November 2, 2022

Late Morning/Afternoon Update:

Alex Gangitano of the Hill: "President Biden on Wednesday evening will deliver a speech focused on threats to democracy ahead of the midterm elections and following the violent attack on Speaker Nancy Pelosi's (D-Calif.) husband last week. The speech will be made on Capitol Hill, White House senior adviserAnita Dunn and deputy chief of staff Jen O'Malley Dillon announced at an Axios event on Wednesday morning. Biden will speak at the Columbus Club in Union Station at 7 p.m." MB: Not that it matters to anyone except those planning to attend, but the venue for the speech described in the story doesn't make a lick of sense. The event can't originate from both Capitol Hill & Union Station, the latter of which, BTW, I thought was formerly known as Trump's Pricey Hotel for Toadies. ~~~

~~~ Yasmeen Abutaleb of the Washington Post: Speaking to mostly seniors in Hallandale Beach, Florida, "President Biden warned Tuesday that a Republican takeover of Congress would have dire consequences for Social Security and Medicare, taking direct aim at Florida's Republican senators in a state where the popular safety-net programs have numerous beneficiaries. Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), who is coordinating the Republican effort to retake the Senate, has been a favorite boogeyman of the president since he released a controversial policy plan in February saying that all federal laws, including those establishing Social Security and Medicare, should expire after five years if Congress does not renew them. Biden pulled out a brochure with Scott's plan during his speech, a tactic the president has used at a number of events in recent weeks.... 'And then along came Sen. Johnson from Wisconsin. He says five years is too long to wait,' Biden said. 'Every year -- every year -- it should be on the chopping block.'"

Kyle Cheney, et al., of Politico: "Donald Trump's attorneys saw a direct appeal to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas as their best hope of derailing Joe Biden's win in the 2020 presidential election, according to emails newly disclosed to congressional investigators. 'We want to frame things so that Thomas could be the one to issue some sort of stay or other circuit justice opinion saying Georgia is in legitimate doubt,' Trump attorney Kenneth Chesebro wrote in a Dec. 31, 2020, email to Trump's legal team. Chesebro contended that Thomas would be 'our only chance to get a favorable judicial opinion by Jan. 6, which might hold up the Georgia count in Congress.' 'I think I agree with this,' attorney John Eastman replied later that morning, suggesting that a favorable move by Thomas or other justices would 'kick the Georgia legislature into gear' to help overturn the election results. The messages were part of a batch of eight emails ... that Eastman had sought to withhold from the Jan. 6 select committee but that a judge ordered turned over anyway, describing them as evidence of likely crimes committed by Eastman and Trump."

Ukraine, et al. Helene Cooper, et al., of the New York Times: "Senior Russian military leaders recently had conversations to discuss when and how Moscow might use a tactical nuclear weapon in Ukraine, contributing to heightened concern in Washington and allied capitals, according to multiple senior American officials. President Vladimir V. Putin was not a part of the conversations, which were held against the backdrop of Russia's intensifying nuclear rhetoric and battlefield setbacks. But the fact that senior Russian military leaders were even having the discussions alarmed the Biden administration because it showed how frustrated Russian generals were about their failures on the ground, and suggests that Mr. Putin's veiled threats to use nuclear weapons might not just be words." A related CNN story is here.

Denmark. Jasmina Nielsen & Isabella Kwai of the New York Times: "Denmark's center-left coalition emerged with a majority of parliamentary seats early Wednesday, after a tight overnight count in an unpredictable general election gave the governing Social Democratic Party its best showing in two decades. The Scandinavian kingdom is still headed for some uncertainty, with Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen saying she would formally disband the government and resign her position, setting the stage for a cross-party negotiation that analysts have said is likely to result in a more centrist administration. In a speech in the early hours of Wednesday celebrating the result, she said that her party had been elected to form a 'broad government,' and expressed a desire to work with parties across the political spectrum."

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New York Times: "The attack on Paul Pelosi, the husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, has ... become the focus of baseless conspiracy theories propagated by a litany of Republicans and conservatives. After state and federal charges were filed against a suspect, the San Francisco district attorney, Brooke Jenkins, said that the widespread misinformation had made it all the more important for prosecutors to present the facts to the public. Here is what we know about the Oct. 28 attack at the speaker's San Francisco home, based on court documents and accounts provided by officials." ~~~

~~ Tim Arango, et al., of the New York Times: "After an intruder broke into the San Francisco home of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and bludgeoned her husband with a hammer, leaving him unconscious for three minutes as he lay in a pool of blood, the attacker told the police that he had other targets: a local professor and several prominent state and federal politicians. The new details of the attack ... emerged on Tuesday from prosecutors as the suspect appeared in court for the first time. The suspect, David DePape, 42, pleaded not guilty to several state felony charges.... The filing by local prosecutors on Tuesday ... offered insights into a disturbed man seemingly enthralled by the conspiracy theories that have portrayed Ms. Pelosi as an enemy of the country.... Mr. DePape was assigned a public defender, Adam Lipson, to represent him.... Mr. Lipson promised to mount a 'vigorous defense' and signaled that one possible strategy could be to highlight his client's 'vulnerability' to the misinformation and conspiracy theories that have become so prominent [MB: among Republicans!] in American political life.... Mr. DePape's sympathies for the most extreme right-wing conspiracy theories are one piece of the growing investigation into his background." ~~~

     ~~~ A Politico report is here. A CNN story is here. The court filing is here; unfortunately, it comes via the New York Times (or via the Washington Post, here). ~~~

~~~ Luke Broadwater, et al., of the New York Times: "U.S. Capitol Police security cameras captured the break-in at Speaker Nancy Pelosi's San Francisco home last week in which her husband, Paul, was viciously assaulted, but costly minutes went by before any officer reviewed the footage, according to a person familiar with the matter. By the time the Capitol Police looked at the camera feed -- among hundreds the agency is responsible for monitoring -- and were aware of the crime, Mr. Pelosi had called 911 and the San Francisco police were on the scene. The wasted minutes were flagged by a security review of the episode undertaken by the Capitol Police. The review has also found that the San Francisco police stopped posting a car in front of the Pelosi household 24 hours a day as the agency had after the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, the person said." ~~~

     ~~~ Aaron Davis, et al., of the Washington Post: "The Capitol Police first installed cameras around [Speaker Nancy] Pelosi's home more than eight years ago; she has an around-the-clock security detail; and for many months after the attacks of Jan. 6, 2021, a San Francisco police cruiser sat outside her home day and night. But hours after Pelosi left San Francisco last week and returned to D.C., much of the security left with her, and officers in Washington stopped continuously monitoring video feeds outside her house."

~~~ Meredith McGraw of Politico: "... Donald Trump has joined a chorus of conservative voices who have shared baseless conspiracy theories about the attack on ... Paul Pelosi. During an appearance on the Chris Stigall radio show that aired Tuesday morning..., [Trump said,] 'Wow, it's -- weird things going on in that household in the last couple of weeks.... The glass it seems was broken from the inside to the out so it wasn't a break in, it was a break out....'..." MB: Of course this is pure bull. Even the attacker has admitted he broke the glass to get into the house. And how do you suppose Trump knows what's been going on at the Pelosi residence? Do you think either of the Pelosis is a confidante of Trump's? ~~~

~~~ Annie Karni of the New York Times: "The reaction to the assault on Mr. Pelosi among Republicans -- who have circulated conspiracy theories about it, dismissed it as an act of random violence and made the Pelosis the punchline of a dark joke -- underscores how thoroughly the G.O.P. has internalized [Donald Trump's] example. It suggested that Republicans have come to conclude that, like Mr. Trump, they will pay no political price for attacks on their opponents, however meanspirited, inflammatory or false. If anything, some Republicans seem to believe they will be rewarded by their right-wing base for such coarseness -- or even suffer political consequences if they do not join in and show that they are in on the joke.... Republican leaders have condemned the violence against Mr. Pelosi and have not shared the conspiracy theories or sinister memes, but they have not publicly condemned those who have done so or done anything to try to tamp down on the stream of lies. And over the past few years, they have consistently demonstrated to their colleagues in Congress that there are no consequences for making vitriolic or even violent statements."

Justice for Ruby Freeman? Richard Fausset & Danny Hakim of the New York Times: "... prosecutors [say three people] participated in a bizarre plot to pressure a Fulton County, Ga., election worker to falsely admit that she committed fraud on Election Day in 2020. The three -- Trevian Kutti, [a] publicist; Stephen C. Lee, [a] pastor; and Willie Lewis Floyd III, [a] polo fan -- have all been ordered to appear before a special grand jury in Atlanta, with a hearing for Mr. Lee scheduled for Tuesday morning at a courthouse near his home in Kendall County, Ill.... The decision to seek their testimony suggests that prosecutors in Fulton County are increasingly interested in the story of how the part-time, rank-and-file election worker, Ruby Freeman, 63, was confronted by allies of [Donald] Trump at her home in the Atlanta suburbs in the weeks after he was defeated by President Biden.... Mr. Trump helped spread the fiction" that Ms. Freeman & her daughter entered fake votes for Mr. Biden. (Also linked yesterday.)

Alan Feuer & Zach Montague of the New York Times: "Past dark on Jan. 6, 2021, even after the pro-Trump mob had been chased away and the police had restored some order at the Capitol, members of the Oath Keepers militia kept discussing plans to disrupt the certification of the 2020 election. Writing on a group text chat, Stewart Rhodes, the organization's leader, encouraged his members to keep on fighting, restating his belief that President Donald J. Trump had won the race and that Joseph R. Biden Jr. would be an illegitimate president. Within minutes of those instructions, Kelly Meggs, the top Oath Keeper from Florida, signaled he was ready to keep going. 'We aren't quitting!!' Mr. Meggs wrote in the chat. 'We are reloading!!' This defiant message was shown on Tuesday to the jury at the trial of five Oath Keepers, including Mr. Rhodes and Mr. Meggs, who are facing charges of seditious conspiracy in connection with the Capitol attack."

Rehearsal for an Insurrection. Alan Feuer & Michael Schmidt of the New York Times: "... Donald J. Trump and other top Republicans were stoking claims that the election had been stolen, and their supporters were protesting in the streets. Members of the far-right group the Proud Boys and people close to Roger J. Stone Jr., including Representative Matt Gaetz, took part in the action as the crowd was chanting 'Stop the Steal.' The time was 2018, the setting was southern Florida, and the election in question was for governor and a hotly contested race that would help determine who controlled the United States Senate. Now, four years later, the Justice Department is examining whether the tactics used then served as a model for the attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. In recent months, prosecutors overseeing the seditious conspiracy case of five members of the Proud Boys have expanded their investigation to examine the role that Jacob Engels -- a Florida Proud Boy who accompanied Mr. Stone to Washington for Jan. 6 -- played in the 2018 protests...." (Also linked yesterday.)

Supreme CJ Gives Trump Another Delay/Break. John Kruzel of the Hill: "The Supreme Court on Tuesday temporarily halted a House panel from accessing the financial records of former President Trump ahead of their expected release. The move, which comes in response to an emergency request Trump filed on Monday, was ordered by Chief Justice John Roberts, who handles emergency matters arising in the District of Columbia." Update: A Washington Post story is here. (Also linked yesterday.)

Well I Swanee! Adam Liptak of the New York Times: "The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to block a Georgia grand jury subpoena seeking testimony from Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina, about his activities in the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election. The court's order was a paragraph long and did not note any dissents. It said that Mr. Graham had been afforded substantial protections by lower courts, which had ruled that he did not have to testify on subjects related to his official duties." (Also linked yesterday.)

David Corn of Mother Jones: "f you want to see just how crazy the GOP has become, you need only watch the video recording of a conference on 'election integrity' held in Florida on Saturday by a group of 2020 election denialists. In attendance, either virtually or in person, were the Republican candidates running for secretary of state -- the guardians of election integrity -- in the crucial swing states of Arizona, Nevada, and Michigan, respectively, Mark Finchem, Jim Marchant, and Kristina Karamo. Each has already demonstrated their own devotion to extremism by associating with QAnoners and championing Donald Trump's baseless claims that the 2020 election was stolen from him. But they further signaled their loyalty to the politics of paranoia and conspiracism by hobnobbing with conference participants who have promoted some of the looniest conspiracy theories." Read on. (Also linked yesterday.)

Julia Mueller of the Hill: "A group of more than 40 civil society organizations on Tuesday sent a letter urging the top 20 Twitter advertisers to threaten to suspend their ads globally if the platform's new owner Elon Musk won't commit to enforcing safety standards and community guidelines."

November Elections

Arizona. Trumpy Judge Suddenly Sees the Light. Ken Bensinger of the New York Times: "A federal judge [Michael Liburdi] in Arizona has sharply curtailed the activities of an election-monitoring group [Clean Elections USA] in the vicinity of ballot boxes, including taking photos or videos of voters, openly carrying firearms, posting information about voters online, or spreading falsehoods about election laws.... In recent weeks, self-described 'mule watchers' -- some armed -- have gathered around outdoor ballot boxes in Maricopa County to take pictures of voters and, in some cases, post those images online.... According to [a] man, who testified without revealing his name publicly for fear of harassment, eight to 10 people filmed the couple and told them they were 'hunting mules.' Images of him and his car were posted online and [Melody] Jennings [-- founder of the voter suppression group --] subsequently appeared on the podcast of Stephen K. Bannon, the former Trump adviser, saying they had caught a mule and 'blasted it out viral.' Judge Liburdi called his experience particularly compelling.... In [a] lawsuit, brought [last week] by the Arizona Alliance for Retired Americans and Voto Latino, the judge declined to enjoin Clean Elections USA's activities, saying he had not seen any evidence that real harm had befallen any voters. That ruling is being appealed in the Ninth Circuit.... On Monday, the Justice Department filed a brief on the issue, noting that while it had no opinion on the lawsuit itself, the Constitution does not protect voter intimidation and that harassing or trying to harass people casting ballots could violate the Voting Rights Act of 1965." Trump appointed Liburdi.

Ohio Senate. Martin Pengelly of the Guardian: "The Republican congresswoman Liz Cheney has now endorsed two Democrats for election in the midterms next week by backing Tim Ryan in his Ohio US Senate race against JD Vance after endorsing Elissa Slotkin for re-election to the US House in Michigan. In Cleveland, Ohio, on Tuesday, Cheney told the journalist Judy Woodruff she backed Ryan, currently a Democratic congressman, over Vance, the Hillbilly Elegy author and venture capitalist who abandoned criticism of Donald Trump in order to publicly embrace him. 'I would not vote for JD Vance,' Cheney said. Asked if she would vote for Ryan if she lived in Ohio, she said: 'I would.'"

Pennsylvania Senate. Travel Tip: Visit Pennsylvania's Beautiful Oceanfront Resorts! Kipp Jones of Mediate: "Mehmet Oz declared the commonwealth of Pennsylvania to be an Atlantic-bordering region on Monday, apparently unaware the Keystone State is hopelessly landlocked.... Throughout his campaign, the former TV doctor has defended himself against accusations he is a carpetbagger from New Jersey who only registered to vote in the state in 2020.... Oz told [Sean] Hannity: 'Pennsylvania is too important. This is important, we do not have a Republican senator north of North Carolina on the Atlantic coast until you get to Maine if I don't hold this seat....'" Thanks to Akhilleus for the link. See his commentary below. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Yo, Mehmet. (What do people call you? Meh? Seems appropriate.) I have two more words for you: SUSAN COLLINS. Despite your claim that there is no Republican senator north of North Carolina on the Atlantic coast, the state of Maine has 228 miles of Atlantic coastline, OR -- if you include its "tidal coastline"; i.e., the bays & inlets -- make that 3,478 miles of coastline. There will be even more if you & your GOP friends continue let the sea level rise. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Oops! Almost forgot. An anonymous friend of mine has ask me to forward this letter on to Dr. Oz, in hopes he can help: "Dear Dr. Oz: Here I am stuck on the Atlantic Coast of West Michigan, surrounded by thousands of LGBTQ persons and Betsy DeVos and people like Ted Turners first wife, and the owner of things like Follet Publishing. What should I do? Move to the Atlantic Coast of Pennsylvania?" Sure hope we hear back from Oz. Who knows? He might make a great advice columnist. Even for those who have the sense not to take his advice. ~~~

~~~ Lenny Bernstein & Colby Itkowitz of the Washington Post: "In May 2003, Mehmet Oz was the senior author on a study that ... was scheduled to lead off the scientific session of the 83rd annual American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS) conference.... But Oz was forced to withdraw his work and was banned from presenting research to the organization for the next two years.... He was also prohibited from publishing his work in the society's medical journal for the same period of time.... At issue were questions about the strength of the data used by Oz, a cardiothoracic surgeon, to reach an important medical conclusion.... The penalty he experienced in 2003 was a significant one, according to an expert who was not involved in the dispute.... Oz, who has published hundreds of peer-reviewed research papers, is back in the good graces of the AATS.... Oz has made his career in medicine a central feature of his campaign' for U.S. Senate. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

Way Beyond the Beltway

Brazil. Jack Nicas & André Spigariol of the New York Times: "Two days after losing Brazil's presidential election, President Jair Bolsonaro agreed to a transition of power on Tuesday, easing fears that the far-right leader would contest the results after warning for months that the only way he would lose would be if the vote was stolen. In a two-minute speech, Mr. Bolsonaro thanked his supporters, encouraged protesters to be peaceful, celebrated his accomplishments, criticized the left and said he has always followed the constitution. What was absent was any acknowledgment that he had lost the vote or that the election had been free and fair." MB: So Brazil's despot isn't as bad as our despot. (Also linked yesterday.)

Denmark. Isabella Kwai & Jasmina Nielsen of the New York Times: "Denmark started voting on Tuesday in a general election precipitated by anger over a government-mandated mink cull during the pandemic that embroiled top officials and led to accusations against the prime minister of misleading the public. A wealthy Scandinavian kingdom that includes Greenland and the Faroe Islands, Denmark is known for its relatively stable, consensus-seeking political culture and its ranking as one of the happiest nations in the world. But in a crowded field of more than a dozen parties ... analysts said that the election could throw up some surprises. As late as Monday, there was no clear indication about who was most likely to form the next government." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Of course the real scandal is PM Mette Frederiksen's refusal to entertain Donald Trump's generous offer to buy Greenland.

Israel. Patrick Kingsley & Isabel Kershner of the New York Times: "Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing alliance may have won a narrow lead in Israel's fifth election in less than four years, exit polls suggested on Tuesday night, giving him a chance of returning to power at the helm of one of the most right-wing governments in Israeli history. Three broadcasters' exit polls indicated that Mr. Netanyahu's party, Likud, would finish first and that his right-wing bloc was likely to be able to form a narrow majority in Parliament. But exit polls in Israel have been wrong before...." A Guardian story is here.

South Korea. Michelle Lee of the Washington Post: "Transcripts of about 11 emergency call logs released Tuesday show mounting desperation and repeated warnings from partygoers [at Seoul's deadly Halloween street party] for at least four hours before the crush turned deadly. They pleaded for emergency personnel to intervene and control the crowd.... At least 156 people died and at least 157 were injured in the country's deadliest incident in years.... The transcripts reflect the chaos of that scene and corroborate some witness accounts that the area was worryingly crowded from early on in the evening. Many partygoers and members of the public have criticized the lack of police presence in the area." (Also linked yesterday.)

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 briefings for Wednesday are here: "... Ukrenergo, Ukraine&'s state electricity transmission company, said it is imposing hourly power outages in several regions starting Wednesday in order to reduce the load on its networks after Russian attacks damaged power grids.... Kyiv, the capital, will install more than 1,000 heating stations across the city this winter amid the threat of more Russian strikes, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said on Telegram. The heating points, powered by generators, will provide necessities including heat, water and electricity to residents in the capital, Klitschko said.... Attacks by Ukrainian partisans are forcing the Kremlin to divert resources away from the front line and curbing its ability to defend against ongoing Ukrainian counteroffensives, 'let alone conduct their own offensive operations,' according to analysts at the Institute for the Study of War think tank."

November 1, 2022

Morning/Afternoon Update:

Well I Swanee! Adam Liptak of the New York Times: "The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to block a Georgia grand jury subpoena seeking testimony from Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina, about his activities in the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election. The court's order was a paragraph long and did not note any dissents. It said that Mr. Graham had been afforded substantial protections by lower courts, which had ruled that he did not have to testify on subjects related to his official duties."

Rehearsal for an Insurrection. Alan Feuer & Michael Schmidt of the New York Times: "... Donald J. Trump and other top Republicans were stoking claims that the election had been stolen, and their supporters were protesting in the streets. Members of the far-right group the Proud Boys and people close to Roger J. Stone Jr., including Representative Matt Gaetz, took part in the action as the crowd was chanting 'Stop the Steal.' The time was 2018, the setting was southern Florida, and the election in question was for governor and a hotly contested race that would help determine who controlled the United States Senate. Now, four years later, the Justice Department is examining whether the tactics used then served as a model for the attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. In recent months, prosecutors overseeing the seditious conspiracy case of five members of the Proud Boys have expanded their investigation to examine the role that Jacob Engels -- a Florida Proud Boy who accompanied Mr. Stone to Washington for Jan. 6 -- played in the 2018 protests...."

Brazil. Jack Nicas & André Spigariol of the New York Times: "Two days after losing Brazil's presidential election, President Jair Bolsonaro agreed to a transition of power on Tuesday, easing fears that the far-right leader would contest the results after warning for months that the only way he would lose would be if the vote was stolen. In a two-minute speech, Mr. Bolsonaro thanked his supporters, encouraged protesters to be peaceful, celebrated his accomplishments, criticized the left and said he has always followed the constitution. What was absent was any acknowledgment that he had lost the vote or that the election had been free and fair." MB: So Brazil's despot isn't as bad as our despot.

Supreme CJ Gives Trump Another Delay/Break. John Kruzel of the Hill: "The Supreme Court on Tuesday temporarily halted a House panel from accessing the financial records of former President Trump ahead of their expected release. The move, which comes in response to an emergency request Trump filed on Monday, was ordered by Chief Justice John Roberts, who handles emergency matters arising in the District of Columbia." Update: A Washington Post story is here.

David Corn of Mother Jones: "If you want to see just how crazy the GOP has become, you need only watch the video recording of a conference on 'election integrity' held in Florida on Saturday by a group of 2020 election denialists. In attendance, either virtually or in person, were the Republican candidates running for secretary of state -- the guardians of election integrity -- in the crucial swing states of Arizona, Nevada, and Michigan, respectively, Mark Finchem, Jim Marchant, and Kristina Karamo. Each has already demonstrated their own devotion to extremism by associating with QAnoners and championing Donald Trump's baseless claims that the 2020 election was stolen from him. But they further signaled their loyalty to the politics of paranoia and conspiracism by hobnobbing with conference participants who have promoted some of the looniest conspiracy theories." Read on.

Pennsylvania Senate. Travel Tip: Visit Pennsylvania's Beautiful Oceanfront Resorts! Kipp Jones of Mediate: "Mehmet Oz declared the commonwealth of Pennsylvania to be an Atlantic-bordering region on Monday, apparently unaware the Keystone State is hopelessly landlocked.... Throughout his campaign, the former TV doctor has defended himself against accusations he is a carpetbagger from New Jersey who only registered to vote in the state in 2020.... Oz told [Sean] Hannity: 'Pennsylvania is too important. This is important, we do not have a Republican senator north of North Carolina on the Atlantic coast until you get to Maine if I don't hold this seat....'" Thanks to Akhilleus for the link. See his commentary below. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: See, Republicans? Oz's remarkable unfamiliarity with the state he thinks he is qualified to "represent" is the kind of thing you joke about. Not a life-threateningl attack on the elderly husband of a top Democrat. ~~~

~~~ Lenny Bernstein & Colby Itkowitz of the Washington Post: "In May 2003, Mehmet Oz was the senior author on a study that ... was scheduled to lead off the scientific session of the 83rd annual American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS) conference.... But Oz was forced to withdraw his work and was banned from presenting research to the organization for the next two years.... He was also prohibited from publishing his work in the society's medical journal for the same period of time.... At issue were questions about the strength of the data used by Oz, a cardiothoracic surgeon, to reach an important medical conclusion.... The penalty he experienced in 2003 was a significant one, according to an expert who was not involved in the dispute.... Oz, who has published hundreds of peer-reviewed research papers, is back in the good graces of the AATS.... Oz has made his career in medicine a central feature of his campaign" for U.S. Senate.

Justice for Ruby Freeman? Richard Fausset & Danny Hakim of the New York Times: "... prosecutors [say three people] participated in a bizarre plot to pressure a Fulton County, Ga., election worker to falsely admit that she committed fraud on Election Day in 2020. The three -- Trevian Kutti, [a] publicist; Stephen C. Lee, [a] pastor; and Willie Lewis Floyd III, [a] polo fan -- have all been ordered to appear before a special grand jury in Atlanta, with a hearing for Mr. Lee scheduled for Tuesday morning at a courthouse near his home in Kendall County, Ill.... The decision to seek their testimony suggests that prosecutors in Fulton County are increasingly interested in the story of how the part-time, rank-and-file election worker, Ruby Freeman, 63, was confronted by allies of [Donald] Trump at her home in the Atlanta suburbs in the weeks after he was defeated by President Biden.... Mr. Trump helped spread the fiction that Ms. Freeman & her daughter entered fake votes for Mr. Biden.

Denmark. Isabella Kwai & Jasmina Nielsen of the New York Times: "Denmark started voting on Tuesday in a general election precipitated by anger over a government-mandated mink cull during the pandemic that embroiled top officials and led to accusations against the prime minister of misleading the public. A wealthy Scandinavian kingdom that includes Greenland and the Faroe Islands, Denmark is known for its relatively stable, consensus-seeking political culture and its ranking as one of the happiest nations in the world. But in a crowded field of more than a dozen parties -- including some newcomers -- analysts said that the election could throw up some surprises. As late as Monday, there was no clear indication about who was most likely to form the next government." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Of course the real scandal is PM Mette Frederiksen's refusal to entertain Donald Trump's generous offer to buy Greenland.

Israel. The New York Times is live-updating developments in today's elections. Turnout is high.

South Korea. Michelle Lee of the Washington Post: "Transcripts of about 11 emergency call logs released Tuesday show mounting desperation and repeated warnings from partygoers [at Seoul's deadly Halloween street party] for at least four hours before the crush turned deadly. They pleaded for emergency personnel to intervene and control the crowd.... At least 156 people died and at least 157 were injured in the country's deadliest incident in years.... The transcripts reflect the chaos of that scene and corroborate some witness accounts that the area was worryingly crowded from early on in the evening. Many partygoers and members of the public have criticized the lack of police presence in the area."

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Peter Baker & Clifford Krauss of the New York Times: "President Biden threatened on Monday to seek a new windfall profits tax on major oil and gas companies unless they ramp up production to curb the price of gasoline at the pump, an escalation of his battle with the energy industry just a week before the midterm elections. The president lashed out against the giant firms as several of them reported the latest surge in profits, which he called an 'outrageous' bonanza stemming from Russia's war on Ukraine. He warned them to use the money to expand oil supplies or return it to consumers in the form of price reductions.... But it was more of a way to pressure the oil firms than a realistic policy prescription for the short term given that Congress ... would be even less likely to approve such a measure if Republicans capture one or both houses in next week's election....

"Mr. Biden's statement came just days after the oil giants reported another three months of flush coffers. Exxon Mobil brought in a record of nearly $20 billion in profits for the third quarter of the year, 10 percent higher than the previous quarter and its fourth consecutive quarter of robust earnings. Chevron reported $11.2 billion in profits, just below the record it set the quarter before. The European-based Shell and Total Energies companies similarly reported that profits more than doubled from the same period a year ago." MB: President Biden called the O&G companies "war profiteers." ~~~

Glenn Thrush, et al., of the New York Times: "Federal prosecutors charged the man accused of breaking into the home of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi with attempting to kidnap Ms. Pelosi and with assaulting a relative of \a federal official, according to charging documents filed on Monday.... [David] DePape ... was carrying 'a roll of tape, white rope, a second hammer, a pair of rubber and cloth gloves, and zip ties,' according to the U.S. attorney's office for the Northern District of California, which filed the charges. The swift action by the Justice Department in bringing federal charges -- on the same day the San Francisco District Attorney's Office was expected to file its own charges against Mr. DePape -- reflects the Biden administration's urgency in addressing what it sees as a politically motivated crime shortly before the 2022 midterm elections.... [Paul] Pelosi remains in the intensive care unit of a San Francisco hospital...." (Also linked yesterday afternoon. The story has been updated.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: According to MSNBC, Paul Pelosi has spoken with investigators.

     ~~~ The DOJ's press release is here. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) The federal charging documents are here, via Politico. The Affidavit includes details of the attack & remarks the assailant made to officials after the attack. ~~~

     ~~~ Jeff Pegues & Gina Martinez of CBS News: "The suspect in the attack on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband Paul Pelosi had a list of people he wanted to target, law enforcement sources briefed on the investigation confirmed...." The story does not specify who may have been on the attacker's list. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

     ~~~ Lisa Mascaro, et al., of the AP: "'This house and the speaker herself were specifically targets,' San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said at a Monday evening news conference announcing state charges against [David] DePape, including attempted murder.... The stark narrative laid out by state and federal prosecutors stands in contrast to the mocking jokes and conspiracy theories circulated by far-right figures and even some leading Republicans just a week before midterm elections. A record number of security threats are being reported against lawmakers and election officials. At a campaign event Monday in Arizona, Kari Lake, the Republican candidate for governor, drew hearty laughs as she joked about security at the Pelosi home.... Donald Trump Jr., was among those making light of the attack on Paul Pelosi, tweeting crude jokes about it." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: It was not only the audience that laughed at Kari Lake's funny joke about hammering the skull of an 82-year-old man. The networks played video clips of the incident, & the moderator of whatever the event was was absolutely wracked with giggles. His body shook, he had to cover his face, and yet he still could not stop smiling ear-to-ear. You can put the entire GOP in the Hannibal Lecter/psychopath column. Remember, this is how they behave in public; imagine what they're saying in private. ~~~

     ~~~ More from Brian Bennett of Time. ~~~

     ~~~ Martin Pengelly of the Guardian: "... Donald Trump Jr posted online a crude meme featuring a hammer, the weapon used to attack the husband of the House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, on Friday. 'OMG,' the former president's son wrote next to the picture, which also had the caption 'Got my Paul Pelosi Halloween costume ready'. The internet backlash was swift but Trump Jr, a full-time provocateur and surrogate for his father, doubled down equally swiftly -- posting another, this time clearly homophobic, meme which appears to reference a baseless conspiracy theory about the assault." ~~~

~~~ Brett Samuels of the Hill: "Former President Trump in an interview Sunday called the attack on Speaker Nancy Pelosi's (D-Calif.) husband in their San Francisco home a 'terrible thing' as he railed against crime in Democrat-led cities. 'With Paul Pelosi, that's a terrible thing, with all of them it's a 'terrible thing,' Trump said in an interview with Americano Media, a conservative Spanish language outlet. 'Look at what's happened to San Francisco generally. Look at what's happening in Chicago. It was far worse than Afghanistan.... We have to give the police back their dignity, their respect. They can solve the problem. But today if a police officer says something that's slightly out of line it's like the end of his life, the end of his pension, the end of his family.... We have to give the police back their authority and their power and their respect. Because this country is out of control.' Trump remained silent on the attack on Paul Pelosi over the weekend, as others in the GOP sent mixed messages about it. Many Democrats, including President Biden, called for members of both parties to unequivocally condemn the attack as they worried about a rise in political violence." ~~~

~~~ Steven Myers & Stuart Thompson of the New York Times: "In the days since Paul Pelosi, the 82-year-old husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, was attacked by an intruder asking, 'Where is Nancy?', a litany of Republicans and conservatives have spread baseless conspiracy theories about the assault and its motives.... While many Republican officials have denounced the violence, others have at the very least tolerated, and in some cases cheered, a violent assault on the spouse of a political rival.... No top Republican lawmakers joined in peddling unfounded claims about the attack, but few denounced them, either.... The conspiracy theories found receptive audiences, receiving tens of thousands of engagements on numerous platforms like Facebook and Twitter.... Fox News ... coverage of the attack on Mr. Pelosi began with fairly straightforward coverage of the crime, before portraying it as a consequence of Democratic 'soft-on-crime' policies and, finally, as a mystery with darker undercurrents that could not yet be known. 'Look for what's missing and what doesn't add up,' David Webb, a Fox News contributor, said during 'The Big Sunday Show.'"

New York Times: "The trial of Donald J. Trump's family business opened on Monday, with prosecutors accusing the company of running a 15-year scheme to help its executives evade taxes by compensating them with lavish off-the-books perks.... 'This case is about greed and cheating,' a prosecutor told jurors as the tax fraud trial of two of the former president's companies started in Manhattan." This is a liveblog. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Running-Out-the-Calendar Ploy May Work for Trump Again. Charlie Savage of the New York Times: "... Donald J. Trump asked the Supreme Court on Monday to intervene in the long-running dispute over whether a House committee can obtain access to his tax returns. In a 31-page filing, lawyers for Mr. Trump asked Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. to freeze matters while they prepare a formal appeal of a ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, which held that the House Ways and Means Committee had a right to see his returns.... Whether the Supreme Court decides to extend a judicial order that has blocked the Treasury Department from complying with the request while the matter was litigated before the appeals court could effectively decide whether the House committee obtains the documents, which it has sought since 2019. That is because if Republicans retake control of the House in the midterm elections next week, as polls indicate is likely, they are almost certain to drop the request when the new Congress is seated in January." CNN's report is here. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Luke Broadwater of the New York Times: "A federal judge on Monday dismissed a lawsuit by Mark Meadows, the final chief of staff for ... Donald J. Trump, that sought to block two subpoenas from the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack, including one to Verizon for Mr. Meadows's phone and text data. In throwing out the suit, Judge Carl J. Nichols of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia found that the committee's subpoenas were covered under the Constitution's speech or debate clause, which he said protected them from civil suits as legislative actions. The decision is the latest chapter in a nearly yearlong legal battle between Mr. Meadows and the committee, but it is unlikely to be the final one that delivers investigators what they have been seeking. Mr. Meadows can appeal.... And with the committee almost certain to shut down if Republicans win control of the House, as expected, in next week's elections, the panel is most likely running out of time."

Azu Paybarah of the Washington Post: "The leaders of True the Vote -- founder Catherine Engelbrecht and former board member Gregg Phillips --] an organization that has spread unfounded claims questioning the results of the 2020 election, were taken into custody Monday morning after a federal judge in Texas ruled them in contempt of court.... The order marked the latest twist in a defamation case brought last month by Konnech, an election software company that True the Vote claimed allowed the Chinese government to have access to a server in China that held the personal information of nearly 2 million U.S. election workers. Konnech has vigorously disputed the claim. The judge overseeing the case, U.S. District Judge Kenneth Hoyt, had ordered Engelbrecht and Phillips to reveal the name of a person who allegedly helped True the Vote access Konnech's computer systems. When they declined to meet the court's 9 a.m. deadline, the judge found them in contempt. The pair have claimed, without evidence, that the person who helped them was a confidential FBI informant.... Phillips and Engelbrecht are prominent and long-standing members of the election denier movement." ~~~

     ~~~ A Votebeat Texas story is here. Marie: I'm not familiar with Votebeat Texas, but -- based on the WashPo story -- their reporting appears to be accurate.

Adam Liptak of the New York Times: "The Supreme Court on Monday appeared ready to rule that the race-conscious admissions programs at Harvard and the University of North Carolina were unlawful, based on questioning over five hours of vigorous and sometimes testy arguments, a move that would overrule decades of precedents. Such a decision would jeopardize affirmative action at colleges and universities around the nation, particularly elite institutions, decreasing the representation of Black and Latino students and bolstering the number of white and Asian ones.... In general, two themes ran through questions from the court's conservatives: that educational diversity can be achieved without directly taking account of race and that there must come a time when colleges and universities stop making such distinctions." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: The winger justices took the I'm-an-Ignoramus approach: Clarence Thomas pretended he didn't know what "diversity" meant. And Sam Alito said he didn't understand the meaning of "underrepresented minority." ~~~

     ~~~ Washington Post: "Conservative Supreme Court justices on Monday seemed open to ending decades of precedent allowing race-conscious admission decisions at colleges and universities, expressing doubt that the institutions would ever concede an 'endpoint' in their use of race to build diverse student bodies. After nearly five hours of oral argument, the programs at Harvard College and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill seemed in doubt. The question is how broad such a decision by the court's conservative majority might be, and what it would mean for other institutions of higher education. Overturning the court's precedents that race can be one factor of many in making admission decisions would have 'profound consequences' for 'the nation that we are and the nation that we aspire to be,' Solicitor General Elizabeth B. Prelogar told the justices during arguments in the Harvard case." This is a liveblog. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

     ~~~ Eugene Robinson of the Washington Post: "... Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, got to the heart of the matter in Monday's oral arguments over affirmative action in college admissions:" whether or not legacy admissions (i.e., where applicants whose forebears were alumni) deserved more consideration than affirmative action admissions. The attorney for the plaintiffs, who are challenging the universities' affirmative action policies, said, well yeah. And you can bet the majority of the Supremes will agree with the plaintiffs. MB: And of course admissions panels should give their own kiddies a leg up.

Matt O'Brien & Barbara Ortutay of the AP: Elon Musk "fired [Twitter]'s board of directors and made himself the board's sole member, according to a company filing Monday with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Musk later said on Twitter that the new board setup is 'temporary,' but he didn't provide any details. He's also testing the waters on asking users to pay for verification. A venture capitalist working with Musk tweeted a poll asking how much users would be willing to pay for the blue check mark that Twitter has historically used to verify higher-profile accounts so other users know it's really them.... On Friday, meanwhile, billionaire Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal said he and his Kingdom Holding Company rolled over a combined $1.89 billion in existing Twitter shares, making them the company's largest shareholder after Musk. The news raised concerns among some lawmakers, including Sen. Chris Murphy, a Democrat from Connecticut. Murphy tweeted that he is requesting the Committee on Foreign Investment -- which reviews acquisitions of U.S. businesses by foreign buyers -- to investigate the national security implications of the kingdom's investment in Twitter[.]"

Alexandra Alter & Elizabeth Harris of the New York Times: "A federal judge blocked on Monday a bid by Penguin Random House, the biggest book publisher in the United States, to buy one of its main rivals, Simon & Schuster, in a significant victory for the Biden administration, which is trying to expand the boundaries of antitrust enforcement. The judge, Florence Y. Pan, who heard the case in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, said in an order that the Justice Department had demonstrated that the merger might 'substantially' harm competition in the market for U.S. publishing rights to anticipated top-selling books."

November Elections

Hannah Knowles, et al., of the Washington Post: "Jewish leaders raised alarms Monday about antisemitism they say is increasingly normalized in American politics after a series of bigoted comments from associates or supporters of GOP candidates and growing calls for them to firmly reject such rhetoric.... Jack Rosen, president of the advocacy group American Jewish Congress, said..., 'on the right ... we don't see the kind of leadership it's going to take to stop the growth of this kind of antisemitic hatred.'... In Arizona, the GOP candidate in a marquee House race, Eli Crane, urged the audience to look up an antisemitic sermon at a recent campaign stop. Speaking last month in Casa Grande, Crane said ... that he was most concerned about 'Cultural Marxism,' which the Southern Poverty Law Center has described as an antisemitic conspiracy theory gaining traction on the American right.... In Georgia, Republican Senate candidate Herschel Walker did not publicly reject a show of support from Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West, who has made a slew of comments attacking Jewish people in recent weeks...." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: In fairness to Walker, I don't think he's smart enough to understand there's anything wrong with antisemitism.

Arizona. Ken Bensinger of the New York Times: "The Justice Department has weighed in on the debate over election activists who have been stationing themselves -- at times with guns -- near ballot boxes in Arizona, saying that their activity may not be constitutionally protected if it has the potential to intimidate voters. 'The First Amendment does not protect individuals' right to assemble to engage in voter intimidation or coercion,' Kristen Clarke, the assistant attorney general for civil rights, wrote in a brief filed on Monday in U.S. District Court in Phoenix.... The filing was made in a case that the League of Women Voters of Arizona brought last week against two groups that have been organizing ballot box monitoring, the Lions of Liberty and Clean Elections USA, as well as some of their principals.

"On Friday, the plaintiff asked the court for an injunction against those groups to stop the activity. That petition is still pending. The judge overseeing the case, Michael T. Liburdi, on Friday refused to issue an injunction in a parallel lawsuit against Clean Elections USA, claiming that the Constitution protected the activities of citizens who wish to gather near ballot boxes. The Justice Department's intervention represents a rebuke to that ruling by Judge Liburdi, a longtime member of the Federalist Society who was appointed in 2019 by ... Donald J. Trump. The Justice Department's brief addresses numerous points made by the judge...."

Georgia Senate. Marie: I get a kick out of this remark President Obama made Friday:

Texas. Molly Hennessey-Fiske & Amy Gardner of the Washington Post: "... a showdown is emerging between state and local leaders [in Harris County (Houston)] over how to protect the security of the vote without intimidating voters and election workers.... State and local Republicans are deploying monitors to oversee the handling of ballots in the Democratic enclave. Local Democratic officials have said the move is an effort to intimidate voters -- and asked the Justice Department to send federal observers in response.... GOP officials and conservative poll watchers say heightened scrutiny is necessary to prevent election fraud and mismanagement. Voting-rights advocates and local leaders, meanwhile, say the GOP is scaring voters and election workers alike -- and undermining faith in the results for a county that Republicans are pushing hard to win control of on Nov. 8."

Texas House. Andrew Lapin of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency: "The Republican nominee for Congress in Texas' 7th district is a self-proclaimed history buff, but his take on Anne Frank is not one that most historians would endorse. Johnny Teague, an evangelical pastor and business owner who won the district's primary in March, in 2020 published 'The Lost Diary of Anne Frank,' a novel imagining the famous Jewish Holocaust victim's final days in the Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen concentration camps as she might have written them in her diary. The kicker: In Teague's telling, Frank seems to embrace Christianity just before she is murdered by the Nazis." MB: Good grief! Do you get points for finding a "novel" way to express antisemitism? ~~~

     ~~~ Steve M. has more. Teague is apparently a QAnon enthusiast, so Steve sez, "Well, at least he didn't write a novel in which Anne Frank finds Q."

Beyond the Beltway

New York. Marisa Iati of the Washington Post: "A man exonerated in the assassination of civil rights leader Malcolm X and the estate of another man whose conviction was thrown out will receive $36 million to settle lawsuits filed on their behalf after prosecutors said the men had not received a fair trial. New York City will pay $26 million to Muhammad A. Aziz and the estate of Khalil Islam to compensate them for their wrongful murder convictions in 1966, according to the city's legal office and an attorney for the men. The sum will be divided equally between Aziz and Islam's estate, said the lawyer, David Shanies. New York state also has agreed to pay $5 million to Aziz and the same sum to Islam's estate, according to Shanies and court records.... Stefan Mooklal, deputy chief of staff for New York City's law department, said his office agreed with former Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance Jr.'s conclusion that Aziz and Islam had been wrongfully convicted.... A Netflix documentary released in 2020 publicized new evidence casting doubt on Aziz and Islam's involvement, prompting Vance to launch a two-year review of their first-degree murder convictions."

Way Beyond

Brazil. Jack Nicas, et al., of the New York Times: "For months, President Jair Bolsonaro claimed the only way he would lose Brazil's presidential election was if it was rigged. On Monday, a day after he lost, he declined to immediately concede to his leftist challenger, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, leaving Latin America's largest democracy on edge over whether there would be a peaceful transition of power. Mr. Bolsonaro spent much of Monday holed up at the presidential offices, meeting with top advisers and Brazil's minister of defense. At least some of the advisers urged the president to concede, but it was not clear if he had yet reached a decision on what to do...."

Ukraine, et al. The Washington Post's live briefings of developments Tuesday in Russia's war on Ukraine are here: "Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky pledged to continue exporting grain from the country's Black Sea ports, and accused Russia of exacerbating a global food crisis by suspending a United Nations-brokered shipping deal and threatening to block grain vessels. In a late-night speech, Zelensky said he was grateful for the U.N. and world leaders who were trying to preserve the grain export initiative and prevent the 'spread of large-scale famine in some regions of the world.' Moscow's U.N. representative, Vasily Nebenzya, earlier on Monday accused Kyiv of using the grain corridor for 'military and sabotage purposes,' and said drones had been used to attack Russian ships over the weekend 'under the cover' of the deal. He did not provide evidence for the claim that Ukraine was responsible for the attack.... Russia unleashed a fresh wave of infrastructure attacks across Ukraine on Monday...."

October 31, 2022

Thanks to a friend for the link to this festive photo.

Afternoon Update:

Glenn Thrush, et al., of the New York Times: "Federal prosecutors charged the man accused of breaking into the home of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi with attempting to kidnap Ms. Pelosi and with assaulting a relative of a federal official, according to charging documents filed on Monday.... [David] DePape ... was carrying 'a roll of tape, white rope, a second hammer, a pair of rubber and cloth gloves, and zip ties,' according to the U.S. attorney's office for the Northern District of California, which filed the charges. The swift action by the Justice Department in bringing federal charges -- on the same day the San Francisco District Attorney's Office was expected to file its own charges against Mr. DePape -- reflects the Biden administration's urgency in addressing what it sees as a politically motivated crime shortly before the 2022 midterm elections.... [Paul] Pelosi remains in the intensive care unit of a San Francisco hospital...." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: According to MSNBC, Paul Pelosi has spoken with investigators. The DOJ's press release is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Jeff Pegues & Gina Martinez of CBS News: "The suspect in the attack on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband Paul Pelosi had a list of people he wanted to target, law enforcement sources briefed on the investigation confirmed...." The story does not specify who may have been on the attacker's list.

New York Times: "The trial of Donald J. Trump's family business opened on Monday, with prosecutors accusing the company of running a 15-year scheme to help its executives evade taxes by compensating them with lavish off-the-books perks.... 'This case is about greed and cheating,' a prosecutor told jurors as the tax fraud trial of two of the former president's companies started in Manhattan." This is a liveblog.

Running-Out-the-Calendar Ploy May Work for Trump Again. Charlie Savage of the New York Times: "... Donald J. Trump asked the Supreme Court on Monday to intervene in the long-running dispute over whether a House committee can obtain access to his tax returns. In a 31-page filing, lawyers for Mr. Trump asked Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. to freeze matters while they prepare a formal appeal of a ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, which held that the House Ways and Means Committee had a right to see his returns.... Whether the Supreme Court decides to extend a judicial order that has blocked the Treasury Department from complying with the request while the matter was litigated before the appeals court could effectively decide whether the House committee obtains the documents, which it has sought since 2019. That is because if Republicans retake control of the House in the midterm elections next week, as polls indicate is likely, they are almost certain to drop the request when the new Congress is seated in January." CNN's report is here.

Washington Post: "Conservative Supreme Court justices on Monday seemed open to ending decades of precedent allowing race-conscious admission decisions at colleges and universities, expressing doubt that the institutions would ever concede an ';endpoint' in their use of race to build diverse student bodies. After nearly five hours of oral argument, the programs at Harvard College and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill seemed in doubt. The question is how broad such a decision by the court's conservative majority might be, and what it would mean for other institutions of higher education. Overturning the court's precedents that race can be one factor of many in making admission decisions would have 'profound consequences' for 'the nation that we are and the nation that we aspire to be,' Solicitor General Elizabeth B. Prelogar told the justices during arguments in the Harvard case." This is a liveblog.

~~~~~~~~~~

Katelyn Polantz of CNN: "The House select committee investigating the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol has obtained eight emails from late 2020 that a judge determined show Donald Trump and his lawyers planning to defraud courts and obstruct the congressional vote on the presidency.... [Attorney] John] Eastman is now asking the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals for an order telling the House to return or destroy the eight emails."

Robert Barnes of the Washington Post (Oct. 29): "The most diverse group of Supreme Court justices in history will gather Monday to confront the issue that has vexed and deeply divided past courts: whether affirmative action in college admissions recognizes and nourishes a multicultural nation or impermissibly divides Americans by race.... The court on Monday will be reviewing the admission policies at Harvard and the University of North Carolina, cases brought by longtime affirmative action opponent Edward Blum and his Students for Fair Admissions." MB: Another fine example of right-wing counter-labeling. The AP's story is here. ~~~

~~~ Theodoric Meyer & Tobi Raji of the Washington Post: "... the Supreme Court is now more diverse along racial and gender lines than ever before, with four female justices, two Black justices and one Latina justice. The elite group of lawyers who argue before the justices, however, remains mostly White and male.... As the Supreme Court grapples with several cases involving race, including affirmative action cases set to be argued on Monday, the paucity of Black and Hispanic lawyers who argue before the court spotlights how people of color are often excluded from the rooms in which decisions that affect them are made."

Amy Wang & Molly Hennessy-Fiske of the Washington Post: "Several Republicans on Sunday tempered their denunciations of an attack on Paul Pelosi, the husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), casting blame for political violence on 'both sides' of the aisle.... Donald Trump has so far remained silent.... [And] Ronna [Romney] McDaniel, chairwoman of the Republican National Committee, said Sunday it was 'unfair' for Democrats to link Republicans' inflammatory rhetoric toward their political opponents to the attack on Paul Pelosi. 'I think this is a deranged individual,' McDaniel said on 'Fox News Sunday.'"(Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

~~~ Marie: The New York Times published an op-ed this weekend by biographer David Nasaw (linked yesterday). Nasaw writes that Elon Musk is no special genius, but merely another boorish robber baron with a big megaphone. Musk seems determined to prove this: ~~~

     ~~~ Kurtis Lee of the New York Times: "Three days after Elon Musk purchased Twitter, the billionaire posted a tweet that advanced baseless allegations about the recent attack on the husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.... On Saturday, Hillary Clinton ... posted a tweet assailing Republicans for spreading 'hate and deranged conspiracy theories' that she said had emboldened the man who attacked Ms. Pelosi's husband, Paul, inside the couple's home in San Francisco early Friday. Mr. Musk's tweet was later deleted, and it was not immediately clear who had deleted it. In a reply to Mrs. Clinton's tweet, Mr. Musk wrote, 'There is a tiny possibility there might be more to this story than meets the eye' and then shared a link to an article in the Santa Monica Observer. The article alleges that Mr. Pelosi was drunk and in a fight with a male prostitute.... In 2016, for example, the publication advanced a claim that Mrs. Clinton had died and that a body double was sent to debate ... Donald J. Trump." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) CNN's report is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I'll admit that "blaming it on the gays" was not a conspiracy theory I anticipated, but maybe we're supposed to be pleased Twitter has become an equal-opportunity conspiracy hub. At any rate, all of this highlights the obvious fact that we have to tax the multi-billionaires into relative oblivion. See also Akhilleus' comment yesterday. ~~~

~~~ Elon Had Company. Isaac Stanley-Becker of the Washington Post: "Elon Musk and a wide range of right-wing personalities cobbled together misreporting, innuendo and outright falsehoods to amplify misinformation about last week's violent assault on Paul Pelosi to their millions of online followers. A forum devoted to former White House adviser Stephen K. Bannon's right-wing radio show alerted its 78,000 subscribers to 'very strange new details on Paul Pelosi attack.' Roger Stone, a longtime political consigliere to former president Donald Trump, took to the fast-growing messaging app Telegram to call the assault on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband an 'alleged attack,' telling his followers that a 'stench' surrounded mainstream reporting about the Friday break-in that left Pelosi, 82, hospitalized with a skull fracture and other serious injuries.... The rush to sow doubt about the assault on Pelosi's husband illustrates how aggressively influential figures on the right are seeking to dissuade the public from believing facts about the violence, seizing on the event to promote conspiracy theories and provoke distrust." ~~~

~~~ (Conservative) Max Boot of the Washington Post: "It should not be controversial to say that America has a major problem with right-wing political violence. The evidence continues to accumulate -- yet the GOP continues to deny responsibility for this horrifying trend.... Republican leaders cite [the few] attacks to exonerate themselves of any responsibility for political violence.... They are evading their responsibility for their extremist rhetoric that all too often motivates extremist actions. The New America think tank found last year that, since Sept. 11, 2001, far-right terrorists had killed 122 people in the United States, compared with only one killed by far-leftists.... There is little doubt about what is driving political violence: the ascendance of Trump. [Trump's] type of extremist rhetoric ... now [is] the GOP mainstream, with predictable consequences. The U.S. Capitol Police report that threats against members of Congress have risen more than tenfold since Trump's election in 2016, up to 9,625 last year."

November Elections

My role is not to represent community values. My role is to tell you what the damn law is. -- Pickens County Attorney Phil Landrum ~~~

~~~ Stephanie McCrummen of the Washington Post: A rural county lawyer fights back elections skeptics who wanted to unseal ballots. Republicans vilified him & accused him of standing against "community values." to which Landrum responded by explaining what being the Pickens County attorney meant. MB: This is an uplifting story, but in the real world there are far too few officials with Landrum's integrity -- and backbone.

Way Beyond the Beltway

Brazil. Jack Nicas of the New York Times: "Voters in Brazil on Sunday ousted President Jair Bolsonaro after just one term and elected the leftist former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to replace him, election officials said, a rebuke to Mr. Bolsonaro's far-right movement and his divisive four years in office. The victory completes a stunning political revival for Mr. da Silva -- from the presidency to prison and back -- that had once seemed unthinkable. It also ends Mr. Bolsonaro's turbulent time as the region's most powerful leader. It was the first time an incumbent president failed to win re-election in the 34 years of Brazil's modern democracy.... Without evidence, Mr. Bolsonaro criticized the nation's electronic voting machines as rife with fraud and suggested he might not accept a loss, much like... Donald J. Trump. Many of his supporters vowed to take to the streets at his command. Yet in the hours after the race was called, far-right lawmakers, conservative pundits and many of Mr. Bolsonaro's supporters had recognized Mr. da Silva's victory." CNN's report is here.

Ukraine, et al.

The New York Times' live updates of developments Monday in Russia's war on Ukraine are here. ~~~

     ~~~ The Washington Post's live briefings for Monday are here: "Strikes hit critical infrastructure in the Ukrainian capital and other key cities on Monday morning, with officials warning of power outages and water shortages.... The strikes come two days after drone strikes damaged Russian warships in the Crimean port of Sevastopol. Ukraine has not taken responsibility for the attack."

Shashank Bengali, et al., of the New York Times: "World leaders on Sunday urged Russia to reconsider its suspension of an agreement that allowed the export of grain trapped by the war in Ukrainian ports, warning that Moscow's decision could unleash dire consequences on a hungry planet.... Should Russia stick to the decision and continue blocking shipments from Ukraine, one of the world's biggest food exporters, the experts said, the effects will almost certainly be profound. The suspension threatens to stall more than 9.5 million tons of grain and other foodstuffs, according to the United Nations office that oversees the agreement.... In announcing its withdrawal from the agreement on Saturday, Russia cited what it said was a flurry of seagoing drone assaults by Ukraine on its fleet in the Black Sea. But in fact, the Kremlin long ago made known its unhappiness with the grain deal reached in July."