July 12, 2022

Late Morning Update:

The New York Times' liveblog of Tuesday's January 6 committee is here.

The New York Times' liveblog of NASA's release of images from the James Webb space telescope is here. It includes a livefeed of commentary by NASA engineers.

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Billions and Billions. Dennis Overbye, et al., of the New York Times: "In a brief event at the White House on Monday evening, President Biden unveiled an image that NASA and astronomers hailed as the deepest view yet into our universe's past. The image, taken by the James Webb Space Telescope -- the largest space telescope ever built -- showed a distant patch of sky in which fledgling galaxies were burning their way into visibility just 600 million years after the Big Bang. 'This is the oldest documented light in the history of the universe from 13 billion -- let me say that again, 13 billion -- years ago,' Mr. Biden said. The president ... praised NASA for its work that enabled the telescope and the imagery it will produce. Mr. Biden's announcement served as a teaser for the telescope's big cosmic slide show coming on Tuesday morning, when scientists reveal what the Webb has been looking at for the past six months. You can sign up here for a reminder on your personal digital calendar to catch the first glimpse of them." ~~~

     ~~~ BTW, here's where the phrase "billions and billions" really comes from. Fuzzy picture and sexism, but that's how TV was in 1980.

Jim Tankersley of the New York Times: "President Biden welcomed hundreds of survivors and family members of victims of mass shootings to the White House on Monday to promote newly enacted bipartisan gun legislation, an event that showcased both the president's desire to push for even more restrictive gun control measures and the political limitations that have held him back. In a sign of the fraught nature of the debate, Mr. Biden's remarks were interrupted early on by a protester, whose words were inaudible to the White House camera feed and to reporters covering the event in person, but who appeared to be arguing that the president and Congress should take more forceful action on the issue.... 'Sit down and hear what I have to say,' Mr. Biden said. The man continued for a moment, then was led away by an administration official." The protester was Manuel Oliver, whose son Joaquin was killed by the Parkland shooter. Mr. Oliver had previously met with President Biden. The Guardian's story is here.

Will Weissert of the AP: "President Joe Biden is meeting with Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador on Tuesday for discussions the White House says will showcase the underlying strength of a relationship that of late has been more notable for the leaders' disagreements on issues including energy and Ukraine policy."

Zeke Miller of the AP: "The Biden administration on Monday told hospitals that they 'must' provide abortion services if the life of the mother is at risk, saying federal law on emergency treatment guidelines preempts state laws in jurisdictions that now ban the procedure without any exceptions following the Supreme Court's decision to end a constitutional right to abortion. The Department of Health and Human Services cited requirements on medical facilities in the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, or EMTALA. The law requires medical facilities to determine whether a person seeking treatment may be in labor or whether they face an emergency health situation -- or one that could develop into an emergency -- and to provide treatment."

Michelle Goldberg of the New York Times argues that Joe Biden is too old to be president again. She makes some good points. Near the end of her column, Goldberg writes, "If Vice President Kamala Harris's approval ratings remain underwater, Democrats have a number of charismatic governors and senators they can turn to." I'd like to know who those charismatic leaders might be. No one jumps out at me as being very presidenty.

Jacqueline Alemany & Hannah Allam of the Washington Post: "The House select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection plans to hold its seventh public hearing on Tuesday, with an expected focus on the ways in which ... Donald Trump and his allies summoned far-right militant groups to Washington as he grew increasingly desperate to hold on to power. The hearing is likely to drill down on the period after states cast their electoral college votes on Dec. 14, 2020, action that confirmed Joe Biden's victory. Trump, the committee is expected to argue, then shifted his focus to using the date of the congressional counting of the votes, Jan. 6, 2021, to block a peaceful transfer of power.... The committee will also highlight the ties between violent extremist groups and Trump associates -- connections lawmakers on the committee have already hinted at during previous hearings.... One of the live witnesses scheduled to appear on Tuesday is Jason Van Tatenhove, who served as national spokesman for the Oath Keepers and as a close aide to Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes from around 2014 to 2018...." ~~~

     ~~~ Scott Wong of NBC News: "Another witness expected to testify ... is Stephen Ayres of Ohio, who posted the former president's tweet encouraging supporters to go to Washington on Jan. 6 before he stormed the Capitol. Ayres pleaded guilty last month to disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building, but he has not been sentenced. ABC News has more on Ayres here. ~~~

     ~~~ ** Marie: The hearing, originally scheduled for Tuesday morning, has been moved back to begin at 1:00 pm ET.

Ryan Reilly of NBC News: "In the weeks leading up to the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes tried to get the organization's general counsel, Kellye SoRelle, to put him in touch with the White House, she told NBC News.In addition to her work with the Oath Keepers, SoRelle was a volunteer for Lawyers for Trump during the 2020 election and was in contact with many of the people fighting a doomed legal battle to try to overturn the 2020 presidential election.... As SoRelle tells it..., she never put [Rhodes] in touch with key figures, putting a firewall between her work with the Oath Keepers and her work to overturn the election results. Nonetheless, she was on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol (although didn't enter the building) on Jan. 6. And on the night before the attack, she was present in a parking garage as Rhodes met with Enrique Tarrio, the head of the Proud Boys.... SoRelle has already spoken extensively with the Jan. 6 committee, and given her overlapping roles, it's likely that testimony will come up at the panel's next public hearing Tuesday...."

** Andrew Weissmann in a New York Times op-ed: "Before the [January 6 committee] hearings, federal agents and prosecutors were performing a classic 'bottom up' criminal investigation of the Jan. 6 rioters.... But that ... approach sees the attack on the Capitol as a single event -- an isolated riot, separate from other efforts by Donald Trump and his allies to overturn the election.... The evidence gathered in the hearings describes a multiprong conspiracy -- what prosecutors term a hub and spoke conspiracy -- in which the Ellipse speech by President Trump and the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol were just one 'spoke' of a grander scheme.... [That] 'spoke' ... should be seen and investigated simultaneously with the other 'spokes': orchestrating fake electors in key states, pressuring state officials like those in Georgia to find new votes, plotting to behead the leadership of the Justice Department to promote a lackey who would further the conspiracy by announcing a spurious investigation into election fraud, and pressuring Vice President Mike Pence to violate the law." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: It's troubling that Weissmann has to point out the obvious to the DOJ, but he cites some evidence that suggests he's right to worry DOJ lawyers can't see the forest for the trees. For instance, "Department prosecutors were reportedly surprised by the testimony of [Cassidy] Hutchinson." If DOJ were doing its job, the department should know way more, not less, than a Congressional committee.

Judge Laughs Bannon Out of Court. Spencer Hsu of the Washington Post: "A federal judge on Monday refused to delay Stephen K. Bannon's trial next week after the Justice Department called an offer by the former Trump aide to testify before the House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection a 'last-ditch attempt to avoid accountability' on charges of criminal contempt of Congress. 'I see no reason for extending this case any longer,' U.S. District Judge Carl J. Nichols said after a hearing in which he rejected a host of Bannon's defenses -- including claims that Bannon thought his appearance was covered by executive privilege. The judge narrowed Bannon's defenses at trial mainly to whether he understood the deadlines for answering the House's demands to appear and to produce documents.... In an overnight filing, U.S. prosecutors urged Nichols to keep Bannon's trial on track for July 18 and to withhold from jurors Bannon's 'sudden wish to testify,' which they called an 11th-hour ploy to airbrush away the conduct that spurred his prosecution.... When Bannon attorney David I. Schoen ... [asked], 'What's the point of going to trial if there are no defenses?' Nichols simply answered, 'Agreed.'" (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) Politico's story is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: This is pretty hilarious. Nichols is a Trump appointee. He left Bannon with pretty much no defense except, "I don't know how to read a calendar." Or maybe with that Steve Martin chestnut, "I forgot." Good luck with that, Steve-o. I guess you could throw yourself on the mercy of the court, but this judge seems short on mercy. For you, anyhow.

WSB-TV Atlanta: “A Fulton County judge ordered U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., to testify before a special grand jury in Fulton County next month.... Graham said he would fight the subpoena. On Monday, the judge declared Graham a 'necessary witness' to the investigation. This is another step in a long legal process of getting Graham down from Washington to testify." I wonder if Lindsey has noticed that South Carolina & Georgia are contiguous. Lindsey could visit his constituents in the lovely city of Aiken, S.C., say, & drive to Atlanta in less than 3 hours. Even faster, I'll bet, if he hopped a plane.

Bad News. Oriana Gonzalez of Axios: "Former President Trump and his adult children, Ivanka Trump and Donald Trump Jr., are scheduled to testify under oath on July 15 as part of a probe by the New York attorney general into his finances, a court filing revealed Wednesday.... The former president and his children are slated to appear for testimony starting July 15 until the next week, unless a New York appeals court intervenes, according to the court documents." ~~~

     ~~~ Badder News. Bob Brigham of the Raw Story: "Trump was scheduled to be in Greensboro[, North Carolina for a scheduled event] the same day.... Tickets for the event were being sold for up to $3,955." Trump had to cancel the Carolina event.

Tony Romm of the Washington Post: "Top lawmakers are preparing to question IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig privately in the coming days over reports that the tax agency may have targeted two of ... Donald Trump's political enemies with extensive and rare audits. The moves by the Capitol's key tax-focused panels -- the House Ways and Means Committee and the Senate Finance Committee -- come amid growing concerns that the IRS improperly subjected James B. Comey, the former director of the FBI, and Andrew McCabe, his top deputy, to unusual scrutiny after they led investigations into Trump and his 2016 campaign." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Speaking of Showing No Mercy, Good for the Buttigiegs. María Paúl of the Washington Post: "Two days after Supreme Court Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh fled abortion rights protesters at a Morton's steakhouse in D.C., Chasten Buttigieg -- husband of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg -- tweeted..., 'Sounds like he just wanted some privacy to make his own dining decisions.'... The tweet drew criticism from some conservatives, including former Trump adviser Stephen Miller, who decried what he called an endorsement of 'the use of mob intimidation tactics' as 'wildly irresponsible.' But Pete Buttigieg defended his husband's remarks.... 'Any public figure should always, always be free from violence, intimidation and harassment but should never be free from criticism or people exercising their First Amendment rights,' Buttigieg said in a 'Fox News Sunday' appearance. He added that officials 'should expect' public protests -- especially after 'an important right that the majority of Americans support was taken away.'" (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: That's a rich criticism coming from Stephen Miller, who developed cruel anti-immigration policies (like separating immigrant children from their parents) -- the purpose of which was to intimidate potential immigrants -- and whose degenerate boss suggested officers could just shoot protesters in the legs.

Michael Kazin, an historian, argues in a New York Times op-ed that Americans will rebel against the Supreme Court's Dobbs ruling and against states than adopt abortion bans: "Today, if the history of Prohibition is any guide, the public will quickly turn hostile when activists with decent motives elect officials (or appoint judges) who carry out indecent and unenforceable assaults on individual freedom. In the end, most Americans will rebel against authorities who decree what they can do with their own bodies."

Rafael Baer of the Guardian: "The success of liberal democracy -- the best model yet devised for organising people into prosperous and free societies -- depends on a balance between the wealth-generating impetus of the market and the obligations politics must impose on business for the greater good.... The Marxist project to eliminate capitalism entirely degenerated into tyranny and bankruptcy wherever it was tried in the 20th century.... The post-cold war triumphalist moment for the west coincided with the digital revolution, producing a culture of arrogance and political complacency around the new-tech economy.... The result was a cultish veneration of the internet startup as a new kind of business to which old rules did not apply, and whose purpose was improving humanity as well as making money. The Uber files are a snapshot of a particular moment -- the peak of political credulity and negligence around the growing power of tech companies. But the basic rules of the new digital economy turned out to be not so different from the old analogue ones."

Annals of "Journalism," Ha Ha Ha. David Kurtz of TPM: "[Monday]'s little Fox News gem was a segment on what a huge bummer it is to visit Thomas Jefferson's Monticello these days, what with all the focus on slavery and what not at what was built as a slave plantation. A bow-tied, bespectacled guest for the segment was billed hilariously in one chyron as a 'recent Monticello visitor.' Turns out there's a little more to the story." Tucker claims to be a founding member of the League of the South, "a racist and secessionist forerunner of the current brand of white nationalism.... Tucker's star turn on today's Fox segment came just a few days after he served as a named source for a New York Post story headlined 'Monticello is going woke -- and trashing Thomas Jefferson's legacy in the process.'"

Kaitlan Collins, et al., of CNN: "US health officials are urgently working on a plan to allow second Covid-19 boosters for all adults, a senior White House official confirmed to CNN on Monday. The US Food and Drug Administration is making it a high priority, the official said. Second boosters have been authorized for adults 50 and older, as well as some people with weakened immune systems, since late March. But younger adults are eligible for only one booster shot, which was authorized in November. Federal agencies are looking to move quickly on authorizing a second booster for all adults, the source said."

The New York Times' live updates of Covid-19 developments Monday are here. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) 

Beyond the Beltway

We don't control the air. Our good air decided to float over to China's bad air. So when China gets our good air, their bad air has got to move. So it moves over to our good air space. Then, now, we've got we to clean that back up. -- Hershel Walker, explaining climate change to Georgia Republicans ~~~

Georgia Senate Race. Eugene Robinson of the Washington Post: "It's not yet clear who will be the weirdest and most unfit Republican Senate candidate in November. But my early pick is Herschel Walker in Georgia.... The flashing red lights and blaring sirens are not just about the former football star's myriad lies and stunning hypocrisy. That kind of stuff doesn't necessarily trouble GOP voters in the least, given their continued devotion to Donald Trump, who counts Walker as a longtime friend. It's Walker's combination of utter ignorance and total confidence, which challenges even that of the former president.... While Walker wanders along the campaign trail, Walker's Democratic rival, incumbent Sen. Raphael G. Warnock, has concentrated on emphasizing what he has accomplished for Georgians in his brief time in office. Despite the choice between crazed and competent, polls show Walker and Warnock in a statistical tie." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: A very helpful read if you need to exercise your neck, because you'll be shaking your head from side to side. That said, I continue to believe that Walker must be suffering from head injuries from his days playing football, so if he weren't running for the Senate, I would be feeling truly sorry for him.

Pennsylvania. James Bikales of the Washington Post: "The small Pennsylvania town that hired the former police officer who killed 12-year-old Tamir Rice in 2014 did not conduct a background check required by law before making last week's hire, according to the state attorney general's office. Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro (D) wrote to Tioga, Pa., Borough President Steve Hazlett on Friday to inform him that the town had violated the state's Act 57 in hiring Timothy Loehmann without running his name through a database that flags past disciplinary action.... Shapiro wrote ... that state records show Tioga ... never ran Loehmann's name through the database.... Hazlett and his wife, MaryBess Hazlett, who also served on the borough council, submitted their resignation letters Friday, according to the Williamsport Sun-Gazette.... Amid protests against the hiring, residents have also pointed out that Hazlett appears to have made a post on Facebook in 2015 mocking Rice's death."

Way Beyond

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

     ~~~ The Washington Post's live updates for Tuesday are here: "Iran plans to provide Russia with 'up to several hundred' drones to be used in the war in Ukraine, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said Monday. The move indicates Moscow is running out of precision weapons.... The death toll continues to rise after Russian strikes in eastern and northern Ukraine. At least 34 people were killed in Chasiv Yar, a city in the eastern Donetsk region, after a Russian missile hit a residential complex over the weekend. Three others were also killed Monday in Kharkiv after Russian airstrikes damaged a shopping center and residences."

Italy. Idiots Abroad. Angela Giaffrida of the Guardian: "An American tourist sustained minor injuries after he fell into the crater of Mount Vesuvius as he scrambled to retrieve his phone. The 23-year-old and his family reached the 1,281m-high (4,202ft) summit of the volcano towering over the southern Italian city of Naples after bypassing a visitor turnstile and proceeding along an out-of-bounds path. The man was taking a selfie, according to local press reports, when his phone slipped out of his hand and into the mouth of the volcano. He then descended into the crater in an attempt to get his phone back, only to fall several metres after losing his balance.... The tourist and his three relatives face charges after being reported by police for the invasion of public land. The group, which reportedly ventured to the volcano without any tickets, took a path that was clearly signposted as being forbidden due to being extremely dangerous." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Oh yeah? The sign was probably in Italian. You think Americans can read Italian or even understand international signs?... And you wonder why American tourists are not beloved around the world.

Sri Lanka. Hannah Ellis-Petersen of the Guardian: "The Sri Lankan president, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, has made a failed attempt to flee the country after airport staff stood in his way and forced him to beat a humiliating retreat. Rajapaksa, who is due to officially resign on Wednesday after months of demonstrations calling for him to step down, was reportedly trying to escape to Dubai on Monday night. However, officials said immigration staff refused to let the president come to the VIP area of the airport to stamp his passport and he would not go through the ordinary queues for fear of being mobbed by the public. As a result, Rajapaksa reportedly missed four flights to the United Arab Emirates, and he and his wife had to return to a nearby military base."

U.K. Aubrey Allegretti of the Guardian: "Britain's new prime minister will be announced on 5 September, it has been announced, as the starting gun was fired on a Tory leadership race that will see the hopefuls whittled down to two by Thursday." MB: It would seem they could get rid of Boris sooner than that.

July 11, 2022

Afternoon Update:

Dennis Overbye & Kenneth Chang of the New York Times: "President Biden is set to unveil a deep field image [photographed by the James Webb space telescope]. The first image will be revealed Monday at 5 p.m. by President Biden at the White House on NASA TV or the agency's YouTube channel. The New York Times will also provide a live video feed."

Judge Throws Bannon Out of Court. Spencer Hsu of the Washington Post: "A federal judge on Monday refused to delay Stephen K. Bannon's trial next week after the Justice Department called an offer by the former Trump aide to testify before the House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection a 'last-ditch attempt to avoid accountability' on charges of criminal contempt of Congress. 'I see no reason for extending this case any longer,' U.S. District Judge Carl J. Nichols said after a hearing in which he rejected a host of Bannon's defenses -- including claims that Bannon thought his appearance was covered by executive privilege. The judge narrowed Bannon's defenses at trial mainly to whether he understood the deadlines for answering the House's demands to appear and to produce documents.... In an overnight filing, U.S. prosecutors urged Nichols to keep Bannon's trial on track for July 18 and to withhold from jurors Bannon's 'sudden wish to testify,' which they called an 11th-hour ploy to airbrush away the conduct that spurred his prosecution.... When Bannon attorney David I. Schoen ... [asked], 'What's the point of going to trial if there are no defenses?' Nichols simply answered, 'Agreed.'" ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: This is pretty hilarious. Nichols is a Trump appointee. He left Bannon with pretty much no defense except, "I don't know how to read a calendar." Good luck with that, Steve-o. I guess you could throw yourself on the mercy of the court, but this judge seems short on mercy. For you, anyhow.

Tony Romm of the Washington Post: "Top lawmakers are preparing to question IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig privately in the coming days over reports that the tax agency may have targeted two of ... Donald Trump's political enemies with extensive and rare audits. The moves by the Capitol's key tax-focused panels -- the House Ways and Means Committee and the Senate Finance Committee -- come amid growing concerns that the IRS improperly subjected James B. Comey, the former director of the FBI, and Andrew McCabe, his top deputy, to unusual scrutiny after they led investigations into Trump and his 2016 campaign."

María Paúl of the Washington Post: "Two days after Supreme Court Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh fled abortion rights protesters at a Morton’s steakhouse in D.C., Chasten Buttigieg -- husband of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg -- tweeted..., 'Sounds like he just wanted some privacy to make his own dining decisions.'... The tweet drew criticism from some conservatives, including former Trump adviser Stephen Miller, who decried what he called an endorsement of 'the use of mob intimidation tactics' as 'wildly irresponsible.' But Pete Buttigieg defended his husband's remarks.... 'Any public figure should always, always be free from violence, intimidation and harassment but should never be free from criticism or people exercising their First Amendment rights,' Buttigieg said in a 'Fox News Sunday' appearance. He added that officials 'should expect' public protests -- especially after 'an important right that the majority of Americans support was taken away.'" ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: That's a rich criticism coming from Stephen Miller, who developed cruel anti-immigration policies (like separating immigrant children from their parents) -- the purpose of which was to intimidate potential immigrants -- and whose degenerate boss suggested officers could just shoot protesters in the legs.

The New York Times' live updates of Covid-19 developments Monday are here.

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A New View of the Universe. Denise Chow of NBC News: "President Joe Biden will unveil the much-anticipated first full-color image from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope on Monday, agency officials confirmed. The image, known as 'Webb's First Deep Field,' will be the deepest and highest-resolution view of the universe ever captured, showing myriad galaxies as they appeared up to 13 billion years in the past, according to NASA. The agency and its partners, the European Space Agency and the Canadian Space Agency, are set to release a separate batch of full-color images from the Webb telescope on Tuesday, but Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and the public will get a sneak peek a day early.... NASA will unveil more images in an event streamed live Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. ET." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: The adage "You can't teach an old dog new tricks" is certainly true of Donald Trump. But I have noticed again & again how nimble Joe Biden is, and we're not just talking about showing off amazing outer space photos. Biden's willingness to try new solutions for old problems has surprised me, as I didn't give him credit for being so flexible. I was mistaken.

Mark Mazzetti & Ronen Bergman of the New York Times: "A team of executives from an American military contractor quietly visited Israel numerous times in recent months to try to ... [purchase] NSO Group, the cyber hacking firm that is as notorious as it is technologically accomplished. The impediments were substantial for the team from the American company, L3Harris, which also had experience with spyware technology.... The United States government had put NSO on a blacklist just months earlier because the Israeli firm's spyware, called Pegasus, had been used by other governments to penetrate the phones of political leaders, human rights activists and journalists.... But five people ... said that ... American intelligence officials ... quietly supported [the company's] plans to purchase NSO.... [When word of the potential sale leaked last month,] White House officials said they were outraged to learn about the negotiations, and that any attempt by American defense firms to purchase a blacklisted company would be met by serious resistance. Days later, L3Harris, which is heavily reliant on government contracts, notified the Biden administration that it had scuttled its plans to purchase NSO...." It isn't clear whether or not some U.S. officials backed the deal without the White House's knowledge.

Amy Wang & Oliver Knox of the Washington Post: "'Big protest in D.C. on January 6th,' [Donald] Trump tweeted [on December 19, 2020]. 'Be there, will be wild!' That tweet would serve as an invitation to far-right militant groups such as the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers as well as other violent extremists who were part of the pro-Trump mob[.]... Tuesday's [public hearing of the January 6 committee] will focus on Trump's connections to those far-right and political extremist groups.... The next hearing will also focus on 'the fundamental importance' of a Dec. 18, 2020, meeting of Trump allies that took place at the Willard hotel in downtown Washington, according to [Rep. Jamie] Raskin [(D-Md.) who will lead the hearing with Rep. Stephanie Murphy (D-Fla.)]." ~~~

     ~~~ Hugo Lowell of the Guardian: "Raskin is expected to first touch on the immediate events before the tweet: a contentious White House meeting on 18 December 2020 where Trump weighed seizing voting machines and appointing conspiracy theorist Sidney Powell as special counsel to investigate election fraud. The meeting involved Trump and four informal advisers, the Guardian has reported, including Trump's ex-national security adviser, Michael Flynn, ex-Trump campaign lawyer Sidney Powell, ex-Overstock CEO Patrick Byrne and ex-Trump aide Emily Newman.... After the Flynn-Powell-Byrne-Newman plan for him to overturn the election fell apart, the select committee will say, he turned his attention to January 6 as his final chance and sent his tweet. The response to Trump's tweet was direct and immediate, the panel will show...." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: It sounds as if the committee does not have a smoking-gun clip or testimony, where Trump says explicitly, "I'm sending in the goons to hang Mike Pence." However, based on Cassidy Hutchinson's testimony about Mark Meadows & on remarks Steve Bannon made on his podcast (or whatever it is), both Meadows & Bannon knew before-the-fact that the insurrection was coming down. It's hard to believe either of these two is the Oracle of Delphi. They had prior knowledge.

Robert Draper of the New York Times on why the January 6 committee rushed the testimony of Cassidy Hutchinson: "The day before Cassidy Hutchinson was deposed for a fourth time by the Jan. 6 committee, the former Trump White House aide received a phone message...: 'let me know you have your deposition tomorrow. He wants me to let you know he's thinking about you. He knows you're loyal. And you're going to do the right thing when you go in for your deposition.' At Ms. Hutchinson's deposition the next day, committee members investigating the attack on the Capitol were so alarmed by what they considered a clear case of witness tampering -- not to mention Ms. Hutchinson's shocking account of ... Donald J. Trump's behavior on Jan. 6, 2021 -- that they decided in a meeting on June 24, a Friday, to hold an emergency public hearing with Ms. Hutchinson as the surprise witness the following Tuesday. The speed ... was for two crucial reasons: Ms. Hutchinson was under intense pressure from Trump World, and panel members believed that getting her story out in public would make her less vulnerable.... The committee also had to move fast ... to avoid leaks of some of the most explosive testimony ever heard on Capitol Hill." The story includes a brief bio of Hutchinson.

Luke Broadwater & Maggie Haberman of the New York Times: "With his criminal trial for contempt of Congress approaching, Stephen K. Bannon, an ally of ... Donald J. Trump's who was involved in his plans to overturn the 2020 election, has informed the House committee investigating the Capitol attack that he is now willing to testify.... His decision is a remarkable about-face for Mr. Bannon, who until Saturday had been among the most obstinate and defiant of the committee's potential witnesses.... But with the possibility of two years in jail and large fines looming on the horizon, Mr. Bannon has been authorized to testify by Mr. Trump, his lawyer told the committee late on Saturday in a letter.... In recent days, as several witnesses have come forward to offer the House panel damning testimony about his conduct, Mr. Trump has grown frustrated that one of his fiercest defenders has not yet appeared before the committee, people close to him said.... It remains to be seen how Mr. Bannon's new posture will affect the criminal proceeding, and how forthcoming he will be." The Guardian's earlier report is here. ~~~

     ~~~ How the committee should politely respond to Mr. Blimpy's lawyer: Dear Mr. Costello: We wish to inform you and your client Stephen K. Blimpy that Mr. Trump is no longer president*. Mr. Trump lost the election in 2020 by more than 7 million votes, and President Joe Biden also trounced him in the Electoral College 306-232. Mr. Biden became president January 20, 2021 -- 18 months ago -- and therefore Mr. Trump has not had a claim to executive privilege since that date. We understand that Mr. Blimpy runs some sort of home-made radio show where he purports to cover current affairs; therefore, it is surprising that he seems unaware of Mr. Trump's decisive loss. Please try to assist your client in getting in touch with these facts; otherwise, we do not see how his testimony will amount to anything more than the wild gibberish of a lunatic. Nevertheless, we plan to continue to press a criminal case against your client for failing to comply with a lawful subpoena.

David Smith of the Guardian: "A documentary film scrutinised by the congressional January 6 committee exposes divisions between the ... Donald Trump and his children over the deadly insurrection at the US Capitol. Released to the public on Sunday, Unprecedented portrays Trump's 2020 election campaign as a family affair and features interviews with him and his inner circle before, during and after the vote. [In interviews for the film,] Trump reverts to his lies about widespread voter fraud.... But when [filmmaker Alex] Holder then puts the same question to three of Trump's children, they are less forthcoming. His son Eric says: 'Yeah, let's skip the 6th.' Son Don Jr and daughter Ivanka also decline to comment on the incendiary subject, as does vice-president Mike Pence."

     ~~~ Thanks to a friend for this gen-u-ine photo. You Floridians be on the lookout.

Paul LeBlanc of CNN: "Former House Speaker Paul Ryan was 'sobbing' as he watched the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol unfold on television, a new book [by Mark Leibovich] reports.... Noting Ryan's role on the board of the Fox Corporation, the parent company of Fox News, and alluding to the times as speaker that Ryan didn't stand up to Trump, Leibovich writes that Ryan was 'not inclined to grapple with questions of complicity' in the attack." MB: Of course he didn't. Paul was crying for himself, not for what he did. Ryan told Leibovich, "I spent my whole adult life in that building.... And I saw my friends, a lot of cops, some of my old security detail -- I'm still friends with a bunch of those guys. It really disturbed me, foundationally." This was not a moment when Paul asked himself, "Lord, what have I done?!" That moment is not likely to come.

Laurence Tribe, Dennis Aftergut & Norman Eisen in a Washington Post op-ed (July 9): "At center stage [in Sen. Lindsey Graham's (R-S.C.) attempt to evade a Georgia subpoena] is a set of rules from the Constitution's speech and debate clause. It provides that in all cases 'except Treason, Felony and Breach of the Peace,' senators and representatives 'shall not be questioned' outside of Congress 'for any Speech or Debate in either House.'... But the immunity those rules confer is limited.... The Supreme Court has long held that the provision's specific language means that lawmakers such as Graham cannot use the clause as a pass to avoid testifying about crimes.... Graham's precise role [in the attempt to overturn Georgia's presidential election results] remains unclear.... [Georgia Secretary of State Brad] Raffensperger asserted that he understood the South Carolina senator to mean [in a phone call Graham made to him on November 23, 2020,] that [Raffensperger] should '"[l]ook hard and see how many ballots you could throw out.'... By calling Raffensperger, Graham looks to have been engaging in political activity well outside any proper legislative function and, therefore, beyond the privilege's protection."

Michael Moore would repeal & replace the Second Amendment. MB: Not going to happen, but a good idea. OR rather, not going to happen because it's a good idea.

"The Uber Files: A Global Investigation." Faiz Siddiqui & Joseph Menn of the Washington Post: "Regulators entered Uber's offices [in Amsterdam, the Netherlands,] only to see computers go dark before their eyes.... Uber's use of what insiders called the 'kill switch' was a brazen example of how the company employed technological tools to prevent authorities from successfully investigating the company's business practices as it disrupted the global taxi industry, according to the documents.... As Uber's valuation was surging past $50 billion, government raids occurred with such frequency that the company distributed a Dawn Raid Manual to employees on how to respond.... That document ... [is] part of the Uber Files, an 18.7-gigabyte trove of data obtained by the Guardian and shared with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, a nonprofit newsroom in Washington that helped lead the project, and dozens of other news organizations, including The Washington Post.... Far from simply developing software to connect drivers and customers seeking rides, Uber leveraged its technological capabilities in many cases to gain a covert edge over authorities." ~~~

     ~~~ Harry Davies, et al., of the Guardian: "A leaked trove of confidential files has revealed the inside story of how the tech giant Uber flouted laws, duped police, exploited violence against drivers and secretly lobbied governments during its aggressive global expansion. The unprecedented leak to the Guardian of more than 124,000 documents -- known as the Uber files -- lays bare the ethically questionable practices that fuelled the company's transformation into one of Silicon Valley's most famous exports. The leak spans a five-year period when Uber was run by its co-founder Travis Kalanick, who tried to force the cab-hailing service into cities around the world, even if that meant breaching laws and taxi regulations. During the fierce global backlash, the data shows how Uber tried to shore up support by discreetly courting prime ministers, presidents, billionaires, oligarchs and media barons."

Bryan Pietsch of the Washington Post: "Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) has tested positive for the coronavirus, his spokesman said in a statement late Sunday. The positive result came 'as a part of his regular testing regimen,' said the spokesman, Justin Goodman. Schumer is fully vaccinated and 'double boosted' and is experiencing very mild symptoms, Goodman said." Politico's report is here.

Beyond the Beltway

California. Marisa Iati & Meena Venkataramanan of the Washington Post: "A wildfire burning in the southern part of Yosemite National Park more than doubled in size over the weekend, the latest blaze to threaten the world's largest trees as climate change increases the intensity of fires. The Mariposa Grove, home to more than 500 mature giant sequoias and the largest of its kind in the park, closed Thursday after visitors reported spotting smoke from the Washburn Fire near a trail. As of Sunday evening, the fire had grown to just above three square miles."

Texas. Edgar Sandoval of the New York Times: Arnulfo Reyes, "a teacher who survived the mass shooting [in a Uvalde Grade school,] recounts the harrowing attack and desperate wait for a rescue." A very disturbing read.

Way Beyond

Japan. Motoko Rich of the New York Times: }Two days after Japan's former prime minister Shinzo Abe was gunned down at a campaign stop on Friday, his Liberal Democratic Party and its allies swept to victory in a parliamentary election that gave them a chance to pursue Mr. Abe's long-held ambition of revising Japan's pacifist Constitution. It was the clearest sign that Mr. Abe, Japan's longest-serving prime minister, remained a guiding political force. Even before his death, he was no longer leader of the country or its governing party, but his legacy shaped voters' choices at the ballot box and his party's vision for the future. 'I have the responsibility to take over the ideas of former Prime Minister Abe,' the current prime minister, Fumio Kishida, told a crowd west of Tokyo on Saturday, the day after Mr. Abe's killing, as he campaigned for their party's candidates for the Upper House of Parliament."

Sri Lanka. Emily Schmall & Mujib Mashal of the New York Times: "Sri Lanka's political and economic crisis offered a peculiar tableau Sunday after a day of high drama: The protesters were everywhere, cooking in the prime minister's garden and even lounging in the president’s bedroom while the leaders were nowhere to be seen. With President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and the prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe both in hiding after indicating they would resign, it was not clear who was running the country.... For months [Sri Lankans] had felt they were on their own anyway as they queued up for hours -- often in vain -- for fuel and cooking gas, pared down their meals and scrambled for lifesaving medicine. Opposition leaders clamored to decipher Mr. Rajapaksa's intentions. Would he actually quit on Wednesday, as officials have said, or was his silence a sign that he was gauging his options for a protracted fight? Discussions on who might succeed him were also taking shape, with the speaker of the Parliament viewed as the likely choice as interim president." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: The "tableau" doesn't look "peculiar" to me: some of the photos look very much like those picturing the January 6 insurrectionists as they stormed the U.S. Capitol, roamed the halls, and made themselves comfy in the Senate & House chambers & in Congressional offices. Sri Lanka (Ceylon) may be a small island country run by incompetent, corrupt politicians, but the Trumpists have made out own country look a lot like Sri Lanka. There is one essential difference: Sri Lanka's protesters were fighting a corrupt government; our criminal "protesters" were fighting for a corrupt government.

Saudi Arabia. Scott Pelley of "60 Minutes" interviews former Saudi spymaster Saad Aljabri, who says that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is a psychopath who sent a second team of Saudi assassins to kill Aljabri after he fled to Canada. With video. MB: Joe Biden had better have a helluva security detail when he goes to Saudi Arabia this week. And he should bring his own food & beverages.

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

     ~~~ The Washington Post's live updates for Monday are here: "European countries are on edge after the flow of gas from Russia into Germany through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline stopped Monday for a 10-day scheduled maintenance period. German officials fear Russia will extend this period so as to put pressure on Europe.... In Ukraine, Russian airstrikes in the east and north early Monday killed 21 people and injured at least 28, officials from these regions said. Two dozen people remained trapped under the rubble of two high-rise apartment buildings in Chasiv Yar, a city in the Donetsk region, that local officials said were struck by Russian missiles.... Ukraine's defense minister said the country's forces have proved they can use American long-range artillery systems effectively. Oleksii Reznikov told the Wall Street Journal that they still need 'more armor, more weaponry from our partners.' Players in the WNBA All-Star Game in Chicago on Sunday all wore jerseys bearing the name and number of Brittney Griner, the basketball star detained in Russia on drug crime charges." ~~~

~~~ You Want Fries with That? Sorry, We're Out. Miriam Berger of the Washington Post: "The recently opened Russian alternative to McDonald's -- which left the country in May over Russia's war in Ukraine -- is both a fast-food chain and a currency in Moscow's propaganda campaigns. In a shortage wrought with symbolism, Vkusno i Tochka, which translates as 'Tasty and that's it,' is limiting the sale of fries this summer because it is unable to source enough potatoes, the company told Russian state news agency Tass Friday. The Russian franchise said it is running low on the menu's country-style potatoes, its thicker-cut cousin of the Americanized french fry, because of supply chain disruptions in part caused by war and Western sanctions.... a poor potato harvest last year left Russia with limited stock, Vkusno i Tochka told Tass, and the company has been unable to fill the gap with imports...."

July 10, 2022

Jim Tankersley of the New York Times: To shore up U.S. & European economies & to prevent a global food crisis, "U.S. officials have latched on to a never-before-tried plan aimed at depressing global oil prices -- one that would complement European sanctions and allow critical flows of Russian crude onto global markets to continue but at a steeply discounted price.... The potential for another oil shock to puncture the global economy, and perhaps [President] Biden-s re-election prospects, has driven the administration's attempts to persuade government and business leaders around the world to sign on to a global price cap on Russian oil. It is a novel and untested effort to force Russia to sell its oil to the world at a steep discount. Administration officials and Mr. Biden say the goal is twofold: to starve Moscow's oil-rich war machine of funding and to relieve pressure on energy consumers around the world who are facing rising fuel prices.... Even some skeptics say that the price cap could, if nothing else, keep enough Russian oil pumping to avoid a recession-triggering price spike."

President Biden, in a Washington Post op-ed, on why he's going to Saudi Arabia: "I know that there are many who disagree with my decision to travel to Saudi Arabia. My views on human rights are clear and long-standing, and fundamental freedoms are always on the agenda when I travel abroad, as they will be during this trip, just as they will be in Israel and the West Bank.... The Middle East I'll be visiting is more stable and secure than the one my administration inherited 18 months ago.... When I meet with Saudi leaders on Friday, my aim will be to strengthen a strategic partnership going forward that's based on mutual interests and responsibilities, while also holding true to fundamental American values.... Next week, I will be the first president to visit the Middle East since 9/11 without U.S. troops engaged in a combat mission there. It's my aim to keep it that way." Worth reading for the details on developments in the Middle East.

Hannah Natanson of the Washington Post: "Hundreds of people protested for abortion rights Saturday by marching to the White House and planting themselves in front of the building for about an hour, defying D.C. law and risking arrest.... No arrests were made, according to spokespeople for the U.S. Park Police and the Secret Service.... The demonstration was organized by the Women's March, a movement that drew millions to the streets in the nation's capital and across the country the day after Donald Trump was inaugurated as president in 2017. The group has called for a 'Summer of Rage' in response to the Supreme Court's overturning last month of Roe v. Wade.... The Women's March is also urging President Biden to declare a national emergency that would allow the federal government to dedicate additional funds for abortion procedures. Other actions requested by the group include new federal guidance increasing access to abortion pills and the leasing of federal land to abortion providers." ~~~

~~~ New York Times Editors: "There are several steps the federal government can take now, with laws that are already on the books, to fortify abortion services in states where they are legal, support doctors facing legal and logistical quandaries and help women who may need to cross state lines or secure abortion pills online. The executive order [President Biden] signed Friday does little more than direct the health and human services secretary to look for ways to better enforce these existing laws, and report back.... The most urgent step for the federal government to take is to ensure access to medication abortion, the most common method of abortion.... The F.D.A. should follow the attorney general's lead and say, unequivocally, that the agency's approval of and regulatory decisions around prescription drugs, including abortion pills, pre-empt any state-level regulations or statutes.... The agency should also take immediate steps to loosen constraints on medication abortion that experts have long said are unnecessary.... The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services should also make clear, publicly, that all hospitals receiving federal funds for Medicare and Medicaid (meaning nearly all hospitals and clinics) are required to provide all F.D.A.-approved drugs ... in a medical emergency."

Jeff Stein of the Washington Post: "The Biden administration on Friday said it will terminate its four-decade-old tax treaty with Hungary over that country's resistance to implementing a global minimum tax, as the United States seeks to create a global tax floor for large multinational corporations. In a statement on Friday, the Treasury Department said the United States is ending the treaty with Hungary because 'the benefits are no longer reciprocal,' citing a loss of tax revenue for the United States and little return for American investment in the country. Hungary, which has one of the lowest corporate tax rates in Europe, is currently blocking the European Union's implementation of the global minimum tax agreement. World leaders have agreed on a 15 percent corporate tax floor, championed as a top priority by Treasury Secretary Janet L. Yellen.... When the treaty was agreed to, Hungary's tax rate was 50 percent; it is now 9 percent -- less than half the U.S. rate."

Ramon Vargas of the Guardian: "The US army has suspended a retired three-star general [-- Gary Volesky --] from a lucrative consultant's role after a social media post appearing under his name taunted first lady Jill Biden's support of abortion rights.... 'For nearly 50 years, women have had the right to make our own decisions about our bodies,' the Democratic first lady's statement said about the [Supreme Court] ruling, which in effect outlawed abortions in more than half the country. 'Today, that right was stolen from us.' An account under Volesky's name replied: 'Glad to see you finally know what a woman is.' Some on the platform interpreted the remark as a verbal potshot at the Biden White House's support for the transgender community." MB: Volesky will probably get a more lucrative job as a Fox "News" talking head. ~~~

     ~~~ The Washington Post's story is here. It more clearly explains that Volesky held a "mentoring" role in his consultancy. Some mentor, especially since -- as I believe Patrick pointed out a few weeks ago -- the Supreme Court's ruling is extremely problematic for the military, inasmuch as many young military women are stationed in states that restrict or disallow abortions.

[The committee] received critical testimony on nearly every major topic in its investigation, reinforcing key points regarding Donald Trump's misconduct and providing highly relevant new information that will play a central role in its upcoming hearings. This includes information demonstrating Donald Trump's supreme dereliction of duty.... The testimony also corroborated key elements of Cassidy Hutchinson's testimony. -- Tim Mulvey, spokesman for the House panel who questioned Pat Cipollone Friday ~~~

~~~ Luke Broadwater & Maggie Haberman of the New York Times have more on Pat Cipollone's testimony before House committee investigators: "Pat A. Cipollone, who served as White House counsel for ... Donald J. Trump, was asked detailed questions on Friday about pardons, false election fraud claims and the former president's pressure campaign against Vice President Mike Pence, according to three people familiar with his testimony.... The panel did not press him to either corroborate or contradict some specific details of explosive testimony by Cassidy Hutchinson.... Mr. Cipollone ... invoked certain privileges in declining to answer some of the committee's questions."

Beyond the Beltway

Arizona. Amanda Holpuch of the New York Times: "The governor of Arizona has signed a measure into law that makes it illegal for people to record videos within eight feet of police activity, limiting efforts to increase transparency around law enforcement operations. The law, signed by Gov. Doug Ducey on Wednesday, goes into effect in September. Many civil rights groups and news media organizations have criticized the measure.... ​​There are exceptions for people on private property, in a vehicle stopped by the police, or those who are the subjects of police contact, as long as they do not interfere with officers' actions. There are no exceptions for journalists.... The U.S. Supreme Court has not yet ruled on whether recording a video of a police officer in public while they are on duty is protected under the First Amendment. The action is recognized as a constitutional right in most federal appeals courts, including the Ninth Circuit, which covers Arizona." MB: Sure seems to me to violate the First Amendment. This isn't peeping-Tom stuff; it's public officials engaging in official acts. And the public has every right to know what's going on in their names.

Way Beyond

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

     ~~~ The Washington Post's live updates for Sunday are here: "Rescuers are searching for more than 24 people feared trapped under rubble, after Russian missiles hit a residential block in the eastern Ukrainian town of Chasiv Yar, the regional governor says. Fifteen people are so far confirmed dead from the Saturday evening strike, in what Ukrainian presidential adviser Andriy Yermak called 'another terrorist attack by the terrorist country.' Elsewhere in Donetsk region, Russian forces continue offensive operations, with unsuccessful assaults northwest of the city of Slovyansk, according to analysts.... Ukrainian officials also appear to be preparing for conflict in the south as they seek to recapture territory from Moscow.... Following the Group of 20 summit in Indonesia, Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Saturday criticized China's 'alignment' with Russia since the invasion of Ukraine, questioning how any country could be neutral in the face of such aggression."

Neil MacFarquhar of the New York Times: Russian officials "'need more soldiers, desperately, and are already using what some analysts call a 'stealth mobilization' to bring in new recruits without resorting to a politically risky national draft. To make up the manpower shortfall, the Kremlin is relying on a combination of impoverished ethnic minorities, Ukrainians from the separatist territories, mercenaries and militarized National Guard units to fight the war, and promising hefty cash incentives for volunteers.... Vladimir V. Putin hobbled the mobilization effort from the beginning, experts said, by refusing to put Russia on a war footing that would have allowed the military to start calling up reserves. Hence, the Kremlin has tried to glue together replacement battalions through other means.'" The article goes a long way toward explaining why Russian forces have seemed, at times, to be so ineffective.

Sri Lanka. New York Times: "President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, whose family has dominated politics in Sri Lanka for much of the past two decades, has agreed to resign after months of protests accusing him of running the island nation's economy into the ground through corruption and mismanagement, the speaker of the country's parliament said on Saturday. Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, the parliamentary speaker and an ally of the president, announced the development at the end of a chaotic day. Protesters entered the president's residence and office, ​and thousands ​more ​descended on the capital, Colombo, to register their growing fury over his government's inability to address a crippling economic crisis. As the demonstrations swelled, the country's political leaders urged Mr. Rajapaksa to step down." This is a liveblog. ~~~

     ~~~ In an update, the Times report that Rajapaksa, according to Abeywardena, will resign Wednesday. But Rajapaksa remains in hiding and "hasn't been seen or heard from publicly since protesters stormed his official residence Saturday in Colombo...." So somebody with less in the way of guts than Boris Johnson, who at least managed to emerge from Downing Street to say, "Them's the breaks." But maybe more guts than Donald Trump, who still doesn't have the bare-minimal sense to decency to concede.

     ~~~ Do you suppose anybody has ever had the guts to say to Donald Trump, directly, "You lost. You lost big. Not because Joe Biden cheated. Not because crooked poll workers rigged the machines. Not because half the voters were non-citizens. You lost because millions more bona fide Americans voted for Biden than voted for you. Millions more Americans preferred Joe to you. I can tell you, if the situation had been reversed, Joe Biden would have had the balls to concede. You're a limp dick. Mr. President.*"