November 4, 2022

Afternoon Update:

Sadly, much of the news is about the Biggest Jerk & his friends. I just ignored it earlier in the day, but I guess these are things you might want to know.

Michael Bender & Haley Johnson of the New York Times: "... Donald J. Trump is expected to announce a third White House campaign soon after the midterms, possibly as soon as the week of Nov. 14, according to people familiar with the planning. Advisors cautioned that no final decisions had been made and that the former president could change his mind on the details. The potential announcement date was first reported by Axios. Mr. Trump has been eager to launch a new campaign, in part to shield himself from a stream of investigations, including some focused on his attempts to cling to power after losing the 2020 election."

Glenn Thrush of the New York Times: "The Justice Department hopes to reach a decision on whether to bring charges against ... Donald J. Trump before the 2024 campaign heats up, and is considering appointing a special counsel to oversee investigations of him if he runs again, according to people familiar with the situation.The department is investigating Mr. Trump's role in the efforts to reverse the outcome of the 2020 election and the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, and his retention of sensitive government documents at his residence and resort in Florida. It has made no decision in either case...." CNN's report is here.

MSNBC reported live today that Trump missed his deadline to produce records in according with a January 6 House committee subpoena.

Annie Grayer & Zachary Cohen of CNN: "The House January 6 select committee is getting a window into ... Donald Trump's motorcade on the day of the US Capitol attack, interviewing on Friday the Secret Service agent who was in the lead car on January 6 and scheduling testimony from the driver of Trump's presidential vehicle as soon as next week, multiple sources tell CNN."

Tom Jackman & Rachel Weiner of the Washington Post: "Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes took the stand in federal court Friday in an attempt to convince a jury of Washington, D.C., residents that he committed no crime when members of his group went into the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Rhodes asserted his belief -- unsupported by courts -- that the 2020 presidential election was 'unconstitutional,' because of pandemic-related changes made to voting procedures in some states. 'That made it invalid,' Rhodes said. But he also sought to downplay the Oath Keepers' desire for violence. He contrasted his group with the Proud Boys, another far-right organization, saying they 'want to go and street fight' while the Oath Keepers preferred to 'stay calm.'"

Dareh Gregorian of NBC News: "... Donald Trump's longtime friend and former fundraiser, Tom Barrack, was found not guilty Friday of charges that he acted as an unregistered foreign agent for the United Arab Emirates during the Trump administration and then lied to the FBI about those contacts. The jury deliberated for about two days in federal court in Brooklyn, New York, before voting to acquit Barrack, who prosecutors alleged had traded on his decades-long friendship with Trump to 'illegally provide' UAE officials with access to -- and inside information on -- the Trump White House and his 2016 presidential campaign." The Washington Post's story is here.

Christine Hauser of the New York Times: "A Republican congressional candidate in North Carolina criticized his Democratic opponent's campaign on Friday for showing one of his homes in a TV ad, saying that someone had recently fired a bullet into his parent' house. The Hickory Police Department confirmed that the parents of the Republican candidate, Pat Harrigan, had reported on Oct. 19 that someone had fired a bullet that put a hole in a window in their home's laundry room the night before. No one was injured.... Mr. Harrigan's Democratic opponent, Jeff Jackson, took down the ad showing a different Harrigan residence. The ad had been running since Oct. 18, apparently the same date the bullet hole was found."

~~~~~~~~~~

Some additions between 8 & 9 am ET.

Congress, Honor Your Treaty. Simon Romero of the New York Times: "In 1835, U.S. officials traveled to the Cherokee Nation's capital in Georgia to sign a treaty forcing the Cherokees off their lands in the American South, opening them to white settlers. The Treaty of New Echota sent thousands on a death march to new lands in Oklahoma. The Cherokees were forced at gunpoint to honor the treaty. But though it stipulated that the Nation would be entitled to a nonvoting seat in the House of Representatives, Congress reneged on that part of the deal. Now, amid a growing movement across Indian Country for greater representation and sovereignty, the Cherokees are pushing to seat their delegate, 187 years later." MB: Gee, do you think Trumpy judges would rule that the Cherokees had a Second-Amendment right to force Congress "at gunpoint to honor the treaty" just as the Cherokees were forced to do? Perhaps not. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Eileen Sullivan of the New York Times: "The Canadian man accused of attacking Paul Pelosi with a hammer and trying to kidnap Speaker Nancy Pelosi had been living in the United States with an expired immigration status for years, officials at the Department of Homeland Security said on Thursday. David DePape, 42, who the authorities say broke into the Pelosis' home in San Francisco on Friday, entered the United States legally on March 8, 2008, from Mexico through a port of entry in California, the department said. Typically, Canadian visitors who travel to the United States for work or pleasure are admitted for six months." MB: Cue the screams that the attack on Paul Pelosi was all Democrats' fault because "open borders," "illegals." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

      ~~~ Luke Broadwater & Kellen Browning of the New York Times: "Six days after suffering a fractured skull in a vicious attack, Paul Pelosi, the husband of Speaker Nancy Pelosi, has been discharged from the Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital. Mr. Pelosi, 82, is resting at home, recovering from the injuries to his head, arm and hand. He spent most of his time at the hospital in the intensive care unit...."

Carol Leonnig, et al., of the Washington Post: "Kash Patel, a loyal aide to Donald Trump and former White House deputy, faced questions before a grand jury Thursday as part of a criminal investigation into the former president's possession of classified records.... National security prosecutors asked Patel about his public claims this spring that Trump had declassified a large number of government documents before leaving office in 2021. Patel was also questioned about how and why the departing president took secret and top-secret records to Mar-a-Lago.... Investigators did not expect Patel to offer evidence implicating Trump in possible crimes, these people said. But they added that the government badly wanted his firsthand account, under oath, of any declassification decisions made by Trump."

As a private company, nobody knew very much about the great business that then-businessman Donald Trump had built but now it is being revealed by [Letitia] James and much to her chagrin. The continuing witch hunt that has haunted and targeted Donald Trump since he came down the 'golden escalator' at Trump Tower in June of 2015 continues. -- Language in a frivolous, hilarious complaint filed by Donald Trump's lawyers against New York AG Letitia James ~~~

~~~ Jonah Bromwich, et al., of the New York Times: "A tirade of a lawsuit that Donald J. Trump filed on Wednesday against one of his chief antagonists, the New York attorney general, was hotly opposed by several of his longstanding legal advisers, who attempted an intervention hours before it was submitted to a court. Those opposed to the suit told the Florida attorneys who drafted it that it was frivolous and would fail, according to people with knowledge of the matter. The loudest objection came from the general counsel of Mr. Trump's real estate business, who warned that the Floridians might be committing malpractice. Nonetheless, the suit was filed. It accuses Attorney General Letitia James of trespassing on Mr. Trump's right to privacy in Florida, where he lives, and seeks to halt her own civil case in New York against the former president and his company.... On Thursday, a judge granted a recent request from Ms. James to stop Mr. Trump from transferring assets and to appoint a monitor to make sure that he does not." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) A Law & Crime story is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Biggest Toddler Gets a Babysitter. Josh Gerstein of Politico: "A judge Thursday granted the New York attorney general's request that ... Donald Trump's business empire be overseen by an independent monitor. New York Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron issued an order after a daylong hearing, requiring that the Trump Organization's dealings with banks and sale of major assets be subject to supervision by a third-party expert to be named by the court. One provision in the order requires 14-days notice to the court before Trump can dispose of any 'non-cash asset' listed in a financial statement his firm prepared last year. The judge's order came over strenuous objections from Trump's lawyers in Manhattan earlier Thursday, where Trump's team pleaded with Engoron to reject Attorney General Tish James' bid to impose potentially far-reaching supervision of Trump's business empire as litigation proceeds over her claims that the firms engaged in vast bank and insurance fraud in real estate transactions. Engoron said in his ruling the evidence of fraudulent valuations by Trump and his businesses was 'more than sufficient' to indicate that James is likely to prevail in the lawsuit she filed in September, which is seeking strict limits on the Trump businesses' activities in New York and a ban on the former president and his three eldest children from serving as an officer of any New York corporation."

Mike Isaac & Ryan Mac of the New York Times: "Elon Musk, the new owner of Twitter, is throwing everything against the wall to make more money at the social media company.... Mr. Musk and his advisers have discussed adding paid direct messages -- which would let users send private messages to high-profile users -- to the service.... They have also talked about adding 'paywalled' videos, which would mean that certain videos could not be viewed unless users paid a fee.... This week, Mr. Musk moved to make money from Twitter's 'blue check' verification program, a method of making sure users are who they say they are.... To finance his Twitter deal, he loaded the company with $13 billion in debt, putting it on the hook to pay more than $1 billion annually in interest alone. But last year Twitter had less than $1 billion in cash flow.... Mr. Musk has already ordered job cuts across Twitter.... In meetings with engineers, his advisers have proposed saving from $1 million to $3 million in infrastructure costs a day...." ~~~

     ~~~ Bye-Bye, Birdie. Kate Conger & Ryan Mac of the New York Times: "Elon Musk will begin laying off Twitter employees on Friday, according to a companywide email, culling the social media service's 7,500-person work force a little over a week after completing his blockbuster buyout. Twitter employees were notified in the email that the layoffs were set to begin, according to a copy of the message seen by The New York Times. Workers were instructed to go home and not go to the offices on Friday as the cuts proceeded. The message, which came from a generic address and was signed 'Twitter,' did not detail the total number of layoffs."

Tracey Tully & Shlomo Schorr of the New York Times: "The Federal Bureau of Investigation is warning synagogues in New Jersey of a broad security threat after getting what it called 'credible information' about an increased level of risk.... The warning comes as incidents of antisemitic bias and violence have been on the rise across the country." ~~~

~~~ Tania Ganguli of the New York Times: "The Nets suspended guard Kyrie Irving indefinitely Thursday, calling him 'unfit to be associated' with the team because he has declined to say he has no antisemitic views in the week since he posted a link on Twitter to a film with hateful claims about Jewish people. 'Such failure to disavow antisemitism when given a clear opportunity to do so is deeply disturbing, is against the values of our organization, and constitutes conduct detrimental to the team,' the Nets said in a statement. Irving will be suspended without pay for at least five games and 'until he satisfies a series of objective remedial measures that address the harmful impact of his conduct,' the team said." ~~~

     ~~~ Update. Oh, Look Who's Sorry Now. Ben Golliver of the Washington Post: "In a message posted to Instagram late Thursday evening, Irving finally relented and apologized 'to all Jewish families and communities that are hurt and affected from my post,' acknowledging that he had linked to a film that 'contained some false antisemitic statements, narratives and language that were untrue and offensive.'" MB: And we're sure that's one sincere apology.

November Elections

Rachel Leingang of the Guardian: "... the Arizona secretary of state has received more than a dozen complaints from voters about intimidation from drop box watchers, many of which have been forwarded to the US Department of Justice and the Arizona attorney general as of late October, as well as a threat sent to the secretary of state herself. A federal judge issued a temporary restraining order on 1 November to limit the watchers' activities.... Though Arizona has become a hotbed for these tactics, it is also a sign of the mounting national threats to security that voters are facing as the 8 November elections near -- part of an orchestrated countrywide strategy pushed by rightwing groups who believe baseless conspiracy theories that the 2020 presidential election was rife with fraud and irregularities.... In Michigan, a local offshoot of a group called the America Project is training volunteers to set up hidden cameras to monitor drop boxes and to carry guns in case they encounter criminals while watching the boxes, the Detroit Free Press reported.... A pastor in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, told PennLive he had seen increased traffic in his community, where trucks with Maga flags drive through regularly, which he sees as an attempt to intimidate the largely Black community." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Of course it's intimidating to have masked gunmen dressed in camo & bulletproof vests taking pictures of you & IDing you by snapping photos of your license plate. Add to that that you know these masked gunmen are stark-staring crazy & believe you're a criminal trying to steal the election from Kari Lake .

Pennsylvania Senate. Oprah Tries to Atone, Backs Fetterman. Dan Merica of CNN: "The woman who helped turn Mehmet Oz into a household name is backing the Republican's opponent in Pennsylvania's key Senate race. Television icon Oprah Winfrey announced on Thursday night that she prefers Democratic Senate nominee John Fetterman over Oz in the midterm election contest. 'If I lived in Pennsylvania, I would've already cast my vote for John Fetterman, for many reasons,' Winfrey said during a conversation she hosted on voting. Oz rose to national fame as a regular guest on 'The Oprah Winfrey Show' and later when Winfrey backed his own spin off, 'The Dr. Oz Show.'"

Wisconsin Fake Voter Fraud. Patrick Marley of the Washington Post: "Milwaukee's mayor fired a top elections official after learning she had sent military ballots under fictitious names to a state lawmaker who has questioned how elections are run in Wisconsin, the mayor said Thursday. Mayor Cavalier Johnson (D) announced he had fired Kimberly Zapata, the deputy elections director for the city, after discovering she had sent the ballots in an apparent attempt to show committing such a crime was possible.... State Rep. Janel Brandtjen (R) -- the chairwoman of the Wisconsin State Assembly's elections committee... -- announced Monday she had received three military ballots under what appeared to be fake names at her home. Brandtjen turned the ballots over to the Waukesha County sheriff's office and disclosed what happened in a news release.... Zapata used the state's online portal for ordering absentee ballots that is available to anyone and did not use any systems that are available only to election workers, said Claire Woodall-Vogg, Milwaukee's elections director."

Beyond the Beltway

Oregon. Andrea Salcedo of the Washington Post: "The mayor of a small Oregon town has been charged with attempted murder after he opened fire at a moving car with two children in it, police said. The alleged road rage incident happened about 9 p.m. Monday when Dowen Jones, the mayor of Rufus, Ore., abruptly pulled over along a highway, raising another driver's concerns, the Hood River County Sheriff's Office said in a news release. When the driver, who had slowed down to get a description of Jones's SUV, passed the pulled-over vehicle, a man stepped out of the passenger side and 'fired multiple rounds from a handgun' at the other vehicle, police said.... [Jones] remains at the Northern Oregon Corrections facility on $100,000 bail as of Thursday, jail records show." "He's a good man," the Rufus town council president said. MB: Apparently not.

Way Beyond

Ukraine, et al.

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

     ~~~ The Washington Post's live briefings for Friday are here: "Russia's military command has already withdrawn [from in & around Kherson] to the eastern bank of the Dnieper River, 'leaving demoralized and leaderless men to face the Ukrainian assaults,' Western officials told reporters.... A Russian-installed official in Kherson ... said Moscow would 'likely' pull its troops from the west bank of the Dnieper River to the eastern bank -- even as Ukrainian officials warned that Russian troops could be setting up a trap by signaling a retreat, as an element of uncertainty about Moscow's precise plans remains.... Top diplomats from the world's major industrialized economies, among them the United States, have agreed to combine efforts to pay to repair and defend Ukraine's critical infrastructure, including water and energy, at a meeting in Germany on Friday, a senior State Department official told The Washington Post.... President Volodymyr Zelensky said some 4.5 million people across [Ukraine] were without power as he accused Russia of carrying out 'energy terror.'"

Marc Santora & Ivan Nechepurenko of the New York Times: "With Russian and Ukrainian forces apparently girding to battle for the city of Kherson, signs of Kremlin rule are disappearing from the city's streets while the remaining residents, unsure what to believe and afraid of what comes next, are stocking up on food and fuel to survive combat. Russian soldiers, patrols and checkpoints have suddenly become extremely scarce in the city center, according to residents reached by phone on Thursday, and most civilians have left. The Russian tricolor flag, raised over government offices after Moscow's forces captured Kherson in February, was missing on Thursday from the main regional administrative building and other sites.... Kremlin-appointed administrators have relocated to a site 50 miles away -- after looting anything of value they could take, residents and Ukrainian officials said." ~~~

     ~~~ Michael Miller of the Washington Post: "Ukrainian officials have signaled that an assault on Kherson city -- the only regional capital that Russia has managed to capture since its invasion began Feb. 24 -- could be imminent. President Volodymyr Zelensky told Ukrainians to 'expect good news' from the region, and another top official recently said he expects to retake the city by the end of the year. Russia, however, has shown no indication that it is willing to give up the city, or the broader Kherson region, which carries enormous strategic and political importance for the Kremlin.... The Kherson region forms the last crucial component of the 'land bridge' from mainland Russia to Crimea that Putin has coveted ever since Moscow invaded the peninsula and annexed it illegally in 2014."

James McKinley, et al., of the New York Times: "U.S. officials met with the jailed American basketball star Brittney Griner on Thursday for the first time since a Russian court rejected her appeal on a drug-possession conviction, and the White House said she was doing 'as well as can be expected.'" (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

China. Eh, Wherever. Kenneth Chang of the New York Times: "On Friday, a 23-ton center Chinese rocket stage tumbled back to Earth in the Pacific Ocean, the United States Space Command reported in a tweet on Friday morning.... That was a large piece of the Long March 5B rocket that launched a third and final module to complete its Tiangong space station. And once again, that created some nervous sky-watching around the world as China's rocket designers left it to chance where exactly the rocket stage would re-enter, scattering tons of metal pieces across the surface."

Israel. Patrick Kingsley of the New York Times: With the concession of PM Yair Lapid "on Thursday, Benjamin Netanyahu cemented his return to the prime minister's post that he has held for longer than any other Israeli leader. With years of political instability and repeated elections seemingly resolved at last, the question ahead for Israel was how Mr. Netanyahu and his political partners on the far right would wield their new power." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Pakistan. Salman Massod & Christina Goldbaum of the New York Times: "Former Prime Minister Imran Khan of Pakistan was wounded at a rally on Thursday after at least one unidentified man opened fire on his convoy, in what aides have called a targeted attack. The attack, one of the most serious outbreaks of political violence targeting a prominent government official since former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto was assassinated in 2007, hit while Mr. Khan was in Wazirabad, in eastern Pakistan, leading a protest march to the capital, Islamabad. Mr. Khan, 70, sustained bullet wounds in both legs and was moved to Lahore for treatment, officials said.... Seven people including Mr. Khan were injured in the attack and one person died, according to Waqas Nazeer, the spokesman for the Punjab Police. One suspect has been detained, he added." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

News Lede

CNBC: "Job growth was stronger than expected in October despite Federal Reserve interest rate increases aimed at slowing what is still a strong labor market. Nonfarm payrolls grew by 261,000 for the month while the unemployment rate moved higher to 3.7%, the Labor Department reported Friday. Those payroll numbers were better than the Dow Jones estimate for 205,000 more jobs, but worse than the 3.5% estimate for the unemployment rate. Average hourly earnings grew 4.7% from a year ago and 0.4% for the month, indicating that wage growth is still likely to pressure inflation."

November 3, 2022

Afternoon Update:

Congress, Honor Your Treaty. Simon Romero of the New York Times: "In 1835, U.S. officials traveled to the Cherokee Nation's capital in Georgia to sign a treaty forcing the Cherokees off their lands in the American South, opening them to white settlers. The Treaty of New Echota sent thousands on a death march to new lands in Oklahoma. The Cherokees were forced at gunpoint to honor the treaty. But though it stipulated that the Nation would be entitled to a nonvoting seat in the House of Representatives, Congress reneged on that part of the deal. Now, amid a growing movement across Indian Country for greater representation and sovereignty, the Cherokees are pushing to seat their delegate, 187 years later." MB: Gee, do you think Trumpy judges would rule that the Cherokees had a Second-Amendment right to force Congress "at gunpoint to honor the treaty" just as the Cherokees were forced to do? Perhaps not.

Eileen Sullivan of the New York Times: "The Canadian man accused of attacking Paul Pelosi with a hammer and trying to kidnap Speaker Nancy Pelosi had been living in the United States with an expired immigration status for years, officials at the Department of Homeland Security said on Thursday. David DePape, 42, who the authorities say broke into the Pelosis' home in San Francisco on Friday, entered the United States legally on March 8, 2008, from Mexico through a port of entry in California, the department said. Typically, Canadian visitors who travel to the United States for work or pleasure are admitted for six months." MB: Cue the screams that the attack on Paul Pelosi was all Democrats' fault because "open borders," "illegals.'

As a private company, nobody knew very much about the great business that then-businessman Donald Trump had built but now it is being revealed by [Letitia] James and much to her chagrin. The continuing witch hunt that has haunted and targeted Donald Trump since he came down the 'golden escalator' at Trump Tower in June of 2015 continues. -- Language in a frivolous, hilarious complaint filed by Donald Trump's lawyers against New York AG Letitia James ~~~

~~~ Jonah Bromwich, et al., of the New York Times: "A tirade of a lawsuit that Donald J. Trump filed on Wednesday against one of his chief antagonists, the New York attorney general, was hotly opposed by several of his longstanding legal advisers, who attempted an intervention hours before it was submitted to a court. Those opposed to the suit told the Florida attorneys who drafted it that it was frivolous and would fail, according to people with knowledge of the matter. The loudest objection came from the general counsel of Mr. Trump's real estate business, who warned that the Floridians might be committing malpractice. Nonetheless, the suit was filed. It accuses Attorney General Letitia James of trespassing on Mr. Trump's right to privacy in Florida, where he lives, and seeks to halt her own civil case in New York against the former president and his company.... On Thursday, a judge granted a recent request from Ms. James to stop Mr. Trump from transferring assets and to appoint a monitor to make sure that he does not."

James McKinley, et al., of the New York Times: "U.S. officials met with the jailed American basketball star Brittney Griner on Thursday for the first time since a Russian court rejected her appeal on a drug-possession conviction, and the White House said she was doing 'as well as can be expected.'"

Israel. Patrick Kingsley of the New York Times: With the concession of PM Yair Lapid "on Thursday, Benjamin Netanyahu cemented his return to the prime minister's post that he has held for longer than any other Israeli leader. With years of political instability and repeated elections seemingly resolved at last, the question ahead for Israel was how Mr. Netanyahu and his political partners on the far right would wield their new power."

Pakistan. Salman Massod & Christina Goldbaum of the New York Times: "Former Prime Minister Imran Khan of Pakistan was wounded at a rally on Thursday after at least one unidentified man opened fire on his convoy, in what aides have called a targeted attack. The attack, one of the most serious outbreaks of political violence targeting a prominent government official since former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto was assassinated in 2007, hit while Mr. Khan was in Wazirabad, in eastern Pakistan, leading a protest march to the capital, Islamabad. Mr. Khan, 70, sustained bullet wounds in both legs and was moved to Lahore for treatment, officials said.... Seven people including Mr. Khan were injured in the attack and one person died, according to Waqas Nazeer, the spokesman for the Punjab Police. One suspect has been detained, he added."

~~~~~~~~~~

November Elections

** Zeke Miller of the AP: "After weeks of reassuring talk about America's economy and inflation, President Joe Biden turned Wednesday night to a darker, more urgent message, warning in the final days of midterm election voting that democracy itself is under threat from ... Donald Trump's election-denying lies and the violence he said they inspire. Pointing in particular to the attack on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband, he said that Trump's false claims about a stolen election have 'fueled the dangerous rise of political violence and voter intimidation over the past two years.'... Biden said, 'As I stand here today, there are candidates running for every level of office in America, for governor, for Congress, for attorney general, for secretary of state, who won't commit to accepting the results of the elections they're in.... That is the path to chaos in America.,' he declared. 'It's unprecedented. It's unlawful. And, it is un-American.'" The Washington Post's story is here. ~~~

     ~~~ The full transcript of the President's prepared speech, via the New York Times, is here.

~~~ A Quaint New Cottage Industry. Nick Corasaniti & Alexandra Berzon of the New York Times: "At least three dozen lawyers and law firms that advanced Donald J. Trump's failed attempt to overturn the 2020 election are now working for Republican candidates, parties and other groups, filing lawsuits and other complaints that could lay the groundwork for challenging the results of midterm elections, according to a New York Times analysis of campaign finance records and legal filings. Though the 2020 legal push failed, with just one victory out of more than 60 lawsuits, scores of lawyers behind it have continued to work on election litigation.... [Among them] are Cleta Mitchell and John Eastman, two lawyers who helped devise Mr. Trump's legal strategy in 2020 and are now mobilizing activists to hunt for evidence of fraud in the midterm count.'"

Florida. Yasmeen Abutaleb of the Washington Post: Speaking to mostly seniors in Hallandale Beach, Florida, "President Biden warned Tuesday that a Republican takeover of Congress would have dire consequences for Social Security and Medicare, taking direct aim at Florida's Republican senators in a state where the popular safety-net programs have numerous beneficiaries. Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), who is coordinating the Republican effort to retake the Senate, has been a favorite boogeyman of the president since he released a controversial policy plan in February saying that all federal laws, including those establishing Social Security and Medicare, should expire after five years if Congress does not renew them. Biden pulled out a brochure with Scott's plan during his speech, a tactic the president has used at a number of events in recent weeks.... 'And then along came Sen. Johnson from Wisconsin. He says five years is too long to wait,' Biden said. 'Every year -- every year --it should be on the chopping block.'" (Also linked yesterday.)

     ~~~ Thanks to RAS for the link.

Wisconsin Governor. GOP Gubernatorial Candidate Vows to End Free & Fair Elections. Martin Pengelly of the Guardian: "The Republican candidate for governor in Wisconsin told supporters at a campaign event that if he is elected his party 'will never lose another election' in the state. Tim Michels' opponent next Tuesday, the incumbent Democrat Tony Evers, said the comment, which was released by a left-leaning group, showed the Republican was 'a danger to our democracy'. Michels, a construction company owner, is endorsed by Donald Trump. He has repeated the former president's lie that his defeat by Joe Biden in 2020 was the result of electoral fraud, and refused to say if he would certify results in a presidential election if he was governor and a Democrat won Wisconsin. In a debate with Evers last month, Michels did not say he would accept the result of his own election. He later said he would."

Luke Broadwater of the New York Times: "One of the most senior Democrats in the House of Representatives on Wednesday demanded to know why the Capitol Police did not do more to prevent the attack on Paul Pelosi, the husband of Speaker Nancy Pelosi, at their San Francisco home last week, and questioned what the agency was doing to improve security for members of Congress and their families. In a lengthy letter that included a litany of concerns about how the Capitol Police manage threats to lawmakers, Representative Zoe Lofgren, Democrat of California and the chairwoman of the Administration Committee, questioned several of the department's policies and practices.... 'The department has previously reported to the committee that the speaker receives the most threats of any member of Congress,' Ms. Lofgren wrote to Chief J. Thomas Manger of the Capitol Police, asking why his department had not extended 'coverage to the spouses and/or other family members of the congressional leaders in the presidential line of succession.' Ms. Lofgren also questioned why the Capitol Police had not entered into a formal agreement with the San Francisco police for a car to be posted 24 hours a day outside Ms. Pelosi's house, as had been the practice in the months after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol."

Jeanna Smialek of the New York Times: "Federal Reserve officials made their fourth supersize interest rate increase in a row on Wednesday and signaled that they planned to lift rates higher than they had previously anticipated as inflation proves surprisingly rapid and stubborn.... The Fed made clear in its policy statement that it would soon slow down the rate increases, giving officials more time to see how the economy was digesting its moves to date. That pushed stocks higher as investors sensed a letup in the Fed's aggressive push to constrain the economy. But Jerome H. Powell, the Fed chair, underscored during a news conference after the central bank's two-day meeting that policymakers were dedicated to wrestling price increases lower and were nowhere near stopping their efforts to raise borrowing costs and slow growth. The Fed lifted rates another three-quarters of a point this week, setting them in a range between 3.75 and 4 percent. Mr. Powell's stern stance sent stock prices plummeting, with the S&P 500 ending the day down 2.5 percent."

Bad News for Criminal No. 1. Katelyn Polantz & Paul Reid of CNN: "A federal judge on Tuesday ordered Donald Trump adviser Kash Patel to testify before a grand jury investigating the handling of federal records at Mar-a-Lago, according to two people familiar with the investigation. Judge Beryl Howell of the DC District Court has granted Patel immunity from prosecution on any information he provides to the investigation, the people said. Patel's grand jury appearance hasn't yet been scheduled." At 8:50 pm ET Wednesday, this is a breaking news story; it will be updated. Update: The New York Times story is here.

Kyle Cheney, et al., of Politico: "Donald Trump's attorneys saw a direct appeal to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas as their best hope of derailing Joe Biden's win in the 2020 presidential election, according to emails newly disclosed to congressional investigators. 'We want to frame things so that Thomas could be the one to issue some sort of stay or other circuit justice opinion saying Georgia is in legitimate doubt,' Trump attorney Kenneth Chesebro wrote in a Dec. 31, 2020, email to Trump's legal team. Chesebro contended that Thomas would be 'our only chance to get a favorable judicial opinion by Jan. 6, which might hold up the Georgia count in Congress.' 'I think I agree with this,' attorney John Eastman replied later that morning, suggesting that a favorable move by Thomas or other justices would 'kick the Georgia legislature into gear' to help overturn the election results. The messages were part of a batch of eight emails ... that Eastman had sought to withhold from the Jan. 6 select committee but that a judge ordered turned over anyway, describing them as evidence of likely crimes committed by Eastman and Trump." (Also linked yesterday.) Update: The Washington Post's story is here.

Committee Explores Trump Freak-out Cover-up. Jacqueline Alemany & Carol Leonnig of the Washington Post: "The House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection interviewed Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi on Monday, in part focusing on his role in issuing statements that undercut former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson's testimony, according to people familiar with the interview.... During her live testimony in June, Hutchinson testified that Tony Ornato, the deputy chief of staff who served as a liaison for Secret Service, told her that [Donald] Trump tried to wrestle the steering wheel away from the head of his Secret Service detail Robert Engel.... The committee repeatedly on Monday asked Guglielmi to walk through how he chose to describe Ornato and Engel's accounts of events on Jan. 6, 2021.... During the interview, Guglielmi explained who he questioned and said then-Secret Service Director James Murray, who announced his retirement this summer, and Deputy Director Faron Paramore approved the statements...."

Rachel Weiner of the Washington Post: "Four days after the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol, Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes tried to tell ... Donald Trump it was not too late to use paramilitary groups to stay in power by force, according to testimony Wednesday in federal court. If he did not, protesters 'should have brought rifles' to Washington, and 'we could have fixed it right then and there,' Rhodes said during a Jan. 10 recorded meeting, boasting that he would have killed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi(D-Calif.). Rhodes made the violent comments at a meeting in Texas with Jason Alpers, who described himself on the witness stand as a military veteran and co-founder of Allied Security Operations Group (ASOG). That organization played a key role in spreading false claims about the 2020 election through misleading and inaccurate reports about voting machine software. On the stand, Alpers said he had an 'indirect' line to Trump's 'inner circle,' without elaborating. That apparent relationship is why Rhodes wanted to meet, Alpers testified. He said he recorded the meeting to accurately 'provide information to President Trump.' What he got, he said, disturbed him enough to eventually go to the FBI.

"Alpers's testimony was followed by an FBI agent who displayed firearms, knives and tactical gear Rhodes purchased after Jan. 6 -- over $17,000 worth, according to the testimony -- and read messages in which the former Army paratrooper urged his followers to prepare for civil war." Emphasis added. A CBS News report is here. An AP report is here.

From the Soap Opera "All Trump's Lawsuits." Jonah Bromwich of the New York Times: "Donald J. Trump on Wednesday reached a settlement in a civil case brought by protesters who said they were attacked by his bodyguards in 2015, a deal that will spare the former president and his family business the prospect of two simultaneous trials in New York State court. In a joint statement, Mr. Trump and the protesters -- Efrain Galicia, Florencia Tejeda Perez, Miguel Villalobos and the estate of Johnny Hosvaldo Garcia -- announced that they had reached a deal and that the case had been dismissed.... Details of the settlement, which came on the third day of jury selection and which was first reported by the Daily Beast, were not made public. The joint statement said that Mr. Trump and the protesters 'all agree that the plaintiffs in the action, and all people, have a right to engage in peaceful protest on public sidewalks.'" Update: The Guardian's story is here. MB: How is this possible? Trump says he never settles lawsuits against him.

The Witch Hunt continues, and after 6 years and millions of pages of documents, they've got nothing. If I had what Hunter and Joe had, it would be the Electric Chair. Our Country is Rigged, Crooked, and Evil -- We must bring it back, and FAST. Next stop, Communism! -- Donald Trump, in a Liars Social post over the weekend ~~~

~~~ Steve Benen of MSNBC: "A former American president described the United States -- his own country -- as 'evil,' in writing, on a platform he controls, and this generated almost no attention whatsoever from the political world.... Trump's love of country is, at best, sporadic, so no one's especially surprised when he lashes out like this against the country.... But it's more than a little jarring to see the Republican, at different times, both claim the moral high ground on patriotism and denigrate his own country in ways no former president has ever done." Benen points out a number of other times Trump has criticized not individual American actors but the country as a whole. MB: I am certain that if a Democratic leader described the U.S. as rigged, crooked & evil, almost all Republicans would condemn her/him, and if the offender held public office, Miss Margie's secretary couldn't type up an article of impeachment fast enough.

Ian Shapira of the Washington Post: "Architect of the Capitol J. Brett Blanton, who oversees operation of some of the nation's most historic buildings, has been accused by his office's inspector general of using government vehicles for family getaways and misrepresenting himself as a law enforcement officer. Blanton, a Trump appointee who was earning more than $172,000 a year in 2020, committed 'administrative, ethical and policy violations,' according to the Oct. 26 report by the Office of Inspector General, which said it also identified 'evidence of criminal violations throughout the investigation.' The report said: 'Blanton misled and provided false information to investigators on multiple occasions. Blanton used taxpayer dollars to fund an additional personal vehicle for his family.... Blanton's actions have violated every pillar the OIG operates under including theft, fraud, waste and abuse against not only the AOC but also the taxpayer.'" ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Everything about Blanton's behavior is consistent with being a Trump appointee, including his (alleged) impersonation of a police officer. After all, Trump has been impersonating a president ever since January 20, 2017. ~~~

     ~~~ Joe Davidson of the Washington Post: "Democratic lawmakers are calling for the resignation of J. Brett Blanton, the architect of the Capitol, over a scathing federal watchdog report that found he abused his authority, misused government property and wasted taxpayer money, 'among other substantiated violations.'... If Blanton ... does not resign, the decision would fall to President Biden on whether to fire him. Congress also could remove Blanton through a laborious impeachment process."

Rebecca Robbins & Benjamin Mullin of the New York Times: "Paramount, the parent company of CBS, and the network's former chief executive Leslie Moonves agreed to pay $9.75 million after a [New York] state investigation found that the network and its senior leadership had concealed accusations of sexual misconduct against Mr. Moonves and, in the case of one executive, engaged in insider trading related to the allegations. Paramount said it would pay $7.25 million into a settlement fund as part of the deal. Mr. Moonves will pay $2.5 million. Separately, Paramount has agreed to pay $14.75 million to settle a shareholder lawsuit related to the claims. Paramount confirmed in a statement that it had reached a resolution with the New York attorney general's office without admitting wrongdoing or liability.... Mr. Moonves stepped down from CBS in September 2018 after numerous women accused him of sexual misconduct in one of the highest-profile cases of the #MeToo movement.... The New York attorney general's office said in a news release that its investigation had found that the company's leadership knew about the allegations against Mr. Moonves and concealed them for months before they became public." The Guardian's story is here.

Beyond the Beltway

Florida. Patricia Mazzei of the New York Times: "Brimming with rage, disappointment and grief, relatives of the 17 people fatally shot at a Florida high school four years ago confronted the gunman at a charged two-day sentencing hearing in which they repeatedly denounced the criminal justice system for sparing his life. For the first time since the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., parents, siblings and children of the victims spoke directly to Nikolas Cruz, the 24-year-old gunman. Prosecutors had sought the death penalty, but last month, after an emotional three-month trial, a jury recommended a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. The decision shocked victims' families, who had endured the agonizing trial expecting that it would lead to capital punishment. On Wednesday, Judge Elizabeth A. Scherer sentenced Mr. Cruz to 34 consecutive life terms in prison, one for each of the 17 people he killed and the 17 people he injured."

Way Beyond

Ukraine, et al.

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

     ~~~ The Washington Post's live briefings for Thursday are here: "Russian-backed authorities began integrating the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant into a new Russian operating company Wednesday, according to Russian news reports, and some specialist employees have reportedly signed new contracts. The U.N. nuclear watchdog has warned that the situation at the plant is 'untenable,' with damage caused by weeks of shelling in the area putting it at risk of a nuclear accident.... Russia is paying sizable wages to get people to fight in Ukraine, which will probably 'strain the Russian economy for decades,' analysts at the Institute for the Study of War, U.S. think tank, said.... The North Korean government is covertly supplying Russia with artillery rounds, using countries in the Middle East and North Africa to mask the weapons' movement, the White House said Wednesday, although it was not yet clear whether those shipments were received, The Washington Post reports."

Ivan Nechepurenko & Matthew Bigg of the New York Times: "Russia on Wednesday rejoined an agreement allowing the shipment of Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea, one of the few areas of cooperation amid the war in Ukraine, easing uncertainty over the fate of a deal seen as crucial to preventing famine in other parts of the world. Moscow had suspended its participation in the deal over the weekend after an attack on Russian warships in the Black Sea port of Sevastopol that it blamed on Ukraine -- though the attack was far from the corridor used by grain ships. It was unclear why the Kremlin reversed course so quickly, but President Vladimir V. Putin said in televised remarks that the agreement was tied to Ukraine's ensuring the safety of Russian vessels."

Helene Cooper, et al., of the New York Times: "Senior Russian military leaders recently had conversations to discuss when and how Moscow might use a tactical nuclear weapon in Ukraine, contributing to heightened concern in Washington and allied capitals, according to multiple senior American officials. President Vladimir V. Putin was not a part of the conversations, which were held against the backdrop of Russia's intensifying nuclear rhetoric and battlefield setbacks. But the fact that senior Russian military leaders were even having the discussions alarmed the Biden administration because it showed how frustrated Russian generals were about their failures on the ground, and suggests that Mr. Putin's veiled threats to use nuclear weapons might not just be words." A related CNN story is here. (Also linked yesterday.)

Brazil. Jack Nicas of the New York Times: "... tens of thousands on Wednesday, angry and draped in Brazilian flags, massing outside military bases across the country ... [demanded that] the armed forces ... take control of the government [to allow the far-right president Jair Bolsonaro to remain in power].... The widespread protests and calls for the armed forces were an escalation of the Brazilian far-right's refusal to accept the election of [Luiz Inácio Lula da] da Silva...." ~~~

     ~~~ Update. Soccer Democracy. Constance Malleret of the Guardian: "Brazilian football ultras keen to reach away games have been hailed as democratic heroes after breaking through road blockades set up by far-right supporters of president Jair Bolsonaro, who refuse to accept his defeat to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in Sunday's tightly contested presidential election. Pro-Bolsonaro demonstrators baselessly alleging electoral fraud have been blocking roads and highways across the country since Sunday night, causing chaos, cancelled flights and fears of fuel shortages. On Tuesday morning, Brazil's supreme court ruled that the federal highway police must immediately take measures to clear the roads. Videos showed that some police officers were encouraging the protests.... Bolsonaro ... tacitly backed the protesters' unfounded claims of fraud ... [and] refused to recognize Lula's win in [a Tuesday] speech.... But in practice Bolsonaro has conceded, ordering his chief of staff to begin the transition process and admitting to the supreme court that the game was up. 'It's over,' he reportedly told supreme court judges during a meeting on Tuesday."

Denmark. Jasmina Nielsen & Isabella Kwai of the New York Times: "Denmark's center-left coalition emerged with a majority of parliamentary seats early Wednesday, after a tight overnight count in an unpredictable general election gave the governing Social Democratic Party its best showing in two decades. The Scandinavian kingdom is still headed for some uncertainty, with Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen saying she would formally disband the government and resign her position, setting the stage for a cross-party negotiation that analysts have said is likely to result in a more centrist administration. In a speech in the early hours of Wednesday celebrating the result, she said that her party had been elected to form a 'broad government,' and expressed a desire to work with parties across the political spectrum." (Also linked yesterday.)

Koreas. Andrew Jeong of the Washington Post: "North Korea launched more than two dozen missiles Wednesday, Seoul said, with one of the projectiles falling near South Korean waters for the first time since the end of the 1950-53 Korean War, and triggering a response from the South's air force. Three of the missiles were launched from Wonsan, a port on North Korea's east coast, toward the sea between Japan and South Korea around 8:51 a.m. local time, the South's Defense Ministry said. It added that one of them landed near South Korean waters, about 35 miles from Sokcho, a seaside city famous for its seafood and home to 80,000 people. On the nearby South Korean island of Ulleung, 104 miles from where the North Korean missile landed, air raid sirens blared, according to the South's Defense Ministry. No one was hurt after the island's 9,000 residents were told to seek shelter, a spokesman for the island's local government said."

November 2, 2022

Late Morning/Afternoon Update:

Alex Gangitano of the Hill: "President Biden on Wednesday evening will deliver a speech focused on threats to democracy ahead of the midterm elections and following the violent attack on Speaker Nancy Pelosi's (D-Calif.) husband last week. The speech will be made on Capitol Hill, White House senior adviserAnita Dunn and deputy chief of staff Jen O'Malley Dillon announced at an Axios event on Wednesday morning. Biden will speak at the Columbus Club in Union Station at 7 p.m." MB: Not that it matters to anyone except those planning to attend, but the venue for the speech described in the story doesn't make a lick of sense. The event can't originate from both Capitol Hill & Union Station, the latter of which, BTW, I thought was formerly known as Trump's Pricey Hotel for Toadies. ~~~

~~~ Yasmeen Abutaleb of the Washington Post: Speaking to mostly seniors in Hallandale Beach, Florida, "President Biden warned Tuesday that a Republican takeover of Congress would have dire consequences for Social Security and Medicare, taking direct aim at Florida's Republican senators in a state where the popular safety-net programs have numerous beneficiaries. Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), who is coordinating the Republican effort to retake the Senate, has been a favorite boogeyman of the president since he released a controversial policy plan in February saying that all federal laws, including those establishing Social Security and Medicare, should expire after five years if Congress does not renew them. Biden pulled out a brochure with Scott's plan during his speech, a tactic the president has used at a number of events in recent weeks.... 'And then along came Sen. Johnson from Wisconsin. He says five years is too long to wait,' Biden said. 'Every year -- every year -- it should be on the chopping block.'"

Kyle Cheney, et al., of Politico: "Donald Trump's attorneys saw a direct appeal to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas as their best hope of derailing Joe Biden's win in the 2020 presidential election, according to emails newly disclosed to congressional investigators. 'We want to frame things so that Thomas could be the one to issue some sort of stay or other circuit justice opinion saying Georgia is in legitimate doubt,' Trump attorney Kenneth Chesebro wrote in a Dec. 31, 2020, email to Trump's legal team. Chesebro contended that Thomas would be 'our only chance to get a favorable judicial opinion by Jan. 6, which might hold up the Georgia count in Congress.' 'I think I agree with this,' attorney John Eastman replied later that morning, suggesting that a favorable move by Thomas or other justices would 'kick the Georgia legislature into gear' to help overturn the election results. The messages were part of a batch of eight emails ... that Eastman had sought to withhold from the Jan. 6 select committee but that a judge ordered turned over anyway, describing them as evidence of likely crimes committed by Eastman and Trump."

Ukraine, et al. Helene Cooper, et al., of the New York Times: "Senior Russian military leaders recently had conversations to discuss when and how Moscow might use a tactical nuclear weapon in Ukraine, contributing to heightened concern in Washington and allied capitals, according to multiple senior American officials. President Vladimir V. Putin was not a part of the conversations, which were held against the backdrop of Russia's intensifying nuclear rhetoric and battlefield setbacks. But the fact that senior Russian military leaders were even having the discussions alarmed the Biden administration because it showed how frustrated Russian generals were about their failures on the ground, and suggests that Mr. Putin's veiled threats to use nuclear weapons might not just be words." A related CNN story is here.

Denmark. Jasmina Nielsen & Isabella Kwai of the New York Times: "Denmark's center-left coalition emerged with a majority of parliamentary seats early Wednesday, after a tight overnight count in an unpredictable general election gave the governing Social Democratic Party its best showing in two decades. The Scandinavian kingdom is still headed for some uncertainty, with Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen saying she would formally disband the government and resign her position, setting the stage for a cross-party negotiation that analysts have said is likely to result in a more centrist administration. In a speech in the early hours of Wednesday celebrating the result, she said that her party had been elected to form a 'broad government,' and expressed a desire to work with parties across the political spectrum."

~~~~~~~~~~

New York Times: "The attack on Paul Pelosi, the husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, has ... become the focus of baseless conspiracy theories propagated by a litany of Republicans and conservatives. After state and federal charges were filed against a suspect, the San Francisco district attorney, Brooke Jenkins, said that the widespread misinformation had made it all the more important for prosecutors to present the facts to the public. Here is what we know about the Oct. 28 attack at the speaker's San Francisco home, based on court documents and accounts provided by officials." ~~~

~~ Tim Arango, et al., of the New York Times: "After an intruder broke into the San Francisco home of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and bludgeoned her husband with a hammer, leaving him unconscious for three minutes as he lay in a pool of blood, the attacker told the police that he had other targets: a local professor and several prominent state and federal politicians. The new details of the attack ... emerged on Tuesday from prosecutors as the suspect appeared in court for the first time. The suspect, David DePape, 42, pleaded not guilty to several state felony charges.... The filing by local prosecutors on Tuesday ... offered insights into a disturbed man seemingly enthralled by the conspiracy theories that have portrayed Ms. Pelosi as an enemy of the country.... Mr. DePape was assigned a public defender, Adam Lipson, to represent him.... Mr. Lipson promised to mount a 'vigorous defense' and signaled that one possible strategy could be to highlight his client's 'vulnerability' to the misinformation and conspiracy theories that have become so prominent [MB: among Republicans!] in American political life.... Mr. DePape's sympathies for the most extreme right-wing conspiracy theories are one piece of the growing investigation into his background." ~~~

     ~~~ A Politico report is here. A CNN story is here. The court filing is here; unfortunately, it comes via the New York Times (or via the Washington Post, here). ~~~

~~~ Luke Broadwater, et al., of the New York Times: "U.S. Capitol Police security cameras captured the break-in at Speaker Nancy Pelosi's San Francisco home last week in which her husband, Paul, was viciously assaulted, but costly minutes went by before any officer reviewed the footage, according to a person familiar with the matter. By the time the Capitol Police looked at the camera feed -- among hundreds the agency is responsible for monitoring -- and were aware of the crime, Mr. Pelosi had called 911 and the San Francisco police were on the scene. The wasted minutes were flagged by a security review of the episode undertaken by the Capitol Police. The review has also found that the San Francisco police stopped posting a car in front of the Pelosi household 24 hours a day as the agency had after the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, the person said." ~~~

     ~~~ Aaron Davis, et al., of the Washington Post: "The Capitol Police first installed cameras around [Speaker Nancy] Pelosi's home more than eight years ago; she has an around-the-clock security detail; and for many months after the attacks of Jan. 6, 2021, a San Francisco police cruiser sat outside her home day and night. But hours after Pelosi left San Francisco last week and returned to D.C., much of the security left with her, and officers in Washington stopped continuously monitoring video feeds outside her house."

~~~ Meredith McGraw of Politico: "... Donald Trump has joined a chorus of conservative voices who have shared baseless conspiracy theories about the attack on ... Paul Pelosi. During an appearance on the Chris Stigall radio show that aired Tuesday morning..., [Trump said,] 'Wow, it's -- weird things going on in that household in the last couple of weeks.... The glass it seems was broken from the inside to the out so it wasn't a break in, it was a break out....'..." MB: Of course this is pure bull. Even the attacker has admitted he broke the glass to get into the house. And how do you suppose Trump knows what's been going on at the Pelosi residence? Do you think either of the Pelosis is a confidante of Trump's? ~~~

~~~ Annie Karni of the New York Times: "The reaction to the assault on Mr. Pelosi among Republicans -- who have circulated conspiracy theories about it, dismissed it as an act of random violence and made the Pelosis the punchline of a dark joke -- underscores how thoroughly the G.O.P. has internalized [Donald Trump's] example. It suggested that Republicans have come to conclude that, like Mr. Trump, they will pay no political price for attacks on their opponents, however meanspirited, inflammatory or false. If anything, some Republicans seem to believe they will be rewarded by their right-wing base for such coarseness -- or even suffer political consequences if they do not join in and show that they are in on the joke.... Republican leaders have condemned the violence against Mr. Pelosi and have not shared the conspiracy theories or sinister memes, but they have not publicly condemned those who have done so or done anything to try to tamp down on the stream of lies. And over the past few years, they have consistently demonstrated to their colleagues in Congress that there are no consequences for making vitriolic or even violent statements."

Justice for Ruby Freeman? Richard Fausset & Danny Hakim of the New York Times: "... prosecutors [say three people] participated in a bizarre plot to pressure a Fulton County, Ga., election worker to falsely admit that she committed fraud on Election Day in 2020. The three -- Trevian Kutti, [a] publicist; Stephen C. Lee, [a] pastor; and Willie Lewis Floyd III, [a] polo fan -- have all been ordered to appear before a special grand jury in Atlanta, with a hearing for Mr. Lee scheduled for Tuesday morning at a courthouse near his home in Kendall County, Ill.... The decision to seek their testimony suggests that prosecutors in Fulton County are increasingly interested in the story of how the part-time, rank-and-file election worker, Ruby Freeman, 63, was confronted by allies of [Donald] Trump at her home in the Atlanta suburbs in the weeks after he was defeated by President Biden.... Mr. Trump helped spread the fiction" that Ms. Freeman & her daughter entered fake votes for Mr. Biden. (Also linked yesterday.)

Alan Feuer & Zach Montague of the New York Times: "Past dark on Jan. 6, 2021, even after the pro-Trump mob had been chased away and the police had restored some order at the Capitol, members of the Oath Keepers militia kept discussing plans to disrupt the certification of the 2020 election. Writing on a group text chat, Stewart Rhodes, the organization's leader, encouraged his members to keep on fighting, restating his belief that President Donald J. Trump had won the race and that Joseph R. Biden Jr. would be an illegitimate president. Within minutes of those instructions, Kelly Meggs, the top Oath Keeper from Florida, signaled he was ready to keep going. 'We aren't quitting!!' Mr. Meggs wrote in the chat. 'We are reloading!!' This defiant message was shown on Tuesday to the jury at the trial of five Oath Keepers, including Mr. Rhodes and Mr. Meggs, who are facing charges of seditious conspiracy in connection with the Capitol attack."

Rehearsal for an Insurrection. Alan Feuer & Michael Schmidt of the New York Times: "... Donald J. Trump and other top Republicans were stoking claims that the election had been stolen, and their supporters were protesting in the streets. Members of the far-right group the Proud Boys and people close to Roger J. Stone Jr., including Representative Matt Gaetz, took part in the action as the crowd was chanting 'Stop the Steal.' The time was 2018, the setting was southern Florida, and the election in question was for governor and a hotly contested race that would help determine who controlled the United States Senate. Now, four years later, the Justice Department is examining whether the tactics used then served as a model for the attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. In recent months, prosecutors overseeing the seditious conspiracy case of five members of the Proud Boys have expanded their investigation to examine the role that Jacob Engels -- a Florida Proud Boy who accompanied Mr. Stone to Washington for Jan. 6 -- played in the 2018 protests...." (Also linked yesterday.)

Supreme CJ Gives Trump Another Delay/Break. John Kruzel of the Hill: "The Supreme Court on Tuesday temporarily halted a House panel from accessing the financial records of former President Trump ahead of their expected release. The move, which comes in response to an emergency request Trump filed on Monday, was ordered by Chief Justice John Roberts, who handles emergency matters arising in the District of Columbia." Update: A Washington Post story is here. (Also linked yesterday.)

Well I Swanee! Adam Liptak of the New York Times: "The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to block a Georgia grand jury subpoena seeking testimony from Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina, about his activities in the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election. The court's order was a paragraph long and did not note any dissents. It said that Mr. Graham had been afforded substantial protections by lower courts, which had ruled that he did not have to testify on subjects related to his official duties." (Also linked yesterday.)

David Corn of Mother Jones: "f you want to see just how crazy the GOP has become, you need only watch the video recording of a conference on 'election integrity' held in Florida on Saturday by a group of 2020 election denialists. In attendance, either virtually or in person, were the Republican candidates running for secretary of state -- the guardians of election integrity -- in the crucial swing states of Arizona, Nevada, and Michigan, respectively, Mark Finchem, Jim Marchant, and Kristina Karamo. Each has already demonstrated their own devotion to extremism by associating with QAnoners and championing Donald Trump's baseless claims that the 2020 election was stolen from him. But they further signaled their loyalty to the politics of paranoia and conspiracism by hobnobbing with conference participants who have promoted some of the looniest conspiracy theories." Read on. (Also linked yesterday.)

Julia Mueller of the Hill: "A group of more than 40 civil society organizations on Tuesday sent a letter urging the top 20 Twitter advertisers to threaten to suspend their ads globally if the platform's new owner Elon Musk won't commit to enforcing safety standards and community guidelines."

November Elections

Arizona. Trumpy Judge Suddenly Sees the Light. Ken Bensinger of the New York Times: "A federal judge [Michael Liburdi] in Arizona has sharply curtailed the activities of an election-monitoring group [Clean Elections USA] in the vicinity of ballot boxes, including taking photos or videos of voters, openly carrying firearms, posting information about voters online, or spreading falsehoods about election laws.... In recent weeks, self-described 'mule watchers' -- some armed -- have gathered around outdoor ballot boxes in Maricopa County to take pictures of voters and, in some cases, post those images online.... According to [a] man, who testified without revealing his name publicly for fear of harassment, eight to 10 people filmed the couple and told them they were 'hunting mules.' Images of him and his car were posted online and [Melody] Jennings [-- founder of the voter suppression group --] subsequently appeared on the podcast of Stephen K. Bannon, the former Trump adviser, saying they had caught a mule and 'blasted it out viral.' Judge Liburdi called his experience particularly compelling.... In [a] lawsuit, brought [last week] by the Arizona Alliance for Retired Americans and Voto Latino, the judge declined to enjoin Clean Elections USA's activities, saying he had not seen any evidence that real harm had befallen any voters. That ruling is being appealed in the Ninth Circuit.... On Monday, the Justice Department filed a brief on the issue, noting that while it had no opinion on the lawsuit itself, the Constitution does not protect voter intimidation and that harassing or trying to harass people casting ballots could violate the Voting Rights Act of 1965." Trump appointed Liburdi.

Ohio Senate. Martin Pengelly of the Guardian: "The Republican congresswoman Liz Cheney has now endorsed two Democrats for election in the midterms next week by backing Tim Ryan in his Ohio US Senate race against JD Vance after endorsing Elissa Slotkin for re-election to the US House in Michigan. In Cleveland, Ohio, on Tuesday, Cheney told the journalist Judy Woodruff she backed Ryan, currently a Democratic congressman, over Vance, the Hillbilly Elegy author and venture capitalist who abandoned criticism of Donald Trump in order to publicly embrace him. 'I would not vote for JD Vance,' Cheney said. Asked if she would vote for Ryan if she lived in Ohio, she said: 'I would.'"

Pennsylvania Senate. Travel Tip: Visit Pennsylvania's Beautiful Oceanfront Resorts! Kipp Jones of Mediate: "Mehmet Oz declared the commonwealth of Pennsylvania to be an Atlantic-bordering region on Monday, apparently unaware the Keystone State is hopelessly landlocked.... Throughout his campaign, the former TV doctor has defended himself against accusations he is a carpetbagger from New Jersey who only registered to vote in the state in 2020.... Oz told [Sean] Hannity: 'Pennsylvania is too important. This is important, we do not have a Republican senator north of North Carolina on the Atlantic coast until you get to Maine if I don't hold this seat....'" Thanks to Akhilleus for the link. See his commentary below. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Yo, Mehmet. (What do people call you? Meh? Seems appropriate.) I have two more words for you: SUSAN COLLINS. Despite your claim that there is no Republican senator north of North Carolina on the Atlantic coast, the state of Maine has 228 miles of Atlantic coastline, OR -- if you include its "tidal coastline"; i.e., the bays & inlets -- make that 3,478 miles of coastline. There will be even more if you & your GOP friends continue let the sea level rise. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Oops! Almost forgot. An anonymous friend of mine has ask me to forward this letter on to Dr. Oz, in hopes he can help: "Dear Dr. Oz: Here I am stuck on the Atlantic Coast of West Michigan, surrounded by thousands of LGBTQ persons and Betsy DeVos and people like Ted Turners first wife, and the owner of things like Follet Publishing. What should I do? Move to the Atlantic Coast of Pennsylvania?" Sure hope we hear back from Oz. Who knows? He might make a great advice columnist. Even for those who have the sense not to take his advice. ~~~

~~~ Lenny Bernstein & Colby Itkowitz of the Washington Post: "In May 2003, Mehmet Oz was the senior author on a study that ... was scheduled to lead off the scientific session of the 83rd annual American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS) conference.... But Oz was forced to withdraw his work and was banned from presenting research to the organization for the next two years.... He was also prohibited from publishing his work in the society's medical journal for the same period of time.... At issue were questions about the strength of the data used by Oz, a cardiothoracic surgeon, to reach an important medical conclusion.... The penalty he experienced in 2003 was a significant one, according to an expert who was not involved in the dispute.... Oz, who has published hundreds of peer-reviewed research papers, is back in the good graces of the AATS.... Oz has made his career in medicine a central feature of his campaign' for U.S. Senate. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

Way Beyond the Beltway

Brazil. Jack Nicas & André Spigariol of the New York Times: "Two days after losing Brazil's presidential election, President Jair Bolsonaro agreed to a transition of power on Tuesday, easing fears that the far-right leader would contest the results after warning for months that the only way he would lose would be if the vote was stolen. In a two-minute speech, Mr. Bolsonaro thanked his supporters, encouraged protesters to be peaceful, celebrated his accomplishments, criticized the left and said he has always followed the constitution. What was absent was any acknowledgment that he had lost the vote or that the election had been free and fair." MB: So Brazil's despot isn't as bad as our despot. (Also linked yesterday.)

Denmark. Isabella Kwai & Jasmina Nielsen of the New York Times: "Denmark started voting on Tuesday in a general election precipitated by anger over a government-mandated mink cull during the pandemic that embroiled top officials and led to accusations against the prime minister of misleading the public. A wealthy Scandinavian kingdom that includes Greenland and the Faroe Islands, Denmark is known for its relatively stable, consensus-seeking political culture and its ranking as one of the happiest nations in the world. But in a crowded field of more than a dozen parties ... analysts said that the election could throw up some surprises. As late as Monday, there was no clear indication about who was most likely to form the next government." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Of course the real scandal is PM Mette Frederiksen's refusal to entertain Donald Trump's generous offer to buy Greenland.

Israel. Patrick Kingsley & Isabel Kershner of the New York Times: "Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing alliance may have won a narrow lead in Israel's fifth election in less than four years, exit polls suggested on Tuesday night, giving him a chance of returning to power at the helm of one of the most right-wing governments in Israeli history. Three broadcasters' exit polls indicated that Mr. Netanyahu's party, Likud, would finish first and that his right-wing bloc was likely to be able to form a narrow majority in Parliament. But exit polls in Israel have been wrong before...." A Guardian story is here.

South Korea. Michelle Lee of the Washington Post: "Transcripts of about 11 emergency call logs released Tuesday show mounting desperation and repeated warnings from partygoers [at Seoul's deadly Halloween street party] for at least four hours before the crush turned deadly. They pleaded for emergency personnel to intervene and control the crowd.... At least 156 people died and at least 157 were injured in the country's deadliest incident in years.... The transcripts reflect the chaos of that scene and corroborate some witness accounts that the area was worryingly crowded from early on in the evening. Many partygoers and members of the public have criticized the lack of police presence in the area." (Also linked yesterday.)

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

     ~~~ The Washington Post's live briefings for Wednesday are here: "... Ukrenergo, Ukraine&'s state electricity transmission company, said it is imposing hourly power outages in several regions starting Wednesday in order to reduce the load on its networks after Russian attacks damaged power grids.... Kyiv, the capital, will install more than 1,000 heating stations across the city this winter amid the threat of more Russian strikes, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said on Telegram. The heating points, powered by generators, will provide necessities including heat, water and electricity to residents in the capital, Klitschko said.... Attacks by Ukrainian partisans are forcing the Kremlin to divert resources away from the front line and curbing its ability to defend against ongoing Ukrainian counteroffensives, 'let alone conduct their own offensive operations,' according to analysts at the Institute for the Study of War think tank."