June 8, 2023
Late Morning/Afternoon Update:
** Devlin Barrett, et al., of the Washington Post: "... Donald Trump said Thursday night that he's been charged by the Justice Department in connection with the discovery that hundreds of classified documents were taken to his Mar-a-Lago home after he left the White House -- a widely anticipated but also seismic event in the nation's political and legal history. Several Trump advisers confirmed the charges. Trump said he has been summoned to appear in federal court in Miami on Tuesday at 3 p.m. A seven-count indictment has been filed in federal court naming the former president as a criminal defendant, according to people familiar with the matter.... This is a developing story." ~~~
~~~ ** The New York Times is liveblogging developments here: "The indictment, filed in Federal District Court in Miami, is the first time in American history a former president has faced federal charges. It puts the nation in an extraordinary position, given Mr. Trump's status not only as a onetime chief executive but also as the front-runner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination to face President Biden, whose administration will now be seeking to convict his potential rival. It was not immediately known what specific charges Mr. Trump is facing." ~~~
~~~ Maggie Haberman: "Our understanding from two sources is that the seven counts agains Trump include conspiracy to obstruct and willful retention of documents." ~~~
~~~ Shane Goldmacher: "In a video filmed in his Bedminster office that Trump posted on his Truth Social platform on Thursday evening, he declared: 'I'm an innocent man. I'm an innocent person.'" ~~~
~~~ Maggie Haberman: "A third charge is false statements, according to sources familiar with the indictment." ~~~
~~~ Luke Broadwater: "Speaker Kevin McCarthy pledged on Twitter that House Republicans would 'hold this brazen weaponization of power accountable.' He falsely claimed that Trump had been indicted by President Biden rather than a grand jury made up of American citizens...."
~~~ Charlie Savage: "On CNN, Trump's lawyer Jim Trusty said that Trump's legal team had not been shown the indictment itself, but that the summons commanding Trump to appear in court had 'some language in it that suggests what the seven charges would be.' He mentioned the Espionage Act, multiple false-statement charges and 'several obstruction-based type charges.' Specifically, he mentioned Section 1519 (which relates to obstructing an official effort and was widely expected because it was listed on the F.B.I. search warrant affidavit), but also a new one: Section 1512, which criminalizes witness tampering or other means of obstructing an official proceeding." ~~~
~~~ CNN's liveblog is here. ~~~
~~~ Marie: Lawrence O"Donnell of MSNBC reported on air that Merrick Garland had nothing to do with the decision to indict Donald Trump. According to NBC News, the DOJ person who "reviewed" Jack Smith's charging decisions was the highest-level career person (i.e., not a political appointee) in the Justice Department. So it turns out all we've said about Merrick the Unready was correct. For instance, earlier on Indictment Day, Akhilleus was wondering where Merrick was: "Where is he? He's what? At home watching a marathon of 'Be Careful! Be Very Careful' horror movies on Netflix? And he's not answering the phone?" Assuming the NBC reporting is correct, Akhilleus was right. ~~~
~~~ Students react to Trump's indictment:
Sara Murray of CNN: "Former Republican House Speaker Newt Gingrich testified Thursday before a federal grand jury investigating January 6, 2021, according to a person familiar with the matter. This story is breaking [@ 6:45 pm ET Thursday] and will be updated." MB: Everybody Donald Trump knows is creepy.
Zachary Cohen & Paula Reid of CNN: "A key former White House official was interviewed earlier this year by special counsel prosecutors investigating the handling of classified materials by both ... Donald Trump and President Joe Biden.... The former career official, who was in charge of advising the Trump and Obama administrations on the declassification process, is the only known witness to be interviewed by both teams of prosecutors investigating Trump and Biden. During those voluntary interviews, the former official told CNN there was a distinct difference in the line of questioning from prosecutors in the two probes. While prosecutors in the Trump case aggressively focused on any first-hand interactions with the former president, including conversations about how to properly declassify documents, prosecutors in the Biden case were more concerned with the mechanics of packing and moving boxes.... The former official said he told federal prosecutors that Trump knew the proper process for declassifying documents and followed it correctly at times while in office.... The former official provided names of former Trump officials who spoke directly to the former president about the declassification process while in office. That includes [National Security lawyer John] Eisenberg, former White House counsel Don McGahn and former White House chief of staff John Kelly." ~~~
~~~ Marie: I suppose it's not too likely these top officials told Trump he could declassify documents with his mind and not tell anybody else about it, because that's what the Presidential Records Act says. Nevertheless, that's exactly what Trump has been claiming.
Too Obviously Racist for Even John Roberts. Sam Levine of the Guardian: "Alabama discriminated against Black voters when it drew its seven congressional districts last year, the supreme court has ruled, a decision that is a major victory for the Voting Rights Act. The decision in the case, Allen v Milligan, means that Alabama will have to draw its congressional map to include a second majority-Black district. Black voters currently comprise a majority of the voting age population in just one district, despite making up a quarter of the state's population. Alabama could have easily drawn a second majority-Black district, the challengers in the case argued. They offered several sample maps with possible configurations of how to do so. Last year, a three-judge panel unanimously agreed with that argument and ordered the state to do so. The panel, which included two judges appointed by Donald Trump, said the question of whether the state had violated the law was 'not a close one.'" MB: The article doesn't say how each justice ruled, but the decision just came down, so we should learn that later. ~~~
~~~ Update. Adam Liptak of the New York Times: "The Supreme Court, in a surprise decision, ruled that Alabama had diluted the power of Black voters by drawing a congressional voting map with a single district in which they made up a majority. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. wrote the majority opinion in the 5-to-4 ruling. He was joined by Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh and the court's three liberal members, Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson." MB: But not too obviously racist for Thomas, Alito, Gorsuch & Barrett.
Impeach Justice Jackson! Mark Sherman & Jessica Gresko of the AP: "Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson disclosed Wednesday that she received a $1,200 congratulatory floral display from Oprah Winfrey and $6,580 in designer clothing for a magazine photo shoot in her first months as the first Black woman on the Supreme Court. The details of gifts given to Jackson were among the reports provided by most members of the court in their annual filings, which give a partial window onto their finances. The reports were released Wednesday.... Justice Sonia Sotomayor said she received nearly $150,000 in royalties for two children's books last year and another $12,000 in payments for possible stage and video versions of 'Just Ask! Be Different, Be Brave, Be You.' The book, intended for kids age 4 to 8, introduces readers to children who face what Sotomayor, who was diagnosed with diabetes as a child, calls 'life challenges.'" MB: It's clear Oprah is trying to take over the Justice System, and I expect Gym Jordan to haul her before Congress and grill her during the Jackson impeachment proceedings. P.S. That must have been some floral arrangement.
Florida. Curt Anderson of the AP: "A white Florida woman accused of shooting and killing her Black neighbor told investigators she had been threatened by the victim for months leading up to the slaying, according an arrest report.... The report from the Marion County Sheriff's Office came out shortly before Susan Louise Lorincz, 58, made her initial appearance in court Thursday by video. She has been charged with the first-degree felony of manslaughter with a firearm, as well as culpable negligence, battery and two counts of assault Sheriff Billy Woods said in a statement.... The day of the shooting, Lorincz told investigators she had a headache and that 'neighbors were outside screaming and yelling, kids were running around' in a grassy area separating two apartment quadruplex buildings, including hers. One child told deputies that the night of the shooting, Lorincz 'came out of her house and gave the children the middle finger' and also said this: 'Get away from my house, you Black slave,' according to the report. Lorincz admitted to detectives that she called the children 'the n-word.'"
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Marie: Okay, against my better judgment, and with a feeling that this possibly lengthy celebration will end badly, we're going to have an ~~~
~~~ Indictment Watch Party
** Hugo Lowell of the Guardian: "Federal prosecutors formally informed Donald Trump's lawyers last week that the former US president is a target of the criminal investigation examining his retention of national security materials at his Mar-a-Lago resort and obstruction of justice, according to two people briefed on the matter.... Trump's lawyers were notified before they met on Monday with the special counsel Jack Smith leading the Mar-a-Lago documents case and the senior career official in the deputy attorney general's office and made the case that prosecutors should not indict the former president in the matter." The New York Times now has the story. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~
~~~ Marie: As former federal prosecutor Renato Mariotti said on MSNBC, when a prosecutor sends out a target letter, that means an indictment is coming. ~~~
~~~ Alex Griffing of Mediaite: "...Donald Trump told New York Times political reporter Maggie Haberman on Wednesday he has no information regarding an impending federal indictment, despite reports to the contrary. 'Trump tells me minutes ago he has NOT been told he's getting indicted when contacted. "It's not true," he said, adding again he hasn't done anything wrong,' Haberman tweeted on Wednesday.... 'Trump';s statement came amid a report from one of his allies that he has been told this. NYT, CNN, WaPo, and other outlets have all reported federal officials have been building toward a likely indictment, including with witnesses in Miami before a grand jury today,' [Haberman wrote in her tweet].... Trump's own Truth Social platform sent out a push alert insisting that Trump would be indicted on Wednesday as well. Trump himself took the platform to deny the claim." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~
~~~ ** BUT. Marie: A bit later Wednesday afternoon Haberman tweeted, Trump "Demurred when asked if he has been told he is a target." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
Andrew Weissmann & Ryan Goodman in a Washington Post op-ed: "... the rule of law requires that Trump be charged, based on the wealth of publicly available facts and the history of the Justice Department charging people who did far less.... If special counsel Jack Smith hands down an indictment, we will be keeping an eye on many open issues that might indicate how strong a case the government believes it has. Here is what is on our checklist of things to note[.] Look to see whether the charges include not just illegal 'retention' of national defense information, but also a separate allegation of 'dissemination.'... This indictment could (and should) be what is known as a 'speaking indictment' and lay out specific obstruction evidence.... We will be keeping a close eye for how highly sensitive the information in the government documents Trump kept was.... Will Trump be the sole defendant or will others be charged?" MB: I've copied only some of the writers' concerns, and I've copied only parts of what they wrote about each. Read the whole op-ed.
Spencer Hsu, et al., of the Washington Post: "Justice Department prosecutors are planning to bring a significant portion of any charges stemming from the possible mishandling of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago, the home of ... Donald Trump, at a nearby federal court in south Florida, according to people familiar with the matter. The legal rationale for such a move is that the bulk of the conduct at issue in the investigation occurred in the southern district of Florida, in and around Trump's Palm Beach residence and private club, even if much of the investigation -- led by special counsel Jack Smith -- has been handled by a grand jury in D.C., these people said. That approach by prosecutors does not rule out the possibility of some charges, such as perjury or false statements, being filed in Washington in connection with grand jury appearances or law enforcement interviews that took place there.... If Trump is charged on his home turf, he could face a significantly different [MB: and more sympathetic] jury pool than the one in Washington." (Also linked yesterday.)
Hugo Lowell of the Guardian: "Federal prosecutors have subpoenaed multiple witnesses to testify before a previously unknown grand jury in Florida in the criminal investigation into Donald Trump's handling of national security materials and obstruction of justice, according to people familiar with the matter.... Questioning was expected to be led by Jay Bratt, the justice department's counterintelligence chief detailed to the special counsel Jack Smith, who is leading the investigation." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
Alan Feuer & Maggie Haberman of the New York Times:"A federal grand jury in Miami continued hearing from witnesses on Wednesday in the investigation into ... Donald J. Trump's possession of hundreds of classified documents and other presidential records at his private club in Florida after he left office. Among those who appeared for questions was Taylor Budowich, a former spokesman to Mr. Trump who now is a top adviser at the super PAC supporting Mr. Trump's presidential candidacy. One matter that prosecutors were interested in asking about was a [false] statement that Mr. Trump had his aides draft shortly after news broke that National Archives officials had recovered 15 boxes of material from him in January 2022. Mr. Budowich was Mr. Trump's spokesman at the time. The statement that Mr. Trump initially wanted to send, according to two people briefed on the matter, said that he had returned all the presidential material he had.... Prosecutors have [the] draft statement.... The statement that Mr. Trump actually sent out after the return of the 15 boxes in early 2022 did not assert that he had returned all the government material in his possession. After his grand jury appearance ended, Mr. Budowich posted a message on Twitter ... [which] described the grand jury inquiry as 'a bogus and deeply troubling effort to use the power of government to "get" Trump.'" CNN's report is here. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
Jonathan Deinst of NBC News: "Former Trump White House official Steve Bannon has been subpoenaed by a federal grand jury in Washington, D.C., in connection with special counsel Jack Smith's investigation into Jan. 6 and ... Donald Trump's efforts to stay in office, according to two sources.... The subpoena, for documents and testimony, was sent out in late May, the sources said.... Bannon ... was previously charged with contempt of Congress for refusing to cooperate after he received congressional subpoenas from the Jan. 6 committee, and was convicted of two charges in July 2022 following a jury trial. In October, U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols sentenced Bannon tofour months in federal prison, but suspended the sentence while Bannon pursued appeals." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
Rachel Weiner of the Washington Post: "An actor and comedian known for his role on the cult HBO comedy 'Mr. Show,' as well as roles on 'Better Call Saul,' 'Arrested Development' and 'Bob's Burgers,' has been arrested and charged with felony civil disorder for taking part in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. Jay Johnston ... is also accused of disorderly conduct, trespassing and blocking passage through the Capitol area. Prosecutors say he took part in a mass push against police in a tunnel on the west side of the Capitol, where some of the worst violence of the riot occurred. Johnston 'participated with other rioters in a group assault on the officers' guarding that entrance, according to an FBI agent's affidavit." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
Alan Feuer of the New York Times: "The owner of a Long Island funeral home was charged on Wednesday with spraying an insecticide at police officers guarding the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. The man, Peter G. Moloney, 58, was arrested in the Justice Department's sprawling investigation of the mob attack. He was also accused of attacking members of the news media outside the Capitol, according to charging documents unsealed in Federal District Court in Washington. Prosecutors say that Mr. Moloney, of Bayport, N.Y., showed up at the Capitol in a bicycle helmet and protective eyewear, carrying a canister of Black Flag Wasp, Hornet and Yellow Jacket Killer. After he approached a line of officers arrayed behind metal barricades on the west side of the building, prosecutors said, he sprayed several of them with the insecticide." (Also linked yesterday.)
Mariana Alfaro of the Washington Post: "President Biden on Wednesday vetoed a Republican-led resolution that would have struck down his controversial plan to forgive more than $400 billion in student loans. In a statement on Wednesday, the president said the resolution -- which the Senate approved on a 52-46 vote Thursday under the Congressional Review Act, a week after the House passed the measure -- would have kept millions of Americans from receiving 'the essential relief they need as they recover from the economic strains associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.'... In his statement, the president said it is 'a shame for working families across the country that lawmakers continue to pursue this unprecedented attempt to deny critical relief to millions of their own constituents, even as several of these same lawmakers have had tens of thousands of dollars of their own business loans forgiven by the Federal Government.'" Politico's report is here. ~~~
~~~ President Biden's full statement, via the White House, is here.
Amy Wang, et al., of the Washington Post: "The House remained in a stalemate Wednesday, recessing minutes after the session began, as hard-right Republicans defied GOP leadership and blocked legislation. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) met Wednesday afternoon with several members of the House Freedom Caucus to negotiate on their demands after 11 hard-right lawmakers -- still angry over McCarthy's handling of the debt ceiling bill -- voted with Democrats against passing a rule for consideration of several bills this week. A resolution has yet to be struck, though ongoing negotiations now involve possibly scheduling votes on key bills the Freedom Caucus prioritizes. McCarthy admitted Wednesday he had been 'blindsided' by Tuesday's events, which was the first rule vote to fail since November 2002, but insisted that the Republican caucus would emerge stronger." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~
~~~ Annie Karni of the New York Times: "... the rebellion has left [Kevin McCarthy], at least for now, as speaker in name only, deprived of a governing majority." ~~~
~~~ Marie: The first GOP bill that went down as a result of the House's winger revolt was one that would prevent President Biden from outlawing gas-powered ranges in homes. As Alex Wagner of MSNBC pointed out, (1) President Biden has not proposed to outlaw gas stoves; and (2) Republicans brought this bill to make sure we had more carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, & other pollutants in our homes during the midst of the worst East-Coast air-quality crisis in decades. Irony upon irony. And these people are very upset we're laughing at them.
Perry Stein, et al., of the Washington Post: "House Republicans will no longer vote to hold FBI Director Christopher A. Wray in contempt of Congress this week, saying that they reached a last-minute agreement with the director late Wednesday to reveal more details related to FBI documents that contain allegations against Joe Biden. House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) had planned to hold a contempt vote in his committee Thursday and has publicly derided Wray for failing to comply with a subpoena that demanded he hand over in full an FBI document that contained unsubstantiated allegations about Biden and his family. The allegations predated Biden's presidency.... The FBI fought to stave off the contempt vote and said it had been making 'extraordinary accommodations' to comply with the subpoena while still protecting its sources." CNN's story is here.
The Dog Ate Their Homework. Abbie VanSickle of the New York Times: "Justice Clarence Thomas delayed releasing his annual financial disclosure form with the justices on Wednesday after recent revelations cast scrutiny on his travel, gifts and real estate dealings with a conservative billionaire donor from Texas. Like Justice Thomas, Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. also asked for a 90-day extension to file the forms, which detail gifts, investments and other financial holdings, according to the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, which handles the financial forms and the database where they are publicly disclosed." An ABC News story is here. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
Douglas Martin of the New York Times: "Pat Robertson, a Baptist minister with a passion for politics who marshaled Christian conservatives into a powerful constituency that helped Republicans capture both houses of Congress in 1994, died on Thursday at his home in Virginia Beach, Va. He was 93." The AP's obituary is here.
Annals of "Journalism," Ctd.
Adi-Adios. John Koblin & Benjamin Mullin of the New York Times: "Chris Licht, the former television producer who oversaw a brief and chaotic run as the chairman of CNN, is out at the network. David Zaslav, the chief executive of CNN's parent, Warner Bros. Discovery, informed staff on Wednesday morning that he had met with Mr. Licht and that he was leaving, effective immediately. Mr. Licht's 13-month run at CNN was marked by one controversy after another.... Mr. Zaslav said that an interim group of leaders -- the CNN veterans Amy Entelis, Virginia Moseley and Eric Sherling, as well as the newly appointed chief operating officer, David Leavy -- would take over before a permanent leader was installed." CNN's story, by Oliver Darcy, is here. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
Aidan McLaughlin of Mediaite: "Fox News accused its former host Tucker Carlson of breaching his contract with a new show on Twitter. The network claimed in a letter that Carlson's new show, the first episode of which dropped on Tuesday, is a violation of his contract, setting up a potential legal battle between the cable news giant and one the biggest voices in conservative media.... [Carlson] is currently hamstrung by a noncompete in his contract, which runs until January 2025. Fox reportedly offered him $25 million to serve out the rest of his contract in silence, an offer he rejected. His lawyers have since declared war on Fox, accusing the network of fraud and breach of contract in an attempt to escape the terms of his agreement." ~~~
~~~ TuKKKer = Better-Dressed Alex Jones. Matt Gertz of Media Matters: "Six weeks after Fox News unceremoniously canned Tucker Carlson..., Fox's ratings have tanked and Carlson's new Twitter-based show is a mess -- yet none of their rivals have stepped up to fill the vacuum.... Carlson;s Tuesday night debut of 'Tucker on Twitter,' a version of his show recorded specifically for the platform, went poorly. Over the course of a 10-minute monologue well-leavened with his typical dishonesty, Carlson hit familiar themes from his Fox show about the perfidy of the media and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Carlson's anti-semitic overtones were somewhat more pronounced and his conspiracy theories wilder (there was a tangent about the media covering up evidence of aliens).... Carlson became an influential force because he was able to bring the most extreme elements and narratives of the far-right to a more mainstream Fox audience. On Twitter, he's just Alex Jones in jacket-and-tie." ~~~
~~~ Aidan McLaughlin [linked above] pointed out, "At one point [in his first Twitter show], he described Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who is Jewish, as 'a persecutor of Christians' as well as 'shifty, dead-eyed' and 'sweaty and ratlike.'" MB: Yeah, you might say that's antisemitic.
Presidential Race 2024
Mike Pence Changes Course. Jonathan Swan of the New York Times: "Former Vice President Mike Pence announced his presidential campaign in Iowa on Wednesday with a repudiation of Donald J. Trump, portraying his former boss -- and now rival -- as unfit for the presidency and going further than ever before in condemning the character and values of the man he loyally served for four years. Before a crowd of several hundred on the campus of the Des Moines Area Community College, Mr. Pence focused on something that many in his party have tried to desperately avoid: Mr. Trump's actions on Jan. 6, 2021. 'Jan. 6 was a tragic day in the life of our nation,' Mr. Pence said. 'But thanks to the courage of law enforcement, the violence was quelled, we reconvened the Congress. The very same day, President Trump's reckless words endangered my family and everyone at the Capitol.' He added: 'But the American people deserve to know on that fateful day, President Trump also demanded I choose between him and our Constitution. Now voters will be faced with the same choice. I chose the Constitution, and I always will.'... Most elected Republicans have contorted themselves to avoid ever talking about that day.... A growing number of Republicans are going even further, trying to falsely reframe the attack on the Capitol as an inside job by the F.B.I. or by leftist groups pretending to be Trump supporters." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~
~~~ Yeah But. Brett Samuels of the Hill: "Former Vice President Mike Pence on Wednesday said he hopes the Justice Department 'thinks better' of indicting ... Donald Trump, arguing it would be too divisive for the country. 'Number one, I think it would be terribly divisive to the country,' Pence said during a CNN town hall, citing issues like inflation that are more pressing for much of the public. 'This kind of action by the DOJ would only fuel further division in the country.'" MB: I would like to remind mikey that his good friend the Turtle said that the Senate's convicting Trump in an impeachment proceeding would be so wrong but that Trump "could still be held accountable within the criminal justice system." Uh, not if you preclude indictments.
And This Guy Looked in the Mirror and Saw a POTUS. Maeve Reston of the Washington Post: "Entering a GOP field on Wednesday that has largely focused on polarizing debates involving gender, race, abortion and the politics of outrage, [Gov. Doug Burgum (R) who is] not widely known outside North Dakota was attempting to bridge [a] ... divide as he evangelized about how 'big cities could use more ideas and more values from small towns right now.' In his bid, he is trying to shift the GOP debate away from culture war issues and grievances to economic matters that 'touch every American's life,' he told The Washington Post -- even as he has signed legislation restricting abortion and transgender rights. In his announcement in Fargo on Wednesday morning, he acknowledged that he is a long shot in a growing GOP field where ... Donald Trump has dominated and two other candidates joined the race this week." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
"Outrage Sells." Shane Goldmacher of the New York Times: "Ron DeSantis's decision to send migrants from near the Mexico border to the capital city of California is at first glance the latest in a series of escalating clashes between the Florida governor and his Democratic counterpart, Gavin Newsom. But the performative gambit in the early days of Mr. DeSantis's 2024 presidential run is better understood as an opening bid to prove to Republican primary voters that he can be just as much a provocateur, and every bit as incendiary, as ... Donald J. Trump. For Mr. DeSantis, the flights illustrate the broader bet he has made that the animating energy in the Republican Party today has shifted from conservatism to confrontationalism."
The New York Times is running an air-quality liveblog: "A plume of Canadian wildfire smoke rapidly darkened the skies over New York City and around the Northeast on Wednesday, making the air dangerous to breathe and disrupting life across the region. By afternoon, Midtown Manhattan was plunged into a deep hazy orange and smoky clouds obscured visibility across the five boroughs and the region, canceling some flights. Earlier in the day, commuters donned masks used amid the Covid-19 pandemic while walking the streets, children stayed indoors at recess, some schools closed and officials warned people against going outside. The smoke forced the cancellation of three big theater productions, 'Hamilton,' 'Camelot' and a free Shakespeare in the Park production of 'Hamlet,' as well as games hosted by the Yankees and the Liberty of the W.N.B.A. Flight delays of one to two hours caused by low visibility continued into Wednesday night at La Guardia and Newark Liberty International Airports." ~~~
~~~ NBC News has a liveblog here.
Beyond the Beltway
Louisiana. Rick Rojas of the New York Times: "Louisiana lawmakers have voted to make the state the latest to prevent transgender minors from having access to gender-transition care, advancing legislation that would ban hormone treatments, puberty blockers and surgeries for young people. It was unclear on Wednesday how Gov. John Bel Edwards would respond to the legislation, or if his input would make a difference. Mr. Edwards, the lone Democratic governor in the Deep South, has voiced opposition, yet the bill passed through the Republican-controlled State Legislature by a wide-enough margin to override a veto."
Way Beyond
Ukraine, et al. The New York Times' live updates of develoments Thursday in Russia's war on Ukraine are here. The Guardian's live updates for Thursday are here. The Guardian's summary report is here. ~~~
~~~ The Washington Post's live briefing of developments Thursday in Russia's war on Ukraine is here: "The Ukrainian military's long-anticipated counteroffensive against occupying Russian forces has begun, opening a phase in the war aimed at restoring Ukraine's territorial sovereignty and retaining Western support in the war. Ukraine's troops intensified their attacks on the front line in the country's southeast, according to four individuals in the country's armed forces.... Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is asking international humanitarian agencies to ramp up their response to the flooding that has followed the Kakhovka dam collapse, which inundated swaths of the southern Kherson region. He called the situation 'absolutely catastrophic' and urged aid agencies to do more.... International aid groups have been assisting with the evacuations on the Ukrainian-controlled side of the Dnieper River."
Isobel Koshiw & Mary Ilyushina of the Washington Post: "Flood victims in Russian-occupied areas of southern Ukraine described scenes of panic and desperation Wednesday as residents remained trapped in their homes and there was no sign of emergency responders coming to their rescue.... Some entire towns and villages were submerged or washed away by the gushing and still-rising waters released by the catastrophic collapse of the Kakhovka dam Tuesday.... The misery unfolding in Oleshky and at least seven other Russian-occupied towns and villages downstream from the dam reflected the damage of nearly 15 months of brutal war and the chaos in a region now governed by officials installed by the Kremlin officials after Ukrainian authorities were ousted. 'The authorities there are not helping,' [resident?] Yaroslav Vasyliev said. 'They are just impeding the process as they are not letting buses and boats that we paid for go through to volunteers.'" (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
U.K. Jim Waterson of the Guardian: “Prince Harry appeared to fight back tears as he finished giving evidence in the phone-hacking trial at the high court, saying there was 'hard evidence' that he had been illegally targeted by Mirror Group Newspapers. The prince spent eight hours in the witness box across two days, breaking with protocol as he became the first royal to be cross-examined in a court since 1891. He told the court that British newspapers had illegally targeted him all his life and then gone to 'extreme lengths to cover their tracks'."
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