The Conversation -- September 5, 2024

Marie: Thursday, September 5, exactly two months before Election Day, the Republican candidate for president* was arraigned on criminal charges related to his attempt to overthrow the results of the last presidential election, which he lost. This has barely received mention in the day's news. We live in extraordinary times.

Eric Tucker & David Klepper of the AP: "The U.S. government has charged a Russian-born U.S. citizen and former adviser to Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign with working for a sanctioned Russian state television network and laundering the proceeds. Indictments announced Thursday by the Department of Justice allege that Dimitri Simes and his wife received over $1 million dollars and a personal car and driver in exchange for work they did for Russia's Channel One since June 2022. The network was sanctioned by the U.S. in 2022 over Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Simes, 76, and his wife, Anastasia Simes, have a home in Virginia and are believed to be in Russia." MB: Sorry, but this is too much. These people are called "Dimitri" & "Anastasia" and the Trumpies didn't figure out they might be Russian moles? Would "Boris" and "Natasha" have aroused suspicions? No? ~~~

~~~ Philip Bump of the Washington Post: "The new indictment reinforces that [the Russia investigation] wasn't [a hoax, as Trump claims]. Russia began trying to influence American politics a decade ago, ultimately finding a sympathetic ally in Trump. Now, instead of trying to make fake personalities who can elevate contentious issues to Russia's benefit, there's a stable of Trump-allied voices who already are." MB: No, the Russia investigation was not a hoax, but the subjects of the investigation -- Trump and his campaign -- were and are as comedic as Monty Python.

Alexandra Berzon of the New York Times: "There is no indication that noncitizens are voting in large numbers. And yet the notion that they will flood the polls -- and vote overwhelmingly for Democrats -- is animating a sprawling network of Republicans who mobilized around ... Donald J. Trump's false claims of a rigged election in 2020 and are now preparing for the next one. Activists..., prominent lawyers, Republican lawmakers, right-wing influencers and other allies of Mr. Trump have ramped up pressure on local election officials to take steps that they say will keep noncitizens from tilting the election in Democrats' favor. They have pressed for voter roll purges, filed lawsuits, prepared for on-the-ground monitoring of polling places and spread misinformation online. Republican elected officials have responded."

Marie: I have CNN on right now, and for some reason they are playing a speech Donald Trump is giving. So far, it sounds as if he's reading from a script, & I never guessed that Kamala Harris was so powerful. For instance, even though Harris has been living in Washington, D.C. since she was elected Vice President, "people are leaving California in droves" because they're so afraid of her.

Glenn Thrush & Lauren Herstik of the New York Times: "Hunter Biden pleaded guilty on Thursday to nine federal tax charges in Los Angeles, after telling his legal team that he refused to subject his family to another round of anguish and humiliation after a gut-wrenching gun trial in Delaware two months ago. The dramatic development signaled the final stages of a fraught five-plus year investigation into the period when Mr. Biden was bankrolling his uncontrollable drug and alcohol addiction by leveraging his famous last name into lucrative overseas consulting contracts -- while not paying his taxes. The guilty plea was a unilateral decision by defense lawyers who were persuaded they could not prevail in the trial. It was not part of a plea deal in exchange for reduced punishment. Mr. Biden, speaking in a low and clipped voice as he sat at the defense table, repeated the word 'guilty' nine times as Judge Mark C. Scarsi ticked off each charge.... The guilty plea now exposes President Biden's son to an outcome that seemed unthinkable last year, when his lawyers were on the cusp of a no-prison plea agreement: significant time behind bars."

~~~ Marshall Cohen, et al., of CNN: "Hunter Biden is attempting to resolve his federal tax evasion case in California with a plea where he maintains his innocence but will accept punishment, his lawyers announced in court Thursday, moments before jury selection was scheduled to begin. The arrangement won't be final until District Judge Mark Scarsi, a Trump appointee who has presided over the tax case, gives his stamp of approval in open court. The court is now on break and will resume at 2 p.m. ET. This type of arrangement, called an 'Alford plea,' would see Biden acknowledge that special counsel David Weiss has enough evidence to convict him -- and then he would accept whatever sentence Scarsi eventually hands down." ~~~

     ~~~ Udpate. "Hunter Biden is offering to plead guilty to the nine tax offenses he faces in federal court, without a deal with prosecutors, his attorneys said in court Thursday. Biden had earlier attempted to resolve his federal tax evasion case in California with a plea in which he would maintain his innocence but still accept punishment."

Katelyn Polantz of CNN: "Judge Tanya Chutkan has set a schedule in the federal election subversion case against ... Donald Trump that will allow prosecutors to release never-before-seen evidence, such as grand jury transcripts, ahead of the presidential election. The deadline for the filing from prosecutors is September 26, according to the latest order from the judge, which largely sides with special counsel Jack Smith's proposed schedule discussed at Thursday's hearing.... This is a developing story and will be updated."

The New York Times' live updates of developments Thursday in the Israel/Hamas war are here: "The second phase of a campaign to vaccinate children in Gaza against polio began on Thursday in southern Gaza, the World Health Organization said, continuing a frantic drive to avert a deadly outbreak in the war-battered territory. Israel has agreed to brief, staggered pauses in its military offensive in Gaza to allow health officials to conduct vaccinations. But ... hours after the first phase of the campaign wrapped up in central Gaza on Wednesday, an Israeli airstrike hit the courtyard of Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, one of the largest in the area, Wafa, the Palestinian Authority's official news agency, reported. Four people were killed, including women and children sheltering in tents around the hospital, Wafa said on Thursday. Video taken by the Reuters news agency showed tents in ruins, their wooden beams flattened, and people's belongings strewed in the hospital's courtyard."

Monica Alba, et al., of NBC News: "The families of American hostages being held by Hamas have pressed the White House to seriously consider cutting a unilateral deal with the terrorist organization to secure their loved ones' release, and the option is currently under discussion within the Biden administration, according to five people familiar with the discussions. In a meeting Sunday with national security adviser Jake Sullivan after Hamas killed six hostages, including American Hersh Goldberg-Polin, the relatives of U.S. citizens still in captivity urged the administration to evaluate options that do not include Israel, the sources said. Administration officials told the families that they would explore 'every option,' but a deal with Hamas that includes Israel is still the best approach, people familiar with the conversation said."

CNN is posting live updates on it cablecast of the courtroom proceedings in the federal election interference case against Donald Trump. ~~~

~~~ New York Times reporters are liveblogging court proceedings in the federal case against Donald Trump for his interference with the 2020 presidential election:

Alan Feuer: "Judge [Tanya] Chutkan notes this hearing has two purposes. One is to arraign Trump on the government's revised indictment. The other is to decide on a schedule for matters moving forward, which she hopes to issue in an order at some point today."

Charlie Savage: "[John] Lauro, the lawyer for Trump, confirms that Trump is entering a plea of not guilty. Chutkan says the arraignment is complete."

Feuer: "[Prosecutor Thomas] Windom explains that the brief the government plans to file will include a 'comprehensive discussion' about facts that are in the indictment as well as 'unpled facts' -- that is, facts that are not mentioned in the indictment. That would be new evidence about the election interference charges against Trump.... Windom says the new evidence, attached to the main brief as exhibits, would most likely include things like excerpted grand jury testimony from witnesses in the case and F.B.I. interviews with witnesses. This sort of evidence would generally not come out except at an evidentiary hearing or a full trial."

Savage: "Lauro and Chutkan are disagreeing about whether the Supreme Court had already decided that Trump's interactions with Vice President Pence were official. Lauro is explaining the issue is whether the presumption of immunity (because the interactions were official) can be overcome under the circumstances. If it is not overcome, the entire indictment is flawed, he argued. (He means, because the grand jury was exposed to information that was subject to immunity when it approved the indictment.)"

Feuer: "Lauro ... gets to the point about why he doesn't want the government to file a detailed brief first: It's because he's concerned about potentially damaging information about Trump getting out in public at this 'sensitive time,' meaning before the election." ~~~

~~~ Savage: "Judge Chutkan says she ... that the timing of the election 'is not relevant here.' She adds: 'That's nothing I'm going to consider,' adding, 'I am definitely not getting drawn into an election dispute.'"

Feuer: "Arguing again for the process to unfold gradually, Lauro says, 'There's something unseemly about a rush to judgment.' Rejecting that idea, Judge Chutkan reminds Trump's lawyer that the case has been stayed for nearly a year." ~~~

~~~ Savage: "Chutkan says everyone knows that whatever her ruling on immunity issues are, it will be appealed -- so there will be no rush to trial."

Feuer: "Lauro makes a little news. He says he's going to put on the public record through his filing some information that is 'exonerative' to Trump. He suggests there are F.B.I. interviews with witnesses and witness testimony that will help Trump.... A bit of tense humor: Lauro, Trump's lawyer, argues that the Supreme Court's ruling is ;crystal clear' and sufficient for Judge Chutkan to dismiss the new indictment as a legal matter. The court's decision was famously full of unclear passages, and Judge Chutkan chuckles to herself at Lauro's comment, slightly rolling her eyes."

Savage: "Judge Chutkan asks how much material would be filed under seal. The prosecutor, Windom, says a lot of it would be filed under seal at first, but then under the year-old protective order, it would be the court that decides what gets unsealed.... Chutkan tells Trump's lawyer, Lauro, she doesn't need any more rhetoric about how serious and grave it all is. Lauro says it's not rhetoric, it's legal argument.... Lauro, the Trump lawyer, says the Supreme Court told [Chutkan] to resolve the Pence issue first and says he is an originalist and believes they wrote what they meant. She responds: 'You may be an originalist, Mr. Lauro, but I'm a trial judge, and I have to follow the instructions of the Supreme Court, and I don't believe that is what I was instructed to do by the Supreme Court.'"

Feuer: "Lauro, bolstering his argument about Jack Smith being improperly appointed, notes that Justice Clarence Thomas questioned Smith's appointment in a concurrence to the immunity decision. He also says that a 'very respected judge' in Florida -- a reference to Judge Aileen Cannon -- tossed out Trump's classified documents case two months ago on those same grounds.... Chutkan notes that she's not really going to buy the claim that Jack Smith was improperly appointed, and she reminds Lauro that the federal appeals court in Washington has already upheld special counsel appointments in a separate case.... Despite her stated reservations, Judge Chutkan says she's going to let Lauro file his motion challenging Jack Smith's appointment."

Savage: "Judge Chutkan says it would be an exercise in futility to set a new trial date because of the immunity issue. However she rules, it will be appealed up to the Supreme Court again."

Feuer: "The hearing has adjourned."

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Presidential Race

Alex Gangitano of the Hill: "Vice President Harris on Wednesday went off script at a rally in New Hampshire to condemn gun violence following a shooting at a Georgia high school earlier that day.... '... our kids are sitting in a classroom, where they should be fulfilling their God-given potential, and some part of their brain is worried about a shooter busting through the classroom. It does not have to be this way,' she said. 'This is one of the many issues that's at stake in this election,' the vice president added, before moving back on script to talk about her economic plan." (Also linked yesterday) ~~~

~~~ Tami Luhby & Katie Lubosco of CNN: "Vice President Kamala Harris is adding tax relief for small businesses to her economic policy platform aimed at helping middle-class and working Americans. Harris unveiled Wednesday a proposal to massively increase the existing small business tax deduction for startup costs and cut the red tape that impedes small businesses' formation and growth. Her goal: 25 million new small business applications by the end of her first term, up from the record 19 million received under the Biden administration as of mid-August. Harris on Wednesday also proposed raising the capital gains tax rate, though by not as much as President Joe Biden has called for." (Also linked yesterday) A New York Times story is here. ~~~

~~~ Here is the statement by President Joe and Dr. Jill Biden on the shooting at Apalachee High School. (Also linked yesterday) Related links under Wednesday's & Thursday's News Ledes.

Kelly O'Donnell, et al., of NBC News: "Former Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., on Wednesday endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for president, the latest high-profile Republican endorsement for Democrats. Cheney's comments took place during an appearance at Duke University's Sanford School of Public Policy. 'Because of the danger that Donald Trump poses, not only am I not voting for Donald Trump, but I will be voting for Kamala Harris,' Cheney said in a video of remarks posted to X. The former congresswoman said in her remarks that it is 'crucially important' for people to understand that people do not have 'the luxury of writing in candidates' names, particularly in swing states.'" (Also linked yesterday)

Lauren Irwin of the Hill: "Former Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) said he is not courageous for speaking out against former President Trump.... Kinzinger joined 'Jimmy Kimmel Live' Tuesday evening.... [Kinzinger told Kimmel,] 'And that's the thing, is like, people will tell me sometimes, "Adam, you're courageous." And I appreciate it. I'm not courageous, though. I'm surrounded by cowards.'"

Meg Kinnard & Michelle Price of the AP: "Vice President Kamala Harris has accepted the rules set forth for next week's debate with ... Donald Trump, although the Democratic nominee says the decision not to keep both candidates' microphones live throughout the matchup will be to her disadvantage. The development, which came Wednesday by way of a letter from Harris' campaign to host network ABC News, seemed to mark a conclusion to the debate over microphone muting, which had for a time threatened to derail the Sept. 10 presidential debate at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia.... President Joe Biden's campaign had made the muting of microphones, except for the candidate whose turn it is to speak, a condition of his decision to accept any debates this year. Some aides have said they now regret that decision, saying voters were shielded from hearing Trump's outbursts during the June debate."

Michael Gold of the New York Times: "Hours after the Trump and Harris campaigns agreed to rules for their first presidential debate..., Donald J. Trump sought to instill doubt that the debate would be fair, downplayed his need to prepare and suggested he was more worried about the network hosting the debate than his opponent. Speaking at a Fox News town hall on Wednesday night, Mr. Trump insisted that ABC News, which will host next week's debate in Philadelphia, was 'dishonest,' even though he agreed months ago to allow the network to host a presidential debate. Pointing to Vice President Kamala Harris's longtime friendship with a senior executive whose portfolio includes ABC News, Mr. Trump insisted without evidence that Ms. Harris was 'going to get the questions in advance.' The network released agreed-upon rules that no topics or questions would be provided to either candidate or campaign." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Although Trump is downplaying his chances in the debate, it's worth noting that no other modern presidential candidate has had more experience in debating his general-election opponent than Trump, who has run for president* three times. Harris, by contrast, has debated her general-election opponent only once: pence in 2020.

Kate Brumback of the AP: "A federal judge in Atlanta ruled Tuesday that Donald Trump and his campaign must stop using the song 'Hold On, I'm Coming' while the family of one of the song's co-writers pursues a lawsuit against the former president over its use. The estate of Isaac Hayes Jr. filed a lawsuit last month alleging that Trump, his campaign and several of his allies had infringed its copyright and should pay damages. After a hearing on the estate's request for an emergency preliminary injunction, U.S. District Judge Thomas Thrash ruled that Trump must stop using the song, but he denied a request to force the campaign to take down any existing videos that include the song.... A string of artists and their heirs have objected to Trump using their songs during his events."

Adm. Mike Mullen, Ret., former Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, in a Washington Post op-ed: "What was supposed to be a healing moment [last week] -- a simple wreath-laying at the Tomb of the Unknowns -- became a political event when campaign officials and cameramen attended the ceremony and visited Section 60 of the cemetery. Section 60 holds the remains of hundreds of men and women killed in Afghanistan and Iraq. I was sorry to see that happen and never want to see it happen again.... No part of Arlington -- or any veterans' cemetery for that matter -- should ever play host to partisan activity.... To intrude upon that scene -- to visit politics upon it -- is to do much more than violate [the] rules; it is to betray the very nature of Arlington. It is to mock the apolitical nature of our military and to dishonor the sacrifices made by those who rest there."

This Is Rich. Miranda Nazzaro of the Hill: "Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. slammed Vice President Harris's candidacy Tuesday ... while defending his choice to instead endorse former President Trump. 'I don't think that Vice President Harris is a worthy president of this country,' Kennedy told NewsNation host Chris Cuomo. 'I think we need to have a president who can give an interview, who can articulate a vision, who can put together an English sentence, who can articulate her and defend her policies and her record and who can engage in a debate with, and regular debates unscripted appearances, president or vice president.'" MB: Yes, because Donald Trump is so very, very good at articulating stuff in regular English sentences he has put together. (Also linked yesterday)

Lauren Irwin of the Hill: "A judge in Michigan ruled Tuesday that independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. must stay on the state's presidential ballot. Kennedy announced earlier this month he would be withdrawing from the race and threw his support behind former President Trump. He said he was trying to take his name off ballots in swing states where, if he stayed on the ticket, he could draw votes away from the former president. He will remain on blue and red state ballots. Michigan and Wisconsin, key Midwest purple states, rejected Kennedy's attempt to remove his name from the ballot, citing their state laws for a candidate or nominee withdrawing. In North Carolina, the state's board of elections said it was too late for Kennedy to withdraw since ballots had already begun being printed. Kennedy filed a lawsuit in an attempt to remove his name." (Also linked yesterday)

David Nakamura, et al., of the Washington Post: "The Justice Department on Wednesday charged two Russian media executives in an alleged scheme that authorities say illegally funneled millions of dollars to a Tennessee-based company to create and publish propaganda videos that racked up millions of views on U.S. social media." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: The report never acknowledges that the Russian entities charged were producing pro-Trump propaganda. Maybe the Post editors thought this salient factor was too partisan to mention and would be unfa-a-a-a-ir to Trump. Update: Oh, look, WashPo, it can be done! ~~~

     ~~~ Eric Tucker, et al., of the AP: "The Biden administration seized Kremlin-run websites and charged two Russian state media employees in its most sweeping effort yet to push back against what it says are Russian attempts to spread disinformation ahead of the November presidential election. The measures, which in addition to indictments also included sanctions and visa restrictions, represented a U.S. government effort just weeks before the November election to disrupt a persistent threat from Russia that American officials have long warned has the potential to sow discord and create confusion among voters. Washington has said that Moscow, which intelligence officials have said has a preference for Republican Donald Trump, remains the primary threat to elections...." ~~~

     ~~~ Ryan Reilly, et al., of NBC News: "Employees of the Russia-backed media network RT funded and directed a scheme that sent millions of dollars to prominent right-wing commentators through a media company that appears to match the description of Tenet Media, a leading platform for pro-Trump voices, according to an NBC News review of charging documents, business records and social media profiles.... Tenet has emerged in recent years as a home for staunch pro-Trump voices, many of whom have interviewed [Donald] Trump and Trump family members while also supporting conservative causes that mesh with Russia's own interests." ~~~

     ~~~ Marcy Wheeler: "When DOJ announced [Wednesday] it would unseal legal actions against Russian influence operations, the former President's failson [Don Junior] complained, 'Here we go again. LOL'... Some hours later, it became clear that a number of right wing influencers, including Tim Pool, Dave Rubin, and Benny Johnson, were unwittingly on the take from Russia, via Tenet Media, which DOJ alleges in a new indictment is a front company for RT. I consider myself a connoisseur of a well-written indictments. And this, released days after Labor Day and implicating a number of Americans, may be one of my favorites.... Anyway, read the whole thing: It's a tale of right wing grift, sloppy operational security that was nonetheless adequate to satisfy far right grifters, and a far bigger spend on the part of Russia to play in this year's election."

Eric Tucker, et al., of the AP: "A judge will hear arguments Thursday about potential next steps in the federal election subversion prosecution of Donald Trump in the first hearing since the Supreme Court narrowed the case by ruling that former presidents are entitled to broad immunity from criminal charges. Prosecutors and defense lawyers submitted dueling proposals late Friday ahead of the status conference before U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, who is presiding over the case charging Trump with plotting to overturn the results of the 2020 election in the run-up to the Jan. 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol. Trump is not expected to be present."

Lauren del Valle & Paula Reid of CNN: "... Donald Trump will continue to fight to move his New York hush money case into federal court -- and delay his sentencing on that conviction -- by now appealing to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, according to a notice of appeal filed Tuesday night. A federal judge in Manhattan denied his initial request to move the case to the Southern District of New York on Tuesday. Trump's attorneys filed a notice of appeal of that decision soon after." (Also linked yesterday)

Cuff Him. Megan Lebowitz of NBC News: "A spokesperson for [Donald Trump's] 2024 campaign commented this week on reports of a Trump clemency recipient being convicted of a domestic violence-related charge by saying, 'President Trump believes anyone convicted of a crime should spend time behind bars.'... Trump was convicted in May by a Manhattan jury on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records."

Andy Kroll, et al., of ProPublica: "Ginni Thomas, the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, privately heaped praise on a major religious-rights group for fighting efforts to reform the nation's highest court -- efforts sparked, in large part, by her husband's ethical lapses. Thomas expressed her appreciation in an email sent to Kelly Shackelford, an influential litigator whose clients have won cases at the Supreme Court. Shackelford runs the First Liberty Institute, a $25 million-a-year organization that describes itself as 'the largest legal organization in the nation dedicated exclusively to defending religious liberty for all Americans.' Shackelford read Thomas' email aloud on a July 31 private call with his group's top donors.... According to Shackelford, Thomas wrote in all caps: 'YOU GUYS HAVE FILLED THE SAILS OF MANY JUDGES. CAN I JUST TELL YOU, THANK YOU SO, SO, SO MUCH.'" Thanks to RAS for the link. (Also linked yesterday)"

Ruth Marcus of the Washington Post: "Now Ginni Thomas's isn't just lobbying to 'Stop the Steal' -- she's trying to Stop the Reform of her husband's own institution. So much for separate careers. Ginni Thomas's own behavior around the 2020 election, and Clarence Thomas's conduct in accepting, and failing to disclose, thousands of dollars' worth of gifts from wealthy conservatives helped trigger the push for court reform in the first place.... [And First Liberty is] a frequent litigant before the Supreme Court and the lower federal courts.... There's a federal law that requires justices, like all other judges, to recuse themselves in situations in which their impartiality might reasonably be questioned.... How can [Clarence Thomas] justify continuing to sit on cases involving First Liberty now that we know Ginni Thomas's is 'SO, SO, SO' beholden to the group?... There is a persuasive reason the high court does need an enforcement mechanism. Her name is Ginni Thomas."

Perry Stein & Matt Viser of the Washington Post: "Jury selection is set to begin Thursday in Los Angeles for the second criminal trial of President Joe Biden's son Hunter -- a case that over the next few weeks could detail for a jury his lavish lifestyle while he was addicted to drugs.... Hunter Biden is accused of failing to pay at least $1.4 million in federal taxes from 2016 through 2019. Prosecutors also allege that when he filed his taxes, he wrongfully wrote off payments as business expenses -- including payments to sex workers, membership to a sex club and fancy car rentals. The charges include failing to file and pay taxes, tax evasion and filing false tax returns. Three are felonies and six are misdemeanors."

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Texas Voter Suppression. David Goodman & Edgar Sandoval of the New York Times: "Attorney General Ken Paxton of Texas went to court on Wednesday to try to stop county leaders in San Antonio from sending out more than 200,000 voter registration applications to unregistered residents of Bexar County. The lawsuit by Mr. Paxton followed a letter he sent days earlier warning Bexar County officials, most of whom are Democrats, against proceeding with the mailing. The county's governing commissioners voted 3 to 1 on Tuesday to approve the proposal anyway. Mr. Paxton has also threated to sue Harris County, which includes the Democratic stronghold of Houston, where officials have been weighing a similar effort to expand the number of registered voters ahead of the registration deadline early next month for the November election. The suit is the latest chapter in a yearslong conflict over voting and elections in Texas between Republicans, who dominate state government, and Democrats, who control most of the state's largest urban areas." MB: If I was about to get stuck on a desert island with either Paxton or Trump, I'd pick Trump.

News Ledes

CNBC: "Private sector payrolls grew at the weakest pace in more than 3½ years in August, providing yet another sign of a deteriorating labor market, according to ADP. Companies hired just 99,000 workers for the month, less than the downwardly revised 111,000 in July and below the Dow Jones consensus forecast for 140,000. August was the weakest month for job growth since January 2021, according to data from the payrolls processing firm. 'The job market's downward drift brought us to slower-than-normal hiring after two years of outsized growth,' ADP's chief economist, Nela Richardson, said. The report corroborates multiple data points recently that show hiring has slowed considerably from its blistering pace following the Covid outbreak in early 2020."

The New York Times' live updates of developments in the Georgia school massacre are here, a horrifying ritual which we experience here in the U.S. to kick off each new School Shooting Year. "A 14-year-old student opened fire at his Georgia high school on Wednesday, killing two students and two teachers before surrendering to school resource officers, according to the authorities, who said the suspect would be charged with murder." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I heard Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) speak during a press conference. Kemp is often glorified as one of the most moderate, reasonable GOP elected public officials. When asked a question I did not hear, Kemp responded, "Now is not the time to talk about politics." As you know, this is a statement that is part of the mass shooting ritual. It translates, "Our guns-for-all policy is so untenable that I dare not express it lest I be tarred and feathered -- or worse -- by grieving families." ~~~

~~~ Washington Post: "Police identified the suspect as Colt Gray, a student who attracted the attention of federal investigators more than a year ago, when they began receiving anonymous tips about someone threatening a school shooting. The FBI referred the reports to local authorities, whose investigations led them to interview Gray and his father. The father told police that he had hunting guns in the house, but that his son did not have unsupervised access to them. Gray denied making the online threats, the FBI said, but officials still alerted area schools about him." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I heard on CNN that the reason authorities lost track of Colt was that his family moved counties, and the local authorities who first learned of the threats apparently did not share the information with law enforcement officials in Barrow County, where Wednesday's mass school shooting occurred. If you were a parent of a child who has so alarmed law enforcement that they came around to your house to question you and the child about his plans to massacre people, wouldn't you do something?: talk to him, get the kid professional counseling, remove guns and other lethal weapons from the house, etc.

The Conversation -- September 4, 2024

Kelly O'Donnell, et al., of NBC News: "Former Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., on Wednesday endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for president, the latest high-profile Republican endorsement for Democrats. Cheney's comments took place during an appearance at Duke University's Sanford School of Public Policy. 'Because of the danger that Donald Trump poses, not only am I not voting for Donald Trump, but I will be voting for Kamala Harris,' Cheney said in a video of remarks posted to X. The former congresswoman said in her remarks that it is 'crucially important' for people to understand that people do not have 'the luxury of writing in candidates' names, particularly in swing states.'"

Alex Gangitano of the Hill: "Vice President Harris on Wednesday went off script at a rally in New Hampshire to condemn gun violence following a shooting at a Georgia high school earlier that day.... '... our kids are sitting in a classroom, where they should be fulfilling their God-given potential, and some part of their brain is worried about a shooter busting through the classroom. It does not have to be this way,' she said. 'This is one of the many issues that's at stake in this election,' the vice president added, before moving back on script to talk about her economic plan." ~~~

~~~ Tami Luhby & Katie Lubosco of CNN: "Vice President Kamala Harris is adding tax relief for small businesses to her economic policy platform aimed at helping middle-class and working Americans. Harris unveiled Wednesday a proposal to massively increase the existing small business tax deduction for startup costs and cut the red tape that impedes small businesses' formation and growth. Her goal: 25 million new small business applications by the end of her first term, up from the record 19 million received under the Biden administration as of mid-August. Harris on Wednesday also proposed raising the capital gains tax rate, though by not as much as President Joe Biden has called for." ~~~

~~~ Here is the statement by President Joe and Dr. Jill Biden on the shooting at Apalachee High School.

Andy Kroll, et al., of ProPublica: "Ginni Thomas, the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, privately heaped praise on a major religious-rights group for fighting efforts to reform the nation's highest court -- efforts sparked, in large part, by her husband's ethical lapses. Thomas expressed her appreciation in an email sent to Kelly Shackelford, an influential litigator whose clients have won cases at the Supreme Court. Shackelford runs the First Liberty Institute, a $25 million-a-year organization that describes itself as 'the largest legal organization in the nation dedicated exclusively to defending religious liberty for all Americans.' Shackelford read Thomas' email aloud on a July 31 private call with his group's top donors.... According to Shackelford, Thomas wrote in all caps: 'YOU GUYS HAVE FILLED THE SAILS OF MANY JUDGES. CAN I JUST TELL YOU, THANK YOU SO, SO, SO MUCH.'" Thanks to RAS for the link.

Lauren del Valle & Paula Reid of CNN: "... Donald Trump will continue to fight to move his New York hush money case into federal court -- and delay his sentencing on that conviction -- by now appealing to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, according to a notice of appeal filed Tuesday night. A federal judge in Manhattan denied his initial request to move the case to the Southern District of New York on Tuesday. Trump's attorneys filed a notice of appeal of that decision soon after."

Lauren Irwin of the Hill: "A judge in Michigan ruled Tuesday that independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. must stay on the state's presidential ballot. Kennedy announced earlier this month he would be withdrawing from the race and threw his support behind former President Trump. He said he was trying to take his name off ballots in swing states where, if he stayed on the ticket, he could draw votes away from the former president. He will remain on blue and red state ballots. Michigan and Wisconsin, key Midwest purple states, rejected Kennedy's attempt to remove his name from the ballot, citing their state laws for a candidate or nominee withdrawing. In North Carolina, the state's board of elections said it was too late for Kennedy to withdraw since ballots had already begun being printed. Kennedy filed a lawsuit in an attempt to remove his name.

This Is Rich. Miranda Nazzaro of the Hill: "Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. slammed Vice President Harris's candidacy Tuesday ... while defending his choice to instead endorse former President Trump. 'I don't think that Vice President Harris is a worthy president of this country,' Kennedy told NewsNation host Chris Cuomo. 'I think we need to have a president who can give an interview, who can articulate a vision, who can put together an English sentence, who can articulate her and defend her policies and her record and who can engage in a debate with, and regular debates unscripted appearances, president or vice president.'" MB: Yes, because Donald Trump is so very, very good at articulating stuff in regular English sentences he has put together.

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Presidential Race

Jessica Piper of Politico: "Kamala Harris' campaign and the Democratic National Committee said Tuesday they are sending nearly $25 million to support down-ballot Democrats -- an earlier investment and far more money than the top of the ticket has sent in past election years. The funding in part reflects the Harris operation's ability to spread money around after record fundraising over the past six weeks. But it is also a recognition of the importance of this year's down-ballot races -- which overlap with many of the swaths of the country that could decide the presidential election, and whose outcomes will substantially affect how Harris, or ... Donald Trump, will be able to govern next year." (Also linked yesterday.)

Ted Scouten of CBS News: "The Kamala Harris campaign is bringing the 'Fighting for Reproductive Freedom' nationwide bus tour to Donald Trump's doorstep, driving by Mar-a-Lago.... The tour kicked off this morning in Boynton Beach and while Vice President Harris was not there, her surrogates were.... 'What better place to kick off the Harris-Walz Reproductive Freedom Bus Tour than in Donald Trump's backyard,' Democratic Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman [Schultz] asked the cheering crowd.... From here the bus tour goes up to Jacksonville, then it will tour about 50 cities in the US, leading up to Election Day. "

Tim Balk of the New York Times: "Jimmy McCain, a son of the Vietnam War P.O.W. and longtime Republican senator John McCain, said Tuesday that the campaign of ... Donald J. Trump had committed a 'violation of a sacred place' when it clashed with an official at Arlington National Cemetery. Mr. McCain, a first lieutenant in the Arizona National Guard, told The New York Times that he was 'very shocked' by the confrontation at the cemetery last week, saying it could be an 'extremely triggering' event for the families of service members buried there.... Mr. McCain, who also criticized the Trump campaign&'s actions in an interview with CNN published earlier Tuesday, told The Times that he planned to vote for Vice President Kamala Harris. He also said that he joined the Democratic Party about a month ago, after returning from a period of service in Jordan."

Nothing to See Here, Folks. Michael Gold & Chris Cameron of the New York Times: "... Donald J. Trump insisted in a radio interview on Tuesday that 'there was no conflict' between members of his campaign team and an official at Arlington National Cemetery, contradicting his campaign's previous statements about the episode last week and Army officials' account. 'If you look at just the records, there was no conflict, there was no fight, there was no anything,' Mr. Trump said on Sean Hannity's radio show, Hours earlier, Mr. Trump on his social media site claimed 'there was no conflict or "fighting"' at the cemetery, calling the story, without evidence, 'made up' by the White House. It was the latest effort by the Trump campaign to defend itself after a physical altercation between a Trump aide and a cemetery official that was set off by the campaign's defying of a ban on political campaigning at the cemetery in Virginia during Mr. Trump's visit last week."

Daniel Dale of CNN: "Trump's lying is most exceptional in its relentlessness, a never-ending avalanche of wrongness that can bury even the most devoted fact-checkers. But it's also notable for its repetitiveness. He has found his hits, and he'll keep playing them no matter how many times they are debunked. As Trump enters the post-Labor Day sprint of his 2024 campaign for the presidency, his commentary is filled with many of the same false claims he made as president from 2017 to 2021. He's even repeating some of the false claims he used during his 2016 presidential campaign." Dale highlights some of the oft-repeated chestnuts. (Also linked yesterday.)

Huh. Looks like digby figured out why Trump (and JayDee) sat out the traditional Labor Day campaign season kickoff. Thanks to RAS for the link. (Also linked yesterday.)

Carol Leonnig & Aaron Davis of the Washington Post: "Democratic leaders on the House Oversight Committee released a letter Tuesday asking former president Donald Trump if he ever illegally received money from the government of Egypt, and whether money from Cairo played a role in a $10 million infusion into his 2016 run for president. Rep. Jamie Raskin (Md.), the ranking Democrat on the committee, and Rep. Robert Garcia (Calif.), the top Democrat on its subcommittee for national security, the border and foreign affairs, wrote to Trump that they were making the request as a result of a Washington Post article published last month. The article revealed details of a secret Justice Department investigation during Trump's presidency into whether he took an illegal campaign contribution from Egypt." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Hello, Senate Democrats. Are you there? With your, you know, subpoena power? If Hillary Clinton could sit down for an hours-long grilling by House Republicans during a presidential campaign, surely Trumpty-Dumpty can sit before a Senate committee long enough to take the Fifth.

Marilyn Thompson of ProPublica: "Judge Aileen M. Cannon has shown bias in handling criminal charges against ... Donald Trump and should be reversed and removed from the case to 'preserve the appearance of justice,' a public interest group argued in a legal filing on Tuesday. The brief filed by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington and joined by a retired federal judge and two constitutional lawyers is a direct legal assault on Cannon's decision to throw out special counsel Jack Smith's prosecution of Trump for alleged mishandling of classified documents."

Bad News for Felonious Trump. Jesse McKinley of the New York Times: "A federal judge in Manhattan denied an effort by Donald J. Trump to move his already adjudicated state criminal case to the federal courts on Tuesday, rejecting his claims of bias against him as well as his claims of presidential immunity. In late May, a jury convicted the former president on 34 felony counts of falsifying records to cover up hush-money payments to a porn star ... who had threatened to go public with her account of an affair. A state judge, Juan M. Merchan, has scheduled his sentencing for Sept. 18, though Mr. Trump has asked him to delay it until after the presidential election. In a four-page decision on Monday, Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein of Federal Court in Manhattan said he could not evaluate Mr. Trump's claims of bias, saying those were issues for the state courts. But he said that Mr. Trump's claims of immunity for official acts -- based on a recent Supreme Court decision affirming such protection -- were irrelevant in this case. He noted that 'hush-money payments were private, unofficial acts, outside the bounds of executive authority.'" (Also linked yesterday.) The AP's report is here.

Bad News for Shady Businessman Trump. Rebecca Piccioto of CNBC: "The share price of Trump Media, whose majority shareholder is ... Donald Trump, fell Tuesday to the lowest level since the company began public trading in March following a merger. DJT shares dropped to $17.72 per share Tuesday afternoon before recovering somewhat to end the day at $18.08. The stock's prior low was set on Aug. 28, when it hit $19.38 per share. The stock price is down roughly 77% from its high of $79.38 per share on March 26, following Trump Media's merger with a publicly traded special purpose acquisition company.... [HOWEVER,] Trump;s stake was worth over $2 billion as of Tuesday." MB: IOW, this is another of numerous Trump ventures in which he makes money -- a lot of it in this case -- while other investors lose big-time.

What? Javanka involved in corrupt land deals in former Soviet satellite country?? Nevah! ~~~

~~~ Eric Lipton & Vladimir Karaj of the New York Times: "Two luxury real-estate projects in Albania proposed by the son-in-law of ... Donald J. Trump are stirring up lingering tensions in that country, with the Trump family facing accusations that land it hopes to develop has been improperly set aside for them. The disputes relate to $1 billion worth of investments that Ivanka Trump ... and ... Jared Kushner are pursuing in Albania along the Mediterranean coast of this Southern European nation on land once controlled by a Communist government. Mr. Kushner announced plans to build an opulent hotel and beach villa complex on a stretch of the mainland where an Albanian family has farmed for generations. The family says part of this property was corruptly seized from them after the end of Communist rule in 1991.... At the second site -- a small, strategically located island called Sazan where the Soviet Union sent military supplies during the Cold War -- Mr. Kushner is working with top government officials in Albania to secure exclusive development rights." ~~~

~~~ Speaking of corrupt deals in which Jared & Ivanka were involved ~~~

~~~ Michael Schmidt & Maggie Haberman of the New York Times: "A man whose life sentence in federal prison was commuted in 2021 by ... Donald J. Trump was convicted this spring of a misdemeanor charge of assaulting his wife, the latest example of a Trump clemency beneficiary getting in legal trouble again.... Jaime A. Davidson was sentenced in Florida to three months behind bars in the domestic violence case. Given the conviction, he could face additional time in federal prison if he is found to have violated the terms of his supervised release after Mr. Trump's decision, in the final hours of his presidency, to commute Mr. Davidson's earlier life sentence.... Last month, a convicted New York drug dealer named Jonathan Braun [-- to whom Mr. Trump granted clemency --] was arrested on charges of assaulting his wife on at least two occasions and punching his 75-year-old father-in-law in the head.... Several additional recipients of Mr. Trump's clemency grants have found themselves facing legal trouble since he left office.... Mr. Trump is trying to portray Vice President Kamala Harris as being soft on crime. Jared Kushner was heavily involved in the process.... Ivanka Trump, who like Mr. Kushner worked in the administration, pushed for a number of clemency grants in the final days."

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Montana Senate Race. Kellen Browning of the New York Times: "Tim Sheehy, the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in Montana, made comments perpetuating racist stereotypes about Native Americans during private fund-raisers last year, according to recordings of the events published by a local news outlet late last week and obtained by The New York Times. In one recording, Mr. Sheehy, a cattle rancher and businessman, can be heard saying that he had participated in roping and branding cattle on the Crow Reservation, in southeastern Montana, and that it was 'a great way to bond with all the Indians out there, while they're drunk at 8 a.m.' In another clip, he said that he had ridden in a Crow parade, and that 'they'll let you know whether they like you or not, there's Coors Light cans flying by your head.'... Calvin Lime, who lives on the Blackfeet reservation in northern Montana, said the remarks were a 'slap in the face,' and especially unfortunate because the Crow Tribe was one of the most outspokenly pro-Trump tribes."

New York. Hurubie Meko & William Rashbaum of the New York Times: A federal indictment asserts that "Linda Sun..., [an aide to] both Gov. Kathy Hochul and Gov. Andrew Cuomo..., us[ed] her position to benefit the Chinese government.... Ms. Sun, 40, was charged on Tuesday with 10 criminal counts that included visa fraud, money laundering and other crimes. Her husband, Chris Hu, 41, a businessman, is charged in the indictment with money laundering. Both pleaded not guilty in federal court, were released on bond and were required to surrender their passports."

North Carolina Gubernatorial Race. Jeffrey Billman & Joe Killian of the Assembly: "... according to Louis Money, who worked in several of Greensboro;s windowless, 24-hour video-pornography stores, [Lt. Gov. Mark] Robinson [-- the Republican candidate for governor --] was a frequent customer in the 1990s and early 2000s. Money, 52, told The Assembly that Robinson came in as often as five nights a week to watch porn videos in a private booth.Five other men who said they were former employees or customers during this period also told The Assembly that Robinson visited two of these stores.... In addition, Money said Robinson purchased 'hundreds' of bootleg porn videos that Money sold on the side.... Robinson's commentary often targets those who don't ascribe to his conservative interpretation of Christianity or share his views on sexuality and gender issues." Robinson denied the allegations and called Money and the Assembly "degenerates." Money posted an undated photo of himself with Robinson, which is included with the article. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I am not familiar with the Assembly -- a newish online news outlet -- but a number of reputable reporters and outlets have accepted its reporting here.

Oklahoma. Abbie VanSickle of the New York Times: "The Supreme Court on Tuesday turned down a request from Oklahoma to restore millions in federal family-planning grants that the Biden administration withheld after the state announced that it would no longer provide access to abortion counseling services. Oklahoma had sought emergency relief after a divided three-judge panel of an appeals court in July temporarily paused the funding as a lower-court dispute played out over whether state officials could refuse to refer pregnant women to counseling services that presented abortion as an option. The court's brief, unsigned order gave no reasons, as is common when it acts on emergency applications. Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel A. Alito Jr. and Neil M. Gorsuch dissented, saying they would have reinstated the grants."

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Iraq, et al. Eric Schmitt of the New York Times: "American and Iraqi commandos raided Islamic State hide-outs in western Iraq last week, killing at least 14 ISIS fighters in one of the most sweeping counterterrorism missions in the country in recent years. Seven U.S. soldiers were injured as more than 200 troops from both countries, including backup forces, hunted down fighters in bunkers over miles of remote terrain, U.S. and Iraqi officials said, adding that the size, scope and focus of the mission underscored the terrorist organization's resurgence in recent months. A senior insurgent commander overseeing Islamic State operations in the Middle East and Europe was the main target, they said." (Also linked yesterday.)

Israel/Palestine, et al. The New York Times' live updates of developments Tuesday in the Israel/Hamas war are here. (Also linked yesterday.)

Adam Goldman, et al., of the New York Times: "Federal prosecutors charged Yahya Sinwar, the leader of Hamas, and five senior members of the group with planning and carrying out years of terrorist attacks in Israel, including the Oct. 7 massacre, according to a sweeping complaint unsealed on Tuesday. The criminal complaint, originally filed in New York in February, implicated two other senior members of Hamas not previously thought to be directly involved in the attacks. It also listed the number of Americans believed to have died at 43." The AP's report is here.

Ukraine/Russia, et al.

The New York Times' live updates of developments Wednesday in the Ukraine/Russia war are here.

The New York Times' live updates of developments Tuesday in the Ukraine/Russia war are here. (Also linked yesterday.)

Siobhan O'Grady of the Washington Post: "Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has submitted his resignation, the country's parliamentary speaker announced Wednesday, marking the latest major change in Kyiv's leadership amid a larger government shake-up. Kuleba, who has served as foreign minister since 2020, has been a key voice in Ukraine's drive to receive foreign weapons from allies and to push partners to loosen restrictions on how those weapons are used."

Siobhan O'Grady & Jennifer Hassan of the Washington Post: "More than 40 people were killed and hundreds injured in a Russian missile strike on the central Ukrainian city of Poltava on Tuesday, President Volodymyr Zelensky said, making it one of the deadliest single attacks of the war. Two ballistic missiles struck the area, targeting an educational institution and a nearby hospital, Zelensky said, adding that many people were trapped under the rubble. As members of the House minority, Raskin and Garcia do not have the power to subpoena documents or witnesses, and Trump is under no obligation to respond to their inquiries." MB: A marshal from the International Criminal Court should pop over to Mongolia & arrest Putin for war crimes. (Also linked yesterday.)

The Conversation -- September 3, 2024

Jessica Piper of Politico: "Kamala Harris' campaign and the Democratic National Committee said Tuesday they are sending nearly $25 million to support down-ballot Democrats -- an earlier investment and far more money than the top of the ticket has sent in past election years. The funding in part reflects the Harris operation's ability to spread money around after record fundraising over the past six weeks. But it is also a recognition of the importance of this year's down-ballot races -- which overlap with many of the swaths of the country that could decide the presidential election, and whose outcomes will substantially affect how Harris, or ... Donald Trump, will be able to govern next year."

Bad News for Felonious Trump. Jesse McKinley of the New York Times: "A federal judge in Manhattan denied an effort by Donald J. Trump to move his already adjudicated state criminal case to the federal courts on Tuesday, rejecting his claims of bias against him as well as his claims of presidential immunity. In late May, a jury convicted the former president on 34 felony counts of falsifying records to cover up hush-money payments to a porn star ... who had threatened to go public with her account of an affair. A state judge, Juan M. Merchan, has scheduled his sentencing for Sept. 18, though Mr. Trump has asked him to delay it until after the presidential election. In a four-page decision on Monday, Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein of Federal Court in Manhattan said he could not evaluate Mr. Trump's claims of bias, saying those were issues for the state courts. But he said that Mr. Trump's claims of immunity for official acts -- based on a recent Supreme Court decision affirming such protection -- were irrelevant in this case. He noted that 'hush-money payments were private, unofficial acts, outside the bounds of executive authority.'"

Daniel Dale of CNN: "Trump's lying is most exceptional in its relentlessness, a never-ending avalanche of wrongness that can bury even the most devoted fact-checkers. But it's also notable for its repetitiveness. He has found his hits, and h'll keep playing them no matter how many times they are debunked. As Trump enters the post-Labor Day sprint of his 2024 campaign for the presidency, his commentary is filled with many of the same false claims he made as president from 2017 to 2021. He's even repeating some of the false claims he used during his 2016 presidential campaign." Dale highlights some of the oft-repeated chestnuts.

Eric Schmitt of the New York Times: "American and Iraqi commandos raided Islamic State hide-outs in western Iraq last week, killing at least 14 ISIS fighters in one of the most sweeping counterterrorism missions in the country in recent years. Seven U.S. soldiers were injured as more than 200 troops from both countries, including backup forces, hunted down fighters in bunkers over miles of remote terrain, U.S. and Iraqi officials said, adding that the size, scope and focus of the mission underscored the terrorist organization's resurgence in recent months. A senior insurgent commander overseeing Islamic State operations in the Middle East and Europe was the main target, they said."

Carol Leonnig & Aaron Davis of the Washington Post: "Democratic leaders on the House Oversight Committee released a letter Tuesday asking former president Donald Trump if he ever illegally received money from the government of Egypt, and whether money from Cairo played a role in a $10 million infusion into his 2016 run for president. Rep. Jamie Raskin (Md.), the ranking Democrat on the committee, and Rep. Robert Garcia (Calif.), the top Democrat on its subcommittee for national security, the border and foreign affairs, wrote to Trump that they were making the request as a result of a Washington Post article published last month. The article revealed details of a secret Justice Department investigation during Trump's presidency into whether he took an illegal campaign contribution from Egypt." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Hello, Senate Democrats. Are you there? With your, you know, subpoena power? If Hillary Clinton could sit down for an hours-long grilling by House Republicans during a presidential campaign, surely Trumpty-Dumpty can sit before a Senate committee long enough to take the Fifth.

Siobhan O'Grady & Jennifer Hassan of the Washington Post: "More than 40 people were killed and hundreds injured in a Russian missile strike on the central Ukrainian city of Poltava on Tuesday, President Volodymyr Zelensky said, making it one of the deadliest single attacks of the war. Two ballistic missiles struck the area, targeting an educational institution and a nearby hospital, Zelensky said, adding that many people were trapped under the rubble. As members of the House minority, Raskin and Garcia do not have the power to subpoena documents or witnesses, and Trump is under no obligation to respond to their inquiries." MB: More evidence that a marshal from the International Criminal Court should pop over to Mongolia & arrest Putin for war crimes.

The New York Times' live updates of developments Tuesday in the Ukraine/Russia war are here.

The New York Times' live updates of developments Tuesday in the Israel/Hamas war are here.

Huh. Looks like digby figured out why Trump (and JayDee) sat out the traditional Labor Day campaign season kickoff. Thanks to RAS for the link.

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Presidential Race

Jonathan Weisman & Nicholas Nehamas of the New York Times: "President Biden gave a demonstration on Monday that the Democratic Party now belongs to Vice President Kamala Harris, stepping to the microphone at a campaign event in Pittsburgh to introduce his No. 2 rather than taking the speaking slot of honor for himself.... All told, Ms. Harris and [Minnesota Gov. Tim] Walz managed to visit each of the so-called blue wall states of Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.... Still, the events were far smaller than the rallies Ms. Harris has held in recent weeks that have filled up basketball arenas with thousands of supporters.... In Detroit, Michigan's Democratic luminaries -- Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Senator Debbie Stabenow, and hopefuls like Representative Elissa Slotkin, who is running for Ms. Stabenow's Senate seat -- shared the stage with ... [prominent union leaders]. In Pittsburgh, Ms. Harris was joined by Gov. Josh Shapiro and Senator Bob Casey..., as well as ... [union leaders]. In Milwaukee, Mr. Walz appeared alongside Gov. Tony Evers and Senator Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin. All three Democratic governors of the blue wall states are popular with voters and are expected to play key roles in whipping up enthusiasm for Ms. Harris." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: The Washington Post story did not knock Harris & Biden, as the New York Times reporters did right from the get-go. Cleve Wootson & others wrote, instead, "Neither Trump nor his running mate, Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, had any advertised events on Labor Day -- something the Harris campaign sought to draw attention to." The Times is getting a bit obvious in its Trump-boosting: knocking Harris & cleaning up for (or simply not mentioning) Trump's gaffes, outrageous remarks, unpopular policies and anti-democratic activities. The Post has published plenty of both-sides reports, but lately they're not bending over backwards, as the Times is, to normalize Trump & disparage his opponent. ~~~

     ~~~ The NBC News report is here. ~~~

~~~ Sara Powers of CBS News Detroit: "Vice President Kamala Harris is visiting Detroit on Labor Day to speak with labor union leaders and workers, her campaign announced. During the event, Harris touted her record of putting workers first and showed her support for union members throughout her speech." MB: Labor Day is traditionally the day general elections kick off. So Powers notes that Tim Walz would appear in Milwaukee for Labor Day, and Doug Emhoff would attend an event in Newport News, Virginia. Donald Trump? Too tired. Taking the day off at Mar-a-Lardo. (Also linked yesterday.)

Caitlin Yilek of CBS News: "Vans carrying members of the press that were part of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz's motorcade were involved in a crash on Monday afternoon. Journalists traveling with the vice presidential nominee said the crash happened shortly before 1 p.m. on Interstate 794. Walz was on his way to an event celebrating Labor Day in Milwaukee. A staff member in one of the press vans appeared to have a broken arm and was being treated by medics, according to the journalists, who said they were violently thrown forward as one van slammed into another in front of it and then was hit from behind. Walz's vehicle was not involved in the crash, according to the campaign. Walz later said there were a 'few minor injuries,' but everybody's going to be OK.'"

Daniel Hampton of the Raw Story: "A top volunteer for Donald Trump's campaign in Massachusetts lost his position after he emailed fellow volunteers and said neighboring New Hampshire was 'no longer a battleground state' and encouraged supporters to instead direct their efforts on winning Pennsylvania. Tom Mountain wrote in the email, obtained by The Boston Globe, that Trump was 'sure to lose by an even higher margin' this year in New Hampshire than he did in 2016 and 2020. Mountain cited 'campaign data/research,' according to the Globe. Republicans in the region scrambled to push back against Mountain's comments and emphasize his comments were the opinion of a volunteer and not the party's official strategy." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: This reminds me of a New York Times story that ran Saturday. Reid Epstein devoted a whole front-page piece to asking, "How can it be that a campaign that by all metrics is better off than it was in late June is now pushing a narrative that things are worse than they were when Mr. Biden was in the race?... As soon as Mr. Biden dropped out and Democratic fortunes indisputably began to rise, Ms. Harris began trying to temper expectations." As even Epstein admits (in Graf 6), winning campaigns are always concerned about conveying overconfidence (thus suppressing voter turnout). Losing campaign, like Trump's in New England, will even fire top campaign workers if they don't pretend they are winning or are at least within sight of winning. I don't understand why the Times would feature a story about an almost universally common practice to highlight "evidence" that Harris is disingenuous or even dishonest with voters. Meanwhile, the story includes not a word about Trump's claiming he can win (or did win in 2016 or 2020) in blue states like New York and California if only the "illegals" didn't vote multiple times.

⭐ BUT THEN There's This. The New York Times editorial page takes a trip down Memory Lane to remind us of the chaos, bad acts, lies and stupid stuff of Trump's presidency*: "For Americans who may have forgotten that time, or pushed it from memory, we offer this timeline of his presidency. Mr. Trump;s first term was a warning about what he will do with the power of his office -- unless American voters reject him.:

Marcy Wheeler highlights "the soft bigotry of no expectations" for Trump that is evident in a Washington Post editorial Patrick noticed Sunday. MB: Wheeler focuses on the same thing that bugged me. She writes, "... even though WaPo can identify more policy proposals from Kamala than Trump, it nevertheless holds her accountable for providing more.... Trump has been running for 21 months; his campaign is more than 90% over. The Vice President has been running 43 days; her campaign still has almost 60% to go. And yet they're putting demands on the woman in the race, making no such demand on the white male former President. The press has gone 21 months without throwing this kind of tantrum with Donald Trump. Given that, this column says more about the failures of journalists to hold Trump accountable than it does any shortcoming on Kamala's part." (Also linked yesterday.)

Eleanor Tarrett of Fox Business: "'The "Justice For All Gala" event [-- a fundraiser for January 6 insurrectionists --] scheduled at Trump National Bedminster for September 5th has been postponed due to scheduling conflicts of invited guest speakers,' event organizer L.J. Fino said in a statement to Fox Business." The event will take place at an unspecified day after the November election. MB: Donald Trump was expected to attend the event, according to the report, so its likely he is one of those "invited guest speakers" who had "scheduling conflicts." Perhaps his campaign staff convinced him that shilling for criminals was not a good look for a general election candidate for president*. (Also linked yesterday.)

Robert Tait of the Guardian: "Donald Trump has drawn ridicule and accusations of hypocrisy after accusing Kamala Harris of mistreating Mike Pence.... 'In a stunning senile moment, Donald Trump just suggested it was Kamala Harris who treated Mike Pence poorly,' the campaign posted on X, linking to video footage of Trump's comments. 'Donald Trump clearly cannot remember anything...'." Related story linked yesterday. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Tait covers a few other recent, related news items. One of them is this: "Speaking to CNN last week..., Harris ... confirmed to interviewer Dana Bash that she and and the former president have never met." There's a reason for that: Donald Trump didn't show up at the Biden-Harris inauguration because "peaceful transfer of power," as we know, was the furthest thing from his twisted mind on January 20, 2021. (For one thing, he was busy stuffing his shorts with classified documents.)

Before Heritage & Trump Alums Wrote Project 2025 ... Lisa Lerer of the New York Times: "Years before he became the Republican vice-presidential nominee, JD Vance endorsed a little-noticed 2017 report by the Heritage Foundation that proposed a sweeping conservative agenda to restrict sexual and reproductive freedoms and remake American families. In a series of 29 separate essays, conservative commentators, policy experts, community leaders and Christian clergy members opposed the spread of in vitro fertilization and other fertility treatments, describing those treatments as harmful to women. They praised the rapidly expanding number of state laws restricting abortion rights and access, saying that the procedure should become 'unthinkable' in America. And they cited hunger as a 'great motivation' for Americans to find work. Mr. Vance ... wrote the introduction and praised the volume as 'admirable,' and was the keynote speaker at the public release of the report...."

Ariana Baio of the Independent: "Elon Musk has used his large platform on X to promote a theory that a free-thinking 'Republic' could only exist under the decision-making of 'high status males' -- and women or 'low T men' would not be welcome in it. On Sunday, Musk re-posted a screenshot of the theory -- which appears to have been conceived on 4chan in 2021-- on the social media site. The theory, written by an anonymous user, suggests that the only people able to think freely are 'high [testostrone] alpha males' and 'aneurotypical people', and that these 'high status males' should run a 'Republic' that is 'only for those who are free to think.... People who can't defend themselves physically (women and low T men) parse information through a consensus filter as a safety mechanism,' the post reads.... Theories like this ... are popular in alt-right communities."

Jamie Frevele of Mediaite reviews a review of "The Apprentice," a film about young Trump ... or young Frankenstein, as the Entertainment Weekly reviewer would have it.

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Maryland Senate Race. Liz Goodwin of the Washington Post: "Former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan is running a new ad describing himself as one of the few Republicans who 'never caved' to Donald Trump and touting his record sending National Guard troops to the Capitol during the Jan. 6, 2021 attack. Scenes of the rioting that day have littered ads for Democratic candidates over the years, but Hogan is likely the only Republican in the country to feature them as he seeks to distinguish himself from the former president in a deep blue state. The ad is part of an almost $8 million blitz Hogan has reserved for the fall as he battles Angela Alsobrooks, who so far has reserved less than $1 million in ads, according to data from AdImpact."

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Brazil. Jack Nicas of the New York Times: "A panel of Brazilian Supreme Court justices voted on Monday to uphold a decision by one justice last week to block the social network X across the country because its owner, Elon Musk, refused to comply with court orders to suspend certain accounts. The five-justice panel voted unanimously to back the order, issuing strongly worded opinions saying that the blackout of X complied with Brazilian law and that it was necessary to enforce the nation's rules against a foreign company that was flouting them." (Also linked yesterday.) The AP report is here.

Israel/Palestine, et al.

Steve Hendrix & Shira Rubin of the Washington Post: "Thousands of Israelis over two days staged the largest anti-government demonstration since Oct. 7, taking to the streets and joining a general strike Monday that brought much of the country to a halt as the last of six hostages recovered from Gaza over the weekend was laid to rest. The killings of Israeli American Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 23, and five other hostages sent shock waves throughout Israel, igniting fury among hostage families and their hundreds of thousands of supporters who have for months accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of torpedoing a deal in favor of his political interests."

Patrick Kingsley, et al., of the New York Times: "Brushing aside pleas from allies and the demands of Israeli protesters for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza in exchange for the release of hostages, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel on Monday vowed to maintain Israeli control along the border between Egypt and Gaza, a contentious plan that appeared to dim, if not dash, prospects for a truce. In his first news conference since the bodies of six slain hostages were recovered over the weekend, Mr. Netanyahu told reporters on Monday night that, to ensure its security, Israel needed to assert control over the Gazan side of the border with Egypt, known as the Philadelphi Corridor, calling it the lifeline of Hamas." (Also linked yesterday.) The AP's story is here.

Natasha Korecki & Monica Alba of NBC News: "President Joe Biden on Monday said he did not think Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had done enough to secure a hostage deal between Israel and Hamas, a comment that comes amid massive protests in Israel.... Reporters asked Biden if he thought Netanyahu had done enough to secure an agreement, and the president answered: 'No.' The Biden administration has repeatedly accused Hamas of holding up a deal, but recently U.S. and foreign officials have said conditions introduced by Netanyahu also disrupted efforts." (Also linked yesterday.)

Russia/Mongolia. Putin Flouts Arrest Warrant. Valerie Hopkins & David Pierson of the New York Times: "President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia arrived in Mongolia late Monday night for his first state visit to a member of the International Criminal Court since it issued a warrant for his arrest in March 2023.... In advance of Mr. Putin's trip, the I.C.C. stated that Mongolia was obligated to arrest Mr. Putin, but Mongolia is heavily dependent on Russia for fuel, and an arrest was considered extremely unlikely. The Kremlin has shrugged off the possibility." An AP report is here.

Venezuela

Edward Wong of the New York Times: "The U.S. government has seized an airplane linked to Nicolás Maduro, the leader of Venezuela, and brought it to Florida on Monday because it was bought in violation of U.S. sanctions, according to a Justice Department statement. The Biden administration is trying to put more pressure on Mr. Maduro because of his attempts to undermine the results of the recent presidential election in his country, White House officials said. The Justice Department said in its statement that it had seized a Dassault Falcon 900EX owned and operated by Mr. Maduro and his partners after it had been brought to the Dominican Republic for maintenance work. The department then had the plane flown to Florida. The plane had been purchased in the United States for $13 million through a shell company and 'smuggled' out of the country 'for use by Nicolás Maduro and his cronies,' Merrick B. Garland, the U.S. attorney general, said in the statement." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Oh, Merrick, I can think of another old tinpot dictator who undermined the results of a presidential election, tried to retain power by force, owes New York State a pile of money, AND owns a airplane. You might want to seize Trump Farce One.

Tinpot Dictator Arrests Foe Who Won Election. Samantha Schmidt of the Washington Post: "A Venezuelan judge has ordered the arrest of opposition candidate Edmundo González, who the United States and other countries say clearly beat the country's authoritarian president, Nicolás Maduro, in the July 28 presidential election. The country's attorney general filed an arrest warrant Monday against González, a 75-year-old former diplomat, as part of an investigation into the opposition's publication of vote tally sheets showing their candidate won more than twice as many votes as Maduro. The opposition published the receipts from more than 23,000 voting machines days after Venezuela's electoral council claimed a victory by Maduro. Several independent reviews of the data, including by The Washington Post, suggest Maduro likely lost the election by a landslide." The AP report is here.