The Commentariat -- June 30, 2018

Afternoon Update:

Brent Griffiths of Politico: "Protesters gathered in front of the White House and across the nation on Saturday slammed the Trump administration's separation of migrant families, the latest mass demonstration to push back on the president and his administration. Marchers chanted 'families belong together,' the name of the rally in Washington and in events that were scheduled to take place in more than 750 cities across the country. The protest was organized by the liberal organization MoveOn.Org, the Americans Civil Liberties Union, The Leadership Conference and National Domestic Workers Alliance." ...

... The Guardian is liveblogging protests around the U.S.

Stanley Reed & Mihir Zaveri of the New York Times: "President Trump tweeted on Saturday that he had once again leaned on Saudi Arabia, the world's largest oil exporter, to increase production by as much as 2 million barrels a day. Since May, Mr. Trump has put pressure on the Saudis and the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries to increase supplies through tweets and other messages.... In recent weeks, worries about declining oil exports from Iran have been pushing up oil prices. Analysts say that Saudi help in making up for lost Iranian crude oil will be crucial to Mr. Trump's efforts to put pressure on the government of Iran while not forcing prices up too high to cause political damage in the United States."

Nahal Toosi of Politico: "The Trump administration is barreling ahead in its high-stakes nuclear diplomacy with North Korea even though it lacks a full-time envoy to oversee the negotiations. Currently, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is serving as the point man on the administration's effort to convince North Korea to give up its atomic arsenal. But some lawmakers and former officials are urging ... Donald Trump to put a special representative in charge, arguing that Pompeo can't give the topic the explicit, sustained attention it requires. The calls for an envoy come as Trump aides remain coy about details of their strategy to deal with the isolated Asian country. There have been no formal talks announced since Trump held a ... June 12 summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un...."

*****

Dana Milbank: "The backlash is coming. It is the deserved consequence of minority-rule government protecting the rich over everybody else, corporations over workers, whites over nonwhites and despots over democracies. It will explode , God willing, at the ballot box and not in the streets. You can only ignore the will of the people for so long and get away with it."

David Jackson of USA Today: "... Donald Trump on Friday denounced the 'horrible, horrible' shooting at a Maryland newspaper office.... Trump said Thursday's attack that killed five people at the Capital Gazette newspaper in Annapolis, Md., 'shocked the conscience of our nation, and filled our hearts with grief.' 'Journalists, like all Americans, should be free from the fear of being violently attacked while doing their job,' Trump said at an event to mark the six-month anniversary of the passage of the Republican tax cut legislation." Mrs. McC: So when Trump has encouraged violence against the press & described them as "the enemy of the people" he was just kidding?

Margaret Talev & Greg Stohr of Bloomberg: "... Donald Trump said Friday he has narrowed down his search for a nominee to fill a Supreme Court vacancy to about five finalists, including two women, and will announce his pick on July 9. Trump said that he may interview one or two candidates this weekend at his resort in Bedminster, New Jersey, as his effort to replace retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy accelerates. A person familiar with the process said White House officials are focused primarily on five federal appeals court judges -- Brett Kavanaugh, Amy Coney Barrett, Thomas Hardiman, Raymond Kethledge and Amul Thapar." ...

... Michael Kranish & Ann Marimow of the Washington Post: "U.S. Circuit Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh, a former clerk for Supreme Court Justice Anthony M. Kennedy who is viewed as one of the leading contenders to replace him, has argued that presidents should not be distracted by civil lawsuits, criminal investigations or even questions from a prosecutor or defense attorney while in office. Kavanaugh had direct personal experience that informed his 2009 article for the Minnesota Law Review: He helped investigate President Bill Clinton as part of independent counsel Kenneth W. Starr's team and then served for five years as a close aide to President George W. Bush.... Kavanaugh's position that presidents should be free of such legal inquiries until after they leave office puts him on the record regarding a topic of intense interest to Trump -- and could be a central focus of his confirmation hearing if Kavanaugh were nominated to succeed Kennedy, legal experts said.... The 53-year-old judge was not on Trump's original list of Supreme Court candidates released during the campaign, but the White House added his name in the fall -- a move that some believed might make Kennedy more comfortable with retiring." ...

... Emily Atkin of the New Republic: Although Anthony Kennedy wasn't exactly the Environmental Justice, if Trump succeeds in appointing a far-right justice, it's likely that Scott Pruitt will succeed in stripping the Clean Water Act of protecting any of the U.S.'s streams & wetlands & perhaps the Clean Air Act "which gave the EPA the authority to regulate greenhouse gases." ...

... Frank Rich: "Scenarios that pro-choice GOP senators like Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski might block Trump's nominee are wishful thinking. It might be more profitable to start moving past the Democratic leadership that helped bring us to this moment. As my colleague Eric Levitz has pointed out, if Barack Obama had nominated a bolder choice than Merrick Garland ... -- a pick who might have roused the Democrats' minority base much as Trump's will the GOP's old-white-guy base -- it would have been far harder politically for Mitch McConnell to rob America's first black president of his nominee in 2016. The Democratic leadership in Congress that went along with this thinking with nary a peep ... is still in place. Who can now watch them promising fierce resistance on MSNBC without laughing or crying? This is why, in a terrible week, the one bit of hopeful political news was the upset primary victory of a 28-year-old political novice, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, over the ten-term incumbent Joseph Crowley in New York City."

How Easy Is It to Prank the POTUS*? Very. Julie Davis of the New York Times: "... on Wednesday, when a radio shock jock and comedian dialed the White House switchboard impersonating a United States senator's aide, he found himself -- in between barely suppressed giggles and off-color jokes with his producer -- patched through to Mr. Trump on Air Force One. The result was an impromptu six-minute conversation on immigration and the Supreme Court between the president and the radio host and comedian John Melendez, known to his listeners as 'Stuttering John.'... As far as Mr. Trump knew, he was taking a call from Senator Robert Menendez, Democrat of New Jersey, who seemed to have an urgent legislative matter he wanted to raise." Mrs. McC: This story first appeared in the Daily Mail. I've been waiting for a "real" news outlet to cover it; I didn't see the BuzzFeed piece, published yesterday. I think I'll be Kirsten Gillibrand, calling to discuss Trump's Supremes nominee.

Devlin Barrett of the Washington Post: "The Trump administration plans to detain migrant families together in custody rather than release them, according to a new court filing that suggests such detentions could last longer than the 20 days envisioned by a court settlement. 'The government will not separate families but detain families together during the pendency of immigration proceedings when they are apprehended at or between ports of entry,' Justice Department lawyers wrote in a legal notice to a federal judge in California who has been overseeing long-running litigation about the detention of undocumented immigrants.... The new filing does not explicitly say the Trump administration plans to hold families in custody beyond the 20-day limit, but by saying officials plan to detain them 'during the pendency' of immigration proceedings, which in many cases can last months, it implies that families will spend that time in detention." ...

... Trump Admin Practiced Separating Families but Not Reuniting Them. Lisa Seville & Hannah Rappleye of NBC News: "The government was separating migrant parents from their kids for months prior to the official introduction of zero tolerance, running what a U.S. official called a 'pilot program' for widespread prosecutions in Texas, but apparently did not create a clear system for parents to track or reunite with their kids. Officials have said that at least 2,342 children were separated from their parents after being apprehended crossing the border unlawfully since May 5, when the Trump administration's 'zero tolerance' policy towards migrants went into effect. But numbers provided to NBC News by the Department of Homeland Security show that another 1,768 were separated from their parents between October 2016 and February 2018, bringing the total number of separated kids to more than 4,100." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ...

... Dara Lind of Vox: "The Department of Justice, under Attorney General Jeff Sessions, is drafting a plan that would totally overhaul asylum policy in the United States. Under the plan, people would be barred from getting asylum if they came into the US between ports of entry and were prosecuted for illegal entry. It would also add presumptions that would make it extremely difficult for Central Americans to qualify for asylum, and codify -- in an even more restrictive form -- an opinion written by Sessions in June that attempted to restrict asylum for victims of domestic and gang violence.... When the regulation is ready, it will be published in the Federal Register..., with 90 days for the public to comment before it's enacted as a final regulation." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Is Kudlow Lying or Just Stupid? Ryan Koronowski of ThinkProgress: "Larry Kudlow, the director of the National Economic Council, said that the deficit is 'coming down rapidly' in a Friday morning appearance on Fox Business.... The deficit is actually rising."

Tiffany Hsu of the New York Times: "General Motors warned Friday that if President Trump pushed ahead with another wave of tariffs, the move could backfire, leading to 'less investment, fewer jobs and lower wages' for its employees. The automaker said that the president's threat to impose tariffs on imports of cars and car parts -- along with an earlier spate of penalties -- could drive vehicle prices up by thousands of dollars. The 'hardest hit' cars, General Motors said in comments submitted to the Commerce Department, are likely to be the ones bought by consumers who can least afford an increase. Demand would suffer and production would slow, all of which 'could lead to a smaller G.M.'"

Doug Palmer of Politico: "... Donald Trump said today he does not intend to withdraw the U.S. from the World Trade Organization, despite a news report earlier today that he often privately expresses that desire to advisers. 'I'm not talking about pulling out,' Trump told reporters on his way to Bedminster, New Jersey, where he owns a resort. 'We've been treated very badly. ... It's an unfair situation.'"

Kate Rooney of CNBC: "Canada's foreign minister announced Friday that Ottawa plans to impose about $12.6 billion worth of retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods on July 1, joining other major U.S. allies striking back in the escalating trade dispute. The country is working closely with the European Union and Mexico, according to Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland.... Canada's announcement is part of larger fallout from ... Donald Trump's announcements on trade. The U.S. has levied tariffs of 25 percent on steel and 10 percent on aluminum on Canada, the EU and other nations. As a result, some of the U.S.' biggest trading partners have retaliated with counter-tariffs. Canada's plan taking effect next week will include imports of U.S. products such as yogurt, caffeinated roasted coffee, toilet paper and sleeping bags. Mexico's tariffs took effect June 5 on U.S. products such as pork, cheese, cranberries, whiskey and apples. The EU enacted tariffs Friday on more than $3 billion worth of U.S. goods including bourbon, yachts and motorcycles."

Shane Harris, et al., of the Washington Post: "Trump administration officials are debating whether to declare a 'national emergency' to protect U.S. telecommunications networks in a move that would give the federal government broad powers to prevent American companies from doing business with foreign suppliers, according to a White House document and officials familiar with the matter. Under a draft executive order reviewed by The Washington Post, the president would authorize the commerce secretary to block transactions involving U.S. and foreign telecommunications equipment makers on national security grounds. U.S. networks, which underpin the day-to-day running of the economy and vital public services, are 'attractive targets for espionage, sabotage and foreign interference activity,' the order says. The president already has the authority to veto proposed acquisitions of American companies by foreign buyers if he believes they endanger national security. But the new order would give the commerce secretary authority to order American companies not to buy equipment from foreign suppliers, experts said."

Courtney Kube, et al., of NBC News: "U.S. intelligence agencies believe that North Korea has increased its production of fuel for nuclear weapons at multiple secret sites in recent months -- and that Kim Jong Un may try to hide those facilities as he seeks more concessions in nuclear talks with the Trump administration, U.S. officials told NBC News. The intelligence assessment, which has not previously been reported, seems to counter the sentiments expressed by ... Donald Trump, who tweeted after his historic June 12 summit with Kim that 'there was no longer a nuclear threat from North Korea.'... While the North Koreans have stopped missile and nuclear tests, 'there's no evidence that they are decreasing stockpiles, or that they have stopped their production,' said one U.S. official briefed on the latest intelligence. 'There is absolutely unequivocal evidence that they are trying to deceive the U.S.'"

John Hudson, et al., of the Washington Post: "The Pentagon is analyzing the cost and impact of a large-scale withdrawal or transfer of American troops stationed in Germany, amid growing tensions between President Trump and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, according to people familiar with the work. The effort follows Trump's expression of interest in removing the troops, made during a meeting earlier this year with White House and military aides, U.S. officials said. Trump was said to have been taken aback by the size of the U.S. presence, which includes about 35,000 active-duty troops, and complained that other countries were not contributing fairly to joint security or paying enough to NATO. Word of the assessment has alarmed European officials, who are scrambling to determine whether Trump actually intends to reposition U.S. forces or whether it is merely a negotiating tactic ahead of a NATO summit in Brussels, where Trump is again likely to criticize U.S. allies for what he deems insufficient defense spending."

Rebecca Morin of Politico: "The U.S. ambassador to Estonia will retire at the end of July following a series of inflammatory comments ... Donald Trump made about the European Union. Jim Melville has served as ambassador since 2015.... Foreign Policy reports that the early retirement is related to Trump's controversial comments about U.S. allies in Europe. Melville wrote in a private Facebook post obtained by Foreign Policy that he decided it was time for him to leave after Trump's comments on how the EU was 'set up to take advantage of the United States, to attack our piggy bank' and that 'NATO is as bad as NAFTA.'"

Elise Labott of CNN: "The UN migration agency on Friday voted down Ken Isaacs, the Trump administration's candidate to lead the International Organization for Migration, a US official told CNN, leaving it without an American at the helm since 1951. Isaacs once wrote on Twitter that Austria and Switzerland should consider building a wall in the Alps to keep refugees out.... The tweet is one of more than 140 previously unreported tweets from before Isaacs was nominated reviewed by CNN's KFile. The migration agency coordinates assistance to migrants worldwide. CNN's KFile previously reported on tweets from Isaacs that revealed an extensive history of sharing anti-Muslim sentiment. The screenshots provide the most robust picture of his social media activity and a wider window into his views of refugees, Islam and climate change -- issues that would have been central to the position with IOM. In several of the recently unearthed tweets, Isaacs shared a post that called climate change a 'hoax,' shared a story from the conspiracy-peddling website InfoWars about the 'Clinton body count,' and wrote'"#Islam is not peaceful.'" (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Katherine Burgess of the Wichita Eagle: "For the first time in recent memory, an official from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services spoke at a conference of the nation's largest anti-abortion organization. 'Our president is fearless when it comes to life and conscience,' said Roger Severino, who directs the Health and Human Services' Office for Civil Rights. 'We're just getting started.' Severino was a featured speaker at the National Right to Life convention Thursday in Overland Park.... Severino praised the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch, Trump's executive order in May about freedom of speech and Jeff Sessions' guidance on religious liberty to federal agencies." ...

     ... Mrs. Bea McCrabbie: Severino looks like one of those enthusiastic young men who believe deeply in oppressing women because they're so mean to him. Civil rights? Ha Ha. Pathetic wanker? Yeah.

Josh Gerstein of Politico: "Special counsel Robert Mueller's office is asking a federal court to continue postponing setting a sentencing hearing for Michael Flynn.... The delay suggests that Flynn is still actively cooperating with Mueller's office, that prosecutors believe his testimony could be useful at some future trial, or that the sentencing process might disclose some aspect of the investigation that Mueller still wishes to keep secret."

Michael Schmidt & Adam Goldman of the New York Times: "In the days after the F.B.I. director James B. Comey was fired last year, the deputy attorney general, Rod J. Rosenstein, repeatedly expressed anger about how the White House used him to rationalize the firing, saying the experience damaged his reputation, according to four people familiar with his outbursts.... He alternately defended his involvement, expressed remorse at the tumult it unleashed, said the White House had manipulated him, fumed how the news media had portrayed the events and said the full story would vindicate him.... According to one person with whom he spoke shortly after Mr. Comey's firing, Mr. Rosenstein was 'shaken,' 'unsteady' and 'overwhelmed.'"

David Kirkpatrick & Matthew Rosenberg of the New York Times: "... a leaked record of some of [British financier & chief Brexit backer Arron] Banks's emails suggest that he and his closest adviser had a more engaged relationship with Russian diplomats than he has disclosed. While Mr. Banks was spending more than eight million British pounds to promote a break with the European Union -- an outcome the Russians eagerly hoped for -- his contacts at the Russian Embassy in London were opening the door to at least three potentially lucrative investment opportunities in Russian-owned gold or diamond mines.... The extent of these business discussions, which have not been previously reported, raise new questions about whether the Kremlin sought to reward critical figures in the Brexit campaign. Much as in Washington, where investigations are underway into the possibility that Donald J. Trump's campaign may have cooperated with the Russians, Britain is now grappling with whether Moscow tried to use its close ties with any British citizens to promote Brexit.... Investigators for ... Robert S. Mueller III, and Democrats on the House Intelligence Committee ... have taken a special interest in close ties Mr. Banks and other Brexit leaders built to the Trump campaign.... 'From what we've seen, the parallels between the Russian intervention in Brexit and the Russian intervention in the Trump campaign appear to be extraordinary,' said Representative Adam B. Schiff of California.... On Nov. 12, 2016, Mr. Banks met President-elect Trump in Trump Tower. Upon his return to London, Mr. Banks had another lunch with the Russian ambassador where they discussed the Trump visit." ...

     ... Mrs. McCrabbie: The Banks story (and isn't "Banks" a perfect name?), if nothing else, is a now-open window into how the Russians purchased Trump, not that we didn't already figure as much.

Abby Goodnough of the New York Times: "A federal judge on Friday blocked Kentucky's closely watched plan to require many Medicaid recipients to work, volunteer or train for a job as a condition of coverage. The state had been poised to start carrying out the new rules next week and to phase them in fully by the end of this year. Judge James E. Boasberg of Federal District Court for the District of Columbia, an Obama appointee, ruled that the Trump administration's approval of the plan had been 'arbitrary and capricious' because it had not adequately considered whether the plan would 'help the state furnish medical assistance to its citizens, a central objective of Medicaid.'" Mrs. McC: "Arbitrary & capricious" is the way I'd describe the entire Trump presidency, though I'd add "nasty."

The Commentariat -- June 29, 2018

Afternoon Update:

Trump Admin Practiced Separating Families but Not Reuniting Them. Lisa Seville & Hannah Rappleye of NBC News: "The government was separating migrant parents from their kids for months prior to the official introduction of zero tolerance, running what a U.S. official called a 'pilot program' for widespread prosecutions in Texas, but apparently did not create a clear system for parents to track or reunite with their kids. Officials have said that at least 2,342 children were separated from their parents after being apprehended crossing the border unlawfully since May 5, when the Trump administration's 'zero tolerance' policy towards migrants went into effect. But numbers provided to NBC News by the Department of Homeland Security show that another 1,768 were separated from their parents between October 2016 and February 2018, bringing the total number of separated kids to more than 4,100." ...

... Dara Lind of Vox: "The Department of Justice, under Attorney General Jeff Sessions, is drafting a plan that would totally overhaul asylum policy in the United States. Under the plan, people would be barred from getting asylum if they came into the US between ports of entry and were prosecuted for illegal entry. It would also add presumptions that would make it extremely difficult for Central Americans to qualify for asylum, and codify -- in an even more restrictive form -- an opinion written by Sessions in June that attempted to restrict asylum for victims of domestic and gang violence.... When the regulation is ready, it will be published in the Federal Register as a notice of proposed rulemaking, with 90 days for the public to comment before it's enacted as a final regulation."

Elise Labott of CNN: "The UN migration agency on Friday voted down Ken Isaacs, the Trump administration's candidate to lead the International Organization for Migration, a US official told CNN, leaving it without an American at the helm since 1951. Isaacs once wrote on Twitter that Austria and Switzerland should consider building a wall in the Alps to keep refugees out.... The tweet is one of more than 140 previously unreported tweets from before Isaacs was nominated reviewed by CNN's KFile. The migration agency coordinates assistance to migrants worldwide. CNN's KFile previously reported on tweets from Isaacs that revealed an extensive history of sharing anti-Muslim sentiment. The screenshots provide the most robust picture of his social media activity and a wider window into his views of refugees, Islam and climate change -- issues that would have been central to the position with IOM. In several of the recently unearthed tweets, Isaacs shared a post that called climate change a 'hoax,' shared a story from the conspiracy-peddling website InfoWars about the 'Clinton body count,' and wrote'"#Islam is not peaceful.'"

*****

This Russia Thing, Etc., Ctd.

Natasha Bertrand of the Atlantic: "Just weeks before his back-to-back summits with NATO members in Belgium and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Finland, President Trump is legitimizing Russia's claim that it did not interfere in the 2016 election, contradicting the conclusions of U.S. intelligence agencies. 'Russia continues to say they had nothing to do with Meddling in our Election!” Trump tweeted on Thursday morning, before launching a diatribe against former FBI Director James Comey and his 'disgraced' agents. 'Where is the DNC Server, and why didn't Shady James Comey and the now disgraced FBI agents take and closely examine it? Why isn't Hillary/Russia being looked at? So many questions, so much corruption!' The outburst is the latest instance of Trump effectively shunning the conclusions of U.S. intelligence and national-security officials.... The timing of the president's tweet makes it even more significant: The remark came amid increasing anxiety about next month's NATO summit in Brussels, which will be immediately followed by Trump's one-on-one meeting with Putin in Helsinki."

Devlin Barrett, et al., of the Washington Post: "Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein squared off Thursday with Republican lawmakers who accused him of misconduct and stonewalling -- claims he angrily denied -- in an ongoing feud over the FBI's investigations into Hillary Clinton and President Trump. The tense exchanges at a hearing of the House Judiciary Committee were interrupted by a House vote on a resolution meant to publicly rebuke Rosenstein over what lawmakers characterize as his failure to turn over investigative documents related to both cases. The measure, which passed 226 to 183, calls on the Justice Department to 'comply with requests including subpoenas' by July 6. Thursday' hearing featuring Rosenstein and FBI Director Christopher A. Wray was billed as an examination of an inspector general's report that found serious failings in how federal law enforcement handled a high-profile investigation into Clinton's use of a private email server while she was secretary of state. But it mostly centered on Rosenstein -- and Republican accusations that he has withheld key details about the politically sensitive investigations." ...

... Nicholas Fandos of the New York Times: "On the House floor, Republicans voted in lock step to give the Justice Department seven days to produce sensitive documents related to the Russia inquiry and the F.B.I.'s investigation of Hillary Clinton' private email use. Though nonbinding, the measure was intended to put Mr. Rosenstein on notice that House lawmakers were willing to take punitive action ... if their demands were not met." ...

     ... Mrs. Bea McCrabbie: I would note that one of those seven days is a national holiday to remember the "Birth of a Nation," which -- come to think of it -- is probably some GOP House members' favorite movie.

... Aaron Blake of the Washington Post: "Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) is Republicans' designated attack dog on the House Judiciary Committee.... And he's the guy whose push for a second special counsel based on [conspiracy] theories earned a sharp rebuke from Attorney General Jeff Sessions. On Thursday, Jordan again found himself getting shut down by one of the embattled leaders of the Justice Department -- this time in somewhat embarrassing fashion. In a tense exchange, Jordan suggested that Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein ... was withholding key information from Congress about the probe. Jordan badgered Rosenstein for several minutes.... But then things fell apart for Jordan.... After Rosenstein rebuked Jordan's use of anonymous media reports, Jordan read from a quote that one anonymous House committee staffer gave to Fox. 'This is what they said: "Having the nation's No. 1 law enforcement officer threaten to subpoena your calls and emails is downright chilling,'" Jordan said. 'Did you threaten to subpoena their calls and emails?' 'No, sir, and there's no way to subpoena phone calls,' Rosenstein said.... Rosenstein flatly denied that he had ever said it and noted that he was under oath." ...

... Amber Phillips of the Washington Post: "... on Thursday, the various arguments Trump and his Republican allies have leaned on to suggest or outright claim FBI bias against the president got knocked down, one by one, by the top of the bureau's chain of command. What's more, Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein and FBI Director Christopher A. Wray categorically denied these characterizations of the FBI's work while under oath. Wray and Rosenstein ... testified Thursday for hours to the House's Judiciary Committee." Read on; Wray & Rosenstein made the House Republicans look pretty silly, which is probably the nicest thing one could say about most House Republicans.

Richard Shelby's Novel Rationale for Russian Election-Meddling. Andrew Desiderio & Spencer Ackerman of the Daily Beast: "Shortly before traveling to Moscow with several colleagues, a senior Republican senator all but gave Russia a green light for future interference in U.S. elections. 'Most countries would meddle and play in our domestic elections if they could, and some of them have,' the Washington Examiner quoted Sen. Richard Shelby, an Alabama Republican and chairman of the powerful Appropriations Committee, as saying. 'We have to be realistic nations are going to do what is in their next [sic] interest; we've done a lot of things too.'... Shelby's comments echoed Trump's infamous 'you think our country's so innocent?' line after Bill O'Reilly called Vladimir Putin a killer."

Manuel Roig-Franzia, et al., of the Washington Post: Arron "Banks/s journey from a lavish meal with a Russian diplomat in London to the raucous heart of Trump country was part of an unusual intercontinental charm offensive by the wealthy British donor and his associates, a hard-partying lot who dubbed themselves the 'Bad Boys of Brexit.' Their efforts to simultaneously cultivate ties to Russian officials and Trump's campaign have captured the interest of investigators in the United Kingdom and the United States, including special counsel Robert S. Mueller III.... In Britain, recent revelations about Banks's Russian contacts have triggered scrutiny of whether the Russians sought to bolster the Brexit effort. In the U.S., congressional Democrats who recently obtained a trove of Banks's communications have begun exploring a different question: Did the Brexit leaders serve as a conduit between the Kremlin and Trump's operation?" Mrs. McC: If so, Steve Bannon -- who has said he doesn't know any Russians -- would be a key piece of the pipeline.

Matthew Mosk & John Santucci of ABC News: "Several billionaires with deep ties to Russia attended exclusive, invitation-only receptions during Donald Trump's inauguration festivities, guest lists obtained by ABC News show. These powerful businessmen, who amassed their fortunes following the collapse of the Soviet Union -- including one who has since been sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department -- were ushered into events typically reserved for top donors and close political allies and were given unprecedented access to Trump's inner circle. Their presence has attracted the interest of federal investigators probing Russian efforts to influence the 2016 presidential election, three sources with knowledge of the matter said. Matthew Olsen, a former senior national security official who now serves as an ABC News consultant, said their presence at inaugural events is 'very concerning.'" (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Maggie Haberman of the New York Times: "A former aide to Roger J. Stone Jr., the longtime Trump adviser and self-described 'dirty trickster,' was subpoenaed to appear before the grand jury hearing evidence in the Russia investigation and to hand over documents, and his lawyer said he planned to move on Thursday to quash it in court. The aide, Andrew Miller, has not been mentioned before publicly in the investigation by the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III. Mr. Miller, a registered Libertarian, worked briefly for Mr. Stone around the Republican convention in 2016, helping to arrange media interviews and conducting other tasks, according to a person close to Mr. Stone." Miller's lawyer plans to argue that Mueller's appointment is unconstitutional. Mrs. McC: Because that's what these nuts do. But don't worry; pretty soon the Supremes will be green-lighting the nuts' arguments. (Also linked yesterday.)

Somewhat Amazing. Ron Nixon of the New York Times: "At least 19 Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigators are seeking to dissolve the agency, concerned that the Trump administration's crackdown on illegal migrants has limited their ability to pursue national security threats, child pornography and transnational crime. In a letter sent last week to Kirstjen Nielsen, the homeland security secretary, the special agents proposed creating a stand-alone investigations unit and another agency to handle immigration detention and deportation. The request was sent as a growing number of Democrats and immigration-rights advocates have called for eliminating ICE. Investigations 'have been perceived as targeting undocumented aliens, instead of the transnational criminal organizations that facilitate cross border crimes impacting our communities and national security,' wrote the agents from Homeland Security Investigations, which is a branch of ICE. The Texas Observer first reported the letter." ...

... Ed Pilkington of the Guardian & News Agencies: "More than 600 protesters, mostly women, were arrested on Thursday after they staged a non-violent action in the heart of the US senate office building in Washington against Donald Trump's 'zero tolerance' policy towards immigrants and separation of families at the border. The mass protest was one of several demonstrations that erupted across the country, providing a taste of what is expected to be much larger demonstrations on Saturday called by the Women's March and the Center for Popular Democracy." ...

... Feckless. David Badash of RawStory: "Melania Trump for the second time has traveled to Trump migrant concentration camp for children in Tucson, Arizona. 'I'm here to support you,' the First Lady said at the televised event speaking to the agents of the federal Customs and Border Patrol, 'and to give my help whatever I can, for, behalf of children and the families.' 'I know how dangerous and difficult your daily jobs are so I really appreciate all you do on behalf of the country' the First Lady told the Customs and Border Patrol agents. There was no discussion of the thousands of children the Trump administration has forcibly separated from their parents and families." --safari ...

... Simon Romero of the New York Times: "Local governments around the United States are starting to sever lucrative ties with federal immigration entities amid growing discomfort with the Trump administration's immigration policies. Fueled largely by alarm over the separation of migrant children from their parents, the cancellations suggest an attempt to disengage from federal policies seen as harmful to immigrant families -- even when those policies could be pouring millions of dollars into local government budgets. 'It just felt inherently unjust for Sacramento to make money from dealing with ICE,' said Phil Serna, a Sacramento County supervisor who joined two colleagues in canceling the contract. 'For me, it came down to an administration that is extremely hostile to immigrants. I didn't feel we should be part of that.'" ...

... Feds Interrupt Whistleblower Interview. CBS News: "In his first television interview, former Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) spokesperson James Schwab has opened up about why he abruptly resigned in March. But his interview with CBS News' Jamie Yuccas on Wednesday was unexpectedly interrupted by agents identifying themselves as agents from the Department of Homeland Security Inspector General's Office. 'They just said that they wanted to talk to me about the leak with the Oakland mayor,' Schwab said of his conversation with the agents.... He said he felt compelled to resign after the current administration told him to lie about an incident that pitted the government against Oakland's mayor." He said that after Jeff Sessions "told a flat-out lie" about the incident, officials wanted Schwab to back up Sessions' lie to the public. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Adam Liptak & Maggie Haberman of the New York Times on how Trump & the Trumpettes encouraged Anthony Kennedy to quit his day job. And wouldn't you know it, there's a Deutsche Bank connection. ...

... Atlantic: "In a recent interview at the Aspen Ideas Festival, The Atlantic contributing editor Jeffrey Rosen reveals that before Justice Stevens retired, '[Stevens] told me ... he thought Roe would be overturned if Justice Kennedy retired.'" Video. Mrs. McC: Stevens oughta know. ...

     ... Mrs. McCrabbie: Say, what would the public reaction be if we all found out about now that in 2017 Trump saw to it that one of his lovers got an abortion, then covered up the whole thing by asking Elliot Broidy to take the fall, as Paul Campos has credibly speculated? Could Trump still get away with nominating an anti-abortion justice? ...

... McConnell Is Trump. Alec MacGillis of ProPublica: "It is becoming increasingly clear that Mitch McConnell is creating a legacy for himself, and it's a mighty grand one. McConnell has created the world in which we are now living. Donald Trump dominates our universe -- and now has the power to fill the second Supreme Court seat in two years. McConnell, who has promised a vote on whomever the president nominates 'this fall,' is the figure who was quietly making it all possible, all along." --safari ...

... Charles Pierce: "It is not possible to imagine an emptier suit than Jeff Flake, soon to be former Republican senator from Arizona.... From AZCentral: 'The outgoing Arizona Republican and member of the Senate Judiciary Committee said he will evaluate the person nominated to replace the retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy separately.... Flake has recently stalled at least some federal appeals court nominations by withholding his support on the Judiciary Committee in an effort to pressure the Senate to vote on President Donald Trump's tariff changes, which Flake opposes....' Except that, yeah, you did take that position on the subject of judges and, indeed, you acted upon it. But now, with the balance of the Supreme Court at issue for the next 20 or 30 years, you're willing to hand that decision over to a president* who actually is under investigation by the FBI, and with the tariffs that so bothered you still in place.... Anyway, and this obvious poltroon aside, I was thinking on Tuesday night, while preparing to depart for Mars until this all blows over, that the empty Supreme Court seat may well solve the Democratic Party's self-induced dither about whether its candidates should run 'against Trump' or not. This is a way to do so without directly attacking the exaltation of goobers who throng his rallies." ...

     ... Mrs. McCrabbie: Obviously, Pierce has forgotten all about Marco Rubio. ...

... Josh Marshall of TPM: "There's been a lot of criticism of Democrats pounding the so-called 'McConnell Rule' for Supreme Court picks. I fully subscribe to this criticism as far as it goes. There is no such thing as the McConnell Rule. It was always transparent bullshit. It was simply about power. Moreover, Republicans are fully double-jointed when it comes to hypocrisy. They will not miss a beat saying this was critical in 2016 and meaningless in 2018.... If a vote on the next Supreme Court Justice is delayed past election day that will likely become a potent weapon to mobilize base Republicans. Overturning Roe v Wade would truly be on the ballot.... Should Democrats really go to war over this SCOTUS nomination when its success is all but assured and delaying may perversely help the GOP? This is a real and significant question that both of the below voices address. But I believe the answer is yes. Here/s why." --safari ...

... Jedediah Purdy in a New York Times op-ed: "Recent [Supreme Court] decisions ... are unhappy reminders that for much of American history, the Supreme Court has been a deeply conservative institution, preserving racial hierarchy and the prerogatives of employers. When it comes to economic inequality, today's Supreme Court is not only failing to help but is also aggressively making itself part of the problem in a time when inequality and insecurity are damaging the country and endangering our democracy. Under Chief Justice John Roberts, the court has consistently issued bold, partisan decisions that have been terrible for working people. Janus v. American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, decided on Wednesday, was one of them.... These cases are part of a longer historical arc: the dismantling of the legal legacy of the New Deal and the creation of law for a new Gilded Age."

Trade Wars Are Easy to Win, Ctd. Jonathan Swan of Axios: "President Trump has repeatedly told top White House officials he wants& to withdraw the United States from the World Trade Organization, a move that would throw global trade into wild disarray, people involved in the talks tell Axios.... 'He's [threatened to withdraw] 100 times. It would totally [screw] us as a country,' said a source who's discussed the subject with Trump. The source added that Trump has frequently told advisers, 'We always get fucked by them [the WTO]. I don't know why we're in it. The WTO is designed by the rest of the world to screw the United States.'... A U.S. withdrawal from the WTO would send global markets into a spiral and cast trillions of dollars of trade into doubt.... As head of state, Trump under international law could make the notification at the WTO. But the U.S. law implementing the WTO agreements states quite plainly that withdrawal from the WTO requires an act of Congress." Thanks to MAG for the lead. ...

     ... Axios Update: "Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin told Fox Business' Maria Bartiromo Friday that it's an 'exaggeration' to say President Trump wants to withdraw the United States from the World Trade Organization, as Axios reported this morning."

Reuters: "... Donald Trump praised Taiwanese high-tech company Foxconn and vaguely threatened U.S. motorcycle maker Harley-Davidson on a campaign-style trip on Thursday to Wisconsin, a state that supported him in the 2016 election. Against a backdrop of a growing trade conflict between the United States and China, Trump helped Foxconn, the world's largest electronics contract manufacturer, to break ground on a 13,000-employee U.S. plant." ...

... Haidee Chu of the New Republic: The FoxxConn site is "just 30 miles south of the motorcycle production company.... Trump also tweeted on Thursday morning that the Foxconn deal would bring 15,000 jobs into Wisconsin. Critics of the Foxconn plant hype have long been skeptical of these sorts of stats. At a 2.9 percent unemployment rate, the Badger state might not have enough workers to reap the economic benefits the new high-tech plant promises. Republican Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker has already admitted that Wisconsin 'need[s] more bodies.' In February he signed a bill to fund a $6.8 million advertising campaign to lure young workers into Wisconsin, precisely for the purpose of filling jobs at projects like Foxconn.... The incentive package for Foxconn will cost Wisconsin taxpayers $3 billion." ...

... Paul Krugman: "I think the Harley story is one of those anecdotes that tells us a lot. It's an early example of the incentives created by the looming Trumpian trade war, which will hurt many more American companies and workers than Trump or the people around him seem to realize. It's an indication of the hysterical reactions we can expect from the Trump crew as the downsides of their policies start to become apparent -- hysteria that other countries will surely see as evidence of Trump's fundamental weakness. And what Trump's alleged experts have to say about the controversy offers fresh confirmation that nobody in the administration has the slightest idea what he or she is doing."

Derek Kravitz, et al. of ProPublica: "Since Donald Trump declared his candidacy for president in late 2015, at least $16.1 million has poured into Trump Organization-managed and branded hotels, golf courses and restaurants from his campaign, Republican organizations, and government agencies.... The vast majority of the money -- at least $13.5 million, or more than 84 percent of what we tracked -- was spent by Trump's presidential campaign." --safari ...

     ... Mrs. McCrabbie: Remember way back when Trump boasted he was probably the only person who could run for president & make money at it? However, as Philip Bump of the WashPo pointed out a year ago, "Trump himself put about $66 million into the race -- a bit shy of the $100 million he pledged to spend, but more than five times what his companies took in [up to that point]." Well, I'll bet he & the family are making up the difference now.

Jonathan Karl, et al., of ABC News: "Nearly a year after ... Donald Trump picked General John Kelly to be his chief of staff, the president has once again started contemplating his possible replacements, sources familiar with the discussions tell ABC News. Those conversations raise the prospect that he may make a change very soon, around Kelly's one-year anniversary on the job in July. The leading candidates to replace Kelly are Nick Ayers, current chief of staff for Vice President Mike Pence, and former congressman Mick Mulvaney, currently Director of the Office of Management and Budget, according to sources with knowledge of the search. Both men are known to have a positive personal rapport with Trump. The Wall Street Journal first reported Kelly's potential replacements."

Gardiner Harris of the New York Times: "Secretary of State Mike Pompeo promised on Wednesday to impose additional sanctions on Venezuela, predicted that the United States would again fund schools for Palestinian refugees in Jordan and said that President Trump viewed Russia's return to the Group of 7 as inevitable. Mr. Pompeo's remarks came during a hearing in the Senate that was intended to discuss his department's budget. But there was little said about the Trump administration's plans to slash the State Department's funding, and Mr. Pompeo did not try to defend proposals to cut spending on such things as the battle against H.I.V. and AIDS in Africa." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Lachlan Markay & Asawin Suebsaeng of the Daily Beast: "Though [Scott] Pruitt demands loyalty among those in his inner circle, he has not reciprocated it to his aides, even as they face a legal and public-relations backlash stemming from his conduct at the agency. Sources say he's actively undermined the reputations of former and current staffers, with campaigns that former senior EPA officials have described as 'ratfucking.'... Knowledgeable sources also told The Daily Beast that Pruitt instructed staff to pitch 'oppo hits' to media outlets on ... officials who departed on bad terms or were sidelined.... Pruitt's vindictiveness doesn't put him out of place within the administration. In many respects, it reflects some of the trademark impulses of his boss, Donald J. Trump." The reporters cite some tacky examples of Pruitt's ratfucking projects. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Gabriel Sandoval of ProPublica: "Before accepting a position at the U.S. Department of the Interior last October, Benjamin Cassidy championed gun rights for nearly seven years as a lobbyist for the National Rifle Association, collecting a peak annual salary of $288,333 for his work on Capitol Hill. The public wouldn't know that by looking at Cassidy's government financial disclosure report.... In the space allotted to show his income, it incorrectly stated 'None.'... Four Interior staffers ultimately had to re-submit their disclosure reports following ProPublica's inquiry.... Many of the problems and omissions were easy to spot." --safari ...

     ... Mrs. McCrabbie: The gist of the story suggests Zinke is hiring hacks, & these hacks aren't required to even complete federal financial disclosure forms. Sandoval: "After we asked the Interior Department about the failure of Cassidy and at least three other staffers to disclose their work histories and finances, the agency responded with a bullet-pointed assessment that acknowledged ongoing problems while also noting that they 'predated the current administration.'" Say what? These are all Zinke hires. I understand "It's all Obama's fault" is the knee-jerk response to any Trumpy failure, but this is ridiculous. Oh, & this is funny: even when the disclosure forms submittedwere completely blank, the Department's only "admission" was that the employee had "inadvertently omitted certain information." This is your taxpayer dollars at work.

Kevin Rector of the Baltimore Sun: "At least five people were killed and several others were 'gravely injured' in a shooting Thursday afternoon at the Capital Gazette in Anne Arundel County, authorities said. A shooter is in custody, police said. Police would not name the suspect or say what type of weapon he used. A law enforcement official said the suspect had mutilated his fingers in a possible effort to thwart identification. Anne Arundel County Police initially confirmed about 3:15 p.m. that they were responding to an 'active shooter' at 888 Bestgate Road, where the newspaper's offices are located.... The Capital Gazette is owned by The Baltimore Sun. Police said a 'long gun' was used in the incident. They said officers did not exchange gunfire with the suspect, who was now being interrogated. They said officers had recovered what appeared to be an 'explosive device,' and had 'tactically secured' the building. About 170 people were inside at the time of the shooting, police said. Phil Davis, a Capital Gazette crime reporter who was in the building at the time of the shooting, said multiple people were shot, as others -- himself included -- hid under their desks. He said there was a lone male gunman." (An earlier version of this story was linked yesterday.) ...

     ... The story has been updated to identify the victims. It also IDs the killer, who has been charged with five counts of first-degree murder. ...

... The front page of the Baltimore Sun links to obituaries for the murdered journalists. The South Florida Sun-Sentinel also has as obituary of Rob Hiaasen. ...

... ** The front page of the Capital Gazette is here. Yeah, they put out a paper.

     ... Mrs. McCrabbie: Remarkably, I heard a Maryland EMS manager, speaking on MSNBC, cite Trump's attacks on the press as "not helpful"; i.e., a contributing factor in this kind of violence. ...

... Annals of "Journalism," Ha Ha Ha. Of Course He Did. Matt Willstein of the Daily Beast: "Within seconds of learning Thursday about a shooting inside the Capital Gazette newsroom in Annapolis, Maryland, Fox News host Sean Hannity laid blame at the feet of Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters.... 'You know, as I've always said, I mean honestly -- I've been saying now for days that something horrible was going to happen because of the rhetoric. Really, Maxine?' he asked, referring to Waters. 'You want people to create -- "call your friends, get in their faces," and Obama said that too.'" Mrs. McC: Hey, thanks. Rep. Waters; at least now it's not all Obama's fault. ...

... MEANWHILE. Ashley Killough of CNN: "Rep. Maxine Waters said Thursday she's seen an increase in threats since she made controversial comments last week encouraging protesters to heckle and harass members of Trump's Cabinet in public spaces. The California Democrat canceled two scheduled appearances in Alabama and Texas this weekend after saying she got threatening messages and 'hostile mail' at her office, including 'one very serious death threat' on Monday from an individual in Texas. 'As the President has continued to lie and falsely claim that I encouraged people to assault his supporters, while also offering a veiled threat that I should "be careful", even more individuals are leaving (threatening) messages and sending hostile mail to my office,; she said in a statement. 'There was one very serious death threat made against me on Monday from an individual in Texas which is why my planned speaking engagements in Texas and Alabama were cancelled (sic) this weekend,' she continued. 'This is just one in several very serious threats the United States Capitol Police are investigating in which individuals threatened to shoot, lynch, or cause me serious bodily harm.'" Mrs. McC BTW: Yo, Ashley; no need to (sic) "cancelled." It's an accepted spelling.

Congressional Races

Jonathan Martin & Sheryl Stolberg of the New York Times: "The stunning defeat on Tuesday of Representative Joseph Crowley, the fourth-ranking House Democrat and a potential future speaker, threw the future of the septuagenarian-led caucus into chaos, opening the door to a new generation of leadership and a push leftward. As shock in the capital over Mr. Crowley's New York primary loss to a 28-year-old first-time candidate, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez gave way to calculation, House Democrats began floating challengers to Representative Nancy Pelosi, their leader. The current leadership slate reacted defensively to the threat of a purge, while a handful of other lawmakers braced for their own primary challenges from the left.... Rank-and-file House Democrats made clear in dozens of interviews that whether the party takes back the majority or not in November, there would be a push to depose Ms. Pelosi, the 78-year-old former speaker." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ...

     ... Mrs. McCrabbie: As some wag pointed out a while back, the combined ages of Pelosi (78), Hoyer (79) & Clyburn (77) (= 234 )-- the top three House Democrats -- are older than the U.S. Constitution (229). ...

... Annals of "Journalism," Ctd.:

... Lloyd Grove of the Daily Beast: "'Kind of pisses me off that @ nytimes is still asking Who Is Ocasio-Cortez? when it should have covered her campaign,' Jill Abramson erupted on Twitter on Wednesday morning -- a biting reference to the newspaper's original headline concerning the 28-year-old socialist's shocking Democratic primary upset, a landslide actually, over incumbent Joe Crowley in New York's 14th Congressional District. Indeed, a quick review of the Times' coverage of the primary race turned up mention of and quotes from Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in two news stories prior to Election Night, and a few name-checks in editorials -- one of which, published in the June 20 print edition, noted that she's 'a challenger [Crowley] is heavily favored to beat. Missing her rise [is] akin to not seeing Trump's win coming in 2016,' Abramson added in her tweet -- an even more biting reference to the Times' self-acknowledged failings in the paper's reporting of the presidential campaign. In response to Abramson's critique -- which she elaborated in several emailed comments shared with the Times -- Times spokeswoman Eileen Murphy told The Daily Beast: '... we just disagree with Jill.' A few hours after Abramson's tweet, the headline phrase that pissed her off, 'Who is Alexandria Ocasia-Cortez?' was changed online to 'Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: A 28-Year-Old Democratic Giant Slayer.'" (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ...

... Margaret Sullivan of the Washington Post: "On Tuesday night, many major news organizations were caught flat-footed as 28-year-old Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez pulled off one of the biggest political upsets in years, unseating powerhouse Joseph Crowley in the Democratic primary in a New York City congressional district. Not only was media coverage sparse at her jubilant headquarters, but many national newsrooms struggled to tell the stunning story even from a distance. 'Incredibly,' wrote Harry Siegel of the Daily Beast on Twitter, some wire services had 'zero pictures of her as of Election Day.'"

Mrs. McCrabbie: I don't know if Democrat M.J. Hegar will win her election bid, but it is stories like hers that make the political careers like those of her opponent look as craven & meaningless as they are. Thanks to PD Pepe for the link:

Mainstream GOP. Christie Massie, et al. of CNN: "A top aide to Virginia GOP Senate nominee Corey Stewart has shared a number of conspiracy theories on social media, including tweets about 'Pizzagate' and Facebook posts parroting the popular far-right theory that top Democrats were responsible for the death of a Democratic National Committee staffer, a KFile review has found. The aide, Noel Fritsch, also shared anti-Muslim sentiments, calling gun-free zones and Muslims 'a deadly combination,' and objected to LGBT people being discussed on National Public Radio." --safari

Abbie Bennett of the Raleigh News & Observer: "A website tied to a candidate for the North Carolina General Assembly says God is a racist white supremacist and that Jews are descended from Satan. Russell Walker is a Republican candidate running for state House District 48 which includes Scotland and Hoke counties. On Tuesday, the North Carolina Republican Party withdrew its support for Walker." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Jeremy Hance of the Guardian: "Let's be honest, the global community's response to the rising evidence of mass extinction and ecological degradation has been largely to throw crumbs at it.... The problem is such actions -- while laudable and important -- in no way match the scope and size of the problem.... But a few scientists are beginning to call for more ambition -- much more — and they want to see it enshrined in a new global agreement similar to the Paris Climate Accord. They also say that the bill shouldn't just fall on nations, but the private sector too." --safari

Way Beyond the Beltway

AFT: "A total of 133 politicians have been murdered in the run-up to Mexico's elections on Sunday, the consulting firm Etellekt said, as the violence gripping the country exploded into politics on a record scale" --safari

The Commentariat -- June 28, 2018

Afternoon Update:

Kevin Rector of the Baltimore Sun: "A shooting has occurred at the Capital Gazette in Anne Arundel County, a paper that is owned by The Baltimore Sun.... Anne Arundel County Police confirmed there was an 'active shooter' at 888 Bestgate Road, where the newspaper's offices are located. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives confirmed it was responding to a 'shooting incident' at the Capital Gazette. Lt. Ryan Frashure, Anne Arundel County police spokesman, said he could not confirm if there were any fatalities, only that there were several injuries. He said that once the building is secured he would release information about the suspect and the injuries." ...

     ... Mrs. McCrabbie: According to a banner on the WashPo's main page, Gov. Hogan has said several were killed & several injuried. Remarkably, I just heard a Maryland EMS manager, speaking on MSNBC, cite Trump's attacks on the press as "not helpful"; i.e., a contributing factor in this kind of violence.

Devlin Barrett, et al., of the Washington Post: "Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein squared off Thursday with Republican lawmakers who accused him of misconduct and stonewalling -- claims he angrily denied -- in an ongoing feud over the FBI's investigations into Hillary Clinton and President Trump. The tense exchanges at a hearing of the House Judiciary Committee were interrupted by a House vote on a resolution meant to publicly rebuke Rosenstein over what lawmakers characterize as his failure to turn over investigative documents related to both cases. The measure, which passed 226 to 183, calls on the Justice Department to 'comply with requests including subpoenas' by July 6. Thursday's hearing featuring Rosenstein and FBI Director Christopher A. Wray was billed as an examination of an inspector general's report that found serious failings in how federal law enforcement handled a high-profile investigation into Clinton's use of a private email server while she was secretary of state. But it mostly centered on Rosenstein -- and Republican accusations that he has withheld key details about the politically sensitive investigations." ...

Annals of "Journalism," Ctd. Lloyd Grove of the Daily Beast: "'Kind of pisses me off that @ nytimes is still asking Who Is Ocasio-Cortez? when it should have covered her campaign,' Jill Abramson erupted on Twitter on Wednesday morning -- a biting reference to the newspaper's original headline concerning the 28-year-old socialist's shocking Democratic primary upset, a landslide actually, over incumbent Joe Crowley in New York's 14th Congressional District. Indeed, a quick review of the Times' coverage of the primary race turned up mention of and quotes from Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in two news stories prior to Election Night, and a few name-checks in editorials -- one of which, published in the June 20 print edition, noted that she's 'a challenger [Crowley] is heavily favored to beat. Missing her rise [is] akin to not seeing Trump's win coming in 2016,' Abramson added in her tweet -- an even more biting reference to the Times' self-acknowledged failings in the paper's reporting of the presidential campaign. In response to Abramson's critique -- which she elaborated in several emailed comments shared with the Times -- Times spokeswoman Eileen Murphy told The Daily Beast: '... we just disagree with Jill.' A few hours after Abramson's tweet, the headline phrase that pissed her off, 'Who is Alexandria Ocasia-Cortez?' was changed online to 'Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: A 28-Year-Old Democratic Giant Slayer.'"

Gardiner Harris of the New York Times: "Secretary of State Mike Pompeo promised on Wednesday to impose additional sanctions on Venezuela, predicted that the United States would again fund schools for Palestinian refugees in Jordan and said that President Trump viewed Russia's return to the Group of 7 as inevitable. Mr. Pompeo's remarks came during a hearing in the Senate that was intended to discuss his department's budget. But there was little said about the Trump administration's plans to slash the State Department's funding, and Mr. Pompeo did not try to defend proposals to cut spending on such things as the battle against H.I.V. and AIDS in Africa."

Matthew Mosk & John Santucci of ABC News: "Several billionaires with deep ties to Russia attended exclusive, invitation-only receptions during Donald Trump's inauguration festivities, guest lists obtained by ABC News show. These powerful businessmen, who amassed their fortunes following the collapse of the Soviet Union -- including one who has since been sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department -- were ushered into events typically reserved for top donors and close political allies and were given unprecedented access to Trump's inner circle. Their presence has attracted the interest of federal investigators probing Russian efforts to influence the 2016 presidential election, three sources with knowledge of the matter said. Matthew Olsen, a former senior national security official who now serves as an ABC News consultant, said their presence at inaugural events is 'very concerning.'"

Maggie Haberman of the New York Times: "A former aide to Roger J. Stone Jr., the longtime Trump adviser and self-described 'dirty trickster,' was subpoenaed to appear before the grand jury hearing evidence in the Russia investigation and to hand over documents, and his lawyer said he planned to move on Thursday to quash it in court. The aide, Andrew Miller, has not been mentioned before publicly in the investigation by the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III. Mr. Miller, a registered Libertarian, worked briefly for Mr. Stone around the Republican convention in 2016, helping to arrange media interviews and conducting other tasks, according to a person close to Mr. Stone." Miller's lawyer plans to argue that Mueller's appointment is unconstitutional. Mrs. McC: Because that's what these nuts do. But don't worry; pretty soon the Supremes will be green-lighting the nuts' arguments.

Lachlan Markay & Asawin Suebsaeng of the Daily Beast: "Though [Scott] Pruitt demands loyalty among those in his inner circle, he has not reciprocated it to his aides, even as they face a legal and public-relations backlash stemming from his conduct at the agency.Sources say he's actively undermined the reputations of former and current staffers, with campaigns that former senior EPA officials have described as 'ratfucking.'... Knowledgeable sources also told The Daily Beast that Pruitt instructed staff to pitch 'oppo hits' to media outlets on ... officials who departed on bad terms or were sidelined.... Pruitt's vindictiveness doesn't put him out of place within the administration. In many respects, it reflects some of the trademark impulses of his boss, Donald J. Trump." The reporters cite some tacky examples of Pruitt's ratfucking projects.

Feds Interrupt Whistleblower Interview. CBS News: "In his first television interview, former Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) spokesperson James Schwab has opened up about why he abruptly resigned in March. But his interview with CBS News' Jamie Yuccas on Wednesday was unexpectedly interrupted by agents identifying themselves as agents from the Department of Homeland Security Inspector General's Office. 'They just said that they wanted to talk to me about the leak with the Oakland mayor,' Schwab said of his conversation with the agents.... He said he felt compelled to resign after the current administration told him to lie about an incident that pitted the government against Oakland's mayor." He said that after Jeff Sessions "told a flat-out lie" about the incident, officials wanted Schwab to back up Sessions' lie to the public.

Congressional Races

Jonathan Martin & Sheryl Stolberg of the New York Times: "The stunning defeat on Tuesday of Representative Joseph Crowley, the fourth-ranking House Democrat and a potential future speaker, threw the future of the septuagenarian-led caucus into chaos, opening the door to a new generation of leadership and a push leftward. As shock in the capital over Mr. Crowley's New York primary loss to a 28-year-old first-time candidate, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, gave way to calculation, House Democrats began floating challengers to Representative Nancy Pelosi, their leader. The current leadership slate reacted defensively to the threat of a purge, while a handful of other lawmakers braced for their own primary challenges from the left.... Rank-and-file House Democrats made clear in dozens of interviews that whether the party takes back the majority or not in November, there would be a push to depose Ms. Pelosi, the 78-year-old former speaker." ...

     ... Mrs. McCrabbie: As some wag pointed out a while back, the combined ages of Pelosi (78), Hoyer (79) & Clyburn (77) (= 234 )-- the top three House Democrats -- are older than the U.S. Constitution (229).

Mrs. McCrabbie: I don't know if Democrat M.J. Hegar will win, but it is stories like hers that make the political careers like those of her opponent look as craven & meaningless as they are. Thanks to PD Pepe for the link:

Abbie Bennett of the Raleigh News & Observer: "A website tied to a candidate for the North Carolina General Assembly says God is a racist white supremacist and that Jews are descended from Satan. Russell Walker is a Republican candidate running for state House District 48 which includes Scotland and Hoke counties. On Tuesday, the North Carolina Republican Party withdrew its support for Walker."

*****

Jonathan Chait runs down how the U.S. has come to be ruled by a minority, a/k/a Republicans: "The central drama of the Trump era is a struggle to defend American democracy against an authoritarian leader. The Republican Party's comfort with the crude authoritarianism of its president, though, did not spring out of nowhere. It is the culmination of a party increasingly comfortable with, and reliant on, countermajoritarian power."

** Michael Shear of the Washington Post: "Justice Anthony M. Kennedy announced on Wednesday that he will retire this summer, setting in motion a furious fight over the future of the Supreme Court and giving President Trump the chance to cement a conservative judicial philosophy on the American legal system for generations. A critical swing vote on the sharply polarized court for nearly three decades, Justice Kennedy, 81, embraced liberal views of gay rights, abortion and the death penalty even as he helped conservatives trim voting rights, block gun control measures and unleash campaign spending by corporations. His replacement by a conservative justice -- something Mr. Trump has vowed to insist upon -- is certain to reshape the country's legal landscape and could imperil a variety of landmark Supreme Court precedents on social issues, like abortion, where Justice Kennedy frequently sided with his liberal colleagues." (Also sort of linked yesterday afternoon.) ...

     ... Mrs. Bea McCrabbie: Kennedy's impending retirement explains why Roberts punted on a number of cases that came up before the Court this year. ...

... ** E.J. Dionne: "...the Republican Five on the nation's highest court have operated as agents of their party's interests. And now things stand to get even worse because of Justice Anthony M. Kennedy's retirement. He was, at least on some occasions, a moderating force. His replacement by another conservative hard-liner in the mold of Justice Neil M. Gorsuch would give right-wing interpretations of the law free rein.... All the recent talk about civility should not stop opponents of a right-wing court from doing everything in their power to keep the judiciary from being packed with ideologues who behave as partisans. There is nothing civil about rushing a nominee to replace Kennedy before the midterm elections. And no rule of civility demands the confirmation of justices who would leave an abusive president unchecked and use raw judicial power to roll back a century's worth of social progress." Read on. ...

... Cristian Farias of New York: Anthony Kennedy's "tacit surrender to Trump and all he represents -- and his willingness to allow his name and legacy to be brandished in the coming battle over his replacement -- says more about the senior justice than anyone else. He may be the Supreme Court's enduring center of gravity. But in the term that just wrapped up today, he was, more than anything, dead weight.... He was just there, offering a few platitudes about respect for gays and lesbians in Masterpiece Cakeshop, but nonetheless willing to side with a Christian baker who, in his view, had been the target of Evangelical hostility. That he was unwilling to raise his voice with equal force for Muslims here or abroad in Trump v. Hawaii -- or for voting rights, labor unions, or even against the surveillance state in the digital age, all cases where he voted squarely with conservatives during the last term -- betrayed a certain tiredness and lack of enthusiasm for the very principles of equality and liberty that for 30 years we believed he held dear." ...

... Dahlia Lithwick of Slate: "Maybe it's a fitting end to his career to say that the man who wanted everyone to speak to one another civilly and respectfully did what everyone else has done this year and threw in the towel.... Democrats should rightly be terrified that Kennedy's legacy around gay rights, reproductive rights, affirmative action, some kinds of racial justice, and student prayer are in immediate peril. And Democrats can now be fully assured that the Supreme Court will not step in to stop Donald Trump's excesses. And to be sure, the reason the court will not stand up to future acts of Trumpism is that Kennedy, who tried to be the bridge at the court for so many decades, gave up and joined Team Trump.... There is no longer a center, or even a center built of make-believe." ...

... Matt Ford of the New Republic: "By stepping down from the court, Kennedy leaves behind a complex record on the court -- one that largely maintained a tenuous balance of power between America's increasingly polarized political factions. That balance now appears to be in jeopardy: upsetting it could be Anthony Kennedy's most lasting legacy." ...

     ... Mrs. McCrabbie: Unless Kennedy is seriously ill, there is no excuse for his choosing to retire while Donald Trump is president*. It's an act of sabotage. It's not for nothing that David Souter waited to retire until Dubya was term-limited out of office. Souter is or was a Republican, but he was also aware of the effects Dubya's other appointees were having on American jurisprudence. ...

... Ian Millhiser of ThinkProgress: "Anthony Kennedy was a horrible justice, and his last decision was his worst.... He was in over his head at the Supreme Court. And, for that reason, his most celebrated opinions will be very easy to dismantle.... His writing ranged from needlessly flowery to completely incoherent.... Nevertheless, for all of Kennedy's shortcomings  --  his naive view of money in politics and his disregard for voting rights, his crusade against the Affordable Care Act, his expansive conservatism and his miserly liberalism  --  America will be much, much worse off with Kennedy off the Court. The future now belongs to men such as Neil Gorsuch. It belongs to men eager to inject even more money into American politics. It belongs to men who will tear down reproductive freedom, give the Christian right broad immunity from the law, protect voter suppression, and even allow judges to sell themselves to campaign donors. Kennedy made many bad decisions on the Supreme Court, but his single worst decision was to give his seat up to Donald Trump." ...

... Surprise, Surprise. Carl Hulse of the New York Times: "Senator Mitch McConnell wasted no time on Wednesday and promised a Senate vote on a new Supreme Court nominee by the fall -- and Democrats will have little power to prevent confirmation of President Trump's choice on their own.... The decision to move swiftly shows that Mr. McConnell and his fellow Senate Republicans do not intend to give Democrats and their allies an extended opportunity to build opposition to a nominee -- or to retake the Senate and blockade confirmation as Republicans did with President Barack Obama's nominee in 2016. The confirmation process will throw a volatile new issue into the already charged midterm campaign season, providing fresh challenges for both Republican and Democratic candidates." ...

     ... Mrs. McCrabbie: As the Oracle Akhilleus wrote in yesterday's Comments thread, before McConnell's announcement, "Also, look for the little dictator to announce his latest future Nuremberg Trials defendant in days, and for traitor Mitch McConnell to race the nomination through in record time. No waiting for the November elections which might boot his fat turtle ass out of the leadership position and put a responsible person in his oily stead." ...

I fully expect the president’s nominee to receive the same consideration that Merrick Garland received. -- Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) ...

... Matt Shuham of TPM lists Democratic senators' responses to consideration of a Trump nominee to the Supreme Court.

... "Mitch McConnell's Politics of Shamelessness Have Won." Matt Yglesias of Vox: "When Justice Antonin Scalia died unexpectedly, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell pulled a new rule of American politics out of thin air and said there could be no vote on a replacement during a hotly contested election year. When Justice Anthony Kennedy announced his retirement Wednesday afternoon, McConnell pulled a distinction out of thin air and said that the autumn of a midterm election was a perfect time to confirm a new Supreme Court justice. It is, yes, hypocritical.... There's a perfect alignment between the reputation he wants, the reputation he has, and the reputation he deserves in a way that's unequalled among American politicians and that allows him to conduct himself with an even greater degree of shamelessness than Donald Trump himself since unlike the all-id Trump, McConnell isn't out of control he's just willing to be utterly ruthless in pursuit of his political objectives." ...

... Richard Hasen: "The only political hope here is for massive street protests, like we saw with the initial Trump travel ban to try to convince senators like Susan Collins of Maine or Lisa Murkowski of Alaska to vote no. It's a long shot because we've seen these senators fold time and again. But it is worth trying.... Democrats may have to turn to more radical measures — like adding more justices to the court, something some have already proposed -- when they come back into power in order to make up for the Merrick Garland nomination that was blockaded by McConnell in 2016.... I expect a Trump Bump in the midterms when evangelicals come out to vote excited about the next Scalia that Trump and McConnell have delivered to them." ...

... Steve M. "But we know what's going to happen if liberal interest groups take to the streets. A norm-shattering act of blatant hypocrisy that might hand decades-long control of the Supreme Court to a president who lost the popular vote and who's under investigation for colluding in election-rigging by an enemy country ... well, I'm sure [Chuck] Todd and others like him will think that's bad, but liberal demonstrators will be rude, and that's much, much worse.... Yet it's all we've got. So let's get to it."

Pete Williams of NBC News: "The U.S. Supreme Court dealt a crippling blow Wednesday to unions representing millions of the nation's public employees. The justices said in a 5-4 opinion that state government workers who choose not to join a union cannot be compelled to pay a share of union dues for covering the cost of negotiating contracts. Unions had said such an outcome would cut off a source of income and diminish their political clout in the 23 states where they bargain for both members and non-members alike. A recent non-partisan study predicted that a Supreme Court defeat would eventually cause public employee unions to lose 726,000 members, a significant blow in one of organized labor's remaining strongholds. Nearly half of all union members in the U.S. are government employees.... Donald Trump tweeted shortly after the ruling that it was a 'Big loss of the coffers of the Democrats!'" (Also linked yesterday.) ...

... Eric Levitz of New York: "In hindsight, it's hard to argue that Democrats did everything in their power to [put a liberal on the Supreme Court to replace Antonin Scalia.] For example, imagine if Barack Obama had nominated the first African-American woman to the Supreme Court -- one who was young, and unabashedly progressive in her jurisprudence. When McConnell subsequently vetoed her appointment -- and thereby nullified Obama's attempt to give a modicum of representation in the halls of high power to the Democratic Party's most loyal constituency -- wouldn't it have been easier to mobilize the Democratic base in outrage, than it was to rally them behind Merrick Garland?" (Also linked yesterday.)

"Trump Takes over America." Mike Allen of Axios: "President Trump, with his refusal to take advice or yield to experts, is the West Wing. Republicans who control both halves of Congress won't lift a finger against him and fully support his every move.... With his chance to replace Justice Anthony Kennedy, Trump may have fewer checks on his power than any president in his lifetime.... His one big legislative accomplishment -- a huge tax cut -- will silence business critics as long as he's around.... The 2018 elections matter exponentially more today than they did 24 hours ago."

Mark Landler & Andrew Kramer of the New York Times: "President Trump plans to meet President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia next month in a one-on-one summit meeting, a politically sensitive encounter that could exacerbate strains with NATO allies even if it eases tensions between the United States and Russia." Mrs. McC: Will the Artful Dealer turn over the keys to the White House in exchange for Trump Tower Kremlin? Inquiring minds want to know. ...

     ... Update. Louis Nelson of Politico: "... Donald Trump will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin next month in Finland, the White House announced Thursday, setting up a historic summit between two presidents who have often spoken warmly of one another even as their nations have become increasingly at odds. 'President Donald J. Trump and President Vladimir Putin of the Russian Federation will meet on July 16, 2018, in Helsinki, Finland,' White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement Thursday morning." ...

... Steven Erlanger of the New York Times: "NATO members say they fear that all the preparation and the desire to show solidarity in the face of a new Russian threat will be overshadowed, if not undone, by a divisive encounter followed by Mr. Trump's prospective summit meeting with the Russian president, Vladimir V. Putin.The European allies are deeply worried that they will confront the Trump who was on display at the meeting in June in Canada of the seven major economies, known as the Group of 7, or G-7. Those in the room described him as angry, mocking, wandering and rude, especially to the host, Canada's prime minister, Justin Trudeau, and to Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany.... European and some American officials say they dread the same pattern -- a noisy, divisive NATO summit, damaging deterrence, followed by a chummy meeting with a dictator, in this case Mr. Putin, whose long-term goals are to destabilize the European Union, undermine NATO and restore Russian influence over Eastern Europe, the Baltic States and the Balkans."

Zeeshan Aleem of Vox: "After weeks of anticipation, President Donald Trump has decided to back down from a hard-hitting policy that would sharply restrict Chinese investment in the US -- opting to work with Congress on a more modest measure instead. Trump's decision should at least temporarily defuse tensions between the US and China, who are on the brink of an all-out trade war over China's trade policies. Earlier this week reports indicated that Trump was on the verge of using emergency presidential powers to issue an order to dramatically restrict Chinese investment in US businesses." --safari ...

... Self-enrichment > U.S. security. Jessica Kwong of Newsweek: "First daughter Ivanka Trump's company received approval from China to register three trademarks on the same day her father ... agreed to lift sanctions against a Chinese telecommunications company, according to a government watchdog group. China granted registration approval for the three Ivanka Trump Marks LLC trademarks on June 7.... President Trump saved the Chinese telecommunications company ZTE from financial collapse the same day by lifting tough American sanctions, despite opposition from some of his advisers and Republicans." --safari: Any photos of giant bags of money changing hands? No. Welp, no corruption here

Trump's Lies Are Getting Weirder.

The head of U.S. Steel called me the other day, and he said, 'We're opening up six major facilities and expanding facilities that have never been expanded.' They haven't been opened in many, many years.-- President Trump, roundtable with American workers, Duluth, Minn., June 20

U.S. Steel just announced they're expanding or building six new facilities. -- President Trump, remarks at the White House, June 26

Why is the president of the United States announcing the opening of new factories that a major U.S. company has not announced?... [U.S. Steel refused to confirm that its CEO had spoken with Trump re: any expansions.] Either the president of U.S. Steel tipped market-moving information to the president of the United States, or he did not. Interestingly, the securities markets have not reacted at all to the president's disclosure; U.S. Steel's stock fell the day after Trump made his comments about six new facilities, and it has continued to decline. -- Glenn Kessler of the Washington Post

Spencer Ackerman of The Daily Beast: "'Several hundred' undocumented parents appear to have been deported without their children in April 2018 alone, according to the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC) sponsored by Syracuse University. Breaking down newly acquired Border Patrol data, TRAC found that only 851 children out of 5,144 arrested in April have been deported, contrasting with 1,060 deportations of the 4,537 undocumented adults arrested that month." --safari...

... Sam Biddle of The Intercept: "The reporters at Reuters have been providing crucial, unfliching coverage of the cruel treatment of would-be immigrants under policies pushed by President Donald Trump. Meanwhile, the news agency's parent company, Thomson Reuters, has been supplying U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement with data from its vast stores as part of federal contracts worth close to $30 million.... Last week, advocacy and watchdog group Privacy International wrote to Thomson Reuters CEO James Smith to 'express concern' over contracts between ICE and two of the company's subsidiaries." --safari

Rachel Bade of Politico: House Republicans' so-called "'compromise' [--no Dems allowed-- immigration] bill died Wednesday afternoon, 121 to 301 -- the latest in a string of high-profile failures to overhaul the nation's immigration system and an embarrassment to House GOP leaders and ... Donald Trump. While several top conservatives had been in the room helping write the bill, every single one of them voted against it." AND they were all mad at each other. Mrs. McC: Boo-fucking-hoo.

This Russia Thing, Etc., Ctd.

Adam Davidson of the New Yorker: "Barring an unexpected change, the Donald J. Trump Foundation will be defending itself in a New York courtroom shortly before this fall's midterm elections. The proceedings seem unlikely to go well for the institution and its leadership; President Trump and his elder children, Ivanka, Donald, Jr., and Eric, are being sued by New York Attorney General Barbara Underwood for using the charity to enrich and benefit the Trump family. On Tuesday, the judge in the case, Saliann Scarpulla, made a series of comments and rulings from the bench that hinted -- well, all but screamed -- that she believes the Trump family has done some very bad things.... During Tuesday's hearing, the Trump Foundation's lawyer, Alan Futerfas, asked that the trial not commence in October, because it was so close to the midterms. Judge Scarpulla laughed in response, did not change the trial date, and hinted that she is likely to require the President to testify.... The case against the Trumps appears damning."

Reuters: "A search warrant application unsealed on Wednesday revealed closer links than previously known between ... Donald Trump's former campaign manager Paul Manafort and a Russian oligarch with close ties to the Kremlin. In an affidavit attached to the July 2017 application, an FBI agent said he had reviewed tax returns for a company controlled by Manafort and his wife that showed a $10 million loan from a Russian lender identified as Oleg Deripaska."

All the Best People, Ctd. Maggie Haberman, et al., of the New York Times: "Bill Shine, a former Fox News executive who was close to Roger E. Ailes, the network's ousted chairman, is expected to be offered the job of White House communications director, according to four people familiar with the decision. Mr. Shine, who was forced out as co-president at Fox News last May for his handling of sexual harassment scandals at the network, has met with President Trump in recent weeks about taking the West Wing communications job, which has been vacant since Hope Hicks left the job in March. Four people familiar with the decision said it was likely to be announced and that the president had offered him the job. But the move has not been finalized, in part because of the president's mercurial decision-making process and also because of Mr. Shine's reluctance to walk into a chaotic West Wing. As recently as a month ago, Mr. Shine didn't want the job, according to a person familiar with his thinking. The former television executive was reluctant to deal with all the scrutiny, part of which could focus on his own connection to the sexual harassment scandal at Fox News, the person said."...

... Aaron Lorenzo of Politico: "President Donald Trump's pick to run the IRS, tax lawyer Chuck Rettig, owns properties at the Trump International Hotel Waikiki and Tower. He'd previously disclosed his 50 percent stake in a pair of Honolulu rental units, but not their specific location. That detail was discussed later, at a June 21 meeting with congressional staff, according to a memo obtained by Politico.... It also indicated Rettig failed to report interest income or interest expenses related to a personal loan he made to an unnamed family member." --safari...

... Shambolic Corporate Shill Award. David Dayen ;of The Intercept: "Andrew Smith, the newly installed head of the Bureau of Consumer Protection at the Federal Trade Commission represented an astonishing array of [54] miscreant companies ... during his four-year tenure at the corporate law firm Covington & Burling, according to a financial disclosure form released Wednesday.... Under conflict-of-interest standards, Smith would likely have to recuse himself from investigations of all of those companies, including several already under investigation by the FTC..., But [it] doesn't stop there..., Smith ... received compensation for legal services from practically all of the nation's large financial firms.... Financial companies linked to Smith have paid tens of billions of dollars in fines for securities and consumer protection violations.... It gets worse...." --safari ...

... Recruiting the Swamp. Zahra Hirji of BuzzFeed (June 25th): "A month after starting as chief of the Environmental Protection Agency, Scott Pruitt made a recruiting 'plea' to top executives at the American Petroleum Institute, a major oil and gas trade group, according to internal emails obtained by BuzzFeed News.... [T]he emails give yet another example of the Trump administration offering jobs to industry officials and lobbyists. For example, J. Steven Hart, the energy lobbyist linked to Pruitt's former apartment deal in Capitol Hill, provided the agency with recommendations for staff and science advisers last year, the New York Times reported. In another case, Trump donor Doug Deason submitted a list of names to be EPA science advisers, according to Politico." --safari

Toby Eckert of Politico: "Public support for the recent tax overhaul plunged in the past two months ... according to a new Politico/Morning Consult poll. Just 37 percent of registered voters said they supported the tax-cut laden law, down from 44 percent in an April poll. The number of voters who were undecided or offered no opinion leapt to 24 percent from 17 percent.... Even among Republicans, support for the law dropped to 70 percent, from 80 percent in April. The number who moved into the undecided column jumped to 19 percent from 10 percent.... Only 25 percent of voters said they had noticed an increase in their paychecks as a result of the law, while 52 percent said they hadn't." --safari...

Benjamin Haas of the Guardian: "North Korea has continued to upgrade its only known nuclear reactor used to fuel its weapons program, satellite imagery has shown, despite ongoing negotiations with the US and a pledge to denuclearise. Infrastructure improvements at the Yongbyon nuclear plant are 'continuing at a rapid pace', according to an analysis by monitoring group 38 North of commercial satellite images taken on 21 June." Mrs. McC: What? You mean Kim snookered the artful dealer Trump? Unpossible! (Also linked yesterday.)

Philip Gordon amp; Prem Kumar in The Atlantic: "Given the serious risks of escalating violence, the desperate humanitarian situation in Gaza, and the continued costs of the status quo, [Jared] Kushner's desire to move forward [with a peace plan] even in the face of long odds is understandable. Unfortunately, his interview also revealed that he is living in a fantasy world and preparing an approach more likely to compound the current problems than to resolve them.... Neither the Palestinian nor Israeli people, nor their leaders, are currently prepared for the compromises required for a deal, and accentuating this reality will only make things worse. In diplomacy, as in medicine, the Hippocratic Oath to 'do no harm' can be a worthy principle. Jared Kushner would do well to consider it now." --safari

Congressional, State Races

Dana Milbank: "In her shocking primary upset of Nancy Pelosi's heir apparent, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez just did Democrats a big favor. I mean no disrespect to Rep. Joseph Crowley, the New York Democrat she beat.... Now he won't be speaker. And this, in a very concrete way, clears the way for a new generation to take the reins of the opposition -- leaders who appeal to the emerging electoral majority that already dominates the party and will soon dominate the country: progressive, young, female and nonwhite. It is no accident that Ocasio-Cortez, a 28-year-old Latina, is all four.... Until Tuesday night, the party was in the absurd position of having septuagenarians occupying all three of its top leadership positions in the House -- with a somewhat-less-old white guy, the 56-year-old Crowley, waiting patiently to succeed them.... Ocasio-Cortez saved Democrats from that and improved the odds of a younger and feistier Democratic opposition emerging." ...

     ... Mrs. McCrabbie: Let us pause for a moment to thank the people of Queens & the Bronx who exercised the franchise. ...

Margaret Hartmann: "In a battle over which candidate is the most Trump-like, GOP primary voters in Staten Island went with the guy who isn't a convicted felon. Michael Grimm, who resigned from Congress in 2015 after pleading guilty to tax evasion, was hoping for a chance to reclaim his old seat on Tuesday night, but he was easily defeated by Representative Dan Donovan. With all precincts in New York's 11th Congressional District reporting, Donovan took 64 percent of the vote to Grimm's 36 percent." (Also linked yesterday.)

Teachers Rule, Even in Oklahoma. Rivka Galchen in the New Yorker: "Republican legislators who opposed the [teacher] pay raise were mostly either beaten or forced into runoffs.... Three statewide Republican incumbents, including the current lieutenant governor, were forced into a runoff or rejected.... Meanwhile, more than fifty educator candidates advanced.... All the Democratic incumbents held onto their positions.... Red states such as Oklahoma -- with its decade of dramatic cuts to public services and fanatical antagonism to taxes -- are often mentioned as leading indicators of the direction in which the whole country may be heading. This primary, which boosted teachers and rejected the current state-level Republican leadership, may be the embodiment of a turn."

Edmund Lee & Cecilia Kang of the New York Times: "The Department of Justice approved the Walt Disney Company's $71 billion bid for the entertainment assets of 21st Century Fox on Wednesday, potentially complicating Comcast's desire to make a rival offer for Rupert Murdoch's entertainment empire. The government's approval was filed in federal court on the condition that Disney, which already owns ESPN, divest all of Fox's 22 regional sports networks, which include valuable channels like the Yankees' YES network."

See the Forest for the Trees' (Stumps). Eliza Barclay of Vox: "Given forests' importance [maintaining climate stability], new data from the University of Maryland released on Global Forest Watch, a forest monitoring site, is alarming: 2017 was the second-worst year on record for tropical forest loss. Some 39 million acres of trees, an area the size of Bangladesh, were destroyed. That's about 40 football fields of trees lost every single minute... 'This is a crisis of existential proportions,' Ola Elvestuen, Norway's minister of climate and environment, said Wednesday at the Oslo Tropical Forest Forum where the data was released. 'We either deal with it or we leave future generations in ecological collapse.'" --safari

Beyond the Beltway

Justice Delayed. Cleve Wootson of the Washington Post: "In Franklin Gebhardt’s eyes, Timothy Coggins's crime was simple: Coggins was a black man who was dating a white woman. One night in the fall of 1983, Gebhardt and his brother-in-law, William Moore, lured Coggins into a car.... The pair stabbed Coggins more than 30 times, leaving a patchwork of bloody Xes on the young man's skin, prosecutors said, according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution. Then, the two white men chained Coggins to the back of a pickup truck, took him to a desolate part of town and dragged him across the asphalt until he stopped moving." Although Gebhardt & Moore had boasted over the years that they had killed a black man, the case never moved forward, partly because the two men had friends in the police department. A break in the case "came a year ago, when authorities said they received new information, "& other witnesses came forward].... Gebhardt was convicted of committing a murder that was driven by racial hatred.... Moore is awaiting trial." The linked AJC story is compelling.

Way Beyond

Trumpenfriends. Hannah Ellis-Peterson of the Guardian: "Cambodian prime minister Hun Sen has become a 'fully fledged military dictator' according to Human Rights Watch in a report released on Thursday investigating the extent of his personal control over the military and the police.... While Hun Sen while has always been notorious for his autocratic rule -- his official title is princely exalted supreme great commander of gloriously victorious troops." --safari

Kelsey Munro of the Guardian: "China's social credit system, a big-data system for monitoring and shaping business and citizens' behaviour, is reaching beyond China's borders to impact foreign companies, according to new research. The system, which has been compared to an Orwellian tool of mass surveillance, is an ambitious work in progress: a series of big data and AI-enabled processes that effectively grant subjects a social credit score based on their social, political and economic behaviour.... The Chinese government aims to have all 1.35 billion of its citizens subject to the system by 2020. But a new report by US China scholar Samantha Hoffman ... claims the system's impact ... has the 'potential to interfere directly in the sovereignty of other nations', she said." --safari