The Conversation -- July 23, 2025
Reuters, republished by CNBC: “A group representing General Motors , Ford and Chrysler-parent Stellantis on Tuesday raised concerns about a trade deal that could cut tariffs on auto imports from Japan to 15% while leaving tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico at 25%. Matt Blunt, who heads the American Automotive Policy Council that represents the Detroit Three automakers, said they were still reviewing the agreement but 'any deal that charges a lower tariff for Japanese imports with virtually no U.S. content than the tariff imposed on North American built vehicles with high U.S. content is a bad deal for U.S. industry and U.S. auto workers.' Trump has threatened to hike tariffs on Mexico to 30% and Canada to 35% on August 1.”
Julian Barnes of the New York Times: “Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence, released new documents on Wednesday that she said undermined the conclusion of intelligence agencies during the Obama administration that Russia favored the election of Donald J. Trump in 2016. Ms. Gabbard released a declassified version of a report from the House Intelligence Committee, originally drafted in 2017, when Republicans led the committee. The report took issue with the conclusion reached in December 2016 that President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia had favored Mr. Trump.... On Wednesday, she said in a social media post that Mr. Trump had ordered the declassification of the report and that the information showed the 'most egregious weaponization and politicization of intelligence in American history.'... The House report found that most of the judgments made by the intelligence community in 2016 were sound. But it argued that the work was rushed, as a recent tradecraft analysis by the C.I.A. also found.... The findings were at odds with a bipartisan series of Senate reports that later affirmed the work of the C.I.A. and the other intelligence agencies on the 2016 assessment.” ~~~
~~~ Marie: For me, any "report" by House Republicans is filler for a burn bag.
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Marie: In case you miss the forest for the trees in today's links, today's Trumpy news reports seem to me to be particularly racist: Trump's attack on President Obama (preceded by his post of a degrading fake video of Obama being captured & cuffed, then behind bars); the administration's "investigations" of George Mason University's supposed discriminatory policies & its first Black president; the mistreatment of immigrants -- most of them racial minorities -- in New York, Florida & El Salvador; the National Park Service's possibly removing park signs that elevate minorities to comply with a Trump order.
Megan Forrester of ABC News: "Days after ... Donald Trump posted an AI-generated fake video showing former President Barack Obama's arrest on his social media platform, the current president pushed conspiracy theories about Obama in the Oval Office on Tuesday, accusing him of treason without providing evidence regarding the 2016 presidential election. 'They tried to rig the election, and they got caught. And there should be very severe consequences for that,' Trump told reporters on Tuesday. A spokesperson for Obama pushed back on the Trump administration's claims, saying while they would 'not normally dignify the constant nonsense' from the White House with a response, the claims are 'outrageous enough to merit one.' 'These bizarre allegations are ridiculous and a weak attempt at distraction,' the statement said. Trump's comments come after Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard submitted a criminal referral to the Department of Justice threatening the Obama administration." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ Luke Broadwater & Julian Barnes of the New York Times: Donald “Trump, under fire over his administration’s handling of the Epstein files, escalated his distract-and-deflect strategy on Tuesday, accusing former President Barack Obama of treason and declaring, 'It’s time to go after people.'... 'The witch hunt that you should be talking about is they caught President Obama,' Mr. Trump said, referring to a report from Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence, that tried to undermine the eight-year-old assessment that Russia favored his election in 2016. 'Obama was trying to lead a coup,' Mr. Trump said. 'And it was with Hillary Clinton.'... 'He started it, and [Joe] Biden was there with him, and [James] Comey was there, and [James]Clapper, the whole group was there.... He’s guilty,' he said of Mr. Obama. 'This was treason....' Mr. Trump’s extended digression, which came during a visit with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. of the Philippines, was a stark example of his campaign of retribution against an ever-growing list of enemies that has little analogue in American history.” ~~~
~~~ Tom Nichols of the Atlantic: “From his first day as a candidate, Trump has appeared animated by anger, fear, and, most of all, pettiness, a small-minded vengefulness that takes the place of actual policy making.... Trump’s second term has been a cavalcade of pettiness; his lieutenants have internalized the president’s culture of purges, retribution, and loyalty checks.... Even on matters of grave international importance, Trump governs by emotion rather than any coherent sense of policy. A few weeks ago, the president seemed to change course on the war in Ukraine.... Putin had finally done something worse than murdering thousands of Ukrainian civilians and kidnapping Ukrainian children: He had made Donald Trump look like a chump.” Thank you to laura h. for this gift link. (MB: BTW, Nichols' essay fits neatly into my Unified Theory of Trumpitydoodah.) (Also linked yesterday.)
Andrew Kaczynski & Em Steck of CNN: “Newly uncovered archived video footage and photos reveal fresh details about Donald Trump’s past relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. Photos from 1993 confirm for the first time that Epstein attended Trump’s 1993 wedding to Marla Maples. Epstein’s attendance at the ceremony at the Plaza Hotel was not widely known until now. In addition, footage from a 1999 Victoria’s Secret fashion event in New York shows Trump and Epstein laughing and chatting together ahead of the runway event.... In a brief call with CNN on Tuesday..., Trump, asked about the wedding photos, responded, 'You’ve got to be kidding me,' before repeatedly calling CNN 'fake news' and hanging up.”
In her daily letter, Heather Cox Richardson points out a touch of irony: "Over the objections of his family, the Trump administration released [240,000 pages of] records compiled by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) about the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.... While this document dump appears to have been announced in order to distract from the Epstein files, it seems unlikely to do so. MAGA and other Americans are interested in the Epstein files because they expect the files will show that the government has been covering up for powerful men who have been able to rape children without facing legal accountability. In contrast, the King files will likely show the government harassing a citizen to pin illegal activity on him, a different side of the same coin that suggests the government is working for rich and powerful white men."
Josh Gerstein, et al., of Politico: “The Justice Department is seeking to meet with Ghislaine Maxwell, the co-conspirator of Jeffrey Epstein, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced Tuesday. Maxwell is currently serving a 20-year federal prison sentence for child sex trafficking and other crimes.... The sudden decision to seek a meeting with Maxwell appears designed to appease Trump’s base. It also raises the question of whether Maxwell may try to leverage the meeting for a reduced prison sentence by telling the Justice Department what it wants to hear.... 'President Trump has told us to release all credible evidence. If Ghislaine Maxwell has information about anyone who has committed crimes against victims, the FBI and the DOJ will hear what she has to say,' Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement posted by Bondi.... Blanche said he anticipates meeting with Maxwell 'in the coming days.'” (Also linked yesterday.)
Johnson Shutting Down House Early to Block Epstein Vote. Annie Karni & Michael Gold of the New York Times : “Speaker Mike Johnson announced on Tuesday that he was cutting short the week’s legislative business and sending the House home early for the summer on Wednesday to avoid having to hold votes on releasing files related to the accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.... As he wrapped up his final news conference before a summer recess that was to have begun on Friday and lasted until September, Mr. Johnson complained about [Democrats'] 'endless efforts to politicize the Epstein investigation.'” MB: Excuse me. Shutting down the house to prevent a vote in order to appease the president* whom you're supposed to be a'checkin' & a'balancin' is “playing political games.” (This is an expansion of a liveblog item by Karni, linked yesterday.) Here's a Washington Post story by Marianna Sotomayor & Kadia Goba, also linked yesterday. ~~~
~~~ Marcie Jones of Wonkette writes that the big break is necessary to give Pam Bondi time to finish the Trump/Epstein coverup. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ Evan Hurst of Wonkette has more thoughts on Trump, Tulsi & the totally sedatious Barack. MB: Hurst writes what I think, but he writes it funnier.
Tracey Tully & Jonah Bromwich of the New York Times: “The leadership of the U.S. attorney’s office in New Jersey was thrown into confusion on Tuesday as top Justice Department officials pushed back after federal judges in the state moved to appoint a new U.S. attorney. The panel of federal judges rejected Alina Habba’s bid to stay in the job as the state’s U.S. attorney. Instead, they invoked a rarely used power to select a candidate of their own, Desiree Leigh Grace, an experienced prosecutor whom Ms. Habba had named as her first assistant soon after she took over as interim U.S. attorney in March. But the attorney general, Pam Bondi, responded Tuesday evening with a social media post defending Ms. Habba and saying that the first assistant — Ms. Grace — 'has just been removed.'... The deputy attorney general, Todd Blanche, also attacked the judges on social media, saying that they had colluded with New Jersey’s Democratic senators, who have opposed Ms. Habba.... Ms. Grace was sent an email Tuesday informing her that she had been fired, according to a person with knowledge of the matter. The rapid sequence of events raises the prospect of yet another confrontation between the Trump administration and the federal judiciary. Ms. Grace’s firing from the office may not nullify the judges’ decision to appoint her as the New Jersey U.S. attorney, but it is unclear whether the judges will be able to enforce their appointment.” This is an updated story linked yesterday. (Also linked yesterday.) An AP report is here.
Another Trumpertantrum Outcome That Is Bad for the U.S. Aurelien Breeden of the New York Times: “The United States said Tuesday it would withdraw from UNESCO, the United Nations cultural agency, the latest move by the Trump administration to cut ties with international organizations. The decision comes just two years after the United States rejoined the organization and will take effect at the end of 2026. The withdrawal reflects ... [Donald] Trump’s deep mistrust and distaste of multilateralism and international institutions, especially those connected to the United Nations.... Repeating steps taken during his first term, Mr. Trump has already pulled the United States out of the World Health Organization and the United Nations Human Rights Council.” ~~~
~~~ Mara Hvistendahl of the New York Times: Donald “Trump’s decision Tuesday to withdraw the United States from the group removes a powerful check on China’s [influence campaign], in the latest example of how the White House retreat from international institutions offers an opening for China to advance its soft power.”
Ana Swanson & River Davis of the New York Times: Donald “Trump said Tuesday that he had reached a 'massive' trade deal with Japan, helping to allay fears of heightened trade tensions between the United States and one of its closest Asian allies. In a social media post Tuesday evening, the president wrote that Japan had agreed to open its country to imports of American cars, trucks, rice and other agricultural products, as well as invest $550 billion into the United States. He said that Japanese exports to the United States would be charged a tariff of 15 percent, lower than the 25 percent tariff he had threatened against the country’s products if Japan did not strike a deal. The deal will also lower the tariff the United States charges on Japanese auto exports, which are subject to a separate tariff schedule, to 15 percent, including a preexisting tariff of 2.5 percent. That will come as a relief to Japanese carmakers, which, like manufacturers in other countries, have faced an additional 25 percent tariff since April.” The CBS News report is here. ~~~
~~~ Paul Krugman: "There are three main things you should take away from this deal: 1. It will increase, not reduce, the U.S. trade deficit[[;] 2. It will accelerate America’s descent into crony capitalism[;] 3. U.S. consumers are still facing a major price shock[.]... Capital inflow from Japan [-- the 550BB Trump requires Japan to invest in the U.S. --] will lead to a stronger dollar than we would have had otherwise, making U.S. goods less competitive across the board.... We’re already well on the way toward an economy in which success in business depends not on how good your product is but on your political influence.... This is another step on that road.... A a 15 percent tariff is still really, really high...."
Ian Austen of the New York Times: “With less than a week left for Canada to reach a trade deal with ... [Donald] Trump or face additional tariffs, Prime Minister Mark Carney on Tuesday downplayed the possibility of a breakthrough and suggested that Canada might walk away empty handed. Mr. Carney spoke after an emergency meeting of Canada’s 10 provinces and three territories that he convened in response to Mr. Trump’s threat to impose 35 percent tariffs on Canadian exports starting on Aug. 1. Asked about the likelihood of reaching a pact by that deadline, Mr. Carney said that 'we’ll agree to a deal if there’s one on the table that is in the best interest of Canadians,' but then later added in French that 'it’s not our objective to have an agreement at any cost.'”
In Our Names. Teo Armus, et al., of the Washington Post: “Three Venezuelans, released last week from the Terrorism Confinement Center, said they were repeatedly beaten and denied access to lawyers.... In the four months they spent there, the detainees said, they were beaten repeatedly with wooden bats. [Julio] González was robbed of thousands of dollars, he said, and denied access to lawyers or a chance to call his family. Joen Suárez, 23, was taken several times to a dark room known as La Isla — or 'the island' — and beaten, kicked and insulted. Angel Blanco Marin, 22, said he was hit so hard he lost half of a molar. He asked for painkillers and medical attention but was given none for more than a month. The three men returned to their family’s homes in Venezuela this week.... 'Once again the media is falling all over themselves to defend criminal illegal gang members, Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. 'We hear far too much about gang members and criminals’ false sob stories and not enough about their victims.' The three men denied any gang affiliations. Neither the U.S. nor El Salvador has provided evidence that they are gang members.” ~~~
~~~ Luis Ferré-Sadurní of the New York Times: “For weeks, immigrants have complained about overcrowded and unsanitary conditions inside the holding cells of the federal immigration offices in New York City, drawing scrutiny from lawmakers and denials from the Trump administration. On Tuesday, new video footage offered the first glimpse inside one of the four cells on the 10th floor of 26 Federal Plaza in Lower Manhattan, where the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency has held hundreds of migrants for days at a time since ICE stepped up arrests this summer. Two videos, which were recorded by a migrant who was held there last week and sneaked in his cellphone, show more than a dozen men sprawled on the floor atop thin thermal blankets or sitting on benches built into the room’s white walls.... ICE had traditionally used the cells, which don’t have beds, to hold a small number of migrants for a few hours while they are processed and dispatched to detention centers outside the city.” The Guardian's story is here. ~~~
~~~ Richard Luscombe of the Guardian: “Migrants at a Miami immigration jail were shackled with their hands tied behind their backs and made to kneel to eat food from styrofoam plates 'like dogs', according to a report published on Monday into conditions at three overcrowded south Florida facilities. The incident at the downtown federal detention center is one of a succession of alleged abuses at jails operated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (Ice) in the state since January, chronicled by the advocacy groups Human Rights Watch, Americans for Immigrant Justice, and Sanctuary of the South from interviews with detainees. Dozens of men had been packed into a holding cell for hours, the report said, and denied lunch until about 7pm. They remained shackled with the food on chairs in front of them.” Thanks to RAS for the link. (Also linked yesterday.)
Jeff Crisp in a New York Times op-ed: “Deporting foreign nationals to countries other than their homeland has quickly become a centerpiece of the Trump administration’s immigration policy. Thousands of people have been sent to countries in the Western Hemisphere, including Costa Rica, El Salvador, Mexico and Panama.... All told, administration officials have reached out to dozens of states to try to strike deals to accept deportees.... By deporting foreign nationals to often unstable third countries, the Trump administration is not only creating a novel class of exiles with little hope of returning to either the United States or their country of origin, but also explicitly using these vulnerable populations as bargaining chips in a wider strategy of diplomatic and geopolitical deal making. This strategy marks a significant evolution in a practice that has been gaining traction throughout the developed world.... By expanding the practice of forced relocation, Mr. Trump is using migrants as currency in a global network of geopolitical negotiation.... He is setting a dangerous precedent for other democratic countries by ignoring the moral and reputational cost of shipping desperate people into terrible conditions.”
Brianna Sacks of the Washington Post: Donald “Trump and the Federal Emergency Management Agency moved quickly to support Texas, approving [Gov.] Greg Abbott’s disaster declaration the next day. But for an event of this magnitude, past presidents have verbally approved a governor’s request within minutes, said Michael Coen, a former chief of staff in the FEMA administrator’s office. And the robust response to the flooding in Texas contrasts sharply with delays faced by other states that have sustained deadly floods and other disasters this year, FEMA staff and state disaster officials say. Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan and West Virginia had been waiting since the spring for the federal government to approve their requests for assistance, with some governors continuously pushing the White House for answers. Then, in a flurry of Truth Social posts Tuesday evening, Trump announced he had signed disaster declarations for those four states, freeing up millions of dollars in federal aid. At least six states and two Native American tribes are still waiting for the president and FEMA to approve their requests for disaster response and recovery assistance.... According to a FEMA official familiar with the declarations, the president only approved portions of the long-awaited requests....”
Making America Smoggy Again. Lisa Friedman of the New York Times: “The Trump administration has drafted a plan to repeal a fundamental scientific finding that gives the United States government its authority to regulate greenhouse-gas emissions and fight climate change, according to two people familiar with the plan. The proposed Environmental Protection Agency rule rescinds a 2009 declaration known as the 'endangerment finding,' which scientifically established that greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane endanger human lives. That finding is the foundation of the federal government’s only tool to limit the climate pollution from vehicles, power plants and other industries that is dangerously heating the planet. The E.P.A. proposal, which is expected to be made public within days, also calls for rescinding limits on tailpipe emissions that were designed to encourage automakers to build and sell more electric vehicles. Those regulations, which were based on the endangerment finding, were a fundamental part of the Biden administration’s efforts to move the country away from gasoline-powered vehicles. The transportation sector is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States.” MB: Even when I put on my tinfoil hat, I cannot think of any excuse for this.
Danielle Douglas-Gabriel of the Washington Post: “Without much notice, the Education Department has suspended student loan forgiveness under a long-standing repayment plan, offering no timeline for resumption and little explanation for the decision. Income-Based Repayment is one of four federal plans that tie monthly payments to earnings and family size with the promise of loan forgiveness after 20 or 25 years of payments. It is the only income-driven plan that is not affected by a court injunction and, therefore, was the only one still processing loan forgiveness, according to the department. About 2 million borrowers are enrolled in the plan.”
Dan Rosenzweig-Ziff of the Washington Post: “The Trump administration has launched its fourth investigation in as many weeks into George Mason University, the latest in an effort some at the Virginia university believe is an attempt to oust its president over diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. Gregory Washington, George Mason’s first Black president, has repeatedly and publicly defended the school in recent months, rejecting allegations that the university had policies that were discriminatory. The Justice Department notified George Mason on Monday that it would investigate possible discrimination on grounds of race or national origin in the school’s admissions and student benefits policies. It comes days after the department launched a probe into the university’s hiring and promotions practices. Meanwhile, the Education Department initiated two inquiries earlier this month over similar allegations of discrimination at the Northern Virginia university.”
Maxine Joselow & Lisa Friedman of the New York Times: “At Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia, the [Trump] administration will soon decide whether to take down exhibits on the brutality of slavery. And at Castillo de San Marcos National Monument in Florida, Trump officials are scrutinizing language about the imprisonment of Native Americans inside the Spanish stone fortress.... Employees of the National Park Service have flagged descriptions and displays at scores of parks and historic sites for review in connection with ... [Donald] Trump’s directive to remove or cover up materials that 'inappropriately disparage Americans.'... Employees had until last week to flag materials that could be changed or deleted, and the Trump administration said it would remove all 'inappropriate' content by Sept. 17, according to the internal agency documents. The public also has been asked to submit potential changes. In response, a coalition of librarians, historians and others organized through the University of Minnesota has launched a campaign called 'Save Our Signs.' It is asking the public to take photos of existing content at national parks and upload it. The group is using those images to build a public archive before any materials may be altered. So far, it has more than 800 submissions.” The link appears to be a gift link.
Alexa Robles-Gill of the New York Times: “More than 140 employees of the National Science Foundation have signed a letter denouncing what they described as efforts to undermine one of the country’s main science funding agencies. They accused the Trump administration of abruptly firing workers, withholding funds and decimating the agency’s budget. Out of fear of retaliation, all but one of the employees’ signatures are redacted. The letter, addressed on Monday to Representative Zoe Lofgren, the senior Democrat on the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, petitioned it to defend the mission of the N.S.F. and its employees.... The formal protest by N.S.F. employees followed similar ones made last month by workers from the National Institutes of Health and the Environmental Protection Agency, who criticized orders that they saw as unlawful and accused the administration of endangering public health. The E.P.A. suspended 144 of the signatories a few days after the letter was sent, a step that has been described by some as retaliation. In a news conference on Tuesday, Representative Lofgren said the letter was submitted to her office as a whistle-blower complaint. In a statement thanking the signers, she added: 'I promise to do all I can to protect you, protect your agency, and protect our scientific enterprise.'” ~~~
~~~ Marie: “... a step that has been described by some as retaliation.” Yeah, I guess “some” would describe suspending everybody right after they sent a critical letter as “retaliation.” The letter, via House Democrats, is here. The names of signatories have been redacted; many signed anonymously.
Michaela Towfighi & Robin Pogrebin of the New York Times: “Republican lawmakers moved on Tuesday to rename the Opera House at the John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts in Washington after the first lady, Melania Trump. The proposal was introduced by Republican members of the House Appropriations Committee as part of a spending bill for the Department of the Interior, environment and related agencies. The legislation would require approval from the full House. Mr. Trump, who did not attend the annual Kennedy Center Honors awards ceremony during his first term, has shown fervent interest in the performing arts center in his second, naming himself its chairman shortly after returning to office. He purged the Kennedy Center board of Biden appointees, and ousted both the center’s longtime president, Deborah F. Rutter, and its chairman, David M. Rubenstein. By tradition, the first lady serves as the honorary chair of the performing arts center. Mrs. Trump recently attended a performance of 'Les Misérables' at the center with the president.” The Independent's story is here. ~~~
~~~ Nathaniel Reed on X: "Buried in amendments to the Interior Dept. Gov funding bill, is a stipulation that the Kennedy Center Opera House must be renamed the 'First Lady Melania Trump Opera House' in order to receive federal funds. The Appropriations Committee adopted that amendment by a vote of 33-25." Reed includes an image of the pages of House amendments that seem to back his assertion. Via Paul Campos in LG&$.
Gary Legum of Wonkette reveals that Rep. Jim Comer, the noble representative of Kentucky's first and best Congressional District, has figured out a way to get rid of all of Joe Biden's judicial appointments, thus repairs the ills of "the biggest scandal in the history of American politics." And you thought Comer was stupid. (Also linked yesterday.)
Katie Robertson of the New York Times: “A federal appeals court on Tuesday upheld an earlier ruling allowing the Trump administration to block The Associated Press from covering the president in certain spaces. The full U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit said in an order that it would keep in place a June 6 decision that found that it was legal for the president to restrict access to a news organization in invite-only places like the Oval Office or Air Force One. The White House has been at loggerheads with The A.P. since February, when it began barring the outlet’s journalists from press events because it continued to use the term Gulf of Mexico in news coverage instead Gulf of America, as the president has renamed the body of water.... Tuesday’s order to continue the stay of the lower court’s ruling is a blow to The A.P., but not the end of the legal battle. The appeals court will later review the merits of the A.P.’s lawsuit itself.”
Katie Benner of the New York Times: “Most Planned Parenthood clinics are now cut off from Medicaid funding, after a court ruling. A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction on Monday night that allowed only a fraction of Planned Parenthood health centers to receive Medicaid payments for services like birth control, annual checkups and tests for sexually transmitted diseases. While the judge is open to extending the injunction to cover more clinics, for now most of them are not covered by the order.... The provision in the law applies to nonprofit health centers that provide abortions, but with a threshold that only Planned Parenthood health centers seem large enough to meet: entities that generated $800,000 or more in revenue from Medicaid payments in the 2023 fiscal year.... Judge [Indira] Talwani [of the Federal District Court in Massachusetts] ruled on Monday that affiliates like the one in Utah that do not exceed the $800,000 revenue threshold should continue to receive Medicaid funding while the lawsuit makes its way through the courts. And she said that affiliates that are in states where abortion is illegal, and thus do not provide the procedure, should continue to receive Medicaid reimbursements as well.”
Don Moynihan on Substack: "A couple of months ago, the major concern was what would happen when Trump defied the courts. A more complicated picture is now emerging. One that mixes quiet but unmistakable defiance of court decisions by the Trump administration with encouragement from the six Republican-appointed Justices who sit atop the judicial branch. This is an arguably worse scenario, since it provides a veneer of legalism.... The emerging pattern is that the Trump administration is checked by the lower courts, slow-walks compliance, and sometimes asks SCOTUS for help, which they usually provide via poorly reasoned opinions or no opinions at all.... The combination of Trump defiance and SCOTUS enabling has allowed him to move ahead with some extraordinarily damaging actions, which will be impossible to quickly or fully unwind."
Peter Eavis of the New York Times: “American steel makers are raising prices, forcing new costs onto domestic manufacturers that make everything from cars to military tanks. The increases come on the back of President Trump’s tariffs on steel and aluminum. Two big American producers, Cleveland-Cliffs and Steel Dynamics, reported on Monday that they had charged more for their products in the second quarter of this year than they did in the first quarter. About a fifth of the steel sold in the United States is imported. The steel tariffs, which were raised last month to 50 percent from 25 percent, have made imports of the metal much more expensive. And as imports have declined, American producers have more power to opportunistically increase their prices, buyers said.” (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ Jack Ewing of the New York Times: “General Motors said on Tuesday that its profit in the second quarter fell by more than a third, after ... [Donald] Trump’s tariffs cost the company more than $1 billion. G.M. was the second automaker this week to show the toll that the Trump administration’s trade policies are taking on the industry. Stellantis, the maker of Chrysler, Jeep and Ram vehicles, said on Monday that it lost 2.3 billion euros ($2.7 billion) in the first half of the year partly because of tariffs and other Republican policies. Automakers are an important pillar of the U.S. economy and the industry employs about one million manufacturing workers. Eroding profits will make it harder for them to invest in new technologies to withstand growing competition from Chinese automakers that have been expanding abroad.” (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ Margot Amouyal & Shannon Najmabadi of the Washington Post: “The Trump administration’s tariffs are hitting companies that do business in the United States. But prices haven’t reflected them yet in many cases.... Automakers might increase prices moving forward, according to a report from the intelligence firm AlixPartners. It noted that automakers are expected to pass on 80 percent of the cost of Trump’s tariffs to consumers.... Beyond the U.S. auto industry, other companies that cited tariffs for reducing profits include oil services provider Halliburton, which said Tuesday that tariffs lowered profits by $27 million in the second quarter.... Economists and industry observers said it’s too soon for tariffs to show up in consumer prices.” ~~~
~~~ Marie: I'd like to remind all the brilliant businessmen tha they backed Trump while he was campaigning on a promise to impose high tariffs on imports. They backed his because they believed he would lower taxes on the rich brilliant businesspeople and their rich corporations -- which he did. But also too a tariff is a tax. Innit? I'm sure you'll figure out soon enough how to make sure consumers pump more money into your bottom line, and your profits will be right back up there. OR we'll have a Trumpomungus depression.
Marie: Looks as if we need a "Today's Capitulations" section. Here are a U.S. Olympics committee, a major corporation and a top-tier university all bending over backwards to accommodate Trump. (Trump urged Coca Cola executives to change their formula.) ~~~
Juliet Macur of the New York Times: “The United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee quietly changed its eligibility rules on Monday to bar transgender women from competing in Olympic women’s sports, and now will comply with ... [Donald] Trump’s executive order on the issue, according to a post on the organization’s website. The new policy, expressed in a short, vaguely worded paragraph, is tucked under the category of 'USOPC Athlete Safety Policy' on the site, and does not include details of how the ban will work. Nor does the new policy include the word 'transgender' or the title of Mr. Trump’s executive order, 'Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports,' referring to it instead as 'Executive Order 14201.'... The committee’s new policy means that the national governing bodies of sports federations in the United States now must follow the U.S.O.P.C.’s lead, according to several chief executives of sports within the Olympic movement.” The ABC News story is here.
Rachel Roubein & Caitlin Gilbert of the Washington Post: “... Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ... praised Steak ’n Shake for announcing that the fast-food chain would start offering Coca-Cola with real cane sugar instead of high-fructose corn syrup. The soda company announced Tuesday it would roll out that version of its product in the United States this fall as an additional option for consumers. 'MAHA is winning,' Kennedy posted Saturday on X..., referring to his 'Make America Healthy Again' movement aimed at reducing chronic disease and childhood illness. But studies do not show substantial benefits in using cane sugar as a substitute for high-fructose corn syrup, some nutrition experts said.” (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ BUT. Emily Heil of the Washington Post said asked six Post colleagues to participate in a taste-test, and five out of six chose the Mexican cane-sugar Coke as better tasting than the U.S. corn-syrup variety. (Also linked yesterday.)
Sharon Otterman of the New York Times: “Columbia University has expelled and suspended students who were involved in a pro-Palestinian demonstration that shut down the main campus library in May, moving more quickly to hand down punishments than it has in the past, university officials announced on Tuesday. The significant punishments, which were issued under a newly centralized disciplinary process, were an example of the tougher stance Columbia has vowed to take toward demonstrations that violate campus rules.... A person with knowledge of the matter ... said that just over 70 students had been punished. Of those, about 60 were suspended, with most suspensions to last for two years, the person said. A handful of students were expelled. Fewer than 10 protesters received probation, a lighter punishment meted out to first-time offenders and to those who cooperated when security guards asked them to identify themselves. At least one demonstrator had their degree revoked, a severe punishment given only to repeat offenders. The expulsions and suspensions come as Columbia continues to negotiate with the Trump administration for the return of more than $400 million in federal research funding.”
Tom Sullivan of Hullabaloo posts some clips of Mehdi Hasan debating 20 young fascist dumbos. So not a fair fight. MB: I watched a few clips earlier today, and these kids are scary stupid. Thank you to RAS for the link.(Also linked yesterday.)
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The Royal Eric Trump Concession Stand (see Comments for Context):
21 Comments
Reader Comments (21)
About that huge trade deal with Japan. Interesting to hear that Japan would allow more US vehicles into their country, as many models won't even fit their roads.
Guess we'll see. Maybe.
This scorpion never dies. But you do.
So here’s Lisa Murkowski (PoT-Palin’s back porch) who sold her soul (and the medical aid that would have saved the lives of her constituents, had she not voted to let them die) to pass Fat Hitler’s horrible bill. She thought she’d be rewarded by der Fett Führer for sewing all those Nazi emblems on her clothes.
Surprise! Fettig schtupped her.
“Ahead of the bill’s passage earlier this month, Murkowski had co-sponsored an amendment to ease the phaseout of tax credits for solar and wind energy under the Biden-era Inflation Reduction Act. Her measure would ensure a 12-month window for clean energy projects, which would end in 2027. These tax credits would help to alleviate a looming energy crisis along Alaska’s Railbelt, the electrical grid that serves roughly 75 percent of the population, due to declining resources of natural gas.
Trump threw a wrench in that agreement Friday when he issued an executive order to ‘end market distorting subsidies’ for green energy projects. The order directs Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to take actions to ‘strictly enforce the termination of the clean electricity production and investment tax credits.’”
Lisa, Lisa, Lisa. You never heard the story about the frog who gives the scorpion a lift across the river? Halfway across the scorpion stings the frog (cuz that’s how scorpions roll) and they both die.
But when the scorpion is Trump it’s different. Only you die.
Dummkopf.
Test
The Epstein brouhaha is maddening is so many ways, but the biggest of all may be that it's stirred up such a storm in the first place.
Don't wish to make light of any part of what Epstein and his buddies did to young girls. In fact (to sound a bit more like the generation that raised me than makes me comfortable) castration seems an appropriate response to their behavior.
However, while the Pretender puffs and sweats trying to distance himself and distract from the succession of sordid Epstein headlines, the real distraction is from the nation's actual problems and from the awful things his administration is doing to make them worse.
Tariff nonsense. Making America smoggy again, as Marie says. The rampant racism. The continuing corruption of law enforcement. The use of FEMA funds as a political weapon. All buried under Epstein headlines.
Now if I were at all conspiracy minded....
The Melania Trump Center for Performing Arts!
I think she should initiate it by doing a strip-tease act for all of the
Trump supporters.
It would be a first for a First Lady, and just think how much money
Donald could rake in selling tickets. Millions. Or thousands.
Or hundreds.
@Ken Winkes: Of course you're right. And while the core of the Epstein story is surely even more true (and more disgusting) than we know, the high dudgeon over it is largely based on some bogus international conspiracy fantasy. And what's to come of it all? What if we find out, probably from journalists, that Trump is a pedophile or even was a knowing participant in a pedophile ring, realists will not be surprised. There are already numerous pieces of information on the public record that support such a finding. It would not take a great leap to get from suspicion to acceptance.
(That might not be true for many right-wing conspiracy theorists. But not to worry! It will take them no time at all to weave the new information into their sprawling conspiracy theory: the international elitist cabal framed Trump! Or something. I think part of the existing theory is that Trump's supposed friendship with Epstein was just a cover for his efforts to gather information to expose & destroy the cabal.)
@Forrest Morris: Thank you! I could not think of any reason to name the center after Melanie. But you're absolutely right. She is not just your average First Lady! (I don't think she's doing much First-Ladying at all.) She is an artiste!
As for the ticket sales, I suspect Melanie will take her cut and there won't be a penny left over for Donald.
Sources Say...
"Is Trump Really Turning the Tables on the Epstein Story? The Beltway Press’s Favorite Source Thinks So.
The [New York] Times cited “Stephen K. Bannon, a former White House adviser to Mr. Trump...
The Washington Post cited “Stephen K. Bannon, Trump’s former adviser...
CNN cited a certain Steve Bannon, identifying him as a leader of the MAGA movement.
Politico cited and reprinted the quote that Bannon gave to the Post."
Prospect
"GOP Wrecking Ball Slams Through Medical System
Hospitals are shutting down, slashing programs, and laying off staff. And the worst parts of the spending law haven’t even hit yet.
Patients and medical centers are already feeling the pain as several provisions in the GOP’s deadly spending law take immediate effect, either as required or in practice.
Hospitals are closing or actively considering doing so, cutting programs, and laying off staff. Planned Parenthood is warning patients it can no longer accept Medicaid insurance and in one region says it can’t provide services to Medicaid recipients at all, even if the patient doesn’t use Medicaid to pay. And lawmakers in at least five states are planning special sessions to revamp their already-enacted budgets and determine how to handle the cuts, including what cuts they should enact and how to administer the new Medicaid work requirement."
Concealer
Netanyahu and the revenge business
Since the start of the horrors in Gaza (and yes, the horrific Hamas attack on Israelis), I have been wondering, especially when day after day, Bibi has his soldiers gunning down children trying to get a few crumbs to stave off starvation, how this could be acceptable to any civilized people (and that includes Americans who support these actions).
Mandy Patinkin, in this short clip, asks that question in a much more passionate manner.
The thing is, once you start down the road of revenge before all else, what does it do to not just you, but everyone else, and when is it enough? Clearly, for some, the answer is never.
For Bibi, a big part of the unending horror is his desperate attempt to cover up his incompetence in allowing the original attack to take place. But one must also consider the damage to our collective psyches by making such daily vicious inhumanity a commonplace (one could say the same about what Fat Hitler and his hate brigade are doing to immigrants in this country.)
AND it is NOT antisemitic to ask those question.
Great opera houses of the world:
The Met
La Scala
Bayreuth
Vienna Staatsoper
Berlin
Paris
The Melanie center???
An opera house named after a sleazy soft core porn grifter who couldn’t tell Puccini’s music from a porcini mushroom?
What’s next? The Stoopid Eric art museum? The Eight Ball Junior Unnatural History museum?
I suppose one must recognize that this sort of slavish sycophancy of naming things after ignoramuses who happen to be sitting on the throne has been a staple of monarchical authoritarianism for centuries. The desire/need to curry favor with bloated imbeciles in charge, to bend the knee to narcissistic nimrods who can make or break individuals, ideas, innovations, explorations…
Is this really where we are now? I expect any day now to see servile MAGA snakes like Bible Mike, crawling on their bellies to present Fat Hitler with the first run of million dollars bills with his faux tough guy mug shot on them (no dollar bills for Fatty…)
We’ve become a joke. A Playskool nation.
Tragedy and comedy have been staples of the operatic repertoire since Monteverdi. I guess the “Melanie Opera House” is keeping that tradition alive.
There's a screw-up on the "Concealers" graphic. Can you spot it?
@Akhilleus: Thank you for the Patinkin clip.
Holy hormones, Batman!
Breaking news from Washington: White House Trans Alarm causes lockdown!
Detection of a trans person creates panic at the White House! Fatty and important members of his MAGA regime rushed to Traditional Family Values bunker for safety.
RFKJ consulted about the dire health effects of Trans COOTIES!! Aieeee!
Concealers mistake: The hand isn't checked
Charlie Warzel, in The Atlantic, on The Desperation of Donald Trump’s Posts
"One can tell a lot about how Trump feels about his own power and influence by the way he’s posting. There are multiple ways to interpret Trump’s weekend posts. The most basic is that Trump’s long-standing obsession with AI slop and memes—working in overdrive right now—is a useful propaganda tool. Before he needed a grassroots meme army to provide memes; now polished and bespoke Trump slop is always just a ChatGPT query away, no genuine enthusiasm required.
A second reading is to see Trump’s affinity for reposting fan art as Executive Cope...Instead [of embattled over a guilty cover-up], he’s arresting Obama. It’s pure fan fiction that depicts Trump having power in a moment when, perhaps, he feels somewhat powerless.
A third reading of Trump’s Truth Social posts—especially his reposting of strange viral Facebook garbage and angry culture-war stuff railing against “woke” sports-team names—suggests that these posts aren’t part of any kind of strategy or coping mechanism, but examples of a person who is addled and raging at things he feels he has no control over. "
@laura hunter: Yup, re: the hand.
One other thing about the Melanie Opera House…
Fatty is screwing the government out of at least $100 million, the typical cost of naming rights for a nationally important facility (according to the Times).
He also upped the budget for the facility by $200 million to add fancy gilding and (probably) monumental pictures of himself (he’ll probably change the name of the Kennedy Center to the Trump Center, he being such a culture maven). So that’s $300 million we’re out.
He also included $300 million in the Horrible Big Bill for protection of Mar a Lardo—ostensibly to cover the expense of local governments providing police escorts and the like for his many trips to his ratty Xanadu. But local officials say they have no idea how much of that $300 mill they’ll actually see.
The grift never stops.
How about the Jeffrey Epstein Summer Camp for teenagers?
Donald surely has to honor his old buddy somehow.
@Akhilleus: If Trump gave the center $1BB (which of course he wouldn't), I would still oppose naming the opera house after Melanie.
But for $2BB, I'd let Eric operate a very lovely concession stand (Coke with real cane sugar only, please) on the Kennedy Center premises when there are events.
A prototype is suggested in a photo I've posted at the bottom of today's page, although of course more gilding (well, gold painted plastic things like in the Oval Office) would be required.
When Donald Jr. heard that daddy requested the Coca Cola change,
he cried---"Don't mess with my coke."
And he didn't mean Coca Cola.