The Conversation -- December 16, 2024

Donald Trump gave a press conference Monday afternoon and here's some of the stuff he said, via a New York Times liveblog: ~~~

Michael Shear: "In his first wide-ranging news conference since the election..., Donald J. Trump cited debunked data linking vaccines and autism, vowed to slash taxes and resume construction of his border wall, and accused the Biden administration of hiding the truth about recent drone sightings. Speaking from his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, Mr. Trump announced a $100 billion investment from SoftBank, a Japanese technology company. But he used the appearance before reporters to jump from one topic to another....

Speaking directly to the reporters, he called the press 'very corrupt' and promised to continue pursuing legal action against news organizations that he believes have not quoted him correctly. He said he planned to sue the Des Moines Register for having a poll before the election that turned out to be wrong. And he said he was pursuing legal action against '60 Minutes' for what he said was a misquote.... Mr. Trump also said that Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy will cut $2 trillion out of the $6.8 trillion annual federal budget and “it’ll have no impact on people.” In fact, if you rule out cuts to Social Security, Medicare and defense, as Mr. Trump has, cutting $2 trillion would require shutting down almost the entire federal government.”

Peter Baker: "Trump cites the horrors of the war in Ukraine and says he is working on it, but makes no mention of his promise to resolve it in 24 hours and to do so before he is sworn in."

Zolan Kanno-Youngs: "As he talks about migration, Trump repeats misleading claims about Latin American nations sending their prisoners to the United States. Most migrants crossing the border are those fleeing poverty, persecution and violence."

Baker: "Trump says Russia wouldn’t have invaded Ukraine on his watch. In fact, Russia had already invaded Ukraine’s eastern sections in 2014, during the Obama administration, and Trump did nothing to stop the war, which then expanded with the full-scale invasion in 2022.... Trump again throws out numbers about autism that have been debunked. Time magazine fact-checked his answer to the question during its interview.... 'We won in a landslide,' Trump claims, again. In fact, he won the popular vote by just 1.5 percentage points, one of the smallest margins of victory since the 19th century."

Maggie Haberman: "Trump says he would consider pardoning Eric Adams, the mayor of New York City, who has praised Trump repeatedly." ~~~

     ~~~ Isaac Schorr of Mediaite: "Donald Trump warned Republican senators who oppose his Cabinet nominees that they would likely face primary challenges at a press conference on Monday.... 'If they’re unreasonable, if they’re opposing somebody for political reasons or stupid reasons, I would say — has nothing to do with me – I would say they probably would be primaried'.”

Canada. Ian Austen & Matina Stevis-Gridneff of the New York Times: "Chrystia Freeland, the deputy prime minister who led Canada’s response to the first Trump administration, resigned abruptly on Monday from her cabinet role in a stinging rebuke to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, marking the first open dissent from any cabinet member and raising questions about his hold on power. The revelation, in a letter of resignation, came hours before Ms. Freeland, who had been the finance minister, was scheduled to outline the government’s commitments to improve border security with the United States. Mr. Trudeau’s cabinet, which was meeting in Ottawa soon after the letter was made public, seemed stunned by the development.... In her resignation letter, Ms. Freeland indicated that Mr. Trudeau had attempted to force her out of the position on Friday."

Germany. Christopher Schuetze & Jim Tankersley of the New York Times: "Chancellor Olaf Scholz lost a confidence vote in the German Parliament on Monday, a defeat that effectively ended the increasingly unpopular government he has led since 2021 and set the stage for elections early next year. The collapse of the government just nine months before elections had been scheduled was an extraordinary moment for Germany. This will be only the fourth snap election in the 75 years since the modern state was founded, and it reflected a new era of more fractious and unstable politics in a country long known for durable coalitions built on plodding consensus. German lawmakers voted to dissolve the existing government by a vote of 394 to 207, with 116 abstaining."

Rules for Thee Are Not for Me. Curt Devine of CNN: "... Donald Trump vowed on the campaign trail to do everything in his power to benefit American workers. 'We will build American, buy American and hire American,' he said during a rally in August. Despite that pledge, Trump’s own businesses sought to hire more foreign guest workers this year than any other year on record, according to a CNN review of government labor data. Companies linked to some of Trump’s top political backers and administration picks also have been given the green light to use guest workers this year. Trump’s businesses, including the Mar-a-Lago Club, some of his golf courses and a Virginia winery, have collectively increased their reliance on temporary foreign laborers over the years. Just this year, Trump’s businesses received approval from the US government to hire 209 foreign workers, nearly double the number of such laborers his companies received permission to hire about a decade ago."

Joe DePaolo of Mediaite: "In a speech at the New York Young Republican Club’s gala on Sunday night, Steve Bannon ... floated the prospect of Trump making a fourth consecutive run for the White House in 2028.... 'Since [the Constitution] doesn’t actually say consecutive, I don’t know, maybe we do it again in ’28?' Bannon said, to cheers from the crowd.”

That didn't take long. Krugman is on Substack: ~~~

~~~ "Crypto Is for Criming." Paul Krugman: "The tech bros who helped put Trump back in power expect many favors in return; one of the more interesting is their demand that the government intervene to guarantee crypto players the right to a checking account, stopping the 'debanking' they claim has hit many of their friends. The hypocrisy here is thick enough to cut with a knife. If you go back to the 2008 white paper by the pseudonymous Satoshi Nakamoto that gave rise to Bitcoin, its main argument was that we needed to replace checking accounts with blockchain-based payments because you can’t trust banks; crypto promoters also tend to preach libertarianism, touting crypto as a way to escape government tyranny. Now we have crypto boosters demanding that the evil government force the evil banks to let them have conventional checking accounts.... The real reason banks don’t want to be financially connected to crypto is that they believe, with good reason, that to the extent that cryptocurrencies are used for anything besides speculation, much of that activity is criminal.... [And] what [Elon] Musk and [Marc] Andreesen are demanding could be seen as a call for the U.S. government to intervene to make life easier for criminals. And if you think such a thing would be inconceivable under the second Trump administration, you haven’t been paying attention."

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Mariana Alfaro of the Washington Post: "More than 120 House Democrats have signed a letter asking President Joe Biden to urge the nation’s archivist to recognize the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment by publishing the amendment first proposed 101 years ago — a move they believe would finally enshrine sex equality into the Constitution. If the president does as the Democrats ask, the publication of the ERA would probably spark legal challenges over the validity of the amendment, which, despite having met all the constitutional requirements, has not been added to the Constitution because not enough states ratified it in time to meet a Congress-mandated deadline. The push is led by outgoing Rep. Cori Bush (D-Missouri) and Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Massachusetts), co-chairs of the Congressional Caucus for the Equal Rights Amendment..... In the letter, the Democrats say the ERA met all the requirements to become an amendment to the Constitution once it was passed by both chambers of Congress and ratified by three-fourths of states.... The Democrats insist that because the ERA has met all the requirements for adoption outlined by the Constitution, the president must now issue a mandate for certification and publication...." The Hill's report is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Essentially, the Democrats are arguing (elliptically) that the 1982 deadline imposed by the Congress in the early 1970s was outside the bounds of their authority because the amendment met the Constitutional requirements when Virginia became the 38th state to ratify the amendment in January 2020. But you can see where Congress would not want to officially lift the arbitrary deadline because barefoot and pregnant. ~~~

     ~~~ The Democrats' letter to President Biden is here. Via the House.

Jennifer Rubin of the Washington Post: "Without minimizing the many factors responsible for reelecting the most unfit presidential candidate in U.S. history, we must not forget the singular role played in 2021 by Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) in preventing ... Donald Trump’s removal from office in his second impeachment trial, thereby enabling his return to office. It is therefore grotesquely hypocritical for McConnell now to bemoan the danger to the nation posed by the revival of Trump’s 'America First' foreign policy."

Thanks for Encouraging Trump, ABC News! David Enrich of the New York Times: A "small flurry of threatened defamation lawsuits is the latest sign that the incoming Trump administration appears poised to do what it can to crack down on unfavorable media coverage. Before and after the election, Mr. Trump and his allies have discussed subpoenaing news organizations, prosecuting journalists and their sources, revoking networks’ broadcast licenses and eliminating funding for public radio and television. Actual or threatened libel lawsuits are another weapon at their disposal — and they are being deployed even before Mr. Trump moves back into the White House.... On Saturday, ABC News said it had agreed to give $15 million to Mr. Trump’s future presidential foundation and museum to settle a defamation suit that Mr. Trump filed against the network and one of its anchors, George Stephanopoulos.... The deal set off criticism of ABC News by those who perceived the network as needlessly bowing down to Mr. Trump. And it led some legal and media experts to wonder whether the outcome would embolden Mr. Trump and others to intensify their assault on the media...." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

      ~~~ Steve M. argues that Trump will be sorry when he's managed to force every media outlet to heel and "there are no media outlets left for Trump to sue because they're all self-censoring? Who'll be left for him to crush if they're all courtiers and sycophants?... If Trump neutralizes all opposition, it will eventually be clear that bad things going on in America are his fault." MB: I'm not convinced. Although it's technically possible Trump can shut up the opposition by jailing or executing everyone who persists in criticizing him (what would it take to shut up Lawrence O'Donnell?), the right is very good at identifying "enemies of the people," and they certainly aren't all media figures or entities. In fact, most are cultural "enemies," from Black Lives Matter activists to feminists to teachers and librarians. Apparently if you watch Fox sporadically, you'll find out there are so many bad guys out there that you'll want to lock yourself up to avoid them.

Lena Sun, et al., of the Washington Post: "... Donald Trump has tapped the 71-year-old [Dave Weldon] former Army doctor [and former Congressman] to run the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.... Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the longtime vaccine skeptic..., proposed Weldon for the job.... Weldon’s past record of promoting the disproven link between vaccines and autism in the face of overwhelming scientific evidence attesting to the safety and efficacy of vaccines raises concerns among some public health experts about his ability to run the CDC. If confirmed, Weldon could undermine confidence in the lifesaving shots at a time when infectious-disease threats such as measles and whooping cough are on the rise, they say. A Washington Post review of Weldon’s public comments, media appearances and congressional letters along with accounts of those who worked with him reveal a portrait of a politician and physician who emphasized the experiences of individuals while dismissing dozens of studies based on data from hundreds of thousands of patients that showed no link between vaccines and autism." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: The plan, it appears, is to knock the CDC back to the Dark Ages. But, hey, maybe potions and incantations will control diseases just as well as vaccines.

Julianne McShane of Mother Jones: "Devin Nunes, the ex-California congressman and current head of Trump’s struggling social media platform, Truth Social, is getting his prize for being the next president’s long-serving yes-man. On Saturday, Trump announced that he would appoint Nunes as chairman of the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board.... Nunes will draw on a robust track record of foot entering mouth.... The Bee famously once called him 'Trump’s stooge.' That seems to be the main qualification needed for the next admin."

Tom Boggioni of the Raw Story: "CEO's and business execs hoping to dissuade Donald Trump from enacting what they and many economists believe will be ruinous tariffs are finding he won't budge and that has them scrambling to find a way to get through to him.... As the [Wall Street] Journal's Brian Schwartz wrote, 'Trump isn’t budging' before adding, 'So far, executives are facing setbacks as they canvass Trump’s aides for advice on how to influence the president-elect’s next steps. Trump is largely acting on his own, leaving his incoming team of advisers with few opportunities to shape his thinking.' The report adds that Trump's proposals often come late at night on his social media platforms leaving his advisors, who have been left in the dark, trying to catch up afterwards."

Astrid Galvan & Alayna Alvarez of Axios: "A handful of top U.S. universities are urging international students who travel home for winter break to be back in the country before ... Trump takes office.... Trump has vowed to crack down on both illegal and legal immigration, and school leaders are worried one of his first actions could be an executive order limiting entrance to the U.S. like he did with the Muslim Ban in 2017.... At least 10 universities, mostly on the East Coast, have told international students to be back stateside before the Jan. 20 inauguration. They include the University of Southern California, Brown University, University of Pennsylvania, MIT and others. USC [University of Southern California] in an email to students on special visas said they are expected to be in class when the semester starts on Jan. 13, and that this 'is especially important given that a new presidential administration will take office on January 20, 2025, and — as is common — may issue one or more Executive Orders impacting travel to the U.S. and visa processing.'"

What Could Possibly Go Wrong? Jackson Barton of the Washington Post: "Dallas-based start-up American Rounds rolled its first automated retail ammo [vending] machine into a Fresh Value grocery store in Pell City, Alabama, late in 2023, selling various brands of rifle, shotgun and handgun ammo. The company advertises its machines as a safer and more convenient way to buy ammo than at a large retail store or online. But public health experts have questioned whether the company’s suicide prevention efforts are sufficient, and elected officials in areas where machines were set up have worried that the easy availability of ammunition could lead to impulsive purchases by people who seek to do harm." (Also linked yesterday.)

For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? -- Jesus, note to Jeff Bezos (Matthew 16:26)

The shockingly dangerous working conditions at Amazon’s warehouses revealed in this 160-page report are beyond unacceptable. Amazon’s executives repeatedly chose to put profits ahead of the health and safety of its workers by ignoring recommendations that would substantially reduce injuries. -- Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), in an Addendum of Matthew 16 ~~~

~~~ Noam Scheiber of the New York Times: "For years, worker advocates and some government officials have argued that Amazon’s strict production quotas lead to high rates of injury for its warehouse employees. And for years, Amazon has rejected the criticism, arguing that it doesn’t use strict quotas, and that its injury rates are falling close to or below the industry average. On Sunday, the majority staff of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, which is chaired by Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, published an investigation that found that Amazon itself had documented the link between its quotas and elevated injury rates. Internal company documents collected by Mr. Sanders’s investigators show that Amazon health and safety personnel recommended relaxing enforcement of the production quotas to lower injury rates, but that senior executives rejected the recommendations.... The report also affirmed the findings of investigations undertaken by a union-backed group showing that injury rates at Amazon were almost twice the average for the rest of the industry.

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Israel/Palestine, et al.

The Washington Post's live updates of developments in Israel's wars are here: "Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he spoke with ... Donald Trump and discussed the 'need to complete Israel’s victory' and efforts to release hostages held by Hamas in Gaza. Calling Trump 'my friend,' Netanyahu said the conversation was 'very friendly, warm and important.' The two spoke Saturday night, Netanyahu said in a statement Sunday. The Israeli government approved a plan Sunday that would expand settlements in the occupied Golan Heights, a move that Qatar, Iraq and the United Arab Emirates criticized. Israel said it was acting 'in light of the war and the new front facing Syria,' as it uses the power vacuum next door to consolidate security on its border and advance its aims of growing settlements. In his video statement, Netanyahu said he wanted to clarify that Israel has 'no interest in confrontation' with Syria, saying that 'our policy toward Syria will be determined by the reality on the ground.'”

Hiba Yazbek of the New York Times: "Israel’s military said it carried out strikes and raids in northern Gaza on Sunday after days of deadly bombardments across the territory. The military said in a statement that it had targeted a 'terrorist meeting point' in the northern town of Beit Hanoun, among other actions. Wafa, the Palestinian Authority’s news agency, reported that Israeli forces had raided a school building in the town and forced displaced families sheltering there to evacuate in unsafe conditions, killing and wounding several amid bombardment and gunfire."

Vivian Yee of the New York Times: "Israel struck Syrian weapons depots and air defenses overnight, a group monitoring the conflict said Sunday, in what appeared to be part of an effort Israel says is aimed at depriving “extremists” of military assets after rebels seized power in Syria. In all, Israel struck its neighbor 75 times in attacks that began Saturday night near the Syrian capital, Damascus, and the cities of Hama and Homs, according to the group, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based organization that has long tracked the conflict in Syria. There were no immediate reports of casualties."

Isabel Kershner of the New York Times: "Israel announced on Sunday that it was closing its embassy in Dublin in light of what it described as 'the extreme anti-Israel policies of the Irish government.' The decision came days after Ireland announced that it would file an intervention in support of South Africa’s case against Israel in the International Court of Justice in The Hague. South Africa has accused Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, a charge Israel vehemently rejects. Israeli officials said shuttering the embassy in Ireland did not mean that Israel was severing diplomatic relations with Ireland. Officials from both countries noted that Ireland’s embassy in Tel Aviv will continue to function."

The Conversation -- December 15, 2024

Thanks for Encouraging Trump, ABC News! David Enrich of the New York Times: A "small flurry of threatened defamation lawsuits is the latest sign that the incoming Trump administration appears poised to do what it can to crack down on unfavorable media coverage. Before and after the election, Mr. Trump and his allies have discussed subpoenaing news organizations, prosecuting journalists and their sources, revoking networks' broadcast licenses and eliminating funding for public radio and television. Actual or threatened libel lawsuits are another weapon at their disposal -- and they are being deployed even before Mr. Trump moves back into the White House.... On Saturday, ABC News said it had agreed to give $15 million to Mr. Trump's future presidential foundation and museum to settle a defamation suit that Mr. Trump filed against the network and one of its anchors, George Stephanopoulos.... The deal set off criticism of ABC News by those who perceived the network as needlessly bowing down to Mr. Trump. And it led some legal and media experts to wonder whether the outcome would embolden Mr. Trump and others to intensify their assault on the media...."

What Could Possibly Go Wrong? Jackson Barton of the Washington Post: "Dallas-based start-up American Rounds rolled its first automated retail ammo [vending] machine into a Fresh Value grocery store in Pell City, Alabama, late in 2023, selling various brands of rifle, shotgun and handgun ammo. The company advertises its machines as a safer and more convenient way to buy ammo than at a large retail store or online. But public health experts have questioned whether the company's suicide prevention efforts are sufficient, and elected officials in areas where machines were set up have worried that the easy availability of ammunition could lead to impulsive purchases by people who seek to do harm."

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Army-Navy Game Features Rogues' Gallery. Michael Shear of the New York Times: "... Donald J. Trump attended the annual Army-Navy football game in Maryland on Saturday with Pete Hegseth, his embattled choice for defense secretary, sending a message of support ahead of Senate confirmation hearings that are likely to take place next month. Allies and aides of Mr. Trump's posted video of the president-elect and Mr. Hegseth on the social media site X. In one video, the two men, along with Vice President-elect JD Vance, can be seen standing for the national anthem.... Mr. Trump was also accompanied at the game by Daniel Penny, a former Marine who was acquitted this week on a charge of criminally negligent homicide after putting a man in a chokehold in a New York subway car. Other allies of Mr. Trump's, including Elon Musk and House Speaker Mike Johnson, were also at the game." (Also linked yesterday.)

More Rogues for the Gallery.

     ~~~ Bad Moooos. Charlie Savage of the New York Times: "....Donald J. Trump announced on Saturday that he would appoint Devin Nunes, a former member of Congress who had used his role as chairman of the House Intelligence Committee to try to delegitimize the Trump-Russia investigation, to head an independent advisory board on espionage policy. The organization -- the President's Intelligence Advisory Board -- dates back to the early Cold War and consists of private citizens with top-level security clearances who are supposed to help the White House analyze spy agency effectiveness and planning. Its members do not need Senate confirmation, so presidents can pick whomever they want for it.... Some members of the advisory board also serve on a presidential Intelligence Oversight Board, which was created in the 1970s after a congressional investigation into abuses by national security agencies and which tries to ferret out illegal spying activities. That group typically includes the larger board's chair, so it is likely that Mr. Nunes will participate in it as well." An NBC News story is here. MB: Will Devin Nunes' Cow get a seat on the Oversight Board? Will she oversee Devin? ~~~

     ~~~ Elizabeth Williamson of the New York Times: "... Donald J. Trump named Richard Grenell, his former ambassador to Germany and former acting director of national intelligence, as his 'envoy for special missions,' Mr. Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform on Saturday. A loyalist known for unbridled social media attacks on Mr. Trump's perceived critics and many others, Mr. Grenell led a shambolic effort to challenge the 2020 election results in Nevada after Mr. Trump's loss, and he has lobbied assiduously for a diplomatic job in the new administration. He got his start in government before Mr. Trump's rise, as a spokesman for the U.S. mission to the United Nations under multiple presidents. But his online toxicity, foreign business contacts and tendency toward biting personal attacks on political opponents and the media turned off many centrist conservatives, helping propel him toward Mr. Trump, a man he denounced in 2016 as 'dangerous.'"

Hugo Lowell of the Guardian: "The problem with [Kash] Patel leading the FBI in the second Trump administration is that typical checks on the power of the FBI director would almost certainly be gone, according to former FBI assistant director Frank Figliuzzi and other former officials familiar with the matter.... The alarm has come as Patel, who has called for shutting down FBI headquarters and drafted what critics call an 'enemies list' of Patel's opponents, appears set to have his nomination supported unanimously by Republicans on the Senate judiciary committee.... 'And then going through files? I imagine on the first day in office, he's going to say, "I need every file that has the word Trump in it,"' Figliuzzi said. 'That should be a real concern, that Kash Patel is going through informant files and saying, "Look at that, this guy coughed it up on Trump."'... Figliuzzi also suggested that Patel working in tandem with the Trump White House could exert influence over things like background checks, both for first-time applicants for security clearances and reinvestigations of people who previously went through FBI vetting." Thanks to Akhilleus for the link. See also his commentary and Ken W.'s in yesterday's thread. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: IOW, access to FBI files will give Patel what he needs to expand his already-established "enemies list." In her post linked below, digby begins with a mention of Nixon's enemies list. Nixon's original list had only 20 people on it. Nixon aide Charles Colson expanded the list to 220. According to the New York Times (June 1973), "a memorandum written by [John] Dean in August, 1971, to President Nixon's top advisers, H. R. Haldeman and John D. Ehrlichman -- Mr. Dean suggested 'how we can use the available Federal machinery to screw our political enemies.' Another memorandum that Mr. Dean said he prepared recommended using Internal Revenue Service machinery to harass political opponents of the President." I'm quite certain Patel can think up plenty of ways to "use the federal machinery to screw Trump's [perceived] political enemies." And Patel will do it. ~~~

~~~ Digby writes an excellent essay on why Chris Wray should have stood up to Donald Trump and forced Trump to fire him.

Kevin Kruse in a Substack essay: "The odds are good that pretty much all the president's men (cough) will be confirmed.... The danger with some of Trump's nominees isn't that they'll abuse their power and turn their agencies to evil ends, it's that they'll run their agencies into the ground, quite deliberately, in order to bring them to an evil end." Speaking of ends, read to the end of this one. As Jeanne wrote yesterday, it's karma. Thanks to RAS for the link.

Jacob Bogage, et al., of the Washington Post: "... Donald Trump has expressed a keen interest in privatizing the U.S. Postal Service in recent weeks, three people with knowledge of the matter said, a move that could shake up consumer shipping and business supply chains and push hundreds of thousands of federal workers out of the government.... Told of the mail agency's annual financial losses, Trump said the government should not subsidize the organization, the people said.... [Trump] feuded with the nation's mail carrier as president in 2019, trying to force it to hand over key functions -- including rate-setting, personnel decisions, labor relations and managing relationships with its largest clients &-- to the Treasury Department.... As congressional Republicans and others in Trump's orbit have clamored in recent weeks for federal cost-cutting, the Postal Service has emerged as a prominent target. People who will work on the 'Department of Government Efficiency,' a nongovernmental panel led by tech entrepreneurs Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, have also held preliminary conversations about major changes to the Postal Service...." The Guardian's story is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Hardly a surprise. As Ken W. noted yesterday morning, "There's just so much money to be made by making public services private." Let's see. Who should lead the King Donald Postal Service on the road to disaster? How about Prince Donald Junior? And how is it that Trump was "told of the mail agency's annual financial losses"? Everybody who reads a real newspaper has known that for years. It is periodically repeated -- often when the USPS asks for another hike in the price of stamps. ~~~

     ~~~ Scott Lemieux in LG&$: "This is a classic Republican economic policy in that 1)it will be disastrous for rural and exurban areas that are the most reliable sources of Republican support and 2)won't hurt them with the typical voter in these areas at all even if they go through with it and their lives are negatively impacted." MB: And that's at least partially because people who live in the boonies are living in information deserts; they don't know WTF is going on & they don't know it's their favorite politicians who are sticking it to them.

Alan Feuer & Michael Grynbaum of the New York Times: "ABC News agreed on Saturday to give $15 million to .... Donald J. Trump's future presidential foundation and museum to settle a defamation lawsuit filed by Mr. Trump concerning on-air statements made by the network's star anchor George Stephanopoulos. The network and Mr. Stephanopoulos also published a statement saying they 'regret' remarks made about Mr. Trump during a televised interview in March. ABC News, which is owned by the Walt Disney Company, will pay Mr. Trump an additional $1 million for his legal fees, under the terms of a settlement agreement filed in Federal District Court in Miami. The outcome marks an unusual victory for Mr. Trump in his ongoing legal campaign against national news organizations. Several of his previous attempts to sue media outlets for defamation, including lawsuits against CNN, The New York Times and The Washington Post, ended in defeat.... The settlement agreement was signed on the same day that a federal magistrate judge ordered Mr. Trump to sit for a deposition in the case next week in Florida. Mr. Stephanopoulos was also on the verge of being deposed." (Also linked yesterday.) The AP's report is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Read on. Of course the suits should not have caved. Maybe they were upset that NBC News got the only post-election MSM interview with Trump and they figured a $16MM suck-up would put them in Trump's good graces. Fat chance. ~~~

     ~~~ Here's the headline on Paul Campos' post on LG&$: "ABC pays sex assaulter $15 million for saying jury found he had raped woman, as opposed to sexually assaulting her." Campos writes, "That's slicing the libel bologna extraordinarily thin, but on the other hand if you think of it as protection money it all makes sense. Except it won't actually buy much if any protection. Just like in the other made for TV rackets." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Quite right. The jury's charge was for sexual assault, but as the linked AP report explains, the judge in the case "said the verdict did not mean that Carroll 'failed to prove that Mr. Trump "raped" her as many people commonly understand the word "rape." Indeed ... the jury found that Mr. Trump in fact did exactly that.'"

Motoko Rich of the New York Times: "As the United States ambassador to Japan, a country where change typically follows a long process of quiet consensus-building referred to as 'nemawashi,' [the brash Rahm] Emanuel, 65, was initially seen as an unorthodox appointment. But maybe, he suggests, he was just what Japan needed.... In the past three years, Japan has doubled the amount earmarked for military spending, acquired Tomahawk missiles from the United States and, in a reversal of postwar restrictions on weapons exports, agreed to manufacture American-designed Patriot missiles to sell to the U.S. government. Although he acknowledged the groundwork was laid before he arrived, Mr. Emanuel said these changes didn't simply coincide with his term as American envoy to Tokyo. 'While I was here, they did more, went faster and farther and deeper than I think they themselves originally thought,' he said during an interview late last month in the library of his residence in Tokyo. 'Did I contribute to that?' Mr. Emanuel said. 'Uh, yeah.' Just how much credit should go to Mr. Emanuel is a matter of perspective."

Karoun Demirjian of the New York Times: "Representative Nancy Pelosi, Democrat of California, had hip replacement surgery on Saturday after falling while on an official trip to Luxembourg, her office said in a statement. 'Earlier this morning, Speaker Emerita Pelosi underwent a successful hip replacement and is well on the mend,' Ian Krager, a spokesman for Ms. Pelosi, said in a statement. Ms. Pelosi traveled to Luxembourg as part of a congressional delegation attending a ceremony to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge, a pivotal fight during World War II. On Friday, she tripped and fell while going down marble stairs at the Grand Ducal Palace...."

Marie: We have been discussing the structural problems that have led the country to the sad state of affairs. Mister Mix of Balloon Juice has an idea that would help correct one of those structural problems: liberal-leaning media should follow part of Fox's successful model, not the part where they make up stuff, but by making "it left-wing infotainment, and not always overtly political or even about politics." That is, carry stories that support or show the need for liberal policies. This is much like what Dan Froomkin suggested a few days ago, but more specific: "The kinds of stories I'm talking about are stories of people being denied insurance coverage, women dying in parking lots for lack of a D&C, farmers who wouldn't be able to harvest crops or keep cattle without immigrant labor, and youth pastors raping kids." While these are depressing, Mix also suggests positive stories that show liberal ideas working like urban gardeners & volunteers helping their communities. ~~~

      ~~~ Since I don't watch Fox, I didn't realize how they were using real stories -- okay, anecdotes -- to reinforce their "political philosophy." I wasn't aware how calculating their infotainment was. What it is, I think, is strategically using local news tactics -- "if it bleeds, it leads" -- to hold and increase viewership. Local news, theoretically anyway, tells its stories without an agenda any deeper than the station's own ratings, but Fox tailors those stories to make right-wing points. So if it works for local news stations and it works for Fox (the highest-ratest cable news station), then it should work for MSM and liberal-leaning media, too.

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Florida. Hannah Critchfield & Juan Chavez of the Tampa Bay Times: "Florida banned local governments from providing increased oversight for workers exposed to high temperatures earlier this year, saying businesses and federal regulators alone could keep laborers safe. But the Tampa Bay Times found far more workers have died from heat across the state than authorities even know. The missing deaths bring recorded heat fatalities in Florida to at least 37 over the past decade -- double the number federal regulators had tallied during the same period. Employers are supposed to notify the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which oversees worker safety, about employee deaths within hours. OSHA has fined six businesses in the state after discovering they didn't follow the rule when workers died from heat. The Times identified 19 additional heat-related deaths kept from the agency.... The Times found that Florida companies have failed to report the vast majority of heat fatalities as required.... The vast majority were people of color. At least half were immigrants....

"Florida's ban on local governments adopting heat regulations drew national attention and criticism with nearly 90 environmental, faith-based and labor groups writing to Gov. Ron DeSantis asking him to veto the legislation before he signed it." MB: DeSantis signed the bill. Of course.

Drones Over New Jersey, New York, Maryland. Angie Hernandez, et al., of the Washington Post: "On Monday, Gov. Phil Murphy (D) attempted to soothe worries that the mysterious drones flying in New Jersey airspace posed a threat to public safety. But growing concern -- and additional sightings -- moved Murphy to write to President Joe Biden on Thursday, emphasizing the need for more federal resources.... The New Jersey State Police have received reports of drones since Nov. 18, Murphy wrote. The sightings have been spotted near homes, businesses, military research facilities and ... Donald Trump's golf course in Bedminster. Federal investigators said they don't have answers yet but added they don't believe the drones pose a public threat.... The Federal Aviation Administration has imposed drone flight restrictions near Bedminster and Picatinny while authorities investigate.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) said in a statement Saturday that she was also requesting that the Biden administration surge federal law enforcement to her state after the runways at Stewart Airfield, about 70 miles north of New York City, were shut down on Friday night for about one hour 'due to drone activity in the airspace.' Earlier this week, the Bowie Police Department in Prince George's County[, Maryland] began receiving calls from community members about drone sightings and the calls have continued

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Syria. The Washington Post's live updates of developments Sunday in Syria are here: "U.S. officials have been in direct contact with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), Syria's new Islamist leaders, hoping to encourage the rebel group that deposed President Bashar al-Assad to steer the transition to a government representing all Syrians. Assad's sudden ouster a week ago prompted celebrations across Syria, upending half a century of authoritarian rule. But Western officials worry that a peaceful transition of power is not assured in a country wracked by years of civil war.."

The Conversation -- December 14, 2024

Army-Navy Game Features Rogues' Gallery. Michael Shear of the New York Times: "... Donald J. Trump attended the annual Army-Navy football game in Maryland on Saturday with Pete Hegseth, his embattled choice for defense secretary, sending a message of support ahead of Senate confirmation hearings that are likely to take place next month. Allies and aides of Mr. Trump's posted video of the president-elect and Mr. Hegseth on the social media site X. In one video, the two men, along with Vice President-elect JD Vance, can be seen standing for the national anthem.... Mr. Trump was also accompanied at the game by Daniel Penny, a former Marine who was acquitted this week on a charge of criminally negligent homicide after putting a man in a chokehold in a New York subway car. Other allies of Mr. Trump's, including Elon Musk and House Speaker Mike Johnson, were also at the game."

Alan Feuer & Michael Grynbaum of the New York Times: "ABC News agreed on Saturday to give $15 million to .... Donald J. Trump's future presidential foundation and museum to settle a defamation lawsuit filed by Mr. Trump concerning on-air statements made by the network's star anchor George Stephanopoulos. The network and Mr. Stephanopoulos also published a statement saying they 'regret' remarks made about Mr. Trump during a televised interview in March. ABC News, which is owned by the Walt Disney Company, will pay Mr. Trump an additional $1 million for his legal fees, under the terms of a settlement agreement filed in Federal District Court in Miami. The outcome marks an unusual victory for Mr. Trump in his ongoing legal campaign against national news organizations. Several of his previous attempts to sue media outlets for defamation, including lawsuits against CNN, The New York Times and The Washington Post, ended in defeat.... The settlement agreement was signed on the same day that a federal magistrate judge ordered Mr. Trump to sit for a deposition in the case next week in Florida. Mr. Stephanopoulos was also on the verge of being deposed." ~~~

     ~~~ Read on. Of course the suits should not have caved. Maybe they were upset that NBC News got the only post-election MSM interview with Trump and they figured a $16MM suck-up would put them in Trump's good graces.

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Stopped Clock..., etc. Marie: OMG! I agree with Donald Trump about something: ~~~

~~~ Dan Diamond of the Washington Post: "'The Republican Party will use its best efforts to eliminate Daylight Saving Time, which has a small but strong constituency, but shouldn't!' [Donald Trump] wrote Friday on his social media platform Truth Social. 'Daylight Saving Time is inconvenient, and very costly to our Nation.' Any effort to permanently change the nation's clocks would require the cooperation of Congress, which has been gridlocked over recent time-change legislation -- and whether it makes sense to end daylight saving time or adopt it year-round instead.... Trump's announcement aligns him with public health professionals, who have long said that daylight saving time does not comport with humans' natural circadian rhythms and that the clock changes each spring and fall are linked to a greater risk of heart attacks, stroke and car accidents. Other countries have banished daylight saving time, with Mexico in 2022 moving to abolish the practice." The Hill has a story here. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: When I was growing up in Florida, the state did not have Daylight Savings Time, and that may be the reason I have always found it to be an annoying practice.

Notes on the Billionaires' Club: Tim Apple Makes the Pilgrimage to Mar-a-Lardo. Theodore Schleifer & Tripp Mickle of the New York Times: Apple CEO "Tim Cook held a meeting on Friday with Donald J. Trump at Mar-a-Lago.... Mr. Cook and Mr. Trump later dined on the patio at Mar-a-Lago.... The two men had a warm relationship during Mr. Trump's first term -- much warmer than Mr. Trump's with other tech executives.... The meeting offers a chance for Mr. Cook to seek Mr. Trump's support on several issues that could challenge Apple's business in the coming years, including pressure on the App Store from European regulators and the potential that new tariffs could put the company's iPhone business at risk."~~~

~~~ Cade Metz of the New York Times: "OpenAI said on Friday that its chief executive, Sam Altman, was planning to donate $1 million to ... Donald J. Trump's inaugural fund, joining a number of tech companies and executives who are working to improve their relationships with Mr. Trump.... Mr. Altman and OpenAI recently hired key executives who previously worked for Democratic administrations." ~~~

~~~ Theodore Schleifer & David Yaffe-Belany of the New York Times: "This was the week when many tech companies and their top executives, as reluctant as they may have been, acknowledged the reality of getting business done in Mr. Trump's Washington. With their donations, visits and comments, they joined a party that has already raged for a month, as a cohort of influential Silicon Valley billionaires, led by Elon Musk, began running parts of Mr. Trump's transition after endorsing him in the campaign. While businesses frequently try to get on an incoming president's good side, the frenzy of tech activity stood out from other industries."

~~~ Niall Stanage of the Hill: "Trump has received a display of homage at home and abroad since winning November's contest over Vice President Harris. It's the kind of public pomp that eluded him after his shock victory over Hillary Clinton in 2016. The nature of this acclaim is eliciting an unusual level of glee from Trump -- a man who biographers say has never quite left behind the outer-borough imprint of his upbringing in Queens, N.Y., where his family's wealth was never enough to buy him full entrée into the Manhattan cultural elite. The accolades and invites have come thick and fast this time." Stanage provides a short list of some of the more prominent flatterers.

The polio vaccine has saved millions of lives and held out the promise of eradicating a terrible disease.... Efforts to undermine public confidence in proven cures are not just uninformed -- they're dangerous.... Anyone seeking the Senate's consent to serve in the incoming administration would do well to steer clear of even the appearance of association with such efforts. -- Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell, a polio survivor, in a statement Friday ~~~

~~~ Sheryl Stolberg of the New York Times: "Senator Mitch McConnell, the Republican leader and a survivor of polio, issued a pointed statement in support of the polio vaccine on Friday, hours after The New York Times reported that the lawyer for Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has petitioned federal regulators to withdraw the vaccine from the market. Without naming Mr. Kennedy, Mr. McConnell suggested that the petition could jeopardize his confirmation to be health secretary in the incoming Trump administration." The NBC News story is here. MB: The NYT article notes that "Kennedy has said he does not want to take away anyone's vaccines," & the NBC News story reports, "Katie Miller, a spokesperson for RFK Jr, told NBC News in a statement, 'The Polio Vaccine should be available to the public and thoroughly and properly studied.'" But no mention in either report of this: ~~~

     ~~~ Tim Reid & Michael Erman of Reuters: "... Donald Trump in an interview published on Thursday said he will be talking to Robert F. Kennedy Jr., his nominee to run the Department of Health and Human Services, about ending childhood vaccination programs. When asked if he would sign off if Kennedy decided to end childhood vaccinations programs, Trump told Time magazine, 'we're going to have a big discussion. The autism rate is at a level that nobody ever believed possible. If you look at things that are happening, there's something causing it.'" ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Yes, I know it's disturbing that Trump is going to ruin the economy, increase income disparity and wreck our relations with leading democracies. But none of this is as frightening as these two dudes, both of whom are nutso and at least one of whom is quite stupid, getting together to determine healthcare (and outcomes) for the nation's children. It is true that many people will have their children vaccinated for at least some deadly diseases -- unless Kennedy & Trump outlaw those vaccinations. Then only people who are motivated and can afford to travel to other countries would be able to have their children immunized. Could they outlaw vaccines? Could they outlaw the polio vaccine? Well, notice that reference by Kennedy's spokesperson to "thoroughly and properly studying" polio vaccines. The purpose of studying something is to obtain information to help you decide on a course of action (or not.) So what if those thorough, proper studies suggest to Kennedy that the polio vaccine causes brain worms, or whatever? I think he'd recommend outlawing the vaccine, and it's quite possible he could get it done. ~~~

~~~ Scott Lemieux, writing in LG&$, is mightily unimpressed by McConnell's criticism of Trump's pick for HHS head: "Could McConnell have persuaded 16 other Republican senators to convict Trump for 1/6 had he made a serious effort to do it? I don&'t know, and likely the odds were against it. But we do know that -- having to know that his tenure as conference leader was coming to an end, and that he was never going to be majority leader again -- he didn't even try. He owns Trump (and RFK Jr.) lock. stock and barrel. And it's also a little hard to take for someone whose most important initiative in his final four years as majority leader was a nearly successful effort to take healthcare away from tens of millions of people to pay for an upper-class tax cut. RFK Jr. is a logical culmination of the Republican contempt for the idea that public health is an important issue, and McConnell is as guilty of this as anyone." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Lemieux begins his post with a brief discussion of sanewashing RFK Jr. as essentially a healthy-eating/fitness advocate -- uh, kinda like that crazy leftist Michelle Obama. Philip Bump of the Washington Post has a much more-developed post along this line, and it's well-worth reading. ~~~

~~~ Apoorva Mandavilli of the New York Times: "It's an idea as popular as it is incorrect: American babies now receive too many vaccines, which overwhelm their immune systems and lead to diseases like autism. This theory has been repeated so often that it has permeated the mainstream, echoed by ... Donald J. Trump and his pick to be the nation's top health official, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.... But the idea that today's vaccines are overtaxing children's immune systems is fundamentally flawed, experts said. Vaccines today are cleaner and more efficient, and they contain far fewer stimulants to the immune system -- by orders of magnitude -- than they did decades ago. What's more, the immune reactions produced by vaccines are 'minuscule' compared with those that children experience on a daily basis, said Dr. Yvonne Maldonado, a pediatrician at Stanford University who advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on vaccines."

Adam Goldman, et al., of the New York Times: "Kash Patel..., Donald J. Trump's pick to be F.B.I. director, often burnishes his credentials as a former prosecutor even as he portrays law enforcement agencies as an inept and politicized 'deep state.' A critical piece of that narrative is the investigation into the 2012 attack on a diplomatic compound and a C.I.A. annex in Benghazi, Libya, that killed four Americans. Mr. Patel, who worked at the Justice Department from early 2014 to 2017, was involved in that inquiry. He described it in his 2023 memoir ... and in a conversation on a September podcast of 'The Shawn Ryan Show.' But he has both exaggerated his own importance and misleadingly distorted the department s broader effort.... Mr. Patel has repeatedly made it sound as if he led the government's overall effort to investigate and prosecute militants involved in the 2012 attack. [But he was merely a member of a team who aided the Benghazi investigators, and he didn't work there when the investigation started or when it ended.]... He is said to have passed off the role to another colleague after friction with the prosecutorial team." Read on. ~~~

     ~~~ And of course, "Alex Pfeiffer, a spokesman for the Trump transition, stood by Mr. Patel's description of his duties." MB: If Patel were a Democratic nominee, Comer & Jordan would have jump-started a whole 'nother Benghazi probe.

Marie: In yesterday's Conversation, I wondered why bankers would want the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. eliminated, something Trump aides are reportedly considering (in order, I guess, to boost the value of Trump's investment in cryptocurrency). Patrick explained in yesterday's Comments (in two seperate entries) several reasons why banks would want to ditch the FDIC, all based ultimately in the fact that it's the banks who pay FDIC insurance premiums. (Of course they pay the premiums with your money and mine, but they'd get to keep a little more of our money if they didn't have those darned premiums to pay.) RAS also noted the reason bank customers will stick with the banks. I do think other, non-bank companies could handle most of those transactions that RAS correctly notes are handled (at least in part) by banks today. So if you're wondering why bankers might be happy to get rid of FDIC insurance, see yesterday's Comments.

Meryl Kornfield & Maham Javaid of the Washington Post: "Vice President-elect JD Vance has invited Daniel Penny, a former Marine who was acquitted in the chokehold death of a fellow New York subway rider, to be his guest Saturday at the annual Army-Navy football game....Vance and Penny will join ... Donald Trump in his suite at the game.... A New York City jury found Penny, 26, not guilty Monday of criminally negligent homicide in the May 2023 choking death of Jordan Neely, a 30-year-old subway performer and homeless man with a history of mental health problems.... Penny has been lauded as a citizen hero by many Republicans who have pushed for a greater clampdown on crime in the city and criticized [Alvin] Bragg's prosecution of Trump in a hush money case. [Bragg's office prosecuted Penny.] Meanwhile, city officials had decried Neely's death after a video of the minutes-long chokehold went viral, leading to protests over what some saw as vigilante violence against someone in need of the city's services." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: How odd that people who say they're appalled by violent crime promote violent crime. Then they celebrate it by all going out to watch a violent game (guess there were no wrestling or boxing fight nights scheduled).

Annie Grayer of CNN: "Rep. Nancy Pelosi was admitted to a hospital in Luxembourg after she 'sustained an injury during an official engagement,' a spokesperson said. Pelosi, 84, is continuing to work, the spokesperson, Ian Krager, said, and is currently receiving 'excellent' treatment from doctors and medical professionals. 'While traveling with a bipartisan Congressional delegation in Luxembourg to mark the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge,' Krager said." (Also linked yesterday.)

Nitasha Tiku of the Washington Post: "OpenAI, maker of ChatGPT, released emails and text messages from its co-founder Elon Musk on Friday that showed the billionaire in 2017 demanding majority control of the company and the title of CEO. The trove of messages were released by the artificial intelligence developer as part of its response to a federal lawsuit filed in August by Musk, who departed the company's board in 2018."

Maria Cramer & Shayla Colon of the New York Times: "Investigators received a tip from the San Francisco Police Department identifying Luigi Mangione as a suspect before he was arrested in the killing of an insurance executive in Midtown Manhattan, the New York F.B.I. field office said Friday. The tip, which the bureau passed to the New York police, was one of many that law enforcement officials received in the days after the UnitedHealthcare chief executive, Brian Thompson, was fatally shot on Dec. 4. Mr. Mangione's family had reported him missing in San Francisco weeks before the killing. The timing of when the bureau gave that information to the New York police remains unclear, as well as whether it might have helped speed his arrest."

Walt Bogdanich & Michael Forsythe of the New York Times: "McKinsey & Company has agreed to pay $650 million to settle a Justice Department investigation of its work with the opioid maker Purdue Pharma. A former senior partner, Martin Elling, has also agreed to plead guilty to obstruction of justice for destroying internal company records in connection with that work. At the center of the government's case was McKinsey's advice that Purdue Pharma should 'turbocharge' sales of Purdue's flagship OxyContin painkiller in the midst of an opioid addiction epidemic that was killing hundreds of thousands of Americans. More than two dozen McKinsey partners consulted for Purdue over roughly 15 years, earning the firm $93 million." (Also linked yesterday.)

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California, et al. Coral Davenport of the New York Times: "The Biden administration is expected in the coming days to grant California and 11 other states permission to ban the sale of new gasoline-powered cars by 2035, one of the most ambitious climate policies in the United States and beyond.... Donald J. Trump is expected to revoke permission soon after taking office, part of his pledge to scrap Biden-era climate policies. 'California has imposed the most ridiculous car regulations anywhere in the world, with mandates to move to all electric cars,' Mr. Trump has said. 'I will terminate that.' The state is expected to fight any revocation, setting up a consequential legal battle with the new administration."

California. Adam Liptak & Coral Davenport of the New York Times: "The Supreme Court agreed on Friday to consider whether business groups may challenge an unusual federal program that lets California set its own limits on tailpipe emissions to combat climate change. The groups, including fuel producers and sellers, told the justices that the court's intervention was needed to prevent California from effectively setting national policy. 'Without this court's immediate review,' their petition seeking review said, 'California's unlawful standards will continue to dictate the composition of the nation's automobile market.' The challengers asked the court to decide two questions: whether they had suffered the sort of injuries that gave them standing to sue and whether the Environmental Protection Agency program granting California a waiver to set its own standards for greenhouse gas emissions was lawful."

North Carolina. Jonathan Edwards of the Washington Post: "The stripper who accused Duke University lacrosse players of gang-raping her insisted in her 2008 memoir that she'd been attacked, a year after authorities determined she had lied and dropped the charges against her alleged assailants.... In an episode of the online interview show 'Let's Talk with Kat' released Wednesday, [Crystal] Mangum, 46, said she lied about being gang-raped by the lacrosse players after they hired her to strip at their party -- an accusation that sparked a national scandal and forced a reckoning across the country about sexual assault on college campuses. 'I testified falsely against them by saying that they raped me when they didn't, and that was wrong,' she told interviewer Katerena DePasquale on Nov. 13.... The case dominated national news for months.... But as the months went by, the case against the lacrosse players unraveled.... Three months after taking over the case, [then state District Attorney (and now Gov.) Roy] Cooper dismissed the charges against the lacrosse players."

Texas/New York, et al. David Goodman & Pam Belluck of the New York Times: "The Texas attorney general opened a new front in the contentious battle over access to abortion this week by suing a New York doctor for sending abortion pills into Texas. It appeared to be among the first attempts to stop the mailing of such medication into states that ban abortion. The lawsuit from Attorney General Ken Paxton -- filed on Thursday in state court in Collin County, north of Dallas -- pits the laws of Texas, which has a near-total ban on abortion, against those of New York, where lawmakers have taken steps to shield doctors from out-of-state prosecution. Under shield laws, states like New York will refuse to cooperate with attempts by other states to prosecute or sue abortion providers who prescribe and send pills across state lines.

"Such laws exist in eight states and have allowed doctors there to send more than 10,000 abortion pills per month to women in states with bans. But legal experts say they expect Texas to try to pursue its case even if it is rebuffed by New York's law. Such an effort could wind up in federal court, potentially imperiling the ability of women in other states with bans to receive abortion pills by mail, and becoming a major test of whether states can enforce contradictory laws across state lines.... In a statement on Friday, Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York said that she was 'committed to maintaining New York's status as a safe harbor for all who seek abortion care.... I will do everything in my power to enforce the laws of New York State.'" The Texas Tribune story is here.

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France. Aurelien Breeden & Catherine Porter of the New York Times: "President Emmanuel Macron on Friday tapped François Bayrou, a veteran centrist politician and one of his top allies, as the new prime minister, a move that few expect would stabilize France's roiling politics. Mr. Bayrou becomes the country's fourth prime minister this year -- an ominous record. The task ahead is immense: He must now form a cabinet capable of shepherding bills through a fractured, cantankerous lower house of Parliament that ousted his predecessor last week."

South Korea. Michelle Lee of the Washington Post: "The South Korean National Assembly voted Saturday to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol, forcing him to immediately hand over power to the prime minister following his short-lived attempt to impose martial law this month. The hundreds of thousands of South Koreans waiting outside the National Assembly, many singing along to K-pop-style songs with ad-libbed lyrics calling for Yoon's departure, erupted into cheering and crying when the verdict was announced. But South Korea now enters a prolonged period of uncertainty: The Constitutional Court must decide whether to uphold the impeachment charges, a process that could take up to six months. If the court decides the legislature's decision is constitutional, Yoon will be removed from office and a new presidential election will be held within 60 days."

Syria, et al. The Washington Post's live updates of developments Saturday in Syria are here. ~~~

~~~ The New York Times live-updated developments Friday in Syria: "The Russian military appeared to be packing up equipment at one of its most critical bases in Syria on Friday, in what could be a prelude to Moscow's military withdrawal from an important strategic foothold in the Middle East. The movements of Russian equipment came as jubilant crowds gathered in cities across Syria for the first Friday Prayers since rebels toppled President Bashar al-Assad.... Also on Friday, Travis Timmerman, an American citizen who was found outside Damascus earlier this week, was handed over to U.S. forces by Syrian opposition representatives.... Rebel fighters in Syria said that they had found vast stockpiles of an illegal amphetamine called captagon in a Damascus warehouse. The drug was the cornerstone of a narcotics-trafficking ring worth billions of dollars a year that was run by relatives and associates of ... Bashar al-Assad.... A federal grand jury in Los Angeles charged a former Syrian government official with torturing political dissidents at a prison in Damascus." ~~~

~~~ All Is Not Well in Paradise. Farnaz Fassihi of the New York Times: "In the days since the abrupt and unexpected obliteration of Iran as a dominant presence in Syria, the government has faced a fierce public backlash over the billions of dollars spent and the Iranian blood shed to back the Assad regime. The criticism has come from unexpected corners, including conservatives, and is flowing freely on television channels and talk shows, and in social media posts and virtual town halls attended by thousands of Iranians. It also appears on the front pages of newspapers every day.... While opponents of the government have long bristled at the money Iran has sent all over the Middle East, the sentiment now seems to have spread."