The Ledes

Friday, October 11, 2024

Washington Post: “Floridians began returning to damaged and waterlogged homes on Thursday after Hurricane Milton carved a path of destruction and grief across the state, the second massive storm to strike Florida in as many weeks. At least 14 storm-related deaths were attributed to the hurricane, which made landfall south of Sarasota at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, officials said. Six of them were killed when two tornadoes touched down ahead of the storm in St. Lucie County on Florida’s central Atlantic coast. The deadly tornadoes, rising waters, torrential rain and punishing winds battered the state from coast to coast as Milton churned eastward before heading out to sea early Thursday.”

Washington Post: “Twelve people were rescued from an inactive Colorado gold mine after they were trapped 1,000 feet underground for about six hours following an elevator malfunction. One person was killed in the accident, which happened about 500 feet underground at the Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine near Cripple Creek, Colo., Teller County Sheriff Jason Mikesell said at a Thursday news conference. The site is a tourist attraction. Eleven other people aboard the elevator at the time, including two children, were rescued shortly after the mechanical malfunction, which Mikesell said 'created a severe danger for the participants.' He said four suffered minor injuries.... Twelve others in a separate group remained trapped in a mine shaft 1,000 feet underground for several hours after the incident, before they were rescued Thursday evening, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis said.”

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The Ledes

Thursday, October 10, 2024

CNBC: “The pace of price increases over the past year was higher than forecast in September while jobless claims posted an unexpected jump following Hurricane Helene and the Boeing strike, the Labor Department reported Thursday. The consumer price index, a broad gauge measuring the costs of goods and services across the U.S. economy, increased a seasonally adjusted 0.2% for the month, putting the annual inflation rate at 2.4%. Both readings were 0.1 percentage point above the Dow Jones consensus. The annual inflation rate was 0.1 percentage point lower than August and is the lowest since February 2021.”

The New York Times' live updates of Hurrucane Milton consequences Thursday are here: “Milton was still producing damaging hurricane-force winds and heavy rainfall to parts of East and Central Florida, forecasters said early Thursday, even as the powerful storm roared away from the Atlantic coast and left deaths and widespread damage across the state. Cities along Florida’s east coast are now facing flash flooding, damaging winds and storm surges. Some had already been battered by powerful tornadoes spun out by the storm before it made landfall on the Gulf Coast on Wednesday as a Category 3 hurricane. In [St. Lucie] county [Fort Pierce], several people in a retirement community were killed by a tornado, the police said.... More than three million customers were without power in Florida as of early Thursday.” ~~~

     ~~~ Here are the Weater Channel's live updates.

CNN: “The 2024 Nobel Prize in literature has been awarded to Han Kang, a South Korean author, for her 'intense poetic prose that confronts historical traumas and exposes the fragility of human life.' Han, 53, began her career with a group of poems in a South Korean magazine, before making her prose debut in 1995 with a short story collection. She later began writing longer prose works, most notably 'The Vegetarian,' one of her first books to be translated into English. The novel, which won the Man Booker International Prize in 2016, charts a young woman’s attempt to live a more 'plant-like' existence after suffering macabre nightmares about human cruelty. Han is the first South Korean author to win the literature prize, and just the 18th woman out of the 117 prizes awarded since 1901.” The New York Times story is here.

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Public Service Announcement

Washington Post: "Americans can again order free rapid coronavirus tests by mail, the Biden administration announced Thursday. People can request four free at-home tests per household through covidtests.gov. They will begin shipping Monday. The move comes ahead of an expected winter wave of coronavirus cases. The September revival of the free testing program is in line with the Biden administration’s strategy to respond to the coronavirus as part of a broader public health campaign to protect Americans from respiratory viruses, including influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), that surge every fall and winter. But free tests were not mailed during the summer wave, which wastewater surveillance data shows is now receding."

Washington Post: “Comedy news outlet the Onion — reinvigorated by new ownership over this year — is bringing back its once-popular video parodies of cable news. But this time, there’s someone with real news anchor experience in the chair. When the first episodes appear online Monday, former WAMU and MSNBC host Joshua Johnson will be the face of the resurrected 'Onion News Network.' Playing an ONN anchor character named Dwight Richmond, Johnson says he’s bringing a real anchor’s sense of clarity — and self-importance — to the job. 'If ONN is anything, it’s a news organization that is so unaware of its own ridiculousness that it has the confidence of a serial killer,' says Johnson, 44.” ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I'll be darned if I can figured out how to watch ONN. If anybody knows, do tell. Thanks.

Washington Post: “First came the surprising discovery that Earth’s atmosphere is leaking. But for roughly 60 years, the reason remained a mystery. Since the late 1960s, satellites over the poles detected an extremely fast flow of particles escaping into space — at speeds of 20 kilometers per second. Scientists suspected that gravity and the magnetic field alone could not fully explain the stream. There had to be another source creating this leaky faucet. It turns out the mysterious force is a previously undiscovered global electric field, a recent study found. The field is only about the strength of a watch battery — but it’s enough to thrust lighter ions from our atmosphere into space. It’s also generated unlike other electric fields on Earth. This newly discovered aspect of our planet provides clues about the evolution of our atmosphere, perhaps explaining why Earth is habitable. The electric field is 'an agent of chaos,' said Glyn Collinson, a NASA rocket scientist and lead author of the study. 'It undoes gravity.... Without it, Earth would be very different.'”

The New York Times lists Emmy winners. The AP has an overview story here.

New York Times: “Hvaldimir, a beluga whale who had captured the public’s imagination since 2019 after he was spotted wearing a harness seemingly designed for a camera, was found dead on Saturday in Norway, according to a nonprofit that worked to protect the whale.... [Hvaldimir] was wearing a harness that identified it as “equipment” from St. Petersburg. There also appeared to be a camera mount. Some wondered if the whale was on a Russian reconnaissance mission. Russia has never claimed ownership of the whale. If Hvaldimir was a spy, he was an exceptionally friendly one. The whale showed signs of domestication, and was comfortable around people. He remained in busier waters than are typical for belugas....” ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Oh, Lord, do not let Bobby Kennedy, Jr., near that carcass. ~~~

     ~~~ AP Update: “There’s no evidence that a well-known beluga whale that lived off Norway’s coast and whose harness ignited speculation it was a Russian spy was shot to death last month as claimed by animal rights groups, Norwegian police said Monday.... Police said that the Norwegian Veterinary Institute conducted a preliminary autopsy on the animal, which was become known as 'Hvaldimir,' combining the Norwegian word for whale — hval — and the first name of Russian President Vladimir Putin. 'There are no findings from the autopsy that indicate that Hvaldimir has been shot,' police said in a statement.”

New York Times: Botswana's “President Mokgweetsi Masisi grinned as he lifted the diamond, a 2,492-carat stone that is the biggest diamond unearthed in more than a century and the second-largest ever found, according to the Vancouver-based mining operator Lucara, which owns the mine where it was found. This exceptional discovery could bring back the luster of the natural diamond mining industry, mining companies and experts say. The diamond was discovered in the same relatively small mine in northeastern Botswana that has produced several of the largest such stones in living memory. Such gemstones typically surface as a result of volcanic activity.... The diamond will likely sell in the range of tens of millions of dollars....”

Click on photo to enlarge.

~~~ Guardian: "On a distant reef 16,000km from Paris, surfer Gabriel Medina has given Olympic viewers one of the most memorable images of the Games yet, with an airborne celebration so well poised it looked too good to be true. The Brazilian took off a thundering wave at Teahupo’o in Tahiti on Monday, emerging from a barrelling section before soaring into the air and appearing to settle on a Pacific cloud, pointing to the sky with biblical serenity, his movements mirrored precisely by his surfboard. The shot was taken by Agence France-Presse photographer Jérôme Brouillet, who said “the conditions were perfect, the waves were taller than we expected”. He took the photo while aboard a boat nearby, capturing the surreal image with such accuracy that at first some suspected Photoshop or AI." 

Washington Post: “'Mary Cassatt at Work' is a large and mostly satisfying exhibition devoted to the career of the great American artist beloved for her sensitive and often sentimental views of family life. The 'at work' in the title of the Philadelphia Museum of Art show references the curators’ interest in Cassatt’s pioneering effort to establish herself as a professional artist within a male-dominated field. Throughout the show, which includes some 130 paintings, pastels, prints and drawings, the wall text and the art on view stresses Cassatt’s fixation on art as a career rather than a pastime.... Mary Cassatt at Work is on view at the Philadelphia Museum of Art through Sept. 8. philamuseum.org”

New York Times: “Bob Newhart, who died on Thursday at the age of 94, has been such a beloved giant of popular culture for so long that it’s easy to forget how unlikely it was that he became one of the founding fathers of stand-up comedy. Before basically inventing the hit stand-up special, with the 1960 Grammy-winning album 'The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart' — that doesn’t even count his pay-per-view event broadcast on Canadian television that some cite as the first filmed special — he was a soft-spoken accountant who had never done a set in a nightclub. That he made a classic with so little preparation is one of the great miracles in the history of comedy.... Bob Newhart holds up. In fact, it’s hard to think of a stand-up from that era who is a better argument against the commonplace idea that comedy does not age well.”

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The Commentariat -- August 9, 2020

Afternoon Update:

Nicole Winfield & Lisa Pane of the AP: "With confirmed coronavirus cases in the U.S. hitting 5 million Sunday, by far the highest of any country, the failure of the most powerful nation in the world to contain the scourge has been met with astonishment and alarm in Europe.... Health officials believe the actual number is perhaps 10 times higher.... Much of the incredulity in Europe stems from the fact that America had the benefit of time, European experience and medical know-how to treat the virus that the continent itself didn't have when the first COVID-19 patients started filling intensive care units.... Mistakes were made in Europe, too, from delayed lockdowns to insufficient protections for nursing home elderly and critical shortages of tests and protective equipment for medical personnel."

This Is Not Believable. Karen DeYoung of the Washington Post (at 12:18 pm ET): "White House national security adviser Robert C. O'Brien said Sunday that Trump 'has told the Russians many, many times not to interfere' in U.S. elections, but he declined to specify the substance of those conversations or when they had taken place."

Ashley Parker of the Washington Post: "More than 3½ years into his presidency, Trump increasingly finds himself minimized and ignored -- as many of his more outlandish or false statements are briefly considered and then, just as quickly, dismissed. The slide into partial irrelevance could make it even more difficult for Trump as he seeks reelection as the nation's leader amid a pandemic and economic collapse.... Biden, meanwhile, has made a core theme of his campaign the argument that Trump's lack of credibility is eroding the presidency, as well as the relevancy of the United States on the world stage.... At times, Biden has tried ignoring Trump altogether -- or, when he does engage, doing so with a tone of exasperated mockery. 'I can't believe I have to say this, but please don't drink bleach,' Biden wrote on Twitter in April.... '[Trump's] problem is that there's also a collective shrug when he attacks Joe Biden,' [Biden's pollster John] Anzalone said. 'He attacks, attacks, attacks, but people don't believe his attacks. They kind of eye-roll and they shrug.'... A Republican Senate aide likened the president to a sleeping grizzly bear. 'If you woke up the grizzly bear, he could destroy anything -- but now he's just hibernating,'..."

Mario Nicholais of the Lincoln Project: "In fifteen years practicing election law, I have never seen anything as craven and shameful as the Kanye con job Donald Trump and his sycophants have attempted in Wisconsin. After combing through two challenges to Kanye West's nomination signatures at the behest of The Lincoln Project, I have come to two conclusions: not only should Kanye be kept off the ballot, but law enforcement should investigate and prosecute several individuals involved in the effort. Trump and his supporters have spent recent days attempting to place the music mogul on presidential ballots across the country. They believe that a black celebrity on the ballot will pull votes from Joe Biden, who enjoys overwhelming support from Black Americans, and help a flailing Trump campaign in November. Nevermind that West's family and friends issued a public plea for him to seek mental health help just two weeks ago. Nevermind that West cannot qualify for enough state ballots to actually win the presidency. Nevermind that the fundamental assumption -- that black voters will vote for a black man based solely on the color of his skin -- is a profoundly racist position."

~~~~~~~~~~

The Trumpidemic, Ctd.

The New York Times' live updates of coronavirus developments Saturday are here: "... the United States passed another milestone on Saturday: more than five million known coronavirus infections. No other country has reported as many cases.

"Hundreds of children in America, most of them previously healthy, have experienced an inflammatory syndrome associated with Covid-19, and most became so ill that they needed intensive care, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The syndrome, which can be deadly, has rattled parents and education officials as schools across the United States struggle with the prospect of reopening in the fall and the coronavirus continues its spread." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

CBS News: "Nearly 100,000 children tested positive for the coronavirus in the last two weeks of July, a new report from the American Academy of Pediatrics finds. Just over 97,000 children tested positive for the coronavirus from July 16 to July 30, according to the association."

The Autocrat Signs Fake "Bills." Jeff Stein, et al., of the Washington Post: "President Trump on Saturday attempted to bypass Congress and make dramatic changes to tax and spending policy, signing executive actions that challenge the boundaries of power that separate the White House and Capitol Hill. At a news event in Bedminster, N.J., Trump said the actions would provide economic relief to millions of Americans by deferring taxes and, he said, providing temporary unemployment benefits. The measures would attempt to wrest away some of Congress's most fundamental, constitutionally mandated powers -- tax and spending policy. Trump acknowledged that some of the actions could be challenged in court but indicated he would persevere. But there were instant questions about whether Trump's actions were as ironclad as he made them out to be. A leading national expert on unemployment benefits said one of the actions would not increase federal unemployment benefits at all. Instead, the expert said it would instead create a new program that could take 'months' to set up. And Trump's directive to halt evictions primarily calls for federal agencies to 'consider' if they should be stopped. Trump also mischaracterized the legal stature of the measures, referring to them as 'bills.' Congress writes and votes on bills, not the White House. The documents Trump signed on Saturday were a combination of memorandums and an executive order." ~~~

     ~~~ The lesson Trump missed in grade school and still can't get straight after three-and-a-half years on the job:

~~~ Maggie Haberman, et al., of the New York Times: "It was not clear what authority Mr. Trump had to act on his own on the measures or what immediate effect, if any, they would have, given that Congress controls federal spending. But his decision to sign the measures -- billed as a federal eviction ban, a payroll tax suspension, and relief for student borrowers and $400 a week for the unemployed -- reflected the failure of two weeks of talks between White House officials and top congressional Democrats to strike a deal on a broad relief plan as crucial benefits have expired with no resolution in sight.... Despite Mr. Trump's assertions on Saturday that his actions 'will take care of this entire situation,' the orders also leave a number of critical bipartisan funding proposals unaddressed, including providing assistance to small businesses, billions of dollars to schools ahead of the new school year, aid to states and cities and a second round of $1,200 stimulus checks to Americans.... A few dozen club guests were in attendance [at the signing], and the president appeared to revel in their laughter at his jokes denouncing his political rivals.... ... It was unclear whether the aid would even materialize if lawsuits are filed challenging their legality. Mr. Trump walked away from the lectern after just a few questions from reporters about his claim that he had the ability to circumvent Congress." ~~~

~~~ Trump Promises to Bankrupt Social Security, Medicare. Tony Romm of the Washington Post: "President Trump pledged on Saturday to pursue a permanent cut to the payroll taxes that fund Social Security and Medicare if he wins reelection in November, a hard-to-accomplish political gambit.... Trump unexpectedly promised the policy action as he signed a directive that aims to help cash-starved Americans amid the coronavirus pandemic. The order allows workers to postpone their payroll tax payments into next year but doesn't absolve their bills outright -- though the president said he would seek to waive what people owe if he prevails on Election Day. 'If I'm victorious on November 3rd, I plan to forgive these taxes and make permanent cuts to the payroll tax,' Trump said at a news conference in Bedminster, N.J. 'I'm going to make them all permanent.'... Major changes to the tax code fall entirely to Congress, so Trump alone cannot waive Americans' tax debts or enact permanent changes to tax law.&" ~~~

~~~ "The Most Obvious Cons in the World." Scott Lemieux in LG&$: "As anyone who has been paying the slightest bit of attention to America politics in the last 4 years knows, one of Donald Trump's favorite things is to announce a pending 'executive order' that will accomplish something, followed by the order either failing to materialize or not doing anything. Needless to say, his attempts to bypass Congress in the wake of Mitch McConnell's refusal to negotiate a COVID-19 relief plan are not an exception[.]... Trump is trolling, not offering actual relief measures. The [unemployment insurance] benefit memo, in particular, requires states to use money they don't have because Republicans strongly opposed providing aid during a recession and also involves the unconstitutional appropriation of funds. ('The states have the money. It's sitting there.') Similarly, the payroll tax memo involves usurping a congressional power in order to destroy Social Security and Medicare.... The problem is that, for every responsible report ... there are many more headlines that repeated Trump's 'offer' to extend UI as if it were an actual thing[.]... This is journalistic malpractice[.]... Mitch McConnell and most of the Republican Senate conference prefer trolling and gimmicky buck-passing to governing and much of the political press keeps falling for the most obvious cons in the world." ~~~

This defunds Medicare. This defunds Social Security. Tax collection is just deferred. You still owe these taxes next year. -- The Lincoln Project, in a tweet trying to explain Trumponomics to dummies

Daniel Dale of CNN: "... Donald Trump abruptly ended a Saturday news conference after a reporter challenged him on a lie about veterans health care he has told more than 150 times. Trump, speaking at his Bedminster, New Jersey, golf club, had claimed again that he is the one who got the Veterans Choice program passed -- adding, 'They've been trying to get that passed for decades and decades and decades and no president's ever been able to do it, and we got it done.' In fact, former President Barack Obama signed the Choice program into law in 2014. The law, which allowed eligible veterans to be covered by the government for care provided by doctors outside the VA system, was a bipartisan initiative spearheaded by two senators Trump has repeatedly criticized, Bernie Sanders of Vermont and the late John McCain of Arizona.... 'Why do you keep saying that you passed Veterans Choice?' CBS News White House correspondent Paula Reid asked Trump.... As Trump tried to call on another reporter instead, Reid continued, 'You said that you passed Veterans Choice. It was passed in 2014 ... it was a false statement, sir.' Trump paused, then responded: 'OK. Thank you very much, everybody.' He then walked away as the song 'YMCA played." Mrs. McC: "YMCA"? They shoulda played "Hey, Paula." ~~~

Georgia. Ty Tagami of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution: "The Paulding County high school that became infamous for hallways crowded with unmasked students reported a half-dozen students and three staffers in the school with COVID-19, the school district told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Saturday."

MEANWHILE. New Zealand Exceptionalism. Rebecca Falconer of Axios: "New Zealand has now gone 100 days with no detected community spread of COVID-19, the Ministry of Health confirmed in a statement.... New Zealanders are going to the polls on Sept. 19. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has been widely praised for her leadership that saw NZ lock down hard for several weeks before all domestic restrictions were lifted in June. She sees her government's response to and recovery from the coronavirus outbreak as key to her Labour Party being re-elected.... The border remains closed to non-residents and all newly returned Kiwis must undergo a two-week isolation program managed by the country's defense force, which sees all travelers tested three times before they leave. Police are stationed outside hotels where travelers are in quarantine. Officers have taken prosecutorial action against several returned travelers who've breached these rules by fleeing the facilities under the COVID-19 Public Health Response Act." ~~~

     ~~~ Mrs. Bea McCrabbie: Say, you know what country is New Zealand's largest trading partner? The very same country that Trump claims is responsible for the "China virus," the one whose residents he boasted he cut off from entry into the U.S., thereby savings tens of thousands of American lives.

Alan Yuhas of the New York Times writes a summary of Robert Draper's New York Times Magazine story on Trump & the Election 2020 intelligence document (also linked yesterday): "A little more than a year ago, American intelligence agencies drafted a classified document reporting that the Russian government favored President Trump in the 2020 presidential election, a finding that fit with their consensus that the Kremlin tried to help him in 2016. The director of national intelligence [Dan Coats] was asked to modify the assessment -- he did not -- and not long afterward, Mr. Trump declared the director was out. Soon after the new acting director arrived, an intelligence official changed the document, softening the claim that President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia wanted Mr. Trump to win, according to an article published on Saturday by The New York Times Magazine." Within months, Trump fired the new acting director Joseph Maguire because of truthful testimony one of Maguire's subordinates gave before a House committee.


"The White House Is Running So Smoothly." Ellen Nakashima, et al., of the Washington Post: "Last week, as leaders in Silicon Valley, China and Washington raced to seal the fate of one of the world's fastest-growing social media companies, a shouting match broke out in the Oval Office between two of President Trump's top advisers. In front of Trump, trade adviser Peter Navarro and other aides late last week, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin began arguing that the Chinese-owned video-sharing service TikTok should be sold to a U.S. company. Mnuchin had talked several times to Microsoft's senior leaders and was confident that he had rallied support within the administration for a sale to the tech giant on national security grounds. Navarro pushed back, demanding an outright ban of TikTok, while accusing Mnuchin of being soft on China, the people said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss private discussions freely.... The ensuing argument --; which was described by one of the people as a 'knockdown, drag-out' brawl -- was preceded by months of backroom dealings among investors, lobbyists and executives." The reporters go on to explain the the issues in the TikTok debate. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Literary Corner, Ha Ha. Alexandra Alter of the New York Times: "... Rick Gates, a high-level aide on Donald J. Trump's 2016 campaign, is preparing to tell his story in a memoir that will be published weeks before the 2020 election. Mr. Gates, who was sentenced to 45 days in jail for lying to investigators and for his role in a criminal financial scheme, is the latest former aide to join a parade of former Trump campaign and administration officials who have published memoirs. Given his proximity to President Trump's campaign, and the evidence he provided against two of Mr. Trump's closest advisers, his onetime campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, and his onetime campaign adviser, Roger J. Stone Jr., Mr. Gates's account is likely to generate interest across the political spectrum. The book, which Post Hill Press plans to release Oct. 13, is likely to arrive at the height of the 2020 election cycle. It comes on the heels of unflattering memoirs from John R. Bolton, the former national security adviser, and Mr. Trump's niece Mary L. Trump that are selling briskly despite efforts by the Trump administration and family to prevent their release."

All the Best People, Ctd. Mrs. McCrabbie: Here's something I missed about our new postmaster general Louis DeJoy -- the guy who is slowing down mail delivery & fired all the top USPS employees Friday: Jacob Bogage of the Washington Post (June 15, 2020): "DeJoy and his wife, Aldona Wos, the ambassador-nominee to Canada, have between $30.1 million and $75.3 million in assets in USPS competitors or contractors, according to Wos's financial disclosure paperwork filed with the Office of Government Ethics." Every single thing about the Trump administration is criminal. I'll bet even the paper clips were unlawfully purchased from Jared's Overpriced Office Supply.

Anthony Faiola of the Washington Post: "Two former members of U.S. Special Forces were sentenced to 20 years in prison by a Venezuelan court for taking part in a murky raid in May to oust President Nicolás Maduro, the country's attorney general announced on Twitter. In the only official statement on the previously unannounced trial, Tarek William Saab tweeted late Friday that Airan Berry, 42, and Luke Denman, 34, admitted 'to having committed the crimes of conspiracy, association, illicit trafficking of weapons of war and terrorism' in connection with the botched mission known as Operation Gideon. The State Department did not immediately respond to a request to comment.... The U.S. government has denied any involvement." Mrs. McC: Murky, indeed. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Presidential Race

Maureen Dowd recalls Geraldine Ferraro's experiences as a candidate for vice president in 1984. "We don't know whom Biden will choose but we do know the sort of hell she will endure at the hands of Team Trump." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Shooting Off His Mouth at a Gift Horse. Alex Isenstadt of Politico: "When ... Donald Trump connected by phone last week with Republican megadonor Sheldon Adelson -- perhaps the only person in the party who can cut a nine-figure check to aid his reelection -- the phone call unexpectedly turned contentious.... Trump brought the conversation around to the campaign and confronted Adelson about why he wasn't doing more to bolster his reelection, according to three people with direct knowledge of the call. One of the people said it was apparent the president had no idea how much Adelson, who's donated tens of millions of dollars to pro-Trump efforts over the years, had helped him. Adelson chose not to come back at Trump.... Adelson's allies say it's unclear whether the episode will dissuade the Las Vegas mogul -- long regarded as a financial linchpin for Trump's reelection -- from helping the president down the home stretch." ~~~

     ~~~ Mrs. McCrabbie: Too bad Donnie's grandpa died years before Donnie was born. Little Donnie could have sent gramps his version of the traditional children's birthday thank-you note: "Dear Grampy Fred: Got your $10 Dollar Bill. who are You kidding? You should have sent much more. you're pore Grand-Son Donnie"


Juliet Eilperin of the Washington Post writes a long piece (August 7) on the giant climate hot spot in Western Colorado, Eastern Utah & Southern Wyoming that is robbing the West of major water sources. Besides containing a map of the area, the article includes a climate change map for the entire lower 48 that maps how much the average temperature has risen between 1895 & 2019. Mrs. McC: This is pretty incontroveritble evidence of the effects of climate change right here at home, but because scientists compiled the data, I suppose Republicans will label the report a hoax perpetrated by the fake news Amazon/Washington Post. ~~~

~~~ Matthew Cappucci of the Washington Post: "July 2020 was record hot for much of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast.... The entire Lower 48 experienced temperatures near or above normal during July, the toasty temperatures becoming routine as human-induced climate change continues to take is toll. The month ranked as the 11th warmest on record overall, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Seven states -- Virginia (tie), Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania (tie), New Jersey, Connecticut (tie) and New Hampshire -- all clinched the top spot for their sweltering July heat. Records date back to 1895."

Comments Off

Reader Comments (18)

I know he didn't write the book, and I surely haven't read it, but from this distance (not nearly far enough), it would seem the "author" of "The Art of the Deal" is no deal maker at all. Perhaps he never has been. After all, we don't even have his word for it.

Since early in his term, with the exception of his embarrassingly empty meetings with Kim Jong Un, the Pretender doesn't even pretend to engage in negotiations--on anything. With other countries, with Democrats, with the entire Congress more generally.

He sends lackeys to deliver his messages (sometimes not even his; any message seems to do), then absents himself entirely from the process. If something results through the efforts of others (Robert Lighthizer's new NAFTA significantly improved by House Democrats) that he thinks he can package and sell as a good "deal" for the nation, he publicly pats himself on the back for his genius, no matter how poor that deal might be.

If nothing, which is most often the case, he finds someone of something to blame, drops the whole matter for weeks or months at a time (infrastructure) or provides a "solution" via photo op and fiat, a "solution" that often solves nothing or further confuses an already difficult issue.

What the last three and a half years have proved is that Mr. I-alone-can-fix it can fix nothing but something for himself, and that behind all that supposed fixing is the one good deal he made: being born to a half a billion dollars in a credulous nation, half of which still bases its sole measure of accomplishement on wealth.

It's old news constantly renewed, yesterday with these bills that aren't bills, are likely illegal, and even if acted on won't do much to meet the nation's profound economic problems, all appropriately announced at a Pretender retreat in front of another mini-rally attended by a handful of similarly privileged isnoranmuses.

And once again the nation gets nothing beyond the far less than epic and fundamentally sad spectacle of mutual back-slapping by a bunch of know-nothings with too much money.

August 9, 2020 | Unregistered CommenterKen Winkes

@Ken Winkes: Really well-put. I'm not a dealmaker myself, but I've been involved in enough transactions to know what a deal and a dealmaker look like. For one thing, parties don't refuse to show up for the negotiations meetings because they don't especially like their adversaries, which was apparently Trump's excuse for not showing up for negotiations to provide needed economic relief to millions of Americans.

For another thing, parties to the deal don't help themselves by standing on the sidelines throwing poop at the other side like gorillas in a zoo, which was Trump's tactic here.

And finally, your "back-up plan" isn't to try something illegal & unconstitutional, which -- as you put it much better -- is what Trump did yesterday.

Political scientists and historians will study this monstrous "presidency" for generations. It's doubtful, but maybe some politicians will learn from its lessons of what not to do, too.

August 9, 2020 | Unregistered CommenterMrs. Bea McCrabbie

Trump will keep on creating havoc, claiming his authoritative right, and worsening the social support millions of people need. What frustrates me that so many of his supporters are blind to seeing that what his tactics will do is hurt them the most.

Looking at the calendar the election day is coming upon us fast and "Please, God (and I'm not the religious sort) let him lose bigly." Though if my wish comes true, I'm already bracing myself for his last dump on America, the pardoning of everyone from Manafort to Flynn, etc.

Try to console myself with the thought that at least Trump will be gone. Monstrous presidency, indeed!

August 9, 2020 | Unregistered CommenterMAG

Here's a Lincoln Project ad: collect all the instances of female reporters' hectoring him to which he responds by walking out/halting presser.
I imagine that would be quite a display of his rage, arrogance and confusion.

August 9, 2020 | Unregistered CommenterNJC

MAG,

Not to add to your fears, but even if the Pretender is kicked out the door (may it happen!) and slips into history on the outgoing flood of muck from his term in office, his Democrat successors (who ain't perfect) will face the most immense challenge since FDR succeeded Hoover, then in a much less dividided country, because the remaining R's are sure to indulge in the same sabotage that Moscow Mitch practiced on Obama in his failed effort to make him a one term president.

We will still hear nothing but hate and get nothing but obstruction from them, whether they hold the Senate or not. They will do all they can to make things worse, not better; then blame Democrats for the mess they have deliberately created. In that sense, all Republican leaders are mini-Pretenders who like political John the Baptists preceded the Pretender himself and showed him how it's done.

Why? Because they hate it so much, that's all the current party of wreckers can do to and for the government that gets in the way of the plundering and rapine they live for and love.

August 9, 2020 | Unregistered CommenterKen Winkes

Headline at the top of NYT Online:

"Analysis: Trump's Go-It-Alone Stimulus Won't Do Much to Lift the Recovery"

They're STILL normalizing this insanity. "Won't Do Much"?????

Should be: Analysis: President* Continues to Sabotage the Country

August 9, 2020 | Unregistered CommenterNiskyGuy

Thoughts after reading Dowd: No doubt whomever Biden chooses for Vice will be pecked to death by the usual Duckies but broadly I don't think it will look the same or sound the same. In just four years women have made an impasse–-have proven their mettle in numerous spheres and raised their voices collectively and forcefully. Our female judges, governors, mayors, politicians, reporters, corporate heads, et al are doing extremely well and how many women ran for President? That was new.

Men like Chris Matthews coupled with all those sex harassment guys, have all shot their wad and have disappeared into the sunset. I think the tables have turned to such an extent that those that have not evolved, those who start to nitpick, will be shot down and pilloried and those include other women like Fox's friendly females.

Interesting to speculate that most people have mothers–-a female that nourishes and cares for you right from the beginning; school experience usually has more female teachers than male––at least in the early grades. The sense that women are caretakers––they literally feed us in all aspects. Men know the strength of women and that presents a problem for them. Perhaps some of them are still fighting mommy for not letting them run roughshod through the house.

If I'm wrong and we haven't evolved past the "Mad Men" syndrome then buy me one of those corsages to tie on my wrist so I can remind myself of my mistake.

August 9, 2020 | Unregistered CommenterPD Pepe

Here is an interesting story about evangelicals' support for DiJiT. It is really about Dutch protestant supporters in Iowa, which the author takes as representative of US "evangelicals." Perhaps too much synecdoche. (Pronounced "Yo sem ite")

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/09/us/evangelicals-trump-christianity.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage

All of the Iowans quoted in the piece are church going and were educated in their religion. Their primary objective in supporting DiJiT is that he promised them that Christianity will have power in the US if he is there to protect it.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/09/us/evangelicals-trump-christianity.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage

Their bibles may leave out the story of Jesus' temptation in the desert, when Satan offered Jesus the glory of the world (Luke 4:5-8)

"... And the devil took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, 6 and said to him, “To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. 7 If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” 8 And Jesus answered him, “It is written,

“‘You shall worship the Lord your God,
and him only shall you serve.’”

Just another example of how DiJiT, the devil, tricks his followers? These Iowa folk have come to value the promise of power in the world, as promised by DiJiT, more than their relationship with their saviour. And they are proud of it. Truly, biblically, sad.

August 9, 2020 | Unregistered CommenterPatrick

Early voting starts in 40 days in my home state of Virginia (thank you unified Democratic government!). I’ve already requested my absentee ballot and will return it via drop-off within days of when I get it. In VA they can process the ballots before Election Day, including running them through the scanner; just can’t tally the results until the polls close on Nov 3.

Have been writing postcards to voters in FL and NC encouraging them to Vote By Mail and would encourage all RCers to do the same. Google “Postcards to Voters” to find the various state campaigns. We must all do all that we can to get turnout up.

One more thing - if you can, please volunteer to work at your local polls on Election Day, or encourage your younger relatives to do so. We skew old, and so election boards are having a very hard time filling spots as experienced workers opt out this year. Even in a mostly vote-by-mail election, having enough poll workers is crucial to making things work.

August 9, 2020 | Unregistered CommenterRockyGirl

P.S. Related to above comment: I asked the question some time ago about why men had breasts–-I've wondered about that off and on but never delved into why. Here's the answer: we all start out as females!!

https://www.livescience.com/4971-men-breasts.html

August 9, 2020 | Unregistered CommenterPD Pepe

@Ken: "Just another example of how DiJiT, the devil, tricks his followers? These Iowa folk have come to value the promise of power in the world, as promised by DiJiT, more than their relationship with their saviour. And they are proud of it. Truly, biblically, sad."

Yes, I found it not only sad but yet another example of the kind of belief that becomes ingrained like an embedded tick that festers and poisons. Trump knows this kind of loyalty–-he's been promoting it for decades–-in that one area he's been successful–-he's got the nose for suckers–-there's a long, long list of them.

August 9, 2020 | Unregistered CommenterPD Pepe

Marie,

I wholeheartedly second your hope that future pols May learn from the disastrous current occupant what not to do.

But my sense is that they are learning exactly what to do. Those just a little smarter than Trump (IQ higher than pig iron, that is) are also learning how to do it: lie, cheat, steal, con, manipulate, divide, and declare that power in the hands of confederates is the only way to rule.

Here’s the problem. Governing is hard. Governing very well is extremely hard, especially when one side says ‘no’ to everything and works overtime to lie about you, your motives, your methods, and your morals. Hard work is not for Republicans. Hasn’t been for over a generation. Simple “solutions” are just their meat, even nonsensical ones, as long as you’ve got enough media lackeys to attack any who say so, you can continue to pour sugar in the gas tank of democracy and good government while lining your pockets.

Crime? More jails, longer sentences. Environmental disaster? All a lie. Poverty? Serves ‘em right. International difficulties? YOU ESS AY! YOU ESS AY! Unemployment? Reduce the minimum wage. Wal-Mart will hire 20% more poor people. Racial inequality? Hire white supremacists.

It’s EZ, right?

Trump HAS taught them something. Now someone like Tom Cotton will be right along to do it “better”.

Joe Biden, even after 8 years, will be lucky to clean up a fraction of the mess Fatty and the Party of Traitors has dumped on the country. In the meantime the new “census” will be in effect for the next ten years, and Third Reich judges will be holding court for decades.

Then it will be Cotton’s turn to re-banana the republic.

August 9, 2020 | Unregistered CommenterAkhilleus

I share your dire thoughts, Akhilleus.

Republican leadership has no interest in governing a democracy, which purportedly puts the people in charge.

They don't because they are there not to govern for the people but to loot from them.

They know that, but 40% of the nation hasn't figured it out; and with a Constitution slanted toward minority rule, the contempt they have for the law they pretend to support, and liberals (like myself) playing nice, that's all the looters need.

If Democrats do take power, the real mess they will need to clean up is Republican mis- and malfeasance.

Truth Commissions from Day 1?

August 9, 2020 | Unregistered CommenterKen Winkes

@Nisky Guy: Jim Tankersley, the reporter who wrote the NYT front-page report, used to work for the WashPo, if I recall correctly. He did not understand economics when he worked at the Post, and he doesn't understand economics now. I have never figured out why some economists (Krugman, I'm talking to you!) didn't explain to the papers' editors that Tankersley does not know enough about his subject matter to do "analysis," which is a job he is often assigned.

August 9, 2020 | Registered CommenterMarie Burns

See shy the aide cited above is a Republican. He-she is stupid.

The Pretender ain't no grizzly bear.

He may be sleeping, but he's just an overweight, mean drunk.

August 9, 2020 | Unregistered CommenterKen Winkes

drunk....on his own fermented ego juices, that is

August 9, 2020 | Unregistered CommenterKen Winkes

With economic advisors like these....

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-executive-orders-larry-kudlow-cnn-interview-watch-payroll-tax-a9662076.html

August 9, 2020 | Unregistered CommenterKen Winkes

A frightening list, most of whixh we knew, but kinda overwhelming all in one place.:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/trump-is-learning-to-bend-the-bureaucracy-to-his-will/2020/08/09/f9b48ab0-d8dd-11ea-aff6-220dd3a14741_story.html?

August 10, 2020 | Unregistered CommenterKen Winkes
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