January 4, 2023

Late Morning/Afternoon Update:

Dan Horn & Scott Wartman of the Cincinnati Enquirer: "President Joe Biden came to Greater Cincinnati Wednesday to tout a long-awaited Brent Spence Bridge project that he said proves Americans can still get things done if they work together. Speaking in Covington, not far from the 60-year-old bridge that had for years been a symbol of partisan gridlock, Biden praised Republicans and Democrats in Ohio, Kentucky and Washington for setting aside their differences to fix one of the nation's most vital pieces of infrastructure.... The president was joined by several Republicans and Democrats who were instrumental in passing the new, $550 billion federal infrastructure law that will help pay for the Brent Spence Bridge project. He singled out Sen. Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican and frequent political foe, for his help in gathering enough GOP support to pass the law.... For Biden, the visit was something of a victory lap. He vowed during a town hall here in July 2021 to 'fix that damn bridge,' despite several failed attempts by his Democratic and Republican predecessors to muster bipartisan support for the project."

From the New York Times' liveblog of developments in the Race to Defeat My Kevin: ~~~

     ~~~ Stephanie Lai: "Victoria Spartz, Republican of Indiana, voted present, leaving McCarthy with one less vote than yesterday. She previously voted for McCarthy three times.... The 20 dissenters who voted for Jim Jordan in the third vote yesterday have all voted for Byron Donalds in the fourth vote." ~~~

     ~~~ Michael Gold: "... George Santos has spent most of the vote in the Republican cloakroom, away from cameras and reporters. He came out briefly to vote for McCarthy." MB: He's in the cloakroam now. But how much longer till we're singing this? ~~~

     ~~~ Oh, Lordie. Maggie Astor: "We're heading for a fifth vote...." ~~~

     ~~~ MB: The outcome of the fifth vote looks just like the fourth: 212 for Jeffries, 201 for My Kevin, 20 for Donalds & 1 voting present.

After three undeciding votes, no member can lay claim to [the speaker's] office. How long will he remain there before he is considered a squatter? -- Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), letter to the Architect of the Capitol

     ~~~ Marie: Moving right along on this demonstration of the definition of insanity, the House takes its sixth vote, with no particular reason to expect a change. ~~~

     ~~~ Stephanie Lai: "Representative Kat Cammack, Republican of Florida, nominated McCarthy but was repeatedly disrupted by Democrats who took offense to her speech, which accused them of lacking sportsmanship and bringing alcohol and popcorn to the vote series." ~~~

     ~~~ Michael Gold: "At one point, Kat Cammack rhetorically asked Republicans, 'Are we the party of Reagan?' A chorus of Democrats called back, 'No.'"

I have to give props to the Democrats. They find ways to work together. -- Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Outer Space) ~~~

~~~ Marie: The matinee is over. But don't worry; there will be an evening show. The House is to reconvene at 8 pm Wednesday. ~~~

     ~~~ Catie Edmondson: "In a sign of McCarthy's determination to appease his critics, his political action committee cut a deal with the Club for Growth, a conservative anti-tax group that has opposed McCarthy's bid for speaker, agreeing not to spend money to support candidates in open primaries in safe Republican seats.... It was unclear if the pledge would be enough to win over any of the rebels."

     ~~~ Marie: After convening, a pro-McCarthy Republican immediately called for adjournment, so McCarthy would not be embarrassed by a 7th loser result. The final vote on the motion was close, with 4 Republicans voting with all Democrats against adjournment, and the while thing ended in a shouting match as Democrats urged the clerk to allow a few stragglers to vote. The majority vote switched from nay to yea about a half-minute after time ran out. Don't worry, they'll be back tomorrow, folks.

~~~ Catie Edmondson of the New York Times: "Representative Kevin McCarthy of California grasped on Wednesday for the votes he needs to become speaker after failing three times to win the post, as Republicans began their second day in control of the House without a leader and deadlocked about how to move forward amid a hard-right rebellion.... 'Some really good conversations took place last night, and it's now time for all of our GREAT Republican House Members to VOTE FOR KEVIN,' [Donald] Trump wrote in a social media post on Wednesday. He beseeched Republicans not to 'TURN A GREAT TRIUMPH INTO A GIANT & EMBARRASSING DEFEAT.'" ~~~

~~~ The Washington Post's live updates of the House hoohah are here. NBC News live updates are here.

There is so much unnecessary turmoil in the Republican Party, in large part do to people like the Old Broken Crow, Mitch McConnell. -- Donald Trump, in a Liars Social post Tuesday (yes, he really wrote "do to" & he really blamed Mitch for the Woes of Kevin) ~~~

~~~ Marie: Sorry, Donald, looks as if there are 20-some GOP deadenders, most of whom were in your fake election-denial caucus, who are no longer sufficiently askeert of you. And that doesn't count the GOP senators who paid no attention to you & re-elected Mitch as their leader.

While House Republicans fight to the death in Washington, D.C., President Joe & the Turtle will be honeymooning in Kentucky, inaugurating repair of a notoriously-dilapidated but key bridge between Kentucky & Ohio. ~~~

Michael Shear of the New York Times: "President Biden is heading to Kentucky on Wednesday for a celebration of bipartisan achievement, even as House Republicans descend into a chaotic debate over who can best wage partisan warfare against his administration. For Mr. Biden, the contrast is convenient. The president will join Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Republican minority leader, and an improbable mix of political rivals to highlight new funding for the Brent Spence Bridge, which connects Covington, Ky., to Cincinnati. The appearance is an effort by the White House to begin 2023 by focusing voter attention on instances of bipartisan agreement during Mr. Biden's first two years in office."

BTW, as long as there's no speaker of the House, Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) is second-in-line to the presidency, after Vice President Harris.

Aaron Blake of the Washington Post: In both Ohio & Pennsylvania, Republican & Democratic state House members compromised to jointly elect new leaders.

~~~~~~~~~~

Tuesday Was an Historic Day on Capitol Hill. Let's Start with Some Good History:

Liz Goodwin of the Washington Post: "Sen. Patty Murray(D-Wash.) was elected Senate president pro tempore Tuesday, becoming the first woman to hold the job since its inception and putting her third in the line of presidential succession. Murray, who was elected to the Senate in 1992 as a self-proclaimed 'mom in tennis shoes,' was selected for the role after Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) declined to seek it. In recent years, the job has gone to the senior-most member of the majority party, which is the 89-year-old Feinstein. Murray, 72, is the second in line."

Nicholas Fandos of the New York Times: "House Democrats formally elevated Representative Hakeem Jeffries of New York to be their leader on Tuesday, uniting around a liberal lawyer and disciplined political tactician as the face of their opposition to the new Republican majority.... He is the first Black politician to lead either party in Congress. And, at 52, he represents a generational change for House Democrats after two decades under Representative Nancy Pelosi.... He ended up receiving more support in the first three rounds of voting for speaker than the main Republican candidate, Representative Kevin McCarthy of California -- but not the majority needed to win.... 'He does not traffic in extremism. He does not grovel to or make excuses for a twice-impeached, so-called former president,' Representative Pete Aguilar of California, the No. 3 Democrat, said of Mr. Jeffries in a nominating speech on the House floor. 'He does not bend a knee to anyone who would seek to undermine our democracy because, Madam Clerk, that's not what leaders do.'"

Wherein My Kevin Learned the Perils of Negotiating with Terrorists:

Catie Edmondson of the New York Times: "Republicans were deadlocked on Tuesday over who would lead their new majority after Representative Kevin McCarthy of California lost three votes for the top job, as hard-right lawmakers in open revolt dealt their party leader a humiliating setback and prompted a historic struggle on the House floor. The mutiny, waged by ultraconservative lawmakers who for weeks have held fast to their vow to oppose Mr. McCarthy, paralyzed the House on the first day of Republican rule, delaying the swearing in of hundreds of members of Congress, putting off any legislative work and exposing deep divisions that threaten to make the party's House majority ungovernable." ~~~

~~~ The New York Times is liveblogging developments in the upcoming vote for House speaker. It is not looking good for My Kevin & for Republican House members in general. The liveblog includes a livefeed of the House floor. Also, a photo of Kevin's stuff, boxed up & left out in the hall. CNN's liveblog is here. The Washington Post's liveblog is here. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

     ~~~ Update: The clerk is only on the letter "C" in the rollcall, & McCarthy already has lost six votes, two more than he could have lost to gain the speakership. ~~~

     ~~~ Catie Edmondson: "The failed vote on Tuesday showed publicly for the first time the extent of the opposition Mr. McCarthy is facing in his quest for the speaker's gavel. Nineteen Republicans voted against Mr. McCarthy, instead throwing their support behind other conservative lawmakers."

     ~~~ The clerk reported Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) received 212 votes, Kevin McCarthy received 203 votes.

     ~~~ Elaine Cochrane: Second Ballot: "All 434 lawmakers have now had their votes recorded. The tally remains the same for Kevin McCarthy: 19 members of his party against him, and Democrats united for Hakeem Jeffries. It appears we are in the exact same scenario as the first ballot, just with the anti-McCarthy votes consolidating for Jim Jordan, who himself is supporting McCarthy." Democrats gave Jeffries a standing O. ~~~

     ~~~ Nicholas Fandos: "House Democrats formally elevated Representative Hakeem Jeffries of New York to be their leader on Tuesday, uniting around a liberal lawyer and disciplined political tactician as the face of their opposition to the new Republican majority." ~~~

     ~~~ In the third roll call that failed to produce a speaker, Jeffries got 212 votes, My Kevin got 202, & Jungle Gym Jordan 20. The House has adjourned for the day & will reconvene at noon tomorrow when who knows what-all they will do. ~~~

~~~ There's No There There. Erin Doherty of Axios: "The House is in limbo until it elects a speaker. Members of the 118th Congress can't be sworn in, the House can't set rules to govern itself and it can't consider legislation or create committee assignments." ~~~

~~~ Amy Gardner of the Washington Post: "All but two of the 20 Republican House members who voted against Kevin McCarthy for speaker in Tuesday's third ballot round are election deniers who embraced ... Donald Trump's false claims that the 2020 election was rigged.... The tally reflects the degree to which election deniers dominate the House Republican caucus, accounting for more than three-quarters of the 222-person conference. A significant majority of McCarthy's 202 votes -- 157 -- came from election deniers. McCarthy (R-Calif.) himself embraced false claims that the 2020 election was stolen from Trump. So did Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), who received votes from the 20 defectors on the third ballot."

Maybe Jungle Gym is reluctant to play a starring role in the House right now because he soon will be playing another starring role, this one in a George-Clooney-produced HBO documentary about an Ohio State sports doctor who allegedly abused about 300 wrestlers at the school. Allegedly, "Jordan, an Ohio State assistant wrestling coach for part of [the doctor's] time at the university, knowingly ignored [the] abuse."

Fuzzy GOP Math. Marie: According to an on-air report, one of the possible "solutions" to ending the statement that Kevin & his gang came up with last night was to get those 20 Republicans who opposed him to simply vote "present." That, the plan went, would spare Republicans who objected to McCarthy from having to vote for him, and it would reduce the total number of members present to, say, 414 (from 434), making those voting for Kevin a technical majority. Uh, really? First, 203 -- the highest number of votes McCarthy got yesterday -- is not more than 50 percent of 414. Second, 212 -- the number of votes Democrat Hakeem Jeffries got in all three roll calls yesterday -- is more than 50 percent of 414. So by running this brilliant plan, Jeffries would become speaker. Which is okay with me. Let's not tell My Kevin. (There is a sweet spot. If Kevin could get 11 of the 20 who voted against him to switch their votes to Kevin, that would leave the total of those voting would be 425. It also would give Kevin 413 votes, or one more than 50 percent AND one more than the votes for Jeffries.)

Mr. Santos Goes to Washington. Annie Karni & Michael Gold of the New York Times: "Hounded by reporters whom he labored to avoid and shunned by members of his own party, George Santos, Republican representative-elect of New York, spent his first day in Congress as an outcast.... Dozens of reporters waited for him outside his new office in the Longworth Building, peppering him with questions about whether he owed his constituents answers about the fantasy persona he created in order to win his seat, and whether he had any response to the investigations that those fabrications have produced.... He strode right past his office, before doubling back and closing the door behind him. He answered no questions.... [He lost his way in the hallways at least two more times. Once the House convened at noon,] he sat alone in the back of the chamber, staring at his phone, even as a group of New York Republicans mingled not far from him." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: On Tuesday, Santos issued a press release with the lede "U.S. Representative George Santos was sworn in as a Member of the United States House of Representatives by the Speaker of the House on January 3rd, 2023." That of course is not true. Kevin McCarthy did not become speaker on Tuesday, and neither he nor anyone else swore in Santos -- or any other rep. But Santos' First Big D.C. Lie has been scrubbed from his Website. However, I took a look at Santo's site, and as of late Tuesday, there's still a lovely Freudian slip on Santos' "About" page: "George perused a long path to success...." And that is true. George did peruse a long path to success. After perusing various successful career paths, it's safe to assume George picked out one such path for himself and plugged it into his fake résumé. No one told him he actually had to pursue a successful career path if he wanted to claim it.

And You Thought Republicans Had No Principles. Jacob Knutson of Axios: "The incoming Republican majority in the House of Representatives removed metal detectors outside of the chamber floor on Tuesday, just three days before the second anniversary of the deadly Jan. 6 riot.... The magnetometers were installed outside the House chamber in January 2021 to beef up security after the attack, but some Republicans have vocally opposed the increased security checks.... A rules package for the new Congress removes 'Democrat fines for failure of Members to comply with unscientific mask mandates and security screenings before entering the House floor,' Republicans on the House Rules Committee said."

Scott Bauer of the AP: "The former chairman of the Wisconsin Republican Party said Republican Sen. Ron Johnson spoke to him weeks before Joe Biden assumed the presidency about having the state's GOP-controlled Legislature, rather than voters, choose Wisconsin's presidential electors, according to newly released documents from closed-door testimony to the House Jan. 6 committee. Johnson, in a statement Tuesday, said he had no recollection of the conversation with Andrew Hitt and accused the committee investigating the 2021 Capitol insurrection of attempting to 'smear' him by selectively releasing text messages." Read on: Hitt & another Wisconsin GOP leader had quite a bit of discussion about something Johnson can't recall.

Josh Gerstein & Alice Ollstein of Politico: "The Justice Department has cleared the U.S. Postal Service to deliver abortion drugs to states that have strict limits on terminating pregnancy, and has offered limited assurances that a federal law addressing the issue won't be used to prosecute people criminally over such mailings. A legal opinion, from Justice's Office of Legal Counsel, concludes that a nearly 150-year-old statute aimed at fighting 'vice' through the mail is not enforceable against mailings of abortion drugs as long as the sender does not know that the drugs will be used illegally." ~~~

~~~ Pam Bellock of the New York Times: "For the first time, retail pharmacies, from corner drugstores to major chains like CVS and Walgreens, will be allowed to offer abortion pills in the United States under a regulatory change made Tuesday by the Food and Drug Administration. The action could significantly expand access to abortion through medication. Until now, mifepristone -- the first pill used in the two-drug medication abortion regimen -- could be dispensed only by a few mail-orde pharmacies or by specially certified doctors or clinics. Under the new F.D.A. rules, patients will still need a prescription from a certified health care provider, but any pharmacy that agrees to accept those prescriptions and abide by certain other criteria can dispense the pills in its stores and by mail order."

Beyond the Beltway

Colorado, etc. Democrats Can Be Cruel & Stupid, Too. Joe Anuta of Politico: "Colorado Gov. Jared Polis [D] plans to send migrants to major cities including New York, Mayor Eric Adams said Tuesday, warning that the nation's largest city is already struggling to deal an influx of people sent from Texas and other Republican-led states. The impending move by Polis is unusual because Colorado is not a border state and both leaders are Democrats facing severe challenges over what they say is a national crisis around immigration.... Polis' office did not immediately respond." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Note Linda in Denver's objections in today's Comments. As she writes, the story has been updated. But whatever the intentions, the bottom line remains that Colorado is "helping" scoot these immigrants out of their state. While it may be the people really want to go to New York or Chicago because they have friends or relatives there, it seems just as likely that the people say they want to go to those cities because they've heard of them. At best, I am agnostic about a "plan" that seems to center on shuffling immigrants around the country in a fairly chaotic manner.

Maryland. Dan Morse of the Washington Post: "... the [trial] of Sophia Negroponte, the daughter of former U.S. director of national intelligence John Negroponte..., in the killing of Yousuf Rasmussen, 24, concluded Tuesday when jurors found her guilty of second-degree murder -- punishable by up to 40 years in prison.... John Negroponte was appointed in 2005 as the nation's first director of national intelligence by President George W. Bush.... The Negropontes came up several times during the trial -- in particular how they adopted Sophia from an orphanage in Honduras after serving there. Her mother, Diana Negroponte, testified in the trial."

Ohio. Reid Wilson of Pluribus News: "A coalition of Republicans joined with Democrats to pick a new speaker of the state House on Tuesday, bucking a majority of Republicans who voted last month for a different candidate. The Republican and Democratic coalition voted Tuesday to tap state Rep. Jason Stephens (R) to succeed Speaker Robert Cupp (R), who did not seek re-election last year. Stephens took 54 votes, beating state Rep. Derek Merrin (R) by an 11-vote margin. Republicans voting last month had picked Merrin as their speaker nominee in a closed-door session. Merrin ... had support from conservative organizations in the state.... Ratings in 2021 from the American Conservative Union, a group that evaluates state legislators based on their votes on conservative legislation, showed Stephens and Merrin received identical scores."

Way Beyond

Ukraine, et al. The New York Times' live updates of developments Wednesday in Russia's war on Ukraine are here. The Guardian's live updates for Wednesday are here. The Guardian's summary report is here. ~~~

     ~~~ The Washington Post's live briefing for Wednesday is here: "The fallout from a deadly attack in the occupied city of Makiivka in Ukraine's Donetsk region has led to finger-pointing by Russian officials. The Russian Defense Ministry said the attack was a result of illicit cellphone use among its soldiers, in what some observers see as an attempt to shift culpability from Moscow.... Russia's Defense Ministry increased its number for the Makiivka attack's death toll to 89, a rare acknowledgment of a significant loss, although Ukraine claims as many as 400 Russians were killed.... The United States has had direct conversations with Russian officials about Paul Whelan, State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a news briefing Tuesday."

Europe. Stanley Reed of the New York Times: "European natural gas prices, which soared last year following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, have now fallen well below their levels before the start of the war, reflecting the continent's success rounding up alternatives to Russian gas, widespread conservation efforts and a relatively mild winter. But the news comes as Europe's economy is slowing -- half of the European Union is expected to be in recession next year, the head of the International Monetary Fund, Kristalina Georgieva, said Sunday -- and the slumping gas price also signals diminished demand for energy." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

News Ledes

Washington Post: "A dangerous storm system is slamming California, with meteorologists at the National Weather Service warning of imminent 'widespread flooding, impassible roads, mudslides/landslides [and] rapid rises in rivers/creeks.' The system, which prompted the Weather Service to take the unusual step of urging residents to have 'go bags' at the ready and prepare insurance documentation in advance, is set to unleash its harshest conditions Wednesday night into early Thursday. Virtually the entirety of Northern and Central California is under flood watches and high-wind warnings, with damaging gusts to 60 mph possible. Strong to severe thunderstorms could be in the offing as well, in addition to 2 to 4 inches of rain in the lowlands and more in the mountains."

New York Times: "A pounding stretch of rain, wind and snow continued its destructive path east through the Midwestern and Southern states on Tuesday, bringing heavy rain and snow to much of the central United States and tornadoes to the South after drenching California over the weekend. As it moved further east, the so-called multi-hazard storm was expected to dump a mixture of snow and freezing rain in northern New England by Thursday, forecasters said...."

January 3, 2023

Afternoon Update:

The New York Times is liveblogging developments in the upcoming vote for House speaker. It is not looking good for My Kevin & for Republican House members in general. The liveblog includes a livefeed of the House floor. Also, a photo of Kevin's stuff, boxed up & left out in the hall. CNN's liveblog is here. The Washington Post's liveblog is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Update: The clerk is only on the letter "C" in the rollcall, & McCarthy already has lost six votes, two more than he could have lost to gain the speakership. ~~~

     ~~~ Catie Edmondson: "The failed vote on Tuesday showed publicly for the first time the extent of the opposition Mr. McCarthy is facing in his quest for the speaker's gavel. Nineteen Republicans voted against Mr. McCarthy, instead throwing their support behind other conservative lawmakers."

     ~~~ The clerk reported Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) received 212 votes, Kevin McCarthy received 203 votes.

     ~~~ Elaine Cochrane: Second Ballot: "All 434 lawmakers have now had their votes recorded. The tally remains the same for Kevin McCarthy: 19 members of his party against him, and Democrats united for Hakeem Jeffries. It appears we are in the exact same scenario as the first ballot, just with the anti-McCarthy votes consolidating for Jim Jordan, who himself is supporting McCarthy." Democrats gave Jeffries a standing O. ~~~

     ~~~ Nicholas Fandos: "House Democrats formally elevated Representative Hakeem Jeffries of New York to be their leader on Tuesday, uniting around a liberal lawyer and disciplined political tactician as the face of their opposition to the new Republican majority." ~~~

     ~~~ In the third roll call that failed to produce a speaker, Jeffries got 212 votes, My Kevin got 202, & Jungle Gym Jordan 20. The House has adjourned for the day & will reconvene at noon tomorrow when who knows what-all they will do. Without a speaker, the House cannot legislate. As for me, I'm waiting for Der Trumpenmeister to ride in on a white golf cart & offer to be speaker.

Stanley Reed of the New York Times: "European natural gas prices, which soared last year following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, have now fallen well below their levels before the start of the war, reflecting the continent's success rounding up alternatives to Russian gas, widespread conservation efforts and a relatively mild winter. But the news comes as Europe's economy is slowing -- half of the European Union is expected to be in recession next year, the head of the International Monetary Fund, Kristalina Georgieva, said Sunday -- and the slumping gas price also signals diminished demand for energy."

Democrats Can Be Cruel & Stupid, Too. Joe Anuta of Politico: "Colorado Gov. Jared Polis [D] plans to send migrants to major cities including New York, Mayor Eric Adams said Tuesday, warning that the nation's largest city is already struggling to deal an influx of people sent from Texas and other Republican-led states. The impending move by Polis is unusual because Colorado is not a border state and both leaders are Democrats facing severe challenges over what they say is a national crisis around immigration.... Polis' office did not immediately respond."

~~~~~~~~~~

The Woes of Kevin, Ctd. Marianna Sotomayor of the Washington Post: "House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy and his allies have spent the holiday weekend working the phones and meeting with members, trying to salvage his career goal of becoming speaker on Tuesday as Republicans continue to argue over whether he deserves the top spot. While an overwhelming majority of Republicans want to elect McCarthy (Calif.) as speaker, roughly 15 have put the outcome in serious doubt. McCarthy can afford to lose only four Republicans in Tuesday's floor vote, and the razor-thin margin has emboldened staunch conservatives within the House Freedom Caucus, who have made specific demands in exchange for their votes. If McCarthy fails to win the gavel on the first ballot Tuesday, it would be a historic loss: No leader vying for speaker has lost a first-round vote in a century." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: According to on-air reports, Kevin already has moved some of his stuff into the plush speaker's office. So it may be kind of fun to see him carrying a cardboard box full of plaques, framed photos & a gavel out of the office & down the hall. Of course the alternative to McCarthy, possibly Steve Scalise -- the self-described "David Duke without the baggage" -- will not be an improvement over Kevin. I would say "David Duke without the hood," but I'm not 100 percent sure Scalise doesn't keep a neatly ironed & folded hood in his briefcase for unexpected special occasions. ~~~

     ~~~ The New York Times story on the Woes of Kevin, by Catie Edmondson, is here. (Also linked yesterday.)

Grace Ashford of the New York Times: "Brazilian law enforcement authorities intend to revive fraud charges against [George] Santos, and will seek his formal response, prosecutors said on Monday. The matter, which stemmed from an incident in 2008 regarding a stolen checkbook, had been suspended for the better part of a decade because the police were unable to locate him. A spokeswoman for the Rio de Janeiro prosecutor's office said that with Mr. Santos's whereabouts identified, a formal request will be made to the U.S. Justice Department to notify him of the charges, a necessary step after which the case will proceed with or without him.... Just a month before his 20th birthday, Mr. Santos entered a small clothing store in the Brazilian city of Niterói outside Rio de Janeiro. He spent nearly $700 using a stolen checkbook and a false name, court records show." MB: Yeah, see, I told you he lied about even his name. Multiple times, evidently.

The House January 6 Select Committee released more transcripts Monday. Links to those transcripts are here. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ Kyle Cheney of Politico: "The Jan. 6 select committee has unloaded a vast database of its underlying evidence -- emails between Trump attorneys, text messages among horrified White House aides and outside advisers, internal communications among security and intelligence officials -- all coming to grips with Donald Trump's last-ditch effort to subvert the 2020 election and its disastrous consequences. The panel posted thousands of pages of evidence late Sunday in a public database that provide the clearest glimpse yet at the well-coordinated effort by some Trump allies to help Trump seize a second term he didn't win. Much of the evidence has never been seen before and, in some cases, adds extraordinary new elements to the case the select committee presented in public -- from voluminous phone records to contemporaneous text messages and emails.... Here's a look at some of the most extraordinary and important evidence in the select committee's files." ~~~

     ~~~ Luke Broadwater, et al., of the New York Times: "... the House Jan. 6 committee ... released a whirlwind of documents in its final days and wrapped up its work on Monday. Since Friday night, the panel has released several troves of evidence, including about 120 previously unseen transcripts along with emails and text messages obtained during its 18-month inquiry, totaling tens of thousands of pages.... The panel said it has now turned over an 'enormous volume of material to the Justice Department as Jack Smith, the special counsel, conducts a parallel investigation into the events of Jan. 6.... Here are some takeaways from the recently released evidence:...

"Several Trump advisers made clear that Mr. Trump had intended for days to join a crowd of his supporters marching on the Capitol. 'POTUS expectations are to have something intimate at the ellipse, and call on everyone to march to the capitol,' Katrina Pierson, a Trump spokeswoman, wrote in a Jan. 2, 2021, email. Kayleigh McEnany, Mr. Trump's press secretary, also wrote in a note on Jan. 6 that Mr. Trump had wanted to walk alongside the crowd as it descended on the Congress: 'POTUS wanted to walk to capital. Physically walk. He said fine ride beast.'... Anthony Ornato, a former deputy chief of staff at the White House who had also been the special agent in charge of Mr. Trump's Secret Service detail..., said he did not remember significant moments that multiple witnesses recounted to the panel. 'I don't recall any conversation taking place about the possible movement of the president to the Capitol,' Mr. Ornato testified....

Mr. Trump personally involved himself in the false elector scheme, according to Ronna McDaniel, the chairwoman of the Republican National Committee. Ms. McDaniel recounted a call after the election in which Mr. Trump introduced her to John Eastman, the lawyer who wrote a now-infamous memo that laid out a path for the former president to remain in power. Mr. Eastman, she said, then spoke about how he believed it was important for the committee to help the Trump campaign 'gather these contingent electors,' she said."

     ~~~ Marie: A-googling I did go, in search of said database. I had no luck yesterday, but I think this must be the place. At any rate, there are links here to pdf files of a boatload of raw documents, including the committee report itself. The page is titled, "Select January 6th Committee Final Report and Supporting Materials Collection."

Paul Krugman of the New York Times: "The culture war is no longer just posturing by politicians mainly interested in cutting taxes on the rich; many elected Republicans are now genuine fanatics.... One can almost feel nostalgic for the good old days of greed and cynicism. Oddly, the culture war turned real at a time when Americans are more socially liberal than ever.... I don't understand ... how the U.S. government is going to function. President Barack Obama faced an extremist, radicalized G.O.P. House, but even the Tea Partiers had concrete policy demands that could, to some extent, be appeased. How do you deal with people who believe, more or less, that the 2020 election was stolen by a vast conspiracy of pedophiles?" MB: Maybe take them in small groups on field trips to Comet Ping Pong Pizza.

Richard Fausset of the New York Times: "In states with permissive gun laws, the police and prosecutors have limited tools at their disposal when a heavily armed individual's mere presence in a public space sows fear or even panic. The question of how to handle such situations has been raised most often in recent years in the context of political protests, where the open display of weapons has led to concerns about intimidation, the squelching of free speech or worse. But it may become a more frequent subject of debate in the wake of a landmark Supreme Court decision in June, which expanded Americans' right to arm themselves in public while limiting states' ability to set their own regulations." For instance,

"Two days after a gunman killed 10 people at a Colorado grocery store, leaving many Americans on high alert, Rico Marley was arrested as he emerged from the bathroom at a Publix supermarket in Atlanta. He was wearing body armor and carrying six loaded weapons -- four handguns in his jacket pockets, and in a guitar bag, a semiautomatic rifle and a 12-gauge shotgun.... His lawyer, Charles Brant, noted that he had not made any threats or fired any shots, and had legally purchased his guns. Mr. Marley did not violate Georgia law, Mr. Brant said; he was 'just being a person, doing what he had the right to do.'"

Ruth Graham of the New York Times: "Under pressure amid a boycott by top law schools, U.S. News & World Report told law school deans on Monday that it will make several changes in the next edition of its influential ratings. In a letter to American law school deans published on its site, U.S. News said its next list would give more credit to schools whose graduates go on to pursue advanced degrees, or school-funded fellowships to work in public-service jobs that pay lower wages. The magazine, which has been publishing the ratings for decades, is responding to criticism that its rankings overvalue high-paying private-sector jobs. The 2023-24 rankings, scheduled to be published this spring, will also rely less on surveys of schools' reputations submitted by academics, lawyers and judges, the magazine said."

Beyond the Beltway

New York/Maine. An Improbably Islamic Terrorist. Andy Newman & Mihir Zaveri of the New York Times: "The man charged with attacking three police officers with a machete near Times Square on New Year's Eve had traveled to New York from his home in Maine to injure the police in an act of Islamic extremism, a senior law enforcement official said on Monday.... Sometime on Saturday before the attack, the official said, Mr. Bickford wrote a farewell letter to his family in a diary that was found on him afterward. In it, he wrote to his mother, 'I fear greatly you will not repent to Allah and therefore I hold hope in my heart that a piece of you believes so that you may be taken out of the hellfire.' Mr. Bickford also referred in his diary to his brother, who is in the U.S. military, as having assumed the uniform of the enemy, the law enforcement official said."

Virginia. Gregory Schneider of the Washington Post: "Over the past three years, as the former capital of the Confederacy [Richmond] has taken down more than a dozen monuments to the Lost Cause, [Devon] Henry -- who is Black -- has overseen all the work. He didn't seek the job. He had never paid much attention to Civil War history. City and state officials said they turned to Team Henry Enterprises after a long list of bigger contractors -- all White-owned -- said they wanted no part of taking down Confederate statues.... He has endured death threats, seen employees walk away and been told by others in the industry that his future is ruined." Read on.

Way Beyond

Ukraine, et al. The New York Times' live updates of developments Tuesday in Russia's war on Ukraine are here. The Guardian's live updates for Tuesday are here. The Guardian's summary report is here. ~~~

     ~~~ The Washington Post's live briefing is here: "More than 80 Iranian-made drones have been shot down in Ukraine so far in 2023, [President] Zelensky said in his nightly address Monday. Ukraine and the West have repeatedly accused Iran of supplying unmanned aerial vehicles to Russia for use in the war. Tehran has denied those claims.... The governor of Kherson said Russian forces attacked the region dozens of times on Monday with artillery, multiple rocket launchers, mortars and tanks."

Matthew Bigg, et al., of the New York Times: "In one of their deadliest attacks yet on Russian forces, Ukrainians used American-made rockets to kill dozens -- and perhaps hundreds -- of Moscow's troops in a New Year's Day strike behind the lines, prompting outraged Russian war hawks to accuse their military of lethal incompetence. The strike by the HIMARS rockets killed 63 Russian soldiers in a building housing them in the occupied city of Makiivka, in eastern Ukraine, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Monday -- an unusual admission for a military that has often refused to acknowledge serious losses. A former Russian paramilitary commander in Ukraine, Igor Girkin, wrote on the Telegram app that 'many hundreds' were dead and wounded and that many 'remained under the rubble.' Ukrainian military officials said it appeared that 'about 400' Russian troops had been killed, though they did not explicitly say that Kyiv was behind the attack. None of the claims could be independently verified, but even the lowest number would represent one of the worst Russian losses in a single episode in the war, and an embarrassment for President Vladimir V. Putin." The AP's report is here.

Brazil. Andrew Downie of the Guardian: "Thousands of mourners braved punishing heat to pay their final tribute to footballing legend Pelé on Monday as the president of Fifa said he would ask every member country to name a stadium after the recently deceased Brazilian player. Fans lined up outside the 106-year-old Vila Belmiro ground in Santos -- the city in south-eastern Brazil where Pelé first made his name as a star goal scorer in the 1950s -- overnight and at about 10am mourners began filing past the coffin that had been placed under a shaded tent in the middle of the field."

Vatican. Angela Giuffrida of the Guardian: "Thousands of Catholics have begun queueing at the Vatican to pay their respects to the former pope Benedict XVI, with some hoping he would be canonised as a saint. Benedict died on Saturday, aged 95, and his body was transferred from a Vatican monastery to St Peter's Basilica on Monday at 7am, where it will lie in state for three days before his funeral on Thursday."

News Ledes

Washington Post: "The criminology graduate student accused of killing four college students in Idaho told a judge Tuesday that he will voluntarily go to that state for court proceedings, probably shortening the time before officials will make public more details in their case. Flanked by Pennsylvania law enforcement officers, handcuffed and wearing a red jumpsuit as he was guided into the courtroom, Bryan Kohberger appeared before news cameras for the first time since his arrest at his parents' home in northeastern Pennsylvania. Judge Margherita Patti-Worthington asked Kohberger whether he agreed to be taken to Idaho, where authorities are expected to make their case against him public once he appears in Idaho court. The 28-year-old confirmed as much and signed a waiver. The judge said he could be surrendered to Idaho authorities within 10 calendar days."

New York Times: "Frank R. James, who is charged with shooting 10 people last April in one of the worst attacks in recent years on the New York subway, is expected to plead guilty to terrorism on Tuesday afternoon in federal court in Brooklyn, according to court records. Mr. James, 63, had initially entered a not guilty plea, but his court-appointed lawyers from the Federal Defenders of New York said last month that he would plead guilty to an 11-count indictment that charged him with 10 counts of terrorist attack -- one for each of the 10 people struck in the subway shooting -- as well as with a firearms charge."

New York Times: "Damar Hamlin, a 24-year-old safety in his second season with the Buffalo Bills, was in critical condition in a hospital after suffering cardiac arrest during a Monday night game against the Cincinnati Bengals, the Bills said. Team officials said in a statement early Tuesday that Hamlin's heart stopped after he was hit during a play in the first quarter. His heartbeat was restored by medical personnel on the field before Hamlin was taken to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, the Bills said, adding that Hamlin was undergoing 'further testing and treatment' and had been sedated." The AP's report is here.

January 2, 2023

Late Morning Update:

The House January 6 Select Committee released more transcripts Monday. Links to those transcripts are here. ~~~

~~~ Kyle Cheney of Politico: "The Jan. 6 select committee has unloaded a vast database of its underlying evidence -- emails between Trump attorneys, text messages among horrified White House aides and outside advisers, internal communications among security and intelligence officials -- all coming to grips with Donald Trump's last-ditch effort to subvert the 2020 election and its disastrous consequences. The panel posted thousands of pages of evidence late Sunday in a public database that provide the clearest glimpse yet at the well-coordinated effort by some Trump allies to help Trump seize a second term he didn't win. Much of the evidence has never been seen before and, in some cases, adds extraordinary new elements to the case the select committee presented in public -- from voluminous phone records to contemporaneous text messages and emails.... Here's a look at some of the most extraordinary and important evidence in the select committee's files." MB: I'll be darned if I can find the database. The committee & the Googles are letting me down. Update: I'd say this is it.

The New York Times story on the Woes of Kevin, by Catie Edmondson, is here.

~~~~~~~~~~

Enjoy your day. Unless you care about the Woes of Kevin, there is no news in the land.

Melanie Zanona & Lauren Fox of CNN: "House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy outlined some of the concessions that he has agreed to in his campaign for speaker on a Sunday evening conference call -- including making it easier to topple the speaker, according to multiple GOP sources on the call. But McCarthy could not say whether he would have the votes for the speakership, even after giving in to some of the right's most hardline demands. Later Sunday evening, House Republicans unveiled their rules package for the 118th Congress, which formalizes some of the concessions that McCarthy has agreed to. The House adopts its rules package only after it selects a speaker, which McCarthy has not locked down, so there could be additional compromises made in the coming days."

Way Beyond the Beltway

Georgia. AP: "A Republican arrested after winning> his race for a seat in the Georgia House has decided to step aside instead of facing a possible suspension as soon as he was sworn into office later this month[.] The decision by Danny Rampey means a special election will be held on Jan. 31 to choose the new representative for the House seat based around Winder, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. Rampey, 67, was arrested last month after investigators said he stole prescription narcotics at the retirement complex he manages."

Brazil. Jack Nicas & André Spigariol of the New York Times: "President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva took the reins of the Brazilian government on Sunday in an elaborate inauguration, complete with a motorcade, music festival and hundreds of thousands of supporters filling the central esplanade of Brasília, the nation's capital. But ... the departing far-right president, Jair Bolsonaro..., [was missing. He] was supposed to pass Mr. Lula the presidential sash on Sunday, an important symbol of the peaceful transition of power in a nation where many people still recall the 21-year military dictatorship that ended in 1985.... Mr. Bolsonaro flew to Orlando on Friday night and plans to stay in Florida for at least a month.... In a sort of farewell address on Friday, breaking weeks of near silence, he said that he tried to block Mr. Lula from taking office but failed.... In an address to Congress on Sunday, Mr. Lula said that he would fight hunger and deforestation, lift the economy and try to unite the country. But he also took aim at his predecessor, saying that Mr. Bolsonaro had threatened Brazil's democracy."

Ukraine, et al. The New York Times' live updates of developments Monday in Russia's war on Ukraine are here. The Guardian's live updates for Monday are here. The Guardian's summary report is here. ~~~

     ~~~ The Washington Post's live briefing for Monday is here: "Key infrastructure facilities in Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, were targeted by drones overnight, officials said. The assaults were part of the latest wave of attacks throughout the country over New Year's weekend that left at least four civilians dead.... Ukrainian forces shot down 45 drones on Sunday, [President Volodymyr] Zelensky said in his first nightly address of the new year.... Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin both discussed the war in their New Year's addresses, with Zelensky promising victory in 2023 and Putin giving an aggressive and nationalistic speech."

News Ledes

New York Times: "After days of pounding rain, winds and snow, Californians woke up to sunny skies and waterlogged streets on New Year's Day, scrambling to recover during a brief intermission before the next rainstorms that are forecast to hit the region later this week. Northern California bore the brunt of an intense 'atmospheric river' system that brought floods and landslides to parts of the West Coast on Saturday. On Sunday, rescuers were still plucking trapped passengers from submerged vehicles, while bloated rivers and creeks spilled over banks. Streets in downtown San Francisco were still draining after the city nearly broke its record for the most rainfall on a single day. The National Weather Service's downtown site recorded 5.46 inches on New Year's Eve, 0.08 inch shy of the 1994 record in more than 170 years of record keeping there -- and 46.8 percent of the monthly rainfall."

New York Times: "Anita Pointer, the sweet and occasionally sultry lead vocalist on many hits of her family band the Pointer Sisters in the 1970s and '80s, died on Saturday at home in Beverly Hills, Calif. She was 74."