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The Ledes

Friday, March 29, 2024

CNBC: “Inflation rose in line with expectations in February, likely keeping the Federal Reserve on hold before it can start considering interest rate cuts, according to a measure the central bank considers its more important barometer. The personal consumption expenditures price index excluding food and energy increased 2.8% on a 12-month basis and was up 0.3% from a month ago, the Commerce Department reported Friday. Both numbers matched the Dow Jones estimates.... Along with the inflation increase, consumer spending shot up 0.8% on the month, well ahead of the 0.5% estimate, possibly indicating additional inflation pressures. Personal income increased 0.3%, slightly softer than the 0.4% estimate.”

The Wires
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The Ledes

Thursday, March 28, 2024

The Washington Post's liveblog of developments in the Francis Scott Key bridge collapse is here: “Divers recovered the bodies of two construction workers who died when a massive cargo ship struck and collapsed a Baltimore bridge, as investigators revealed Wednesday that hazardous material was leaking from breached containers on the stranded vessel and state and federal lawmakers rushed to begin the recovery from the disaster that crippled the Port of Baltimore. Rescue crews found the victims shortly before 10 a.m. trapped in a red pickup truck in about 25 feet of water in the Patapsco River near the mid-span of the hulking wreck of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, Maryland State Police Secretary Roland L. Butler Jr. said at a news conference. The conditions were treacherous for the divers, so Butler said they were suspending the search for the bodies of four other construction workers who plunged to their deaths when the container ship in distress struck the bridge shortly before 1:30 a.m. Tuesday, causing it to fall.

“The workers are believed to be the only victims in the disaster.... The victims recovered were identified as Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes, 35, of Baltimore, and Dorlian Ronial Castillo Cabrera, 26, of Dundalk, Md. Other victims identified Wednesday were Maynor Suazo Sandoval, 38, from Honduras, and Miguel Luna, from El Salvador, who was the father of three. The names of the remaining two victims have not been released.” ~~~

~~~ CNN's live updates are here.

Public Service Announcement

The Washington Post offers tips on how to keep your EV battery running in frigid temperatures. The link at the end of this graf is supposed to be a "gift link" (from me, Marie Burns, the giftor!), meaning that non-subscribers can read the article. Hope it works: https://wapo.st/3u8Z705

The Hollywood Reporter has the full list of 2024 Oscar winners here.

Ryan Gosling performs "I'm Just Ken" at the Academy Awards: ~~~

Marie: If you don't like birthing stories, don't watch this video. But I thought it was pretty sweet -- and funny:

If you like Larry David, you may find this interview enjoyable:


Tracy Chapman & Luke Combs at the 2024 Grammy Awards. Allison Hope comments in a CNN opinion piece:

~~~ Here's Chapman singing "Fast Car" at the Oakland Coliseum in December 1988. ~~~

~~~ Here's the full 2024 Grammy winner's list, via CBS.

He Shot the Messenger. Washington Post: “The Messenger is shutting down immediately, the news site’s founder told employees in an email Wednesday, marking the abrupt demise of one of the stranger and more expensive recent experiments in digital media. In his email, Jimmy Finkelstein said he was 'personally devastated' to announce that he had failed in a last-ditch effort to raise more money for the site, saying that he had been fundraising as recently as the night before. Finkelstein said the site, which launched last year with outsize ambitions and a mammoth $50 million budget, would close 'effective immediately.' The New York Times first reported the site’s closure late Wednesday afternoon, appearing to catch many staffers off-guard, including editor in chief Dan Wakeford. As employees read the news story, the internal work chat service Slack erupted in what one employee called 'pandemonium.'... Minutes later, as staffers read Finkelstein’s email, its message was underscored as they were forcibly logged out of their Slack accounts. Former Messenger reporter Jim LaPorta posted on social media that employees would not receive health care or severance.”

Washington Post: “The last known location of 'Portrait of Fräulein Lieser' by world-renowned Austrian artist Gustav Klimt was in Vienna in the mid-1920s. The vivid painting featuring a young woman was listed as property of a 'Mrs Lieser' — believed to be Henriette Lieser, who was deported and killed by the Nazis. The only remaining record of the work was a black and white photograph from 1925, around the time it was last exhibited, which was kept in the archives of the Austrian National Library. Now, almost 100 years later, this painting by one of the world’s most famous modernist artists is on display and up for sale — having been rediscovered in what the auction house has hailed as a sensational find.... It is unclear which member of the Lieser family is depicted in the piece[.]”

CNN: “Jon Stewart is heading back to 'The Daily Show.' The comedian, who during his 16-year run as host of the Comedy Central program established it as an entertainment and cultural force, will return to host the show each week on Mondays starting February 12, Showtime and MTV Entertainment Studios announced Wednesday. Stewart, who returns as the 2024 presidential election season heats up, will also executive produce the show and work with a rotating line-up of comedians who will helm the program the rest of the week, Tuesdays through Thursdays.”

~~~ Marie: I don't know if this podcast will update automatically, or if I have to do it manually. In any event, both you and I can find the latest update of the published episodes here. The episodes begin with ads, but you can fast-forward through them.

Contact Marie

Click on this link to e-mail Marie.

Constant Comments

A nation of sheep will beget a government of wolves. -- Edward R. Murrow

Publisher & Editor: Marie Burns


Wednesday
Dec052018

Anatomy of a Eulogy

By Akhilleus

Reading Jon Meacham's eulogy of 41, it struck me that, in a single paragraph, he encapsulated the problem with holding HW up as an avatar of American political greatness and courage.

For Lincoln and Bush both called on us to choose the right over the convenient, to hope rather than to fear, and to heed not our worst impulses, but our best instincts.

Let's set aside the absurd Lincoln comparison. 41 was no more Lincolnesque than so many of the Johnny-come-lately R's who try to burnish their record of racism, greed, and stupidity with some laughably spurious connection to Honest Abe.

Right over the convenient? Nope. When Bush had the opportunity to spill the beans on Iran Contra, an illegal, astoundingly unconstitutional move to sell weapons to our sworn enemies for political gain, he knuckled under and went along to get along. So much for courage.

Hope rather than fear? Forget that thousand points of light scam. The whole idea there was a Reaganesque "government is bad so it's all up to you" broadside. And leave us not forget that Poppy routinely went along with the up and coming troglodytes led by the lying scam artist Newt Gingrich, who preached fear, fear, fear, and hatred of anyone who didn't agree with our side. So much for hope.

As for heeding our best instincts as opposed to worst impulses, Bush went along with the government haters and did his infamously stupid John Wayne "Read My Lips" bullshit in order to stoke the fires of ignorance in hopes of getting re-elected. Also, deciding to invade Iraq so that he wouldn't look wimpy, he opened the door to a Middle East malaise that makes the 1970's problems look positively quaint. So much for best instincts.

Did he do some good things? Sure. Unlike Trump (and most of his son's history), he did a few good things. But to con the public into comparing this guy with Lincoln is the sort of canard that a real historian should be ashamed of. I hearby resolve never to read another bullshit book (or article) by Jon Meacham.

Fucker.

Wednesday
Dec052018

The Commentariat -- December 6, 2018

Afternoon Update:

I write the answers. My lawyers don't write answers. I write answers. I was asked a series of questions. I've answered them very easily, very easily. -- Donald Trump, November 16, on responding to the special counsel's written questions

Answering those questions was a nightmare. It took him about three weeks to do what would normally take two days. -- Rudy Giuliani, to Elaina Plott of the Atlantic, published December 6 ...

... ** The Big Dog Ate Rudy's Homework. Elaina Plott of the Atlantic: "Nobody knows how the White House plans to respond to the Mueller report -- including the people who work at the White House.... According to a half-dozen current and former White House officials, the administration has no plans in place for responding to the special counsel's findings -- save for expecting a Twitter spree.... [Rudy] Giuliani said it's been difficult in the past few months to even consider drafting response plans, or devote time to the 'counter-report' he claimed they were working on this summer.... Giuliani initially pushed back on the prediction that Trump would take center stage after the report drops. 'I don't think following his lead is the right thing. He's the client,' he told me. 'The more controlled a person is, the more intelligent they are, the more they can make the decision. But he's just like every other client. He's not more ... you know, controlled than any other client. In fact, he's a little less.'"

Apparently Donald Trump is fine with having "dangerous, criminal" "illegal immigrants" from Central America make his bed & clean his toilet. My hypocrisy meter done broke:

We are tired of the abuse, the insults, the way he talks about us when he knows that we are here helping him make money. We sweat it out to attend to his every need and have to put up with his humiliation. -- Victorina Morales, Donald Trump's housekeeper at his residence at the Trump golf club in Bedminster ...

... Miriam Jordan of the New York Times: "During more than five years as a housekeeper at the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, N.J., Victorina Morales has made Donald J. Trump's bed, cleaned his toilet and dusted his crystal golf trophies. When he visited as president, she was directed to wear a pin in the shape of the American flag adorned with a Secret Service logo. Because of the 'outstanding' support she has provided during Mr. Trump's visits, Ms. Morales [-- who is from rural Guatemala --] in July was given a certificate from the White House Communications Agency inscribed with her name. Quite an achievement for an undocumented immigrant housekeeper.... She said she was not the only worker at the club who was in the country illegally.... Throughout [Trump's] campaign and his administration, Ms. Morales, 45, has been reporting for work at Mr. Trump's golf course in Bedminster, where she is still on the payroll. An employee of the golf course drives her and a group of others to work every day, she says, because it is known that they cannot legally obtain driver's licenses.... Ms. Morales said she has been hurt by Mr. Trump's public comments since he became president, including equating Latin American immigrants with violent criminals."

Rebecca Morin of Politico: "... Donald Trump is blaming special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia probe for his relatively low approval ratings....'Without the phony Russia Witch Hunt, and with all that we have accomplished in the last almost two years (Tax & Regulation Cuts, Judge's, Military, Vets, etc.) my approval rating would be at 75% rather than the 50% just reported by Rasmussen,' Trump tweeted on Thursday. 'It's called Presidential Harassment!'... The president's average approval rating is 43.3 percent, according to Real Clear Politics."

Katy O'Donnell of Politico: "The Senate narrowly confirmed Kathy Kraninger for a five-year term as the head of the CFPB, putting her in charge of an Obama-era agency that became a lightning rod for Republican attacks over its aggressive enforcement. Kraninger, nominated by ... Donald Trump in June, was approved on a party-line 50-49 vote.... CFPB Acting Director Mick Mulvaney ... muffled the agency ... during his tumultuous year-long tenure -- freezing data collection for six months, dramatically reining in enforcement actions, reorganizing the student loan and fair lending offices, and installing political appointees to run the consumer bureau's day- to-day operations.... Republicans quickly lined up behind Kraninger on the endorsement of Mulvaney -- her boss at OMB -- after she was nominated. Mulvaney's supporters and critics alike see the appointment of one of his lieutenants as a way to ensure he keeps his hand in CFPB operations, especially after Kraninger said she 'cannot identify any actions that [Mulvaney] has taken with which I disagree.'" ...

... Renae Merle of the Washington Post: "Kraninger, currently the associate director of general government at the Office of Management Budget, has no experience in consumer finance but now will become one of the country's most powerful banking regulators.... Without a deep understanding of the history and complexity of consumer finance, Kraninger could become a puppet for influential financial groups, Democrats and consumer groups who oppose her nomination have argued. Democrats have also questioned whether while working in the White House's budget office Kraninger helped craft the administration's 'zero tolerance' immigration policy that separated families of undocumented immigrants. Kraninger told lawmakers in July that she had played no role in 'setting the policy' but repeatedly refused to answer questions about whether she had supported or helped implement it."

Rachel Bade & Burgess Everett of Politico: "Congress steered clear of a shutdown Thursday, but the parties are no closer to resolving the battle over ... Donald Trump's wall as Democratic leaders prepare to meet with Trump next week. Democrats are urging Republicans to sidestep a Christmastime fight over Trump's wall and simply extend current border security funding -- a proposal the GOP is already panning. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi told reporters Wednesday that she would not support Trump's border wall even if he offered up a solution to shield from deportation the thousands of young immigrants brought here as children known as Dreamers. Lawmakers, she argued, should simply punt on wall funding since both sides are in sharp disagreement."

Amy Gardner & Beth Reinhard of the Washington Post: "When GOP Rep. Robert Pittenger lost his primary by a narrow margin in May, he suspected something was amiss.... Pittenger's concern stemmed from the vote tallies in rural Bladen County, where his challenger, a pastor from the Charlotte suburbs named Mark Harris, had won 437 absentee mail-in votes. Pittenger, a three-term incumbent, had received just 17.... Aides to Pittenger told the executive director of the North Carolina Republican Party and a regional political director for the National Republican Congressional Committee that they believed fraud had occurred.... GOP officials did little to scrutinize the results, instead turning their attention to Harris's general-election campaign.... [The aides'] accounts provide the first indication that state and national Republican officials received early warnings about voting irregularities in North Carolina's 9th Congressional District, now the subject of multiple criminal probes."

*****

Alan Rappeport of the New York Times: "President Trump tried to calm global markets and ease concerns that his trade truce with China was already floundering on Wednesday, declaring in a series of tweets that the Chinese government has sent 'very strong signals' since Mr. Trump reached an accord with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Argentina last week. Confusion about what Mr. Trump and Mr. Xi actually agreed to at their meeting, combined with Mr. Trump's declaration on Tuesday that he was a 'Tariff Man,' roiled global markets on Tuesday, ending a brief rally that began on Monday after the two governments announced a 90-day truce." U.S. markets were closed Wednesday. ...

... MEANWHILE. Daisuke Wakabayashi & Alan Rappeport of the New York Times: "A top executive and daughter of the founder of the Chinese tech giant Huawei was arrested on Saturday in Canada at the request of the United States, in a move likely to escalate tensions between the two countries at a delicate moment. The arrest of Meng Wanzhou, the chief financial officer, unfolded on the same night that President Trump and President Xi Jinping of China dined together in Buenos Aires and agreed to a 90-day trade truce. The two countries are set to begin tense negotiations in hopes of ending a trade war that has been pummeling both economies. Those talks now face an even steeper challenge.... Ms. Meng's detention raises questions about the Trump administration's overall China strategy. Beijing is now likely to pressure Canada to release her and to press the United States to avoid a trial." More on Huawei linked under Way Beyond.

Presidunce* Executioner. D. Parvaz of ThinkProgress: "Citing the number of people dying from fentanyl overdoses, President Donald Trump on Wednesday gleefully tweeted his support for China to start executing drug dealers. It's worth noting that the United States does not use the death penalty for drug traffickers, and that the policy of funding the 'war on drugs' in countries that do execute traffickers and dealers is as ineffective as it is inhumane.... China already leads the world in the number of executions.... President Trump ... has also mused that executing drug traffickers in the United States might be a good idea[.]" --s

A very short course in how to get away with murder: (1) Send Trump some money. (2) Murder somebody. ...

... Emoluments! The POTUS* Is Bought & Paid for. David A. Fahrenthold & Jonathan O'Connell of the Washington Post: "Lobbyists representing the Saudi government reserved blocks of rooms at President Trump's D.C. hotel within a month of Trump's election in 2016 -- paying for an estimated 500 nights at the luxury hotel in just three months, according to organizers of the trips and documents obtained by The Washington Post. At the time, these lobbyists were reserving large numbers of D.C.-area hotel rooms as part of an unorthodox campaign that offered U.S. military veterans a free trip to Washington -- then sent them to Capitol Hill to lobby against a law the Saudis opposed, according to veterans and organizers. At first, Saudi lobbyists put the veterans up in Northern Virginia. Then, in December 2016, they switched most of their business to the Trump International Hotel in downtown Washington. In all, the lobbyists spent more $270,000 to house six groups of visiting veterans at the Trump hotel, which Trump still owns." ...

     ... Mrs. Bea McCrabbie: The reporters write, "Earlier this year, the Trump Organization donated about $151,000 to the U.S. Treasury, saying that was its amount of profit from foreign governments, without explaining how it arrived at that number." But I'd guess that number does not include any of the $270K the Trump International collected in the veterans scheme because the lobbying firm that put the veterans up at Trump Internation, Qorvis/MSLGroup, is an American company. The lobbying group served as a domestic cutout for the Saudis, who actually picked up the tab.

Asawin Suebsaeng & Lachlan Markay of the Daily Beast: "Since the 2016 presidential campaign, Donald Trump's aides and advisers have tried to convince him of the importance of tackling the national debt. Sources close to the president say he has repeatedly shrugged it off, implying that he doesn't have to worry about the money owed to America's creditors -- currently about $21 trillion -- because he won't be around to shoulder the blame when it becomes even more untenable." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ...

... Trump's So Ignorant ... Steve M.: "We can regard this as Boomer selfishness, or as a sign of Trump's inability to care about anyone other than himself -- but it's also a sign that Trump is enabling Republicans' big con on the debt without actually being in on it. We know what Republican congressional leaders, right-wing pundits, and GOP donors want to do to federal coffers: By lowering taxes on the rich (and, to some extent, on the non-rich) without reducing spending, they hope to engender a debt crisis, which they'll hang around the necks of Democrats the next time there's a Democrat-dominated federal government. They want to make it impossible for Democrats ever to enact any new federal programs that might cost a significant amount of money.... Trump's belief that Medicare and Social Security are sacrosanct is probably the only political opinion he has that's truly at odds with all forms of conservatism.... Other Republicans pretend to support Medicare and Social Security, but they're just counting the days until they can slash the safety net.... [Trump] didn't understand the purpose of the tax-cut bill. But he signed it anyway, and to the folks who are in on the con, that's all that matters." ...

... AND let us not forget the part played by the GOP's masters:

... Josh Israel of ThinkProgress: "In the lead-up to the enactment of the Tax Cut and Jobs Act ... a coalition of powerful business interests formed with one major priority in mind: slashing the corporate tax rate. The Reforming America's Taxes Equitably (RATE) Coalition comprised dozens of companies and trade groups that all insisted lowering corporate taxes would mean more jobs. A ThinkProgress review found that about half of RATE Coalition's members have made layoffs since the law's enactment. In other words, not only did the expensive tax cut not bring more jobs, it couldn't even forestall significant job losses." --s

Peter Baker of the New York Times: "The nation bade farewell on Wednesday to George Herbert Walker Bush, the patriarch of one of the most consequential political dynasties of modern times and the president who presided over the end of the Cold War and the beginning of a new era of American dominance in the world. As bells tolled and choirs sang and an honor guard accompanied the coffin, the nation's 41st president was remembered as a 'kinder and gentler' leader at a tumultuous moment whose fortitude steered the country through storms at home and abroad and whose essential decency set a standard for others to meet." ...

... Susan Glasser of the New Yorker (who is married to Peter Baker): "What does it tell you that the feel-good events in Washington these days are funerals?... Trump had to sit there knowing that every statement praising Bush's decency and modesty and courage would be taken as an implicit rebuke of him -- of course, many of them were a lot more explicit than implicit.... Alan Simpson, the former senator from Wyoming, brought an acute understanding of Washington's foibles, and a reputation for lancing humor, to the task of remembering his friend. 'Those who travel the high road of humility in Washington, D.C., are not bothered by heavy traffic,' Simpson observed, to knowing laughs. Later in his talk, standing at a lectern placed just a few feet in front of Trump, Simpson quoted his mother in observing that 'hatred corrodes the container it's carried in.' Trump, a man of seething hatreds, stared at him with arms folded. Meanwhile, Simpson observed of Bush, 'He never hated anyone.'" ...

... Presidents' Club Shuts Out President*. John Wagner & Felicia Sonmez of the Washington Post: "... mourners from across the nation gathered in Washington to pay their respects and celebrate the life of former president George H.W. Bush at a state funeral at Washington National Cathedral. With President Trump and four living former U.S. presidents in attendance, Bush was remembered as 'America's last great soldier-statesman' by biographer Jon Meacham, one of four people delivering eulogies." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ...

... Joe Concha of the Hill: "Fox News anchor Chris Wallace said he was 'struck' by the reception of President Trump and first lady Melania Trump upon their arrival at the funeral for George H.W. Bush on Wednesday.... 'I have to say I was struck when President Trump and Melania Trump came to the front row, that it was as if a chill had descended on that front row,' Wallace said on Fox's 'America's Newsroom' during live coverage of the Bush state funeral.... 'You had seen a lot of chatty talk between the Clintons and the Obamas, the Carters. But when Donald Trump sat down, the greeting that he was given by Barack Obama and Michelle Obama was about as cool as it could have been.... Trump and the first lady greeted the Obamas and shook hands when sitting down next to them in the front row of the service for Bush, who passed away last Friday at the age of 94. There was no greeting between the Trumps and Clintons, who sat farther down the row." ...

     ... Mrs. McCrabbie: Oh, Chris, so unfair. They made Trump sit with all the Dimocrats (because the Bush family can't stand him). I'm sure the cold shoulders had nothing to do with a few points Aaron Blake of the Washington Post made: "The Trumps are seated next to: 1) The president Trump said was illegitimate (Obama) 2) The president he said assaulted women (Clinton) 3) The first lady/SoS he said should be in jail (Hillary) 4) The president he said was the second-worst, behind Obama (Carter)." ...

By the Daily Show. To read the tweets, click on the picture to increase the size to a full screen.

... Philip Rucker of the Washington Post: "From the moment he crossed the transept of the soaring Washington National Cathedral, tore off his overcoat and took his seat in the front pew, President Trump was an outsider. When the others sang an opening hymn, his mouth did not move. When the others read the Apostles' Creed, he stood stoically. And when one eulogist after another testified to George H.W. Bush's integrity and character and honesty and bravery and compassion, Trump sat and listened, often with his lips pursed and his arms crossed over his chest. Wednesday's state funeral was carefully orchestrated to be about one man and his milestones -- Bush.... But inevitably it became about Trump, too, for it was impossible to pay tribute to the 41st president without drawing implicit contrasts with the 45th.... Despite being crafted to honor Bush's legacy, their words also served to underscore the singular nature of Trump's presidency."

... Linda Greenhouse assesses President Bush's approach to Supreme Court nominations & its effect on future nominations: "Poles apart, the Souter and Thomas nominations offered templates for the presidencies that followed. Democrats have shied from confrontation, while Republicans have generally embraced and even sought it.... Addressing the Federalist Society in Washington last month, Senator [Mitch] McConnell ... was unabashed in describing the current Republican strategy -- to go as far to the right as a bare majority will sustain. Explaining why he abolished the filibuster for Supreme Court nominees, he said, 'No Republican president could get the kind of nominee we'd want with 60 votes.' Bipartisan appeal? A sin. The narrowest possible victory? A validation."

Reading between the Redactions. Mark Mazzetti & Adam Goldman of the New York Times: "Federal prosecutors in Virginia are investigating a secret Turkish lobbying effort that once involved Michael T. Flynn..., even as Mr. Flynn's role in the special counsel's investigation winds down, according to people familiar with the inquiry. Robert S. Mueller III, the special counsel, had been handling the case and at some point referred it back to prosecutors in Alexandria, Va., who had originally opened the investigation, the people said. A veteran national security prosecutor is overseeing the case, and a grand jury has been empaneled to hear evidence. Prosecutors for Mr. Mueller appeared to make reference to the investigation in documents released on Tuesday that enumerated Mr. Flynn's cooperation in the Russia inquiry. The heavily redacted documents created an air of mystery about Mr. Flynn's 'substantial help' in several unspecified but continuing investigations.... The Turkey case appears to fit as one of those inquiries because Mr. Flynn has direct knowledge of aspects under scrutiny. Prosecutors are examining Mr. Flynn's former business partners and clients who financed a campaign against Fethullah Gulen, a cleric living in Pennsylvania whom the Turkish government has accused of helping instigate a failed coup."

Joel Clement in Scientific American: "At the Department of the Interior (DOI), with its mission to conserve and manage America's natural and cultural resources, the Trump administration's political appointees are stumbling over one another to earn accolades for disabling agency operations. I should know; I was one of dozens of senior executives targeted by Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke for reassignment in a staff purge just six months into the new administration.... In a new report, Science Under Siege at the Department of the Interior, the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) has documented some of the most egregious and anti-science policies and practices at the DOI under Secretary Zinke. The report describes suppression of science, denial of climate change, the silencing and intimidation of agency staff, and attacks on science-based laws that help protect our nation's world-class wildlife and habitats. It is a damning report...." --s

Charlotte Simmonds, et al. of the Guardian: "When Trump took office in 2016, he promised the energy industry a new era of 'American energy dominance'. This would only be possible by exploiting America's 640m acres of public land: mountains, deserts, forests and sites of Native American history that cover more than a quarter of the country.... Two years after Trump came to power, a new study produced by the Wilderness Society, a not-for-profit organization advocating for the protection of public lands, and shared exclusively with the Guardian, reveals the full extent of his government's efforts." A long read. --s

Presidential Election 2020. Astead Herndon of the New York Times: "... nearly two months after [Elizabeth] Warren released the ... results [of a DNA test purporting to prove her Native American heritage] and drew hostile reactions from prominent tribal leaders, the lingering cloud over her likely presidential campaign has only darkened. Conservatives have continued to ridicule her. More worrisome to supporters of Ms. Warren's presidential ambitions, she has yet to allay criticism from grass-roots progressive groups, liberal political operatives and other potential 2020 allies who complain that she put too much emphasis on the controversial field of racial science -- and, in doing so, played into Mr. Trump's hands." ...

     ... Mrs. McCrabbie: This is the stupidest non-issue since birtherism. The only reason Warren's ethnic heritage could be a real issue is if she had falsified it to gain employment advantage. But the Boston Globe did extensive reporting (subscriber-firewalled) on this possibility & found she did not do so. So case closed. Some Native Americans have dubbed Warren racist because "genetic testing has historically been used as a weapon against Native communities." That's stupid, too. Although I'm interested in my own genealogy, I haven't taken one of those commercial DNA tests, but if I ever get around to it, it won't be because I want to use it as "a weapon against" whatever ethnic groups may be part of my genetic makeup. White (and to my knowledge, black) Americans often boast of their real or supposed Native American heritage. The purpose of these boasts never seems to be to denigrate authentic, tribally-certified Native Americans. Neither are they claiming they share the Native Americans' experience. My grandmother (who was white and a racist) boasted of our own supposed Native American roots, even though those "roots" -- according to Grandmama -- dated to, um, the 1600s. As further "proof" of this romantic family tale, my grandmother pointed to one of my cousins who "has high cheekbones." (Yes, that's really stupid.) Everybody -- including Warren -- needs to get over her genes. P.S. I don't support Warren's presidential candidacy; I just think this whole brouhaha should go away, and the NYT should not be putting it on the front page along with all the news that's fit to print.

Adam Satariano of the New York Times: "Emails and other internal Facebook documents released by a British parliamentary committee on Wednesday show how the social media giant gave favored companies like Airbnb, Lyft and Netflix special access to users' data.... The committee said the documents show Facebook entering into agreements with select companies to allow them access to data after the company made policy changes that restricted access for others. Other emails show the company debating whether to give app developers that spent money advertising with it more access to its data. In other instances, Facebook discussed shutting off access to companies it viewed as competitors." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Damian Carrington of the Guardian: "Global carbon emissions will jump to a record high in 2018, according to a report, dashing hopes a plateau of recent years would be maintained. It means emissions are heading in the opposite direction to the deep cuts urgently needed, say scientists, to fight climate change. The rise is due to the growing number of cars on the roads and a renaissance of coal use and means the world remains on the track to catastrophic global warming. However, the report's authors said the emissions trend can still be turned around by 2020, if cuts are made in transport, industry and farming emissions.... Almost all countries are contributing to the rise, with emissions in China up 4.7%, in the US by 2.5% and in India by 6.3% in 2018. The EU's emissions are near flat, but this follows a decade of strong falls." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Beyond the Beltway

Minnesota. In the Spirit of the Season. CBS/AP: "The commander of a Minneapolis police precinct has been replaced following uproar over Christmas tree decorations that the mayor said amounted to a 'racist display.' The Christmas tree at the Fourth Precinct station on the city's north side was decorated with items such as Newport cigarettes, police crime tape, a can of malt liquor and a Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen cup. Minneapolis Police spokesman John Elder confirmed Monday that inspector Aaron Biard had been removed as commander of the precinct.... Two Minneapolis officers were placed on paid leave Friday for their apparent involvement in the decorations. Mayor Jacob Frey called the decorations 'despicable' and said they amounted to a 'racist display.' A picture of the tree circulated online before the items were removed." Thanks to Akhilleus for the lead. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

New Hampshire. Felicia Sonmez of the Washington Post: "New Hampshire's longtime secretary of state, Bill Gardner (D), narrowly won his bid for a 22nd term on Wednesday, fending off a challenge amid a wave of anger among state legislators over his participation in President Trump's controversial voter fraud commission. At a joint session of the New Hampshire state Senate and House of Representatives, Gardner won 209 votes to Colin Van Ostern's 205, with one lawmaker casting a 'scatter' vote for neither candidate. Gardner's win came in the second round of voting; the first round ended in a dramatic standoff, with Gardner taking 208 votes to Van Ostern's 207 -- both shy of the majority-plus-one needed for victory. The win means Gardner, 70, will continue serving in the job he has held since 1976."

North Carolina. Tal Axelrod of the Hill: "Over a thousand absentee ballots from likely Democratic voters may have been destroyed in the race for North Carolina's 9th Congressional District last month as allegations of fraud on behalf of the Republican candidate mount. 'You're looking at several thousand, possibly 2,000 absentee ballot requests from this most recent election. About 40 percent of those, it appears, at this point may not have been returned,' Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman told CNN." ...

... Cash, Drugs & Wreck the Vote. Brianna Sacks, et al., of BuzzFeed News: "The allegations that Republicans tampered with absentee ballots in a close North Carolina election represent the most serious federal election tampering case in years, one that allegedly stole votes from elderly black voters in the state's rural south. Now two women intimately involved with McCrae Dowless's absentee ballot machine have revealed to BuzzFeed News its grim and chaotic workings, in which Dowless tracked votes on yellow paper and paid his workers, including family members, from stacks of cash, and that some were on opioids while they worked." ...

... Harry Enten of CNN: "The case for election fraud appears to be strong. That's because it's doesn't rely on just one or two pieces of evidence. Rather, it's a slew of evidence. This means that even if one part of the case were to fall apart, there would be still be reason to believe that the election wasn't on the level." Enten runs down the evidence, so far. ...

... Philip Bump of the Washington Post: "The man at the center of fraud probe in North Carolina may have been doing this for eight years.... According to campaign finance records and election data from the Federal Election Commission and the state of North Carolina, [Leslie McCrae] Dowless has worked on at least five campaigns since 2010 in which his candidates earned much more of the vote in Bladen County than the candidates earned elsewhere. In three races, the candidate earned less support in Bladen than outside the county. In the three races where the candidates paying Dowless lost, he received much less money in payment." ...

... Eli Rosenberg of the Washington Post: "Dallas Woodhouse, executive chairman of the North Carolina Republican Party, spoke with great concern about the issue of election fraud." But that was in 2016, when Republican incumbent Gov. Pat McCrory lost to Democrat Roy Cooper. Now that there is strong evidence of extensive voter fraud by a GOP subcontractor -- under exactly the same circumstance -- "Woodhouse has repeatedly questioned and downplayed the inquiry [into the GOP's fraudulent activity] -- at one point going as far as to complain, without evidence, that it was part of a Democratic conspiracy to steal the election -- and regularly threatening legal action over the official inquiry into the integrity of the race." ...

     ... Mrs. McCrabbie: AND aren't we surprised our Dear Leader is not leading the charge to lock up the GOP crook responsible for the "rigged election"? AND if you're wondering how anyone could justify his own stunning hypocrisy ...

... Adam Peck of ThinkProgress: "It's too early to say definitively, but North Carolina Republicans could very well end up being responsible for the biggest case of election fraud in modern U.S. history. And therein lies an important distinction: what we are watching unravel in slow motion is a textbook case of election fraud. It is not, as many have either carelessly or intentionally claimed, voter fraud.... Republicans don't care about election fraud in North Carolina because they never cared about protecting the integrity of elections in the first place. Their obsession with voter fraud has nothing to do with ensuring ineligible voters don't cast ballots, it has everything to do with ensuring certain eligible voters don't cast ballots.... The deafening silence emanating from the Republican caucus, Fox News, and the halls of the Heritage Foundation are extremely telling, and completely understandable: this one case of fraud in North Carolina is exposing the party's entire election integrity platform as the sham that it is." --s

... Beth Reinhard of the Washington Post: "A Democratic member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee is calling for an emergency hearing to examine allegations of election fraud in North Carolina's 9th District race, in which Republican Mark Harris leads by 905 votes. State election officials are investigating charges that a political operative working for the Harris campaign oversaw a crew of workers who illegally collected mail-in absentee ballots from voters. The operative, Leslie McCrae Dowless, worked primarily in Bladen County. 'Real election fraud is playing out right before us,' said Rep. Gerald E. Connolly (D-Va.), a senior oversight committee member." ...

... Charlotte Observer Editors: "In the week since the state Board of Elections declined to certify the results of North Carolina's 9th Congressional District election, journalists and others have begun to fill in the details of a troubling case of apparent ballot fraud. In Bladen County --and perhaps other counties -- individuals have interfered with the voting process by gaining access to others' absentee ballots, according to witnesses and records. Investigators also are looking into the burgeoning scandal. There may be no way, however, to know how widespread the fraud was, or whether it involved enough ballots to potentially change the outcome of the election — a 905-vote victory for Republican Mark Harris over Democrat Dan McCready. But we do know enough. Unless new evidence somehow clears the clouds hanging over this election, the Board of Elections should toss out the 9th District results."

A GOP Screw-Democracy Power Grab in Wisconsin. Mitch Smith of the New York Times: "After a rancorous, sleepless night of debate, Republican lawmakers early Wednesday pushed through a sweeping set of bills that will limit the power of Wisconsin's newly elected Democrats, including the incoming governor and attorney general. The legislation, which Democrats vehemently opposed and protesters chanted their anger over, passed through the Republican-held State Legislature after hours of closed-door meetings and some amendments. The votes fell largely along party lines; no Democrats supported the measures." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ...

     ... Mrs. McCrabbie: What you're seeing here, in Michigan & elsewhere (the North Carolina legislature pulled this stunt two years ago just before Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper took office) is the Republican revolution against the peaceful, regular transfer of power. Absent the assumption & fulfillment of peaceful transfer, no form of democratic government can function. Republicans have been chipping away at taking large chunks out of democratic mechanisms since before the century began (Bush v. Gore decision), and they will continue to do so unless voters beat them down to a tiny faction of extremists. Should we have two political parties? Yes. But one of them cannot be what the GOP has become. It is not just their ideology; it is also their methodology. (BTW, if you want to know how the power grab worked out for North Carolina, read the NYT story linked in this paragraph.) ...

... Amanda Terkel of the Huffington Post: "Republicans in the Wisconsin state Senate rushed to approve 82 of Gov. Scott Walker's [R] appointees, a month after voters chose not to reelect the Republican.... The appointees include two members of the board that oversees the state's public universities. One of those positions has been vacant for more than a year, but Walker just nominated his choice this week. He also made one of his top aides, Ellen Nowak, who is currently Department of Administration secretary, the new head of the state Public Service Commission.... [Gov.-Elect Tony] Evers' [D] spokeswoman told the Wisconsin State Journal that more than 30 of the nominees have had no public hearing.... Walker no doubt knows what he did is not a good look. In 2010, he urged outgoing Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle not to 'finalize any permanent civil service personnel' during his last two months in office." ...

... Update. The GOP Fraudsters. Francis Wilkinson in Bloomberg: "The daily crisis that is Trump's presidency often obscures the extended crisis that is the Republican Party. In Michigan and Wisconsin Republican legislators are seeking to steal not votes but their meaning. Having lost statewide elections in November, the Republicans, many representing intricately gerrymandered districts, intend to rob incoming Democrats of the powers of their offices, voters be damned. They are smashing the peaceful transition of power without which democracy instantly fails.... The sick irony of the emerging scandal in North Carolina is that if GOP election fraud is indeed proved to have taken place, Republicans will soon have the evidence they lacked for so long. Future voter suppression will be justified on the grounds that Republicans must protect the sanctity of the vote from themselves.... As Republicans in Michigan and Wisconsin are proving, even clear election victories are not guaranteed to secure majority rule or a consensus that the winning candidates have the power to govern." --s

Way Beyond

Britain. Alex Hern of the Guardian & Press Association: "BT [British Telecom] has confirmed it is removing Huawei equipment from key areas of its 4G network as concerns are raised about the Chinese firm's presence in critical telecoms infrastructure. Governments in the US, New Zealand and Australia have already moved to block the use of Huawei's equipment as part of the future rollout of 5G networks. Earlier this week the head of MI6 also suggested the UK needed to decide if it was 'comfortable' with Chinese ownership of the technology being used.... In a statement, the UK telecoms group has confirmed it is in the process of removing Huawei equipment from the key parts of its 3G and 4G networks to meet an existing internal policy not to have the Chinese firm at the centre of its infrastructure." --s

North Korea. Benjamin Haas of the Guardian: "North Korea has significantly expanded and upgraded long-range missile sites, according to satellite images published by CNN, highlighting the lack of progress in negotiations with the US in the months since Kim Jong-un met Donald Trump. The images showed upgrades at the North's Yeongjeo-dong and revealed another site that was previously not publicly known, both in the country's mountainous interior." --s

News Lede

ABC News: "Search and rescue operations are underway off the coast of Japan for a U.S. Marine Corps KC-130 refueling tanker and an F/A-18 fighter jet involved in a mishap, according to the Marines. Two people have been found by Japanese Maritime Self Defense Forces, which is leading search and rescue efforts with both surface ships and aircraft, a spokesperson for III Marine Expeditionary Force in Japan. The first person was in good condition, while the second person's condition was unclear and they were taken to a local medical facility for evaluation. There were five personnel on board the KC-130 and two on board the F/A-18 at the time of the incident, a Marine official told ABC News."

Tuesday
Dec042018

The Commentariat -- December 5, 2018

Afternoon Update:

Damian Carrington of the Guardian: "Global carbon emissions will jump to a record high in 2018, according to a report, dashing hopes a plateau of recent years would be maintained. It means emissions are heading in the opposite direction to the deep cuts urgently needed, say scientists, to fight climate change. The rise is due to the growing number of cars on the roads and a renaissance of coal use and means the world remains on the track to catastrophic global warming. However, the report's authors said the emissions trend can still be turned around by 2020, if cuts are made in transport, industry and farming emissions.... Almost all countries are contributing to the rise, with emissions in China up 4.7%, in the US by 2.5% and in India by 6.3% in 2018."

John Wagner & Felicia Sonmez of the Washington Post: "... mourners from across the nation gathered in Washington to pay their respects and celebrate the life of former president George H.W. Bush at a state funeral at Washington National Cathedral. With President Trump and four living former U.S. presidents in attendance, Bush was remembered as 'America's last great soldier-statesman' by biographer Jon Meacham, one of four people delivering eulogies."

Asawin Suebsaeng & Lachlan Markay of the Daily Beast: "Since the 2016 presidential campaign, Donald Trump's aides and advisers have tried to convince him of the importance of tackling the national debt. Sources close to the president say he has repeatedly shrugged it off, implying that he doesn't have to worry about the money owed to America's creditors -- currently about $21 trillion -- because he won't be around to shoulder the blame when it becomes even more untenable."

A GOP Screw-Democracy Power Grab in Wisconsin. Mitch Smith of the New York Times: "After a rancorous, sleepless night of debate, Republican lawmakers early Wednesday pushed through a sweeping set of bills that will limit the power of Wisconsin's newly elected Democrats, including the incoming governor and attorney general. The legislation, which Democrats vehemently opposed and protesters chanted their anger over, passed through the Republican-held State Legislature after hours of closed-door meetings and some amendments. The votes fell largely along party lines; no Democrats supported the measures."

Adam Satariano of the New York Times: "Emails and other internal Facebook documents released by a British parliamentary committee on Wednesday show how the social media giant gave favored companies like Airbnb, Lyft and Netflix special access to users- data.... The committee said the documents show Facebook entering into agreements with select companies to allow them access to data after the company made policy changes that restricted access for others. Other emails show the company debating whether to give app developers that spent money advertising with it more access to its data. In other instances, Facebook discussed shutting off access to companies it viewed as competitors."

In the Spirit of the Season. CBS/AP: "The commander of a Minneapolis police precinct has been replaced following uproar over Christmas tree decorations that the mayor said amounted to a 'racist display.' The Christmas tree at the Fourth Precinct station on the city's north side was decorated with items such as Newport cigarettes, police crime tape, a can of malt liquor and a Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen cup. Minneapolis Police spokesman John Elder confirmed Monday that inspector Aaron Biard had been removed as commander of the precinct.... Two Minneapolis officers were placed on paid leave Friday for their apparent involvement in the decorations. Mayor Jacob Frey called the decorations 'despicable' and said they amounted to a 'racist display.' A picture of the tree circulated online before the items were removed." Thanks to Akhilleus for the lead.

*****

PSA. Nathalie Sczublewski of NBC Washington: "... Donald Trump declared Wednesday, Dec. 5 a National Day of Mourning in remembrance of former President George H.W. Bush.... President Trump released a statement proclaiming that out of respect for the 41st president of the United States, the United States Postal Service will suspend regular mail deliveries, retail and administrative activities on Wednesday, Dec. 5." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ...

     ... Mrs. McCrabbie: If you were planning a trip to the post office today, as I was, better change your plans. ...

... Sheryl Stolberg & Emily Cochrane of the New York Times: "As the body of Former President George Bush lay in state in the Capitol Rotunda on Tuesday, mourners from across the country a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/04/us/politics/bush-capitol-visitors.html" target="_blank">poured into the Capitol to pay tribute to a man whose inaugural vision of a 'kinder' and 'gentler' Republicanism has become a relic of another era.... Tuesday's visitation came as official Washington, and members of the Bush family, prepared for his funeral service on Wednesday morning at the National Cathedral. The services in Washington will be attended by nearly a dozen current and former heads of state, including Prince Charles; King Abdullah II of Jordan and his wife, Queen Rania; and Lech Walesa, the former president of Poland." ...

How Two Republican party leaders honored George H.W. Bush yesterday:

1. David Nakamura of the Washington Post: "President Trump traversed a wide political chasm Tuesday evening when he personally welcomed George W. Bush, his occasional foil, to Blair House, the presidential guest quarters across Pennsylvania Avenue from the White House. But the actual distance was just 250 yards -- a route Trump and his wife Melania traveled in the presidential parade limousine, with a motorcade of at least seven other vehicles.... The need for the motorcade, however, prompted questions, and a healthy dose of speculation, about why the Trumps were unable -- or unwilling -- to simply walk across the street.... 'Bone spurs?' asked Sam Vinograd, a CNN political analyst and also a former Obama national security veteran...." ....

2. Amy Wang & Mark Berman of the Washington Post: "Former senator Bob Dole, who had twice competed with Bush for the Republican presidential nomination, made an emotional appearance Tuesday afternoon in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda. At 95, Dole [is] ... frail now, in a wheelchair.... An aide helped Dole out of his wheelchair so he could stand briefly before Bush's body. With his left hand, Dole gave a brief salute to Bush, a fellow World War II veteran. Then Dole's hand dropped and he fell back into his wheelchair, saying nothing but gazing ahead.... Jeb Bush, the former president's son, said on Twitter of the moment: 'Just incredible. Thank you Senator Dole.'" (Mrs. McC: Dole saluted with his left hand because his right arm was shattered during World War II.) ...

      ... Mrs. McCrabbie: One might want to blame Melanie's stilletos for the 250-yard drive, but Trump has a history of driving, sans Melanie, very short distances that other people walk comfortably or where vehicles are verboten. He's a fat old guy who has led a sedentary life. I don't think he can walk more than a few yards, as when stalking Hillary on a debate stage.

Matt Phillips of the New York Times: "Stocks fell on Tuesday, after President Trump sowed confusion over the status of a truce in the trade war between the United States and China, while the bond market, often considered a safe haven for investors, sent a stark warning about expectations for an economic slowdown. The S&P 500 dropped more than 3 percent, with economically sensitive financial and transportation stocks sliding. The warning from the bond market came through what's known as the yield curve, the difference between interest rates on short-term United States government bonds, such as two-year notes, and longer term bonds, such as the 10-year Treasury.... The gap between the two-year and 10-year yields has decreased to less than 0.12 percentage points -- the lowest it has been since before the financial crisis. Many analysts say it could soon fall below zero, a phenomenon known as an 'inversion.'... In the past 60 years, every recession has been preceded by an inverted yield curve, according to research from the San Francisco Fed." ...

... "Tariff Man." Alan Rappeport of the New York Times: "President Trump warned China on Tuesday that if President Xi Jinping failed to make good on the trade promises reached during their weekend meeting, the United States would impose additional tariffs on Chinese imports. Referring to himself as a 'Tariff Man,' Mr. Trump issued a series of tweets that only further deepened the murkiness surrounding the trade truce that the two leaders said they had reached on Saturday evening on the sidelines of the G-20. Stocks, which rallied Monday on the potential for a pact, began a downward spiral on Tuesday as confusion set in about whether an agreement had truly been reached.... On Monday, the White House said that Robert Lighthizer, the United States trade representative who is a longtime China skeptic, would lead the talks with Beijing. The choice of Mr. Lighthizer, who has a reputation as a tough negotiator, conveyed a tough road ahead.... Members of Mr. Trump's economic team continued to temper optimism about a deal on Tuesday." ...

... "You Don't Understand Tariffs, Man." New York Times Editors: "... the current [trade war] is hurting both the United States and China, as well as rattling around like a loose part in the global economic machine. Both nations are heading for economic slowdowns.... Whatever the rationale for imposing them, tariffs are taxes, and consumers were facing a big hike in the Trump tax in January. Meanwhile, the president has little to show for his trade war. He has been obsessed with reducing the trade deficit, which stood at $566 billion last year. Yet the trade deficit is rising, not falling, because Americans like buying inexpensive goods from foreign nations (like, say, China). And the dollar has strengthened, which generally makes imports cheaper. Nor have jobs come flooding back to the United States. Instead, tariffs prompted some American companies to shift their sourcing of goods from China to other parts of Asia.... The uncertainty created by Mr. Trump's threats of a trade war escalation has been even more damaging." ...

... Damian Paletta & Philip Rucker of the Washington Post: "After his Argentine steak dinner last weekend with Chinese President Xi Jinping, President Trump announced that they had reached an 'incredible deal' to temporarily suspend his trade war. But days later, Trump declared, 'I am a Tariff man.' Trump last week proposed stripping away electric-car subsidies from General Motors as punishment for the automotive giant moving to cease production at plants in the United States and Canada. But then his chief economic adviser, Larry Kudlow, said the White House would do no such thing. Targeting a single company, he explained, would be illegal. Then there is the way Trump talks about how the economy works -- imprecise at best, ignorant at worst.... The whiplash nature of Trump's economic policies and pronouncements bore tangible consequences on Tuesday, when U.S. stock markets cratered amid investor skepticism of Trump's China talks. The Dow Jones industrial average dropped 799 points, or 3.1 percent, while the Standard & Poor's 500-stock index fell 3.2 percent and the Nasdaq dropped 3.8 percent. Global markets demand consistency and reliability, but Trump delivers neither. Instead, he makes knee-jerk announcements that surprise investors, lawmakers and even some of his own aides and advisers, who sometimes find themselves reversing course depending on the president's whims."

** William Saletan of Slate: "When the CIA catches dictators doing bad things, the dictators often pay lobbyists to lie about what's been discovered. Now the dictators can save their money because ... Donald Trump is doing their hatchet work against the CIA for free. Trump has dismissed the agency's findings about Russian interference in the 2016 election. He has brushed off U.S. intelligence showing that North Korea is building new missiles. And he's lying about the CIA's assessment of a murder by the Saudi government.... Some of Trump's statements [about Jamal Khashoggi's murder] were lawyerly and evasive. Others -- 'They have feelings' -- were egregiously misleading. And some -- 'The CIA points it both ways' -- were outright lies.... Other officials [-- Sarah Sanders, Mike Pompeo, Jim Mattis --] joined Trump in bending the facts.... Trump's perpetual dishonesty about U.S. intelligence is a threat to national security and American democracy. It's also a manifestation of his fundamental disloyalty to the United States." Saletan does a nice job of demonstrating how intelligence officers/whistleblowers' repeated leaks to the press not only informed the public but also forced Trump to allow CIA Director Gina Haspel to brief Senators on the Khashoggi matter.

Mrs. Bea McCrabbie: So just yesterday, we learned that President Buhari of Nigeria was obliged to squelch rumors that he was dead & a body double had replaced him. Already Jonathan Allen of NBC News is suggesting that, likewise, the Real Donald Trump is locked in the residence tweeting away, while the public Donald Trump is a body double who behaves himself. Well, Allen doesn't exactly imply all that, but I'm inferring it from his report:

     "... for the moment, even some of ... Donald Trump's toughest critics are taking note of a shift in his behavior -- from reliably disruptive to seemingly disciplined. That's been especially evident since he departed Washington for the G-20 summit in Buenos Aires last week, where he gave a public cold shoulder to Russian President Vladimir Putin and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, signed a trade deal with Mexico and Canada, canceled a press conference so as not to distract from the mourning of President George H.W. Bush and pulled back from his trade war with China. On the flight home, he said he would agree to a two-week stopgap bill to avoid a government shutdown after months of threatening a showdown over Congress' refusal to provide full funding for his promised border wall. And he has exhibited all the grace in handling Bush's state funeral that he failed to show when Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., died just a few months ago.... Twitter Trump remains impulsive, fiery and always spoiling for a fight."

This Russia Thing, Etc., Ctd.

** Carol Leonnig, et al., of the Washington Post: "Special counsel Robert S. Mueller III on Tuesday recommended that former national security adviser Michael Flynn serve no prison time, citing his 'substantial assistance' with several ongoing investigations, according to a new court filing.... In [the sentencing recommendation], prosecutors said Flynn has assisted with several ongoing investigations -- participating in 19 interviews with federal prosecutors. Tuesday's filing is heavily redacted, continuing to shroud in secrecy the details of what Flynn told Mueller's team about his interactions with Trump and other top officials. But the document noted that Flynn has assisted the special counsel with its 'investigation concerning links or coordination between the Russian government and individuals associated with the Trump campaign.'" ...

... Adam Goldman & Eileen Sullivan of the New York Times: “'His early cooperation was particularly valuable because he was one of the few people with long-term and firsthand insight' into the subject of Mr. Mueller's investigation -- Russia's election interference and whether any Trump associates conspired, prosecutors wrote in a sentencing recommendation memorandum.... 'The defendant deserves credit for accepting responsibility in a timely fashion and substantially assisting the government,' prosecutors wrote." ...

     ... Mrs. Bea McCrabbie: By Trump's lights, Flynn is a "weak person" who lacks "guts." ...

... Marcy Wheeler of emptywheel: "The section [of the largely-redacted addendum to the sentencing memorandum] on cooperation describes Flynn's assistance in three investigations. The Mueller investigation is actually the second thing listed, which I take to suggest that the the Mueller investigation is just the second most important. My wildarse guess is that these consist of A) a criminal national security investigation..., B) the Mueller investigation, and C) a counterintelligence investigation into the Russians."

Subpoenas, Subpoenas, Everywhere. Jonathan O'Connell, et al., of the Washington Post: "The attorneys general for Maryland and the District of Columbia are issuing subpoenas for financial records and other documents from more than a dozen of President Trump's private entities Tuesday as part of an ongoing lawsuit alleging that the president's business violates the Constitution's ban on gifts or payments from foreign governments. The subpoenas seek details on some of the most closely held secrets of Trump's presidency: Which foreign governments have paid the Trump Organization money? How much? And for what? All of the documents relate to Trump's D.C. hotel, which is at the center of the emoluments case because of events foreign governments have held there and the federal lease that allows the business to operate. In addition to documents from more than a dozen related to the president's company, including the trust that holds his personal assets, Maryland's Brian E. Frosh (D) and the District's Karl A. Racine (D), are seeking documents from managers of the Walter E. Washington Convention Center and a slew of competing Washington hotels as part of an effort to try to show Trump's property is unfairly siphoning business from competitors, according to the offices of the two attorneys general." And so forth.

The mob takes the Fifth. If you're innocent, why are you taking the Fifth Amendment? -- Donald Trump, after some of Hillary Clinton's aides invoked their Fifth Amendment rights, 2016

When you have your staff taking the Fifth Amendment, taking the Fifth so they're not prosecuted, when you have the man that set up the illegal server taking the Fifth, I think it's disgraceful. -- Donald Trump, first debate with Hillary Clinton, 2016 ...

... Kyle Cheney of Politico: "... Roger Stone invoked his Fifth Amendment protection as he declined to share documents and testimony with members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, according to a letter posted Tuesday by the committee's top Democrat, Sen. Dianne Feinstein."

Zoe Tillman of BuzzFeed News: "More than 400 former Justice Department officials and attorneys have signed a statement saying they're 'disturbed' by ... Donald Trump's appointment of Matthew Whitaker as acting attorney general. The list of signatories includes more than 300 former career Justice Department employees who served under both Democratic and Republican administrations, according to Protect Democracy, a government watchdog group involved in organizing the effort. It also includes political appointees, mostly appointed by Democratic presidents." The report includes the statement. The names & titles of the signators is here. ...

... Jed Shugerman in Slate: "So far..., it appears that [Matt] Whitaker has not sought to interfere with Robert Mueller. That would be wise. If he were to work against the investigation, Whitaker could be putting himself in infamous company: indicted attorneys general and government lawyers who aided [Richard] Nixon's crimes.... If Whitaker had an arrangement with Trump to take the position in order to impede Mueller, he could be in jeopardy for conspiracy to obstruct justice.... Firing Mueller (for cause) may be technically within Whitaker's power, but doing so with the 'corrupt purpose' to impede a looming criminal investigation would constitute obstruction of justice. If Whitaker fires Mueller with pretextual cause, he would run the risk of a criminal charge himself. Whitaker's potential personal legal troubles, though, raise the possibility that he might abuse his powers for his own benefit."

Eliana Johnson of Politico: "Pat Cipollone will start his new job as White House counsel on Monday, following a nearly two-month delay since his appointment, with dwindling time to prepare for a coming onslaught of House Democratic oversight demands.... Cipollone also starts at a time when Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Russia probe is making major new waves...."

Twitter's "Cardcarrying anti-Trumpers" Invade Rudy's Tweeter Space. Rudy Giuliani, who hilariously enough is Trump's advisor on cybersecurity, doesn't know what links are. Or Web addresses. Much less URL extensions (which don't include dot-either). Adam Raymond of New York: Last Friday, "in his haste, or his attempt to emulate Trump, Giuliani included several typos in [a] tweet [he sent], including the omission of a space at the start of a sentence that started with the word 'in.' The placement of a period and no spaces between 'G-20' and 'in' resulted in an inadvertent hyperlink showing up in Giuliani's tweet. 'Mueller filed an indictment just as the President left for G-20.In July he indicted the Russians who will never come here just before he left for Helsinki.Either could have been done earlier or later. Out of control!Supervision please?'... A clever scamp quickly snatched up the URL G-20.in and set up this page:

"... That's pretty embarrassing by itself, but Giuliani made the error even worse Tuesday night when he blamed the hyperlink in Friday's tweet on Twitter, which he accused of allowing 'someone to invade my text.'... 'Twitter allowed someone to invade my text with a disgusting anti-President message. The same thing-period no space-occurred later and it didn't happen. Don't tell me they are not committed cardcarrying anti-Trumpers. Time Magazine also may fit that description. FAIRNESS PLEASE'" Mrs. McC: This requires a full investigaton.SPECIAL COUNSEL PLEASE


Hamed Aleaziz
of BuzzFeed News: "The Trump administration is considering charging immigrants a fee to apply for asylum protection in the United States, according to sources close to the administration. The proposal, included in a not-yet-finalized draft regulation, would charge applicants, if they are already residing in the US, $50 to apply for asylum. Currently, there is no fee to enter an 'affirmative asylum' application. The fee would not apply to those who claim a fear of persecution at ports of entry or those who apply for the protections while in deportation proceedings. There would be no waiver of the fee for those who cannot afford to pay the $50." Mrs. McC: This from the same SOB who gave himself a multi-million-dollar tax break.

Zack Ford of ThinkProgress: "The Trump administration seems to have edited out LGBTQ protections in the new North American trade agreement with Canada and Mexico (known as the USMCA). The change, an apparent gesture to a group of the most anti-LGBTQ members of Congress, ensures the administration's own anti-LGBTQ efforts can continue without undermining the agreement. Originally, the drafted trade agreement called on all three countries to establish 'policies that protect workers against employment discrimination on the basis of sex, including with regard to pregnancy, sexual harassment, sexual orientation, gender identity.' In the final version, however, a new footnote was added that significantly undermines the United States' obligation to uphold these protections." --s (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

E. A. Crunden of ThinkProgress: "The Trump administration is planning to revise its estimates for its fuel efficiency standards rollback, admitting that fewer lives would be saved than previously touted. That concession is a blow to efforts to walk back Obama-era fuel efficiency standards imposed to combat pollution.... At issue is the [Trump] administration's methodology, which critics say failed to properly account for the length of time owners keep their cars, in addition to possible mileage on newer cars with better fuel efficiency." --s (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ...

... Kevin Bogardus & Corbin Hiar of E&E News: EPA chief "Andrew Wheeler met with a range of companies and trade groups with interests before EPA after he took charge at the agency. Wheeler's official August calendar, an 85-page document obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, describes what he was doing during his first full month as acting EPA administrator. It is the first official Wheeler calendar E&E News has received that covers his tenure as acting boss. Wheeler was scheduled to call or meet with executives for the American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers, BP America, Delta Air Lines and Valero Energy Corp. during that month, according to the document. In addition, he was slated to take meetings with agricultural interests, like the American Soybean Association and CropLife America. Wheeler was also scheduled to meet with the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank that has influenced Trump administration policies. The calendar also shows that Wheeler wasn't meeting with auto industry representatives around the time the Trump administration proposed dialing back Obama-era clean car rules."

Eric Schmitt & Nicholas Fandos of the New York Times: "A bipartisan group of senior senators on Tuesday said that a classified briefing by the C.I.A. director had only solidified their belief that Mohammed bin Salman, the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, ordered the killing of Saudi dissident Jamal Khashoggi. Prince Mohammed 'is a wrecking ball,' Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina, told reporters after an hourlong briefing by Gina Haspel, the C.I.A. director. 'I think he's complicit in the murder of Mr. Khashoggi to the highest level possible.' Richard Shelby, Republican of Alabama and the Appropriations Committee chairman, echoed that 'all evidence points to that, that all this leads back to the crown prince.'... The clear and biting assessment put Republican senators at odds with the White House, which has steadfastly refused to cast blame on Saudi Arabia's leadership for the death of Mr. Khashoggi...." ...

... Aaron Blake of the Washington Post: "Republican senators emerged from a briefing Tuesday about journalist Jamal Khashoggi's killing and essentially accused the Trump administration of misleading the country about it -- and even covering it up for Saudi Arabia. In remarks after a briefing from CIA Director Gina Haspel, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) and Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) suggested there is no plausible way that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman didn't order the killing of Khashoggi, a Washington Post contributing columnist, and said that the evidence is overwhelming. This is completely contrary to the narrative that has been put forward by President Trump and his secretary of state, Mike Pompeo. Trump has said it's unknowable whether the crown prince was actually behind it -- despite the CIA concluding this with 'high confidence' -- while Pompeo said last week that there was no 'direct reporting' implicating him.... Corker also suggested that the briefing last week, which featured Pompeo and Mattis but not Haspel, was entirely misleading." ...

... Meh. "Journalists Disappear All Over the Country." Daily Beast: "During an interview with CNN's Brianna Keilar on Tuesday, Rep. Chris Stewart (R-UT) defended ... Donald Trump's decision to stand by Saudi Arabia despite overwhelming evidence that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was behind the murder of U.S.-based journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Admitting that it's possible MBS ordered the killing, Stewart, who serves on the House Intelligence Committee, said, 'We have to have to have a relationship with some players that we don't agree with. Journalists disappear all over the country. 20 journalists have been killed in Mexico. You don't think it happens in Turkey and China? Of course it does. And yet we have to have a relationship with these individuals, or with these countries." ...

... "Meet Your Modern GOP," Ctd. Matt Shuham of TPM: "Rep. Chris Stewart (R-UT), a member of the House Intelligence Committee, argued Tuesday for maintaining a close diplomatic relationship with Saudi Arabia, despite the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, because 'journalists disappear all over the country.'" --s

Election 2018

Alex Isenstadt & John Bresnahan of Politico: "The House GOP campaign arm suffered a major hack during the 2018 election, exposing thousands of sensitive emails to an outside intruder, according to three senior party officials. The email accounts of four senior aides at the National Republican Congressional Committee were surveilled for several months, the party officials said. The intrusion was detected in April by an NRCC vendor, who alerted the committee and its cybersecurity contractor. An internal investigation was initiated and the FBI was alerted to the attack, said the officials.... However, senior House Republicans -- including Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) -- were not informed of the hack until Politico contacted the NRCC on Monday with questions about the episode. Rank-and-file House Republicans were not told, either. Rep. Steve Stivers (R-Ohio), who served as NRCC chairman this past election cycle, did not respond to repeated requests for comment.... Party officials would not say when the hack began or who was behind it, although they privately believe it was a foreign agent due to the nature of the attack." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ...

     ... Mrs. McCrabbie: I'm not the hacker but I know what the "sensitive" e-mails said: "Let's cheat this guy. Let's steal some ballots. Let's not let "those people" vote in Georgia." And so forth. ...

... MEANWHILE, Democratic Women Do It Better:

... Alex Roarty of McClatchyDC: "At every step of the 2018 election, House Democrats at the DCCC relied heavily on a data and analytics team that guided the committee through two years of tumultuous politics and an ever-fluctuating path back to the majority. The results speak for themselves.... They were the party's largest House gains in a single campaign since 1974. DCCC officials were also delighted that, in an election where the party earned overwhelming support for women and benefited from a surge of female candidates, the team analyzing the numbers behind-the-scenes was also led by three women: Rosa Mendoza, who ran the analytics team at the group's independent expenditure operation, Amber Carrier, the group's director of polling and modeling, and [Claire] Low, the targeting director." --s

Florida. William March of The Tampa Bay Times: "Newly elected [Republican] congressman Ross Spano has acknowledged that his campaign financing 'may have been in violation' of federal law. In a filing with the Federal Elections Commission which Spano released publicly Saturday afternoon, he acknowledged borrowing $180,000 from two people he has described as personal friends from June through October this year, and then lending his campaign $167,000 in roughly the same time period.... When he made the loans to his campaign, Spano said on campaign finance reports that the money came from his 'personal funds.'... Several election law experts have said that if Spano's loans to his campaign came ... from money borrowed from friends, it appears to violate campaign finance law." --s (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Georgia. Richard Fausset of the New York Times: "Widespread anger in Georgia over a voting system that Democrats believed to be rigged against them was not enough to prevent a Republican candidate from winning a runoff on Tuesday for secretary of state, the chief overseer of the state's elections. Brad Raffensperger, an engineer from the Atlanta suburbs and a member of the State House, defeated John Barrow, a Democrat who supported overhauling the election system that some in his party said had helped Republicans 'steal' the closely fought Georgia governor's race last month.... Uncertified tallies at 11 p.m. showed Mr. Raffensperger with about 53 percent of the vote in the runoff, compared with 47 percent for Mr. Barrow."

North Carolina. Mike DeBonis of the Washington Post: "The incoming House majority leader said Democrats might refuse to seat a North Carolina Republican next year unless and until 'substantial' questions about the integrity of his election are resolved. Rep. Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.), the current minority whip, made the comments to reporters Tuesday as North Carolina election officials investigate whether an operative hired by Republican candidate Mark Harris illegally collected incomplete ballots from voters. The probe has delayed the certification of Harris's narrow victory in North Carolina's 9th Congressional District, and the state officials could decide to call for a new election. Harris and Democrat Dan McCready are separated by 905 votes, according to unofficial returns. But Hoyer's comments throw into doubt whether, if Harris's win is ultimately certified, he would be sworn in as a member." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Dana Milbank: The Republican party, having lost the votes of normal, decent people in the Age of Trump, has resorted to a strategy of thievery. Milbank lists numerous cases on point.


** Ian Millhiser
of ThinkProgress: "A quarter century ago, America was approaching a consensus regarding how our Constitution should be read.... All of that changed after the late President George H.W. Bush placed Justice Clarence Thomas on the Supreme Court. Justice Thomas may be the most underestimated person in American law. As I wrote last June, 'no justice did more to shape a political movement's sense of what it can achieve through litigation.'... His plans to dismantle the federal administrative state now dominate both the Federalist Society and the Trump administration. His opinions suggesting that much of the New Deal and the Great Society are unconstitutional taught a generation of conservative law students to dream of a world where every law they disagree with is struck down by the Supreme Court.... No one could win a presidential election running on these policies.... But what Clarence Thomas taught the conservative movement is that it doesn't need to campaign openly on its most radical ideas. Presidents can run on much more popular ideas and even govern with relative moderation, and allow their judicial nominees to do the heavy lifting for them. They may even be remembered as moderates despite the actions of their nominees. Just look at George H.W. Bush." --s (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ...

... Matt Ford of the New Republic on the effects of the processes of Clarence Thomas' confirmation. On, and this: Thomas' "replacement of [Thurgood] Marshall also produced one of the largest ideological swings for a single seat in the court's modern history. The story of Supreme Court nominations is a story of what-ifs, and Marshall's retirement is perhaps the most poignant of all for liberals: The civil-rights icon died two years after he retired on January 23, 1999 -- three days after Bill Clinton's inauguration. Had Clinton chosen his successor, Bush v. Gore may have been decided differently, and the last two decades of American history would be unrecognizable."

Annals of "Journalism," Ctd. R.I.P. Edition. Jane Coaston of Vox: "The future of the conservative magazine the Weekly Standard is at risk as the magazine's ownership, MediaDC, is reportedly refocusing its attention on its other main publication, the Washington Examiner. And the Daily Caller is reporting that the magazine could be shut down as soon as December 14, though the company that owns MediaDC (and thus TWS) told CNN that it is continuing to explore possibilities and 'does not have any news to share' at this point. As one source told me, 'This is not about dwindling subscribers. This is about strip-mining TWS for its assets' -- namely, the magazine's subscriber lists. At the heart of the troubles is the Weekly Standard's turn against Trumpism, which has proven a losing bet in a conservative movement that has increasingly embraced the president. MediaDC reportedly wants to jettison the anti-Trump brand of the Weekly Standard but use its subscribers to bolster the more pro-Trump -- or at least Trump-agnostic -- Examiner."

Your Wednesday Chuckle. Noor Al-Sibai of RawStory: "Former White House adviser Steve Bannon was supposed to headline a sex robot conference [the Fourth Annual Congress on Love and Sex with Robots] -- and has lost multiple speaking gigs since it was announced. The Montana Kaimin, a student newspaper at the University of Montana, reported Tuesday that the Athenian Parrhesia Free Speech Forum, a debate event Bannon was supposed to participate in, was cancelled after a growing outcry from the UM community.... The sex robot conference itself was cancelled alongside the 15th International Conference on Advances in Computer Entertainment Technology, the Missoula Current reported." Includes hilarious tweeter reactions. --safari: Or should we weep, knowing this walking disease is one of the most influential blowhards in right-wing politics?

Presidential Election 2020

Matt Viser of the Washington Post: "Beto O'Rourke, weighing whether to mount a 2020 presidential bid, met recently with Barack Obama at his post-presidency offices in Washington. The meeting, which was held Nov. 16 at the former president's offices in Foggy Bottom, came as former Obama aides have encouraged the Democratic House member to run, seeing him as capable of the same kind of inspirational campaign that caught fire in the 2008 presidential election. The meeting was the first sign of Obama getting personally involved in conversations with O'Rourke, who, despite his November loss in a U.S. Senate race in Texas, has triggered more recent discussion and speculation than any other candidate in the burgeoning 2020 field.... The former president has reportedly met with several potential 2020 candidates, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and former New Orleans mayor Mitch Landrieu (D). He is in the awkward position of trying to ensure his party wins back the White House, but without weighing in too aggressively in a primary that could consist of his former vice president (Joe Biden), a longtime friend (former Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick) and some of his former Cabinet officials (Eric H. Holder Jr., his attorney general, and Julián Castro, his housing secretary). Obama's stated mission has been to build a new generation of Democratic leaders, and two weeks ago he said that O'Rourke, who is 46, reminded him of himself."

Mike Memoli of NBC News: "Former Vice President Joe Biden on Monday said his decision on whether to enter the 2020 presidential race will rest on a whether he and his family are 'ready,' even as he argued that his strengths as a potential candidate far outweigh any perceived liabilities. Biden's comments came during a brief tour promoting the paperback release of his 2017 memoir, 'Promise Me, Dad,' in which he details how the death of his eldest son, Beau, from brain cancer kept him out of the 2016 presidential race. 'I think I'm the most qualified person in the country to be president. The issues that we face as a country today are the issues that I've worked on my whole life -- the plight of the middle class and foreign policy,' Biden told an audience in Montana, according to The Missoula Current. 'But my family and I need to decide as a unit whether we're ready -- we do everything as a family.'" (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Natasha Korecki, et al., of Politico: "Former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick is calling close allies and informing them he is not running for president in 2020, sources close to the governor tell Politico. Patrick informed staff and advisers of his decision today, the sources say, with an announcement to come as soon as this week."

Justin Wise of the Hill: "Michael Avenatti, the attorney for adult-film actress Stormy Daniels, announced Tuesday that he will not run for president in 2020, ending speculation that he could challenge President Trump. 'After consultation with my family and at their request, I have decided not to seek the presidency of the U.S. in 2020,' Avenatti said in a statement shared on Twitter. 'I do not make this decision lightly -- I make it out of respect for my family. But for their concerns, I would run.'" (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Mrs. McCrabbie: If you wish to announce you are not running for president -- or you are running for president -- you may do so here.


Sausage Fest. Gillian Tan & Katia Porzecanski of Bloomberg: "Call it the Pence Effect, after U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, who has said he avoids dining alone with any woman other than his wife. In finance, the overarching impact can be, in essence, gender segregation. Interviews with more than 30 senior executives [on Wall Street] suggest many are spooked by #MeToo and struggling to cope. 'It's creating a sense of walking on eggshells,' said David Bahnsen, a former managing director at Morgan Stanley who's now an independent adviser overseeing more than $1.5 billion.... Now, more than a year into the #MeToo movement ... Wall Street risks becoming more of a boy's club, rather than less of one." --s (Also linked yesterday.)

Rachel Abrams & Edmund Lee of the New York Times: "Facing multiple sexual misconduct allegations and fearing his career as an entertainment titan was over, Leslie Moonves, the chief executive of CBS, destroyed evidence and misled investigators in an attempt to preserve his reputation and save a lucrative severance deal, according to a draft of a report prepared for the company's board.... The report, a copy of which was reviewed by The New York Times, says Mr. Moonves 'engaged in multiple acts of serious nonconsensual sexual misconduct in and outside of the workplace, both before and after he came to CBS in 1995.' The report includes previously undisclosed allegations of sexual misconduct against him. The lawyers who conducted the inquiry wrote that they had spoken with Mr. Moonves four times and found him to be 'evasive and untruthful at times and to have deliberately lied about and minimized the extent of his sexual misconduct.'"

Julie Brown of the Miami Herald: "A trial that could have allowed the victims of serial molester Jeffrey Epstein to finally tell their stories from a witness stand was aborted Tuesday when it was announced in court that the case had been settled. It ended with an apology -- not to the dozens of women who were sexually abused by Epstein as underage girls, but to the lawyer who represented them. There is also a monetary settlement, which is undisclosed." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Beyond the Beltway

Alabama. Daniel Victor of the New York Times: "A black man killed by the police in an Alabama mall in November was shot three times from behind, according to a forensic examination commissioned by the man's family. The finding, announced in a news conference on Monday, was seen by the man's family and lawyers as evidence he was running away and posed no threat to the officer who shot him. Emantic Fitzgerald Bradford Jr., 21, was fatally shot in the middle of a panicked crowd at the Riverchase Galleria in Hoover, Ala., on Nov. 22, as officers responded to reports of gunshots on Thanksgiving night. Witnesses said Mr. Bradford, who was legally carrying a handgun, was directing shoppers to safety. But the authorities publicly identified him as the gunman, an initial misidentification they retracted a day later." (Also linked yesterday.)

Michigan & Wisconsin. "Banana Republic Dictators." Allan Smith of NBC News: "Democrats fought back Monday as Republican legislators in Wisconsin and Michigan moved to strip power from them after the GOP lost a series of crucial races last month. In Wisconsin, Republicans pressed ahead with a lame-duck session -- the first held in eight years -- to give GOP Gov. Scott Walker the opportunity to limit the power of his successor, Democratic Gov.-elect Tony Evers. The Republican measures would also change the date of the 2020 presidential primary to benefit a conservative state Supreme Court justice and limit early voting. If passed, the state Senate and Assembly could vote on the measures on Tuesday.... In Michigan, meanwhile, Republicans introduced bills late last week to diminish the powers of the incoming Democratic governor, secretary of state and attorney general as well.... The efforts are likely to be met with legal challenges should they pass.... 'These Republican legislatures are acting like banana republic dictators, not leaders in a democracy,' Jared Leopold, communications director for the Democratic Governors Association, told NBC News in a statement. 'These proposals are an insult to the voters of Wisconsin and Michigan,' he said." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Texas. Justin Miller of the Texas Observer: "At the Texas Republican Party’s 2018 convention, Ray Myers was a part of a select group of activists charged with crafting the platform for the biggest and most influential state party in the country. Myers is also a white nationalist, a fact that he declared last week. 'Damn Right, I’m a WHITE NATIONALIST and very Proud of it,' Myers wrote in a Facebook post last Tuesday. Myers is a 74-year-old activist who has been involved in GOP politics for decades. But 'the pivotal political moment came when Obama came on the scene. I knew immediately that America was in trouble,' he said in an Empower Texans profile. Soon after, he founded a tea party chapter in Kaufman County, just east of Dallas. More recently, Myers was a member of Ted Cruz’s 'Texas Leadership Team' during his presidential campaign, served as a Cruz delegate at the RNC convention and went on to become a Trump volunteer, according to his Facebook profile." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)