January 13, 2023

Late Morning/Afternoon Update:

John Wagner of the Washington Post: "House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) on Friday invited President Biden to deliver the State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress on Feb. 7." MB: It was sort of a fuck-you letter, IMO: "The American people sent us to Washington to deliver a new direction for the country, to find common ground, and to debate their priorities.... Your remarks will inform our efforts to address the priorities of the American people." Biden wrote back a nice letter accepting the fuck-you invitation.

There has been a question about where a classified document President Biden's lawyers found this past Wednesday was located. Dareh Gregorian & Michael Kosnar of NBC News sort of clear that up: "In brief remarks to reporters Thursday, the president said the documents were found in 'storage areas and file cabinets in my home, in my personal library.'... A source familiar with the ongoing review later told NBC News that Biden's lawyers searched his personal library at the Wilmington residence, and no classified documents were found there. The library is not the room adjacent to the garage where one classified document was found among stored materials.... It's unclear why Biden's homes were just being searched now."

Jonah Bromwich, et al., of the New York Times: "... Donald J. Trump's family real estate business was ordered on Friday to pay a $1.6 million criminal penalty for its conviction on felony tax fraud and other charges, a stinging rebuke and the maximum possible punishment. The sentence, handed down by a judge in State Supreme Court in Manhattan, caps a lengthy legal ordeal for Mr. Trump's company, the Trump Organization, which was convicted in December of doling out off-the-books perks to some of its top executives.... The financial penalty is a pittance to the company, and the former president, who collected hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue each year while in office. But the verdict branded the company a lawbreaker, exposed a culture that nurtured illegality for years and handed political ammunition to Mr. Trump's opponents. Prosecutors also continue to press a criminal investigation against the man himself.... The Manhattan district attorney, Alvin L. Bragg, called in a statement for the state to change the law 'so that we can impose more significant penalties and sanctions on corporations that commit crimes in New York.'" CNN's report is here.

GOP Extremists Say They Ignored Trump. Will Steakin, et al., of ABC News: "Moments after clinching the House speakership, Kevin McCarthy headed to the cameras to 'especially thank' one person he said helped him get the gig: Donald Trump.... The former president ... was also quick to take credit for McCarthy's eventual victory after publicly and privately pressuring members to back him. 'The Fake News Media was, believe it or not, very gracious in their reporting that I greatly helped Kevin McCarthy attain the position of Speaker of the House. Thank you, I did our Country a big favor!' Trump wrote on his social media platform. However, some of the Republican holdouts ... told ABC News that their decision to back down had nothing to do with Trump. 'President Trump had no influence on the votes, myself or any of my colleagues,' Rep. Bob Good, R-Va., one of the initial five so-called 'Never Kevins' who pushed for major changes to how the House functioned, told ABC News when asked what influenced his decision.... GOP Rep. Matt Rosendale of Montana[, Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) & Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.)] ... also told ABC News that the former president had nothing to do with [their] speaker vote[s]." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Are the worms turning? Not only do these ultra-wingers dare to disagree with the Orange Jesus, some of them sort of belittle him. Publicly.

Half of New UFOs Are Still U. Dan DeLuce of NBC News: "The Defense Department has received 366 new reports of UFOs or 'unidentified aerial phenomena' since March 2021, and about half of them appear to be balloons or drones, according to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.... About half of the new cases could not be explained and 'appear to have demonstrated unusual flight characteristics or performance capabilities, and require further analysis,' it said.... But the report also noted that an 'initial characterization does not mean positively resolved or unidentified.'... A classified version of the report was submitted to lawmakers, as mandated by a defense spending bill passed by the last Congress." ~~~

~~~ Remy Tumin of the New York Times: "An amendment tucked into this year's $858 billion National Defense Authorization Act, which funds the Defense Department's annual operating budget, requires the department to review historical documents related to unidentified aerial phenomena -- government lingo for U.F.O.s -- dating to 1945. That is the year that, according to one account, a large, avocado-shaped object struck a communication tower in a patch of New Mexico desert now known as the Trinity Site, where the world's first atomic bomb was detonated that July. Experts said the bill, which President Biden signed into law in December, could be a game changer for studying unidentified phenomena."

~~~~~~~~~~

Perry Stein, et al., of the Washington Post: "Attorney General Merrick Garland has appointed a special counsel to investigate the handling of classified documents found at a former office and the Delaware home of President Biden -- ratcheting up the stakes and potential consequences surrounding the national security cases that have now ensnared both the current president and his predecessor. Garland made the announcement Thursday at the Justice Department, tapping Robert K. Hur, a former U.S. Attorney in Maryland who also served as a senior Justice Department official during the Trump administration. The attorney general also offered the most detailed timeline to date of how the investigation has progressed, noting that on Jan. 5, the first prosecutor assigned by Garland to review the matter [-- U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois John R. Lausch Jr., a Trump appointee ---] recommended that a special counsel take up the case. The new investigation will examine whether 'any person or entity violated the law in connection with this matter,' Garland said." (Also linked yesterday.) The New York Times' main story is here. The AP's report is here.

Adam Goldman, in the New York Times liveblog, also linked below: "In selecting Hur, Garland continued his pattern of using current and former Trump-appointed U.S. attorneys to handle politically sensitive investigations -- like the Hunter Biden inquiry -- to allay concerns about political bias. That's a shift from his predecessor, William P. Barr, who repeatedly used fellow Trump appointees to run politically charged investigations." ~~~

     ~~~ AND this post by Ben Shpigel in the NYT liveblog gives a very helpful timeline of the Biden docs case.

Carol Lee & Mike Memoli of NBC News: "Multiple aides who worked for President Joe Biden in the final days of the Obama administration have been interviewed by federal law enforcement officials reviewing how classified documents ended up in his Delaware residence and a Washington office, according to two people familiar with the matter. Kathy Chung, who was Biden's executive assistant while he was vice president and helped pack up his vice presidential office in January 2017, is among those who have been interviewed.... Chung currently serves as deputy director of protocol for Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.... One of the sources familiar with the interviews that have already taken place said those whom law enforcement officials asked to be interviewed complied 'quickly.' 'The people who were boxing [up the vice presidential office] had no idea that there was anything in there that shouldn't leave the White House,' the source said. 'There was no decision made to take certain documents that should have been presidential records or classified.'... The timeline for packing up Biden's vice presidential office was highly constrained by the fact that he was engaged in his duties until his final hours." Biden was in Kiev & Davos a few days before the end of Barack Obama's presidency. ~~~

     ~~~ Kevin Liptak, et al., of CNN: In January 2017, then Vice President "Biden thrust himself into work in a final sprint to mark what then appeared to be the end of a four-decade run at the highest levels of government.... [Meanwile,] aides scrambled to pack up his workspaces in the West Wing, the Eisenhower Executive Office Building and at his official residence, the Naval Observatory. Those competing objectives -- to use his office until the final minutes even as it was obliged to shut down -- made for a muddled and hurried process that left aides packing boxes of documents and papers late into the night, even as more material kept arriving.... At a minimum, however, the placement of the secret documents alongside 'personal and political papers' reveals a records retention process gone awry.... The packing was carried out by members of Biden's staff, including lower-level aides and assistants who were provided boxes to store the vice president's things." This article provides quite a good explanation of how & why things "went awry."

CNN's liveblog is here. From the liveblog: "Richard Sauber, special counsel to President Biden, issued a statement following the appointment of a special counsel Rob Hur. 'We are confident that a thorough review will show that these documents were inadvertently misplaced, and the President and his lawyers acted promptly upon discovery of this mistake,' he said.... Robert Hur issued a statement following his appointment by Attorney General Merrick Garland as special counsel in the Biden documents probe. 'I will conduct the assigned investigation with fair, impartial, and dispassionate judgment. I intend to follow the facts swiftly and thoroughly, without fear or favor, and will honor the trust placed in me to perform this service,' he said.... Some context: The special counsel announcement significantly escalates the existing inquiry, which started as a review handled by the US attorney in Chicago. This also increases the potential legal exposure for Biden, his aides and lawyers who handled sensitive government materials from his time as vice president." (Also linked yesterday.)

Well, This Is Not Good. Charlie Savage of the New York Times: "The second set of classified documents from President Biden's time as vice president were discovered at a storage space in the garage of his home in Wilmington, Del., a top White House lawyer said on Thursday. The Times reported on Wednesday that this second set of documents had been found at a location 'associated' with Mr. Biden. On Thursday the White House statement offered more detail by specifying that the location was his private residence, where he often spends weekends. The White House statement, by Richard Sauber, a special counsel to Mr. Biden, did not answer fundamental questions about the contents of the documents, who packed them and whether anyone had gained access to them after he left office. It also did not say when the second batch had been found.... Mr. Sauber said Mr. Biden's team had also searched a house the president owned in Rehoboth Beach, Del., but found no documents stored there." This page has become a liveblog. MB: So, like, the classified docs were in a cardboard box right next to the motor oil & socket wrenches? (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Nah. The Docs Were Here, There & Everywhere. Zeke Miller & Michael Balsamo of the AP: "President Joe Biden acknowledged on Thursday that a document with classified markings from his time as vice president was found in his 'personal library' at his home in Wilmington, Delaware, along with other documents found in his garage.... Biden did not say when the latest series of documents were found, only that his lawyers' review of potential storage locations was completed Wednesday night." At 11:30 am ET, this is a breaking news story. An update of the story says that Merrick Garland will make a statement later today. (According to the Times blog linked above Garland will speak at 1:15 pm ET.) MB: I hope Hunter didn't rummage through the place at Christmas time & put snapshots of the classified docs on Instagram next to his dick pix, imagery that reminds me that now this is a real cock-up. (Also linked yesterday.)

Marie: Garland may have appointed a right-wing special counsel to look into President Biden's hoarding of a few classified documents, but that's not going to be good enough for Donald Trump:

The Special 'Prosecutor' assigned to the 'get Trump case,' Jack Smith(?), is a Trump Hating THUG whose wife is a serial and open Trump Hater, whose friends & other family members are even worse, and as a prosecutor in Europe, according to Ric Grenell, put a high government official in prison because he was a Trump positive person. Smith is known as 'an unfair Savage,' & is best friends with the craziest Trump haters.... [Smith] very well may be a criminal. -- Donald Trump, in Liars Social blasts ~~~

~~~ Steve Benen of MSNBC: "I was ... struck by the suggestion that Smith prosecuted 'a high government official' because 'he was a Trump positive person' -- an apparent reference to a suspected war criminal in Kosovo."

Kevin McCarthy Meets Joe McCarthy. Carl Hulse & Adam Goldman of the New York Times: "Speaker Kevin McCarthy and other Republican backers of the new [Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government] portray their effort as akin to the Senate's famed Church Committee, a highly regarded bipartisan inquiry in the mid-1970s ... [that] uncovered serious wrongdoing at the C.I.A., the F.B.I. and the N.S.A., among other entities, leading to heralded civil liberties protections and much more aggressive congressional oversight of the intelligence community.... Democrats and historians see darker historical parallels. They liken the Republican zeal to pursue nebulous allegations of deep-state conspiracies to the 'red scare' days of a McCarthy from an earlier era: Senator Joseph R. McCarthy, Republican of Wisconsin.... Democratic skepticism has been fueled by the fact that the new panel -- and granting it authority to look into continuing criminal investigations -- was among a host of demands that far-right Republicans made of Mr. McCarthy in exchange for their eventual votes for him in a historically drawn-out election for the speakership."

Annie Karni & Michael Gold of the New York Times: "New York Republicans are ready to rid themselves of Representative George Santos, the newly elected congressman from Long Island who has admitted to fabricating parts of his résumé and is under multiple local and federal investigations into his yearslong pattern of political deception." Besides Republican leaders in Nassau County and New York State, six New York freshman members of the House now have called for Santos to resign. BUT Mr. Santos still has the backing of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and other House Republican leaders. In a news conference at the Capitol on Thursday, Mr. McCarthy made it clear that he had no intention of barring Mr. Santos from congressional committees or otherwise penalizing him for winning election under false pretenses.... He added that Mr. Santos would face the House Ethics Committee, which considers allegations of misconduct by members.... Representative Elise Stefanik of New York, the No. 4 Republican who endorsed Mr. Santos during his campaign, notably sided with her fellow party leaders rather than her state's congressional delegation, defending her new colleague."

Gosh, Could Santos Have Been Running a "Scam PAC"? Alexander Berzon & Grace Ashford of the New York Times: "A month before George Santos was elected to Congress, one of his large donors received a call asking him to consider making another sizable contribution. The request came from a Republican loyalist calling on behalf of RedStone Strategies.... Days later, on Oct. 21, [the donor] sent $25,000 to a Wells Fargo Bank account belonging to RedStone Strategies.... The Federal Election Commission said it had no evidence that RedStone Strategies was registered as a political group, and there do not appear to be any records documenting its donors, contributions or spending. Mr. Santos and his lawyer refused to answer questions about RedStone.... But the firm listed the Devolder Organization, a company owned by Mr. Santos, as one of its managing officers.... RedStone may have skirted the law.... The donor ... [said] he was told by the Queens Republican operative that the $25,000 that he gave to RedStone ... would be used as part of a large ad buy for Mr. Santos. But ... a review of spending ... does not show the group making any ad buys on Mr. Santos's behalf, nor did it show any spending for Mr. Santos from other independent groups in the months leading up to Election Day. If a group raised money under false political pretense, that activity could lead federal election officials to regard it as what is commonly known as a 'scam PAC.'..." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ Azi Paybarah of the Washington Post: "Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.), who fabricated much of his biography, said Thursday he 'lived an honest life' and indicated he would seek reelection in 2024 as New York Republicans and four [MB: now six] GOP colleagues called for his resignation. 'Look, I've worked my entire life,' Santos said. 'I've lived an honest life. I've never been accused of, of any bad doings so, you know, it's my, it's the equity of my hard working self, and I've invested inside of me.' Santos appeared on Stephen K. Bannon's far-right podcast and responded to a sympathetic questioner -- Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.). The freshman congressman struck a defiant tone and cast himself as an underdog locked in a battle with establishment forces that do not serve the public. He dismissed criticisms he's received, saying that it would be up to the voters to decide his fate 'in two years.'" ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: That's funny, because a couple of weeks ago, WABC News (New York) reported that Santos had told local GOP officials that he would not run for re-election. It's almost as if you can't believe anything Santos says.

Stephanie Lai & Reid Epstein of the New York Times: "A little-noticed rule change made quietly by Democrats in the final days of their majority last year could give House members a long-delayed increase in compensation, allowing them to be reimbursed for the cost of lodging, food and travel while they are on official business in Washington. For the past dozen years, House members have declined to take a cost-of-living increase in the annual spending bills, fearful of a political backlash if they were seen to give themselves a raise. But the provision, tucked into internal rules that typically receive little attention from the public and without any open debate on Capitol Hill, could amount to a subsidy of about $34,000 per member this year. That would be a substantial increase for lawmakers who spend weeks on end in the nation's capital, where living costs are among the highest in the United States. The new rule, proposed by Democrats on the House Administration Committee, was approved with no objection in December, but rank-and-file members were not informed widely about it until Tuesday.

Mark Walker of the New York Times: "A group of Democratic senators are seeking an explanation from Southwest Airlines for its operational meltdown last month, another sign of the mounting frustration on Capitol Hill over the recent chaos in the nation's air travel system. In a letter sent on Wednesday to Southwest's chief executive, Bob Jordan, the lawmakers posed dozens of questions to the airline, addressing topics like its flight-crew scheduling system, ticket refunds and executive compensation. The letter was signed by 13 members of the Senate Democratic caucus, including Senator Edward J. Markey of Massachusetts, who spearheaded it."

Politico: "After dumping a massive trove of records on the public in the final days of December, the Jan. 6 select committee still hasn't disclosed 30 gigabytes'-worth of more evidence, prosecutors revealed in a Thursday court filing. The evidence was appended to the committee's 255 witness transcripts, Justice Department prosecutors wrote in the four-page filing, noting that while the transcripts have been publicly revealed, the accompanying exhibits 'do not appear to have been released publicly.'Those exhibits include 'voluminous' disclosures made by committee witnesses, DOJ noted. Prosecutors' review of the materials 'is ongoing,' Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn Rakoczy added."

Alan Feuer & Zach Montague of the New York Times: "In their opening statement at the seditious conspiracy trial of ... five Proud Boys, prosecutors sought not only to place the extremist group at the center of the riot at the Capitol, but also to tie it directly to [Donald] Trump -- a figure whom the organization has revered for years. During their 90-minute presentation in Federal District Court in Washington, the prosecutors told the jury how several members of the Proud Boys -- including their leader at the time, Enrique Tarrio -- were inspired by Mr. Trump's own words to descend on Washington on Jan. 6 for a 'wild' protest.... In their own opening statements, lawyers for Mr. Tarrio and the others ... [told] the jury that the Proud Boys had no plan in place on Jan. 6 to storm the Capitol."

Steve Neavling of the Detroit Metro News: "Three of [Michigan's] presidential electors who cast ballots for Joe Biden filed a lawsuit against the Republicans and are asking a judge to declare that the 'fake elector scheme was illegal under Michigan law.'... 'Plaintiffs suffered humiliation, mental anguish and stress as a result of being cast in the false light created by defendants' election fraud and lies,' the lawsuit states. The lawsuit further alleges that the GOP 'scheme attempted to subvert the sacred right of qualified voters in Michigan, enshrined in the state Constitution, to have their votes counted.'"

Danielle Dunn of Politico: "The [New York] state criminal trial against former Trump adviser Steve Bannon over his alleged involvement in charity fraud has been delayed by his refusal to speak to his team of attorneys. Bannon and his Florida-based nonprofit, We Build the Wall, is charged with defrauding donors who gave money to construct a barrier along the Mexico border. In September, Attorney General Tish James said Bannon raised more than $15 million through the scheme and used the proceeds to 'enrich himself and his friends.... During a Thursday appearance in Manhattan Supreme Court, Bannon's attorneys said they no longer communicate directly with their client due to 'irreconcilable differences' over how to approach the case. Bannon has reached out to at least seven law firms in the past several weeks to find new representation, according to his current counsel." Donald Trump pardoned Bannon of similar federal charges.

Brendan Fischer & Ed Pilkington of the Guardian: The advocacy arm of the Heritage Foundation, the powerful conservative thinktank based in Washington, spent more than $5m on lobbying in 2021 as it worked to block federal voting rights legislation and advance an ambitious plan to spread its far-right agenda calling for aggressive voter suppression measures in battleground states.... The outlay comes on top of $560,000 the group invested in its own in-house federal lobbying efforts that year, as well as registered lobbying by Heritage Action staffers in at least 24 states.... The efforts help explain the unprecedented tidal wave of restrictive voting laws that spread across Republican-controlled states in the wake of the 2020 presidential election."

Ephrat Livni of the New York Times: "The Securities and Exchange Commission on Thursday charged the cryptocurrency lender Genesis Global Capital and the cryptocurrency exchange Gemini Trust with offering unregistered securities through a program that promised investors high interest on deposits. The S.E.C. said that Genesis, a subsidiary of Digital Currency Group, and Gemini, which is run by Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss, had raised billions of dollars of assets from hundreds of thousands of investors without registering the program, which was called Gemini Earn. By doing so, Genesis and Gemini bypassed 'disclosure requirements designed to protect investors,' Gary Gensler, the S.E.C. chair, said in a statement. He added that the charges should 'make clear to the marketplace and the investing public that crypto lending platforms and other intermediaries need to comply with our time-tested securities laws.'" A CNBC story is here.

Natasha Bertrand of CNN: "An American Navy veteran who has been detained in Russia for nearly a year was released from Russian custody on Thursday, his family's spokesperson told CNN, after months of negotiations spearheaded by former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson. Taylor Dudley, 35, of Lansing, Michigan, was detained by Russian border patrol police in April 2022 after crossing from Poland into Kaliningrad, a Russia exclave which is territory governed by Moscow between Poland and Lithuania. He was in Poland attending a music festival, and it is not clear why he crossed the border. Dudley's detention -- which the US government had not deemed as 'wrongful,' or based on arbitrary and discriminatory motivations -- had not been widely publicized before Thursday because his family wanted the negotiations for his release to remain private." (Also linked yesterday.)

Beyond the Beltway

California. David Nakamura of the Washington Post: "The Justice Department announced a $31 million settlement on Thursday with a Los Angeles-based bank over charges that it discriminated against Black and Hispanic residents by avoiding mortgage-lending services in specific neighborhoods, the largest-ever financial award in a redlining case, officials said. City National Bank agreed to the consent order, which is subject to court approval, after prosecutors alleged that the financial institution discouraged residents in predominantly Black and Hispanic neighborhoods of Los Angeles County from applying for loans from 2017-2020."

Iowa. Rodric Hurdle-Bradford of the Raw Story: "The wife of a 2020 Iowa Republican candidate for Congress has been arrested and accused of filing 23 fraudulent votes for her husband, reports Business Insider. Kim Phuong Taylor was arrested for trying to help her husband Jeremy Taylor win the Republican primary in 2020 for the Fourth Congressional District in Iowa. Taylor was trying to beat Steve King, a far right-wing incumbent congressman notorious for spouting racist rhetoric. The indictment alleges that Phuong Taylor, born in Vietnam, used her ties to Iowa's Vietnamese community in Woodbury County to go home-to-home to collect absentee ballots from people who were not home. Then she allegedly completed those ballots herself, filling in Jeremy Taylor's name for the residents who did not know the votes were cast in their name.... Taylor ended up third in the primary race...."

The caucus that lost their minds over the suggestion that they should wear masks during a pandemic to respect the safety of others is now spending its time focusing on the fine details of what women have to wear (and specifically how many layers must cover their arms) to show respect in this chamber. -- Missouri State Rep. Pete Meredith, in a tweet ~~~

~~~ Missouri's GOP Legislators Quickly Address Important Matter of State. Timothy Bella of the Washington Post: "The Republican-controlled Missouri House of Representatives used its session's opening day Wednesday to tighten the dress code for female legislators, while leaving the men's dress code alone. The changes were spearheaded by state Rep. Ann Kelley (R), a co-sponsor who was among the Republicans seeking to require women to wear a blazer when in the chamber. She was met by swift opposition from Democrats who called it 'ridiculous.' The state House eventually approved a modified version of Kelley's proposal, which allows for cardigans as well as jackets, but still requires women's arms to be concealed."

Way Beyond

Brazil. Samantha Schmidt, et al., of the Washington Post: "Authorities in Brazil asked a federal court on Thursday to block $1.3 million in assets belonging to 52 people and seven companies alleged to have helped fund the buses that carried supporters of defeated former president Jair Bolsonaro to the riot in the capital on Sunday.... The blocked assets would be used to compensate the government for the massive damage caused by rioters who stormed, occupied and vandalized Brazil's Congress, presidential palace and Supreme Court, the solicitor general's office said in a court filing." MB: Why didn't our Congress think of that? The financiers of Stop the Steal & Trump's Insurrection Extravaganza at the Ellipse should have paid for repairs to the damage their soldiers did to the Capitol.

Ukraine, et al. The Washington Post's live briefing of developments Friday in Russia's war on Ukraine is here: "The nearly 600 civilians trapped in Soledar, as reported by Ukrainian media, are trying to survive a 'bloodbath' as Russian forces pummel the eastern salt mining town, an official said Thursday. Russian forces 'are burning everything on their way,' the Kyiv-appointed governor of Donetsk, Pavlo Kyrylenko, said in televised remarks. He said Ukrainian forces could not evacuate the civilians amid the heavy fighting. The battle for the town -- just a short distance from Bakhmut -- has intensified in recent days as Russian soldiers and Wagner Group mercenaries attempt to encircle Ukrainian units there." ~~~

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

News Ledes

Washington Post: "A large tornado killed at least six in Alabama, tearing a sudden path across the central part of the state Thursday afternoon as it ripped apart buildings, felled trees and left hundreds of thousands without power. The storm flipped mobile homes, tore away roofs and downed power lines. It knocked out cell towers in the city of Selma, leaving the towers running on backup battery as workers rushed to repair them, and pushed some people into emergency shelters." The AP's report is here; it says at least seven people died.

New York Times: "Lisa Marie Presley, the singer-songwriter and only child of Elvis Presley, died on Thursday after a medical emergency and a brief hospitalization. She was 54."

January 12, 2023

Late Morning/Afternoon Update:

Perry Stein, et al., of the Washington Post: "Attorney General Merrick Garland has appointed a special counsel to investigate the handling of classified documents found at a former office and the Delaware home of President Biden -- ratcheting up the stakes and potential consequences surrounding the national security cases that have now ensnared both the current president and his predecessor. Garland made the announcement Thursday at the Justice Department, tapping Robert K. Hur, a former U.S. Attorney in Maryland who also served as a senior Justice Department official during the Trump administration. The attorney general also offered the most detailed timeline to date of how the investigation has progressed, noting that on Jan. 5, the first prosecutor assigned by Garland to review the matter [-- U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois John R. Lausch Jr., a Trump appointee ---] recommended that a special counsel take up the case. The new investigation will examine whether 'any person or entity violated the law in connection with this matter,' Garland said." ~~~

     ~~~ Adam Goldman, in the New York Times liveblog, also linked below: "In selecting Hur, Garland continued his pattern of using current and former Trump-appointed U.S. attorneys to handle politically sensitive investigations -- like the Hunter Biden inquiry -- to allay concerns about political bias. That's a shift from his predecessor, William P. Barr, who repeatedly used fellow Trump appointees to run politically charged investigations." ~~~

     ~~~ AND this post by Ben Shpigel in the NYT liveblog gives a very helpful timeline of the Biden docs case.

CNN's liveblog is here. From the liveblog: "Richard Sauber, special counsel to President Biden, issued a statement following the appointment of a special counsel Rob Hur. 'We are confident that a thorough review will show that these documents were inadvertently misplaced, and the President and his lawyers acted promptly upon discovery of this mistake,' he said.... Robert Hur issued a statement following his appointment by Attorney General Merrick Garland as special counsel in the Biden documents probe. 'I will conduct the assigned investigation with fair, impartial, and dispassionate judgment. I intend to follow the facts swiftly and thoroughly, without fear or favor, and will honor the trust placed in me to perform this service,' he said.... Some context: The special counsel announcement significantly escalates the existing inquiry, which started as a review handled by the US attorney in Chicago. This also increases the potential legal exposure for Biden, his aides and lawyers who handled sensitive government materials from his time as vice president."

Well, This Is Not Good. Charle Savage of the New York Times: "The second set of classified documents from President Biden's time as vice president were discovered at a storage space in the garage of his home in Wilmington, Del., a top White House lawyer said on Thursday. The Times reported on Wednesday that this second set of documents had been found at a location 'associated' with Mr. Biden. On Thursday the White House statement offered more detail by specifying that the location was his private residence, where he often spends weekends. The White House statement, by Richard Sauber, a special counsel to Mr. Biden, did not answer fundamental questions about the contents of the documents, who packed them and whether anyone had gained access to them after he left office. It also did not say when the second batch had been found.... Mr. Sauber said Mr. Biden's team had also searched a house the president owned in Rehoboth Beach, Del., but found no documents stored there." This page has become a liveblog. MB: So, like, the classified docs were in a cardboard box right next to the motor oil & socket wrenches? ~~~

     ~~~ Nah. The Docs Were Here, There & Everywhere. Zeke Miller & Michael Balsamo of the AP: "President Joe Biden acknowledged on Thursday that a document with classified markings from his time as vice president was found in his 'personal library' at his home in Wilmington, Delaware, along with other documents found in his garage.... Biden did not say when the latest series of documents were found, only that his lawyers' review of potential storage locations was completed Wednesday night." At 11:30 am ET, this is a breaking news story. An update of the story says that Merrick Garland will make a statement later today. (According to the Times blog linked above Garland will speak at 1:15 pm ET.) MB: I hope Hunter didn't rummage through the place at Christmas time & put snapshots of the classified docs on Instagram next to his dick pix, imagery that reminds me that now this is a real cock-up.

Gosh, Could Santos Have Been Running a "Scam PAC"? Alexander Berzon & Grace Ashford of the New York Times: "A month before George Santos was elected to Congress, one of his large donors received a call asking him to consider making another sizable contribution. The request came from a Republican loyalist calling on behalf of RedStone Strategies.... Days later, on Oct. 21, [the donor] sent $25,000 to a Wells Fargo Bank account belonging to RedStone Strategies.... The Federal Election Commission said it had no evidence that RedStone Strategies was registered as a political group, and there do not appear to be any records documenting its donors, contributions or spending. Mr. Santos and his lawyer refused to answer questions about RedStone.... But the firm listed the Devolder Organization, a company owned by Mr. Santos, as one of its managing officers.... RedStone may have skirted the law.... The donor ... [said] he was told by the Queens Republican operative that the $25,000 that he gave to RedStone ... would be used as part of a large ad buy for Mr. Santos. But ... a review of spending ... does not show the group making any ad buys on Mr. Santos's behalf, nor did it show any spending for Mr. Santos from other independent groups in the months leading up to Election Day. If a group raised money under false political pretense, that activity could lead federal election officials to regard it as what is commonly known as a 'scam PAC.'..."

Natasha Bertrand of CNN: "An American Navy veteran who has been detained in Russia for nearly a year was released from Russian custody on Thursday, his family's spokesperson told CNN, after months of negotiations spearheaded by former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson. Taylor Dudley, 35, of Lansing, Michigan, was detained by Russian border patrol police in April 2022 after crossing from Poland into Kaliningrad, a Russian exclave which is territory governed by Moscow between Poland and Lithuania. He was in Poland attending a music festival, and it is not clear why he crossed the border. Dudley's detention -- which the US government had not deemed as 'wrongful,' or based on arbitrary and discriminatory motivations -- had not been widely publicized before Thursday because his family wanted the negotiations for his release to remain private."

~~~~~~~~~~

Carol Lee & Ken Dilanian of NBC News: "Aides to President Joe Biden have discovered at least one additional batch of classified documents in a location separate from the Washington office he used after leaving the Obama administration, according to a person familiar with the matter.... The classification level, number and precise location of the additional documents was not immediately clear. It also was not immediately clear when the additional documents were discovered and if the search for any other classified materials Biden may have from the Obama administration is complete." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Glenn Thrush of the New York Times: "On Wednesday, the White House press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, refused to address the issue, saying it would be inappropriate to comment on a matter under review by the Justice Department.

~~~ Tommy Christopher of Mediaite: "President Joe Biden got an assist on Fox News when Karl Rove broke out the whiteboard to show how Biden's classified documents issue is much less serious than the probe into ... Donald Trump's handling of classified docs.... [Rove said,] "... there are differences. For example, how many documents in Biden's case, there appear to be about 10. In the case of President Trump, hundreds.... We don't yet know how the documents got to the Biden office connected with his activities on behalf of the University of Pennsylvania. We know that President Trump ordered the removal of the documents to Mar-a-Lago.... When ... the Biden people found out about it, they called immediately, called the appropriate authorities and turned them over. We spent a year and a half watching the drama unfold in Mar-a-Lago, and it had to end in a police search to recover the documents. But still..., this is going to create lots of headaches for the Department of Justice in deciding how to handle President Trump's issues, because now they have an issue that, in, at least in the minds of a lot of ordinary Americans, are going to be conflated as being roughly the same." (Also linked yesterday.)

Zach Montague of the New York Times: "Jill Biden, the first lady, had outpatient surgery on Wednesday to remove three skin lesions, two of which doctors determined to be cancerous. The White House physician, Dr. Kevin C. O'Connor, said in a statement that the tissue from two sites -- above her right eye and on her chest -- was tested and confirmed to be basal cell carcinoma, a common and relatively unaggressive form of skin cancer. All the cancerous tissue was removed, Dr. O'Connor said, and doctors did not expect any further procedures to be necessary. A third, similar lesion was also removed from the first lady's left eyelid, but tests were still being conducted to check for cancer, according to the statement."

Niraj Chokshi & Mark Walker of the New York Times: "... flights across the country were halted because the Federal Aviation Administration's system to alert pilots to safety issues went down. The F.A.A. said on Wednesday night that it had traced the outage to a damaged database file and that there was no evidence that it was caused by a cyberattack. The disruption was the latest example of serious problems in the aviation system and at the F.A.A., the agency responsible for safely managing all commercial air traffic that critics say has long been overworked and underfunded.... The F.A.A. has struggled to quickly update systems and processes, many of which were put in place decades ago, to keep up with technological advancements and a sharp increase in the number of flights and passengers."

Luke Broadwater of the New York Times: House Republicans "have made it clear that their primary mission in the 118th Congress will be investigating the Biden administration, including inquiries they say could lead to the potential impeachment of President Biden and several cabinet members. Preparing to use their new subpoena power, Republicans have already created three special investigative committees or subcommittees, but they expect to carry out many more inquires under existing committees they now control. Some of the investigations may involve multiple panels, and top Republicans are jockeying for the biggest and most prominent pieces.... Republicans have already introduced a host of impeachment articles against the president and members of his cabinet.... Here is a road map of the investigations[.]" ~~~<

~~~ Luke Broadwater of the New York Times: "The House Oversight Committee took its first significant action under new Republican leadership on Wednesday, pressing the Treasury Department for information about President Biden's family finances and demanding that Twitter executives appear before lawmakers next month to address accusations that they sought to hide information about the Bidens' business dealings. Representative James R. Comer, Republican of Kentucky and the new chairman of the committee, has pledged for months to investigate Mr. Biden's family and its business connections. His staff members obtained the contents of a laptop owned by Hunter Biden, the president's son, whose business activities are under federal investigation. But now that Mr. Comer has subpoena power, he is in a position to expand and escalate his inquiry." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: We probably should have stopped treating Republicans as a political party a long time ago. When a group's "primary purpose" is to tear down government rather than to form a government, when in fact the group can barely manage to form a government because the flamethrowers are concerned they won't get big enough torches, when the majority of the group supports a coup & a number of them countenance or excuse violence in executing the coup, I don't think that group can be considered a political party in the traditional sense. They're revolutionaries or agitators or anarchists or or something. You can probably think of a better term. ~~~

~~~ For instance, here's their idea of legislation: ~~~

~~~ Annie Karni of the New York Times: "Republicans used their new power in the House on Wednesday to push through legislation that could subject doctors who perform abortions to criminal penalties, underscoring their opposition to abortion rights even as they stopped short of trying to ban the procedure. The measure, the second policy bill Republicans have brought to the floor since taking control, has no chance of passage in the Democratic-controlled Senate. Its consideration was an early effort by the G.O.P. to appeal to its conservative base.... The House approved the bill on Wednesday almost entirely along party lines, on a vote of 220 to 210. One Democrat, Representative Henry Cuellar of Texas, joined Republicans in favor and another, Representative Vicente Gonzalez, also of Texas, voted 'present.'" The Guardian's report is here. MB: In other words, a completely unserious effort despite its pretense of intimidating doctors & depriving women of reproductive rights.

Get Out! Michael Gold & Grace Ashford of the New York Times: "Dozens of Republican officials in New York State, including four recently elected congressmen, urged Representative George Santos to resign on Wednesday in a fracturing of local party support for Mr. Santos. Their call represented a sharp break from congressional Republican leaders, who insisted they would not push the embattled congressman to resign.... House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said that he not only would resist calls to push Mr. Santos out, but that he planned to seat him on a congressional committee. 'The voters elected him to serve,' Mr. McCarthy told reporters in Washington, adding that Mr. Santos 'has to answer to the voters and the voters can make another decision in two years.'" This is an update of a story liked earlier. (Also linked yesterday.)

     ~~~ Not Surprisingly.... Joe Anuta & Julia Marsh of Politico: "Rep. George Santos refused to resign Wednesday despite a parade of Republican Nassau County officials demanding he step down." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ Brian Schwartz of the CNBC: "A member of George Santos' political team had a plan to raise money for the Republican congressman's campaign: Impersonate the chief of staff of now House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Wealthy donors received calls and emails from a man who said he was Dan Meyer, McCarthy's chief of staff, during the 2020 and 2022 election cycles, according to people familiar with the matter. His name was actually Sam Miele, and he worked for Santos raising money for his campaign, according to one GOP donor who contributed to Santos' campaign.... 'We were duped,' said a Republican political strategist close to GOP donors and the leadership of the Republican Jewish Coalition." MB: Shall this too pass, Kevin? (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Scott Wong, et al., of NBC News: "House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said Wednesday that embattled freshman GOP Rep. George Santos, who is facing growing calls to resign after admitting to fabricating much of his personal biography, should not be seated on any top committees.... Although Democrats and some Republicans have said Santos should not receive any committee assignments at all, McCarthy confirmed later in the day that Santos would serve on at least one." MB: So is that it, Kevin? No plum committee assignments? Harsh! (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ Isaac Stanley-Becker & Emma Brown of the Washington Post: "Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) ... received payments as recently as April 2021 from a financial services company accused by the Securities and Exchange Commission of a 'classic Ponzi scheme,' according to a court-appointed lawyer reviewing the firm's assets. Santos did not divulge any income from the company, Florida-based Harbor City Capital, on a financial disclosure form required of all federal candidates. The payments the lawyer described to The Washington Post, which have not been previously reported, indicate that Santos received money at least a month after he has said he left the firm -- and mere weeks before registering a business called the Devolder Organization that he has claimed as the basis for his wealth.... A key unanswered question is how Devolder made its money." ~~~

~~~ Steve M. notices George Santos lied about being one of the very first New Yorkers to test positive for Covid-19. He said he was rushed to Elmhurst Hospital where he "was isolated in a plastic bubble with an air filter, because the hospital had 'run out of isolation rooms.'" It's hard to know just when this was supposed to have happened, because George kept changing the dates, & none of his claims fits too well into the fact that he seemed quite healthy when he appeared on Fox Business during the time he was supposed to be fighting off a severe case of Covid. Oh, and he said he had a brain tumor, which he later forgot about. MB: To me, it seems cruel to pretend you suffered from maladies that cause real suffering for real people. ~~~

~~~ Azi Paybarah of the Washington Post: "George Santos allegedly told a Republican official he was a star on the volleyball team in college. The problem with that anecdote? The freshman GOP lawmaker from New York never attended the college for which he claimed to have played.... 'George Santos's campaign last year was a campaign of deceit, lies and fabrication,' Nassau County Republican Chairman Joseph G. Cairo Jr. said at a news conference on Long Island. Among those lies, Cairo said, was Santos bragging about his athletic prowess. 'He told me that, I remember specifically, "I'm into sports a little bit," that he was a star on the Baruch volleyball team and that they won the league championship,' Cairo said."MB: Reminds me of when I captained the U.S. women's team that won Olympics silver in 2008 & 2012. The good news for George, or Anthony, or whatever his name is: he won't be kicked out of Congress for lying about volleyball. ~~~

~~~ Nicholas Fandos of the New York Times: "When Representative George Santos of New York first expressed interest in running for a suburban New York City House seat in 2020, the Nassau County Republican Committee sent him a standard vetting questionnaire and asked to see his qualifications. The résumé Mr. Santos handed over was impressive.... If the Nassau Republicans had dug into any of the claims, they would probably have found that much of Mr. Santos's account was baldly fabricated. Instead, without another candidate interested in the race, they ... took Mr. Santos's word and offered their full backing, re-upping in 2022 to help deliver him to victory. The episode marks an early example of a yearslong pattern of political deception, when Mr. Santos lied to his own party and faced no immediate repercussions." The Times proves a copy of the two-page document. MB: The failure of scrutiny here is mindblowing. My rep here has quite a solid resumé, but I have no doubt I can make up an even more impressive one. Get ready to address me as Congresswoman. (Also linked yesterday.)

They're Coming to Take Your Stove Away! Maxine Joselow of the Washington Post: "Republicans and allies of fossil fuels are rallying behind the humble gas stove, a staple in millions of U.S. kitchens that has emerged as a flash point in the nation's ongoing culture wars and a source of conservative resistance to President Biden's environmental agenda. The controversy was ignited when a member of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) ... said in mid-December that the commission will consider regulating indoor air pollution from gas stoves. On Monday, Commissioner Richard L. Trumka Jr., a Democrat, said in an interview that he had not ruled out a ban on the appliances, prompting the agency to pivot Wednesday and clarify it was not planning a ban.... Trumka's comment prompted loud complaints from Republicans on Capitol Hill, who claimed that the commission was trying to snatch the stoves from the 40 million homes that rely on gas, even though any regulations would only affect new appliances.... While the issue has become ensnared in partisan politics, scientists say a growing body of research shows that gas stoves pose a threat to the planet and public health." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I'm not sure Maxine spends much time in the kitchen. You can buy a gas stove -- for your home, not for commercial use -- for $20,000 & change.

Josh Dawsey, et al., of the Washington Post: "A wide-ranging subpoena sent to Trump campaign officials last month shows new areas of investigative interest as part of the Justice Department's extensive Jan. 6 criminal probe, according to a copy reviewed by The Washington Post, and lawyers say a grand jury focused on the day's events and related fundraising has increased its activities in recent months.... One part of the four-page legal document asks recipients to reveal if anyone other than themselves are paying for legal representation -- and if so, to provide a copy of the retention agreement for that legal work.... The subpoena shows the Justice Department is interested in other Trump entities besides the Save America PAC -- which The Post and others reported earlier this year was a subject of inquiry by investigators."

Adam Liptak of the New York Times: "Six months after the Supreme Court struck down a New York law that placed strict limits on carrying guns outside the home, the court refused to block a new law enacted in response to that ruling. The court's brief, unsigned order gave no reasons, which is typical when the justices act on emergency applications. Challenges to the new law remain pending before the federal appeals court in New York. In a statement, Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr., joined by Justice Clarence Thomas, said the law 'presents novel and serious questions.' But he added that the appeals court should address those questions first, so long as it does so promptly.' (Also linked yesterday.)

Beyond the Beltway

Arkansas. Gov.-Mrs. Huckleberry Gets Down to Important Business. Nicole Acevedo of NBC News: "Within hours of being sworn in as the new governor of Arkansas, Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed an executive order Tuesday banning the term 'Latinx' from official use in the state government. It is one of the first, if not the first, executive order of its kind, Tabitha Bonilla ... of ... Northwestern University, told NBC News. It was one of seven orders signed by Sanders, a Republican, right after taking the oath. The other ones focused on prohibiting Arkansas schools from teaching critical race theory, budgeting and spending as well as other government affairs. Most of these executive orders are consistent with the rhetoric Sanders campaigned on -- except for the one banning Latinx, a gender-neutral alternative to Hispanic or Latino." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I suppose it comforts some people to know that Republicans at the state level are no more interested in governance than are those supposedly running the federal government.

California Senate Race. Nicholas Wu of Politico: "Rep. Barbara Lee has told her fellow lawmakers she's running for Senate in California, according to two sources familiar with the situation. She informed her colleagues in a closed-door Congressional Black Caucus meeting on Wednesday.... Asked later Wednesday about her plans, Lee said in a brief interview she'd officially announce 'when it's appropriate....Right now, in respect to [Sen.] Dianne Feinstein and the floods and what I'm doing, I'm doing my work. And we'll let them know when I intend to go to the next step. But now's the time not to talk about that,' she said."

California. Sam Levin of the Guardian: "A cousin of Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrisse Cullors was killed by Los Angeles police after he got in a traffic accident and officers who showed up repeatedly Tased and restrained him in the middle of the street, according to body-camera footage and his family's account. Footage from the 3 January encounter released on Wednesday showed that Keenan Anderson, a 31-year-old high school teacher and father, was begging for help as multiple officers held him down, and at one point said, 'They're trying to George Floyd me.' One officer had his elbow on Anderson's neck while he was lying down before another Tased him for roughly 30 seconds straight before pausing and Tasing him again for five more seconds."

Virginia Special State Election. Zoe Richards of NBC News: "Democrat Aaron Rouse has won a special election for a state Senate seat in Virginia after his Republican opponent conceded in a race that was widely viewed as a proxy fight over abortion. Rouse, a former NFL player who has served on the Virginia Beach City Council for the past few years, flipped a GOP seat that had been held by Jen Kiggans until she won a congressional seat in November. Rouse defeated Republican Kevin Adams, a retired lieutenant commander in the Navy.... Democrats will have a 22-18 majority in the state Senate, and Rouse is expected to provide a crucial vote against efforts by Gov. Glenn Youngkin and GOP legislators to pass a bill that would ban abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy, instead of the current threshold of around 26 weeks."

Way Beyond

Iran. Farnaz Fassihi of the New York Times: "Iran's judiciary announced on Wednesday that a former deputy defense minister had been convicted and sentenced to death on charges of spying for Britain, where he had lived for a decade as a dual national. Alireza Akbari, who had served the Islamic Republic in senior roles until his departure to Britain, was arrested in 2019 in Iran on allegations of being a 'super spy' for MI6, Britain's foreign intelligence service, and passing it classified national security information, according to a statement released Wednesday by Iran's intelligence ministry."

Ukraine, et al. The Washington Post's live briefing of developments Thursday in Russia's war on Ukraine is here. The Guardian's live updates for Thursday are here. The Guardian's summary report is here.

News Ledes

CNBC: "Inflation closed out 2022 in a modest retreat, with consumer prices in December posting their biggest monthly decline since early in the pandemic, the Labor Department reported Thursday. The consumer price index, which measures the cost of a broad basket of goods and services, fell 0.1% for the month, in line with the Dow Jones estimate. That equated to the largest month-over-month decrease since April 2020, as much of the country was in lockdown to combat Covid. Even with the decline, headline CPI rose 6.5% from a year ago...."

Washington Post: "Constantine II, the last king of Greece, who rose to the throne in 1964 as a youthful monarch celebrated for an Olympic gold medal in sailing, but whose reign effectively ended three years later when he fled into exile after clashing with a military junta, died Jan. 10 at a hospital in Athens. He was 82.... He lived for decades in London and was a cousin of King Charles III, a godfather to Prince William and part of the extended family line of Greece-born Prince Philip. The former king traveled as Constantine de Grecia under a Danish passport as a result of his family's shared lineage with a branch of Denmark's royal family -- in addition to his marriage to a former Danish princess, Ann-Marie. His sister Sophia is the wife of the former Spanish king Juan Carlos." And I am Marie of Romania.

January 11, 2023

Late Morniing/Afternoon Update:

Carol Lee & Ken Dilanian of NBC News: "Aides to President Joe Biden have discovered at least one additional batch of classified documents in a location separate from the Washington office he used after leaving the Obama administration, according to a person familiar with the matter.... The classification level, number and precise location of the additional documents was not immediately clear. It also was not immediately clear when the additional documents were discovered and if the search for any other classified materials Biden may have from the Obama administration is complete." ~~~

~~~ Tommy Christopher of Mediaite: "President Joe Biden got an assist on Fox News when Karl Rove broke out the whiteboard to show how Biden's classified documents issue is much less serious than the probe into ... Donald Trump's handling of classified docs.... [Rove said,] "... there are differences. For example, how many documents in Biden's case, there appear to be about 10. In the case of President Trump, hundreds.... We don't yet know how the documents got to the Biden office connected with his activities on behalf of the University of Pennsylvania. We know that President Trump ordered the removal of the documents to Mar-a-Lago.... When ... the Biden people found out about it, they called immediately, called the appropriate authorities and turned them over. We spent a year and a half watching the drama unfold in Mar-a-Lago, and it had to end in a police search to recover the documents. But still..., this is going to create lots of headaches for the Department of Justice in deciding how to handle President Trump's issues, because now they have an issue that, in, at least in the minds of a lot of ordinary Americans, are going to be conflated as being roughly the same."

Luke Broadwater of the New York Times: House Republicans "have made it clear that their primary mission in the 118th Congress will be investigating the Biden administration, including inquiries they say could lead to the potential impeachment of President Biden and several cabinet members. Preparing to use their new subpoena power, Republicans have already created three special investigative committees or subcommittees, but they expect to carry out many more inquires under existing committees they now control. Some of the investigations may involve multiple panels, and top Republicans are jockeying for the biggest and most prominent pieces.... Republicans have already introduced a host of impeachment articles against the president and members of his cabinet.... Here is a road map of the investigations[.]" ~~~

~~~ Luke Broadwater of the New York Times: "The House Oversight Committee took its first significant action under new Republican leadership on Wednesday, pressing the Treasury Department for information about President Biden's family finances and demanding that Twitter executives appear before lawmakers next month to address accusations that they sought to hide information about the Bidens' business dealings. Representative James R. Comer, Republican of Kentucky and the new chairman of the committee, has pledged for months to investigate Mr. Biden's family and its business connections. His staff members obtained the contents of a laptop owned by Hunter Biden, the president's son, whose business activities are under federal investigation. But now that Mr. Comer has subpoena power, he is in a position to expand and escalate his inquiry." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: We probably should have stopped treating Republicans as a political party a long time ago. When a group's "primary purpose" is to tear down government rather than to form a government, when in fact the group can barely manage to form a government because the flamethrowers are concerned they won't get big enough torches, when the majority of the group supports a coup & a number of them countenance or excuse violence in executing the coup, I don't think that group can be considered a political party in the traditional sense. They're revolutionaries or agitators or anachists or or something. You can probably think of a better term.

Get Out! Michael Gold & Grace Ashford of the New York Times: "Dozens of Republican officials in New York State, including four recently elected congressmen, urged Representative George Santos to resign on Wednesday in a fracturing of local party support for Mr. Santos. Their call represented a sharp break from congressional Republican leaders, who insisted they would not push the embattled congressman to resign.... House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said that he not only would resist calls to push Mr. Santos out, but that he planned to seat him on a congressional committee. 'The voters elected him to serve,' Mr. McCarthy told reporters in Washington, adding that Mr. Santos 'has to answer to the voters and the voters can make another decision in two years.'" This is an update of a story liked earlier.

     ~~~ Not Surprisingly.... Joe Anuta & Julia Marsh of Politico: "Rep. George Santos refused to resign Wednesday despite a parade of Republican Nassau County officials demanding he step down." ~~~

~~~ Brian Schwartz of the CNBC: "A member of George Santos' political team had a plan to raise money for the Republican congressman's campaign: Impersonate the chief of staff of now House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Wealthy donors received calls and emails from a man who said he was Dan Meyer, McCarthy's chief of staff, during the 2020 and 2022 election cycles, according to people familiar with the matter. His name was actually Sam Miele, and he worked for Santos raising money for his campaign, according to one GOP donor who contributed to Santos' campaign.... 'We were duped,' said a Republican political strategist close to GOP donors and the leadership of the Republican Jewish Coalition." MB: Shall this too pass, Kevin? ~~~

     ~~~ Scott Wong, et al., of NBC News: "House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said Wednesday that embattled freshman GOP Rep. George Santos, who is facing growing calls to resign after admitting to fabricating much of his personal biography, should not be seated on any top committees.... Although Democrats and some Republicans have said Santos should not receive any committee assignments at all, McCarthy confirmed later in the day that Santos would serve on at least one." MB: So is that it, Kevin? No plum committee assignments? Harsh! ~~~

~~~ Nicholas Fandos of the New York Times: "When Representative George Santos of New York first expressed interest in running for a suburban New York City House seat in 2020, the Nassau County Republican Committee sent him a standard vetting questionnaire and asked to see his qualifications. The résumé Mr. Santos handed over was impressive.... If the Nassau Republicans had dug into any of the claims, they would probably have found that much of Mr. Santos's account was baldly fabricated. Instead, without another candidate interested in the race, they ... took Mr. Santos's word and offered their full backing, re-upping in 2022 to help deliver him to victory. The episode marks an early example of a yearslong pattern of political deception, when Mr. Santos lied to his own party and faced no immediate repercussions.&" The Times proves a copy of the two-page document. MB: The failure of scrutiny here is mindblowing. My rep here has quite a solid resumé, but I have no doubt I can make up an even more impressive one. Get ready to address me as Congresswoman.

From the New York Times livebog of developments in U.S. air transportation delays & cancellations: "The Federal Aviation Administration lifted an order to ground all flights across the United States shortly before 9 a.m. Eastern on Wednesday after a system failure left pilots, airlines and airports without crucial safety information for hours. The agency said that 'normal air traffic operations are resuming gradually across the U.S.'... More than 5,000 flights within, into or out of the United States had been delayed on Wednesday, according to FlightAware, a flight tracking service.... President Biden said that he had spoken with Pete Buttigieg, the transportation secretary, and that he had asked him to report back when a cause for the failure had been identified." ~~~

     ~~~ CNN is liveblogging developments in the FAAs's computer-system failure that caused a nationwide pause on air traffic.

Adam Liptak of the New York Times: "Six months after the Supreme Court struck down a New York law that placed strict limits on carrying guns outside the home, the court refused to block a new law enacted in response to that ruling. The court's brief, unsigned order gave no reasons, which is typical when the justices act on emergency applications. Challenges to the new law remain pending before the federal appeals court in New York. In a statement, Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr., joined by Justice Clarence Thomas, said the law 'presents novel and serious questions.' But he added that the appeals court should address those questions first, so long as it does so promptly."

~~~~~~~~~~

Michelle Chapman of the AP: "A computer outage at the Federal Aviation Administration brought flights to a standstill across the U.S. on Wednesday, with hundreds of delays quickly cascading through the system at airports nationwide. The FAA ordered all U.S. flights to delay departures until 9 a.m. Eastern, though airlines said they were aware of the situation and had already begun grounding flights. At 7:30 a.m. Eastern, there were more than 1,200 delayed flights within, into or out of the United States, according to the flight tracking website FlightAware. More than 100 have been cancelled." NBC News is reporting that the White House is saying that at this point, there's no evidence of a cyberattack.

Toluse Olorunnipa, et al., of the Washington Post: "President Biden and Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador on Tuesday vowed to reform and streamline the flow of migrants from Mexico to the United States, asserting they are getting control of the volatile issue and taking aim at conservatives for resisting their efforts. 'We're working together to address this challenge in a way that upholds our nations' laws and protects the human rights of migrants escaping desperate circumstances,' Biden said, adding that 'my Republican friends in Congress should join us in solutions.' López Obrador, who has not been shy about challenging American policies toward his country, praised Biden's approach, referring indirectly to ... Donald Trump's efforts to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. 'You, President Biden, you are the first president of the United States in a very long time that has not built even one meter of wall,' López Obrador said. 'And we thank you for that, sir -- although some might not like it, although the conservatives don't like it.'" ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: At least by Mexican political standards, López Obrador is a conservative and was no fan of President Biden. ~~~

~~~ Michael Shear & Anushka Patil of the New York Times: "President Biden defended his handling of the border on Tuesday, saying the level of migration was 'a real strain' on both Mexico and the United States as he completed a two-day summit with the leaders of Canada and Mexico aimed in part at securing cooperation in the effort to stem the record-breaking migration across the hemisphere. 'We're true partners, the three of us,' President Biden said at a news conference after a roughly two-hour meeting at Mexico's National Palace [with President Andrés Manuel López Obrador of Mexico & Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada].... The North American Leaders' Summit served as a forum to discuss economic cooperation, drug trafficking, migration, climate change and more." This is part of a liveblog.

Glenn Thrush & Charlie Savage of the New York Times: "President Biden said Tuesday he was 'surprised' to learn in November that his lawyers found classified government documents in his former office at a think tank in Washington, and he said he does not know what information they contain.... The Justice Department is reviewing the discovery to determine how to proceed.... The White House has stressed that the circumstances are different [from Donald Trump's theft of documents] -- that Mr. Biden had neither been notified that he had official records nor been asked to return them, and his team promptly revealed the discovery to the archives and returned them within a day.... [Mr. Biden] also distanced himself from the matter, suggesting that someone else had brought the files there without his knowledge. 'After I was briefed about the discovery, I was surprised to learn that there are any government records that were taken to that office,' he said at news conference in Mexico, where he appeared with Andrés Manuel López Obrador, the president of Mexico, and Justin Trudeau, the Canadian prime minister. ~~~

     ~~~ Charlie Savage of the New York Times attempts to lay out the differences, based on partial information, between Biden's & Trump's retention of classified documents: "... the available information suggests there were significant differences in how the documents came to light, their volume and --- most important -- how Mr. Trump and Mr. Biden responded. Mr. Trump and his aides resisted the government's repeated efforts to retrieve them all, while Mr. Biden's lawyers reported the problem and the White House says it has fully cooperated. These apparent differences have consequential legal implications." There's much more. ~~~

~~~ Hugo Lowell of the Guardian: "The US justice department is intensifying its investigation of Donald Trump's unauthorized retention of national security materials as it prepares to question the people who searched the former president's properties at the end of last year and found more documents with classified markings. The department was given a general explanation from Trump's lawyers at the time about who conducted the search.... But the department, unsatisfied with that accounting, last week convinced a federal judge in a sealed hearing to force Trump's lawyers to give the names of the people who retrieved the documents with an intent to question them directly.... The pattern of prosecutors now seeking judicial intervention at every turn signals an aggressive posture from the special counsel Jack Smith...." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ Yeah But. Whaddaboud Joe? ~~~

~~~ Marcy Wheeler writes a post on the Biden confidential documents in which she calls out "insanely bad reporting, including this article from the NYT == with four reporters bylined and two more contributing." That's the same NYT article linked below. In addition to other faults Wheeler finds with the Times reporters, she says they fail to "note that Biden is not complaining that this is under investigation, whereas Trump has never shut up about it. Indeed, a key part of Trump's defense has been that NARA had no authority to refer the matter for investigation. So Trump's embrace of this investigation eliminates a claim he has been relying on in his own defense. Another amusing difference is that for the entirety of the Trump Administration, Biden continued to have clearance; Biden decided not to continue intelligence briefings for Trump shortly after he launched a coup attempt.... But there's something else missing from the coverage so far: it's not even clear that the documents had been in Biden's possession, as opposed to another of his former staffers at the Obama White House. As CBS noted [also linked below], Tony Blinken was the Managing Director at the start, followed by Steve Richetti.... In other words, it might not even be a Biden thing." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ Tommy Christopher of Mediaite: "Morning Joe host Joe Scarborough did an extended comedy bit mocking comparisons between President Joe Biden's self-reported and immediately-returned classified documents and the criminal probe into ... Donald Trump over classified docs." Video & transcript of route included. ~~~

~~~ Jamie Gangel & Marshall Cohen of CNN have an update on information about the documents found in President Biden's private office at U. Penn. MB: IMO, the opportunities for innocent explanations abound as to how those docs got there & stayed there, as long as Biden doesn't suddenly have a Trumpertantrum & declare, "It's not theirs; it's mine." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ Steve Benen of MSNBC: "What Republicans don't seem to realize is that the story about Biden's classified documents makes Trump look worse, not better."

... it's not just the usual efforts by members on the other side of the aisle to once again do Donald Trump's dirty work; this time they're trying to protect themselves.... Let's call it what it really is. It is 'the Republican Committee to Obstruct Justice.' -- Rep. Daniel Goldman (D-N.Y.) ~~~

~~~ Snarling Mad Dog Unleashed on Federal Agencies. Luke Broadwater & Catie Edmondson of the New York Times: "A divided House voted on Tuesday to launch a wide-ranging investigation into federal law enforcement and national security agencies, as Republicans promised to use their new power in Congress to scrutinize what they said was a concerted effort by the government to silence and punish conservatives at all levels, from protesters at school board meetings to ... Donald J. Trump. On a party-line vote of 221 to 211 with all Democrats opposed, the House approved the formation of the Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government, which is to be chaired by Representative Jim Jordan, Republican of Ohio, the incoming chairman of the Judiciary Committee and a staunch ally of Mr. Trump. Mr. Jordan, who was deeply involved in Mr. Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election, has for months been investigating what he says is a bias in federal law enforcement against conservatives.... [The make-up of the panel] could result in lawmakers trying to scrutinize a Justice Department investigation while the department examines some of those same lawmakers' conduct concerning the events of Jan. 6." ~~~

     ~~~ "Mutually Assured Obstruction." Kyle Cheney, et al., of Politico: "GOP lawmakers dramatically escalated their standoff with the administration on Tuesday by approving on a party-line vote a wide-ranging investigative panel to probe what they call the 'weaponization of government.' It's a broad mandate that will allow the party to look into any government agency or program that it views as suspect, including the FBI, IRS and the intelligence community -- making good on a key demand of a band of hardline conservatives who opposed Speaker Kevin McCarthy's bid for the gavel.... The Justice Department is certain to fiercely protect its most sensitive investigative files and prosecutors are simply not going to hand over information on open criminal probes, legal experts say.... House Freedom Caucus Chair Scott Perry (R-Va.) [-- who is under investigation by the DOJ --] ... declined to rule out serving on the panel in an ABC interview on Sunday, asking: 'Why should anybody be limited just because someone has made an accusation? Everybody in America is innocent until proven otherwise.' Both Perry and [Jim] Jordan were subpoenaed by the Jan. 6 select committee to testify about events surrounding the Capitol attack by a mob of the former president's supporters. Both declined to comply with the subpoena."

Marie: One big thing I missed yesterday while wrestling with my computer (the computer won) was news about My Kevin's Secret Addendum. So here's what we know: ~~~

~~~ Aaron Blake of the Washington Post: "Even as he was [touting transparency], though, [Speaker Kevin] McCarthy (R-Calif.) was being rather opaque about the agreement that had gotten him to that point: namely, the parameters of a still-mysterious deal he cut with the hard-right Freedom Caucus to secure its members' votes in the speaker election. Punchbowl News on Monday first reported the existence of a three-page document outlining the terms, which it referred to as an 'addendum.' The whole thing remains shrouded in mystery: McCarthy is now reportedly denying the existence of an official 'addendum.' But some members have confirmed they've seen such a document, and top McCarthy allies have either talked around its existence or flatly declined to discuss the matter.... Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) [said]: 'I'm not at liberty to discuss whether I've seen it or not.'... Many Republicans are in the dark about it. (Punchbowl reported that members aren't allowed to keep a copy, apparently for fear of it leaking.)" Blake goes on to speculate what-all is in the 3 top-secret pages. ~~~

     ~~~ Here's the original Punchbowl News story by Jake Sherman & John Bresnahan. ~~~

     ~~~ Andrew Solender of Axios: "A private document that only some House Republicans have seen and others refuse to talk about could play an outsized role in the governance of the chamber over the next two years.... One of those concessions is three seats set aside for conservatives on the Rules Committee, as well as representation for them on the powerful Appropriations Committee. Other McCarthy giveaways include votes on congressional term limits and a select committee on the weaponization of the federal government, a debt limit strategy and a more open amendment process on appropriations bills." ~~~

~~~ Anyway, George Santos Is Happy . He really likes the new House rules package that severely weakens the House ethics committee. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ Every Move You Make, Every Step You Take, We'll Be Watching You. Mike Lillis of the Hill: "House Democrats will participate in all of the various special committee investigations being teed up by GOP leaders, the Democrats' caucus chairman vowed on Tuesday.... 'It's in our best interest to make sure we are representing the will of the caucus and the American public, and that Republicans don't have an opportunity behind closed doors to shape, and to add to, these conspiracy theories,' [Rep. Pete] Aguilar [D-Calif.] said."

Tom Jackman of the Washington Post: "The far-right internet provocateur 'Baked Alaska,' known to his family and friends as Anthime 'Tim' Gionet, who live-streamed his hour-long romp through the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, to about 16,000 people, was sentenced Monday to 60 days in jail. It is not the first time Gionet, who pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor of illegally parading through the Capitol, received jail time for live-streaming his involvement in a crime. In December 2020, he live-streamed himself spraying pepper gel at a bouncer ejecting him in Scottsdale, Ariz., netting a 30-day jail term. Soon after, Gionet streamed himself tearing down a menorah and Hanukkah sign outside the Arizona Capitol, for which he received a fine.... Gionet was once a journalist for BuzzFeed before turning to right-wing websites where he posted videos and developed a following." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: A photo of him accompanying the article suggests he fancies himself quite the dude. He's not. He's a wretched, raving asshole.

Richard Painter, in an MSNBC opinion piece: Donald Trump's "tax returns reveal that [he] had foreign bank accounts from 2015 to 2020. These include a bank account in China from 2015 to 2017, which reportedly is connected to Trump International Hotels Management business in China. The tax returns also showed that Trump had business dealings in Azerbaijan, Brazil, Canada, the Dominican Republic, Georgia, Grenada, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Mexico, Panama, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, Qatar, South Korea, St. Maarten, St. Vincent, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom. The drafters of our Constitution were well aware of the threat of foreign influence over U.S. office holders when they wrote the Emoluments Clause, which prohibits anyone holding a position of trust with the United States government from receiving any emoluments -- i.e. profits and benefits -- from any foreign state.... Our country took an enormous national security risk not seeing Trump's tax returns from the beginning of his presidency."

Ben Protess, et al., of the New York Times: "Allen H. Weisselberg, once one of Donald J. Trump's most loyal lieutenants, was sentenced on Tuesday to five months at the Rikers Island jail complex for his role in a tax fraud scheme that led to the conviction of the Trump Organization last year. A state court judge handed down the sentence after Mr. Weisselberg, 75, who worked for the Trump family for the past half-century, testified as the prosecution's star witness at the trial of the company. Mr. Weisselberg, its former chief financial officer, had been facing years in prison. Under a plea deal, he agreed to testify truthfully in exchange for a punishment that, with good behavior, might last no more than 100 days." (Also linked yesterday.) The AP's report is here.

Twitter Bans D.C. Bus System Account for Keeping Riders Informed. Or Something. Justin George & Faiz Siddiqui of the Washington Post: "Twitter suspended the account of the D.C. area's largest bus transit system on Tuesday for unknown reasons but restored it over six hours later. Metro officials said they weren't told why the social media company suspended the account. Before the suspension, Metro officials said, the account had not posted anything other than standard content, which includes delay and detour updates, customer-service-related tips, and replies to customer complaints or concerns. The sudden ban of the account Metro uses to inform bus riders of delays, scheduling changes and other information launched the public transit agency into a debate over censorship, casting the nation's third-largest transit system as a victim of billionaire tech mogul and Twitter chief executive Elon Musk's controversial recent suspensions of journalists and alleged rulebreakers. But unlike in some other cases, no apparent cause was given for the ban of the @metrobusinfo account."

Beyond the Beltway

California Senate Race 2024. Kelly Hooper of Politico: "Rep. Katie Porter on Tuesday launched her 2024 campaign for Sen. Dianne Feinstein's seat -- even though the Democratic incumbent hasn't yet announced her widely expected plans to retire."

Illinois. C Mandler of CBS News: "Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker [D] signed into law a bill banning the sale and distribution of assault weapons and high-capacity magazines on Tuesday evening. The ban takes effect immediately. The House voted 68-41 to approve the Protect Illinois Communities Act last week, and the bill passed the Illinois Senate by a 34-20 margin on Monday before heading to Pritzker's desk."

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 briefing for Wednesday is here: "Fierce fighting is taking place in the salt mining town of Soledar in eastern Ukraine, just six miles from the strategic city of Bakhmut.... Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he has decided to revoke the citizenship of four pro-Russian Ukrainian politicians. One of them, Viktor Medvedchuk, led Ukraine's most prominent Kremlin-aligned political party and was charged with treason in 2021.... The Pentagon is planning to bring Ukrainian troops to the United States for training on the Patriot missile defense system, U.S. officials said Tuesday. The training will take place at Fort Sill, covering about 145 square miles southwest of Oklahoma City, and could begin as soon as next week.... The U.S. plan to train Ukrainian troops shows 'Washington's de facto involvement' in the war, Anatoly Antonov, Russia's ambassador to the United States, said late Tuesday...."

Brazil. The Washington Post's live updates of developments in Brazil's political unrest are here.

News Lede

New York Times: "An unrelenting series of pounding storms over at least 11 days has left no part of California untouched -- flooding towns from north to south, loading inland mountains with snow and transforming the often dry Los Angeles River into a raging channel. At least 17 people have died in the downpours, which started in late December and stretched into the new year. And more rain is expected. As of Tuesday morning, amid the latest round of rain, nearly 100,000 residents were under evacuation orders or warnings, state officials said, and about 220,000 utility customers were without power." ~~~

     ~~~ The New York Times has live updates of developments here.