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.)

The Conversation -- September 3, 2024

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."

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.'"

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 h'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.

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."

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." ~~~

     ~~~ 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.

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: More evidence that a marshal from the International Criminal Court should pop over to Mongolia & arrest Putin for war crimes.

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

The New York Times' live updates of developments Tuesday in the Israel/Hamas war are here.

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.

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Presidential Race

Jonathan Weisman & Nicholas Nehamas of the New York Times: "President Biden gave a demonstration on Monday that the Democratic Party now belongs to Vice President Kamala Harris, stepping to the microphone at a campaign event in Pittsburgh to introduce his No. 2 rather than taking the speaking slot of honor for himself.... All told, Ms. Harris and [Minnesota Gov. Tim] Walz managed to visit each of the so-called blue wall states of Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.... Still, the events were far smaller than the rallies Ms. Harris has held in recent weeks that have filled up basketball arenas with thousands of supporters.... In Detroit, Michigan's Democratic luminaries -- Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Senator Debbie Stabenow, and hopefuls like Representative Elissa Slotkin, who is running for Ms. Stabenow's Senate seat -- shared the stage with ... [prominent union leaders]. In Pittsburgh, Ms. Harris was joined by Gov. Josh Shapiro and Senator Bob Casey..., as well as ... [union leaders]. In Milwaukee, Mr. Walz appeared alongside Gov. Tony Evers and Senator Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin. All three Democratic governors of the blue wall states are popular with voters and are expected to play key roles in whipping up enthusiasm for Ms. Harris." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: The Washington Post story did not knock Harris & Biden, as the New York Times reporters did right from the get-go. Cleve Wootson & others wrote, instead, "Neither Trump nor his running mate, Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, had any advertised events on Labor Day -- something the Harris campaign sought to draw attention to." The Times is getting a bit obvious in its Trump-boosting: knocking Harris & cleaning up for (or simply not mentioning) Trump's gaffes, outrageous remarks, unpopular policies and anti-democratic activities. The Post has published plenty of both-sides reports, but lately they're not bending over backwards, as the Times is, to normalize Trump & disparage his opponent. ~~~

     ~~~ The NBC News report is here. ~~~

~~~ Sara Powers of CBS News Detroit: "Vice President Kamala Harris is visiting Detroit on Labor Day to speak with labor union leaders and workers, her campaign announced. During the event, Harris touted her record of putting workers first and showed her support for union members throughout her speech." MB: Labor Day is traditionally the day general elections kick off. So Powers notes that Tim Walz would appear in Milwaukee for Labor Day, and Doug Emhoff would attend an event in Newport News, Virginia. Donald Trump? Too tired. Taking the day off at Mar-a-Lardo. (Also linked yesterday.)

Caitlin Yilek of CBS News: "Vans carrying members of the press that were part of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz's motorcade were involved in a crash on Monday afternoon. Journalists traveling with the vice presidential nominee said the crash happened shortly before 1 p.m. on Interstate 794. Walz was on his way to an event celebrating Labor Day in Milwaukee. A staff member in one of the press vans appeared to have a broken arm and was being treated by medics, according to the journalists, who said they were violently thrown forward as one van slammed into another in front of it and then was hit from behind. Walz's vehicle was not involved in the crash, according to the campaign. Walz later said there were a 'few minor injuries,' but everybody's going to be OK.'"

Daniel Hampton of the Raw Story: "A top volunteer for Donald Trump's campaign in Massachusetts lost his position after he emailed fellow volunteers and said neighboring New Hampshire was 'no longer a battleground state' and encouraged supporters to instead direct their efforts on winning Pennsylvania. Tom Mountain wrote in the email, obtained by The Boston Globe, that Trump was 'sure to lose by an even higher margin' this year in New Hampshire than he did in 2016 and 2020. Mountain cited 'campaign data/research,' according to the Globe. Republicans in the region scrambled to push back against Mountain's comments and emphasize his comments were the opinion of a volunteer and not the party's official strategy." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: This reminds me of a New York Times story that ran Saturday. Reid Epstein devoted a whole front-page piece to asking, "How can it be that a campaign that by all metrics is better off than it was in late June is now pushing a narrative that things are worse than they were when Mr. Biden was in the race?... As soon as Mr. Biden dropped out and Democratic fortunes indisputably began to rise, Ms. Harris began trying to temper expectations." As even Epstein admits (in Graf 6), winning campaigns are always concerned about conveying overconfidence (thus suppressing voter turnout). Losing campaign, like Trump's in New England, will even fire top campaign workers if they don't pretend they are winning or are at least within sight of winning. I don't understand why the Times would feature a story about an almost universally common practice to highlight "evidence" that Harris is disingenuous or even dishonest with voters. Meanwhile, the story includes not a word about Trump's claiming he can win (or did win in 2016 or 2020) in blue states like New York and California if only the "illegals" didn't vote multiple times.

⭐ BUT THEN There's This. The New York Times editorial page takes a trip down Memory Lane to remind us of the chaos, bad acts, lies and stupid stuff of Trump's presidency*: "For Americans who may have forgotten that time, or pushed it from memory, we offer this timeline of his presidency. Mr. Trump;s first term was a warning about what he will do with the power of his office -- unless American voters reject him.:

Marcy Wheeler highlights "the soft bigotry of no expectations" for Trump that is evident in a Washington Post editorial Patrick noticed Sunday. MB: Wheeler focuses on the same thing that bugged me. She writes, "... even though WaPo can identify more policy proposals from Kamala than Trump, it nevertheless holds her accountable for providing more.... Trump has been running for 21 months; his campaign is more than 90% over. The Vice President has been running 43 days; her campaign still has almost 60% to go. And yet they're putting demands on the woman in the race, making no such demand on the white male former President. The press has gone 21 months without throwing this kind of tantrum with Donald Trump. Given that, this column says more about the failures of journalists to hold Trump accountable than it does any shortcoming on Kamala's part." (Also linked yesterday.)

Eleanor Tarrett of Fox Business: "'The "Justice For All Gala" event [-- a fundraiser for January 6 insurrectionists --] scheduled at Trump National Bedminster for September 5th has been postponed due to scheduling conflicts of invited guest speakers,' event organizer L.J. Fino said in a statement to Fox Business." The event will take place at an unspecified day after the November election. MB: Donald Trump was expected to attend the event, according to the report, so its likely he is one of those "invited guest speakers" who had "scheduling conflicts." Perhaps his campaign staff convinced him that shilling for criminals was not a good look for a general election candidate for president*. (Also linked yesterday.)

Robert Tait of the Guardian: "Donald Trump has drawn ridicule and accusations of hypocrisy after accusing Kamala Harris of mistreating Mike Pence.... 'In a stunning senile moment, Donald Trump just suggested it was Kamala Harris who treated Mike Pence poorly,' the campaign posted on X, linking to video footage of Trump's comments. 'Donald Trump clearly cannot remember anything...'." Related story linked yesterday. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Tait covers a few other recent, related news items. One of them is this: "Speaking to CNN last week..., Harris ... confirmed to interviewer Dana Bash that she and and the former president have never met." There's a reason for that: Donald Trump didn't show up at the Biden-Harris inauguration because "peaceful transfer of power," as we know, was the furthest thing from his twisted mind on January 20, 2021. (For one thing, he was busy stuffing his shorts with classified documents.)

Before Heritage & Trump Alums Wrote Project 2025 ... Lisa Lerer of the New York Times: "Years before he became the Republican vice-presidential nominee, JD Vance endorsed a little-noticed 2017 report by the Heritage Foundation that proposed a sweeping conservative agenda to restrict sexual and reproductive freedoms and remake American families. In a series of 29 separate essays, conservative commentators, policy experts, community leaders and Christian clergy members opposed the spread of in vitro fertilization and other fertility treatments, describing those treatments as harmful to women. They praised the rapidly expanding number of state laws restricting abortion rights and access, saying that the procedure should become 'unthinkable' in America. And they cited hunger as a 'great motivation' for Americans to find work. Mr. Vance ... wrote the introduction and praised the volume as 'admirable,' and was the keynote speaker at the public release of the report...."

Ariana Baio of the Independent: "Elon Musk has used his large platform on X to promote a theory that a free-thinking 'Republic' could only exist under the decision-making of 'high status males' -- and women or 'low T men' would not be welcome in it. On Sunday, Musk re-posted a screenshot of the theory -- which appears to have been conceived on 4chan in 2021-- on the social media site. The theory, written by an anonymous user, suggests that the only people able to think freely are 'high [testostrone] alpha males' and 'aneurotypical people', and that these 'high status males' should run a 'Republic' that is 'only for those who are free to think.... People who can't defend themselves physically (women and low T men) parse information through a consensus filter as a safety mechanism,' the post reads.... Theories like this ... are popular in alt-right communities."

Jamie Frevele of Mediaite reviews a review of "The Apprentice," a film about young Trump ... or young Frankenstein, as the Entertainment Weekly reviewer would have it.

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Maryland Senate Race. Liz Goodwin of the Washington Post: "Former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan is running a new ad describing himself as one of the few Republicans who 'never caved' to Donald Trump and touting his record sending National Guard troops to the Capitol during the Jan. 6, 2021 attack. Scenes of the rioting that day have littered ads for Democratic candidates over the years, but Hogan is likely the only Republican in the country to feature them as he seeks to distinguish himself from the former president in a deep blue state. The ad is part of an almost $8 million blitz Hogan has reserved for the fall as he battles Angela Alsobrooks, who so far has reserved less than $1 million in ads, according to data from AdImpact."

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Brazil. Jack Nicas of the New York Times: "A panel of Brazilian Supreme Court justices voted on Monday to uphold a decision by one justice last week to block the social network X across the country because its owner, Elon Musk, refused to comply with court orders to suspend certain accounts. The five-justice panel voted unanimously to back the order, issuing strongly worded opinions saying that the blackout of X complied with Brazilian law and that it was necessary to enforce the nation's rules against a foreign company that was flouting them." (Also linked yesterday.) The AP report is here.

Israel/Palestine, et al.

Steve Hendrix & Shira Rubin of the Washington Post: "Thousands of Israelis over two days staged the largest anti-government demonstration since Oct. 7, taking to the streets and joining a general strike Monday that brought much of the country to a halt as the last of six hostages recovered from Gaza over the weekend was laid to rest. The killings of Israeli American Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 23, and five other hostages sent shock waves throughout Israel, igniting fury among hostage families and their hundreds of thousands of supporters who have for months accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of torpedoing a deal in favor of his political interests."

Patrick Kingsley, et al., of the New York Times: "Brushing aside pleas from allies and the demands of Israeli protesters for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza in exchange for the release of hostages, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel on Monday vowed to maintain Israeli control along the border between Egypt and Gaza, a contentious plan that appeared to dim, if not dash, prospects for a truce. In his first news conference since the bodies of six slain hostages were recovered over the weekend, Mr. Netanyahu told reporters on Monday night that, to ensure its security, Israel needed to assert control over the Gazan side of the border with Egypt, known as the Philadelphi Corridor, calling it the lifeline of Hamas." (Also linked yesterday.) The AP's story is here.

Natasha Korecki & Monica Alba of NBC News: "President Joe Biden on Monday said he did not think Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had done enough to secure a hostage deal between Israel and Hamas, a comment that comes amid massive protests in Israel.... Reporters asked Biden if he thought Netanyahu had done enough to secure an agreement, and the president answered: 'No.' The Biden administration has repeatedly accused Hamas of holding up a deal, but recently U.S. and foreign officials have said conditions introduced by Netanyahu also disrupted efforts." (Also linked yesterday.)

Russia/Mongolia. Putin Flouts Arrest Warrant. Valerie Hopkins & David Pierson of the New York Times: "President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia arrived in Mongolia late Monday night for his first state visit to a member of the International Criminal Court since it issued a warrant for his arrest in March 2023.... In advance of Mr. Putin's trip, the I.C.C. stated that Mongolia was obligated to arrest Mr. Putin, but Mongolia is heavily dependent on Russia for fuel, and an arrest was considered extremely unlikely. The Kremlin has shrugged off the possibility." An AP report is here.

Venezuela

Edward Wong of the New York Times: "The U.S. government has seized an airplane linked to Nicolás Maduro, the leader of Venezuela, and brought it to Florida on Monday because it was bought in violation of U.S. sanctions, according to a Justice Department statement. The Biden administration is trying to put more pressure on Mr. Maduro because of his attempts to undermine the results of the recent presidential election in his country, White House officials said. The Justice Department said in its statement that it had seized a Dassault Falcon 900EX owned and operated by Mr. Maduro and his partners after it had been brought to the Dominican Republic for maintenance work. The department then had the plane flown to Florida. The plane had been purchased in the United States for $13 million through a shell company and 'smuggled' out of the country 'for use by Nicolás Maduro and his cronies,' Merrick B. Garland, the U.S. attorney general, said in the statement." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Oh, Merrick, I can think of another old tinpot dictator who undermined the results of a presidential election, tried to retain power by force, owes New York State a pile of money, AND owns a airplane. You might want to seize Trump Farce One.

Tinpot Dictator Arrests Foe Who Won Election. Samantha Schmidt of the Washington Post: "A Venezuelan judge has ordered the arrest of opposition candidate Edmundo González, who the United States and other countries say clearly beat the country's authoritarian president, Nicolás Maduro, in the July 28 presidential election. The country's attorney general filed an arrest warrant Monday against González, a 75-year-old former diplomat, as part of an investigation into the opposition's publication of vote tally sheets showing their candidate won more than twice as many votes as Maduro. The opposition published the receipts from more than 23,000 voting machines days after Venezuela's electoral council claimed a victory by Maduro. Several independent reviews of the data, including by The Washington Post, suggest Maduro likely lost the election by a landslide." The AP report is here.

The Conversation -- September 2, 2024

Patrick Kingsley, et al., of the New York Times: "Brushing aside pleas from allies and the demands of Israeli protesters for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza in exchange for the release of hostages, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel on Monday vowed to maintain Israeli control along the border between Egypt and Gaza, a contentious plan that appeared to dim, if not dash, prospects for a truce. In his first news conference since the bodies of six slain hostages were recovered over the weekend, Mr. Netanyahu told reporters on Monday night that, to ensure its security, Israel needed to assert control over the Gazan side of the border with Egypt, known as the Philadelphi Corridor, calling it the lifeline of Hamas."

Robert Tait of the Guardian: "Donald Trump has drawn ridicule and accusations of hypocrisy after accusing Kamala Harris of mistreating Mike Pence.... 'In a stunning senile moment, Donald Trump just suggested it was Kamala Harris who treated Mike Pence poorly,' the campaign posted on X, linking to video footage of Trump's comments. 'Donald Trump clearly cannot remember anything...'." Related story linked below. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Tait covers a few other recent, related news items. One of them is this: "Speaking to CNN last week..., Harris ... confirmed to interviewer Dana Bash that she and and the former president have never met." There's a reason for that: Donald Trump didn't show up at the Biden-Harris inauguration because "peaceful transfer of power," as we know, was the furthest thing from his twisted mind on January 20, 2021. (For one thing, he was busy stuffing his shorts with classified documents.)

Sara Powers of CBS News Detroit: "Vice President Kamala Harris is visiting Detroit on Labor Day to speak with labor union leaders and workers, her campaign announced. During the event, Harris touted her record of putting workers first and showed her support for union members throughout her speech." MB: Labor Day is traditionally the day general elections kick off. So Powers notes that Tim Walz would appear in Milwaukee for Labor Day, and Doug Emhoff would attend an event in Newport News, Virginia. Donald Trump? Too tired. Taking the day off at Mar-a-Lardo.

Natasha Korecki & Monica Alba of NBC News: "President Joe Biden on Monday said he did not think Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had done enough to secure a hostage deal between Israel and Hamas, a comment that comes amid massive protests in Israel.... Reporters asked Biden if he thought Netanyahu had done enough to secure an agreement, and the president answered: 'No.' The Biden administration has repeatedly accused Hamas of holding up a deal, but recently U.S. and foreign officials have said conditions introduced by Netanyahu also disrupted efforts."

Jack Nicas of the New York Times: "A panel of Brazilian Supreme Court justices voted on Monday to uphold a decision by one justice last week to block the social network X across the country because its owner, Elon Musk, refused to comply with court orders to suspend certain accounts. The five-justice panel voted unanimously to back the order, issuing strongly worded opinions saying that the blackout of X complied with Brazilian law and that it was necessary to enforce the nation's rules against a foreign company that was flouting them."

Eleanor Tarrett of Fox Business: "'The "Justice For All Gala" event [-- a fundraiser for January 6 insurrectionists --] scheduled at Trump National Bedminster for September 5th has been postponed due to scheduling conflicts of invited guest speakers,' event organizer L.J. Fino said in a statement to Fox Business." The event will take place at an unspecified day after the November election. MB: Donald Trump was expected to attend the event, according to the report, so its likely he is one of those "invited guest speakers" who had "scheduling conflicts." Perhaps his campaign staff convinced him that shilling for criminals was not a good look for a general election candidate for president*.

Marcy Wheeler highlights "the soft bigotry of no expectations" for Trump that is evident in a Washington Post editorial Patrick noticed yesterday. MB: Wheeler focuses on the same thing that bugged me. She writes, "... even though WaPo can identify more policy proposals from Kamala than Trump, it nevertheless holds her accountable for providing more.... Trump has been running for 21 months; his campaign is more than 90% over. The Vice President has been running 43 days; her campaign still has almost 60% to go. And yet they're putting demands on the woman in the race, making no such demand on the white male former President. The press has gone 21 months without throwing this kind of tantrum with Donald Trump. Given that, this column says more about the failures of journalists to hold Trump accountable than it does any shortcoming on Kamala's part."

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Labor Day Strike. Lauren Gurley & Julian Mark of the Washington Post: "Thousands of hotel workers in major cities across the country walked off the job Sunday morning in a strike wave expected to quickly reach other U.S. cities. The initial strikes, which involve mostly Hilton, Marriott and Hyatt properties, will last three days. More than 10,000 workers walked out at hotels in San Francisco, San Jose, San Diego, Honolulu, Kauai, Boston, Seattle and Greenwich, Conn., early in the day.... The union, [United Here,] which suffered major losses in membership during the height of the pandemic, says its workers are striking for higher pay, increased staffing and reduced workloads." The AP's story is here.

Presidential Race

Kellen Browning & Talya Minsberg of the New York Times: "On Sunday, [Minneosta Gov. Tim] Walz was back ... [at] the Minnesota State Fair. He chomped on a pork chop on a stick. He admired the dairy princess butter carvings. He handed out ice cream at the Dairy Goodness Bar counter and waved at the crowd, which was eager for a glimpse -- or a selfie -- with the governor, who, for once, got to eschew the formal suit and tie for his more comfortable T-shirt and Carhartt pants. It could have been just another one of Mr. Walz's many state fair appearances over the years, where he has burnished his profile as an approachable Midwestern dad by wearing socks with a corn-dog pattern and riding the Slingshot, a nausea-inducing ride, with his daughter, Hope Walz. Except for the presence of the Secret Service. And the motorcade that whisked him to and from the fair. And the officers stationed on the roof of the dairy building for an aerial view of the crowd, which was clamoring to see the man who has a chance this November to complete a meteoric rise from little-known Midwestern governor to vice president." ~~~

David Gilmour of Mediaite: "... Donald Trump blasted Vice President Kamala Harris as 'nasty' and accused her of treating his former vice president, Mike Pence, 'horribly.' Trump made the remarks to host Mark Levin during a Sunday Fox News interview ... and took aim at Harris's conduct during the 2020 vice presidential debate. He specifically pointed to the moment when Harris firmly told Pence, 'Mr. Vice President, I'm speaking. I'm speaking,' after he interrupted her -- a line that resonated widely at the time." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I'm trying to put myself in mike pence's shoes and decide what I would rate as more "horrible": (a) someone calling me out for interrupting her, or (b) my boss targeting me for assassination by hanging. Ah, it's a close call. ~~~

~~~ Phillip Nieto of Mediaite: "Donald Trump claimed God believes he will 'straighten out' the United States following the assassination attempt against him. During an interview..., host Mark Levin asked Trump if he has become more committed to God after the failed assassination attempt against his life.... Trump responded to Levin by saying he believes God wants him back in the White House, adding that the 'country is just broken.'" MB: It does kinda sound as if Trump figures God needs Trump more than Trump needs God.

Gabe Guitierrez of NBC News: "President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were not invited to Arlington National Cemetery by Gold Star families last week to commemorate the third anniversary of the attack at Abbey Gate, a White House official and a Harris aide told NBC News, refuting separate claims made Sunday by GOP Sen. Tom Cotton and former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard.... [Cotton and Gabbard criticized Biden and Harris. Trump] said he didn't initiate the [thumbs-up] photo, adding: 'While I was there, I didn't ask for a picture. While I was there, they said, "Sir, could we have a picture at the grave?"'" (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: This is no excuse. The families do not have the authority to direct or invite anyone to violate the law or impinge upon the privacy and dignity of other fallen service members and their loved ones. ~~~

~~~ They're Only Pawns in His Game. Chris Cameron of the New York Times: "The partisan dispute over Arlington National Cemetery escalated on Sunday when the campaign of former President Donald J. Trump published statements from family members of slain U.S. troops attacking Vice President Kamala Harris after she criticized Mr. Trump for politicizing the cemetery.... Family members of 7 of the 13 U.S. troops killed by a suicide bombing at Abbey Gate [signed the statement].... It made no reference to the altercation with the cemetery official, nor the insults directed against her afterward. It also made no mention of concerns by the family of a Green Beret -- as well as the Green Beret Foundation, a veterans' charity -- about the Trump campaign filming his gravesite....

“[This] 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 triggered by the campaign defying a ban on political campaigning at the Arlington cemetery in Virginia during Mr. Trump's visit last week.... Mr. Trump and his campaign also posted videos from the family members on social media that similarly attacked Ms. Harris and praised Mr. Trump, and on Sunday evening published a campaign ad that included those remarks." ~~~

~~~ Cleve Wootson, et al., of the Washington Post: "Donald Trump's campaign aimed to turn the controversy over his actions last week at Arlington National Cemetery into an attack on Vice President Kamala Harris this weekend, after she said the former president 'disrespected sacred ground, all for the sake of a political stunt.'... House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) announced that Congress will honor the 13 American service members killed in the attack by presenting their families with the Congressional Gold Medal on Sept. 10.... The ceremony, and remarks by a bevy of Republican lawmakers, will take place at the U.S. Capitol Rotunda the same day as the presidential debate between Harris and Trump." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Say what? Congress voted to award these service members the Congressional Gold Medal in November 2021 and President Biden signed the bill in December 2021. Why has it taken Congress almost three years to present the medal? And maybe this would be an appropriate place to mention that the suicide bomber who killed these service members, 170 Afghan civilians and wounded many others was one of the 5,000 imprisoned Taliban (and ISIS-K) soldiers Donald Trump had ordered released, according to Ayman Mohyeldin of MSNBC.

The Hermeneutics of The Weave. Shawn McCreesh of the New York Times reports on what Donald Trump is now calling "the weave," "... it is difficult to find the hermeneutic methods with which to parse the linguistic flights that take him from electrocuted sharks to Hannibal Lecter's cannibalism, windmills and Rosie O'Donnell." McCreesh tried to find out which English professor friends of Trump told him that his meandering, disjointed, erratic speech patterns were "the most brilliant thing they'd ever seen." No luck. "'I highly doubt that Donald Trump has any English professor friends,' said Timothy O'Brien, a Trump biographer. 'What this really reflects is that he is aware of the criticism that he is publicly saying nonlinear, nonsensical word salad, and he is trying to pretend there is a strategy or logic behind it when there isn't.'... James Shapiro..., a renowned [Columbia U.] Shakespeare scholar, ruminated about Mr. Trump's use of the word: 'I read Trump's comment bragging that "I do the weave." I take him at his word, as one of the Oxford English Dictionary definitions of "weave" is 'to pursue a devious course.'" ~~~

     ~~~ Yesterday, Akhilleus wrote, "'The Weave' sounds like the weft is missing the warp. Or maybe it's just warp by itself." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Maybe you think writing about "The Hermeneutics of the Weave" is beyond ridiculous. Hard to argue with. But if you've ever attended an MLA (Modern Language Association) convention, you will know that "The Hermeneutics of the Weave" will not only be the title of at least one new Ph.D. dissertation, it will be the subject of a session at the convention.

Scott Lemieux in LG&$: "It looks like Rich Lowry is getting the same tingly feeling that he did the last time a Republican candidate made a disastrous vice presidential pick. [The Daily Beast reports]: 'Rich Lowry, editor-in-chief of the conservative National Review, told a bemused Chris Wallace in a Saturday appearance on CNN that Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance has essentially run a perfect campaign.... Lowry first granted Vance 'obviously did have a rocky introduction to national life.'... Lowry continued to note that Vance is, 'not necessarily the most warm and fuzzy campaigner, but he a is proven tireless, fearless, really effective spokesman for this ticket.' In a moment of truly-limber talking head contortion, he then asserted that Vance 'as far as I can tell, has not had one misstep.'... My theory remains that Vance wasn't so much a failure to do extensive vetting as Republican elites having no idea what they sound like to normal people."

Praveena Somasundaram of the Washington Post: "Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ... is suing the North Carolina State Board of Elections to get his name taken off the state's November ballot. Kennedy, who fought legal battles to remain on the North Carolina ballot, said last month that he would remove his name from battleground state ballots so as not to swing the election in Vice President Kamala Harris's favor. But last week, the North Carolina State Board of Elections rejected Kennedy's request to be taken off the ballot, saying it would 'not be practical' to reprint ballots in time for the start of absentee voting on Sept. 6.... Kennedy still remains on three battleground ballots: Michigan, Wisconsin and North Carolina. In Michigan and Wisconsin, a nominated and qualified candidate cannot be removed from the ballot unless they die." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I definitely think Kennedy should place the head of some dead animal in the beds of a few Elections Board members so's they get the message. If he doesn't feel like doing it himself, I'm sure his new BFF Donald has some made men who would do the job.

Annals of "Journalism," Ctd. Margaret Sullivan, after speaking with former New York Times reporter James Risen, deplores the Times' both-sider report in which the authors liken Harris's plans to ease the housing crisis to Trump's "plan" to ensure more available housing stock: deport tens of millions of people. Risen at first thought the report was meant to be parody. Sullivan: Stories like this run rampant in the Times, and far beyond.... [The Times'] politics coverage often seems broken and clueless -- or even blatantly pro-Trump.... Nearly 10 years after Trump declared his candidacy in 2015, the media has not figured out how to cover him.... And what's more -- what's worse -- they don't seem to want to change. Editors and reporters, with a few exceptions, really don't see the problem as they normalize Trump." (Also linked yesterday.)

Faiz Siddiqui of the Washington Post: "Though the billionaire [Elon Musk] tapped his vast wealth to cover the lion's share of the $44 billion purchase price [of Twitter] in 2022, he also relied on bank loans and a long list of investors.... Based on a Washington Post analysis using Fidelity's estimates, the eight largest initial investments that were reported to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission or otherwise publicly disclosed are worth about $5 billion less than when Musk bought X. His and his partners' overall stake has shed $24 billion in value -- a vaporization of wealth that has little parallel outside the realm of economic or industry-specific crashes, or devastating corporate scandals.... Among those shouldering the burden: Saudi and Qatari business leaders and royalty; Silicon Valley venture capital and tech investors; and Twitter co-founder and former CEO Jack Dorsey. Musk took out loans to cover the rest of the deal, borrowing more than $12 billion that banks have not been able to offload, news outlets have reported." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: My heart is just breaking for these unlucky duckies.

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New Hampshire. Amanda Holpuch of the New York Times: "A New Hampshire man was sentenced to more than two years in prison for his role in the harassment and intimidation of New Hampshire Public Radio journalists whose homes were vandalized after the radio station published a story that was critical of a local businessman. The man, Tucker Cockerline, 33, of Salem, N.H., was sentenced on Aug. 27 in federal court in Boston to 27 months in prison and three years of supervised release, the U.S. attorney's office for Massachusetts said on Thursday. Mr. Cockerline was part of a group of men who spray-painted vulgar and threatening language on the homes of a reporter, her parents and her editor, prosecutors said. The men also threw rocks and bricks through the windows of some of the homes. Three other men -- Eric Labarge, Michael Waselchuck and Keenan Saniatan -- have been indicted in connection to the harassment.... The harassment began after New Hampshire Public Radio published a story in March 2022 that detailed allegations of sexual misconduct against Eric Spofford, who had owned the state's largest network of drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers.... Mr. Spofford filed a defamation lawsuit against New Hampshire Public Radio but a judge dismissed the case in December 2023."

Texas. Arelis Hernández & Molly Hennessy-Fiske of the Washington Post: "... a pattern ... has emerged in Texas under [state attorney general Ken] Paxton [R]: Aggressive prosecutions for alleged election fraud crimes that upend lives but result in few cases that go to trial and end in a conviction.... Civil rights groups say the charges tend to target Black or Latino voters and volunteers, many of whom are Democrats. The result has been a chilling effect on volunteers and community groups that for decades have worked to increase turnout in a state with one of the nation's lowest voter participation rates.... 'The goal isn't to get a conviction,' said Chad Dunn, legal director of the UCLA Voting Rights Project, who has defended Texan clients against election-fraud claims and won a 2021 case that curbed the attorney general's prosecutorial power. 'It's to set up a climate of fear around voting. He uses these witch hunts to gain attention and money.'"

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Israel/Palestine, et al.

Yasmeen Abutaleb & John Hudson of the Washington Post: "U.S. officials said President Joe Biden's months-long push for a cease-fire and hostage-release deal faced renewed urgency on Sunday after Israeli forces recovered the bodies of six hostages, including Israeli American Hersh Goldberg-Polin. The United States has been talking to Egypt and Qatar about the contours of a final "take it or leave it" deal that it plans to present to the parties in the coming weeks -- one that, if the two sides fail to accept it, could mark the end of the American-led negotiations, according to a senior administration official...."

Tia Goldenberg of the AP: "A rare call for a general strike in Israel to protest the failure to return hostages held in Gaza led to closures and other disruptions around the country on Monday, including at its main international airport.... Hundreds of thousands of Israelis poured into the streets late Sunday in grief and anger after six hostages were found dead in Gaza. The families and much of the public blamed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying they could have been returned alive in a deal with Hamas to end the nearly 11-month-old war. But others support Netanyahu's strategy of maintaining military pressure on Hamas, whose Oct. 7 attack into Israel triggered the war. They say it will force the militants to give in to Israeli demands, potentially facilitate rescue operations and ultimately annihilate the group."

Germany. Kate Brady & Anthony Faiola of the Washington Post: "Projections in Germany's closely watched elections Sunday showed the anti-migrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) party leading in one state and running a close second in another, a result that, if confirmed by official tallies, would see a far-right party win a state for the first time in the country's postwar history."

Hungary. Heidi Przybyla & Nicholas Vinocur of Politico highlight the growing influence of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in Europe and the U.S. "Of any foreign leader, [Donald] Trump is arguably closest to Orbán. He calls Orbán his 'friend' and a 'great man.' In accepting the GOP nomination in Milwaukee, Trump singled out Orbán as a 'very tough man' and noted that Orbán credits him for keeping world peace because everybody 'was afraid' of Trump.... While many of the overtures [by organizations allied with Orbán] to U.S. conservatives are ostensibly about policies like global migration and promoting religious values, the message often quickly turns to pro-Russian foreign policy goals. They include curbing Western support for Ukraine and, implicitly, weakening support for NATO.... Last month, Orbán publicly claimed to be helping the Trump campaign to draft policy.... The Heritage Foundation, whose president, Kevin Roberts, calls Orbán's leadership a 'model for conservative governance,' has openly lobbied for influence in a future Trump administration through its Project 2025 and played a lead role in lobbying Congress to end congressional funding to Ukraine."