;)
March 19, 2023
Afternoon Update:
Andrew Sorkin, et al., of the New York Times: "UBS has agreed to buy Credit Suisse, its beleaguered rival, the Swiss government said on Sunday, in a hastily arranged deal meant to shore up the global financial sector after a week of turmoil. Swiss government leaders and regulators said that the deal was the most effective way of reassuring investors after Credit Suisse's shares tumbled following the implosion of Silicon Valley Bank earlier this month.... Credit Suisse's troubles were largely of its own making, tied to years of scandals and financial missteps that have cost it billions of dollars in trading losses and legal fines."
The Fed Repeatedly Warned SVB It Had Serious Weaknesses. Jeanna Smialek of the New York Times: "Silicon Valley Bank's risky practices were on the Federal Reserve's radar for more than a year -- an awareness that proved insufficient to stop the bank's demise. The Fed repeatedly warned the bank that it had problems, according to a person familiar with the matter. In 2021, a Fed review of the growing bank found serious weaknesses in how it was handling key risks. Supervisors at the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, which oversaw Silicon Valley Bank, issued six citations. Those warnings, known as 'matters requiring attention' and 'matters requiring immediate attention,' flagged that the firm was doing a bad job of ensuring that it would have enough easy-to-tap cash on hand in the event of trouble. But the bank did not fix its vulnerabilities. By July 2022, Silicon Valley Bank was in a full supervisory review -- getting a more careful look -- and was ultimately rated deficient for governance and controls. It was placed under a set of restrictions that prevented it from growing through acquisitions.... It became clear to the Fed that the firm was using bad models to determine how its business would fare as the central bank raised rates.... By early 2023..., [a Fed] checkup identified additional deficiencies -- but at that point, the bank's days were numbered."
Ken Meyer of Mediaite: "Former Vice President Mike Pence faced an intense interview from ABC News's Jon Karl -- during which he was forced to directly respond to Donald Trump defending his supporters who wanted to hunt him down and execute him.... In one part of the conversation, Karl asked Pence about Trump attempting to blame him for the siege Trump's supporters launched on the U.S. Capitol.... [After Pence responded,] Karl followed up by rolling audio from an interview he conducted with Trump back in 2021 -- during which Trump defended the Capitol rioters chanting 'Hang Mike Pence' because the vice president refused Trump's unconstitutional demand that he overturn his 2020 election defeat.... [Pence responded,] '... There is no excuse for the violence that took place at the Capitol on January 6th, and I'll never diminish it as long as I live....'" Includes video of the interview.
Marie: Michael Cohen said on MSNBC that the Manhattan D.A.'s office has asked him to be available Monday to appear as a "rebuttal" witness before the grand jury. Cohen did not know (or did not reveal) any details, but MSNBC commentators have hypothesized that Trump's attorneys have brought a witness (or witnesses) before the grand jury to try to disprove some of the prosecutor's case. I'll put up a link to a print story if one becomes available. ~~~
~~~ Ah, the Explanation. Ben Protess, et al., of the New York Times: "A Manhattan grand jury that is expected to vote soon on whether to indict Donald J. Trump may hear testimony Monday attacking the prosecution's star witness, according to people with knowledge of the matter. The testimony would come from a lawyer, Robert J. Costello, who would appear at the request of Mr. Trump's lawyers, the people said. Mr. Costello was once a legal adviser to Michael D. Cohen, Mr. Trump's former fixer, who has been a key witness for the Manhattan district attorney's office. Mr. Costello and Mr. Cohen had a falling out, and Mr. Costello would appear solely to undermine Mr. Cohen's credibility, the people said.... Mr. Trump's lawyers have asked that Mr. Costello testify, but the final decision rests with the grand jury; it is unclear whether they have made a decision."
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** Kaitlan Collins of CNN: "... Donald Trump said Saturday [in an Untruth Social post that] he expects to be arrested in connection with the investigation by the Manhattan District Attorney next week and called for protests as a result. In a social media post on Saturday, Trump, referring to himself, said the 'leading Republican candidate and former president of the United States will be arrested on Tuesday of next week.... Protest, take our nation back,' he wrote.... Trump's US Secret Service detail would deliver him to the Manhattan district attorney's office for fingerprinting and then taking mugshots in offices of the district attorney's detective squad. As is customary in cases where a defendant is allowed to voluntarily surrender, after arrest processing, the former president would be brought directly to an arraignment before a judge where he would likely be released on his own recognizance.... Another witness is expected to testify Monday before the grand jury investigating the hush money payments, according to a source familiar with the investigation. It is not clear whether this would be the final witness before it votes on a possible indictment." This was a developing story at 9 am ET Saturday, and I have quoted a few parts of the story added later Saturday. ~~~
~~~ Marie: As usual, Trump behaves in a dangerous & completely irresponsible. As Rep. Maxine Waters said on MSNBC Saturday morning, "it's almost as if he is organizing domestic terrorists to protest his arrest." Andrew Weissmann, also appearing on MSNBC a few minutes later, noted that Trump did not urge his fans to protest "peacefully" and that the "take out nation back" language is particularly provocative. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ According to MSNBC, the Manhattan D.A.'s office or other officials have not formally notified Trump of his impending arrest, and Trump has made his remarks based on leaks (or as Trump put it, "ILLEGAL LEAKS") & public reporting. Garrett Haake of NBC News says Trump is trying to scoop his own arrest. ~~~
~~~ Maggie Haberman, et al., of the New York Times: “Mr. Trump made the declaration on Truth Social at 7:26. a.m., in a post written in all capital letters.... There was no immediate indication as to why the former president appeared confident that he would be arrested Tuesday. People with knowledge of the matter have said that at least one more witness is expected to testify in front of the grand jury.... Three people close to Mr. Trump said that the former president's team had no specific knowledge about when an indictment might come or when an arrest could be anticipated. One of those people ... said that Mr. Trump's advisers' best guess was that it could happen around Tuesday, and that someone may have relayed that to him, but that they also had made clear to one another that they didn't know a specific time frame.... Mr. Trump's post urging his supporters to 'PROTEST, TAKE OUR NATION BACK!' carried unmistakable echoes of the incendiary messages he posted online in the weeks before the attack on the Capitol." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ Erica Orden of Politico: "Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg offered a private retort to Donald Trump's message Saturday urging supporters to protest his expected indictment, telling office employees in an email that 'we do not tolerate attempts to intimidate our office or threaten the rule of law in New York.'... In his email, Bragg didn't identify Trump by name, referring only to the 'public comments surrounding an ongoing investigation by this office.'" ~~~
~~~ Josh Dawsey, et al., of the Washington Post: Donald Trump's "language [in his Untruth Social text], along with a fundraising pitch sent out by his 2024 presidential campaign, echoed rhetoric that Trump used in advance of the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.... 'MANHATTAN D.A. COULD BE CLOSE TO CHARGING TRUMP,' one pitch Saturday morning read. 'Patriot -- With the Deep State gunning for President Trump with phony witch hunts like never before, we had to be sure you saw the *private and secure* message he wrote for YOU....' Secret Service officials were caught by surprise Saturday morning by Trump's post predicting a Tuesday arrest.... Trump wrote a second post on Truth Social later in the day calling on his supporters to 'PROTEST, PROTEST, PROTEST' in what appeared to be complaints about the Biden presidency. The Secret Service officials also expect that the district attorney's office would negotiate terms under which Trump could voluntarily turn himself in. The lawyers have provided no such notification.... Trump also wants to force Republicans to defend him against the investigation publicly.... A Trump-aligned PAC, MAGA Inc., sent a news release tracking which of Trump's fellow 2024 GOP presidential hopefuls had come to his defense and which had not." ~~~
~~~ Marie: The WashPo report makes clear that Trump made up the Tuesday arrest date (which is not to say it couldn't happen on or about Tuesday), and his posts were designed to rile his base into another revolutionary fervor and to fundraise. The fact that the grand jury still has at least one more witness to hear Monday means that they almost certainly have not yet formally recommended charges. ~~~
~~~ Scoop! Marie: I don't know how he did it, but Akhilleus has managed to come up with Donald Trump's prepared statement, to be delivered from a Manhattan jail. The text appears at the top of today's Comments, along with a parallel excerpt from Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Letter from Birmingham Jail. ~~~
~~~ The Chickens Come Home to Root (for Trump). Guardian & Agencies: "Top Republicans, including some of Donald Trump's potential rivals for the party's 2024 presidential nomination, rushed to his defence after the former president said he expected to be arrested next week." ~~~
~~~ Marie: Why isn't it obvious to everyone that a person who can't stand up to Trump can't stand up to Putin, Xi and other anti-American leaders? Would this be so hard?: "President* Trump believes he will be indicted in New York City. In our great American justice system, everyone is presumed innocent until proven guilty. That is, of course, my presumption, too. President Trump, like all American citizens, will get his day in court." But none of Trump's potential rivals for the presidency* has the guts to put out even a mealy-mouthed statement like that.
~~~ Minnyvonne Burke & Julie Tsirkin of NBC News: "House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., and several MAGA Republicans rallied around Donald Trump on Saturday ahead of the former president's possible indictment by a Manhattan grand jury.... 'Here we go again -- an outrageous abuse of power by a radical DA who lets violent criminals walk as he pursues political vengeance against President Trump,' McCarthy wrote in a tweet. 'I'm directing relevant committees to immediately investigate if federal funds are being used to subvert our democracy by interfering in elections with politically motivated prosecutions,' McCarthy added." MB: You know, Kevin, that sounds to me an awful lot like jury tampering, jury-pool tampering and attempting to impede the course of justice. But I'm not a lawyer. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
Gerrit DeVynck, et al., of the Washington Post (March 17): "Donald Trump posted on Facebook and YouTube on Friday for the first time since the platforms had suspended him following the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol -- and just hours after YouTube lifted the suspension. 'I'M BACK!' the former president announced on both platforms, accompanied by a video clip from CNN from when he was elected president.... YouTube said in a tweet it had 'carefully evaluated the continued risk of real-world violence while balancing the chance for voters to hear equally from major national candidates in the run up to an election.'" MB: YouTube's statement is particularly ironic -- and shortsighted -- in light of the "risk of real-world violence" Trump generated only hours later.
Spencer Hsu, et al., of the Washington Post: Washington, D.C.'s "federal court system is bracing for many years more of trials stemming from the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol, with new charges possible against as many as 1,000 more people.... 'It's an enormous, enormous case and, by almost any measure, the largest case the Justice Department has ever had,' said Randall Eliason, a former federal prosecutor.... Eliason said that while the riot cases may be about halfway over, there are indications some of the other branches of the investigation -- like the false electors scheme or efforts to use Justice Department officials to undo the election results -- appear to be further along, because the witnesses now being subpoenaed include some of the most thorny legal matters and the people closest to ... Donald Trump." ~~~
~~~ Marie: Too bad the rubes don't recognize the high cost of investigating, charging, trying, sentencing & jailing the January 6 "patriots," another legacy of Trump's presidency*.
Devlin Barrett & Julian Mark of the Washington Post (March 17): "The Justice Department and FBI have been investigating the company that owns TikTok, the popular video application that is coming under increasing criticism from the U.S. government, according to people familiar with the matter. At issue is whether ByteDance, TikTok's Chinese parent company, may have violated any laws by inappropriately gathering the data of some of its users, including journalists who cover technology companies.... It was not clear what potential federal crimes were at issue, but the Justice Department's fraud section is involved in the investigation...."
Elizabeth Williamson & Emily Steel New York Times: "The Infowars conspiracy broadcaster Alex Jones, who faces more than $1.4 billion in legal damages for defaming the families of the Sandy Hook shooting victims, has devised a new way to taunt them: wriggling out of paying them the money they are owed. Mr. Jones, who has an estimated net worth as high as $270 million, declared both business and personal bankruptcy last year as the families won historic verdicts in two lawsuits over his lies about the 2012 shooting that killed 20 first graders and six educators.... A New York Times review of financial documents and court records filed over the past year found that Mr. Jones has transferred millions of dollars in property, cash and business deals to family and friends, including to a new company run by his former personal trainer, all potentially out of reach of creditors. He has also spent heavily on luxuries.... 'If anybody thinks they're shutting me down, they're mistaken,' Mr. Jones said on his new podcast last month.... Mr. Jones's continued obfuscation about his net worth has given him leverage over the families, who are also fighting an American bankruptcy system that makes the survival of businesses a priority and has so far given Mr. Jones an advantage in court."
The October Surprise. Peter Baker of the New York Times on how, in 1980, former Texas Gov. John Connolly (R) went on a mission to the Middle East to sabotage President Jimmy Carter's re-election. Ben Barnes, then a prominent young Texas Democratic politician, accompanied Connolly & now tells all. "Mr. Connally, he said, took him to one Middle Eastern capital after another that summer, meeting with a host of regional leaders to deliver a blunt message to be passed to Iran: Don't release the hostages before the election. [Ronald] Reagan will win and give you a better deal. Then shortly after returning home, Mr. Barnes said, Mr. Connally reported to William J. Casey, the chairman of Mr. Reagan's campaign and later director of the Central Intelligence Agency, briefing him about the trip in an airport lounge. Mr. Carter's camp has long suspected that Mr. Casey or someone else in Mr Reagan's orbit sought to secretly torpedo efforts to liberate the hostages before the election, and books have been written on what came to be called the October surprise."
Way Beyond the Beltway
Ukraine, et al.
The Washington Post's live briefing of developments Sunday in Russia's war on Ukraine is here: "Russian forces sent 16 Iranian-made Shahed drones to attack Ukrainian facilities around Kyiv and western parts of the country overnight on Saturday, according to Ukrainian air force spokesman Yuriy Ihnat. Ukrainian forces struck down 11 of the 16 drones, he added, despite poor nighttime visibility.... A Black Sea grain deal between Russia and Ukraine was extended on Saturday, although the two parties gave differing accounts for how long it would last: 60 or 120 days, respectively." ~~~
~~~ The Guardian's live updates for Sunday are here. The Guardian's summary report is here.
Putin Thumbs His Nose at the ICC. AP: "Russian President Vladimir Putin traveled to Crimea to mark the ninth anniversary of the Black Sea peninsula's annexation from Ukraine on Saturday, the day after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for the Russian leader accusing him of war crimes. Putin visited an art school and a children's center that are part of a project to develop a historical park on the site of an ancient Greek colony, Russian state news agencies said. The ICC accused him Friday of bearing personal responsibility for the abductions of children from Ukraine during Russia's full-scale invasion of the neighboring country that started almost 13 months ago." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~
~~~ Update. Andrés Martínez & Ivan Nechepurenko New York Times: "resident Vladimir V. Putin of Russia traveled to Mariupol, a Ukrainian city his forces captured after a devastating siege, in a defiant and highly symbolic move that came two days after an international court issued a warrant for his arrest.... It was Mr. Putin's second unannounced trip of the weekend to Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine, and the closest the Russian leader has been to the front lines since the full-scale invasion last February. His trip on Saturday to Crimea was timed to coincide with the ninth anniversary of Russia's illegal annexation of the peninsula."
Francesca Ebel of the Washington Post: "... a flood of new videos ... have surfaced since mid-February, in which recent Russian conscripts have complained about how they are being sent to fight and die on the front lines in Ukraine, using phrases such as 'criminal orders' and 'senseless assaults.' One Russian media outlet, Vyorstka, calculated that in one month, recruits from at least 16 regions across Russia have appeared in videos appealing for Putin's intervention. Scores of conscripts say they are being forced to storm Ukrainian positions as part of Russia's eastern offensive, without sufficient training, ammunition or weapons.... The flurry of videos signals that the problems that plagued Russia&'s invasion throughout its first year are far from resolved, and they offer further evidence that Moscow is relying on a grim tactic of sending waves of soldiers to certain death to soften up Ukrainian positions, ahead of sending in elite, experienced fighters to then gain ground."
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Letter from a Birmingham Jail
“Just as Socrates felt that it was necessary to create a tension in the mind so that individuals could rise from the bondage of myths and half-truths to the unfettered realm of creative analysis and objective appraisal, so must we see the need for nonviolent gadflies to create the kind of tension in society that will help men rise from the dark depths of prejudice and racism to majestic heights of understanding and brotherhood.”
Dr. Martin Luther King
Text message from a NYC processing room
“Just as I’ve always said, they’re all out to get us, but I’m the only one telling the truth. We need a violent mob to take back our country. Stand up for me and step on those bastards who arrested me. Minorities and liberals and Democrats hate all of us. Fuck brotherhood. Screw democracy. Let’s be more like Russia. Show up. Protest. Bring the guns. Do it for me. Me. ME! Will be wild!”
Donald J. Trump
They’re coming to take him away, haha…
You know how Fatty is now a recording artiste, having cut that record with all those murderous thugs who think reciting the Pledge of Allegiance and singing some ditty about blah, blah, blah makes them completely innocent (oh yeah, and send us money…)?
Wellll….Donaldovich Trumpskyev, that ‘merica hatin’ Rooskie lovin’ singing superstar has just recorded his latest hit, to be released as big bad meanie Alvin Bragg comes to take him away:
https://youtu.be/3Fn36l_z3WY
So sad…sounds like this time he’s blaming Melanie…
It's Deja Vu all over again. A look back to 6 January makes clear that Trumps "protests" really mean "revolts".
He's calling up his militia.
Re: Putin’s nose thumbing at the arrest warrant issued for him.
Well what else is he gonna do? And it’s unlikely that anyone is gonna knock on his door at the Kremlin, slap the bracelets on him and drag his horse riding ass off to the international hoosegow. But as a symbolic show of how Putin’s murderous actions are viewed by many other countries (not however in places given over to tyrannical authoritarianism, like China or Syria or Florida) it’s a welcome surprise, especially given how overly cautious many international organizations are about stepping into potentially sticky situations.
So of course Putin will be unapologetic and arrogant. In fact I’m surprised he didn’t make a big deal out of releasing pictures of him in the kitchen cooking a big pot of Ukrainian baby soup.
Symbols don’t always get it done, but they can be pretty powerful in their own right. Nathan Hale’s last words, uttered before he was hanged during a war the American colonists had no right to believe they had a chance of winning are still remembered today. The Fat Fascist might not be found guilty (or perp walked), but the indictment (first of several, I hope) of TFG is crazily symbolic of how the rule of law views the leader of the most unlawful, treasonous administration in US history.
On the other hand, Putin might be saying “Stupid westerners. What took you so long? I’ve been asshole whole life. Vladimir, he make Vory v zakone look like Girl Scouts selling cookies.
But that’s Putin. Trump, responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands, far more than Putin could ever aspire to, can only whine and say “Please help me! Attack my enemies for me. I’m a victim! Waaaah!”
Brave Sir Donald, as always.
Patti Reagan Davis observed the inauguration of Carter from the stage where it happened. She said at the time that Reagan held up the swearing-in until he got word that the hostages' plane had taken off from Iran so that Carter wouldn't get the credit. I'm sure her statements were brushed off, but she was there and saw it. I don't know if she recanted the statement, but I remember that she said it.
I gotta say kids, I’m not overly sanguine about this case in New York. I think if they were going to go this route, they should have done it a long time ago, just like Merrick Garland should have been after Trump for inciting his coup attempt two years ago.
I’m not saying the Fat Fascist shouldn’t be held accountable for his sliminess, but at best, this is pretty small beer compared to his many, many, many other crimes. And the real risk is that he might walk, allowing the traitors to trumpet the whole thing as overreach, a ginned up attempt to kneecap the glorious leader.
Even if he’s convicted, it will probably be for what really amounts to a misdemeanor. I know they got the murderer Al Capone for tax evasion, but he did real time. Fatty won’t spend a day in jail for this.
I think the situation in Georgia is far more compelling, and damaging, as is his theft and secreting of top secret documents.
My concern is that the Stormy Daniels thing could diminish these other far more serious crimes in the court of public opinion. Don’t forget, the Party of Traitors, because of their affinity for lying, their adeptness at manipulating conspiracy theories, and their complete lack of scruples, too often has the edge in manufacturing public opinion.
Alvin Bragg blew his shot at going after Trump when he first took over. Don’t know what prompted him to pick up that rusted baton long after he tossed it aside, but here’s hoping this baton doesn’t turn out to be an exploding cigar.
Trump deserves jail time, no question. What he doesn’t deserve is more ammunition to make himself look like the poor, innocent victim beset by horrible Democrats out to get him.
Just a thought.
@Akhilleus: I heard speculations pointing out that Bragg's reconvening of the grand jury coincided with the imminent release of the book by one of the investigators who had resigned and released a scathing letter about how Trump should be charged. The implications being that Bragg may not have wanted to look like he was doing nothing when details of what the investigation had uncovered came out.
@Akhilleus & @RAS: Another possibility, and one I'm hoping for, is that since he first put the case on ice, & as a result of the case he successfully brought against Trump Inc., Bragg got more information to support an underlying charge of financial fraud. That would bump the "falsifying business records" -- which is apparently what the Stormy Daniels payoff is based on -- up to a felony.
But I agree that the case is iffy, and even if Trump is convicted, a lot of people will say, "Yeah, so? Everybody knew he was a crook but millions voted for him anyway." And of course Trump and all his cronies -- as well as every-day Republicans -- will be crying about this being a political trial in a kangaroo court, blah, blah.
The most disappointing part to me is that Trump definitely will not get the full-perp treatment. I'll admit that if I were the D.A., I too would show him some extra courtesy, at least until he really pissed me off. But what fun it would have been to see Trump shuffling into the jail in cuffs and leg-irons! What a joy to see photos of him in a line-up! Five big fat guys with weird hair wearing frumpy blue suits and extra long red ties. (I mean, you have to make sure he's the guy, don't you? Would they call Stormy Daniels to ID him? Would she ask him to drop trou, just to make sure that was the same limp dick she remembered?) Can we at least see a mug shot in front of those black lines that indicate Trump is less than 6 feet tall? Let's hear the judge in Trump's arraignment hearing ream him out, collect his passport & fit him for an ankle bracelet. Oh, and tell him he can't post on any social media until his case is tried and decided.
Marie,
When I read last week that that fat fuck would get the same treatment as anyone else, including handcuffs, for a few wonderful seconds it felt like I had won a lottery prize, or at least scored great seats in the seventh game of the World Series at Fenway Park. But pretty quickly I realized that this asshole has gotten special treatment his whole life and that wouldn’t be changing.
I love the idea of a fat man, baggy suit lineup, but the drop trou portion of the look-see wouldn’t work. I don’t think they’d let Stormy in the room with a magnifying glass. Although they could get her a high powered telescopic sight for an appropriate ID of the aforementioned limp dick. “Number 4, could you hold that weird little thing out a bit farther? It’s practically invisible.”
Still, he’ll be printed and mug-shotted. Heh-heh. I wonder if they have a special kit for tiny hands…
Fleeting Expletive,
Reagan, for all his avuncular, jelly bean photo ops was a sneering, conniving sonovabitch. Prior to TFG and after Tricky Dick, he held the record for most number of administration flunkies indicted for crimes. How is it that R administrations tend to attract so many crooks, schemers, liars, and future jailbirds?