The Commentariat -- July 1, 2018

Late Morning Update:

Brett Samuels of the Hill: "President Trump on Sunday refused to back down on his administration's tariffs against U.S. allies, arguing that the European Union is 'as bad as China' in its trade policies. Trump appeared on Fox News's 'Sunday Morning Futures,' where host Maria Bartiromo asked if he'd considered teaming up with U.S. allies to combat China's trade policies. 'The European Union is possibly as bad as China, just smaller. It's terrible what they do to us,' Trump said." ...

... Washington Post: "President Trump told Maria Bartiromo on Fox News that he wants to 'wait until after the election' to sign any new agreement with Canada and Mexico and seemed to indicate there won't be an end soon to the ongoing trade battle brewing between the United States and its neighbors."

Brett Samuels: "President Trump on Sunday blamed his opponents for the division in the country, warning that those who have spoken out against him should 'take it easy.'... 'Because some of the language used, some of the words used, even some of the radical ideas, I really think they're very bad for the country. I think they're actually dangerous for the country,' he added."

Ian Kullgren of Politico: "White House national security adviser John Bolton on Sunday downplayed reports suggesting that North Korea is trying to conceal parts of its nuclear weapons program.... 'We're very well aware of North Korea's patterns of behavior over decades of negotiating with the United States.'..."

Ron Nixon of the New York Times: "Ronald D. Vitiello, a senior Border Patrol official, will serve as acting director of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, the Trump administration announced on Saturday, in a move that comes amid calls by some activists and politicians for the agency to be abolished.... He will replace Thomas D. Homan, the current acting head of ICE, who retired this month. The Senate must approve a full-time director for ICE, with Mr. Vitiello now viewed as the leading candidate."

Heather Long of the Washington Post: "Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), a key swing vote on President Trump's next Supreme Court pick, said Sunday that she would not vote for any judge who wanted to end access to abortion in the United States by overturning Roe v. Wade. 'I would not support a nominee who demonstrated hostility to Roe v. Wade,' Collins said Sunday on CNN's 'State of the Union,' adding that Roe v. Wade established abortion as a 'constitutional right.' In another appearance, on ABC News's 'This Week,' Collins said that any judge who wants to overturn Roe has an 'activist agenda' that she thinks goes against the fundamental tenets of U.S. law and the Constitution." ...

     ... Mrs. McCrabbie: Hear Susan talk. Hear Susan hem and haw. See Susan fold.

*****

Cass Sunstein, in the New York Review of Books, reviewed three books that recount life in Nazi Germany, two of which are first-hand reports. The title of Sunstein's review is "It Can Happen Here," and the writings he reviews makes that evident. But he hedges in his conclusion: "With our system of checks and balances, full-blown authoritarianism is unlikely to happen here, but it would be foolish to ignore the risks that Trump and his administration pose to established norms and institutions.... Those risks will grow if opposition to violations of long-standing norms is limited to Democrats, and if Republicans laugh, applaud, agree with, or make excuses for Trump -- if they howl with the wolf." Mrs. McC: At any rate, the content of the writings he cites is chilling, & I'm going with "it can happen here." Right now, our "system of checks and balances" seems to be limited to the press & to the people they write about in the next linked stories.

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." (Also linked yesterday.) ...

... The New York Times story is here. Here's the Guardian's main story. The Guardian liveblogged protests around the U.S. (Liveblog also linked yesterday afternoon.) ...

... David Nakamura of the Washington Post: "President Trump on Saturday opened a new front in the immigration debate, diverting attention away from his administration's treatment of undocumented immigrants to a broader fight over the federal agency charged with detaining and deporting them. In a pair of tweets from his private golf club in Bedminster, N.J., Trump forcefully defended the performance of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and lambasted Democrats as pushing a 'radical left' agenda to abolish it, even though only a handful have publicly supported doing so. 'To the great and brave men and women of ICE, do not worry or lose your spirit,' Trump wrote in one tweet. 'You are doing a fantastic job of keeping us safe by eradicating the worst criminal elements.' In an interview on Fox News set to air Sunday, Trump suggested that the issue would hurt Democrats in the midterm elections because ICE helps eradicate violent gangs. Trump's public support of ICE came as tens of thousands marched in cities across the country to protest a 'zero tolerance'...." ...

... Brent Griffiths: "... Donald Trump falsely claimed on Saturday that he never encouraged House Republicans to vote for an immigration bill, despite tweeting such an encouragement three days earlier [IN ALL CAPS]." ...

... ** Tal Kopan of CNN: "... newly reviewed court filings show that the byzantine system that has resulted in thousands of children separated for weeks and months from parents elsewhere in government custody ... was always the design.... A government attorney admitted in court just days before the border-wide initiative was unveiled in early May that there was never a plan for parents like her to be proactively reunited with their kids. And an analysis of the purported success of the pilot shows that the Department of Homeland Security's justification that the program worked as a deterrent was likely based on dubious data."

Chris Rukan, in the Washington Post, tests Donald Trump's performance against many of George Washington's 110 rules of civility (which he copied as a boy from a late-16th-century list of rules compiled by Jesuits). Here's the compleat list.

Peter Berman, in a New York Times op-ed: "... there is another reason to withhold confirmation [of a new Supreme Court justice] that both Republicans and Democrats should be able to agree on: People under the cloud of investigation do not get to pick the judges who may preside over their cases. By this logic, President Trump should not be permitted to appoint a new Supreme Court justice until after the special counsel investigation is over, and we know for sure whether there is evidence of wrongdoing. True, that point is unlikely to stop Mr. McConnell or his colleagues. But it highlights the real risk involved in letting a deeply compromised president shape a court that may one day stand between him and impeachment." ...

     ... Mrs. McCrabbie: There's an obvious problem with this argument: any time there's Republican Congress & a Democratic president when a Supreme Court vacancy arises, Republicans will open up an "investigation" of the president (if they didn't already have several such "investigations" going) & claim they can't possibly confirm a new justice who might have to rule on issues relating to what they perceive as presidential misconduct.

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." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

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 much-ballyhooed June 12 summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un...." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

This Russia Thing, Etc., Ctd.

Trump Is Working Overtime to Destabilize Western Alliances. Josh Rogin of the Washington Post: "During a private meeting at the White House in late April, Trump was discussing trade with French President Emmanuel Macron. At one point, he asked Macron, 'Why don't you leave the E.U.?' and said that if France exited the union, Trump would offer it a bilateral trade deal with better terms than the E.U. as a whole gets from the United States, according to two European officials. The White House did not dispute the officials' account, but declined to comment.... This is an instance of the president of the United States offering an incentive to dismantle an organization of America's allies, against stated U.S. government policy. Trump has been publicly trashing the E.U. and NATO since his campaign, but the pace and viciousness of his attacks have increased.... Of course, Trump's opinions closely track those of Putin, including on the status of Crimea, aid to Ukraine and Russia's interference in the U.S. elections. Overall, Trump's attack on the E.U. and the U.S.-Europe relationship is a huge strategic windfall for Russia." ...

Margaret Talev & Toluse Olorunnipa of Bloomberg: "... Donald Trump left the door open to recognizing Russia's annexation of Crimea, telling reporters that such a move would be up for discussion when he meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin next month. 'We're going to have to see,' Trump told reporters Friday on Air Force One when asked if the U.S. would accept Russia's claim on the territory it seized from Ukraine in 2014.... 'I'll talk to him about everything,' Trump told reporters when asked if he would speak with Putin about Crimea. 'We're going to be talking about Ukraine, we're going to be talking about Syria, we'll be talking about elections, and we don't want anybody tampering with elections.'" ...

... Chris Riotta of the (U.K.) Independent: "Russia's state-owned television shows have mocked the outcry over the country's alleged hacking of the US 2016 presidential election ahead of an upcoming summit between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin.... A Russia 24 ... analyst ... [said] Americans viewed the alleged hacking as 'aggression against the country' and believed the Russian government 'caused some trouble there.' 'What trouble did we cause?' he asked. 'We just elected Trump, that's all.'" ...

... Jonathan Chait: "The more we learn, the more clearly the pattern of behavior in the [U.S. & U.K.] becomes similar, and the more suspicious the denials of Putin's partners grows. In both countries, the right-wing pro-Russian populists indignantly insist there is no more incriminating information to be found beyond what was known at any given moment, even as the bounds of what is known at any moment continues to expand.... At this point, it seems virtually certain that Russia did use [British financier Arron] Banks ... as a pass through to covertly finance the Brexit referendum."

Julianne Smith & former Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.) in a Hill opinion piece: "Two years after the Russian government attempted to undermine the 2016 presidential election, the United States still does not have a comprehensive strategy to address the threat posed by foreign interference in our democracy. Successive U.S. administrations of both parties and Congress have neglected this threat and left Americans exposed to foreign manipulation."

Washington Post: According to Trump punker John Melendez, the Secret Service came calling at his home after Melendez's call to President* Trump, a call in which he posed as Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.). The Post still has not verified the call. The podcast is here; the actual conversation with the president, president* or "president" is about 7/8ths of the way in.

Eric Lipton of the New York Times: "The chief ethics officer of the Environmental Protection Agency -- the official whose main job is to help agency staffers obey government ethics laws -- has been working behind the scenes to push for a series of independent investigations into possible improprieties by Scott Pruitt, the agency's administrator, a letter sent this week says. The letter is the first public acknowledgment that Kevin S. Minoli, who has frequently defended Mr. Pruitt's actions since he took over the agency in February 2017, is now openly questioning whether Mr. Pruitt violated federal ethics rules."

Congressional Races

Maureen Dowd discusses the primary win of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Mrs. McC: I supposed this was my favorite graf: "The Democrats wandered the capital, looking stunned. It finally seemed to be sinking in that if you insist on putting up presidential candidates who leave voters cold, really bad things can happen." I've been saying this for a long time, but no one seems to be able to convince the Democratic leadership that "boring" & "ethically-compromised" are not compelling attributes for presidential candidates. This is all the more mystifying inasmuch as the last Democrat to win the top job was exciting & about as honorable as a politician can be. Rather, Democratric leadership in 2016 copied exactly the same playbook that had failed in 2008: backing the very same boring, ethically-compromised candidate.

Patrick Svitek of the Dallas Morning News: "Despite nine candidates on the ballot, Republican Michael Cloud drew enough support to win Saturday's special election to fill former U.S. Rep. Blake Farenthold's seat, sparing the GOP a runoff in the 27th District. With all precincts reporting, Cloud led Democrat Eric Holguin 55 percent to 32 percent, according to unofficial returns. Cloud, a former chairman of the Victoria County GOP, needed to finish above 50 percen to avert a runoff later this summer. The special election determined who finishes Farenthold's term, which ends in January. Both Cloud and Holguin are their party's nominees in November for the full term that starts after that." Mrs. McC: Pajama Boy never will be truly replaced.

Everton Bailey of the Oregonian: "A Portland man fatally shot early Friday outside a sports bar near Portland State University by campus police officers was a U.S. postal worker and father of three daughters who served in the Navy and married his high school sweetheart, friends say. They identified the man as Jason E. Washington, 45.... [Two witnesses] said Washington wasn't involved in the fight and was trying to break it up. A[nother] witness also told Oregon Public Broadcasting that the man wasn't fighting and was shot after a holstered handgun he was carrying fell onto the ground and he appeared to be trying to pick it up. After the officers yelled that there was a gun, there was no apparent hesitation before the gunfire, the witness said." Mrs. McC: Washington was black; both officers appear to be white.

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