The Ledes

Monday, September 30, 2024

New York Times: “Kris Kristofferson, the singer and songwriter whose literary yet plain-spoken compositions infused country music with rarely heard candor and depth, and who later had a successful second career in movies, died at his home on Maui, Hawaii, on Saturday. He was 88.”

~~~ The New York Times highlights “twelve essential Kristofferson songs.”

The Wires
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The Ledes

Sunday, September 29, 2024

Washington Post: “Towns throughout western North Carolina ... were transformed overnight by ... [Hurricane Helene]. Muddy floodwaters lifted homes from their foundations. Landslides and overflowing rivers severed the only way in and out of small mountain communities. Rescuers said they were struggling to respond to the high number of emergency calls.... The death toll grew throughout the Southeast as the scope of Helene’s devastation came into clearer view. At least 49 people had been killed in five states — Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. By early counts, South Carolina suffered the greatest loss of life, registering at least 19 deaths.”

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Washington Post: “First came the surprising discovery that Earth’s atmosphere is leaking. But for roughly 60 years, the reason remained a mystery. Since the late 1960s, satellites over the poles detected an extremely fast flow of particles escaping into space — at speeds of 20 kilometers per second. Scientists suspected that gravity and the magnetic field alone could not fully explain the stream. There had to be another source creating this leaky faucet. It turns out the mysterious force is a previously undiscovered global electric field, a recent study found. The field is only about the strength of a watch battery — but it’s enough to thrust lighter ions from our atmosphere into space. It’s also generated unlike other electric fields on Earth. This newly discovered aspect of our planet provides clues about the evolution of our atmosphere, perhaps explaining why Earth is habitable. The electric field is 'an agent of chaos,' said Glyn Collinson, a NASA rocket scientist and lead author of the study. 'It undoes gravity.... Without it, Earth would be very different.'”

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

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

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

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

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

Click on photo to enlarge.

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

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

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

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

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Publisher & Editor: Marie Burns


Friday
Oct282022

October 29, 2022

Late Morning Update:

** David Nasaw in a New York Times op-ed: Elon Musk is just another robber baron who has developed his automotive & space businesses on government subsidies but who has an advantage over latter-day robber barons because of his "ability to promote his businesses and political notions with a tweet.... Elon Musk is a product of his -- and our -- times. Rather than debate or deride his influence, we must recognize that he is not the self-made genius businessman he plays in the media. Instead, his success was prompted and paid for by taxpayer money and abetted by government officials who have allowed him and other billionaire businessmen to exercise more and more control over our economy and our politics."

~~~~~~~~~~~

Kellen Browning, et al., of the New York Times: "Paul Pelosi, the 82-year-old husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, was violently attacked in the couple's San Francisco home by a hammer-wielding 42-year-old man identified as David DePape. Police arrived quickly after Mr. Pelosi was able to surreptitiously dial 911 & leave the line open. The police witnessed the attack & subdued the attacker who said he was looking for Nancy Pelosi. DePape has been charged with several felony counts including attempted homicide. Someone with his name has posted online many conspiracy theories. Doctors operated on Mr. Pelosi for a skull fracture & other injuries, and he is expected to recover. "Multiple law enforcement agencies were investigating the attack on Friday to determine the suspect's motive. The Capitol Police said special agents from its field office in California 'quickly arrived on the scene' to work alongside the F.B.I., the San Francisco Police Department, the district attorney and the U.S. attorney's office." ~~~

     ~~~ CNN is liveupdating developments here: "Paul Pelosi underwent surgery for a skull fracture and serious injuries to his right arm and hands, according to a statement from Speaker Pelosi's spokesperson. He is expected to make a full recovery, it said.... Paul Pelosi was able to call 911 at the start of the attack at his home in San Francisco, according to a law enforcement source and another source familiar with the matter. Pelosi managed to keep the line open and the dispatcher could hear a conversation in the background, according to the law enforcement source. Pelosi was talking in code, that source said, providing enough detail so that the operator overhearing it could understand that something was wrong. At the same time Pelosi seemed to be trying not to make it obvious to the intruder that he had an open line, the source said. The dispatcher could hear Pelosi speaking about what was going on and dispatched police to check on the house, the source said....

"The man who allegedly attacked Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi's husband early Friday posted memes and conspiracy theories on Facebook about Covid-19 vaccines, the 2020 election and the Jan. 6 attack.... Last year, David DePape posted links on his Facebook page to multiple videos produced by My Pillow CEO Mike Lindell falsely alleging that the 2020 election was stolen. Other posts included transphobic images and linked to websites claiming Covid-19 vaccines were deadly.... Two days after former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty of killing George Floyd, DePape wrote that the trial was 'a modern lynching,' falsely indicating that Floyd died of a drug overdose. He also posted content about the 'Great Reset' -- the sprawling conspiracy theory that global elites are using coronavirus to usher in a new world order in which they gain more power and oppress the masses.... [The s]uspect [is] ... to be booked on charges including attempted homicide, assault and elder abuse[.]... The man ... tried to tie ... up [Paul Pelosi] 'until Nancy got home,' according to two sources.... When the police arrived at the residence, the attacker said he was 'waiting for Nancy.'" (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ The New York Times is live-updating developments here. (Also linked yesterday.)

     ~~~ Casey Tolan, et al., of CNN: "The man who allegedly attacked House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband early Friday posted memes and conspiracy theories on Facebook about Covid vaccines, the 2020 election and the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, and an acquaintance told CNN that he seemed 'out of touch with reality.'... Three of [David] DePape's relatives told CNN that DePape has been estranged from his family for years, and confirmed that the Facebook account -- which was taken down by the social media company on Friday -- belonged to him."

     ~~~ Marie: MSNBC is reporting that the assailant, who attacked Mr. Pelosi with a hammer, was searching for Speaker Pelosi. He was shouting, "Where is Nancy? Where is Nancy?" which is reminiscent of the January 6 insurrections calls for "Nancy! Nancy!" If true, the call for the speaker makes the San Francisco attack a federal crime. ~~~

~~~ Maureen Dowd of the New York Times: "With his usual level of class, Donald Trump put out a message of sympathy to the family of Jerry Lee Lewis, 'the Killer' of rock 'n' roll, who died Friday at age 87, but said nothing all day about the Pelosi family. On Twitter, Adam Kinzinger urged G.O.P. candidates and elected officials to speak out against the 'horrific' attack. He probably didn't have in mind the sort of speaking out that Gov. Glenn Youngkin of Virginia did. Youngkin made a joke of the assassination attempt: 'There's no room for violence anywhere, but we're going to send her back to be with him in California.'"

Brian Vitagliano & Jim Acosta of CNN: "A Pennsylvania man previously arrested for impersonating Donald Trump's family members in fraud scheme pleaded guilty on Friday to threatening to kill a member of Congress and his staff. According to the Justice Department, Joshua Hall, 22, threatened to kill at least three congressional staffers and 'beat the s**t' out of the congressman, claiming he had several AR-15s. California Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell told CNN the threats were aimed at him and his office."

Emma Brown & Jon Swaine of the Washington Post: "A week after the 2020 election, as Donald Trump raged over what he claimed was rampant fraud, officials in a rural county in southern Georgia [Coffee County] received a disturbing report from the employee who ran their elections. New voting machines in use across the state could 'very easily' be manipulated to flip votes from one candidate to another, she claimed at a meeting of the county elections board, and ballots could be scanned and counted more than once.... The elections board meeting -- a gathering of eight people in an unremarkable building 200 miles from Atlanta -- set off an extraordinary sequence of events that plunged the GOP enclave into the middle of a multistate effort by prominent Trump allies to gain access to voting machines in search of purported evidence that the election was rigged.... In at least seven ... counties in four states, including Coffee, local officials acting without a court order or subpoena allegedly gave outsiders access to the machines or their data.... Experts say the events in Coffee County are a potent example of the rising threat posed by insiders who undermine election security in the name of protecting it." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: It takes only a couple of dots to connect Coffee County elections supervisor Misty Hampton to David DePape, the man who (allegedly) attacked Paul Pelosi:

Misty Hamptom—•—Donald Trump—•—David DePape

Devlin Barrett, et al., of the Washington Post: "One of the Justice Department's most experienced national security prosecutors has joined the team overseeing the intensifying investigation of classified documents at Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago home and private club, people familiar with the matter said. National security law experts interviewed by The Washington Post say prosecutors appear to have amassed evidence in the case that would meet some of the criteria for bringing charges against the former president -- an unprecedented action that they said likely would only happen if the Justice Department believes it has an extremely strong case. David Raskin,who served for many years as a senior federal prosecutor in New York City, and more recently has worked as a prosecutor in Kansas City, Mo., has been quietly assisting in the investigation into Trump and his aides...." (Also linked yesterday.)

Vimal Patel of the New York Times: "A former U.S. Capitol Police officer was found guilty on Friday of obstruction of justice for trying to cover up the fact that he had sent Facebook messages to a Jan. 6 rioter offering advice on how to avoid getting caught, the authorities said. The man, Michael A. Riley, 51, could face up to 20 years in prison, following a trial in U.S. District Court in Washington, federal prosecutors said.... Mr. Riley, a member of the agency's K-9 unit with more than 25 years on the force, was the only Capitol Police officer charged with a crime in connection with the attack on the Capitol...."

Spencer Hus & Rachel Weiner of the Washington Post: "An accused key co-conspirator who longtime former Proud Boys chairman Henry 'Enrique' Tarrio allegedly said proposed storming the U.S. Capitol on >Jan. 6, 2021, has pleaded guilty in a deal with U.S. prosecutors, Tarrio's lawyers revealed Friday. Details of the plea emerged in a pretrial hearing as the government ratchets up pressure against Tarrio and four other defendants who face trial in December on a charge of seditious conspiracy. During the hearing in federal court in Washington, Tarrio defense attorney Sabino Jauregui said that John Charles Stewart, 44, of Carlisle, Pa., pleaded guilty in June. Prosecutors interjected, and U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Kelly immediately halted the public session to go behind closed doors, which after resuming made no further mention of Stewart."

Bannon Affiliate Found Guilty. Colin Moynihan of the New York Times: "A man from Colorado who helped loot a charity that raised private money for a border wall of the sort championed by ... Donald J. Trump was convicted on Friday in a retrial in Manhattan federal court. An earlier trial was scuttled by a juror who was said to have insisted that the prosecution was a 'government witch hunt.' The man, Timothy Shea, has been the only one of four defendants to face a jury in the case so far.... We Build the Wall Inc. raised more than $25 million, claiming that all the money would go toward constructing a border barrier. Those promises were lies, said prosecutors with the United States attorney's office.... The conviction ended a case that began in 2020 when Mr. Shea was arrested along with three other men who had prominent roles in We Build the Wall: the group's president, an Air Force veteran named Brian Kolfage, who lost both legs and part of his right arm in Iraq and guaranteed that he would 'not take a penny'; a Florida financier named Andrew Badolato; and Stephen K. Bannon.... Mr. Kolfage pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy and tax-related charges. Mr. Badolato pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy. Mr. Bannon was spared a federal trial after he received a pardon from Mr. Trump during his last hours as president but is now facing a trial in state court. Last month, the Manhattan district attorney's office unsealed an indictment charging Mr. Bannon with money laundering, conspiracy and scheming to defraud."

Back on Twitter, Spewing Hate. Drew Harwell, et al., of the Washington Post: "An emboldened cast of anonymous trolls spewed racist slurs and Nazi memes onto Twitter in the hours after billionaire industrialist Elon Musk took over the social network.... Musk on Friday tweeted that he would make 'no major content decisions or account reinstatements' until the convening of a new 'moderation council.' He promised that the council would have 'widely diverse viewpoints' but offered no other information about who would be on it, how its members would be selected, what authority it would have or whether its views would be binding on the company." A related Guardian story is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Stuart Thompson of the New York Times: "A coordinated campaign to spread antisemitic memes and images on Twitter resulted in more than 1,200 tweets and retweets featuring the offensive content, according to an analysis by the Anti-Defamation League. The tweets identified by the A.D.L. added to a flurry of racist, transphobic and rule-breaking content that coursed through Twitter on Friday after Elon Musk, the chief executive of Tesla, had officially taken control of the platform. Mr. Musk has promised to loosen content moderation rules in the name of 'free speech,' worrying many who believe the changes will allow offensive content to spread on the platform. The A.D.L. said the antisemitic tweet campaign was hatched on 4chan, the fringe message board that is loosely moderated and where hate speech has thrived. On Thursday, an anonymous 4chan user posted instructions for sharing antisemitic content on Twitter after Mr. Musk's takeover was made official. The post was circulated on Telegram, the chat app popular with the far right, according to the A.D.L." ~~~

~~~ Michael Wayland & Lora Kolodny of CNBC: "General Motors is suspending its advertising on Twitter following Elon Musk's takeover of the social media platform, the company told CNBC on Friday. The Detroit automaker, a rival to Musk-led electric vehicle maker Tesla, said it is 'pausing' advertising as it evaluates Twitter's new direction. It will continue to use the platform to interact with customers but not pay for advertising, GM added." ~~~

~~~ Chris Isidore of CNN: "The three top Twitter executives whom Elon Musk fired Thursday will walk out the door with about $187 million of Musk's money. Former CEO Parag Agrawal, former CFO Ned Segal and former Chief Legal Officer Vijaya Gadde were ousted after Musk took control of the company late Thursday, according to a source familiar with the situation. They would have received a large chunk of that money even if they had stayed on board under the new ownership -- they and other shareholders will receive payouts from Musk after he bought their shares for $54.20 each.... But they also receive 'Golden Parachute Compensation' in the merger agreement approved by shareholders. That includes a year's base pay == $1 million for Agrawal and $600,000 each for Segal and Gadde. They also will get a year of health insurance...."

November Elections

Arizona. Trump Judge: Hey, Armed Vigilantes Have Rights, Too. Anita Snow of the AP: "A federal judge Friday refused to bar a group from monitoring outdoor ballot boxes in Arizona's largest county where watchers have shown up armed and in ballistic vests, saying to do so could violate the monitors' constitutional rights. U.S. District Court Judge Michael Liburdi said the case remained open and that the Arizona Alliance for Retired Americans could try again to make its argument against a group calling itself Clean Elections USA. A second plantiff, Voto Latino, was removed from the case. Liburdi concluded that 'while this case certainly presents serious questions, the Court cannot craft an injunction without violating the First Amendment.' The judge is a Trump appointee and a member of the Federalist Society, a conservative legal organization." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: So let's say a couple of armed masked men follow you from your car to the drop box, videotape you, photograph your vehicle license, maybe even speak to you in a menacing way. Well, it's your fault if that frightens you and makes you decide not to drop off your ballot.

Way Beyond the Beltway

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

     ~~~ The Washington Post's live briefings for Saturday are here: Ukraine's President "Zelensky said about 4 million people are under energy-use restrictions as Ukraine attempts to stretch scarce resources after Russian forces destroyed infrastructure around the country. 'Emergency blackouts are also possible,' he said. A group of House and Senate Republicans opposed Democratic Party-backed plans to fund Ukraine's war effort with assets seized from Russia, The Washington Post reported. The lawmakers objected to a provision in the National Defense Authorization Act conference report that would allow the United States to transfer proceeds of forfeited Russian property to Kyiv, several people involved with the negotiations said.... The United States is giving an additional $275 million in defense aid to Ukraine, a smaller sum than was offered in previous packages."

Syria/Australia. Natasha Frost & Livia Abeck-Ripka of the New York Times: "Seventeen Australian citizens -- four women and 13 children -- on Thursday began the long journey home from detention camps in northeast Syria, where they have languished since the fall of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, also known as ISIS, in 2019. By Saturday, they had returned to New South Wales, Australia, according to a statement from Clare O'Neil, the Australian minister for home affairs.... Dozens of other Australians are still being held at the camps. But there are hopes that this will be the first of several releases sponsored by the government. Many of the people who remain are children who have spent most or even all of their lives in detention."

News Lede

South Korea. New York Times: "At least 146 people were killed and another 150 injured after they were crushed in a large Halloween crowd in Seoul on Saturday night, the city's fire department said, in one of the deadliest peacetime accidents in South Korea's recent history. The crowd surge happened during one of the most raucous celebrations of the year in the nation's capital, where as many as 100,000 people, local news media said, had clogged the narrow streets of the Itaewon nightlife district Saturday evening for Halloween festivities." This is a liveblog. CNN's live updates are here.

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Friday
Oct282022

October 28, 2022

Late Morning/Afternoon Update:

New York Times: "Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband, Paul Pelosi, was hospitalized after he was assaulted by someone who broke into the couple's residence in San Francisco early on Friday morning, a spokesman for Ms. Pelosi said. 'Early this morning, an assailant broke into the Pelosi residence in San Francisco and violently assaulted Mr. Pelosi,' Drew Hammill, the spokesman, said in a statement on Friday. 'The assailant is in custody and the motivation for the attack is under investigation.' Mr. Hammill said Mr. Pelosi, 82, was expected to make a full recovery. Ms. Pelosi was in Washington, D.C., with her protective detail at the time of the break-in, the Capitol Police said in a statement." ~~~

     ~~~ CNN is liveupdating developments here: "Paul Pelosi underwent surgery for a skull fracture and serious injuries to his right arm and hands, according to a statement from Speaker Pelosi's spokesperson. He is expected to make a full recovery, it said.... Paul Pelosi was able to call 911 at the start of the attack at his home in San Francisco, according to a law enforcement source and another source familiar with the matter. Pelosi managed to keep the line open and the dispatcher could hear a conversation in the background, according to the law enforcement source. Pelosi was talking in code, that source said, providing enough detail so that the operator overhearing it could understand that something was wrong. At the same time Pelosi seemed to be trying not to make it obvious to the intruder that he had an open line, the source said. The dispatcher could hear Pelosi speaking about what was going on and dispatched police to check on the house, the source said....

"The man who allegedly attacked Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi's husband early Friday posted memes and conspiracy theories on Facebook about Covid-19 vaccines, the 2020 election and the Jan. 6 attack.... Last year, David DePape posted links on his Facebook page to multiple videos produced by My Pillow CEO Mike Lindell falsely alleging that the 2020 election was stolen. Other posts included transphobic images and linked to websites claiming Covid-19 vaccines were deadly.... Two days after former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty of killing George Floyd, DePape wrote that the trial was 'a modern lynching,' falsely indicating that Floyd died of a drug overdose. He also posted content about the 'Great Reset' -- the sprawling conspiracy theory that global elites are using coronavirus to usher in a new world order in which they gain more power and oppress the masses.... [The s]uspect [is] ... to be booked on charges including attempted homicide, assault and elder abuse[.]... The man ... tried to tie ... up [Paul Pelosi] 'until Nancy got home,' according to two sources.... When the police arrived at the residence, the attacker said he was 'waiting for Nancy.'" ~~~

     ~~~ The New York Times is live-updating developments here.

     ~~~ Marie: MSNBC is reporting that the assailant, who attacked Mr. Pelosi with a hammer, was searching for Speaker Pelosi. He was shouting, "Where is Nancy? Where is Nancy?" which is reminiscent of the January 6 insurrections calls for "Nancy! Nancy!" If true, the call for the speaker makes the San Francisco attack a federal crime.

Emma Brown & Jon Swaine of the Washington Post: "A week after the 2020 election, as Donald Trump raged over what he claimed was rampant fraud, officials in a rural county in southern Georgia [Coffee County] received a disturbing report from the employee who ran their elections. New voting machines in use across the state could 'very easily' be manipulated to flip votes from one candidate to another, she claimed at a meeting of the county elections board, and ballots could be scanned and counted more than once.... The elections board meeting -- a gathering of eight people in an unremarkable building 200 miles from Atlanta -- set off an extraordinary sequence of events that plunged the GOP enclave into the middle of a multistate effort by prominent Trump allies to gain access to voting machines in search of purported evidence that the election was rigged.... In at least seven ... counties in four states, including Coffee, local officials acting without a court order or subpoena allegedly gave outsiders access to the machines or their data.... Experts say the events in Coffee County are a potent example of the rising threat posed by insiders who undermine election security in the name of protecting it." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: It takes only a couple of dots to connect Coffee County elections supervisor Misty Hampton to David DePape, the man who (allegedly) attacked Paul Pelosi:

Misty Hamptom—•—Donald Trump—•—David DePape

Devlin Barrett, et al., of the Washington Post: "One of the Justice Department's most experienced national security prosecutors has joined the team overseeing the intensifying investigation of classified documents at Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago home and private club, people familiar with the matter said. National security law experts interviewed by The Washington Post say prosecutors appear to have amassed evidence in the case that would meet some of the criteria for bringing charges against the former president -- an unprecedented action that they said likely would only happen if the Justice Department believes it has an extremely strong case. David Raskin,who served for many years as a senior federal prosecutor in New York City, and more recently has worked as a prosecutor in Kansas City, Mo., has been quietly assisting in the investigation into Trump and his aides...."

~~~~~~~~~~~

Ben Casselman of the New York Times: "The U.S. economy grew slowly over the summer, adding to fears of a looming recession -- but also keeping alive the hope that one might be avoided. Gross domestic product, adjusted for inflation, returned to growth in the third quarter after two consecutive quarterly contractions, according to government data released on Thursday. But consumer spending slowed as inflation ate away at households' buying power, and the sharp rise in interest rates led to the steepest contraction in the housing sector since the first months of the pandemic. The report underscored the delicate balance facing the Federal Reserve as it tries to rein in the fastest inflation in four decades." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Alan Feuer of the New York Times: "A Tennessee man was sentenced on Thursday to seven and a half years in prison for dragging a police officer protecting the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, into an angry pro-Trump crowd that brutally assaulted the officer. The man, Albuquerque Cosper Head, pleaded guilty in March to assaulting the officer, Michael Fanone, who has emerged as an outspoken advocate for the officers who were subjected to the mob violence on Jan. 6. The sentence was one of the most severe penalties handed down so far in the Justice Department's investigation of the Capitol attack. As part of his plea, Mr. Head, a 43-year-old construction worker, admitted that during the violence outside the Capitol, he grabbed Mr. Fanone around the neck and told the crowd around him, 'I got one!' Mr. Head then forcibly hauled Mr. Fanone down the Capitol steps and into the mob, where he was beaten, kicked and attacked with a stun gun. Some in the crowd tried to strip Mr. Fanone of his service weapon as one rioter threatened to kill him with his own gun." The AP's report is here. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Annie Grayer, et al., of CNN: "The House Select Committee investigating the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol is wrapping up its review of more than a million pages of Secret Service documents and plans to bring in top agents and officials from the agency to testify in the coming weeks, multiple sources tell CNN. The widening list, which sources say includes about a half dozen witnesses, indicates the committee is still pursuing answers from the agency on a number of fronts, including what it knew about threats ahead of the attack, what ... Donald Trump knew about armed protestors heading to the Capitol, and how it responded to testimony about Trump's altercation with his security detail that day." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Who We Saw While Hanging at the Courthouse. Kaitlin Collins, et al., of CNN: "... Donald Trump's legal defense team and prosecutors handling the Mar-a-Lago documents investigation met at the federal courthouse in Washington, DC, Thursday morning in a secret dispute related to the unprecedented investigation. CNN spotted the lawyers -- including James Trusty, Evan Corcoran and Lindsey Halligan for Trump, and prosecutor Julie Edelstein and several others from the Justice Department who are known to be on the case -- heading into a sealed proceeding before Chief Judge Beryl Howell at the federal courthouse on Thursday. Their appearance in Washington is notable because this legal team typically appears in court in Florida or New York on the documents investigation." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Charlie Savage of the New York Times: "A full federal appeals court denied on Thursday ... Donald J. Trump's attempt to block Congress from gaining access to his tax returns, leaving in place a three-judge panel's ruling that a federal law gives a House committee chairman broad authority to request them despite Mr. Trump's status as a former president.... Mr. Trump's legal team ... is very likely to appeal to the Supreme Court." A CNN report is here.

Rebecca O'Brien of the New York Times: "Thomas J. Barrack Jr., a friend of ... Donald J. Trump standing trial on charges of acting as an undisclosed foreign agent, has sought to portray himself as ... a businessman managing big egos, upstart young leaders and political neophytes jockeying for influence in the Trump campaign and in the Middle East. On Thursday, federal prosecutors tried to undermine that image woven over nearly four days of testimony. What Mr. Barrack had presented to the jury as mediation, behind-the-scenes management of 'palace intrigue' or mere 'puffery' were reframed, during the government's cross-examination, as underhanded, opportunistic and deceptive. Mr. Barrack, 75, is accused of working for the United Arab Emirates without informing the attorney general. Prosecutors say that, at the direction of the Emiratis, Mr. Barrack used his access to Mr. Trump to expand the Persian Gulf nation's influence in the United States, and in turn passed sensitive information about the Trump administration to Emirati officials."

John Wagner of the Washington Post: "Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna [Romney] McDaniel on Thursday mocked the speaking abilities of Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, the Pennsylvania Democratic Senate candidate who is recovering from a stroke, and President Biden, who grew up with a stutter." MB: I am curious to know why Romney-McD didn't mock the speaking ability of the president* -- who doesn't admit to any speech disability as do Fetterman & Biden -- who spoke of the "oranges of the [Mueller] investigation" or his remarks about "Thighland." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Kate Conger & Lauren Hirsch of the New York Times: "On Thursday night, [Elon] Musk closed his $44 billion deal to buy the social media service [Twitter].... He also began cleaning house, with at least four top Twitter executives -- including the chief executive and chief financial officer -- getting fired on Thursday. Mr. Musk had arrived at Twitter's San Francisco headquarters on Wednesday and met with engineers and ad executives. The closing of the deal, which followed months of drama and legal challenges as Mr. Musk changed his mind about buying the company, sets Twitter on an uncertain course." An ABC News report is here.

Michelle Boorstein & Isaac Arnsdorf of the Washington Post: "Longtime watchdogs of antisemitism say there is nothing new about the kinds of derogatory comments about Jews that the rapper Ye, formerly known as Kanye West..., Donald Trump, sundry far-right political candidates and others have made in recent weeks. But what has struck some experts is how blatant the comments about Jews are at a time when incidents of harassment, vandalism and violence against them have been at their highest levels since at least the 1970s. Recent data already showed that a majority of American Jews fear violence against them." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Sarah Shaffi of the Guardian: "An article by John Steinbeck about American democracy, written 70 years ago, will be published in English for the first time this week. The piece, titled How About McCarthyism? was originally published in 1954 in French in Le Figaro Littéraire, although Steinbeck wrote it in English. The piece is being published in English in the Strand Magazine, a US-based print magazine that publishes short fiction, articles and interviews. The piece, said Andrew Gulli, managing editor, suggests that American democracy has always and will in the future face threats from within, but in the end will emerge stronger."

November Election

Michigan House. Thomas Beaumont of the AP: "Republican Rep. Liz Cheney on Thursday endorsed and plans to campaign for Rep. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan, the first time ... [Cheney, has crossed party lines to formally support a Democrat. Cheney, of Wyoming, announced her support for the two-term House member from Holly, Michigan, in a statement by the Slotkin campaign that notes she plans to headline a campaign event with Slotkin in the Lansing-area district next Tuesday. Slotkin is competing against Republican state Sen. Tom Barrett in Michigan's 7th Congressional District. Their race is considered a toss-up by both sides and one of the Republicans' chief targets in their campaign to win the House majority on Nov. 8."

Way Beyond the Beltway

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

     ~~~ The Washington Post's live briefings for Friday are here: "President Biden criticized Vladimir Putin for nuclear brinkmanship Thursday, hours after the Russian leader downplayed the chance that the Kremlin would use a nuclear weapon in Ukraine. 'If he has no intention, why does he keep talking about it? Why does he talk about the ability to use a tactical nuclear weapon?' Biden said during a cable news interview.... The United States and allies slammed Russia for wasting the time of the U.N. Security Council and spreading conspiracies for again raising its accusation that the U.S. has 'military biological programs' in Ukraine.... Russia would target 'quasi-civilian infrastructure' in space if Moscow believes it served military purposes, said Konstantin Vorontsov, a Russian official at the United Nations on Wednesday.... More than 70,000 people have been evacuated from the occupied southern city of Kherson and the surrounding area, a Moscow-backed regional official said in a TV interview Thursday, ahead of an advance by Ukrainian troops."

Marc Santora of the New York Times: "With Ukrainian forces bearing down on the occupied port city of Kherson this week, the Kremlin's puppet rulers dispatched a team to an 18th-century stone cathedral on a special mission -- to steal the bones of Prince Grigory Aleksandrovich Potemkin. The memory of the 18th-century conqueror is vivid for those in the Kremlin bent on restoring the Russian imperium. It was Potemkin who persuaded his lover, Catherine the Great, to annex Crimea in 1783. The founder of Kherson and Odesa, he sought the creation of a 'New Russia,' a dominion that stretched across what is now southern Ukraine along the Black Sea. When President Vladimir V. Putin invaded Ukraine in February with the goal of restoring part of a long-lost empire, he invoked Potemkin's vision.... The destruction of the cities that Potemkin helped build, [historian Simon Montefiore] said, has cast Putin in the role of destroying those earlier triumphs."


Netherlands. Christine Chung of the New York Times: "A climate protester glued his head to 'Girl With a Pearl Earring,' the famous painting by Johannes Vermeer that was on exhibit at a museum in The Hague on Thursday, the latest in a series of actions by activists that have targeted world-renowned paintings in recent months as the protesters have sought to draw attention to climate change. The stunts have recently included hurling mashed potatoes at a painting by Claude Monet and splattering soup on a painting by Vincent van Gogh." Fortunately, the Vermeer was protected by glass, which is unusual for an oil painting. MB: These so-called climate protesters make me sick. I hope they have to go to jail for a significant period of time, after which they have to spend the rest of their lives paying monetary damages. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Way, Way Beyond

Joel Achenbach of the Washington Post: "Mars has a lot of craters. Now it has two new ones -- gouged by rocks that slammed into the planet late last year.... But what has scientists buzzing -- to the point that NASA scheduled a news conference Thursday to highlight the discovery, detailed in two papers published in the journal Science -- is that the crater-making impacts were documented by two NASA spacecraft, an orbiter and a lander."

News Lede

New York Times: "Jerry Lee Lewis, the hard-driving rockabilly artist whose pounding boogie-woogie piano and bluesy, country-influenced vocals helped define the sound of rock 'n' roll on hits like 'Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On' and 'Great Balls of Fire,' and whose incendiary performing style expressed the essence of rock rebellion, died on Friday at his home in DeSoto County, Miss., south of Memphis. He was 87."

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Thursday
Oct272022

October 27, 2022

Afternoon Update:

Ben Casselman of the New York Times: "The U.S. economy grew slowly over the summer, adding to fears of a looming recession -- but also keeping alive the hope that one might be avoided. Gross domestic product, adjusted for inflation, returned to growth in the third quarter after two consecutive quarterly contractions, according to government data released on Thursday. But consumer spending slowed as inflation ate away at households' buying power, and the sharp rise in interest rates led to the steepest contraction in the housing sector since the first months of the pandemic. The report underscored the delicate balance facing the Federal Reserve as it tries to rein in the fastest inflation in four decades."

Alan Feuer of the New York Times: "A Tennessee man was sentenced on Thursday to seven and a half years in prison for dragging a police officer protecting the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, into an angry pro-Trump crowd that brutally assaulted the officer. The man, Albuquerque Cosper Head, pleaded guilty in March to assaulting the officer, Michael Fanone, who has emerged as an outspoken advocate for the officers who were subjected to the mob violence on Jan. 6. The sentence was one of the most severe penalties handed down so far in the Justice Department's investigation of the Capitol attack. As part of his plea, Mr. Head, a 43-year-old construction worker, admitted that during the violence outside the Capitol, he grabbed Mr. Fanone around the neck and told the crowd around him, 'I got one!' Mr. Head then forcibly hauled Mr. Fanone down the Capitol steps and into the mob, where he was beaten, kicked and attacked with a stun gun. Some in the crowd tried to strip Mr. Fanone of his service weapon as one rioter threatened to kill him with his own gun." The AP's report is here.

Annie Grayer, et al., of CNN: "The House Select Committee investigating the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol is wrapping up its review of more than a million pages of Secret Service documents and plans to bring in top agents and officials from the agency to testify in the coming weeks, multiple sources tell CNN. The widening list, which sources say includes about a half dozen witnesses, indicates the committee is still pursuing answers from the agency on a number of fronts, including what it knew about threats ahead of the attack, what ... Donald Trump knew about armed protestors heading to the Capitol, and how it responded to testimony about Trump's altercation with his security detail that day."

Who We Saw While Hanging at the Courthouse. Kaitlin Collins, et al., of CNN: "... Donald Trump's legal defense team and prosecutors handling the Mar-a-Lago documents investigation met at the federal courthouse in Washington, DC, Thursday morning in a secret dispute related to the unprecedented investigation. CNN spotted the lawyers -- including James Trusty, Evan Corcoran and Lindsey Halligan for Trump, and prosecutor Julie Edelstein and several others from the Justice Department who are known to be on the case -- heading into a sealed proceeding before Chief Judge Beryl Howell at the federal courthouse on Thursday. Their appearance in Washington is notable because this legal team typically appears in court in Florida or New York on the documents investigation."

John Wagner of the Washington Post: "Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna [Romney] McDaniel on Thursday mocked the speaking abilities of Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, the Pennsylvania Democratic Senate candidate who is recovering from a stroke, and President Biden, who grew up with a stutter." MB: I am curious to know why Romney-McD didn't mock the speaking ability of the president* -- who doesn't admit to any speech disability as do Fetterman & Biden -- who spoke of the "oranges of the [Mueller] investigation" or his remarks about "Thighland.

Michelle Boorstein & Isaac Arnsdorf of the <Washington Post: "Longtime watchdogs of antisemitism say there is nothing new about the kinds of derogatory comments about Jews that the rapper Ye, formerly known as Kanye West..., Donald Trump, sundry far-right political candidates and others have made in recent weeks.But what has struck some experts is how blatant the comments about Jews are at a time when incidents of harassment, vandalism and violence against them have been at their highest levels since at least the 1970s. Recent data already showed that a majority of American Jews fear violence against them."

Christine Chung of the New York Times: "A climate protester glued his head to 'Girl With a Pearl Earring,' the famous painting by Johannes Vermeer that was on exhibit at a museum in The Hague on Thursday, the latest in a series of actions by activists that have targeted world-renowned paintings in recent months as the protesters have sought to draw attention to climate change. The stunts have recently included hurling mashed potatoes at a painting by Claude Monet and splattering soup on a painting by Vincent van Gogh/" Fortunately, the Vermeer was protected by glass, which is unusual for an oil painting. MB: These so-called climate protesters make me sick. I hope they have to go to jail for a significant period of time, after which they have to spend the rest of their lives paying monetary damages.

~~~~~~~~~~

Edward Wong of the New York Times: "The American secretary of state said on Wednesday that the United States would re-evaluate its relationship with Saudi Arabia over the kingdom's decision to support Russia by agreeing to cut oil production next month, a move that the White House has asserted helps Moscow’s war effort against Ukraine."

Charlie Savage of the New York Times: "The Justice Department on Wednesday formally banned the use of subpoenas, warrants or court orders to seize reporters' communications records or demand their notes or testimony in an effort to uncover confidential sources in leak investigations, in what amounts to a major policy shift. The rules institutionalize -- and in places expand -- a temporary policy that Attorney General Merrick B. Garland put in place in July 2021, after the revelation that the Justice Department, under Attorney General William P. Barr, had secretly pursued email records of reporters at The New York Times, The Washington Post and CNN. 'These regulations recognize the crucial role that a free and independent press plays in our democracy,' Mr. Garland said in a statement."

Tracey Tully, et al., of the New York Times: "Five years after standing trial on corruption charges, Senator Robert Menendez [D] of New Jersey is again being scrutinized by federal authorities, an adviser said Wednesday. 'Senator Menendez is aware of an investigation,' said Michael Soliman, a New Jersey political consultant who managed two of Mr. Menendez's Senate campaigns. 'However, he does not know the scope of the investigation.'... The nature and extent of the investigation ... is unclear."

Adam Goldman, et al., of the <New York Times: "Federal prosecutors investigating ... Donald J. Trump's handling of national security documents want to question one of his confidants about a claim that Mr. Trump had declassified national security documents he took when he left the White House. That claim has hovered over the investigation since the confidant, Kash Patel; Mr. Trump himself; and other allies said publicly that Mr. Trump had declassified the documents while still president. No evidence has emerged that Mr. Trump did so, and Mr. Trump's lawyers have not repeated the claim in an ongoing court dispute with prosecutors.... [In testimony before a Washington, D.C., grand jury earlier this month,] Mr. Patel repeatedly invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.... The question now is whether the Justice Department will grant him immunity in order to secure his testimony."

Adam Liptak of the New York Times: "Justice Elena Kagan on Wednesday temporarily blocked a subpoena from the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol for phone records of Kelli Ward, the chairwoman of the Arizona Republican Party. Justice Kagan, who oversees the appeals court that refused to block the subpoena, issued an 'administrative stay' meant to preserve the status quo while the Supreme Court considers the matter. As is the court's practice, she gave no reasons. Justice Kagan ordered the committee to respond to Ms. Ward's emergency application by Friday. That was an indication that the full court would rule on the matter."

Kyle Cheney & Josh Gerstein of Politico: "A federal judge is considering whether to unseal secret court documents detailing ... Donald Trump's effort to prevent former aides from providing testimony to a grand jury investigating efforts to subvert the 2020 election. Chief Judge Beryl Howell of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on Wednesday asked the Justice Department to weigh in on unsealing requests made by two media organizations: Politico on Oct. 18 and the New York Times on Oct. 21. Howell's request comes as Trump has been quietly waging -- and losing -- a court battle in recent weeks to prevent former aides from testifying to the grand jury."

Amy Wang & Tom Hamburger of the Washington Post: "Former Trump White House chief of staff Mark Meadows must testify before a Georgia grand jury investigating Republican efforts to reverse the 2020 presidential election results in the state, a South Carolina judge ruled Wednesday. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis (D) has said that her inquiry is examining 'the multistate, coordinated efforts to influence the results of the November 2020 election in Georgia and elsewhere.' Because Meadows does not live in Georgia, she could not subpoena him to testify but filed a petition in August for him to do so. South Carolina Circuit Court Judge Edward Miller ruled Wednesday that Meadows must comply with a subpoena as his testimony is 'material and necessary to the investigation and that the state of Georgia is assuring not to cause undue hardship to him.'... An attorney for Meadows said Wednesday there is a possibility of an appeal or additional legal action." CNN's report is here. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)"/p>

Odd News. Matt Stevens of the New York Times: "The footwear company Skechers said late Wednesday that Kanye West had come to its corporate offices in Los Angeles 'unannounced and uninvited' and was subsequently escorted from the building, where he had been trying to film. 'Considering Ye was engaged in unauthorized filming, two Skechers executives escorted him and his party from the building after a brief conversation,' the company said in a statement.... 'Skechers is not considering and has no intention of working with West,' the statement added. 'We condemn his recent divisive remarks and do not tolerate antisemitism or any other form of hate speech.'" An ABC News story is here. MB: I admit I read this story only because I'm thinking of buying a pair of Skechers & I didn't want to enrich a company that might enter into a contract with West. Looks as if it's okay to purchase those slip-ins. Also, for reasons that escape me, this is a story that is receiving wide coverage.

November Elections

Toluse Olorunnipa of the Washington Post: "President Biden, in an 11th-hour effort to shift the debate over inflation and the economy, has begun warning voters that government shutdowns, entitlement cuts, debt defaults and general chaos loom if Republicans take control of Congress. With the president's agenda hanging in the balance in the final days before the Nov. 8 elections, Biden and other leading Democrats are seizing on the fear of disorder in an attempt to turn their liabilities on the economy into a political weapon." ~~~

~~~ Marie: As usual, the difference between the Democratic & Republican messages is that the former are based in reality & the latter are lies & fear fantasies. ~~~

~~~ Jim Tankersley & Emily Cochrane of the New York Times: "But while Republicans insist they will be better stewards of the economy, few economists on either end of the ideological spectrum expect the party's proposals to meaningfully reduce inflation in the short term. Instead, many say some of what Republicans are proposing -- including tax cuts for high earners and businesses -- could actually make price pressures worse by pumping more money into the economy. 'It is unlikely that any of the policies proposed by Republicans would meaningfully reduce inflation in 2023, when rapidly rising prices will still be a major problem for the economy and for consumers,' said Michael R. Strain, an economist at the conservative American Enterprise Institute.... As they position themselves for the midterm elections, Republicans have also indicated that they might try to hold the nations borrowing limit hostage to achieve spending cuts."

Georgia Senate. Jonathan Weisman & Maya King of the New York Times: "A woman who did not identify herself said on Wednesday that Herschel Walker pressured her to have an abortion and paid for the procedure nearly three decades ago after a yearslong extramarital relationship. A former football star, Mr. Walker is running for the Senate in Georgia as an abortion opponent. The New York Times could not confirm the account, interview the woman or inspect the evidence that Gloria Allred, the celebrity lawyer, asserted was proof that the woman had a relationship with Mr. Walker. The woman told her story at a news conference with Ms. Allred, but did not appear on camera. Neither she nor Ms. Allred offered any evidence to back up the woman's accusation that Mr. Walker, a Republican, had urged her to end her pregnancy even after she initially left an abortion clinic without going through with the procedure." The BuzzFeed News story is here.

Beyond the Beltway

Florida. Minyvonne Burke of NBC News: Ron Smith "spent over a decade fighting Florida laws that required the use of helmets [when riding a motorcycle], and represented a number of clients who violated state motorcycle requirements.... Smith, an experienced rider, was killed on Aug. 20 after he lost control of his motorcycle and crashed into a utility trailer. His girlfriend, Brenda Volpe, was his passenger and also died.... A medical examiner said Smith and Volpe died from head trauma, the Times reported. The accident report noted that neither was wearing a helmet at the time of the crash...." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Michigan. Joanna Slater of the Washington Post: "A jury on Wednesday convicted three men of aiding a plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) in a case that deepened concerns about the spread of right-wing extremism and potential violence directed at politicians. The three men -- Joseph Morrison, Paul Bellar and Pete Musico -- were found guilty in state court of providing material support for terrorist acts, possessing a firearm while committing a felony and being members of a gang. They face up to 20 years in prison." The AP report is here. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Way Beyond

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

     ~~~ The Washington Post's live briefings for Thursday are here: "Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to deliver a key annual speech in which he is expected to offer an 'extensive report' on world politics, a day after he repeated unfounded claims that Ukraine is preparing to use a 'dirty bomb' -- an explosive containing radioactive material -- on its own soil. Kyiv and Western powers have dismissed the claim and warned that Moscow could use it as a pretext for escalating the war. Russia also began its annual nuclear exercises, which are routine but of heightened significance as Russia has repeatedly wielded the threat of nuclear weapons since invading Ukraine. In the past, similar drills have lasted several days....

"The body of a U.S. citizen who died fighting in Ukraine has been identified and released to Ukrainian custody, the State Department said in a statement Wednesday. Joshua Jones, 24, was fighting alongside Ukraine's military when he was killed in August, Ukrainian officials said.... Ukraine's energy system was once again targeted by Russia overnight, the country's main grid operator, Ukrenergo, said early Thursday. The damage at facilities in central Ukraine means that further disruption to the power supply is possible in a number of regions, including Kyiv, it added."

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