The Commentariat -- August 12, 2019

Late Morning/Afternoon Update:

Well, I see I have to move this sentiment up the page: Every day Donald Trump gives Americans a new reason new reasons to despise him. Today is no exception:

** Lisa Friedman of the New York Times: "The Trump administration on Monday announced that it would change the way the Endangered Species Act is applied, significantly weakening the nation's bedrock conservation law credited with rescuing the bald eagle, the grizzly bear and the American alligator from extinction. The changes will make it harder to consider the effects of climate change on wildlife when deciding whether a given species warrants protection. They would most likely shrink critical habitats and, for the first time, would allow economic assessments to be conducted when making determinations." Here's a HuffPost story by Chris D'Angelo.

Eileen Sullivan & Michael Shear of the New York Times: "The Trump administration will penalize legal immigrants who rely on public programs, such as food stamps and government-subsidized housing, as part of a sweeping new policy to slow legal immigration into the United States and reduce the number of immigrants who are granted permanent legal status. The move will have the greatest impact on poor immigrants who are living in the country legally and are receiving public benefits from the government, forcing them to make a choice between accepting financial help and living and working in the country legally. It will probably not affect immigrants who already have green cards. The United States wants immigrants who can support themselves, according to the rule, not those who 'depend on public resources to meet their needs,' according to the new rule.... Immigration advocates have pledged to sue the administration in an attempt to block the new regulation from going into effect. Tens of thousands of people opposed the rule in a public comment period over the past several months." ...

... Patricia Alvarez, et al., of CNN: "The Trump administration released a regulation Monday that could dramatically cut the number of legal immigrants allowed to enter and stay in the US by making it easier to reject green card and visa applications. Paired with last week's enforcement raids on food processing plants in Mississippi, Monday's announcement amounts to a concerted effort by the administration to limit legal immigration and crack down on illegal immigration. The 837-page rule applies to those seeking to come to or remain in the United States via legal channels. The so-called public charge rule is designed to ensure immigrants can support themselves financially. In doing so, though, it'll likely make it harder for low-income immigrants to come to the US."

President Pinocchio Hits Another Milestone. Glenn Kessler, et al., of the Washington Post: "President Trump's proclivity for spouting exaggerated numbers, unwarranted boasts and outright falsehoods has continued at a remarkable pace. As of Aug. 5, his 928th day in office, he had made 12,019 false or misleading claims, according to the Fact Checker's database that analyzes, categorizes and tracks every suspect statement the president has uttered. Trump crossed the 10,000 mark on April 26, and he has been averaging about 20 fishy claims a day since then. From the start of his presidency, he has averaged about 13 such claims a day."

Kevin Brueninger of CNBC: “Attorney General William Barr said Monday that there were serious irregularities' at the Manhattan federal jail where accused child sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein apparently killed himself over the weekend. 'We will get to the bottom of what happened,' Barr vowed in blistering opening remarks at a police event in New Orleans, 'and there will be accountability.' Barr ... also fired a warning shot to anyone who may have been involved in the wealthy financier's alleged crimes. 'Any co-conspirators should not rest easy,' Barr said. 'The victims deserve justice and they will get it.'"

Guatemala. Nina Lakhani of the Guardian: "A conservative law and order hardliner [Alejandro Giammattei] promising to reinstate the death penalty and deploy soldiers on to the streets has been elected the new president of Guatemala...backed by the country's economic and military power brokers.... Giammattei's triumph comes amid growing tension with the US over migration and asylum. Shortly before his victory, Giammattei said he wanted to change a controversial migration deal signed with the US by his predecessor, Jimmy Morales.... Details of the agreement remain murky, and currently face judicial and congressional obstacles in the US and Guatemala." --s

Hong Kong. Yanan Wang & Christopher Bodeen of the AP: "One of the world's busiest airports canceled all flights after thousands of pro-democracy demonstrators crowded into Hong Kong's main terminal Monday, while the central government in Beijing issued an ominous characterization of the protest movement as something approaching 'terrorism.' The extreme action by the largely leaderless movement seemed calculated to prompt a stern response from Beijing, and Communist Party leader Xi Jinping's administration responded within hours. No new violence was reported by Monday evening, although the city remained on edge after more than two months of near-daily and increasingly bloody confrontations between protesters and police."

U.K. Michael McGowan & Ben Doherty of the Guardian: Brexit Boy & Friend of Trump "Nigel Farage has derided the Duke and Duchess of Sussex for their 'irrelevant' social justice and environmental campaigns while abusing Prince Charles and describing the late Queen Mother as an 'overweight, chain-smoking gin drinker', in an incendiary speech to an Australian rightwing political conference. Farage's speech to Sydney's Conservative Political Action Conference -- from which media were barred -- ranged across his views on Brexit, media bias and the United Nations, but he reserved his fiercest condemnation for members of the royal family.... The Brexit party leader was laudatory about the Queen -- 'an amazing, awe-inspiring woman, we're bloody lucky to have her' -- but abused her son, grandson and mother. 'When it comes to her son, when it comes to Charlie Boy and climate change, oh dear, oh dear, oh dear.'" Mrs. McC: Still, I'm thinking it won't be "Sir Nigel" any time soon.

~~~~~~~~~~

Jeremy Peters, et al., of the New York Times: "There is a striking degree of overlap between the words of right-wing media personalities [like Tucker Carlson, Ann Coulter, Laura Ingraham, Brian Kilmeade & Rush Limbaugh] and the language used by the Texas man who confessed to killing 22 people at a Walmart in El Paso this month. In a 2,300-word screed posted on the website 8chan, the killer wrote that he was 'simply defending my country from cultural and ethnic replacement brought on by an invasion.'... An extensive New York Times review of popular right-wing media platforms found hundreds of examples of language, ideas and ideologies that overlapped with the mass killer's written statement -- a shared vocabulary of intolerance that stokes fears centered on immigrants of color. The programs, on television and radio, reach an audience of millions.... Sometimes the hosts are repeating the president's signature phrases. Sometimes the president appears to take his cues from television pundits." ...

     ... Mrs. Bea McCrabbie: It seems to be lost on these numnuts that lily-white Europeans "invaded" the Americas, too. Shall we all "go back to where we came from"? Or is "white invasion" justified by virtue of our being "the superior race"? (I use the word "our" somewhat timidly, as I'm about half Irish, and the very fine Brits considered the Irish to be "monkeys.") Donald Trump, whose mother is Scottish, thinks he can get along well with British PM Boris Johnson, but Johnson -- who has previously expressed contempt for Trump himself -- also has a racist view of Scots. Guardian (June 2019): "Boris Johnson once called for Scottish people to be blocked from becoming prime minister because 'government by a Scot is just not conceivable.' Johnson ... also authorised publication of a poem describing Scottish people as vermin who should be exterminated."

Hollie Silverman & Steve Almasy of CNN: "At least eight Walmart locations have received threats over the past week after deadly shootings at two stores in recent weeks, law enforcement agencies said." The story lists the locations & circumstances of the threats. (Also linked yesterday.) ...

... Alexandra Svokos of ABC News: "Many questions remain in the motivations of the man who allegedly committed a mass shooting in Dayton, Ohio, last weekend, leaving nine dead before responding officers shot him to death. But officials briefed on the investigation told ABC News the suspected shooter demonstrated a misogyny that was far more extreme than any of his political leanings. In that, he follows a bleak pattern among mass shooters.... After many mass shootings, information comes out that links the shooter to gender-based and domestic violence -- and many massacres, like this one, include female family members, partners and ex-partners among the victims. Ten of 2018's 20 mass shootings, as defined by ABC News, were instances of domestic violence, including against intimate partners or family members, a January ABC analysis showed. One of the victims of the Dayton shooting was Megan Betts, the alleged shooter's 22-year-old sister." ...

     ... Mrs. McCrabbie: This comes as no surprise. While millions of Trump supporters are attracted to his white supremacist views, surely there are millions who appreciate his misogyny. (Of course a Venn diagram would chart a lot of overlap. In photos of white supremacist events, a good 90 percent of the participants are men.) If Trump does shoot someone on Fifth Avenue, it will be a woman of color. And yes, his supporters will cheer.

... America 2019. Scottie Andrews & Brian Ries of CNN: "With every mass shooting in the United States comes renewed fear of another.... Instead of letting their children choose a plastic backpack covered in Hello Kitty or Spider-Man, some parents are purchasing bags that double as shields in case kids get caught in gunfire. Companies like Guard Dog Security, Bullet Blocker and TuffyPacks designed bulletproof backpacks to quell those concerns. The retailers said backpack sales spike during the back-to-school season, and all three said they they saw a significant uptick in the aftermath of mass shootings." --s (Also linked yesterday.)

Rhonda Garelick of New York writes a moving, infuriating essay on the photo of grinning thumbs-up Donald Trump, a smiling Melania holding baby Paul Anchondo, the two-month-old orphaned in the El Paso massacre. "Posing for this photograph, the Trumps remove any last doubt about their dead-eyed cruelty and transactional view of life.... Injured, confused, squirming away from Melania's brittle embrace, and straining toward what's left of his family, Baby Paul now stands in for all the children -- indeed, all human beings -- who, like him, have been harmed and are being held against their will by a white supremacist president." ...

... On the Other Hand, Trump Is an Equal-opportunity Racist. Jennifer Keil & Emily Smith of the New York Post: At fundraisers in the Hamptons Friday, "Trump kept returning to hit back at the 'fake news' media attacks on him, saying of claims from the Democrats that he is a racist, 'That is the only ammunition they have.' Trump also made fun of US allies South Korea, Japan and the European Union -- mimicking Japanese and Korean accents -- and talked about his love of dictators Kim Jong Un and the current ruler of Saudi Arabia.... Talking about South Korea, Trump said it makes great TVs and has a thriving economy, 'So why are we paying for their defense. They've got to pay.' He then mimicked the accent of the leader Moon Jae-in while describing how he caved in to Trump's tough negotiations.... Turning to Japan, Trump then put on a fake Japanese accent to recount his conversations with Shinzo Abe over their conversations over trade tariffs." Mrs. McC: Pretty remarkable. In nearly the same breath he claims he's not a racist, Trump makes racist "jokes." ...

... MEANWHILE, Phillip Rucker & Ashley Parker of the Washington Post have a long story on how Trump is all upset people are calling him racist.

Ah, Those Secret Investigations. Riley Beggin of Vox: "Acting Customs and Border Protection commissioner Mark Morgan dodged questions about reports of undocumented workers at Trump Organization properties Sunday morning. On CNN's State of the Union, host Jake Tapper asked Morgan why Immigration and Customs Enforcement -- which Morgan led until early July -- hadn't conducted any raids or investigations into Trump's eight properties given reports that the clubs and hotels employ undocumented people. 'You really can't say that for sure,' Morgan said. 'There are investigations going on all the time that you're unaware of. ... Of course it's going to jeopardize the investigation if I come on here and I talk to you about an investigation that's going on.'... Tapper asked why employers who hire undocumented workers are not always punished along with the workers themselves; the host cited Syracuse University's immigration records research that found only 11 people and no companies were prosecuted for employing undocumented workers between the spring of 2018 and 2019. During the same time frame, 85,727 people were prosecuted for entering the US illegally. Morgan responded that an investigation into the business that employed the undocumented workers in Mississippi is ongoing." ...

... When Is a Raid Not a Raid? Kelsey Tamborrino of Politico: "Trump administration officials on Sunday defended recent U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids across seven Mississippi food-processing plants that resulted in the arrest of 680 workers. 'Something like this has been planned for over a year,' acting Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan said on NBC's 'Meet the Press.' 'This is a criminal investigation with 14 federal warrants issued by a judge, and ICE had to follow through on that. It was already planned and in motion.' McAleenan was pressed by NBC host Chuck Todd on the arrests of hundreds of undocumented workers, but not their employers, who McAleenan acknowledged were 'exploiting undocumented workers.' DHS is in the 'middle of an ongoing investigation,' McAleenan responded.... [Acting CBP chief Mark] Morgan said [the Mississippi raids] were not 'raids,' but 'targeted law enforcement operations.'" Mrs. McC: There's your answer. What you thought was a raid was a "targeted law enforcement operation."

Emma Newburger of CNBC: “U.S. farmers lost one of their biggest customers this week after China officially cancelled all purchases of U.S. agricultural products, a retaliatory move following ... Donald Trump's pledge to slap 10% tariffs on $300 billion of Chinese imports. China's exit piles on to a devastating year for farmers, who have struggled through record flooding and an extreme heat wave that destroyed crop yields, and trade war escalations that have lowered prices and profits this year.... Zippy Duvall, president of the American Farm Bureau Federation, said China's exit is a 'body blow to thousands of farmers and ranchers who are already struggling to get by.' China's exit will most impact U.S. grain farmers. China is the world's top buyer of American soybeans, buying about 60% of U.S. soybean exports last year.... While he's given no indication of backing off in the trade war, struggling farmers appear to remain loyal. Trump's overall approval rating is 79% among farmers, according to a Farm Pulse survey taken last month."

CBS/AP: "The Trump administration has told companies not to warn customers about products that contain glyphosate, a decision targeted at a California regulation that requires labels to warn consumers that the Roundup ingredient is potentially cancer-causing. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says it will no longer approve labels warning glyphosate is known to cause cancer. The chemical, marketed as a weed killer by Monsanto under the brand Roundup, is currently the focus of lawsuits from thousands of consumers alleging it caused their cancers. Such labels are "irresponsible," EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler said in a statement. He cited the EPA's conclusions that the chemical doesn't represent a cancer risk. The decision from the EPA highlights the growing debate over the safety of glyphosate, with scientific research often reaching contradictory conclusions."

Katie Benner, et al., of the New York Times: "Jeffrey Epstein ... was supposed to have been checked by guards every 30 minutes, but that procedure was not being followed the night before he was found, a law-enforcement official ... said. In addition, the jail had transferred his cellmate and allowed Mr. Epstein to be housed alone in a cell just two weeks after he had been taken off suicide watch, a decision that also violated the jail's normal procedure, two officials said.... A person with knowledge of the investigation said that when the decision was made to remove Mr. Epstein from suicide watch, the jail informed the Justice Department that Mr. Epstein would have a cellmate and that a guard 'would look into his cell' every 30 minutes. But that was apparently not done, the person said." The Hill has a summary of the NYT report here. (Also linked yesterday.) ...

... Matt Zapotosky & Devlin Barrett of the Washington Post: "The two correctional officers assigned to watch the special unit in the detention center where financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein was being housed when he apparently hanged himself Saturday were working overtime -- one forced to do so by management, the other for his fourth or fifth consecutive day, the president of the local union for jail staffers said Sunday.... Serene Gregg, president of the American Federation of Government Employees Local 3148, said the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan is functioning with less than 70 percent of the needed correctional officers, forcing many to work mandatory overtime and 60- or 70-hour workweeks.... New York City's chief medical examiner, Barbara Sampson, said her office conducted an autopsy of Epstein's body Sunday but had not yet reached a determination on cause of death 'pending further information.' The medical examiner also allowed a private pathologist, Michael Baden, to observe the autopsy examination at the request of Epstein's representatives, Sampson said." An AP story is here (link has been updated to a more comprehensive AP story). ...

... Aviva Shen of Slate: "We know that [Metropolital Correctional Center], the federal prison in Manhattan that also recently housed Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzmán, was deemed 'worse than Guantanamo' by someone who spent time in both facilities. We know that cells are infested with bugs and rats so big they're 'more like roommates' and that the temperature swings from unbearable heat to frigid cold. We know that inmates have not received adequate medical care, that a corrections officers was found guilty of raping an inmate, and that officials allegedly tried to cover up the fatal beating of another prisoner. We know that solitary confinement, where Epstein was being held, causes severe mental degradation. Report after report has cautioned against isolating prisoners with known mental disorders, and evidence shows that solitary confinement can trigger acute psychosis in people with no history of psychiatric problems.... Solitary confinement at MCC, as described by those who have survived it, is especially hellish.... Facilities, like MCC, that are run by the Federal Bureau of Prisons tend to be among the nation's most corrupt and violent institutions."

... Lindsay Hayes in the Atlantic: "Suicide has been a lingering problem in detention facilities, and systemic factors -- such as inattention, understaffing, or inadequate training -- generally offer a simpler explanation for a prisoner's death than nefarious intent.... Hundreds of individuals are thought to commit suicide each year in jails throughout the country, and suicide is still thought to be the leading cause of death in such facilities. Why such uncertainty? The U.S. Justice Department's reporting program for deaths in correctional institutions has not released any data since 2016." Mrs. McC: I wonder if Trump's DOJ dropped the required reporting by design, by laziness, or because of understaffing. Another of 1,000 examples of TrumpFail. ...

... Justin Wise of the Hill: "CNN host Jake Tapper opened his show on Sunday by calling out President Trump for promoting a 'deranged' and 'insane' conspiracy theory about the death of ... Jeffrey Epstein, who died by an apparent suicide over the weekend.... White House counsellor Kellyanne Conway on Sunday downplayed Trump's promotion of the conspiracy theory, saying on "Fox News Sunday" that the president 'just wants everything investigated.'" (Also linked yesterday.) ...

... On Fox "News" Conway hinted she had some "secret information" to back up the Clinton conspiracy theory. "There is some unsealed information implicating some people very high up.... I'm not saying anything beyond that." Of course, while fingering Bill Clinton, Conway exonerated Trump: "Trying to connect the president to this monster from years ago, where they're seen dancing in a video versus other people who were actively, I suppose, flying around with this monster on his island ... perhaps there's a public interest in knowing more about that." (Also linked yesterday.)

Way Beyond the Beltway

** Russia. David Sanger & Andrew Kramer of the New York Times: "American intelligence officials are racing to understand a mysterious explosion that released radiation off the coast of northern Russia last week, apparently during the test of a new type of nuclear-propelled cruise missile hailed by President Vladimir V. Putin as the centerpiece of Moscow's arms race with the United States. American officials have said nothing publicly about the blast on Thursday, possibly one of the worst nuclear accidents in the region since Chernobyl, although apparently on a far smaller scale, with at least seven people, including scientists, confirmed dead. But the Russian government's slow and secretive response has set off anxiety in nearby cities and towns -- and attracted the attention of analysts in Washington and Europe who believe the explosion may offer a glimpse of technological weaknesses in Russia's new arms program." ...

... Andrew Roth of the Guardian (August 10): "Russia's nuclear energy agency has said an explosion that caused radiation levels to spike in the Arkhangelsk region was caused by an accident during a test of an 'isotope power source for a liquid-fuelled rocket engine'. In a statement released late on Friday, Rosatom said five of its employees had died as a result of the accident and three more were being treated for burns. The statement was the first confirmation that the agency was involved in the incident, which briefly drove radiation levels up to 20 times their normal levels in the nearby city of Severodvinsk."

Norway. Ray Sanchez & Frode Stang of CNN: "The man suspected of opening fire at a mosque in the Norwegian capital of Oslo on Saturday has expressed right-wing sympathies online, the police said in a news conference Sunday. Superintendent Rune Skjold told reporters the suspect, described only as a Norwegian man in his 20s, has praised figures like Vidkun Quisling, the leader of Norway under Nazi occupation during World War II.... The man has been charged with the murder of a woman found dead in his home and is also facing an attempted murder charge in the shooting at Al-Noor Islamic Center in Oslo. One person was injured in the incident, sustaining minor injuries, police said. The suspected shooter was overpowered during the attack by a 65-year-old man named Mohamed Rafiq, said his counsel Abdul-Satar Ali on Sunday. Speaking to the press with Rafiq at his side, Ali said: 'Mohamed acted immediately when the shooter entered the room. He toppled the shooter and pinned him to the floor, (and) sat on top of him.'" ...

... Daniel Politi of Slate: "Hours before the attack a user of the same name as the alleged gunman posted on the 4chan messaging board expressing admiration for the gunman who killed 51 people at two New Zealand mosques earlier this year. The post included a meme that described that gunman as a 'saint' and praised the alleged El Paso shooter for 'reclaiming his country.' The post was made on a new messaging board called Endchan and the older site 4chan." The found dead in the gunman's home was his 17-year-old stepsister. See also Alexandra Svokos' story on the Dayton shooter, linked above.

Sweden, etc. Jo Becker of the New York Times: "Fueled by an immigration backlash -- Sweden has accepted more refugees per capita than any other European country -- right-wing populism has taken hold, reflected most prominently in the steady ascent of a political party with neo-Nazi roots, the Sweden Democrats. In elections last year, they captured nearly 18 percent of the vote. To dig beneath the surface of what is happening in Sweden, though, is to uncover the workings of an international disinformation machine, devoted to the cultivation, provocation and amplification of far-right, anti-immigrant passions and political forces. Indeed, that machine, most influentially rooted in Vladimir V. Putin's Russia and the American far right, underscores a fundamental irony of this political moment: the globalization of nationalism."

The Commentariat -- August 11, 2019

Late Morning/Afternoon Update:

Hollie Silverman & Steve Almasy of CNN: "At least eight Walmart locations have received threats over the past week after deadly shootings at two stores in recent weeks, law enforcement agencies said." The story lists the locations & circumstances of the threats.

Katie Benner, et al., of the New York Times: "Jeffrey Epstein ... was supposed to have been checked by guards every 30 minutes, but that procedure was not being followed the night before he was found, a law-enforcement official with knowledge of his detention said. In addition, the jail had transferred his cellmate and allowed Mr. Epstein to be housed alone in a cell just two weeks after he had been taken off suicide watch, a decision that also violated the jail's normal procedure, two officials said.... A person with knowledge of the investigation said that when the decision was made to remove Mr. Epstein from suicide watch, the jail informed the Justice Department that Mr Epstein would have a cellmate and that a guard 'would look into his cell' every 30 minutes. But that was apparently not done, the person said." The Hill has a summary of the NYT report here.

Justin Wise of the Hill: "CNN host Jake Tapper opened his show on Sunday by calling out President Trump for promoting a 'deranged' and 'insane' conspiracy theory about the death of disgraced financier and accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, who died by an apparent suicide over the weekend.... White House counsellor Kellyanne Conway on Sunday downplayed Trump's promotion of the conspiracy theory, saying on "Fox News Sunday" that the president 'just wants everything investigated.'" ...

... On Fox "News" Conway hinted she had some "secret information" to back up the Clinton conspiracy theory. "There is some unsealed information implicating some people very high up.... I'm not saying anything beyond that." Of course, while fingering Bill Clinton, Conway exonerated Trump: "Trying to connect the president to this monster from years ago, where they're seen dancing in a video versus other people who were actively, I suppose, flying around with this monster on his island ... perhaps there's a public interest in knowing more about that."

America 2019. Scottie Andrews & Brian Ries of CNN: "With every mass shooting in the United States comes renewed fear of another.... Instead of letting their children choose a plastic backpack covered in Hello Kitty or Spider-Man, some parents are purchasing bags that double as shields in case kids get caught in gunfire. Companies like Guard Dog Security, Bullet Blocker and TuffyPacks designed bulletproof backpacks to quell those concerns. The retailers said backpack sales spike during the back-to-school season, and all three said they they saw a significant uptick in the aftermath of mass shootings." --s

~~~~~~~~~~

Everything We Think We Know about Jeffrey Epstein's Death

I was appalled to learn that Jeffrey Epstein was found dead early this morning from an apparent suicide while in federal custody. Mr. Epstein's death raises serious questions that must be answered. In addition to the FBI's investigation, I have consulted with the Inspector General who is opening an investigation into the circumstances of Mr. Epstein's death. -- William Barr, full statement, Saturday ...

... James McKinley & Ali Watkins of the New York Times: "Like all federal prisons, the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Lower Manhattan has a suicide prevention program designed for inmates who are at risk of taking their own lives. After an apparent attempt three weeks ago, Jeffrey Epstein -- the financier who was at the facility awaiting trial on charges he sexually abused dozens of girls -- was a prime candidate.Yet Mr. Epstein, 66, was not on suicide watch when he hanged himself and his body was found in his cell early on Saturday, raising questions about the steps officials took after the first incident to keep him from harming himself. Attorney General William P. Barr said in a statement that he had asked the inspector general for the Justice Department to open an investigation' into the circumstances of Mr. Epstein's death.'... One federal prison official with knowledge of the incident said Mr. Epstein had been taken off suicide watch a few days ago, and was being held alone in a cell in a special housing unit." (Also linked yesterday.) The story has been updated, with Watkins the sole reporter on the byline. ...

     ... A related NBC News story is here. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ...

... This Is Unbelievable. Dan Spinelli of Mother Jones: "... Lynne Patton, regional administrator at the Department of Housing and Urban Development, had [an] idea of what happened [to Epstein]. 'Hillary'd!!' she posted on Instagram around 10 a.m., alongside a screenshot of a Daily Mail story that described Epstein's manner of death. She added the hashtag, '#VinceFosterPartTwo,' a reference to the former Clinton aide whose death by suicide has fueled conspiracy theories for more than two decades. Patton, one of the highest-ranking officials at HUD, was not alone in seizing on conspiracy theories. Within hours of Epstein's death, 'Clintons' and 'ClintonBodyCount' were among the highest-trending topics on Twitter." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ...

     ... Mrs. McCrabbie: Patton, you may recall, previously worked for what I'm sure is a wonderful organization: the Eric Trump Foundation. She also was Eric's party planner & reportedly suffered from substance abuse & addition while working for him. Although she had no housing experience whatsoever, Trump appointed her to a HUD job, which she so badly flubbed that Ole Doc Carson promoted her to head up HUD's Region 2. Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC) used her as a prop during Michael Cohen's public House hearing as living proof that Trump can't possibly be a racist. Ole Doc should fire her right now. ...

... ** Update. Patton's Job Is Safe. Rachel Frazin of the Hill: "President Trump on Saturday retweeted a post promoting a conspiracy theory about Jeffrey Epstein's death. The tweet, by Twitter user Terrence K. Williams, blamed the death on former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and former President Clinton and does not provide evidence.... Conspiracy theories linking the death to both the Clinton and Trump himself trended Saturday on Twitter. Bill Clinton's spokesman Angel Ureña responded by writing 'Ridiculous, and of course not true -- and Donald Trump knows it. Has he triggered the 25th Amendment yet?'" Mrs. McC: Seriously, Trump's retweet looks like an Article of Impeachment to me. Of all of the stupid tweets this monster has written, this has to be the worst. It's shocking. President Clinton is right; Trump is in 25th-Amendment territory. ... "Does not provide evidence"? Ha ha. Here's a better lede by ...

     ... Christian Vasquez of Politico: "In his first public response to the death of financier and accused pedophile Jeffrey Epstein..., Donald Trump retweeted baseless conspiracy theories around his death and a news alert citing former President Bill Clinton's previous involvement with Epstein. Trump first retweeted a post from @BreakingNLive, 'Documents were unsealed yesterday revealing that top Democrats, including Bill Clinton, took private trips to Jeffrey Epstein's 'pedophilia island.' Trump then retweeted a conspiracy theory from comedian Terrence K. Williams around Epstein's death that used some of the day's top trending hashtags on Twitter, such as #EpsteinSuicide, #ClintonBodyCount, #JefferyEpstein, and #TrumpBodyCount. 'Died of SUICIDE on 24/7 SUICIDE WATCH ? Yeah right! How does that happen#JefferyEpstein had information on Bill Clinton & now he's dead. I see #TrumpBodyCount trending but we know who did this! RT if you're not Surprised#EpsteinSuicide #ClintonBodyCount #ClintonCrimeFamily,' Williams wrote." ...

     ... Asawin Suebsaeng of the Daily Beast: White House staff is taking Trump's conspiracy theory-mongering in stride. "One White House official said that as soon as Clinton conspiracy theories began bubbling up online about Epstein's passing, this official and other senior aides to Donald Trump immediately assumed that the president, an avid, longtime conspiracy theorist, would very soon tweet or say something about it. The aides, this official noted, began casually discussing and joking about what to do if Trump started going hard at the Clinton body-count conspiracy-theory-mongering. The general consensus among the president's advisers is there is nothing they can do except wait for him to move on to something else, and hope he doesn't make this a big thing." Mrs. McC: That's right. The boss is insane. Get used to it. ...

     ... Jane Timm & Liz Johnstone of NBC News: "... the tweets also notably cast suspicions on [Trump's] own Justice Department. In the video [Trump retweeted], Williams alleged that for Epstein to die by suicide, 'somebody not doing their job, or somebody got paid not to do -- not to do their job, so somebody can get knocked off, so information don't come out.'" ...

     ... Mrs. McCrabbie: So if the Clintons really did murder Epstein, they foiled the Trump administration's prison system. Bill & Hillary know the White House a lot better than they know the Metro Correctional Center. Trump should fear for his life. If he's discovered in the residence hanged by a golden curtain tie-back, look to Hillary. It won't have been suicide; as Michael Moore pointed out on Twitter, "Here's what I know about the uber-rich: They never drive themselves, they've never done a load of laundry, and they have no friggin' clue how to tie a knot in a noose."

... this presidency shames and disgraces the office every minute of every hour of every day. And even when it ends, however it ends, the shame will stain it still. -- David Frum of the Atlantic, responding to Trump's accusation against the Clintons

     ... Mrs. McCrabbie: Maybe now that Trump has expressed his insane beliefs, Bill Barr will have to characterize whatever the DOJ's findings are as "not conclusively proving that former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton were directly responsible for Mr. Epstein's death." ...

     ... Dylan Matthews of Vox: "To understand what's going on here, you ... need to understand the role that allegations of murder by the Clintons have played in right-wing fever swamps since the 1990s, beginning with the suicide of Vince Foster and continuing through to the completely random 2016 murder of Democratic National Committee staffer Seth Rich.... What makes the conspiracy theories so frustrating, in part, is that they're premised on real elements: credible accusations of sexual misconduct against Bill Clinton, Bill Clinton's real ties to Jeffrey Epstein, and Epstein's own well-documented sex crimes. It doesn't take incredibly inventive conspiracy theorizing to move from that to allegations that Clinton was part of Epstein's sex abuse and from there to wild [and false] accusations that Clinton had Epstein killed." Thanks to Ken W. for the link. ...

... John Harris, in Politico's top story Saturday night, reports on conspiracy theories left and right. "... the Epstein matter is now thoroughly political because many influential people are unable to take the details at face value.... It was immediately clear that many people would not regard an inquiry overseen by Barr as credible. His handling of special counsel Robert Mueller's probe into the president and Russian election interference left many people, including most congressional Democrats, convinced he see his role not as defending rule of law, or the executive branch broadly, but ... Donald Trump's personal interests." Harris points to skepticism expressed by Neera Tanden & Lawrence Tribe. Tribe "demanded that Barr recuse himself from 'overseeing an inquiry that cuts this close to the bone.'" ...

... Matt Stieb & Chas Danner of New York have a round-up of Epstein conspiracy theories & who's floating them. ...

... Charles Pierce: "Absolutely nobody is going to believe any official story that comes out about this.... A whole bunch of Somebodies need to get fired behind this. Beyond it, of course, a thousand conspiracy theories will now bloom across all the Intertoobz.... This country is losing what's left of its mind." ...

People close to Epstein fear he was murdered...as Epstein told authorities someone tried to kill him in a previous incident weeks earlier. He was described as being in good spirits in recent days... -- Carol Leonnig of the Washington post, in a tweet ...

... Megan Garber of the Atlantic: "The most urgent question ... is ... what will Epstein's death mean for the reckoning sought by the women who have accused him of abuse? Will the alleged victims -- alleged being the correct word, but also, under the circumstances, a callous word -- find justice, despite it all? 'Obviously, criminal charges can't be lodged against a dead person,' Paul Callan, a legal analyst for CNN, put it on the network this morning. 'The question is ... can civil cases for money damages be brought by other and new victims? And the answer to that is yes ... So his suicide will not end coverage and interest in the Jeffrey Epstein case.'... Justice can also take the form of investigation: Journalists, following the lead of the Miami Herald's standard-bearer, Julie K. Brown, can keep pursuing the story.... And justice can take the form, too, of governmental inquiries. It can be found through hearings as to why Epstein was not under suicide watch at the time of his death. It can be found through investigations into how, precisely -- for so many years -- Epstein was able to evade full accountability for his reported predations." ...

Matt Stieb of New York "spoke with former U.S. Attorney ... Barbara McQuade about where the legal proceedings involving the sex offender go from here."

Simon Denyer & David Nakamura of the Washington Post: "President Trump on Saturday appeared to side with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un in renewing his objections to joint military exercises with South Korea, calling such drills 'ridiculous and expensive' at a time when Pyongyang has been testing short-range missiles. In a pair of morning tweets from his resort in Bedminster, N.J., where he arrived late Friday for a 10-day vacation, Trump said Kim objected to the exercises in a letter and suggested that the missile tests would end once the drills are finished. 'It was a long letter, much of it complaining about the ridiculous and expensive exercises,' Trump wrote, asserting that the letter amounted to 'a small apology for testing the short range missiles.' Trump also said Kim suggested that negotiations over its nuclear weapons program, which have been dormant since a second summit in Hanoi broke off without an agreement in February, could resume after the joint exercises conclude." A story by Riley Beggin of Vox is here.

Trump Rattles Sabre. David Jackson of USA Today: "... Donald Trump threatened undefined retaliation Friday against countries and organizations that issue travel warnings on the United States because of gun violence. 'If they did that, we'd just reciprocate,' Trump said during a wide-ranging impromptu gaggle with reporters at the White House, en route to fundraisers in New York. He added: 'We are a very reciprocal nation with me as the head. When somebody does something negative to us in terms of a country, we do it to them.' Amnesty International and a growing list of countries have begun issuing warnings about travel to the United States because of gun violence, including mass shootings over the weekend in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio." (Also linked yesterday.)

Kevin Sieff of the Washington Post: "Since [Trump's] 'Remain in Mexico' began in February, Human Rights First, an advocacy organization, has catalogued 110 'cases of rape, kidnapping, sexual exploitation, assault, and other violent crimes' against asylum seekers sent back to Mexico under the program, according to a report released Thursday. Since the policy was expanded from the Mexican states of Baja California and Chihuahua to the more dangerous state of Tamaulipas last month, several asylum seekers have been kidnapped in broad daylight, often from public places.... The U.S. State Department this year gave Tamaulipas its most severe travel warning -- Level Four: Do Not Travel — placing it at the same level as Syria and Afghanistan." Mrs. McC: That is, one administrative department -- State -- labeled Tamaulipas extremely dangerous, and another -- DHS -- moved amnesty-seekers there. The Trump administration knowingly & purposely put innocent amnesty-seekers in extreme danger. The administration is as criminal as the kidnappers & rapists.

Scott Bronstein, et al., of CNN: "The Environmental Protection Agency told staff scientists that it was no longer opposing a controversial Alaska mining project that could devastate one of the world's most valuable wild salmon fisheries just one day after President Trump met with Alaska's governor, CNN has learned. The EPA publicly announced the reversal July 30, but EPA staff sources tell CNN that they were informed of the decision a month earlier, during a hastily arranged video conference after Trump's meeting with Gov. Mike Dunleavy. The governor, a supporter of the project, emerged from that meeting saying the president assured him that he's 'doing everything he can to work with us on our mining concerns.' The news came as a 'total shock' to some top EPA scientists who were planning to oppose the project on environmental grounds, according to sources. Those sources asked to remain anonymous for fear of retribution." Mrs. McC: On the other hand, who needs wild salmon? Speaking of bottom-feeders (Trump, Dunleavy), I hear catfish is delicious & healthful, especially when deep-fried in lard.

Presidential Race 2020

Daniel Politi of Slate: Joe Biden "told reporters in Iowa on Saturday that 'those kids in Parkland came up to see me when I was vice president.' But when they went to Capitol Hill, Biden said, lawmakers were 'basically cowering, not wanting to see them. They did not want to face it on camera.' The problem with this tale? The shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., that left 17 dead took place in 2018, more than a year after Biden left the White House. It looks like Biden repeated the gaffe twice. There is video of Biden telling the same story but with slightly different words at a forum on gun violence.... Although there was some basis in truth for what Biden said, considering he did meet with Parkland students in Washington shortly after the shooting, this was the latest in a string of gaffes that some say could end up dooming his prospects as a presidential candidate."

Gregory Krieg of CNN: "Sen. Elizabeth Warren has unveiled a comprehensive plan to reduce gun violence by enacting a suite of new restrictions on buyers, cracking down on sellers and breaking 'the (National Rifle Association's) stranglehold on Congress' with anti-corruption legislation. The proposal arrives as more than 15 Democratic primary candidates prepare to take turns speaking at a gun safety forum in Des Moines, Iowa, and a week after the mass shootings in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio." ...

... Dan Spinelli of Mother Jones: "Like many of her Democratic rivals, Warren supports an assault weapons ban and universal background checks before gun purchases, but her plan also would hike taxes on gun manufacturers, establish a federal licensing system for gun owners, set a uniform, one-week waiting period for purchases, bar anyone convicted of a hate crime from owning guns, and support urban-intervention programs. Warren's most ambitious ideas, such as raising tax rates by 30 percent on guns and 50 percent on ammunition, would require congressional approval, but other solutions detailed in her plan would not. She proposes signing executive orders to raise the minimum age for gun purchasers to 18, crack down on gun trafficking across state lines, and reverse Trump administration rules that have allowed weapons to be modified in ways that evade legal restrictions." ...

... Warren summarized her proposal on Medium. The page took forever to load this morning.

Natasha Korecki & David Siders of Politico: "On Friday, the same crowd of 2020 Democrats that ripped each other apart on the national debate stage in Detroit transformed into a paragon of 'Iowa nice' at the Wing Ding -- making their best pitches to potential Iowa caucus-goers without eviscerating each other. Instead, the 22 candidates unloaded on ... Donald Trump in a parade of speeches that framed the fight for the White House as a battle against hate and bigotry. Invoking last weekend's mass shootings, they joined in calling for stronger gun laws. And they called for different approach to immigration. The event came as the primary season in the first-in-the-nation voting state kicked into high gear with start of the annual state fair. The enthusiasm of voters was palpable: thousands packed into the historic venue, which at times grew so loud that speakers had to yell to be heard."

Second-Amendment Enthusiasts Are Not Necessarily Very Bright. Madeline Holcombe & Chris Boyette of CNN: "A man accused of walking into a Walmart in Missouri equipped with body armor, a handgun and a rifle less than a week after a gunman killed 22 people in a Texas Walmart said it was a 'social experiment' and not intended to cause panic, police say. 'I wanted to know if that Walmart honored the Second Amendment,' Dmitriy Andreychenko told investigators, according to a probable cause statement filed by Springfield police. Andreychenko 20, was arrested Thursday after panic ensued when he walked into the store that afternoon with his rifle slung across his chest, pushing a shopping cart and recording himself with a cell phone, police say. Patrons fled the store, police were called, and an off-duty firefighter detained Andreychenko until officers arrived to take him into custody, police said. He told investigators he intended to buy grocery bags, and didn't intend for any negative reaction, police said. And he claimed the recording was in case anyone stopped him and asked him to leave, police said.... The rifle he carried had a loaded magazine, but a round was not chambered; and the handgun was loaded with a round in the chamber, the probable cause document said.... 'Missouri protects the right to open carry a firearm, but that right does not allow an individual to act in a reckless and criminal manner, endangering other citizens,' [prosecuting attorney Dan] Patterson said. 'As Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes famously explained, "The most stringent protection of free speech would not protect a man ... falsely shouting fire in a theater, causing a panic."'"

     ... Hannah Knowles writes the Washington Post story. Andreychenko's wife & sister told him his little experiment was a bad idea.

AP: "Florida authorities are charging a 26-year-old man they say posted a threat on Facebook that he was about to have his semi-automatic rifle returned and people should stay away from Walmart. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement arrested Richard Clayton on Friday north of Orlando. The agency said Clayton posted his threat on Sunday, the day after a gunman in El Paso, Texas, killed 22 people and injured two dozen at a Walmart. Investigators said the post read, '3 more days of probation left then I get my AR-15 back. Don't go to Walmart next week.' A department spokeswoman said Clayton was not on probation. The FDLE said Clayton appears to believe in white supremacist ideology and has a history of posting threats on Facebook using fake accounts. He was charged with making written threats to kill or do bodily harm." Emphasis added.

News Lede

Washington Post: "Viewers across the United States will have a chance [to see shooting stars] Monday and Tuesday nights, when a dozen meteors per hour and possibly up to 50 or more at its peak are slated to dazzle the heavens after dark." The story gives advice on your best chance of espying the meteor shower. ...

     ... Here's the Space.com story.

The Commentariat -- August 10, 2019

Afternoon Update:

I was appalled to learn that Jeffrey Epstein was found dead early this morning from an apparent suicide while in federal custody. Mr. Epstein's death raises serious questions that must be answered. In addition to the FBI's investigation, I have consulted with the Inspector General who is opening an investigation into the circumstances of Mr. Epstein's death. -- William Barr, full statement, Saturday ...

... James McKinley & Ali Watkins of the New York Times: "Like all federal prisons, the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Lower Manhattan has a suicide prevention program designed for inmates who are at risk of taking their own lives. After an apparent attempt three weeks ago, Jeffrey Epstein -- the financier who was at the facility awaiting trial on charges he sexually abused dozens of girls -- was a prime candidate.Yet Mr. Epstein, 66, was not on suicide watch when he hanged himself and his body was found in his cell early on Saturday, raising questions about the steps officials took after the first incident to keep him from harming himself. Attorney General William P. Barr said in a statement that he had asked the inspector general for the Justice Department to open an investigation' into the circumstances of Mr. Epstein's death.'... One federal prison official with knowledge of the incident said Mr. Epstein had been taken off suicide watch a few days ago, and was being held alone in a cell in a special housing unit." ...

     ... A related NBC News story is here. ...

... This Is Unbelievable. Dan Spinelli of Mother Jones: "... Lynne Patton, regional administrator at the Department of Housing and Urban Development, had [an] idea of what happened [to Epstein]. 'Hillary'd!!' she posted on Instagram around 10 a.m., alongside a screenshot of a Daily Mail story that described Epstein's manner of death. She added the hashtag, '#VinceFosterPartTwo,' a reference to the former Clinton aide whose death by suicide has fueled conspiracy theories for more than two decades. Patton, one of the highest-ranking officials at HUD, was not alone in seizing on conspiracy theories. Within hours of Epstein's death, 'Clintons' and 'ClintonBodyCount' were among the highest-trending topics on Twitter." ...

     ... Mrs. McCrabbie: Patton, you may recall, previously worked for what I'm sure is a wonderful organization: the Eric Trump Foundation. She also was Eric's party planner & reportedly suffered from substance abuse & addition while working for him. Although she had no housing experience whatsoever, Trump appointed her to a HUD job, which she so badly flubbed that Ole Doc Carson promoted her to head up HUD's Region 2. Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC) used her as a prop during Michael Cohen's public House hearing as living proof that Trump can't possibly be a racist. Ole Doc should fire her right now.

Trump Rattles Sabre. David Jackson of USA Today: "... Donald Trump threatened undefined retaliation Friday against countries and organizations that issue travel warnings on the United States because of gun violence. 'If they did that, we'd just reciprocate,' Trump said during a wide-ranging impromptu gaggle with reporters at the White House, en route to fundraisers in New York. He added: 'We are a very reciprocal nation with me as the head. When somebody does something negative to us in terms of a country, we do it to them.' Amnesty International and a growing list of countries have begun issuing warnings about travel to the United States because of gun violence, including mass shootings over the weekend in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio."

~~~~~~~~~~

William Rashbaum & Benjamin Weiser of the New York Times: "Jeffrey Epstein, the financier indicted on sex trafficking charges last month, committed suicide at a Manhattan jail, officials said on Saturday. Mr. Epstein hanged himself and his body was found this morning at Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan at roughly 7:30. Manhattan federal prosecutors last month charged Mr. Epstein, 66, with sex trafficking of girls as young as 14, and details of his behavior have been emerging for years.... Last month, a week after being denied bail, Mr. Epstein was found unconscious in his cell at the jail in Manhattan with marks on his neck, and prison officials were investigating the incident as a possible suicide attempt." The NBC News story is here.

** POTUS* Says Torturing Children Is "a Very Good Deterrent." Maegan Vazquez of CNN: "... Donald Trump on Friday defended recent, large-scale raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials and the way the agency dealt with children of the immigrants who were detained. Asked Friday why there wasn't a better plan in place to deal with the children after their parent's arrest, Trump told reporters outside the White House south lawn, 'You have to go in, you can't let anybody know.'... Trump said the raids served as a 'very good deterrent' for undocumented immigrants. 'I want people to know that if they come into the United States illegally, they're getting out,' Trump said Friday. 'They're going to be brought out. And this serves as a very good deterrent.'" Mrs. McC: MEANWHILE, in Ravenna, Italy, Dante rolled over, hopped out of his tomb & knocked out a few cantos describing the Tenth Circle of Hell.

If you're a good worker, papers don't matter. -- Jorge Castro, undocumented worker on Trump construction projects until April 2019 ...

... Joshua Partlow & David Fahrenthold of the Washington Post: "For nearly two decades, the Trump Organization has relied on a roving crew of Latin American employees to build fountains and waterfalls, sidewalks and rock walls at the company's winery and its golf courses from New York to Florida.... For years, their ranks have included workers who entered the United States illegally, according to two former members of the crew. Another employee, still with the company, said that remains true today.... The hiring practices of the little-known Trump business unit are the latest example of the chasm between the president's derisive rhetoric about immigrants and his company's long-standing reliance on workers who cross the border illegally." Mediaite has a summary of the Post story here.

John Wagner & Seung Min Kim of the Washington Post: "President Trump on Friday claimed strong congressional support for strengthening background checks for gun buyers, offering an optimistic assessment for passing new legislation that was at odds with public statements from Senate Republicans. 'I think we can do very meaningful background checks,' Trump told reporters shortly before departing for campaign fundraisers in New York. 'I think Republicans are going to be great and lead the charge along with the Democrats.' Trump said that he had spoken with congressional leaders from both parties and asserted that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is 'totally on board' with his plans to keep 'sick and demented people' from buying guns. In response, a McConnell spokesman said that he had not endorsed any legislation at this point." The NBC News story, by Adam Edelman, is here. ...

... Quint Forgey of Politico: "... Donald Trump on Friday acknowledged he has spoken in recent days with National Rifle Association officials to ensure the powerful firearm lobby's interests are 'fully represented and respected' in negotiations on gun reform legislation following two mass shootings over the weekend.... Trump called [Speaker Nancy] Pelosi ... Thursday to discuss the universal background check bill, and also spoke with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.). 'The President gave us his assurances that he would review the bipartisan House-passed legislation and understood our interest in moving as quickly as possible to help save lives,' Pelosi and Schumer said in a joint statement." ...

... He Was For It Before He Was Against It Before He Was For It Before He Was Against It Before He Was For It. Michael Shear, et al., of the New York Times: After flipflopping during the 2016 campaign on his previous support for background checks, "Mr. Trump changed his mind again in 2018 after the high school shooting in Parkland, Fla., insisting that stronger checks would be 'fully backed' by the White House. But that position only lasted a few days, until a late-night meeting with the National Rifle Association in the Oval Office, after which he backed off his support and later threatened to veto a background check bill.... The president's long history on the gun issue raises questions about his real commitment to legislation that would improve the background check system and close [gun-show] loopholes...." ...

     ... Mrs. McCrabbie: All politicians change their minds or at least their publicly-stated positions on important issues in the interest of political expediency. In 1996, Barack Obama wrote that he favored same-sex marriage, but said he opposed it in 2008 when he was running for president. Then in 2012 Joe Biden said he was "absolutely comfortable" with same-sex marriage, forcing Obama to flipflop again. Obama's 2008 flipflop was hardly a profile in courage, but it was a relatively rare case of his changing his position on an important policy matter. Trump, on the other hand, flipflops like a gymnast practicing for the Olympics on matters large & small. And he never acknowledges his reversals. He is the most unreliable, untrustworthy president* in U.S. history.

Josh Israel of ThinkProgress: "Angry constituents of Rep. Chris Stewart (R-UT) flooded his town hall meeting in North Salt Lake on Wednesday, demanding to know what he plans to do to stop mass shootings and white nationalist terrorism.... When an ... attendee suggested that condemning racism and violence should include condemning a president whose racism is inciting white supremacist violence, the Utah Republican replied that Trump should not be accountable as long as he doesn't commit racist violence himself. 'The president of the United States, as far as I know, hasn't shot anyone,' Stewart answered. Another constituent shouted back that 'Charles Manson never shot anybody either,' referencing a convicted cult leader whose followers did most of the murdering on his behalf." --s

Katie Rogers, et al., of the New York Times: "By the time President Trump arrived in El Paso on Wednesday, on the second leg of a trip to meet with people affected by mass shootings in two cities, he was frustrated that his attacks on his political adversaries had resulted in more coverage than the cheery reception he received at a hospital in Dayton, Ohio, the first stop on his trip. So he screamed at his aides to begin producing proof that in El Paso people were happy to see him.... When he does something that he believes he should have been praised for -- such as Wednesday's visits to the cities -- he grows furious when he does not receive accolades." The whole story is worth reading. ...

     ... Mrs. McCrabbie: I'm sure I would quit any job where my boss "screamed at" me. But what's more important in the report is how Trump expects to "receive accolades" for doing a piss-poor job at consoling victims who are supposed to be the VIPs in the visit. He doesn't care a whit about them. He just wants the press to glorify him for talking about crowd size & giving a wholly-inappropriate thumbs-up in a photo with an orphaned infant. He's not even looking at the baby; he's looking at the cameras. Have you ever consoled someone who's suffered a loss with the idea you'll "receive accolades"? Of course not. You do it because you have real compassion for the bereaved person. Trump is a monster. ...

... Dahlia Lithwick of Slate: "The cherry bomb on top [of Trump's visit to Dayton & El Paso] was a photo from first lady Melania Trump's Twitter account that appeared to feature a grinning president with a 2-month-old infant who was orphaned during the El Paso shooting.... That's the president, grinning and giving a thumbs-up, as the orphaned child is held out like a trophy. If words weren't inclined to fail, ghoulish and surreal might serve. This child has no parents because a shooter spouting Trumpist talking points about foreign 'invaders' went to El Paso to kill them. And while the president refused to speak to reporters, who were scolded by the White House press secretary, Stephanie Grisham, in a statement saying that the visits were all 'about the victims' and not a 'photo op,' hours later, Trump released a campaign-style video of his triumphal comforting tour. The baby's parents were both killed trying to protect him.... It appears baby Paul was brought back to the hospital by White House staff for the photo-op." ...

     ... Mrs. McCrabbie: One of the biggest lies Trump told during the 2016 campaign was, "I'm going to be so presidential...." ...

David Li of NBC News: "The man accused of gunning down 22 people at an El Paso Walmart last week confessed to the grisly crime and admitted he was targeting people of Mexican descent, according to unsealed court documents Friday. Texas Rangers, responding to the scene in an unmarked car, came up to a vehicle in the left-hand turn lane at an intersection when the suspect surrendered, according to the arrest warrant written by El Paso police Det. Adrian Garcia. 'Agents and police officers at the intersection then observed a male person (defendant) to exit out of the vehicle with his hands raised in the air and stated out loud to the agents "I'm the shooter,"' Garcia wrote." Article includes photo.

Tom Winter & Dennis Romero of NBC News: "A 23-year-old Las Vegas man who allegedly wanted to attack Jews and patrons of an LGBTQ bar was arrested on suspicion of possessing parts to make a bomb, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Nevada said Friday. Conor Climo, who was arrested Thursday, was connected to white supremacists though encrypted online conversations, federal prosecutors said.... After Climo's arrest, FBI agents said he told them he had acquired electronic components to build a bomb and that he wanted to mobilize an eight-man sniper platoon to shoot Jewish people either at a Las Vegas synagogue or some other location. According to charging documents, an FBI bomb technician found bomb-making components and chemical compounds in Climo's bedroom. Federal agents said they also seized an AR-15 style rifle and a bolt-action rifle from the room." Emphasis added.

Chris Sommerfeldt of the New York Daily News: "An Ohio man was slammed with criminal charges Friday for threatening New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and stockpiling illegal ammunition in his home, according to prosecutors. Federal agents raided Tim Ireland's Toledo home on Thursday and arrested him after learning he had posted on Facebook that Ocasio-Cortez 'should be shot,' prosecutors said. 'My employer would load the gun for me,' Ireland posted, according to court records. During the raid, feds found several rounds of illegal ammunition in Ireland's home, prosecutors said.... Before Ireland's arrest, a federal agent had called him and asked about the inflammatory Facebook post about Ocasio-Cortez, according to records. 'Ireland stated he was very proud of that post he made,' the agent wrote in an affidavit."

Kevin Poulsen of The Daily Beast: "Refugees from the anonymous 8chan forum are flooding into a new censorship-resistant home on the dark web, and inadvertently giving up their anonymity along the way.... The new site, called 08chan (with a leading zero) [set up as a difficult to trace 'peer-to-peer' network], has no affiliation with the original and it's not entirely clear who set it up, but 8chan's diaspora have been flooding in as word of the site spreads through right-wing social media.... There's just one catch. Peer-to-peer networks expose a user's internet address to anyone who cares to look. That's how copyright lawyers catch people trading movies, music and software, and it's how police and FBI agents arrest pedophiles trading child porn online.... [O]nly 41 percent of 08chan's users are using Tor [a program to mask their servers], based on our analysis of the peer-to-peer traffic at the site." --s

Jordan Uhl of Media Matters: “Tucker Carlson's nightly ad load has undergone a seismic shift just days after declaring white supremacy is 'actually not a real problem in America,' and that the idea it is a problem is 'a hoax' and 'conspiracy theory used to divide the country.'... The number of paid ads has drastically plummeted in the last week.... Despite leaving on an abrupt and suspiciously timed vacation -- a commonly used tactic by Fox to deter advertisers from dropping shows after a host says something particularly egregious -- Carlson has continued to lose advertisers. SteinMart, HelloFresh, and Nestle have all severed ties with Tucker Carlson Tonight, and the fast food chain Long John Silver's not only dropped advertising from his show but from Fox News as a whole."

Donnie, the Dictator's Dupe. Rishika Dugyala of Politico: "... Donald Trump on Friday said he received a "beautiful letter" from North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, hours before the regime launched further projectiles as a warning against joint military exercises between the United States and South Korea. 'I think we'll have another meeting,' Trump told reporters outside the White House. 'He really wrote a beautiful three-page -- I mean right from top to bottom -- a really beautiful letter. And maybe I'll release the results of the letter, but it was very positive.' North Korea had five rounds of weapons demonstrations in the past two weeks -- including another launch of two projectiles Saturday local time, according to South Korea. Trump had dismissed the previous tests, saying they were just for short-range missiles. He added that Kim wrote in the 'very personal letter' that he is not happy with the U.S.-South Korea joint exercises."

D. Parvaz of ThinkProgress: "A new report released by the Pentagon this week states that the self-proclaimed Islamic State group (ISIS) is taking advantage of ... Donald Trump's troop withdrawals from Iraq and Syria and 'rebuilding its capabilities.' This runs counter to the president's repeated claims that he has defeated ISIS.... This week's report acknowledges that the group lost its strongholds in Iraq in 2017 and Syria in 2019, but, it cautions, loss of territory does not spell the eradication of ISIS. On the contrary, the uneven U.S. approach in those conflicts has allowed it to revitalize its networks." --s

Jonathan Bernstein of Bloomberg: "The Trump administration continues its attacks on foreign policy, innovation and economic management. Sue Gordon announced her plans to retire as principal deputy director of national intelligence.... A Foreign Service officer resigned in an op-ed, saying 'I can no longer justify ... my complicity in the actions of this administration.' The Donald Trump administration is finding creative ways to destroy the Agriculture Department's Economic Research Service.... That's all from Thursday. They are hardly the only examples of how the administration is, to put it bluntly, destroying the U.S. government.... But there's nothing systematic about any of what's happening here. No plan. No strategy. No effort to separate the worthwhile from the worthless. It's just basically random attacks on random pieces of the government. It will take years to recover from. In some ways, perhaps the nation will never recover." --s

Darren Samuelsohn of Politico: "A federal judge on Friday rejected a request to fast track a review of Robert Mueller's records for potential public release. U.S. District Court Judge Reggie Walton sided with Justice Department lawyers who were asking him to stick to the normal schedule for Freedom of Information Act cases as he considers a lawsuit seeking a variety of underlying records tied to the now-concluded special counsel investigation. At issue is a FOIA request filed last November by the nonprofit Electronic Privacy Information Center that asked for a broad range of Mueller materials, including any reports connected to the end of the probe, congressional briefing materials and any referrals the special counsel made outside the criminal justice system."

This Is Weird. Zachary Cohen of CNN: "The country's No. 2 intelligence official, Sue Gordon, knew it was likely she would have to eventually step down from her post, but the timing of that decision became more urgent on Thursday after her boss -- outgoing spy chief Dan Coats -- interrupted a meeting she was holding on election security and asked his deputy to submit her letter of resignation, sources familiar with the events told CNN. While details of the conversation between Gordon, an intelligence veteran of more than 30 years, and Coats remain unclear, sources say that the situation clearly abruptly changed after the meeting was interrupted. Shortly after her encounter with Coats, Gordon submitted her letter of resignation to Vice President Mike Pence, though the document itself was addressed to Trump.... Ultimately, White House officials told CNN they were not surprised by the fact that Gordon chose to resign, as it was clear the President was never going to select her for the top job, or even the acting position.... Under normal protocol, Gordon would have become acting director after Coats resigned. But administration officials told CNN that the White House was reviewing whether it could legally choose an acting director outside the line of succession."

Michael Hayden of the Southern Poverty Law Center: "After [the SPLC's] Hatewatch published its investigation of [State Department employee Matthew Gebert], people sent photos and information to Hatewatch about Gebert and his wife, Anna Vuckovic. Vuckovic also is involved in the white nationalist movement..., Hatewatch reported. Among the photos Hatewatch received is one of Gebert at a white nationalist event in Charlottesville, Virginia, in May 2017, months before the failed 'Unite the Right' rally that August." Two people who know Gebert positively identified him in the white nationalist event to Hatewatch. The State Department reportedly suspended Gebert after the SPLC's initial report on his white nationalist activities. Mrs. McC: In the photo, Gebert is dressed in the white nationalist "uniform": white shirt & khakis.

Nahal Toosi of Politico: "Democrats and many in the State Department are increasingly exasperated that they have yet to see the results of an investigation into whether President Donald Trump's political appointees mistreated career staffers. The delayed release of the State Department inspector general's findings has generated rising suspicion that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is trying to derail the investigation, whose results could be damning to some of his top aides. Lawmakers initially expected the report 'month ago,' according to Rep. Eliot Engel, who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Committee." --s

Dan Friedman of Mother Jones: "The House Intelligence Committee is ramping up an investigation into alleged efforts by Saudi Arabia and other Persian Gulf states to use financial inducements and other means to win favorable policies from the Trump administration. Starting in April, the panel 'issued several subpoenas and requests for information relating to Gulf influence, and we have received documents from certain witnesses,' a committee official says. 'We expect to issue another wave of requests shortly.'" --s

Presidential Race 2020

Chris Gardner of the Hollywood Reporter: "... Donald Trump's quick trip to the Hamptons on Friday raked in $12 million for his re-election campaign as his Republican allies were quick to declare it a win despite the wave of protests and controversy swirling around his Southampton host.... Trump appeared at two Hamptons fundraisers ... -- one at the Bridgehampton estate of Joe Farrell and another at the Southampton home of billionaire real estate developer Stephen Ross. The latter proved to be the pricier affair with tickets going for $100,000 (for photo and lunch) or $250,000 (for roundtable, photo and lunch) but it also ended up being the most controversial.... Trump critics called for boycotts of businesses in [Rpss's] Related Companies portfolio including the popular Equinox and Soul Cycle. According to numerous social media posts, celebrities and industry insiders were canceling their memberships in droves late in the week with many reporting that Equinox staffers were 'overwhelmed' by the calls and emails. THR reached out to a rep for Equinox but even their inboxes were slammed. Multiple emails bounced back, citing storage capacity errors." ...

... Colby Itkowitz of the Washington Post: "Before leaving for New York on Friday morning, Trump defended Ross. 'He's a great friend of mine; he's a very successful guy. We were competitors but friends in real estate in New York in the old days,' Trump told reporters outside the White House. 'He's probably more inclined to be a liberal if you want to know the truth, but he likes me, he respects me.'... Trump dismissed the backlash Ross is facing over the fundraiser, saying, 'it just makes Steve much hotter.'... Ross, in a statement to The Washington Post on Wednesday, said he will speak up when he disagrees with Trump, and called himself 'an outspoken champion of racial equality, inclusion, diversity, public education and environmental sustainability.'" Mrs. McC: He has a funny way of showing it.

Gubernatorial Race 2019. Louisiana. Josh Israel of ThinkProgress: "Rep. Ralph Abraham (R-LA), who is running for governor in the 2019 elections, attended a meeting of a right-wing 'patriots' group on Thursday. When an attendee delivered a racist rant against illegal immigration, and the members of Congress who allow it, and urged that some be shot, Abraham did not push back... 'This Congress and this Senate too [are] absent minded and irresponsible,' the person claimed. 'I think some of these people, whoever they are ... ought to be shot.' It is unclear whether he wanted to assassinate the lawmakers or the immigrants. But it is clear that Abraham did nothing to challenge the call to violence in his response." --s

Benjamin Weiser of the New York Times: "... a cache of previously sealed legal documents, released on Friday by a federal appeals court, provides new, disturbing details about what was going on inside [Jeffrey] Epstein's homes and how his associates recruited young women and girls, including from a Florida high school.... The documents were filed as part of a defamation lawsuit in federal court that Virginia Giuffre brought in 2015 against Ghislaine Maxwell, Mr. Epstein's longtime companion and confidant. Ms. Giuffre and Ms. Maxwell settled the lawsuit shortly before the trial was to begin in 2017.... About 2,000 pages of the materials were posted online by the appeals court on Friday, providing a high-definition glimpse inside what federal prosecutors have said was Mr. Epstein's long-running sex-trafficking operation.... The word 'massage' became code for 'sex,' [Ms. Giuffre] said in the 2016 deposition." The Politico report, by Josh Gerstein, is here. It names some prominent men Giuffre swore Maxwell instructed her to "massage." The Washington Post report, by Beth Reinhard & others, is here.

Jake Rudnitsky of Bloomberg: "[In parts of Siberia, t]emperatures in June and July were the hottest ever charted globally.... The resulting dry conditions fed fires that torched more than 7 million hectares (17 million acres) of Siberian wilderness in just two months. Since the beginning of the year, fires have consumed more than 13 million hectares -- an area larger than Greece.... These unchecked fires are destroying millions of hectares of trees in the world's largest forest, a critical carbon sink, and could further accelerate global warming.... Russia is finally waking up to the threat of climate change, which Putin in 2017 joked could be beneficial for Russia given its reputation for cold weather." -- safari: I hope Trump sends rakes. --s

Beyond the Beltway

New Hampshire. John DiStaso of WMUR Manchester: "Gov. Chris Sununu [R] on Friday vetoed three bills that advocates said would have added 'commonsense' protections for Granite Staters against gun violence but opponents said would have done nothing to stop mass shootings and would have infringed on the constitutional rights of citizens. Sununu vetoed House 109 which closes the so-called gun show loophole and requires background checks for virtually all commercial firearms sales or transfers; House Bill 514, which requires a three-day waiting period before the purchase and delivery of a firearm; and House Bill 564, which prohibits carrying a firearm on school property.... The bills passed the Democratic-controlled House and Senate mostly along party lines. The Legislature will likely meet next month to address all of the governor's vetoes, but ... overrides are unlikely since two-thirds majorities are required." Mrs. McC: Thanks, Sununu! I really treasure my Constitutional right to buy a couple of guns at a shady gun show, load 'em up & immediately carry them to the local elementary school. Common sense is so overrated.

Way Beyond

Italy. Siobhán O'Grady of the Washington Post: "Pope Francis called for a united Europe in an interview published by Italian daily La Stampa on Friday, saying recent political rhetoric has echoed that of Nazi Germany. I am concerned because we hear speeches that resemble those of Hitler in 1934,' he said. 'Us first.... These are frightening thoughts.' It is not the first time the pontiff has made such remarks, but his comments published Friday came as Italy's populist government appeared to be on the verge of collapse. On Thursday, Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, the most powerful politician in Italy, called for parliament to be dissolved and asked President Sergio Mattarella to order snap elections that could make Italy's government lean even further right." ...

     ... Mrs. McCrabbie: The WashPo story links to the La Stampa report, in Italian, of course. Here's an English translation, via the Vatican Insider. ...

... Italy/Russia. Alberto Nardelli et al. of Buzzfeed: "Gianluca Savoini [a longtime aide to Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini is] ... at the center of the storm over a secret plan to fund the far-right party of Italy's deputy prime minister with Russian oil money, shuttled back and forth to Moscow on multiple mysterious trips last year.... A member of Salvini's ministerial staff, Claudio D'Amico, was booked on the same Aeroflot flight as Savoini from Milan to Moscow on Oct. 16 ... the evening of Oct. 18, following the meeting at the Metropol that morning [discussing the secret oil deal]. D'Amico is Salvini's strategic adviser on international affairs. The revelation will ratchet up pressure on Salvini to answer questions about what he knew about the Moscow negotiation.... Savoini's dozens of travel entries over the past five years do not appear in Russia's Central Database for the Registration of Foreigners ... suggest[ing] either that he had a special status awarded upon arrival to individuals who, for example, don't have to go through passport control or that the information was wiped from the database." --s