The Conversation -- January 2, 2024

A New Year's Wish from RAS:

Jenna Russell of the New York Times: "Lawyers for ... Donald J. Trump filed an appeal on Tuesday seeking to overturn the ruling last week by Shenna Bellows, Maine's secretary of state, to bar him from appearing on the state's Republican primary ballot. Ms. Bellows, a Democrat, 'was a biased decision maker who should have recused herself and otherwise failed to provide lawful due process,' lawyers for Mr. Trump wrote in the 11-page appeal filed in Maine Superior Court. They further argued that she had 'no legal authority to consider the federal constitutional issues presented by the challengers.'"

Tracey Tully, et al., of the New York Times: "Senator Robert Menendez of New Jersey -- already accused of using his political influence to benefit Egypt -- was newly charged on Tuesday with using his power to help the government of Qatar. Mr. Menendez, 70, was charged by federal prosecutors with accepting bribes from Fred Daibes, a prominent New Jersey developer, in exchange for the senator's help securing financial backing from an investment fund with ties to the Qatari government." CNN's report is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Awkward! News of the new charges broke while Menendez' daughter Alicia Menendez was hosting a two-hour MSNBC show that, were she not hosting, would have announced the charges in breaking news. Update: So in the show that followed Menendez's, Ari Melber reported the new charges.

** Emma Haidar & Cam Kettles of the Harvard Crimson: "Harvard President Claudine Gay will resign Tuesday afternoon, bringing an end to the shortest presidency in the University's history, according to a person with knowledge of the decision. University Provost Alan M. Garber '76 will serve as Harvard's interim president during a search for Gay's permanent successor, the Harvard Corporation -- the University's highest governing body -- announced in an email on Tuesday.... Gay's resignation -- just six months and two days into the presidency -- comes amid growing allegations of plagiarism and lasting doubts over her ability to respond to antisemitism on campus after her disastrous congressional testimony Dec. 5. Gay weathered scandal after scandal over her brief tenure, facing national backlash for her administration's response to Hamas' Oct. 7 attack and allegations of plagiarism in her scholarly work." ~~~

     ~~~ The New York Times is liveblogging developments: "Faced with a new round of accusations over plagiarism in her scholarly work, Harvard's president Claudine Gay announced her resignation on Tuesday." ~~~

     ~~~ Jennifer Schuessler: "Claudine Gay resigned from Harvard three weeks after plagiarism accusations against her emerged, the latest development in a turbulent stretch of presidency that began with her response to the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks on Israel.... Rumors about problems in Dr. Gay's work had circulated for months on anonymous message boards. But the first widely publicized report came on Dec. 10, the evening before Harvard's board met to decide whether she would keep her job, when the conservative education activist Christopher Rufo published an essay in his Substack newsletter highlighting what he described as 'problematic patterns of usage and citation' in her 1997 doctoral dissertation. The Washington Free Beacon, a conservative news outlet, followed with several articles detailing numerous allegations regarding her published scholarly articles, and reported two formal complaints submitted to the Research Integrity Office of Harvard's Faculty of Arts and Sciences, of which Dr. Gay, a political scientist, is a member.... As more allegations surfaced, faculty support for Dr. Gay began to erode, particularly as questions arose about what procedures the corporation -- which normally has no involvement in scholarly matters -- had used to investigate." ~~~

     ~~~ Annie Karni: "House Republicans were stepping over each other to claim credit for Claudine Gay's resignation." ~~~

     ~~~ Anna Betts: "Christopher Rufo, a conservative education activist who was among the first to widely publicize the plagiarism accusations against Claudine Gay, took credit for her resignation in a post on social media[.]" ~~~

     ~~~ A statement from Harvard's governing board. ~~~

     ~~~ Gay's resignation letter.

     ~~~ Anemona Hartocollis: "New plagiarism allegations that surfaced on Monday against Claudine Gay, leading to her resignation, threatened to mire Harvard deeper in debate over what constitutes plagiarism and whether the university would hold its president and its students to the same standard. The accusations were circulated through an unsigned complaint published Monday in The Washington Free Beacon...."

Brad Reed of the Raw Story posts remarks of several GOP senators who said they acquitted Trump of impeachment charges because the criminal justice system was the venue for him to be held to account for "the violent, despicable acts of January 6th." ~~~

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~~~ Adam Liptak of the New York Times: takes a look at Donald Trump's preposterous argument that he cannot be prosecuted for his attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election: Article I.3.7 of the Constitution reads, "Judgment in cases of impeachment shall not extend further than to removal from office, and disqualification to hold and enjoy any office of honor, trust or profit under the United States: But the party convicted shall nevertheless be liable and subject to indictment, trial, judgment and punishment, according to law." Now, I would say you and I know what that means, but in Trumpsidedown World. they disagree with us: "The clause 'presupposes that a president who is not convicted may not be subject to criminal prosecution,' Mr. Trump's brief said." Trump also argues that "A president who is acquitted by the Senate cannot be prosecuted for the acquitted conduct." (Also linked yesterday.)

Sour Country. As the New Year fast approaches, I would like to wish an early New Year's salutation to Crooked Joe Biden and his group of Radical Left Misfits & Thugs on their never ending attempt to DESTROY OUR NATION through Lawfare, Invasion, and Rigging Elections. They are now scrambling to sign up as many of those millions of people they are illegally allowing into sour [sic] Country, in order that they will be ready to VOTE IN THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION OF 2024. -- Donald Trump, New Year's Eve ~~~

~~~ Stephen Collinson of CNN: Donald Trump "rang in the New Year Monday with a wild social media post filled with falsehoods about the 2020 election and unsubstantiated accusations that President Joe Biden had committed criminal acts.... He claimed on Truth Social that his successor had 'attacked his Political Opponent at a level never seen before in this Country, and wants desperately to PUT "TRUMP" IN PRISON. He is playing a very dangerous game, and the great people of America WILL NOT STAND FOR IT.'"

Marie: Oh, if only I were a D-list "celebrity," I could have enjoyed performances by white (natch!) rapper Vanilla Ice & an Elvis impersonator while hobnobbing with Roger Stone at a gold-encrusted mansion in Palm Beach. Life is so unfa-a-air!

Danny Hakim of the New York Times: The National Rifle Association's longtime leader Wayne "LaPierre, 74, faces his gravest challenge, as a legal showdown with New York's attorney general, Letitia James, goes to trial in a Manhattan courtroom. Ms. James, in a lawsuit filed amid an abrupt effort by the N.R.A. to clean up its practices, seeks to oust him from the group after reports of corruption and mismanagement.... The organization, long a lobbying juggernaut, is a kind of ghost ship. After closing its media arm, NRATV, in 2019, it has largely lost its voice, and Mr. LaPierre rarely makes public pronouncements. Membership has plummeted to 4.2 million from nearly six million five years ago. Revenue is down 44 percent since 2016, according to its internal audits, and legal costs have soared to tens of millions a year.... The group recently enlisted the support of the American Civil Liberties Union in a federal lawsuit that accuses former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and his administration of misusing their authority by dissuading banks and insurers from doing business with the N.R.A." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: And that's why the ACLU isn't getting contributions this year from some Reality Chex contributors and me. They have phoned, they have emailed, they have promised that none of my donation would go to the ACLU suit. I was not convinced.

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Israel/Palestine

The Washington Post's live updates of developments Tuesday in the Israel/Hamas war are here: "The Israeli military is planning to withdraw from Gaza five brigades -- which could include thousands of troops -- while vowing 'prolonged fighting' in the new year. Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, a spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces, said the return of reservists is expected to 'significantly ease the burden on the economy.'... The U.S. 6th Fleet announced that the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier strike group, one of two such groups deployed to the Middle East for deterrence after Hamas's Oct. 7 attack, is leaving the eastern Mediterranean Sea." ~~~

     ~~~ The New York Times' live updates are here. CNN's live updates are here.

Isabelle Kershner, et al., of the New York Times: "Israel's Supreme Court on Monday struck down a law limiting its own powers, a momentous step in the legal and political crisis that gripped the country before the war with Hamas, and pitted the court against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing government. The court's 8-7 ruling has the potential to throw Israel's national emergency government, formed after the Oct. 7 attacks, into disarray and reignite the grave domestic turmoil that began a year ago over the Netanyahu government's judicial overhaul plan.... The court, sitting with a full panel of all 15 of its justices for the first time in its history, rejected the law passed by Parliament in July that barred judges from using a particular legal standard to overrule decisions made by government ministers." (Also linked yesterday.)

South Korea. Choe Sang-Hun of the New York Times: "Lee Jae-myung, the leader of South Korea's main opposition party, was stabbed in the neck on Tuesday morning, according to the police and live-streamed TV footage. Mr. Lee, the leader of the liberal Democratic Party, was visiting the southern port city of Busan when an unidentified man stabbed him in the neck with a knifelike weapon, according to the footage. Mr. Lee, 59, had just finished taking questions from journalists after touring the site of a planned airport and was making his way through a crowd of reporters and supporters when he was attacked. The police in Busan said the assailant had been detained, but they did not provide any details about Mr. Lee's condition or the motives of the attacker. Mr. Lee was bleeding from the neck before being taken away in an ambulance, according to news reports and photos from the scene." A Reuters story is here.

Ukraine, et al. Constant Méheut of the New York Times: "Russian missiles and drones hammered Kyiv on Tuesday morning, officials said, in a large-scale attack on the Ukrainian capital and other cities, the day after President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia promised to retaliate for a Ukrainian assault on a Russian city. The Ukrainian Air Force said the barrage involved some of Russia's most powerful weapons, including hypersonic missiles that fly at several times the speed of sound. Air-raid alerts sounded constantly in Kyiv on Tuesday morning, as wave after wave of missiles rained down."

News Ledes

ABC News: "The driver suspected of causing a fiery fatal crash outside a concert venue in upstate New York early New Year's Day was identified on Tuesday, however, officials added they have not yet found any nexus to terrorism after multiple canisters full of gasoline were found in his vehicle, officials said. Two people in a ride-sharing car were killed after a rented Ford Expedition driven by the suspect, 35-year-old Michael Avery, slammed into it and burst into flames as it sped in the direction of pedestrians in a crosswalk outside the Kodak Center at about 12:52 a.m. Monday, Rochester Police Chief David Smith said at a news conference Tuesday morning. The two passengers riding in the backseat of the ride-share, a Mitsubishi Outlander, were killed, Smith said. They were identified by police Tuesday evening as Justina Hughes, 28, of Geneva, and Joshua Orr, 29, of Webster. The ride-share driver was taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, Smith said.... Smith said video of the incident reviewed by him and investigators appears to show the pedestrians in the crosswalk outside the theater were Avery's targets."

CNN: "A Japan Airlines plane carrying hundreds of passengers burst into flames at Tokyo's Haneda airport on Tuesday after it was in collision with [a Japan Coast Guard aircraft] involved in earthquake relief efforts. JAL flight 516 ignited after flying into Haneda from the northern Japanese city of Sapporo at 5:47 p.m. local time (3:47 a.m. ET) All crew members and passengers, including eight children under the age of two, were safely evacuated from the passenger plane, according to the airline.... One person on the Coast Guard plane escaped, but five are unaccounted for."

New York Times: "At least 48 people were killed in the powerful earthquake that struck western Japan on Monday, the authorities said a day after the disaster, as they continued to comb through the rubble of collapsed and burned buildings. The dead included 19 in Wajima, a city in Ishikawa Prefecture, the coastal epicenter of the earthquake, which triggered tsunami warnings, extensive evacuations and widespread power outages after it hit around 4:10 p.m. on New Year's Day. A large fire broke out in Wajima after the quake, which registered 7.6 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale."

The Conversation -- January 1, 2024

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Isabelle Kershner, et al., of the New York Times: "Israel's Supreme Court on Monday struck down a law limiting its own powers, a momentous step in the legal and political crisis that gripped the country before the war with Hamas, and pitted the court against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing government. The court's 8-7 ruling has the potential to throw Israel's national emergency government, formed after the Oct. 7 attacks, into disarray and reignite the grave domestic turmoil that began a year ago over the Netanyahu government's judicial overhaul plan.... The court, sitting with a full panel of all 15 of its justices for the first time in its history, rejected the law passed by Parliament in July that barred judges from using a particular legal standard to overrule decisions made by government ministers."

Adam Liptak of the New York Times: takes a look at Donald Trump's preposterous argument that he cannot be prosecuted for his attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election: Article I.3.7 of the Constitution reads, "Judgment in cases of impeachment shall not extend further than to removal from office, and disqualification to hold and enjoy any office of honor, trust or profit under the United States: But the party convicted shall nevertheless be liable and subject to indictment, trial, judgment and punishment, according to law." Now, I would say you and I know what that means, but in Trumpsidedown World, they disagree with us: "The clause 'presupposes that a president who is not convicted may not be subject to criminal prosecution,' Mr. Trump's brief said." Trump also argues that "A president who is acquitted by the Senate cannot be prosecuted for the acquitted conduct."

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Chico Harlan of the Washington Post: "Even if its extremes are ultimately eclipsed, as seems inevitable, 2023 will mark a point when humanity crossed into a new climate era -- an age of 'global boiling,' as United Nations Secretary General António Guterres called it. The year [was the hottest on record and] included the hottest single day on record (July 6) and the hottest ever month (July), not to mention the hottest June, the hottest August, the hottest September, the hottest October, the hottest November, and probably the hottest December. It included a day, Nov. 17, when global temperatures, for the first time ever, reached 2 degrees Celsius above the preindustrial levels. Discomfort, destruction, and death are the legacy of those records.... This year, then, will wind up as the first -- and almost surely not the last -- in which temperatures were at or near 1.5 Celsius above preindustrial levels, a threshold the Paris agreement has aimed to avoid."

Don't Know Much about Clarence T., Don't Know Much about Donald T. But I Do Know Some Technology.... What a Wonderful World It Would Be. Adam Liptak of the New York Times: "Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. devoted his annual year-end report on the state of the federal judiciary, issued on Sunday, to the positive role that artificial intelligence can play in the legal system -- and the threats it poses. His report did not address the Supreme Court's rocky year, including its adoption of an ethics code that many said was toothless. Nor did he discuss the looming cases arising from ... Donald J. Trump's criminal prosecutions and questions about his eligibility to hold office.... Chief Justice Roberts acknowledged the promise of the new technology while noting its dangers." Politico's report is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Here's the report, via the Supreme Court. MB: I wonder if "artificial intelligence" doesn't describe John Roberts: someone who excelled in school and got a first-rate education, yet cannot fathom general concepts like the nature of society.

Presidential Race 2024

Kelly Garrity of Politico: "The constitutional amendment that election officials in Colorado and Maine are relying on to block ... Donald Trump from the ballot is clear -- and isn't undemocratic, Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) argued Sunday. 'Is it undemocratic that [former California Gov.] Arnold Schwarzenegger and [Energy Secretary] Jennifer Granholm can't run for president because they weren't born in the country? If you think about it, of all of the forms of disqualification that we have, the one that disqualifies people for engaging in insurrection is the most democratic because it's the one where people choose themselves to be disqualified,' Raskin, a former constitutional law professor, said Sunday during an interview on CNN's 'State of the Union.' (Schwarzenegger was born in Austria, Granholm in Canada.) 'Donald Trump is in that tiny, tiny number of people who have essentially disqualified themselves,' [Raskin said].... '... If you don't like the rules of the Constitution, change the Constitution.'"

Soo Rin Kim & Quinn Scanlan of ABC News: "Three women who served in ... Donald Trump's White House are now warning against a possible second Trump term, with one of them saying it could mean 'the end of American democracy as we know it.' For the first time, former White House Communications Director Alyssa Farah Griffin, former White House deputy press secretary Sarah Matthews, and former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson sat down together with ABC News 'This Week' co-anchor Jonathan Karl to discuss their roles in speaking out against Trump in the wake of Jan. 6.... The Trump campaign responded to ABC's interview with a statement calling the women 'ungrateful grifters' who 'used the opportunities given to them by President Trump' and had gone 'full Judas.'" Classy!

Football Isn't Just Dangerous; It's Corrupt. David Fahrenthold & Billy Witz of the New York Times: "... using cash from fan 'collectives' to woo and keep [football] players -- has gone from an anomaly to a necessity in big-time college sports. These 'name, image and likeness' payments through collectives -- permissible under N.C.A.A. rules since July 2021 -- along with the loosening of transfer restrictions, have shifted how powerhouse teams are built. But they have also prompted red flags from the Internal Revenue Service, threatened to create a sense of imbalance within teams, and fostered a culture of secrecy and an uncomfortable push-pull between collectives and schools. They have also undermined the push for gender equity by immensely favoring male athletes.... [All] four football playoff schools: Michigan, Texas, Washington and Alabama ... have reached this point by adapting to -- and exploiting -- this flood of cash from fans to players."

Abby Livingston & Pooja Salhotra of the Texas Tribune: "Retired U.S. Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson has died, her family said Sunday on social media. She was 88. A towering Dallas political figure -- once a nurse, state legislator and congresswoman -- Johnson was the dean of the Texas Congressional delegation before retiring from office in 2022. She proved effective at her work due to her long tenure serving in the U.S. House -- nearly 30 years at the time of her passing -- and a pragmatist streak that made her open to working with Republicans."

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Adeel Hassan of the New York Times: "A spate of new state laws, including on guns, minimum wage and gender transition care, went into effect as the calendar flipped to 2024. Perhaps the most significant change bans programs that promote diversity, equity and inclusion at publicly funded colleges and universities in Texas.... Here are some other new and noteworthy state laws[.]"

California. Colbi Edmonds of the New York Times: "A federal appeals court on Saturday allowed California's ban on the carrying of firearms in most public places to take effect in 2024, halting a lower court judge's ruling that had blocked enforcement of the law.... Judge Cormac Carney of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California blocked enforcement of the law in December, saying that the ban.... 'is sweeping, repugnant to the Second Amendment, and openly defiant of the Supreme Court.' But the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals paused the injunction, allowing the law to go into effect on Monday while the court takes more time to decide on the constitutionality of the law." The AP's report is here.

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Denmark. Jasmina Nielsen & Alan Yuhas of the New York Times: "Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, the longest-serving monarch in Europe, unexpectedly declared that she would abdicate her throne after more than a half-century, announcing in her New Year's speech on Sunday that her eldest son, Crown Prince Frederik, would succeed her. In her speech, Margrethe, 83, said that her age and health were factors in her decision after more than 50 years as queen."

Israel/Palestine. The Washington Post's live updates of developments Monday in the Israel/Hamas war are here: "Israel Defense Forces spokesman Daniel Hagari closed out the year with a warning that Israel's war objectives "require prolonged fighting" and that the IDF is 'preparing accordingly' as it heads into 2024." ~~~

     ~~~ CNN's live updates for Monday are here.

News Lede

CNN: "A 7.5 magnitude earthquake struck western Japan on Monday, according to the United States Geological Survey and the Japan Meteorological Agency. Tsunami warnings have been issued along coastal regions of western Japan and people have been urged to evacuate. The first tsunami waves of 1.2 meters (4 feet) and under hav hit a number of areas along Japan's western coast. The earthquake had a depth of 10 kilometers (6 miles), and struck at 4:10 p.m. local time northeast of Anamizu in Ishikawa prefecture, according to USGS. Several aftershocks have been reported, with Japan's weather agency warning they could continue over the next three days to a week." This is a liveblog.

The Conversation -- 123123

Thanks to RAS for the new page name. Marie: This is a rarer date than I realized. Europe didn't start widely using the Hindu-Arabic numeral system until the 14th century C.E. So this is, at best, only the eighth time in history the date 123123 has popped up on a Western calendar. Before that, I guess the date was IIIIIIIIIIII. P.S. Because of the date, Las Vegas wedding venues are expecting a surfeit of brides and grooms.

"Mistruth & Consequences." Ben Terris & Monica Hesse of the Washington Post look back at the year in government, starting of course with "Week 1: Kevin McCarthy submits to some sort of hazing ritual to secure the gavel as speaker of the House, lining up for 14 smackdowns before limping into power on the 15th ballot."; And ending with "Week 52: A few weeks after submitting his letter of resignation, Kevin McCarthy leaves the House of Representatives."

Alan Feuer of the New York Times: "Federal prosecutors asked an appeals court on Saturday to reject ... Donald J. Trump's claims that he is immune from criminal charges of plotting to overturn the 2020 election.... 'The presidency plays a vital role in our constitutional system, but so does the principle of accountability for criminal acts -- particularly those that strike at the heart of the democratic process,' wrote James I. Pearce, one of [Jack] Smith's deputies. 'Rather than vindicating our constitutional framework, the defendant's sweeping immunity claim threatens to license presidents to commit crimes to remain in office. The founders did not intend and would never have countenanced such a result.'... [Mr. Trump's] appeal is legally significant because it centers on a question that has never before been asked or fully answered. That is because Mr. Trump is both the first former president to have been charged with crimes and because he has chosen to defend himself in this case with a novel claim: that the office he held at the time should shield him entirely from prosecution." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Politico's report, by Josh Gerstein & Kyle Cheney, is here. The DOJ brief, via the U.S. Courts, is here. (Also linked yesterday.)

Stand Up to Trump. Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.), in a New York Times op-ed: "Being in [Donald] Trump's tunnel of hate is not enjoyable.... Like many of my colleagues, I have received hostile calls, antagonistic mail and death threats, and I have had people outside my home with weapons. And it reflects the vitriol, bullying, rage and threats we are witnessing across the country today -- from our exchanges on social media to dialogue with each other and with those in our workplaces, schools, gathering places, families and communities. It's a real danger to our democracy and our safety.... What Mr. Trump is doing isn't honesty or candor, it's ruthless and deliberate viciousness.... What I would encourage people to do, if attacked by Mr. Trump or his supporters, is to not be afraid to challenge the attack."

Presidential Race 2024

Maeve Reston, et al., of the Washington Post: "... Donald Trump uses dehumanizing rhetoric to describe undocumented immigrants before largely White audiences.... Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis defended part of his state's African American history curriculum standards that claimed some enslaved people developed skills that 'could be applied for their personal benefit.' And Nikki Haley omitted any mention of slavery when she was asked to explain the cause of the Civil War at a town hall event this past week.... [Comments by] the Republican Party's three leading presidential candidates ... have stoked outrage among many Americans and risk alienating wide swaths of voters.... But their rhetoric is also appealing to many Americans who lean conservative.... " MB: This article is a good example of both-sider "journalism," where the writers "criticize" bigoted language by couching it in "some liberals say" qualifiers and "balance" what "some liberals say" with citations from "average Republican voters" who are fine with the language. The reporters, all women, might want to take some advice from Debbie Dingell.

Kayla Gallagher of the Messenger: "... Donald Trump claimed in a Truth Social post that droves of migrants are crossing the border into the U.S. to cast ballots for 'crazed' Democrats. 'It's becoming more and more obvious to me why the "Crazed" Democrats are allowing millions and millions of totally unvetted migrants into our once great Country. IT'S SO THEY CAN VOTE, VOTE, VOTE,' Trump wrote in his post Friday. 'They are signing them up at a rapid pace, without even knowing who the hell they are ... Republicans better wake up and do something, before it is too late,' he added. 'Are you listening Mitch McConnell?' People who aren't citizens can't vote in federal and almost all local elections -- and the process for an immigrant to become a citizen typically takes several years." (Also linked yesterday.)

Another Reason Nikki Haley Should Not Be President*. Nicholas Kerr of ABC News: Haley answered a voter's question by saying she would pardon Donald Trump "for the good of the country" and because it would be wrong for "an 80-year-old man [to be] sitting in jail." MB: Do you suppose she means to pardon all 80-year-old jailbirds? I don't think so. Update: Patrick is concerned there will be a "geriatric crime spree that will ensue when men (women too?) realize that at 80 its ollie ollie in free." (Also linked yesterday.)

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Florida. Still Longin' for de Old Plantation. A.G. Gancarski of Florida Politics: "Ron DeSantis ripped Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan in the wake of the Mayor;s Office compelling the removal of the Women of the Southland structure from Springfield Park, equating Confederate statues with those honoring American heroes. 'I'm opposed to taking down statues. The idea that we're going to just erase history is wrong. You've seen it now where they tried to take down Thomas Jefferson, they tried to take down George Washington off schools. It just gets so out of hand. So I don't support taking down statues, particularly if you don't have legal authority to do it,' DeSantis said." Thanks to Bobby Lee for the link. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: When you treat Donald Trump like an American hero, it is not a stretch to treat other traitors as heroes. Interesting that Rhonda chastised Nikki about her not-slavery answer to the question of what caused the Civil War. He said, "It's not that difficult to identify and acknowledge the role slavery played in the Civil War." He forgot to add that slavery was a good thing because slaves learned trades like blacksmithing.

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Israel/Palestine. The Washington Post's live updates of developments Sunday in the Israel/Hamas war are here: "Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel must take control of the Philadelphi Corridor -- the area along the border of Gaza and Egypt -- to 'guarantee the demilitarization' of the Strip, and that the war 'will continue for many more months.' U.S. Navy helicopters on Sunday morning exchanged fire with Houthi militants who were attempting to board a container vessel in the Red Sea, U.S. Central Command said.... Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, criticized the State Department for circumventing Congress to approve the sale of arms to Israel for the second time this month." ~~~

     ~~~ The New York Times' live updates for Sunday are here. CNN's live updates are here.

Ukraine, et al. Constant Méheut & Ivan Nechepurenko of the New York Times: "The Russian authorities said on Saturday that a Ukrainian attack on the city of Belgorod had killed at least 18 people and injured more than 110 others, in the deadliest strike against a Russian city since the beginning of the war nearly two years ago. Russia's Defense Ministry said in a statement that Ukraine had hit Belgorod -- a regional center of around 330,000 residents about 25 miles north of the Ukrainian border -- with two missiles and several rockets, adding that the strike was 'indiscriminate' and would 'not go unpunished.'... The strike on Belgorod was in response to Russia’s air assault on Friday against Ukraine, said an official from Ukraine's intelligence services, who spoke on the condition of anonymity...." A CNN report is here. (Also linked yesterday.)