CNBC: “Job growth proved better than expected in June, as the labor market showed surprising resilience and likely taking a July interest rate cut off the table. Nonfarm payrolls increased a seasonally adjusted 147,000 for the month, higher than the estimate for 110,000 and just above the upwardly revised 144,000 in May, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Thursday. April’s tally also saw a small upward revision, now at 158,000 following an 11,000 increase.... Though the jobless rates fell [to 4.1%], it was due largely to a decrease in those working or looking for jobs.”
Washington Post: “A warehouse storing fireworks in Northern California exploded on Tuesday,leaving seven people missing and two injured as explosions continued intoWednesday evening, officials said. Dramatic video footage captured by KCRA 3 News, a Sacramento broadcaster, showed smoke pouring from the building’s roof before a massive explosion created a fireball that seemed to engulf much of the warehouse, accompanied by an echoing boom. Hundreds of fireworks appeared to be going off and were sparkling within the smoke. Photos of the aftermath showed multiple destroyed buildings and a large area covered in gray ash.” ~~~
New York Times: “The Rev. Jimmy Swaggart, who emerged from the backwoods of Louisiana to become a television evangelist with global reach, preaching about an eternal struggle between good and evil and warning of the temptations of the flesh, a theme that played out in his own life in a sex scandal, died on July 1. He was 90.” ~~~
~~~ For another sort of obituary, see Akhilleus' commentary near the end of yesterday's thread.
Help!
To keep the Conversation going, please help me by linking news articles, opinion pieces and other political content in today's Comments section.
Link Code: <a href="URL">text</a>
OR here's a link generator. The one I had posted died, then Akhilleus found one, but it too bit the dust. He found yet another, which I've linked here, and as of September 23, 2024, it's working.
OR you can always just block, copy and paste to your comment the URL (Web address) of the page you want to link.
Note for Readers. It is not possible for commenters to "throw" their highlighted links to another window. But you can do that yourself. Right-click on the link and a drop-down box will give you choices as to where you want to open the link: in a new tab, new window or new private window.
Thank you to everyone who has been contributing links to articles & other content in the Comments section of each day's "Conversation." If you're missing the comments, you're missing some vital links.
Commencement ceremonies are joyous occasions, and Steve Carell made sure that was true this past weekend (mid-June) at Northwestern's commencement:
~~~ Carell's entire commencement speech was hilarious. The audio and video here isn't great, but I laughed till I cried.
CNN did a live telecast Saturday night (June 7) of the Broadway play "Good Night, and Good Luck," written by George Clooney and Grant Heslov, about legendary newsman Edward R. Murrow's effort to hold to account Sen. Joe McCarthy, "the junior senator from Wisconsin." Clooney plays Murrow. Here's Murrow himself with his famous take on McCarthy & McCarthyism, brief remarks that especially resonate today: ~~~
~~~ This article lists ways you still can watch the play.
New York Times: “The New York Times Company has agreed to license its editorial content to Amazon for use in the tech giant’s artificial intelligence platforms, the company said on Thursday. The multiyear agreement 'will bring Times editorial content to a variety of Amazon customer experiences,' the news organization said in a statement. Besides news articles, the agreement encompasses material from NYT Cooking, The Times’s food and recipe site, and The Athletic, which focuses on sports. This is The Times’s first licensing arrangement with a focus on generative A.I. technology. In 2023, The Times sued OpenAI and its partner, Microsoft, for copyright infringement, accusing the tech companies of using millions of articles published by The Times to train automated chatbots without any kind of compensation. OpenAI and Microsoft have rejected those accusations.” ~~~
~~~ Marie: I have no idea what this means for "the Amazon customer experience." Does it mean that if I don't have a NYT subscription but do have Amazon Prime I can read NYT content? And where, exactly, would I find that content? I don't know. I don't know.
Washington Post reporters asked three AI image generators what a beautiful woman looks like. "The Post found that they steer users toward a startlingly narrow vision of attractiveness. Prompted to show a 'beautiful woman,' all three tools generated thin women, without exception.... Her body looks like Barbie — slim hips, impossible waist, round breasts.... Just 2 percent of the images showed visible signs of aging. More than a third of the images had medium skin tones. But only nine percent had dark skin tones. Asked to show 'normal women,' the tools produced images that remained overwhelmingly thin.... However bias originates, The Post’s analysis found that popular image tools struggle to render realistic images of women outside the Western ideal." ~~~
~~~ Marie: The reporters seem to think they are calling out the AI programs for being unrealistic. But there's a lot about the "beautiful women" images they miss. I find these omissions remarkably sexist. For one thing, the reporters seem to think AI is a magical "thing" that self-generates. It isn't. It's programmed. It's programmed by boys, many of them incels who have little or no experience or insights beyond comic books and Internet porn of how to gauge female "beauty." As a result, the AI-generated women look like cartoons; that is, a lot like an air-brushed photo of Kristi Noem: globs of every kind of dark eye makeup, Scandinavian nose, Botox lips, slathered-on skin concealer/toner/etc. makeup, long dark hair and the aforementioned impossible Barbie body shape, including huge, round plastic breasts.
New York Times: “George Clooney’s Broadway debut, 'Good Night, and Good Luck,' has been one of the sensations of the 2024-25 theater season, breaking box office records and drawing packed houses of audiences eager to see the popular movie star in a timely drama about the importance of an independent press. Now the play will become much more widely available: CNN is planning a live broadcast of the penultimate performance, on June 7 at 7 p.m. Eastern. The performance will be preceded and followed by coverage of, and discussion about, the show and the state of journalism.”
No free man shall be seized or imprisoned, or stripped of his rights or possessions, or outlawed or exiled, or deprived of his standing in any other way, nor will we proceed with force against him, or send others to do so, except by the lawful judgment of his equals or by the law of the land. -- Magna Carta ~~~
~~~ New York Times: “Bought for $27.50 after World War II, the faint, water stained manuscript in the library of Harvard Law School had attracted relatively little attention since it arrived there in 1946. That is about to change. Two British academics, one of whom happened on the manuscript by chance, have discovered that it is an original 1300 version — not a copy, as long thought — of Magna Carta, the medieval document that helped establish some of the world’s most cherished liberties. It is one of just seven such documents from that date still in existence.... A 710-year-old version of Magna Carta was sold in 2007 for $21.3 million.... First issued in 1215, it put into writing a set of concessions won by rebellious barons from a recalcitrant King John of England — or Bad King John, as he became known in folklore. He later revoked the charter, but his son, Henry III, issued amended versions, the last one in 1225, and Henry’s son, Edward I, in turn confirmed the 1225 version in 1297 and again in 1300.”
NPR lists all of the 2025 Pulitzer Prize winners. Poynter lists the prizes awarded in journalism as well as the finalists in these categories.
Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.
Success is not final, failure is not fatal; it is the courage to continue that counts. — Anonymous
A nation of sheep will beget a government of wolves. — Edward R. Murrow
Publisher & Editor: Marie Burns
I have a Bluesky account now. The URL ishttps://bsky.app/profile/marie-burns.bsky.social . When Reality Chex goes down, check my Bluesky page for whatever info I am able to report on the status of Reality Chex. If you can't access the URL, I found that I could Google Bluesky and ask for Marie Burns. Google will include links to accounts for people whose names are, at least in part, Maria Burns, so you'll have to tell Google you looking only for Marie.
If you haven’t got a ha’penny, good fortune to you!
This season, after a year of terrible troubles and tribulations, I’m thinking of all those edged off from commerce and the world Who work for joy instead of gain.
And I’m thinking of those that sacrifice for others so those others can survive.
O would that I could gather them this Yuletide and shower them with coins of gold and love. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Enjoy your holidays, all you wonderful people, I wish you well!
Michael Kranish, et al., of the Washington Post: "For months, efforts to discredit special counsel Robert S. Mueller III's investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 campaign flickered at the fringes of political debate. Now, the allegation that FBI and Justice Department officials are part of a broad conspiracy against President Trump is suddenly center stage, amplified by conservative activists, GOP lawmakers, right-leaning media and the president himself. The clamor has become a sustained backdrop to the special counsel investigation, with congressional committees grilling a parade of law enforcement officials in recent days.... The partisan atmosphere is a sharp departure from the near-universal support that greeted Mueller's selection as special counsel in May -- and threatens to shadow his investigation's eventual findings. Trump, while vowing to cooperate with the special counsel, has also encouraged attacks on Mueller's credibility, tweeting that the investigation is 'the greatest Witch Hunt in U.S. political history.'"
Julia Manchester of the Hill: "A Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesman late Saturday labeled a string of shootings in Harrisburg, Pa. targeting police officers a terror attack and used the incident to criticize chain migration. Tyler Houltonsaid in a tweet that DHS confirmed that the suspect, 51-year-old Ahmed Amin El-Mofty, benefited from extended family chain migration, which takes place when immigrants in the U.S. sponsor other family members for visas.... [Ahmed] El-Mofty allegedly opened fire on police officers in three different locations in the state's capital on Friday. The FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were reportedly investigating whether the shootings could be considered an act of terror."
*****
Michael Shear & Julie Davis of the New York Times: In a June meeting, President Trumpdisparaged immigrants to the U.S. who are from majority non-white countries. Trump & aide Stephen Miller lashed out at Secretary of State Rex Tillerson for letting them into the U.S. "Haiti had sent 15,000 people. They 'all have AIDS,' he grumbled.... Forty thousand had come from Nigeria, Mr. Trump added. Once they had seen the United States, they would never 'go back to their huts,' [Trump said.]... Tempers flared and [chief of staff John] Kelly asked that the room be cleared of staff members. But even after the door to the Oval Office was closed, aides could still hear the president berating his most senior advisers. Sarah Huckabee Sanders ... denied on Saturday morning that Mr. Trump had made derogatory statements about immigrants during the meeting.... Mr. Trump entered office with an agenda of symbolic but incompletely thought-out goals, the product not of rigorous policy debate but of emotionally charged personal interactions and an instinct for tapping into the nativist views of white working-class Americans. Like many of his initiatives, his effort to change American immigration policy has been executed through a disorderly and dysfunctional process.... [But] his efforts to remake decades of immigration policy have gained increasing momentum as the White House became more disciplined and adept at either ignoring or undercutting the entrenched opposition of many parts of the government." This is a long piece. ...
... Mrs. Bea McCrabbie: Trump's mother & paternal grandfather were immigrants to the U.S. So were two of his wives. It isn't immigration he opposes; it's people of color. ...
... digby: "What this story shows is that Trump wants to cut off immigration for anyone Trump doesn't like. Which means anyone who isn't white and/or rich. Trump, like his voters, wants an America that only looks like him." ...
... David Atkins in the Washington Monthly: "Every piece of Trump's supposed economic populism has been stripped away in a wave of pro-corporate policies benefiting the very rich and hurting the middle class. All that is left is the ugliest of racist and sexist vitriol. Those who continue ... to support this regime now have made very clear who they are, and it's antithetical to everything this nation of immigrants stands for." ...
... Benjamin Hart of New York: "As the [NYT] article notes, fear and disgust of outsiders has animatedTrump for decades; unlike, say, his position on abortion, bigotry has been one of his consistent traits since he entered public life. Among many, many other examples, Trump has demanded the death penalty for the Central Park Five and failed to change his opinion even when they were proven innocent; called Mexicans rapists on the first day of his presidential campaign; defended neo-Nazis; and, of course, advanced a conspiracy theory about the first black president for years. So even if the comments reported on Saturday go one step beyond what Trump might say in public (and it's a small step), they certainly feel like a plausible representation of the man 63 million Americans voted for -- the man whose xenophobia has made America more closed off to the world than it has been in generations." ...
... For Some Reason, People Don't Believe Mrs. Huckleberry. Eugune Scott of the Washington Post: "The challenge the White House currently faces -- especially among those groups with which Trump is highly unpopular -- is that most people trust the press more than they trust the president. According to a Quinnipiac poll, more than half -- 52 percent -- trust the media more than Trump to tell the truth about important issues. And for many voters, topics related to immigration and race are among the most important.
... Josh Gerstein of Politico: "A federal judge has partially blocked an order ... Donald Trump issued in October suspending admission of refugees from 11 countries, most of which are majority Muslim. U.S. District Court Judge James Robart issued a nationwide preliminary injunction Saturday afternoon that prevents the administration from halting or diverting resources from refugee applications brought on behalf of family members of immigrants already in the U.S. The injunction does not provide relief for refugees who lack a 'bona fide relationship' with individuals, businesses or schools in the U.S. The Seattle-based judge, who was appointed by President George W. Bush, said Trump's October order violated provisions in immigration laws ... governing criteria and procedures for admission of refugees." ...
... Mrs. McCrabbie: Time for another Twitter bombardment of the judiciary. ...
... Steve Coll of the New Yorker: "Since the nineteen-seventies, Gallup has been polling Americans annually about their confidence in their country's institutions.... Over all, the project describes a collapse in trust over time, even though the surveys started amid the disillusionment of Watergate and the failed war in Vietnam.... The country's disillusionment with institutions enabled Donald Trump's election.... [Trump's unrelenting attacks on American institutions] suggests the need for a certain realism and vigilance about the rising volume of attacks by Trump and his allies on Robert Mueller ... and on the F.B.I., whose agents carry out much of the investigative work."
The Biggest Liar. Carlos Lozado of the Washington Postreviews books about three past presidential scandals. "Trump appears Nixonian in his disregard for democratic norms, Clintonian in his personal recklessness and beyond Reaganesque in his distance from the details of policy. But where the parallels and parables of past scandals fall apart is with Trump's well-documented disregard for truth. In Watergate, Iran-contra and the Clinton impeachment, views of the president's honesty played a significant role for the public, for administration officials and for lawmakers torn over how to proceed.... [Trump's] His tweets are his Nixon tapes; the 'Access Hollywood' recording his Starr report; his heedlessness for checks, balances and the rule of law his Iran-contra affair.... The expectation of integrity has given way to a cynical acceptance of deceit. As much as anything Mueller uncovers, this is the scandal of our time."
Nick Tabor, in New York, lists 55 specific waysTrump wrecked changed the U.S. this year.
Adam Goldman of the New York Times: "The F.B.I.'s embattled deputy director, Andrew G. McCabe, an unlikely lightning rod who has been attacked repeatedly by President Trump and congressional Republicans, is expected to retire after he becomes eligible for his pension early next year, according to people familiar with his decision. While Mr. McCabe's plans to leave aren't unexpected, his decision should take some of the pressure off Christopher A. Wray, who was confirmed as F.B.I. director in August. Mr. Trump has complained to confidantes that Mr. Wray has not moved fast enough to replace the senior leadership that he inherited from his predecessor, James B. Comey, whom Mr. Trump summarily dismissed in May.... On Saturday, Mr. Trump went after Mr. McCabe and Mr. Comey again in a fusillade on Twitter.... The president crowed on Saturday that James A. Baker, the F.B.I. general counsel, who was seen as an ally of Mr. Comey's, would soon step down from that post, although he will remain at the bureau." ...
... Bob Brigham of the Raw Story: "Federal prosecutors are scrutinizing a $285 million loan from Deutsche Bank to Jared Kushner's family real-estate company, The Wall Street Journalreports. The loan was issued in October 2016, one month before the presidential election. Kushner was chief executive office of the Kushner Company at the time and was also advising the [Trump campaign]...."
Todd Frankel of the Washington Post: "Many U.S. charities are worried the tax overhaul bill signed by President Trump on Friday could spur a landmark shift in philanthropy, speeding along the decline of middle-class donors and transforming charitable gift-giving into a pursuit largely left to the wealthy. The source of concern is how the tax bill is expected to sharply reduce the number of taxpayers who qualify for the charitable tax deduction -- a big driver of gifts to nonprofits. One study predicts that donations will fall by at least $13 billion, about 4.5 percent, next year.... That could create new winners and losers in philanthropy. Nonprofits have long noticed that the wealthy are more likely to cut big checks to support museums and universities, while smaller donors tend to give to social-service agencies and religious organizations."
John Cassidy of the New Yorker (Dec. 22): "... for sheer bizarreness, it's hard to think of anything that matched the scene on Wednesday afternoon on the South Lawn of the White House, where Republican leaders, celebrating the passage of their terrible tax bill, lavished praise on Donald Trump in the manner of Communist functionaries addressing Mao or Stalin.... The sight of the G.O.P. celebrating its first big legislative success of the Trump era in such a degrading fashion [should] also remind everybody ... about what's at stake...: the future of democracy in this country."
Carol Morello & David Filipov of the Washington Post: "Russian officials said Saturday that the U.S. decision to supply Ukraine with lethal weapons to combat Russian-backed separatists will cause new bloodshed, as long-standing tensions between Washington and Moscow escalated over the four-year-old conflict. Moscow's admonition came shortly after the State Department announced Friday evening that the United States will provide heavy armaments to Ukraine for the first time, a step up from the support equipment and training offered so far.... On Wednesday, Washington said it had approved an export license allowing the sale of light weapons and small arms to Ukraine from commercial U.S. manufacturers. The U.S. decision to provide lethal weapons brought a predictably sharp rebuke from Moscow, which has tacitly backed the separatists in eastern Ukraine while denying that it actively supports them." ...
... Jeet Heer: "... the decision on arming Ukraine illustrates ... [that] the United States has two wildly divergent foreign policies toward Russia. Trump is pursuing a policy of conciliation, while the national security establishment, including Secretary of Defense James Mattis and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, have pursued a policy of aggressive containment. Trump sees Russia as a potential ally, while many in his cabinet and in Congress consider Russia a rival that is actively threatening American democracy. This contradictory policy could send mixed signals, leading to war.... If a crisis erupts, there's no clarity as to which of these two policies will govern.... On Monday, the Trump administration released its national security strategy, which portrayed Russia and China as rival superpowers.... And yet, in a speech introducing this document, Trump veered off of his prepared remarks and spoke about the need to 'build a great partnership' with Russia and China. Trump also described a friendly conversation he had with Putin...." ...
... Amy Wang of the Washington Post: "The Marine Corps commandant told about 300 Marines in Norway this week that they should be prepared for a 'bigass fight' to come. 'I hope I'm wrong, but there's a war coming,' Gen. Robert Neller told the Marines on Thursday, according to Military.com.... As the Marines' top general, Neller is a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.... In particular, Neller predicted the Pacific and Russia to be the focus of any conflict in the future outside of the Middle East, Military.com reported.... It is unclear to what extent his comments were indicative of an actual war to come or merely meant as a pep talk for troops stationed far from home over the Christmas holiday."
Niraj Chokshi & Joumana Khatib of the New York Times: "Three executives of the Miss America Organization resigned on Saturday after reports that the pageant's leadership had attacked and derided former pageant winners in emails. Dan Meyers, a spokesman for Miss America, said the organization ha accepted the resignations of Sam Haskell, the chief executive; Josh Randle, the president; and Lynn Weidner, the chairwoman.... The emails, published by HuffPost on Thursday, showed that Mr. Haskell had made comments about former pageant winners that were disrespectful and misogynistic, with support, in some cases, from other members of the organization.... In a letter, reported by HuffPost on Friday, 49 former pageant winners said the behavior of Mr. Haskell and several other top leaders was 'despicable' and called for their resignation. The signatories included winners of pageants from 1948 to 2017."
Eileen Sullivan & Michael Tackett of the New York Times: "President Trump signed the most consequential tax legislation in three decades on Friday, even as he complained that he has not been given credit for his administration's accomplishments during a turbulent first year. Mr. Trump decided against doing a formal signing ceremony early next year because television news networks questioned whether he would keep his promise to sign the legislation before Christmas. Mr. Trump said he saw the coverage Friday morning and hastily called his staff to say that the legislation needed to be signed 'now,' prompting a last-minute Oval Office ceremony for the president's greatest achievement in his first year in office." (Also linked yesterday.) ...
... Naomi Jagoda of the Hill: "Congress's tax scorekeeper said Friday that the tax-cut package President Trumpsigned earlier in the day won't fully pay for itself through economic growth. After accounting for macroeconomic effects, the bill would reduce federal revenue by $1.07 trillion over 10 years, according to the Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT). While that's less than the $1.46 trillion price tag the JCT put on the bill before accounting for economic growth, the committee says the bill still isn't close to being deficit-neutral. The JCT's report was released hours after Trump signed the tax package int law at the White House. The president said that the tax cuts will be 'fantastic for the economy.'" Mrs. McC: Yeah, & Ivanka Trump said the tax heist would pay for itself. So the JCT must be wrong. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ...
... Jesse Drucker & Audrey Carlsen of the New York Times: "President Trump would save about $11 million on his taxes, if the new Republican tax overhaul were applied to his 2005 tax return, a New York Times analysis has found. The savings would be a roughly 30 percent cut. He would also save another $4.4 million on his eventual estate tax bill." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ...
... Jeffery Mays of the New York Times: "In wealthier, high-property-tax towns [in New York State]..., nearly all the residential property tax bills are more than $10,000. By prepaying next year's property taxes now, homeowners are hoping to deduct the payments on their 2017 federal taxes. On Friday, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo [D-N.Y.] signed an executive order suspending provisions in state law that might have blocked some residents from prepaying next year's property taxes. Mr. Cuomo, a possible presidential contender, said the move was aimed at protecting residents from the 'divisive' Trump administration's tax law that is an 'economic dagger targeted for the heart' of New York.... He said some people may think the executive order was designed to 'circumvent' the tax bill President Trump just signed. 'You are damned right,' Mr. Cuomo said." See also Marvin S.'s comment at the end of yesterday's thread. ...
... ** Heather Long of the Washington Post on things you can do before January 1 to lower your tax bills for 2017 & 2018. Most of these work only if you itemize deductions. Mrs. McC: As for me, I'm giving more to charity this week & following Mrs. S.'s lead by trudging down to the local tax collector (can't drive; car stuck in snowbank!).
Adam Goldman & Maggie Haberman of the New York Times: Donald "Trump's verbal assaults [on the F.B.I.] have put [Director Christopher] Wray and his leadership team in a difficult position.... Mr. Wray ... has promised the F.B.I.'s work would be based on the 'facts, the law and the impartial pursuit of justice -- period.' Yet Mr. Trump and his allies in Congress are making that task much harder. Current and former F.B.I. officials say Mr. Trump's criticisms, and those of normally supportive Republican members of Congress, have damaged morale in some quarters of the bureau.... During a congressional hearing this month, Representative Louie Gohmert, Republican of Texas, asked Mr. Wray about the political views of some of his top agents. F.B.I. officials said they were stunned that Mr. Gohmert singled out a seemingly random group of agents. Several of those mentioned had nothing to do with either the investigation into Hillary Clinton's handling of classified information, or the F.B.I.'s inquiry into Russian interference in the 2016 election.... Shortly after it was revealed early this month that a senior F.B.I. agent and counterintelligence lawyer who worked on both the Clinton and Russia investigations had made anti-Trump comments while exchanging texts, the president said in a Twitter post that the F.B.I.'s 'reputation is in Tatters.'"
Ana Swanson of the New York Times: A year ago, "Mr. Trump pledged to build roads and bridges, strengthen 'Buy America' provisions, protect factories from unfair imports and revive industry, especially steel. But after a year in office, Mr. Trump has not enacted these policies. And when it comes to steel, his failure to follow through on a promise has actually done more harm than good.... Foreign steel makers have rushed to get their product into the United States before tariffs start.... That surge of imports has hurt American steel makers, which were already struggling against a glut of cheap Chinese steel." (Also linked yesterday.) ...
... Mrs. McCrabbie: It's amazing how many Trump voters knew he was a non-stop liar but still thought whatever he said that profited them was the one true thing.
Mattathias Schwartz in New York: "Multiple news organizations have calculated that the death toll [in Puerto Rico] from Hurricane Maria exceeds 1,000; the New York Times, reviewing mortality data from previous years, identified an increase of 1,052 deaths during the first 42 days alone. This, too, is surely an incomplete reckoning. Even as the federal government winds down its response, withdrawing personnel and equipment, some homes are not expected to regain electricity for months. Experts are warning that, with the ballooning mosquito population and lack of clean drinking water, Puerto Rico is at risk of an epidemic. Though Donald Trump has mostly ignored it, he is presiding over a historic tragedy. By the time the island returns to normalcy, Maria could easily have surpassed Katrina to become the country's deadliest natural disaster in living memory." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ...
... Dana Milbank: "President Trump awarded himself a 10 out of 10 score two months ago for his response to Hurricane Maria, which leveled Puerto Rico." Milbank reiterates the dire, deathly situation in Puerto Rico today. "In October, when Trump was tossing 'beautiful, soft' rolls of paper towels at Puerto Ricans, he offered lavish promises of aid and said Wall Street lenders were 'going to say goodbye' to Puerto Rico's $72 billion debt. But the debt was not written off, and disaster-relief aid has been inadequate and piecemeal. Now, Trump and congressional Republicans are hitting Puerto Rico with an additional, man-made catastrophe.... Rather than give Puerto Rico special tax treatment [in the tax heist law], which it urgently needs, Trump and his congressional allies gave employers a powerful reason to move jobs off the island. You might recognize this pattern, even if you don't care about Puerto Rico and the suffering of the more than 3 million Americans there. Trump comes in with razzle-dazzle and self-congratulation, promising great things to come. Then, when the cameras are off, comes the quiet collapse."
... Merry Crassness. Get Your TrumpTrash Here! David Nakamura & Lisa Rein of the Washington Post: "For two decades, the commander in chief has doled out distinguished-looking coins as personal mementos. Now, the presidential 'challenge coin' has undergone a Trumpian transformation. The presidential seal has been replaced by an eagle bearing President Trump's signature. The eagle's head faces right, not left, as on the seal. The 13 arrows representing the original states have disappeared. And the national motto, 'E pluribus unum' ... is gone. Instead, both sides of the coin feature Trump's campaign slogan, 'Make America Great Again.'... In addition to his signature, Trump's name appears three times on the coin, which is thicker than those made for past presidents. And forget the traditional subdued silver and copper: Trump's coin, a White House aide marveled, is 'very gold.' The aide said the president, whose real estate properties are known for their gilded displays of wealth and status, was personally involved in redesigning the coin.... Some ethics experts questioned the unprecedented decision to include a campaign slogan on the coins, which are often distributed to members of the military."
Elizabeth Drew, in the New Republic, argues that Trump actually has a lot of "accomplishments" under his belt: "... after his first calendar year in office, his paltry legislative achievements notwithstanding, an unpopular president -- the most unpopular ever in a first year -- is having a broad and lasting impact on this country's domestic arrangements. No matter how long he turns out to have served, his sizeable footprints will be very difficult to erase."
Andrew Restuccia & Seung Min Kim of Politico: "About 100 of ... Donald Trump's nominees have been kicked back to the White House, prolonging an unusually high number o vacancies across his administration and escalating the Senate's long-running nominatio wars. While the Senate agreed to keep roughly 150 of Trump's picks for consideration next year, it refused to do so on roughly 100 others, according to Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's office. That means the White House will have to renominate them if Trump wants them installed.... Any one senator can object to allowing a nominee to be carried over. Though it's likely Democrats are responsible for most of the rejections, Republicans also could have triggered some, too.... Democrats said the caliber of Trump's nominees warranted [the holds]. In an interview earlier this week, Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) said he would look for obstacles to oppose nominees with 'egregious conflicts of interest,' an 'appalling lack of knowledge about the job,' or 'who are inclined to destroy the very agencies that they're assigned to support the mission of.'" (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
Wow! Haley Invites Some Lucky Diplomats to a Party! Julia Manchester of the Hill: "U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley issued thanks to the countries that did not vote for a U.N. resolution condemning the United States' decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Haley on Thursday sent invitations to a January reception to the eight countries that voted 'no' on the resolution, as well as the 35 countries that abstained from the vote and the 21 that did not cast a vote. Haley's invitation asks the nations who voted 'no,' abstained from voting or didn't cast a vote 'to a reception to thank you for your friendship to the United States.'" Mrs. McC: How stupid is this? (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
Nor shall he comfort the afflicted, nor give alms to the poor, nor suffer the little children. -- The Gospel According to Jefferson B.S. (1:13)
Donald's Helper. Evil Elf Celebrates Christmas by Whacking Disabled, Poor, Children, Etc. Chris Geidner of BuzzFeed: "The Justice Department wiped a wide swath of 'guidance documents' off the books on Thursday, withdrawing 25 documents -- including one addressing integration of people with disabilities in state and local government programs and another on standards for assessing citizenship status discrimination. The Justice Department, in announcing the move, stated the 25 documents were 'unnecessary, inconsistent with existing law, or otherwise improper.' Several -- though not all of them -- were issued during President Barack Obama's administration." ...
... Taylor Dolven of Vice highlights perhaps the most egregious of the 25 "improper" guidelines: one that "advised courts against slapping poor people with large and unnecessary fines and fees." Related story linked yesterday. ...
Oh, and there's this:
* Editor's Note: The choristers featured in the video, despite what you may think you saw, are not "children." They're not young men. They're not boys. ...
... "For unto Us a Child an Unmarried Individual under the Age of 18 Is Born." Mica Rosenberg of Reuters: "The U.S. Justice Department has issued new guidelines for immigration judges that remove some instructions for how to protect unaccompanied juveniles appearing in their courtrooms. The new memo removes suggestions contained in the 2007 memo for how to conduct 'child-sensitive questioning' and adds reminders to judges to maintain 'impartiality' even though 'juvenile cases may present sympathetic allegations.' The new document also changes the word 'child' to 'unmarried individual under the age of 18' in many instances." Mrs. McC: The Trumpenspeak police are everywhere.
... Watch this segment: it's the essence of the Trump presidency*:
The Trump Russia Scandal
Raphael Satter, et al., of the AP: "... the hacking group known as Fancy Bear ... [targeted] at least 200 journalists, publishers and bloggers.... The AP identified journalists as the third-largest group on a hacking hit list obtained from cybersecurity firm Secureworks, after diplomatic personnel and U.S. Democrats. About 50 of the journalists worked at The New York Times. Another 50 were either foreign correspondents based in Moscow or Russian reporters like Lobkov who worked for independent news outlets. Others were prominent media figures in Ukraine, Moldova, the Baltics or Washington. The list of journalists provides new evidence for the U.S. intelligence community's conclusion that Fancy Bear acted on behalf of the Russian government when it intervened in the U.S. presidential election. Spy agencies say the hackers were working to help Republican Donald Trump." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
Ben Protess, et al., of the New York Times: "Federal prosecutors in Brooklyn have sought bank records about entities associated with the family company of Jared Kushner..., according to four people briefed on the matter. In recent weeks, prosecutors from the United States attorney's office in the Eastern District of New York subpoenaed records from Deutsche Bank, the giant German financial institution that has lent hundreds of millions of dollars to the Kushner family real estate business. Mr. Kushner, who was the Kushner Companies' chief executive until January, still owns part of the business after selling some of his stake." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
Billy House of Bloomberg: "... Donald Trump's former chief strategist Steve Bannon and his former campaign manager Corey Lewandowski have been asked to testify to House lawmakers investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election. Both men were sent letters this week by the House Intelligence Committee asking them to testify in early January.... The committee hasn't yet received a response from either Bannon or Lewandowski. The invitation, which didn't come in the form of a subpoena compelling them to testify, was for a 'voluntary interview' in the committee's offices, which means it would be held behind closed doors, the official said." (Also linked yesterday.)
Miriam Jordan of the New York Times: "A federal appeals court ruled Friday against President Trump's latest travel ban, saying that it 'exceeds the scope of his delegated authority,' but that it was ultimately for the Supreme Court to decide. A three-judge panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in Seattle affirmed the decision of a federal judge in Hawaii who ruled on Oct. 17 that the order was unlawful on statutory grounds. The ruling on Friday was a procedural but important step. This month, the Supreme Court allowed the ban -- the third version issued by the Trump administration -- to take effect for now, and encouraged the appeals courts to rule on the case, a sign that it intended to take up the matter. The Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit is considering a similar ruling out of Maryland."
NEW. Voter Fraud Commission Is Total Fraud. Josh Gerstein of Politico: "... Donald Trump's commission investigating voter fraud must give one of its Democratic members access to more of the panel's records, a federal judge ruled Friday night. U.S. District Court Colleen Kollar-Kotelly said Maine Secretary of State Matt Dunlap appeared to have been denied documents needed to be an active player in the deliberations of what is formally known as the President's Advisory Commission on Election Integrity."
Rick Gladstone & David Sanger of the New York Times: "The United Nations Security Council imposed new sanctions on North Korea on Friday that significantly choke off new fuel supplies and order North Koreans working overseas to return home within two years, in what may prove the last test of whether any amount of economic pressure can force it to reverse course on its nuclear program. The sanctions, adopted by a vote of 15 to 0, were the third imposed this year in an escalating effort to force the North into negotiations. China and Russia joined in the resolution, though American officials have charged that in recent months the Russians have secretly been opening new links to the North, including new internet connections that give the country an alternative to communicating primarily through China." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
Annie Karni of Politico: "... Donald Trump's former campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, has been accused of unwanted touching by a singer and longtime Trump supporter whose potential 'MAGA'-inspired congressional bid in Florida has been endorsed by the president himself. Joy Villa -- who drew headlines for wearing a 'Make America Great Again' dress to the Grammys earlier this year -- was celebrating the president's first year in office at a holiday party at the Trump International Hotel in Washington in late November when Lewandowski slapped her behind. After she objected, he dismissed her concerns and slapped her behind again, Villa said in an interview Friday.... Villa's recollection of the incident was corroborated by a friend who witnessed the exchange.... Villa's allegation against Lewandowski also comes at a moment when his star appears to be rising again with Trump." Mrs. McC: So out of character for such a nice, respectful dude.
John Brenahan of Politico: "The House Ethics Committee announced late Thursday that it was expanding its investigation into GOP Rep. Blake Farenthold to include allegations he improperly used official resources for campaign activities, as well as lying to the panel. Farenthold is already under investigation over claims that he sexually harassed at least one former staffer. Thursday's announcement, however, means the stakes have gone up dramatically for the Texas Republican, as misuse of official resources is a potential violation of both House rules and federal law. Farenthold has already announced he will retire due to the scandal surrounding the harassment allegations."
Annals of "Journalism," Ha Ha Ha. Just Kidding Edition. Judd Legum of Think Progress: "Some right-wing media outlets went to extreme lengths to discredit the women accusing Roy Moore of child sex abuse. Now, two men in charge of organizations involved in those smear campaigns claim they actually believed Moore's accusers all along.... In an interview with CNN, Breitbart editor-in-chief Alex Marlow said the claims of Leigh Corfman, who said she was sexually assaulted by Moore when she was 14, 'had a lot of credibility.'... James O'Keefe, the founder of the pseudo-journalism outlet Project Veritas, told Mediaite that he believed Moore's accusers. He didn't let that belief interfere with his work trying to discredit them, however, because 'it's not my subject matter.' O'Keefe claims his effort was about 'bias in the media.' O'Keefe tasked an operative to pose as a fake Roy Moore rape victim and approach Washington Post reporters with a false story.... The operation failed after the Post did basic background research on the woman, but the clear purpose was to undermine the credibility of the real accusers in the Washington Post's initial report -- which O'Keefe now says he believes was accurate." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
Share Article 
