The Ledes

Tuesday, October 1, 2024

Washington Post: “ John Amos, a running back turned actor who appeared in scores of TV shows — including groundbreaking 1970s programs such as the sitcom 'Good Times' and the epic miniseries 'Roots' — and risked his career to protest demeaning portrayals of Black characters, died Aug. 21 in Los Angeles. He was 84.”

New York Times: “Pete Rose, one of baseball’s greatest players and most confounding characters, who earned glory as the game’s hit king and shame as a gambler and dissembler, died on Monday. He was 83.”

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.”

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Public Service Announcement

Washington Post: "Americans can again order free rapid coronavirus tests by mail, the Biden administration announced Thursday. People can request four free at-home tests per household through covidtests.gov. They will begin shipping Monday. The move comes ahead of an expected winter wave of coronavirus cases. The September revival of the free testing program is in line with the Biden administration’s strategy to respond to the coronavirus as part of a broader public health campaign to protect Americans from respiratory viruses, including influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), that surge every fall and winter. But free tests were not mailed during the summer wave, which wastewater surveillance data shows is now receding."

Washington Post: “Comedy news outlet the Onion — reinvigorated by new ownership over this year — is bringing back its once-popular video parodies of cable news. But this time, there’s someone with real news anchor experience in the chair. When the first episodes appear online Monday, former WAMU and MSNBC host Joshua Johnson will be the face of the resurrected 'Onion News Network.' Playing an ONN anchor character named Dwight Richmond, Johnson says he’s bringing a real anchor’s sense of clarity — and self-importance — to the job. 'If ONN is anything, it’s a news organization that is so unaware of its own ridiculousness that it has the confidence of a serial killer,' says Johnson, 44.” ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I'll be darned if I can figured out how to watch ONN. If anybody knows, do tell. Thanks.

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.”

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Publisher & Editor: Marie Burns


Tuesday
Aug092022

August 10, 2022

Reality Chex was down for a couple of hours today, so don't be all surprised if it goes down again. If worse comes to worst, I'll post a few entries on Twitter @CONSTANTWEADER tonight & tomorrow morning. In the meantime, if all goes well, it's bizniz as usual. -- Marie

Trumpidy-doo-dah, Trumpidy-ay, My Oh My ...

Late Morning Update:

The mob takes the Fifth. If you're innocent, why are you taking the Fifth Amendment? -- Donald Trump, September 2016 (WashPo link) ~~~

~~~ Trump Surprised Constitution Can Come in Handy. From the New York Times liveblog, also linked below: "Donald J. Trump declined to answer questions from the New York state attorney general's office on Wednesday, a stunning gamble in a high-stakes legal interview that is likely to determine the course of a civil investigation into his company's business practices. In a statement released shortly after the questioning began on Wednesday, Mr. Trump said he would invoke his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination, explaining that he 'declined to answer the questions under the rights and privileges afforded to every citizen under the United States Constitution.' After the deposition began, two sources with knowledge of the matter confirmed that he was refusing to answer questions, citing the Fifth Amendment." The Hill's report is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Thanks to Ken W. for the link. MB: As Ken points out in today's Comments, there's a bit of irony in this development -- Trump spent four years as president* (and in his telling, he is still president) ignoring the laws & the Constitution, but suddenly he finds a part he likes. I suppose Ken & I are being unfair inasmuch as Trump was fond on that part of the Article II -- apparently written in invisible ink, as no one else has seen it -- that said he could do whatever he wanted.

Perry Stein of the Washington Post: "The Justice Department has charged a member of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in connection with a plot to murder former Trump national security adviser John Bolton, accusing him of attempting to pay individuals $300,000 to kill Bolton in D.C. or Maryland. The suspect, Shahram Poursafi, 45, remains at large abroad, the Justice Department said. If found and convicted, he would face up to 10 years imprisonment and a fine up to $250,000 for the use of interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder-for-hire, and up to 15 years imprisonment and a fine up to $250,000 for providing and attempting to provide material support to a transnational murder plot. Federal officials said the attempted assassination of Bolton would have been retaliation for the U.S. military killing in January, 2020 of Qasem Soleimani, a top commander of the Revolutionary Guard Corps, which is a branch of Iran's military. Soleimani was killed in a drone strike in Baghdad."

Jordan Williams of the Hill: "President Biden on Wednesday signed into law a bill to expand benefits for millions of veterans who were exposed to toxins during war and are suffering illnesses as a result. The Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act also expands presumptions of service connections for a variety of conditions related to toxic exposure -- meaning veterans don't have to prove their illness was service-connected." ~~~

~~~~~~~~~~

Devlin Barrett, et al., of the Washington Post: "In the months before the FBI's dramatic move to execute a search warrant at ... Donald Trump;s Florida home -- and open his safe to look for items -- federal authorities grew increasingly concerned that Trump or his lawyers and aides had not, in fact, returned all the documents and other material that were government property, according to people familiar with the discussions.... Over months of discussions on the subject, some officials also came to suspect Trump's representatives were not truthful at times.... On Tuesday, a lawyer for Trump said the agents who brought the court-approved warrant to Mar-a-Lago a day earlier took about 12 more boxes after conducting their search.... By [this past spring], officials at the National Archives had been aggressively contacting to people in Trump's orbit to demand the return of documents they believed were covered by the Presidential Records Act.... [A Trump lawyer] said the Justice Department officials commented [in June 2022] that they did not believe the storage unit was properly secured, so Trump officials added a lock to the facility." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

     ~~~ Maggie Haberman, et al., of the New York Times: "The search carried out on Monday by the F.B.I. at ... Donald J. Trump's Florida home, a law enforcement action with explosive legal and political implications, was the culmination of a lengthy conflict between a president proud of his disdain for rules and officials [of the National Archives] charged with protecting the nation's records and secrets.... [Mr. Trump's] habit of transporting material around [the White House public spaces & residence] in cardboard boxes, with either a personal aide or a valet carrying them, was well known, but the contents were not always clear. Discussions were held within the White House by top staff members about how to get Mr. Trump to surrender his boxes.... When he left the White House, Mr. Trump took the boxes with him to Mar-a-Lago, packed with paperwork including letters from the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and his 'Sharpie-gate' map of the path of a hurricane, along with personal items like golf balls and a rain coat and various other things stuffed in. The National Archives ... determined last year that many important presidential documents that archivists knew existed were missing and believed to be in Mr. Trump's possession. That set off a lengthy back and forth between the National Archives and Mr. Trump's lawyers...." The details in both the WashPo & NYT stories are interesting.

     ~~~ In yesterday's Comments thread, Akhilleus speculated that a safe was "the last place Trump would stash documents. He'd leave that stuff lying around on coffee tables and pinned up on the walls so guests could marvel at the wonderfulness of the Dear Leader who had all those papers stamped 'top secret' and 'eyes only' in his possession." Right again! According to the NYT reporters, agents "cracked a hotel-style safe that was said by two people briefed on the search to contain nothing of consequence to the agents." AND "For the rest of 2021..., Mr. Trump would wave things like the North Korean leader's letters at people, as if they were collectors' items he was showing off." MB: When you joke about something stupid Trump might do, Trump obliges & actually does the stupid thing. ~~~

     ~~~ Holmes Lybrand, et al., of CNN have composed a timeline of the DOJ's criminal inquiry into Trump's theft of classified documents that incorporates some of the info included the the WashPo & NYT stories linked above. MB Note: I realize journalists are not calling Trump's actions "theft." But if you (or some of your henchmen) put something in your luggage that doesn't belong to you and refuse to return all or part of it when asked nicely, what is that but theft? And the fact that you flagrantly flash around some of the prized items in your booty does not make the theft an "appropriation" or some other euphamistic characterization.

     ~~~ Marie: I heard on TV Tuesday that among the items Trump stole from the White House were a model of Air Force 1 as Trump had redesigned it -- and some paper cocktail napkins. If true, here's this supposed billionaire who could easily afford to have another model made & could buy his own damned napkins down at the Palm Beach Publix (although I don't suppose any Publix napkins sport the presidential seal, as the ones Trump lifted may have). But no. So besides just a few other shortcomings you might have noticed, Trump is also a petty thief. Pathetic! I hope the plane model & napkins are returned to the White House. Joe & Jill's grandchildren can play with the model, and Joe himself, after enjoying some savory canapés, can delicately wipe his mouth with the napkins.

Amber Phillips of the Washington Post looks at some of the implications of the FBI search of Mar-a-Lago: "Prosecutors could be probing whether the former president or his aides violated the Presidential Records Act, mishandled classified material or lied to investigators about whether they returned all the material to the archives when they were asked to do so.... For the FBI to search someone's home -- let alone a former president -- requires the government to show an extraordinary amount of evidence that they have reason to believe a crime has potentially been committed. That evidence was presented to a federal judge, who signed off on a court order okaying the search.... The relevant law regarding public documents says that a violator 'shall forfeit his office and and be disqualified from holding any office under the United States.' [But there would certainly be a challenge if the government attempted to apply that law] because the Constitution sets the qualifications for president -- and nowhere does it say that being convicted of a crime -- including one involving public documents -- would bar someone from holding office." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Katie Benner & Glenn Thrush of the New York Times: "The F.B.I. had scarcely decamped from Mar-a-Lago when ... Donald J. Trump's allies, led by Representative Kevin McCarthy of California, began a bombardment of vitriol and threats against the man they see as a foe and foil: Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. Mr. Garland, a bookish former judge who during his unsuccessful Supreme Court nomination in 2016 told senators that he did not have 'a political bone' in his body, responded, as he so often does, by not responding.... 'Garland has said that he wants his investigation to be apolitical, but nothing he does will stop Trump from distorting the perception of the investigation, given the asymmetrical rules,' said Andrew Weissmann, who was one of [Robert] Mueller's top aides in the special counsel';s office.... 'Playing by the Justice Department rules sadly but necessarily leaves the playing field open to this abuse.'" ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: While Weissmann certainly is right, the problem is grotesquely exacerbated by Republicans' complete lack of integrity & respect for the truth. I'm sure they can't fathom why people would ever govern themselves by a moral compass. Republicans' idea of "honor" is a teenager shooting protesters. BTW, I heard Weissman on the teevee earlier in the day expressing the opinion that the purpose of the raid on Mar-a-Lardo was to retrieve & secure presidential* documents & that it was unlikely DOJ would bring criminal charges against Trumpolini or his mob for stealing government property. ~~~

     ~~~ Scott Lemieux, in LG&$, republishes some Q&A from New Yorker writer Isaac Chotiner's interview of Andrew Weissmann. Weissmann explains why he thinks AG Merrick Garland approved a search warrant for Trump's Florida residence. As Lemieux writes, "... , the idea that [Trump] would comply voluntarily with a subpoena is absurd."

Matt Gertz of Media Matters: "The FBI and Justice Department have declined comment [on the search of Mar-a-Lago], following their typical procedure for press requests confirming active federal investigations. Trump is using that information vacuum to put his own spin on the events, describing himself in his release as the victim of 'prosecutorial misconduct, the weaponization of the Justice System, and an attack by Radical Left Democrats who desperately don't want me to run for President.' And his loyal henchmen at Fox News quickly adopted his talking points, denouncing the judge-approved search in the most demagogic terms imaginable on their Monday night programs as they sought to poison the well against any potential consequences for their beloved president." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

David Gilbert of Vice: "After news broke that the FBI searched ... Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago home in Florida on Monday, his supporters openly called for an armed violent response, and ultimately, civil war. 'Civil War 2.0 just kicked off,' one user wrote on Twitter, with another adding, 'One step closer to a kinetic civil war.' Others said they were ready to take part: 'I already bought my ammo.' MAGA, QAnon, and far-right message boards and Telegram channels lit up Monday night with calls for a violent response to what some extremists see as a political attack directed by the Biden administration.... Within hours of the FBI search..., the term 'civil war' was already trending on Twitter, and hundreds of Trump supporters had already gathered outside Mar-a-Lago. Some claimed on Telegram channels that they were there to protect the former president." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

     ~~~ Ben Collins & Ryan Reilly of NBC News have more on the violent rebel yells responding to the the Mar-a-Lago search. ~~~

     ~~~ Dana Milbank of the Washington Post: "... the reckless response by the GOP-Fox News axis to the FBI's search of Mar-a-Lago makes it feel as though we're falling into the abyss. The threat of political violence from far-right extremists has been growing for years, but calls to arms reached a fever pitch in pro-Trump social media after Monday's court-ordered search at ... Donald Trump's Florida compound.... Fox News and other conservative outlets exploded with talk of 'war' and 'assassination,' an 'attack' on the country and Trump supporters, and calls for revenge against a 'corrupt' American 'KGB.' Elected Republicans erupted in cries about the 'weaponized politicization' done by a Democratic 'Gestapo' and a 'tyrannical FBI,' and about the need to 'make sure these tyrants pay the price.' They called for retribution: 'Destroy the FBI.' 'No one is safe.' 'You’re next.' 'They're coming for YOU.'... These are open invitations to the violent and the unstable to take matters into their own hands."

New York Times liveblog: "Donald J. Trump will face questioning under oath from the New York attorney general's office on Wednesday, a crucial turning point in a long-running civil investigation into his business practices.... "In New York City tonight. Seeing racist N.Y.S. Attorney General tomorrow, for a continuation of the greatest Witch Hunt in U.S. history!' he wrote. 'My great company, and myself, are being attacked from all sides. Banana Republic!'[, he added, as if to demonstrate his great self's misapprehension of the use of reflexive pronouns. Perhaps his penchant for employing the royal 'we' has confused him. -- MB]" ~~~

     ~~~ A CNN report is here.

** Nicholas Wu, et al., of Politico: "Rep. Scott Perry, a top ally of ... Donald Trump, said on Tuesday that FBI agents seized his phone.... Perry's statement didn't detail what the FBI wanted from his phone, but he has been a figure of interest to congressional investigators probing Trump's effort to overturn the 2020 election. Perry, a key ally in that effort, pressed Trump to replace Justice Department leaders and install a little-known official, Jeffrey Clark, atop the department.... 'This morning, while traveling with my family, 3 FBI agents visited me and seized my cell phone,' the Pennsylvania Republican said in a statement issued through his office. 'They made no attempt to contact my lawyer, who would have made arrangements for them to have my phone if that was their wish.'" MB: "Also, that would have given me time to toss the phone in the Susquehanna." An AP story is here.

Tierney Sneed & Katelyn Polantz of CNN: "A federal appeals court on Tuesday signed off on a House Ways and Means Committee request to obtain ... Donald Trump's tax returns from the Internal Revenue Service. The 3-0 ruling from the DC Circuit Court of Appeals is a blow to Trump, who has argued for years in court against releasing his tax returns to any investigators. A trial-level judge he appointed while president previously rejected his arguments in the case. But Trump still could appeal, making the litigation unlikely to end at this time. The court said the judgment would not issued for seven days, giving Trump time to appeal." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Planes, Trains & Automobiles. Danny Hakim & Richard Fausset of the New York Times: :Rudolph W. Giuliani..., a central figure in the investigation into election interference in Georgia, has been telling = prosecutors that he cannot travel to the state to appear before a = special grand jury because he is not healthy enough to fly. But - on Tuesday, a judge in Fulton County, Ga., said that Mr. Giuliani, who = had two coronary heart stents implanted in early July, could travel from New York to Atlanta some other way, and tentatively ordered him to show up to deliver in-person testimony on Aug. 17. 'Mr. Giuliani is not cleared for air travel, A-I-R,' Judge Robert C.I. McBurney of Fulton County Superior Court said. '... So one thing we need to explore is whether Mr. Giuliani could get here without jeopardizing his recovery and his health. On a train, on a bus or Uber, or whatever it would be,' he said.... In a hearing on Tuesday afternoon, the judge also told prosecutors they should let Mr. Giuliani, 78, know whether he was a target of the criminal investigation.... If Mr. Giuliani is considered to be a target, that could prompt him to invoke his Fifth Amendment right and decline to give testimony after potentially making a lengthy road trip."

MEANWHILE, a Real President Was at Work. Zolan Kanno-Youngs of the New York Times: "President Biden signed measures on Tuesday approving the expansion of NATO to include Sweden and Finland, an effort to bolster the Western alliance after President Vladimir V. Putin's invasion of Ukraine. 'Today, we see all too clearly how NATO remains an indispensable alliance for the world of today and the world of tomorrow,' Mr. Biden said from the White House. 'Our alliance is closer than ever,' he added. 'It is more united than ever. And when Finland and Sweden bring the number of allies to 32, we'll be stronger than ever.'... Last week, the Senate voted 95 to 1 to give its approval [to the expansion of NATO], with only Senator Josh Hawley, Republican of Missouri, opposing the move.... The approval in Washington was another pivot away from the foreign policy of ... Donald J. Trump, who openly criticized the alliance."


Wilfred Chan of the Guardian: "The conservative campaign against LGBTQ+ rights has found a new fixation for its hatred: monkeypox. On TV, rightwing commentators openly mock monkeypox victims -- the vast majority of whom are men who have sex with men -- and blame them for getting the disease. On social media, rightwing users trade memes about how the 'cure' to monkeypox is straight marriage while casting doubt on monkeypox vaccines' efficacy. This aggressive stigmatization of monkeypox -- reminiscent of the homophobic response to HIV/Aids in the 1980s -- poses a serious challenge to public health advocates and community leaders trying to have honest conversations about the disease with the gay and bisexual men who are most at risk during the current outbreak." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: It does seem to me that -- if they have not already done so -- it's time for mental health professionals to start labeling -- and treating -- this and other forms of bullying as mental disorders & register these disorders in the DSM. You have to be one sick fuck to make fun of people who are suffering from a painful physical illness.

Beyond the Beltway

Primariy Elections. The New York Times is liveblogging developments in primary races in Connecticut, Minnesota, Vermont & Wisconsin. MB: A big night for the Trumpettes:

"Wisconsin. Republican primary voters upended their party's establishment in Wisconsin on Tuesday, choosing a Trump-backed candidate for governor who has entertained overturning the 2020 election results as the challenger to Gov. Tony Evers, a Democrat, in one of the most consequential November contests in the country. Tim Michels, a wealthy construction magnate endorsed by ... Donald J. Trump, defeated former Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch, who had support from former Gov. Scott Walker, former Vice President Mike Pence and dozens of state legislators, as well as the state's largest business organizations.... Mr. Trump's followers gave a serious scare to the powerful Republican speaker of the State Assembly, Robin Vos. In recent weeks, Mr. Vos had become the former president's chief antagonist among Wisconsin Republicans because he refused to indulge Mr. Trump's false claims that the 2020 results can still be decertified. Mr. Vos inched past a far-right challenger and political neophyte who was desperately short on money but was buoyed by a Trump endorsement just a week before the primary....

     ... "Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes has won Wisconsin's Democratic primary for the Senate. Barnes was widely expected to prevail after his three leading opponents dropped out of the race and endorsed him late last month. [An NBC News story is here. MB: Oh, let us all hope that in the Land of Joe McCarthy, a man named Mandela dispatches with the Stupidest Senator, a/k/a Ron Johnson.] ...

"Connecticut. A late endorsement from ... Donald J. Trump helped catapult Leora Levy on Tuesday from a second-tier Senate candidate to the Republican nominee in Connecticut. Levy, a Republican National Committee member from Greenwich who called Trump 'vulgar' in 2016 but eventually embraced his movement, defeated the party-endorsed moderate Themis Klarides, the former Connecticut House Republican leader....

"Minnesota. Kim Crockett, who called the 2020 presidential election a 'train wreck' and cast doubt on the counting of the votes during the pandemic, won the Republican nomination for secretary of state in Minnesota on Tuesday, according to The Associated Press. She will face Steve Simon, the Democratic incumbent, in the November general election that will determine who will be the state's top election official.... [A Huffington Post story is here.]

"Washington State. Representative Jaime Herrera Beutler of Washington, a Republican who voted to impeach ... Donald J. Trump and sharply criticized his actions leading up to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, conceded her primary Tuesday in a crowded race that included a Trump-backed challenger and other 2020 election deniers. Marie Perez, a Democrat, and Joe Kent, the Republican endorsed by Mr. Trump, were leading in the race, which had not yet been called. The eventual winners will square off in November to represent Washington's Third Congressional District, which encompasses the southwestern corner of the state." A Politico story on Herrera Beutler's loss is here.

Maryland Gubernatorial Race. Ovetta Wiggins & Erin Cox of the Washington Post: "Maryland Republican gubernatorial nominee Dan Cox on Tuesday called the FBI search of ... Donald Trump's residence 'criminal' and said if elected he would use the full force of government -- including the state police and Maryland National Guard -- to oppose President Biden."

Mississippi Is Still Mississippi. Michael Goldberg & Allen Breed of the AP: "A Mississippi grand jury has declined to indict the white woman whose accusation set off the lynching of Black teenager Emmett Till nearly 70 years ago, most likely closing the case that shocked a nation and galvanized the modern civil rights movement. After hearing more than seven hours of testimony from investigators and witnesses, a Leflore County grand jury last week determined there was insufficient evidence to indict Carolyn Bryant Donham on charges of kidnapping and manslaughter, Leflore County District Attorney Dewayne Richardson said in a news release Tuesday."

Way Beyond

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

     ~~~ The Washington Post's live updates for Wednesday are here: "Tuesday's airfield explosion in Crimea was the work of Ukrainian special forces, a Ukrainian official told The Post.... The Ukrainian air force said in a separate statement that nine Russian aircraft were destroyed in the blast, without any claim of responsibility. A Ukrainian attack in Crimea would mark a dramatic escalation in the war. It would demonstrate a remarkable ability by Ukrainian forces, or their allies, to strike at Russia far from the front lines."

Andrew Kramer of the New York Times: "Ukraine ... has adapted a wide array of small [drone] craft ranging from quadro-copters, with four rotors, to midsized fixed-wing drones, using them to drop bombs and spot artillery targets. Ukraine still uses advanced military drones supplied by its allies for observation and attack, but along the frontline the bulk of its drone fleet are off-the-shelf products or hand-built in workshops around Ukraine -- a myriad of inexpensive, plastic craft adapted to drop grenades or anti-tank munitions."

News Ledes

New York Times: "For days, the news that someone might be killing Muslim men in Albuquerque spread fear among the city's Muslim residents some of whom were so afraid of becoming the next target that they fled town or hunkered down in their homes. On Tuesday, the police said they had arrested a man who was himself Muslim and who may have targeted at least two of the victims because he was angry that his daughter had married a man from the other major branch of Islam. The police said the man Muhammad Syed, 51, would be charged in two of the killings and that he was a suspect in the other two deaths."

CNBC: "Prices that consumers pay for a variety of goods and services rose 8.5% in July from a year ago, a slowing pace from the previous month due largely to a drop in gasoline prices. On a monthly basis, prices were flat as energy prices broadly declined 4.6% and gasoline fell 7.7%. That offset a 1.1% monthly gain in food prices and a 0.5% increase in shelter costs." A New York Times report/liveblog is here.

Comments Off
Monday
Aug082022

August 9, 2022

Afternoon Update:

And a Trumpy afternoon to you.

Devlin Barrett, et al., of the Washington Post: "In the months before the FBIs dramatic move to execute a search warrant at ... Donald Trump's Florida home -- and open his safe to look for items -- federal authorities grew increasingly concerned that Trump or his lawyers and aides had not, in fact, returned all the documents and other material that were government property, according to people familiar with the discussions.... Over months of discussions on the subject, some officials also came to suspect Trump's representatives were not truthful at times.... On Tuesday, a lawyer for Trump said the agents who brought the court-approved warrant to Mar-a-Lago a day earlier took about 12 more boxes after conducting their search.... By [this past spring], officials at the National Archives had been aggressively contacting to people in Trump's orbit to demand the return of documents they believed were covered by the Presidential Records Act.... [A Trump lawyer] said the Justice Department officials commented [in June 2022] that they did not believe the storage unit was properly secured, so Trump officials added a lock to the facility." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I heard on TV Tuesday that among the items Trump stole from the White House were a model of Air Force 1 as Trump had redesigned it -- and some paper cocktail napkins. If true, here's this supposed billionaire who could easily afford to have another model made & could buy his own damned napkins down at the Palm Beach Publix (although I don't suppose any Publix napkins sport the presidential seal, as the ones Trump lifted may have). But no. So besides just a few other shortcomings you might have noticed, Trump is also a petty thief. Pathetic! I hope the plane model & napkins are returned to the White House. Joe & Jill's grandchildren can play with the model, and Joe himself, after enjoying some savory canapés, can delicately wipe his mouth with the napkins.

Tierney Sneed & Katelyn Polantz of CNN: "A federal appeals court on Tuesday signed off on a House Ways and Means Committee request to obtain ... Donald Trump's tax returns from the Internal Revenue Service. The 3-0 ruling from the DC Circuit Court of Appeals is a blow to Trump, who has argued for years in court against releasing his tax returns to any investigators. A trial-level judge he appointed while president previously rejected his arguments in the case. But Trump still could appeal, making the litigation unlikely to end at this time. The court said the judgment would not issued for seven days, giving Trump time to appeal."

Amber Phillips of the Washington Post looks at some of the implications of the FBI search of Mar-a-Lago: "Prosecutors could be probing whether the former president or his aides violated the Presidential Records Act, mishandled classified material or lied to investigators about whether they returned all the material to the archives when they were asked to do so.... For the FBI to search someone's home -- let alone a former president -- requires the government to show an extraordinary amount of evidence that they have reason to believe a crime has potentially been committed. That evidence was presented to a federal judge, who signed off on a court order okaying the search.... The relevant law regarding public documents says that a violator 'shall forfeit his office and and be disqualified from holding any office under the United States.' [But there would certainly be a challenge if the government attempted to apply that law] because the Constitution sets the qualifications for president -- and nowhere does it say that being convicted of a crime -- including one involving public documents -- would bar someone from holding office."

Matt Gertz of Media Matters: "The FBI and Justice Department have declined comment [on the search of Mar-a-Lago], following their typical procedure for press requests confirming active federal investigations. Trump is using that information vacuum to put his own spin on the events, describing himself in his release as the victim of 'prosecutorial misconduct, the weaponization of the Justice System, and an attack by Radical Left Democrats who desperately don't want me to run for President.' And his loyal henchmen at Fox News quickly adopted his talking points, denouncing the judge-approved search in the most demagogic terms imaginable on their Monday night programs as they sought to poison the well against any potential consequences for their beloved president."

David Gilbert of Vice: "After news broke that the FBI searched ... Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago home in Florida on Monday, his supporters openly called for an armed violent response, and ultimately, civil war. 'Civil War 2.0 just kicked off,' one user wrote on Twitter, with another adding, 'One step closer to a kinetic civil war.' Others said they were ready to take part: 'I already bought my ammo.' MAGA, QAnon, and far-right message boards and Telegram channels lit up Monday night with calls for a violent response to what some extremists see as a political attack directed by the Biden administration.... Within hours of the FBI search..., the term 'civil war' was already trending on Twitter, and hundreds of Trump supporters had already gathered outside Mar-a-Lago. Some claimed on Telegram channels that they were there to protect the former president.

~~~~~~~~~~

Oh, It's a Very Trumpy Day!

** Raid on Mar-a-Lardo. Devlin Barrett, et al., of the Washington Post: "... Donald Trump said Monday that the FBI had raided his Mar-a-Lago Club and searched his safe -- activity related to an investigation into the potential mishandling of classified documents, according to a person familiar with the probe. The person ... said agents were conducting a court-authorized search as part of a long-running investigation of whether documents -- some of them top secret -- were taken to the former president's private golf club and residence instead of sent to the National Archives when Trump left office.... 'My beautiful home, Mar-A-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, is currently under siege, raided, and occupied by a large group of FBI agents,' Trump said in a statement released through his political action committee, Save America. Trump said the raid was 'unannounced' and claimed it was not 'necessary or appropriate.' The former president, without evidence, accused Democrats of weaponizing the 'justice system' against him.... Trump's team was given no heads-up about the search, several advisers said." An AP story is here.

     ~~~ New York Times liveblog: "The search, according to multiple people familiar with the investigation, appeared to be focused on material that Mr. Trump had brought with him to Mar-a-Lago, his private club and residence, when he left the White House.... The news that the F.B.I. executed a search on Trump's home was a remarkable escalation and a truly stunning turn of events, even by the standard of the Trump years, during which norms were repeatedly shattered.... Those boxes contained many pages of classified documents, according to a person familiar with their contents.... Trump was not at Mar-a-Lago when the search took place. Instead, he was up north, where he's been spending much of his time at his club in Bedminster, N.J., preparing for a deposition with the New York attorney general in a civil matter related to his finances.... President Biden's top aides found out about the F.B.I.'s search of Mar-a-Lago from reports on Twitter and had no advance notice, according to a Democratic source familiar with the matter.... News that the F.B.I. had searched Mar-a-Lago appeared to have been first reported Monday by Peter Schorsch, the publisher of FloridaPolitics.com." ~~~

     ~~~ Update: Here's more from the updated summary report at the top of the Times liveblog: "Eric Trump ... told Fox News that he was the one who informed his father that the search was taking place, and he said the search warrant was related to presidential documents. Mr. Trump, who campaigned for president in 2016 criticizing Hillary Clinton's practice of maintaining a private email server for government-related messages..., was known throughout his term to rip up official material that was intended to be held for presidential archives. One person familiar with his habits said that included classified material that was shredded in his bedroom and elsewhere.... Mr. Trump ... [maintained the search] was an effort to stop him from running for president in 2024. 'Such an assault could only take place in broken, Third-World Countries.... They even broke into my safe!' he wrote.... Local television crews showed supporters of Mr. Trump gathering near Mar-a-Lago, some of them being aggressive toward reporters.... [Mr. Trump's]political team began sending fund-raising solicitations about the search late on Monday evening." ~~~

     ~~~ Kaitlan Collins, et al., of CNN: "The search began early Monday morning and law enforcement personnel appeared to be focused on the area of the club where Trump's offices and personal quarters are, according to a person familiar with the matter. The FBI's search included examining where documents were kept, according to another person familiar with the investigation, and boxes of items were taken."

Marie: Andrew Weissmann pointed out in an MSNBC segment that a search warrant is sought "when you do not trust that the person will turn the documents over pursuant to a subpoena." He also noted that the FBI did not conduct a "raid," as Trump claimed; a court approved the warrant. So neither Merrick Garland nor the judge who signed off on the warrant believed Trump could be trusted to lawfully respond to a subpoena. ~~~

     ~~~ According to a post by Glenn Thrush in the NYT liveblog linked above, "... the use of such a warrant does indicate a sense of prosecutorial urgency -- and is used only when 'it appears that the use of a subpoena, summons, request, or other less intrusive alternative means of obtaining the materials would substantially jeopardize the availability or usefulness of the materials sought,' according to the Justice Manual, the department's official guidebook on criminal procedure."

Colby Itkowitz, et al., of the Washington Post: "Top Republicans on Monday rallied quickly behind Donald Trump's efforts to discredit the FBI search of his Mar-a-Lago Club, embracing his claims, presented without evidence, that it was a political attack intended to impede Trump's chances if he runs for president again. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), a top Trump ally, responded with a threat to the Justice Department, vowing to investigate the agency if the Republicans win back the House in the midterm elections. Claiming without evidence that the department has 'reached an intolerable state of weaponized politicization,' McCarthy warned, 'Attorney General Garland, preserve your documents and clear your calendar.'" MB: Yet these same "top Republicans" thought it was necessary to carry out seven Congressional investigations/outrage sessions about "the emails!" And they were very, very disappointed that the FBI didn't arrest Clinton but instead put Trump in the White House when then-FBI Director Jim Comey went out and implicated her twice, once during the week before the 2016 election. ~~~

~~~ Aaron Blake of the Washington Post looks with dismay upon the Republicans' knee-jerk reaction to the FBI's search of Trump's modest residence. "Many blamed [President] Biden -- Fox News's Brian Kilmeade went so far as to say that the order for the raid 'has to have come from @POTUS and/or someone in White House' -- despite there being zero evidence the president had any role." House Republicans on the Judiciary Committee, led by Gym Jordan, perfectly invoking the drivers' you-should-be-out-finding-the-real-criminals defense, tweeted in part, "Doesn't the FBI have better things to do than harass the former PRESIDENT?" The tweet also reproduces Trump's full statement/complaint, so it's not entirely useless. ~~~

~~~ The linked stories contain some of the over-the-top plaints of Trumpists reacting to the search. But the prize has to go to Bernie Kerik: ~~~

     ~~~ Kipp Jones of Mediaite: "Former NYPD commissioner Bernard Kerik said Monday he is worried Democrats might try to assassinate ... Donald Trump.... '... This is the first time in my lifetime that I would say I am deathly afraid for Donald Trump. I would not put assassination behind these people.'"

This Day in History, 1974: ~~~

     ~~~ Nixon announced his resignation in a speech delivered on the evening of August 8,1974. (Link is to a video of Nixon's resignation speech.)

Crappergate. MEANWHILE, the Docu-Dumps (yeah, pun intended). Mike Allen of Axios: "Maggie Haberman's forthcoming book about former President Trump will report that White House residence staff periodically found wads of paper clogging a toilet -- and believed the former president, a notorious destroyer of Oval Office documents, was the flusher.... Trump denied it and called Haberman, whose New York Times coverage he follows compulsively, a 'maggot.' Well, it turns out there are photos. And here they are, published for the first time." Includes photos that show Trump did a half-assed (ha ha) job of everything: the photos show notes in Trump's handwriting still sitting at the bottom of Trump's commodes. Emphasis added.

Kyle Cheney & Nicholas Wu of Politico: "The Justice Department on Monday rejected an effort by attorney John Eastman -- a key ally in Donald Trump's effort to overturn the 2020 election -- to reclaim his cellphone, which was seized by FBI agents in June.... 'The movant's rights and privileges do not eliminate the Government's ability to seize and search his phone in furtherance of a criminal investigation,' Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Dohrmann wrote in the 24-page Justice Department filing. The filing is the latest salvo in the department's increasingly public effort to criminally investigate efforts by Trump and his allies to disrupt the transfer of power and overturn the 2020 election. It's also the latest indication that the Justice Department considers the Eastman matter a high priority...."

Eric Tucker & Kate Brumback of the AP: "Rudy Giuliani will not appear as scheduled Tuesday before a special grand jury in Atlanta that's investigating whether ... Donald Trump and others illegally tried to interfere in the 2020 general election in Georgia, his lawyer said.... Giuliani's attorney, Robert Costello, told The Associated Press on Monday that Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney, who's overseeing the special grand jury, had excused Giuliani for the day. Nothing in publicly available court documents indicates that Giuliani is excused from appearing....

Trump Aimed to Be More Like Hitler. Michael Shear of the New York Times: "President Donald J. Trump told his top White House aide that he wished he had generals like the ones who had reported to Adolf Hitler, saying they were 'totally loyal' to the leader of the Nazi regime, according to a forthcoming book about the 45th president. 'Why can't you be like the German generals?' Mr. Trump told John Kelly, his chief of staff, preceding the question with an obscenity, according to an excerpt from 'The Divider: Trump in the White House,' by Peter Baker and Susan Glasser, published online by The New Yorker on Monday morning.... The excerpt depicts Mr. Trump as deeply frustrated by his top military officials, whom he saw as insufficiently loyal or obedient to him.... [Mr. Kelly] told Mr. Trump that Germany's generals had 'tried to kill Hitler three times and almost pulled it off.' Mr. Trump was dismissive, according to the excerpt, apparently unaware of ... World War II history.... '"No, no, no, they were totally loyal to him," the president replied, according to the book's authors. 'In his version of history, the generals of the Third Reich had been completely subservient to Hitler; this was the model he wanted for his military. Kelly told Trump that there were no such American generals, but the president was determined to test the proposition.'" ~~~

     ~~~ Edward Helmore of the Guardian: "The stunning back-and-forth came during a dispute touched off by Trump's admiration for military parades, gleaned in part by personally observing Bastille Day celebrations thrown in France by that country's president, Emmanuel Macron. Trump stubbornly wanted a similar military parade to mark the Fourth of July independence day holiday.... Trump, on his return to Washington, hatched a plan for the 'biggest, grandest military parade ever for the Fourth of July'. But the plans went down badly with Trump's cabinet staff. 'I'd rather swallow acid,' the defense secretary and former Marine Corps general, James Mattis, is reported to have said.... But Trump was already formulating his vision, telling Kelly: 'Look, I don't want any wounded guys in the parade. This doesn't look good for me.' According to the publication, the subject came up repeatedly. With each pushback, Trump's admiration for the military advisers which he used to fawningly refer to as 'my generals' cooled.... In one exchange involving Kelly and Paul Selva, then vice-chairman of the joint chiefs of staff..., Selva said[,] 'It's what dictators do.'"

     ~~~ Shania Shelton of CNN: "In the wake of ... Donald Trump's infamous photo-op at the height of the George Floyd protests, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley penned a lengthy and vociferous critique of Trump in a resignation letter he ultimately never sent, The New Yorker reported on Monday.... Milley's letter was dated June 8, a week after the incident.... 'The events of the last couple weeks have caused me to do deep soul-searching, and I can no longer faithfully support and execute your orders as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff,' Milley wrote, according to The New Yorker. 'It is my belief that you were doing great and irreparable harm to my country. I believe that you have made a concerted effort over time to politicize the United States military.'... Milley ultimately decided not to quit. 'F*** that s***,' Milley told his staff, according to The New Yorker. 'I'll just fight him.'... Milley would later publicly apologize for his involvement in the [Bible photo-op] incident in a pre-recorded speech at the National Defense University."

Oliver Darcy of CNN: "Approximately two years' worth of text messages sent and received by right-wing conspiracy theorist Alex Jones have been turned over to the House select committee investigating the January 6 insurrection, a person familiar with the matter told CNN on Monday. The messages were handed over to the committee by Mark Bankston, the attorney who represented two Sandy Hook parents who successfully sued Jones in Texas and won nearly $50 million in a civil trial that concluded last week." ~~~

     ~~~ Luke Broadwater & Elizabeth Williamson of the New York Times: "But the files do not appear to include text messages from the time most of interest to the committee: the day of Jan. 6, 2021, and the weeks building up to the attack, according to people familiar with the document production. Though the phone data was retrieved in mid-2021, the most recent message is from mid-2020, according to Mark Bankston...."

Kara Scannell of CNN: "Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is meeting on Tuesday with the January 6 committee, a source familiar with the matter told CNN. The deposition will be conducted virtually, the source added."

Zachary Cohen & Sara Murray of CNN: "Doug Mastriano, the Trump-endorsed GOP nominee for governor in Pennsylvania, is expected to appear virtually on Tuesday before the House select committee investigating the January 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection but might not end up answering any questions due to a dispute over his testimony, a source familiar with the matter tells CNN. The committee has been negotiating the terms of Mastriano's deposition for weeks but the two sides still have not reached an agreement over whether his attorney would be allowed to videotape the deposition or be given access to the committee's own full recording after the fact, the source said. As a result, Mastriano's appearance Tuesday is expected to be brief and may end when the panel attempts to swear him in, the source added. Mastriano was a key figure in Trump's effort to overturn the 2020 election."


Nick Miroff of the Washington Post: "The Department of Homeland Security said late Monday it is preparing to quickly end the Trump-era 'Remain in Mexico' program and will no longer send asylum seekers back across the border to await a decision on their applications for U.S. protection. The announcement came after U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk lifted his injunction blocking Biden officials from ending the program, formally known as the 'Migrant Protection Protocols' or MPP. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled June 30 that the Biden administration had the authority to terminate the program, opening a path for DHS to finally bring a close to one of the Trump administration's most contentious border measures. DHS officials said asylum seekers waiting in Mexico for their appointments in the U.S. immigration court would be allowed to cross the border on the day of their hearings and stay in the United States while awaiting an outcome."

Marie: Jayne Mayer has a story in this week's New Yorker on Republicans' gerrymandering that defies court orders. Yesterday I linked a NYT story on the same topic, but Mayer's article, which apparently concentrates on Ohio, sounds interesting. Mayer pointed out in an MSNBC interview that when the courts tell Democrats to un-gerrymander their maps, they do it; Republicans revel in their defiance and think it's funny. Thanks very much to Ken W. for the link to Mayer's report.

Can Somebody Please Tell Republicans How Babies Are Made? Amanda Terkel of the Huffington Post:"In his latest fundraising email, Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) [wrote]..., 'If we don't take back the Senate, Dems will pack the courts, give DC statehood, grant abortions up to 52 weeks, and Republicans will never win again[.]'" MB: Maybe what confused Senator Tim is that donkeys -- the Democratic symbol -- have a gestation period of about a year.

Beyond the Beltway

Georgia. Richard Fausset of the New York Times: "A federal judge meted out a second layer of life sentences on Monday to Travis and Gregory McMichael, two of the three white Georgia men convicted of committing federal hate crimes for the pursuit and slaying of Ahmaud Arbery, an unarmed Black man, in February 2020. And in an equally dramatic move, U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood rejected requests by the McMichaels -- who were previously sentenced to life for their murder convictions in state court -- that they be allowed to serve some part of their the concurrent life sentences in federal prison." ~~~

     ~~~ The story has been updated: "[The McMichael's] neighbor William Bryan, 52 -- who joined the McMichaels in chasing Mr. Arbery, a 25-year-old Black man, through their neighborhood on a Sunday afternoon in February 2020 -- received a sentence of 35 years."

Michigan. Nick Corasaniti>, et al., of the New York Times: "The revelations of possible meddling with voting machines have set off a political tsunami in Michigan, one of the most critical battleground states in the country.... Documents detail deception of election officials and a breach of voting equipment that stand out as extraordinary even among the volumes of public reporting on brazen attempts by ... Donald J. Trump's supporters to scrutinize and undermine the 2020 results. But one of the most politically striking elements of the case is the identity of one of the people implicated in the scheme by the office of the attorney general: Matthew DePerno, who is now the presumptive Republican nominee for that very post.... Evidence provided by [the] office [of current state AG Dana Nessel, who is seeking re-election,] places Mr. DePerno at one of the 'tests' of voting equipment and suggests that he was a key orchestrator of 'a conspiracy' to gain improper access to machines in three counties...."

Way Beyond

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

     ~~~ The Washington Post's live briefings for Tuesday are here: "Ukrainian troops are 'moving very successfully' toward Izyum in the northeast, putting further pressure on Russian troops, Ukrainian presidential adviser Oleksiy Arestovych said in a YouTube video. The city of 50,000 is seen as the gateway to the eastern Donbas region, most of which is held by pro-Russian forces. Between 70,000 and 80,000 Russian troops have been killed or wounded during the conflict, Colin Kahl, the U.S. undersecretary of defense for policy, said at a Monday briefing.... Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is accusing Russia of 'nuclear blackmail' following recent attacks on Europe's largest nuclear power plant that the United Nations has warned could lead to catastrophic consequences. Two more grain ships sailed Tuesday under a deal brokered by the United Nations and facilitated by Turkey." ~~~

~~~ Karoun Demirjian of the Washington Post: "The Pentagon on Monday said it is sending Ukraine an additional $1 billion in military assistance, including tens of thousands more munitions and explosives -- the largest such package since Russia launched its invasion in February. The announcement comes as Ukrainian forces undertake a counteroffensive aimed at reclaiming the southern city of Kherson. The operation is seen in Kyiv and in Washington as a vital bid to prevent the Kremlin from making good on its vow to absorb occupied territories via planned referendums."

Comments Off
Sunday
Aug072022

August 8, 2022

Afternoon Update:

Georgia. Richard Fausset of the New York Times: "A federal judge meted out a second layer of life sentences on Monday to Travis and Gregory McMichael, two of the three white Georgia men convicted of committing federal hate crimes for the pursuit and slaying of Ahmaud Arbery, an unarmed Black man, in February 2020. And in an equally dramatic move, U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood rejected requests by the McMichaels -- who were previously sentenced to life for their murder convictions in state court -- that they be allowed to serve some part of their the concurrent life sentences in federal prison."

Oliver Darcy of CNN: "Approximately two years' worth of text messages sent and received by right-wing conspiracy theorist Alex Jones have been turned over to the House select committee investigating the January 6 insurrection, a person familiar with the matter told CNN on Monday. The messages were handed over to the committee by Mark Bankston, the attorney who represented two Sandy Hook parents who successfully sued Jones in Texas and won nearly $50 million in a civil trial that concluded last week."

Trump Aimed to Be More Like Hitler. Michael Shear of the New York Times:"President Donald J. Trump told his top White House aide that he wished he had generals like the ones who had reported to Adolf Hitler, saying they were 'totally loyal' to the leader of the Nazi regime, according to a forthcoming book about the 45th president. 'Why can't you be like the German generals?' Mr. Trump told John Kelly, his chief of staff, preceding the question with an obscenity, according to an excerpt from 'The Divider: Trump in the White House,' by Peter Baker and Susan Glasser, published online by The New Yorker on Monday morning.... The excerpt depicts Mr. Trump as deeply frustrated by his top military officials, whom he saw as insufficiently loyal or obedient to him.... [Mr. Kelly] told Mr. Trump that Germany's generals had 'tried to kill Hitler three times and almost pulled it off.' Mr. Trump was dismissive, according to the excerpt, apparently unaware of ... World War II history.... '"No, no, no, they were totally loyal to him," the president replied,' according to the book's authors. 'In his version of history, the generals of the Third Reich had been completely subservient to Hitler; this was the model he wanted for his military. Kelly told Trump that there were no such American generals, but the president was determined to test the proposition.'"

Marie: Jayne Mayer has a story in this week's New Yorker on Republicans' gerrymandering that defies court orders. I linked below a NYT story on the same topic, but Mayer's article, which apparently concentrates on Ohio, sounds interesting. Mayer pointed out in an MSNBC interview that when the courts tell Democrats to un-gerrymander their maps, they do it; Republicans revel in their defiance and think it's funny. If you have a New Yorker subscription, please provide me with the link so I can share it. Thank you.

~~~~~~~~~~

** Emily Cochrane of the New York Times: "The Senate passed legislation on Sunday that would make the most significant federal investment in history to counter climate change and lower the cost of prescription drugs, as Democrats banded together to push through major pieces of President Biden's domestic agenda over unified Republican opposition.... Altogether, the bill could allow the United States to cut greenhouse gas emissions about 40 percent below 2005 levels by the end of the decade. It would achieve Democrats' longstanding goal of slashing prescription drug costs by allowing Medicare for the first time to negotiate the prices of medicines directly and capping the amount that recipients pay out of pocket for drugs each year at $2,000. The measure also would extend larger premium subsidies for health coverage for low- and middle-income people under the Affordable Care Act for three years. And it would be paid for by substantial tax increases, mostly on large corporations, including establishing a 15 percent corporate minimum tax and imposing a new tax on company stock buybacks.... The House planned to interrupt its summer break to reconvene briefly on Friday to clear the measure, sending it to Mr. Biden for his signature...." Portions of this article appeared at the top of yesterday's New York Times liveblog of developments in the Senate Sunday. ~~~

     ~~~ Tony Romm of the Washington Post: "The Senate on Sunday approved a sweeping package to combat climate change, lower health-care costs, raise taxes on some billion-dollar corporations and reduce the federal deficit, as Democrats overcame months of political infighting to deliver the centerpiece to President Biden's long-stalled economic agenda.... The party-line vote marked a key milestone in a tumultuous journey that began last year when Democrats took control of Congress and the White House with a promise to bring financial relief to average Americans. With a tiebreaking vote from Vice President Harris, the 50-50 Senate sent the bill to the House, which aims to approve it and send it to the White House for [President] Biden's signature later this week."; This is an update of a story linked earlier Sunday. The Guardian's report is here. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) An AP story is here. ~~~

     ~~~ President Biden's statement, via the White House, is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Evan Halper & Tony Romm of the Washington Post: "Republican lawmakers on Sunday successfully stripped a $35 price cap on the cost of insulin for many patients from the ambitious legislative package Democrats are moving through Congress this weekend, invoking arcane Senate rules to jettison the measure.... The insulin cap is a long-running ambition of Democrats, who want it to apply to patients on Medicare and private insurance. Republicans left the portion that applies to Medicare patients untouched but stripped the insulin cap for other patients.... The Senate parliamentarian earlier in the weekend ruled that part of the Democrats' cap, included in the Inflation Reduction Act, did not comply with the rules that allow them to advance a bill under ... reconciliation.... Some Republicans did support the price cap in the 57-43 vote for the measure, but not enough joined Democrats in support of it to meet the threshold for passage.... 'Republicans have just gone on the record in favor of expensive insulin,' said Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.). 'After years of tough talk about taking on insulin makers, Republicans have once against wilted in the face of heat from Big Pharma.'" (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

     ~~~ The NBC News story is here: "Republican Sens. Bill Cassidy and John Kennedy of Louisiana; Susan Collins of Maine; Josh Hawley of Missouri; Cindy Hyde-Smith of Mississippi; and Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan of Alaska joined Democrats in voting to keep the insulin cap for private insurers on Sunday." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Coral Davenport & Lisa Friedman of the New York Times: "In 1969, President Richard Nixon's adviser Daniel Patrick Moynihan wrote a memo describing ... [how] the increase of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere caused by burning oil, gas and coal ... would dangerously heat the planet, melt the glaciers and cause the seas to rise.... Fifty-three years later..., Senate Democrats muscled through a $370 billion bill designed to move the country away from fossil fuels and toward solar, wind and other renewable energy. If the House passes the legislation later this week as expected, it will be the nation's first major climate law.... [Passage was partly the result of] a shift in strategy, which set aside what experts consider the most efficient way to cut carbon dioxide emissions, a tax on pollution, for the less-effective but more politically palatable approach of monetary incentives to industries and consumers to switch to clean energy. Essentially, lawmakers replaced the sticks with carrots."

Hiroko Tabuchi of the New York Times: "[Joe] Manchin's recent surprise agreement to back the Biden administration's historic climate legislation came about in part because the senator was promised something in return: not only support for [West Virginia's Mountain Valley P]ipeline in his home state, but also expedited approval for pipelines and other infrastructure nationwide, as part of a wider set of concessions to fossil fuels. It was a big win for a pipeline industry that, in recent years, has quietly become one of Mr. Manchin's biggest financial supporters.... Mr. Manchin has been by far Congress's largest recipient of money from natural gas pipeline companies this cycle, raising three times as much from the industry than any other lawmaker.... NextEra Energy, a utility giant and stakeholder in the Mountain Valley Pipeline, is a top donor to both Mr. Manchin and Senator Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York, who negotiated the pipeline side deal with Mr. Manchin."

Jeff Stein of the Washington Post: "Senate Democrats agreed Sunday to protect firms owned by the private equity industry from a new minimum tax on billion-dollar corporations, bowing to pressure from Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), who insisted on making the change to the Democrats' sprawling climate, health-care and tax package.... The senator's objections came days after she persuaded Democrats to abandon a different effort to raise taxes on private equity managers by closing the so-called 'carried interest loophole,' which permits investment managers to pay lower rates on certain portions of their income.... The last-minute changes mark a significant victory for the private equity industry and an estimated savings of $35 billion over the next decade.... The Senate later voted 51-50 to make up the lost revenue by limiting 'pass-through' companies -- which can include private-equity firms -- from claiming more than $250,000 in annual tax deductions." As one tax expert said, Sinema's latest claim that the minimum tax would hurt small businesses was "absurd."

Damien Cave of the New York Times: "Caroline Kennedy, the United States ambassador to Australia, and Wendy Sherman, the U.S. deputy secretary of state, stood together at dawn on Sunday on the island of Guadalcanal to honor the 80th anniversary of the World War II battle there that nearly led to the deaths of their fathers, and that redefined America's role across Asia.... Their visit occurred as China's military was expected to wrap up 72 hours of drills around Taiwan simulating an invasion. And in their remarks at events with officials from Japan, Australia, New Zealand and Solomon Islands, both officials emphasized that the region -- and the world -- finds itself at another crossroads. Worth reading the whole story. A Guardian story, mostly about Ambassador Kennedy & her father, is here. ~~~

"The New Fascism." Max Boot of the Washington Post: "Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who has been destroying his country's democracy, received a standing ovation [at CPAC] less than two weeks after he gave a speech in Romania in which he endorsed the white supremacist 'replacement theory' and denounced a 'mixed-race world.'... Right-wingers in Dallas thrilled to his denunciations of immigration, abortion, LGBTQ rights and 'the Woke Globalist Goliath.' He even excoriated Jewish financier George Soros, a Hungarian native, as someone who 'hated Christianity.'... [Donald Trump] has made the marginal into the mainstream of the Republican Party, and vice versa.... Republicans are nominating far-right fanatics who claim that the 2020 presidential election -- and any election that they lose, for that matter --; was 'rigged.'... In four key swing states -- Arizona, Michigan, Nevada and Pennsylvania -- the GOP nominees to oversee state elections deny the legitimacy of [Joe] Biden's election. Two of those candidates, Arizona secretary of state nominee Mark Finchem and Pennsylvania governor nominee Doug Mastriano, were outside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.... Meanwhile, most House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump for inciting an insurrection are being driven out of Congress.... The most apt phrase for this American authoritarianism is the New Fascism, and it is fast becoming the dominant trend on the right. If the GOP gains power in Washington, all of America will be in danger of being Orbanized." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: You won't be surprised to learn that I have no problem with labeling Trumpolini & DeSantolini as neo-fascists. And that goes for this nitwit, too ~~~

~~~ MTG Accidentally Stands up for Antifa. Nina Golgowski of the Huffington Post: "Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) on Saturday said 'no one can convince' her that the rioters behind the Jan. 6 attack at the U.S. Capitol were not anti-fascist protesters and that she 'cannot wait for a real investigation' to take place.... Greene went on to call the federal government's response to the riot ― which has led to more than 800 arrests and more than 200 criminal sentences by the U.S. Attorney's Office ― 'political persecution.' At the same time, she said those who did things that 'they shouldn't have done' should be treated better while behind bars." MB: Margie is so damned dumb I don't think she realizes that her complaint is that the feds are mistreating (mostly left-wing) antifa radicals. So let me explain: see, Margie, if the rioters were antifa, as you assert, then the rioters the feds threw into jail are antifa.

Katie Shepherd & Frances Sellers of the Washington Post: "The sudden imposition of antiabortion laws after Roe's reversal has left patients, doctors and pharmacists wading through a minefield of treatment issues and legal and ethical dilemmas related to women's health care -- even in situations l... that have nothing to do with pregnancy. Medicines that treat conditions from cancer to autoimmune diseases to ulcers can also end a pregnancy or cause birth defects. As a result, doctors and pharmacists in more than a dozen states with strict abortion restrictions must suddenly navigate whether and when to order such drugs because they could be held criminally liable and lose their licenses for prescribing some of them to pregnant women.... Patients are also at greater risk because they can no longer seek abortions in their home states should they accidentally become pregnant while taking such drugs -- no matter how grievous the injuries to the developing fetus." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I'd guess that most medical professionals don't have the same problem with treating men who may need these drugs. The reporters write, "Civil rights and women's advocates denounce many of these changes [to drug protocols], questioning whether they may violate federal protections against discrimination on the basis of sex or disability." I don't suppose this worries Sam Alito & his confederate pals one little bit. Now, you combine this with the facts that in states with severe anti-abortion, women cannot get abortions and the most conscientious OB/GYNs don't want to work there, and you can see that women are truly second-class citizens who cannot get the best medical care in parts of the U.S.

Special Report: Dried-up Waters News. Bodies & Bombs. Nouran Salahieh & Elizabeth Wolfe of CNN: "More human remains have been found in the receding waters of Lake Mead, authorities announced Saturday. This is the fourth time human remains have been found at Lake Mead National Recreation Area since May. In the latest incident, park rangers got a call Saturday morning about skeletal remains at Swim Beach area, National Park Service officials said in a statement." ~~~

     ~~~ AND in Italy. Reuters, via the Guardian: "Heatwaves sweeping Europe this summer have brought not just record high temperatures and scorched fields: the drought-stricken waters of Italy's river Po are running so low they revealed a previously submerged second world war bomb. Military experts defused and carried out a controlled explosion on Sunday of the 450-kg (1,000-pound) bomb, which was discovered on 25 July near the northern village of Borgo Virgilio, close to the city of Mantua in the country's north." MB: I don't recall having seen any pleasure craft on the Po, but one can rent them & take commercial river cruises on the easterly parts of the Po, around Mantua (Mantova). Imagine what a deep keep might have done.


Peter Baker of the New York Times: "President Biden left isolation on Sunday morning after a weeklong rebound case of Covid-19, heading to Rehoboth Beach in Delaware for a short getaway before resuming official travel. The president appeared in good spirits as he emerged from the White House in the early morning hours without a tie and headed to Marine One for the flight to the beach. 'I'm feeling good,' he told reporters. The White House said that Mr. Biden had tested negative for the coronavirus for a second consecutive day before leaving the White House. 'He will safely return to public engagement and presidential travel,' Dr. Kevin C. O'Connor, the White House physician, said in a memo released by the White House."

Beyond the Beltway

Congressional Elections. Deemed Illegal But Good to Go. Michael Wines of the New York Times: "Since January, judges in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana and Ohio have found that Republican legislators illegally drew those states' congressional maps along racial or partisan lines, or that a trial very likely would conclude that they did. In years past, judges who have reached similar findings have ordered new maps, or had an expert draw them, to ensure that coming elections were fair. But a shift in election law philosophy at the Supreme Court, combined with a new aggressiveness among Republicans who drew the maps, has upended that model for the elections in November. This time, all four states are using the rejected maps, and questions about their legality for future elections will be hashed out in court later. The immediate upshot, election experts say, is that Republicans almost certainly will gain more seats in midterm elections at a time when Democrats already are struggling to maintain their bare majority."

Michigan Attorney General Race. Heidi Przybyla of Politico: "Michigan's attorney general is requesting a special prosecutor be named to investigate her Trump-endorsed opponent, citing evidence tying him to a potentially criminal scheme to seize and tamper with voting machines, according to documents obtained by Politico. The decision comes after a monthslong investigation by Michigan State Police and the attorney general, Dana Nessel, into voting machine breaches that took place in several Michigan counties. That investigation unexpectedly led to Kalamazoo lawyer Matthew DePerno, whom ... Donald Trump has taken an outsize interest in promoting to be Michigan's next attorney general.... In [a petition to then Michigan Prosecuting Attorneys Coordinating Council], Nessel's office states that DePerno -- who has been a pivotal figure promoting Trump's false allegations that the 2020 election was stolen -- was present at an Oakland County hotel room sometime in early 2021, during which tabulators were tampered with.... This is among multiple pieces of evidence linking DePerno to the breach of several voting machines.... DePerno is set to formally receive the GOP nomination for attorney general later this month after winning the endorsement of party delegates in April." ~~~

     ~~~ A Washington Post story is here. MB: The GOP seems to be little more than a criminal gang.

New Mexico. Elise Kaplan of the Albuquerque Journal: "On Friday afternoon, Naeem Hussain attended the funeral service for two Muslim men [-- Aftab Hussein & Muhammad Afzaal Hussain --] who were killed in the past two weeks.... Several hours later, a little before midnight, Naeem Hussain was shot to death in a parking lot of an organization that offers services for refugees and asylum seekers.... His death was the latest in what police suspect is a string of homicides [in Albuquerque] targeting Muslim men based on their race and religion.... On Saturday, an Albuquerque Police Department spokesman said the recent homicides have led detectives to try to determine whether the Nov. 7 fatal shooting of Mohammad Ahmadi, 62, is also related." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) A New York Times story is here. ~~~

      ~~~ From the Washington Post story by Bryan Pietsch & others: "Muhammad Afzaal Hussain, who was fatally shot on Monday, worked on the campaign team of Rep. Melanie Ann Stansbury (D-N.M.), the congresswoman said during a news conference Sunday."

Wisconsin Senate Race. Michelle Cottle of the New York Times: "How is it that Senator Ron Johnson, the two-term Republican from Wisconsin, remains a remotely viable candidate for re-election?... Mr. Johnson may be the senator who most fully embodies the detached-from-reality elements of MAGA-world.... His irrational and irresponsible conspiracy mongering about matters such as the Covid vaccine, the integrity of the 2020 election and who was really behind the Jan. 6 riots ('agents provocateurs'? antifa? The FBI? Nancy Pelosi?) unsettled even some of his Republican colleagues.... For all of Mr. Johnson's weird behavior, the June poll from Marquette showed him neck and neck with various Democratic candidates.... Plenty of Wisconsin voters came to terms with Mr. Johnson's brand of crazy years ago."

Way Beyond

Israel/Palestine. From the New York Times liveblog: "Israel and Palestinian Islamic Jihad militants in Gaza agreed to a cease-fire, the two parties announced late Sunday night, a move that was expected to end a three-day conflict that killed dozens of Palestinians, including children as well as key militant commanders; destroyed several residential buildings and militant bases in Gaza; and paralyzed parts of southern Israel. The conflict, which began on Friday afternoon, when Israel launched airstrikes to foil what it said was an imminent attack from Gaza, has left the status quo in Israel and the occupied territories almost unchanged. A 15-year blockade of Gaza remains in place, and there is no prospect of peace talks to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.... If the truce holds, the fighting will end with a death toll of at least 44 in Gaza, including 15 children, according to the health ministry there. Some 311 people were injured, the health ministry there said." (Also linked yesterday.)

Ukraine, et al. The Washington Post's live briefings of developments Monday in Russia's war on Ukraine are here: "U.N. Secretary General António Guterres demanded that international inspectors be given access to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, which was shelled in attacks that damaged radiation-monitoring sensors and raised fears of a 'nuclear disaster.'... Radiation levels at the damaged nuclear power plant remain in normal range, a Ukrainian official said Sunday.... U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken began a three-country tour of Africa on Sunday, seeking to strengthen support on the continent for Ukraine and its allies after a recent Russian charm offensive there -- a further sign that Africa is being dragged into Europe's conflict. Blinken will visit South Africa, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda. Two more ships carrying a combined 60,000 tons of soybeans and corn have set sail from Black Sea ports, Reuters reported Monday, taking the total of grain shipments to 10 since operations resumed last week under a U.N.-brokered deal facilitated by Turkey." ~~~

     ~~~ The New York Times' live updates for Monday are here. The Guardian's live updates for Monday are here. The Guardian's summary report, which is part of the live updates, is here.

News Ledes

New York Times: "David McCullough, who was known to millions as an award-winning, best-selling author and an appealing television host and narrator with a rare gift for recreating the great events and characters of America's past, died on Sunday at his home in Hingham, Mass., southeast of Boston. He was 89."

New York Times: "Olivia Newton-John, who sang some of the biggest hits of the 1970s and '80s while recasting her image as the virginal girl next door into a spandex-clad vixen == a transformation reflected in miniature by her starring role in 'Grease,' one of the most popular movie musicals of its era -- died on Monday at her ranch in Southern California. She was 73. The death was announced by her husband, John Easterling. She had lived with a breast cancer diagnosis since 1992 and in 2017 announced that the cancer had returned and spread. For years she was a prominent advocate for cancer research and had started a foundation in her name to support it."

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