The Ledes

Thursday, September 19, 2024

New York Times: “A body believed to be of the suspect in a Kentucky highway shooting that left five people seriously injured this month was found on Wednesday, the authorities said, ending a manhunt that stretched into a second week and set the local community on edge. The Kentucky State Police commissioner, Phillip Burnett Jr., said in a Wednesday night news conference that at approximately 3:30 p.m., two troopers and two civilians found an unidentified body in the brush behind the highway exit where the shooting occurred.... The police have identified the suspect of the shooting as Joseph A. Couch, 32. They said that on Sept. 7, Mr. Couch perched on a cliff overlooking Interstate 75 about eight miles north of London, Ky., and opened fire. One of the wounded was shot in the face, and another was shot in the chest. A dozen vehicles were riddled with gunfire.”

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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.”

Washington Post: “An early Titian masterpiece — once looted by Napolean’s troops and a part of royal collections for centuries — caused a stir when it was stolen from the home of a British marquess in 1995. Seven years later, it was found inside an unassuming white and blue plastic bag at a bus stop in southwest London by an art detective, and returned. This week, the oil painting 'The Rest on the Flight into Egypt' sold for more than $22 million at Christie’s. It was a record for the Renaissance artist, whom museums describe as the greatest painter of 16th-century Venice. Ahead of the sale in April, the auction house billed it as 'the most important work by Titian to come to the auction market in more than a generation.'”

Washington Post: The Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, D.C., which houses the world's largest collection of Shakespeare material, has undergone a major renovation. "The change to the building is pervasive, both subtle and transformational."

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The Conversation -- July 9, 2024

Mariana Alfaro, et al., of the Washington Post: "No additional House Democrats publicly called on President Biden to abandon his reelection campaign after an all-member meeting Tuesday morning, suggesting the ground may be subtly shifting toward acceptance that Biden will remain in the race. As they trickled out of the Democratic National Committee's headquarters, some House Democrats expressed brief support for Biden's bid and at times gave stilted comments to reporters. And while many described the meeting as positive for Biden, others privately scoffed at their colleagues' comments. Rep. Jerry Nadler (N.Y.) -- who just two days ago privately called for Biden to leave the ticket -- said that, while he still has concerns over the president's candidacy, those are now 'beside the point.'... He's going to be our nominee, and we all have to support him,' Nadler said." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie's Translation: "Donald Trump will be the next president*." We can now quit pointing at Republicans for capitulating to Donald Trump. Democrats are doing so as well. Shame on the lot of them.

Spencer Hsu of the Washington Post: "An attorney for the Oath Keepers charged in the Jan. 6 Capitol attack will plead guilty after being charged with conspiring with the right-wing group's founder to obstruct Congress's certification of the results of the 2020 election, her attorney and federal prosecutors said. In separate court filings Monday, Kellye SoRelle's federal defender and a prosecutor wrote that SoRelle is set to enter a guilty plea on July 17 after entering into a deal with the government."

Robert McFadden of the New York Times: "James M. Inhofe, a five-term Republican senator from Oklahoma and, until ... Donald J. Trump's arrival in 2017, arguably Washington's most prominent denier of the established science of human-generated climate change, died on Tuesday in Tulsa, Okla. He was 89."

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Presidential Race

Marianna Sotomayor & Leigh Ann Caldwell of the Washington Post: "With President Biden once again on the political ropes, some Black members of the House appear ready to rally behind the embattled chief executive, in an embrace that will significantly influence whether he can stay in his reelection race, according to five people.... The importance of the roughly 60-member Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) -- which includes [Rep. Jim] Clyburn [D-S.C.] and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) -- was on display Monday night as Biden met with the bloc in a Zoom call, the first with a group of elected lawmakers.... Biden took questions and asked CBC members for their continued support.... The desire to defend Biden appears to be so widespread among CBC members, three people aligned with the group said, that it is possible the group will formalize its support for him in a statement...."

Brian Schwartz of CNBC: "President Joe Biden's fundraising operation started showing cracks in its once formidable armor, almost 10 days after his disastrous presidential debate performance. Some of Biden's campaign bundlers have stopped making calls to potential donors since the June 27 debate, according to people familiar with the matter. 'No one is picking up the phone,' said a well-connected Democratic fundraiser, who raises money for Biden and the Democratic Party."

** New York Times Editors: President "Biden, instead of campaigning vigorously to disprove doubts and demonstrate that he can beat Mr. Trump, has maintained a scripted and controlled schedule of public appearances.... And when he has cast aside his teleprompter..., he has continued to appear as a man in decline. The president, elected in 2020 as an antidote to Mr. Trump's malfeasance and mendacity, is now trying to defy reality.... Democrats who want to defeat Mr. Trump in November ... need to tell [Mr. Biden] that his defiance threatens to hand victory to Mr. Trump.... By departing the race, Mr. Biden can focus public attention on Mr. Trump's capacity to perform the job of president. Mr. Trump, of course, should also withdraw from this race, not least because of his own cognitive deficiencies and incessant lying." If you have a NYT subscription, read the whole editorial.

James Carville, in a New York Times op-ed, proposes a way for Democrats to select a new presidential ticket.

Emily Baumgaertner & Peter Baker of the New York Times: "An expert on Parkinson's disease from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center visited the White House eight times in eight months from last summer through this spring, including at least once for a meeting with President Biden's physician, according to official visitor logs. The expert, Dr. Kevin Cannard, is a neurologist who specializes in movement disorders and recently published a paper on Parkinson's. The logs, released by the White House, document visits from July 2023 through March of this year.... It was unclear whether Dr. Cannard was at the White House to consult specifically about the president or there for unrelated meetings.... Without discussing Dr. Cannard specifically, [White House spokesman Andrew] Bates said that the president 'has been seen by a neurologist once a year' as part of his overall annual physical checkup and 'that examination has found no sign of Parkinson's and he is not being treated for it.' He declined to provide dates of any meetings between Mr. Biden and any of his specialists.... In a six-page letter released after [a February 28] checkup, Dr. [Kevin] O'Connor [-- the White House physician --] said the president's medical team had conducted 'an extremely detailed neurologic exam' that had yielded 'no findings which would be consistent with' Parkinson's, stroke or other central neurological disorders." MB: This clarifies a Guardian story, based on New York Post reporting, that I linked with some skepticism yesterday. So now we know what we know. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Michael Shear of the New York Times: "The White House briefing room devolved into shouting on Monday as the press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, repeatedly dodged and refused to answer questions about the president's health, and whether visits to the White House by a Parkinson's doctor were about the president.... At Monday's daily briefing, Ms. Jean-Pierre refused to talk about Dr. [Kevin] Cannard [-- a Walter Reed neurologist --] or to acknowledge his visits to the White House, even after The New York Times and other news organizations reported on the logs." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ So Then. Mary Bruce of ABC News: "In a letter released late Monday night by the president's physician, Dr. Kevin O'Connor, he confirmed that Dr. Kevin Cannard, the Parkinson's expert who visited the White House eight times in an eight-month span, 'was the neurological specialist that examined President Biden for each of his annual physicals.' Canard's visits to the White House don't represent examinations of the president, according to O'Connor's letter. Cannard is involved in a range of care for others beyond the president at the White House, O'Connor said in his note. 'Prior to the pandemic, and following its end, [Cannard] has held regular Neurology clinics at the White House Medical Clinic in support of the thousands of active-duty members assigned in support of White House operations,' his letter reads. 'Many military personnel experience neurological issues related to their service, and Dr. Canard regularly visits the WHMU as part of this General Neurology Practice.' On the subject of Biden's physical, O'Connor noted that 'President Biden has not seen a neurologist outside of his annual physical.'"

Michael Shear & Maggie Astor of the New York Times: "President Biden said in a letter to congressional Democrats on Monday that he was 'firmly committed to staying in the race,' a defiant answer to allies on Capitol Hill who have said in recent days that he should drop out. He then called into 'Morning Joe' on MSNBC to underscore that message. 'The bottom line here is that we're not going anywhere -- I am not going anywhere,' he said. His pledge to remain in the race kicks off what could be the most crucial week of his presidency, as he faces crumbling support from Democratic lawmakers and mounting fears that his defiance could lead to a historic rout by ... Donald J. Trump and his followers in November's races for the White House and Congress." At 11:00 am ET Monday, this is the pinned item in a liveblog of presidential election updates. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Politico's story is here. President Biden's letter to Congressional Democrats is here, via Politico. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Isabella Ramirez & Maya Ward of Politico: "President Joe Biden slammed his critics as 'elites' in a live interview on MSNBC's 'Morning Joe' on Monday, daring any challengers to run against him as he doubled down on his vow to stay in the race. 'I'm getting so frustrated by the elites -- now I'm not talking about you guys -- the elites in the party, "Oh, they know so much more." Any of these guys that don't think I should run, run against me. Announce for president, challenge me at the convention,' Biden told hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski. During the audio-only interview, Biden shot down Brzezinski's description of him as the presumptive Democratic nominee. 'I'm more than the presumptive, I'm going to be the Democratic nominee,' Biden said, laughing." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ See yesterday's Conversation for complete audio, via YouTube.

The Best-laid Plans ... Gang Aft Agley. Reid Epstein of the New York Times: "From the outset of President Biden's re-election campaign, the plan for winning was to make ... Donald J. Trump so unpalatable that voters uneasy with the incumbent would vote for him anyway. But now Mr. Biden is stuck in a political tailspin, with an abysmal debate performance highlighting his inability to make a case against Mr. Trump and prompting a collective national hand-wringing about his ability to do his job while an increasing number of House Democrats say he should leave the race. To get voters to focus on the threats posed by a second Trump administration, Mr. Biden's own allies say he first must escape his current doom loop and convince voters -- even and especially fellow Democrats -- that he is up to the job himself." (Also linked yesterday.)

Crazy People Are Writing the GOP "Platform," A Pledge of Allegiance to Trump. Robert Draper of the New York Times: "Steve Nagel, a chiropractor and talk radio host based in North Dakota, has frequently claimed that vaccines of all types lead to worse health outcomes for children. Demi Kouzounas oversaw a party platform as the chairwoman of the Maine state Republican committee that defined the teaching of nonbinary genders in public schools as 'child sexual abuse.' David Barton, an amateur Texas historian, has long called the separation between church and state a 'myth.' All three are among the 112 delegates serving on the Republican Party's national platform committee.... The primary goal is a 'short form' 2024 document that is a pledge of allegiance to ... Donald J. Trump rather than the statement of party values the platform has traditionally been...."

Robert Rubin & Kenneth Chenault in a New York Times op-ed: "We've spoken to many leaders in business and finance who, when it comes to economic policy, are open to the premise that Mr. Trump is a normal presidential candidate. We strongly disagree.... When it comes to economic policy, Mr. Trump is not a remotely normal candidate. A second Trump term would pose enormous risks to our economy.... A Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget report said that extending the 2017 tax cuts alone would add another $3.9 trillion to the federal debt and increase our debt-to-G.D.P. ratio by approximately 10 percent. This would probably lead to higher interest rates and greater inflation while undermining business confidence.... Mr. Trump would also reduce legal immigration at a time when our economy needs additional workers at all skill levels.... On trade, raising tariffs across the board -- as Mr. Trump has repeatedly promised to do -- would increase prices for American producers and consumers, reduce our global competitiveness and most likely lead other countries to retaliate against our exporters.... On regulation, [Trump] has said he would use regulation to reward loyalists and punish perceived enemies.... Trump would also take unprecedented action to diminish the independence of the Federal Reserve.... Nearly every element of Mr. Trump's second-term agenda would create great risk of economic harm."

Benjamin Weiser, et al., of the New York Times: The prosecutor in Sen. Bob Menendez's (D.-N.J.) bribry trial delivered closing arguments Monday.

Jesus Jimenez of the New York Times: "A $1 billion gift from Michael Bloomberg to Johns Hopkins University, announced on Monday, will allow most students at the university's medical school to attend free of cost and will also increase financial aid for other students in the university's schools of nursing and public health and other graduate programs. Bloomberg Philanthropies, which oversees Mr. Bloomberg's charitable efforts, said in a statement that the gift would ensure that 'the most talented aspiring doctors representing the broadest range of socio-economic backgrounds will have the opportunity to graduate debt-free' from the university." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: This is really great. Now, no one -- even a self-made billionaire like Bloomberg -- should be able to accumulate so much money that a billion-dollar gift is only one of his charitable contributions.

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Alaska. Mattathias Schwartz of the New York Times: "A federal judge in Alaska resigned after investigators found that he had been abusive to his law clerks, had an 'inappropriately sexualized relationship' with one of them and then lied about his misconduct, according to a judicial report released on Monday. The judge, Joshua M. Kindred of the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska, submitted his letter of resignation on July 3 without explanation, saying only that it would take effect on Monday. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit revealed in the report that Mr. Kindred had been asked to leave his post after a committee of judges investigating the claims against him found his chambers to be a hostile and sexualized work environment.... He was nominated to the bench by ... Donald J. Trump in 2019 and confirmed by a 54-to-41 Senate vote the next year." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: What is it that convinces a federal judge that sexual assault is appropriate on-the-job behavior? Maybe the known history of sexual abuse committed by the guy who appointed him, I don't know.

New York. Katherine Rosman of the New York Times: "Three Columbia University administrators have been removed from their posts after sending text messages that 'disturbingly touched on ancient antisemitic tropes' during a forum about Jewish issues in May, according to a letter sent by Columbia officials to the university community on Monday. The administrators are still employed by the university but have been placed on indefinite leave and will not return to their previous jobs. Nemat Shafik, the Columbia president, described the sentiments in the text messages as 'unacceptable and deeply upsetting, conveying a lack of seriousness about the concerns and the experiences of members of our Jewish community.' She said the messages were 'antithetical to our university's values and the standards.' The announcement came about a month after a conservative website published photos that showed some of the text messages sent by the administrators." (Also linked yesterday.)

Texas. Shades of Cancun Ted. Hafiz Rachid of the New Republic, republished by Yahoo! News: "While Tropical Storm Beryl made landfall as a Category 1 hurricane on Monday on the Texas coast, knocking out power to at least two million homes and killing at least two people, Governor Greg Abbott was enjoying a trip to East Asia. Abbott left for South Korea, Taiwan, and Japan on Friday as the storm was forecast to hit Texas on Monday. He went ahead with his nine-day trip anyway...." ~~~

     ~~~ Speaking of Cancun Ted, let's just check and see how he's helping with hurricane relief: ~~~

     ~~~ Daniel Hampton of the Raw Story: "Republican Sen. Ted Cruz caught flak Monday as critics noted he recorded five podcasts in the last week as millions lost power in Texas due to flooding from Hurricane Beryl." In fairness to Ted, in one of those podcasts, he did offer thoughts & prayers for potential hurricane victims.

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Marie: Looks as if Monday was another International Crimes Against Humanity Day.

Israel/Palestine, et al.

Leo Sands, et al., of the Washington Post: "Israel launched a new military offensive in Gaza City on Monday, with evacuation orders sowing confusion as tens of thousands of Palestinians fled the war-ravaged northern city amid what residents described as some of the worst bombardment since the start of the war. Israeli negotiators were set to travel to Egypt for a round of cease-fire talks aimed at bringing some respite in the nine-month-long war with Hamas, a conflict that has devastated the Gaza Strip."

The New York Times' live updates of developments Monday in the Israel/Hamas war are here. (Also linked yesterday.)

Ukraine, et al. Mikhail Klimentov of the Washington Post: "A Russian missile attack hit cities across Ukraine on Monday, killing at least 37 people and injuring 170 people. Among those killed were three children, said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who decried 'Russian terrorists' after the 'brutal' attack.... The volley struck a number of cities, including Kyiv, Dnipro and Zelensky's native city of Kryvyi Rih, among others. Rescue operations across Ukraine were still underway late Monday.... In Kyiv, the strike on Okhmatdyt Children's Hospital killed a doctor and destroyed a dialysis facility, Ukrainian officials said. Patients and staff members were forced to evacuate into the street."

News Lede

AP: "After Hurricane Beryl slammed into Texas early Monday, knocking out power to nearly 3 million homes and businesses, unleashing heavy rain and killing at least three people it moved east and later weakened to a tropical depression, the National Hurricane Center said Monday evening. The fast-moving tempest threatened to carve a harsh path over several more states in coming days. Texas state and local officials warned it could take several days to restore power after Beryl came ashore as a Category 1 hurricane and toppled 10 transmission lines and knocked down trees that took down power lines. Beryl later weakened into a tropical storm and then a tropical depression...."

Comments Off

Reader Comments (9)

I think the nominee for pres. should be Mayor Pete.

Wouldn't it be great to see so many homophobic heads exploding?

Or how about Michele Obama? A woman and black. More heads
exploding.

July 9, 2024 | Unregistered CommenterForrestMorris

That Republican platform will be replete with proposals that ignore both reality and the popular will.

Fetal personhood. Nationwide abortion ban. Anti-vaxxing. Christian nation b. s.. The fringe is now the center.

And more ignorance: The Pretender will say that like Project 2025 and E. Jean Carroll, he never heard of the Republican platform and knows nothing about it.

Summary: Ignorance in and of in the I know nothing party.

July 9, 2024 | Unregistered CommenterKen Winkes

Black outreach

July 9, 2024 | Unregistered CommenterRAS

Lisa Needham

"The destruction of the regulatory state is already happening
The post-Chevron world is here."

July 9, 2024 | Unregistered CommenterRAS

"beyond parody". They know they are suckers and are fine with it.

July 9, 2024 | Unregistered CommenterRAS

Marie, you may find it freeing to come to believe that DiJiT will be the next president. Seriously. Front line soldiers who are continuously in contact come to realize that the odds are completely against their survival. For most, that belief relieves them of worry, and their fatalism allows them to keep on, with a vengeance. (For a while. Then they break.)

I think that less than half of voters will vote for DiJiT, but that most voters who will vote against him have just had the crap scared out of them, and the press is actually starting to write about what a nazi idiot DiJiT is, and he has to be kept out. If the Biden campaign and others can get those thoughts and prayers into non-traditional media, persistently, credibly, repetitively, the justifiable fear could turn into outrage and votes.

However, besides media, the reality of Biden's geriatric handicap, and the bovine stupidity of still-uncommitted voters, the Democrats need to ensure that they are out in every state blocking the legal impediments, all offices all ballots, that the Rs are imposing now and until the next inauguration. I think the Rs know that if they lose
this year they join the Whigs in history books written outside of Florida and Texas.

As for you, Marie, you've done more than your share. Now get up and move forward. Like the Marines at Belleau Wood the better quote is "Retreat hell, we just got here!"

Suckers.

July 9, 2024 | Unregistered CommenterPatrick

I just realized that if you don't know the two famous Marine quotes from Belleau Wood, you don't know which is the "better."

The other is " “Come on, you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?”

Hear that fatalism there?

July 9, 2024 | Unregistered CommenterPatrick

Marie, do you honestly have a clue how it would come to pass that Biden drops out and another (who??) gets on every ballot and wins the election?

Just to be clear, I just sent another contribution to Joe Biden. He is the best hope we have. I just hope the NYT starts to talk about Project 2025 and the mental decline of the orange monster. 192 articles about Biden, how about the same number about trump.

July 9, 2024 | Unregistered Commenterpat

Thank you, Pat. So did I. I chafe at the idea that after a primary, some folks can decide that they want someone else, whatever the reason.

July 9, 2024 | Unregistered CommenterA Rosskopf
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