February 14, 2023

Afternoon/Evening Update:

Alan Feuer, et al., of the New York Times: "Federal prosecutors overseeing the investigation into ... Donald J. Trump's handling of classified documents are seeking to pierce assertions of attorney-client privilege and compel one of his lawyers to answer more questions before a grand jury, according to two people.... The prosecutors have sought approval from a federal judge to invoke what is known as the crime-fraud exception, which allows them to work around attorney-client privilege when they have reason to believe that legal advice or legal services have been used in furthering a crime. The fact that prosecutors invoked the exception in a sealed motion to compel the testimony of the lawyer, M. Evan Corcoran, suggests that they believe Mr. Trump or his allies might have used Mr. Corcoran's services in that way.... After his [recent] appearance in front of the grand jury, Mr. Corcoran received notice that the Justice Department was seeking to use the exception to break through his assertions of privilege [on certain questions]...."

Charlie Savage of the New York Times: "The Biden administration has agreed to brief top congressional leaders at the end of this month about the classified documents that were improperly in the custody of ... Donald J. Trump, President Biden and former Vice President Mike Pence, officials said on Tuesday. The deal for a Justice Department briefing with the so-called Gang of Eight, a select group of House and Senate members with whom the most sensitive intelligence is shared, may ease long-simmering tensions over bipartisan demands by the Senate Intelligence Committee to see the files. Still, the briefing would include only the top two members of the committee and not its rank-and-file members.... And while the Justice Department has agreed to reveal additional information about the nature of the records to the Gang of Eight, it is resisting providing access to the documents themselves, which it considers key evidence in continuing investigations. Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, the panel's chairman, Senator Mark Warner, Democrat of Virginia, said the details of what would be shared remained 'a work in progress.'"

Justin Gomez & Alexandra Hutzler of ABC News: "White House spokesperson John Kirby said Tuesday the intelligence community is 'considering as a leading explanation' that the three objects shot down over the weekend 'could just be balloons tied to some commercial or benign purpose.' But Kirby told reporters the U.S. is still not able to call them anything other than 'objects' at this point, adding that officials are 'pretty comfortable' ruling out that the objects belonged to the U.S. government." MB: If these UFOs were legitimately floating the friendly skies, wouldn't the owners would squawk, in the form of a lawsuit, for having their expensive projects shot down? ~~~

     ~~~ Update: Michael Shear & Karou Demirjian of the New York Times: [John Kirby] "said that no company or other organization had contacted the government to say they were the owners of the objects that were shot down.... Senator Mark Warner, a Virginia Democrat who is the chairman of the committee, said the government's tracking of airborne objects launched for legitimate purposes needs to be improved.... Mr. Warner said the administration needed to be 'much more aggressive' about ensuring 'a much better notification process with the authorities' to register legitimate scientific, weather and other craft so officials would know which outliers were potentially cause for alarm."

Amy Wang & Adrian Blanco of the Washington Post: "The Senate on Tuesday confirmed President Biden's 100th judicial nominee, marking a significant milestone in Democrats' efforts to remake the courts, after ... Donald Trump filled more than 200 judicial openings during his term in office.... On Monday night, the Senate confirmed Cindy K. Chung to be the U.S. circuit judge for the 3rd Circuit. On Tuesday, in a 54-45 vote, the Senate confirmed Gina R. Mendez-Miró to be the U.S. district judge for the District of Puerto Rico." MB: Take a look at the diversity chart embedded in the article. Not a fair comparison because Clinton served eight years & Biden only two, but Biden has appointed only five white men; Clinton appointed 197.

Amy Wang of the Washington Post: "Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) on Tuesday announced she would not seek reelection in 2024, putting to rest uncertainty over whether she would seek a sixth full term as the oldest sitting senator. Feinstein, 89, said she would instead focus on accomplishing 'as much for California as I can through the end of next year' when her term ends.... Two California Democrats -- Reps. Katie Porter, 49, and Adam B. Schiff, 62 -- have already launched campaigns to fill Feinstein's seat. Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), 76, has told colleagues that she intends to run for the Senate seat as well." CNN's report is here.

Josh Marshall of TPM: "... Republicans are now aghast that anyone would be claiming they want to cut Social Security. But last year the Republican Study Committee -- a House caucus which includes about 75% of all House Republicans -- released a proposed 2023 budget which included basically every kind of Social Security cut on offer. The Blueprint to Save America proposed raising the eligibility age at first to 70 and then higher if and when life expectancy goes up; it proposed cutting (or in their words 'modernizing') the benefit formula for everyone currently 54 and under; means-testing Social Security benefits; including work requirements for some Social Security beneficiaries; and allowing people to divert payroll taxes into private investment accounts -- aka 'retirement freedom.'... RSC members are out hitting the airwaves now claiming that none of this ever happened. In fact, new RSC Chair Rep. Kevin Hern (OK), who oversaw the creation of the Blueprint, says this: 'There is NO Republican in Washington, DC, in the House of Representatives or the Senate, that wants to CUT the benefits for seniors on Social Security and Medicare. That's a falsehood. That's a lie.'"

Alex Griffing of Mediaite: "... Donald Trump had been widely discussing with 'close associates' ahead of his 2024 presidential campaign bringing back the death penalty, expanding the execution methods used by the federal government, and even broadcasting executions as a means to deter violent crime and drug dealers, Rolling Stone reported on Tuesday, citing multiple sources close to Trump.... 'Trump has talked about bringing back death by firing squad, by hanging, and, according to two of the sources, possibly even by guillotine. He has also, sources say, discussed group executions.'" MB: I oppose the death penalty, but if whatever will be will be, I can think of one traitor we could use to test the guillotine, even though the subject I have in mind is kind of a no-neck. And yes, in the national interest, broadcast the execution.

Dan Mangan of CNBC: "A New York appeals court panel on Tuesday upheld a $110,000 fine on ... Donald Trump that a judge imposed last spring after he was found in contempt for failing to turn over documents to the state attorney general's office as part of an investigation of his company. The panel of five justices ruled that Trump's contempt fine for not complying with a subpoena for the records was a 'proper exercise' of the discretionary power of Manhattan Supreme Court Judge Arthur Engoron. The panel also said the fine of $10,000 per day 'was not excessive or otherwise improper, under the particular circumstances.'"

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Balloonapalooza:

Rebecca Shabad of NBC News: "The Biden administration is forming an interagency group with the goal of addressing the recent spate of objects in the skies above North America, the White House announced Monday. 'The president, through his national security adviser, has today directed an interagency team to study the broader policy implications for detection, analysis, and disposition of unidentified aerial objects that pose either safety or security risks,' National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said at a White House press briefing. 'Every element of the government will redouble their efforts to understand and mitigate these events,' he added." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Zachary Cohen & Jeremy Herb of CNN: "The unidentified flying object shot down in Canadian airspace on Saturday appeared to be a 'small, metallic balloon with a tethered payload below it,' according to a Pentagon memo sent to lawmakers on Monday and obtained by CNN. The memo offers the first official details of one of the three objects shot down in recent days that was previously described as a 'cylindrical object.' The object crossed near 'US sensitive sites' before it was shot down, the memo said. Defense officials also wrote in the memo to lawmakers that the object shot down over Lake Huron, in Michigan on Sunday, 'subsequently slowly descended' into the water after impact." This confirms what Forrest M. pointed out in yesterday's Comments: that these UFOs are not so much "unidentified flying objects" as they are "unidentified floating objects."

Luis Martinez of ABC News: "A crane ship on the scene where a Chinese surveillance balloon went down in waters off South Carolina has raised from the ocean bottom a significant portion of the balloon's payload, a U.S. official said Monday. Officials have said the payload measured as much as 30-feet-long and had all of [the] craft's tech gear and antennas.... With regard to other object shot down Friday and over the weekend, the official said the U.S. military continues to look for the remnants from the take out of the sky off the coast of Alaska.... The U.S. wants to pinpoint the exact location before it places personnel in dangerous icy conditions, the official said. A Navy P-8 search plane was in the sky looking for debris. Concerning the object shot down over Canada, the official said, that country's government is taking the lead but has not yet located the debris. And about the object shot down Sunday afternoon over Lake Huron in Michigan, the official said, the U.S. Coast Guard and Canadian authorities are still looking for the debris that landed on water." (Also linked yesterday.)

Lily Quo of the Washington Post: "China's Foreign Ministry on Monday said the United States has sent at least 10 unsanctioned balloons into Chinese airspace since last year, as the two countries feud over a Chinese airship discovered and shot down by the U.S. military this month. The United States denied the allegation.... Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said in a press briefing that it was 'common' for U.S. high-altitude balloons to fly into other countries' airspace." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Victoria Guida & Ben White of Politico: "President Joe Biden will tap Federal Reserve Vice Chair Lael Brainard for the White House's top economic policy job as the U.S. braces for a high-stakes fight over the debt ceiling and a possible recession, according to two administration officials. Brainard will replace Brian Deese as director of the National Economic Council, becoming the first woman to head the agency since 1996. Jared Bernstein, a longtime adviser to Biden, will likely become the president's chief economist, according to the officials...."

Stephanie Lai of the New York Times: "President Biden on Monday fired J. Brett Blanton, the federal official responsible for the maintenance and operation of the Capitol complex, amid bipartisan calls for his resignation, after an investigative report accusing him of misusing his position and revelations that he avoided the Capitol during the Jan. 6, 2021, attack. Mr. Blanton, who was appointed in 2019 as the architect of the Capitol, had been under scrutiny for more than a year after a report by the inspector general of his office in 2021 documented evidence supporting serious allegations against Mr. Blanton, including that he had misused his office vehicle, misled investigators and impersonated a police officer on multiple occasions. But concerns among lawmakers in both parties intensified at a 90-minute hearing on Friday in which Mr. Blanton gave noncommittal and at times contradictory answers about his conduct, including his decision to stay away from the Capitol during the Jan. 6 riot. On Monday morning, Speaker Kevin McCarthy said on Twitter that Mr. Blanton 'no longer has my confidence to continue in his job,' and should resign or be removed by Mr. Biden." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Don't let that passive voice "was appointed" fool you. Blanton "was appointed" by Donald Trump, although it does not appear he had any relationship with Trump.

Paul Krugman of the New York Times: "... many Republicans do >want to eviscerate [Social Security and Medicare]. To believe otherwise requires both willful naïveté and amnesia about 40 years of political history.... First, Republicans have tried to make deep cuts to Social Security and Medicare every time they thought there might be a political window of opportunity. Second, on each occasion they've done exactly what they're doing now: claiming that Democrats are engaged in smear tactics when they describe G.O.P. plans using exactly the same words Republicans themselves used.... Soon after taking office [in 1981] Ronald Reagan proposed major cuts to Social Security.... [When Newt Gingrich shut down the government in 1995, his] key demand was that President Bill Clinton agree to large cuts in Medicare and Medicaid. After Republicans gained control of the House in 2010, Paul Ryan began pushing for major cuts in spending. One key element was converting Medicare ... to a system offering people fixed sums of money to be applied to the purchase of private insurance.... Before becoming Florida's governor, [Ron] DeSantis enthusiastically endorsed Ryan's Medicare voucher proposal and declared that allowing seniors to retire in their late 60s was 'unsustainable.'"

Kyle Cheney & Josh Gerstein of Politico: "Mike Pence is preparing to resist a grand jury subpoena for testimony about ... Donald Trump's push to overturn the 2020 election, according to two people familiar with the former vice president's thinking. Pence's decision to challenge Special Counsel Jack Smith's request has little to do with executive privilege, the people said. Rather, Pence is set to argue that his former role as president of the Senate -- therefore a member of the legislative branch -- shields him from certain Justice Department demands. Pence allies say he is covered by the constitutional provision that protects congressional officials from legal proceedings related to their work -- language known as the 'speech or debate' clause.... The legal question of whether the vice president draws the same 'speech-or-debate' protections as members of Congress remains largely unsettled, and constitutional scholars say Pence raising the issue will almost certainly force a court to weigh in....

"DOJ has, notably, argued in civil litigation that the 'speech or debate' clause protects the vice president when working on Senate business. The department explicitly asserted in 2021 that Pence was shielded by the 'speech or debate' clause in a civil lawsuit related to his role presiding over Congress' Jan. 6 session.... [But] 'The literal language is that this applies to "senators and representatives,"' said [Neil] Eggleston, who advised former President Barack Obama from 2014 to 2017." MB: However the courts shake this out, pence's decision to fight the subpoena is a chicken-shit, self-serving move.

Danny Hakim & Richard Fausset of the New York Times: "A Georgia judge said on Monday that he would disclose parts of a grand jury report later this week that details an investigation into election interference by ... Donald J. Trump and his allies, though he would keep the jury's specific recommendations secret for now. In making his ruling, the judge, Robert C.I. McBurney of Fulton County Superior Court, said the special grand jury raised concerns in its report 'that some witnesses may have lied under oath during their testimony.' But the eight-page ruling included few other revelations about the report, the contents of which have been carefully guarded, with the only physical copy in the possession of the district attorney's office." Politico's report is here. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Presidential Race 2020. Dylan Wells of the Washington Post: "Nikki Haley, who served as U.N. ambassador and governor of South Carolina, announced Tuesday that she is running for president, becoming the first major rival to officially challenge Donald Trump for the GOP nomination in 2024. Haley released an online video saying, 'It's time for a new generation of leadership.... I'm Nikki Haley, and I'm running for president.'"

Beyond the Beltway

Florida Man Gets Temp Job That Pays $700K + Benefits. Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics: "Richard Corcoran has been offered a contract with a nearly $699,000 salary to become New College of Florida's interim President. The board of trustees for the Sarasota university approved a major compensation package weeks after firing former President Patricia Okker. In addition to the hefty salary, the school will offer an $84,000 housing allowance and a $12,000 auto allowance. That puts the entire package worth around $795,000 to lead a school with about 700 students enrolled.... The school will begin a national search for President as well, and Corcoran is expected to pursue the long-term position.... Student Trustee Grace Keenan notably raised Sunshine Law concerns about the hiring. Corcoran's lobbying firm announced his hire as the interim President of New College before trustees met. She said the sequence of events 'gives the impression' the board was doing business behind closed doors."

Way Beyond

Israel. Patrick Kingsley & Isabel Kershner of the New York Times: "A battle over the future of Israel's judiciary -- perceived by many as a fight for the soul of Israel's democracy -- grew more fraught and fractious on Monday as roughly 100,000 protesters from across the country filled the streets outside Parliament in Jerusalem in one of the biggest-ever demonstrations in the city.... The demonstrators gathered to oppose a sweeping judicial overhaul proposed by Israel's new government -- the most right-wing and religiously conservative in the country's history -- that has bitterly divided Israelis. The changes, envisioned by the governing coalition led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, would reduce the Supreme Court's ability to revoke laws passed in Parliament and give the government greater influence over who gets to be a judge.... To critics, the proposals would instead damage Israeli democracy by giving too much power to the government; endangering minority rights; and removing limits on Mr. Netanyahu's ability to enact legislation that might allow him to escape punishment in his ongoing corruption trial. Mr. Netanyahu denies that the proposals are for his personal benefit." MB: Yeah, even if it happens to work out that way.

Ukraine, et al.

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

Yasmeen Abutaleb & John Hudson of the Washington Post: "As the first anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine nears, U.S. officials are telling Ukrainian leaders they face a critical moment to change the trajectory of the war, raising the pressure on Kyiv to make significant gains on the battlefield while weapons and aid from the United States and its allies are surging. Despite promises to back Ukraine 'as long as it takes,' Biden officials say recent aid packages from Congress and America's allies represent Kyiv's best chance to decisively change the course of the war. Many conservatives in the Republican-led House have vowed to pull back support, and Europe's long-term appetite for funding the war effort remains unclear."

Andrew Kramer of the New York Times: "Poorly trained Russian soldiers captured by Ukraine describe being used as cannon fodder by commanders throwing waves of bodies into an assault.... The New York Times interviewed ... Russians at a detention center near Lviv in Ukraine's west, where many captured enemy soldiers are sent.... The soldiers ... were recruited from penal colonies by the private military company known as Wagner.... Using infantry to storm trenches, redolent of World War I, brings high casualties. So far, the tactic has been used primarily by Wagner in the push for Bakhmut.... Russia's regular army this month began recruiting convicts in exchange for pardons, shifting the practice on the Russian side in the war from the Wagner private army to the military.... On Sunday, the British defense intelligence agency said that over the past two weeks, Russia had probably suffered its highest rate of casualties since the first week of the invasion." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

News Ledes

CNBC: "Inflation turned higher to start 2023, as rising shelter, gas and fuel prices took their toll on consumers, the Labor Department reported Tuesday. The consumer price index, which measures a broad basket of common goods and services, rose 0.5% in January, which translated to an annual gain of 6.4%. Economists surveyed by Dow Jones had been looking for respective increases of 0.4% and 6.2%."

New York Times: "A gunman killed three people and wounded five others at Michigan State University on Monday, setting off a police manhunt and forcing students to hide in their dormitories at one of America's largest university campuses.The gunman, a 43-year-old man, eventually died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, police said.... The five wounded people were in critical condition as of early Tuesday morning and were being treated at Sparrow Hospital.... The suspect had no connection to the university...." This is a liveblog. ~~~

     ~~~ CNN's report is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: The purpose of the Second Amendment, not clearly specified therein, is to allow Americans -- especially if they're white men -- to express their personal difficulties by randomly murdering people they don't know, then killing themselves. Thank you, Supremes, for clearing that up. And quit complaining that you also are in danger of being attacked by unhappy gunmen.

February 13, 2023

Afternoon Update:

Rebecca Shabad of NBC News: "The Biden administration is forming an interagency group with the goal of addressing the recent spate of objects in the skies above North America, the White House announced Monday. 'The president, through his national security adviser, has today directed an interagency team to study the broader policy implications for detection, analysis, and disposition of unidentified aerial objects that pose either safety or security risks,' National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said at a White House press briefing. 'Every element of the government will redouble their efforts to understand and mitigate these events,' he added."

Luis Martinez of ABC News: "A crane ship on the scene where a Chinese surveillance balloon went down in waters off South Carolina has raised from the ocean bottom a significant portion of the balloon's payload, a U.S. official said Monday. Officials have said the payload measured as much as 30-feet-long and had all of [the] craft's tech gear and antennas.... With regard to other object shot down Friday and over the weekend, the official said the U.S. military continues to look for the remnants from the take out of the sky off the coast of Alaska.... The U.S. wants to pinpoint the exact location before it places personnel in dangerous icy conditions, the official said. A Navy P-8 search plane was in the sky looking for debris. Concerning the object shot down over Canada, the official said, that country's government is taking the lead but has not yet located the debris. And about the object shot down Sunday afternoon over Lake Huron in Michigan, the official said, the U.S. Coast Guard and Canadian authorities are still looking for the debris that landed on water."

Lily Quo of the Washington Post: "China's Foreign Ministry on Monday said the United States has sent at least 10 unsanctioned balloons into Chinese airspace since last year, as the two countries feud over a Chinese airship discovered and shot down by the U.S. military this month. The United States denied the allegation.... Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said in a press briefing that it was 'common' for U.S. high-altitude balloons to fly into other countries' airspace."

Stephanie Lai of the New York Times: "President Biden on Monday fired J. Brett Blanton, the federal official responsible for the maintenance and operation of the Capitol complex, amid bipartisan calls for his resignation, after an investigative report accusing him of misusing his position and revelations that he avoided the Capitol during the Jan. 6, 2021, attack. Mr. Blanton, who was appointed in 2019 as the architect of the Capitol, had been under scrutiny for more than a year after a report by the inspector general of his office in 2021 documented evidence supporting serious allegations against Mr. Blanton, including that he had misused his office vehicle, misled investigators and impersonated a police officer on multiple occasions. But concerns among lawmakers in both parties intensified at a 90-minute hearing on Friday in which Mr. Blanton gave noncommittal and at times contradictory answers about his conduct, including his decision to stay away from the Capitol during the Jan. 6 riot. On Monday morning, Speaker Kevin McCarthy said on Twitter that Mr. Blanton 'no longer has my confidence to continue in his job,' and should resign or be removed by Mr. Biden." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Don't let that passive voice "was appointed" fool you. Blanton "was appointed" by Donald Trump, although it does not appear he had any relationship with Trump.

Danny Hakim & Richard Fausset of the New York Times: "A Georgia judge said on Monday that he would disclose parts of a grand jury report later this week that details an investigation into election interference by ... Donald J. Trump and his allies, though he would keep the jury's specific recommendations secret for now. In making his ruling, the judge, Robert C.I. McBurney of Fulton County Superior Court, said the special grand jury raised concerns in its report 'that some witnesses may have lied under oath during their testimony.' But the eight-page ruling included few other revelations about the report, the contents of which have been carefully guarded, with the only physical copy in the possession of the district attorney's office." Politico's report is here.

Andrew Kramer of the New York Times: "Poorly trained Russian soldiers captured by Ukraine describe being used as cannon fodder by commanders throwing waves of bodies into an assault.... The New York Times interviewed ... Russians at a detention center near Lviv in Ukraine's west, where many captured enemy soldiers are sent.... The soldiers ... were recruited from penal colonies by the private military company known as Wagner.... Using infantry to storm trenches, redolent of World War I, brings high casualties. So far, the tactic has been used primarily by Wagner in the push for Bakhmut.... Russia's regular army this month began recruiting convicts in exchange for pardons, shifting the practice on the Russian side in the war from the Wagner private army to the military.... On Sunday, the British defense intelligence agency said that over the past two weeks, Russia had probably suffered its highest rate of casualties since the first week of the invasion."

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Helene Cooper of the New York Times: "The United States shot down a fourth flying object over North America on Sunday, this one over Lake Huron in Michigan, U.S. officials said. The Pentagon used an F-16 fighter jet that shot the object with a Sidewinder air-to-air missile. This object was unidentified, as was an object shot down over the Yukon Territory in Canada on Saturday and another shot down over the Arctic Ocean near Alaska on Friday." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) CNN's report is here. ~~~

~~~ UFOs Are Still UFOs. Julian Barnes, et al., of the New York Times: "Pentagon and intelligence officials are trying to make sense of three unidentified flying objects over Alaska, Canada and Michigan that U.S. fighter jets shot down with missiles on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.... There are two big questions around the episodes: What were the craft? And why does the United States appear to be seeing more suddenly, and shooting down more? There are no answers to the first question yet. American officials do not know what the objects were, much less their purpose or who sent them. For the second, it is not clear if there are suddenly more objects. But what is certain is that in the wake of the recent incursion by a Chinese spy balloon, the U.S. and Canadian militaries are hypervigilant in flagging some objects that might previously have been allowed to pass.... 'We have been more closely scrutinizing our airspace at these altitudes, including enhancing our radar, which may at least partly explain the increase in objects that we've detected over the past week,' [DOD Assistant Secretary] Melissa Dalton ... said at a news conference on Sunday evening." ~~~

     ~~~ Maybe They're Shapeshifters! Ed Pilkington of the Guardian: "The high-altitude unidentified object, described as an 'octagonal structure' with strings attached to it, was shot down over Lake Huron in Michigan on Sunday." The UFO shot down Saturday over Canada was described as "cylindrical." ~~~

~~~ Chris Buckley of the New York Times: "In 2019..., one of China's top aeronautics scientists made a proud announcement that received little attention back then: His team had launched an airship more than 60,000 feet into the air and sent it sailing around most of the globe, including across North America. The scientist, Wu Zhe, told a state-run news outlet at the time that the 'Cloud Chaser' airship was a milestone in his vision of populating the upper reaches of the earth's atmosphere with steerable balloons that could be used to provide early warnings of natural disasters, monitor pollution or carry out airborne surveillance.... Chinese media reports, academic studies and officials' speeches suggest that Professor Wu has been central to China's balloon development efforts.... Professor Wu has been a founder or major stakeholder in at least three of the six Chinese entities that Washington punished last week for their involvement in what the Biden administration calls Beijing's surveillance balloon program."

The Santos Saga, Ctd. Where Did the Money Go, George? Grace Ashford, et al., of the New York Times: "Representative George Santos has spent his campaign money in plenty of conspicuous ways, from lavish hotel stays in Las Vegas and Palm Beach, Fla., to an unusual slew of payments for exactly $199.99 -- two cents below the threshold where receipts would be required. But deep within Mr. Santos's campaign filings, The New York Times found another eye-catching number: $365,399.08 in unexplained spending, with no record of where it went or for what purpose. The mysterious expenditures, which list no recipient and offer no receipts, account for nearly 12 percent of the Santos campaign's total reported expenses.... The unexplained spending is among a litany of irregularities found in nearly every aspect of how the Santos campaign handled its finances, The Times found.... When the campaign has amended its filings, as it has 36 times, some payments have gone up or simply disappeared. And though other New York candidates list $26,000 in donations from Mr. Santos, the contributions do not appear in his filings at all...."

Maggie Haberman, et al., of the New York Times: "Through witness interviews, subpoenas and other steps, [special counsel Jack] Smith has been moving aggressively since being named to take over the inquiries nearly three months ago, seeking to make good on his goal of resolving as quickly as possible whether [Donald] Trump, still a leading contender for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, should face charges.... In addition to the documents and Jan. 6 investigations, Mr. Smith appears to be pursuing an offshoot of the Jan. 6 case, examining Save America, a pro-Trump political action committee, through which Mr. Trump raised millions of dollars with his false claims of election fraud." ~~~

~~~ Marie: This is rich, and it fits neatly into Akhilleus' humorous theories about what Trump does with classified documents: "In an interview with CNN on Sunday, one of Mr. Trump's lawyers, Tim Parlatore, said the Justice Department had issued a subpoena for a manila folder marked 'classified evening summary' after Mr. Trump's aides provided the department with reports on materials they had found after their own searches. He said it was not actually a classified marking, contained nothing and was being used by Mr. Trump to dim a blue light on his bedside phone at Mar-a-Lago that 'keeps him up at night.'"

Shane Harris, et al., of the Washington Post: "Since [former FBI special agent Charles] McGonigal's arrest [and indictment on charges related to his relationships with Albania & sanctioned Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska], partisans at both ends of the political spectrum have seized his case as evidence of their preexisting views of the FBI. For some, the McGonigal affair confirms that the bureau is the vanguard of a corrupt deep state, a renegade agency that ... Donald Trump for years has said was out to get him. Others see in McGonigal dark suggestions of Russian influence at the highest levels of the U.S. government or even a possible tool used by forces in the FBI to help elect Trump in 2016. Republican and Democratic lawmakers alike have demanded more information on McGonigal from the FBI. GOP critics ask whether he improperly played a role in the opening of the Crossfire Hurricane investigation into Russia's election interference. And Democrats have wondered whether he inappropriately sought to quash the inquiry. McGonigal's precise role in the investigation remains murky."

Tweet, Tweet, Twiddly Dee. Jennifer Rubin of the Washington Post: "As I predicted, MAGA Republicans in charge of House committees are having a difficult time conducting their inquests into made-up scandals. That's because savvy Democrats are effectively turning the tables to use the committees against Republicans. Consider the House Oversight Committee, which held a hearing on Wednesday featuring former Twitter executives. This hearing stemmed from the GOP's obsession with Hunter Biden.... Not only did Republicans fail to produce any evidence that the government was involved in Twitter's decisions regarding Hunter Biden, but they also showed themselves to be unhinged bullies as they insulted and appeared to threaten former Twitter executives.... Things were no better for Republicans during Thursday's hearing for the subcommittee on the weaponization of the federal government chaired by Rep. Jim Jordan (R- Ohio). As the Associated Press reported, the hearing 'featured partisan and sometimes blatantly inaccurate testimony from some of the most veteran Republicans in Congress. Much of it focused on grievances about actions taken by federal officials when ... Donald Trump was in office.'... Democrats came to these hearings prepared and focused. They not only eviscerated GOP conspiracy theories but also did a bang-up job exposing Republicans as the ones who have 'weaponized' the government." Rubin cites & embeds clips of Democrats owning the loons.

David Edwards of the Raw Story: "ABC host George Stephanopoulos asked Republican House Oversight Chair James Comer (KY) if he would investigate Saudi funds provided to ... Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner.... 'It's clear that you're going to be looking at Hunter Biden,' the host said. 'I want to put up a front-page story from the Washington Post detailing Jared Kushner's ties to the Saudis.... Will you be investigating that as well?'... Comer argued that the Republican legislative solution would apply to the Trump family if they returned to the White House.... 'The difference between Jared Kushner and Hunter Biden is that Jared Kushner actually sat down and was interviewed,' Comer said. 'So, he's already been investigated.'... Stephanopoulos pointed out that Kushner's latest Saudi investments were reported in recent days and had not been investigated." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: So here's the House GOP blueprint for how to investigate a Trumpie: Q: "Jared, have you ever done anything untoward?" A: "Certainly not." Result: Investigation concluded, witness cleared of wrongdoing.

Beyond the Beltway

Florida. Joe Hernandez of NPR: "The College Board is hitting back at top officials in Florida over the state's ban on >a new AP African American Studies course that's being piloted in several states. In a lengthy statement released Saturday, the national education nonprofit said it should have more quickly addressed claims by Florida's Department of Education that the course was indoctrinating students and lacked educational value, which the College Board called 'slander.' The organization also said that Florida's public and private objections had no bearing on changes the College Board made to the final curriculum of the course, which it released earlier this month. 'Florida is attempting to claim a political victory by taking credit retroactively for changes we ourselves made but that they never suggested to us,' the College Board said in a statement. 'While it has been claimed that the College Board was in frequent dialogue with Florida about the content of AP African American Studies, this is a false and politically motivated charge,' the statement said." MB: Why am I skeptical?

Way Beyond

Turkey. Ramon Vargas of the Guardian: "A US resident from Pakistan has anonymously donated $30m to victims of the earthquake that recently killed thousands of people in Turkey and Syria and devastated the countries' infrastructure, according to officials."

Ukraine, et al.

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

     ~~~ The Washington Post's live briefing for Monday is here: "NATO is set to host a two-day gathering of defense ministers in Brussels starting Tuesday. It comes amid concerns in some quarters that the West's own stocks of weapons are being depleted after a year of supplying Kyiv. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will host a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, which is made up of senior military officials from more than 50 nations who have been providing Ukraine with weapons and other aid. While many members of the group represent NATO-aligned nations, it is not affiliated with the military alliance. Kyiv appears hopeful it can win over the West on its request for fighter jets. Ukraine's ambassador to Britain, Vadym Prystaiko, told the BBC on Sunday that allies eventually coalesced around sending long-range weapons and tanks and could also do so on jets: 'Let's wait and see.'"

Susan Blann of the AP: "Russian forces over the weekend continued to shell Ukrainian cities amid a grinding push to seize more land in the east of the country, with Ukrainian officials saying that Moscow is having trouble launching its much-anticipated large-scale offensive there."

Francesca Ebel & Mary Ilyushina of the Washington Post: "Russian President Vladimir Putin's war has set off a historic exodus of his own people. Initial data show that at least 500,000, and perhaps nearly 1 million, have left in the year since the invasion began -- a tidal wave on scale with emigration following the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution and the Soviet Union's collapse in 1991.... In late December, Russia's communications ministry reported that 10 percent of the country's IT workers had left in 2022 and not returned.... There has ... been talk in parliament of punishing Russians who left by stripping them of their assets at home. Putin has referred to those who left as 'scum' and said their exit would 'cleanse' the country.... While Ukrainian refugees were embraced in the West, many countries shunned the Russians, uncertain if they were friends or foes and if, on some level, the entire country was culpable."

News Lede

The Washington Post's live updates of developments in the aftermath of the earthquake that devastated parts of Turkey & Syria are here. "One week after devastating earthquakes tore through southern Turkey and northwestern Syria, aid groups say help has been slow to reach the people of Syria, with pressure mounting on global leaders to overcome the logistical and political challenges caused by the country's civil war. The death toll in both countries passed 36,000 on Monday, and tens of thousands of survivors have been left injured or homeless."

February 12, 2023

Afternoon Update:

Helene Cooper of the New York Times: "The United States shot down a fourth flying object over North America on Sunday, this one over Lake Huron in Michigan, U.S. officials said. The Pentagon used an F-16 fighter jet that shot the object with a Sidewinder air-to-air missile. This object was unidentified, as was an object shot down over the Yukon Territory in Canada on Saturday and another shot down over the Arctic Ocean near Alaska on Friday."

~~~~~~~~~~~

Paula Newton of CNN: "Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Saturday that an 'unidentified object' had been shot down over Canadian airspace on his orders. 'I ordered the take down of an unidentified object that violated Canadian airspace. @NORADCommand shot down the object over the Yukon. Canadian and U.S. aircraft were scrambled, and a U.S. F-22 successfully fired at the object,' Trudeau said on Twitter. Trudeau said that he spoke with US President Joe Biden on Saturday and that Canadian forces will lead the object recovery operation. Canadian Defense Minister Anita Anand tweeted Saturday that she had discussed the incident with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin 'and reaffirmed that we'll always defend our sovereignty together.'" MB: It will be fun to find out just who is giving every world leader a chance to shoot down his very own UFO. (Also linked yesterday.) The New York Times story is here. ~~~

~~~ Reality Chex Exclusive. Marie Burns: Case closed. I've identified the UFO: ~~~

Evan Perez & Kristen Holmes of CNN: "Trump attorney Christina Bobb appeared before a federal grand jury in Washington, DC, in recent weeks in connection with the investigation into ... Donald Trump's handling of classified documents, two sources have told CNN. Bobb's appearance marks the second Trump lawyer involved with Trump's handling of government documents to meet with the grand jury recently. CNN reported that Trump attorney Evan Corcoran appeared before the grand jury last month."

Hugo Lowell of the Guardian: "Donald Trump's lawyers turned over an empty manilla folder marked 'Classified Evening Briefing' after the US justice department issued a subpoena for its surrender once prosecutors became aware that it was located inside the private quarters of the former president's Mar-a-Lago resort, two sources familiar with the matter said. The previously unreported subpoena was issued last month, the sources said, as the recently appointed special counsel [Jack Smith] escalates the inquiry into Trump's possible unauthorized retention of national security materials and obstruction of justice."

Oh, He Knew. Josh Dawsey of the Washington Post: "... Donald Trump's 2020 campaign commissioned an outside research firm in a bid to prove electoral-fraud claims but never released the findings because the firm disputed many of his theories and could not offer any proof that he was the rightful winner of the election, according to four people familiar with the matter. The campaign paid researchers from Berkeley Research Group, the people said, to study 2020 election results in six states, looking for fraud and irregularities to highlight in public and in the courts.... The work was carried out in the final weeks of 2020, before the Jan. 6 riot of Trump supporters at the U.S. Capitol.... The research also contradicted some of Trump's more conspiratorial theories, such as his baseless allegations about rigged voting machines and large numbers of dead people voting." A CNN report, based on the WashPo story, is here.

It Was Always About the Money. Michael Kranish of the Washington Post: "In early 2021, as Donald Trump exited the White House, he and his son-in-law Jared Kushner faced unprecedented business challenges. Revenue at Trump's properties had plummeted during his presidency, and the attack on the U.S. Capitol by his supporters made his brand even more polarizing. Kushner, whose last major business foray had left his family firm needing a $1.2 billion bailout, faced his own political fallout as a senior Trump aide.But one ally moved quickly to the rescue. The day after leaving the White House, Kushner created a company that he transformed months later into a private equity firm with $2 billion from a sovereign wealth fund chaired by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.... A year after his presidency, Trump's golf courses began hosting tournaments for the Saudi fund-backed LIV Golf. Separately, the former president's family company, the Trump Organization, secured an agreement with a Saudi real estate company that plans to build a Trump hotel as part of a $4 billion golf resort in Oman. The substantial investments by the Saudis in enterprises that benefited both men came after they cultivated close ties with Mohammed while Trump was in office -- helping the crown prince's standing by scheduling Trump's first presidential trip to Saudi Arabia, backing him amid numerous international crises and meeting with him repeatedly in D.C. and the kingdom...."

2024 Presidential Race. Maureen Dowd of the New York Times argues that President Biden will run for re-election.

Marie: Here's a chicken-and-egg question: (1) Does the GOP not know how to govern because they don't believe in government, or (2) do they not believe in government because they have no idea how to govern? Whichever the answer, Matt Gaetz's latest screw-up is emblematic of the incompetence of the House's so-called GOP "leadership": ~~~

~~~ Sara Boboltz of the Huffington Post: "Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) kicked off the first meeting of the House Judiciary Committee last week by cordially inviting an accused murderer to lead the Pledge of Allegiance. Under its new Republican leadership, the 118th Congress' judiciary committee may choose to start each hearing with the pledge ― an amendment to the rules put forth by Gaetz, who said it allowed members to invite 'inspirational constituents' to lead it. The first honor went to Corey Beekman, a retired National Guard member accused of killing a man in 2019 whose case has not gone to trial.... Beekman ... allegedly shot and killed 32-year-old William Buchanan at a home in northern Michigan in April 2019.... The Buchanan family told multiple news outlets that they were horrified to hear about Gaetz honoring Beekman.... The Buchanans said they received a U.S. flag that had flown over the Capitol from Gaetz's office, alongside a signed letter from the congressman with his condolences and an apology.... Gaetz told the outlet that Beekman had reached out to his office for assistance and that no one in his office thought to conduct a thorough background check on a veteran in need.... '... A simple Google search would have shown that Mr. Beekman killed a man in rural Mason County,' [said Mason County, Michigan, Sheriff Kim Cole]."

Way Beyond the Beltway

Florida. It's Come to This. Nicole Acevedo of NBC News: "A book about late Afro-Puerto Rican MLB legend Roberto Clemente can't be found in the shelves of public school libraries in Florida's Duval County these days. 'Roberto Clemente: Pride of the Pittsburgh Pirates' by Jonah Winter and Raúl Colón -- and other books about Latino figures such as the late Afro-Cuban salsa singer Celia Cruz and Justice Sonia Sotomayor -- are among the more than 1 million titles that have been 'covered or stored and paused for student use' at the Duval County Public Schools District, according to Chief Academic Officer Paula Renfro. School officials are in the process of determining if such books comply with state laws [promoted and signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis (R)] and can be included in school libraries.... Books must align with state standards such as not teach ... critical race theory, which examines systemic racism in American society, in public grade schools; and not include references to pornography and discrimination, according to the school district." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Well, you wouldn't want any little white children to feel uncomfortable when they found out their heroes had to overcome racism.

Florida. Lori Rozsa of the Washington Post: "Florida lawmakers granted Gov. Ron DeSantis new power over Disney on Friday during a special session aimed at fixing problems with some of the rising Republican leader's most controversial signature initiatives. Legislators approved a bill that creates a new special tax district entirely composed of DeSantis appointees to oversee the land on which Disney's amusement parks operate in Florida -- effectively giving the governor influence over operations ranging from tax collection and garbage pickup to construction and planning. The takeover comes nearly a year after DeSantis demanded the state dissolve the Reedy Creek Improvement District, the Disney-controlled board i place since 1967."

Turkey. Ben Hubbard, et al., of the New York Times: "Turkish officials on Saturday began detaining dozens of contractors they blamed for some of the building collapses in Monday's devastating earthquake, as anger swelled over the government's slow rescue effort and the death toll in the country surpassed 24,000. More than 100 people were detained across the 10 provinces affected by the quake, the state-run Anadolu News Agency reported on Saturday, as the Turkish Justice Ministry ordered officials in those provinces to set up 'Earthquake Crimes Investigation Units.' It also directed them to appoint prosecutors to bring criminal charges against all the 'constructors and those responsible' for the collapse of buildings that failed to meet existing codes, which had been put in place after a similar disaster in 1999." An AP story is here.

Ukraine, et al. The Washington Post's live briefing of developments Sunday in Russia's war on Ukraine is here: "Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is ramping up efforts to stamp out corruption in Ukraine's public institutions, following his recent visit with European Union leaders -- a key requirement of Kyiv's aspiration to join the bloc. In his nightly address, Zelensky said he met with defense and legal officials to discuss how to protect government agencies from 'any attempts from outside or inside to reduce their effectiveness and efficiency.'... Ukraine continues to rule out peace talks with Russia.Only a Ukrainian victory would end 'the war in Europe,' presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said Saturday, adding that otherwise Russia will 'criminally dominate the world.' The head of the Russian mercenary group Wagner said it could take Moscow up to two years to seize the regions of eastern Ukraine it illegally claimed annexation of in September, and three years if it wants to occupy areas east of the Dnieper River." ~~~

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

News Lede

The Guardian's live updates of developments in search, rescue & recovery efforts in Turkey & Syria are here.