The Conversation -- March 25, 2024

Edith Lederer of the AP: "The United Nations Security Council on Monday issued its first demand for a cease-fire in Gaza, with the U.S. angering Israel by abstaining from the vote. Israel responded by canceling a visit to Washington by a high-level delegation in the strongest public clash between the allies since the war began. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused the U.S. of 'retreating' from a 'principled position' by allowing the vote to pass without conditioning the cease-fire on the release of hostages held by Hamas.... The 15-member council approved the resolution 14-0 after the U.S. decided not to use its veto power on the measure, which also demanded the release of all hostages taken captive during Hamas' Oct. 7 surprise attack in southern Israel. The chamber broke into loud applause after the vote."

Because Of Course This Happened. Ben Protess & William Rashbaum of the New York Times: "... a New York appeals court appears to have handed [Donald Trump] a lifeline on Monday, saying it would accept a ... bond of $175 million. The ruling by a five-judge panel of appellate court judges was a crucial and unexpected victory for the former president, potentially staving off a looming financial disaster.... Mr. Trump has 10 days to secure the bond, and two people with knowledge of his finances said he should be able to do so by then.... A spokeswoman for the attorney general, Letitia James, noted that Mr. Trump was 'still facing accountability for his staggering fraud' and that the judgment 'still stands.'" ~~~

     ~~~ Jennifer Peltz & Michael Sisak of the AP: "A New York appeals court on Monday agreed to hold off collection of ... Donald Trump's more than $454 million civil fraud judgment if he puts up $175 million within 10 days. If he does, it will stop the clock on collection and prevent the state from seizing the presumptive Republican presidential nominee's assets while he appeals. The appeals court also halted other aspects of a trial judge's ruling that had barred Trump and his sons Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr., the family company's executive vice presidents, from serving in corporate leadership for several years. In all, the order was a significant victory for the Republican ex-president as he defends the real estate empire that vaulted him into public life."

Michael Sisak , et al., of the AP: "... Donald Trump will stand trial starting April 15 on charges related to hush money payments meant to cover up claims of marital infidelity, a New York judge ruled Monday in tersely swatting aside defense claims of prosecutorial misconduct.... [Judge Juan] Merchan, who earlier this month postponed the trial until at least mid-April, told defense lawyers that they should have acted much sooner if they believed they didn't have all the records they felt they were entitled to.... 'You're accusing the Manhattan district attorney's office and the people involved in this case of prosecutorial misconduct and of trying to make me complicit in it. And you don't have a single cite to support that position,' [Merchan said.] Outside the courtroom, Trump complained about the ruling, characterizing the case -- as he has done repeatedly -- as an act of 'election interference' in the midst of his presidential campaign." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: It is rich to hear a man who tried to overturn a presidential election complaining he's the victim of election interference.

A New Clarence & Ginni for Our Times. Alex Henderson of AlterNet, republished by the Raw Story: "The U.S. Supreme Court is scheduled Tuesday to hear oral arguments in FDA v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine -- a case in which far-right Christian fundamentalists and anti-abortion activists are challenging access to the abortion drug mifepristone. Those fundamentalists are claiming that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration should never have approved mifepristone -- a claim that far-right Judge James C. Ho, a Donald Trump appointee to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, agreed with when he ruled to restrict the drug. Judge Ho ... is married to Allyson Ho, an anti-abortion activist." Here's the Guardian's story.

Ryan Lizza of Politico: "The uproar inside NBC over Ronna McDaniel's hiring spilled into Monday morning as more of the network's top personalities denounced the deal with the former RNC chair, escalating a battle over the relationship between powerful media companies and Donald Trump's loyalists. The decision to hire McDaniel, which was unanimously supported by top network executives, has already divided and destabilized one of America's most storied news organizations, with internal dismay flaring on text chains and Slack channels since the deal was announced late last week.... 'We weren't asked our opinion of the hiring but, if we were, we would have strongly objected to it for several reasons,' Joe Scarborough said Monday at the top of 'Morning Joe'..., with co-host Mika Brzezinski adding, 'We hope NBC will reconsider its decision. It goes without saying that she will not be a guest on "Morning Joe" in her capacity as a paid contributor.' They then played a reel of McDaniel's various comments questioning the outcome of the 2020 election.... It's yet unclear whether the NBC-McDaniel relationship can survive the uproar.... The McDaniel deal was unanimously supported by leaders of all their networks, according to an NBC insider, including by Rashida Jones, president of MSNBC."

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MEANWHILE, Back at the Ranch. Marie: Still no power. Because I have a generator, I was able to do a bit Saturday night. But in the middle of the night, I heard more trees crashing, and I lost my cable connection. So besides no power, I had no phone, no Internet, no TV! I tried texting a friend Sunday morning to let her know I was all right so she wouldn't call out the cavalry, but I only had one "bar" on my phone, and I didn't dare go out onto the porch with that high-power line draped across it, because I was afraid the snow on the porch would conduct electricity and that would be the end of me. Luckily, Snowplow Guy came by and was able to text my friend. Then we got more snow. And all local WiFi went down for the area. The power company came by late yesterday, and their idea of a "fix" was to remove the power line from the porch. But it still runs all across my yard, between me and the outside world. So I'm still trapped. I can see that all the lines to my house are down, but somehow, through the miracle of Xfinity, I got back Internet & phone (and maybe teevee!) service, at least for now. I can go out on the porch, too, but not any further. I remain in veritable prison lockdown, but as long as my propane for the generator holds out, I won't freeze to death (it's 17 degrees right now). So I beat on, feet against the high-power current, borne ceaselessly into the great unknown. ~~~

     ~~~ Thank you for your good wishes in yesterday's Comments. And thanks to those who also linked interesting content in Sunday's Comments.

Jim Tankersley of the New York Times: "President Biden, amping up a populist pitch in his re-election campaign, has repeatedly said he would raise taxes on the wealthy and corporations to make them pay their 'fair share.' Republicans say Mr. Biden has 'an unquenchable thirst for taxing the American people.'... Donald J. Trump, said recently that Mr. Biden was 'going to give you the greatest, biggest, ugliest tax hike in the history of our country.' So it might come as a surprise that, in just over three years in office, Mr. Biden has cut taxes overall.... An analysis prepared for The New York Times by the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center, a Washington think tank that studies fiscal issues, shows that the tax cuts Mr. Biden has signed for individuals and corporations are larger than the tax increases he has imposed on big corporations and their shareholders. 'It's reasonable to conclude from those numbers that the Biden tax policy hasn't been some kind of radical tax-raising program,' said Benjamin R. Page..., author of the analysis."

Brad Plumer of the New York Times: "The Biden administration plans to spend up to $6 billion on new technologies to cut carbon dioxide emissions from heavy industries like steel, cement, chemicals and aluminum, which are all enormous contributors to global warming but which have so far been incredibly difficult to clean up. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said Monday that her agency would partially fund 33 different projects in 20 states to test methods for curbing emissions from a wide variety of factories and industrial plants, calling it 'the single largest industrial decarbonization investment in American history.'... While the projects themselves would put a relatively small dent in U.S. emissions, Ms. Granholm said the goal was to demonstrate novel technologies that can scale up rapidly and 'set a new gold standard for clean manufacturing in the United States and around the world.'"

Maegan Vazquez & Mariana Alfaro of the Washington Post: "Less than six months after a faction of House Republicans led a revolt that removed Kevin McCarthy from the speakership, more Republicans are already complaining about the party's direction and questioning whether his replacement, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), is the right person for the job.... Both men have relied on Democrats to pass key funding bills in the narrowly divided chamber and have bypassed rules in order to move the legislative process along more quickly when facing key legislative deadlines.... The Republican Party faces deep divisions over how to handle major policy issues and whether to ever work with Democrats.... Over the weekend, Republicans appeared dismissive of [Marjorie Taylor] Greene's [R-Ga.] effort [to oust Johnson], signaling that they were not yet compelled to remove him from speakership." MB: Shame on Johnson & Democrats for keeping the federal government running.

Presidential Race

Jill Colvin & Zeke Miller of the AP: "As President Joe Biden visited five cities in a multiday trip last week..., Donald Trump was hardly seen in public, spending most of his time in South Florida. Trump has held just a single public campaign event since he locked up the Republican presidential nomination on March 12: a rally in Ohio funded not by his campaign but by backers of a Senate candidate whom he had endorsed. The events page on his campaign website has had nothing listed. Biden, meanwhile, has been barnstorming the country. After a trip to North Carolina on Tuesday, the Democratic president will have touched down in all of the 2024 swing states in the less than three weeks since his State of the Union address.... Trump has been spending his days in and around his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida -- fundraising, hosting elected officials who frequently visit, and meeting aides. But Trump has also made time for other pursuits. He recently said he won two championships at his Palm Beach golf club, writing on his social media site that they were 'very exciting' wins on a 'GREAT and difficult course.' He visited his golf club in West Palm Beach on Sunday to accept two trophies from a cheering audience." MB: Yeah, it's "very exciting" to win a trophy on your own damned course.

Yasmeen Abutaleb of the Washington Post: "President Biden, former president Barack Obama and former House speaker Nancy Pelosi appeared together in a video released by the Biden campaign Saturday celebrating the 14th anniversary of the Affordable Care Act, and warned that Republican nominee Donald Trump would again try to overturn the law if he wins a second term this November.... 'Like any freedom, we can't take this one for granted. Right now, the presumptive nominee for the Republican Party for president says he still wants to repeal the entirety of the ACA,' Obama said in the video. 'That would mean kicking millions of young people off their parents' health insurance, raising costs at a time when a lot of folks are just starting out. We need to keep building on the ACA -- expanding coverage and lowering costs for more people.'" The NBC News story is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I can't find the ad online (finding Biden's campaign ads is a problem I've encountered before), but the WashPo story has a piece of it embedded in the article.

Philip Nieto of Mediaite: "ABC News anchor Jon Karl grilled Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) over the possibility that ... Donald Trump will pick him as his vice presidential running mate. Recently, reports have circulated that the Florida lawmaker is on Trump's shortlist for vice president. During an interview on ABC's This Week, Rubio reiterated his prior statements that he would be honored to serve in the White House alongside Trump.... 'I mean, look what happened to the last guy! A mob stormed the Capitol, literally calling to hang Mike Pence. And Trump defended those chants of 'Hang Mike Pence.'" MB: Rubio responded with a series of lies. ~~~

     ~~~ Not that Rubio would ever let facts get in the way of his phony narrative, but he might have read this Washington Post story by Ashley Parker & Hannah Knowles: "Donald Trump posed an all-but-shouted query on his social media platform last week, echoing a talking point that has recently become popular in Republican circles: 'ARE YOU BETTER OFF THAN YOU WERE FOUR YEARS AGO?'... Four years ago last week, the stock market was collapsing -- hitting its worst week since the Great Recession of 2008 -- as the country spiraled into a years-long pandemic that claimed more than 1 million American lives, cratered the economy, upended daily life and, arguably, helped cost Trump a second term in the White House. The third week of March 2020 ... reveals a nation that was on the precipice of crisis, and a leader exhibiting the full panoply of characteristics that his supporters love and his detractors revile. Reported covid cases exploded that week, growing from 588 to 3,659, and covid deaths more than tripled.... Over the course of the coronavirus pandemic, Trump regularly indulged in his most combative and erratic impulses, alienating large swaths of the public along the way."

What a Second Trump Term Would Look Like. Digby: "Brynn Tannehill, author of 'American Fascism: How the GOP is Subverting Democracy' wrote this twitter thread which I think is a nice succinct recitation of what awaits in a second Trump term[.]"

The Trials of Trump

Ben Protess, et al., of the New York Times: "Donald J. Trump is expected to appear in a Manhattan courtroom on Monday to seek another delay of his criminal trial on charges that he covered up a sex scandal that could have derailed his stunning victory in the 2016 presidential election. The hearing to finalize a trial date, in what would be the first criminal prosecution of a former American president, will come as Mr. Trump is racing to stave off a financial crisis arising from a judgment in another case: a $454 million judgment in a civil fraud suit brought by New York's attorney general."

CNN is liveblogging developments in Trump's trials today. Update: The New York Times liveblog is here.

Ben Protess of the New York Times: ";Hoping to stave off a financial crisis, Mr. Trump is racing the clock to block the New York attorney general from collecting the monetary penalty imposed in a civil fraud case. The attorney general, Letitia James, who brought the case accusing the former president of fraudulently inflating his net worth, has the power to freeze many of his bank accounts and begin the long, complicated process of seizing some of his properties.... When Ms. James does act, her efforts, depending on their severity, could starve Mr. Trump's family business of cash and drop the curtain on his final act as a New York mogul. And while Mr. Trump can seek to delay or limit some damage, that legal process is 'slow torture,' said Mark Zauderer, a veteran New York business litigator.... A bond ... would have strings attached: Mr. Trump would need to pledge more than $550 million in collateral to the company, including as much cash as possible.... Now, Mr. Trump is banking on an appeals court pausing the judgment or accepting a smaller bond. Although the court is not expected to rule on Monday, it could do so later this week or next week." ~~~

Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light. -- Dylan Thomas

     ~~~ Tommy Christopher of Mediaite: "... Donald Trump raged at the possible seizures of his properties in a social media rant posted after midnight as the deadline to post his fraud appeal bond hit -- and hours before he was due in court for one of his felony criminal cases.... At ten minutes after midnight Monday morning, Trump raged about the prospect of his buildings being seized and again attacked President Joe Biden with an oft-debunked claim: 'Why should a Crooked, highly political New York Judge, Arthur Engoron, working in concert and coordination with an even more Corrupt Attorney General, Letitia 'Peekaboo' James, his Puppet Master, and the White House, be allowed to take away, and sell off, very successful properties and assets that took me years to zone, build and nurture into some of the best of their kind anywhere in the World --; WHEN I HAVE DONE NOTHING WRONG!'..." ~~~

     ~~~ In today's Comments, Akhilleus details the fake tribulations of broke fake billionaire Donald Jerkoff Trump. Akhilleus' citations are not exact quotes, but they do reflect the essence of what Trump and his phony lie-yers have said/written about the half-billion dollars that comes due today.

Jennifer Bahney of Mediaite: "Donald Trump's youngest adult son, Eric Trump, brutally self-owned on Fox News -- saying that insurance companies were laughing' when he tried to secure his father's half-a-billion dollar bond.... Eric Trump told Sunday Morning Futures Maria Bartiromo that it's impossible to secure such a large bond in the United States."

Annals of "Journalism," Ctd. Drew Harwell of the Washington Post: "Former Republican National Committee chairwoman Ronna [Romney] McDaniel faced brutal criticism during her first NBC appearance Sunday since the network hired her as a political analyst, including tough questioning about her failure to push back against ... Donald Trump's baseless claims of election fraud and visceral aggravation from journalists who said her hiring raised 'credibility issues' for NBC.... Kristen Welker, the ... host [of 'Meet the Press,'] said McDaniel's interview was scheduled weeks before her hiring was announced. She added, 'This will be a news interview, and I was not involved in her hiring.' McDaniel, who ... had repeatedly said the election was 'rigged,' told Welker during the interview that she disagreed with Trump's claims of election fraud and his calls to free the inmates jailed for storming the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. 'The reality is Joe Biden won,' she said. '... He's the legitimate president.'"

"But minutes later, a panel of journalists on the show questioned the credibility of her answers and laid into NBC executives for their decision to hire someone who had long attacked the network. 'Our bosses owe you an apology for putting you in this situation because I don't know what to believe,' Chuck Todd, NBC journalist and former 'Meet the Press' host, told Welker. '... I have no idea whether any answer she gave to you was because she didn't want to mess up her contract.'... Also appearing on the panel, Kimberly Atkins Stohr, a columnist for the Boston Globe, said McDaniel's 'credibility was shot' after the years in which she 'carried water for Donald Trump.... She habitually lied,' Atkins Stohr said. 'She habitually joined Trump in attacking the press, members of the press, including this network, in a way that put journalists at risk, in danger.'" MB: Ah, when you've lost Chuck Todd ... Anyway, read on. Ronna has an excuse for everything.

~~~ A CNN story is here. Mediaite has a related item here. Both center on Chuck Todd's remarks.

Sydney Ember of the New York Times: "Boeing announced Monday that its chief executive, David Calhoun, would step down at the end of 2024 as part of a broad management shake-up, as the aircraft maker grapples with its most significant safety crisis in years. Stan Deal, the head of the division that makes planes for commercial customers, will retire immediately and will be replaced by Stephanie Pope, the company's chief operating officer. The company also announced that its chairman, Larry Kellner, would not stand for re-election. The management overhaul comes less than three months after a panel, known as a door plug, blew off a Boeing Max 9 during an Alaska Airlines flight on Jan. 5. The incident plunged the company into crisis after crashes in 2018 and 2019 of its Max 8 planes that killed nearly 350 people." MB: I'm sure they'll all get very shiny golden parachutes to protect them, you know, should they fall out of a Boeing plane.

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New Jersey Senate Race. Tracey Tully of the New York Times: "Tammy Murphy, New Jersey's first lady, has ended her run for a U.S. Senate seat now held by the state's embattled senior senator, Robert Menendez, she announced on Sunday in a video posted to social media. Ms. Murphy said that she had concluded that continuing to compete in the Democratic primary against Representative Andy Kim, a third-term congressman from South Jersey, would mean waging a 'very divisive and negative campaign.' She was unwilling to do that, she said, and instead decided to suspend her campaign and to 'focus entirely on re-electing President Biden' and other Democrats."

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Israel/Palestine, et al.

The Washington Post's live updates of developments Monday in the Israel/Hamas war are here: "Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and a separate Israeli delegation are in Washington this week, as the Biden administration presses Israel not to attack the southern Gaza city of Rafah. Vice President Harris told ABC's 'This Week' that such an offensive 'would be a huge mistake,' as more than a million people are sheltering there. Asked whether there would be 'consequences' from the United States for an Israeli operation in Rafah, she said, 'I am ruling out nothing.'... Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted again Sunday that a military operation in Rafah is needed to eliminate Hamas. 'We will enter Rafah and achieve total victory,' he said, addressing the nation on the Jewish holiday of Purim." ~~~

     ~~~ The New York Times live updates for Monday are here.

Michael Hirsh in Politico Magazine: "After decades of building a 'close, personal' friendship with Benjamin Netanyahu, Joe Biden has had it with the Israeli prime minister. Now he's hitting him hard -- and it may be working."

Russia. Catherine Belton & Robyn Dixon of the Washington Post: "When Vladimir Putin finally spoke about the worst terrorist attack to hit Russia in 20 years, he swept over the glaring failure of his security state to prevent the assault, which left at least 137 dead, despite a clear warning from the United States on March 7 that a strike on a concert hall could be imminent. He also made no reference to the Islamic State, which claimed responsibility for the attack at the Crocus City concert hall on Friday and which Putin denounced repeatedly as an enemy throughout Russia's long military intervention in Syria. In 2017, Putin declared victory over the Islamic State, also known as ISIS. Putin instead used his five-minute televised address on Saturday to emphasize that the four direct perpetrators were 'moving toward Ukraine' when they were detained and that 'a window was prepared for them from the Ukrainian side to cross the state border.' He did not directly accuse Ukraine, which has denied any involvement, but a reference to 'Nazis' -- his usual label for the Ukrainian government -- made clear that he was blaming Kyiv." ~~~

~~~ CNN is liveblogging developments in the terrorist attack.

The Conversation -- March 24, 2024

Marie: Not sure how much I'll be doing today. We had five inches of snow Saturday morning, and my power has been out for hours. When I saw a truck go by on my road, I was hoping it was the power company, but it was the snow plow because it had snowed again Saturday evening. Then I saw that there was a live power line draped across the railings on my front steps and all the way across my front yard. So I won't be going anywhere since I'm in veritable prison lockdown; however, my generator may run out of power.

Aishvarya Kavi of the New York Times: "President Bidensigned a $1.2 trillion spending package on Saturday, putting an end to the prospect of a government shutdown after the legislation passed a rushed series of congressional votes with bipartisan support and landed on his desk just after 2 a.m." (Also linked yesterday.)

Michael Shear of the New York Times: "Vice President Kamala Harris on Saturday toured the still-bloody and bullet-pocked classroom building in Parkland, Fla., where a gunman killed 14 students and three staff members in 2018, using the grim backdrop to announce a new federal resource center and to call for stricter enforcement of gun laws.... 'This school is soon going to be torn down,' the vice president [said]. 'But the memory of it will never be erased.' Ms. Harris said the attack, carried out by a former student with a history of mental health and behavior problems, should prompt officials around the country to embrace local red-flag laws.... In her remarks, Ms. Harris announced the creation of the National Extreme Risk Protection Order Resource Center, which White House officials said would provide training and technical assistance to states as they work to implement their red-flag laws."

Marianne Levine, et al., of the Washington Post: Donald Trump has aligned "himself with Jan. 6 rioters, as he intensifies his use of dark, graphic and at times violent language.... Until November, he called the Jan. 6 defendants ... 'political prisoners' before introducing the term 'hostages,' according to a Washington Post analysis of his speeches this campaign cycle.... [A Washington Post] analysis [of his speeches] also showed an uptick in his references to Jan. 6 defendants, as well as the word 'criminals,' which Trump has used to describe prosecutors, political opponents, the press and undocumented immigrants. The escalation overlaps with his own mounting legal jeopardy....' (Also linked yesterday.)

Dareh Gregorian of NBC News: "Donald Trump's social media company could go public as soon as next week, paving the way for a potentially huge windfall for a former president who raked in tens of millions of dollars the last time one of his companies was listed on a stock exchange. That previous, decades-ago experience, however, did not end well for the company or its investors. While a 2016 Washington Post review found that Trump made over $44 million, the company -- Trump Hotels and Casino Resorts -- lost more than $1 billion and ended up in bankruptcy.... Trump, who was the company's chairman and later CEO, continued making millions of dollars a year in salary and bonuses despite the heavy losses [the company was experiencing under his direction]." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I'm no market guru, but my sense is that if Trump ran into the ground a business that is normally a cash cow, "Truth Social" -- a knockoff social media site in which the only "asset" is Trump tweets -- is worth about 50 cents.

David McAfee of the Raw Story: "MSNBC reportedly has no plans to use Donald Trump's close ally, Ronna McDaniel, on its airwaves.... According to a new exclusive article from The Wall Street Journal, the president of MSNBC [Rashida Jones] isn't interested in ever using her.... 'A number of MSNBC anchors and producers have voiced concern internally about McDaniel's ties to ... Donald Trump and the RNC's role in his efforts to challenge the 2020 election results,' [the Journal reported]."

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The Conversation -- March 23, 2024

Aishvarya Kavi of the New York Times: "President Biden signed a $1.2 trillion spending package on Saturday, putting an end to the prospect of a government shutdown after the legislation passed a rushed series of congressional votes with bipartisan support and landed on his desk just after 2 a.m."

Marianne Levine, et al., of the Washington Post: Donald Trump has aligned "himself with Jan. 6 rioters, as he intensifies his use of dark, graphic and at times violent language.... Until November, he called the Jan. 6 defendants ... 'political prisoners' before introducing the term 'hostages,' according to a Washington Post analysis of his speeches this campaign cycle.... [A Washington Post] analysis [of his speeches] also showed an uptick in his references to Jan. 6 defendants, as well as the word 'criminals,' which Trump has used to describe prosecutors, political opponents, the press and undocumented immigrants. The escalation overlaps with his own mounting legal jeopardy...."

Dareh Gregorian of NBC News: "Donald Trump's social media company could go public as soon as next week, paving the way for a potentially huge windfall for a former president who raked in tens of millions of dollars the last time one of his companies was listed on a stock exchange. That previous, decades-ago experience, however, did not end well for the company or its investors. While a 2016 Washington Post review found that Trump made over $44 million, the company -- Trump Hotels and Casino Resorts --- lost more than $1 billion and ended up in bankruptcy.... Trump, who was the company's chairman and later CEO, continued making millions of dollars a year in salary and bonuses despite the heavy losses [the company was experiencing under his direction]." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I'm no market guru, but my sense is that if Trump ran into the ground a business that is normally a cash cow, "Truth Social" -- a knockoff social media site in which the only "asset" is Trump tweets -- is worth about 50 cents.

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Catie Edmondson of the New York Times: "The Senate overwhelmingly gave final approval early Saturday to a $1.2 trillion spending bill to fund more than half of the government, effectively averting a shutdown by sending the legislation to President Biden's desk just hours after a midnight deadline. The 74-to-24 vote, which concluded about 2 a.m., capped an extraordinary day on Capitol Hill that began with a big bipartisan vote to speed the measure through the House, which set off a conservative revolt and prompted one Republican to threaten a bid to oust Speaker Mike Johnson from his post. The Senate action came more than 12 hours after the House vote, after intense haggling to arrange a series of politically charged votes on proposed changes to the legislation that Republicans had demanded that threatened to push the government into a brief partial shutdown into the weekend. The White House said in a statement minutes after the midnight deadline that federal officials had 'ceased shutdown preparations' in anticipation of Mr. Biden signing the legislation later Saturday." The AP's story is here. Both the NYT & AP stories are updates of stories linked earlier.~~~

~~~ Jacob Bogage of the Washington Post: "The House approved a $1.2 trillion spending package Friday, hours before a midnight government shutdown deadline -- forcing the Senate up against a ticking clock to take up and pass the measure. The bill, which passed by a 286 to 134 vote, would fund about three-quarters of the federal government for the next six months, while also raising military pay, eliminating U.S. funding for the U.N. relief agency for Palestinians and bolstering security at the U.S.-Mexico border. The legislation's passage in the Senate is not in doubt -- it has the support of President Biden, Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.). But a single senator can throw up procedural roadblocks that push the government past the deadline and force a vote days later.... Republican Sens. Rand Paul (Ky.), Mike Lee (Utah) and Bill Hagerty (Tenn.) have already signaled they are likely to offer amendments, which would slow the Senate's progress on the bill." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ SO THEN. Manu Raju, et al., of CNN: "Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene has filed a motion to oust Mike Johnson from the speakership, according to sources familiar with the matter, amid anger about the government funding bill. The House would have to consider Greene's motion within two legislative days after she is recognized. The chamber is heading for a two-week recess, and Greene told reporters she would not call up the resolution on Friday, which means the clock to force a vote has not started. Asked for a reaction by CNN, Johnson didn't respond, dismissing the question with a wave. After Greene filed the motion, she was swarmed by her Republican colleagues. A source close to the conversations told CNN that a number of fellow GOP lawmakers were trying to convince the Georgia Republican not to bring the motion.... Part of the argument to Greene from her Republican colleagues is that if she goes through with this, it could lead to House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries inadvertently becoming speaker...." (Also linked yesterday.) The New York Times story is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Saving Ukraine. Nicholas Wu & Daniella Diaz of Politico: "Several Democrats from across the ideological spectrum said in interviews with Politico they would motion to table Greene-s resolution -- if it came to a vote -- if Johnson put a Ukraine aid package on the House floor for a vote.... 'It's not a question of saving Mike Johnson,' [said] Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.). 'I'll make a common cause and an alliance with anybody in Congress who will try to save the Ukrainian people at this point.'"

Eleanor Mueller & Olivia Beavers of Politico: "Speaker Mike Johnson is about to drop to a one-vote majority, as retiring Rep. Mike Gallagher has decided he will exit the House as soon as next month, according to two people with knowledge of the matter. In a statement shortly after this story published, Gallagher said he planned to leave April 19.... Wisconsin law dictates that Gallagher's seat -- in a solidly red district -- will stay empty for the rest of his term. Departing before April 9 would have triggered a special election. The Wisconsin Republican announced earlier this year that he would not seek reelection, after he received blowback for voting against impeaching Homeland Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. His allies, however, say he was long jaded by the antics of the House following the ouster of Speaker Kevin McCarthy." (Also linked yesterday.)

The Trials of Trump

Matthew Goldstein of the New York Times: "... Donald J. Trump's social media company on Friday completed a long-awaited merger with a cash-rich shell company, raising Mr. Trump's wealth by billions and potentially providing him a fresh source of cash to pay his mounting legal bills. In approving the merger, shareholders of Digital World Acquisition Corporation will become shareholders of Trump Media & Technology Group, which will trade on the stock market under the stock symbol DJT. The deal will pump more than $300 million into Trump Media, which has all but exhausted its available cash and will allow Truth Social, the company's flagship digital media platform, to keep operating. Based on Digital World's stock price of $44 a share just before the vote announcement, Trump Media will debut with a market value of more than $5 billion. That means Mr. Trump's personal stake will be worth more than $3 billion. Shares of Trump Media could begin trading under the new stock symbol as soon as next week." (Also linked yesterday.)

It's a Miracle! Rebecca Shabad & Dareh Gregorian of NBC News: "... Donald Trump claimed early Friday morning that he has 'almost' $500 million in cash, undercutting his lawyers' claims that he would not be able to comply with the $464 million judgment against him and his co-defendants in the civil fraud case brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James. 'Through hard work, talent, and luck, I currently have almost five hundred million dollars in cash, a substantial amount of which I intended to use in my campaign for president,' Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social in all caps. 'The often overturned political hack judge on the rigged and corrupt A.G. case, where I have done nothing wrong, knew this, wanted to take it away from me, and that's where and why he came up with the shocking number which, coupled with his crazy interest demand, is approximately $454,000,000.'... Trump hasn't contributed any of his own money to his presidential campaigns since 2016."* (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ * Lawrence O'Donnell said on-air that even in 2016, Trump did not really contribute to his campaign. He lent the campaign $10MM, but he reimbursed himself later.

     ~~~ Marie: I'd be curious to see Trump's filings & letters to the appeals court & to Justice Engoron. Do the attorneys assert that he doesn't have the cash? If so, that's a misrepresentation -- assuming he's able to pull $454MM out of a hat now. Update: According to O'Donnell, the attorneys asserted to the court that it was a "practical impossibility" for Trump to come up with the cash.

Glenn Thrush & Adam Goldman of the New York Times: At the time Merrick Garland was sworn in as attorney general, in March 2021, "some in the Justice Department were pushing for the chance to look at ties between pro-Trump rioters who assaulted the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, his allies who had camped out at the Willard Hotel, and possibly [Donald] Trump himself.... 'Follow the connective tissue upward,' said Mr. Garland.... Mr. Garland, 71, a former federal judge and prosecutor, proceeded with characteristic by-the-book caution, pressure-testing every significant legal maneuver, demanding that prosecutors take no shortcuts and declaring the inquiry would 'take as long as it takes.' As a result, prosecutors and the F.B.I. spent months sticking to their traditional playbook.... It would take the department nearly a year to focus on the actions contained in the indictment ultimately brought by Jack Smith.... Like many before them, Mr. Garland and his team appear to have underestimated Mr. Trump's capacity for reinvention and disruption, in this case through delay." (Also linked yesterday.)

Jamelle Bouie of the New York Times argues that the current Supreme Court does not reflect the will of the people: "five of the six members of the conservative majority on the Roberts court were nominated by presidents who entered office without the winds of a popular majority.... The three Trump justices bring additional baggage. Each one was nominated and confirmed in a show of partisan power politics.... As much as ours is a dire moment for the future of the American republic, we can at least rest assured that we aren't living through 1857 or 1860 or 1861.... This Supreme Court -- the Roberts court -- is playing its own version of the dangerous game that brought the Taney court to ruin. It is acting as if the public must obey its dictates. It is acting as if its legitimacy is incidental to its power. It is acting as if it cannot be touched or brought to heel."

Michelle Boorstein of the Washington Post: "Lawmakers in mostly conservative states are pushing a coordinated effort to bring chaplains into public schools, aided by a new, legislation-crafting network that aims to address policy issues 'from a biblical world view' and by a consortium whose promotional materials say chaplains are a way to convert millions to Christianity. The bills have been introduced this legislative season in 14 states, inspired by Texas, which passed a law last year allowing school districts to hire chaplains or use them as volunteers for whatever role the local school board sees fit, including replacing trained counselors.... The bills are mushrooming in an era when the U.S. Supreme Court has expanded the rights of religious people and groups in the public square and weakened historic protections meant to keep the government from endorsing religion."

Mark Walker of the New York Times: "Passengers aboard an Alaska Airlines plane that made an emergency landing after a fuselage panel blew off this year have started to receive letters from the F.B.I. identifying them as possible victims of a crime. The letters are a sign that a criminal investigation the Justice Department has opened into Boeing, the manufacturer of the 737 Max 9 jet, is ramping up."

Annals of "Journalism," Ctd.

Michael Grynbaum of the New York Times: "Ronna McDaniel, who stepped down as chairwoman of the Republican National Committee this month, is joining NBC News as an on-air contributor, the network said on Friday. The hire adds a reliably conservative voice to NBC's stable of political analysts. Ms. McDaniel is also expected to provide commentary on MSNBC, NBC's left-leaning cable cousin and a network that ... Donald J. Trump and his allies often accuse of being an arm of the Democratic Party." MB: I guess Donnie Junior wasn't available. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Oliver Darcy of CNN: "NBC News on Friday announced that it had hired Ronna McDaniel, the former Republican National Committee chair who has repeatedly attacked the network and its journalists, assailed the news media as 'fake news' and promoted false claims around the 2020 vote, as an on-air commentator ahead of the 2024 presidential election.... McDaniel has a ... history attacking the progressive cable news channel MSNBC, which she will appear on in her new role. In recent years, she has repeatedly attacked the channel for 'spreading lies' and blasted those she described as the network's 'primetime propagandists.'... Earlier this month, CNBC hosted Trump for a lengthy phone interview in which the network's anchors allowed him to peddle lies and conspiracy theories on air without scrutiny. MSNBC has even started carrying Trump's remarks live on television, a practice that the network boasted for years it would not do." ~~~

     ~~~ John Knefel of Media Matters cites the network's own coverage of McDaniel's illustrious career as head of the RNC, like her prominent role in the fake electors scheme. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Tim Murphy of Mother Jones: "Spending seven years running interference for a fascistic fraudster who holds the First Amendment in roughly the same terminal contempt with which he regards women and low-flow toilets is not the kind of thing that should qualify you for a new career in journalism. But McDaniel did more than shill for the president. She played an important role in public and behind the scenes in Trump's efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election -- and with it, two and a half centuries of constitutional governance. That should be a clear red line for employers in the truth-telling business.... [Donald Trump's] goal is to erode trust in the press. I'm not sure why the suits at NBC News think it's in anyone's best interest to hire someone to do that work for Trump." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I don't know. Akhilleus had a great idea at the end of yesterday's Comments: give Ronna Romney McD "her own Sunday morning show: Meet the Traitors. A weekly round table of insurrectionists, haters of democracy, Heritage authoritarians, liars, and thugs. Also because we don't hear enough from these creeps already." I'm hoping the J-6 Choir -- those thugs in prison for participating in the insurrection -- will write and sing the show's theme song. The suits who hired Ronna are probably the same geniuses who pulled Mehdi Hasan's show. Seriously, I hope prominent MSNBC hosts will boycott any show on which Ronna appears, and if not that, tear her to shreds on air.

Ruth Igielnik of the New York Times: "Republicans who get their news from nonconservative mainstream media outlets are less likely to support Donald J. Trump than those who follow conservative outlets. And sizable numbers from the first group say they think Mr. Trump acted criminally, according to a recent New York Times/Siena College poll. This division could affect his standing among Republicans in the general electorate -- a decidedly different group from G.O.P. primary voters. That is in line with research that shows that changing the media habits of Fox News consumers may actually change their views. One hundred percent of the Republicans in our poll who said they got their news from Fox News or other conservative sources said they intended to support Mr. Trump in the general election.... [Of] Republicans whose main media sources are outlets like CNN and major news organizations: Seventy-nine percent of them plan to vote for Mr. Trump, and 13 percent said they planned to vote for President Biden." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: So the vast majority of self-identified Republicans, even given facts & relatively nonpartisan news, still thinks the DiJiTal Dictator is a good choice.

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California Senate Race. M.L. Nestel of the Raw Story: "Steve Garvey, the celebrity candidate angling to fill the late Sen. Diane Feinstein's seat, is deep in the hole with state and federal taxes. Garvey, a Los Angeles Dodger and San Diego Padres great, owes at least $350,000 and as much as $750,000 in back taxes dating over a decade ago, according to his February financial disclosure statement listing two estimated six-figure amounts and first reported by The Sacramento Bee.... Garvey is ... facing off against Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) in the November general election...." (Also linked yesterday.)

Texas. Oh, There Are Two "Justice" Systems. Jasper Scherer of the Texas Tribune: "Lawyers in Ken Paxton's felony securities fraud case are in talks about a deal to drop the charges facing the Republican attorney general if he performs community service and pays restitution, according to the Austin American-Statesman. Paxton could also have to take advanced legal education courses under a 'draft agreement' that would allow him to skirt next month's trial, the Statesman reported. Paxton, who has been under indictment on two first-degree fraud charges and a third-degree charge since 2015, was scheduled for a final pretrial hearing on Tuesday ahead of an April 15 trial in Houston. He is accused of soliciting investors in a McKinney technology company more than a decade ago without disclosing that the firm was paying him to promote its stock. He is also charged with steering clients to a friend's investment advising business without registering with the state securities board."

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Israel/Palestine, et al.

Making Matters Worse. Cate Brown of the Washington Post: "Israel's far-right finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, announced the seizure of 10 square kilometers (3.8 square miles) of Palestinian territory in the West Bank on Friday. The move marks the single largest land seizure by the Israeli government since the 1993 Oslo accords, according to Peace Now, a settlement watchdog group.... Israeli settlements in the West Bank are considered illegal under international law. Still, Israel has used land orders like the one issued Friday to gain control over 16 percent of Palestinian-controlled lands in the West Bank.... Friday's land order is particularly problematic for the prospect of a two-state solution, experts say.... More than 40 percent of the West Bank is under the control of Israeli settlers, according to the Israel-based rights group B'Tselem, and more than half-a-million Jewish residents now live in the West Bank."

Edith Lederer of the AP: "Russia and China on Friday vetoed a U.S.-sponsored U.N. resolution calling for 'an immediate and sustained cease-fire' in the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza to protect civilians and enable humanitarian aid to be delivered to more than 2 million hungry Palestinians. The vote in the 15-member Security Council was 11 members in favor, three against and one abstention." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

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

Russia

AP: "Russian authorities detained 11 people, [link fixed] state media reported Saturday, after gunmen stormed a concert hall in Moscow in a grisly attack that left at least 115 people dead. Russia's Investigative Committee said four of those detained were directly involved in the attack that left the sprawling shopping mall and music venue smoldering with a collapsed roof. Russian agencies appeared to suggest the attack was linked to Ukraine even though the Islamic State group claimed responsibility in a statement. A U.S. intelligence official told The Associated Press that U.S. agencies had confirmed that that group was responsible for the attack. The four suspects were stopped in the Bryansk region of western Russia, 'not far from the border with Ukraine,' Russia's Investigative Committee said. They planned to cross the border into Ukraine and 'had contacts' there, state news agency Tass said, citing Russia's FSB. The head of the FSB briefed President Vladimir Putin on the arrests on Saturday, according to Tass.... Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, denied any involvement. 'Ukraine has never resorted to the use of terrorist methods,' he posted on X...." ~~~

     ~~~ The New York Times liveblog of developments is here.

AP: "Several gunmen burst into a large concert hall on the edge of Moscow on Friday and sprayed visitors with automatic gunfire, killing at least 40 and injuring 100 others in an attack that came just days after President Vladimir Putin cemented his grip on the country in a highly orchestrated electoral landslide. There were no immediate claims of responsibility for the raid..., which state authorities were investigating as an act of terrorism. It was the deadliest attack in Russia in years and came as the country's war in Ukraine dragged into a third year. Russia's Federal Security Service, the main domestic security and counter-terrorism agency, said 40 people were killed and more than 100 were wounded in the attack at Crocus City Hall, a large music venue on Moscow's western edge. Russian news reports said that the assailants threw explosives, triggering the massive blaze at the hall, which can accommodate 6,000. Video from outside showed the building on fire.... The attack followed a statement issued earlier this month by the U.S. Embassy in Moscow that urged the Americans to avoid crowded places in the Russian capital in view of an imminent attack, a warning that was repeated by several other Western embassies." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ The New York Times' liveblog yesterday is here. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Julian Barnes & Eric Schmitt of the New York Times: "A branch of the Islamic State claimed responsibility on Friday for the attack in Moscow that killed at least 40 people and injured about 100 others, and U.S. officials confirmed the claim shortly afterward. The United States collected intelligence in March that Islamic State-Khorasan, known as ISIS-K, the branch of the group based in Afghanistan, had been planning an attack on Moscow, according to officials. ISIS members have been active in Russia, one U.S. official said.... In addition to publicly warning on March 7 about a possible attack, U.S. officials said they had privately told Russian officials about the intelligence pointing to an impending attack."

U.K. Karla Adam & Bryan Pietsch of the Washington Post: "Catherine, Princess of Wales, said she has been diagnosed with cancer and that she was in the early stages of chemotherapy, as she asked for "time, space and privacy' while completing treatment. The news came as a 'huge shock,' Catherine said in a prerecorded message posted on X on Friday and broadcast on the BBC. 'William and I have been doing everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family,' she said. She said that after she underwent major abdominal surgery in January, she thought that her condition was noncancerous. 'The surgery was successful, however, tests after the operation found that cancer had been present,' she said." (Also linked yesterday.)