The Conversation -- November 29, 2024

Thanksgiving Messages from Our Leaders. Ivana Saric of Axios: "'Happy Thanksgiving, America. May we use this moment to take time from our busy lives and focus on what matters most: our families, our friends, our neighbors, and the fact that we've been blessed to live in America, the greatest country on Earth,' [President] Biden wrote on X Thursday. In a separate video message, he said he and First Lady Jill Biden were 'grateful for the trust you put in us these past four years.... It's been the honor of our lives to serve you in the White House,' he added. Gosh, that's sweet and heartening. ~~~

~~~ Oh, Wait, There's More. "... Trump took time in his Thanksgiving message to boast about his 'landslide victory' in November. 'Happy Thanksgiving to all, including to the Radical Left Lunatics who have worked so hard to destroy our Country, but who have miserably failed,' Trump wrote on Truth Social Thursday. He also offered a separate Thanksgiving post of a photo of himself with a law enforcement officer."

     ~~~ Marie: It's not much consolation, I know, but at least we can assure ourselves that -- as miserable as Trump may make the country -- he is a perpetually-angry, joyless person. If you enjoyed a happy Thanksgiving, be assured that Trump did not. Happiness is something he has never experienced. Cruelty is his only pleasure, and I sense that cruelty is not much fun and the small satisfaction it may bring is shortlived.

Carol Rosenberg of the New York Times: "After months of wrangling over the legitimacy of a plea deal in the Sept. 11 case, Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III has stripped a senior official running the war crimes court of her authority to reach settlements in any cases at Guantánamo Bay. Mr. Austin's decision comes as government lawyers are trying to nullify a plea agreement in the Sept. 11, 2001, case. On July 31, Mr. Austin's appointee in charge of the court, Susan K. Escallier, approved a settlement that was reached by prosecutors across years of negotiations. But Mr. Austin said he was surprised by it and moved to rescind the deal, saying he strongly believed that the men accused of plotting the attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people should face a trial. Now, in a memo dated Monday and obtained by The New York Times, Mr. Austin stripped Ms. Escallier of the authority to approve deals in the U.S.S. Cole and Bali bombing cases, 'effective immediately.' In doing so, he has given himself the sole power to approve plea deals in the terrorism cases in the final months of the Biden administration.... The move comes at an uncertain time for the 30 remaining detainees at Guantánamo Bay, a third of whom have been convicted or charged by military commission."

Andrew Solender of Axios: "Multiple U.S. House and Senate Democrats from Connecticut including the ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee said Thursday they were the targets of bomb threats.... 'This morning, I was notified of a bomb threat targeting my home where I was celebrating Thanksgiving with my family,' top Intelligence Committee Democrat Jim Himes (D-Conn.) said in a statement.... Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) also had his home targeted by a bomb threat on Thursday morning in what 'appears to be part of a coordinated effort involving multiple members of Congress and public figures,' his spokesperson said." Others targeted were Rep. Jahana Hayes (D-Conn.), Rep. Joe Courtney (D-Conn.) and Rep. John Larson (D-Conn.). No evidence of bombs was found.

Ah, a quaint headline to kick off the official holiday season: "Trump Team's Rejection of a Transition Deal Adds a Wrinkle to Its Transparency Pledges." ~~~

     ~~~ Simon Levien of the New York Times: "The refusal by ... Donald J. Trump's team to sign a transition agreement with the General Services Administration means that, despite the team's pledges to abide by several transparency customs of presidential handovers, it isn't legally bound to follow through on its promises. Presidential transitions abide by a series of laws and norms that enable the outgoing administration to brief incoming officials with nonpublic information and to fund transition operations. Mr. Trump's transition team, after forgoing the $7.2 million in government funds that the G.S.A. would have provided if they had reached an agreement, has promised to be transparent by disclosing the names of its donors and said it would not accept donations from foreigners. In an agreement with the White House, the transition team also released an ethics pledge, but the pledge may not be compliant with transition rules.... Mr. Trump has continued to refuse to sign an agreement with the Justice Department that would allow the F.B.I. to run security checks for transition staff." ~~~

     ~~~ No, no, people. We are not looking at "a wrinkle." These are in-your-face pledges not to adhere to old-fashioned codes of ethics. When you're a dictator, they let you do it. Take a look at this story, linked yesterday: ~~~

     ~~~ Betsy Klein, et al., of CNN: "... Donald Trump's team submitted an ethics plan guiding the conduct of its members throughout the transition period [with one notable omission].... 'There does not appear to be a provision addressing the requirement for the president-elect to address his conflicts of interest,' said Valerie Smith Boyd, director of the Center for Presidential Transition at the nonprofit, nonpartisan Partnership for Public Service.... In 2016, Trump took some nominal steps toward alleviating ethical concerns before entering the White House.... He has made no such assurances this time. Rather, Trump lately has added potential conflicts of interest with some of his latest business dealings.... The ethics agreement, posted late Tuesday to the General Services Administration's website, otherwise 'does appear to comply with most of the requirements in the Presidential Transition Act,' a law governing the protocols around transition activities, said Boyd."

     Marie: Every network news department must hold regular meetings with their full reporting staffs, some Zooming in from distant lands, where some suit gets up and tells them, "Now team, we're going to pretend this is politics as usual. The good news for us: there may be a few glitches that will catch eyeballs! Any honest reporter would be running from the room with her hair on fire. But these reporters are realists. They need their jobs, so unlike Trump and Co.,they follow the rules the bosses lay out for them, rules so concisely described by Stephen Colbert at the White House Correspondents' Dinner of 2006:

... let's review the rules. Here's how it works: the president makes decisions. He's the Decider. The press secretary announces those decisions, and you people of the press type those decisions down. Make, announce, type. Just put 'em through a spell check and go home. Get to know your family again. Make love to your wife. Write that novel you got kicking around in your head. You know, the one about the intrepid Washington reporter with the courage to stand up to the administration. You know - fiction!

~~~ The only thing that will save Trump's presidency, that will allow us to forever pretend everything was more or less normal and presidenty, would be that he chokes on a Big Mac while having lunch in the Oval Office and dies with a face plant on the Resolute Desk.

Stephanie Saul, et al., of the New York Times: Linda McMahon, whom Donald Trump has nominated to be Secretary of Education, for years ran World Wrestling Entertainment with her husband Vince. "Allegations surrounding the company under their management included promoting steroids, a culture of rampant sexual harassment, intimidation and assault. There have been several out-of-court settlements involving the company or Mr. McMahon personally.... [Over the years, the company has been] criticized for promoting violence, steroid use and sexualized content. In the early 2000s, Ms. McMahon would go so far as to engage in the W.W.E.'s theatrics herself. She kicked her husband ... in the groin in one routine. In another, she appeared to slap her daughter, Stephanie, and knock her to the floor.W.W.E.... [And] scientific studies ... found watching wrestling was correlated with violent behavior among children." ~~~

     ~~~ Lest you think that Linda McMahon doesn't have an interest in education, oh, she does: "She went on to help lead the American First Policy Institute, a little-known right-wing organization formed in 2021. The group's education agenda would steer schools decidedly to the right, by promoting increased spending for charter and private schools, reducing the influence of teachers' unions, and expanding 'parental rights' by giving parents more direct control over many aspects of public education, including curriculum and school library books. In higher education, the group has opposed permitting transgender players in women's sports; demanded the elimination of diversity, equity and inclusion programs; and argued in favor of eliminating college degree requirements for some public-sector jobs." But don't worry about that: "(With Mr. Trump pledging to dismantle the Department of Education, experts in the field have suggested that if she is confirmed, her primary task may be to fire people.)"

Kit Maher, et al. of CNN: "Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum denied proposing to ... Donald Trump that Mexico will close its border with the United States as he claimed in a post on Truth Social. 'Everyone has their own way of communicating, but I can assure you, I give you the certainty that we would never -- and we would be incapable of it -- propose that we would close the border,' Sheinbaum said during her regular morning news conference Thursday. 'It has never been our approach and of course we don;t agree with that.' Sheinbaum;s remarks came after Trump said Wednesday that the pair had a 'productive conversation' during their first talks since Trump announced tariffs against Mexico earlier this week that would slap a 25% tariff on all products from that country and from Canada. He claimed the move would be in retaliation for illegal immigration and 'crime and drugs' coming across the border. '... She has agreed to stop Migration through Mexico, and into the United States, effectively closing our Southern Border....' Trump posted on Truth Social." ~~~

~~~ Yo, Trumpbots: That Pick-'em-Up Truck You Drive Es Hecho en México. Sarah Morland, et al., of Reuters (Nov. 27): "Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Wednesday Mexico would retaliate if ... Donald Trump followed through with his proposed 25% across-the-board tariff, a move her government warned could kill 400,000 U.S. jobs and drive up prices for U.S. consumers. 'If there are U.S. tariffs, Mexico would also raise tariffs,' Sheinbaum said during a press conference, in her clearest statement yet that the country was preparing possible retaliatory trade measures against its top trade partner. Mexican Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard, speaking alongside Sheinbaum..., noted that 88% of pickup trucks sold in the U.S. are made in Mexico and would see a price increase. These vehicles are popular in rural areas that overwhelmingly voted for Trump. 'Our estimate is that the average price of these vehicles will increase by $3,000,' Ebrard said.... Analysts at Barclays said they estimate the proposed tariffs "could wipe out effectively all profits" from the Detroit Three automakers."

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Israel/Palestine, et al. The Washington Post's live updates of developments Friday in Israel's wars are here: "The Israel Defense Forces carried out attacks in Lebanon on Thursday, but the cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah that went into effect early the previous day mostly appeared to hold. The Israeli air force conducted a strike in southern Lebanon targeting suspected militants who had returned to a site from which projectiles had been fired at Israel during the war, the IDF said. Israeli troops also 'operated to prevent' militants from 'advancing' in southern Lebanon, it added. The Lebanese army said the IDF had violated the cease-fire agreement, while the IDF said it was responding to Hezbollah violating the cease-fire agreement. IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen Herzi Halevi said in a statement that 'any deviation from this agreement will be enforced with fire.' A Hezbollah lawmaker also accused Israel of violating the cease-fire, Reuters reported."

Ukraine/Russia et al. Daryna Mayer & Alexander Smith of NBC News: "More than 700,000 homes and businesses were without power across a frigid Ukraine early Thursday after Russia launched a widespread missile and drone attack on the country's energy sector. Russian President Vladimir Putin said the 'complex strike' was a retaliation for Ukraine's using American-made ATACMS missiles to strike inside Russia. Despite the widespread civilian impact, he claimed, without evidence, that the assault targeted military sites.... The power grid was targeted just as cold weather begins to bite, a tactic that Ukrainian officials and Western analysts say Russia deliberately deploys." ~~~

     ~~~ President Biden's statement: "Overnight, Russia carried out a horrific aerial attack against Ukraine. Ukrainian authorities report that Russia launched nearly 200 missiles and drones against Ukrainian cities and energy infrastructure, depriving Ukrainian civilians of access to electricity. This attack is outrageous and serves as yet another reminder of the urgency and importance of supporting the Ukrainian people in their defense against Russian aggression." Read the President's full statement at the link.

Thanksgiving Day 2024

Marie: Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone. Here's a holiday gift we can all enjoy. It turns out that what I couldn't stand about the Christmas-themed song "All I Want for Christmas Is You" was Mariah Carey. The song is way Better with Beethoven. I've seen a few of these "in the style of" parodies. This one, by Josep Castanyer Alonso, is particularly brilliant, especially because it includes explanations. Thanks to Patrick for the link. ~~~

~~~ AND, on quite a different note, if you overindulge at the Thanksgiving table, you could dance off the added calories: ~~~

A Reason to be Thankful: Biden Rescues Wrongfully-detained Americans. Michael Birnbaum & Cate Caddell of the Washington Post: "The Biden administration and China have agreed to a prisoner swap, a senior U.S. official said Wednesday, securing the release of three Americans who the U.S. government has long said were wrongfully detained by Beijing. Americans Mark Swidan, Kai Li and John Leung are en route back to the United States, the White House said, capping months of diplomatic pressure on China and securing a win for the Biden administration.... The White House said in a statement ... [that] no other Americans are wrongfully detained in China." (Also linked yesterday.)

Simon Romero of the New York Times: "Mexico's president, Claudia Sheinbaum, spoke to ... Donald J. Trump on Wednesday afternoon, and both later characterized their discussion as positive while providing different descriptions of what Mexico is doing to stave off a potential tariff war. While Mr. Trump posted on social media that Mexico had agreed to stop migration to the United States through Mexico, 'effectively closing our Southern Border,' Ms. Sheinbaum limited her description of the migration-related issues they had discussed to migrant caravans no longer reaching the border with the United States. Still, Ms. Sheinbaum, who earlier in the day had made clear that Mexico would impose retaliatory tariffs in response to similar measures threatened by Mr. Trump, seemed to ease tensions by saying the exchange was 'excellent.'" ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Trump of course is ignoring a long-standing premise of U.S. policy: that we have only one president at a time. Trump's negotiating with world leaders during Biden's presidency is more evidence for the theory that he'll never be president, but would best be described -- during those periods he can reasonably be assumed to hold office -- as president*. Oh, and there's this: ~~~

~~~ digby: "Rolling Stone is reporting today that Trump and Co have revived their plans to invade Mexico. I'm not kidding: 'Within Donald Trump's government-in-waiting, there is a fresh debate over whether and how thoroughly the president-elect should follow through on his campaign promise to attack or even invade Mexico, as part of the "war" he's pledged to wage against powerful drug cartels.... Trump's Cabinet picks, including his choices for secretary of defense and secretary of state, have publicly supported the idea of potentially unleashing the U.S. military in Mexico. So has the man Trump has tapped to be his national security adviser. So has the man Trump selected as his 'border czar' to lead his immigration crackdowns. So have various Trump allies in Congress and in the media.'... They're serious." The Rolling Stone story, which is firewalled, is here.

Rob Gillies of the AP: "Canada is already examining possible retaliatory tariffs on certain items from the United States should ... Donald Trump follow through on his threat to impose sweeping tariffs on Canadian products, a senior official said Wednesday.... When Trump imposed higher tariffs during his first term in office, other countries responded with retaliatory tariffs of their own. Canada, for instance, announced billions of new duties in 2018 against the U.S. in a tit-for-tat response to new taxes on Canadian steel and aluminum.... Canadian officials argue their country is not the problem [when it comes to sending immigrants to the U.S. or fentanyl,] and that tariffs will have severe implications for both countries."

Whoa! What a Surprise! Betsy Klein, et al., of CNN: "... Donald Trump's team submitted an ethics plan guiding the conduct of its members throughout the transition period [with one notable omission].... 'There does not appear to be a provision addressing the requirement for the president-elect to address his conflicts of interest,' said Valerie Smith Boyd, director of the Center for Presidential Transition at the nonprofit, nonpartisan Partnership for Public Service.... In 2016, Trump took some nominal steps toward alleviating ethical concerns before entering the White House.... He has made no such assurances this time. Rather, Trump lately has added potential conflicts of interest with some of his latest business dealings.... The ethics agreement, posted late Tuesday to the General Services Administration's website, otherwise 'does appear to comply with most of the requirements in the Presidential Transition Act,' a law governing the protocols around transition activities, said Boyd." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Hey, Trump has an Article II that lets him do whatever he wants. And if you don't believe him, ask the Supreme Court.

Alexandra Marquez of NBC News: "... Donald Trump said Wednesday he will nominate retired Gen. Keith Kellogg to serve as assistant to the president and special envoy for Ukraine and Russia.... During Trump's first administration, Kellogg served as Chief of Staff and executive secretary to the National Security Council. He previously served in the military for over 35 years. Kellogg in April co-authored a policy paper, obtained by NBC News, outlining how he'd seek to end the war in Ukraine, including potentially conditioning U.S. military aid to Kyiv on their participation in peace talks with Russia.... 'Ukraine would not be asked to relinquish the goal of regaining all its territory, but it would agree to use diplomacy, not force, with the understanding that this would require a future diplomatic breakthrough which probably will not occur before Putin leaves office,' Kellogg and [co-author Fred] Fleitz wrote." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Michael Crowley of the New York Times: "In February, Mr. Kellogg defended Mr. Trump after the then-candidate declared that he would encourage Russia to 'do whatever the hell they want' to NATO members who fail to meet the alliance's targets for national military spending.... Mr. Kellogg said that Mr. Trump was 'onto something' by emphasizing the responsibility of NATO members to maintain strong armies." ~~~

     ~~~ Sareen Habeshian of Axios: "Retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg ... has pushed a proposal to end the war between the two countries through Ukraine ceding land to Russia." MB: Habeshian doesn't present direct evidence of Kellogg's plans for Ukrainian territory held by Russia, but Reuters did: ~~~

     ~~~ AND Alex Griffing of Mediaite: "'Under the plan drawn up by Kellogg and Fred Fleitz, who both served as chiefs of staff in Trump's National Security Council during his 2017-2021 presidency, there would be a ceasefire based on prevailing battle lines during peace talks, Fleitz said,' Reuters reported [in June]. Maintaining the current battle lines would potentially leave Russia in control of a large percentage of Ukrainian territory, which Reuters noted 'would mark a big shift in the U.S. position on the war and would face opposition from European allies and within Trump's own Republican Party.'"

Tara Copp of the AP: "... Donald Trump's nominee to be secretary of the Navy, John Phelan, has not served in the military or had a civilian leadership role in the service.... The appointment comes at a critical moment for the Navy, which has been stretched thin with deployments around the world and must contend with a shrinking fleet even as the naval forces of its main rival, China, are growing. Trump has campaigned on expanding the Navy and would need to fight bureaucratic inertia to do so. But it's uncertain whether a secretary with no military experience -- either in uniform or as a defense civilian - would be well-positioned to lead that effort." ~~~

     ~~~ Even some Trumpbots are not amused. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: One personality trait Trump's picks have in common with Trump: a complete lack of humility. If for some strange reason a president accidentally picked me to be Secretary of the Navy, I would decline the nomination as I would know I was not up to the job and my selection would be unfair to the men and women of the Navy. But Phelan, an investor, has no qualms. He apparently thinks an outing on a friend's yacht and a tourist visit to the Capitol are all the qualifications needed by a smart guy such as he.

Brandy Zadrozny of NBC News: "In 2019, [Robert Kennedy, Jr.,] called the [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]'s vaccine division a fascist enterprise and accused it of knowingly hurting children. He also compared what he saw as a widespread conspiracy to hide harms from the child vaccination program to the cover-up of child sexual abuse in the Catholic Church."

Devlin Barrett & Maggie Haberman of the New York Times: "Several of the people ... Donald J. Trump has picked to be cabinet nominees or for White House positions received threats on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning.... Spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said several cabinet nominees and others were targeted with 'violent, un-American threats to their lives and those who live with them.' Law enforcement and other authorities 'acted quickly to ensure the safety of those who were targeted,' she added. The F.B.I. said in a statement it was aware of the bomb threats and so-called swatting calls, which entail contacting law enforcement to falsely claim a dangerous person is at a particular address. Such calls are designed to create a frantic armed police response to frighten, harass and endanger someone at their home. Three people familiar with the threats, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation, said one of those targeted was Susie Wiles, Mr. Trump's campaign manager who he has tapped to serve as the White House chief of staff." Elise Stefanik, Lee Zeldin & Brooke Rollins also were targeted. (Also linked yesterday.) The AP's report is here.

Lord Zuck Travels to the Court of Mar-a-Lardo to Pay Liege Homage. Mike Isaac, et al., of the New York Times: "Mark Zuckerberg met on Wednesday with ... Donald J. Trump in a rare face-to-face encounter, the latest attempt by the Meta chief executive to establish a positive rapport with Mr. Trump. The meeting, confirmed by three people..., was initiated by Mr. Zuckerberg, who has had a strained relationship with Mr. Trump over the past decade. Mr. Trump, who has long maintained that Meta has unfairly restrained him and other conservatives across its social media apps, has lobbed broadsides against Mr. Zuckerberg on social media and during stump speeches. Mr. Zuckerberg flew into West Palm Beach, Fla., on Tuesday evening before joining Mr. Trump at ... Mar-a-Lago...." The AP's report is here.

Tony Romm of the Washington Post: "Elon Musk on Wednesday called for the elimination of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, one of the nation's most powerful watchdog agencies, signaling it could be scrapped as part of a planned review of government spending ordered by ... Donald Trump. 'Delete CFPB,' Musk said in an early-morning post on X..., categorizing the bureau as an example of 'too many duplicative regulatory agencies' in Washington." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Clearly, this is not an effort to curtail the usual irritants of "waste, fraud and abuse." As Romm writes, "Unlike other federal offices, the CFPB is funded by transfers from the Federal Reserve, a move meant to insulate the watchdog from political infighting and lobbying pressure." So Musk isn't worried about wasting taxpayer dollars; the Fed gets its operating money from interest on securities it owns (page 4 of the linked doc), not from tax dollars. Rather, as Romm writes, Musk got his CFPB bug from billionaire Silicon Valley venture capitalist Marc Andreeson, who has investments in some of the financial institutions the CFPB has cracked down on.

Miranda Nazzaro of the Hill: "Elon Musk on Wednesday suggested retired Army Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman 'committed treason' and 'will pay' after the former Trump impeachment witness accused the tech billionaire and close Trump ally of being unwittingly used by Russia. 'Vindman is on the payroll of Ukranian oligarchs and has committed treason against the United States,' Musk wrote on his social media platform X, responding to comments Vindman made in an interview about Musk's reported conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Musk added that Vindman ... 'will pay the appropriate penalty.' In a response on X, Vindman said Musk's comments were 'false and completely unfounded accusations.'" ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: This may be the precursor to SOP in the Trump administration*: criticize Trump or a Trumpolodyte and "pay the appropriate penalty." Treason is a capital offense. Trump resumed executions for federal offenses during his first term, and the feds executed thirteen inmates during the first Trump administration. Merrick Garland reinstated the moratorium on federal executions in July 2021. ~~~

~~~ Marie: About a week ago, I ran a link to a story along the lines of the next linked story, but it bears repeating: ~~~

     ~~~ Hadas Gold & Rene Marsh of CNN: "Last week, in the midst of the flurry of his daily missives, [Elon] Musk reposted two X posts that revealed the names and titles of people holding four relatively obscure climate-related government positions. Each post has been viewed tens of millions of times, and the individuals named have been subjected to a barrage of negative attention. At least one of the four women named has deleted her social media accounts.... Several current federal employees told CNN they're afraid their lives will be forever changed -- including physically threatened == as Musk makes behind-the-scenes bureaucrats into personal targets.... Musk has done this kind of thing before -- and it's led to real danger for the people named. Missy Cummings [of the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration] angered Musk when she was ... critical of Tesla's driver-assist programs and she had called for regulating the systems. Musk targeted Cummings on ... Twitter, and his legions of fans followed....Cummings said she received a torrent of attacks, including death threats, and had to temporarily relocate before she eventually moved.... [One expert said s/he was] 'not surprised' with Musk's re-posts, adding they are an example of a 'classic pattern' of cyber harassment."

Senator Potato Head Confuses U.S. with Russia. Alex Griffing of Mediaite: "'The United States has sent $211 BILLION of your tax dollars to Ukraine, 4X as much as the rest of the world COMBINED,' [Sen. Tommy] Tuberville [R-ALa.] wrote on X. The former college football coach was soon hit with a community note that read, 'The $211 billion figure is the amount Russia has spent on the war as of February 2024. Senator Tuberville appears to have confused the United States with Russia.' The community note linked to a Reuters article that read, 'Russia has probably spent up to $211 billion in equipping, deploying and maintaining its troops for operations in Ukraine and Moscow has lost more than $10 billion in canceled or postponed arms sales, a senior U.S. defense official said on Friday.'" Hey, an easy mistake to make. Besides, how could a sitting U.S. senator possibly check the facts before he shared something this stupid? Thanks to Akhilleus for the link, and for his commentary at the end of yesterday's thread.

AP: "A federal appeals court Wednesday ruled that Border Patrol agents cannot cut razor wire that Texas installed on the U.S.-Mexico border in the town of Eagle Pass, which has become the center of the state's aggressive measures to curb migrant crossings. The decision by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is a victory for Texas in a long-running rift over immigration policy with the Biden administration, which has also sought to remove floating barriers installed on the Rio Grande. Texas has continued to install razor wire along its roughly 1,200-mile (1,900 kilometers) border with Mexico over the past year. In a 2-1 ruling, the court issued an injunction blocking Border Patrol agents from damaging the wire in Eagle Pass."

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New York. Hurubie Meko & Jan Ransom of the New York Times: "A federal judge overseeing New York City's Rikers Island jail complex on Wednesday found the city in contempt for failing to stem violence and excessive force at the facility, and said she was leaning toward taking control of the city's jails. The judge, Laura Taylor Swain, said in a 65-page opinion that the city and its Department of Correction had violated the constitutional rights of prisoners and staff members alike by exposing them to danger, and had intentionally ignored her orders. The judge wrote that she was 'inclined' to impose an outside authority, known as a receiver.... She ordered the city and lawyers representing prisoners to devise a plan for a receivership by Jan. 14."

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Israel/Palestine, et al. Euan Ward, et al., of the New York Times: "Thousands of civilians began the journey back to their war-ravaged, mostly abandoned communities around Beirut and in southern Lebanon on Wednesday, as a U.S.-backed cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah took tenuous hold after more than 13 months of bloodshed. Vehicles stuffed with whatever items people took as they fled Israeli bombing crawled bumper to bumper on roads heading south from Beirut, the capital. For the people in them, elation, relief -- and, for Hezbollah supporters, defiance -- vied with grim knowledge: They might not have homes to return to, and the 60-day truce might not hold or bring the hoped-for end of the deadliest, most destructive war their nation has suffered in decades. But it was not clear when the people of southern Lebanon ... could go back, as the Israeli military said it would not yet permit residents in an area that had been a Hezbollah stronghold, used to launch most of its attacks on Israel. About one-quarter of Lebanon's more than five million people have been forced from their homes by the war."

News Lede

New York Times: "The Rev. Robert W. Dixon Sr., the last known survivor of the U.S. Army's all-Black regiments known as Buffalo Soldiers, died on Nov. 15 near Albany, N.Y. He was 103.... Mr. Dixon was a corporal in World War II stationed at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, where members of the Ninth Cavalry Regiment, composed of African Americans, trained cadets in horseback riding and mounted tactics. Created after the Civil War, the Army's all-Black cavalry and infantry regiments were nicknamed 'Buffalo Soldiers' by Native Americans who encountered them in the nation's Western expansion in the post-Civil War 19th century....

"The troops could serve only west of the Mississippi River because most white Southerners would not tolerate armed Black soldiers in their communities. They fought in the Indian Wars and protected settlers moving West. During the Spanish-American War, the experienced horsemen of the 10th Cavalry led the way for Col. Theodore Roosevelt's novice Roughriders in fighting in Cuba."

The Conversation -- November 27, 2024

A Reason to be Thankful: Biden Rescues Wrongfully-detained Americans. Michael Birnbaum & Cate Caddell of the Washington Post: "The Biden administration and China have agreed to a prisoner swap, a senior U.S. official said Wednesday, securing the release of three Americans who the U.S. government has long said were wrongfully detained by Beijing. Americans Mark Swidan, Kai Li and John Leung are en route back to the United States, the White House said, capping months of diplomatic pressure on China and securing a win for the Biden administration.... The White House said in a statement ... [that] no other Americans are wrongfully detained in China."

Alexandra Marquez of NBC News: "... Donald Trump said Wednesday he will nominate retired Gen. Keith Kellogg to serve as assistant to the president and special envoy for Ukraine and Russia.... During Trump's first administration, Kellogg served as Chief of Staff and executive secretary to the National Security Council. He previously served in the military for over 35 years. Kellogg in April co-authored a policy paper, obtained by NBC News, outlining how he'd seek to end the war in Ukraine, including potentially conditioning U.S. military aid to Kyiv on their participation in peace talks with Russia.... 'Ukraine would not be asked to relinquish the goal of regaining all its territory, but it would agree to use diplomacy, not force, with the understanding that this would require a future diplomatic breakthrough which probably will not occur before Putin leaves office,' Kellogg and [co-author Fred] Fleitz wrote."

Devlin Barrett & Maggie Haberman of the New York Times: "Several of the people ... Donald J. Trump has picked to be cabinet nominees or for White House positions received threats on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning.... Spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said several cabinet nominees and others were targeted with 'violent, un-American threats to their lives and those who live with them.' Law enforcement and other authorities 'acted quickly to ensure the safety of those who were targeted,' she added. The F.B.I. said in a statement it was aware of the bomb threats and so-called swatting calls, which entail contacting law enforcement to falsely claim a dangerous person is at a particular address. Such calls are designed to create a frantic armed police response to frighten, harass and endanger someone at their home. Three people familiar with the threats ... said one of those targeted was Susie Wiles, Mr. Trump;s campaign manager who he has tapped to serve as the White House chief of staff.: Elise Stefanik, Lee Zeldin & Brooke Rollins also were targeted.

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Alexandra Hutzler of ABC News: "President Joe Biden on Tuesday celebrated the acceptance of a ceasefire deal brokered by the United States to end the 'devastating conflict' between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah after more than a year of fighting. Biden, in remarks delivered from the White House Rose Garden, said he had just spoken to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanon's caretaker prime minister Najib Mikati. 'Under the deal reached today, effective at 4 a.m. tomorrow local time, the fighting across the Lebanese-Israeli border will end. Will end. This is designed to be a permanent cessation of hostilities,' Biden said." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ The New York Times is liveblogging developments here. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

More on Israel's wars linked below.

Alice Ollstein of Politico: "The Trump transition has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Biden White House, incoming chief of staff Susie Wiles announced on Tuesday -- a move that clears the way for coordination with the federal agencies they will soon take over. The Trump team's unprecedented delay in signing these agreements, weeks after being declared the winner of the election, had alarmed former officials and ethics experts who warned it could lead to conflicts of interest and leave the new government unprepared to govern on day one. In the Tuesday announcement, Wiles suggested the Trump transition will not sign a separate agreement with the General Services Administration, which would have allowed them to receive federal funding, cybersecurity support and government office space, pledging instead to fund the transition with private dollars." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Whaddaya mean, "unprepared to govern on Day One"? Why, Trump is going to solve all the world's conflicts on Day One AND slap tariffs on every item being offloaded from every ship in every port in the U.S.A. AND start rounding up all the immigrants (except Elon) AND put all the Democrats & liberal reporters and other trouble-makers in jail. Oh, they'll be ready. ~~~

     ~~~ Michael Shear of the New York Times: "But Mr. Trump's team has so far refused to sign an agreement with the Justice Department to allow the F.B.I. to do security clearances for transition members. Without that, Biden administration officials will be unable to share classified information with many of Mr. Trump's transition aides.... [Since the Trump team also refused to sign an agreement with the G.S.A.,] White House officials said ... it would be more difficult to share information with them. Biden administration officials are being instructed to find alternate ways to share information that are still secure, officials said.... White House officials said that if [Trump's team did not sign the agreement with the Justice Department], classified information would not be shared with transition officials who do not already have security clearances."

Sheryl Stolberg of the New York Times: "... Donald J. Trump said on Tuesday evening that he had selected Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, a Stanford physician and economist whose authorship of an anti-lockdown treatise during the coronavirus pandemic made him a central figure in a bitter public health debate, to be the director of the National Institutes of Health.... Dr. Bhattacharya, who is not a practicing physician, has called for overhauling the N.I.H. and limiting the power of civil servants who, he believes, played too prominent a role in shaping federal policy during the pandemic.... Dr. Bhattacharya is one of three lead authors of the Great Barrington Declaration, a manifesto issued in 2020 that contended that the virus should be allowed to spread among young healthy people who were 'at minimal risk of death' and could thus develop natural immunity, while prevention efforts were targeted to older people and the vulnerable.... Dr. Bhattacharya and his fellow authors were promptly dismissed as cranks whose 'fringe' policy prescriptions would lead to millions of unnecessary deaths." ~~~

     ~~~ Erin Schumaker of Politico: "Bhattacharya, 56, has advocated for a major shakeup of the agency and accused former NIH leaders Francis Collins and Anthony Fauci of suppressing scientific debate and research during the pandemic. 'The rot, having accumulated over decades, was plain for all to see,' Bhattacharya wrote earlier this month on the British news and opinion site UnHerd, in an endorsement of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trump's pick for health and human services secretary."

     ~~~ Marie: Occasionally I wander from idly musing about the ways Trump is going to inconvenience me or substantially interfere with my life to wondering if he'll just kill me outright via a cockamamie scheme or edict one of his "health experts" unleashes.

Jonathan Swan, et al., of the New York Times: "... Donald J. Trump selected Kevin Hassett on Tuesday to be the director of the White House National Economic Council, giving an adviser who served as his top economist during his first term a leading role in steering his economic agenda. As the director of the N.E.C., Mr. Hassett will work closely with the Treasury secretary to push forward Mr. Trump's economic plans, focused on cutting taxes, increasing tariffs and expanding energy production....

"Mr. Trump also selected Jamieson Greer, a lawyer and former Trump official, to lead the Office of the United States Trade Representative. Mr. Greer is a partner in international trade at the law firm King & Spalding. During Mr. Trump's first term, he served as chief of staff to Robert E. Lighthizer, the trade representative at the time. He was involved in the Trump administration's trade negotiations with China, as well as the renegotiation of NAFTA with Canada and Mexico."

Jack Detsch of Politico: "... Donald Trump has selected businessman John Phelan as his nominee to lead the Navy, according to a statement released on Tuesday night.... Phelan, who leads the private investment firm Rugger Management..., was a major donor to the Trump campaign.... Trump chose Phelan, who did not serve in the military and does not have a long track record with the Navy, after a round of interviews at Mar-a-Lago on Monday, according to one person familiar with the matter...." MB: I have no idea what "does not have a long track record with the Navy" means. I would wager that the majority of Americans, myself included, would fit into the category of "person who does not have a long track record with the Navy." The Hill's report is here.

Team of Nitwits. Hannah Knowles, et al., of the Washington Post: In assembling the team for his second term as president*, Donald Trump is "enlisting people deeply critical of the agencies they will lead, bucking conservative orthodoxy with some of his picks and, above all, rewarding his most loyal allies.... The Cabinet is also mostly White.... 'What you see here is a wholesale contempt for government,' said Ty Cobb, a White House lawyer during Trump's first administration who has become a critic."

Ana Swanson of the New York Times: "Before Mr. Trump even sets foot in the Oval Office, his threat to put tariffs on America's three largest trading partners on his first day in office was reverberating around the world, shocking international businesses, rocking diplomatic relationships and calling into question two big trade deals that Mr. Trump negotiated during his first term. Mr. Trump's pronouncement late Monday that he would impose a 25 percent tariff on all goods from Canada and Mexico and a 10 percent tariff on products from China was immediately denounced by business groups.... Foreign officials rushed to reassure the incoming Trump administration that they had been working to stop drugs and migrants from coming into the United States -- while warning that they were also ready to turn around and impose their own tariffs on American exports....

"In a public letter on Tuesday, President Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico said her country had developed a comprehensive policy that had led to far fewer encounters at the U.S. border and said tariff threats would not solve the problem.... Ms. Sheinbaum also threatened to answer Mr. Trump's tariffs with levies on American products, even if that harmed automakers and other businesses that trade goods along both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border.... 'Rather than panicking, we're engaging in constructive ways to protect Canadian jobs like we have before,' [Canadian Prime Minister Justin] Trudeau said. 'The idea of going to war with the United States isn't what anyone wants.'"

     ~~~ An AP story on President Sheinbaum's reaction to Trump's threat is here. The Guardian's story on Canadian reactions is here. More on Trudeau's troubles linked below. ~~~

Noah Berlatsky of Public Notice: "Trump ... seems to surround himself with certain men because they mistreat women, not in spite of it. The contemporary GOP under Trump has defined itself as a party devoted to violence, harassment, and the denial of women's bodily autonomy. Abuse, harassment, and dismissing the testimony of women are central to the party's policies and to its ethics. Not only are Republicans unable to expel abusers, they actively empower them.... Public, sexualized attacks on women are central to MAGA politics. One of Trump's main accomplishments in his first term was appointing far right Supreme Court justices ... who destroyed women's right to abortion and bodily autonomy.... One of [those] Supreme Court picks, Brett Kavanaugh, was accused of sexual assault during his confirmation hearing. But instead of taking the claim seriously, Trump secretly blocked an FBI investigation into the charges, and Kavanaugh was confirmed by the Senate.... Following [Kamala] Harris's defeat, pro-Trump men began trolling women on social media with posts declaring, 'Your body, my choice.'... Make America Great Again always meant returning America to a time when rich white men had power to subjugate others with impunity." (Also linked yesterday.)

Trump Has Another NYT Meltdown. Dominick Mastrangelo of the Hill: "'Will the failing New York Times apologize to its readers for getting years of "Trump" coverage so wrong,' Trump wrote Tuesday morning on Truth Social. 'They write such phony "junk," knowing full well how incorrect it is, only meaning to demean.' He specifically called out national political correspondent Maggie Haberman as ... 'a third rate writer and fourth rate intellect, writes story after story, always terrible, and yet I almost never speak to her.' The president-elect's post came just hours after the Times published a story outlining an internal investigation his transition team had conducted around top Trump aide Boris Epshteyn, alleging he solicited payment from candidates for top Cabinet posts to curry favor with Trump." MB: Haberman co-wrote the Epshteyn story with Jonathan Swan. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Somebody should tell NYT publisher A.G. Sulzberger that unless the paper wants to publish only the sweetest, Trump-vetted puff pieces, Donald Trump will attack the Times. ~~~

~~~ Maggie Haberman & Jonathan Swan of the New York Times: "... Donald J. Trump has always demanded loyalty from his aides, but few have answered the call quite like Natalie Harp. A 33-year-old former far-right cable host, Ms. Harp is nearly always at Mr. Trump's side. She has written him a series of devotional letters, including one that said, 'You are all that matters to me.'... Little known beyond Mr. Trump's immediate orbit, Ms. Harp is now poised to play a potentially influential role in his White House, sitting right outside the Oval Office and acting as the conduit for a largely unsupervised flow of information to and from the president and helping him with his social media feed. She has no official title, but during the campaign, colleagues referred to her as the 'human printer' because she followed Mr. Trump around with a portable printer and a battery pack to charge it, so she could hand him information in hard copy, as he prefers.... One of her go-to news sources, people who have observed her say, is the website Gateway Pundit, which frequently disseminates conspiracy theories embraced by the far right.' ~~~

     ~~~ Travis Gettys of the Raw Story: "It's not clear what triggered Trump's rant in the early hours of Tuesday. He singled out reporter Maggie Haberman, whose name he misspelled intentionally and also seemingly unintentionally, but his Truth Social post came shortly after the newspaper published a report by her and colleague Jonathan Swan on a series of passionate letters from a much younger aide." ~~~

     ~~~ digby finds the Trump-Harp relationship, as described by Haberman & Swan, to be "a little weird.... He calls her 'sweetie' and treats her like his own daughter.... She goes with him everywhere and does everything he wants.... "'"I want to bring you joy," she wrote [to Trump in a letter Haberman & Swan have seen], "to feel like we can get through a day without ever having to talk 'work.'"' Oookay. That sounds perfectly innocent...." MB: Nothing weird about Trump's calling Harp "sweetie." She's one of the ubiquitous blonde aides, and Trump can't remember her real name.

BTW, in a Bluesky skeet RAS linked earlier Tuesday, Jon Wolfsthal, a security analyst who served in the Obama administration, wrote, "The push to fire Government workers is actually a scam designed to funnel even more money to government contractors and management consulting. The dirty secret of 'smaller government' is that it benefits management consulting firms. The works still has to get done, but with 40% overhead." So, graft on a grand scale. Just think of the vast opportunities for bribes and "favors" and insider trading and profiteering and and and. (Also linked yesterday.)

Rebecca Beitsch of the Hill: "The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday granted a request from special counsel Jack Smith to drop President-elect Trump's Florida documents case, ending the battle to charge him over retaining records with classified markings after leaving office. The order fulfills a request from Smith to end an appeal in the case as it relates to Trump though the case continues for his two co-defendants -- valet Walt Nauta and Mar-a-Lago property manager Carlos de Oliveira." This story does not report whether the case against Trump was dropped with prejudice or without prejudice. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: It is still not clear to me, after re-reading a later version of Beitsch's report as well as other reports, whether or not it is theoretically possible that a future AG could revive the documents case against Trump. Apparently Barbara McQuade, who understands this far better than I, thinks so: ~~~

     ~~~ Barbara McQuade, in an MSNBC opinion piece: "It may be that a future attorney general ... will lack the appetite to resuscitate the cases against Trump in 2029. But [Jack] Smith has done all he can to preserve that possibility."

~~~ Marie: Here's why not all Trumpbots are as stupid as we think: the story of the appeals court's dismissal of the classified docs case on something called "Fox Live" is headlined, "Trump Cleared." You and I know Trump was not "cleared," which according to Merriam-Webster (and common understanding) means, "to free from accusation or blame: exonerate, vindicate." Smith asked that the cases be dismissed because of DOJ protocols regarding prosecutions of sitting presidents*, not because he determined Trump was not guilty. If your sources of news were right-wing media, you might reasonably assume that poor ole Trump had been wrongly accused and Jack Smith was finally admitting it.

Devlin Barrett, et al., of the New York Times: "The legacy of [Jack] Smith's investigation [into Donald Trump's misdeeds] is shaping up to be a complex one. Legal experts give him credit for running a tightly disciplined investigation and amassing considerable evidence to back the charges he lodged. But legal battles that spun out of his prosecutions have left the Justice Department with what appear to be considerable new constraints on holding presidents accountable. And for all Mr. Smith's efforts to avoid having his work enmeshed in politics, Mr. Trump essentially put the voters between himself and federal prosecutors."

Tobi Raji of the Washington Post: "A Trump-appointed federal judge in Texas has rejected the state's long-shot attempt to temporarily block special counsel Jack Smith from destroying records related to his investigation into ... Donald Trump, calling the state's argument 'unserious.' Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) had asked U.S. District Judge Matthew J. Kacsmaryk to order Smith to preserve the records, including any communications Smith's office had with a 'range of outside parties' and information regarding the cellphones assigned to Smith's team, among other items, according to the complaint. Such requests can be a routine first step in congressional inquiries, law enforcement investigations and litigation. Three days after Trump was elected president, House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-Georgia) asked Smith's office to preserve all records of his classified documents and election interference probes, an early sign that they were planning to investigate his work. But Paxton does not have any clear jurisdiction to launch such an investigation." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Wow! Ken Paxton is too "unserious" even for every winger's favorite go-to judge Matthew Kacsmaryk.

Helene Cooper, et al., of the New York Times: "A Republican senator is blocking the promotion of Lt. Gen. Christopher T. Donahue, the commander of U.S. troops in the final days of the withdrawal from Afghanistan, in what could be the first salvo in a Trump administration war against America's generals. Senator Markwayne Mullin, Republican of Oklahoma, put a hold on General Donahue's promotion to four stars, or general, after his nomination was sent to the Armed Services Committee last week, officials said.... Trump transition officials have said they plan to go after generals in the Pentagon for a list of perceived crimes, including taking part in the Afghanistan evacuation and promoting diversity in the ranks....

"General Donahue was the last American service member to depart Afghanistan as Taliban fighters took control on Aug. 31, 2021. A decorated former Delta Force commander, Army Ranger and paratrooper with multiple tours in Afghanistan and Iraq, he was recently selected to lead the U.S. Army's Europe Command as the war in Ukraine heads into its fourth year.... General Donahue arrived at Kabul international airport on Aug. 18, three days after the Afghan capital fell to the Taliban. In front of him was an impossible puzzle: a sprawling airport besieged by desperate people trying to flee and not enough troops to carry out an orderly end to America's longest war. Days later, on Aug. 26, 2021, a suicide bombing at the airport's Abbey Gate killed 13 U.S. service members and scores of Afghan civilians. General Donahue was not responsible for that part of the airport when the attack occurred." (Also linked yesterday.)

Stefanos Chen & Olivia Bensimon of the New York Times: A hearing in a federal court in Manhattan on Monday, scheduled to "to discuss [Rudy Giuliani's] continuing failure to give up nearly $11 million worth of personal assets..., was the most contentious yet in the winding search for his personal assets.... But first, Judge Lewis Liman allowed Mr. Giuliani's lawyers to withdraw from the case." Giuliani's new lawyer said one reason he was requesting a delay in the case was that Giuliani wanted to attend Trump's inauguration. "The answer, Judge Liman said, was no." Oh, and one of the few items Rudy did turn over to the plaintiffs -- a vintage Mercedes supposedly once belonging to Lauren Bacall -- he surrendered without the keys and the title. So Shaye & Ruby can't even drive around in style. But his failure to do even the bare minimum required by the court didn't stop Rudy from yelling at the judge or from whining about how the women have tied up his last penny. This would be sad if Rudy didn't deserve every indignity imposed upon him. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ The NBC News story by Adam Reiss & Dareh Gregorian is here: "... Giuliani snapped: 'The implications you are making against me are wrong. I have no car, no credit card, no cash, everything I have is tied up. They have put stop orders on my business accounts, and I can't pay my bills.' The judge said Giuliani did not appear to be indigent and warned him against any further outbursts."

Adeel Hassan of the New York Times: "An animal-rights activist suspected in bombings at two locations in Northern California over two decades ago -- and who landed on the F.B.I.'s list of most-wanted terrorists -- was caught in Wales on Monday, the F.B.I. said on Tuesday. ThE activist, Daniel Andreas San Diego, 46, was sought in connection with the bombings of two San Francisco-area buildings that housed companies with ties to animal testing.... In January 2006, the F.B.I. offered a $250,000 reward for information leading directly to his arrest, and the agency put him on the list of most-wanted terrorists in 2009.... The F.B.I. said that it had coordinated with British authorities to arrest Mr. San Diego, but did not give ... details on how he was found, or whether the reward money would be shared."

~~~~~~~~~~

Texas. Caroline Kitchener of the Washington Post: "The Texas committee that examines all pregnancy-related deaths in the state will not review cases from 2022 and 2023, the first two years after Texas's near-total abortion ban took effect, leaving any potential deaths related to abortion bans during those years uninvestigated by the 23 ... specialists who make up the group. In a September meeting, leaders of the Texas Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Review Committee said the change was made to 'be more contemporary' -- allowing them to skip over a backlog of older cases.... But in interviews with The Washington Post, several members of the committee expressed concern that they would not be reviewing deaths that may have resulted from delays in care caused by Texas's abortion bans.... At least three women have died in Texas because of delays in care related to the abortion bans, according to reporting from ProPublica.... The abortion bans have restricted the ability of doctors and hospitals to provide critical care to women experiencing miscarriages or other pregnancy complications -- situations that would trigger a review by the committee if a woman died."

~~~~~~~~~~

Canada. Ian Austen of the New York Times: "Amid rapidly growing anxiety over the potential harms to Canada if ... Donald J. Trump fulfills his promise to impose heavy tariffs on the country, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Tuesday that he would seek a united political front at an emergency meeting the following day with all of his country's provincial and territorial leaders.... But Mr. Trudeau may not be able to muster as unified a response as he managed during the previous Trump administration. Most of the premiers are his political opponents, his Liberal federal government isn't polling well and he is vulnerable in the next federal election, which must be held within a year. In the aftermath of Mr. Trump's announcement, several premiers criticized Mr. Trudeau as much as they denounced Mr. Trump's plan."

Marie: You see why I want to move to Denmark? They are the only country on Earth to have a fart tax! ~~~

Denmark. Somini Sengupta of the New York Times: "... there are five times as many pigs and cows in Denmark as there are people. Nearly two-thirds of its land is taken up by farming. And agriculture is becoming its largest share of climate pollution.... So now, Denmark's unlikely coalition government, made up of three parties from across the political spectrum, has agreed to tax the planet-heating methane emissions that all those animals expel through their poop, farts and burps. The measure, under negotiation for years, was passed by the Danish Parliament this month, making it the only such climate levy on livestock in the world.... The tax is part of a larger package designed to clean up the country's agricultural pollution and eventually restore some farmland to its natural form, like peat lands, which are exceptionally good at locking away planet-heating gases underground but were drained decades ago to grow crops."

Israel/Palestine, et al.

The Washington Post's live updates of developments Wednesday in Israel's wars are here: "A U.S.-backed cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah came into effect at 4 a.m. local time Wednesday, halting the deadliest war in Lebanon in decades. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel could strike again if the Lebanese militant group violated the deal. Despite both sides warning displaced residents not to return to southern areas under Israeli evacuation orders, many people were seen flocking home in the south, causing traffic jams on highways. The deal is set to stop fighting for an initial 60-day window, during which all Israeli soldiers would withdraw as Lebanese forces take up their positions, a senior Biden administration official said. The agreement is intended as 'a permanent cessation of hostilities,' President Joe Biden said."

Johnatan Reiss of the New York Times: "An independent commission, founded by survivors of the [Hamas-led October 7, 2023,] raid and relatives of Israelis who were killed and kidnapped..., releas[ed] a scathing report that blamed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and top military commanders for years of faulty decisions that made Israel more vulnerable to invasion. Based on three months of interviews and public hearings, the commission's report criticized the government's decision to funnel money to Hamas.... The commission ... condemned Mr. Netanyahu for sidelining high-level decision-making forums that might have stirred greater internal debate about the wisdom of such a policy. The commission also criticized top generals for reducing the number of troops stationed along Israel's border with Gaza, allowing loose discipline among the soldiers who remained, and prioritizing signal intelligence over human and visual monitoring of the Palestinian enclave."

News Lede

New York Times: "When a pilot on an animal-rescue mission died in a plane crash in upstate New York, a dog he was transporting also died, officials said. But two others survived, including one that was found in a snowy hole he had dug with broken legs. The pilot, Seuk Kim, 49, was traveling to Albany with three dogs from Maryland when he crashed on Sunday in Windham, N.Y., about 35 miles from Albany in the Catskill Mountains, according to the authorities.... Rescuers ... found ... Pluto, an 18-month-old Yorkshire terrier mix..., on a mountain ridge with minor injuries. Whiskey, a Labrador retriever mix, was found in the hole he had dug despite being injured. Whiskey was taken to an animal hospital for treatment."