February 2, 2023

Afternoon Update:

Andrew Higgins of the New York Times: "David Pressman, a gay human rights lawyer, knew he was in for a rough time even before he arrived in Hungary with his husband and two children to take up a new job in September as the United States' ambassador to Europe's self-declared citadel of traditional Christian values and friend of the Kremlin.... The ambassador, whose predecessor, appointed by Donald J. Trump, delighted his hosts by praising Viktor Orban, Hungary's illiberal prime minister, has been savaged since his arrival -- along with the Biden administration -- by government-friendly media as a menace to Hungary, its people and their values.... More alarming than the personal attacks, Mr. Pressman said in a recent interview in Budapest, are what he sees as a broader assault on the United States in Hungarian media -- most of which is either directly controlled by the governing Fidesz party or through its business allies -- and a constant 'repurposing of Kremlin propaganda.'" ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I haven't realized quite how bad life in Hungary is now. And this puts a different light on the sexual assault case brought by an unnamed man against CPAC founder Matt Schlapp, who according to Politico, has "developed a cozy relationship with Orbán."

Nicholas Wu & Olivia Beavers of Politico: "After a flip-flop-filled struggle, the House GOP's whip operation passed its first major test: booting progressive Ilhan Omar from a prized committee spot. Republican leaders worked for more than a week to secure the votes to pass the resolution, which cited the Minnesota Democrat's past comments about Israel. A few GOP members had suggested they would oppose Omar's ouster due to bigger concerns -- namely, a desire to not go tit-for-tat with Democrats by using forcible committee removal against the opposing party -- but in the end, Republicans were almost wholly united, with Rep. Dave Joyce (R-Ohio) voting present."

Revenge of the Turtle. Alexander Bolton of the Hill: "Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has pulled Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), who tried to oust him as the Senate's top Republican in a bruising leadership race, off the powerful Commerce Committee. McConnell also removed Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), who supported Scott's bid to replace McConnell as leader, from the Commerce panel, which has broad jurisdiction over a swath of federal agencies. The GOP leader insisted last year that he didn't take the attempt to end his leadership reign personally, but the latest move sends a clear message to conservatives that challenging McConnell's leadership carries a cost."

Marie: Oh, Merrick Garland listens to me, after all: ~~~

~~~ Katherine Faulders, et al., of ABC News: "The Department of Justice is in contact with former Vice President Mike Pence's lawyers about scheduling a potential search of his home in Indiana, sources familiar with the matter told ABC News."

Carol Rosenberg of the New York Times: Belize "has taken in a former terrorist turned U.S. government informant whose tale of torture by the C.I.A. moved a military jury at Guantánamo Bay to urge the Pentagon to grant him leniency. U.S. forces released Majid Shoukat Khan, 42, to the custody of the authorities in Belize after a two-hour flight from the U.S. Navy base in Cuba. It was the first resettlement of a detainee since President Barack Obama's administration and culminated months of secret diplomacy.... From 2003 to 2006, he was held incommunicado in secret C.I.A. prisons overseas and kept in dungeonlike conditions that included beatings, nudity, brutal forced feedings, waterboarding and other physical and sexual abuse." The NBC News story is here.

This Is What Passes for a Moderate Republican. Stephen Neukam of the Hill: "Former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, a moderate Republican who has long been a critic of former President Trump, said he would support Trump if he is the GOP nominee for president in 2024. Hogan, who is mulling a White House bid of his own, has said he does not think Trump will be the party's nominee in 2024. But in an interview with conservative radio talk show host Hugh Hewitt on Thursday, Hogan reluctantly conceded that he would support whomever the GOP's choice for president is in 2024."

A horror movie starring Tucker Carlson, with other Fox hosts in supporting roles, & special Fox guest cameos. Thanks to RAS for the link:

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Monica Garrett of CNN: "Punxsutawney Phil -- the legendary groundhog weather watcher -- woke up and saw his shadow Thursday morning, calling for six more weeks of winter." MB: I guess Phil is right; it's going to be -13 degrees here tomorrow, first time this season the temp has dropped to below zero. ~~~

~~~ Scottie Andrew of CNN: "... the early seeds of the Groundhog Day we know today were planted thousands of years ago, according to Dan Yoder, a folklorist 'born and raised in the Groundhog Country of Central Pennsylvania' who penned the definitive history of the folk holiday turned national tradition. The holiday evolved over centuries as it was observed by different groups, from the Celts to Germans to the Pennsylvania Dutch and eventually, by those in other parts of the US. Its evolution began in the pre-Christian era of Western Europe, when the Celtic world was the predominant cultural force in the region. In the Celtic year, instead of solstices, there were four dates -- similar to the dates we use today to demarcate the seasons -- that were the 'turning points' of the year. One of them, per Yoder, was February 1. These turning point dates were so essential to Europeans at the time that they Christianized them when Western Europe widely adopted Christianity. While May 1 became May Day, and November 1 became All Saints' Day, the February 1 holiday was pushed to the following day -- and would eventually become Groundhog Day." Read on.

Jim Tankersley, et al., of the New York Times: "President Biden told Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Wednesday that there was room for discussion about addressing America's deficit, even as he insisted that Congress would have to pass a debt-limit increase with no strings attached to avoid a financial cataclysm. Mr. Biden and Mr. McCarthy met at the White House for more than an hour.... After the meeting, the White House said ... that ... the president did say he welcomes a 'separate discussion with congressional leaders about how to reduce the deficit and control the national debt while continuing to grow the economy,' according to a White House summary of the meeting." Politico's story is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: My Kevin spoke briefly to reporters after the meeting. He was -- and I'm not kidding -- more articulate than I've ever heard him, which is to say that he spoke off-the-cuff but in full, understandable sentences and clauses, albeit saying nothing. I really didn't think he could do that.

Zolan Kanno-Youngs of the New York Times: "The president and his chief of staff could not hold back their tears. In a ceremony that was by turns sentimental and surreal, the White House on Wednesday officially said farewell to President Biden's chief of staff, Ron Klain, who has been by Mr. Biden's side for more than three decades.... Mr. Klain broke some news on his way out: He pledged to be there again for a re-election campaign that Mr. Biden has not yet formally announced (but which the president has said he intends to do very soon). But mostly, Mr. Klain offered a small glimpse into the human side of the White House.... Mr. Klain had more access and insight into the president than nearly anyone in the White House.... Mr. Biden wiped tears from his own eyes after Mr. Klain, his rock of more than three decades, said he had learned 'about being a good father from Joe Biden.'... In the end, Mr. Klain turned away from the president and toward his family. 'For the next two years,' he said, 'every day it's my turn to walk the dog.'"

Glenn Thrush, et al., of the New York Times: "The F.B.I. is conducting a search of President Biden's vacation home in Rehoboth Beach, Del., the president's personal lawyer said on Wednesday morning, as investigators continue looking into his possession of classified documents. The search, like at least two others conducted at locations associated with Mr. Biden, was undertaken with the cooperation of the president and his legal team. It was not clear whether any documents were recovered at the beach house." CNN's report is here. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Say, why aren't FBI agents searching mike pence's home? Or are they? ~~~

     ~~~ Update. Kevin Liptak, et al., CNN: "The FBI completed a search of President Joe Biden's Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, home and no documents with classified markings were found, Biden's personal attorney said Wednesday. Bob Bauer, Biden's attorney, did say the FBI took with them handwritten notes and some materials for further review. The search took three-and-a-half hours. 'The DOJ's planned search of the President's Rehoboth residences, conducted in coordination and cooperation with the President's attorneys, has concluded,' Bauer said. 'The search was conducted from 8:30 AM to noon.... No documents with classified markings were found,' he said." (Also linked yesterday.)

Sui-Lee Wee of the New York Times: "The United States is increasing its military presence in the Philippines, both countries announced on Thursday, adding American access to four more bases and asserting the Southeast Asian nation's role as a key strategic partner for Washington in the event of a conflict with China over Taiwan. The agreement was announced as U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III was in the Philippines for a trip that began on Tuesday. The deal would allow Washington to position military equipment and rotate its troops through nine military bases controlled by the Philippines. It would mark the first time in 30 years that the United States had such a large military presence in the country." An AP story is here.

Nick Miroff of the Washington Post: "Tighter restrictions applied by the Biden administration against migrants from Venezuela, Cuba, Nicaragua and Haiti along the southern border last month led to a precipitous drop in the number of people from those countries crossing into the United States illegally, according to three administration officials and preliminary data. Illegal crossings by migrants from the four countries were down more than 95 percent, preliminary figures obtained by The Washington Post show. Overall, the number of migrants stopped along the Mexico border last month fell to about 150,000, down from the record-high 251,487 tallied in December, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection data and officials...."

Jeff Cox of CNBC: "The Federal Reserve on Wednesday raised its benchmark interest rate by a quarter percentage point and gave little indication that it is nearing the end of this hiking cycle. Aligning with market expectations, the rate-setting Federal Open Market Committee boosted the federal funds rate by 0.25 percentage point. That takes it to a target range of 4.5%-4.75%, the highest since October 2007. The move marked the eighth increase in a process that began in March 2022. By itself, the funds rate sets what banks charge each other for overnight borrowing, but it also spills through to many consumer debt products." (Also linked yesterday.) The New York Times report is here.

Ted and Dan's Excellent Can of Worms. Charlie Savage of the New York Times: "Two House Democrats [-- Ted Lieu of California and Dan Goldman of New York --] urged the Justice Department's independent inspector general on Wednesday to open an investigation into the special counsel review of the Russia inquiry, citing 'alarming' disclosures in a recent New York Times article. The article, which showed how the special counsel's review became roiled by disputes over prosecutorial ethics, 'reveals possible prosecutorial misconduct, abuse of power, ethical transgressions and a potential cover-up of an allegation of a financial crime committed by the former president,' the lawmakers wrote. In a four-page letter to the inspector general, Michael E. Horowitz, they asked that he scrutinize whether the special counsel, John H. Durham, or the attorney general who appointed him, William P. Barr, 'violated any laws, D.O.J. rules or practices, or canons of legal ethics.'"

Rebecca Shabad of NBC News: "A routine House committee meeting erupted into a heated, nearly hourlong debate Wednesday over the Pledge of Allegiance, with one Democratic lawmaker [David Cicilline, R.I.] saying that 'insurrectionists' who backed ... Donald Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election should be banner from leading it. The fiery back-and-forth took place in a House Judiciary Committee meeting where members set rules for the current Congress. It began after Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., offered an amendment that would give the committee the opportunity to begin each of its meetings with the Pledge of Allegiance.... 'This pledge is an affirmation of your defense of democracy and the Constitution,' Cicilline [said]. 'It's hard to take that claim seriously if in fact, an individual in any way supported an insurrection against the government.'... Other members joined the debate.... Ultimately, Cicilline's amendment was defeated in a 24-13 vote in the GOP-led committee. Gaetz's amendment, on the other hand, passed unanimously, 39-0." ~~~

~~~ MEANWHILE. Dareh Gregorian & Haley Talbot of NBC News: "The House Natural Resources Committee's first meeting of the year turned heated Wednesday when a Democratic member offered an amendment that would prohibit lawmakers from carrying guns in its hearing room. Rep. Jared Huffman, D-Calif., said he was proposing the 'sadly necessary' amendment because it's a 'major issue of safety for members of our committee.... Currently, under statute and Capitol Police Board regulation, members are supposed to have firearms only in their offices,' Huffman said.... Fellow committee member Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., who vowed in a viral 2020 video to carry a gun in the Capitol, decried Huffman's 'anti-member safety amendment' as a 'political stunt' before she unveiled an enlarged photo of him wearing a tinfoil hat.... [Other committee members taunted each other.] The Democratic amendment was defeated in a party-line vote."

Jacqueline Sweet of Politico: "FBI agents are investigating Rep. George Santos' role in an alleged GoFundMe scheme involving a disabled U.S. Navy veteran's dying service dog. Two agents contacted former service member Richard Osthoff Wednesday on behalf of the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Eastern District of New York, he told Politico." MB: Glad this is happening. Scamming kindly people in a ruse that uses a homeless veteran & his dying dog so you can buy yourself some crew-neck sweaters is mighty low. ~~~

~~~ Noah Lenard & David Corn of Mother Jones: "Last week, Mother Jones reported that more than a dozen top donors to Rep. George Santos' first congressional campaign did not appear to exist.... According to Santos' campaign filings with the Federal Election Commission, his recent campaign pulled in more than $45,000 from relatives who lived in Queens. This included a mail handler who gave more than $4,000, a painter who donated the maximum of $5,800, and a student who also contributed $5,800. One of Santos' relatives, who was recorded as giving $5,800, says that they did not make any donation to Santos.... [The relative said,] 'I'm dumbfounded.' The relative ... [said], 'I don't have that money to throw around!' The relative's account raises the possibility that money was improperly donated to Santos' most recent campaign." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: It's possible the donations Santos listed in his FEC reports never existed at all, and he just made it all up to make him appear to be a serious candidate with financial backing. But if there was money that came in and went out, where did it come from? Some of George Anthony's other scams? Where did it go? George's Cartier wristwatch?

More Than Anything Else, I'm Sorry for Myself. Kyle Cheney of Politico: "A Jan. 6 defendant who sprayed a chemical irritant at about 15 police officers -- and later bragged about it in a video interview -- was sentenced Wednesday to 68 months in prison. This is one of the stiffest Jan. 6 sentences handed down to date. Daniel Caldwell, a 51-year-old Marine Corps veteran, delivered a tearful apology in court to the officers he sprayed, expressing remorse for his actions that day and pleading with U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly for mercy.... Caldwell lamented that he'd likely miss the birth of his first grandchild.... He expressed regret that he'd miss his middle child’s military deployment and would be unable to be there for his aging father, who is battling cancer.... But Kollar-Kotelly repeatedly described Caldwell as an 'insurrectionist' and noted that his deployment of chemical spray at officers created such an intense cloud that it nearly broke the depleted police line by itself.... She said it was crucial for her sentence to 'fortify against the revolutionary fervor that you and others felt on Jan. 6 and may still feel today.'"

Kara Scannell of CNN: "A top executive of the Trump Organization is expected to appear Thursday before a Manhattan grand jury investigating ... Donald Trump's alleged role in a hush money payment scheme, people familiar with the matter said. The executive, Jeffrey McConney, the controller of the Trump Organization, is one of the highest-ranking financial officers at the company and has responsibility for its books and records. McConney's planned appearance comes as prosecutors with the Manhattan district attorney's office are accelerating their investigation into the hush money scheme to stop adult film star Stormy Daniels from going public about a past affair with Trump just before the 2016 presidential election. (Trump has denied the affair.)" (Also linked yesterday.)

Yes, Massah. College Board Bows to DeSantolini. Anemona Hartocolis & Eliza Fawcett of the New York Times: "After heavy criticism from Gov. Ron DeSantis, the College Board released on Wednesday an official curriculum for its new Advanced Placement course in African American Studies -- stripped of much of the subject matter that had angered the governor and other conservatives. The College Board purged the names of many Black writers and scholars associated with critical race theory, the queer experience and Black feminism. It ushered out some politically fraught topics, like Black Lives Matter, from the formal curriculum. And it added something new: 'Black conservatism' is now offered as an idea for a research project." (Also linked yesterday.)

Sarah Fitzpatrick & Dareh Gregorian of NBC News: "Lawyers for Hunter Biden sent letters Wednesday requesting investigations into allies of ... Donald Trump who they say trafficked in stolen information from his laptop -- a dramatic shift in strategy for the president's son after years of GOP attacks. Among the letters, which were obtained by NBC News, was one sent Wednesday asking the Justice Department's National Security Division for an investigation into 'individuals for whom there is considerable reason to believe violated various federal laws in accessing, copying, manipulating, and/or disseminating Mr. Biden's personal computer data,' including Rudy Giuliani.... Biden lawyers wrote a similar letter to the Delaware attorney general's office, requesting a probe into the same people, alleging they violated 'various Delaware laws' in accessing Biden's information from what Trump has called 'the laptop from hell.'... Biden's lawyers also sent a letter to Fox News host Tucker Carlson demanding a retraction of 'false and defamatory statements made by Mr. Carlson on his show' about Biden." The Washington Post's story, by Matt Viser, is here.

Marie's Sports Report. It's February 1, So Tom Brady Is Retiring Again. Mark Maske of the Washington Post: "Tom Brady, the legendary quarterback who established himself over more than two decades as the NFL's most prolific winner and arguably its greatest player, announced Wednesday that he is retiring. This time, he said, he will not change his mind. 'I'll get to the point right away: I'm retiring, for good,' Brady said in a 53-second video posted to social media. 'I know the process was a pretty big deal last time. So when I woke up this morning, I figured I'd just press record and let you guys know first. So I won't be long-winded. You only get one super-emotional retirement essay, and I used mine up last year.'" MB: At least he's quite gracious about it. He could have started an insurrection or something. (Also linked yesterday.)

Beyond the Beltway

Florida. DeSantolini Makes Another Directly Racist, Homophobic Move. Guardian & Agencies: "Florida governor Ron DeSantis announced plans this week to block state colleges from having programs on diversity, equity and inclusion, and critical race theory in his latest attack on Black and LGBTQ+ people in the public education system..... DeSantis pledged at a news conference that critical race theory and diversity, equity and inclusion programs, known as DEI, would get 'no funding, and that will wither on the vine'. DeSantis has pursued an aggressive series of policies to block teaching or discussion about America's racist past and present, making a name for himself in a national Republican party still defined by the legacy of Donald Trump, who famously mobilized white voters' racism and resentment of attempts to change the nation's racial hierarchy into a winning bid for the White House."; ~~~

Nevada. Lizzie Johnson of the Washington Post: "Authorities had long suspected [attorney Matthew] Beasley of running a massive Ponzi scheme with his business partner, Jeffrey Judd, that mainly targeted Mormons.... The investment was pitched as a nearly risk-free opportunity to earn annual returns of 50 percent by lending money to slip-and-fall victims awaiting checks after the settlement of their lawsuits.... Beasley, who repeatedly acknowledged that he was running a Ponzi scheme during [a] confrontation with the FBI, and Judd, who has denied knowingly defrauding anyone, amassed a fortune. [The FBI also raised Judd's home.]... As cash flowed into Beasley's attorney trust account, he told the FBI, he used it to pay his gambling debts. In all, SEC forensic accounting would show that Beasley sent more than $6.7 million to his bookie.... He maintained to the FBI that Judd didn't know it was a Ponzi scheme. In an April SEC complaint against Judd -- who received at least $315 million from the alleged scam -- the regulatory agency said that he either 'knew or was reckless in not knowing ... the business was a fraud.'"

New Jersey. Daniel Han of Politico: "A federal judge on Tuesday blocked a New Jersey law that allows the state Attorney General to sue the gun industry if it endangers public safety through its sales or marketing practices. U.S. District Judge Zahid Nisar Quraishi, an appointee of President Joe Biden, issued the preliminary injunction blocking enforcement of the law. In his 20-page opinion, Quraishi, sitting in Trenton, said the New Jersey law appeared to be at odds with the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act of 2005, a federal law that shields the gun industry from lawsuits when their products are used during the commission of a crime. The order comes one day after another federal judge blocked a separate New Jersey law that addressed restrictions on concealed carry in New Jersey. The law blocked Tuesday was the centerpiece of Gov. Phil Murphy's third package of gun control laws.... A spokesperson for Murphy said the governor was 'disappointed' by Tuesday's order, but is 'confident that this decision will be swiftly reversed on appeal.'"

New Jersey. Tracey Tully of the New York Times: "The police arrested a 26-year-old man on Wednesday and charged him with firebombing a large synagogue in Bloomfield, N.J., days after a Molotov cocktail was hurled at the building's glass door, federal officials said. Nicholas Malindretos, of Clifton, N.J., was spotted Sunday night in surveillance video footage wearing a ski mask and throwing the incendiary device toward the synagogue, Temple Ner Tamid, according to the United States Attorney's office. The bottle broke and did not penetrate the front door, which is coated in a shatterproof film."

New York. Ed Shanahan of the New York Times: "An upstate New York man pleaded guilty on Wednesday to threatening to harm Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene and to show her 'what violence truly is' in several phone messages left at her congressional office, federal prosecutors said. The man, Joseph F. Morelli, 51, of Endicott, N.Y., was indicted last April on three counts of transmitting interstate threatening communications after he left seven menacing messages for Ms. Greene, Republican of Georgia, at her Washington office over two days in March, according to court filings."

South Dakota. Amancai Biraben & Stephen Groves of the AP: "The South Dakota Senate on Wednesday censured and reinstated a Republican senator who was suspended last week amid allegations she harassed a legislative aide by telling the aide that she had harmed her child by getting him vaccinated. The Republican-controlled Senate overwhelmingly approved a report from an investigative committee that concluded Sen. Julie Frye-Mueller harassed a staff member of the Legislative Research Council, which assists lawmakers with drafting bills and research. The aide, who has not been publicly named, filed a complaint last week alleging that Frye-Mueller became aggressive when she asked about vaccines and told the aide her child could die from them or have health issues...." According to the aide, Frye-Mueller made some, well, sexually-suggestive remarks about breastfeeding, which the reporters relate. "The senator has sued the Senate's leadership in federal court, arguing that her suspension, which was made without first holding a hearing, violated her right to due process and free speech and her ability to represent her constituents."

Way Beyond

Australia. Annibelle Timsit & Bryan Pietsch of the Washington Post: "A tiny but dangerous radioactive capsule that sparked an urgent, days-long search after it went missing in Western Australia has been found, officials there said Wednesday.... Authorities said they did not believe anyone had come into contact with the capsule or been harmed by the toxic substance inside during the days it was lost in the remote Australian outback. The capsule -- which is less than a third of an inch long -- contains cesium-137, a radioactive material that the emergency services warned can 'cause radiation burns or radiation sickness.' 'This is an extraordinary result,' [Western Australia Emergency Services Minister Stephen] Dawson said, highlighting authorities' 'relentless search over the past six days' to find the capsule. 'The search group have quite literally found the needle in the haystack.'... Officials said they believe the capsule fell off the back of a truck while in transit. It was discovered Wednesday just 6½ feet from the northbound roadside edge of the Great Northern Highway...." CNN's report is here. (Also linked yesterday.)

Australia. Sorry, Charlie. Natasha Frost of the New York Times: "King Charles III will not succeed Queen Elizabeth II on Australia's 5-dollar bill, which will instead be redesigned to honor Indigenous Australians and their history. The decision, announced by the country's central bank on Thursday, rekindled debate about republicanism in Australia, with critics decrying it as 'woke nonsense' and others lauding the change. Although Australia is independent, it remains a constitutional monarchy with the British sovereign as its head of state." Politico's story is here. The Reserve Bank of Australia's press release is here.

Haiti. John Pacenti & Chris Cameron of the New York Times: "Chief suspects in the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse of Haiti made their first appearances in a federal courtroom in Miami on Wednesday, agreeing to detention as the government accused the men of a sprawling conspiracy to seize power." Prosecutors laid out the alleged plot to kill President Moïse.

Iran. Nilo Tabrizy, et al., of the Washington Post: "Four months into Iran's uprising, protesters are still in the streets. Authorities are still answering with violence and intimidation. Nowhere is this bloody stalemate more evident than in the southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchestan, which endured the single deadliest government crackdown on protesters in late September and is now the site of weekly demonstrations after Friday prayers.... Visual evidence shows with new clarity how security forces are operating in the region, as Iran's feared Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) works in tandem with riot police and plainclothes agents to violently suppress demonstrations -- carrying out arbitrary arrests, indiscriminate beatings and, in some cases, opening fire on civilians.... The majority of the population in the province is ethnic Baluch, a predominantly Sunni minority that has faced neglect and discrimination for decades at the hands of Tehran's theocratic Shiite government."

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

     ~~~ The Washington Post's live briefing for Thursday is here: "President Volodymyr Zelensky praised an ongoing anti-corruption drive as'movement toward justice' after Ukrainian authorities raided and searched multiple locations tied to incumbent and past members of government.... The push comes just days ahead of a scheduled summit in Kyiv between Ukraine and the European Union, during Ukraine's bid to become a full member of the bloc, which has set out anti-corruption efforts as a condition of joining. Ukrainian authorities raided and searched multiple locations on Wednesday, including the home of oligarch Ihor Kolomoisky and construction companies in Kyiv. Some senior government officials were removed, according to Zelensky.... The former head of procurement at the Ukrainian Defense Ministry was charged with embezzlement for allegedly buying nearly 3,000 bulletproof vests of inadequate quality for more than $2.7 million.... France is supplying Ukraine with air defense radar systems to track incoming missiles and drones in the area around Kyiv..... General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, the [U.S.] maker of armed drones, said it offered two of its training aircraft for sale for the symbolic price of $1."

Emily Rauhala of the Washington Post: "Ukrainian officials have a long list of requests for their European allies this week: fighter jets and other heavy weaponry to fend off a looming Russian offensive, E.U. membership within a few years, legal mechanisms to hold Russians to account, and a plan to use seized Russian assets for reconstruction. But a delegation of senior E.U. officials that arrived in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Thursday is unlikely to offer concrete promises on any of these.... The gap between Ukrainian hopes and E.U. capability will be on full display."

Comments

[Ken Winkes]

Since real Black history seems to make DeSantis uncomfortable, perhaps the College Board could offer Florida an AP course in Native American history specific to his state in lieu of the bowdlerized version of Black history he's insisted they provide.

Lots of material there for proud Floridians like DeSantis to mull over.

https://www.semtribe.com/stof/history/the-long-war

[Ken Winkes]

Forgot to say such a course should be catnip to Florida nativists.

[Akhilleus]

Runts and Stunts

Let’s do a little test, okay?

Alright. I’m gonna present two names. Without taking more than a couple of seconds, mentally jot down a word or two that pops into your mind describing these people.

Ready?

Matt Gaetz. Lauren Boebert.

Got it?

Did anyone come up with any of these words?

Gravitas, proficient, serious-minded, sober, intelligent, decent…

How about patriot?

No? None of the above? Well, of course. Yesterday, representing the American people in the serious business of running the country, these two mental midgets resorted to the only thing they know how to do well: Stunts.

Boebert, truly some kind of psychotic, attacked a legislator who proffered a bill that would ban weapons from hearing rooms. Screaming mimi Boebert called this entirely appropriate safety measure, given the fact that armed MAGA morons in the Capitol building don’t have the greatest track record, a “stunt”.

What was her response? An actual stunt. She held up a picture of the offending legislator wearing a tinfoil hat. Hohoho. How witty, how clever. Memo to moron, the tinfoil hat trope has been around for years and is most often used to describe right-wing idiots. But okay, I’m sure this stoopid stunt was a most convincing argument supporting her position. I’m guessing that Pericles, had he been as clever as BoBo, might have bagged his famous funeral oration and instead held up a picture of a Spartan general in a tinfoil hat. That’ll show ‘em, Perry!

And now we come to traitor, insurrection lover, sex trafficker (alleged) of underage girls, Matt Gaetz, who spent an hour screaming about how legislators need to say the Pledge of Allegiance five or six times a day. When it was pointed out to this mental runt that the Pledge is already taken at the beginning of each day, Gaetz erupted and tweeted that Democrats get heated when confronted with patriotism.

No, Matt. What gets Democrats heated is treason, traitors, and insurrectionists like you. Especially when assholes like yourself wrap themselves in the flag and try to proclaim their patriotism to be the bestest.

There’s nothing inherently wrong with the Pledge. As kids, we all said every morning in school. But in the hands of a creepy con man like Gaetz, it’s reduced to a shifty shibboleth.

Let’s be honest. Does saying words that don’t mean much to someone like Gaetz, except insofar as he can use them as part of yet another stunt pulled out to hide how abysmally inept and self-serving he is, make him more patriotic? I’m reminded of the Native American tribal chief who was thrown in jail for refusing to say the Pledge every morning. “I said it once” he told a judge. Now there’s a guy who understands what a pledge is.

Do you married RC’ers repeat your wedding vows every morning?

Look, words don’t mean Jack if actions don’t back them up. Dubya attended prayer meetings every day in his holier than holy Christianist White House. Did saying prayers keep him from killing tens of thousands of innocent men, women, and children?

Fatty took an oath to uphold the Constitution, a pledge he reneged on first chance he got.

Matt Gaetz, Super Patriot sez the Pledge fifteen times a day. How does that sit with his support for overturning the government?

Watch what I do, not what I say.

Otherwise we’re back to stunts by runts.

[RAS]

The woke virus

[unwashed]

Ya know, my wife turned me on to MB back years ago when MB still posted on the NYT, along with Kate M. and others, back in the days when Barbarosa and Marvin Schwalb were still active contributors. While my wife was never a contributor herself, she was a daily reader and acceptor of things that I and others posted. She joined Barbarosa and Marvin, etc., in the next dimension this past week. Thanks to Marie for bringing us all together.

[Ken Winkes]

Unwashed,

Have reported before I followed much the same path to RC that you did, first discovering RC in Marie's NYTimes' comments, and have been around long enough to lament the absence of those same lost voices.

Glad your wife caused you to join the party.

Please accept my condolences on your loss. And pleased that you feel close enough to the RC community to let us know.