The Conversation -- November 20, 2023

** Katherine Seelye of the New York Times: "Rosalynn Carter, a true life partner to Jimmy Carter who helped propel him from rural Georgia to the White House in a single decade and became the most politically active first lady since Eleanor Roosevelt, died on Sunday in Plains, Ga. She was 96." The Washington Post's obituary is here.

New York Times: Notables paid tribute to Rosalynn Carter. The Washington Post posts some condolence messages here.

The announcement of Rosalynn Carter's death by the Carter Center is here.

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Monday Afternoon:

Cristiano Lima of the Washington Post: "A Senate panel announced Monday it subpoenaed the CEOs of Elon Musk's X, Discord and Snap to testify at a hearing on children's online safety next month after 'repeated refusals' by the tech companies to cooperate with its investigation into the matter. In a rare show of force, the leaders of the Senate Judiciary Committee are seeking to force X's Linda Yaccarino, Discord's Jason Citron and Snap's Evan Spiegel to appear at the Dec. 6 session.... The committee said that in a 'remarkable departure from typical practice,' it had to 'enlist the assistance of the U.S. Marshals Service to personally serve the subpoenas' to the CEOs of Discord and X ... after their chief executives 'further refused to cooperate.'"

Sarah Fortinsky of the Hill: "Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) on Sunday called on Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) to create a new Jan. 6 select committee she said would target the original members of the panel and exonerate the so-called 'MAGA' wing of the Republican Party from blame associated with the 2021 attack on the Capitol. In a post on X..., Greene outlined her vision for the committee. She said it must issue subpoenas to the original committee members, to former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and to the witnesses who testified."

Nick Corasaniti of the New York Times: "A federal appeals court issued a ruling on Monday that would drastically weaken the Voting Rights Act, effectively barring private citizens and civil rights groups from filing lawsuits under a central provision of the landmark law. The ruling, made by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, found that only the federal government could bring a legal challenge under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, a crucial part of the law that prohibits election or voting practices that discriminate against Americans based on race. The opinion is almost certain to be appealed to the Supreme Court. The court's current conservative majority has issued several key decisions in recent years that have weakened the Voting Rights Act." Politico's report is here.

Alan Feuer & Charlie Savage of the New York Times: "A federal appeals court in Washington appeared to signal at a hearing on Monday that it would keep in place at least some version of the gag order placed on ... Donald J. Trump in the criminal case accusing him of plotting to overturn the 2020 election. But a three-judge panel of the court left open the possibility of adjusting the terms of the order or even narrowing the scope of the people covered by it, including by potentially freeing Mr. Trump to attack Jack Smith, the special counsel overseeing the federal cases against him." A CNN analysis is here.

** Aaron Blake of the Washington Post: "... late Friday..., a [Colorado state] judge [-- Sarah Wallace --] ruled that while the former president can't be disqualified, he did incite an insurrection.... And she documented his history of promoting and legitimizing political violence -- which she said helps prove he incited the riot.... Wallace is hardly the first judge to lay blame at Trump's feet, however. Indeed, many judges have gestured in this general direction, including some Republican-appointed ones." The particulars Blake lists are interesting.

Maggie Astor of the New York Times: "The Commission on Presidential Debates on Monday announced the dates and locations of three presidential debates to be held during the general election campaign next year, as well as one vice-presidential debate. The presidential debates are scheduled for Sept. 16 at Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas; Oct. 1 at Virginia State University in Petersburg, Va.; and Oct. 9 at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. The vice-presidential debate is scheduled for Sept. 25 at Lafayette College in Easton, Pa. The moderators and formats for each debate are not expected to be announced until next year, but the events are scheduled to run for 90 minutes with no commercial breaks." The AP's story is here.

Travis Gettys of the Raw Story: "A Republican pastor who coordinates the faith-based outreach for the Philadelphia chapter of Moms for Liberty was convicted a decade ago of sexually abusing a teenage boy." MB: Oh, read on. You will not be surprised to learn that Pastor Phil there claims he was the victim.

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Peter Baker of the New York Times: "For President Biden, who turns 81 on Monday, another birthday may bring more liability than revelry, offering one more reminder of his age to an already skeptical electorate. Unlike other presidents who have celebrated birthdays with lavish political events, Mr. Biden plans to observe his milestone privately with family in Nantucket later this week."

Jennifer Rubin of the Washington Post: "Democrats are the true majority in the House.... At a Wednesday news conference, [Democratic Leader Hakeem] Jeffries emphasized, 'House Republicans are unable to govern on their own....' Republicans just do not have a majority that can govern.... Jeffries told reporters on Wednesday, 'House Democrats came into this week with three principal objectives with respect to the continuing resolution.' He explained: 'First, no spending cuts. Mission accomplished. Second, no extreme right-wing policy changes. Mission accomplished. Third, no government shutdown. Mission accomplished.'"

Sarah Burris of the Raw Story: "Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) shared an image of a Jan. 6 attacker with a claim that he was a secret FBI agent. He was proved wrong, but still won't delete the claim.... Lee shared the post ... [by a conspiracy theorist], saying, 'I can't wait to ask FBI Director Christopher Wray about this at our next oversight hearing. I predict that, as always, his answers will be 97% information-free.' The social media site ... included a fact-check dispelling the lie, saying, 'The person in the photo is Kevin Lyons. He has been sentenced to 51 months in prison for his illegal activities inside the Capitol on J6. He is not a police officer and is not holding a badge. He is carrying a vape and a photograph and wallet stolen from [Nancy] Pelosi's office.'" ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I'm confused. If all the leaders of the insurrection were FBI agents, and Donald Trump will to pardon the "patriots" who stormed the Capitol, is he going to pardon the FBI agents? And what about that purge of the FBI he promised? Will he pardon these guys, then fire them? It's sad when these bozos' conspiracy theories conflict with each other. Maybe Trump, et al., are stable geniuses after all who can "hold two opposing ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function."

The Deplorables. Hannah Knowles of the Washington Post: Donald "Trump's coarseness and cruelty have come to define the Republican Party since his rise to the presidency -- and many GOP voters relish and emulate the approach, while others tolerate it.... Trump's rhetoric has alienated voters across the political spectrum and made him a particularly galvanizing opponent for Democrats. Within the GOP, however, it has spread, with others down the ballot and even some of his rivals looking to replicate his shock tactics.... Campaigning for president again, Trump's rhetoric has only escalated.... Trump's language has rubbed off on his supporters."

Elizabeth Dwoskin, et al., of the Washington Post: "Antisemitism has long festered online, but the Israel-Gaza war and the loosening of content moderation on X have propelled it to unprecedented levels, coinciding with a dramatic rise in real-world attacks on Jews, according to several monitoring organizations. Since Oct. 7, antisemitic content has surged more than 900 percent on X and there have been more than 1,000 incidents of real-world antisemitic attacks, vandalism and harassment in America, according to the Anti-Defamation League -- the highest number since the human rights group started counting.... [Elon Musk's] comments amplifying antisemitic tropes to his 163.5 million followers, his dramatic loosening of standards for what can be posted, and his boosting of voices that previously had been banned from the platform ... all have made antisemitism more acceptable on what is still one of the world's most influential social media platforms." ~~~

     ~~~ David Edwards of the Raw Story: In an exchange with Jake Tapper of CNN, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis refused to condemn Elon Musk for his antisemitic remarks. First DeSantis went the "I haven't heard that" route, then he did the what-aboutism routine and he downplayed Musk's remarks as "just blogging."

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Argentina. Jack Nicas of the New York Times: "Argentines on Sunday chose Javier Milei, a far-right libertarian who has drawn comparisons to Donald J. Trump, as their next president, a lurch to the right for a nation struggling under an economic crisis and a sign of the enduring strength of the global far right. Mr. Milei, 53, an economist and former television personality with little political experience, burst onto the traditionally closed Argentine political scene with a brash style, an embrace of conspiracy theories and a series of extreme proposals that he says are needed to upend a broken economy and government. Mr. Milei drew 56 percent of the vote, with 95 percent of the ballots counted, defeating Sergio Massa, Argentina's center-left economy minister, who had 44 percent." MB: Another reminder that it isn't only U.S. voters who are stupid.

Israel/Palestine. The Washington Post's live updates of developments Monday in the Israel/Hamas war are here: "Israel's military released footage of what it said showed Hamas members 'forcibly transporting hostages' through al-Shifa Hospital on Oct. 7, citing the video as proof that Hamas used the hospital 'on the day of the massacre as terrorist infrastructure.' Hamas, in response to the video shared Sunday, did not dispute that its hostages receive medical treatment and said some had been wounded by Israeli airstrikes.... The medical director of the Indonesian Hospital in northern Gaza told The Post that there was a strike on the facility Monday, followed by shooting in the direction of the hospital.... The World Health Organization said it evacuated 31 very sick premature infants from al-Shifa Hospital, taking them by ambulance to a facility near the Egyptian border. Two babies died the night before a U.N. team reached them, the WHO said." ~~~

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

The Conversation -- November 19, 2023

** Katherine Seelye of the New York Times: "Rosalynn Carter, a true life partner to Jimmy Carter who helped propel him from rural Georgia to the White House in a single decade and became the most politically active first lady since Eleanor Roosevelt, died on Sunday in Plains, Ga. She was 96."

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President Joe Biden, in a Washington Post op-ed: "Today, the world faces an inflection point, where the choices we make -- including in the crises in Europe and the Middle East -- will determine the direction of our future for generations to come.... Both Putin and Hamas are fighting to wipe a neighboring democracy off the map. And both Putin and Hamas hope to collapse broader regional stability and integration and take advantage of the ensuing disorder. America cannot, and will not, let that happen. For our own national security interests -- and for the good of the entire world.... The Palestinian people deserve a state of their own and a future free from Hamas.... Our commitment to Ukraine today is an investment in our own security. It prevents a broader conflict tomorrow.... Our goal should not be simply to stop the war for today -- it should be to end the war forever, break the cycle of unceasing violence, and build something stronger in Gaza and across the Middle East so that history does not keep repeating itself."

Sorry, forgot to link this yesterday:

Amy Gardner of the Washington Post: "The Georgia prosecutor leading the election-interference case against ... Donald Trump and 14 remaining co-defendants requested a trial date of Aug. 5, 2024, in a motion filed Friday afternoon.... The motion is sure to draw vociferous objections from the defendants -- notably Trump, the Republican presidential front-runner, who, if nominated, would be forced to sit in an Atlanta courtroom day after day in the final weeks of the general-election campaign, and possibly on Election Day itself and into 2025. Steve Sadow, Trump's lead lawyer in the Georgia case, filed a motion later Friday objecting to the proposed trial date and requesting 'the opportunity to present oral argument in opposition to the motion at a hearing to be held at a time convenient to the Court.'... The government's motion, signed personally by Fulton County District Attorney Fani T. Willis, makes no mention of the election calendar next year. But in an appearance at The Washington Post on Tuesday, Willis objected to the idea that a person who commits a crime should not be held accountable because they are running for office." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: One of the legal experts I saw on the teevee noted that state courts and prosecutors, unlike those in the federal system, are not bound by DOJ-type rules that prohibit bringing actions against a political candidate close to an election. Of course Trumplewhiner will object to the date, but I think an August would benefit him. (1) He will be in the news every day leading up to the election; (2) the trial would give him something to complain about every day; and (3) he's an old man and a vigorous campaign schedule would be a strain on him, both mentally & physically. And bear in mind that he will not be the only major candidate who has on his mind matters other than the election: Joe Biden has a big ole country to run.

Presidential Race 2024

More Crazy After All These Years. Dan Balz of the Washington Post: "Taking Trump seriously, as the Economist does in its new issue, is a requirement -- for the press, certainly, but also for all Americans who care about the future. The Post reported in May about 'the deepening radicalization' of Trump. The article noted that his positions 'have become even more extreme; his tone more confrontational.' In recent days, both The Post and the New York Times have published stories about what policies and actions Trump might pursue in a second term, from using the Justice Department to go after enemies to a broad immigration crackdown to purges in the executive branch."

Michael Scherer of the Washington Post: "The nation's largest Spanish-language media company, Univision, faced growing backlash Friday for its handling of a recent interview with ... Donald Trump, as major Latino advocacy groups delivered a letter of protest to the network's executives and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus prepared to request a meeting with the network. Actor and comedian John Leguizamo ... also posted a video on Instagram on Thursday night calling for a boycott of the network until it stopped its rejection of Biden ads, some of which were canceled just before the Trump interview aired.... The network, which has said it has also requested an interview with President Biden, announced a new policy of preventing opposition advertising during single-candidate interviews shortly before the Trump interview aired. The network also canceled a booking with a Biden spokeswoman to respond to the interview on a subsequent news broadcast."

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Wisconsin. Lauren Irwin of the Hill: "Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers (D), several lawmakers and the University of Wisconsin-Madison condemned a group of neo-Nazis that marched through the streets of Madison on Saturday. According to reports and videos posted on social media, the neo-Nazi group called the Blood Tribe was spotted marching through downtown Madison carrying swastika flags and doing the nazi salute." MB: The march ran along State Street, Madison's main east-west artery, which connects the UW campus to the Capitol. The march apparently started a few blocks from campus and ended on the capitol grounds.

New York. Hurubie Meko of the New York Times: "The federal government on Friday formally joined an effort to strip Mayor Eric Adams's administration of control over Rikers Island, asking a judge to hand oversight of the troubled jail complex to an outside authority. Joining lawyers who represent people detained in New York City jails, Manhattan's top federal prosecutor, Damian Williams, wrote in a court filing that the appointment of an outside authority, known as a receiver, was the only solution to the persistent violence and chaos at Rikers."

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Israel/Palestine

Karen DeYoung of the Washington Post: "Israel, the United States and Hamas have agreed to a tentative deal that would free dozens of women and children held hostage in Gaza, in exchange for a five-day pause in fighting. The release, which could begin within the next several days -- barring last-minute hitches -- could lead to the first sustained pause in conflict in Gaza, according to people familiar with its provisions."

Raja Abdulrahim of the New York Times: "Health officials in Gaza say that 5,000 Palestinian children have been killed since the Israeli assault began, and possibly hundreds more. Many international officials and experts familiar with the way death tolls are compiled in the territory say the overall numbers are generally reliable.... The furious pace of [Israeli air]strikes -- more than 15,000 to date, according to the Israeli military, including in southern Gaza as well -- makes the Israeli bombing campaign on the Palestinian territory one of the most intense of the 21st century. And it is happening in a dense urban enclave under siege with high concentrations of civilians, particularly children, setting off mounting global alarm, even from some of Israel's closest allies.... 'More and more, it seems like a war against children," said Dr. [Ghassan] Abu-Sittah of [Al-Shifa Hospital]. Two weeks ago, the emergency room at Al-Shifa registered 'Unknown Trauma Child 1,500,' Dr. Abu-Sittah said."

The Conversation -- November 18, 2023

Jacquiline Alemanyof the Washington Post: "White House special counsel Dick Sauber questioned the validity of the GOP-led impeachment inquiry into President Biden on Friday in a scathing letter sent to House Oversight Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) and House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio). In the four-page letter, Sauber demanded that Comer and Jordan withdraw their subpoenas and requests for interviews with members of the Biden family and aides, arguing that since the House did not hold a floor vote on the impeachment inquiry, it has not been formally authorized by the legislative body as required by the Constitution. 'In fact, both of you previously supported the position that moving forward with an impeachment inquiry without a vote of the House "represents an abuse of power and brings discredit to the House of Representatives,"' Sauber wrote, quoting a 2019 resolution disapproving of then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's (D-Calif.) decision to unilaterally initiate an impeachment inquiry into ... Donald Trump....* Sauber also railed against Comer and Jordan's misrepresentation of evidence and politically motivated statements about the impeachment inquiry." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: This is somewhat misleading. Although a number of House committees began investigating matters related to the ultimate Articles of Impeachment before a vote of the full House occurred, the House did formally authorize the impeachment inquiry "by a vote of 232 to 196 on October 31, 2019."

Kathleen Cullitan of the Raw Story: "On the heels of President Joe Biden's comprehensive exchange with Chinese President Xi Jinping, the Daily Beast issued a stark reminder to any Americans thinking about hopping back into bed with Donald Trump. 'Biden ... in both his press conference following the Xi meeting and in his remarks throughout the summit, showed a complete, confident mastery of an enormous range of issues,' David Rothkopf writes. 'That's a far cry from Trump's flaccid performance.' Rothkopf's opinion piece published Friday heaped praise on Biden's handling of diplomatic relations with China both as a Vice President and the nation's commander-in-chief."

Tim Dickinson of Rolling Stone, republished by Yahoo! News: "In an October prayer call hosted by a Christian-nationalist MAGA pastor, Rep. Mike Johnson was troubled that America's wickedness was inviting God's wrath. Talking to pastor Jim Garlow on a broadcast of the World Prayer Network, Johnson spoke ominously of America facing a 'civilizational moment.' He said, 'The only question is: Is God going to allow our nation to enter a time of judgment for our collective sins? ... Or is he going to give us one more chance to restore the foundations and return to Him?'... Johnson [said]: 'The culture is so dark and depraved that it almost seems irredeemable.' He cited, as supposed evidence, the decline of national church attendance and the rise of LGBTQ youth -- the fact, Johnson lamented, that 'one-in-four high school students identifies as something other than straight.'... In a closing prayer with Garlow he grew tearful. Johnson intoned, 'We repent for our sins individually and collectively. And we ask that You not give us the judgment that we clearly deserve.'" Thanks to Ken W. for the link. The New York Times story is here. (Also linked yesterday.)

Farnoush Amiri of the AP: "House Speaker Mike Johnson said Friday he plans to publicly release thousands of hours of footage from the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, making good on a promise he made to far-right members of his party when he was campaigning for the job.... The move by Johnson will grant the general public a stunning level of access to sensitive and explicit Jan. 6 security footage, which many critics have warned could endanger the safety of staff and members in the Capitol complex if it gets into the wrong hands. The hours of footage detail not only the shocking assault rioters made on U.S. Capitol Police as they breached the building but also how the rioters accessed the building and the routes lawmakers used to flee to safety.... In February, [then-Speaker Kevin] McCarthy gave then-Fox News host Tucker Carlson exclusive access to the footage, a move that Democrats swiftly condemned as a 'grave' breach of security with potentially far-reaching consequences."

Jamelle Bouie of the New York Times: "... while we keep our eyes on Trump and his allies and enablers, it is important not to lose sight of the fact that antidemocratic attitudes run deep within the Republican Party.... [For instance,] Not one full day after the vote [to add reproductive rights to Ohio's constitution], four Republican state representatives announced that..., 'We will do everything in our power to prevent our laws from being removed upon perception of intent....' Notice the language: 'our power' and 'our laws.' There is no awareness here that the people of Ohio are sovereign and that their vote to amend the state Constitution holds greater authority than the judgment of a small group of legislators.... To many Republicans, unfortunately, persuasion is anathema.... Instead, the game is to create a system in which, heads or tails, you always win." Bouie gives a number of other examples of Republicans overriding or attempting to override the will of the people. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Yesterday, I heard a teevee pundit state the obvious: that democracy can't work in a country where only one of the two major political parties actually favors democracy.

Yo, Jack Smith! Here's some dandy evidence for you, caught on tape. If you ask Jon Karl for it, he'll send it over wrapped in fancy paper & a pretty holiday bow:

     ~~~ Marie: Gosh, Donald, I recall when you said the insurrectionists were not your supporters but Antifa guys and FBI informants. Oh, and for some reason, I'm skeptical you wanted to go to the Capitol to stop the insurrection (like, say, those 187 minutes you sat in your dining room cheering on your troops while aides, family members and even Sean F. Hannity begged you to intervene). Thanks to RAS for the lead. ~~~

~~~ Hmmm, Apt Timing. Alan Feuer of the New York Times: "The federal judge overseeing ... Donald J. Trump's trial on charges of plotting to overturn the 2020 election rejected on Friday a request by Mr. Trump's lawyers to remove language from his indictment describing the role he played in the violence that erupted at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.... In court papers to Judge [Tanya] Chutkan, prosecutors called the Jan. 6 attack 'the culmination' of Mr. Trump's 'criminal conspiracies' to overturn the election. They also suggested that they were poised to introduce video evidence of the riot and call witnesses at trial who could testify that they attacked police and stormed the Capitol after hearing Mr. Trump exhort them to 'fight' in a speech he gave before the violence broke out." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Brandi Buchman of Law & Crime: "A federal judge on Friday denied Donald Trump's request to strike so-called 'inflammatory allegations' about the events at the Capitol on Jan. 6 from his criminal indictment in Washington, D.C., saying he failed to prove his claim while 'making several accusatory and unsupported comments' on his own.... [Judge Tanya] Chutkan also appeared to highlight the irony in Trump's motion.... 'Defendant's sixteen-page reply in support of the motion despite making numerous inflammatory and unsupported accusations on its own devotes only a single paragraph to the prejudice requirement,' she wrote, noting a line in Trump's filing where he asserted, baselessly, that President Joe Biden had 'directed the Department of Justice to prosecute his leading opponent for the presidency through a calculated leak to the New York Times.'" ~~~

     ~~~ Judge Chutkan's order is here.

Kevin Breuninger of CNBC: "A New York judge on Friday denied a request by ... Donald Trump and his co-defendants for a mistrial in the $250 million civil business fraud case against them. Manhattan Supreme Court Judge Arthur Engoron said the arguments for a mistrial were 'utterly without merit' as he declined to sign the defendants' bid for a motion to throw out the case. The ruling came two days after attorneys for Trump Sr., Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump, the Trump Organization and its top executives argued that the case had been undermined by political bias."

Presidential Race 2024

Colorado. It Depends on What the Meaning of "Support" Is. Maggie Astor of the New York Times: "A Colorado judge ruled on Friday that ... Donald J. Trump could remain on the primary ballot in the state, rejecting the argument that the 14th Amendment prevents him from holding office again -- but doing so on relatively narrow grounds that lawyers for the voters seeking to disqualify him said they would appeal. With his actions before and during the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, Judge Sarah B. Wallace ruled, Mr. Trump engaged in insurrection against the Constitution, an offense that Section 3 of the 14th Amendment -- which was ratified in 1868 to keep former Confederates out of the government -- deems disqualifying for people who previously took an oath to support the Constitution.

"But Judge Wallace, a state district court judge in Denver, concluded that Section 3 did not include the presidential oath in that category. The clause does not explicitly name the presidency, so that question hinged on whether the president was included in the category 'officer of the United States.... The absence of the president from the list of positions to which the amendment applies combined with the fact that Section 3 specifies that the disqualifying oath is one to "support" the Constitution whereas the presidential oath is to "preserve, protect and defend" the Constitution,' Judge Wallace wrote...." MB: Seems like a strange reading. Why would the Constitution bar a low-level functionary from running for office but not the most important official in the U.S.? ~~~

     ~~~ An ABC News story is here. The judge's ruling, via the state court system, is here.

Michigan. Nick Robertson of the Hill: "A liberal activist group appealed a Michigan court's decision on Thursday to throw out their case attempting to bar former President Trump from the presidential ballot, taking the case to the state Supreme Court. Free Speech for People sued the state of Michigan in September, arguing that Trump's involvement with the Jan. 6 Capitol riots violates the 14th Amendment, which should bar him from being eligible for office. A lower court threw out the suit last month, arguing that a 14th Amendment challenge is not valid in the primary stage of an election. The appeal requests 'emergency application' to bypass the usual state Appeals Court and go straight to the Supreme Court, given the short time until state primary ballots are finalized."

Jennifer Bahney of Mediaite: "The biggest danger the world faces in 2024 is if former President Donald Trump is elected to a second term, according to The Economist's guide to The World Ahead.... 'A second Trump term would be a watershed in a way the first was not. Victory would confirm his most destructive instincts about power. His plans would encounter less resistance. And because America will have voted him in while knowing the worst, its moral authority would decline. The election will be decided by tens of thousands of voters in just a handful of states. In 2024 the fate of the world will depend on their ballots.' The article posits that a Trump win would signal to China that American democracy is 'dysfunctional,' and could give the communist nation the incentive to invade ... Taiwan. In addition, the article predicts that Trump's desire to quickly end the war in Ukraine would give Vladimir Putin the impetus to take over other neighboring countries like Moldova and the Baltic states." The Economist article, linked above, is subscriber-firewalled. Thanks to Akhilleus for the link to Mediaite. (Also linked yesterday.)

James Zirin in the Washington Monthly: "Has Donald Trump gone nuts?... All the armchair gerontologists parsing every utterance from President Joe Biden, trying to distinguish his congenital stutter from his natural aging, should look at Trump, whose behavior has gone from bad to weird to bizarre.... Perhaps more worrisome than Trump's mental miscues is the fact that his authoritarian tendencies have veered into even more fascistic territory, and his insults have become even more intemperate, which is saying something.... Trump's policy pronouncements have become more incendiary and more insane, if that were possible." Zirin recounts numerous examples of the general failings he identifies.

No Labels, Where the "Grassroots" Are Always Greener. Brian Schwartz of CNBC: "No Labels, the nonprofit group actively working to field a third party ticket for president in 2024, doubled its annual revenue last year over 2021, collecting $21 million, nearly all of it from wealthy donors who gave $100,000 or more. No Labels is not required to publicly disclose the names of its donors, but CNBC obtained a list from the group of contributions last year that exceeded $5,000. The list did not include names, but it revealed that around 80% of the group's total revenue, roughly $17 million, came from at least 68 individual donors who each gave the group $100,000 or more. The 990 tax return also revealed that No Labels had only one program last year, which it called, 'citizen engagement, digital and grassroots movement building and ballot access.'"

Donald, Frater Non Gratus. Jacob Bernstein of the New York Times: "More than 100 mourners streamed into the Church of St. Ignatius Loyola in Manhattan on Friday morning for the memorial service of Maryanne Trump Barry, a longtime federal judge and an older sister of Donald J. Trump. The former president was among those who attended. He arrived, along with his wife, Melania, and other family members as part of a processional from the Frank E. Campbell Funeral Home.... Mr. Trump did not speak at the service.... [Judge Barry's son, David William] Desmond did not mention former President Trump in his remarks.... In a series of surreptitiously recorded interviews in 2018 and 2019 with a niece, Mary L. Trump, [Judge Barry] spoke scathingly of [Donald Trump]. 'He has no principles,' she said. 'None.' She added, 'It's the phoniness and this cruelty. Donald is cruel.'... I don't want any of my siblings to speak at my funeral,' Judge Barry continued. 'And that's all about Donald and what he did at Dad's funeral [which was not to mention Dad at all in a supposed eulogy].... It was all about him.'"

Ryan Mac, et al., of the New York Times: "The blowback over Elon Musk's endorsement of an antisemitic conspiracy theory on X gathered steam on Friday, as several major advertisers on his social media platform cut off their spending after his comments. Disney said it was pausing spending on X, as did Lionsgate, the entertainment and film distribution company, and Paramount Global, the media giant that owns CBS. Apple, which spends tens of millions of dollars a year on X, also suspended advertising on the platform, a person with knowledge of the situation said. They followed IBM, which cut its spending with X on Thursday. Mr. Musk ... has been under scrutiny for months for allowing and even stoking antisemitic abuse on the site. That snowballed on Wednesday when the tech billionaire agreed with a post on X that accused Jewish people who are facing antisemitism amid the Israel-Hamas war of pushing the 'exact kind of dialectical hatred against whites that they claim to want people to stop using against them' and supporting the immigration of 'hordes of minorities.'" ~~~

~~~ Amy Wang, et al., of the Washington Post: "The White House on Friday condemned a social media post by Elon Musk in which he indicated support for an antisemitic conspiracy theory, calling the billionaire's action an 'abhorrent promotion of antisemitic and racist hate.'... In a subsequent tweet, Musk went on to criticize the Anti-Defamation League, a nonprofit that combats antisemitism and extremism, saying it 'unjustly attacks the majority of the West' for anti-Jewish hate rather than 'the minority groups who are their primary threat.'... 'We condemn this abhorrent promotion of Antisemitic and racist hate in the strongest terms, which runs against our core values as Americans,' [White House spokesman Andrew] Bates said." Politico's story is here.

Peter Baker of the New York Times: "Rosalynn Carter, the former first lady, has entered hospice care at her home in Georgia alongside her husband, former President Jimmy Carter, who has been in hospice since February, the family announced on Friday. Mrs. Carter, 96, revealed in May that she has dementia, but Friday's statement offered no further details about her condition or any other ailments she might be suffering. She has been by her husband's side for the last nine months as he has similarly decided to forgo full-scale medical treatment...."

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Israel/Palestine

The Washington Post's live updates of developments Saturday in the Israel/Hamas war are here: "Doctors, patients and displaced civilians left Gaza's largest hospital Saturday, amid competing claims over who had ordered the evacuation, which aid groups described as 'complex and dangerous.' The head of al-Shifa hospital said Israel gave people one hour to evacuate, and that 120 patients and five doctors remained inside the complex, which had housed thousands of displaced people. Conditions inside the hospital for those who remained were 'very difficult,' with water and electricity cut off, he added. The Israeli military denied ordering an evacuation, instead saying that it had agreed to assist evacuation efforts following requests from the hospital. Many evacuees are headed south, although Israeli forces have indicated their ground offensive may also intensify in parts of southern Gaza soon." ~~~

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

Philip Pan, et al., of the New York Times: "The discovery [of a tunnel shaft] at Al-Shifa Hospital did not seem to settle the question of whether Hamas has been using the complex to hide weapons and command centers, as Israel has said. Israeli forces on Friday probed further into civilian infrastructure in northern Gaza for signs of a Hamas presence, announcing that they had found weapons at a school and guiding international reporters to a tunnel shaft on the grounds of the territory's largest hospital. As troops searched the hospital, Al-Shifa, for a third day, Israel announced that it would allow limited shipments of fuel to the enclave to avoid 'epidemics' amid the wreckage of the territory.... In a building next to the hospital, the military said on Friday, it had discovered the body of a second hostage taken by Hamas, Noa Marciano, 19, who had been a corporal in the Israeli army. The military also announced that it had killed Hamas terrorists found 'hiding' in a school. 'You have said the actual truth,' Mr. Musk replied."

News Lede

New Hampshire. No Country for Old Women. Marie: When I was driving to a doctor's appointment yesterday afternoon, I hoped -- as I do every time I go to a public place during regular business hours -- that a crazed mass murderer wouldn't shoot me dead in this gun-loving state. At the doctor's office, I was very aware there was no way to run and hide from a murderous nut who might enter the waiting room. So as I was driving home, unscathed, I passed this (although I passed by at least an hour before the events unfolded): ~~~

~~~ New York Times: "An assailant fatally shot a security officer inside the lobby of a state psychiatric hospital in Concord, N.H., on Friday afternoon and then was killed shortly afterward by a state trooper patrolling the campus, state officials said. Col. Mark B. Hall, the director of the New Hampshire Department of Safety, said at a news conference on Friday night that the authorities were still investigating a motive for the shooting, which occurred about 3:30 p.m. Gov. Chris Sununu of New Hampshire identified the victim as Bradley Haas, a security officer with the Department of Safety." An NBC News story is here.