The Commentariat -- August 27, 2019

Afternoon Update:

David Lynch of the Washington Post: "The Federal Reserve should stop trying to offset the economic costs of President Trump's trade war and instead force him to bear the consequences of the most aggressive use of tariffs since the 1930s, according to the former president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. 'Officials could state explicitly that the central bank won't bail out an administration that keeps making bad choices on trade policy, making it abundantly clear that Trump will own the consequences,' William C. Dudley, who stepped down last year after nine years as the head of the New York Fed, wrote in an opinion column for Bloomberg. In an extraordinary broadside, Dudley said the Fed also should consider how its actions will affect the 2020 presidential election since, 'Trump's reelection arguably presents a threat to the U.S. and global economy, to the Fed's independence and its ability to achieve its employment and inflation objectives.'" ...

     ... Dudley's Bloomberg opinion piece is here.

Conor Finnegan & Trish Turner of ABC News: "Two U.S. senators say that they were denied visas as part of an official delegation to Russia for talks with their counterparts in the country's parliament.... Republican Ron Johnson of Wisconsin and Democrat Chris Murphy of Connecticut were scheduled to leave on their trip next week, according to aides, with stops in Ukraine, Kosovo, and Serbia as well." Related story linked below. Mrs. McC: I guess we can believe Johnson over the Russian Embassy, after all.

Benjamin Weiser, et al., of the New York Times: "Judge Richard M. Berman had scheduled [a] hearing on Tuesday after federal prosecutors wrote to him last week, saying that in light of [Jeffrey] Epstein's death, they planned to drop the criminal charges against him -- a decision that requires a judge's approval.... Judge Berman said in the order that he wanted to hear from the prosecution and the lawyers who had been representing Mr. Epstein, and he also invited Mr. Epstein's accusers and their lawyers to address the court if they wished to..... One by one, the women walked up to a podium ... Tuesday...." The AP story is here.

Annals of "Journalism," Ctd. Bret Stephens Is a Vindictive Whiney-baby. Tim Elfrink & Morgan Krakow of the Washington Post: David Karpf, a professor at George Washington University, "took a story that bedbugs had infested the New York Times newsroom as an occasion to dig at ... the conservative columnist Bret Stephens. 'The bedbugs are a metaphor,' Karpf wrote on Monday. 'The bedbugs are Bret Stephens. The tweet got nine likes and zero retweets, Karpf said." Stephens emailed Karpf, copying GWU's provost: "I'm often amazed about the things supposedly decent people are prepared to say about other people -- people they've never met -- on Twitter. I think you've set a new standard. I would welcome the opportunity for you to come to my home, meet my wife and kids, talk to us for a few minutes, and then call me a "bedbug" to my face. That would take some genuine courage and intellectual integrity on your part.' "The exchange quickly went viral after Karpf posted Stephens's full email to Twitter, leading to waves of backlash against a columnist whose contrarian takes on climate change and race have prompted canceled subscriptions and pointed questions for his editors in the past.... Stephens also deactivated his Twitter account on Tuesday, writing that the platform 'is a sewer.'" ...

... Reed Richardson of Mediaite: "New York Times columnist and ostensible free speech champion Bret Stephens wrote a vaguely threatening email to an associate professor at George Washington University -- and cc'ed the university provost -- who had jokingly referred to the op-ed writer as a 'bedbug' on Twitter.... Stephens' over-the-top response to a Tweet that notably did not use his Twitter handle, as well as the not-so-subtle attempt to get [David] Karpf in trouble with the professor's boss at the college, seemed to run counter to the proclaimed free speech champion's disgust with thin-skinned 'PC culture' and societal 'safe spaces' where no one has a sense of humor anymore." Read on Mrs. McC: An associate professor does not have tenure; Stephens was apparently trying to get Karpf fired. ...

... Scott Lemieux in LG&$ has an appropriate response to Stephens, too. His post is titled, "Today in the Robust Public Discourse With Bret 'Bedbug' Stephens." Mrs. McC: Expect a bad note from Bret, Scott.

Never Mind. Marina Lopez & Terrence McCoy of the Washington Post: "Brazil's president Tuesday retreated from his country's initial rejection of a $22.2 million package from the Group of Seven nations to help fight fires sweeping through the Amazon rainforest. But President Jair Bolsonaro said any consideration of the aid remained tied up in his dispute with French President Emmanuel Macron -- even as officials in the fire-stricken regions spoke of negotiating directly with other countries for help if needed. Bolsonaro said he wouldn't make a final decision until Macron apologized for remarks that Bolsonaro considered a challenge to his credibility and an attack on Brazil's sovereignty. Before speaking or accepting anything from France, even if it comes from the best possible intentions, he must retract his words. Then we can talk,' he told journalists." This is an update of the story linked below. The NBC News story is here. Mrs. McC: Bolsonaro is definitely South America's Trump. ...

... Ryan Grim of the Intercept: "Two Brazilian firms owned by a top donor to ... Donald Trump and ... Mitch McConnell are significantly responsible for the ongoing destruction of the Amazon rainforest, carnage that has developed into raging fires that have captivated global attention. The companies have wrested control of land, deforested it, and helped build a controversial highway to their new terminal in the one-time jungle, all to facilitate the cultivation and export of grain and soybeans.... The Amazon terminal is run by Hidrovias do Brasil, a company that is owned in large part by Blackstone, a major U.S. investment firm.... Blackstone co-founder and CEO Stephen Schwarzman is a close ally of Trump and has donated millions of dollars to McConnell in recent years."

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Marina Lopez & Terrence McCoy of the Washington Post: "Brazil will reject a donation of $22.2 million to help fight the fires that have swept across the Amazon because it was not involved in the decision-making process, the country's ambassador to France said Tuesday. 'We refuse the aid because we see interference. [It's] help we did not ask for,' Luís Fernando Serra told French national television, adding that the terms of the offer were too 'ambiguous.' The decision escalates an international spat between Brazil's right-wing president Jair Bolsonaro and the European countries led by French President Emmanuel Macron, who have pledged to fight the Amazon fires but condemned Bolsonaro's lack of commitment to the environment. On Monday, Bolsonaro -- a climate change skeptic -- questioned the aid's 'colonial mentality.'" The BBC News story is here.

Idiot Abroad

** Michael Birnbaum & Philip Rucker of the Washington Post: "President Trump capped days of advocacy on behalf of Russian President Vladimir Putin by announcing ... Monday that he intends to invite the leader to the Group of Seven summit in 2020, which Trump will host in an election year amid warnings that Russia is actively trying to interfere again in the U.S. presidential election.... Trump said Putin would be welcome and even expressed sympathy for the awkwardness the Russian leader might feel over his banishment.... Trump's extraordinary promotion of Putin proved to be the most tense disagreement over three days of contentious meetings at this year's G-7 in the French oceanside resort town of Biarritz. The U.S. leader's wish to restore Russia's legitimacy was in keeping with his long-standing role as a Putin cheerleader and apologist, but it was coolly received by other leaders at the gathering.... [The dinner Saturday night] went off the rails when Trump blasted leaders for not including Russia.... The pushback against him was delivered so passionately that the U.S. president's body language changed as one leader after another dismissed his demand.... Having such a forceful advocate for an authoritarian leader inside the room of democracies profoundly shaped the overall tone of the summit, one senior official said.” ...

... Inae Oh of Mother Jones: Trump's advocacy for Putin at his press conference "... follow a statement from European Council President Donald Tusk on Saturday when he categorically rejected the suggestion to invite Russia back. 'Under no condition can we agree with this logic,' Tusk said in a press conference." ...

... Jonathan Chait: "Trump mentioned Obama 18 times, repeating his charge that his predecessor was to blame for Russia's invasion of his neighbor. He repeatedly used the passive voice to describe Putin's invasion: 'It was sort of taken away from President Obama ... It was annexed during President Obama's term .. Crimea was annexed during his term.' Putin got no blame for invading a neighbor. Instead Trump gave him credit for outsmarting Obama.... It is a completely Orwellian spectacle for the president working to undo the response to Russia's attack blame the president who helped impose it for the invasion itself.... Remarkably, Trump's performance behind closed doors managed to go even farther [than his public comments] in pleading Putin's case."

Toluse Olorunnipa, et al., of the Washington Post: "A global summit between President Trump and other leaders ended [in Biarritz, France,] without significant progress on any of the world's most pressing issues, laying bare the widening gulf between the United States and other nations as they struggle to address issues like trade and climate change. French President Emmanuel Macron said leaders at the Group of Seven summit agreed to endorse just a one-page document of issues and then to continue working on a variety of other challenges that have proved elusive, including trade imbalances, climate change and Iran, among other things.... [Emmanuel Macron] said that the three days of talks here had a 'lot of tension and we had a lot of conflicts,' but he considered it a success that they were even able to produce a one-page document." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ...

Mrs. McCrabbie: After skipping the climate-change meeting, Trump said at his press conference he was an environmentalist. Oddly, the room did not break out in derisive laughter. I guess the world's press is accustomed to Trump's whoppers. ...

... From the Guardian's liveblog: "Throughout his press conference, Trump avoided offering details on a number of pressing issues, including the climate crisis, Iran and his trade war with China. On combating climate change, Trump dubiously argued that confronting the crisis would threaten the country's economy. 'I feel the US has tremendous wealth ... I'm not going to lose that wealth on dreams, on windmills - which, frankly, aren't working too well,' Trump said. He added, 'I think I know more about the environment than most.'... When asked about inviting Vladimir Putin to the G7 summit, Trump repeated the falsehood that the Russian president was previously excluded from the gathering because he 'outsmarted' Barack Obama. PBS Newshour's Yamiche Alcindor responded by correcting Trump that Putin was actually excluded after annexing Crimea, but the president stood by his original position. He also mentioned that he was sure Alcindor, who is black, did 'like' Obama.... One of the few matters where he did elaborate was on his Florida resort, Trump National Doral Miami, hosting the 2020 G7 summit. He went on at length about how the resort's 'magnificent buildings' and proximity to the airport made it the perfect site, while dismissing out of hand any implication that he could personally profit from holding the summit there." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ...

     ... Ed Mazza of the Huffington Post: "Even some of Trump's biggest supporters called him out over the obvious conflict of interest [of holding the 2020 G7 meeting at his Doral resort], including Rick Santorum, the former Republican senator from Pennsylvania. The two-time GOP presidential candidate said on Monday that Trump shouldn't use his own property to host next year's summit, calling it a 'violation of the law.... Walter Shaub, a former director of the Office of Government Ethics, called for an investigation into 'the very real possibility that a corrupting influence tainted the procurement process' for selecting Doral.... The Washington Post reported in May that Doral was in 'steep decline'; the club's net operating income had plunged 69% over two years."

... Zeke Miller & Darlene Superville of the AP: "Brushing off concerns about global economic instability..., Donald Trump defended the way he is trying to squeeze a trade deal out of China on Monday, saying it's a style that worked for him as a businessman. Trump was challenged on a negotiating style in which he praises Chinese President Xi Jinping one day and castigates him the next. Allies are complaining that that's contributing to instability problems for them and other nations, a reporter noted at a news conference closing out Trump's participation in the Group of Seven summit. Sorry, it's the way I negotiate,' he said. The president said layers of U.S. tariffs have hurt China so badly that it will have no choice but to make a trade deal with the United States. His trade war has been blamed for a global economic slowdown and has sown fears of an economic recession in the U.S.... 'What's bad for the world economy is uncertainty,' Macron said, speaking in English. 'The quicker an agreement is arrived at, the quicker that uncertainty will dissipate.'" Mrs. McC: Flailing around, lying, backtracking, threats, recriminations, etc., are such excellent negotiation tactics. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ...

... Felicia Sonmez of the Washington Post: "President Trump on Monday claimed that first lady Melania Trump has 'gotten to know' North Korean leader Kim Jong Un prompting the White House to clarify that the two have never met. Trump made the comment at a news conference at the Group of 7 summit in Biarritz, France.... 'President Trump confides in his wife on many issues including the detailed elements of his strong relationship with Chairman Kim -- and while the First Lady hasn't met him, the President feels like she's gotten to know him too,' [Stephanie] Grisham said."; Mrs. McC: Grisham is spokesperson for both Donald & Melanie. I'm betting she issued this release "soon after" Trump made his false claim at the direction of Melanie Trump. Here's Politico's story. ...

... Josh Dawsey of the Washington Post analyzes Trump's remarks at Monday's press conference: "... for 68 minutes in a seaside auditorium, he offered a lens into his unorthodox mind, a range of false or dubious statements, and the myriad ways he has changed the presidency in 31 months.... He attacked former president Barack Obama's intellect while defending Putin for annexing part of Crimea -- a move that drove Russia's expulsion from what was then called the G-8.... Trump admitted no blunder in his escalating trade fight with China, even as his flummoxing moves have rattled the markets and his own aides.... His assertion that China is itching to strike a compromise has been contradicted by multiple reports and Chinese officials.... When Trump asked Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to back him up, Mnuchin would only say there had been 'communication,' avoiding the word 'call.'... Although he said French President Emmanuel Macron asked his permission to invite Iran's foreign minister to the G-7, Macron said that he simply 'informed' Trump in advance of his plan and that it was Macron's idea alone. At length, he boasted about his private properties.... He offered an unproven claim ... that the presidency has cost him $3 billion to $5 billion."

Mrs. McCrabbie: I think safari has found out what Trump was doing while the Amazon burned. Of course Trump didn't have time to go to a meeting about the climate-change hoax! ...

... Ben Mathis-Lilley of Slate: While "Donald Trump was in France for the G-7 summit..., [he] appeared to be self-soothing online. In one four-hour stretch on Sunday, Trump did nine consecutive reposts of tweets from the right-wing group Judicial Watch.... The topics he shared included a conspiracy theory about Rep. Ilhan Omar's personal life and various paranoid claims about the deep state, one of which featured a video involving, yes, Hillary Clinton's emails.... The Judicial Watch fixation was part of a Sunday/Monday spree — again, while he was supposed to be at a series of huge meetings -- during which he posted or retweeted others' posts 46 times." --s

Paul Krugman: "The 'very stable genius' in the Oval Office is, in fact, extremely unstable, in word and deed. That's not a psychological diagnosis, although you can make that case too. It's just a straightforward description of his behavior. And his instability is starting to have serious economic consequences..... Unstable, unpredictable trade policy ... suggest[s to businesses] that [they] should postpone [their] investment plans.... So everything gets put on hold -- and the economy suffers.... At that point you might expect an intervention from the grown-ups in the room -- but there aren't any.... Protectionism is bad; erratic protectionism, imposed by an unstable leader with an insecure ego, is worse."

Megan Specia of the New York Times: "President Hassan Rouhani of Iran said on Tuesday that he would not sit down for a meeting with President Trump until Washington had lifted all of its economic sanctions against Iran. His comment came a day after President Emmanuel Macron of France said he would try to arrange a meeting between Mr. Trump and Mr. Rouhani in the next few weeks, in an attempt to ease the strained relationship between their countries. Mr. Trump said he was open to the idea if the Iranians were 'good players.' Mr. Rouhani responded in kind." NPR's story is here.

Quint Forgey of Politico: "... Donald Trump on Monday dismissed as 'ridiculous' a report that he proposed detonating nuclear bombs inside hurricanes to weaken the storms before they make landfall along U.S shorelines. 'The story by Axios that President Trump wanted to blow up large hurricanes with nuclear weapons prior to reaching shore is ridiculous,' Trump tweeted.... 'I never said this. Just more FAKE NEWS!'" Reporters Jonathan Swan & Margaret Talev said they stood by every word their story. Mrs. McC: According to the Axios report, Trump brought up the matter during at least two formal meetings. I doubt Everybody But Trump is lying. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Alan Rappeport of the New York Times: "American farmers have become collateral damage in a trade war that Mr. Trump began to help manufacturers and other companies that he believes have been hurt by China's 'unfair' trade practices. More than a year into the trade dispute, sales of American soybeans, pork, wheat and other agricultural products to China have dried up as Beijing retaliates against Mr. Trump’s tariffs on Chinese imports.... For months, farmers have remained resolute, continuing to pledge support to a president who says his trade policies will help the agricultural industry win in the end. While there are few signs of an imminent blue wave in farm country, a growing number of farmers say they are losing patience with the president's approach and are suggesting it will not take much to lose their vote as well." Yahoo! News published a similar story August 25.

Adam Goldman of the New York Times: "Federal prosecutors in Washington appear to be in the final stages of deciding whether to seek an indictment of Andrew G. McCabe, the former deputy F.B.I. director and a frequent target of President Trump, on charges of lying to federal agents, according to interviews with people familiar with recent developments.... An indictment of a former top F.B.I. official is extremely rare and would be the latest chapter in the saga of Mr. McCabe, who was fired last year over the issue now under criminal investigation -- whether he failed to be forthcoming with internal investigators examining the F.B.I.'s dealings with the news media.... Prosecutors may face headwinds if a case were to go to trial. One prosecutor quit the case and has expressed frustration with how it was being managed, according to person familiar with her departure, and a key witness [Lisa Page] provided testimony to the grand jury that could hurt the government's case." Law & Crime has a related post here.

Will Sommer of the Daily Beast: "... Rudy Giuliani promoted discredited conspiracy theories about murdered Democratic National Committee staffer Seth Rich on Twitter early Monday morning, further fueling the baseless speculation that has anguished Rich's grieving family. Giuliani quote-tweeted a tweet from conspiracy theorist Matt Couch, whose fevered claims about Rich's 2016 murder provoked a defamation lawsuit from Rich's brother.... In text messages with The Daily Beast, Giuliani insisted his tweet wasn't meant to promote any conspiracy theories but merely to ask questions about Rich's murder, which has remained unsolved." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Dave Levinthal of the Center for Public Integrity: "Federal Election Commission Vice Chairman Matthew Petersen announced his resignation [Monday]. This means the agency that enforces and regulates the nation's campaign finance laws will effectively shut down -- something that hasn't happened since 2008 -- because it won't have the legal minimum of four commissioners to make high-level decisions. [The full contingent is six commissioners, half from each major party.] Petersen's resignation, first reported by the Washington Examiner, will throw the FEC into turmoil for weeks -- and perhaps months -- as the nation enters the teeth of 2020 presidential and congressional elections.... Trump in September 2017 nominated Petersen to a federal district judgeship, but Petersen withdrew in December 2017 after a disastrous confirmation hearing -- and has remained at the FEC until now.... The president of the United States alone has the power to nominate commissioners to the six-member FEC. Trump has so far made a single nomination: Trey Trainor, a Trump-supporting Texas attorney and Republican. Trump first nominated Trainor to the FEC in September 2017. Since then, Trump has twice renominated Trainor after the U.S. Senate failed to grant Trainor a confirmation hearing."

Lawsuits Can Be Funny (as long as you're not one of the litigants):

Devin's Lawyer Has a Cow. Lisa Needham of ShareBlue: "Earlier this year, [Rep. Devin] Nunes [R-Calif.] sued Twitter for a staggering $250 million, claiming the site broke the law by allowing two parody accounts — @DevinNunesMom and @DevinCow — to say mean things about him on Twitter. He did this even though the accounts are clearly parodies, which are protected by the First Amendment.... Nunes also named Republican strategist Liz Mair in the suit. When filing the suit, Nunes stated that the tweets were so mean that 'no human being should ever have to bear and suffer in their whole life.'... [In court, Nunes's attorney Steven] Biss told the court that giving Mair and the parody accounts Twitter access at all was akin to negligently giving them a gun. This is a particularly odd stance given Nunes's 'A' rating from the NRA and his full-throated defense of the right of everyone to carry guns, no matter how much harm they do.... Next, Biss asked the judge, 'What if you set a fire on your property and I told you it was choking my baby? You should have to put it out.'... About 20 supporters of the @DevinCow account showed up [at court] wearing cow-themed t-shirts, cow ears, and toting stuffed animals and signs."

Felicia Sonmez of the Washington Post: "Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) said Monday that he was denied a visa to Russia for a visit as part of a bipartisan congressional delegation next week.... Johnson sits on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and is chairman of the panel's subcommittee on Europe and regional security cooperation. His office noted Monday that Johnson supported several pieces of legislation aiming 'to hold Russia accountable for its aggression in Ukraine and its targeting of dissidents.' In a statement published on Twitter early Tuesday, the Russian Embassy in Washington said the senator never asked it for a visa and hadn't informed the mission about his plans to visit." Here's the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's story. Mrs. McC: Hard to know whom to believe here.

Presidential Race 2020

Monmouth U. Polling Institute: "Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders [20%], Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren []20%, and former Vice President Joe Biden [19%] are currently bunched together in the national Democratic presidential preference contest. Movement in the latest Monmouth University Poll -- positive for Warren and Sanders, negative for Biden -- suggests the 2020 presidential nomination process may be entering a volatile stage. The poll results also suggest that liberal voters are starting to take a closer look at a wider range of candidates, while moderates are focusing on those with the highest name recognition." The poll "has a +/- 5.7 percentage point sampling margin of error" & a small sample of only 298 registered voters. Mrs. McC: That is, theoretically, Biden could be at about 25% & Warren & Sanders at about 14%. So far, this poll is an outlier.

Ben Schreckinger of Politico: "Joe Biden's younger brother [James Biden] told potential business partners that the former vice president would help their firm land business with court systems and would incorporate their health care model into his 2020 presidential campaign, according to new allegations made in a court filing in Tennessee.... The allegations come in sworn declarations made by executives at firms suing Biden's brother that were filed in federal court on Friday. They do not allege any wrongdoing by Joe Biden or indicate that the former vice president ha knowledge of his brother's alleged promises." --s

Matt Taiibi of Rolling Stone tries to explain Trump's appeal to rubes: "Two and a half years into his presidency, Trump has already staked a claim to a role in history usually reserved for hereditary monarchs at the end of a line of inbreeding.... Much of America loves its Mad King.... Ten years ago, an African American won the White House in a landslide; today, the president is somewhere between a Klansman and Jimmy the Greek.... We've gone from Trump being skeptical of Obama's citizenship to musing about 'very fine' neo-Nazis to a Twitter version of 'Go back to Africa.'... The average American likes meat, sports, money, porn, cars, cartoons, and shopping. Less popular: socialism, privilege-checking, and the world ending in 10 years. Ironically, perhaps because of Trump, Democratic Party rhetoric in 2020 is relentlessly negative about the American experience. Every speech is a horror story about synagogue massacres or people dying without insulin or atrocities at the border.... America's upper classes and their proxies in government and media have no capacity for self-reflection, and will make asses of themselves in a fight. This is where Trump makes his living, getting people who should know better to rise to his bait.... Trump offers permission to occupy the statistical American mean: out of shape, suffering from gas, poorly read, anti-intellectual, treasuring things above meaning, and hiding an awful credit history." Thanks to Keith H. for the link.

Congressional Races 2020

Politico: "Rep. Sean Duffy (R-Wis.) will resign from Congress at the end of September, the most recent in a string of Republicans who have decided against running for re-election. Duffy, who was elected in 2010 during a GOP wave, said he and his wife are expecting a child in late October who will 'will need even more love, time, and attention due to complications, including a heart condition.'" (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

James Arkin of Politico: "Massachusetts Rep. Joe Kennedy confirmed Monday he's considering running for Senate next year, setting up a potential blockbuster Democratic primary against Sen. Ed Markey." Mrs. McC: This is stupid; Kennedy should run for President Elizabeth Warren's unexpired Senate term. (Massachusetts' Republican governor will certainly seat a Republican, & -- tho the Massachusetts legislature keeps changing the terms of filling unexpired Senate terms to suit its political interests -- there would be a Senate election before 2024, when Warren's current Senate term ends. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Amanda Coletta & Robert Barnes of the Washington Post: "Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on Monday made her first public appearance since completing radiation treatment for her latest bout with cancer.... The 86-year-old justice received an honorary degree [at the University at Buffalo's law school] in the morning and regaled a packed performing arts hall in the evening.... Ginsburg was escorted across the stage at the Kleinhans Music Hall on Monday night and earlier in the day at the university. But she spoke with a clear, strong voice at both events...." Here's the Buffalo News story. Mrs. McC: Seldom has so much been riding on one frail body & one strong mind.

Carol Leonnig & Matt Zapotosky of the Washington Post: "At least one camera in the hallway outside the cell where authorities say registered sex offender Jeffrey Epstein hanged himself earlier thi month had footage that is unusable, although other, clearer footage was captured in the area, according to three people.... The footage is considered critical to [DOJ & FBI] inquiries, and the revelation of an unusable recording is yet another of the apparent failures inside the Metropolitan Correctional Center, the short-staffed Bureau of Prisons facility in downtown Manhattan that held Epstein." A Business Insider story is here.

Berkeley Lovelace of CNBC: “An Oklahoma judge on Monday ruled against Johnson & Johnson in the state's opioid case, forcing the company to pay $572 million in the first ruling in the U.S. holding a drugmaker accountable for helping fuel the epidemic. Calling the opioid crisis an 'imminent danger and menace,' District Judge Thad Balkman said, 'the state met its burden that the defendants Janssen and Johnson & Johnson's misleading marketing and promotion of opioids created a nuisance as defined by [the law],' including a finding that those actions compromised the health and safety of thousands of Oklahomans.... The ruling, which J&J intends to appeal, says that the company and subsidiary Janssen repeatedly downplayed the risks of addiction to opioids, training sales representatives to tell doctors the risk was 2.6% or less if the drugs were prescribed by a doctor. Physicians who prescribed a high amount of opioids were targeted as 'key customers.'" ...

     ... The New York Times story, by Jan Hoffman, is here. A related NYT story, also by Hoffman, is here.

Will Sommer: "The conservative op-ed website Quillette announced Monday night that controversial right-wing writer Andy Ngo is leaving his job as an editor at the site.... Ngo ... became a celebrity on Fox News and other pro-Trump media outlets after he was attacked by left-wing demonstrators at a Portland political rally in June. Ngo then became prominent as an opponent of political violence, with most of his criticism aimed at the left. But footage taken by an undercover liberal activist in May and described on Monday by the Portland Mercury showed Ngo witnessing activists from the far-right group Patriot Prayer planning a violent confrontation at a bar associated with left-wing activists. Ngo never reported on what he had seen the Patriot Prayer members planning, and some of the people involved in the attack at the bar now face felony riot charges.... Quillette editor-in-chief Claire Lehmann insisted ... that Ngo's exit had nothing to do with the ... undercover footage[.]" --s

Way Beyond the Beltway

China/Hong Kong. Andrew Higgins of the New York Times: "Across the border from Hong Kong, the Chinese Communist Party screams its presence with banners and slogans on nearly every street. Yet in the former British colony, where China's ruling party confronts what it calls a 'life and death' struggle against a turbulent protest movement, it is invisible: It is not registered and has no publicly declared local members. But in Hong Kong, this officially nonexistent organization is in the vanguard of defending Chinese rule in the face of its biggest public resistance since the authoritarian leader Xi Jinping came to power in 2012. The party, operating in the shadows through individuals and organizations, is driving an increasingly firm pushback against the antigovernment protests, now in their 12th week."

News Lede

New York Times: "As Tropical Storm Dorian drew closer on Tuesday, Puerto Rico braced for the possibility that it would not just sideswipe the island but perhaps make landfall there. The authorities, acting under a state of emergency, closed schools early and prepared emergency shelter for tens of thousands of people." ...

     ... The Miami Herald story is here. The Herald has a hurricane tracker here, but it doesn't appear it's being updated. Consult the Herald's front page for links to the latest.

The Commentariat -- August 26, 2019

Afternoon Update:

Toluse Olorunnipa, et al., of the Washington Post: "A global summit between President Trump and other leaders ended [in Biarritz, France,] without significant progress on any of the world's most pressing issues, laying bare the widening gulf between the United States and other nations as they struggle to address issues like trade and climate change. French President Emmanuel Macron said leaders at the Group of Seven summit agreed to endorse just a one-page document of issues and then to continue working on a variety of other challenges that have proved elusive, including trade imbalances, climate change and Iran, among other things.... Macron said that the three days of talks here had a 'lot of tension and we had a lot of conflicts,' but he considered it a success that they were even able to produce a one-page document." This is an update of a story linked below. ...

After skipping the climate-change meeting, Trump said at his press conference he was an environmentalist. Oddly, the room did not break out in derisive laughter. I guess the world's press is accustomed to Trump's whoppers. ...

... From the Guardian's liveblog: "Throughout his press conference, Trump avoided offering details on a number of pressing issues, including the climate crisis, Iran and his trade war with China. On combating climate change, Trump dubiously argued that confronting the crisis would threaten the country's economy. 'I feel the US has tremendous wealth ... I'm not going to lose that wealth on dreams, on windmills - which, frankly, aren't working too well,' Trump said. He added, 'I think I know more about the environment than most.'... When asked about inviting Vladimir Putin to the G7 summit, Trump repeated the falsehood that the Russian president was previously excluded from the gathering because he 'outsmarted' Barack Obama. PBS Newshour's Yamiche Alcindor responded by correcting Trump that Putin was actually excluded after annexing Crimea, but the president stood by his original position. He also mentioned that he was sure Alcindor, who is black, did 'like' Obama.... One of the few matters where he did elaborate was on his Florida resort, Trump National Doral Miami, hosting the 2020 G7 summit. He went on at length about how the resort's 'magnificent buildings' and proximity to the airport made it the perfect site, while dismissing out of hand any implication that he could personally profit from holding the summit there." ...

... Zeke Miller & Darlene Superville of the AP: "Brushing off concerns about global economic instability..., Donald Trump defended the way he is trying to squeeze a trade deal out of China on Monday, saying it's a style that worked for him as a businessman. Trump was challenged on a negotiating style in which he praises Chinese President Xi Jinping one day and castigates him the next. Allies are complaining that that's contributing to instability problems for them and other nations, a reporter noted at a news conference closing out Trump's participation in the Group of Seven summit. Sorry, it's the way I negotiate,' he said. The president said layers of U.S. tariffs have hurt China so badly that it will have no choice but to make a trade deal with the United States. His trade war has been blamed for a global economic slowdown and has sown fears of an economic recession in the U.S.... 'What's bad for the world economy is uncertainty,' Macron said, speaking in English. 'The quicker an agreement is arrived at, the quicker that uncertainty will dissipate.'" This is an update of a story linked below. Mrs. McC: Flailing around, lying, backtracking, threats, recriminations, etc., are such excellent negotiation tactics.

Quint Forgey of Politico: "... Donald Trump on Monday dismissed as 'ridiculous' a report that he proposed detonating nuclear bombs inside hurricanes to weaken the storms before they make landfall along U.S. shorelines. 'The story by Axios that President Trump wanted to blow up large hurricanes with nuclear weapons prior to reaching shore is ridiculous,' Trump tweeted, referring to himself in the third person. 'I never said this. Just more FAKE NEWS!'" Reporters Jonathan Swan & Margaret Talev said they stood by every word their story. Mrs. McC: According to the Axios report, Trump brought up the matter during at least two formal meetings. I doubt Evereybody But Trump is lying.

Will Sommer of the Daily Beast: "... Rudy Giuliani promoted discredited conspiracy theories about murdered Democratic National Committee staffer Seth Rich on Twitter early Monday morning, further fueling the baseless speculation that has anguished Rich's grieving family. Giuliani quote-tweeted a tweet from conspiracy theorist Matt Couch, whose fevered claims about Rich's 2016 murder provoked a defamation lawsuit from Rich's brother.... In text messages with The Daily Beast, Giuliani insisted his tweet wasn't meant to promote any conspiracy theories but merely to ask questions about Rich's murder, which has remained unsolved."

Politico: "Rep. Sean Duffy (R-Wis.) will resign from Congress at the end of September, the most recent in a string of Republicans who have decided against running for re-election. Duffy, who was elected in 2010 during a GOP wave, said he and his wife are expecting a child in late October who will 'will need even more love, time, and attention due to complications, including a heart condition.'"

James Arkin of Politico: "Massachusetts Rep. Joe Kennedy confirmed Monday he's considering running for Senate next year, setting up a potential blockbuster Democratic primary against Sen. Ed Markey." Mrs. McC: This is stupid; Kennedy should run for President Elizabeth Warren's unexpired term. (Massachusetts' Republican governor will certainly seat a Republican, & -- tho the Massachusetts legislature keeps changing the terms of filling unexpired Senate terms to suit its political interests -- I think there would be a Senate race.

~~~~~~~~~~

"Don't Get You-Know-Who Mad." Peter Baker of the New York Times: "Ever so gingerly, as if determined not to rouse [Donald Trump]'s well-known temper, the other Group of 7 leaders sought to nudge him toward their views on the pressing issues of the day, or at least register their differences -- while making sure to wrap them in a French crepe of flattery, as they know he prefers. It was far from clear the messages were received, or in any case at least welcome.... For his part, Mr. Trump largely stuck to diplomatic niceties, refraining from hate-tweeting his colleagues and leaving aside his caustic complaints.... While the president relishes confrontation, he tends to avoid conflict in person, saving his vitriol for long-distance social media blasts."

Angelique Chrisafis of the Guardian: "... Emmanuel Macron has condemned what he called 'extraordinarily rude' comments made about his wife, Brigitte, by the far-right Brazilian leader, Jair Bolsonaro, escalating their diplomatic clash.... Over the weekend Bolsonaro personally expressed approval online for a Facebook post implying that Brigitte Macron was not as good-looking as his own wife, Michelle Bolsonaro."

Mrs. McCrabbie: At 9:15 am ET, Trump & Macron's news conference is coming up "shortly." That's when I turn off the teevee.

Angelique Chrisafis: “Donald Trump did not attend Monday's crucial discussion on climate and biodiversity at the G7 meeting of international leaders in Biarritz, missing talks on how to deal with the Amazon rainforest fires as well as new ways to cut carbon emissions.... Trump was later asked by reporters covering a meeting with the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, whether he had attended the climate session. He replied: 'We're having it in a little while.' He did not appear to hear when a reporter told him it had just taken place." Mrs. McC: Is Trump pretending not to know what's going on, or does he not know?

Still Time for a Biarritz Trumpertantrum. AP: "... Donald Trump and [G7] summit host French President Emmanuel Macron will finish off the three-day summit with a joint news conference Monday. But first the leaders of the Group of Seven rich democracies -- the U.S., France, Britain, Germany, Japan, Canada and Italy -- are holding a string of meetings on climate change, how digitalization is transforming the world and other issues." ...

... Toluse Olorunnipa, et al., of the Washington Post: "President Trump began his final day at the Group of Seven summit complaining about the media but offering scant evidence that he and other world leaders gathered in France had made any progress on tackling major global challenges ranging from a slowing economy to nuclear proliferation.... 'In France we are all laughing at how knowingly inaccurate the U.S. reporting of events and conversations at the G-7 is,' Trump tweeted early Monday. 'These Leaders, and many others, are getting a major case study of Fake News at it's finest! They've got it all wrong, from Iran, to China Tariffs, to Boris!'... Negotiators from each country talked trade and other issues late into the night, but the U.S. delegation blocked any consensus, a senior European official said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the closed-door discussions.... [Trump] signaled on Monday that trade deals were in motion -- although both China and Japan quickly undercut elements of his claims. 'China called,' Trump said. 'They want to make a deal.' Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said he was 'not aware' of any weekend phone call.... [Trump] also sought to boost what he called a trade deal 'in principle' with Japan.... Japanese Foreign Ministry spokesman Takeshi Osuga said Monday that talks were still at a more preliminary stage." ...

... Peter Baker of the New York Times is liveblogging the G7 meeting. Baker relies on Trump's assertion that China called to restart trade negotiations. ...

     ... Emoluments Update: "President Trump suggested that next year's G7 meeting could held at one of his own properties, the Trump National Doral, near Miami." Mrs. McC: Yes, because everyone wants to go to Miami in August. On the other hand, world leaders probably want to enjoy Trump-style nouveau luxe. ...

     ... (The NYT liveblog has now been updated to include a mini-report on Trump's Doral proposal: "The idea of his using one of his resorts to host an international summit meeting would raise many questions, including whether and how much the government would pay for the premises, and how much Mr. Trump would profit from it.") ...

     ... Update 2: "The Group of 7 agreed on a $20 million aid package to help Brazil and its neighbors fight the fires raging in the Amazon rain forest, President Emmanuel Macron of France said on Monday." Mrs. McC: Of course Trump didn't show up for the meeting. According to CNN, the White House says his absence was caused by his having other meetings with Angela Merkel & Narenda Modi, but they both managed to attend the climate-change meeting.

     ... Update 3: "Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India on Monday declined President Trump's offer to mediate the escalating dispute with Pakistan over the territory of Kashmir, saying that he did not want to involve any other country in the matter." Mrs. McC: Another missed chance for that elusive Nobel Peace Prize!

... Zeke Miller & Darlene Superville of the AP: "... Donald Trump, under pressure to scale back a U.S.-China trade war partly blamed for a global economic slowdown, claimed Monday that the two sides will begin serious negotiations soon. Trump said his trade negotiators had received two 'very good calls' from China Sunday.... World leaders had encouraged Trump all weekend to deescalate the conflict with China, he clashed with French President Emmanuel Macron over new France's digital services tax, and he broke with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in not forcefully condemning North Korea's recent ballistic missile launches. But Trump on Monday claimed the reports of disagreements were overblown, starting with the ... visit [by Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif]. Uncharacteristically silent Sunday while Zarif was in France, Trump insisted that Macron had asked his 'approval' before asking Zarif to attend, as he looks to lower tensions in the Persian Gulf.... 'I spoke to President Macron yesterday and I knew everything he was doing and I approved whatever he was doing and I thought it was fine,' Trump said of the Zarif talks." ...

     ... Mrs. McCrabbie: So now we know for sure that the Chinese never called, or they called once, or they called twice. And we also know that Trump gave his approval to Macron for the Zarif visit, as if a U.S. president* can tell a French president who-all can come to France. But, according to media reports, the "White House" was blindsided by Zarif's visit, so either (1) both Trump and White House staff were surprised, or (2) Trump didn't bother to tell staff about Zarif's visit, or (3) all the appropriate U.S. staff were aware of the visit & they told reporters otherwise. I am looking forward to the day when we have a real president who doesn't just automatically lie about every little thing; you know, if the president says (A) & somebody else says (Not-A), you assume (A). ...

     ... Update: CNN has been trying to "get some clarity" or whether or not phone calls took place, & they can't get a straight answer. So one has to guess that's a no. No link.

... Julian Borger of the Guardian: "... Donald Trump has said it is 'too soon' to hold talks with Iranian officials but confirmed he agreed to a French decision to invite Iran's foreign minister for talks in Biarritz during the G7 summit. In another sign that the French-led effort to defuse tensions between US and Iran may be making progress, the Iranian president, Hassan Rouhani, declared himself open in principle to meeting the US president.... [Iran's foreign mininster Mohammad Javad] Zarif said he had spent four hours in talks in Biarritz, including an hour with Macron, as 'some points needed to be clarified or negotiated more, especially banking and oil issues that were discussed in an intensive talks by experts.'" ...

     ... Mrs. McCrabbie: That's funny because one of our favorite senators, the budding diplomat Rand Paul, invited Zarif in mid-July to meet with President Trump, "with President Trump's blessing." (Link is to a New Yorker story by Robin Wright.) So if it's "too soon" to meet with Iran's top guys in late August, it's pretty clear the State Department was not prepared for even a ten-minute photo-op on the sidelines of the G7 event. Could it be because Zarif's appearance in Biarritz "blindsided" State & White House officials? ...

... "RussiaGate," Ctd. Julian Borger of the Guardian: "Donald Trump has rowed with his fellow G7 leaders over his demand that Russia be readmitted to the group.... The disagreement led to heated exchanges at a dinner on Saturday night inside the seaside resort's 19th-century lighthouse. According to diplomatic sources, Trump argued strenuously that Vladimir Putin should be invited back, five years after Russia was ejected from the then G8) for its annexation of Crimea. Of the other leaders around the table, only Giuseppe Conte, the outgoing Italian prime minister, offered Trump any support, according to this account." --s

Yesterday's Commentariat links stories about the G7 meeting, more-or-less in most-recent-first order. ...

... A Man Hears What He Wants to Hear ... Peter Nicholas of the Atlantic: "At the Group of Seven meeting in Biarritz, France, there are, in effect, two different summits under way -- one that's happening in ... Donald Trump's mind, and another that is actually happening on the ground.... To hear Trump tell it, predictions that the weekend summit would be contentious were all wrong. Only the 'Fake and Disgusting News' would conclude that his relations with the other leaders meeting in the coastal resort were 'very tense,' he tweeted, when in fact, they were 'getting along very well.' His counterparts, he insists, are coming forward and agreeing with him that it's a good idea to readmit Russia to the group, he said today.... He's hearing broad support for his trade dispute with China and a lunch visit yesterday with Emmanuel Macron was the best he's had yet with his French counterpart, he said. In none of these instances does Trump's version of events hold up." ...

Reporter: Mr. President, any second thoughts on escalating the trade war with China?

President Trump: Yeah, sure. Why not?

Reporter: Second thoughts? Yes?

Trump: Might as well. Might as well.

Reporter: You have second thoughts about escalating the war with China?

Trump: I have second thoughts about everything.

Mrs. McCrabbie: The White House said Trump didn't hear the question. Really? Three times?

... Heather Hurlburt of New York: "The 2017 G-7, in retrospect, probably told us all we needed to know when world leaders took a walk in Sicily and Trump followed along in a golf cart. At the 2018 meeting, Trump lost control in a session and threw Starburst candies at Angela Merkel, then un-endorsed the agreed-upon summit document, and hate-tweeted at Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau while flying away. So far at this year's G-7..., the sheer volume of Trump's reversals are getting the most global attention."

Jonathan Swan & Margaret Talev of Axios: "President Trump has suggested multiple times to senior Homeland Security and national security officials that they explore using nuclear bombs to stop hurricanes from hitting the United States, according to sources who have heard the president's private remarks and been briefed on a National Security Council memorandum that recorded those comments.... During one hurricane briefing at the White House, Trump said, 'I got it.... Why don't we nuke them?' according to one source who was there. 'They start forming off the coast of Africa, as they're moving across the Atlantic, we drop a bomb inside the eye of the hurricane and it disrupts it. Why can't we do that?' the source added, paraphrasing the president's remarks.... The briefer 'was knocked back on his heels,' the source in the room added. '... People were astonished. After the meeting ended, we thought, "What the f---? What do we do with this?"'... The idea keeps resurfacing in the public even though scientists agree it won't work. The myth has been so persistent that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ... published an online fact sheet for the public under the heading Tropical Cyclone Myths Page.' The page states: 'Apart from the fact that this might not even alter the storm, this approach neglects the problem that the released radioactive fallout would fairly quickly move with the tradewinds to affect land areas and cause devastating environmental problems. Needless to say, this is not a good idea.'" ...

     ... Mrs. Bea McCrabbie: Trump also ordered NASA to explore mining Earth's moon for blue cheese. U.S. trade rep Peter Navarro immediately suggested slapping a tariff on Roquefort.

Ken Vogel & Jeremy Peters of the New York Times: "A loose network of conservative operatives allied with the White House is pursuing what they say will be an aggressive operation to discredit news organizations deemed hostile to President Trump by publicizing damaging information about journalists. It is the latest step in a long-running effort by Mr. Trump and his allies to undercut the influence of legitimate news reporting. Four people familiar with the operation described how it works, asserting that it has compiled dossiers of potentially embarrassing social media posts and other public statements by hundreds of people who work at some of the country's most prominent news organizations. The group has already released information about journalists at CNN, The Washington Post and The New York Times -- three outlets that have aggressively investigated Mr. Trump.... the material publicized so far, while in some cases stripped of context or presented in misleading ways, has proved authentic, and much of it has been professionally harmful to its targets." ...

     ... Ken Meyer of Mediaite summarizes the Times report. Slate also has a summary. Mrs. McC: I don't care if Maggie Haberman is schtupping Jim Acosta in the press room; if I think the "news" comes from Trump & Co., you won't read about it here.

Zack Coleman of Politico: "More than 100 storage sites for coal-burning power plants' toxic leftovers lie in areas that federal emergency managers have labeled a high risk for flooding, according to Politico's examination of government and industry data.... [C]oal ash -- a multibillion-dollar liability problem for communities across the country -- may become an even greater danger because of heavier rains triggered by climate change.... Meanwhile, the Trump administration is moving to weaken an Obama-era regulation meant to prevent a repeat of past coal ash disasters.... The ash ... contains arsenic, selenium, lead, mercury, boron and other contaminants known to cause cancer, neurological damage or heart ailments." --s

Harmeet Kaur of CNN: "The Cherokee Nation announced Thursday that it intends to appoint a delegate to the US House of Representatives, asserting for the first time a right promised to the tribe in a nearly 200-year-old treaty with the federal government. It was a historic step for the Oklahoma-based Cherokee Nation and its nearly 370,000 citizens, coming about a week after Chuck Hoskin Jr. was sworn in as principal chief of the tribe. The Cherokee Nation says it's the largest tribal nation in the US and one of three federally recognized Cherokee tribes. The move raises questions about what that representation in Congress would look like and whether the US will honor an agreement it made almost two centuries ago.... The Cherokee Nation's right to appoint a delegate stems from the [Treaty of New Echota of 1835] that the US government used to forcibly remove the tribe from its ancestral lands", sending them on the Trail of Tears. ...

     ... Mrs. McCrabbie: Gee, maybe this will cause Trump to lose his fondness for Andrew Jackson.

Presidential Race 2020

Sahil Kapur of Bloomberg: "Elizabeth Warren drew the largest crowd of her presidential campaign Sunday in Seattle, as an estimated 15,000 people turned out to support what she calls a movement for change. When touting her wealth tax of 2 cents on every dollar of assets above $50 million, Warren drew chants of '2 cents! 2 cents!' The loudest applause came when she called for overturning the Supreme Court's ruling that lifted campaign finance restrictions."

Mrs. McCrabbie: I linked yesterday to a brief profile of Trump's right-wing "challenger" Joe Walsh. Here's another by Aaron Blake of the Washington Post. Walsh should have gone for an acting Cabinet post instead; he's just the kind of disreputable character who would appeal to Trump but who is unlikely to get through a Senate confirmation.

MEANWHILE, in a Local Race to the Bottom ... Owen Daugherty of the Hill: Joe Arpaio, a year after Donald Trump pardoned him for being a cruel, racist xenophobe, announced he will run to get his sheriff's job back.

Capitalism Is Awesome, Ctd. Richarde Luscombe of the Guardian: "In a controversial move that has outraged environmentalists and also raised questions with authorities responsible for the health and vitality of the [Floridian Santa Fe] river, [Nestlé] is seeking permission to take more than 1.1m gallons a day from the natural springs to sell back to the public as bottled water.... [T]he fragile river ... is already officially deemed to be 'in recovery' ... after years of earlier overpumping.... [C]ompany officials concede in letters to water managers supporting the permit request that its plans would result in four times more water being taken daily than Seven Springs' previously recorded high of 0.26m gallons" --s

Way Beyond the Beltway

U.K./E.U. Brexit Woes. Jennifer Rankin of the Guardian: "The European Union would refuse to negotiate a trade deal with the UK if the government reneged on the Brexit bill, EU sources have said. At the G7 summit in Biarritz, Boris Johnson said it was a 'simple statement of reality' that the UK would withhold much of the £39bn financial settlement agreed by Theresa May, in the event of a no-deal. Brussels sources have warned that future trade talks would be blocked until the UK agreed to a settlement."

The Commentariat -- August 25, 2019

Idiot Abroad

Michael Birnbaum & Toluse Olorunnipa of the Washington Post: "Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif made a surprise visit to ... [Biarritz] Sunday, a move that caught President Trump off-guard and added another element of tension to the meeting of world economic leaders. Zarif's arrival in Biarritz appeared to be a covert initiative by French President Emmanuel Macron, a senior European official said, and other leaders were not informed ahead of time. There was no immediate plan for the Iranian foreign minister to meet anyone other than French officials, the officials said.... 'No comment,' Trump told reporters when asked about news that Zarif was coming to town. Zarif came to Biarritz on the invitation of his French counterpart, Jean-Yves Le Drian, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi wrote on Twitter. The aim of the visit is to 'continue discussions about recent initiatives between the presidents of Iran and France,' Mousavi said. And he said there would be no meetings or negotiations with the U.S. delegation during the trip." The NBC News story is here.

Damian Paletta of the Washington Post: "President Trump said Sunday that he had reached a trade pact 'in principle' with Japanese leader Shinzo Abe, in an apparent effort to gin up support for a tough-talk negotiating style that he says is bearing fruit. Abe, however, said more work had to be done, and it was unclear what format the trade pact might ultimately take. Large trade agreements typically require congressional approval. Trump's description of the trade deal made it sound as if it would be narrower in scale, though he didn't provide many details. Trump, talking up the deal's potential effect, said it could be signed as soon as September. 'We've been working on a deal with Japan for a long time,' he said. 'And we've agreed in principle ... billions and billions of dollars.'" Right. Brett Samuels has the Hill's story.

Morgan Chalfont of the Hill: "President Trump on Sunday promised a 'very big trade deal' with a post-Brexit United Kingdom after meeting with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on the sidelines of the Group of 7 (G-7) summit." Mrs. McC: Of course the predicate of any sentence that begins "President Trump promised" is more meaningless than "covfefe."

Darlene Superville & Zeke Miller of the AP: “... Donald Trump signaled regret Sunday for an escalating trade war with China, as he faces a tense reception from world leaders meeting amid mounting anxiety of a global economic slowdown at the Group of Seven summit in France. Trump is trying to use the conference to rally global leaders to do more to stimulate their economies, as fears rise of a potential slowdown in the U.S. ahead of his reelection. But Trump's counterparts, including British Prime Minister Boris Johnson are trying to convince him to back off his trade wars with China and other countries, which they see as contributing to the economic weakening.... Sunday, during a breakfast meeting with [the U.K.'s new PM Boris] Johnson, Trump [answered,] 'Yeah. For sure,' [to] reporters [who] asked if he has second thoughts about escalating the trade dispute, adding he has 'second thoughts about everything.' But he insisted that 'we're getting along well right now with China.' Johnson ... chided Trump on his hardnosed China policy. 'Just to register a faint sheep-like note of our view on the trade war,' he [said].... 'We're in favor of trade peace.'" ...

     ... Mrs. Bea McCrabbie: All the news organizations are calling Trump's remark a "signal of regret." Really? "Yeah" is a pretty weak "signal," & Trump no doubt already has forgotten it. ...

     ... ** Update: From the NYT liveblog, linked below: "The White House says President Trump's admission to 'second thoughts' about threatening action against China was misinterpreted, and that he only regretted not raising tariffs higher." Justin Wise of the Hill has a more extensive report on the walkback. (The Times report is the single sentence cited, but probably will be updated.) I would give myself an "atta-girl" or a Toljaso award except it doesn't take the Oracle of Delphi to predict Trump or his minions would paper over the only "regret" he ever expressed in his life.

... According to Damian Paletta & others in a Washington Post report, Trump's full answer was, "Yeah, sure why not. Might as well. Might as well. I have second thoughts about everything." Then, "But Trump showed no willingness to back down, saying 'it has to happen.' He accused China of unfair trade practices that he said had to be addressed through tough U.S. measures, no matter the cost. 'I think they want to make a deal much more than I do,' Trump said before [the] breakfast with ... Boris Johnson.... At their first joint meeting -- a dinner of regional Basque specialties -- leaders had 'constructive discussions' about Amazonian deforestation and Iran, according to a senior European official. But the conversation turned 'rough and tumble' when it turned to Trump's desire to bring Russia back into the group next year.... The other G-7 leaders have been deeply opposed to Trump's effort to bring Russian President Vladimir Putin back to their table, saying it would reward bad behavior and give a green light to the annexation and ongoing war in eastern Ukraine. Over dinner, Trump spent some time bashing former president Barack Obama about the decision to kick out Russia, repeating his public statements that Putin had only been kicked out because he outsmarted Obama...." ...

     ... Update. As of 7:34 am ET, here are the lowlights of the WashPo report: "The White House said President Trump's earlier suggestion that he regretted escalating the trade war with China was 'misintrepeted' and that what he regrets is not raising tariffs higher. Trump said North Korea has not violated any rules with recent missile tests, during meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Abe, who said the tests clearly violate U.N. Security Council resolutions. Trump said it is 'certainly possible' he will invite Russian President Vladimir Putin to next year's G-7 meeting in the United States, a move that would almost certainly be opposed by allies." The Post calls the White House's "reinterpretation" of Trump's "regrets" "a head spinning about-face." The whole report is worth reading, as without saying so, it really highlights what an embarrassment Trump is.

... The New York Times is liveblogging developments at the G7. "In comments to reporters ahead of a breakfast with Boris Johnson, the British prime minister, the president said that he had 'no plans right now' to use the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977 to force businesses to leave China as punishment for the country's trade practices. 'Well, I have the right to. If I want, I could declare a national emergency,' Mr. Trump said at the beginning of a day of consultations with world leaders at the Group of 7 summit.... Mr. Trump insist[ed] that none of his counterparts had questioned his China trade war at an opening dinner Saturday night.... 'We think that on the whole, the U.K. has profited massively in the last 200 years from free trade and that's what we want to see,' [Johnson] said [at the breakfast], adding, 'we don't like tariffs on the whole.' Mr. Trump offered a quick retort to the prime minister, asking how Britain was doing 'the last three years,' a reference to its recent economic stagnation.... In a series of early-morning tweets from his hotel room on Sunday, Mr. Trump blamed the 'the Fake and Disgusting News' for predicting that this year's gathering would end in disaster. In fact, he insisted, 'we are having very good meetings, the Leaders are getting along very well.'" Mrs. McC: IOW, the real leaders are walking on eggshells & Trump hasn't blown his lid ... yet.

Toluse Olorunnipa, et al., of the Washington Post: "While Trump struck a positive tone upon his arrival in Biarritz -- tweeting 'Big weekend with other world leaders!' -- the tension surrounding the meeting was held barely below the surface as anxious diplomats kept close watch on the president's Twitter account. Some Trump administration officials hinted that the president was prepared to disrupt the meeting's carefully planned script with his trademark bombast.... On Saturday, Trump used his brief public remarks to praise the 'perfect' weather and predict that Macron and other world leaders 'will accomplish a lot.' But privately, some of his advisers were grumbling over the direction the summit was taking before it even officially began.... Shortly after [Trump & G7 host Emmanuel Macron had] lunch, some senior [Trump] administration officials said they were frustrated with how the French were handling the summit.... Macron has already said he will not pursue a joint communique this year, describing the tradition as 'pointless' given Trump's combative approach.... Trump's continued embrace of his 'America First' agenda -- even in the face of growing signs of global economic turmoil -- indicates that the various world powers will not be able to rely on the United States for steady leadership amid crisis, said Jon B. Alterman, senior vice president at the Center for Strategic and International Studies." ...

... Lori Hinnant, et al., of the AP: "The posturing by leaders of the G-7 rich democracies began well before they stood together for a summit photo.... Just before boarding Air Force One for France, Trump tweeted yet another threat of new tariffs on French wine in retaliation for France's digital services tax. Macron greeted him warmly..., but had already called for an end to the trade disputes that he said threatened global growth.... European Council President Donald Tusk and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson traded barbs over who would go down in history as 'Mr. No Deal' and take the blame for a Brexit departure from the European Union that threatens to go off the rails. And nearly everyone kept a trade threat close at hand." ...

... Michael Shear of the New York Times: "Lunching on a patio overlooking the Bay of Biscay at the Hôtel du Palais on Saturday, President Trump gushed over Emmanuel Macron, the French president and the host of the weekend's annual Group of 7 meeting, held this year in the quaint beach town of Biarritz in the south of France.But ... members of Mr. Trump's administration were publicly and privately dumping on the French president and his team. They complained that the focus of the summit was more on 'niche issues' than the global economic challenges facing their nations. Senior administration officials said that the agenda would center too much on issues designed to play well with Mr. Macron's domestic audience -- like climate change, income and gender equality, and African development -- and was engineered to highlight disagreements with Mr. Trump's administration. They accused Mr. Macron's aides of ignoring pleas by Trump administration officials to focus the summit, which runs through Monday, on national security and a looming economic slowdown. And they said Mr. Macron was purposely trying to fracture the Group of 7 by veering away from its longstanding mission of ensuring that the strains on other economies do not spread globally." ...

     (... Mrs. McCrabbie: In a country full of "quaint" towns, Biarritz is not one of them, IMO. Nearby resort town Saint-Jean-de-Luz is "more quaint," at least in the old part.)

... Tusk v. Trump. Michael Birnbaum & Damian Paletta of the Washington Post: "European Council President Donald Tusk on Saturday said escalating trade tensions between President Trump and other world leaders risk throwing the world into recession, bemoaning 'senseless disputes' that had ripped countries apart. 'This may be the last moment to restore our political community,' he told reporters at the beginning of the Group of Seven summit [in Biarritz, France].... Trade wars will lead to recession while trade deals will boost the economy,' he said. In response to a question, Tusk questioned Trump's motivation in trade wars launched by the United States.... In a sign that leaders are bracing for things to only get worse, Tusk said the E.U. was ready to retaliate against Trump if the U.S. leader followed through on some of his trade-related threats directed at France. Trump has said he will impose tariffs on French wine because France recently imposed taxes that impact U.S. technology companies." The Hill story citing the Post is here. (Also linked yesterday.)

Norimitsu Onishi of the New York Times: "As the Amazon burned and the world faced an ecological disaster, President Emmanuel Macron of France bluntly criticized Brazil's leader this week and threatened to kill a major trade deal between Europe and Brazil. President Trump, on the other hand, posted a tweet only Friday evening, saying that the United States was ready to help contain the fires, but adding that 'future trade prospects' between the United States and Brazil 'are very exciting.' The contrast highlighted the gap in leadership on issues affecting the global climate. As the Trump administration denies established climate science and has abandoned an international accord intended to fight global warming, European leaders have energetically stepped in to take up the mantle of leadership.... Mr. Macron's criticism of Brazil was followed up by Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany, who said forcefully that the Amazon fires would be a central issue during the summit.... Earlier this month, Germany and Norway suspended payments to Brazil's Amazon fund -- a conservation program that had been central to curbing deforestation -- after the Bolsonaro government weakened its leadership.... Last month, Ireland became the first member of the European Union to express opposition to the trade deal between the European Union and Brazil as well as three other South American nations...." More on the Amazon debacle linked under Way Beyond the Beltway.

Neil Irwin of the New York Times: "The series of economic and financial developments on Friday was a strange, bewildering, exhausting microcosm of why the global economy is at risk of a meltdown. It showed the odd interplay at work between the Chinese government's actions in the escalating trade war with the United States, the sober-minded global central bankers who have limited power to deploy and an American president whose public pronouncements often appear driven by grievance more than strategy.... In one dizzying day, [Donald Trump] had seemed to be searching for whom or what to blame for economic troubles, first using Twitter to call his own Federal Reserve chief an enemy of the United States and then to urge American companies to stop doing business with China. And that was just while the markets were open. Later Friday, he said he would apply tariffs to all Chinese imports and increase those already in place.... President Trump's shoot-first approach adds to the risks at a delicate moment, with major economies in Asia and Europe already teetering and policymakers' capacity to contain the damage in question." (Also linked yesterday.)

Peter Baker of the New York Times: "President Trump asserted on Saturday that he has the authority to make good on his threat to force all American businesses to leave China, citing a national security law that has been used mainly to target terrorists, drug traffickers and pariah states like Iran, Syria and North Korea.... Mr. Trump posted a message on Twitter citing the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977 -- a law meant to enable a president to isolate criminal regimes but not intended to be used to cut off economic ties with a major trading partner because of a disagreement over tariffs.... Presidents have used it to target international terrorists, drug kingpins, human rights abusers, cyber attackers, illegal arms proliferators, and multinational criminal organizations.... Seeking to use it in a trade dispute with a country like China would be a drastic departure from its history.... In raising the possibility of forcing American businesses to pull out of China on Friday, Mr. Trump framed it not as a request but as an order he had already issued.... In fact, aides said, no order has been drawn up nor was it clear that he would attempt to do so." (Also linked yesterday.)

     ... The story has been updated, with Keith Bradsher added to the byline. "... the threat itself could still have a long-lasting impact on relations with China and perhaps embolden hard-liners in Beijing pressing President Xi Jinping to take a more confrontational approach to the United States. Mr. Trump's claim that he can order American companies to pull out of China also represented the latest audacious assertion of power by a president who has repeatedly crossed lines his predecessors did not.... American business leaders warned that forcing companies to leave China would hurt the competitiveness of American industry and cause heavy financial losses."

** The Real Reason Trump Is Slamming Powell (or Powel). Jonathan O'Connell, et al., of the Washington Post: "President Trump stands to save millions of dollars annually in interest on outstanding loans on his hotels and resorts if the Federal Reserve lowers rates as he has been demanding, according to public filings and financial experts. In the five years before he became president, Trump borrowed more than $360 million via four loans from Deutsche Bank for his hotels in Washington, D.C., and Chicago, as well his 643-room Doral golf resort in South Florida. The payments on all four properties vary with interest rate changes, according to Trump's official financial disclosures. That means he has already benefited from falling interest rates that were spurred in part by a cut the Federal Reserve announced in July, the first in more than a decade -- and his payments could drop by millions of dollars more annually if the central bank grants Trump's wish and further lowers short-term rates, experts said." Daily Kos has a summary of the WashPo report here. See also Akhilleus's comment at the end of yesterday's thread. (Also linked yesterday.)

"Trump Revived the Jewish Left." Michelle Goldberg of the New York Times: "Donald Trump might have thought he was going to lure Jewish voters to the Republican Party with his lock-step alliance with the Israeli right. Instead, by attempting to use American Jews as mascots for an administration that fills most of them with horror, he has spurred a renaissance on the Jewish left.... For Jews on the left, fear has been magnified by insult as Trump, the man who helped unleash a new wave of anti-Semitism, posed as the Jews' savior because of his devotion to the Israeli right.... Never Again Action was born in reaction to the perceived failures of mainstream Jewish organizations to stand up to Trump.... The Jewish left rejects the idea that anti-Zionism is equivalent to anti-Semitism, but even more than that, it rejects the idea that Israel is the guarantor of Jewish safety or the lodestar of Jewish identity.... For those primarily concerned about Jewish life in the diaspora, Israel, which has courted anti-Semitic nationalist leaders in Europe, isn't really an ally, much less an ideal. And Trump, who always speaks of American Jews as if they belong there, is a grotesque enemy."

"The Great Trump Crackup." Conservative Rick Wilson in the New York Daily News: "Donald Trump's affect, speech patterns and overall delivery this week have been alternately horrifying and hilarious. A combination of waking hallucinations, verbal tics, lies surpassing even his usual fabulist standard, aphasias and lunatic blurtings, each public utterance was a moment where the eye of his aides either popped or rolled, depending on their level of cynicism.... With no adult supervision in the White House left..., this is a man on the edge, and there is absolutely nothing and no one to stop him.... His sweaty, heavy-breathing press sprays on the White House lawn left reporters in a state of stunned silence, the spittle-flecked rantings of a man determined to machine-gun out a hundred ideas in the time a rational person would discuss two." Mrs. McC: The Daily News has a monthly limit, but you can open the page in a private window.

Daniel Dale & Konstantin Toropin of CNN: "When ... Donald Trump was asked Wednesday what victims of mass shootings are telling him about gun laws, he did not answer directly. Instead, he boasted of 'the love for me' among the people he visited in hospitals in El Paso and Dayton after the August massacres in those cities. 'Not only did they meet with me, they were pouring out of the room. The doctors were coming out of the operating rooms. There were hundreds and hundreds of people all over the floor, he said. Facts First: Doctors did not leave any active operating rooms, spokespeople for both the El Paso and Dayton hospitals said. The Dayton spokesperson said doctors did not even leave any patient rooms." (Also linked yesterday.) ...

     ... Mrs. McCrabbie: Trump is so nuts he thinks doctors would let patients die on the operating tables just to get a chance to see the "Chosen One." OR, he's so nuts he knows the doctors did no such thing, so he has to make up the story to puff himself up. Pathetic, either way.

Presidential Race 2020

Donald Trump has no strategy or plan. His reckless actions drove his own companies into bankruptcy -- now they threaten the global economy and increase the risk of a recession that will hit working families hardest. -- Elizabeth Warren, in a tweet Friday ...

... Jim Tankersley & Thomas Kaplan of the New York Times: "On the campaign trail this past week, Democratic candidates blasted Mr. Trump for his economic stewardship, criticizing his gyrating trade policy and accusing him of hurting American workers and farmers and stoking a possible recession. In doing so, they signaled a readiness to seize an issue that has been a strength for Mr. Trump -- the nation's economy -- and harness it as an advantage for themselves."

Verhampshire. John Bowden of the Hill: "Former Vice President Joe Biden mistakenly praised the state of Vermont Saturday when asked about his impression of Keene, New Hampshire by reporters during a press gaggle. Video of the exchange shows Biden remarking about Vermont's 'beauty' after an unseen reporter asks him for his 'impression' of the town, which is located in southwestern New Hampshire, close to the state's border with Vermont."

Regina Zilbermints of the Hill: "Former Rep. Joe Walsh (R-Ill.) on Sunday announced he would mount a primary challenge to President Trump. The conservative radio host unveiled his campaign on ABC's 'This Week.' 'We've got a guy in the White House who is unfit, completely unfit to be president and it stuns me that nobody stepped up, nobody in the Republican Party stepped up, because I'll tell you what[,] George, everybody believes in the Republican party, everybody believes he's unfit,' Walsh told ABC's George Stephanopoulos. "He lies every time he opens his mouth." Mrs. McC: Fortunately for Trump, Walsh is as unfit as Trump is.

Emily Atkin of the New Republic interviewed Christopher Leonard to reflect on David Koch's climate legacy. Leonard: "Koch Industries -- that is, David and Charles Koch and their political network -- has played an almost unparalleled role in helping to cast doubt on the basic science behind climate change; create doubt in the public mind that climate change is real; and particularly, most importantly, to cast doubt on the idea that government regulation can or should do anything to regulate greenhouse gas emissions.... Because of Koch's funding, the climate denial movement had an organizational backbone out of the box.... And that helped ... mainstream the ideas. And critically, it helped translate climate denial into a political reality.... The Koch network played a vital and unrivaled role in burning down the moderate wing of the Republican Party that acknowledged the reality of climate change.... The machine will continue to go forward as it has, even without David Koch at the forefront."

David Kirkpatrick of the New York Times: "Prince Andrew [of Britain], facing intensifying scrutiny of his ties to the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, broke a long silence on Saturday to say that he never saw or suspected any behavior involving the sexual trafficking and exploitation of underage girls during their long friendship. The prince's statement, which was issued in his own name instead of by Buckingham Palace, was by far the most comprehensive account he has offered of their friendship. Yet Prince Andrew offered no new explanation for continuing a relationship with Mr. Epstein after the financier emerged from a Florida jail in 2010 following a sex crime conviction." The Guardian's story is here.

Beyond the Beltway

Nick Corasaniti, et al., of the New York Times: "In the year after receiving test results showing alarming levels of lead in this city's drinking water, Mayor Ras Baraka of Newark ... mailed a brochure to all city residents assuring them that 'the quality of water meets all federal and state standards.' He declared the water safe and then condemned, in capital letters on the city's website, 'outrageously false statements' to the contrary. And he elevated an official to run the city's water department who had served four years in prison for conspiring to sell five kilograms of cocaine. The moves were the latest in a long line of questionable actions that have created one of the biggest environmental crises to hit a major American city in recent years. This month, the city told tens of thousands of Newark residents to drink bottled water, but only after receiving a stern warning from federal officials about lead leaching into tap water from aging pipes.... An investigation by The New York Times ... reveals blunders at all levels of government in safeguarding Newark's water infrastructure.... The crisis could also cast a shadow over the presidential campaign of Senator Cory Booker, who served as Newark's mayor from 2006 to 2013."

Way Beyond

Brazil. Marcelo Silva de Sousa of the AP: "Backed by military aircraft, Brazilian troops on Saturday were deploying in the Amazon to fight fires that have swept the region and prompted anti-government protests as well as an international outcry. President Jair Bolsonaro also tried to temper global concern, saying that previously deforested areas had burned and that intact rainforest was spared. Even so, the fires were likely to be urgently discussed at a summit of the Group of Seven leaders in France this weekend. Some 44,000 troops will be available for 'unprecedented' operations to put out the fires, and forces are heading to six Brazilian states that asked for federal help, Defense Minister Fernando Azevedo said." ...

... Jair Diddled While the Amazon Burned. Dom Phillips of the Guardian: "While the Amazon burned and Brazilians demonstrated their outrage, Brazil's far-right president Jair Bolsonaro went to a comedy club. As the president's pre-recorded speech to the nation explaining how he planned to use the army to fight the fires -- while simultaneously insisting the rate of burning forest was nothing out of the ordinary -- was broadcast on television on Friday night, he was at a standup show in Brasília by right-wing Christian comic Jonathan Nemer." (Also linked yesterday.)