The Conversation -- February 15, 2024

Richard Fausset, et al., of the New York Times: "A hearing that could put Donald J. Trump's election interference case in Georgia in limbo began with a witness testifying that the top prosecutors were in a romantic relationship earlier than they have acknowledged. The defense sees the detail as crucial for arguing that the lead prosecutor and her office should be disqualified from the case.... A friend of [Fulton County District Attorney Fani] Willis, Robin Bryant-Yeartie, testified Thursday morning that she had 'no doubt' that the romance began before Ms. Willis hired [attorney Nathan] Wade for the case. That would contradict the timeline presented by the prosecutors, who said it began in early 2022 -- after Mr. Wade was hired in November 2021. Mr. Wade stuck by his timeline on the witness stand." This is the pinned item in a liveblog. ~~~

Fausset & Danny Hakim: "If Judge Scott McAfee determines that Ms. Willis has a conflict of interest because of her romantic relationship with the prosecutor she hired to manage the case, and that it merits disqualification, his decision would, by extension, disqualify her entire office. The case would then be reassigned to another Georgia prosecutor, who would have the ability to continue with the case exactly as it is, make major changes -- such as adding or dropping charges or defendants -- or to even drop the case altogether. The latter decision would end the prosecution of Mr. Trump and his allies for their actions in Georgia after the 2020 election, when the former president sought to overturn his loss in the state."

Anna Betts: "Ashleigh Merchant is a lawyer representing Michael Roman, a former campaign official for ... Donald J. Trump and a co-defendant facing criminal charges in the Georgia election interference case. Ms. Merchant, who was recently elected president of the Georgia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, owns a private practice with her husband." Betts is arguing that the prosecutors should be disqualified.

Hakim: Merchant "is probing for discrepancies between filings Wade made in his divorce case and his filings in the Trump case."

Fausset: "Nathan Wade is sticking to his contention that his romantic relationship with Fani Willis began in 2022, after he started working for the district attorney's office in November 2021."

Hakim: "Wade says that Willis typically reimbursed him in cash for their joint travel, so there aren't credit card receipts available to show that."

Hakim: "Over a long series of questions about who paid for their joint travel, Nathan Wade is insistent that he and Fani Willis split costs, calling the district attorney an 'independent strong woman' who insisted that 'she is going to pay her own way.' Regarding a trip to California, she [MB: should be 'he,' I think] said, 'Everything we did when we got into Napa, she paid for.'"

Luke Broadwater: "In Washington, the Republican-led House Judiciary Committee has been posting about the proceedings on social media, mocking the Atlanta prosecutors and suggesting they misused taxpayer money."

Hakim: "Under questioning from Steve Sadow, former President Trump's lawyer, Nathan Wade says his romantic relationship with Fani Willis ended in the summer of 2023. But they remain close friends -- 'closer than ever because of these attacks,' he says."

Fausset: "Judge McAfee has now issued a warning to Fani Willis, the Fulton County district attorney, saying he will strike her testimony if she does not directly answer the questions put to her by the defense lawyers seeking to disqualify her from the Trump case. McAfee formerly worked under Wade in the district attorney's office."

     ~~~ Marie: Of course McAfee will be the judge, but so far (end of morning session), it doesn't look good for Willis. Yeartie did testify she had witnessed Willis and Wade "hugging & kissing" (but not co-habiting) prior to Willis' hiring Wade. It is odd, though, that Merchant did not ask Yeartie to elaborate. At all. Yeartie also has a credibility problem in that she and Willis were good friends until Willis told her to quit or be fired from her job in Willis' office. So the facts that Yeartie (1) offered little in the way of specifics about the Willis-Wade relationship and (2) may bear a grudge make her a fairly weak witness, IMO. Wade's testimony, however, was problematic. He did a lot of equivocating on the stand that I did not find vaguely convincing -- just the kind of bullshit excuses you'd expect to hear from a cheating husband. Merchant had the receipts (literally) to refute some of his sworn answers on interrogatories from his divorce case. And his answers to Merchant on when his relationship with Willis began were, well, tortured, IMO. ~~~

     ~~~ Update: Merchant questioned Willis, and Willis made a formidable witness. McAfee was not necessarily going to require her to testify, but she waived her objection to her subpoena. It was the right move, because she helped herself more than hurt. Fulton County indicated they would call witnesses Wednesday to impeach Yeartie.

Jonah Bromich, et al., of the New York Times: "A New York judge on Thursday rejected Donald J. Trump's bid to throw out criminal charges against him stemming from a hush-money payment to a porn star, setting a trial date for next month and clearing the way for the first prosecution of a former American president. The judge, Juan M. Merchan, announced the decision at a hearing in a Lower Manhattan courtroom as Mr. Trump looked on from the defense table. The former president's lawyers objected to the judge's decision for jury selection to begin on March 25, noting that the six-week trial would conflict with Mr. Trump's presidential campaign. One of the former president's lawyers, Todd Blanche, called the schedule 'unfathomable,' arguing that, 'We are in the middle of primary season,' and claiming that the trial would overlap with dozens of Republican primaries and caucuses. But Justice Merchan summarily dismissed arguments from Mr. Trump's lawyers, who had derided the case as 'a discombobulated package of politically motivated charges.' The judge also bristled at the pushback from Mr. Blanche, at one point instructing him to 'stop interrupting me, please.'" This is the pinned item in a liveblog. ~~~

Kate Christobek: "Addressing the cameras in the hallway, Trump says this case is about something that is not a crime. He calls the prosecution election interference that is being brought by 'Joe Biden's White House,' though the case was actually brought by Manhattan's district attorney."

Alan Feuer: "The Manhattan district attorney's office is totally separate from the Justice Department."

Christobek: "The most surprising moment of Trump's hallway comments was how candidly he spoke about his strategy today, saying: 'We want delays, obviously. I'm running for election again.'"

Bromwich: "Merchan says he expects the trial to last about six weeks. He is not humoring [Trump attorney Todd] Blanche, and Blanche is struggling to balance his client's wishes against the judge's impatience."

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Julian Barnes, et al., of the New York Times: "The United States has informed Congress and its allies in Europe about Russian advances on a new, space-based nuclear weapon designed to threaten America's extensive satellite network, according to current and former officials briefed on the matter. Such a satellite-killing weapon, if deployed, could destroy civilian communications, surveillance from space and military command-and control operations by the United States and its allies. At the moment, the United States does not have the ability to counter such a weapon and defend its satellites, a former official said. Officials said that the new intelligence, which they did not describe in detail, raised serious questions about whether Russia was preparing to abandon the Outer Space Treaty of 1967, which bans all orbital nuclear weapons....

"The intelligence was made public, in part, in a cryptic announcement on Wednesday by Representative Michael R. Turner, Republican of Ohio and the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee. He called on the Biden administration to declassify the information without saying specifically what it was.... Mr. Turner's statement ... infuriated White House officials, who feared the loss of important sources of information on Russia.... His committee took the unorthodox move of voting on Monday to make the information available to all members of Congress -- a step that alarmed some officials.... Other officials said Mr. Turner was making more of the new intelligence than would ordinarily have been expected, perhaps to create pressure to prod the House to take up the supplemental funding request for Ukraine that the Senate passed this week.... Senator Mark Warner, Democrat of Virginia, and Senator Marco Rubio, Republican of Florida, said in a joint statement ... that releasing information about the intelligence could expose the methods of collection." CNN's report is here.

Karoun Demirjian of the New York Times: "Senate leaders plan to move quickly this month to reject the articles of impeachment against Alejandro N. Mayorkas, the homeland security secretary, setting up a speedy trial in hopes of preventing House Republicans from turning the chamber into a political spectacle. Senator Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York and the majority leader, has not yet determined exactly how to go about truncating the proceedings, according to people familiar with the continuing discussions, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe plans that were still under development. But he is aiming for quick action, beginning on Feb. 28, the day the House is expected to deliver the charges, that could be over in just a couple of days.... Senate leaders are betting that there is enough Democratic anger and Republican exasperation at the precedent-breaking nature of the charges -- and with the way Mr. Mayorkas's impeachment was handled -- to swiftly exonerate him, either by throwing out the charges entirely or by moving to bring the proceedings to an early close."

Marie: Say, what will the chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee do now that he has shoved through the first impeachment of a sitting Cabinet member? The impeachment of the Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, of which the chairman seems to be right proud, unfortunately is fake, since Republicans couldn't find any real "high crimes and misdemeanors" to charge against Mayorkas. Alas, having settled on a punishment, the search for a crime must have tuckered out Chairman Mark Green: ~~~

     ~~~ Maegan Vazquez of the Washington Post: "Rep. Mark Green (R-Tenn.), the chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, announced Wednesday that he plans to retire at the end of his term, joining a growing list of Republican committee leaders who say they won't seek reelection." CNN's story is here.

Scott Wong & Dareh Gregorian of NBC News: "Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., announced Wednesday that he's stepping down from his Democratic leadership position in the House, while a protégé signaled a desire to succeed him. 'I have informed Leader Hakeem Jeffries of my intention to step down as Assistant Democratic Leader of the House Democratic Caucus,' Clyburn, 83, said in a statement.... Rep. Joe Neguse, 39, D-Colo., who's considered a rising star in the party, will run for Clyburn's leadership post, a House Democratic leadership aide told NBC News."

House Pines for My Kevin. Rachel Bade of Politico: "... in his fourth month in alleged power, Speaker Mike Johnson has accomplished what once seemed unthinkable: making [former speaker Kevin] McCarthy seem like a skilled strategist and master of the House. Interviews with multiple Republicans over the last few days across multiple House factions -- people who consider themselves on Johnson's team, as well as those who were never enthusiastic about his rise -- describe a speaker who seems to be winging it on major questions of strategy, messaging and basic vote-counting.... 'Kevin would have a strategy, he'd shop it around, then he'd make a play call,' a senior Republican lawmaker said. 'The more I'm around Johnson, the more it's clear to me he doesn't have a plan.'" (Also linked yesterday.)

Lindsey's Surrender Is Complete. Liz Goodwin & Leigh Ann Caldwell of the Washington Post: "Last May, Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) visited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv, warmly embracing the embattled leader and later urging President Biden to 'do more' to help the nation as it fights off Russia's invasion. But this week, Graham voted repeatedly against sending $60 billion in aid to that nation as well as against other military funds for Israel and U.S. allies in the Indo-Pacific.... 'I talked to President Trump today and he's dead set against this package,' Graham said on the Senate floor on Sunday.... 'He thinks that we should make packages like this a loan, not a gift,' Graham said.... The episode has also eroded Graham's credibility among colleagues who worked closely with him to shape a bipartisan package of border policy reforms that Republicans demanded be attached to the foreign aid in exchange for their votes -- only to backtrack and help kill it in the end." (Also linked yesterday.)

Marie: In yesterday's Comments, Patrick was wondering if Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) had displaced Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) as the Stupidest Senator. Naturally, I was concerned, and I'm here to report that Johnson is holding his own: ~~~

     ~~~ Steve Benen of MSNBC: During an interview conducted over the weekend, "Johnson conceded that the Russian leader is a 'war criminal,' before saying, 'But an awful lot of what Vladimir Putin said was right.' [Johnson then] criticized U.S. sanctions before concluding, 'A lot of the points that Vladimir Putin made are accurate. They're obvious.'" Benen also cited some Politico reporting that suggests Johnson voted against aid to Ukraine as a way of "helping" Ukraine, because letting Russia win will mean the war will end faster. (Also linked yesterday.)

Will Steakin of ABC News: "Congressional House Ethics investigators have obtained text messages allegedly showing that a few months after first joining Congress, Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz asked a young woman, who at the time had received payments for sex from Gaetz's then-close friend Joel Greenberg, to join him and others on a three-day trip to the Florida Keys in May 2017, multiple sources tell ABC News.... [The woman] was older than 21 at the time.... According to bank and Venmo records reviewed by ABC News, the woman had previously received multiple payments from Greenberg, which multiple sources tell ABC News were for the woman to have sex at parties with Greenberg's friends.... It's unknown if Gaetz knew that Greenberg had allegedly been paying the woman in such a manner."

Alex Griffing of Mediaite: After U.K. Foreign Minister David Cameron (the former Prime Minister) urged Congress to vote for funding Ukraine, Marjorie Taylor Greene told a Sky News reporter, "... David Cameron needs to worry about his own country, and frankly, he can kiss my ass." Oh, and she seemed to confuse one-time British PM Neville Chamberlain with Hitler. MB: But that's a mistake anyone can make. They both had funny little mustaches. The only way I can tell the difference is that Chamberlain wore a bowler hat & Hitler wore a visor cap. Anyhow, the dignified Miss Margie is definitely diplomat material.

Travis Gettys of the Raw Story: "Disgraced former Congressman George Santos trolled his Republican ex-colleagues after a Democratic candidate won back his vacated House seat in a special election.... 'I hope you guys are happy with this dismal performance and the 10 million dollars your futile Bull S--t cost the party,' read one message. 'I look very much forward to seeing most of you lose due to your absolute hate filled campaign to remove me from Congress arbitrarily. Now go tell the Republicans Base what you f---ing idiots did and good luck raising money next quarter.' Only one member appeared to reply to Santos. 'Sorry, new phone, who dis?' texted Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-NY)." MB: Almost seems as if Georgy Anthony is not too remorseful or self-reflective.

The Trials of Trump

Perry Stein, et al., of the Washington Post: "Donald Trump is expected at the defendant's table in a Manhattan courtroom on Thursday for a conference that could confirm he'll be tried next month for allegedly falsifying hush money repayment records -- the first criminal trial of a former U.S. president. At the same hour in Atlanta, a team of Trump's lawyers will appear with some of his co-defendants for a hearing in a separate indictment, in which Trump and others are accused of a vast scheme to overturn Georgia's 2020 election results. That hearing will focus on alleged misconduct by the prosecutor. The dual court sessions could help crystallize the timing and viability of two of Trump's four criminal cases, with additional clarity coming after a hearing in Florida on March 1." CNN's story is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: A few days ago, the story was that Trump would attend the Georgia hearing, but he seems to have changed his mind. Amy Gardner of the WashPo writes, "It's not known what scuttled the idea -- nor why Trump wanted to attend the Georgia hearing." Also, Rachel Maddow said Monday that that if the judge disqualified the Georgia prosecutor, the case itself was toast. However, former federal prosecutor Joyce Vance, speaking on MSNBC, laid out a more complicated list of possible consequences, suggesting to me that Maddow's premise was not correct. Let's hope Willis understands the possible outcomes and acts prudently, prudence obviously not being her strong suit. ~~~

     ~~~ Jonah Bromich and others at the New York Times on the Manhattan district attorney's criminal case against Donald Trump: "The judge, Juan M. Merchan, will convene a hearing at 9:30 a.m. to address Mr. Trump's long-shot request that he throw out the charges, which stem from a hush-money payment to a porn star. If Justice Merchan rejects Mr. Trump's request -- as is expected -- then the judge will most likely set a firm date for the trial, which had been tentatively scheduled for March 25"

Adam Liptak of the New York Times: "Jack Smith, the special counsel prosecuting ... Donald J. Trump on charges of plotting to overturn the 2020 election, urged the Supreme Court on Wednesday to reject a request from Mr. Trump to put the case on hold while he pursues appeals. 'Delay in the resolution of these charges threatens to frustrate the public interest in a speedy and fair verdict -- a compelling interest in every criminal case and one that has unique national importance here, as it involves federal criminal charges against a former president for alleged criminal efforts to overturn the results of the presidential election, including through the use of official power,' Mr. Smith wrote." Politico's report is here.

Adam Reiss & Dareh Gregorian of NBC News: "State Judge Arthur Engoron, who presided over the $370 million civil fraud case in New York against ... Donald Trump and his company, is expected to issue his verdict in the trial by the end of the week, a person with direct knowledge of the situation told NBC News. 'It is currently anticipated the Engoron decision will be released on Friday, barring unforeseen circumstances,' the person said Tuesday." (Also linked yesterday.)

True the Vote Forced to Admit to Telling the Big Lie. Russ Bynum of the AP: "A conservative group has told a Georgia judge that it doesn't have evidence to support its claims of illegal ballot stuffing during the the 2020 general election and a runoff two months later. Texas-based True the Vote filed complaints with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger in 2021, including one in which it said it had obtained 'a detailed account of coordinated efforts to collect and deposit ballots in drop boxes across metro Atlanta' during the November 2020 election and a January 2021 runoff. A Fulton County Superior Court judge in Atlanta signed an order last year requiring True the Vote to provide evidence it had collected, including the names of people who were sources of information.... In their written response, attorneys for True the Vote said the group had no names or other documentary evidence to share."

Presidential Race

Marianne Levine of the Washington Post: "... Donald Trump escalated his calls for Congress to impeach President Biden, just one day after House Republicans voted to impeach Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. At a rally Wednesday evening in North Charleston, S.C., Trump said..., 'Congress ought to impeach crooked Joe Biden for attacking his political opponent by weaponizing the DOJ, the FBI, and even the local DAs and attorney generals against his political opponent.'... Trump's remarks in North Charleston came after making similar allegations against Biden on Truth Social.' THE HUR REPORT SHOWS THAT PRACTICALLY EVERYTHING JOE BIDEN SAID WAS A LIE. ADDITIONALLY, HE HAS ILLEGALLY WEAPONIZED THE DOJ & FBI, TOGETHER WITH LOCAL D.A.'S & ATTORNEY GENERALS, AGAINST HIS POLITICAL OPPONENT, ME!' Trump posted. 'NOTHING LIKE THIS HAS EVER HAPPENED IN THE USA BEFORE, AND FOR THIS HE SHOULD BE IMPEACHED!'" ~~~

     ~~~ At the rally, Trump again insisted that he never made gaffes. He claimed that when he mixes up people, places, dates and events, he does so purposely to be "sarcastic." Right. And when I was fighting in World War II against George Washington, I saw a whale in South Dakota and it reminded me of Nancy Pelosi.

Miranda Nazzarro of the Hill: "... just days after [Donald Trump] threw his support behind his daughter-in-law [Lara Trump] to serve as co-chair of the RNC[, she told Newsmax,] 'Every single penny will go to the No. 1 and the only job of the RNC -- that is elected Donald J. Trump as president of the United States and saving this country.'" MB: The RNC's mandate is to aid all GOP candidates, not only its presidential* candidate. (Also linked yesterday.)

Natalie Allison, et al., of Politico: "Several senior Republican officials are concerned that Donald Trump's expected takeover of the RNC will ultimately pave the way for the committee to once again cover his legal bills.... Henry Barbour, a Mississippi committeeman, said he believed 'most RNC members will go along" with Trump's vision for the committee, "unless there is a play to use RNC funds for President Trump's legal bills.'... 'I don't think it's appropriate for the committee to pay the legal bills for things done outside the work of the committee,' [Tennessee committee member Oscar] Brock said." ~~~

     ~~~ Jack Birle of the right-wing Washington Examiner: "A report from Bloomberg suggests the former president is likely to drain his war chest paying for legal fees by the summer, meaning the RNC could be back on the hook if they return to supporting him financially.... During Trump's presidency and up until he announced his current run for president in 2022, the RNC covered some of his legal fees. The committee could start picking up the tab for his legal fees again if they choose to."

Oh Noes! Biden Get's Putin's Vote. Joe Stanley-Smith of Politico: "Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday Joe Biden would be better for Russia as president than Donald Trump, ahead of a potential rematch between the two in this year's U.S. election. '[Biden] is a more experienced, predictable person. He is a politician of the old school. But we will work with any leader of the United States, who is trusted by the American people,' Putin said in an interview on broadcaster Rossiya 1 TV when asked to choose between the two.... Putin used Wednesday's interview to downplay speculation about Biden's cognitive health, recalling when the two met in Switzerland in June 2021, less than a year before Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. 'When I met with Biden in Switzerland..., even then there were talks about him being incompetent. I saw nothing of the sort. Yes, he glanced at his notes. Honestly, I glanced at mine too,' Putin said. 'There's nothing to it.'"

Just the Sweetest Valentine's Day Message Ever. Miranda Nazzarro of the Hill: Donald "Trump wished former first lady Melania Trump a Happy Valentine's Day on Wednesday by thanking her for her support throughout his various criminal cases. In a campaign email sent Wednesday morning, Trump offered a 'letter' with the subject line, 'I love you, Melania!' 'Dear Melania, I LOVE YOU. Even after every single INDICTMENT, ARREST, and WITCH HUNT, you never left my side... You've always supported me through everything. I wouldn’t be the man I am today without your guidance, kindness, and warmth.... You will always mean the world to me, Melania! From your husband with love, Donald J. Trump.'... Readers were then directed to a website where they could leave their own Valentine's Day message or donate to his reelection campaign." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Isn't it sweet, too, that Trump is thoughtful enough to realizes his wife may not remember who he is, so he identifies himself as her husband and includes his full name? Okay, it is rather unkind of him to blame her for making him the man he is. Still, it almost makes you feel like making a large campaign contribution -- though maybe not to Trump.

Kate Conger of the New York Times: "X, the social media platform owned by Elon Musk, is potentially violating U.S. sanctions by accepting payments for subscription accounts from terrorist organizations and other groups barred from doing business in the country, according to a new report. The report, by the Tech Transparency Project, a nonprofit focused on accountability for large technology companies, shows that X ... has taken payments from accounts that include Hezbollah leaders, Houthi groups, and state-run media outlets in Iran and Russia. The subscriptions, which cost $8 a month, offer users a blue check mark -- once limited to verified users like celebrities -- and better promotion by X's algorithm, among other perks.... 'It's yet another sign that X has lost control of its platform,' [said Katie Paul, the director of the Tech Transparency Project.]" (Also linked yesterday.) The Verge has a story here.

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Arizona. GOP Plans to Rig Election. Matthew Chapman of the Raw Story: "Republicans in the Arizona House of Representatives have introduced a resolution that would seek to declare ... Donald Trump the winner of the 2024 presidential election -- regardless of what the voters decide, reported KPNX's Brahm Resnik. The resolution would not carry any force of law because it is not a bill, noted Resnik.... According to Resnik, the resolution advocates 'to change the manner of the presidential election by appointing the eleven presidential electors to the republican primary winner to offset the removal of a republican candidate in Colorado and Maine,' and "that Governor Hobbs sign the election reform measures listed below, and if not, the presidential electors be appointed to protect the 2024 presidential election from another maladministered and illegally run election.' There is no evidence that the 2020 presidential election in Arizona was rigged or otherwise 'illegally run.'" ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: The GOP could show how fiscally-responsible the party is by pre-determining the results of every election, thereby precluding the necessity of actually running costly elections. Already I'm seeing the advantages of a Trumpy dictatorship.

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Israel/Palestine, et al. The Washington Post's live updates of developments Thursday in the Israel/Hamas war are here: "Israeli forces raided Nasser Hospital, the main hospital in southern Gaza's Khan Younis, on Thursday. The Israel Defense Forces said it was conducting an operation to recover the bodies of hostages, while the Gaza Health Ministry accused the IDF of storming the complex 'after demolishing the southern wall' and said an Israeli drone had fired at a doctors room, injuring one of the emergency doctors. At least 10 people were killed in Lebanon and at least one in Israel after an exchange of strikes Wednesday that marked Israel's most forceful attack on its northern neighbor since the start of the war in Gaza....

"Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday that the military would carry out a 'powerful' offensive in Rafah 'after we allow the civilian population to leave the battle zones.' On Thursday, the leaders of Canada, Australia and New Zealand warned that a ground offensive in Rafah would be 'catastrophic,' with 'simply nowhere else for civilians to go.' Negotiations in Egypt to pause the fighting in Gaza and secure the release of Israeli hostages appeared to stall as Netanyahu accused Hamas of making 'delusional demands.' Officials involved said the two sides were no closer on key details, and Israeli media reported that Netanyahu had ordered negotiators not to return to Cairo." ~~~

     ~~~ CNN's live updates for Thursday are here. The New York Times' live updates are here.

News Ledes

Washington Post:"The deadly shooting that turned a celebration for the Kansas City Chiefs into tragedy on Wednesday appeared to stem from a dispute among three people and had 'no nexus to terrorism,' officials said Thursday morning. Police Chief Stacey Graves said at a briefing that two of the individuals involved are juveniles.... One woman was killed and 22 people injured in a matter of minutes. The victims' ages range from 8 to 47, Graves said, and half are younger than 16."

Washington Post: The woman who was murdered was Lisa Lopez-Galvan, a local radio DJ "The station where Lopez-Galvan worked, KKFI, announced her death 'with sincere sadness and an extremely heavy and broken heart.'..."

The Conversation -- February 14, 2024

Just the Sweetest Valentine's Day Message Ever. Miranda Nazzarro of the Hill: Donald "Trump wished former first lady Melania Trump a Happy Valentine's Day on Wednesday by thanking her for her support throughout his various criminal cases. In a campaign email sent Wednesday morning, Trump offered a 'letter' with the subject line, 'I love you, Melania!' 'Dear Melania, I LOVE YOU. Even after every single INDICTMENT, ARREST, and WITCH HUNT, you never left my side... You've always supported me through everything. I wouldn't be the man I am today without your guidance, kindness, and warmth.... You will always mean the world to me, Melania! From your husband with love, Donald J. Trump.'... Readers were then directed to a website where they could leave their own Valentine's Day message or donate to his reelection campaign." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Isn't it sweet, too, that Trump is thoughtful enough to realizes his wife may not remember who he is, so he identifies himself as her husband and includes his full name? Okay, it is rather unkind of him to blame her for making him the man he is. Still, it almost makes you feel like making a large campaign contribution -- though maybe not to Trump.

House Pines for My Kevin. Rachel Bade of Politico: "... in his fourth month in alleged power, Speaker Mike Johnson has accomplished what once seemed unthinkable: making [former speaker Kevin] McCarthy seem like a skilled strategist and master of the House. Interviews with multiple Republicans over the last few days across multiple House factions -- people who consider themselves on Johnson's team, as well as those who were never enthusiastic about his rise -- describe a speaker who seems to be winging it on major questions of strategy, messaging and basic vote-counting.... 'Kevin would have a strategy, he'd shop it around, then he'd make a play call,' a senior Republican lawmaker said. 'The more I'm around Johnson, the more it's clear to me he doesn't have a plan.'"

Lindsey's Surrender Is Complete. Liz Goodwin & Leigh Ann Caldwell of the Washington Post: "Last May, Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) visited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv, warmly embracing the embattled leader and later urging President Biden to 'do more' to help the nation as it fights off Russia's invasion. But this week, Graham voted repeatedly against sending $60 billion in aid to that nation as well as against other military funds for Israel and U.S. allies in the Indo-Pacific.... 'I talked to President Trump today and he's dead set against this package,' Graham said on the Senate floor on Sunday.... 'He thinks that we should make packages like this a loan, not a gift,' Graham said.... The episode has also eroded Graham's credibility among colleagues who worked closely with him to shape a bipartisan package of border policy reforms that Republicans demanded be attached to the foreign aid in exchange for their votes -- only to backtrack and help kill it in the end."

Marie: In today's Comments, Patrick wondered if Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) had displaced Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) as the Stupidest Senator. I too was concerned, and I'm here to report that Johnson is holding his own: ~~~

     ~~~ Steve Benen of MSNBC: During an interview conducted over the weekend, "Johnson conceded that the Russian leader is a 'war criminal,' before saying, 'But an awful lot of what Vladimir Putin said was right.' [Johnson then] criticized U.S. sanctions before concluding, 'A lot of the points that Vladimir Putin made are accurate. They're obvious.'" Benen also cited Politico reporting that suggests Johnson voted against aid to Ukraine as a way of "helping" Ukraine, because letting Russia win will end the war faster.

Miranda Nazzarro of the Hill: "... just days after [Donald Trump] threw his support behind his daughter-in-law [Lara Trump] to serve as co-chair of the RNC[, she told Newsmax,] 'Every single penny will go to the No. 1 and the only job of the RNC --that is elected Donald J. Trump as president of the United States and saving this country.'" MB: The RNC's mandate is to aid all GOP candidates, not only its presidential* candidate.

Adam Reiss & Dareh Gregorian of NBC News: "State Judge Arthur Engoron, who presided over the $370 million civil fraud case in New York against ... Donald Trump and his company, is expected to issue his verdict in the trial by the end of the week, a person with direct knowledge of the situation told NBC News. 'It is currently anticipated the Engoron decision will be released on Friday, barring unforeseen circumstances,' the person said Tuesday."

Kate Conger of the New York Times: "X, the social media platform owned by Elon Musk, is potentially violating U.S. sanctions by accepting payments for subscription accounts from terrorist organizations and other groups barred from doing business in the country, according to a new report. The report, by the Tech Transparency Project, a nonprofit focused on accountability for large technology companies, shows that X ... has taken payments from accounts that include Hezbollah leaders, Houthi groups, and state-run media outlets in Iran and Russia. The subscriptions, which cost $8 a month, offer users a blue check mark -- once limited to verified users like celebrities -- and better promotion by X's algorithm, among other perks.... 'It's yet another sign that X has lost control of its platform,' [said Katie Paul, the director of the Tech Transparency Project.]"

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** Nicholas Fandos of the New York Times: "Tom Suozzi, a former Democratic congressman, won a closely watched special House election in New York on Tuesday, narrowing the Republican majority in Washington and offering his party a potential playbook to run in key suburban swing areas in November. His victory in the Queens and Long Island district avenged a year of humiliation unleashed by the seat's former occupant, George Santos, and stanched a trend that had seen Republicans capture nearly every major election on Long Island since 2021. Mr. Suozzi, 61, fended off the Republican nominee, Mazi Pilip, in a race that became an expensive preview of many of the fights expected to dominate November's general election, especially over the influx of migrants at the border and in New York City." The AP's story is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: With 93% of the voted counted, Suozzi was leading Pilip 53.9% to 46.1%. This was pretty much a blowout in a race that showed the candidates in close to a statistical tie. ~~~

~~~ Nicholas Fandos & Katie Glueck of the New York Times: "... Mr. Suozzi's campaign ... provided ... a playbook for candidates across the country competing on turf where President Biden and his party remain deeply unpopular. The strategy went something like this: Challenge Republicans on issues that they usually monopolize, like crime, taxes and, above all, immigration. Flash an independent streak. And fire up the Democratic base with attacks -- in this case, nearly $10 million in ads -- on the abortion issue and ... Donald J. Trump.... In both [this race & the race for a Pennsylvania state house seat (story linked below)], the Biden campaign released statements casting the Democratic victories as defeats of Trumpism.... Mr. Trump, for his part, distanced himself from Ms. Pilip, a registered Democrat who never fully embraced him as a candidate, deriding her as a 'very foolish woman' [because she wasn't MAGA enough]."

Can you imagine? A former president of the United States saying that? The whole world heard it. And the worst thing is he means it. No other president in our history has ever bowed down to a Russian dictator. Let me say this as clearly as I can -- I never will. For God's sake, it's dumb, it's shameful, it's dangerous, it's un-American. -- President Joe Biden, Tuesday, on Donald Trump ~~~

~~~ Peter Baker of the New York Times: "President Biden denounced ... Donald J. Trump on Tuesday for encouraging Russia to attack certain NATO allies ... as he implored House Republicans to defy their putative nominee and pass new security aid for Ukraine and Israel. In a televised statement, Mr. Biden said a $95 billion spending package that the Senate passed earlier in the day on a bipartisan vote was imperative to help defeat the 'vicious onslaught' of President Vladimir V. Putin's Russia against Ukraine. And he linked the legislative debate to Mr. Trump's campaign speech siding with Moscow over European allies that he deemed 'delinquent.'" More on the foreign aid package linked below. (Also linked yesterday.) An AP story is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: It is rare -- in fact, this may be the first time -- for President Biden to criticize Donald Trump from the White House. But this wasn't a political speech so much as it was outrage where outrage was due.

Karoun Demirjian of the New York Times: "The United States House of Representatives voted narrowly on Tuesday to impeach Alejandro N. Mayorkas, the homeland security secretary, in a precedent-shattering vote that charged him with willfully refusing to enforce border laws and breaching the public trust. In a 214 to 213 vote, Republicans barreled past the solid opposition of Democrats and reservations in their own ranks to make Mr. Mayorkas the first sitting cabinet secretary in U.S. history to be impeached.... The charges against Mr. Mayorkas are expected to be rejected in the Democratic-led Senate, where conviction would require a two-thirds majority and even some Republicans have called the effort dead on arrival. It was not immediately clear whether senators would hold a trial to consider the articles, or vote to dismiss them.... The charges against him broke with history by failing to identify any such offense, instead effectively declaring the policy choices Mr. Mayorkas has carried out a constitutional crime." This is the pinned item in a liveblog. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Jacqueline Alemany of the Washington Post: "Breaking: House impeaches Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, succeeding on second try, in a rebuke of Biden's immigration policy. The resolution is non-binding, however, and may not go very far in the Senate because even some Republicans don't believe that Mayorkas's actions clear the bar for the high crimes and misdemeanors necessary for conviction. But Mayorkas is the first sitting Cabinet secretary to be impeached in 150 years. This story will be updated." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Lisa Mascaro of the AP: "The U.S. House voted Tuesday to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, with the Republican majority determined to punish the Biden administration over its handling of the U.S-Mexico border after failing last week in a politically embarrassing setback." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: You should have seen the little satisfied smirk on Mike Johnson's face when he announced the impeachment vote. Manu Raju of CNN said the Senate, which is out of session for two weeks, probably would vote to dismiss the two impeachment charges without holding a trial. Viva Mayorkas! ~~~

~~~ President Biden's statement is here, via the White House: "History will not look kindly on House Republicans for their blatant act of unconstitutional partisanship that has targeted an honorable public servant in order to play petty political games."

Liz Goodwin of the Washington Post: "The Senate passed a $95 billion national security package to aid Israel, Ukraine and other U.S. allies early Tuesday after a months-long debate that has deeply divided congressional Republicans. The bill passed 70-29, after 22 Republicans joined Democrats in approving the aid. But House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) preemptively rejected the legislation on Monday night, saying in a statement that the package's failure to address U.S. border security makes it a nonstarter in the House. 'In the absence of having received any single border policy change from the Senate, the House will have to continue to work its own will on these important matters,' Johnson said in a statement. 'America deserves better than the Senate's status quo.'" Politico's story is here. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

the speaker said he wouldn’t pass ukraine funding without a border deal and we got a deal and then he killed the deal because he said we didn’t need a deal and now he says he won’t pass our ukraine funding bill bc it doesn’t include a border deal

honestly

wtf https://t.co/MMkB45Yt6G

— Chris Murphy 🟧 (@ChrisMurphyCT) February 13, 2024

Party of Putin, Ctd. Sky Palma of the Raw Story: "The House GOP's star witness in the Oversight Committee's investigation into Hunter Biden turns out to be connected to a Russian oligarch, The Daily Beast reported Tuesday. High-profile investor Tony Bobulinski has links to Russian billionaire Viktor Vekselberg, a Ukrainian-born energy magnate who's been a longtime close ally of Vladimir Putin's, according to the report. 'In 2017, Vekselberg reportedly funneled $500,000 to an LLC run by Donald Trump's former attorney and fixer Michael Cohen, supposedly with the intention of influencing the new administration to let Russia illegally occupy parts of Eastern Ukraine,' The Beast's report stated. Vekselberg has been sanctioned more than once by U.S. law enforcement in regards to Russia's attempts to influence the 2016 election and the nation's aggression towards Ukraine, but Republicans are trying to ignore his links to Bobulinski. On Tuesday, Bobulinski will appear for a private interview with the House panel looking into impeaching President Joe Biden." (Also linked yesterday.)

Party of Putin, Ctd. Comrade Potatohead. Howard Koplowitz of Al.com: "Russian President Vladimir Putin is 'open to peace' but "D.C. warmongers' want to extend the conflict in Ukraine, Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., said in explaining why he opposes the $60 billion aid package for Ukraine. 'Vladimir Putin wants out of this -- you heard that on Tucker Carlson,' Tuberville told Fox Business' Larry Kudlow during an appearance on the network Monday to discuss the Senate bill that ties funding for Ukraine and Israel to border security provisions."

Annie Karni of the New York Times: "The racist discourse by Republican members of Congress, both in casual comments and in official statements, has become so commonplace that it now often slips by without any real condemnation from the G.O.P. Democrats frequently call for apologies but no longer expect any response, and those futile denunciations quickly disappear into a morass of polarized content on social media. The pattern is playing out as the Republican Party once again coalesces behind former President Donald J. Trump.... His approach has encouraged some Republicans to freely use rhetoric that denigrates people based on ethnicity, religion or nationality. 'The nature of Trumpism is to embolden extremism,' said Representative Ritchie Torres, a Black Democrat from New York.... Mr. Torres said the sad reality was that 'the extreme elements have concluded that racism might be bad morals but it's good politics.'" Read on. Karni provides sickening examples of what passes for GOP discourse." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ Judy Kurtz of the Hill: "Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) is blasting a politically charged episode of 'Curb Your Enthusiasm,' saying it 'lied' and painted conservatives in her state and supporters of former President Trump as 'racists and red necks.'" (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Well, that's mighty peculiar, because here's part of what Annie Karni writes about Greene's Congressional performance (linked above): "When Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, Republican of Georgia, stood on the House floor this month to announce her proposal to censure the only Somali-born member of Congress, she said she was seeking punishment for 'Representative Ilhan Omar of Somalia -- I mean Minnesota.'... Ms. Greene has been fund-raising off her proposed censure of Ms. Omar, which was written relying on a mistranslation of her remarks in Somali that spread virally on right-wing social media, and she has fed the loop by amplifying the hate and misinformation online."

A Valentine's Day Story for Our Time. Marie: Your intended give you a beautiful engagement ring. But he didn't buy it or inherit it. He acquired it as part of a bribe. Then he haggled over the value of the bribe. (Alledgedly!) ~~~

~~~ Tracey Tully & Benjamin Weiser of the New York Times: "A luxury Mercedes-Benz, gold bars, exercise equipment and stacks of cash featured prominently in a federal indictment that charged Senator Robert Menendez with accepting a sordid array of bribes. Now, prosecutors say a diamond engagement ring for the senator's future wife, Nadine Menendez, was also part of the elaborate bribery scheme -- and a source of infighting between co-defendants who are expected to stand trial together in May. Wael Hana, a longtime friend of Ms. Menendez's who is also charged in the alleged conspiracy, attempted to cheat her out of the full value of the ring, according to court documents filed late Monday by prosecutors in Manhattan.... [In the new filing,] there are snippets from secretly recorded conversations and details about where investigators found two bags filled with roughly $100,000 in cash each.... As part of the bribery plot, prosecutors said Mr. Hana arranged for carpet installation at Ms. Menendez's home." CNN's report is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: If you read through the details of this report, you might be thinking Senator Bob is going to jail.

Dan Lamothe of the Washington Post: "Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was released from his latest hospitalization Tuesday ... as he endures a difficult recovery from prostate cancer that included surgery in December and a lengthy stay in intensive care last month. Austin, 70, was discharged from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland about 3:30 p.m., the Pentagon said in a statement. He resumed his duties as defense secretary about 5 p.m. and is expected to continue his recovery from home and participate remotely in meetings Wednesday. Austin's doctors, John Maddox and Gregory Chesnut, said in the statement that he developed a bladder problem 'related to his December 2023 prostate cancer surgery' and that his condition when he returned to the hospital again Sunday 'indicated a need for close monitoring by the critical care team and supportive care.'" The NBC News story is here. ~~~

     ~~~ The DOD's statement is here.

Josh Gerstein & Kyle Cheney of Politico: "Chief Justice John Roberts is giving prosecutors a week to respond to ... Donald Trump's request to keep his federal criminal election-subversion trial on hold while he tries to persuade the Supreme Court to scuttle it entirely on the grounds of presidential immunity. A brief docket entry from the court Tuesday morning said special counsel Jack Smith has until next Tuesday at 5 p.m. to address the emergency application Trump's lawyers filed at the high court Monday." (Also linked yesterday.) The New York Times story is here.

Apoorva Mandavilli of the New York Times: "The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is considering loosening its recommendations regarding how long people should isolate after testing positive for the coronavirus, another reflection of changing attitudes and norms as the pandemic recedes. Under the proposed guidelines, Americans would no longer be advised to isolate for five days before returning to work or school. Instead, they might return to their routines if they have been fever free for at least 24 hours without medication, the same standard applied to the influenza and respiratory syncytial viruses. The proposal would align the C.D.C.'s advice with revised isolation recommendations in Oregon and California. The shift was reported earlier by The Washington Post, but it is still under consideration, according to two people with knowledge of the discussions." (Also linked yesterday.)

Trisha Thadani, et al., of the Washington Post: In 2022, a "Tesla Model 3 barreled into a tree and exploded in flames, killing [Hans] von Ohain, a Tesla employee and devoted fan of CEO Elon Musk. [Passenger Erk] Rossiter, who survived the crash, told emergency responders that von Ohain was using an 'auto-drive feature on the Tesla' that 'just ran straight off the road.'... In a recent interview, Rossiter said he believes that von Ohain was using Full Self-Driving, which -- if true -- would make his death the first known fatality involving Tesla's most advanced driver-assistance technology.... Since federal regulators began requiring automakers to report crashes involving driver-assistance systems in 2021, they have logged more than 900 in Teslas, including at least 40 that resulted in serious or fatal injuries, according to a Post analysis. Most involved Autopilot, which is designed for use on controlled-access highways. No fatal crash has been definitively linked to the more sophisticated Full Self-Driving, which is programmed to guide the car almost anywhere...." (Also linked yesterday.)

~~~~~~~~~~

Georgia. A Win for Democracy. David Edwards of the Raw Story: "In a defeat for MAGA election crusaders, Georgia's Republican-controlled State Board of Elections voted down a measure that would have limited the use of absentee voting. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that the board considered an effort from Republican member Janice Johnston to limit no-excuse absentee voting, which became more popular during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, on Tuesday a majority of the Board of Elections voted to uphold no-excuse absentee voting."

Kansas. Julie Bosman of the New York Times: "A 45-year-old Kansas man has been charged in the theft of a life-size bronze statue of the baseball legend Jackie Robinson from a park in Wichita, Kan. The police in Wichita said on Tuesday that the motive for the crime was probably to sell the statue for scrap metal. The man, Ricky Alderete, was charged on Monday with felony theft, aggravated criminal damage to property and making false information, the police said. Lt. Aaron Moses of the Wichita Police Department said that an investigation was continuing, but that concerns that the theft of the statue might have been racially motivated had been put to rest." The chief of the Wichita Police said the department expected it would be making more arrests in the case. So I'm still thinking racism was an underlying factor.

Michigan. Edward Helmore of the Guardian: "A Republican Michigan politician has been stripped of his office staff and committee assignments after sharing a social media post about the racist 'great replacement' theory about a coordinated effort to diminish the influence of white people through immigration and low birth rates. The Republican state representative Josh Schriver had his privileges removed by the Michigan house speaker, Joe Tate, but will still be able to vote on legislation. The decision came a week after Schriver, a first-term lawmaker, uploaded a picture that depicted Black figures covering most of a map of the world, with white figures in small areas of Australia, Canada, northern Europe and the northern US. The bottom of the graphic read 'The great replacement!' The picture was originally posted by Jack Posobiec, a far-right pundit, and reposted on X by Schriver."

Pennsylvania State House Race. Adam Edelman of NBC News: "Democrats won a state House special election in Pennsylvania on Tuesday night, preserving the party's narrow majority in the closely watched battleground state, The Associated Press projected. In the race for the open seat in the 140th state House District, Democrat Jim Prokopiak, a school board member in Bucks County, defeated Republican Candace Cabanas. Prokopiak's victory gives Democrats a narrow 102-100 majority in the state House, preventing another tie in the chamber.... Republicans control the state Senate, while Democrats hold the governorship. The win in Bucks County -- a purple slice of the northern suburbs of Philadelphia -- was hailed as positive news by national Democrats...."

Texas. Natalie Contreras, a new U.S. citizen, writes in the Texas Tribune that even though she is an elections reporter, it took her three tries to get Texas to properly process her application: "... not everyone has the ability, the time, or the resources to ask questions, double-check their registration status, and make multiple attempts. Being able to participate in democracy should not be this hard."

Wisconsin. Wow! Another Win for Democracy. Alice Herman of the Guardian: "Wisconsin lawmakers voted on Tuesday to adopt legislative maps drawn by the Democratic governor, Tony Evers -- inching the state closer to undoing the extreme gerrymander that has ensured Republican control of the state for more than a decade. The pair of votes in the Republican-dominated state assembly and state senate are a sign that the years-long battle over Wisconsin's legislative maps may be finally drawing to a close, giving Democrats a chance to win control of the state legislature in upcoming elections for the first time since 2012. The vote is the result of a December ruling from the Wisconsin supreme court that the current state assembly and senate maps are unconstitutional, ordering the state to adopt new legislative maps before the 2024 election -- and setting a mid-March deadline. Republican and Democratic lawmakers, the governor and multiple third-party groups submitted revised maps to the court for consideration, and in a 1 February report, consultants hired by the court to review them said that the GOP-drawn maps maintained the partisan gerrymander and 'do not deserve further consideration'. The maps submitted by Democrats retained a Republican advantage, the consultants found, but to a much-reduced degree."

~~~~~~~~~~

Indonesia. Sui-Lee Wee & Muktita Suhartono New York Times: "Indonesia's defense minister, a feared former general who was removed from the army after he was found responsible for the kidnapping of political dissidents, appeared on track to winning the presidential election outright on Wednesday, casting doubts on the future of one of the world's most vibrant democracies. The candidate, Prabowo Subianto, had a commanding lead in the three-way race for president, with more than 58 percent of the vote, according to unofficial tallies that have a history of accurately predicting the final results."

Israel/Palestine, et al.

The Washington Post's live updates of developments Wednesday in the Israel/Hamas war are here: "Israeli forces and Hezbollah militants continued to exchange fire across the border with Lebanon. On Wednesday morning, Israel's ambulance service said one woman was killed by rocket fire in the country's north. On Tuesday, Israel's military said it struck Hezbollah targets after two people were reported to have been seriously injured by a Hezbollah rocket attack." ~~~

     ~~~ The New York Times' live updates for Wednesday are here. CNN's live updates are here.

Vivian Yee, et al., of the New York Times: "Negotiators from multiple countries met in Cairo on Tuesday, struggling to reach an agreement to temporarily stop the war in the Gaza Strip, as international concern mounted over Israel's plan to press its ground offensive into the city of Rafah, where more than half of the territory's population has sought refuge. Talks involving lower-level officials will continue for another three days, according to an Egyptian and an American official briefed on the matter, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive diplomacy. They described the negotiations on Tuesday as promising, but Israel and Hamas were still not close to a deal."

News Ledes

New York Times: "A shooting near Kansas City's Union Station on Wednesday left one person dead and at least 21 others [-- 9 of whom are children --] with gunshot wounds, turning a Super Bowl victory celebration into a scene of chaos as thousands of fans in red jerseys ran for safety. It was unclear who was responsible. Three people had been detained, the Kansas City police chief [Stacey Graves] said at a news conference. She did not name them and said that investigators had not identified a motive.... At least two of the people in custody had been armed, the police said, and a third person had also been detained, the chief said.... The chief asked the public to provide any video or other information that could help the authorities determine what had happened.... The celebration of the Chiefs' victory ended with a rally in front of Union Station, an Amtrak hub and tourist spot in downtown Kansas City, Mo. 'As soon as the rally concluded, there were shots fired on the west side of Union Station,' Chief Graves said, adding, 'I know one of the suspects was immediately pursued on foot.'" This is a liveblog. It is an update of a developing story linked earlier.

Washington Post: "Three D.C. police officers serving an arrest warrant related to animal cruelty were shot and wounded Wednesday morning near Benning Park in Southeast Washington, prompting a nearly 13-hour standoff that ended with police taking the suspect into custody, authorities said. The armed standoff in the 5000 block of Hanna Street SE finally ended just before 9 p.m., having disrupted schools and forced neighbors out of their homes along a street with small brick houses and plots of grass. A police spokesman confirmed Wednesday night the suspect was in custody. Authorities said the officers were not seriously injured."

The Conversation -- February 13, 2024

Karoun Demirjian of the New York Times: "The United States House of Representatives voted narrowly on Tuesday to impeach Alejandro N. Mayorkas, the homeland security secretary, in a precedent-shattering vote that charged him with willfully refusing to enforce border laws and breaching the public trust. In a 214 to 213 vote, Republicans barreled past the solid opposition of Democrats and reservations in their own ranks to make Mr. Mayorkas the first sitting cabinet secretary in U.S. history to be impeached.... The charges against Mr. Mayorkas are expected to be rejected in the Democratic-led Senate, where conviction would require a two-thirds majority and even some Republicans have called the effort dead on arrival. It was not immediately clear whether senators would hold a trial to consider the articles, or vote to dismiss them.... The charges against him broke with history by failing to identify any such offense, instead effectively declaring the policy choices Mr. Mayorkas has carried out a constitutional crime." This is the pinned item in a liveblog. ~~~

     ~~~ Jacqueline Alemany of the Washington Post: "Breaking: House impeaches Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, succeeding on second try, in a rebuke of Biden's immigration policy. The resolution is non-binding, however, and may not go very far in the Senate because even some Republicans don't believe that Mayorkas's actions clear the bar for the high crimes and misdemeanors necessary for conviction. But Mayorkas is the first sitting Cabinet secretary to be impeached in 150 years. This story will be updated." ~~~

     ~~~ Lisa Mascaro of the AP: "The U.S. House voted Tuesday to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, with the Republican majority determined to punish the Biden administration over its handling of the U.S-Mexico border after failing last week in a politically embarrassing setback." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: You should have seen the little satisfied smirk on Mike Johnson's face when he announced the impeachment vote. Manu Raju of CNN said the Senate, which is out of session for two weeks, probably would vote to dismiss the two impeachment charges without holding a trial. Viva Mayorkas!

Can you imagine? A former president of the United States saying that? The whole world heard it. And the worst thing is he means it. No other president in our history has ever bowed down to a Russian dictator. Let me say this as clearly as I can -- I never will. For God's sake, it’s dumb, it's shameful, it's dangerous, it's un-American. -- President Joe Biden, Tuesday, on Donald Trump ~~~

~~~ Peter Baker of the New York Times: "President Biden denounced ... Donald J. Trump on Tuesday for encouraging Russia to attack certain NATO allies ... as he implored House Republicans to defy their putative nominee and pass new security aid for Ukraine and Israel. In a televised statement, Mr. Biden said a $95 billion spending package that the Senate passed earlier in the day on a bipartisan vote was imperative to help defeat the 'vicious onslaught' of President Vladimir V. Putin's Russia against Ukraine. And he linked the legislative debate to Mr. Trump's campaign speech siding with Moscow over European allies that he deemed 'delinquent.'"

Liz Goodwin of the Washington Post: "The Senate passed a $95 billion national security package to aid Israel, Ukraine and other U.S. allies early Tuesday after a months-long debate that has deeply divided congressional Republicans. The bill passed 70-29, after 22 Republicans joined Democrats in approving the aid. Bu House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) preemptively rejected the legislation on Monday night, saying in a statement that the package's failure to address U.S. border security makes it a nonstarter in the House. 'In the absence of having received any single border policy change from the Senate, the House will have to continue to work its own will on these important matters,' Johnson said in a statement. 'America deserves better than the Senate's status quo.'" ~~~

the speaker said he wouldn’t pass ukraine funding without a border deal and we got a deal and then he killed the deal because he said we didn’t need a deal and now he says he won’t pass our ukraine funding bill bc it doesn’t include a border deal

honestly

wtf https://t.co/MMkB45Yt6G

— Chris Murphy 🟧 (@ChrisMurphyCT) February 13, 2024

Karoun Demirjian of the New York Times: "House Republicans will try on Tuesday for a second time to impeach Alejandro N. Mayorkas, the homeland security secretary, on charges of willfully refusing to enforce border laws and breaching the public trust, after their first attempt at the partisan indictment ended in a stunning defeat. Three Republicans joined all Democrats last week in rejecting the impeachment charges, leaving the G.O.P., which has a tiny margin, just one vote short of a majority in a humiliating spectacle on the House floor.... Republicans ... were confident on Tuesday that their second attempt would be successful.... But the charges Republicans have levied have broken with history by failing to identify any such offense, instead effectively declaring the policy choices of the Biden administration that he has carried out a constitutional crime."

Party of Putin, Ctd. Sky Palma of the Raw Story: "The House GOP's star witness in the Oversight Committee's investigation into Hunter Biden turns out to be connected to a Russian oligarch, The Daily Beast reported Tuesday. High-profile investor Tony Bobulinski has links to Russian billionaire Viktor Vekselberg, a Ukrainian-born energy magnate who's been a longtime close ally of Vladimir Putin's, according to the report. 'In 2017, Vekselberg reportedly funneled $500,000 to an LLC run by Donald Trump's former attorney and fixer Michael Cohen, supposedly with the intention of influencing the new administration to let Russia illegally occupy parts of Eastern Ukraine,' The Beast's report stated. Vekselberg has been sanctioned more than once by U.S. law enforcement in regards to Russia's attempts to influence the 2016 election and the nation's aggression towards Ukraine, but Republicans are trying to ignore his links to Bobulinski. On Tuesday, Bobulinski will appear for a private interview with the House panel looking into impeaching President Joe Biden."

Annie Karni of the New York Times: "The racist discourse by Republican members of Congress, both in casual comments and in official statements, has become so commonplace that it now often slips by without any real condemnation from the G.O.P. Democrats frequently call for apologies but no longer expect any response, and those futile denunciations quickly disappear into a morass of polarized content on social media. The pattern is playing out as the Republican Party once again coalesces behind former President Donald J. Trump.... His approach has encouraged some Republicans to freely use rhetoric that denigrates people based on ethnicity, religion or nationality. 'The nature of Trumpism is to embolden extremism,' said Representative Ritchie Torres, a Black Democrat from New York.... Mr. Torres said the sad reality was that 'the extreme elements have concluded that racism might be bad morals but it's good politics.'" Read on. Karni provides sickening examples of what passes for GOP "discourse." ~~~

~~~ Judy Kurtz of the Hill: "Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) is blasting a politically charged episode of 'Curb Your Enthusiasm,' saying it 'lied' and painted conservatives in her state and supporters of former President Trump as 'racists and red necks.'" ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Well, that's mighty peculiar, because here's part of what Annie Karni writes about Greene's Congressional performance (linked above): "When Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, Republican of Georgia, stood on the House floor this month to announce her proposal to censure the only Somali-born member of Congress, she said she was seeking punishment for 'Representative Ilhan Omar of Somalia -- I mean Minnesota.'... Ms. Greene has been fund-raising off her proposed censure of Ms. Omar, which was written relying on a mistranslation of her remarks in Somali that spread virally on right-wing social media, and she has fed the loop by amplifying the hate and misinformation online."

Josh Gerstein & Kyle Cheney of Politico: "Chief Justice John Roberts is giving prosecutors a week to respond to ... Donald Trump's request to keep his federal criminal election-subversion trial on hold while he tries to persuade the Supreme Court to scuttle it entirely on the grounds of presidential immunity. A brief docket entry from the court Tuesday morning said special counsel Jack Smith has until next Tuesday at 5 p.m. to address the emergency application Trump's lawyers filed at the high court Monday."

Apoorva Mandavilli of the New York Times: "The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is considering loosening its recommendations regarding how long people should isolate after testing positive for the coronavirus, another reflection of changing attitudes and norms as the pandemic recedes. Under the proposed guidelines, Americans would no longer be advised to isolate for five days before returning to work or school. Instead, they might return to their routines if they have been fever free for at least 24 hours without medication, the same standard applied to the influenza and respiratory syncytial viruses.The proposal would align the C.D.C.'s advice with revised isolation recommendations in Oregon and California. The shift was reported earlier by The Washington Post, but it is still under consideration, according to two people with knowledge of the discussions."

Trisha Thadani, et al., of the Washington Post: In 2022, a "Tesla Model 3 barreled into a tree and exploded in flames, killing [Hans] von Ohain, a Tesla employee and devoted fan of CEO Elon Musk. [Passenger Erk] Rossiter, who survived the crash, told emergency responders that von Ohain was using an 'auto-drive feature on the Tesla' that 'just ran straight off the road.'... In a recent interview, Rossiter said he believes that von Ohain was using Full Self-Driving, which -- if true -- would make his death the first known fatality involving Tesla's most advanced driver-assistance technology.... Since federal regulators began requiring automakers to report crashes involving driver-assistance systems in 2021, they have logged more than 900 in Teslas, including at least 40 that resulted in serious or fatal injuries, according to a Post analysis. Most involved Autopilot, which is designed for use on controlled-access highways. No fatal crash has been definitively linked to the more sophisticated Full Self-Driving, which is programmed to guide the car almost anywhere...."

~~~~~~~~~~

Marie: Never mind that I wrote that last Tuesday was go-to-the-polls day in a special election to replace George Anthony Kitara Devolder Santos (Kicked-Out-of-the-House-N.Y.), today is election day on Long Island (or "Lawn Guyland," if you wish to pronounce it correctly). And there a problem (which would not have been a problem if the election had been held when I said it was): ~~~

~~~ Snowpocalypse! Nicholas Fandos of the New York Times: "... the special House election to replace George Santos in New York on Tuesday may come down to the most local of problems: an ill-timed Election Day snowstorm. Forecasters were calling for a half foot or more of snow to blanket parts of the Queens and Long Island district, with much of it falling during prime voting hours. Local leaders warned drivers to stay off the roads.... With the result expected to be exceedingly close, the most useful tools were suddenly old-fashioned shovels and snow plows -- which wary Democrats feared would be used by Nassau County Republicans to their voters' advantage."

Karoun Demirjian of the New York Times: "A bipartisan coalition of senators on Monday night pushed a $95 billion foreign aid package for Ukraine and Israel to the brink of passage, as Republicans fractured bitterly over the bill, with opponents threatening to fight it until the very end. On a vote of 66 to 33, the measure cleared its last hurdle before a final vote, with 17 Republicans joining almost all Democrats to help advance it over the full-throated objections of the bulk of G.O.P. senators, Republican leaders in the House and ... Donald J. Trump. That put the bill on track to pass the Senate no later than Wednesday. But the measure's fate was uncertain as Republican foes of the legislation promised to delay Senate passage as long as possible, and as Speaker Mike Johnson suggested he had no intention of bringing it up in the House, where the majority of Republicans have opposed continuing to send aid to Ukraine." ~~~

     ~~~ The story has been updated to reflect the fact that the bill has passed the Senate. ~~~

~~~ This is what we need to see Biden do to Mikey. That's President LBJ exercising a little persuasion over Theodore Green (D-R.I.), chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

The Trials of Trump

Adam Liptak & Amy VanSickle of the New York Times: "... Donald J. Trump asked the Supreme Court on Monday to pause an appeals court's ruling rejecting his claim that he is absolutely immune from criminal charges based on his attempts to subvert the 2020 election. Unless the justices issue a stay while they consider whether to hear his promised appeal, proceedings in the criminal trial, which have been on hold, will resume. The filing was Mr. Trump's last-ditch effort to press his claim of total immunity, which has been rejected by two lower courts. The Supreme Court is now poised to determine whether and how fast his federal trial on charges that he tried to subvert the 2020 election will proceed. Unless the justices move quickly, the trial could be pushed into the heart of the 2024 campaign, or even past the election." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Delay, Delay, Delay, Voters' Rights, Ha Ha. Amy Howe of ScotusBlog: "Just as he did in [successfully] opposing Supreme Court review in December, Trump cautioned the justices against moving too quickly. He suggested that allowing him to first seek reconsideration of the panel's decision from the full D.C. Circuit would 'provide an opportunity' for 'thoughtful consideration in the lower court before this Court addresses the novel, complex, and momentous issues at stake in this appeal.' Trump's request will go first to Chief Justice John Roberts, who handles emergency appeals from the D.C. Circuit. Roberts almost certainly will direct [Jack] Smith to file a response to Trump's application. Once that response has been filed, Roberts and (again, almost certainly) the rest of the court could either treat Trump's request as an application for a stay of the D.C. Circuit's decision, as he has billed it, or they could treat it as a petition for review of the lower court's decision more broadly....

"Moreover, Trump added, if he is required to stand trial 'at the height of election season,' it would 'radically disrupt' his ability to campaign. Therefore, he concluded, the D.C. Circuit's ruling poses a threat to both his own First Amendment rights and those of 'tens of millions of Americans' -- who, he insisted, 'are entitled to hear' his 'campaign message as they decide how to cast their votes in November.'" MB: Now, that is ironic. The charges in this case are that Trump tried to deprive 80 million voters of the right to choose the next president. Now, all of a sudden, Trump is concerned about voters' rights to choose the president. ~~~

~~~ Ian Millhiser of Vox: "... Trump's lawyers formally sought an order from the Supreme Court on Monday that could indefinitely delay his federal criminal trial for attempting to steal the 2020 election -- potentially until after the 2024 election is over. This attempt to delay the trial arrives at the Court somewhat disguised as something else: a procedural motion in a dispute about whether presidents have a broad freedom to commit crimes.... It is exceedingly unlikely that the Supreme Court will buy this argument, which would be broad enough to immunize Trump from prosecution if he returned to the White House and promptly ordered the military to kill the justices themselves. Nevertheless, this broad immunity claim matters because it gives the justices a vehicle they can use to shut down Trump's most important criminal trial -- if they want to." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: That is, there are a number of way to guarantee Trump absolute immunity without writing it down in a Supreme Court opinion. One of those ways is to delay attempts to hold Trump accountable until it's too late to do so. 

Katherine Faulders, et al., of ABC News: "... Donald Trump ... >arrived for a hearing Monday in his classified documents case that is being held in a special secure facility due to the sensitive nature of the materials involved. The hearing, in Fort Pierce, Florida, is being held under seal in a Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility or SCIF -- a specially-equipped secure room for viewing highly classified materials. Trump's co-defendants in the case, aide Walt Nauta and Mar-a-Lago property manager Carlos De Oliveira, are not attending the hearing as they do not have clearance to access classified information. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon ... is hearing arguments from attorneys for Trump and his two co-defendants on their 'defense theories of the case' and how 'any classified information might be relevant or helpful to the defense,' according to a court filing detailing the schedule.... Judge Cannon previously ruled that Smith's team must file a cache of documents on the public docket, but in a motion last week [Jack] Smith urged Cannon to reconsider her ruling, saying that doing so would, among other things, reveal the names of potential witnesses in the case, 'exposing them to significant and immediate risks of threats, intimidation, and harassment.'" (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Two questions. (1) How come Loose Lips McDonald still has security clearance? (2) And didn't Trump show up at this hearing about witness intimidation in order to intimidate Judge Aileen? See also Patrick's response in yesterday's Comments.

Richard Fausset & Danny Hakim of the New York Times: "An Atlanta judge said on Monday that he would go forward with a hearing later this week [Thursday] delving into a romantic relationship between the two prosecutors leading an election interference case against ... Donald J. Trump and a number of his allies.... The defense is seeking to disqualify the two prosecutors -- Fani T. Willis, the Fulton County district attorney, and Nathan J. Wade, who she hired to run the case. 'It's clear that disqualification can occur if evidence is produced demonstrating an actual conflict or the appearance of one,' the judge, Scott McAfee of Fulton County Superior Court, said at a hearing on Monday afternoon." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Rachel Maddow said Monday night that the consequences of the hearing could be far more serious than the Times reporters let on. According to a Georgia law professor, if Willis takes a leave of absence now, the case can continue with an assistant DA taking the lead. However, if she does not step down, and if McAfee finds she is disqualified, then the entire case is over. IMO, unless Willis can prove her relationship with Wade does not present a conflict (and, no, one is not supposed to have to prove innocence), she should fall on her sword. Now. This case is far too important to be scuttled because of one woman's indiscretions. People will do what comes naturally, and I have nothing at all against that, but this is an instance in which the greater good should have come before her personal pleasure. ~~~

~~~ It's Showtime! Amy Gardner, et al., of the Washington Post: "... Donald Trump plans to attend a Thursday hearing in Atlanta on allegations that Fulton County District Attorney Fani T. Willis (D) engaged in an improper personal relationship with the lead prosecutor on the election interference case.... His appearance would likely draw even more attention and perhaps chaos to the already highly anticipated hearing.... [Fulton County Judge Scott] McAfee said the hearing would focus on whether Willis benefited financially from hiring [Nathan] Wade, when their romantic relationship began and whether it continues." MB: I think the hearing will be televised.

Presidential Race

All in the ([Alleged!] Crime) Family. Josh Dawsey of the Washington Post: "... Donald Trump said Monday night that he wants his daughter-in-law and one of his top aides to take prominent roles at the Republican National Committee as his team attempts to exert control over the party ahead of the November election. In a statement, Trump backed Michael Whatley, the chair of the North Carolina GOP, as the new chairman of the party to replace Ronna McDaniel, a longtime ally he has recently soured on, according to people familiar with the discussions. But Trump also said he would support Lara Trump, his daughter-in-law, as co-chair of the party and Chris LaCivita, a top aide, as the top operating officer.... The moves come amid Trump's growing criticism of current RNC chair McDaniel, who is expected to leave her job after the Feb. 24 South Carolina primary amid Trump's unhappiness over lagging fundraising and other problems." Politico's story is here.

Here is some of the garbled gobbledygook the Stable Genius let fly just over this past weekend. And he had a teleprompter:

Rebecca Shabad of NBC News: "The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr., said Monday that U.S. 'credibility is at stake' with each of its alliances, including NATO, which ... Donald Trump disparaged in recent remarks.... In a Truth Social post Monday afternoon, Trump appeared to double down on his earlier comments indicating he would let Russia do 'whatever the hell they want' to NATO countries that don't pay a specific amount of their gross domestic product toward defense spending. He said in all caps that NATO 'has to equalize,' adding, 'They will do that if properly asked. If not, America first!'" MB: Actually, Trump said he would "encourage" Russia to do whatever it wants, not "let" Russia do what it wants. There's a difference. The chairman of the joint chiefs has to appear to be apolitical; journalists are not required to water down and misquote Trump's dangerous statements.

Putin's Useful Idiots. Digby in Salon: "It is no coincidence that Trump made his biggest threat against NATO right after Tucker Carlson sat with Putin[.]... As it turns out the interview ended up mostly being a twisted history lesson from Putin with Carlson sitting there like a potted plant with a feigned fascinated expression on his face. The point of Putin's tutorial was to explain why Russia has every right to invade Ukraine and anywhere else he might fancy.... I find it hard to believe that Trump slogged through that tedious conversation or understood what Putin was talking about. But you can bet that Putin heard Trump and rubbed his hands together with glee. If only the American people heard him just as clearly." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ "Call and Response." Marcy Wheeler: "Over the weekend, Putin and Donald Trump seem to have come to public agreement that, if elected in November, Trump would help Putin pursue Greater Russia. In his session with Tucker Carlson, after all, Putin corrected the propagandist, informing him that, no, he didn't invade Ukraine because of concerns about NATO expansion, but because he considers Ukraine -- and much of Eastern Europe -- part of Greater Russia.... And then, within a day, Trump told a fabricated story that served to promise that not only wouldn't he honor America's commitment to defend NATO states, but would instead encourage Russia to do 'whatever they hell they want.'" (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

Marco Then. We must ensure we are protecting our national interests and protecting the security of our democratic allies. -- Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), December 2023, co-sponsor of a bill that would prevent any president from withdrawing the United States from NATO without approval from the Senate or an Act of Congress"

Marco Now: What? Me Worry? ~~~

~~~ Marie: Republican "leaders" this weekend made light of Trump's threat to abandon NATO (so why that legislation, Marco?). Don't let these geniuses convince you that Trump is kidding about encouraging Putin to invade NATO countries that Trump considers to be in arrears on some mythical payments he thinks are due. Ultra-conservative and former Trump National Security Advisor John Bolton told Kaitlan Collins Monday night that Trump was dead serious. At a NATO meeting in 2018, Trump nearly did pull the plug. Just before he was about to address the NATO leaders, Trump asked Bolton, "Should I do it?" Bolton -- a national defense hawk -- advised him against it. But Bolton said he went back to his seat not knowing whether or not Trump would announce the U.S. was pulling out of NATO. As it turned out, Trump lost his nerve. But Trump would not have advisors like Bolton in a second administration. ~~~

     ~~~ Jim Sciutto of CNN: “A former senior US official told me that Trump issued orders to then chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley and then Defense Secretary Mark Esper for the US to withdraw from NATO. Despite vehemently opposing the move. They considered the president's direction a 'lawful order' and drew up plans to execute the withdrawal. Bolton recalls the 2018 summit with genuine fear. 'Honest to God, it was frightening because we didn't know what he was going to do up until the last minute. And I mean, I think, he all but said he was going to get out of NATO and then pulled back on it,' said Bolton." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: You would never know it from listening to Trump, but more-or-less as I wrote in yesteday's Comments, (1) NATO countries don't "pay" into some group protection fund, the way Trump expresses it. There aren't any dues. Rather, the countries agreed in 2006 to dedicate at least two percent of their GDP to defense expenditures. (2) NATO has activated Article 5 -- the "all for one" provision Trump plans to abandon -- exactly once in its history. It was for the United States, in response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks. ~~~

     ~~~ Derek Hawkins of the Washington Post: Donald Trump "shocked leaders on both sides of the Atlantic -- and mischaracterized how the 31-member alliance works. NATO member nations all make payments to cover the operating expenses of the organization, which was founded in the aftermath of World War II to help Western Europe counter the Soviet Union with help from Canada and the United States. But they don't pay membership fees to remain in the alliance, so there's no delinquency to speak of. Countries do, however, commit to spending at least 2 percent of their gross domestic product (GDP) on defense each year, with the goal of ensuring the alliance's military readiness and deterring any potential attacks. The commitment is a guideline, not a requirement, that has been in place for nearly two decades. Last year, 11 countries met or exceeded that target, according to NATO statistics. The rest spent smaller portions of their GDP on defense. (Iceland, the only member state with no armed forces, is omitted from the data set.)" Includes a chart of what percentage each member nation spends on defense. With explanation.

One of These Guys Is Way Worse Than the Other. Jamelle Bouie of the New York Times: "... Trump -- who ostensibly spent four years as president of the United States -- has little clue of what NATO is or what NATO does. And when he spoke on the subject at a rally in South Carolina over the weekend, what he said was less a cogent discussion of foreign policy than it was gibberish -- the kind of outrageous nonsense that flows without interruption from an empty and unreflective mind.... In contrast to the obsessive coverage of Biden's age, there is comparatively little coverage of Trump's obvious deficiencies in that department. If we are going to use public comments as the measure of mental fitness, then the former president is clearly at a disadvantage." Bouie recounts a number of Trump's battier remarks about changing the name of Pennsylvania, mixing up China and North Korea (that's mixing up, not misspeaking), and something-something about an Iron Dome: "And they calmly walk to us, and ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding. They've only got 17 seconds to figure this whole thing out. Boom. OK. Missile launch. Whoosh. Boom." ~~~

~~~ Annals of "Journalism," Ctd.

On Saturday, the New York Times online featured at least two reports on the "Biden is Old" theme on its front page. As Nisky Guy pointed out in the Comments that day, the Times front page also featured four -- count 'em, four -- opinion columns on that "Biden is Old" theme. "What the FUCK!!!" wrote Nisky Guy. And "BUT THE EMAILS!!" ~~~

~~~ Comes Now Paul Krugman of the New York Times to take on his own employer: "... watching the frenzy over President Biden's age, I am, for the first time, profoundly concerned about the nation's future.... And the final blow won't be the rise of political extremism -- that rise certainly created the preconditions for disaster, but it has been part of the landscape for some time now. No, what may turn this menace into catastrophe is the way the hand-wringing over Biden's age has overshadowed the real stakes in the 2024 election. It reminds me, as it reminds everyone I know, of the 2016 furor over Hillary Clinton's email server, which was a minor issue that may well have wound up swinging the election to Donald Trump.... As anyone who has recently spent time with Biden (and I have) can tell you, he is in full possession of his faculties -- completely lucid and with excellent grasp of detail.... Most important is that Biden has been a remarkably effective president." ~~~

     ~~~ Lawrence O'Donnell of MSNBC elaborated last night. Well worth listening.

Why Republicans Are More Likely Than Democrats to Experience Hearing Loss. Andrew Van Dam of the Washington Post: According to a CDC report, "'those [Americans] living in rural areas experience higher rates of [hearing loss], perhaps due to potential noise exposure from outdoor work and recreation such as forestry, all-terrain vehicles, and recreational firearms.' Emphasis ours.... Americans who have fired 1,000 rounds or more face three times the rate of hearing loss as those who have never fired a weapon, according to an analysis of 2011 and 2012 observations from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. It's a bit lower once you adjust for age and other factors -- probably closer to 1.8 times the rate.... And gun ownership tilts heavily rightward."

~~~~~~~~~~

Finland. And Then Along Came Trump. Johanna Lemola & Erika Solomon of the New York Times: "Educated in the United States and deeply pro-American, Finland's president-elect, Alexander Stubb, looked perfectly poised to lead his nation into a stronger trans-Atlantic partnership and redefine its role in the global order as a newly minted NATO member. Instead, he will enter office next month at a time when U.S. politics has once again thrown the durability of that relationship -- and the wisdom of European nations counting on it -- into question. For weeks, the two candidates in Finland's runoff presidential elections, which Mr. Stubb won on Sunday, had played up their pro-NATO credentials and tough views on Russia. Then ... Donald J. Trump threatened that, if re-elected, he would let Russia 'do whatever the hell they want' against NATO allies that do not contribute sufficiently to collective defense.... [Finland] holds NATO's longest border with Russia.... Living in Russia's shadow, Finland has long had a conscription army and already spends on its defense more than the 2 percent of G.D.P. that NATO members pledge to spend."

Israel/Palestine, et al.

The Washington Post's live updates of developments Tuesday in the Israel/Hamas war are here: "CIA Director William J. Burns and Israeli intelligence chief David Barnea are expected to meet Tuesday in Egypt to continue negotiations for a possible hostage-release deal. Many Gazans are attempting to flee Rafah, ahead of an expected full-scale Israeli military operation in the southern city where about 1.4 million people are sheltering.... U.S. officials are hopeful that Israel will have a counter to Hamas's latest proposal, and they believe that 'the shape' of an agreement 'is coming together,' a senior U.S. administration official said earlier."

Yasmeen Abutaleb & Matt Viser of the Washington Post: "President Biden and Jordan's King Abdullah II, speaking jointly at the White House on Monday, warned against an indiscriminate Israeli invasion of Rafah in southern Gaza, resulting in an event that had not occurred since the Israel-Hamas war began -- the president standing alongside an Arab leader to voice reservations about the Israeli onslaught in the Palestinian enclave. 'The major military operation in Rafah should not proceed without a credible plan to ensure the safety and support of more than 1 million people sheltering there,' Biden said, referring to Israel's publicly announced plans to invade the city. 'Many people there have been displaced -- displaced multiple times, fleeing the violence to the north. And now they're packed into Rafah, exposed and vulnerable. They need to be protected.' Abdullah was more direct. 'We cannot afford an Israeli attack on Rafah. It is certain to create another humanitarian catastrophe,' the king said.... He added: 'We cannot stand by and let this continue. We need a lasting ceasefire now. This war must end.'"

Jennifer Rubin of the Washington Post: "President Biden, perhaps the most emotionally pro-Zionist president in history, last week used his immense reserve of goodwill and credibility on Israel to do something no other president had: He laid down strong conditions on use of military aid. However, he deftly did not single out Israel for special treatment. 'U.S. President Joe Biden issued a memorandum on Thursday requiring allies who receive military aid from the U.S. to provide "credible and reliable written assurances" of their adherence to international law including international human rights law,' the Times of Israel reported. Israel will need to supply written assurances within 45 days or risk loss of aid.... No one should underestimate the impact of the decision. The Associated Press explained, Democratic senators on Friday called Biden's directive -- meant to bring breadth, oversight, deadlines and teeth to efforts to ensure foreign governments don't use U.S. military aid against civilians -- historic.'" Thanks to Ken W. for the link.