The Conversation -- September 6, 2024

Harris Gets the Darth Vader Vote. Megan Lebowitz of NBC News: "'Dick Cheney will be voting for Kamala Harris,' [his daughter, former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wy.)] said Friday during an interview at the Texas Tribune Festival when asked in an interview if she knew who her father would vote for.... The former congresswoman also said during her Friday interview with The Atlantic's Mark Leibovich that she would support Rep. Colin Allred, D-Texas, in his Senate bid in the state. Allred is challenging Sen. Ted Cruz, who has served in the Senate since 2013.... Allred ... embraced Cheney's backing in a post to X, calling her a 'patriot who continuously puts country over party.' Asked for comment..., Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung replied, 'Who the f--- is Liz Cheney?'" MB: Elegant.~~~

     ~~~ Marie: If hard-right conservatives like Liz & Dick can vote for a Democratic candidate, what's the matter with so-called moderate Republicans like Larry Hogan & Chris Sununu? I suppose the are just gutless.

Filip Timotija of the Hill: "A Michigan court ordered Friday that former independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s name be removed from the state's general election ballot, overturning previous efforts to keep his name on the ballot. The Michigan Court of Appeals ruled that Kennedy, who suspended his White House bid in August and endorsed former President Trump, can have his name withdrawn from Michigan's ballot.... [A] spokesperson for the Michigan secretary of state's office, said in a statement to The Hill that the office will be 'appealing to the Michigan Supreme Court.'"

We as a community, we as a society, we as a country cannot condone the normalization of the January 6 Capitol riot. -- U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth, a Reagan appointee ~~~

⭐ Michael Kunzelman, et al., of the AP gather together some videos of the January 6, 2021, insurrection: "Inside Washington's federal courthouse, there's no denying the reality of Jan. 6, 2021. Day after day, judges and jurors silently absorb the chilling sights and sounds from television screens of rioters beating police, shattering windows and hunting for lawmakers as democracy lay under siege.... The cases have systematically put on record -- through testimony, documents and video -- the crimes committed, weapons wielded, and lives altered by physical and emotional damage.... But as he seeks to reclaim the White House, Donald Trump continues to portray the defendants as patriots worthy of admiration.... His relentless attempts to rewrite history have become foundational to the Republican's bid for another term, with campaign rallies honoring the rioters as heroes while an anthem plays in their name." The report ends with links to examinations of the cases of three of the most violent insurrectionists. MB: This is an extraordinary report, particularly extraordinary in that it frankly lays out the brazen lies of the Republican candidate for president*. I suspect these reporters were overwhelmed by the evidence they saw and felt compelled to, at least momentarily, drop the both-siderism charade.

Georgia. Patrick Smith, et al., of NBC News: "The teenager accused of shooting dead two students and two teachers at a Georgia high school appeared in court for the first time on Friday to face murder charges, hours after his father was arrested on suspicion of facilitating the shootings by allowing his son to possess a deadly weapon. Colt Gray, 14, appeared in Barrow County Superior Court in Winder at 8.30 a.m. ET, where the judge said he faces four counts of felony murder. He is being treated as an adult in the case.... The maximum penalty includes life with or without the possibility of parole, and does not include death.... Shortly afterward, his father, Colin Gray, 54, appeared in the same courtroom, faced with 14 charges, including four counts of involuntary manslaughter, two counts of second-degree murder and eight counts of cruelty to children. He was told he could face a maximum of 180 years in prison if convicted on all charges. Two law enforcement sources familiar with the investigation told NBC News Thursday night that Gray gave his son an AR-15 style rifle as a gift.:

Ben Protess, et al., of the New York Times: "The judge overseeing Donald J. Trump's criminal case in Manhattan postponed his sentencing until after Election Day, a significant victory for the former president as he seeks to overturn his conviction and win back the White House. In a ruling on Friday, the judge, Juan M. Merchan, cited the 'unique time frame this matter currently finds itself in' and rescheduled the sentencing for Nov. 26. He had previously planned to hand down Mr. Trump's punishment on Sept. 18, just seven weeks before Election Day.... 'This is not a decision this court makes lightly but it is the decision which in this court's view, best advances the interests of justice,' Justice Merchan wrote in the four-page ruling, which noted that 'this matter is one that stands alone, in a unique place in this nation's history.'"

Kara Scannell of CNN: "Lawyers for Donald Trump and E. Jean Carroll squared off Friday in lower Manhattan as the former president tries to convince a federal appeals court that he should get a new trial after a jury found he sexually abused and defamed the one-time columnist.... Trump did not attend the trial or call any witnesses, but he was seen arriving at Friday's oral arguments. Carroll also attended. The hearing wrapped around 10:30 a.m. ET. The court will not issue a decision Friday and one is unlikely before November's presidential election.... The case is separate from a related defamation trial that was held earlier this year. A jury awarded Carroll $83.3 million in damages after finding Trump defamed her in 2022 when he repeated similar statements about Carroll. In appealing the 2023 [$5 million] judgment, Trump's attorneys have argued the trial judge made mistakes by allowing the jury to hear evidence from two other women who claimed Trump sexually assaulted them...."

Mia McCarthy of Politico: "... Donald Trump told a crowd of Jewish Republicans that if Vice President Kamala Harris wins the presidential election this fall that 'Israel is gone' and said Jewish Democrats who support Biden should have their 'head examined.'... Trump said to the Republican Jewish Coalition on Thursday. 'You can forget about Israel, that's what's going to happen. So they have to get out on Nov. 5 and they have to vote for Trump. If they don't, I think it's going to be a very terrible situation.'... Trump also acknowledged the death of the six Israeli hostages, including Israeli-American Hersh Goldberg-Polin, who Trump appeared to first refer to as 'Hersh Goldman.' He also repeated his comment that the Oct. 7 attacks on Israel would have never happened if he had been president at the time." ~~~

     ~~~ Wow! That Kamala! Yesterday we found out people were stampeding to get out of California because of fear of Kamala. Now we learn she is about to obliterate an entire country. Because she can!

Ry Rivard of Politico: "One of the businesspeople convicted this summer of bribing former Sen. Bob Menendez pleaded guilty Thursday to a separate federal bank fraud charge, continuing a fall from grace for one of New Jersey's most powerful real estate developers. The developer, Fred Daibes, literally rebuilt Edgewater, New Jersey, turning a once-industrial strip of riverfront properties into a 'Gold Coast' of high-rises with million-dollar views of Manhattan. Daibes, an affable former refugee with a rags-to-riches story, remains beloved by allies in Edgewater for his generosity and for the mark he left on the landscape. During the two-month Menendez trial, one government witness called one of Daibes' apartment complexes 'the most beautiful building I've ever seen.'... Federal prosecutors in New Jersey alleged that between 2008 and 2013, Daibes and others conspired to avoid federally imposed lending limits by having Daibes' friends and relatives falsely apply for loans in their own names that were, in actuality, for Daibes. According to a press release from the US Attorney's Office in New Jersey, Daibes pleaded guilty Thursday to making false entries to improperly obtain a $1.8 million loan from [a bank he had chaired called Mariners' Bank]."

The New York Times' live updates of developments Friday in the Israel/Hamas war are here: "An American woman was shot and killed on Friday during a protest against Israeli settlements in the Palestinian town of Beita in the occupied West Bank, according to Palestinian officials and witnesses. The State Department identified the woman as Aysenur Eygi. Three activists who were at the protest on Friday said the woman had been shot by Israeli soldiers."

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Presidential Race

Michael Scherer of the Washington Post: "The coordinated campaign of Vice President Kamala Harris raised $361 million in August, nearly three times as much as the $130 million collected by the coordinated effort of her Republican rival, Donald Trump, giving her a clear financial edge with two months to go before Election Day, her campaign announced Friday. Harris's larger campaign, which boasts hundreds more staff, dozens more offices and a bigger advertising budget than Trump, also ended the month with more cash on hand."

Readers, we are less than two months away from the presidential election. The time has come for the obligatory traditional Bad Female Boss story. Dan Diamond & Cleve Wootson of the Washington Post oblige: "... in interviews, former staff [of Kamala Harris] who [were among more than 300 one-time employees who] signed [a] letter [endorsing Harris] acknowledged it also addressed one of Harris's perceived weaknesses as a candidate and elected official: her demanding management style. People who have worked for Harris say her interactions with staff can resemble a prosecutor prying details from a witness, asking pointed questions about everything from her schedule to policy briefings. And her cautious approach to big decisions has frustrated deputies rather than inspire them. Harris's record as a boss has been the focus of news stories throughout her career and amplified by high-profile staff departures. As a senator, her office developed a reputation for a revolving door...." In fairness, the writers do acknowledge some mitigating factors -- and this, down the page: "... Donald Trump's White House staff was infamous for its turnover; one of his communications directors, Anthony Scaramucci, lasted just 11 days before his firing."

Mary Jordan & Kevin Sullivan of the Washington Post: "Former president Jimmy Carter, 99, turned to his son several weeks ago as he watched President Joe Biden, 81, announce that he was passing the torch to a younger generation and said softly, 'That's sad.'... But recently, as the former president's 100th birthday approaches on Oct. 1, he is talking more, asking about the fast-changing 2024 presidential campaign and delighting in the momentum behind Vice President Kamala Harris.... Carter's state of Georgia is critical to the November election. Biden beat Donald Trump in 2020 by less than 1 percent of the vote in the state, and Carter's family said he can't wait to cast his mail-in ballot for Harris."

Jamelle Bouie of the New York Times: "Donald Trump ... is a brutally transactional politician who represents a coalition of ideologues. His instinct is to promise the moon, and he'll say anything to get a vote -- or just to get out of a room. He also knows, however, that he has no choice but to dance with the date that brought him. He can't abandon the groups, interested parties and constituencies that put him in the White House to execute their agenda -- to exercise their will. The problem comes when most voters don't want what your partners hope to do with the power they helped you get. Such is the case for abortion.... So far in this campaign, the former president has not had to answer for his corruption in office, his two impeachments or his disastrous handling of most aspects of the pandemic. But he has had to answer for Dobbs, and it is clear that he has no idea how to deal with a problem he can't solve by talking out of both sides of his mouth."

Jonathan Weisman of the New York Times: Donald Trump treated "the titans of finance who gathered on Thursday at the Economic Club of New York ... to an extended discourse on the glories of William McKinley and the power of tariffs to cure all that ails what Mr. Trump called a nation nearing economic collapse. Rather than new policies for the 21st century, the former president often harked back to the end of another century, the 19th.... '... This is the policy that built this country, and this is the policy that will save our country.' His solution for the deficit? Tariffs. The crisis for middle-class families struggling with child care? The economic growth he said would be spurred by things like tariffs. A complicated international supply chain that has the wings of military aircraft manufactured in one country and the tail in another? Tariffs.... (The other answer is harsh immigration policies, he said: cutting off all assistance to undocumented immigrants to lower the deficit, followed by their mass deportation, which would open up homes and lower housing costs.)... Mr. Trump took time in the speech to take aim at [Vice President] Harris, saying at one point that 'as everyone knows, she is a Marxist.'" ~~~

~~~ Marie: If you would like to know the details of Trump's plan to ease "the crisis for middle-class families struggling with child care," I urge you to read Akhilleus' comment at the top of today's thread (originally linked last night) because he has provided a true transcript of Trump's child-care prescription. (As President Biden would say, "Not a joke," though to believe it, you might want to go to the videotape.) Last night Chris Hayes played video of Trump's response to a questioner who asked specifically how his administration would make child care more affordable; Hayes played the clip as an example of Trump's cognitive decline. So if, on the other hand, you would like to know the details of Trump's plan to help parents with child-care costs, you are advised he doesn't have one. ~~~

Q: What specific legislation will you commit to to make child care affordable?

Trump: Well, I would do that and we're sitting down, you know, I was, somebody, we had Marco Rubio and my daughter, Ivanka… But I think when you talk about the kind of numbers that I'm talking about… pic.twitter.com/v8gqLUHS2v

— Kamala HQ (@KamalaHQ) September 5, 2024

     ~~~ The headline for the Washington Post story on Trump's answer calls it a "confusing plan." No, it's not a plan in any sense of the word. The story itself, by Patrick Svitek, is closer to accurate: Svitek writes that Trump gave a "confusing answer." The Huffington Post headline writer gets closer when s/he writes that Trump "rambles incoherently ... without explaining his child care policy." (The article's author, Jonathan Cohn, further concedes, "The answer he gave might charitably be described as a rambling non sequitur, or less charitably as policy gibberish." Perhaps even more helpful, the folks on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" likened Trump's answer to a Bart Simpson's book report: ~~~

~~~ Wait, Wait. JayDee to the Rescue! Julia Conley of Common Dreams, republished by the Raw Story: "'One of the ways that you might be able to relieve a little bit of pressure on people who are paying so much for daycare is make it so that -- maybe, like, grandma or grandpa wants to help out a little bit more, or maybe there's an aunt or uncle who wants to help out a little more,' said Vance [at an event in Mesa, Arizona, Wednesday]. 'If that happens, you relieve some of the pressure on all the resources that we're spending at daycare.' In other words, said U.S. Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D-Calif.): 'You're on your own. You ain't getting shit from us. Call grandma.'"

Stephen Fowler, et al., of NPR: "One of two staffers involved in the altercation at Arlington National Cemetery is a deputy campaign manager for Donald Trump's reelection bid, NPR has learned. The former president insisted this week the incident did not happen, highlighting a growing disconnect between the messaging of the candidate and his campaign. NPR is identifying both staffers after the campaign's conflicting responses to the incident last week outside Section 60 of the cemetery, where many casualties of Iraq and Afghanistan are buried. The two staffers, according to a source with knowledge of the incident, are deputy campaign manager Justin Caporale and Michel Picard, a member of Trump's advance team.... ANC rules, that had been made clear to the Trump campaign in advance, say that only an official Arlington photographer can take pictures or film in Section 60. When an ANC employee tried to enforce the rules, she was verbally abused by the two Trump campaign operatives, according to a source with knowledge of the incident. Picard then pushed her out of the way according to two Pentagon officials."

Simon Levien of the New York Times: "Senator JD Vance of Ohio said on Thursday that school shootings were an unfortunate 'fact of life,' and he called for strengthened security measures in public schools while he spoke at a campaign event in Phoenix. After Mr. Vance delivered remarks on border security, a reporter from CNN, who was first drowned out by booing, asked him about what he would do to prevent school shootings in light of the fatal shootings of two students and two teachers at Apalachee High School in Georgia on Wednesday.... 'I don't like that this is a fact of life,' Mr. Vance said, adding that he believed gun restrictions were not the way to effectively prevent school shootings. 'We have got to bolster security in our schools.'" The AP story is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: That booing indicates that it isn't only NRA-controlled politicians who can't handle the question, it's the GOP base. These people have chosen guns over rights to life. They prefer that their own children -- and yours -- be murdered by a deranged kid with an assault rifle than that the government "take away their guns."

Catherine Rampell of the Washington Post: "Donald Trump last week promised universal, free access to in vitro fertilization treatments. But as always, pay more attention to what politicians do than to what they say. And his past presidential record suggests that a second Trump term would be unequivocally bad for access to fertility care.... [Despite the vague nature of Trump's promise,] we can assess how Trump's proclamation fits in with his prior record as president. The answer: It doesn't. An insurance mandate for fertility coverage would effectively be an expansion of essential health benefits.... But as president, Trump repeatedly tried to weaken or eliminate the very existence of such mandates.... Even today, Republican politicians continue to oppose minimum insurance coverage requirements.... [JD] Vance, for his part, claims there's no need for federal lawmakers to protect the legality of IVF services."

Michael Scherer & Meryl Kornfield of the Washington Post: "Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the independent presidential candidate who recently endorsed Donald Trump, called on his supporters Thursday to vote for the Republican nominee no matter where they live, reversing instructions he gave two weeks ago when he encouraged voters to still vote for Kennedy if they lived in uncompetitive states.... The new message comes as he has expanded the list of Republican-leaning states where he seeks to remove his name from the ballot, even as he continues to fight to add his name to ballots in blue states where Democratic nominee Kamala Harris is expected to win."

Hanna Trudo & Nathaniel Weixel of the Hill: "The possibility of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. becoming Health and Human Services (HHS) secretary if former President Trump wins has rankled Democrats and the public health community as he gains influence within the former president's transition team. Speculation about Kennedy's future role has grown after Nicole Shanahan, who was Kennedy's running mate before he suspended his campaign last month, said recently that he would do 'an incredible job' at HHS should Trump win in November."

Marie: Thursday, September 5, exactly two months before Election Day, the Republican candidate for president* was arraigned on criminal charges related to his attempt to overthrow the results of the last presidential election, which he lost. This has barely received mention in the day's news. We live in extraordinary times.

Katelyn Polantz of CNN: “Judge Tanya Chutkan has set a schedule in the federal election subversion case against ... Donald Trump that will allow prosecutors to release never-before-seen evidence, such as grand jury transcripts, ahead of the presidential election. The deadline for the filing from prosecutors is September 26, according to the latest order from the judge, which largely sides with special counsel Jack Smith's proposed schedule discussed at Thursday's hearing.... The evidence the prosecutors reveal in late September may not be immediately public, and Chutkan will be able to control its release. It is likely it would become available, though, with potentially some redactions. This is the one of several filings the judge expects before voters head to the polls. She has not scheduled additional hearings or a trial date." (This is an update of a story also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Judge Chutkan's order & schedule is here, via Politico. ~~~

~~~ Alan Feuer, et al., of the New York Times: "A federal judge declared at a court hearing on Thursday that she would not let ... Donald J. Trump's campaign for the White House affect the schedule of the criminal case in which he stands accused of plotting to overturn the 2020 election. Hours later, the judge, Tanya S. Chutkan, fulfilled that vow by setting a schedule for the matter that moved speedily ahead and opened the possibility that prosecutors could make public more of the evidence they hope to use against Mr. Trump at trial in a court filing before Election Day." Includes details of Judge Chutkan's order as well as of the earlier courtroom back-and-forth. ~~~

~~~ October Surprise? Kyle Cheney & Josh Gerstein of Politico: "A federal judge has given the special counsel's team until Sept. 26 to detail what his team says will be a 'comprehensive' slate of evidence detailing Trump's alleged conspiracies to subvert the 2020 election.... U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan ... largely agreed with a proposal a lawyer from [Jack] Smith's office laid out earlier in the day to have prosecutors kick off the next round of proceedings by making a detailed submission about what proof they want to present of Trump's guilt if the case goes to trial.... Trump's response to that brief will be due Oct. 17, and his lawyers similarly promised to pack it full of new information drawn from secret grand jury transcripts and other unreleased documents. Smith will have the opportunity for a final reply on the presidential immunity issue Oct. 29 -- one week before Election Day. The prospect of damaging new information related to Trump's effort to subvert the previous presidential election emerging in the closing days of the 2024 race adds a new, unpredictable element to the campaign's final stretch -- the definition of an October surprise."

~~~ New York Times reporters Alan Feuer & Charlie Savage liveblogged yesterday's court proceedings in the federal case against Donald Trump for his interference with the 2020 presidential election. See also yesterday's Conversation for some of the reporters' observations. (Also linked yesterday.)

Michael Kunzelman of the AP: "A Massachusetts medical doctor who punched a police officer during a mob's attack on the U.S. Capitol was sentenced Thursday to nine months of imprisonment followed by nine months of home confinement. Jacquelyn Starer was in a crowd of rioters inside the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, when she struck the officer with a closed fist and shouted a profane insult. Starer told U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly that she isn't proud of her actions that day, including her 'regrettable encounter' with the officer. 'I accept full responsibility for my actions that day, and I truly wish reason had prevailed over my emotions,' she said. Starer also turned to apologize to the officer whom she assaulted. The officer, identified only by her initials in court filings, told the judge she feared for her life as she and other officers fought for hours to defend the Capitol from the mob of Donald Trump supporters."

Eric Tucker & David Klepper of the AP: "The U.S. government has charged a Russian-born U.S. citizen and former adviser to Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign with working for a sanctioned Russian state television network and laundering the proceeds. Indictments announced Thursday by the Department of Justice allege that Dimitri Simes and his wife received over $1 million dollars and a personal car and driver in exchange for work they did for Russia's Channel One since June 2022. The network was sanctioned by the U.S. in 2022 over Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Simes, 76, and his wife, Anastasia Simes, have a home in Virginia and are believed to be in Russia." MB: Sorry, but this is too much. These people are called "Dimitri" & "Anastasia" and the Trumpies didn't figure out they might be Russian moles? Would "Boris" and "Natasha" have aroused suspicions? No? (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ Philip Bump of the Washington Post: "The new indictment reinforces that [the Russia investigation] wasn't [a hoax, as Trump claims]. Russia began trying to influence American politics a decade ago, ultimately finding a sympathetic ally in Trump. Now, instead of trying to make fake personalities who can elevate contentious issues to Russia's benefit, there's a stable of Trump-allied voices who already are." MB: No, the Russia investigation was not a hoax, but the subjects of the investigation -- the Trump campaign and Trump himself -- were and are as comedic as Monty Python. (Also linked yesterday.)

Alexandra Berzon of the New York Times: "There is no indication that noncitizens are voting in large numbers. And yet the notion that they will flood the polls -- and vote overwhelmingly for Democrats -- is animating a sprawling network of Republicans who mobilized around ... Donald J. Trump's false claims of a rigged election in 2020 and are now preparing for the next one. Activists..., prominent lawyers, Republican lawmakers, right-wing influencers and other allies of Mr. Trump have ramped up pressure on local election officials to take steps that they say will keep noncitizens from tilting the election in Democrats' favor. They have pressed for voter roll purges, filed lawsuits, prepared for on-the-ground monitoring of polling places and spread misinformation online. Republican elected officials have responded." (Also linked yesterday.)

Maxine Joselow of the Washington Post: "The Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday strengthened a rule limiting toxic air pollution from factories, refineries and other industrial facilities, reversing one of ... Donald Trump's major environmental rollbacks. In an update posted on its website, the agency quietly signaled it had finalized changes to the 'Once In, Always In' rule, which requires facilities classified as 'major' sources of toxic air pollution to always maintain strict pollution controls, even if they are later reclassified."

Eugene Robinson of the Washington Post: "Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp stood before television cameras Wednesday night and said the cowardly words we always hear from Republican officials in such moments. Hours after two students and two teachers had been killed in a school shooting, allegedly committed by a 14-year-old boy with an AR-15-style semiautomatic weapon, Kemp declared: 'Today is not the day for politics or policy.'... His record makes it clear what date he has in mind for that discussion: Never. From what we know so far, the horrific slayings at Apalachee High School in Winder, Ga., have everything to do with the politics and policy of gun safety.... Popular, common-sense gun laws might have prevented this tragedy.... It is unconscionable, and infuriating, that the Republican Party cannot find room on its calendar to talk about saving precious young lives."

Glenn Thrush & Lauren Herstik of the New York Times: "Hunter Biden pleaded guilty on Thursday to nine federal tax charges in Los Angeles, after telling his legal team that he refused to subject his family to another round of anguish and humiliation after a gut-wrenching gun trial in Delaware two months ago. The dramatic development signaled the final stages of a fraught five-plus year investigation into the period when Mr. Biden was bankrolling his uncontrollable drug and alcohol addiction by leveraging his famous last name into lucrative overseas consulting contracts -- while not paying his taxes. The guilty plea was a unilateral decision by defense lawyers who were persuaded they could not prevail in the trial. It was not part of a plea deal in exchange for reduced punishment. Mr. Biden, speaking in a low and clipped voice as he sat at the defense table, repeated the word 'guilty' nine times as Judge Mark C. Scarsi ticked off each charge.... The guilty plea now exposes President Biden's son to an outcome that seemed unthinkable last year, when his lawyers were on the cusp of a no-prison plea agreement: significant time behind bars." (Also linked yesterday.)

~~~ Marshall Cohen, et al., of CNN: "Hunter Biden is attempting to resolve his federal tax evasion case in California with a plea where he maintains his innocence but will accept punishment, his lawyers announced in court Thursday, moments before jury selection was scheduled to begin. The arrangement won't be final until District Judge Mark Scarsi, a Trump appointee who has presided over the tax case, gives his stamp of approval in open court. The court is now on break and will resume at 2 p.m. ET. This type of arrangement, called an 'Alford plea,' would see Biden acknowledge that special counsel David Weiss has enough evidence to convict him -- and then he would accept whatever sentence Scarsi eventually hands down." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Udpate. "Hunter Biden is offering to plead guilty to the nine tax offenses he faces in federal court, without a deal with prosecutors, his attorneys said in court Thursday. Biden had earlier attempted to resolve his federal tax evasion case in California with a plea in which he would maintain his innocence but still accept punishment." (Also linked yesterday.)

Brian Stelter, who is back at CNN: "The Biden administration is denouncing Tucker Carlson after the far-right personality hosted a guest on his show this week who suggested the Holocaust happened by accident, calling the interview 'a disgusting and sadistic insult to all Americans.' During Carlson's two-hour sit-down with Darryl Cooper, a podcaster whom he said 'may be the best and most honest popular historian in the United States,' Cooper claimed that Nazi Germany's mass murder of Jews was an unintended consequence -- something akin to poor planning instead of the methodical extermination that it actually was. British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, Cooper claimed, was the 'chief villain of the Second World War' and 'primarily responsible for that war becoming what it did, becoming something other than an invasion of Poland.'" ~~~

     ~~~ Michelle Goldberg of the New York Times: "Over the course of a wide-ranging two-hour conversation, [Darryl] Cooper presented the mainstream history of World War II as a mythology shrouded in taboos intended to prop up a corrupt liberal political order.... Cooper proceeded, in a soft-spoken, faux-reasonable way, to lay out an alternative history in which Hitler tried mightily to avoid war with Western Europe, Churchill was a 'psychopath' propped up by Zionist interests, and millions of people in concentration camps 'ended up dead' because the overwhelmed Nazis didn't have the resources to care for them.... [Tucker] Carlson's trajectory [to Nazi apologist] was entirely predictable. Nazi sympathy is the natural endpoint of a politics based on glib contrarianism, right-wing transgression and ethnic grievance.... If Hitler is no longer widely understood as the negation of our deepest values, America will be softened up for Donald Trump's most authoritarian plans...."

Austyn Gaffney of the New York Times: "The southwestern United States' sizzling triple-digit temperatures this week mark the tail end of the hottest summer on record, according to a new European climate report. 'We know that the warming of the planet leads to more intense and extreme climate events, and what we've seen this summer has been no exception,' said Julien Nicolas, a climatologist with the Copernicus Climate Change Service, the European Union agency that published the assessment on Wednesday. Since 2018, the agency has been combining data like weather observations from balloons and satellites with computer models that simulate temperature and precipitation to get a picture of what's happening around the world. It pairs that picture with past weather conditions reconstructed back to 1940 to compute a global average temperature."

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Devlin Barrett of the Washington Post: "Crime is falling rapidly in many U.S. cities for the second year in a row, a decline attributed in part to the end of the pandemic's empty streets and shuttered stores. Law enforcement officials also credit a renewed focus on gun crimes -- analyzing evidence faster, hitting suspects with federal charges where possible, and quickening the pace of arrests to prevent tit-for-tat violence. The decrease in homicides and assaults in many U.S. cities has been largely ignored by Republican politicians like Donald Trump, who will appear before the Fraternal Order of Police on Friday seeking the group's endorsement.... Trump and others have assailed Democrats including presidential nominee Kamala Harris as weak on crime, and have falsely claimed that violence has continued to climb while President Joe Biden is in office. In fact, last year saw a sharp drop in killings and shootings. The first half of 2024 shows that trend generally continuing, with homicides down 17 percent compared with the same six-month period the prior year, according to figures for 69 U.S. cities compiled by the Major City Chiefs Association."

Florida. Patricia Mazzei & Kate Zernike of the New York Times: "The Florida agency charged with regulating health care providers, including abortion clinics, publicly opposed a proposed ballot amendment that would guarantee abortion rights, a move that critics say is unethical and also, perhaps, a violation of state law. 'Florida Is Protecting Life,' reads the top of a website by the Agency for Health Care Administration. 'Don't let the fearmongers lie to you.' The declaration, which was promoted on the social media platform X on Thursday by Jason Weida, the agency secretary, claims that the proposed amendment, known as Amendment 4, 'threatens women's safety.'... 'You're not supposed to use your position in state government for electioneering,' said State Representative Anna V. Eskamani, an Orlando Democrat, adding that the agency 'crossed a line.... If you're going to do electioneering, you've got to provide a financial disclosure. There's all sorts of question marks here.'... The DeSantis administration has taken other steps to push back against Amendment 4. A state panel, largely appointed by Republicans, approved language in July for a financial impact statement that is required to accompany the amendment."

New York. William Rashbaum, et al., of the New York Times: "Federal agents on Wednesday zeroed in on the highest ranks of [New York City] Mayor Eric Adams's administration, searching a home and seizing the phones of the New York City police commissioner, the first deputy mayor, the schools chancellor and others, according to people with knowledge of the matter. The actions were unrelated to a separate corruption inquiry focused on the mayor and his campaign fund-raising, some of the people said. But the revelation that not only the mayor but also many of the city's most senior officials are embroiled in federal investigations further destabilizes an administration that is already reeling from other legal problems." Politico's story is here.

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Israel/Palestine, et al.

Monica Alba, et al., of NBC News: "The families of American hostages being held by Hamas have pressed the White House to seriously consider cutting a unilateral deal with the terrorist organization to secure their loved ones' release, and the option is currently under discussion within the Biden administration, according to five people familiar with the discussions. In a meeting Sunday with national security adviser Jake Sullivan after Hamas killed six hostages, including American Hersh Goldberg-Polin, the relatives of U.S. citizens still in captivity urged the administration to evaluate options that do not include Israel, the sources said. Administration officials told the families that they would explore 'every option,' but a deal with Hamas that includes Israel is still the best approach, people familiar with the conversation said." (Also linked yesterday.)

The New York Times' live updates of developments Thursday in the Israel/Hamas war are here: "The second phase of a campaign to vaccinate children in Gaza against polio began on Thursday in southern Gaza, the World Health Organization said, continuing a frantic drive to avert a deadly outbreak in the war-battered territory. Israel has agreed to brief, staggered pauses in its military offensive in Gaza to allow health officials to conduct vaccinations. But ... hours after the first phase of the campaign wrapped up in central Gaza on Wednesday, an Israeli airstrike hit the courtyard of Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, one of the largest in the area, Wafa, the Palestinian Authority's official news agency, reported. Four people were killed, including women and children sheltering in tents around the hospital, Wafa said on Thursday. Video taken by the Reuters news agency showed tents in ruins, their wooden beams flattened, and people's belongings strewed in the hospital's courtyard." (Also linked yesterday.)

News Ledes

CNBC: "The U.S. economy created slightly fewer jobs than expected in August, reflecting a slowing labor market while also clearing the way for the Federal Reserve to lower interest rates later this month. Nonfarm payrolls expanded by 142,000 during the month, down from 89,000 in July and below the 161,000 consensus forecast from Dow Jones, according to a report Friday from the Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics."

New York Times: "Colin Gray, the father of the 14-year-old accused of killing two teachers and two students at his Georgia high school, was arrested and charged on Thursday with second-degree murder in connection with the state's deadliest school shooting, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said. In addition to two counts of second-degree murder, Mr. Gray, 54, was also charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter and eight counts of cruelty to children, according to a statement. At a news conference on Thursday night, Chris Hosey, the G.B.I. director, said the charges were 'directly connected with the actions of his son and allowing him to possess a weapon.'" At 5:30 am ET, this is the pinned item in a liveblog. ~~~

     ~~~ CNN's report is here.

The Conversation -- September 5, 2024

Marie: Thursday, September 5, exactly two months before Election Day, the Republican candidate for president* was arraigned on criminal charges related to his attempt to overthrow the results of the last presidential election, which he lost. This has barely received mention in the day's news. We live in extraordinary times.

Eric Tucker & David Klepper of the AP: "The U.S. government has charged a Russian-born U.S. citizen and former adviser to Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign with working for a sanctioned Russian state television network and laundering the proceeds. Indictments announced Thursday by the Department of Justice allege that Dimitri Simes and his wife received over $1 million dollars and a personal car and driver in exchange for work they did for Russia's Channel One since June 2022. The network was sanctioned by the U.S. in 2022 over Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Simes, 76, and his wife, Anastasia Simes, have a home in Virginia and are believed to be in Russia." MB: Sorry, but this is too much. These people are called "Dimitri" & "Anastasia" and the Trumpies didn't figure out they might be Russian moles? Would "Boris" and "Natasha" have aroused suspicions? No? ~~~

~~~ Philip Bump of the Washington Post: "The new indictment reinforces that [the Russia investigation] wasn't [a hoax, as Trump claims]. Russia began trying to influence American politics a decade ago, ultimately finding a sympathetic ally in Trump. Now, instead of trying to make fake personalities who can elevate contentious issues to Russia's benefit, there's a stable of Trump-allied voices who already are." MB: No, the Russia investigation was not a hoax, but the subjects of the investigation -- Trump and his campaign -- were and are as comedic as Monty Python.

Alexandra Berzon of the New York Times: "There is no indication that noncitizens are voting in large numbers. And yet the notion that they will flood the polls -- and vote overwhelmingly for Democrats -- is animating a sprawling network of Republicans who mobilized around ... Donald J. Trump's false claims of a rigged election in 2020 and are now preparing for the next one. Activists..., prominent lawyers, Republican lawmakers, right-wing influencers and other allies of Mr. Trump have ramped up pressure on local election officials to take steps that they say will keep noncitizens from tilting the election in Democrats' favor. They have pressed for voter roll purges, filed lawsuits, prepared for on-the-ground monitoring of polling places and spread misinformation online. Republican elected officials have responded."

Marie: I have CNN on right now, and for some reason they are playing a speech Donald Trump is giving. So far, it sounds as if he's reading from a script, & I never guessed that Kamala Harris was so powerful. For instance, even though Harris has been living in Washington, D.C. since she was elected Vice President, "people are leaving California in droves" because they're so afraid of her.

Glenn Thrush & Lauren Herstik of the New York Times: "Hunter Biden pleaded guilty on Thursday to nine federal tax charges in Los Angeles, after telling his legal team that he refused to subject his family to another round of anguish and humiliation after a gut-wrenching gun trial in Delaware two months ago. The dramatic development signaled the final stages of a fraught five-plus year investigation into the period when Mr. Biden was bankrolling his uncontrollable drug and alcohol addiction by leveraging his famous last name into lucrative overseas consulting contracts -- while not paying his taxes. The guilty plea was a unilateral decision by defense lawyers who were persuaded they could not prevail in the trial. It was not part of a plea deal in exchange for reduced punishment. Mr. Biden, speaking in a low and clipped voice as he sat at the defense table, repeated the word 'guilty' nine times as Judge Mark C. Scarsi ticked off each charge.... The guilty plea now exposes President Biden's son to an outcome that seemed unthinkable last year, when his lawyers were on the cusp of a no-prison plea agreement: significant time behind bars."

~~~ Marshall Cohen, et al., of CNN: "Hunter Biden is attempting to resolve his federal tax evasion case in California with a plea where he maintains his innocence but will accept punishment, his lawyers announced in court Thursday, moments before jury selection was scheduled to begin. The arrangement won't be final until District Judge Mark Scarsi, a Trump appointee who has presided over the tax case, gives his stamp of approval in open court. The court is now on break and will resume at 2 p.m. ET. This type of arrangement, called an 'Alford plea,' would see Biden acknowledge that special counsel David Weiss has enough evidence to convict him -- and then he would accept whatever sentence Scarsi eventually hands down." ~~~

     ~~~ Udpate. "Hunter Biden is offering to plead guilty to the nine tax offenses he faces in federal court, without a deal with prosecutors, his attorneys said in court Thursday. Biden had earlier attempted to resolve his federal tax evasion case in California with a plea in which he would maintain his innocence but still accept punishment."

Katelyn Polantz of CNN: "Judge Tanya Chutkan has set a schedule in the federal election subversion case against ... Donald Trump that will allow prosecutors to release never-before-seen evidence, such as grand jury transcripts, ahead of the presidential election. The deadline for the filing from prosecutors is September 26, according to the latest order from the judge, which largely sides with special counsel Jack Smith's proposed schedule discussed at Thursday's hearing.... This is a developing story and will be updated."

The New York Times' live updates of developments Thursday in the Israel/Hamas war are here: "The second phase of a campaign to vaccinate children in Gaza against polio began on Thursday in southern Gaza, the World Health Organization said, continuing a frantic drive to avert a deadly outbreak in the war-battered territory. Israel has agreed to brief, staggered pauses in its military offensive in Gaza to allow health officials to conduct vaccinations. But ... hours after the first phase of the campaign wrapped up in central Gaza on Wednesday, an Israeli airstrike hit the courtyard of Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, one of the largest in the area, Wafa, the Palestinian Authority's official news agency, reported. Four people were killed, including women and children sheltering in tents around the hospital, Wafa said on Thursday. Video taken by the Reuters news agency showed tents in ruins, their wooden beams flattened, and people's belongings strewed in the hospital's courtyard."

Monica Alba, et al., of NBC News: "The families of American hostages being held by Hamas have pressed the White House to seriously consider cutting a unilateral deal with the terrorist organization to secure their loved ones' release, and the option is currently under discussion within the Biden administration, according to five people familiar with the discussions. In a meeting Sunday with national security adviser Jake Sullivan after Hamas killed six hostages, including American Hersh Goldberg-Polin, the relatives of U.S. citizens still in captivity urged the administration to evaluate options that do not include Israel, the sources said. Administration officials told the families that they would explore 'every option,' but a deal with Hamas that includes Israel is still the best approach, people familiar with the conversation said."

CNN is posting live updates on it cablecast of the courtroom proceedings in the federal election interference case against Donald Trump. ~~~

~~~ New York Times reporters are liveblogging court proceedings in the federal case against Donald Trump for his interference with the 2020 presidential election:

Alan Feuer: "Judge [Tanya] Chutkan notes this hearing has two purposes. One is to arraign Trump on the government's revised indictment. The other is to decide on a schedule for matters moving forward, which she hopes to issue in an order at some point today."

Charlie Savage: "[John] Lauro, the lawyer for Trump, confirms that Trump is entering a plea of not guilty. Chutkan says the arraignment is complete."

Feuer: "[Prosecutor Thomas] Windom explains that the brief the government plans to file will include a 'comprehensive discussion' about facts that are in the indictment as well as 'unpled facts' -- that is, facts that are not mentioned in the indictment. That would be new evidence about the election interference charges against Trump.... Windom says the new evidence, attached to the main brief as exhibits, would most likely include things like excerpted grand jury testimony from witnesses in the case and F.B.I. interviews with witnesses. This sort of evidence would generally not come out except at an evidentiary hearing or a full trial."

Savage: "Lauro and Chutkan are disagreeing about whether the Supreme Court had already decided that Trump's interactions with Vice President Pence were official. Lauro is explaining the issue is whether the presumption of immunity (because the interactions were official) can be overcome under the circumstances. If it is not overcome, the entire indictment is flawed, he argued. (He means, because the grand jury was exposed to information that was subject to immunity when it approved the indictment.)"

Feuer: "Lauro ... gets to the point about why he doesn't want the government to file a detailed brief first: It's because he's concerned about potentially damaging information about Trump getting out in public at this 'sensitive time,' meaning before the election." ~~~

~~~ Savage: "Judge Chutkan says she ... that the timing of the election 'is not relevant here.' She adds: 'That's nothing I'm going to consider,' adding, 'I am definitely not getting drawn into an election dispute.'"

Feuer: "Arguing again for the process to unfold gradually, Lauro says, 'There's something unseemly about a rush to judgment.' Rejecting that idea, Judge Chutkan reminds Trump's lawyer that the case has been stayed for nearly a year." ~~~

~~~ Savage: "Chutkan says everyone knows that whatever her ruling on immunity issues are, it will be appealed -- so there will be no rush to trial."

Feuer: "Lauro makes a little news. He says he's going to put on the public record through his filing some information that is 'exonerative' to Trump. He suggests there are F.B.I. interviews with witnesses and witness testimony that will help Trump.... A bit of tense humor: Lauro, Trump's lawyer, argues that the Supreme Court's ruling is ;crystal clear' and sufficient for Judge Chutkan to dismiss the new indictment as a legal matter. The court's decision was famously full of unclear passages, and Judge Chutkan chuckles to herself at Lauro's comment, slightly rolling her eyes."

Savage: "Judge Chutkan asks how much material would be filed under seal. The prosecutor, Windom, says a lot of it would be filed under seal at first, but then under the year-old protective order, it would be the court that decides what gets unsealed.... Chutkan tells Trump's lawyer, Lauro, she doesn't need any more rhetoric about how serious and grave it all is. Lauro says it's not rhetoric, it's legal argument.... Lauro, the Trump lawyer, says the Supreme Court told [Chutkan] to resolve the Pence issue first and says he is an originalist and believes they wrote what they meant. She responds: 'You may be an originalist, Mr. Lauro, but I'm a trial judge, and I have to follow the instructions of the Supreme Court, and I don't believe that is what I was instructed to do by the Supreme Court.'"

Feuer: "Lauro, bolstering his argument about Jack Smith being improperly appointed, notes that Justice Clarence Thomas questioned Smith's appointment in a concurrence to the immunity decision. He also says that a 'very respected judge' in Florida -- a reference to Judge Aileen Cannon -- tossed out Trump's classified documents case two months ago on those same grounds.... Chutkan notes that she's not really going to buy the claim that Jack Smith was improperly appointed, and she reminds Lauro that the federal appeals court in Washington has already upheld special counsel appointments in a separate case.... Despite her stated reservations, Judge Chutkan says she's going to let Lauro file his motion challenging Jack Smith's appointment."

Savage: "Judge Chutkan says it would be an exercise in futility to set a new trial date because of the immunity issue. However she rules, it will be appealed up to the Supreme Court again."

Feuer: "The hearing has adjourned."

~~~~~~~~~~

Presidential Race

Alex Gangitano of the Hill: "Vice President Harris on Wednesday went off script at a rally in New Hampshire to condemn gun violence following a shooting at a Georgia high school earlier that day.... '... our kids are sitting in a classroom, where they should be fulfilling their God-given potential, and some part of their brain is worried about a shooter busting through the classroom. It does not have to be this way,' she said. 'This is one of the many issues that's at stake in this election,' the vice president added, before moving back on script to talk about her economic plan." (Also linked yesterday) ~~~

~~~ Tami Luhby & Katie Lubosco of CNN: "Vice President Kamala Harris is adding tax relief for small businesses to her economic policy platform aimed at helping middle-class and working Americans. Harris unveiled Wednesday a proposal to massively increase the existing small business tax deduction for startup costs and cut the red tape that impedes small businesses' formation and growth. Her goal: 25 million new small business applications by the end of her first term, up from the record 19 million received under the Biden administration as of mid-August. Harris on Wednesday also proposed raising the capital gains tax rate, though by not as much as President Joe Biden has called for." (Also linked yesterday) A New York Times story is here. ~~~

~~~ Here is the statement by President Joe and Dr. Jill Biden on the shooting at Apalachee High School. (Also linked yesterday) Related links under Wednesday's & Thursday's News Ledes.

Kelly O'Donnell, et al., of NBC News: "Former Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., on Wednesday endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for president, the latest high-profile Republican endorsement for Democrats. Cheney's comments took place during an appearance at Duke University's Sanford School of Public Policy. 'Because of the danger that Donald Trump poses, not only am I not voting for Donald Trump, but I will be voting for Kamala Harris,' Cheney said in a video of remarks posted to X. The former congresswoman said in her remarks that it is 'crucially important' for people to understand that people do not have 'the luxury of writing in candidates' names, particularly in swing states.'" (Also linked yesterday)

Lauren Irwin of the Hill: "Former Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) said he is not courageous for speaking out against former President Trump.... Kinzinger joined 'Jimmy Kimmel Live' Tuesday evening.... [Kinzinger told Kimmel,] 'And that's the thing, is like, people will tell me sometimes, "Adam, you're courageous." And I appreciate it. I'm not courageous, though. I'm surrounded by cowards.'"

Meg Kinnard & Michelle Price of the AP: "Vice President Kamala Harris has accepted the rules set forth for next week's debate with ... Donald Trump, although the Democratic nominee says the decision not to keep both candidates' microphones live throughout the matchup will be to her disadvantage. The development, which came Wednesday by way of a letter from Harris' campaign to host network ABC News, seemed to mark a conclusion to the debate over microphone muting, which had for a time threatened to derail the Sept. 10 presidential debate at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia.... President Joe Biden's campaign had made the muting of microphones, except for the candidate whose turn it is to speak, a condition of his decision to accept any debates this year. Some aides have said they now regret that decision, saying voters were shielded from hearing Trump's outbursts during the June debate."

Michael Gold of the New York Times: "Hours after the Trump and Harris campaigns agreed to rules for their first presidential debate..., Donald J. Trump sought to instill doubt that the debate would be fair, downplayed his need to prepare and suggested he was more worried about the network hosting the debate than his opponent. Speaking at a Fox News town hall on Wednesday night, Mr. Trump insisted that ABC News, which will host next week's debate in Philadelphia, was 'dishonest,' even though he agreed months ago to allow the network to host a presidential debate. Pointing to Vice President Kamala Harris's longtime friendship with a senior executive whose portfolio includes ABC News, Mr. Trump insisted without evidence that Ms. Harris was 'going to get the questions in advance.' The network released agreed-upon rules that no topics or questions would be provided to either candidate or campaign." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Although Trump is downplaying his chances in the debate, it's worth noting that no other modern presidential candidate has had more experience in debating his general-election opponent than Trump, who has run for president* three times. Harris, by contrast, has debated her general-election opponent only once: pence in 2020.

Kate Brumback of the AP: "A federal judge in Atlanta ruled Tuesday that Donald Trump and his campaign must stop using the song 'Hold On, I'm Coming' while the family of one of the song's co-writers pursues a lawsuit against the former president over its use. The estate of Isaac Hayes Jr. filed a lawsuit last month alleging that Trump, his campaign and several of his allies had infringed its copyright and should pay damages. After a hearing on the estate's request for an emergency preliminary injunction, U.S. District Judge Thomas Thrash ruled that Trump must stop using the song, but he denied a request to force the campaign to take down any existing videos that include the song.... A string of artists and their heirs have objected to Trump using their songs during his events."

Adm. Mike Mullen, Ret., former Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, in a Washington Post op-ed: "What was supposed to be a healing moment [last week] -- a simple wreath-laying at the Tomb of the Unknowns -- became a political event when campaign officials and cameramen attended the ceremony and visited Section 60 of the cemetery. Section 60 holds the remains of hundreds of men and women killed in Afghanistan and Iraq. I was sorry to see that happen and never want to see it happen again.... No part of Arlington -- or any veterans' cemetery for that matter -- should ever play host to partisan activity.... To intrude upon that scene -- to visit politics upon it -- is to do much more than violate [the] rules; it is to betray the very nature of Arlington. It is to mock the apolitical nature of our military and to dishonor the sacrifices made by those who rest there."

This Is Rich. Miranda Nazzaro of the Hill: "Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. slammed Vice President Harris's candidacy Tuesday ... while defending his choice to instead endorse former President Trump. 'I don't think that Vice President Harris is a worthy president of this country,' Kennedy told NewsNation host Chris Cuomo. 'I think we need to have a president who can give an interview, who can articulate a vision, who can put together an English sentence, who can articulate her and defend her policies and her record and who can engage in a debate with, and regular debates unscripted appearances, president or vice president.'" MB: Yes, because Donald Trump is so very, very good at articulating stuff in regular English sentences he has put together. (Also linked yesterday)

Lauren Irwin of the Hill: "A judge in Michigan ruled Tuesday that independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. must stay on the state's presidential ballot. Kennedy announced earlier this month he would be withdrawing from the race and threw his support behind former President Trump. He said he was trying to take his name off ballots in swing states where, if he stayed on the ticket, he could draw votes away from the former president. He will remain on blue and red state ballots. Michigan and Wisconsin, key Midwest purple states, rejected Kennedy's attempt to remove his name from the ballot, citing their state laws for a candidate or nominee withdrawing. In North Carolina, the state's board of elections said it was too late for Kennedy to withdraw since ballots had already begun being printed. Kennedy filed a lawsuit in an attempt to remove his name." (Also linked yesterday)

David Nakamura, et al., of the Washington Post: "The Justice Department on Wednesday charged two Russian media executives in an alleged scheme that authorities say illegally funneled millions of dollars to a Tennessee-based company to create and publish propaganda videos that racked up millions of views on U.S. social media." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: The report never acknowledges that the Russian entities charged were producing pro-Trump propaganda. Maybe the Post editors thought this salient factor was too partisan to mention and would be unfa-a-a-a-ir to Trump. Update: Oh, look, WashPo, it can be done! ~~~

     ~~~ Eric Tucker, et al., of the AP: "The Biden administration seized Kremlin-run websites and charged two Russian state media employees in its most sweeping effort yet to push back against what it says are Russian attempts to spread disinformation ahead of the November presidential election. The measures, which in addition to indictments also included sanctions and visa restrictions, represented a U.S. government effort just weeks before the November election to disrupt a persistent threat from Russia that American officials have long warned has the potential to sow discord and create confusion among voters. Washington has said that Moscow, which intelligence officials have said has a preference for Republican Donald Trump, remains the primary threat to elections...." ~~~

     ~~~ Ryan Reilly, et al., of NBC News: "Employees of the Russia-backed media network RT funded and directed a scheme that sent millions of dollars to prominent right-wing commentators through a media company that appears to match the description of Tenet Media, a leading platform for pro-Trump voices, according to an NBC News review of charging documents, business records and social media profiles.... Tenet has emerged in recent years as a home for staunch pro-Trump voices, many of whom have interviewed [Donald] Trump and Trump family members while also supporting conservative causes that mesh with Russia's own interests." ~~~

     ~~~ Marcy Wheeler: "When DOJ announced [Wednesday] it would unseal legal actions against Russian influence operations, the former President's failson [Don Junior] complained, 'Here we go again. LOL'... Some hours later, it became clear that a number of right wing influencers, including Tim Pool, Dave Rubin, and Benny Johnson, were unwittingly on the take from Russia, via Tenet Media, which DOJ alleges in a new indictment is a front company for RT. I consider myself a connoisseur of a well-written indictments. And this, released days after Labor Day and implicating a number of Americans, may be one of my favorites.... Anyway, read the whole thing: It's a tale of right wing grift, sloppy operational security that was nonetheless adequate to satisfy far right grifters, and a far bigger spend on the part of Russia to play in this year's election."

Eric Tucker, et al., of the AP: "A judge will hear arguments Thursday about potential next steps in the federal election subversion prosecution of Donald Trump in the first hearing since the Supreme Court narrowed the case by ruling that former presidents are entitled to broad immunity from criminal charges. Prosecutors and defense lawyers submitted dueling proposals late Friday ahead of the status conference before U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, who is presiding over the case charging Trump with plotting to overturn the results of the 2020 election in the run-up to the Jan. 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol. Trump is not expected to be present."

Lauren del Valle & Paula Reid of CNN: "... Donald Trump will continue to fight to move his New York hush money case into federal court -- and delay his sentencing on that conviction -- by now appealing to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, according to a notice of appeal filed Tuesday night. A federal judge in Manhattan denied his initial request to move the case to the Southern District of New York on Tuesday. Trump's attorneys filed a notice of appeal of that decision soon after." (Also linked yesterday)

Cuff Him. Megan Lebowitz of NBC News: "A spokesperson for [Donald Trump's] 2024 campaign commented this week on reports of a Trump clemency recipient being convicted of a domestic violence-related charge by saying, 'President Trump believes anyone convicted of a crime should spend time behind bars.'... Trump was convicted in May by a Manhattan jury on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records."

Andy Kroll, et al., of ProPublica: "Ginni Thomas, the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, privately heaped praise on a major religious-rights group for fighting efforts to reform the nation's highest court -- efforts sparked, in large part, by her husband's ethical lapses. Thomas expressed her appreciation in an email sent to Kelly Shackelford, an influential litigator whose clients have won cases at the Supreme Court. Shackelford runs the First Liberty Institute, a $25 million-a-year organization that describes itself as 'the largest legal organization in the nation dedicated exclusively to defending religious liberty for all Americans.' Shackelford read Thomas' email aloud on a July 31 private call with his group's top donors.... According to Shackelford, Thomas wrote in all caps: 'YOU GUYS HAVE FILLED THE SAILS OF MANY JUDGES. CAN I JUST TELL YOU, THANK YOU SO, SO, SO MUCH.'" Thanks to RAS for the link. (Also linked yesterday)"

Ruth Marcus of the Washington Post: "Now Ginni Thomas's isn't just lobbying to 'Stop the Steal' -- she's trying to Stop the Reform of her husband's own institution. So much for separate careers. Ginni Thomas's own behavior around the 2020 election, and Clarence Thomas's conduct in accepting, and failing to disclose, thousands of dollars' worth of gifts from wealthy conservatives helped trigger the push for court reform in the first place.... [And First Liberty is] a frequent litigant before the Supreme Court and the lower federal courts.... There's a federal law that requires justices, like all other judges, to recuse themselves in situations in which their impartiality might reasonably be questioned.... How can [Clarence Thomas] justify continuing to sit on cases involving First Liberty now that we know Ginni Thomas's is 'SO, SO, SO' beholden to the group?... There is a persuasive reason the high court does need an enforcement mechanism. Her name is Ginni Thomas."

Perry Stein & Matt Viser of the Washington Post: "Jury selection is set to begin Thursday in Los Angeles for the second criminal trial of President Joe Biden's son Hunter -- a case that over the next few weeks could detail for a jury his lavish lifestyle while he was addicted to drugs.... Hunter Biden is accused of failing to pay at least $1.4 million in federal taxes from 2016 through 2019. Prosecutors also allege that when he filed his taxes, he wrongfully wrote off payments as business expenses -- including payments to sex workers, membership to a sex club and fancy car rentals. The charges include failing to file and pay taxes, tax evasion and filing false tax returns. Three are felonies and six are misdemeanors."

~~~~~~~~~~

Texas Voter Suppression. David Goodman & Edgar Sandoval of the New York Times: "Attorney General Ken Paxton of Texas went to court on Wednesday to try to stop county leaders in San Antonio from sending out more than 200,000 voter registration applications to unregistered residents of Bexar County. The lawsuit by Mr. Paxton followed a letter he sent days earlier warning Bexar County officials, most of whom are Democrats, against proceeding with the mailing. The county's governing commissioners voted 3 to 1 on Tuesday to approve the proposal anyway. Mr. Paxton has also threated to sue Harris County, which includes the Democratic stronghold of Houston, where officials have been weighing a similar effort to expand the number of registered voters ahead of the registration deadline early next month for the November election. The suit is the latest chapter in a yearslong conflict over voting and elections in Texas between Republicans, who dominate state government, and Democrats, who control most of the state's largest urban areas." MB: If I was about to get stuck on a desert island with either Paxton or Trump, I'd pick Trump.

News Ledes

CNBC: "Private sector payrolls grew at the weakest pace in more than 3½ years in August, providing yet another sign of a deteriorating labor market, according to ADP. Companies hired just 99,000 workers for the month, less than the downwardly revised 111,000 in July and below the Dow Jones consensus forecast for 140,000. August was the weakest month for job growth since January 2021, according to data from the payrolls processing firm. 'The job market's downward drift brought us to slower-than-normal hiring after two years of outsized growth,' ADP's chief economist, Nela Richardson, said. The report corroborates multiple data points recently that show hiring has slowed considerably from its blistering pace following the Covid outbreak in early 2020."

The New York Times' live updates of developments in the Georgia school massacre are here, a horrifying ritual which we experience here in the U.S. to kick off each new School Shooting Year. "A 14-year-old student opened fire at his Georgia high school on Wednesday, killing two students and two teachers before surrendering to school resource officers, according to the authorities, who said the suspect would be charged with murder." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I heard Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) speak during a press conference. Kemp is often glorified as one of the most moderate, reasonable GOP elected public officials. When asked a question I did not hear, Kemp responded, "Now is not the time to talk about politics." As you know, this is a statement that is part of the mass shooting ritual. It translates, "Our guns-for-all policy is so untenable that I dare not express it lest I be tarred and feathered -- or worse -- by grieving families." ~~~

~~~ Washington Post: "Police identified the suspect as Colt Gray, a student who attracted the attention of federal investigators more than a year ago, when they began receiving anonymous tips about someone threatening a school shooting. The FBI referred the reports to local authorities, whose investigations led them to interview Gray and his father. The father told police that he had hunting guns in the house, but that his son did not have unsupervised access to them. Gray denied making the online threats, the FBI said, but officials still alerted area schools about him." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I heard on CNN that the reason authorities lost track of Colt was that his family moved counties, and the local authorities who first learned of the threats apparently did not share the information with law enforcement officials in Barrow County, where Wednesday's mass school shooting occurred. If you were a parent of a child who has so alarmed law enforcement that they came around to your house to question you and the child about his plans to massacre people, wouldn't you do something?: talk to him, get the kid professional counseling, remove guns and other lethal weapons from the house, etc.

The Conversation -- September 4, 2024

Kelly O'Donnell, et al., of NBC News: "Former Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., on Wednesday endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for president, the latest high-profile Republican endorsement for Democrats. Cheney's comments took place during an appearance at Duke University's Sanford School of Public Policy. 'Because of the danger that Donald Trump poses, not only am I not voting for Donald Trump, but I will be voting for Kamala Harris,' Cheney said in a video of remarks posted to X. The former congresswoman said in her remarks that it is 'crucially important' for people to understand that people do not have 'the luxury of writing in candidates' names, particularly in swing states.'"

Alex Gangitano of the Hill: "Vice President Harris on Wednesday went off script at a rally in New Hampshire to condemn gun violence following a shooting at a Georgia high school earlier that day.... '... our kids are sitting in a classroom, where they should be fulfilling their God-given potential, and some part of their brain is worried about a shooter busting through the classroom. It does not have to be this way,' she said. 'This is one of the many issues that's at stake in this election,' the vice president added, before moving back on script to talk about her economic plan." ~~~

~~~ Tami Luhby & Katie Lubosco of CNN: "Vice President Kamala Harris is adding tax relief for small businesses to her economic policy platform aimed at helping middle-class and working Americans. Harris unveiled Wednesday a proposal to massively increase the existing small business tax deduction for startup costs and cut the red tape that impedes small businesses' formation and growth. Her goal: 25 million new small business applications by the end of her first term, up from the record 19 million received under the Biden administration as of mid-August. Harris on Wednesday also proposed raising the capital gains tax rate, though by not as much as President Joe Biden has called for." ~~~

~~~ Here is the statement by President Joe and Dr. Jill Biden on the shooting at Apalachee High School.

Andy Kroll, et al., of ProPublica: "Ginni Thomas, the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, privately heaped praise on a major religious-rights group for fighting efforts to reform the nation's highest court -- efforts sparked, in large part, by her husband's ethical lapses. Thomas expressed her appreciation in an email sent to Kelly Shackelford, an influential litigator whose clients have won cases at the Supreme Court. Shackelford runs the First Liberty Institute, a $25 million-a-year organization that describes itself as 'the largest legal organization in the nation dedicated exclusively to defending religious liberty for all Americans.' Shackelford read Thomas' email aloud on a July 31 private call with his group's top donors.... According to Shackelford, Thomas wrote in all caps: 'YOU GUYS HAVE FILLED THE SAILS OF MANY JUDGES. CAN I JUST TELL YOU, THANK YOU SO, SO, SO MUCH.'" Thanks to RAS for the link.

Lauren del Valle & Paula Reid of CNN: "... Donald Trump will continue to fight to move his New York hush money case into federal court -- and delay his sentencing on that conviction -- by now appealing to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, according to a notice of appeal filed Tuesday night. A federal judge in Manhattan denied his initial request to move the case to the Southern District of New York on Tuesday. Trump's attorneys filed a notice of appeal of that decision soon after."

Lauren Irwin of the Hill: "A judge in Michigan ruled Tuesday that independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. must stay on the state's presidential ballot. Kennedy announced earlier this month he would be withdrawing from the race and threw his support behind former President Trump. He said he was trying to take his name off ballots in swing states where, if he stayed on the ticket, he could draw votes away from the former president. He will remain on blue and red state ballots. Michigan and Wisconsin, key Midwest purple states, rejected Kennedy's attempt to remove his name from the ballot, citing their state laws for a candidate or nominee withdrawing. In North Carolina, the state's board of elections said it was too late for Kennedy to withdraw since ballots had already begun being printed. Kennedy filed a lawsuit in an attempt to remove his name.

This Is Rich. Miranda Nazzaro of the Hill: "Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. slammed Vice President Harris's candidacy Tuesday ... while defending his choice to instead endorse former President Trump. 'I don't think that Vice President Harris is a worthy president of this country,' Kennedy told NewsNation host Chris Cuomo. 'I think we need to have a president who can give an interview, who can articulate a vision, who can put together an English sentence, who can articulate her and defend her policies and her record and who can engage in a debate with, and regular debates unscripted appearances, president or vice president.'" MB: Yes, because Donald Trump is so very, very good at articulating stuff in regular English sentences he has put together.

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Presidential Race

Jessica Piper of Politico: "Kamala Harris' campaign and the Democratic National Committee said Tuesday they are sending nearly $25 million to support down-ballot Democrats -- an earlier investment and far more money than the top of the ticket has sent in past election years. The funding in part reflects the Harris operation's ability to spread money around after record fundraising over the past six weeks. But it is also a recognition of the importance of this year's down-ballot races -- which overlap with many of the swaths of the country that could decide the presidential election, and whose outcomes will substantially affect how Harris, or ... Donald Trump, will be able to govern next year." (Also linked yesterday.)

Ted Scouten of CBS News: "The Kamala Harris campaign is bringing the 'Fighting for Reproductive Freedom' nationwide bus tour to Donald Trump's doorstep, driving by Mar-a-Lago.... The tour kicked off this morning in Boynton Beach and while Vice President Harris was not there, her surrogates were.... 'What better place to kick off the Harris-Walz Reproductive Freedom Bus Tour than in Donald Trump's backyard,' Democratic Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman [Schultz] asked the cheering crowd.... From here the bus tour goes up to Jacksonville, then it will tour about 50 cities in the US, leading up to Election Day. "

Tim Balk of the New York Times: "Jimmy McCain, a son of the Vietnam War P.O.W. and longtime Republican senator John McCain, said Tuesday that the campaign of ... Donald J. Trump had committed a 'violation of a sacred place' when it clashed with an official at Arlington National Cemetery. Mr. McCain, a first lieutenant in the Arizona National Guard, told The New York Times that he was 'very shocked' by the confrontation at the cemetery last week, saying it could be an 'extremely triggering' event for the families of service members buried there.... Mr. McCain, who also criticized the Trump campaign&'s actions in an interview with CNN published earlier Tuesday, told The Times that he planned to vote for Vice President Kamala Harris. He also said that he joined the Democratic Party about a month ago, after returning from a period of service in Jordan."

Nothing to See Here, Folks. Michael Gold & Chris Cameron of the New York Times: "... Donald J. Trump insisted in a radio interview on Tuesday that 'there was no conflict' between members of his campaign team and an official at Arlington National Cemetery, contradicting his campaign's previous statements about the episode last week and Army officials' account. 'If you look at just the records, there was no conflict, there was no fight, there was no anything,' Mr. Trump said on Sean Hannity's radio show, Hours earlier, Mr. Trump on his social media site claimed 'there was no conflict or "fighting"' at the cemetery, calling the story, without evidence, 'made up' by the White House. It was the latest effort by the Trump campaign to defend itself after a physical altercation between a Trump aide and a cemetery official that was set off by the campaign's defying of a ban on political campaigning at the cemetery in Virginia during Mr. Trump's visit last week."

Daniel Dale of CNN: "Trump's lying is most exceptional in its relentlessness, a never-ending avalanche of wrongness that can bury even the most devoted fact-checkers. But it's also notable for its repetitiveness. He has found his hits, and he'll keep playing them no matter how many times they are debunked. As Trump enters the post-Labor Day sprint of his 2024 campaign for the presidency, his commentary is filled with many of the same false claims he made as president from 2017 to 2021. He's even repeating some of the false claims he used during his 2016 presidential campaign." Dale highlights some of the oft-repeated chestnuts. (Also linked yesterday.)

Huh. Looks like digby figured out why Trump (and JayDee) sat out the traditional Labor Day campaign season kickoff. Thanks to RAS for the link. (Also linked yesterday.)

Carol Leonnig & Aaron Davis of the Washington Post: "Democratic leaders on the House Oversight Committee released a letter Tuesday asking former president Donald Trump if he ever illegally received money from the government of Egypt, and whether money from Cairo played a role in a $10 million infusion into his 2016 run for president. Rep. Jamie Raskin (Md.), the ranking Democrat on the committee, and Rep. Robert Garcia (Calif.), the top Democrat on its subcommittee for national security, the border and foreign affairs, wrote to Trump that they were making the request as a result of a Washington Post article published last month. The article revealed details of a secret Justice Department investigation during Trump's presidency into whether he took an illegal campaign contribution from Egypt." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Hello, Senate Democrats. Are you there? With your, you know, subpoena power? If Hillary Clinton could sit down for an hours-long grilling by House Republicans during a presidential campaign, surely Trumpty-Dumpty can sit before a Senate committee long enough to take the Fifth.

Marilyn Thompson of ProPublica: "Judge Aileen M. Cannon has shown bias in handling criminal charges against ... Donald Trump and should be reversed and removed from the case to 'preserve the appearance of justice,' a public interest group argued in a legal filing on Tuesday. The brief filed by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington and joined by a retired federal judge and two constitutional lawyers is a direct legal assault on Cannon's decision to throw out special counsel Jack Smith's prosecution of Trump for alleged mishandling of classified documents."

Bad News for Felonious Trump. Jesse McKinley of the New York Times: "A federal judge in Manhattan denied an effort by Donald J. Trump to move his already adjudicated state criminal case to the federal courts on Tuesday, rejecting his claims of bias against him as well as his claims of presidential immunity. In late May, a jury convicted the former president on 34 felony counts of falsifying records to cover up hush-money payments to a porn star ... who had threatened to go public with her account of an affair. A state judge, Juan M. Merchan, has scheduled his sentencing for Sept. 18, though Mr. Trump has asked him to delay it until after the presidential election. In a four-page decision on Monday, Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein of Federal Court in Manhattan said he could not evaluate Mr. Trump's claims of bias, saying those were issues for the state courts. But he said that Mr. Trump's claims of immunity for official acts -- based on a recent Supreme Court decision affirming such protection -- were irrelevant in this case. He noted that 'hush-money payments were private, unofficial acts, outside the bounds of executive authority.'" (Also linked yesterday.) The AP's report is here.

Bad News for Shady Businessman Trump. Rebecca Piccioto of CNBC: "The share price of Trump Media, whose majority shareholder is ... Donald Trump, fell Tuesday to the lowest level since the company began public trading in March following a merger. DJT shares dropped to $17.72 per share Tuesday afternoon before recovering somewhat to end the day at $18.08. The stock's prior low was set on Aug. 28, when it hit $19.38 per share. The stock price is down roughly 77% from its high of $79.38 per share on March 26, following Trump Media's merger with a publicly traded special purpose acquisition company.... [HOWEVER,] Trump;s stake was worth over $2 billion as of Tuesday." MB: IOW, this is another of numerous Trump ventures in which he makes money -- a lot of it in this case -- while other investors lose big-time.

What? Javanka involved in corrupt land deals in former Soviet satellite country?? Nevah! ~~~

~~~ Eric Lipton & Vladimir Karaj of the New York Times: "Two luxury real-estate projects in Albania proposed by the son-in-law of ... Donald J. Trump are stirring up lingering tensions in that country, with the Trump family facing accusations that land it hopes to develop has been improperly set aside for them. The disputes relate to $1 billion worth of investments that Ivanka Trump ... and ... Jared Kushner are pursuing in Albania along the Mediterranean coast of this Southern European nation on land once controlled by a Communist government. Mr. Kushner announced plans to build an opulent hotel and beach villa complex on a stretch of the mainland where an Albanian family has farmed for generations. The family says part of this property was corruptly seized from them after the end of Communist rule in 1991.... At the second site -- a small, strategically located island called Sazan where the Soviet Union sent military supplies during the Cold War -- Mr. Kushner is working with top government officials in Albania to secure exclusive development rights." ~~~

~~~ Speaking of corrupt deals in which Jared & Ivanka were involved ~~~

~~~ Michael Schmidt & Maggie Haberman of the New York Times: "A man whose life sentence in federal prison was commuted in 2021 by ... Donald J. Trump was convicted this spring of a misdemeanor charge of assaulting his wife, the latest example of a Trump clemency beneficiary getting in legal trouble again.... Jaime A. Davidson was sentenced in Florida to three months behind bars in the domestic violence case. Given the conviction, he could face additional time in federal prison if he is found to have violated the terms of his supervised release after Mr. Trump's decision, in the final hours of his presidency, to commute Mr. Davidson's earlier life sentence.... Last month, a convicted New York drug dealer named Jonathan Braun [-- to whom Mr. Trump granted clemency --] was arrested on charges of assaulting his wife on at least two occasions and punching his 75-year-old father-in-law in the head.... Several additional recipients of Mr. Trump's clemency grants have found themselves facing legal trouble since he left office.... Mr. Trump is trying to portray Vice President Kamala Harris as being soft on crime. Jared Kushner was heavily involved in the process.... Ivanka Trump, who like Mr. Kushner worked in the administration, pushed for a number of clemency grants in the final days."

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Montana Senate Race. Kellen Browning of the New York Times: "Tim Sheehy, the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in Montana, made comments perpetuating racist stereotypes about Native Americans during private fund-raisers last year, according to recordings of the events published by a local news outlet late last week and obtained by The New York Times. In one recording, Mr. Sheehy, a cattle rancher and businessman, can be heard saying that he had participated in roping and branding cattle on the Crow Reservation, in southeastern Montana, and that it was 'a great way to bond with all the Indians out there, while they're drunk at 8 a.m.' In another clip, he said that he had ridden in a Crow parade, and that 'they'll let you know whether they like you or not, there's Coors Light cans flying by your head.'... Calvin Lime, who lives on the Blackfeet reservation in northern Montana, said the remarks were a 'slap in the face,' and especially unfortunate because the Crow Tribe was one of the most outspokenly pro-Trump tribes."

New York. Hurubie Meko & William Rashbaum of the New York Times: A federal indictment asserts that "Linda Sun..., [an aide to] both Gov. Kathy Hochul and Gov. Andrew Cuomo..., us[ed] her position to benefit the Chinese government.... Ms. Sun, 40, was charged on Tuesday with 10 criminal counts that included visa fraud, money laundering and other crimes. Her husband, Chris Hu, 41, a businessman, is charged in the indictment with money laundering. Both pleaded not guilty in federal court, were released on bond and were required to surrender their passports."

North Carolina Gubernatorial Race. Jeffrey Billman & Joe Killian of the Assembly: "... according to Louis Money, who worked in several of Greensboro;s windowless, 24-hour video-pornography stores, [Lt. Gov. Mark] Robinson [-- the Republican candidate for governor --] was a frequent customer in the 1990s and early 2000s. Money, 52, told The Assembly that Robinson came in as often as five nights a week to watch porn videos in a private booth.Five other men who said they were former employees or customers during this period also told The Assembly that Robinson visited two of these stores.... In addition, Money said Robinson purchased 'hundreds' of bootleg porn videos that Money sold on the side.... Robinson's commentary often targets those who don't ascribe to his conservative interpretation of Christianity or share his views on sexuality and gender issues." Robinson denied the allegations and called Money and the Assembly "degenerates." Money posted an undated photo of himself with Robinson, which is included with the article. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I am not familiar with the Assembly -- a newish online news outlet -- but a number of reputable reporters and outlets have accepted its reporting here.

Oklahoma. Abbie VanSickle of the New York Times: "The Supreme Court on Tuesday turned down a request from Oklahoma to restore millions in federal family-planning grants that the Biden administration withheld after the state announced that it would no longer provide access to abortion counseling services. Oklahoma had sought emergency relief after a divided three-judge panel of an appeals court in July temporarily paused the funding as a lower-court dispute played out over whether state officials could refuse to refer pregnant women to counseling services that presented abortion as an option. The court's brief, unsigned order gave no reasons, as is common when it acts on emergency applications. Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel A. Alito Jr. and Neil M. Gorsuch dissented, saying they would have reinstated the grants."

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Iraq, et al. Eric Schmitt of the New York Times: "American and Iraqi commandos raided Islamic State hide-outs in western Iraq last week, killing at least 14 ISIS fighters in one of the most sweeping counterterrorism missions in the country in recent years. Seven U.S. soldiers were injured as more than 200 troops from both countries, including backup forces, hunted down fighters in bunkers over miles of remote terrain, U.S. and Iraqi officials said, adding that the size, scope and focus of the mission underscored the terrorist organization's resurgence in recent months. A senior insurgent commander overseeing Islamic State operations in the Middle East and Europe was the main target, they said." (Also linked yesterday.)

Israel/Palestine, et al. The New York Times' live updates of developments Tuesday in the Israel/Hamas war are here. (Also linked yesterday.)

Adam Goldman, et al., of the New York Times: "Federal prosecutors charged Yahya Sinwar, the leader of Hamas, and five senior members of the group with planning and carrying out years of terrorist attacks in Israel, including the Oct. 7 massacre, according to a sweeping complaint unsealed on Tuesday. The criminal complaint, originally filed in New York in February, implicated two other senior members of Hamas not previously thought to be directly involved in the attacks. It also listed the number of Americans believed to have died at 43." The AP's report is here.

Ukraine/Russia, et al.

The New York Times' live updates of developments Wednesday in the Ukraine/Russia war are here.

The New York Times' live updates of developments Tuesday in the Ukraine/Russia war are here. (Also linked yesterday.)

Siobhan O'Grady of the Washington Post: "Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has submitted his resignation, the country's parliamentary speaker announced Wednesday, marking the latest major change in Kyiv's leadership amid a larger government shake-up. Kuleba, who has served as foreign minister since 2020, has been a key voice in Ukraine's drive to receive foreign weapons from allies and to push partners to loosen restrictions on how those weapons are used."

Siobhan O'Grady & Jennifer Hassan of the Washington Post: "More than 40 people were killed and hundreds injured in a Russian missile strike on the central Ukrainian city of Poltava on Tuesday, President Volodymyr Zelensky said, making it one of the deadliest single attacks of the war. Two ballistic missiles struck the area, targeting an educational institution and a nearby hospital, Zelensky said, adding that many people were trapped under the rubble. As members of the House minority, Raskin and Garcia do not have the power to subpoena documents or witnesses, and Trump is under no obligation to respond to their inquiries." MB: A marshal from the International Criminal Court should pop over to Mongolia & arrest Putin for war crimes. (Also linked yesterday.)