The Conversation -- September 26, 2024
Katie Rogers & Zolan Kanno-Youngs of the New York Times: "Vice President Kamala Harris met with President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine on Thursday at the White House, a sign that President Biden's administration is positioning her to take over a politically fraught diplomatic relationship if she wins the election in November. The meeting, held shortly after Mr. Biden announced $8 billion worth of military support to the war-torn country, was Ms. Harris's second this week with a key world leader -- even as she runs a presidential campaign focused on domestic issues. Ms. Harris, who ha met with Mr. Zelensky a half-dozen times since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, said at the White House on Thursday that ... those who would have Ukraine trade territory for peace were supporting 'proposals of surrender' -- a dig at ... Donald J. Trump ... and his skepticism of aid for Kyiv." ~~~
~~~ You can see video of Vice President Harris's and President Zelensky's remarks here.
Retired Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal, in a New York Times op-ed: "... I have already cast my ballot for character -- and voted for Vice President Kamala Harris.... Character is the ultimate measure of leadership for those who seek the highest office in our land.... Regardless of what a person says, character is ultimately laid bare in his or her actions. So I pay attention to what a leader does.... Ms. Harris has the strength, the temperament and, importantly, the values to serve as commander in chief. When she sits down with world leaders like President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine, representing the United States on the global stage, I have no doubt that she is working in our national interest, not her own. I would urge others to vote as I have."
So first, RAS learns this about the Center for Free Speech Absolutism, Elon Musk, Proprietor: ~~~
~~~ Elizabeth Lopatto of the Verge: "X is preventing users from posting links to a newsletter containing a hacked document that's alleged to be the Trump campaign's research into vice presidential candidate JD Vance. The journalist who wrote the newsletter, Ken Klippenstein, has been suspended from the platform. Searches for posts containing a link to the newsletter turn up nothing.... Though other news outlets have received information from the hack, they declined to publish. Klippenstein says in his newsletter that a source called 'Robert,' with an AOL email address, offered him the document." ~~~
~~~ But then Ken W. finds this: ~~~
~~~ "The Vance Dossier." Ken Klippenstein: "Behold the dossier. It reportedly comes from an alleged Iranian government hack of the Trump campaign, and since June, the news media has [have!] been sitting on it (and other documents), declining to publish in fear of finding itself at odds with the government's campaign against 'foreign malign influence.' I disagree. The dossier has been offered to me and I've decided to publish it because it's of keen public interest in an election season. It's a 271-page research paper the Trump campaign prepared to vet now vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance. As far as I can tell, it hasn't been altered, but even if it was, its contents are publicly verifiable. I'll let it speak for itself." The page has a link to the dossier (or you can download it). As Klippenstein writes, there are "No Jason Bourne style capers appear, and there's no sleaze." MB: So sorry to say there are no fun/gross revelations about JayDee having his way with Grandma's sofa.
New York Times Editors: "Dozens of people who know [Donald Trump] well, including the 91 listed here, have raised alarms about his character and fitness for office -- his family and friends, world leaders and business associates, his fellow conservatives and his political appointees -- even though they had nothing to gain from doing so. Some have even spoken out at the expense of their own careers or political interests. The New York Times editorial board has made its case that Mr. Trump is unfit to lead. But the strongest case against him may come from his own people. For those Americans who are still tempted to return him to the presidency or to not vote in November, it is worth considering the assessment of Mr. Trump by those who have seen him up close." The editorial includes derogatory assessments of Trump from a few of his closest associates.
New York Times Editors republish their July 11 editorial, titled "Donald Trump Is Unfit to Lead."
Ah, the Family That Grifts Together. Katie Rogers of the New York Times: "While promoting a memoir, [Melania Trump] told Fox News that she blamed Democrats and members of the news media for the assassination attempts against her husband."
From the New York Times' live updates of developments Thursday in the indictment of New York City Mayor Eric Adams (related stories as well as the NYT liveblog linked below):
"Mayor Eric Adams has been indicted on federal charges of bribery, fraud and soliciting illegal foreign campaign donations. The indictment, which was unsealed on Thursday morning, follows an investigation that started in 2021 and has focused at least in part on whether he conspired with the Turkish government to receive illegal foreign campaign contributions and whether he took official actions on its behalf. Federal prosecutors said that Mr. Adams 'sought and accepted improper valuable benefits' for at least a decade, when he was then the Brooklyn borough president, according to the indictment.
"Federal agents searched the official residence of Mayor Eric Adams on Thursday morning, hours before prosecutors were expected to announce the details of a federal indictment against him.... At about 6 a.m. on Thursday, nearly a dozen men and women dressed in business attire arrived in S.U.V.s outside the entrance of Gracie Mansion, the mayor's official residence, on the Upper East Side. At least one vehicle had a federal law enforcement parking placard on its dashboard. They carried briefcases, backpacks and bags. Many agents were still at Gracie Mansion later in the morning when some of the mayor's top advisers and his former chief counsel, Brendan McGuire, walked inside."
~~~ NBC News updates are here. A CNBC story is here. (MB: I've been looking for a facsimile of the indictment itself with no luck yet. Update: here is is now, via the NYT, but I'll still look for one directly from the prosecutor or from a non-subscriber site.) ~~~
~~~ Update: Okay, here's the indictment, via Politico.
Seb Starcevic & Csongor Körömi of Politico: "... Donald Trump lashed out at Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday for not making concessions to Russia, giving his strongest indication to date he would stop backing Kyiv if he wins the U.S. presidential election. Trump, speaking at a campaign event in North Carolina, said Ukraine should have 'given up a little bit' to appease Moscow and avoid a bloody conflict with its invading neighbor, which he said 'didn't need to happen.... 'We continue to give billions of dollars to a man who refuses to make a deal, Zelenskyy,' Trump railed in a lengthy tirade." AP story linked below.
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Presidential Race
I intend to chart a new way forward and grow America's middle class. Donald Trump intends to take America backward to the failed policies of the past. You see, for Donald Trump, our economy works best if it works for those who own the big skyscrapers. Not those who actually build them. Not those who wire them. Not those who mop the floor. -- Vice President Kamala Harris, in a speech in Pittsburgh, Pa. yesterday about her economic plan ~~~
~~~ Matt Viser & Jeff Stein of the Washington Post: "Vice President Kamala Harris, seeking to further erode Donald Trump's advantage on economic issues, announced plans Wednesday for a broad expansion of investment in American industries from semiconductors to clean energy. But she was light on specifics, instead focusing much of her speech on emphasizing that she understands the struggles of middle-class Americans. The account ... [which tied] her economic philosophy to her own biography..., was intended to create a contrast with Trump, who grew up wealthy and has made a career of showcasing his lavish lifestyle." A Politico report is here. ~~~
~~~ Liz Skalka of the Huffington Post: "Vice President Kamala Harris called Donald Trump a 'loser' who failed to grow domestic manufacturing under his watch in one of her strongest speeches yet against the former president. 'All told, almost 200,000 manufacturing jobs were lost during his presidency, starting before the pandemic hit, making Trump one of the biggest losers ever on the economy,' Harris said in remarks Wednesday that channeled Trump's own hyperbole.... '... Not everybody was handed, on a silver platter, $400 million and then filed for bankruptcy six times.'"
Reid Epstein of the New York Times: "As Vice President Kamala Harris parses out the details of her agenda, she has favored broad strokes over detailed policy papers.... Little about that careful approach changed during a 25-minute interview with Stephanie Ruhle of MSNBC that was broadcast on Wednesday night. It was Ms. Harris's first one-on-one interview on cable television since becoming the Democratic nominee. In her discussion with a friendly interviewer, the vice president again presented herself as a champion of the middle class and hit many of the same themes from her pro-business economic speech earlier in the day." Epstein goes on to list his takeaways. ~~~
~~~ Marie: It's true that Harris -- like most politicians -- often does not answer questions directly. For instance, Epstein criticizes her refusal to answer Ruhle's question about why voters aren't buying her economic plan. I too think she could have handled this better. Instead of dodging the question, she could have said something mealy-mouthed about how voters don't know her yet, blah blah. Of course, the real answer -- and one Harris mustn't share -- is that those who say they favor Trump's "plan" are either dumb as rocks, uninformed, misinformed, or maybe are homing in on something else like, "never gonna vote for no Black chick." ~~~
~~~ You can watch the full interview, as aired, here. ~~~
~~~ Megan Lebowitz of NBC News: "Vice President Kamala Harris on Wednesday criticized ... Donald Trump's recent comments about reproductive rights.... 'I don't think the women of America need him to say he's going to protect them,' Harris said during an interview with MSNBC's Stephanie Ruhle, referring to previous comments from Trump. 'The women of America need him to trust them.'... [In a post on his failing social media site, Trump wrote in all caps,] 'I will protect women at a level never seen before.'... 'They will finally be healthy, hopeful, safe, and secure.'... Harris separately pointed to Trump's previous comments suggesting women should be punished for having abortions.... '... He also then chose three members of the United States Supreme Court who did as he intended, undid the protections of Roe v Wade.'" ~~~
~~~ Harris "Fact-checked" Ruhle's Fact-check. Kathleen Culliton of the Raw Story: "Stephanie Ruhle grilled [Vice President] Harris about her new economic policy plan in an exclusive interview during which she tried to fact-check Harris -- and found herself checked in return. 'Donald Trump,' said Harris, 'left us with the worst economy since the Great Depression when you look at, for example, the employment numbers.' Ruhle cut it to remind Harris about the COVID-19 global pandemic. 'Unemployment was so high because we shut down the government, we shut down the country,' said Ruhle. [Harris replied,] 'Even before the pandemic, he lost manufacturing jobs by most people's estimates at least 200,000,' Harris said. This number appears in an analysis from the BlueGreen Alliance, a group that represents the United Steelworkers and the Sierra Club." MB: Harris also said Trump lost auto plants before the pandemic hit. ~~~
~~~ BUT. Notice the difference between Harris's remarks during her prepared speech -- recited above in the HuffPost story -- and in her pushback against Ruhle. As Glenn Kessler of the Washington Post notes, "This is a good example of how a cleverly phrased line in a speech can get bungled when a politician tries to repeat it later off the cuff. In the speech, Harris's phrasing was defensible. But the wording in the interview was wrong.... In 2019, the year before the pandemic, manufacturing went into a mild recession, and the number of manufacturing jobs fell nearly 50,000 from January 2019 to February 2020.... From February 2017, the first month of jobs data in his presidency, to the time the pandemic struck in March 2020, manufacturing jobs increased about 400,000...." ~~~
~~~ That is, before the pandemic, there was a hefty increase in manufacturing jobs during Trump's presidency*, though that number was beginning to fall shortly before the pandemic caused an economic crisis. Obviously, it's impossible to know what would have happened to manufacturing jobs absent the Covid virus: if the numbers would have continued to increase as they had in the first years of Trump's term or continued to decrease as they had shortly before the pandemic hit. ~~~
~~~ Josh Boak & other AP reporters try to analyze and contrast Harris's & Trump's economic "plans." MB: Good luck with that. Harris at least has a theme; Trump has a disastrous grab-bag of policies meant to help the rich, pander to the struggling poor & middle-class, and generally cause a recession or depression.
Sheryl Stolberg of the New York Times: "President Biden on Wednesday delivered a blunt assessment of the character of his predecessor, telling the hosts of 'The View' on ABC that 'there's not a lot of redeeming value' to... Donald J. Trump. Asked if he would have won if he stayed in the presidential race, Mr. Biden replied: 'Yes. I was confident I would beat Trump. He's a loser.' But in an appearance that was part personal, part policy and part political, Mr. Biden said he was 'at peace' with his decision not to run again. He also made an enthusiastic pitch for Vice President Kamala Harris: 'She is smart as hell, No. 1,' he said. He added that 'she's tough, she's honorable, and the thing I like about her -- and one thing to share in common -- is that we have an optimistic view in the future.' Mr. Biden's appearance on the 'The View,' his 10th, was the first time a sitting president has appeared live on the show." (Also linked yesterday.)
Washington Post Editors: "The one thing worse than high credit card rates is Trump's plan to cut them.... He promised that interest rates would be held down to roughly 10 percent.... The impact of a plan like Mr. Trump's would be to worsen the plight of debt-strapped consumers.... When you restrict the price of credit, which is all the interest rate is, the supply of credit falls. And supply shrinks especially sharply for the riskiest borrowers.... In short, this supposed help for the little guy would disproportionately harm consumers of relatively modest means.... When struggling families can't tap credit cards for emergency expenses such as car repairs or utility bills, they can be forced to use alternative sources of credit, such as pawnshops, that offer money on even less attractive terms than credit card companies." The editors go on to decry Trump's entire package of proposals, which Trump's alma mater Penn Wharton estimates "would increase the deficit by more than $4 trillion over the next 10 years." ~~~
~~~ Marie: My guess is that Trump has economic advisors who occasionally give him good advice (though "conservative" economists tend not to be very sensible). And Trump just ignores them. It appears that since her initial goof-up of mounting the Trump no-tax-on-tips bandwagon, Harris seems to be making proposals that are at least reasonable, though she ought to get a bit more open on who would pay for the giveaways.
Our Own Neville Chamberlain. Jonathan Cooper of the AP: At a North Carolina event that was supposed to be about the economy, "... Donald Trump described Ukraine in bleak and mournful terms Wednesday, referring to its people as 'dead' and the country itself as 'demolished'... Trump argued Ukraine should have made concessions to Russian President Vladimir Putin in the months before Russia's February 2022 attack, declaring that even 'the worst deal would've been better than what we have now.' Trump, who has long been critical of U.S. aid to Ukraine, frequently claims that Russia never would have invaded if he was president and that he would put an end to the war if he returned to the White House. But rarely has he discussed the conflict in such detail.... On Tuesday, Trump touted the prowess of Russia and its predecessor Soviet Union, saying that wars are 'what they do.'... [Trump], notoriously attuned to slights, began his denunciation of Ukraine by alluding to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's recent criticism of Trump and running mate JD Vance.... '... the president of Ukraine is in our country and he's making little nasty aspersions toward your favorite president, me.... Biden and Kamala allowed this to happen by feeding Zelenskyy money and munitions like no country has ever seen before,' Trump said.'" ~~~
~~~ Marie: What would Trump do if Russia, visible from Sarah Palin's house," invaded Alaska & declared that Seward's Folly deal null & void? Would Trump cede Alaska to Russia, like his suggestion that Ukraine roll over for Russian aggression? No way to know. Really.
Jamie Frevele of Mediaite: "... Donald Trump declared this week that he would be a 'protector' of women. In a pair of campaign ads, two women described how the ex-president sexually assaulted them. People Magazine was the first to report on the ads, which were backed by George Conway's Anti-Psychopath PAC, and one of their own journalists, Natasha Stoynoff, recounted what happened when she visited Trump at Mar-a-Lago in 2005[.]" The ads are embedded in yesterday's Commentariat & in Frevele's post. (Also linked yesterday.)
A Libertarian and a Libertine walk into a Manhattan crypto-bar. The Libertarian, Nick Gillespie, an editor at Reason, says to the Libertine, Donald Trump, an aging, lying, totally disreputable SOS, "You signed legislation adding $7.8 trillion to the deficit in your first four years. Why will it be different if you're reelected?" "Well, we had a thing called Covid," the Libertine replied. "But you added it before Covid," the Libertarian countered. "And we were getting the country all set with our liquid gold and all the other assets that we have. We were going to bring that way down," the Libertine said, making no sense at all. (Also linked yesterday.)
This Week's Big Grift: "Trump Is Hawking Silver Coins at a 210% Markup." Michael Luciano of Mediaite: Donald Trump is promoting silver 'Trump Coins.'... On Tuesday, Trump retweeted a post by @realtrumpcoins1, whose profile states it is an 'Official Partner of The Trump Organization.' The post contains a 48-second video showing the coin, which has Trump's face on the obverse. On the reverse is the White House, Trump's signature, and the motto 'In God We Trust.' The coin is one troy ounce of silver. The post also contains a link to a website where people can 'preview the coin' and join a waitlist to buy them for a cool $100. As of this writing, the spot price for an ounce of silver is $32.... Typically, custom-made silver coins sell for less than $10 above the spot price of silver...." (Also linked yesterday.)
The Candidates' Debate. Alex Griffing of Mediaite: "CNN reported this week that former Fox News personality and Trump administration official Monica Crowley is helping Sen. JD Vance (R-OH) prepare for his vice presidential debate next week against Gov. Tim Walz (D). Crowley is playing the moderator during the debate prep sessions, while House GOP Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN), who is a longtime colleague of Walz's, is playing the Democratic nominee for VP. News that Vance enlisted Crowley for debate prep raised eyebrows as she is a prominent contributor to the much-maligned Project 2025, which Donald Trump and his campaign are working overtime to distance themselves from." (Also linked yesterday.)~~~
~~~ MEANWHILE. Kathryn Watson, et al., of CBS NEWS: "Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is standing in for Vance in [Gov. Tim] Walz's debate prep sessions, according to a campaign official familiar with the prep. Buttigieg was praised for his debating skills during the 2020 Democratic presidential primary process, and was a stand-in for former Vice President Mike Pence's in Harris' [2020] debate prep.... Buttigieg has also made frequent appearances on Fox News, earning the nickname 'Slayer Pete' by the Los Angeles Times for being a 'rhetorical assassin' on cable news." (Also linked yesterday.)
Ryan Grenoble of the Huffington Post finds a number of Republicans who really have killed family pets, in contrast to Haitian refugees whom Trump, Vance & other Republicans (see, for instance, reports on Rep. Clay Higgins (R-La. below) falsely claim are killing & eating their neighbors' pets.
Here are the New York Times' live updates in developments at the U.N. General Assembly today. (Also linked yesterday.) See also entry under "Ukraine, et al." below.
Sorry, meant to link this earlier: ~~~
~~~ Sheryl Stolberg & David Sanger of the New York Times: "President Biden used his final speech to the United Nations on Tuesday to celebrate his defense of Ukraine against Russia's invasion and his work to restore the United States' global alliances, but he also warned that the advances of his administration could easily fall apart if America returned to isolationism. In an address of a little more than 20 minutes to the U.N. General Assembly, Mr. Biden combined personal touches with policy imperatives and an impassioned defense of democracy. He traced the arc of his own political career, from election to the Senate in 1972 at age 29, to his 'difficult' decision two months ago to drop his bid for re-election -- a decision he framed as a lesson for other heads of state. 'My fellow leaders,' Mr. Biden said, 'let us never forget: Some things are more important than staying in power.'" CNN's story is here. (Also linked yesterday.)
Democrats Save the Republic! Again. Catie Edmondson of the New York Times: "The House on Wednesday passed a short-term spending bill to avert a government shutdown just ahead of the November elections, punting a bigger funding fight to the end of the year. Speaker Mike Johnson again turned to Democrats to supply the bulk of the votes to keep federal funding flowing through Dec. 20, after conservatives in his own conference said they would not support the legislation because it would not cut spending and did not include a measure imposing new proof-of-citizenship requirements on voter registration. The vote was 341 to 82, with a majority of the Republican conference voting in favor of the legislation. Mr. Johnson had brought the legislation to a vote using a special procedure to pass the bill that requires the support of two-thirds of those voting in an effort to circumvent any attempt by hard-liners to block consideration of the measure. All Democrats present voted in support of the legislation.... Senator Chuck Schumer ... said on Tuesday night that the Senate would take up and pass the measure mere hours after it passed the House." CNN's story is here. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ NYT Update: "In a pair of votes in quick succession, lawmakers in both chambers overwhelmingly voted to pass the measure to keep federal funding flowing through Dec. 20. The Senate vote was 78 to 18. All the 'no' votes were Republicans. [President] Biden is expected to sign the legislation before the Sept. 30 deadline." ~~~
~~~ Mychael Schnell & Emily Brooks of the Hill reported on Trump's last-minute attempt to tank the stopgap measure since it no longer contains his demand that people provide proof-of-citizenship in order to register to vote. Had Trump succeeded, of course, the Congress would have shut down the government.
Karoun Demirjian of the New York Times: "A bipartisan House majority passed a resolution on Wednesday condemning President Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and 13 other current and former members of the administration over their roles in the chaotic and deadly U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, after 10 Democrats joined all Republicans in delivering the rare and sweeping rebuke. The 219-to-194 vote was the House's final roll call before members departed Washington to focus on the election, in which control of the chamber is up for grabs. Though the resolution was uniquely broad and direct in condemning the president, members of his cabinet and top advisers in a personal capacity, instead of as an administration, the vote was symbolic because the measure carries no force of law. Still, the participation of 10 Democrats -- almost all of them facing tight re-election contests -- buoyed the Republicans behind the effort to formally hold senior administration officials primarily responsible for the failures of the withdrawal in the summer of 2021...."
Justine McDaniel of the Washington Post: "Republican Rep. Clay Higgins (La.) published racist comments about Haitians on Wednesday -- only to delete them after being confronted by House colleagues. In a post on X..., Higgins called Haitians 'thugs,' called Haiti the 'nastiest country in the western hemisphere,' and repeated false and dehumanizing claims about pet-eating.... He has not yet issued an apology.... Rep. Steven Horsford (D-Nev.) confronted Higgins on the floor and asked him to take down the post. House Speaker Mike Johnson, also a Louisiana Republican, told reporters Higgins was approached by colleagues who told him the post was 'offensive.' Johnson said he then spoke to Higgins about it, after which Higgins 'prayed about it and he regretted it and he pulled the post down.'... On the House floor, Horsford introduced a censure resolution against Higgins. In a statement shortly thereafter, Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said Higgins 'must be held accountable for dishonorable conduct that is unbecoming of a Member of Congress.'... Higgins resigned from the St. Landry Parish sheriff's office in 2016 after he described alleged gang members as 'heathens' and 'animals' in a viral video. He won his House seat months later."
~~~ Marie: That is to say, Higgins is a lifelong raving bigot, but God & Mike Johnson are helping him find his way now. Very uplifting. ~~~
~~~ Oops! Higgins Scrapes God & Johnson Off His Boot, Like You-Know-What. Annie Grayer, et al., of CNN: "Despite the backlash and ultimate decision to take down the post after he said he prayed on it, Higgins told CNN he stood by his demeaning comments. 'It's all true,' Higgins said. 'I can put up another controversial post tomorrow if you want me to. I mean, we do have freedom of speech. I'll say what I want.' Digging in, Higgins continued: 'It's not a big deal to me. It's like something stuck to the bottom of my boot. Just scrape it off and move on with my life.' Horsford said on [CNN's] 'AC360' that he will 'follow through' on the effort to censure Higgins over the post, which he called 'divisive, racially charged, hateful rhetoric.'"
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Kentucky. David Chen of the New York Times: "A Kentucky sheriff charged with first-degree murder in the fatal shooting of a judge pleaded not guilty on Wednesday in a case that has shaken the small rural community of Letcher County. Sheriff Shawn Stines, also known as Mickey, made his first court appearance as a defendant in the case at his virtual arraignment. He is accused of fatally shooting Judge Kevin Mullins last Thursday in his chambers in the Letcher County Courthouse in Whitesburg in southeastern Kentucky, not far from the Virginia border."
⭐ New York. Wowza! William Rashbaum, et al., of the New York Times: "Eric Adams, a retired police captain who was elected as New York City's 110th mayor nearly three years ago on a promise to rein in crime, has been indicted in a federal corruption investigation, people with knowledge of the matter said. The indictment remained sealed on Wednesday night, and it was unclear what charge or charges Mr. Adams will face. But the federal investigation has focused at least in part on whether Mr. Adams and his campaign conspired with the Turkish government to receive illegal foreign donations. When the indictment is made public, Mr. Adams, a Democrat, will become the first New York City mayor to face a federal charge while in office. It was not clear when he will surrender to the authorities. Federal prosecutors were expected to announce more details on Thursday.... Mr. Adams struck a defiant tone in a video statement issued Wednesday, insisting that he had done nothing wrong. 'I always knew that if I stood my ground for New Yorkers that I would be a target -- and a target I became,' he said. 'If I am charged, I am innocent, and I will fight this with every ounce of my strength and spirit.'" CNN's report is here. ~~~
~~~ New York Times reporters are live-updating developments in the case. ~~~
~~~ Everybody Eric Adams Knows Is Suspicious. Hurubie Meko & Elena Shao of the New York Times: "Several federal corruption investigations have reached people in the orbit of Mayor Eric Adams of New York, with Mr. Adams -- who faces re-election in 2025 -- and some of the highest-ranking officials in his administration [are] coming under scrutiny.... Here are people with ties to Mr. Adams that are related to the investigations and other legal issues[.]" The report goes on to name a fairly astounding list of 20 individuals, a number of whom have served in his administration. ~~~
~~~ Dana Rubinstein of the New York Times: "... after the news of the mayor's indictment, the calls for his resignation promptly surged. Mr. Adams is not required to resign."
~~~ Nicholas Fandos of the New York Times: "Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York on Wednesday said Eric Adams should resign as mayor of New York City, becoming the most prominent Democrat to push for his ouster amid federal corruption investigations involving his administration. In a statement to The New York Times Ms. Ocasio-Cortez, a national leader of her party's progressive wing, said she could 'not see how Mayor Adams can continue governing New York City.... 'The flood of resignations and vacancies are threatening government function,' she said. 'Nonstop investigations will make it impossible to recruit and retain a qualified administration.'" (Also linked yesterday.) Politico's story is here. MB: AOC made her remarks before Adams' indictment.
North Carolina. Rats ... Ship. Eduardo Medina of the New York Times: "Senior staff members in the office of Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson of North Carolina have said they will resign on Oct. 1, becoming the latest people to abandon Mr. Robinson, the state's Republican nominee for governor, in the wake of a CNN report that linked him to disturbing comments on a porn site. Those resigning include Brian LiVecchi, the chief of staff and general counsel; Jonathan Harris, the policy director; John Wesley Waugh, the director of communications; and Nathan Lewis, the director of government affairs. Mr. LiVecchi confirmed the resignations in a brief phone call on Wednesday afternoon. On Sunday, most of the senior employees of Mr. Robinson's campaign for governor also resigned." (Also linked yesterday.)
Wisconsin. Scott Bauer of the AP: "The mayor of a central Wisconsin city who ran for office on his opposition to absentee ballot drop boxes said Wednesday he did nothing wrong when he put on work gloves, donned a hard hat and used a dolly to cart away a drop box outside City Hall. Wausau Mayor Doug Diny posed for a picture Sunday to memorialize his removal of the city's lone drop box that had been put outside City Hall around the same time late last week that absentee ballots were sent to voters. The city's election clerk, Kaitlyn Bernarde, said she has reported the issue to the Marathon County district attorney a well as the state elections commission.... It is a felony in Wisconsin to impede or prevent 'the free exercise of the franchise at an election.'"
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Israel/Palestine, et al.
The Washington Post's live updates of developments Thursday in Israel's wars are here: "Israeli forces and Hezbollah militants exchanged more fire Thursday, as Biden administration officials awaited Israeli and Lebanese action on a 21-day cease-fire proposal formulated by the United States and other nations. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu distanced himself from the proposal, emphasizing that Israel has not yet responded to it and instructing his forces to 'continue fighting with full force.' The proposal, which does not directly include Hezbollah as a signatory, came after Israel said it was preparing for a potential ground incursion into Lebanon.: ~~~
~~~ Michael Shear, et al., of the New York Times: "The United States, its allies in Europe and several Arab nations on Wednesday unveiled a joint cease-fire proposal to temporarily end the recent deadly fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, hoping to avert a wider war and bolster stalled negotiations between Israel and Hamas in Gaza." ~~~
The New York Times' live updates of developments Wednesday in Israel's wars are here. CNN's live updates are here. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ Erika Solomon, et al., of the New York Times: "Over two weeks, Palestinians watched as Israeli military bulldozers tore up mile after mile of their streets and alleys, sewage seeping into the dusty ruts left behind. The people of Tulkarm and Jenin, the two West Bank towns that were the focus of Israel's latest military raids, said they had never before experienced such a scale of destruction. Residents pointed to one video that shows an Israeli armored bulldozer flattening a decorative roundabout and nearby vegetation." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ Marie: Surely I'm not the only wild-eyed conspiracy theorist who suspects Bibi is laying down all this death and destruction at least partially in order to undermine the Biden administration, thus Vice President Harris's election bid. Bibi can't want an honorable, intelligent U.S. president when Trump is the alternative.
Ukraine, et al. Neil MacFarquhar & Farnaz Fassihi of the New York Times: "President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine urged the United Nations on Wednesday to prevent Russia from freezing the war as it is now, saying that the Kremlin 'still wants even more land -- more land, which is insane, and is seizing it day by day while wanting to destroy its neighbor.' Those nations pushing to end the conflict were ignoring the wishes of the Ukrainian people, he said in an address to the General Assembly, and were encouraging President Vladimir V. Putin's expansionary aims."
News Ledes
The New York Times:' live updates of Hurricane Helene developments today are here. "Hurricane Helene was barreling through the Gulf of Mexico on Thursday en route to Florida, where residents were bracing for extreme rain, destructive winds and deadly storm surge ahead of the storm's expected landfall. The storm could intensify to a Category 4, if not higher, before making landfall late Thursday, and forecasters warned Helene's anticipated large size could make its impacts felt across an extensive area. Areas as distant as Atlanta and the Appalachians are at risk for heavy rains.... Many forecast models show the storm making landfall late Thursday near Florida's Big Bend Coast, a sparsely populated stretch...." ~~~
~~~ The Washington Post has forecasts for some cites in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina & Tennessee that are in or near the probable path of Helene. ~~~
~~~ This morning, an MSNBC weatherperson said Tallahassee (which is inland) would experience wind gusts of up to 120 m.p.h. and that the National Weather Service said expected 20-foot storm surges near the coast would be "unsurvivable."
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