July 22, 2023

Afternoon Update:

Josh Dawsey, et al., of the Washington Post: "In a text message [sent before January 6, 2021,] that has been scrutinized by federal prosecutors, [Trump Chief-of-Staff Mark] Meadows wrote to a White House lawyer that his son, Atlanta-area attorney Blake Meadows, had been probing possible fraud and had found only a handful of possible votes cast in dead voters' names, far short of what Trump was alleging. The lawyer teasingly responded that perhaps Meadows's son could locate the thousands of votes Trump would need to win the election. [Marie: according to MSNBC, Meadows texted back, "LOL."]... [At the time, numerous] Trump aides and other Republican officials expressed deep skepticism or even openly mocked the election claims being made publicly by Trump.... Days after Meadows sent the text, he organized the [Jan. 3 call to Georgia Secretary of State Brad] Raffensperger..., in which Trump pressed to 'find' the votes in the state necessary to overturn Biden's win.... A person close to Meadows said he knows his relationship with Trump is permanently ruptured and has told others he does not seek to antagonize Trump and his supporters but concluded he had to cooperate with Smith's office as required by law." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: That is, Meadows thought it was ludicrous to pretend there were some 12,000 missing Trump votes in Georgia. Yet days later he arranged a call in which Trump told the Georgia secretary of state to find him 11,780 votes. And on that same call, Meadows claimed -- in response to the secretary's assertion that they had found only two dead voters, "That may be what your investigation shows, but I can promise you there are more than that."

Maureen Dowd of the New York Times: "A man is running to run the government he tried to overthrow while he was running it, even as he is running to stay ahead of the law.... On an Iowa radio show on Tuesday, Trump warned it would be 'very dangerous' if [Jack] Smith jailed him, since his supporters have 'much more passion than they had in 2020.'... Meanwhile, Ron DeSantis, Trump's closest Republican challenger, defended Trump on Russell Brand's podcast Friday, dismissing the idea that there was an overt effort to upend the 2020 election. 'The idea that this was a plan to somehow overthrow the government of the United States is not true,' DeSantis said, 'and it's something that the media had spun up just to try to basically get as much mileage out of it and use it for partisan and political aims.' DeSantis seems almost as delusional as Trump...."

I Can't Believe I Read It on Fox "News": "In an article for the Bulletin of Applied Transgender Studies, academics from Oregon State University wrote about their shock at receiving sarcasm and mockery in response to their research into undergraduate LGBTQ students studying in STEM fields. The team claimed 50 of 349 responses to their questionnaire on the topic contained 'slurs, hate speech, or direct targeting of the research team.' Labeling them 'malicious respondents,' they adapted their project to examine how the joke responses 'relate to engineering culture by framing them within larger social contexts -- namely, the rise of online fascism.'... Several answers contained profanity and other offensive and obscene language and many referenced memes. 'Online memes associated with white nationalist and fascist movements were present throughout the data, alongside memes and content referencing gaming and "nerd" culture,' the researchers further claimed." MB: The one tell that this is a Fox story is that the writer repeatedly reports that researchers "claimed" this and that; an MSM report would likely says researchers "found" those results.

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Christina Wilkie of CNBC: "Morgan Stanley is crediting President Joe Biden's economic policies with driving an unexpected surge in the U.S. economy that is so significant that the bank was forced to make a 'sizable upward revision' to its estimates for U.S. gross domestic product. Biden's Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is 'driving a boom in large-scale infrastructure,' wrote Ellen Zentner, chief U.S. economist for Morgan Stanley, in a research note released Thursday. In addition to infrastructure, 'manufacturing construction has shown broad strength,' she wrote."

Shane Harris of the Washington Post: "President Biden has asked CIA Director William J. Burns to become a member of his Cabinet, reflecting the central role the veteran diplomat has taken carrying out the administration's foreign policy and his key role as a messenger to Russia. The move, which is largely symbolic, will not give Burns any new authorities. But it underscores the influence Burns has in the administration and will be read as a victory for the CIA, which was among the agencies in the U.S. intelligence community that accurately forecast the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022.... Burns, who repeatedly stresses that he is not engaged in diplomacy, has nevertheless emerged as a sort of 'secretary of hard problems,' U.S. officials have said. Since well before Russia invaded Ukraine, Burns has been the White House's key interlocutor to Moscow, having had the most direct interactions with Russian President Vladimir Putin of anyone in the administration.... Burns, who served as U.S. ambassador to Russia from 2005 to 2008, has been one of the sharpest public critics of Putin...." (Also linked yesterday.)

John Ismay of the New York Times: "The White House announced on Friday that President Biden intends to nominate Adm. Lisa Franchetti to become the Navy's highest-ranking officer following the retirement of Adm. Michael M. Gilday this summer.... Currently the Navy's vice chief, Admiral Franchetti will serve in an acting role as the Navy's top officer, awaiting confirmation by the Senate -- a process that Senator Tommy Tuberville, Republican of Alabama, has blocked for hundreds of admirals and generals in an attempt to force the Pentagon to drop a policy offering time off and travel reimbursement to service members who need to go out of state for abortions.... Admiral Franchetti would be the second woman to lead a branch of the armed forces. Adm. Linda L. Fagan became the first to do so when she took the oath of office as commandant of the Coast Guard on June 1, 2022. The White House and Pentagon both noted that Admiral Franchetti would be the first female officer to serve as a permanent member of the Joint Chiefs." The AP's story is here.

Sahil Kapur & Liz Brown-Kaiser of NBC News: "The White House plans to use a little-known law to keep acting Labor Secretary Julie Su in the job even if she fails to win Senate approval, a White House official told NBC News. 'Upon Secretary [Marty] Walsh's departure, Acting Secretary Su automatically became Acting Secretary under its organic statute, not under the Federal Vacancies Reform Act,' the White House official said in an email.... 'As a result, Su is not subject to the time limits of the Federal Vacancies Reform Act and she can serve as Acting Secretary indefinitely.'... A law dating back to 1946 allows the deputy labor secretary, to which Su was confirmed by the Senate in 2021, to 'perform the duties of the Secretary until a successor is appointed.'... After Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., came out against her, the White House called on him and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz., who hasn't publicly taken a stance, to 'reconsider' their positions, implying that she also opposes the Su nomination." ~~~

~~~ Burgess Everett of Politico writes about the many ways in which Manchin & Sinema are "bedeviling" the White House & other Democrats.

Matt Viser of the Washington Post: "Hunter Biden's attorney on Friday requested that a congressional ethics panel take action against Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), citing her use of sexually explicit images of the president's son that she displayed during a congressional hearing earlier this week. 'Your colleague has lowered herself, and by extension the entire House of Representatives, to a new level of abhorrent behavior that blatantly violates House Ethics rules and standards of official conduct,' Abbe Lowell wrote in a four-page letter sent to the Office of Congressional Ethics." (Also linked yesterday.)

Alan Feuer of the New York Times: "The federal judge overseeing ... Donald J. Trump's prosecution on charges of illegally retaining dozens of classified documents set a trial date on Friday for May 2024, taking a middle position between the government's request to go to trial in December and Mr. Trump's desire to push the proceeding until after the 2024 election. In her order, Judge Aileen M. Cannon said the trial was to be held in her home courthouse in Fort Pierce, Fla., a coastal city two-and-a-half hours north of Miami that will draw its jury pool from several counties that Mr. Trump won handily in his two previous presidential campaigns. Judge Cannon also laid out a calendar of hearings, throughout the remainder of this year and into next year.... The date Judge Cannon chose to start the trial -- May 20, 2024 -- falls after the bulk of the primary contests. But it is less than two months before the start of the Republican National Convention in July and the formal start of the general election season." (Also linked yesterday.)

Josh Dawsey of the Washington Post: "Special counsel Jack Smith recently asked Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp for information about efforts by ... President Donald Trump and his allies to overturn the election results in Georgia in 2020, the governor's spokesman confirmed Friday afternoon.... Trump also pressured Kemp and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (R) to help him overturn the results in Georgia after the 2020 election, calling both men, publicly attacking them when they declined to join his effort and sending advisers and emissaries to the state. Kemp has also been questioned by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis (D) as part of her investigation of efforts to overturn Georgia's 2020 election results...."

Vaughn Hillyard, et al., of NBC News: "Prosecutors from special counsel Jack Smith's office questioned former White House aide William Russell about ... Donald Trump's state of mind during and after the 2020 election period, a source familiar with the matter told NBC News. Russell -- who was with Trump for some of the day on Jan. 6, 2021 -- testified for hours Thursday before the federal grand jury deciding whether to indict the former president over his efforts to overturn the 2020 election.... A source familiar with [Russell's] work at the White House told NBC News that he would often informally engage in conversations with Trump and key staff, including Mark Meadows who served as chief of staff, in the West Wing and Oval Office."

Danny Hakim of the New York Times: "... a long-running investigation into election interference by prosecutors in Atlanta has cast a ... broad net, with nearly 20 people already warned that they could face charges.... A special grand jury that heard evidence for roughly seven months recommended more than a dozen people for indictments, and its forewoman strongly hinted in an interview in February that [Donald] Trump was among them. The Trump aides and allies whose conduct has been closely scrutinized in the inquiry include Rudolph W. Giuliani, Mr. Trump's former personal lawyer; Mark Meadows, the former White House chief of staff; John Eastman, a legal architect of Mr. Trump's efforts to stay in power; and Jeffrey Clark, a former high-ranking official at the Department of Justice who sought to intervene in Georgia after the 2020 election.... The Trump team filed an amended petition [Friday] seeking to have [Fulton County D.A. Fani] Willis disqualified and the work of the special grand jury thrown out. Ural Glanville, the chief judge of the Fulton County Superior Court, issued an order recusing all of the judges in Fulton County from deciding the question and referred it to another court. Earlier this week, the Georgia Supreme Court unanimously rejected a similar request by Mr. Trump's lawyers." ~~~

~~~ ** Hugo Lowell of the Guardian: "The Fulton county district attorney investigating Donald Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election results in the state of Georgia has developed evidence to charge a sprawling racketeering indictment next month, according to two people briefed on the matter.... In the Trump investigation, the Fulton county district attorney, Fani Willis, has evidence to pursue a racketeering indictment predicated on statutes related to influencing witnesses and computer trespass, the people said." MB: We don't know what's happening the grand jury Willis has convened, and we don't know that the grand jury will direct Willis to bring any charges. But treating Trump as a dirty mob boss seems entirely appropriate to me. (Also linked yesterday.)

Ben Protess, et al., of the New York Times: "Michael D. Cohen, the longtime fixer to Donald J. Trump, who was set to go to trial next week against his former boss's company in a dispute over legal fees, has agreed to settle his lawsuit with the Trump Organization, lawyers for both parties said at a brief court hearing on Friday. Mr. Cohen's lawsuit, filed in 2019, accused the Trump Organization of failing to abide by the terms of a deal and refusing to pay more than $1 million in legal costs. Jury selection for the trial began earlier this week, and opening arguments were scheduled for Monday." (Also linked yesterday.) An AP story is here.

Spencer Hsu of the Washington Post: U.S. District Judge Amit P. Mehta "on Friday sentenced a Jan. 6 'operations coordinator' for Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes to two years' probation and 60 hours of community service, rejecting federal prosecutors' requests for prison time. Michael Greene, 40, of Indianapolis, was a paid contractor known as 'Whip' who helped the extremist group run security details for Republican VIPs at events leading up to and including the pro-Donald Trump rally before the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. Greene, who did not enter the Capitol, was convicted at trial in May on one count of trespassing on restricted grounds. Greene's defense argued he was not a core follower, and a jury acquitted him of three felony counts, including conspiring with Rhodes and others and tampering with evidence. A judge declared a mistrial on a fifth count after a jury hung on a charge of conspiring to obstruct an official proceeding."

Adam Liptak of the New York Times: "Over a forceful dissent from its three liberal members, the Supreme Court early Friday morning refused to halt the execution of a death row inmate in Alabama who said that the state's history of botched executions made it likely that he would suffer intense pain as he was put to death. The inmate, James Barber, was executed about two hours after the court's 1 a.m. order. Early news reports did not note major flaws in the procedure. Mr. Barber was convicted in 2003 of beating Dorothy Epps, 75, to death with his fists and a claw hammer. The Supreme Court's brief order gave no reasons for denying the stay.... In an 11-page dissent, Justice Sonia Sotomayor, joined by Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson, said the majority had empowered 'Alabama to experiment again with a human life.'" (Also linked yesterday.)

Michael Shear of the New York Times: "After pressure from the White House..., seven leading A.I. companies in the United States have agreed to voluntary safeguards on the technology's development, the White House announced on Friday, pledging to strive for safety, security and trust even as they compete over the potential of artificial intelligence. The seven companies -- Amazon, Anthropic, Google, Inflection, Meta, Microsoft and OpenAI -- will formally announce their commitment to the new standards at a meeting with President Biden at the White House on Friday afternoon. The announcement comes as the companies are racing to outdo each other with versions of A.I. that offer powerful new tools to create text, photos, music and video without human input. But the technological leaps have prompted fears that the tools will facilitate the spread of disinformation and dire warnings of a 'risk of extinction' as self-aware computers evolve." (Also linked yesterday.) The story has been updated. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: President* Trump could not get such an agreement because he thought "A.I." stood for "Article I" of the Constitution, which covers the powers of Congress, powers that under Trump's thumb are themselves already under a "risk of extinction." (See today's "My Kevin" news, for instance.)

Presidential Race 2024

I didn't know practically what a subpoena was and grand juries and all of this -- now I'm like becoming an expert. -- Donald Trump, in a speech Tuesday to the Linn County Republican Party in Cedar Rapids, Iowa

From the 1980s until he was elected president in 2016, Donald Trump and his businesses were involved in over 4,000 legal cases in U.S. federal and state courts. -- Wikipedia

I'm not sure how many -- if any -- grand juries investigated Trump before he became president*, but he and his companies surely received thousands of subpoenas and many a lawyer probably explained to Trump what a subpoena was. -- Marie~~~

~~~ Isaac Arnsdorf & Josh Dawsey of the Washington Post: "Any distinction between [Donald Trump]'s White House bid and his criminal defense is vanishing as the charges against him mount. Fighting those prosecutions is increasingly dominating his time, resources and messaging, making the centerpiece of his candidacy an appeal to stay out of prison. As he forges ahead, much of the Republican base appears to be cheering him at each turn. What is likely to come is a campaign like the country has never seen before: A candidate juggling multiple criminal indictments while slashing the Department of Justice and his opponents, shuttling between early primary states for rallies and courtrooms for hearings, and spending his supporters' money on both millions of dollars' worth of campaign ads and burgeoning legal bills.... Just over half of the money he raised last quarter went not to the campaign itself but to an affiliated PAC that is footing the legal bills."

Marie: As reasonable as it is to blame White dummkopf, nationalist, evangelical, cultist voters for Donald Trump's likely victory in the nominating process, I place the responsibility on Republican "leaders" who have led the march behind him. How different the nominating process would be if Senate Republicans had convicted Trump in his second impeachment and rendered him ineligible for public office. How different the process would be if, failing that, Republican elected officials had uniformly, or almost uniformly, turned their backs on him and condemned him as unfit for office. It was not the voters, but the leaders who rid us of this corrupt president. "Days before he resigned, [and after the Watergate tapes were published] a Gallup poll found that only 31 percent of Republican [voter]s thought Nixon should no longer be president."

Those who ended Nixon's presidency were Congressional Republicans, who sent a delegation led by Sen. Barry Goldwater (R-Az.) to the White House to tell Nixon he should resign or face impeachment and conviction. This was the same Barry Goldwater who had said in his 1964 acceptance of the Republican nomination for president that "Extremism in defense of liberty is no vice." That is, in 1974, Nixon resigned because even the most extreme elements of the party's leadership were among those who forced him out. Today, almost all Republican "leaders," including most of those running against Trump in the primary, either applaud him or refuse to condemn him.

Sarah Mervosh of the New York Times:"After an overhaul to Florida's African American history standards, Gov. Ron DeSantis ... is facing a barrage of criticism this week from politicians, educators and historians.... Vice President Kamala Harris directed her staffers to immediately plan a trip to Florida to respond, according to one White House official. 'How is it that anyone could suggest that in the midst of these atrocities that there was any benefit to being subjected to this level of dehumanization?' Ms. Harris ... said in a speech in Jacksonville on Friday afternoon." MB: Contributor & Floridian Bobby Lee said in yesterday's Comments thread that he would check to see if DeSantis and the GOP had changed the historical markers at St. Augustine's Old Slave Market to read "Immigrant Welcome Center." ~~~

~~~ Cleve Wootson of the Washington Post: "Vice President Harris, taking aim at Gov. Ron DeSantis's 'war on woke' on Friday in his home state, blasted Florida politicians for making changes to the public school curriculum that she said amounted to little more than a 'purposeful and intentional policy to mislead our children,' especially when it comes to slavery. Harris never mentioned DeSantis (R) by name, referring only to 'extremists' and people who 'want to be talked about as American leaders.' But her fiery speech in Jacksonville focused squarely on [DeSantis'] policies..., as well as on the state's Board of Education and its Republican-controlled legislature.... 'Come on -- adults know what slavery really involved,' Harris said. 'It involved rape. It involved torture. It involved taking a baby from their mother. It involved some of the worst examples of depriving people of humanity in our world.' She added, 'How is it that anyone could suggest that in the midst of these atrocities, that there was any benefit to being subjected to this level of dehumanization?'" An ABC News story is here.

Beyond the Beltway

Alabama. Jim Crow Forever. Emily Cochrane of the New York Times: "Alabama Republicans pushed through a new congressional map on Friday that will test the bounds of a judicial mandate to create a second majority-Black district in the state or something 'close to it,' incensing plaintiffs in the court case and Democrats who predicted the plan would never pass muster with a judicial panel charged with approving it. A month after a surprise Supreme Court ruling that found the state's existing map violated a landmark civil rights law by diluting the power of Black voters, the Republican supermajority in the Alabama Legislature backed a plan that would increase the share of Black voters in one of the state's six majority-white congressional districts to about 40 percent, from about 30 percent. The map also dropped the percentage of Black voters in the existing majority-Black district to about 51 percent from about 55 percent. In Alabama, more than one in four residents are Black. Notably, the redrawing ensures that none of the state's six white Republican incumbents would have to face one another in a primary to keep their seat. The proposal will have to be approved by a federal court, which will hold a hearing on it next month." The NBC News story is here.

Nebraska. Michael Levenson of the New York Times: "A Nebraska teenager who used abortion pills to terminate her pregnancy was sentenced on Thursday to 90 days in jail after she pleaded guilty earlier this year to illegally concealing human remains. The teenager, Celeste Burgess, 19, and her mother, Jessica Burgess, 42, were charged last year after the police obtained their private Facebook messages, which showed them discussing plans to end the pregnancy and 'burn the evidence.' Prosecutors said the mother had ordered abortion pills online and had given them to her daughter in April 2022, when Celeste Burgess was 17 and in the beginning of the third trimester of her pregnancy. The two then buried the fetal remains themselves, the police said. Jessica Burgess pleaded guilty in July to violating Nebraska's abortion law, furnishing false information to a law enforcement officer and removing or concealing human skeletal remains. She faces up to five years in prison at her sentencing on Sept. 22.... The police investigation into the Burgesses began before the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June 2022."

Texas. Priscilla Alvarez & Shimon Prokupecz of CNN: "The Justice Department told Texas [Gov. Greg Abbott] Thursday that it intends to file legal action against the placement of floating barriers in the Rio Grande as part of the state's operation along the Texas-Mexico border.... 'The State of Texas's actions violate federal law, raise humanitarian concerns, present serious risks to public safety and the environment, and may interfere with the federal government's ability to carry out its official duties,' the letter stated, citing a clause in the law that 'prohibits the creation of any obstruction to the navigable capacity of waters of the United States, and further prohibits building any structure in such waters without authorization from the United States Army Corps of Engineers....' This is separate from the ongoing assessment of mistreatment of migrants, which the Justice Department described as 'troubling reports.'... The letter ... detail[s] 'sharp razor wire' in the Rio Grande, which is 'creating death traps for migrants and violating U.S. treaty commitments with Mexico.'"

Texas. Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs & Remy Tumin of the New York Times: "Texas A&M University said on Friday that its president was resigning 'immediately' following a conflict over the school's shifting offers to a candidate who appeared set to lead its journalism school but ultimately declined the position after facing pushback over her work promoting diversity. The president, M. Katherine Banks, submitted a letter of retirement late on Thursday, in which she said that the negative attention over the journalism director, Kathleen McElroy, was a distraction for Texas A&M...." The Texas Tribune's story is here.

Way Beyond

Ukraine, et al. The Washington Post's live briefing of developments Saturday in Russia's war on Ukraine is here: "Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan it was an 'absolute priority' to restore the Black Sea corridor, where ships carry Ukrainian grain to the world, according to the Ukrainian leader's office.... Brokered by Turkey and the United Nations last year, the agreement allowed the safe passage of ships carrying grain from Ukraine, a major exporter.... UNESCO condemned Russian attacks on the 'historic center of Odessa,' which is protected under the World Heritage Convention.... Radar imagery appears to show newly arrived vehicles and equipment in Belarus, at a rumored base for fighters from the Wagner Group.... The United States is planning to announce a new $400 million military assistance package for Ukraine, Reuters reported, citing three unidentified American officials.... Zelensky has dismissed Ukraine's ambassador to Britain, according to the BBC. Kyiv did not announce a reason for the removal of Vadym Prystaiko, who criticized the president's response after British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace suggested Ukraine should show gratitude for security assistance." ~~~

     ~~~ The Guardian's live updates for Saturday are here. The Guardian's summary report is here.

July 21, 2023

Late Morning/Afternoon Update:

Shane Harris of the Washington Post: "President Biden has asked CIA Director William J. Burns to become a member of his Cabinet, reflecting the central role the veteran diplomat has taken carrying out the administration's foreign policy and his key role as a messenger to Russia. The move, which is largely symbolic, will not give Burns any new authorities. But it underscores the influence Burns has in the administration and will be read as a victory for the CIA, which was among the agencies in the U.S. intelligence community that accurately forecast the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022.... Burns, who repeatedly stresses that he is not engaged in diplomacy, has nevertheless emerged as a sort of 'secretary of hard problems,' U.S. officials have said. Since well before Russia invaded Ukraine, Burns has been the White House's key interlocutor to Moscow, having had the most direct interactions with Russian President Vladimir Putin of anyone in the administration.... Burns, who served as U.S. ambassador to Russia from 2005 to 2008, has been one of the sharpest public critics of Putin...."

Alan Feuer of the New York Times: "The federal judge overseeing ... Donald J. Trump's prosecution on charges of illegally retaining dozens of classified documents set a trial date on Friday for May 2024, taking a middle position between the government's request to go to trial in December and Mr. Trump's desire to push the proceeding until after the 2024 election. In her order, Judge Aileen M. Cannon said the trial was to be held in her home courthouse in Fort Pierce, Fla., a coastal city two-and-a-half hours north of Miami that will draw its jury pool from several counties that Mr. Trump won handily in his two previous presidential campaigns. Judge Cannon also laid out a calendar of hearings, throughout the remainder of this year and into next year.... The date Judge Cannon chose to start the trial -- May 20, 2024 -- falls after the bulk of the primary contests. But it is less than two months before the start of the Republican National Convention in July and the formal start of the general election season."

** Hugo Lowell of the Guardian: "The Fulton county district attorney investigating Donald Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election results in the state of Georgia has developed evidence to charge a sprawling racketeering indictment next month, according to two people briefed on the matter.... In the Trump investigation, the Fulton county district attorney, Fani Willis, has evidence to pursue a racketeering indictment predicated on statutes related to influencing witnesses and computer trespass, the people said." MB: We don't know what's happening the grand jury Willis has convened, and we don't know that the grand jury will direct Willis to bring any charges. But treating Trump as a dirty mob boss seems entirely appropriate to me.

Ben Protess, et al., of the New York Times: "Michael D. Cohen, the longtime fixer to Donald J. Trump, who was set to go to trial next week against his former boss's company in a dispute over legal fees, has agreed to settle his lawsuit with the Trump Organization, lawyers for both parties said at a brief court hearing on Friday. Mr. Cohen's lawsuit, filed in 2019, accused the Trump Organization of failing to abide by the terms of a deal and refusing to pay more than $1 million in legal costs. Jury selection for the trial began earlier this week, and opening arguments were scheduled for Monday."

Adam Liptak of the New York Times: "Over a forceful dissent from its three liberal members, the Supreme Court early Friday morning refused to halt the execution of a death row inmate in Alabama who said that the state's history of botched executions made it likely that he would suffer intense pain as he was put to death. The inmate, James Barber, was executed about two hours after the court's 1 a.m. order. Early news reports did not note major flaws in the procedure. Mr. Barber was convicted in 2003 of beating Dorothy Epps, 75, to death with his fists and a claw hammer. The Supreme Court's brief order gave no reasons for denying the stay.... In an 11-page dissent, Justice Sonia Sotomayor, joined by Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson, said the majority had empowered 'Alabama to experiment again with a human life.'"

Matt Viser of the Washington Post: "Hunter Biden's attorney on Friday requested that a congressional ethics panel take action against Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), citing her use of sexually explicit images of the president's son that she displayed during a congressional hearing earlier this week. 'Your colleague has lowered herself, and by extension the entire House of Representatives, to a new level of abhorrent behavior that blatantly violates House Ethics rules and standards of official conduct,' Abbe Lowell wrote in a four-page letter sent to the Office of Congressional Ethics."

Michael Shear of the New York Times: "After pressure from the White House..., seven leading A.I. companies in the United States have agreed to voluntary safeguards on the technology's development, the White House announced on Friday, pledging to strive for safety, security and trust even as they compete over the potential of artificial intelligence. The seven companies -- Amazon, Anthropic, Google, Inflection, Meta, Microsoft and OpenAI -- will formally announce their commitment to the new standards at a meeting with President Biden at the White House on Friday afternoon. The announcement comes as the companies are racing to outdo each other with versions of A.I. that offer powerful new tools to create text, photos, music and video without human input. But the technological leaps have prompted fears that the tools will facilitate the spread of disinformation and dire warnings of a 'risk of extinction' as self-aware computers evolve." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: President* Trump could not get such an agreement because he thought "A.I." stood for "Article I" of the Constitution, which covers the powers of Congress, powers that under Trump's thumb are themselves already under a "risk of extinction." (See today's "My Kevin" news, for instance.)

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Carl Hulse of the New York Times: "The Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday approved legislation that would impose strict new ethics rules on justices, moving over fierce objections from Republicans to address a string of revelations about Supreme Court justices taking free luxury trips and receiving other financial benefits from wealthy benefactors. The legislation, which stands little chance of advancing given the strong G.O.P. opposition, would require the Supreme Court to, at a minimum, adopt and adhere to ethics and disclosure rules equivalent to those applied to members of Congress. It would also impose new transparency requirements and create a panel of appellate judges to review misconduct complaints made against the justices. Democratic members of the committee said the action was necessary because the court has refused to police itself." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I acknowledge that it is a given that Republicans are horrified that confederate justices should have to abide by some kind of ethics code. But will somebody please remind me of why. What is the rationale -- real or fake -- behind "It's so wrong for our vaunted justices-for-life to be required to demonstrate that they're following ethical principles." I really cannot think of a quasi-reasonable excuse for the GOP's "strong opposition" to the proposed legislation. ~~~

     ~~~ Update: Near the end of yesterday's Comments section, Ken W. responded. His answer to my question, if not satisfactory, sounds right to me. And in today's thread, Akhilleus thinks up several rationales. I suspect his final thought is most apt. ~~~

     ~~~ Update 2: Come now Fox "News" & Sen. Foghorn Leghorn with this remarkable excuse: "Senator John Kennedy, R-La., called a new bill from Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats to install a Supreme Court code of ethics a 'court-killing machine' that was both 'dangerous' and 'unserious.'... It would allow any jackaloon out there in America in a tinfoil hat, whose own dog thinks he's an utter nutter, to file a motion to recuse a United States Supreme Court Justice.'"

Kayla Guo of the New York Times: "The House on Thursday overwhelmingly passed bipartisan legislation to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration for the next half-decade, [also] moving ... to make a number of changes that affect passengers. The bill would address airlines' refunds and reimbursement obligations to passengers, enhance protections for passengers with disabilities, boost hiring of air traffic controllers, shore up aviation safety, unlock funding to modernize airport infrastructure, invest in upgrades to the agency's technology and more. The House passed it on a vote of 351 to 69, sending it to the Senate." MB: Apparently, anti-regulation Republicans, most of whom fly regularly, favor "deep-state" regs that help keep them safe.

Marie: If you would like to know what-all happened in Wednesday's House Biden Crime Family Hearing -- other than MTG displaying huge dick pix in front of those assembled in the room -- Aaron Blake of the Washington Post does a good job at explaining the, ah, substance: "It's basically one big he-said, they-said. And despite the hearing Wednesday, it remained in that realm." It appears star wingnut witness Gary Shapley, an IRS supervisor agent, didn't understand the DOJ's distinction between a "special counsel" & a "special attorney" when he spoke to Trump-appointed U.S. Attorney David Weiss a while back. Now, I don't think the average person would know the difference, either, nor would the average surly IRS agent. Necessarily. But Weiss wrote a much-publicized letter to the committee last week, explaining Shapley's apparent misapprehension and assuring the committee that AG Merrick Garland did nothing to limit Weiss's investigation and charging decisions re: Hunter Biden. So one would think Shapley would have an Emily Litella moment and back out of the hearing. But no. He insisted to Democratic interrogators that Weiss was not telling the truth. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I wonder if Miss Margie should be prosecuted for displaying pornographic photos on C-SPAN (available in all major cable network packages) during children's viewing hours. Imagine some little kid tiring of Sesame Street's alphabet lesson and deploying the remote to switch to C-SPAN, whereupon the heretofore innocent child sees this.

Desperate Measures. Lucien Bruggeman, et al., of ABC News: "Sen. Chuck Grassley on Thursday released a confidential FBI informant's unverified claim that, years ago, the Biden family 'pushed' a Ukrainian oligarch to pay them $10 million. The exceedingly rare step by Grassley, R-Iowa, further promulgates an allegation that Democratic critics warned against accepting at face value and which the White House continues to deny, saying it has been investigated under the Trump administration and 'debunked.'... Grassley's office said he obtained his version of the FD-1023, which is only lightly redacted, 'via legally protected disclosures by Justice Department whistleblowers,' though the bureau said in a statement that such a release 'at a minimum - unnecessarily risks the safety of a confidential source.'"

My Kevin Makes a Deal. Rachel Bade of Politico: "After House Speaker Kevin McCarthy suggested on national television last month that Donald Trump may not be the GOP's best presidential nominee in 2024, the former president was furious.... 'He needs to endorse me -- today!' Trump fumed to his staff.... But [McCarthy] ... wasn't ready to do that. To calm Trump, McCarthy made him a promise...: The House would vote to expunge the two impeachments against the former president. And -- as McCarthy would communicate through aides later that same day -- they would do so before August recess. That vow -- made reflexively to save his own skin -- may have bought McCarthy some time, staving off a public war with the man who almost single-handedly rehabilitated his entire career and ensured he won the gavel in January." But the plan may not go down well with so-called moderate House Republicans, Constitutionalist Republicans, and those who want to forget about January 6. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ My Kevin Denies He Made a Deal. Arthur Jones & Lauren Peller of ABC News: "House Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Thursday denied a report claiming he promised ... Donald Trump that the House would hold a vote before its August recess on expunging Trump's past impeachments. 'There's no deal, but I've been very clear from long before -- when I voted against impeachments -- that they put them in for purely political purposes. I support expungement but there's no deal out there,' McCarthy said." MB: IOW, McCarthy would have prostrated himself before the Lord High Executioner no matter what. That's the way to stand up to a commander-in-chief* who denied your frantic pleas to him to call off the barbarians who had crashed the gate on January 6. ~~~

~~~ Jordain Carney, et al., of Politico: "Roughly a half-dozen swing district Republicans said Thursday they were skeptical -- or even downright opposed -- to any vote designed to symbolically rescind one or both of Trump's impeachments." ~~~

~~~ digby: "I think McCarthy needs to call for that vote. It will either lose because the GOP moderates refuse to go along in which case Trump gets furious and there is hell to pay or it passes and every Democratic challenger in those swing districts use that vote to illustrate how Trump owns them. It's a good plan. Go for it."

Alan Feuer & Maggie Haberman of the New York Times: "On Thursday, two of [the] legal proceedings [against Donald Trump] collided in an unusual spectacle, as a federal judge hauled the prosecutor leading the election interference investigation out of a grand jury proceeding and summoned him into his courtroom. The judge, Trevor N. McFadden, was apparently upset that the prosecutor, Thomas P. Windom, had kept a lawyer [-- Stanley Woodward Jr. --] representing a witness in front of the grand jury from appearing on time for the reading of a verdict for a Jan. 6 defendant whom the lawyer was also representing. While the incident came to an end quickly and seemed to have resulted in little more than a public display of tension, it nonetheless reflected the complexities that have ensued from Mr. Trump's crowded legal calendar." The article explains the delay, which was caused by Woodward's consultations with Trump bodyman Will Russell, who was appearing in a grand jury hearing. Politico's story is here. MB: Teevee commenters yesterday said it was unusual for one attorney to represent so many clients in so many different aspects of cases related to Donald Trump's misadventures.

Paula Reid, et al., of CNN: "As anticipation builds for ... Donald Trump to be indicted for the third time this year, investigators in the special counsel's election interference probe are expected to speak with additional witnesses over the next several weeks, including at least one former Trump attorney.... Prosecutors have been in talks with at least two witnesses to schedule interviews with investigators that won't be completed for at least another month. Former New York City police commissioner Bernie Kerik, a Trump ally, is still in the process of scheduling his upcoming interview, and a former Trump lawyer plans to talk to investigators next month, sources familiar with the planned meetings told CNN. It is unclear if prosecutors would wait until after their interviews have been completed before indicting Trump."

Marie: Wednesday night I read U.S. Code Section 241 of Title 18, which is a "surprise" citation in Trump's target letter. I came to much the same conclusion, based on the same recent evidence, Marcy Wheeler reached: "The recent news that Jack Smith has subpoenaed the security footage from the State Farm arena vote count location in Georgia, taken in conjunction with Trump's efforts in places like Michigan -- where his efforts focused on preventing a fair count of Detroit, where he had actually performed better than in 2016, rather than Kent County, the still predominantly white county where he lost the state -- is a reminder that Trump and his mobs, many associated with overt white supremacists like Nick Fuentes, aggressively tried to thwart the counting of Black and Latino people's votes." We have known for a long time that Trump ran a Jim Crow presidency*. You see it in his political appointees, you see it in his judicial nominations. You see it in his immigration sentiments: more Norwegians, fewer people from "shithole countries," no Mexican "rapists," no Muslims. "There are very fine people on both sides." Message to violent white nationalist Proud Boys: "Stand back and stand by." The only Black people Trump has ever been able to make friends with are entertainers or sports figures, and many White racists have long given a pass to Black celebrities. If we failed to notice that Trump was picking on areas with primarily Black voters, then we haven't been paying attention to Republicans back to Richard Nixon. Wheeler gives a big shout-out to Roger Stone, and he is obviously provides a through-line from Nixon to Trump. But the racism is party-wide and hardly concealed. Just ask Paul Ryan why he and Mitt Romney lost the 2012 election:"urban voters." If the DOJ is catching up to reality -- and that remains a supposition -- well, good for them. (Also linked yesterday.)

Matthew Goldstein of the New York Times: “The Securities and Exchange Commission said on Thursday that it had reached a settlement with the cash-rich shell company that planned to merge with ... Donald J. Trump’s social media company, potentially paving the way for the much-delayed deal to proceed. Under the settlement, Digital World Acquisition Corp. will pay a penalty of $18 million and revise some of its corporate filings to comply with federal securities laws. The S.E.C. was investigating whether Digital World had flouted merger laws governing special purpose acquisition companies. The S.E.C. charged Digital World, a special purpose acquisition company, with misleading investors with its disclosures.... But many hurdles remain for Digital World to complete its merger with Trump Media & Technology Group.... It is unclear why ... Trump Media has not yet signaled it is willing to keep the pending deal alive...."

Trump Appointee Found Guilty in Jan. 6 Insurrection. Spencer Hsu & Tom Jackman of the Washington Post: "A former political appointee of ... Donald Trump was found guilty Thursday of joining assaults on police on Jan. 6, 2021, that included one of the most prolonged attacks on officers by rioters in a tunnel at the Lower West Terrace of the U.S. Capitol. Federico G. Klein, a State Department appointee with a top-secret clearance, was convicted on all counts, including 10 felony charges involving six violent confrontations with multiple law enforcement officers and obstruction of the electoral vote count, after a week-long bench trial before U.S. District Judge Trevor N. McFadden. A co-defendant, Steven Cappuccio, was convicted of six felony counts, but McFadden acquitted him of the obstruction charge and a misdemeanor, ruling that Cappuccio was not politically savvy enough to intend to stop the electoral vote count.... One [of their victims was] D.C. police officer Daniel Hodges, who in one of the day's most harrowing events was recorded on camera being pinned to a metal door frame by the mob with Klein's help, while Cappuccio ripped away his baton and gas mask while yelling, 'How you like me now, f[uck]er!'... Klein, 42, served in the Marine Corps Reserves in Iraq before working on Trump's 2016 presidential campaign and gaining a mid-level State Department appointment." The NBC News story is here.

Rachel Weiner of the Washington Post: "A federal judge on Thursday denied a bid from Jacob Chansley to withdraw his guilty plea to obstructing Congress on Jan. 6 and rebuked the so-called 'QAnon Shaman' for going on a Tucker Carlson program that gave a distorted view of the riot.... Judge Royce C. Lamberth sentenced [Chansley] in November 2021 to 41 months in prison, the low end of federal sentencing guidelines, after Chansley said he was 'truly repentant' and called his behavior 'indefensible.'... But after leaving prison, he asked Lamberth to undo his conviction, saying security camera footage from inside the Capitol aired by Fox News host Tucker Carlson a few weeks prior showed police allowed him to wander around the building on Jan. 6. The attorney who represented Chansley when he took his plea told Carlson he did not have that video at the time.... All but 10 seconds of the video Carlson showed was produced to Chansley before his sentencing, Lamberth said, and the surveillance video Chansley now claims undermines his conviction is duplicative of police body-camera footage he was given months before he decided to plead guilty.

"'These videos are decidedly not exculpatory,' Lamberth wrote. 'Such footage, conveniently omitted by the [Fox News] program, shows nearly all of Mr. Chansley's actions that day, including: carrying a six-foot-long pole armed with a spearhead, unlawfully entering the Capitol through a broken door, disobeying orders from law enforcement on more than a half-dozen occasions, screaming obscenities, entering the Senate chamber, climbing onto the Senate dais, sitting in the Vice President's chair, and leaving a threatening message for the Vice President.... That law enforcement officers outnumbered by the quantity of rioters did not physically engage Mr. Chansley or impede his progress is irrelevant.'" MB: Otherwise, the bare-chested, spear-carrying, horn-wearing Chansley was just a patriotic tourist enjoying the sights in our nation's capitol. Why, I wouldn't mind seeing him in a Trump campaign video, all decked out in his patriotic touring outfit.

The Lionization of Clarence Thomas (Sponsored by a Guy Named Leo). Shawn Boberg, et al., of the Washington Post: "In 2016, after HBO produced & aired a drama about Clarence Thomas & Anita Hill, there arose a "rush of favorable content [that] was part of a coordinated and sophisticated public relations campaign to defend and celebrate Thomas.... The campaign would stretch on for years and include the creation and promotion of a laudatory film about Thomas, advertising to boost positive content about him during internet searches and publication of a book about his life. It was financed with at least $1.8 million from conservative nonprofit groups steered by the judicial activist Leonard Leo, [a Washington Post] examination found." (Also linked yesterday.)

Presidential Race 2024

Sheryl Stolberg of the New York Times: "The Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ... appeared before the House Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government ... [and] said he had 'never been anti-vax' and had taken all recommended vaccines except the coronavirus vaccine. Thursday's hearing ... was rooted in a lawsuit, filed last year by the attorneys general of Missouri and Louisiana and known as Missouri v. Biden, that accused the [Biden] administration of colluding with social media companies to suppress free speech on Covid-19, elections and other matters. The subcommittee's chairman, Representative Jim Jordan..., opened the hearing by citing an email that emerged in that case, in which a White House official asked Twitter to take down a tweet in which Mr. Kennedy suggested -- without evidence -- that the baseball legend Hank Aaron may have died from the coronavirus vaccine.... Thursday's session had all the makings of a Washington spectacle." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Daniel Dale of CNN fact-checks Kennedy's stunning claim (made under oath) that he's never been anti-vaccine. Definitely worth watching:

~~~ Aaron Blake of the Washington Post: As Republicans & Fox "News" fawn over RFK Jr., his poll numbers turn south.

Marie's Sports News

Ken Belson of the New York Times: "Owners of the N.F.L.'s 31 other teams unanimously approved the sale of the Washington Commanders to a group led by Josh Harris, the private equity billionaire, who agreed to pay a record $6.05 billion to Daniel Snyder, the scandal-plagued owner of the team. The figure surpassed the previous highest price paid for an American sports team...."

Ken Belson & Jenny Vrentas of the New York Times: "Daniel Snyder was fined $60 million, by far the largest penalty ever levied against an N.F.L. team owner, after he was found to have sexually harassed a woman who was both a former cheerleader and a marketing employee for the Washington Commanders. A league-sponsored investigation released Thursday found credible claims made by Tiffani Johnston, the former team employee, who said that Snyder put his hand on her thigh without her consent at a work dinner in 2005 or 2006, and that he later attempted to push her toward the back seat of his car after the event.... White's report also substantiated claims made by a former Washington ticket executive, Jason Friedman, who said the team had intentionally shielded and withheld revenues that were intended to be shared among the league's 32 teams." ~~~

     ~~~ The Washington Post's report, which is more detailed, is here.

Christine Hauser of the New York Times: "Unionized workers at Anchor Brewing Company, the oldest craft brewer in the United States, want to buy the 127-year-old company and run it as a co-op to save it from shutting down, a union official said. The company said last week that economic pressures ... had left it 'with no option but to make this sad decision to cease operations.' But employees, who were given 60 days' notice and promised severance packages, have proposed a way to keep the beer flowing."

Beyond the Beltway

Florida. Way Down Upon de Swanee Ribber. Antonio Planas of NBC News: "Florida's public schools will now teach students that some Black people benefited from slavery because it taught them useful skills, part of new African American history standards approved Wednesday that were blasted by a state teachers' union as a 'step backward.' The Florida State Board of Education's new standards includes controversial language about how 'slaves developed skills which, in some instances, could be applied for their personal benefit,' according to a 216-page document about the state's 2023 standards in social studies, posted by the Florida Department of Education. Other language that has drawn the ire of some educators and education advocates includes teaching about how Black people were also perpetrators of violence during race massacres.... Updates to the African American history curriculum were required by a controversial 2022 law that Gov. Ron DeSantis dubbed the 'Stop Wrongs To Our Kids and Employees Act,' or 'Stop WOKE Act,' NBC South Florida reported." See also Forrest M.'s comment at the top of today's thread.

Florida. Steve Contorno & Danielle Wiener-Bronner of CNN: "Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is urging the state's pension fund manager to consider legal action against Bud Light's parent company amid conservative backlash to the beermaker's recent marketing efforts, the latest attempt by the Republican presidential candidate to inject himself and the state he runs into the country's culture wars. In a Thursday letter obtained by CNN, DeSantis suggests AB InBev 'breached legal duties owed to its shareholders' when it decided to associate with 'radical social ideologies.' Sales of Bud Light have plummeted in the months since it entered into a minor partnership with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney that precipitated a boycott from conservatives.... Earlier this year, DeSantis praised conservative consumers for boycotting the company, telling the right-wing podcaster Benny Johnson: 'I'll never drink Bud again.'" ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Here's how this works: DeSantis encourages and says he will participate in a boycott of Bud products, a boycott that is in line with DeSantis's infamous anti-woke campaign. The boycott brings down sales, which leads to a fall in the stock prices; ergo, also a fall in the stock's value in the state pension fund. So DeSantis says to sue Bud's parent company for falling prey to a boycott he aided. Can anyone see anything wrong with that?

Missouri. Anna Betts of the New York Times: "The Missouri Supreme Court ruled against the state attorney general's position on an abortion ballot initiative, a decision that allows an effort to restore abortion rights there to move forward. The court ruled that the attorney general, Andrew Bailey, who opposes abortion, had improperly held up his approval of a ballot initiative that would ask voters whether they want to change the constitution to include a right to abortion.... The delay prevented proponents of the initiative from beginning to collect signatures to try to place the question on the ballot for next year's election."

New York. Jake Offenhartz of the AP: "New York City has agreed to pay more than $13 million to settle a civil rights lawsuit brought on behalf of roughly 1,300 people who were arrested or beaten by police during racial injustice demonstrations that swept through the city during the summer of 2020. If approved by a judge, the settlement, which was filed in Manhattan federal court Wednesday, would be among the most expensive payouts ever awarded in a lawsuit over mass arrests, experts said.... With certain exceptions, people arrested or subjected to force by NYPD officers at those events will each be eligible for $9,950 in compensation, according to attorneys for the plaintiffs."

Way Beyond

China. Peter Alexander & Carol Lee of NBC News: "China-linked hackers accessed the email account of the U.S ambassador to China, Nicholas Burns, as part of a recent targeted intelligence-gathering campaign, two U.S. officials familiar with the matter confirmed. The hackers also breached the email account of Daniel Kritenbrink, the assistant secretary of state for East Asia, the officials said. Kritenbrink recently traveled to China with Secretary of State Antony Blinken. The breach, first reported Thursday by The Wall Street Journal, was limited to the diplomats' unclassified email accounts, the officials said."

Ukraine, et al.

The New York Times' live updates of developments Friday in Russia's war on Ukraine are here. ~~~

     ~~~ The Washington Post's live briefing for Friday is here: "Russia struck Odessa early Friday in the fourth day of pounding the Ukrainian port region, the governor said. The attack on an agricultural facility there injured two employees and destroyed tons of peas and barley ... days after the Kremlin pulled out of a U.N.-backed grain export deal. Moscow's withdrawal from the agreement suspends the flow of shipments from Ukraine, a major grain exporter, via Black Sea routes, raising fears for global food supplies.... On the battlefield, Ukraine is using U.S.-provided cluster munitions in an attempt to push through Russian lines in the southeast, The Washington Post reported. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the weapons were 'actually having an impact on Russia's defensive formations' and Ukrainian forces were using them 'effectively.'... [President] Zelensky called for limits on funding cultural activities during the war in his nightly address. The cultural minister, Oleksandr Tkachenko, announced his resignation soon after, citing a 'misunderstanding about the importance of culture during war' with the president."

Julian Barnes & David Sanger of the New York Times: "In the most detailed public account yet given by a U.S. official, the director of the C.I.A. offered a biting assessment on Thursday of the damage done to President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia by the mutiny of the Wagner mercenary group, saying the rebellion had revived questions about his judgment and detachment from events. Speaking at the Aspen Security Forum, an annual national security conference, William J. Burns, the C.I.A. director, said that for much of the 36 hours of the rebellion last month, Russian security services, the military and decision makers 'appeared to be adrift.'... Mr. Burns confirmed that the United States had some notice that the uprising might take place.... Mr. Burns's remarks on the Kremlin's paralysis during the uprising carried out by Yevgeny V. Prigozhin and his mercenary group built on comments a day earlier from his British counterpart, Richard Moore, the chief of MI6, who said the rebellion showed cracks in Mr. Putin's rule."

News Ledes

New York Times: "Tony Bennett, a singer whose melodic clarity, jazz-influenced phrasing, audience-embracing persona and warm, deceptively simple interpretations of musical standards helped spread the American songbook around the world and won him generations of fans, died on Friday at his home in Manhattan, where he had lived for many decades. He was 96.... Mr. Bennett's career of more than 70 years was remarkable not only for its longevity, but also for its consistency. In hundreds of concerts and club dates and more than 150 recordings, he devoted himself to preserving the classic American popular song....

"A lifelong liberal Democrat, Mr. Bennett participated in the Selma-to-Montgomery civil rights march in 1965, and, along with Harry Belafonte, Sammy Davis Jr. and others, performed at the Stars for Freedom rally on the City of St. Jude campus on the outskirts of Montgomery on March 24, the night before the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered the address that came to be known as the 'How Long? Not Long' speech. At the conclusion of the march, Viola Liuzzo, a volunteer from Michigan, drove Mr. Bennett to the airport; she was murdered later that day by members of the Ku Klux Klan.... [Mr. Bennett] was among the troops who arrived to liberate the prisoners at the Landsberg concentration camp, a subcamp of Dachau."

July 20, 2023

Late Morning/Afternoon Update:

Sheryl Stolberg of the New York Times: "The Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ... appeared before the House Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government ... [and] said he had 'never been anti-vax' and had taken all recommended vaccines except the coronavirus vaccine. Thursday's hearing ... was rooted in a lawsuit, filed last year by the attorneys general of Missouri and Louisiana and known as Missouri v. Biden, that accused the [Biden] administration of colluding with social media companies to suppress free speech on Covid-19, elections and other matters. The subcommittee's chairman, Representative Jim Jordan..., opened the hearing by citing an email that emerged in that case, in which a White House official asked Twitter to take down a tweet in which Mr. Kennedy suggested -- without evidence -- that the baseball legend Hank Aaron may have died from the coronavirus vaccine.... Thursday's session had all the makings of a Washington spectacle." ~~~

     ~~~ Daniel Dale of CNN fact-checks Kennedy's stunning claim (under oath) that he's never been anti-vaccine. Definitely worth watching:

Carl Hulse of the New York Times: "The Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday approved legislation that would impose strict new ethics rules on justices, moving over fierce objections from Republicans to address a string of revelations about Supreme Court justices taking free luxury trips and receiving other financial benefits from wealthy benefactors. The legislation, which stands little chance of advancing given the strong G.O.P. opposition, would require the Supreme Court to, at a minimum, adopt and adhere to ethics and disclosure rules equivalent to those applied to members of Congress. It would also impose new transparency requirements and create a panel of appellate judges to review misconduct complaints made against the justices. Democratic members of the committee said the action was necessary because the court has refused to police itself." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I acknowledge that it is a given that Republicans are horrified that confederate justices should have to abide by some kind of ethics code. But will somebody please remind me of why. What is the rationale -- real or fake -- behind "It's so wrong for our vaunted justices-for-life to be required to demonstrate that they're following ethical principles." I really cannot think of a quasi-reasonable excuse for the GOP's "strong opposition" to the proposed legislation.

Marie: Last night I read U.S. Code Section 241 of Title 18, which is a "surprise" citation in Trump's target letter. I came to much the same conclusion, based on the same recent evidence, Marcy Wheeler reached: "The recent news that Jack Smith has subpoenaed the security footage from the State Farm arena vote count location in Georgia, taken in conjunction with Trump's efforts in places like Michigan -- where his efforts focused on preventing a fair count of Detroit, where he had actually performed better than in 2016, rather than Kent County, the still predominantly white county where he lost the state -- is a reminder that Trump and his mobs, many associated with overt white supremacists like Nick Fuentes, aggressively tried to thwart the counting of Black and Latino people's votes." We have known for a long time that Trump ran a Jim Crow presidency*. You see it in his political appointees, you see it in his judicial nominations. You see it in his immigration sentiments: more Norwegians, fewer people from "shithole countries," no Mexican "rapists," no Muslims. "There are very fine people on both sides." Message to violent white nationalist Proud Boys: "Stand back and stand by." The only Black people Trump has ever been able to make friends with are entertainers or sports figures, and many White racists have long given a pass to Black celebrities. If we failed to notice that Trump was picking on areas with primarily Black voters, then we haven't been paying attention to Republicans back to Richard Nixon. Wheeler gives a big shout-out to Roger Stone, and he is obviously provides a through-line from Nixon to Trump. But the racism is party-wide and hardly concealed. Just ask Paul Ryan why he and Mitt Romney lost the 2012 election: "urban voters." If the DOJ is catching up to reality -- and that remains a supposition -- well, good for them.

Kevin Makes a Deal. Rachel Bade of Politico: "After House Speaker Kevin McCarthy suggested on national television last month that Donald Trump may not be the GOP's best presidential nominee in 2024, the former president was furious.... 'He needs to endorse me -- today!' Trump fumed to his staff.... But [McCarthy] ... wasn't ready to do that. To calm Trump, McCarthy made him a promise...: The House would vote to expunge the two impeachments against the former president. And -- as McCarthy would communicate through aides later that same day -- they would do so before August recess. That vow -- made reflexively to save his own skin -- may have bought McCarthy some time, staving off a public war with the man who almost single-handedly rehabilitated his entire career and ensured he won the gavel in January." But the plan may not go down well with so-called moderate House Republicans, Constitutionalist Republicans, and those who want to forget about January 6.

Marie: If you would like to know what-all happened in Wednesday's House Biden Crime Family Hearing -- other than MTG displaying huge dick pix in front of those assembled in the room -- Aaron Blake of the Washington Post does a good job at explaining the, ah, substance: "It's basically one big he-said, they-said. And despite the hearing Wednesday, it remained in that realm." It appears star wingnut witness Gary Shapley, an IRS supervisor agent, didn't understand the DOJ's distinction between a "special counsel" & a "special attorney" when he spoke to Trump-appointed U.S. Attorney David Weiss a while back. Now, I don't think the average person would know the difference, either, nor would the average surly IRS agent. Necessarily. But Weiss wrote a much-publicized letter to the committee last week, explaining Shapley's apparent misapprehension and assuring the committee that AG Merrick Garland did nothing to limit Weiss's investigation and charging decisions re: Hunter Biden. So one would think Shapley would have an Emily Litella moment and back out of the hearing. But no. He insisted to Democratic interrogators that Weiss was not telling the truth.

The Lionization of Clarence Thomas (Sponsored by a Guy Named Leo). Shawn Boberg, et al., of the Washington Post: In 2016, after HBO produced & aired a drama about Clarence Thomas & Anita Hill, there arose a "rush of favorable content' [that] was part of a coordinated and sophisticated public relations campaign to defend and celebrate Thomas.... The campaign would stretch on for years and include the creation and promotion of a laudatory film about Thomas, advertising to boost positive content about him during internet searches and publication of a book about his life. It was financed with at least $1.8 million from conservative nonprofit groups steered by the judicial activist Leonard Leo, [a Washington Post] examination found."

~~~~~~~~~~

Patrick Marley, et al., of the Washington Post: "For 2½ years after rioters swarmed the Capitol, criminal investigations into Donald Trump and his allies for attempting to overturn the 2020 election percolated quietly. Now, just as another presidential campaign featuring Trump accelerates toward primary season, the assorted local, state and federal probes are bursting into highly visible action -- seemingly all at once."

Maggie Haberman, et al., of the New York Times: "Federal prosecutors have introduced a new twist in the Jan. 6 investigation by suggesting in a target letter that they could charge ... Donald J. Trump with violating a civil rights statute that dates back to the post-Civil War Reconstruction era, according to three people familiar with the matter.... Section 241 of Title 18 of the United States Code, which makes it a crime for people to 'conspire to injure, oppress, threaten, or intimidate any person' in the 'free exercise or enjoyment of any right or privilege secured to him by the Constitution or laws of the United States.' Congress enacted that statute after the Civil War to provide a tool for federal agents to go after Southern whites, including Ku Klux Klan members.... The modern usage of the law raised the possibility that Mr. Trump, who baselessly declared the election he lost to have been rigged, could face prosecution on accusations of trying to rig the election himself."

It is a ghastly reality that the only job left that Donald Trump could get in this country is president of the United States. -- Tom Nichols in a Bulwark podcast

Travis Gettys of the Raw Story: "Former New York City police commissioner Bernie Kerik is preparing to sit down with special counsel Jack Smith's team.... [Donald] Trump pardoned Kerik, who rose to fame after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, after he pleaded guilty in 2010 to eight felony charges, including failure to pay taxes and lying to White House officials during a failed nomination to be the secretary Homeland Security. Kerik served three years in prison...." (Also linked yesterday.)

Dan Mangan of CNBC: "... on Wednesday, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that [Jack] Smith's prosecutors had subpoenaed surveillance video footage recorded at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta during vote counting there after the 2020 election. Trump's campaign lawyers had used surveillance footage from the vote count to argue without success in December 2020 that Georgia's presidential election was tainted by fraud." The Atlanta Journal-Constitution story is here. (Also linked yesterday.)

Jonah Bromwich of the New York Times: "A judge on Wednesday denied ... Donald J. Trump's request to move the Manhattan criminal case against him from state to federal court. The federal judge, Alvin K. Hellerstein, had signaled in a hearing last month that he was predisposed against moving the case brought by the Manhattan district attorney, Alvin L. Bragg. Mr. Bragg's prosecutors have charged Mr. Trump with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records, stemming from a hush money payment made to a porn star in 2016."

Erica Orden of Politico: "A federal judge on Wednesday denied Donald Trump's bid for a new trial two months after a jury found that he sexually abused and defamed the writer E. Jean Carroll.... In a 59-page decision, U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan wrote that ... the former president's argument '... ignores the bulk of the evidence at trial, misinterprets the jury's verdict, and mistakenly focuses on the New York Penal Law definition of "rape" to the exclusion of the meaning of that word as it often is used in everyday life and of the evidence of what actually occurred between Ms. Carroll and Mr. Trump.'" (Also linked yesterday.)

Ian Swanson of the Hill: "Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla. announced on his podcast Tuesday he is introducing legislation to defund investigations into former President Trump led by special counsel Jack Smith." (Also linked yesterday.)

Laura Sforza of the Hill: "A Pennsylvania woman accused of directing Jan. 6 rioters into the Capitol building with a bullhorn was found guilty on federal charges. Rachel Marie Powell, 41, was convicted of all charges brought against her, including eight felonies and one misdemeanor related to her actions during the Jan. 6, 2021, attacks on the Capitol, the U.S. Attorney's Office in Washington announced Tuesday. U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth heard testimony without a jury, and a sentencing hearing was scheduled for Oct. 17." (Also linked yesterday.)

The Company He Keeps. Corky Siemaszko of NBC News: "A New Jersey con man with a 'bad reputation' who was pardoned two years ago by ... Donald Trump has been arrested again and accused of defrauding investors out of millions of dollars. Eliyahu 'Eli' Weinstein and four other men are charged with fleecing more than 150 people out of $35 million in a 'Ponzi-like scheme,' according to an arrest complaint unsealed Wednesday in federal court in Trenton and a statement from the office of the U.S. attorney for New Jersey. Using the alias Michael Konig, Weinstein and the others formed a company called Optimus Investments Inc. and allegedly began 'orchestrating another substantial scheme to defraud investors' shortly after he was released from prison in January 2021 -- but still on probation, the complaint says."

... this Inspector Clouseau-style quest for something that doesn't exist has turned our committee into a theater of the absurd, an exercise in futility and embarrassment. --- Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) ~~~

~~~ Luke Broadwater of the New York Times: "Two veteran I.R.S. investigators leveled harsh criticism on Wednesday against the Justice Department over its handling of the tax case against Hunter Biden, accusing the agency of shielding him from felony charges because of politics and preferential treatment. During an hourslong hearing of the House Oversight Committee, the investigators, Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler, detailed how they believed their work investigating Mr. Biden, the president's son, was stymied and slow-walked by Justice Department officials during both the Trump and Biden presidencies.... Mr. Shapley accused both Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and David C. Weiss, the U.S. attorney in Delaware, of stating falsely that Mr. Weiss had been fully empowered to pursue the Hunter Biden -- allegations both men have denied....

"But if the proceeding at times was a sober recounting of facts and details..., it also veered into rank partisanship, hyperbole and -- in a spectacle seldom seen in a Capitol Hill hearing room -- sexually explicit material. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, the right-wing Republican from Georgia, displayed naked photos of Hunter Biden engaging in sex acts as she questioned whether the evidence found on his laptop that he solicited prostitutes amounted to human trafficking.... Ms. Greene had held up several blown-up photographs and video screenshots. Democrats repeatedly expressed disgust at the tenor of the hearing, and the White House condemned it." MB: I doubt Miss Margie to charm school would help at all; she needs a super-ego implant. This is a woman who has no idea whatsoever of how to behave.

     ~~~ Mariana Alfaro of the Washington Post: "in her closing remarks, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), who also sits on the panel, called the images 'pornographic' and accused Republicans of reaching a 'new low.' 'Frankly, I don't care who you are in this country, no one deserves that,' she said. After the hearing ended, Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), the panel's top Democrat, said in an interview that displaying the images was 'completely irrelevant' to the hearing and 'did not advance in any way the putative objective of the hearing.'"

Presidential Race 2024

Marjorie Taylor Greene cuts a campaign ad for Joe Biden. MB: I opened the video with a brief intro to the ad; you can pretty much skip what-all comes after the ad:

     ~~~ "Alongside the ad, the White House tweeted, 'Caught us. President Biden is working to make life easier for hardworking families.'"

David Smith of the Guardian: "Robert Kennedy Jr, a long-shot Democratic candidate for US president, has a long history of racism, antisemitism and xenophobia, and should be denied a national platform, according to a damning report seen by the Guardian.... The Congressional Integrity Project, a political watchdog, called for Republicans to disinvite Kennedy after releasing a report that details his meetings with and promotion of racists, antisemites and extremist conspiracy theorists.... [For instance,] the Project details how Kennedy himself has frequently invoked Nazi Germany when pushing debunked theories about vaccines. He put out a video that showed the infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci with a moustache reminiscent of Adolf Hitler and used the word 'holocaust' to describe children he believes were hurt by vaccines in 2015." (Also linked yesterday.)

Paul Waldman of the Washington Post: "From the moment he entered the White House in 2017, Donald Trump was at war with the government he led; as his close adviser Stephen K. Bannon said at the time, the administration's goal was the 'deconstruction of the administrative state.' It was a war Trump mostly lost. But as he campaigns for another term, his loyalists are planning to refight that war, and win.... Working through established conservative organizations and newer Trump-centric ones such as the America First Policy Institute, Trump's associates are developing a plan to concentrate federal authority in his hands.... The Heritage Foundation's massive plan for the next GOP administration states, 'Nothing is more important than deconstructing the centralized administrative state.'... 'A lot of Trump's frustration with what he called the deep state was as much as anything frustration towards his own political appointees,' says Donald Moynihan, a Georgetown University political scientist.... 'He has solved that problem,' because now he has 'thousands of vetted loyalists' ready to staff the executive branch." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I am tired of news media covering the presidential race treating Trump as any other candidate. That serves to normalize his dangerous plans. Every mention of him in every article about the presidential contest should describe him as something like, "Donald Trump, who is running on an authoritarian, anti-democratic platform...."

Caroline Kitchener of the Washington Post: "A new procedure adopted in mid-June by one of the largest abortion pill suppliers, Europe-based Aid Access, now allows U.S. medical professionals in certain Democrat-led states that have passed abortion 'shield' laws to prescribe and mail pills directly to patients in antiabortion states.... The telemedicine shield laws, enacted over the past year in New York, Massachusetts, Washington, Vermont and Colorado, explicitly protect abortion providers who mail pills to restricted states from inside their borders. The result is a new pipeline of legally prescribed abortion pills flowing into states with abortion bans.... Aid Access started sending abortion pills to women in the United States long before the June 2022 Supreme Court ruling."

Stella Kim & others of NBC News have some details about the nitwit who bolted across the DMZ into North Korea. The kid is not your model soldier. (Also linked yesterday.) The New York Times story is here.

Beyond the Beltway

Alabama. A Frightening Story Gets Strange. Michael Levenson of the New York Times: "The police in Alabama said on Wednesday that they had not found any evidence to substantiate a woman's report that she had been abducted and held for two days after she pulled over to help a toddler whom she had seen walking along the side of an interstate. The police said that an investigation showed that the woman, Carlee Russell, 25, had searched online for information about Amber Alerts and the movie 'Taken,' which is about a kidnapping, before she called 911 on Thursday night to report a toddler walking along the interstate in Hoover, Ala., a suburb of Birmingham. When the police arrived at the interstate minutes later, they found Ms. Russell's vehicle and some of her belongings, including her cellphone and purse, but could not find her. The ensuing search for her and the child she had reported seeing drew national attention and intense speculation about what had happened." A Guardian report is here.

California. Stephanie Saul of the New York Times: "Following months of intense scrutiny of his scientific work, Marc Tessier-Lavigne announced Wednesday that he would resign as president of Stanford University after an independent review of his research found significant flaws in studies he supervised going back decades." ~~~

~~~ Marie: When good people (and I don't know whether or not Tessier-Lavigne is a good person) get caught doing bad things, they take their lumps and resign or at least apologize. They do not run for re-election, deny obvious wrongdoing & attack those holding them to account. This is an essential difference between civilized and uncivilized people.

Mississippi. Illysa Daly & Jerry Mitchell of the New York Times: "... an investigation by The New York Times and ... Mississippi Today, which included dozens of interviews and a review of court records and exclusively obtained internal documents, found that during his 11 years in office, Sheriff [Eddie] Scott has repeatedly been accused of using the power of his position to harass women, coerce them into sex and retaliate against those who criticize him or allege abuse. In rural communities like Clay County -- dominated by farmland and economic hardship -- some sheriffs rule like kings. They can arrest anyone they choose, smear reputations and hand out reprieves and other favors. They have enormous latitude to hold people in jail as long as they please and they answer to no one, typically facing little press or prosecutorial scrutiny." MB: f you wonder why people believe Donald Trump's stories about how the DOJ & FBI are persecuting him, it could be that some of them live in places like Clay County, where the law enforcement apparatus is entirely corrupt.

Mississippi. Chang Che of the New York Times: "Federal authorities have opened an investigation into a Mississippi chicken plant after a 16-year-old boy died following a workplace accident there, officials said on Tuesday. The boy, identified by the local authorities as Duvan Tomas Perez, died on Friday night after becoming ensnared in a machine he was cleaning at the Mar-Jac Poultry processing plant in Hattiesburg, Miss., according to a statement by the company.... Duvan immigrated to the United States from Guatemala roughly six years ago, according to Immigrant Alliance for Justice and Equity, a nonprofit organization that supports migrants in Mississippi.... Federal labor laws prohibit people under the age of 18 from operating and cleaning meat processing and packing equipment, which the U.S. Labor Department defines as 'particularly hazardous.' Mississippi's state labor laws ban minors from working in packing industries or positions that involve processing meat and poultry." The Guardian's report is here.~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I heard on CNN that Perez was cleaning the machine while it was running. Not surprisingly, it is supposed to be turned off while being cleaned.

New Hampshire. Maegan Vazquez of the Washington Post: "Gov. Chris Sununu (R-N.H.) on Wednesday announced that he will not seek a fifth term in office -- just one month after he said he would not seek the 2024 Republican presidential nomination."

Way Beyond

China. Lisa Friedman, et al., of the New York Times: "Chinese leaders rebuffed attempts by John Kerry, President Biden's climate envoy, to persuade them to commit to tougher climate action during three days of talks in Beijing, a response that suggested that tensions between the countries are making it difficult to work together on a crisis that threatens the planet. Mr. Kerry emerged late Wednesday from the lengthy negotiations in Beijing with no new agreements. In fact, the Chinese president, Xi Jinping, insisted in a speech that China would pursue its goals to phase out carbon dioxide pollution at its own pace and in its own way. Still, Mr. Kerry appeared buoyed that the world's two biggest polluters had restarted discussions, which had been frozen for a year because of strained relations over Taiwan, trade and other issues." MB: Apparently the excellent HVAC system in the Great Hall of the People prevented Chinese negotiators from noticing that China is among the nations experiencing a record-breaking, climate-change-induced heat wave.

Ukraine, et al.

The Washington Post's live briefing of developments Thursday in Russia's war on Ukraine is here: "For a third successive night, missile strikes pummeled Ukraine's Odessa region, where the country's Black Sea ports are located.... Eight aircraft carrying long-range supersonic missiles were recorded flying in the direction of the Black Sea, while anti-ship cruise missiles were launched toward the Odessa region, Ukraine's air force said on Telegram.... In Mykolaiv, 18 people were wounded -- including five children.... All ships headed to Ukrainian ports in the Black Sea will be considered potential carriers of military cargo starting Thursday, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement. ~~~

     ~~~ The Guardian's live updates for Thursday are here. The Guardian's summary report is here.

Helen Davidson of the Guardian: "The head of MI6 has accused China';s government and its leader, Xi Jinping, of being 'absolutely complicit' in Russia's invasion of Ukraine, in a rare public address in Prague. Sir Richard Moore, who has been chief of the British Secret Intelligence Service since 2020, also offered comment on the extraordinary mutiny in June by the mercenary Wagner group led by Yevgeny Prigozhin.... 'When Putin invaded Ukraine, the Chinese very clearly supported the Russians,' Moore said at the event hosted by Politico on Wednesday. 'They have completely supported the Russians diplomatically, they've abstained in key votes at the United Nations, they've absolutely cynically repeated all the Russian tropes, particularly in places like Africa and Latin America -- [by] blaming Nato....'"

Mary Ilyushina & Robyn Dixon of the Washington Post: "Russian President Vladimir Putin, facing an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court over alleged war crimes in Ukraine, will not attend next month's summit of the BRICS group of nations in South Africa 'by mutual agreement,' South Africa's presidential administration said Wednesday. The agreement with the Kremlin puts an end to a diplomatic quandary for South Africa: As a member of the ICC, it would have an obligation to arrest Putin upon his arrival in the country." (Also linked yesterday.)

Mary Ilyushina of the Washington Post: "Wagner boss Yevgeniy Prigozhin, in what appeared to be the first video of him since he led a short-lived rebellion in late June, said the Russian mercenary group will for now not fight in Ukraine and repeated his criticism that Russia's Ukraine invasion has been botched. The blurry clip, apparently filmed at dusk, showed a man resembling Prigozhin addressing a crowd of at least several hundred men in military fatigues. He vowed to continue operating the Wagner Group in Africa and turn the military of Belarus, his new host country, into 'the second army in the world.'" (Also linked yesterday.)