a report within 60 days. It is time to listen to voters calling for gun reform, Lee said. 'It's going to require coming together, laying down our previously held positions, potentially,' he said. Tennessee is one of the deadliest states for gun violence and has some of the most lax gun measures in the country. A 2021 bill that would have established red flag laws in the state failed." Politico's story is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: No, nitwits, Lee is not "taking away your Second Amendment rights."

Way Beyond

Ukraine, et al.

The Washington Post's live briefing of developments Wednesday in Russia's war on Ukraine is here: "On Wednesday, the European Parliament will hold an inter-committee meeting with lawmakers from Kyiv regarding Ukraine's potential accession to the European Union -- a process that usually takes years.... President Biden spoke with the family of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who has been detained in Russia since March.... The head of Russia's Wagner mercenary group claims his forces now control about 80 percent of the embattled city of Bakhmut.... When Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a partial mobilization last year in support of his invasion of Ukraine, thousands of men fled the country or went into hiding. But tough new measures approved by Russia's lower house of parliament on Tuesday will make it almost impossible for Russians to dodge conscription in the future, writes The Washington Post's Robyn Dixon."

Michael Crowley of the New York Times: "Senior Biden administration officials sought on Tuesday to calm anger in foreign capitals over the leak of classified military and intelligence documents, but had little new information about the source of the breach or its motive. In their first public comments since the documents appeared online several weeks ago, Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III and Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken said they had spoken to their Ukrainian counterparts. Mr. Blinken also said he had spoken to unnamed American allies to 'reassure them about our own commitment to safeguarding intelligence.'... Mr. Blinken and Mr. Austin projected calm even as some foreign governments were roiling over the breach, prompting criticism of the United States for conducting surveillance of its allies and claims that the documents could not be trusted."

Roger Cohen of the New York Times: "President Emmanuel Macron landed in China to a red-carpet reception and all the pomp of a state visit.... But Mr. Macron's reception on returning to Europe has been chilly. Already embattled at home, facing huge weekly protests in the streets, he now finds himself excoriated abroad for what has been criticized as his naïveté -- first with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia ... and now with China's president, Xi Jinping.... The fallout from the China trip has left the French president more isolated than at any time in his six-year presidency, unpopular in France and mistrusted beyond it.... In short order in China, Mr. Macron managed to alienate or worry allies from Warsaw to Washington, with his embrace of what a Sino-French declaration called a 'global strategic partnership with China.' He adopted the Chinese lexicon of a 'multipolar' world, freed of 'blocs,' liberated from the 'Cold War mentality,' and less reliant on the 'extraterritoriality of the U.S. dollar.' Most worrisome, particularly for the United States, he suggested in an interview with Politico and French journalists on the way home that the security of Taiwan is not the problem of a Europe that must resist becoming America's 'vassals.'" Read on. Macron's hotdogging is a serious problem. ~~~

     ~~~ Ishaan Tharoor writes the Washington Post's story.

Comments Off
Monday
Apr102023

April 11, 2023

Afternoon Update:

Darlene Superville, et al., of the AP: "President Joe Biden embarked Tuesday on a journey of diplomatic and family celebration, highlighting the U.S. role of 25 years ago in ending deadly bloodshed in Northern Ireland while catching up with distant relatives in the Republic of Ireland. It's his first trip back as America's president. Biden arrived in Belfast on Tuesday night and was greeted at the airport by United Kingdom Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. He will spend about half a day in the city on Wednesday, holding talks with Sunak before going to Ulster University to mark the Good Friday accord anniversary.... Monday marked a quarter-century since the Good Friday Agreement, signed on that day in April 1998, ended decades of violence in Northern Ireland that killed 3,600 people. Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom, is observing the milestone anniversary with a reunion of key players in the peace process along with Biden's visit."

** Alvin Bragg Is Tired of Trying to Reason with Gym Jordan. Jonah Bromwich, et al., of the New York Times: "The Manhattan district attorney on Tuesday sued Representative Jim Jordan of Ohio in an extraordinary step intended to keep congressional Republicans from interfering in the office's criminal case against ... Donald J. Trump. The 50-page suit, filed in federal court in the Southern District of New York, accuses Mr. Jordan of a 'brazen and unconstitutional attack' on the prosecution of Mr. Trump and a 'transparent campaign to intimidate and attack' the district attorney, Alvin L. Bragg.... Lawyers for Mr. Bragg are seeking to bar Mr. Jordan and his congressional allies from enforcing a subpoena sent to Mark F. Pomerantz, who was once a leader of the district attorney's Trump investigation and who later wrote a book about that experience.... Mr. Bragg's lawyers ... also intend to prevent any other such subpoenas, the lawsuit says.... 'Rather than allowing the criminal process to proceed in the ordinary course, Chairman Jordan and the committee are participating in a campaign of intimidation, retaliation and obstruction,' the suit said, adding that the district attorney's office had received more than 1,000 calls and emails from Mr. Trump's supporters -- many of them 'threatening and racially charged' -- since the former president predicted his own arrest last month." The AP's story is here.

Leigh Ann Caldwell, et al., of the Washington Post: "Congressional leaders in the House and Senate have been given access to the classified documents recovered from the homes of former president Donald Trump, President Biden and former vice president Mike Pence, according to two people familiar with the information who spoke on the condition of anonymity.... The classified documents were shared last week with the 'Gang of Eight,' a bipartisan group of congressional leaders who typically receive briefings on classified intelligence. The documents were shared after months of pressure on the Biden administration from Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-Va.) and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), the chairman and vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee."

John Wagner of the Washington Post: “The Senate plans to consider a resolution next week condemning Donald Trump's call to 'defund' the Justice Department and FBI, Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) said in a letter to colleagues Tuesday, setting up a vote that will test the loyalties of Republicans to the former president. A day after being arraigned in a Manhattan courtroom on state charges last week, Trump said in a social media post that 'Republicans in Congress should defund' the two federal law enforcement agencies 'until they come to their senses.' His comments echoed those of several Republican House members, notably Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), who has called for using Congress's 'power of the purse' against agencies that he claims have engaged in 'egregious behavior.'" MB: A political gesture that seems a little stupid to me.

Election 2024. Katie Glueck & Shane Goldmacher of the New York Times: "President Biden and his party have selected Chicago to host the 2024 Democratic National Convention, according to the Democratic National Committee, elevating a large liberal city in the heart of the Midwest, a critical battleground region. The convention will be held Aug. 19-22 of next year at the United Center, the committee announced." An ABC News report is here.

Casey Gannon & Katelyn Polantz of CNN: "Donald Trump's close presidential aide and speechwriter Stephen Miller returned to testify to a federal grand jury in Washington on Tuesday after the courts ordered that he and other top advisers must share their recollections of direct conversations with the then-president related to the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot."

Kentucky. Tim Arango of the New York Times: "The 25-year-old man who opened fire Monday at a bank in downtown Louisville, Ky., killing five people, told at least one person that he was suicidal before the rampage and legally purchased the AR-15-style rifle used in the shooting at a local dealership last week, officials said Tuesday morning."

~~~~~~~~~~

Perry Stein, et al., of the Washington Post: "The Justice Department on Monday appealed a Texas judge's decision that would block access to a key abortion drug across the country, arguing that the challengers had no right to file the lawsuit since they were not personally harmed by the abortion pill. The 49-page appeal, filed in the right-leaning U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit, landed less than one business day after Judge Matthew J. Kacsmaryk suspended Federal Drug Administration approval of mifepristone -- one of the two medications used in more than half of all abortions in the United States.... In its filing Monday, the government asked the 5th Circuit judges to keep the order on hold until the appeal is decided.... The government and the drug manufacturer, Danco Laboratories, asked the appeals court to issue its decision on pausing Kacsmaryk's order by noon Thursday [in order to fall within the period of Kacsmaryk's seven-day stay of his own ruling]. In a brief order late Monday afternoon, the 5th Circuit asked the groups challenging mifepristone's approval to file their response by midnight Tuesday." The CBS News report is here. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

If courts can overturn drug approvals without regard for science or evidence, or for the complexity required to fully vet the safety and efficacy of new drugs, any medicine is at risk for the same outcome as mifepristone. -- 400+ Pharmaceutical Industry Leaders, in a statement ~~~

~~~ Pam Belluck & Christina Jewett of the New York Times: "The pharmaceutical industry plunged into a legal showdown over the abortion pill mifepristone on Monday, issuing a scorching condemnation of a ruling by a federal judge that invalidated the Food and Drug Administration's approval of the drug and calling for the decision to be reversed. The statement was signed by more than 400 leaders of some of the drug and biotech industry's most prominent investment firms and companies, none of which make[s!] mifepristone, the first pill in the two-drug medication abortion regimen. It shows that the reach of this case stretches far beyond abortion. Unlike Roe v. Wade and other past landmark abortion lawsuits, this one could challenge the foundation of the regulatory system for all medicines in the United States."

Lauren Gambino of the Guardian: "Several Democratic governors have moved swiftly to protect access to medication abortion in their states after a ruling by a Texas judge late last week threatened access to the widely used abortion drug mifepristone. In an announcement on Monday, Governor Maura Healey of Massachusetts said her state had ordered about 15,000 doses of mifepristone, the first of two drugs in a medication abortion regimen that has been approved for use up to the 10th week of pregnancy.... California, Governor Gavin Newsom, also a Democrat, said his state had secured an emergency stockpile of up to 2m pills of misoprostol, the second drug in the regimen that can be used safely on its own, though is slightly less effective as a single medication.... In anticipation of the Texas ruling [banning mifepristone], the Democratic governor of Washington, Jay Inslee, announced last week that his state would stockpile a three-year supply of mifepristone in the event the drug became more difficult to access."


The Thomas-Crow Affair, Ctd. Carl Hulse of the New York Times: "Democratic members of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday promised a hearing looking into the Supreme Court's ethical standards and urged Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. to investigate Justice Clarence Thomas's undisclosed acceptance of gifts and luxurious excursions from a wealthy businessman and Republican donor. In a letter to the chief justice, Senator Richard J. Durbin, Democrat of Illinois and chairman of the committee, joined the 10 other Democratic senators on the panel in writing that if the court did not act in response to an investigation by ProPublica into Justice Thomas's relationship with Harlan Crow, a Texas real estate billionaire, the committee would consider drafting legislation clarifying the court's ethics rules.... In the letter, the senators said the conduct of Justice Thomas 'is plainly inconsistent with the ethical standards the American people expect of any person in a position of public trust.'... No date was immediately announced for the planned hearing. Citing its status as a separate branch of government, the Supreme Court has in the past insisted it is capable of policing itself." A ProPublica report is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Oh, don't snicker. The Supremes are just as good at policing themselves as they are at writing decisions in the interest of American democracy (Shelby County, Citizens United). ~~~

Jamelle Bouie of the New York Times: Clarence Thomas "is still as free as he's ever been to treat his seat on the court -- ostensibly a public trust -- like a winning lottery ticket, to redeem with the nearest friendly billionaire (who happens to have a collection of Nazi paraphernalia and Hitler-related souvenirs).... The framers of the Constitution embraced service on 'good behavior' because they wanted a truly independent judiciary, free from the corruption and venality of ordinary politics.... The Maryland antifederalist Samuel Chase complained [of the proposed Supreme Court] that 'its members are too few' and that its small size leaves it vulnerable to 'bribery and corruption.'... Build an exclusive, oligarchical institution, and you'll get an exclusive, oligarchical politics.... With his close ties to a powerful, property-owning billionaire, Thomas embodies the historic role of the Supreme Court in American politics, not as a liberator or defender of the rights of political and social minorities, but as a partner to and ally of moneyed interests.... If [Supreme Court justices] won't act in the spirit of public service, then we should make them."

Adam Cohen, in a New York Times op-ed: "... the last time such serious allegations were made against a sitting justice, Congress did respond firmly, and in bipartisan fashion. Justice Abe Fortas's departure from the court in 1969 is both a blueprint for how lawmakers could respond today and a benchmark of how far we have fallen. Fortas, a Democratic appointee, got caught up in a scandal that involved much smaller dollar amounts than the lavish trips Justice Thomas took.... He also had an unfortunate habit of continuing to offer advice to President Lyndon Johnson.... We now know the Nixon administration was helping Life [magazine] with its investigation [of Fortas], including with some improper leaks, in an attempt to drive Fortas off the court.... Republicans in Congress demanded that Fortas resign.... Democrats demanded his ouster, too.... Fortas insisted he had done nothing wrong, but he stepped down.... Justice Thomas’s conduct has been far more egregious in scale than Fortas's.... Republicans, however, have been deafeningly silent."


Field Trip! Ed Shanahan of the New York Times: "The Republican-led House Judiciary Committee said on Monday that it would hold a hearing in Manhattan on what it called the 'pro-crime' policies of the borough's district attorney, Alvin L. Bragg, a Democrat who is leading the criminal prosecution of ... Donald J. Trump. The move was the latest by Mr. Trump's congressional defenders to try to tarnish Mr. Bragg, a target of their attacks even before he announced in late March that the former president had been indicted.... Dismissing the premise of the hearing -- that Manhattan is experiencing a surging crime wave -- Mr. Bragg's spokeswoman said that data issued by the Police Department last week showed declines in Manhattan in murders (down 14 percent), shootings (17 percent), burglaries (21 percent) and robberies (8 percent) through April 2, compared with the same period last year." ~~~

     ~~~ Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) has a question: ~~~

Kyle Cheney of Politico: "Donald Trump has appealed a judge's order requiring his former vice president, Mike Pence, to testify to the grand jury probing the effort to subvert the 2020 election. Trump's appeal, filed under seal, was lodged on the court docket Monday morning. The former president had challenged the bid by special counsel Jack Smith to compel Pence's testimony earlier this year, claiming it would intrude on conversations protected by executive privilege. But Chief U.S. District Court Judge James Boasberg rejected Trump's challenge, ruling last month that Pence could be compelled to testify. Boasberg, however, did fashion some limits to Smith's inquiry; he agreed, in part, with a separate argument by Pence that some of his actions are protected by the Constitution's 'speech or debate' clause -- which typically prevents Justice Department inquiry into members of Congress and their aides. Under the Constitution, Pence as vice president also served as president of the Senate, entitling him to some measure of congressional immunity, Boasberg found. Although Pence and his allies felt that the ruling didn't extend far enough, Pence opted not to appeal the decision." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Shayna Jacobs & Josh Dawsey of the Washington Post: "... Donald Trump plans to return to New York for a second round of questioning Thursday in a lawsuit brought by Attorney General Letitia James over his business dealings, according to two people familiar with the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal details.... James's lawsuit alleges that Trump, three of his adult children and others at the Trump Organization purposely misled lenders and insurance companies about the value of his assets to secure favorable rates. The lawsuit has the potential to effectively cripple the Trump family's business operations in New York, where the commercial real estate and golf resort business is headquartered." An ABC News story is here.

Menace to Society. Adam Klasfeld of Law & Crime: "Some weeks after cloaking a jury in complete anonymity to preside over E. Jean Carroll's lawsuit accusing ... Donald Trump of rape, a federal judge refused to relax that ruling even enough to confidentially share their identities with the attorneys. Senior U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan said he couldn't issue such an order in 'good conscience,' especially in light of Trump's continuing attacks on the jurist presiding over the former president's criminal case.... Judge Kaplan footnotes multiple reports about threats pouring into the chambers of Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan in the wake of Trump's attacks."

Shane Goldmacher of the New York Times: "... Donald J. Trump has a minor addition to his mounting pile of legal challenges after he failed to meet the deadline to disclose his personal financial holdings. But the threatened initial penalty -- a meager $200 -- is the latest sign of how weak federal enforcement of campaign laws has become.... Mr. Trump was warned that the fee could be imposed if he does not file within 30 days of the March 16 deadline, which is later this week, in a letter from the Federal Election Commission's acting general counsel that denied his request for a third extension last month. Meredith McGehee, a longtime campaign watchdog, said, 'It's very clear that former President Trump doesn't feel the law applies to him and has spent much of his career hiring legal representation to delay and distract. This is in line with his general approach.'"


Leo Sands of the Washington Post: "Twitter attached a government-affiliation label to the BBC's main Twitter account over the weekend, sparking a stern objection from the public broadcaster and a debate within Britain over the label's accuracy.... Twitter responded to [the BBC's] request for clarification early Monday with a poop emoji, its automated response to all media inquiries.... [Elon] Musk appeared late Sunday to be distancing himself from the new label.... '... I don't actually think the BBC is as biased as some other government-funded media,' he said.... The decision to label the BBC's main non-news account rather than its news account was also puzzling." Roger Mosey, a former editorial director of the BBC said the way Twitter was labeling media outlets looked the work of an intern. Yeah, or a nitwit like Twitter's owner. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Elon really is like a child who puts his hand on a flaming-red stove burner because he wanted to see if it was hot. Unfortunately, Elon is not the person getting burned in his thoughtless "experiments." BUT, as Akhilleus pointed out in yesterday's Comments, the smarter kids learn from their little experiments; Elon does not.

~~~ Marie: One would think that a billionaire entrepreneur who ran several big businesses would be far too busy to get into petty spats with his retainers. Wrong. ~~~

     ~~~ Mike Masnick of TechDirt: "The refrain to remember with Twitter under Elon Musk: it can always get dumber.... On Thursday, Musk's original hand-picked Twitter Files scribe, Matt Taibbi, went on Mehdi Hasan's show.... The interview did not go well for Taibbi in the same manner that finding an iceberg did not go well for the Titanic.... Due to a separate dispute that Elon was having with Substack..., he decided to arbitrarily bar anyone from retweeting, replying, or even liking any tweet that had a Substack link in it. But Taibbi's vast income stems from having one of the largest paying Substack subscriber bases. So, in rapid succession he announced that he was leaving Twitter, and would rely on Substack, and that this would likely limit his ability to continue working on the Twitter Files. Minutes later, Elon Musk unfollowed Taibbi on Twitter.... [By Saturday, it was apparent that] Taibbi's [Twitter] account appears to have been 'max deboosted'..., meaning you can't find Taibbi in search.... So, yes, we went from Taibbi praising Elon Musk for supporting free speech and supposedly helping to expose the evil shadowbanning of the old regime, and refusing to criticize Musk on anything, to Taibbi leaving Twitter, and Musk not just unfollowing him but shadowbanning him and all his Twitter Files. In about 48 hours."


Chris Mooney & Brady Dennis of the Washington Post: "Scientists have documented an abnormal and dramatic surge in sea levels along the U.S. gulf and southeastern coastlines since about 2010, raising new questions about whether New Orleans, Miami, Houston and other coastal communities might be even more at risk from rising seas than once predicted. The acceleration, while relatively short-lived so far, could have far-reaching consequences in an area of the United States that has seen massive development as the wetlands, mangroves and shorelines that once protected it are shrinking. An already vulnerable landscape that is home to millions of people is growing more vulnerable, more quickly, potentially putting a large swath of America at greater risk from severe storms and flooding.... [A University of Arizona] study, published in the Journal of Climate, calculates the rate of sea-level rise since 2010 at ... nearly 5 inches in total through 2022. That is more than double the global average rate of about 4.5 millimeters per year since 2010, based on satellite observations of sea level from experts at the University of Colorado at Boulder. While the annual totals might sound minor, even small changes in sea levels over time can have destructive consequences. [The] study suggested that Hurricanes Michael and Ian, two of the strongest storms ever to hit the United States, were made considerably worse in part from additional sea level rise."

2024 Senate Races. Sarah Burris of the Raw Story: "The Washington Examiner reported Monday that the GOP is begging Donald Trump to keep out of the 2024 [Senate] race[s]. [Sen.] Steve 'Daines has reportedly been in touch with the former president and Donald Trump Jr...., as part of a larger effort to keep all camps on the same page about candidate selection matters,' said the report. 'The goal is to avoid messy primary fights that left weakened some 2022 candidates in their general election contests. The stakes are especially high given that Republicans only need to net two seats to win back the Senate in 2024.... Read the full report here."

The Pandemic, Ctd. Dan Diamond of the Washington Post: "The Biden administration is launching a $5 billion-plus program to accelerate development of new coronavirus vaccines and treatments, seeking to better protect against a still-mutating virus, as well as other coronaviruses that might threaten us in the future. 'Project Next Gen' -- the long-anticipated follow-up to 'Operation Warp Speed,' the Trump-era program that sped coronavirus vaccines to patients in 2020 -- would take a similar approach to partnering with private-sector companies to expedite development of vaccines and therapies. Scientists, public heath experts and politicians have called for the initiative, warning that existing therapies have steadily lost their effectiveness and that new ones are needed."

Beyond the Beltway

Caroline Kitchener of the Washington Post: "... a new reality playing out in hospitals in antiabortion states across the country -- where because of newly enacted abortion bans, people with potentially life-threatening pregnancy complications are being denied care that was readily available before the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June.... In the 18 states where abortion is now banned before fetal viability, many hospitals have been turning away pre-viability PPROM [-- pre-viability preterm prelabor rupture of the membranes --] patients as doctors and administrators fear the legal risk that could come with terminating even a pregnancy that could jeopardize the mother's well-being, according to 12 physicians practicing in antiabortion states.... Of all the pregnancy complications affected by abortion bans, pre-viability PPROM is one of the most widespread, according to doctors interviewed for this story." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Florida. Miriam Jordan of the New York Times: "Led by Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican with presidential ambitions, the Florida Legislature is considering a sweeping package of immigration measures that would represent the toughest crackdown on undocumented immigration by any state in more than a decade. Expected to pass within weeks because Republicans have supermajorities in both chambers, the bills are part of what Mr. DeSantis describes as a response to President Biden's 'open borders agenda,' which he said has allowed an uncontrolled flow of immigrants to cross into the United States from Mexico. The bills would expose people to felony charges for sheltering, hiring and transporting undocumented immigrants; require hospitals to ask patients their immigration status and report to the state; invalidate out-of-state driver's licenses issued to undocumented immigrants; prevent undocumented immigrants from being admitted to the bar in Florida; and direct the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to provide assistance to federal authorities in enforcing the nation's immigration laws. Mr. DeSantis has separately proposed eliminating in-state college tuition for undocumented students and beneficiaries of the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program...." (Also linked yesterday.)

Iowa. AP (April 9): "The Iowa Attorney General's Office has paused its practice of paying for emergency contraception -- and in rare cases, abortions -- for victims of sexual assault.... Federal regulations and state law require Iowa to pay many of the expenses for sexual assault victims who seek medical help, such as the costs of forensic exams and treatment for sexually transmitted infections. Under the previous attorney general, Democrat Tom Miller, Iowa's victim compensation fund also paid for Plan B, the so-called morning after pill, as well as other treatments to prevent pregnancy. A spokeswoman for Republican Attorney General Brenna Bird, who defeated Miller's bid for an 11th term in November, told the Des Moines Register that those payments are now on hold as part of a review of victim services." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Bear in mind that the morning-after pill does not cause an abortion, rather it prevents a pregnancy. As Rachel Maddow noted Monday night, the Republican Iowa AG wants rape victims to have to give birth to the children of their rapists.

Mississippi. Ilyssa Daly & Jerry Mitchell of the New York Times: "... an investigation by The New York Times and the Mississippi Center for Investigative Reporting at Mississippi Today reveals that allegations of wrongdoing against [former sheriff & jail supervisor Terry] Grassaree have been far more wide-ranging and serious than ... federal charges [against him] suggest.... At worst, they tell the story of a sheriff who operated with impunity, even as he was accused of abusing the people in his custody, turning a blind eye to women who were raped and trying to cover it up when caught.... In Mississippi, as in many states, rural sheriffs are left largely to police themselves and their jails.... No state agency oversees Mississippi's county jails...."

Pennsylvania Senate Race. John Wagner of the Washington Post: "Sen. Robert P. Casey Jr. (D-Pa.) announced Monday that he will seek a fourth term next year despite a recent health scare, providing a boost to Democrats in one of a bevy of battleground states that the party is defending as it tries to maintain its narrow majority in the Senate." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

** Tennessee. Emily Cochrane of the New York Times: "Local officials in Nashville unanimously voted to appoint one of two expelled Democratic lawmakers back to his seat in the state House of Representatives, a swift rebuke to the Republican supermajority over its decision to expel the two lawmakers for leading a gun control protest on the House floor. The Metropolitan Nashville Council voted to temporarily appoint Justin Jones back to his Nashville seat in the state legislature, just days after Republicans overwhelmingly voted to expel him. The move by the Nashville councilors paves the way for Mr. Jones to be quickly reinstated to his seat, ahead of a special election later this year.... On Monday, dozens of people rallied outside the meeting in Nashville, carrying signs that read 'No Justin, No Peace.'... Lawyers for the men -- a group that includes Eric H. Holder Jr., the former U.S. attorney general -- warned the legislature on Monday against any further action against them or their cities." The NBC News story is here. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: We should take a moment to congratulate Tennessee's Republican legislators for making national heroes of local Democrats. As I write, Jones is about to re-enter the House chamber. Kids, it turns out the Resurrection is true, after all. And Jesus is Black. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Gee, maybe one council member should have voted for the House's majority leader, because -- in violation of the state's constitution -- he lives in Nashville, not in the district he supposedly represents. ~~~

~~~ Jud Legum of Popular Information: Last week Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton voted to oust three Democrats for violating "several rules of decorum and procedure." But Sexton himself seems to be violating a more fundamental rule: he doesn't appear to live in the Republican-leaning district he represents, as is required by the state's constitution. He sold his house there in 2020, & purchased a small nearby condo, but he and his family apparently live in a Nashville burb in a district that leans Democratic. Nonetheless, he accepts per diem during the legislative session as if he lived far outside of Nashville. In 2022, he billed the taxpayers $19,093 in per diems. "In total, Sexton may have overcharged Tennessee taxpayers as much as $78,756 [in per diems] since 2020." MB: Gosh, the House Speaker appears to be violating the state constitution and bilking taxpayers, but at least he's not leading chants to save schoolchildren from gun violence. So rude. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

     ~~~ Update: "After yesterday's story was published and spread rapidly online, Sexton did communicate with Phil Williams, a high-profile Tennessee reporter. Williams reported that 'Sexton argues, as Speaker, he has to be in Nashville so often that it's easier to have his family here.' So now we know the answer to the question: Sexton, and his family, live in Nashville. In addition to not living in Crossville, Sexton has also not paid his property taxes on his two-bedroom condo in Crossville for the last two years, according to the Cumberland County website. Under Tennessee law, '[t]he place where a married person's spouse and family have their habitation is presumed to be the person's place of residence.' So, now that Sexton admitted he and his family live in Nashville, there is a presumption that Sexton also resides in Nashville for the purpose of voting registration. That would make his representation of District 25 unconstitutional since he wouldn't be ;a qualified voter of that district."

Virginia. Jane Timm of NBC News: "In January, the GOP assumed control of the Buckingham County[, Virginia,] Electoral Board..., and local Republicans began advancing baseless voter fraud claims that baffled [the registrar, Lindsey Taylor]. The electoral board made it clear it wanted her out of the job. 'There were people saying that they had heard all these rumors -- that the attorney general was going to indict me,' Taylor said, days after leaving the office for the last time.... Three weeks ago, frustrated and heartbroken, Taylor, along with two part-time staffers, quit. Their resignations followed a deputy registrar who left in February, citing the same conflict. The four departures left residents without a functioning registrar's office; there was no way to register to vote or certify candidate paperwork...." At a meeting of the county board in early January, a local Republican said to Taylor, "I am putting you on notice -- for treason!" "The Virginia Attorney General's office confirmed that [the county's election board chairwoman] had contacted them, but they said they had not, and were not, investigating elections issues in Buckingham County." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Virginia. Justin Jouvenal of the Washington Post: "The mother of a 6-year-old boy who shot a teacher at a Virginia school in January has been charged criminally in connection with the case, and a special grand jury will be convened to explore others' conduct, authorities said Monday. Deja Taylor, 25, of Newport News, is facing one felony count of child neglect and one misdemeanor count of recklessly storing a firearm so a child could gain access to it. The weapon the boy used belonged to Taylor, authorities have said. If convicted, Taylor faces up to five years in prison on the felony and up to a one-year sentence on the misdemeanor. Howard Gwynn, the Newport News commonwealth's attorney, said in a statement he also has asked a judge to impanel a special grand jury to continue to probe any 'security issues' that 'may have contributed to this shooting,' suggesting that the conduct of administrators or others who allegedly failed to act after being warned the boy had a weapon would be further scrutinized." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) A Guardian report is here.

Way Beyond

Ukraine, et al.

The Washington Post's live briefing of developments Tuesday in Russia's war on Ukraine is here: "The [leaked Pentagon] documents show that the U.S. intelligence community has deeply infiltrated the Russian military -- in some cases enabling Washington to warn Kyiv of attacks. >Washington has been working with Kyiv to shape the anticipated counteroffensive, and U.S. officials have held tabletop exercises with Ukrainian military leaders, The Washington Post reported.... Moscow ordered military preparations in response to the NATO accession of Finland, which was formerly militarily nonaligned." ~~~

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

The Perp Left Clues. Julian Barnes, et al., of the New York Times: "A surprisingly large number of people potentially had access to the Pentagon intelligence documents leaked on a social media site in early March, but clues left online may help investigators narrow down the pool of possible suspects relatively quickly, U.S. officials said on Monday.... While some documents were doctored, those revisions appear to have been made later. Officials have acknowledged that many of the documents are genuine, and they were initially posted on the internet without alterations.... The intelligence materials appear to have been first photographed and then uploaded online, a kind of sloppy procedure that suggests the person leaking the documents probably took few steps to conceal the IP addresses used or the date stamps from photographs, said Javed Ali, a former senior U.S. counterterrorism official...."

With Friends Like This ... Evan Hill, et al., of the Washington Post: "President Abdel Fatah El-Sisi of Egypt, one of America's closest allies in the Middle East and a major recipient of U.S. aid, recently ordered subordinates to produce up to 40,000 rockets to be covertly shipped to Russia, according to a leaked U.S. intelligence document. A portion of a top secret document, dated Feb. 17, summarizes purported conversations between Sisi and senior Egyptian military officials and also references plans to supply Russia with artillery rounds and gunpowder. In the document, Sisi instructs the officials to keep the production and shipment of the rockets secret 'to avoid problems with the West.' The Washington Post obtained the document from a trove of images of classified files posted in February and March on Discord, a chat app popular with gamers."

Justin McCurry, et al., of the Guardian: "The US is attempting to mend fences with key allies after leaked Pentagon documents claimed Washington had been spying on friendly countries including South Korea and Israel. The US secretary of defence, Lloyd Austin, spoke to his South Korean counterpart on Tuesday as officials in Seoul denied the possibility that the president's office could have been the source of leaks over South Korean arms sales to the US."

David Inatius of the Washington Post: "The leaked documents on the Ukraine war are chilling.... First, Ukraine is facing a severe shortage of air defense weapons that could cost it the war.... Second, the West's 'arsenal of democracy' isn't close to matching Ukraine's needs.... Why hasn't President Biden appointed the equivalent of Franklin D. Roosevelt's War Production Board? Third, the Biden administration has been more risk averse than some allies -- and more than seems necessary.... Finally, journalists have been hearing privately for many months from top U.S. officials that they believe this conflict is at a deadly impasse, with heavy casualties depleting both sides."

Matthew Lee of the AP: "The Biden administration formally determined Monday that a Wall Street Journal reporter arrested in Russia on espionage charges has been 'wrongfully detained.' The designation elevates the case of Evan Gershkovich in the U.S. government hierarchy and means that a dedicated State Department office will take the lead on securing his release. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced the determination on Monday, saying he condemned the arrest and Russia's repression of independent media." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)


Israel. Never Mind. Justin Kingsley & Hiba Yakbek of the New York Times: "Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel announced on Monday night that he had reversed his decision to fire Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, 15 days after Mr. Gallant was nominally dismissed for criticizing the pace of the government's contentious plan to overhaul Israel's justice system. Mr. Netanyahu had never formally confirmed Mr. Gallant's ouster, which set off widespread unrest and led the government to suspend its judicial plan until the summer."

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Sunday
Apr092023

April 10, 2023

Afternoon Update:

Perry Stein, et al., of the Washington Post: "The Justice Department on Monday appealed a Texas judge's decision that would block access to a key abortion drug across the country, arguing that the challengers had no right to file the lawsuit since they were not personally harmed by the abortion pill. The 49-page appeal, filed in the right-leaning U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit, landed less than one business day after Judge Matthew J. Kacsmaryk suspended Federal Drug Administration approval of mifepristone -- one of the two medications used in more than half of all abortions in the United States.... In its filing Monday, the government asked the 5th Circuit judges to keep the order on hold until the appeal is decided.... The government and the drug manufacturer, Danco Laboratories, asked the appeals court to issue its decision on pausing Kacsmaryk's order by noon Thursday [in order to fall within the period of Kacsmaryk's seven-day stay of his own ruling]. In a brief order late Monday afternoon, the 5th Circuit asked the groups challenging mifepristone's approval to file their response by midnight Tuesday." The CBS News report is here.

Caroline Kitchener of the Washington Post: "... a new reality playing out in hospitals in antiabortion states across the country -- where because of newly enacted abortion bans, people with potentially life-threatening pregnancy complications are being denied care that was readily available before the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June.... In the 18 states where abortion is now banned before fetal viability, many hospitals have been turning away pre-viability PPROM [-- pre-viability preterm prelabor rupture of the membranes --] patients as doctors and administrators fear the legal risk that could come with terminating even a pregnancy that could jeopardize the mother's well-being, according to 12 physicians practicing in antiabortion states.... Of all the pregnancy complications affected by abortion bans, pre-viability PPROM is one of the most widespread, according to doctors interviewed for this story."

Matthew Lee of the AP: "The Biden administration formally determined Monday that a Wall Street Journal reporter arrested in Russia on espionage charges has been 'wrongfully detained.' The designation elevates the case of Evan Gershkovich in the U.S. government hierarchy and means that a dedicated State Department office will take the lead on securing his release. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced the determination on Monday, saying he condemned the arrest and Russia's repression of independent media."

Tennessee. Emily Cochrane of the New York Times: "Local officials in Nashville unanimously voted to appoint one of two expelled Democratic lawmakers back to his seat in the state House of Representatives, a swift rebuke to the Republican supermajority over its decision to expel the two lawmakers for leading a gun control protest on the House floor. The Metropolitan Nashville Council voted to temporarily appoint Justin Jones back to his Nashville seat in the state legislature, just days after Republicans overwhelmingly voted to expel him. The move by the Nashville councilors paves the way for Mr. Jones to be quickly reinstated to his seat, ahead of a special election later this year.... On Monday, dozens of people rallied outside the meeting in Nashville, carrying signs that read 'No Justin, No Peace.'... Lawyers for the men -- a group that includes Eric H. Holder Jr., the former U.S. attorney general -- warned the legislature on Monday against any further action against them or their cities." The NBC News story is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: We should take a moment to congratulate Tennessee's Republican legislators for making national heroes of local Democrats. As I write, Jones is about to re-enter the House chamber. Kids, it turns out the Resurrection is true, after all. And Jesus is Black. ~~~

~~~ Jud Legum of Popular Information: Last week Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton voted to oust three Democrats for violating "several rules of decorum and procedure." But Sexton himself seems to be violating a more fundamental rule: he doesn't appear to live in the Republican-leaning district he represents, as is required by the state's constitution. He sold his house there in 2020, & purchased a small nearby condo, but he and his family apparently live in a Nashville burb in a district that leans Democratic. Nonetheless, he accepts per diem during the legislative session as if he lived far outside of Nashville. In 2022, he billed the taxpayers $19,093 in per diems. "In total, Sexton may have overcharged Tennessee taxpayers as much as $78,756 [in per diems] since 2020." MB: Gosh, the House Speaker appears to be violating the state constitution and bilking taxpayers, but at least he's not leading chants to save schoolchildren from gun violence. So rude.

Virginia. Justin Jouvenal of the Washington Post: "The mother of a 6-year-old boy who shot a teacher at a Virginia school in January has been charged criminally in connection with the case, and a special grand jury will be convened to explore others' conduct, authorities said Monday. Deja Taylor, 25, of Newport News, is facing one felony count of child neglect and one misdemeanor count of recklessly storing a firearm so a child could gain access to it. The weapon the boy used belonged to Taylor, authorities have said. If convicted, Taylor faces up to five years in prison on the felony and up to a one-year sentence on the misdemeanor. Howard Gwynn, the Newport News commonwealth's attorney, said in a statement he also has asked a judge to impanel a special grand jury to continue to probe any 'security issues' that 'may have contributed to this shooting,' suggesting that the conduct of administrators or others who allegedly failed to act after being warned the boy had a weapon would be further scrutinized."

Kyle Cheney of Politico: "Donald Trump has appealed a judge's order requiring his former vice president, Mike Pence, to testify to the grand jury probing the effort to subvert the 2020 election. Trump's appeal, filed under seal, was lodged on the court docket Monday morning. The former president had challenged the bid by special counsel Jack Smith to compel Pence's testimony earlier this year, claiming it would intrude on conversations protected by executive privilege. But Chief U.S. District Court Judge James Boasberg rejected Trump's challenge, ruling last month that Pence could be compelled to testify. Boasberg, however, did fashion some limits to Smith's inquiry; he agreed, in part, with a separate argument by Pence that some of his actions are protected by the Constitution's 'speech or debate' clause -- which typically prevents Justice Department inquiry into members of Congress and their aides. Under the Constitution, Pence as vice president also served as president of the Senate, entitling him to some measure of congressional immunity, Boasberg found. Although Pence and his allies felt that the ruling didn't extend far enough, Pence opted not to appeal the decision."

Florida. Miriam Jordan of the New York Times: "Led by Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican with presidential ambitions, the Florida Legislature is considering a sweeping package of immigration measures that would represent the toughest crackdown on undocumented immigration by any state in more than a decade. Expected to pass within weeks because Republicans have supermajorities in both chambers, the bills are part of what Mr. DeSantis describes as a response to President Biden's 'open borders agenda,' which he said has allowed an uncontrolled flow of immigrants to cross into the United States from Mexico. The bills would expose people to felony charges for sheltering, hiring and transporting undocumented immigrants; require hospitals to ask patients their immigration status and report to the state; invalidate out-of-state driver's licenses issued to undocumented immigrants; prevent undocumented immigrants from being admitted to the bar in Florida; and direct the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to provide assistance to federal authorities in enforcing the nation's immigration laws. Mr. DeSantis has separately proposed eliminating in-state college tuition for undocumented students and beneficiaries of the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program...."

Pennsylvania. John Wagner of the Washington Post: "Sen. Robert P. Casey Jr. (D-Pa.) announced Monday that he will seek a fourth term next year despite a recent health scare, providing a boost to Democrats in one of a bevy of battleground states that the party is defending as it tries to maintain its narrow majority in the Senate."

Virginia. Jane Timm of NBC News: "In January, the GOP assumed control of the Buckingham County[, Virginia,] Electoral Board..., and local Republicans began advancing baseless voter fraud claims that baffled [the registrar, Lindsey Taylor]. The electoral board made it clear it wanted her out of the job. 'There were people saying that they had heard all these rumors -- that the attorney general was going to indict me,' Taylor said, days after leaving the office for the last time.... Three weeks ago, frustrated and heartbroken, Taylor, along with two part-time staffers, quit. Their resignations followed a deputy registrar who left in February, citing the same conflict. The four departures left residents without a functioning registrar's office; there was no way to register to vote or certify candidate paperwork...." At a meeting of the county board in early January, a local Republican said to Taylor, "I am putting you on notice -- for treason!" "The Virginia Attorney General's office confirmed that [the county's election board chairwoman] had contacted them, but they said they had not, and were not, investigating elections issues in Buckingham County."

Leo Sands of the Washington Post: "Twitter attached a government-affiliation label to the BBC's main Twitter account over the weekend, sparking a stern objection from the public broadcaster and a debate within Britain over the label's accuracy.... Twitter responded to [the BBC's] request for clarification early Monday with a poop emoji, its automated response to all media inquiries.... [Elon] Musk appeared late Sunday to be distancing himself from the new label.... '... I don't actually think the BBC is as biased as some other government-funded media,' he said.... The decision to label the BBC's main non-news account rather than its news account was also puzzling." Roger Mosey, a former editorial director of the BBC said the way Twitter was labeling media outlets looked the work of an intern. Yeah, or a nitwit like Twitter's owner. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Elon really is like a child who puts his hand on a flaming-red stove burner because he wanted to see if it was hot. Unfortunately, Elon is not the person getting burned in his thoughtless "experiments."

~~~~~~~~~~

Ruth Murai of Mother Jones: "Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra said the administration is willing to do whatever it takes to protect access to the abortion drug mifepristone, after a federal judge in Texas suspended the FDA's approval of the medication on Friday.... In interviews Sunday morning with MSNBC and CNN, Becerra emphasized an aggressive legal strategy as essential to maintain access to the pill, which has been proven to be a safe and effective part of medication abortion. 'We will make sure that we get that appeal and that stay, and if we can't get that stay, we will go as far as we need to go in order to protect access to mifepristone,' Becerra told MSNBC Sunday Show host Jonathan Capehart.... Becerra didn't clarify which specific steps, beyond litigation, the administration might be willing to take in the event that the judge's ruling stands." ~~~

     ~~~ Well, there's this: ~~~

     ~~~ Nandita Bose of Reuters: "The White House is planning to re-up discussions with abortion pill manufacturers and U.S. pharmacy chains on ways to push back against efforts to ban mifepristone..., two sources with knowledge of the matter said.... In January, the Food and Drug Administration made a regulatory change that made it possible for retail pharmacies to offer abortion pills in the country for the first time, but more than a dozen states have passed laws limiting such sales.There are no retail pharmacies that are currently certified to dispense mifepristone and many are going through the certification process. 'We are discussing ways to offer them legal support,' one of the sources said of manufacturers and retail pharmacies." ~~~

~~~ ** Jill Filipovic in a Substack post: "... the radical and unprecedented decision to ban Mifepristone is ... entirely, 100% ideological, completely untethered from any legal norm, perhaps the most explicit case I have ever seen in my life of a judge simply deciding that his personal beliefs should be the law of the land.... This ruling is so absurd that, were other courts to follow it, the FDA would be rendered impotent. A national drug regulation scheme becomes impossible if even decades-old regulatory decisions can be overturned by single ideologues.... The anti-abortion movement has always been an anti-democratic and authoritarian movement, and that authoritarianism has taken over the Republican Party and the far-right judiciary. This decision was not about life or women's health or drug regulation or even the law.... It was a simple assertion of dominance, a clear statement that the right will stop at absolutely nothing -- including the outer bounds of American law -- to force women into compliance.... The Republican Party has been near-fully taken over by people who outright reject democratic norms and processes, and who unapologetically want to impose a patriarchal conservative Christian nation-state on the rest of us.... If the principle of this decision holds, there are remarkably few medications in the country that could survive a court challenge. The anti-abortion movement simply made up a lie that the FDA fast-tracked Mifepristone and has refused to account for its safety.... Mifepristone is far safer than many of the drugs Americans take every day, from penicillin to Viagra. And it is far, far safer than childbirth."

~~~ Kate Shaw, in a New York Times op-ed: "The Friday-night ruling by Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk purporting to stay the Food and Drug Administration's approval of mifepristone for use in early abortions is a travesty -- for women's health care, principles of democracy, notions of judicial impartiality and the rule of law.... This case is wildly atypical for a number of reasons.... The plaintiffs lack standing, a core requirement of any lawsuit in federal court. They are also bringing their challenge far too late.... Additionally, the opinion's conclusion -- that the approval of mifepristone most likely violated federal standards for drug approval -- is based on several reasons that are scientifically baseless and infused with hostility to abortion...." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: As tempting as it is to blame Donald Trump for the appointment of this judge, let's be fair and remind ourselves that Trump didn't know squat about Kacsmaryk and didn't care. (Yes, he may enjoy seeing young women suffer, but his primary motive was to earn points with Christian nationalists.) So let us not forget, please, that the progenitors of this decision are Senate Republicans, most especially Mitch McConnell, who confirmed this guy. Only Susan Collins had enough "concern" about Komrade Kacsmaryk to try vote him off the island.

New GOP Plan: Bomb Mexico! Alexander Ward of Politico: "A growing number of prominent Republicans are rallying around the idea that to solve the fentanyl crisis, America must bomb it away. In recent weeks, Donald Trump has discussed sending 'special forces' and using 'cyber warfare' to target cartel leaders if he's reelected president and, per Rolling Stone, asked for 'battle plans' to strike Mexico. Reps. Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas) and Mike Waltz (R-Fla.) introduced a bill seeking authorization for the use of military force to 'put us at war with the cartels.' Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) said he is open to sending U.S. troops into Mexico to target drug lords even without that nation's permission. And lawmakers in both chambers have filed legislation to label some cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, a move supported by GOP presidential aspirants.... Should a Republican defeat Biden in 2024, those ideas could become policy, especially if Trump -- the GOP frontrunner -- reclaims the Oval Office." ~~~

     ~~~ Bombs Away! Marie: Since China is "the primary source of fentanyl and fentanyl-related substances," and India is getting in on the act, we probably should bomb the world's two most populous countries, too. I feel really ashamed of accusing the GOP of having no ideas about how to solve Americans' problems.

Musk Is Still a Dimwit. Paul Farhi of the Washington Post: "Twitter and its billionaire owner, Elon Musk, have backed off a controversial description of NPR as 'state-affiliated media,' relabeling the news organization's social media account as 'government funded.'... In addition to its unsavory connotation, the label appears to have been inconsistently applied. Several news organizations that receive government funding, as NPR does, have not been so labeled by Twitter.... The 'government funded' label appears to be a new one for Twitter, representing a kind of compromise from Twitter's previous labeling. On Saturday, it began placing the 'government funded' brand on other news outlets that receive some state support, including PBS, BBC and Voice of America. But the designation doesn't appear on Twitter accounts run by other such organizations, such as Canada's CBC News." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Musk's pretense of being a First-Amendment advocate is laughable. His only interest in a free press is in elevating right-wing outlets. Musk views NPR as a liberal outlet, so he thought he'd just defame them as a state-controlled entity. As many actual liberals will tell you, NPR's supposed unbiased content has left them yelling at their radios on many occasions on account of the inaccurate, right-wing slant of many reports.

Fox Settles a Defamation Case, But Not That Defamation Case. Maureen Farrell of the New York Times: "Fox News and one of its former hosts, Lou Dobbs, have settled a defamation suit with a Venezuelan businessman [Majed Khalil] whom the network linked to voting-system fraud in the 2020 election. In a letter filed on Saturday to a federal judge in the Southern District of New York, the parties said they had reached a confidential settlement, although they did not disclose the terms.... The settlement comes days before jury selection this week in [the Dominion Voting Systems defamation case]." Law & Crime's report is here.

Presidential Race 2024. Marie: Frank Luntz is a level-headed, reality-based Republican pollster who has spent a long career analyzing the psyche of the party/cult via focus groups. His op-ed in the New York Times, advising other potential Republican candidates on how to get rid of Trump sounds to me both spot on and scary. Scary because if a reasonable-sounding candidate follows Luntz's advice, s/he could win not just the primary but the presidency. Read the opinion and see if what Republicans want is what you want. I doubt it.

Way Beyond the Beltway

Ukraine, et al.

The Washington Post's live briefing of developments Monday in Russia's war on Ukraine is here: "As Ukraine prepares for its upcoming spring counteroffensive against Russia, it is in need of more soldiers and weapons. Men in uniforms are knocking on doors and sometimes handing out draft papers on street corners as battlefield losses mount. Recently leaked U.S. intelligence documents indicate that Ukraine is also facing an alarming shortfall of Western-supplied ammunition and air defense weapons, raising concerns about the embattled country's ability to lead the much-hyped counteroffensive. Heavy fighting continued Sunday in the eastern Donetsk region, as Pope Francis made an Easter appeal for peace in Ukraine."

Helene Cooper, et al., of the New York Times: "... without a huge influx of munitions, Ukraine's entire air defense network, weakened by repeated barrages from Russian drones and missiles, could fracture, according to U.S. officials and newly leaked Pentagon documents, potentially allowing President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia to unleash his lethal fighter jets in ways that could change the course of the war.... Ukrainian air defenses designed to protect troops on the front line, where much of Russia’s air power is concentrated, will 'be completely reduced' by May 23, resulting in strains on the air defense network deeper into Ukrainian territory. If that happens, officials say, Moscow could decide it is finally safe for its prized fighter jets and bombers to enter the fray and directly threaten the outcome of the war on the ground." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: IOW, if you thought maybe President Zelensky was whining too much about needing military equipment and munitions, well, no. They don't even have enough bullets, for pete's sake, according to a story linked yesterday. ~~~

     ~~~ AND, according to a report by Jara Jakes of the New York Times, "... the combined output of all 11 of the factories that make the shells in Europe will still fall far short of meeting Ukraine's desperate needs. It's a problem that has reverberated across NATO nations, more than three decades after the end of the Cold War led many to pare military spending to the bone in favor of generous social welfare spending. And now, as even the United States is struggling to meet the demand for weapons systems and other matériel, officials and analysts increasingly question whether Europe will be able to expand production from its shrunken military-industrial sector enough to provide Ukraine the assistance it needs."

Dan Lamothe of the Washington Post: "A Russian fighter jet nearly shot down a British surveillance plane last year, according to a leaked U.S. military document circulating online, an incident more significant than was previously disclosed and that could have drawn the United States and its NATO allies directly into the Ukraine war. The near miss occurred on Sept. 29 off the coast of Crimea, the heavily fortified Ukrainian peninsula that Russia seized in 2014 and has used to base its Black Sea naval fleet and launch attacks elsewhere in Ukraine."

News Ledes

New York Times: "Al Jaffee, a cartoonist who folded in when the trend in magazine publishing was to fold out, thereby creating one of Mad magazine's most recognizable and enduring features, died on Monday in Manhattan. He was 102.... It was in 1964 that Mr. Jaffee created the Mad Fold-In, an illustration-with-text feature on the inside of the magazine's back cover that seemed at first glance to deliver a straightforward message. When the page was folded in thirds, however, both illustration and text were transformed into something entirely different and unexpected, often with a liberal-leaning or authority-defying message."

New York Times: "At least five people were killed and eight others were injured in a shooting at a bank in downtown Louisville, Ky., on Monday morning, the police said. The suspected gunman died at the scene. Paul Humphrey, the deputy chief of the Louisville Metro Police Department, said that the police received calls around 8:30 a.m. about a shooting at Old National Bank and when they arrived on the scene, 'they encountered the suspect almost immediately, still firing gunshots.' Chief Humphrey said that the gunman, whose name was not immediately released, was confirmed dead at the scene.... It was not clear if the gunman was included among the five dead. [See WashPo report, linked next.] The police did not say what the gunman's motive was, but they said that he had a connection to the bank and may have been a current or former employee." Thanks to Bobby Lee for the heads-up. ~~~

     ~~~ The Washington Post is live-updating developments: "A shooter killed four people at a bank in downtown Louisville, police said Monday morning. Police shot the assailant, authorities said, but it was unclear whether the person died of a self-inflicted wound. Two officers were injured, with one in critical condition. Another victim is also in critical condition, authorities said. Eight people in total were being treated for injuries late Monday morning. There is no active danger, authorities said."

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