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 -- July 3, 2020

Late Morning/Afternoon Update:

The New York Times' live updates of coronavirus developments Friday are here.

Sarah Rumpf of Mediaite: "Eric Trump tweeted, and then deleted, a photo of former President Bill Clinton with Jeffrey Epstein's alleged partner-in-crime Ghislaine Maxwell, after Twitter users buried him in a deluge of photos of Maxwell appearing very chummy with his father, President Donald Trump. Eric Trump's tweet was captioned 'Birds of a feather...' and showed Clinton walking his daughter Chelsea Clinton down the aisle at her 2o10 wedding, while Maxwell is shown in the background among other wedding guests.... Twitter users responded seemingly instantaneously, posting photo after photo showing Maxwell -- and often Epstein too -- far more cozy with the current occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue."

David Rothkopf in the New York Review of Books: "If we have a president who is selfish, ignorant, venal, dishonest, racist, misogynist, and corrupt, what does it tell us that a significant minority of American citizens celebrates such a leader, while another segment of our compatriots are willing to tolerate them, at least enough to give him their votes?... We must address the root causes that enabled a man as profoundly flawed and corrupt as Trump to win high office.... Ending Trump's misrule and restoring confidence in the presidency demands the undoing of impediments to free and fair elections. That will entail root-and-branch campaign finance reform, an end to voter suppression, new defenses against foreign interference in elections, and reining in the digital disinformation engines. These are perhaps only the minimum demands for restoring American democracy."

Catie Edmondson of the New York Times: "The Senate on Thursday unanimously passed legislation to impose sanctions on Chinese officials trying to stamp out political dissent in Hong Kong, sending the measure to President Trump's desk for his signature. The passage of the bill, spearheaded by Senators Patrick J. Toomey, Republican of Pennsylvania, and Chris Van Hollen, Democrat of Maryland, comes days after Chinese leaders imposed a sweeping new security law intended to quell protests demanding free elections and greater autonomy in an escalation of Beijing's campaign to tighten its grip on Hong Kong.... The House unanimously passed the bill on Wednesday...."

Let's All Go to the Movies. Hannah Denham of the Washington Post: WalMart "will transform 160 of its store parking lots into drive-in theaters next month. Walmart is launching the program next month in partnership with Tribeca Enterprises, the New York-based media company co-founded by Robert De Niro. The locations and movie lineup will be announced on a new Walmart Drive-In website, the retailer said in a news release. It's unclear whether the movies will be new releases, but admission is free, said Walmart spokeswoman LeMia Jenkins."

Mrs. McCrabbie: Just heard on CNN that Trump went to his golf course today, and that today was the 365th day since he was sworn in that he has spent at one of his properties. That means that lazy bastard has spent a full year on vacation (or more) since being sworn in less than four years ago.

Michael Kranish of the Washington Post: "Mary L. Trump, the author of an explosive book about her uncle President Trump, asked a court to lift a restraining order against her, saying in an affidavit filed Thursday that she was misled by the family into signing a confidentiality agreement in an inheritance case two decades ago.... Mary Trump said in her affidavit that, in agreeing to the inheritance settlement, she relied on asset valuations of the family estate provided to her by Donald Trump and his siblings that she said have since been proved to be inaccurate.... She said the inaccuracy of the valuations was revealed in a 2018 investigation by the New York Times of family finances." A Daily Beast story is here.

~~~~~~~~~~

The Trumpidemic, Ctd.

The New York Times' live updates of coronavirus developments Thursday are here. The Washington Post's live updates for Thursday are here: "The United States reported at least 55,220 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, surpassing Wednesday's record of 52,789, previously the largest single-day total since the start of the pandemic, according to data collected by The Washington Post." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

How to Spend the Independence Day Weekend -- STAY HOME! Richard Fausset, et al., of the New York Times: "In the face of cases reaching disheartening new highs, and as at least 15 states set single-day reporting records this week, health officials around the country have urged Americans to scale back their holiday plans.... Skip the party. Stay home.... ~~~

[BUT. The Saboteur-in-Chief Has Other Plans.] "In South Dakota, which has had relatively few cases of the coronavirus, President Trump has organized a fireworks show Friday evening at Mount Rushmore, an event that has come under scrutiny because thousands of people are planning to attend. The National Park Service said in an email that it 'strongly' encouraged social distancing and the use of face coverings.... Gov. Kristi Noem, a Republican who plans to attend the event, told Fox News that 'we won’t be social distancing.' In Washington, D.C., the authorities are plowing ahead with a traditional July 4 celebration. Like last year, Mr. Trump will preside over that event, and federal authorities seemed to be preparing for considerable crowds...." ~~~

~~~ Know Your U.S. History: Mount Rushmore Edition. Bryan Pietsch & Jacey Fortin of the New York Times: “In the eight decades since the carving was completed, it has never been without controversy.... Native Americans have long criticized the sculpture, in part because it was built on what had been Indigenous land.... Before he was recruited to create Mount Rushmore, [Gutzon] Borglum had been involved with another project: an enormous bas-relief at Stone Mountain in Georgia that memorialized Confederate leaders.... Mr. Borglum formed strong bonds with leaders of the Ku Klux Klan and participated in their meetings.... He also espoused white supremacist and anti-Semitic ideas.... In 2016, a report from the U.S. Geological Survey found that past pyrotechnic displays had probably caused higher concentrations of a contaminant called perchlorate in the groundwater there. Mr. Trump has tweeted in support of 'BIG FIREWORKS' returning to the monument...."

Flack & Flee: The Trump Presser. Morgan Chalfant & Brett Samuels of the Hill: "President Trump touted the new June jobs numbers at a hastily scheduled press briefing Thursday where he left before taking any questions." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

~~~ Washington Post Editors: "Mr. Trump remains in blissful denial as crisis ripples through the Sun Belt, threatening to create chaos and distress nationwide for months to come.... On Thursday, in a brief appearance before reporters, without wearing a face mask and refusing to take questions, he said, 'We have some areas where we are putting out the flames, or the fires, and that's working out well.' He went on to assert that the United States, like Europe and China, is 'getting it under control.' Some areas are suffering a 'flare up,' he acknowledged, 'and we are putting out the fires' with a strategy to 'vanquish and kill the virus.' The reality is that the virus ... is in control. Record-shattering numbers of new cases were reported Wednesday in six states.... New daily cases are increasing in 41 states compared to two weeks ago. Outbreaks and superspreader events are erupting.... Now, governors are rapidly trying to backpedal..., but it is exceedingly difficult to shift from reopening to closure again. Mr. Trump ... was characteristically only concerned with praising himself. 'We've done a historic thing,' he said, adding that he saved 'millions of lives' and now is opening up the country 'far faster than anybody thought even possible and more successfully.'" ~~~

~~~ Rachel Siegel of the Washington Post: "The U.S. unemployment rate is expected to stay above its pre-pandemic levels through the end of 2030, according to a 10-year economic report released Thursday by the Congressional Budget Office. The agency is predicting that the unemployment rate in the fourth quarter of 2030 will be 4.4 percent, down from 7.6 percent at the end of 2021 and 6.9 percent at the end of 2022.... The new projection shows the long-term impact that economists say the pandemic will have on the U.S. economy, the largest in the world. A severe disruption to production and hiring in March and April has had a jarring impact on the United States." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Carol Leonnig & Josh Dawsey of the Washington Post: "Vice President Pence's trip to Arizona this week had to be postponed by a day after several Secret Service agents who helped organize the visit either tested positive for the coronavirus or were showing symptoms of being infected. Pence was scheduled to go to Phoenix on Tuesday but went on Wednesday instead so that healthy agents could be deployed for his visit, according to two senior administration officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity...." Update: A New York Times story is here.

California. Zoe Richards of TPM: "More than 40 school principals in northern California have quarantined after they were exposed to the coronavirus during an in-person meeting held by a local school district. The quarantine follows news that a pre-symptomatic individual tested positive for COVID-19 within days of a June 19 meeting held by the Santa Clara County Unified School District to to discuss school reopening plans for the fall, The San Francisco Chronicle reported Wednesday." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Florida. Gary Fineout & Marc Caputo of Politico: "Florida set a new record for coronavirus cases, reporting more than 10,100 new infections as Vice President Mike Pence was to meet with Gov. Ron DeSantis Thursday to discuss the state's response to the outbreak. The mounting case numbers up the political pressure on DeSantis, a Republican, as Florida prepares to host marquee events of the Republican National Convention in late August, including Trump's acceptance speech." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Texas. Arelis Hernández & Frances Sellers of the Washington Post: "... health-care workers across Texas are seeing ... alarming predictions ... of how the coronavirus might ravage the state ... come true, with overwhelmed testing centers, lines at emergency rooms and crowded intensive care units, where it is difficult to maintain adequate numbers of specialized staff.... Gov. Greg Abbott (R), who was among the first governors to reopen businesses on May 1, again closed bars and limited restaurant capacity last week. Abbott prohibited municipalities from implementing mandates on mask wearing and social distancing, but on Friday he required all people in counties with more than 20 coronavirus cases to wear masks while in public." ~~~

~~~ As Axios puts it, " It's a dramatic reversal by the Republican governor that underscores the severity of the outbreak in Texas.... Abbott also issued a proclamation on Thursday allowing mayors and county judges to restrict outdoor gatherings of more than 10 people. But, but, but... Exceptions for masks while in public include attending church, consuming food or drink while seated at a restaurant, swimming, voting or giving a speech to a public audience."

Max Cohen of Politico: "Former presidential candidate Herman Cain announced on Thursday that he has been hospitalized with Covid-19, almost two weeks after attending ... Donald Trump’s rally in Tulsa, Okla. Cain was diagnosed with coronavirus on June 29, nine days after the president's rally, and his symptoms worsened and required hospitalization on July 1, according to a statement from his Twitter account." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)


Maggie Haberman, et al., of the New York Times: "As Mr. Trump heads to Mount Rushmore on Friday to spend the Independence Day holiday in the carved presence of presidential greatness, he is suffering through the most trying stretch of his administration thanks in large part to his self-inflicted wounds. June represented the political nadir of his three and a half years in the Oval Office, when a race in which he had been steadily trailing, but faring respectably, broke open and left him facing the possibility of not just defeat but humiliation this fall. The disconnect between the surge in coronavirus cases and Mr. Trump’s dismissive stance toward the pandemic has been particularly pronounced.... Last month’s convergence of crises, and the president’s missteps in responding to them, have been well-chronicled: his inflammatory response to racial justice protesters and his ill-considered rally in Tulsa, his refusal to acknowledge the resurgent virus or seriously address detailed reports about Russian operatives’ putting a cash bounty on American soldiers."

All the Best People, Ctd. John Hudson of the Washington Post: "President Trump’s nominee to be ambassador to Norway is facing demands that he abandon his pursuit of the diplomatic post following the unearthing of a 1994 court filing indicating his involvement in the production of a racist campaign flier against an African American politician in Georgia. According to the filing, Mark Burkhalter helped create a flier that distorted and exaggerated the features of Gordon Joyner, a candidate for county commissioner in north-central Georgia. Joyner was pictured with some features darkened, a large Afro, enlarged eyebrows and a warped eye. Joyner sued for libel, resulting in an out-of-court settlement, an apology signed by Burkhalter and three other men, and payment of an undisclosed sum. Burkhalter did not disclose his involvement in the controversy to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, according to a letter by Sen. Robert Menendez (N.J.), the panel’s ranking Democrat, that was obtained by The Washington Post." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Brad Reed of the Raw Story: “The Trump White House is trying to push the appointment of a right-wing conspiracy theorist to a key Defense Department position over the objections of top Pentagon officials. Foreign Policy reports that the White House earlier this year directed the Pentagon to hire Rich Higgins, a former Trump National Security Council official who was ousted in 2017 after he wrote an unhinged memo that claimed the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election amounted to a 'Maoist insurgency' against ... Donald Trump. Although the White House initially backed off in the face of Pentagon resistance to hiring Higgins to be chief of staff to the under secretary of defense for policy, Foreign Policy’s sources say that 'the White House reached out again about Higgins this week … asking why the Pentagon had not begun the hiring process for him.'”

Betsy Swan of Politico: "One of the country’s most prominent U.S. attorneys is going to Washington. Richard Donoghue, who heads the Eastern District of New York, is taking over as the top deputy to Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen.... The role — officially titled principal associate deputy attorney general, or PADAG — is an important one, and typically involves working with the 93 U.S. attorneys working around the country." ~~~

     ~~~ Rachel Maddow thinks this move is fishy, and gosh, maybe she's right: David Shortell, et al., of CNN: The Justice Department is considering replacing the US attorney in Brooklyn with a senior department official close to Attorney General William Barr, officials briefed on the matter said.... The most recent principal associate deputy attorney general, Seth DuCharme, is now being considered by department leadership for the top role in the Brooklyn office, where he had built his career as a prosecutor.... [That is, Richard Donoghue & DuCharme would swap jobs.] In February, the Justice Department tapped Donoghue to supervise all agency investigations related to Ukraine in a move that gave Washington officials more oversight into an area of interest that had become a political minefield." ~~~

~~~ MEANWHILE. Kyle Cheney of Politico: "The former top federal prosecutor in Manhattan, who resigned last month under pressure from Attorney General William Barr, will testify to the House Judiciary Committee next week about the circumstances of his departure, according to a congressional aide. The July 9 closed-door interview will be Congress' first foray into allegations that Barr sought to remove Geoffrey Berman as U.S. attorney to assert more control over investigations that touch closely on ... Donald Trump‘s associates and personal interests."

One Military Hero Backs Another. Edward Moreno if the Hill: "Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) announced Thursday that she is blocking the Senate confirmation of 1,123 senior U.S. Armed Forces promotions until Defense Secretary Mark Esper confirms that he is not going to block the promotion of Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman to colonel.... She is asking for Esper to provide written confirmation that Vindman will be promoted to colonel." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Shayna Jacobs of the Washington Post: "Manhattan prosecutors are attempting to revive their criminal case against President Trump's former campaign chairman Paul Manafort, arguing in a filing made public Thursday that they have legal standing to bring the indictment even though a state court judge dismissed it six months ago on double jeopardy grounds. Manafort, 71, was charged in New York State Supreme Court with mortgage fraud, but his lawyers argued last year that the case too closely mirrored his 2018 federal conviction on bank fraud charges. The case was brought by Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. and widely seen as an attempt to guarantee that Manafort would still serve prison time should Trump move to pardon him. Justice Maxwell Wiley tossed it in December. The district attorney’s office filed its appeal in April. It public disclosure was delayed by the coronavirus pandemic." Thanks to Ken W. for the link.

Teo Armus of the Washington Post reports on this lovely white Michigan woman pulling a gun on a black woman and her daughter in a shopping area parking lot. Thanks to RockyGirl for the link. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) The story has been updated, with Ben Guarino added to the byline: "Oakland County prosecutor Jessica R. Cooper charged the woman who drew the gun and the man who drove the van with one count each of felonious assault.... The married couple held Michigan concealed pistol licenses. Both the man and woman were armed."

Presidential Race

Brad Reed of the Raw Story: “A new report from Vanity Fair’s Gabriel Sherman describes ... Donald Trump as 'down in the dumps' and anxious about being remembered as a one-term 'loser.' One Republican described as'“close to the White House' tells Sherman that the president’s heart does not appear to be in the 2020 campaign, especially after his big comeback rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma spectacularly blew up in his face when he spoke before an arena that wasn’t even filled to half capacity. And Sherman’s sources say that the president may not even get to make up for the Tulsa debacle with his planned Republican National Convention rally in Jacksonville, Florida later in the summer, especially after the city mandated that residents wear face masks when using indoor public spaces.... Read the whole report here.”

Michelle Goldberg of the New York Times: “A lot of Republicans are acting puzzled about Donald Trump’s re-election pitch. 'He has no message,' one Republican source told Reuters.... [But] Trump does indeed have a re-election message, a stark and obvious one. It is 'white power.'... Trump understands that he became a significant political figure by spreading the racist lie that Barack Obama was really born in Kenya.... Trump sees clearly — more clearly than most of his party — that racism is the main thing he has to offer.” ~~~

     ~~~ Goldberg lists a remarkable number of racist things Trump has said or done in just the past week or so. Here's one: “On Tuesday, Trump tweeted that he was considering scrapping an Obama-era housing regulation that required localities to address illegal patterns of residential segregation. He claimed that the initiative, which his administration had already put in limbo, was having a 'devastating impact on these once thriving Suburban areas.' The message to his white supporters seemed clear enough: Trump is going to fight to stop people of color from coming to your neighborhood.”

Alabama Senate Race. Josh Gerstein of Politico: “A sharply divided Supreme Court stepped in on Thursday night to block a judge’s order requiring Alabama to allow some curbside voting and lift absentee-ballot witness requirements for the Republican Senate primary runoff set to take place on July 14. The justices voted, 5-4, along ideological lines to block the lower-court ruling, allowing Alabama to carry out the election under its usual rules.... Experts said the most likely explanation was a 2006 Supreme Court precedent viewed as discouraging late changes to voting procedures because of the possibility for voter confusion.... 'Supreme Court majority is not siding with voters, even during (especially during) a pandemic. This is a big deal,' Rick Hasen, a University of California law professor, wrote on Twitter. In the Alabama runoff set to take place later this month, former Sen. Jeff Sessions is facing Tommy Tuberville, a former Auburn football coach.”


Josh Gerstein & Kyle Cheney of Politico: "The Supreme Court has all but doomed House Democrats' efforts to obtain former special counsel Robert Mueller's grand jury evidence before the November elections. The justices agreed Thursday to consider whether the House should be given permission to access the grand jury secrets contained in Mueller’s final report, as well as its underlying evidence. That decision, despite two lower court rulings supporting access to the secret information, ensures that no final decision will be rendered before voters decide whether to grant Trump a second term." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Jim Mustian & Larry Neumeister of the AP: “British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell was arrested by the FBI on Thursday on charges she helped procure underage sex partners for financier Jeffrey Epstein. An indictment made public Thursday said Maxwell, who lived for years with Epstein and was his frequent travel companion on trips around the world, facilitated Epstein’s crimes by 'helping Epstein to recruit, groom, and ultimately abuse' girls as young as 14. It also said she participated in the sexual abuse.” Update: A New York Times story is here. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) 

Comments Off

Reader Comments (15)

More New York subversives doing good work:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/paul-manafort-new-york-trump-pardon/2020/07/02/97f2197c-bca0-11ea-80b9-40ece9a701dc_story.html

If the Pretender is defeated in November, his final pardon list might become a best seller. Unlike his many mischiefs perpetrated in the dark, pardons are very public.

July 2, 2020 | Unregistered CommenterKen Winkes

While we’re considering the basis of prez traitor’s sycophancy to the Russian state, its worth remembering that it’s not all about him being a Putin fanboi (although he is very much that).

Trump, crook and scoundrel that he is, has a lot to hide. And much of what he strives to keep hidden are his shady connections in the land of the tsars. Don’t forget what a hapless loser he is, business wise. Everything he touches turns to petrified turd mounds. His golf courses are empty, his flagship hotel down the street from the White House is running at about 5% occupancy. The Motel 6 in Tuscaloosa runs a better balance sheet (all those Catch a COVID parties...).

He owes Russian oligarchs a ton of money. And he owes his 2016 win, in large part, to Putin and his hackers. And he can’t afford not to bend over and grab his ankles when they say so, pee-pee tape or no pee-pee tape.

Yes, he’s an obsequious traitor, but first and foremost, he’s a crook. And we’re paying for Junior and Little Dracula to run around the world using the office of the United States presidency to leverage whatever they can while the gettin’s good.

So if American soldiers have to die for Fatty to stay solvent, so be it. In the end, ideology has nothing to do with anything. He’s just a cheap, greedy prick.

That’s it.

July 3, 2020 | Unregistered CommenterAkhilleus

Just wondering if Herman Cain now wishes he had visited Ubeki-beki-beki-beki-stan-stan rather than risk his life at Fatty’s Covid get together in Tulsa. Speaking of which, we should be hearing soon about all the hundreds of newly infected MAGA morons from that shithole shindig.

July 3, 2020 | Unregistered CommenterAkhilleus

Pence visits Florida to meet with governor DeSantis on the C-19 virus. They pat each other on the back, and praise Trump's "leadership". Pence then says that "Florida is in a better place now". That's not comforting as I'm used to hearing that statement in another context.

July 3, 2020 | Unregistered CommenterBobby Lee

Yesterday I was going through my old New Yorkers vowing finally to put them to rest in the recycling bin. Came across Dexter Filkin's 2019 excellent piece on Bolton ( have been wondering why we haven't heard more about the contents of his book) Here's a bit about these daily briefings:

" Bolton attends the President's Daily Brief, a top secret meeting with Gina Haspel, the head of the CIA, and Dan Coats, the director of National Intelligence. Trump prefers to hold these meetings just two or three times a week and is famously susceptible to distraction––people walking into the office, telephone calls, even houseflies. Aides have found that detailed briefings provoke impatience; graphics and bullet points work better, and relatable photographs better still."

A senior administration official told Filkins that Bolton does a nifty job of being very brief to the extent he can modify or mollify Trump's actions. But he said "I wonder how he [Bolton] goes to work every day because deep in his heart he believes the President is a moron."

My favorite: "To get the job [of national security advisor] Bolton had to cut his balls off and put them on Trump's desk."

And I recall that I said back in the early days of this show of shows that Putin had Trump's balls in a golden bowl ––the one sitting on HIS desk.

So––given the reread of those daily briefings it might very well be true that Fatty, being that moronic fly catcher never digested the info re: the Russian bounty payments. I doubt that very much. My guess is he heard it, he didn't like it, so he did what he always does––ignore anything that doesn't suit and then lie about it later.

Hooray for Duckworth–––she's out for bear and by god, she's not gonna take any mealy mouthed miscreants jammer against it.

@AK: the mister and I had a good laugh yesterday over your rendition of the great brownie mishap. But I hope your young son wasn't too distraught about it––twas the thought that counted. Tell him that when I was his age I, too, wanted to surprise my mother by baking a banana nut bread (with very little help from my father). When it came out of the oven it was golden brown and looked good enough to eat but sadly upon slicing it found the inside like jelly. But I look back at that incident and think perhaps it made me more determined than ever to be a top notch cook and baker ( my mother's heart was never in either so part of this was surpassing her in that department). And just to follow up here on the life and times of P.D.'s foray into culinary delights I can report that my interest has seriously waned in that department–-the mister does all the baking and a good part of the cooking.

Praise Jesus!

And I wonder: Has Fatty ever cooked anything himself?

July 3, 2020 | Unregistered CommenterPD Pepe

Nick Schifrin talks to Susan shirk, a top State Dept. official for Asia re: the Hong Kong crackdown. (worth your while) With video and transcript)
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/with-hong-kong-crackdown-xi-jinping-signals-hell-pay-a-high-price-for-power

July 3, 2020 | Unregistered CommenterPD Pepe

Bobby Lee,

Hahaha. Good one. Maybe DeSantis and the halfpence can check out that better place first.

July 3, 2020 | Unregistered CommenterAkhilleus

PD,

Here’s hoping that one day soon Trump will most certainly cook something. How about his goose?

Your relating the details of the chore it must be to get such an ADD infant as Fatty to sit still and pay attention to stuff like NATIONAL SECURITY for a full three minutes or so, calls up the very possible scenario that he was indeed briefed on Putin’s plan to slaughter Americans, but he was more interested in the flight pattern of a housefly to pay much attention.

As we’ve said many times, you can’t make this shit up. This is like something from an Aristophanes play in which the king is told that Athens is under attack and he needs to act quickly, but first he has to take a nap. Maybe that was a play by Aeschylus.

July 3, 2020 | Unregistered CommenterAkhilleus

PD,

One other cooking story...

Back in high school, I decided to experiment. You know, branch out a bit, explore my gourmet urges, that sort of thing. I thought I’d try melding two things I really liked: omelettes and chocolate.

The experiment wasn’t a total failure. For one thing, I’ve never made anything quite that horrible since. 🤮

July 3, 2020 | Unregistered CommenterAkhilleus

I keep hoping for spontaneous explosion, with Idiotstick disappearing into a puff of orange smoke as he waddles from the Rose Garden to his chopper.

July 3, 2020 | Unregistered CommenterRockyGirl

Something more about the nation's bright future to celebrate on the Fourth?

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/donald-trump-2020-us-election-third-term-tim-wirth-white-house-a9600486.html

Maybe it's not just the early July rain here that's chlling my bones.

July 3, 2020 | Unregistered CommenterKen Winkes

The Arrest of Ghislaine Maxwell (above)

I so hope this might be what finishes off DJT (and pals).
I believe this Plaintiff was 13 years young.
I want to know what Barr discussed with Maxwell.
And more re: the timing of New York Attorney Berman’s dumping.
I want this document re-published with far reaching distribution.

“Defendant Trump initiated sexual contact with Plaintiff at four different parties. On the fourth and final sexual encounter with Defendant Trump, Defendant Trump tied Plaintiff to a bed, exposed himself to Plaintiff, and then proceeded to forcibly rape Plaintiff. During the course of this savage sexual attack, Plaintiff loudly pleaded with Defendant Trump to stop but with no effect. Defendant Trump responded to Plaintiff’s pleas by violently striking Plaintiff in the face with his open hand and screaming that he would do whatever he wanted. Exhs. A and B.”

https://www.politico.com/f/?id=00000158-26b6-dda3-afd8-b6fe46f40000

July 3, 2020 | Unregistered CommenterHattie

I'm all for it, Hattie, but don't know if this lengthy report on the matter from Snopes adds or detracts.

https://www.snopes.com/news/2016/06/23/donald-trump-rape-lawsuit/

July 3, 2020 | Unregistered CommenterKen Winkes

States with Rt rates at one or above now 39, another record.

Soon, there'll be no place to hide. No states, and other countries won't let us in.

July 3, 2020 | Unregistered CommenterKen Winkes

@Ken W. -

Thank you for the due diligence I neglected.
I was unaware of a third (?) round that had thrown this case out.
And imagine its usefulness in delegitimizing actual victims.

I want Maxwell to implicate all the players.
And for Barr & Buddies to step aside
(A gal can dream, no?)
While considering the recent (timely?) ousting of SDNY’s federal prosecutor, Geoffrey Berman.
= = = = =
Just eyeballed a Washpo headline: Donnie Junior’s girlfriend has tested positive for Covid-19.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-mount-rushmore-fireworks/2020/07/03/af2e84f6-bd25-11ea-bdaf-a129f921026f_story.html

July 4, 2020 | Unregistered CommenterHattie
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