July 11, 2023

Marie: The Comments "facility" (so to speak) is acting up this morning. People are posting comments, they get the "all-good" message. But, uh, no comment. Then, maybe hours later, up pop the comment. It isn't you. It's Squarespace. Update: I just tested it when I was logged out of my prestigious editorial position, and my test comment came up right away. So maybe it's fixed.

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Late Morning Update:

Marshall Cohen of CNN: "The Georgia grand jury that is expected to consider charges against ... Donald Trump and his Republican allies for trying to overturn the 2020 election is being selected Tuesday in Atlanta. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, an elected Democrat, launched the investigation in early 2021, after Trump tried to overturn his defeat in the Peach State with a public and private pressure campaign targeting Georgia election officials, the governor, lawmakers and prosecutors. A special grand jury previously heard testimony from 75 witnesses, including Trump advisers, his former attorneys, White House aides, and Georgia officials. That panel issued a redacted report with charging recommendations, which will soon be weighed by the new grand jury. Willis has indicated that final decisions could come next month."

Brian Slodysko & Eric Tucker of the AP: "The Associated Press obtained tens of thousands of pages of emails and other documents that reveal the extent to which public colleges and universities have seen visits by [Supreme Court] justices as opportunities to generate donations -- regularly putting justices in the room with influential donors, including some whose industries have had interests before the court. The documents also reveal that justices spanning the court's ideological divide have lent the prestige of their positions to partisan activity, headlining speaking events with prominent politicians, or advanced their own personal interests, such as sales of their books, through college visits. The conduct would likely be prohibited if done by lower court federal judges.... 'The justices should be aware that people are selling access to them,' said University of Virginia law professor Amanda Frost, an ethics expert.... At least one justice, [Sonia] Sotomayor, seemed keenly aware of the peril of being in a setting with donors. Early in her Supreme Court tenure, she rejected a suggestion that she dine with major contributors to the University of Hawaii during a 2012 visit.... 'Canon 2(B) of the Code of Conduct for U.S. Judges provides that a judge "should avoid lending the prestige of judicial office to advance the private interests of the judge or others,"' [her aide wrote]." ~~~

     ~~~ BUT. Brian Slodysko & Eric Tucker of the AP: Justice Sonia "Sotomayor's staff has often prodded public institutions that have hosted the justice to buy her memoir or children's books, works that have earned her at least $3.7 million since she joined the court in 2009. Details of those events, largely out of public view, were obtained by The Associated Press through more than 100 open records requests to public institutions.... The documents reveal repeated examples of taxpayer-funded court staff performing tasks for the justice's book ventures, which workers in other branches of government are barred from doing. But when it comes to promoting her literary career, Sotomayor is free to do what other government officials cannot because the Supreme Court does not have a formal code of conduct.... Supreme Court staffers have been deeply involved in organizing speaking engagements intended to sell books.... None of the justices has as forcefully leveraged publicly sponsored travel to boost book sales as has Sotomayor, according to emails and other records reviewed by the AP....

"Sotomayor's publisher, Penguin Random House, also has played a role in organizing her talks, in some cases pressing public institutions to commit to buying a specific number of copies or requesting that attendees purchase books to obtain tickets, emails show. The publisher has had several matters before the court in which Sotomayor did not recuse herself." MB: Sotomayor's Supreme Court staff also have been telling the universities how many copies of her books they should purchase. Sometimes members of the public who want to meet Justice Sotomayor have to purchase copies of her book to get into the room.

Jennifer Rubin of the Washington Post: "If you are concerned about contempt for precedent, partisan hackery and judicial hubris, take a look at what district court judges have been doing. There was U.S. District Judge Matthew J. Kacsmaryk's atrocious ruling in April reversing the Food and Drug Administration's 2-decades-old approval of the abortion pill mifepristone.... And let's not forget the unsupportable ruling from U.S. District Judge Aileen M. Cannon of Florida putting her finger on the scale to try to block the Justice Department from reviewing secret documents hoarded by ... Donald Trump.... But not to be outdone, U.S. District Judge Terry A. Doughty in Louisiana, in a case involving government contacts with social media companies, [ruled that government officials could not even speak to tech companies about moderating misinformation].... Trump populated the judiciary with underqualified ideologues, 10 of whom were rated unqualified by the American Bar Association. (In addition, they were overwhelmingly White and male; not a single African American judge was nominated to a circuit court.) Thanks to Ken. W. for the link.

Pennsylvania. Joel Wolfram & Campbell Robertson of the New York Times: Philadelphia police officials describe "an apparent error of a 911 dispatcher that ... meant that ... deadly gunfire [in a home] was not known by authorities until the following night. By then, the man now suspected of having killed [the man in that home] had already carried out one of the city's deadliest mass shootings [the following day, July 3]."

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The New York Times' live updates of developments Tuesday at the NATO meeting and in other news of Russia's war on Ukraine are here.

     ~~~ The Washington Post's live updates for Tuesday are here: "NATO leaders are gathering in [Lithuania] for their annual summit, and Ukraine is top of the agenda. Member states are set to discuss further military aid and political support for Ukraine, while Kyiv wants specific pledges on when and how it can join the defense alliance. But with the Biden administration among those reluctant to set clear preconditions for Ukraine while the war with Russia is ongoing, the key question for the alliance may be what else it can negotiate during the two-day summit to provide reassurance to Kyiv and send an unequivocal message to Moscow."

** From the New York Times Ukraine/Russia liveblog Monday, also linked earlier: "Turkey agreed on Monday to clear the way for Sweden to join NATO, a sudden reversal just hours after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the European Union should first advance his country's bid to join the E.U. bloc. NATO's secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, announced Turkey's decision from Vilnius, Lithuania, where the alliance was preparing to open its annual summit on Tuesday.... The statement said Mr. Erdogan met on Monday with Mr. Stoltenberg and Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson of Sweden to discuss the country's bid.... In return, Sweden and Turkey would continue to work bilaterally against terrorism, Sweden would help reinvigorate Turkey's application to enter the European Union, and NATO would establish a new 'special coordinator for counterterrorism,' he said.... Hungary is the only other NATO member that has yet to approve Sweden's bid, but Hungarian officials have said that if Turkey's position changes, they would not obstruct the process." MB: Given all the hoohah that preceded Turkey's decision, this is a BFD. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

     ~~~ Alexandra Hutzler of ABC News: "Turkey is dropping its opposition to Sweden's bid to join NATO, a big development on the eve of the alliance's 74th annual summit in Vilnius, Lithuania. The announcement was applauded by President Joe Biden and comes a day after he spoke with Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan about U.S. F-16s for Ankara, although any direct connection was unclear." ~~~

     ~~~ Earlier That Same Day ~~~

     ~~~ So yesterday morning we learned that Turkey's president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was hinging his support for Sweden's entry into NATO on the U.S.'s willingness to see F-16s to Turkey. Apparently that was not enough: ~~~

     ~~~ Blackmailer-in-Chief. Ben Hubbard of the New York Times: "President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey said on Monday that the European Union should open the way for Turkey to join the bloc before Turkey allows Sweden to join NATO, adding a surprising new condition that could further stall the military alliance's efforts to expand. Mr. Erdogan's latest demand came a day before the opening of NATO's two-day annual summit, where leaders, including President Biden, had hoped to secure unanimous approval from member states to allow Sweden to become the 32nd member." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

~~~ Asli Aydintasbas of the Washington Post: "President Biden and his team worked hard to get Erdogan to 'yes' and are to be applauded for their efforts.... Behind all the public bluster, Erdogan's most important ask has long been clear: He needs the United States to sell him F-16s.... The Biden administration has long been in favor of the transaction, but Congress had been blocking it.... The White House made headway over the weekend in convincing congressional leaders -- in particular, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) -- that it is better to keep Turkey inside the NATO tent by going ahead with the sale.... Erdogan also might have gotten some concessions from Europe. As part of the announcement, Sweden agreed to support expanding the E.U.'s free-trade arrangement with Turkey.... This is an important moment — and an opening to try to reverse Turkey's drift."

Haley Britzky of CNN: "A major branch of the US military does not have a Senate confirmed leader for the first time in more than a century, as a result of a Republican senator refusing to lift his block on military nominations. Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. David Berger relinquished command on Monday after holding a private retirement ceremony, after more than 40 years of service. His successor, Gen. Eric Smith, has not yet been confirmed to take over due to the hold on senior military nominations by Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville. Speaking at Berger's relinquishment of command ceremony on Monday, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin made a point to mention the hold and its impact on 'stable and orderly leadership transitions,' and military families.... Berger agreed just moments later, saying, 'We need the Senate to do their job so we can have a sitting Commandant that's appointed and confirmed.'" ~~~

     ~~~ Mr. Potato Head Is Totally a White Potato. Ed Mazza of the Huffington Post: "Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) offered up a head-spinning defense of white nationalists on Monday, saying he's against racism but that many of them 'just have different beliefs.'... 'A white nationalist is someone who believes that the white race is superior to other races,' [CNN's Kaitlan Collins told Tuberville].... 'Well, that's some people's opinion,' Tuberville replied, and again he defined a white nationalist as 'an American.'"

Cat Zakrzewski & Tim Starks of the Washington Post: "The Justice Department asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit on Monday to stay a preliminary injunction that puts extraordinary limits on government communications with social media companies, arguing that the sweeping order could chill law enforcement activity to protect national security interests. The 22-page request came just hours after U.S. District Judge Terry A. Doughty denied the Justice Department's request for a stay. Doughty imposed the preliminary injunction limiting government communications with social media companies July 4. The Justice Department's filing signaled that it could seek the intervention of the Supreme Court, saying that at a minimum, the 5th Circuit should put the order on pause for 10 days to give the nation's highest court time to consider an application for a stay."

Steve Benen of MSNBC: "Clarence Thomas' ethics mess goes from bad to worse.... Over the last few months, the Supreme Court justices' principal problem was his relationship with Texas billionaire Harlan Crow, and the generosity the GOP megadonor has shown Thomas. But what the [New York] Times appears to have uncovered is a similar problem multiplied several times: Thomas 'has received benefits -- many of them previously unreported -- from a broader cohort of wealthy and powerful friends,' thanks to his connections established through the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans."

Glenn Thrush of the New York Times: "David C. Weiss, the federal prosecutor in Delaware who has led the criminal investigation of Hunter Biden, on Monday rebutted a key element of testimony to Congress by an Internal Revenue Service official who said that Mr. Weiss complained about being blocked from pursuing the case the way he wanted. In a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee, Mr. Weiss said that he had never asked Justice Department officials to give him special counsel status to pursue the case, contradicting testimony to the House Ways and Means Committee by the I.R.S. official, Gary Shapley, who said Mr. Weiss had sought that status and been turned down.... Mr. Weiss added in the letter to [Sen. Lindsey] Graham that he had 'never been denied the authority to bring charges in any jurisdiction.'... He [did not] explicitly address a key assertion made by Mr. Shapley: that Biden-appointed U.S. attorneys in California and Washington had blocked Mr. Weiss from prosecuting Hunter Biden on felony tax charges...." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) Politico has an item here. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: The headline here should be something like, "Another GOP Conspiracy Bites the Dust." But this one won't bite the dust just because Weiss has denied some of Shapley's testimony. Jim Jordan is a bulldog, and like the bulldog my grandparents' once had, he will hang on the bull's chest as long as Biden has a government job.

Surprise! Too Busy to Defend Their Crimes. Devlin Barrett of the Washington Post: "Donald Trump's lawyers argued in new court papers that for a host of legal and political reasons, the trial should be pushed beyond the December timeframe proposed by the Justice Department, and possibly after the November 2024 election. In a 12-page filing late Monday night, Trump's lawyers Christopher Kise and Todd Blanche claimed that putting the former president on trial later this year for alleged mishandling of classified papers and obstruction will be 'unreasonable, telling, and would result in a miscarriage of justice.' The lawyers argued that no trial date be set for the time being.... The judge in the case, Aileen Cannon, has scheduled a hearing for Friday, but lawyers for Trump and his co-defendant, Waltine 'Walt' Nauta, have suggested delaying that until next week in order to accommodate the schedule of Nauta's lawyer. Trump and Nauta, the new filing argues, are going to be too busy with a presidential campaign to properly prepare for a criminal trial at the end of this year." A CNBC story is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: The reasonable response to this is, "Okay then, don't run for president*." No one is required to run for president, any number of people have chosen not to run for personal reasons. Joe Biden, for instance, chose not to run in 2016 because he and his family were grieving the death of son Beau Biden. Defending yourself against criminal charges is a pretty good reason to forget other personal ambitions. ~~~

     ~~~ Marcy Wheeler: "... at its core, [Trump's motion] argues that a guy accused of using the access to the nation's secrets he got by getting elected President on false promises [of protecting the nation's secrets] the last time, should get a shot at accessing those secrets again, without first letting a jury decide whether he had abused his position of power the last time. Trump promised voters in 2016 that he would protect classified secrets; it's actually a key part of how he got elected. Now he says voters shouldn't a chance to find out whether he broke that promise before going to the polls again." ~~~

~~~ Rebecca Beitsch of the Hill: "Former President Trump's co-defendant in the Mar-a-Lago case, Walt Nauta, is pushing the court to delay a conference to discuss the handling of classified evidence in the case, teeing up a decision for Judge Aileen Cannon that could signal how quickly she plans to handle the case. A filing from the attorney of Nauta asks Cannon to reschedule the Friday conference, arguing he is due in court on another matter while the Florida-based attorney Nauta hired the day before his twice-scheduled arraignment -- Sasha Dadan -- is not yet prepared to participate.... The conference is a routine part of the Classified Information Procedures Act (CIPA) and was granted by Cannon shortly after Trump was arraigned last month in Miami.... [In response, DOJ prosecutors] chastise [Nauta's attorney Stanley] Woodward for apparently failing to undertake the paperwork required to get a clearance.... Brandon Van Grack, a former top national security lawyer with the Department of Justice, called Nauta's motion 'a delay tactic and the first real test for the Court to keep the case on schedule.'"

Kara Scannell of CNN: "A New York judge has ordered Steve Bannon to pay his former attorneys nearly $500,000 in unpaid legal fees for work on various legal matters, including his fight against a subpoena by the congressional committee investigating the January 6, 2021, US Capitol attack. The law firm Davidoff Hutcher & Citron LLP sued Bannon in February alleging he failed to pay his legal bills for work the lawyers did for him on the congressional investigation as well as criminal investigations into his efforts to crowdfund a wall along the southern US border. In a six-page order issued Friday, Judge Arlene Bluth ordered Bannon to pay $480,487.87 in unpaid bills as well as 'reasonable legal fees' to his former lawyers who brought the lawsuit." MB: What a surprise! Bannon the Scammer doesn't pay his lawyers. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Ella Lee of the Hill: "The head of a U.S. think tank who has repeatedly accused President Biden and his family of corruption has been charged with acting as an unregistered agent of China, Manhattan prosecutors announced Monday evening. Gal Luft, co-director of the Maryland-based Institute for the Analysis of Global Security, is accused of recruiting and paying an unnamed former high-ranking U.S. government official on behalf of principals based in China in 2016, without registering as a foreign agent, which is legally required. The former high-ranking official was an advisor to then President-elect Trump and was allegedly paid to publicly support certain policies pertaining to China, according to the 58-page, eight-count indictment unsealed Monday. Manhattan prosecutors also allege Luft attempted to broker illicit arms deals to sell weapons to countries including Libya, the United Arab Emirates and Kenya without having a license to do so, as is legally required in the U.S. And Luft is accused of violating Iran sanctions.... Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., chairman of the Oversight Committee, called Luft a 'very credible witness on Biden family corruption' in a tweet last week. Comer and other Republicans have heralded Luft as a whistleblower in the Hunter Biden laptop probe." CNN's story is here.

Well, Isn't That Special! Mark Schlabach of ESPN: "The LIV Golf League's season-ending team championship will be played at Trump National Doral Golf Club in Miami for the second straight year.... The three-day team championship was originally scheduled to be played Nov. 3-5 at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. LIV Golf League officials have been working to move it back to Trump National Doral, where it was staged in the league's inaugural season in 2022. The Jeddah event, now scheduled for Oct. 13-15, will be the final regular-season tournament."

Jeremy Peters & Alan Feuer of the New York Times: "Of all the distortions and paranoia that Tucker Carlson promoted on his since-canceled Fox News program, one looms large: a conspiracy theory that an Arizona man working as a covert government agent incited the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the Capitol to sabotage and discredit ... Donald J. Trump and his political movement. What's known about the man -- a two-time Trump voter named Ray Epps -- is that he took part in demonstrations in Washington that day and the night before. He was captured on camera urging a crowd to march with him and enter the Capitol. But at other points, he pleads for calm once it becomes clear the situation is turning violent.... [There is no video evidence he ever went inside the Capitol.] Federal prosecutors have not charged Mr. Epps with a crime..., [but he] could still be indicted.... For more than 18 months, Mr. Carlson insisted that the lack of charges against Mr. Epps could mean only one thing: that he was being protected because he was a secret government agent.... He repeated Mr. Epps's name over and over -- in nearly 20 episodes -- imprinting it on the minds of his viewers.... Now lawyers representing Mr. Epps and his wife are proceeding with plans to sue Fox News for defamation.... First Amendment experts say Mr. Epps has a viable case for defamation...." (Also linked yesterday.)

Beyond the Beltway

Louisiana. Chang Che of the New York Times: "A former Catholic priest in Louisiana who preyed on 17 men who were intoxicated or needed help, drugging and photographing them -- and sexually assaulting at least a dozen of them -- was sentenced on Friday to 25 years in prison. Judge Shayna Beevers Morvant of the 24th Judicial District Court handed down the sentence to the former priest, Stephen Sauer, 61, after he pleaded guilty on Friday to 13 counts of sexual battery, nine counts of third-degree rape, 17 counts of video voyeurism and 16 misdemeanor charges of drug possession, according to a news release from the district attorney for Jefferson Parish, part of the greater New Orleans area. The judge also ordered Mr. Sauer to register as a sex offender and barred him from contacting 12 of the victims for life."

Michigan Senate Race. John Wagner of the Washington Post: "Hill Harper, an actor best known for his work on the television series 'The Good Doctor' and 'CSI: NY,' announced a bid Monday for a U.S. Senate seat from Michigan, entering a crowded Democratic primary that has been dominated by Rep. Elissa Slotkin. In media interviews, Harper, a first-time political candidate, pledged to run to Slotkin's left, calling himself 'the most progressive candidate' in the field."

Nevada Senate Race. John Wagner of the Washington Post: "Sam Brown, a retired U.S. Army captain severely injured by an explosion in Afghanistan, announced a GOP bid Monday for the seat held by Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), among those whom Republicans are eying as they seek control of the Senate in next year's elections. Brown ran for Senate last year but placed second behind Adam Laxalt in the Republican primary with 34 percent of the vote. Laxalt, a former Nevada attorney general, narrowly lost to Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) in the general election. This time around, Brown is running with the support of national Republican leaders and struck a more moderate tone in his announcement.... In Brown's failed Senate bid last year, he proved to be a relatively strong fundraiser. He voiced opposition to abortion access and accused Laxalt of not doing enough to protect 'election integrity.'"

News Ledes

New York Times: "The company that possesses the exclusive salvage rights to the Titanic shipwreck and the ship's artifacts filed in federal court on Saturday a map of the surrounding seabed that shows where searchers found the twisted remains of the Titan submersible. The map, a mosaic of sonar images that were annotated by experts at the company, RMS Titanic Inc., helps indicate how close the craft was to its intended destination when disaster struck." Includes imagery.

New York Times: "Torrential rainfall and widespread flooding wreaked havoc in the river valleys and mountain towns of Vermont and New York State on Monday, ravaging communities and drawing comparisons to the devastation of Tropical Storm Irene more than a decade ago. The storm caused a night of chaos in New York on Sunday, particularly in the Hudson Valley, where up to eight inches of rain fell in some areas and one person died. But its center had shifted to Vermont by Monday, putting the landlocked and mountainous state -- and particularly a number of tiny, isolated towns along rivers and creeks, just as when Irene struck -- in the cross hairs for major flooding."

July 10, 2023

Afternoon Update:

** From the New York Times Ukraine/Russia liveblog, also linked below: "Turkey agreed on Monday to clear the way for Sweden to join NATO, a sudden reversal just hours after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the European Union should first advance his country's bid to join the E.U. bloc. NATO's secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, announced Turkey's decision from Vilnius, Lithuania, where the alliance was preparing to open its annual summit on Tuesday.... The statement said Mr. Erdogan met on Monday with Mr. Stoltenberg and Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson of Sweden to discuss the country's bid.... In return, Sweden and Turkey would continue to work bilaterally against terrorism, Sweden would help reinvigorate Turkey's application to enter the European Union, and NATO would establish a new 'special coordinator for counterterrorism,' he said.... Hungary is the only other NATO member that has yet to approve Sweden's bid, but Hungarian officials have said that if Turkey's position changes, they would not obstruct the process." MB: Given all the hoohah that preceded Turkey's decision, this is a BFD.

So this morning we learned that Turkey's president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was hinging his support for Sweden's entry into NATO on the U.S.'s willingness to see F-16s to Turkey. Apparently that was not enough: ~~~

     ~~~ Blackmailer-in-Chief. Ben Hubbard of the New York Times: "President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey said on Monday that the European Union should open the way for Turkey to join the bloc before Turkey allows Sweden to join NATO, adding a surprising new condition that could further stall the military alliance's efforts to expand. Mr. Erdogan's latest demand came a day before the opening of NATO's two-day annual summit, where leaders, including President Biden, had hoped to secure unanimous approval from member states to allow Sweden to become the 32nd member."

Glenn Thrush of the New York Times: "David C. Weiss, the federal prosecutor in Delaware who has led the criminal investigation of Hunter Biden, on Monday rebutted a key element of testimony to Congress by an Internal Revenue Service official who said that Mr. Weiss complained about being blocked from pursuing the case the way he wanted. In a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee, Mr. Weiss said that he had never asked Justice Department officials to give him special counsel status to pursue the case, contradicting testimony to the House Ways and Means Committee by the I.R.S. official, Gary Shapley, who said Mr. Weiss had sought that status and been turned down.... Mr. Weiss added in the letter to [Sen. Lindsey] Graham that he had 'never been denied the authority to bring charges in any jurisdiction.'... He [did not] explicitly address a key assertion made by Mr. Shapley: that Biden-appointed U.S. attorneys in California and Washington had blocked Mr. Weiss from prosecuting Hunter Biden on felony tax charges...." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: The headline here should be something like, "Another GOP Conspiracy Bites the Dust." But this one won't bite the dust just because Weiss has denied some of Shapley's testimony. Jim Jordan is a bulldog, and like the bulldog my grandparents' once had, he will hang on the bull's chest as long as Joe Biden is President.

Jeremy Peters & Alan Feuer of the New York Times: "Of all the distortions and paranoia that Tucker Carlson promoted on his since-canceled Fox News program, one looms large: a conspiracy theory that an Arizona man working as a covert government agent incited the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the Capitol to sabotage and discredit ... Donald J. Trump and his political movement. What's known about the man -- a two-time Trump voter named Ray Epps -- is that he took part in demonstrations in Washington that day and the night before. He was captured on camera urging a crowd to march with him and enter the Capitol. But at other points, he pleads for calm once it becomes clear the situation is turning violent.... [There is no video evidence he ever went inside the Capitol.] Federal prosecutors have not charged Mr. Epps with a crime..., [but he] could still be indicted.... For more than 18 months, Mr. Carlson insisted that the lack of charges against Mr. Epps could mean only one thing: that he was being protected because he was a secret government agent.... He repeated Mr. Epps's name over and over -- in nearly 20 episodes -- imprinting it on the minds of his viewers.... Now lawyers representing Mr. Epps and his wife are proceeding with plans to sue Fox News for defamation.... First Amendment experts say Mr. Epps has a viable case for defamation...."

Kara Scannell of CNN: "A New York judge has ordered Steve Bannon to pay his former attorneys nearly $500,000 in unpaid legal fees for work on various legal matters, including his fight against a subpoena by the congressional committee investigating the January 6, 2021, US Capitol attack. The law firm Davidoff Hutcher & Citron LLP sued Bannon in February alleging he failed to pay his legal bills for work the lawyers did for him on the congressional investigation as well as criminal investigations into his efforts to crowdfund a wall along the southern US border. In a six-page order issued Friday, Judge Arlene Bluth ordere Bannon to pay $480,487.87 in unpaid bills as well as 'reasonable legal fees' to his former lawyers who brought the lawsuit." MB: What a surprise! Bannon the Scammer doesn't pay his lawyers.

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Toluse Olorunnipa & William Booth of the Washington Post: "President Biden kicked off his high-stakes visit to Europe with a stop in London, where his meetings on Monday with King Charles III and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak were expected to be among the least contentious of his five-day trip.... White House officials have sought to project a sense of unity around Biden's five-day trip, which will also include meetings at the NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, and a confab with Nordic leaders in Finland.... [BUT] His meetings this week threaten to expose major rifts in the coalition of countries that has spent much of the past 500 days pushing back against Russia's aggression in Ukraine." ~~~

     ~~~ The Guardian is liveblogging President Biden's visit to the U.K. The New York Times is covering Biden's meetings in its Ukraine live updates, also linked below.

Zolan Kanno-Youngs & Mark Landler of the New York Times: President Biden and King Charles III of Britain will meet at Windsor Castle today. They have a lot in common! "The two men ... waited decades for their dream jobs, projecting a sense of normalcy and unity when they finally reached their thrones. They both prefer to ditch executive palaces for their respective retreats. And they share a passion for confronting threats to the environment. The men ... are also united by their challenges. They both face a public increasingly dubious of their institutions. And they both battle skepticism over whether they are the right people to lead the increasingly diverse groups over which they preside. 'As older men in the pinnacle of their careers, they need to redefine what it means to be an older person,' said Arianne Chernock, a professor of history at Boston University..., adding, 'They need to find new ways to connect with a younger multicultural generation.'" ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I've got news for Prof. Chernock. These two men -- Charles in particular -- have done more connecting with people of other cultures than practically anyone in the world. Other than marrying someone from a remote area of Zambia or moving to a yurt in Mongolia, I don't know what "news ways" either could find to connect.

Amy Goldstein of the Washington Post: "The White House is moving to constrain use of skimpy health plans that ... Donald Trump touted during his administration as an affordable means of insurance -- and that Democrats, including President Biden, have derided for years as junk. The proposal, part of a presidential recitation Friday of recent federal steps to improve Americans' health care, comes after congressional Democrats and consumer-health advocates have pressed Biden as long as he has been in office to act on a long-standing pledge to reverse his predecessor's expansion of the short-term health plans, which are designed as limited-duration products.... The short-term plans charge lower monthly premiums than standard forms of health insurance in exchange for scanty benefits. The plans do not need to comply with consumer protections provided under the Affordable Care Act, including equal treatment of patients with preexisting medical conditions and coverage of 10 categories of health benefits, such as maternity care, mental health services and prescription drugs. The plans also sometimes impose yearly limits on coverage."

Simon Romero, et al., of the New York Times: "... Instead of surging as elected officials and immigration advocates had warned, the number of migrants trying to enter the United States has plummeted following the expiration in May of a pandemic-era border restriction. The unusual scenes of relative calm flow from a flurry of actions the Biden administration has taken, such as imposing stiffer penalties for illegal border crossings, to try to reverse an enormous jump in migrants trying to reach the United States. But it is also the result of tough steps Mexico has taken to discourage migrants from massing along the border, including transporting them to places deep in the country's interior.... The harsh conditions [Mexico imposes] attracted a global spotlight following a devastating fire in March at a Juárez migrant detention center that left dozens dead." MB: For better or for worse, this does kind of deflate Republican blowhards' favorite fear-mongering issues. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Tony Romm of the Washington Post: "Nearly two years after Congress finalized the first in a series of measures to improve the nation's aging infrastructure and combat climate change, some of the GOP lawmakers who originally tried to scuttle the spending are now welcoming it. They have privately courted newly available federal money to improve their local roads, bridges, pipes, ports and internet connections, and publicly celebrated when their cities and states have secured a portion of the aid. The dynamic has created some uncomfortable contrasts, since those same GOP lawmakers still maintain that President Biden's legislative agenda has served as a drag on the nation's economy, worsening inflation. The White House, meanwhile, has seized on Republicans' shifting tone as part of its new campaign to promote 'Bidenomics,' which took Biden and his top advisers to Michigan, Ohio and other 2024 election battlegrounds over the past week to tout their work.... 'All those members of Congress who voted against it suddenly realize how great it is, and they're bragging about it,' Biden said [in South Carolina Thursday]." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Kaffeinating the Kids. Jake Offenhartz of the AP: "An influencer-backed energy drink that has earned viral popularity among children is facing scrutiny from lawmakers and health experts over its potentially dangerous levels of caffeine. On Sunday, Sen. Charles Schumer called on the Food and Drug Administration to investigate PRIME, a beverage brand founded by the YouTube stars Logan Paul and KSI that has become something of an obsession among the influencers' legions of young followers.... Backed by two of YouTube's best known stars, PRIME was an immediate sensation when it launched last year, prompting long lines in grocery stores and reports of school yard resale markets. Advertising itself as zero sugar and vegan, the neon-colored cans are among a growing number of energy drinks with elevated levels of caffeine; in PRIME's case, 200 milligrams per 12 ounces, equivalent to about half a dozen Coke cans or nearly two Red Bulls. That high content prompted bans from some schools in the United Kingdom and Australia where some pediatricians warned of possible health impacts on young children such as heart problems, anxiety, and digestive issues." The company that produces PRIME also makes "a separate sports drink, known as PRIME Hydration, which contains no caffeine at all."

** Linda Greenhouse of the New York Times: "To appreciate [the Supreme Court's] transformation ... [during John Roberts' tenure as Chief Justice], consider the robust conservative wish list that greeted the new chief justice 18 years ago: Overturn Roe v. Wade. Reinterpret the Second Amendment to make private gun ownership a constitutional right. Eliminate race-based affirmative action in university admissions. Elevate the place of religion across the legal landscape. Curb the regulatory power of federal agencies.... By the time the sun set on June 30, the term's final day, every goal on the conservative wish list had been achieved. All of it. To miss that remarkable fact is to miss the story of the Roberts court." Greenhouse points to several cases to show what legal sleights-of-hand the Court's confederates used to accomplish their medieval-facing goals. Well-worth reading in full.

Dimwitted Trumpy Judge Wreaks Havoc on Plans to Ensure Election Integrity. Cat Zakrzewski, et al., of the Washington Post: "A July 4 injunction that places extraordinary limits on the government's communications with tech companies undermines initiatives to harden social media companies against election interference, civil rights groups, academics and tech industry insiders say. After companies and the federal government spent years gutting their content moderation staffs, researchers are pulling back from studying disinformation and key government communications with Silicon Valley are on pause amid unprecedented political scrutiny. With voting in the 2024 primaries just months away, tech companies also are facing new election threats as leaps in artificial intelligence give bad actors new tools to create fake videos, photos and ads. Amid that rapidly changing social media landscape, civil rights groups say U.S. District Judge Terry A. Doughty's order will be a boon for election lies." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: That's the bad news. The good news is that if Trump is around to scream election fraud in 2024, he'll be right. Always look on the bright side. ~~~

     ~~~ Nick Robins-Early of the Guardian: Doughty's ruling "was a significant milestone in a case that Republicans have pushed as proof that the Biden administration is attempting to silence conservative voices. It is also the latest in a wider rightwing campaign to weaken attempts at stopping false information and conspiracy theories from proliferating online, one that has included framing disinformation researchers and their efforts as part of a wide-reaching censorship regime.... The GOP-controlled House judiciary committee has demanded extensive documents from researchers studying disinformation, and rightwing media has attacked academics and officials who monitor social media platforms. Many of the researchers involved have faced significant harassment, leading to fears of a chilling effect on speaking out against disinformation ahead of the 2024 presidential election.... Research has found that allegations of anti-conservative bias at social media companies have little empirical evidence, with a 2021 New York University study showing that these platforms' algorithms instead often work to amplify rightwing content." And there this about Doughty:

Terry "Doughty, who was appointed by Trump and previously ruled against Biden administration mask and vaccine mandates, is a jurist Republicans specifically seek out when shopping for a favorable forum. He has overseen more multistate challenges to the Biden administration than any other judge, Bloomberg Law reported, despite previously being a little-known justice based in a small city of less than 50,000 people. Legal experts questioned Doughty's injunction against the Biden administration this week, the Associated Press reported, saying that the wide scope of the ruling meant that public health officials could be prevented from sharing their expertise."

Tamia Fowlkes of the Washington Post: "For many voters under 35 years of age, especially those on the left, the Supreme Court has become a political issue in the same way that climate change, gun violence and immigration have over the course of the past two decades, some political scientists and organizers have said.... The court's recent rulings, along with last year's decision striking down the right to abortion established in 1973's Roe v. Wade, could prompt more young people to be active in next year's presidential and congressional elections, some observers predict." (Also linked yesterday.)

Surprise! A Sporty Rich Guy with Integrity. Rick Maese of the Washington Post: "Former AT&T executive Randall Stephenson resigned his position on the PGA Tour's influential policy board in a letter dated Saturday, writing that he had 'serious concerns' about the tour's controversial partnership with the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund. Stephenson's resignation suggests the partnership faces significant hurdles if it is to move forward. The first step to the deal getting finalized is securing the approval of the 10-member policy board. Stephenson had been a member of the policy board since 2012, and in his resignation letter he said the framework of the deal 'is not one that I can objectively evaluate or in good conscience support, particularly in light of the U.S. intelligence report concerning Jamal Khashoggi in 2018.'... The Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, chaired by Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), is holding a hearing Tuesday and will be questioning Jimmy Dunne, the policy board member who helped broker the deal, and Ron Price, the tour's chief operating officer.... The tour sent a memo Sunday evening to its members about Stephenson, thanking him for his service but making no mention of the reasons behind his resignation." The Hill has a summary report here.

Jim Waterson of the Guardian: "A former CNN reporter is suing the news channel for unfair dismissal and racial discrimination after she was severely injured while on assignment in Israel. Saima Mohsin was left disabled after an accident while reporting from Jerusalem on the Israel-Palestine conflict. Her cameraman ran over her foot in a car, causing severe tissue damage that has left the British-Pakistani journalist struggling to sit, stand and walk or return to work full-time. After the incident in 2014 the foreign correspondent claims she requested alternative duties and support for rehabilitation but CNN refused. She also alleges that she asked CNN if she could switch to a presenting role in order to reduce the amount of time spent travelling but was told 'you don't have the look we are looking for'. Three years later the channel terminated her contract. She said she had decided to bring the employment tribunal claim, which is due to be heard in London on Monday, because the network had failed to support her after the life-changing injury." Mohsin is also suing for disability discrimination.

Beyond the Beltway

Zach Montellaro of Politico: "Over the past year and a half, eight Republican-led states quit a nonpartisan program designed to keep voter rolls accurate and up to date. Top Republican election officials in those states publicly argued the program was mismanaged. The conspiracy theorists who cheered them on falsely insisted it was a front for liberals to take control of elections. But experts say the program, known as the Electronic Registration Information Center, was among the best nationwide tool states had to catch people trying to vote twice in the same election. Now, those Republican-led states who left -- and other states who lost access to their data -- are scrambling to police so-called 'double voters' ahead of the presidential election in 2024." MB: As for me, I'm looking forward to voting in all those Republican-led states. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

California. As the Tables Turn. Blake Jones of Politico: Three religious-right school board members in a suburb of Temecula, California, in inland Southern California, are facing backlash after "they banned critical race theory and rejected social studies materials that included LGBTQ rights hero Harvey Milk.... After just six months in office, those officials face a recall effort on top of a civil rights investigation launched by the state's Democratic-led education department. Students have held protests, and irate parents and teachers are swarming the board's meetings.... The booing and shouting at a recent public hearing grew so loud that the board president -- who appeared to be wearing a bullet-proof vest under his sweater -- cleared the room.... [There are] other parts of California where social policy pushed by the religious right has met organized resistance." Top state officials, including the governor, AG, & state school superintendent, got involved in the Temecula situation after one of the board members called Milk a pedophile.

Here's a fun story that appeared in the Independent, a former U.K. broadsheet that now appears only online. MB: I don't consider the paper's reports particularly reliable, but this one probably has basis in fact:

Michigan. Now, This Is Disarray! Oliver O'Connell of the Independent, republished by Yahoo! News: "Tensions boiled over within the Michigan Republican Party on Saturday resulting in an altercation at a hotel to which the police were called. The GOP's state committee came together for a meeting at the Doherty Hotel in Clare as members have been feuding over the party's direction and the leadership approach of the new chairwoman, Kristina Karamo, The Detroit News reports. Some Michigan Republicans ... were frustrated to find the meeting was limited only to members of the state committee and was taking place behind a locked door. In an interview with The Detroit News, James Chapman, a Republican from Wayne County, said he had travelled to Clare for the meeting but was forced to listen to it through a locked door. Mr Chapman said he and others said the Pledge of Allegiance together in the lobby outside the meeting, after which he jiggled the doorknob of the meeting room. It was then that Mark DeYoung, chairman of the Clare County Republican Party, approached the door, saw someone flip him off through a small window, and opened it. 'He kicked me in my balls as soon as I opened the door,' Mr DeYoung said, adding that Mr Chapman ran at him and slammed him into a chair. Mr DeYoung gave his account to the outlet over the phone from an emergency room where he said he was being treated for a broken rib. For his part, Mr Chapman alleges that Mr DeYoung had swung at him and said: 'I'll kick your ass.' Mr DeYoung denies this happened. Continuing, Mr Chapman says he removed his glasses, took Mr DeYoung by the legs and knocked him down...." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Way Beyond

Ukraine, et al.

The New York Times' live updates of developments Monday in Russia's war on Ukraine are here. The Guardian's live updates for Monday are here. The Guardian's summary report is here. ~~~

     ~~~ The Washington Post's live briefing for Monday is here: "Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Wagner Group chief Yevgeniy Prigozhin in Moscow five days after his failed mutiny, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said at a news conference Monday. The three-hour meeting on June 29 between the two men -- once close allies -- was called by Putin and attended by other Wagner commanders as well, Peskov said.... [President] Biden and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan discussed Turkey's resistance to Sweden joining NATO in a phone call, Turkish state media reported. The cost of Turkey's acquiescence, officials and analysts say, appears to include a tentative $20 billion deal for American F-16 fighter jets." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: So Turkey is blackmailing the U.S. in order to secure Turkey's acquiescence to admitting Sweden to NATO. Not a good look, Erdogan. If this all goes down, it's one instance where I hope the poobahs of our military-industrial complex overcharge for their product. Overcharging for military equipment is their specialty, so I have no doubt my hopes will be realized. ~~~

     ~~~ A breaking New York Times story, by Paul Sonne, on the Putin-Prigozhin meeting is here.

Katie Rogers of the New York Times: "President Biden said in an interview that aired on Sunday that Ukraine was not ready for membership in NATO and that it was 'premature' to begin the process to allow Ukraine to join the alliance in the middle of a war. In an interview with CNN's Fareed Zakaria, Mr. Biden said that he did not 'think there is unanimity in NATO about whether or not to bring Ukraine into the NATO family now,' and that the process could take place only after a peace agreement with Russia was in place." The Hill's report is here. (Also linked yesterday.)

News Ledes

AP: "Disgraced sports doctor Larry Nassar, who was convicted of sexually abusing Olympic and college female gymnasts, was stabbed multiple times during an altercation with another inmate at a federal prison in Florida. Two people familiar with the matter told The Associated Press the attack happened Sunday at United States Penitentiary Coleman. The people said he was in stable condition Monday."

New York Times: "People across the South and the West have been scrambling to find relief [from the heat] over the past week, a task that could get even more daunting as a new blast of heat threatens to settle over the Southwest over the coming week. The heat wave, caused by a 'heat dome' of high pressure, is now stationed over the desert Southwest. Experts estimate that more than 50 million people across the United States live in the areas expected to have dangerous levels of heat. A range of excessive heat warnings and heat advisories were in place across the region over the weekend. On Friday, the National Weather Service said that the conditions in Arizona were 'rivaling some of the worst heat waves this area has ever seen.'"

New York Times: "A slow-moving storm system brought heavy rain across a wide section of New York State on Sunday evening, flooding streets, prompting dozens of rescues for drivers whose vehicles were stranded on inundated roads and causing at least one death, the authorities said. The Hudson Valley was the most affected by the storm system on Sunday, with sections of the area getting between five and eight inches of rain, the Nationa Weather Service said.... Trooper Steven V. Nevel of the New York State Police described the search-and-rescue efforts on Sunday night as an 'all hands on deck' endeavor, saying that several bridges had collapsed and many roads were impassable.... Gov. Kathy Hochul said on Sunday night that there were additional 'missing individuals' in Orange County, saying that in one instance a house had been swept away into a stream. She declared a state of emergency for Orange and Ontario Counties on Sunday night." ~~~

     ~~~ Update: The New York Times is liveblogging the "torrential rainfall" in the Northeast.

July 9, 2023

Afternoon Update:

Katie Rogers of the New York Times: "President Biden said in an interview that aired on Sunday that Ukraine was not ready for membership in NATO and that it was 'premature' to begin the process to allow Ukraine to join the alliance in the middle of a war. In an interview with CNN's Fareed Zakaria, Mr. Biden said that he did not 'think there is unanimity in NATO about whether or not to bring Ukraine into the NATO family now,' and that the process could take place only after a peace agreement with Russia was in place." The Hill's report is here.

Simon Romero, et al., of the New York Times: "... Instead of surging as elected officials and immigration advocates had warned, the number of migrants trying to enter the United States has plummeted following the expiration in May of a pandemic-era border restriction. The unusual scenes of relative calm flow from a flurry of actions the Biden administration has taken, such as imposing stiffer penalties for illegal border crossings, to try to reverse an enormous jump in migrants trying to reach the United States. But it is also the result of tough steps Mexico has taken to discourage migrants from massing along the border, including transporting them to places deep in the country's interior.... The harsh conditions [Mexico imposes] attracted a global spotlight following a devastating fire in March at a Juárez migrant detention center that left dozens dead." MB: For better or for worse, this does kind of deflate Republican blowhards' favorite fear-mongering issues.

Tony Romm of the Washington Post: "Nearly two years after Congress finalized the first in a series of measures to improve the nation's aging infrastructure and combat climate change, some of the GOP lawmakers who originally tried to scuttle the spending are now welcoming it. They have privately courted newly available federal money to improve their local roads, bridges, pipes, ports and internet connections, and publicly celebrated when their cities and states have secured a portion of the aid. The dynamic has created some uncomfortable contrasts, since those same GOP lawmakers still maintain that President Biden's legislative agenda has served as a drag on the nation's economy, worsening inflation. The White House, meanwhile, has seized on Republicans' shifting tone as part of its new campaign to promote 'Bidenomics,' which took Biden and his top advisers to Michigan, Ohio and other 2024 election battlegrounds over the past week to tout their work.... 'All those members of Congress who voted against it suddenly realize how great it is, and they're bragging about it,' Biden said [in South Carolina Thursday]."

Zach Montellaro of Politico: "Over the past year and a half, eight Republican-led states quit a nonpartisan program designed to keep voter rolls accurate and up to date. Top Republican election officials in those states publicly argued the program was mismanaged. The conspiracy theorists who cheered them on falsely insisted it was a front for liberals to take control of elections. But experts say the program, known as the Electronic Registration Information Center, was among the best nationwide tool states had to catch people trying to vote twice in the same election. Now, those Republican-led states who left -- and other states who lost access to their data -- are scrambling to police so-called 'double voters' ahead of the presidential election in 2024." MB: As for me, I'm looking forward to voting in all those Republican-led states.

Tamia Fowlkes of the Washington Post: "For many voters under 35 years of age, especially those on the left, the Supreme Court has become a political issue in the same way that climate change, gun violence and immigration have over the course of the past two decades, some political scientists and organizers have said.... The court's recent rulings, along with last year's decision striking down the right to abortion established in 1973's Roe v. Wade, could prompt more young people to be active in next year's presidential and congressional elections, some observers predict."

Here's a fun story that appeared in the Independent, a former U.K. broadsheet that now appears only online. MB: I don't consider the paper's reports particularly reliable, but this one probably has basis in fact:

Michigan. Now, This Is Disarray! Oliver O'Connell of the Independent, republished by Yahoo! News: "Tensions boiled over within the Michigan Republican Party on Saturday resulting in an altercation at a hotel to which the police were called. The GOP's state committee came together for a meeting at the Doherty Hotel in Clare as members have been feuding over the party's direction and the leadership approach of the new chairwoman, Kristina Karamo, The Detroit News reports. Some Michigan Republicans ... were frustrated to find the meeting was limited only to members of the state committee and was taking place behind a locked door. In an interview with The Detroit News, James Chapman, a Republican from Wayne County, said he had travelled to Clare for the meeting but was forced to listen to it through a locked door. Mr Chapman said he and others said the Pledge of Allegiance together in the lobby outside the meeting, after which he jiggled the doorknob of the meeting room. It was then that Mark DeYoung, chairman of the Clare County Republican Party, approached the door, saw someone flip him off through a small window, and opened it. 'He kicked me in my balls as soon as I opened the door,' Mr DeYoung said, adding that Mr Chapman ran at him and slammed him into a chair. Mr DeYoung gave his account to the outlet over the phone from an emergency room where he said he was being treated for a broken rib. For his part, Mr Chapman alleges that Mr DeYoung had swung at him and said: 'I'll kick your ass.' Mr DeYoung denies this happened. Continuing, Mr Chapman says he removed his glasses, took Mr DeYoung by the legs and knocked him down...."

~~~~~~~~~~

Marie: Maureen Dowd's column about Joe Biden's seventh grandchild is one that -- as Dowd herself emphasizes -- is one that people of all political persuasions can agree. (Also linked yesterday.)

Yellen in China. Alan Rappeport & Keith Bradsher of the New York Times: "Treasury Secretary Janet L. Yellen wrapped up her two-day visit to Beijing, where she made progress in restoring some balance to the rocky economic relationship between the U.S. and China. This trip has been a centerpiece of Ms. Yellen's time as Treasury secretary, a top cabinet official involved in overseeing ties with China. Her meeting on Saturday with Vice Premier He Lifeng, her counterpart, was a first step in easing relations.... Ms. Yellen did not announce any breakthroughs at a news conference on Sunday at the U.S. Embassy. She suggested that the trip would yield more regular, constructive conversations with Chinese officials."

David Smith of the Guardian: "Republicans on Capitol Hill are moving up a gear in a wide-ranging assault on the justice department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation that would have been unthinkable before the rise of Donald Trump. The party that for half a century claimed the mantle of law and order has, critics say, become a cult of personality intent on discrediting and dismantling institutions that get in Trump's way.... Some Republicans, especially on the far right, are now demanding [Attorney General Merrick] Garland's impeachment, a sanction that no cabinet official has suffered since 1876. Kevin McCarthy, the House speaker, told the conservative Fox News network recently: 'Someone has lied here. If we find that Garland has lied to Congress, we will start an impeachment inquiry.' Meanwhile, Christopher Wray, the director of the FBI, is discovering that his status as a Trump appointee offers no immunity against the Republican onslaught.... The acrimony threatens to dominate the rest of the year in an already unproductive Congress."

** Clarence's Rich Friends: the Gifters Who Keep on Giving. Abbie Van Sickle & Steve Eder of the New York Times: "When he joined the Horatio Alger Association [months after being confirmed as a justice of the Supreme Court], Justice [Clarence] Thomas entered a world whose defining ethos of meritocratic success &-- that anyone can achieve the American dream with hard work, pluck and a little luck -- was the embodiment of his own life philosophy, and a foundation of his jurisprudence.... At Horatio Alger, he moved into the inner circle, a cluster of extraordinarily wealthy, largely conservative members who lionized him and all that he had achieved.... His friendships forged though Horatio Alger have brought him proximity to a lifestyle of unimaginable material privilege. Over the years, his Horatio Alger friends have welcomed him at their vacation retreats, arranged V.I.P. access to sporting events and invited him to their lavish parties....

"A look at his tenure at the Horatio Alger Association, based on more than two dozen interviews and a review of public filings and internal documents, shows that Justice Thomas has received benefits -- many of them previously unreported -- from a broader cohort of wealthy and powerful friends. They have included major donors to conservative causes with broad policy and political interests and much at stake in Supreme Court decisions, even if they were not directly involved in the cases.... Justice Thomas's acceptance of such hospitality apparently predates his time on the court.... [Thomas] is hardly alone among his colleagues in accepting benefits from rich friends and sympathetic organizations." The story gives numerous examples of the expensive perks Thomas' richy-rich friends have bestowed upon him. And somehow those lavish gifts never ended up on his financial disclosure forms.

Elon, Spreading Lies Around the World. Shayan Sardarizadeh of BBC News: "False and misleading posts about the Ukraine conflict continue to go viral on major social media platforms.... Some of the most widely shared examples can be found on Twitter, posted by subscribers with a blue tick, who pay for their content to be promoted to other users. Many misleading posts have been shared online about the recent riots in France, but one viral post last week focused on US military aid to Ukraine. It featured a screenshot of what appeared to be a headline from a news website, along with an image of two rifles. 'French police are fired upon with American rifles that may have come from Ukraine,' reads the headline. Several Twitter accounts with Blue subscriptions have shared the post, which has been viewed more than a million times. BBC Verify has traced it back to pro-Kremlin channels on the Telegram messaging app."

Presidential Race 2024

Iowa Caucuses. Anjali Huynh of the New York Times: "Iowa Republicans voted on Saturday to hold their caucuses on Jan. 15, 2024, pushing the state's first-in-the-nation nominating contest weeks earlier than in recent years. The state party voted unanimously to hold the elections on the third Monday of the month, which coincides with the federal holiday recognizing the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr." CNN's report is here.

Ian Ward of Politico, in Politico Magazine, dives into "the darker corners of the Internet" to find the sources of Ron DeSantis' weird anti-gay video. (DeSantis' team did not create the video; rather, they distributed it with the message "To wrap up 'Pride Month.'") (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Update! A.G. Gancarski of Florida Politics: "A video spotlighted by the DeSantis War Room Twitter account that painted Donald Trump as accommodating on LGBTQ+ issues has been quietly deleted. However, the Tweet highlighting the video is still up as of this writing Saturday morning. The deletion, first noticed by Axios reporter Alex Thompson, caps off days of blowback against Ron DeSantis which included the Governor defending the video as 'fair game' and saying that Trump was a 'pioneer' in allowing transgender women to participate in beauty pageants that Trump put on."

Beyond the Beltway

Lucy Kafanov of CNN: "Republican attorneys general from seven states signed a letter Wednesday to Target..., warning clothes and merchandise sold as part of the retail giant's Pride month campaigns could violate their state's child protection laws. GOP attorneys general from Indiana, Arkansas, Idaho, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri and South Carolina signed the letter, writing they were 'concerned by recent events involving the company's "Pride" campaign.' The letter asserts the states are obliged to 'enforce state laws protecting children' from 'content that sexualizes them,' including obscenity laws. The letter also suggests Target may be breaching the law by making decisions that are allegedly 'unprofitable' and not in the best interests of its shareholders, citing it as a violation of the company's fiduciary duty. The AGs said they believed the campaign was a 'comprehensive effort to promote gender and sexual identity among children,' criticizing items such as 'LGBT-themed onesies, bibs, and overalls, T-shirts labeled "Girls Gays Theys"; "Pride Adult Drag Queen Katya" (which depicts a male dressed in female drag); and girls' swimsuits with "tuck-friendly construction."'... Target did not have comment on the letter." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Well, this is one time that "Officer, why aren't you out catching the real criminals?" is a valid complaint. Obviously, these AGs do not have enough to do so they're occupying themselves making sure gay kids and others don't see any images that might constitute affirmation.

Florida. Grethel Aguila of the Miami Herald, republished by Yahoo! News: "A law enacted by Gov. Ron DeSantis July 1 declared certain driver's licenses and learner's permits from five states [-- Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Rhode Island & Vermont --] invalid in Florida. The restriction primarily affects undocumented immigrants and is part of a larger immigration law that critics argue is among the harshest in the country.... Not every license from the five states on the list is considered invalid in Florida -- just those labeled with certain conditions...." MB: It appears the restrictions all apply to licenses that are marked, in some way, as not valid for identification purposes. BTW, Miami Herald, governors do not enact laws; they sign bills into law. Legislatures enact laws.

Oklahoma. Adam Gabbatt of the Guardian: "The state official in charge of Oklahoma’s schools is facing calls for impeachment, after he said teachers should tell students that the Tulsa race massacre was not racially motivated. In a public forum on Thursday, Ryan Walters, Oklahoma's [elected] state superintendent of public instruction, said teachers could cover the 1921 massacre, in which white Tulsans murdered an estimated 300 Black people, but teachers should not 'say that the skin color determined it'.... Walters ... has consistently indulged in rightwing talking points including 'woke ideology.'... According to the Oklahoma Historical Society, a state-run agency, the massacre is 'believed to be the single worst incident of racial violence in American history'." MB: Alas, the article does not cite a single call for impeachment, only a remark from the chair of the state's Democratic party, who said she "wished" Walters would be impeached. So I can't say the story's main claim of "calls for impeachment" is true. I linked the story mainly because I don't mind repeating evidence that Oklahoma's superintendent of education is an utter moron.

Tennessee. Emily Cochrane of the New York Times: "A federal appeals panel on Saturday said a Tennessee law that would ban hormone therapy and puberty blockers for transgender youth could go into effect, marking the first time a federal court has allowed a law banning transition care to fully take hold in the United States. The ruling, issued by a divided three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit in Cincinnati, comes less than two weeks after a district court judge temporarily blocked the ban on hormone therapy and puberty blockers. The judges, who will now consider a broader appeal on the temporary hold on the law, said a final decision would come before Sept. 30. The decision is a notable blow to transgender youth, their families and their allies, who have leaned on the nation's judiciary as a last resort to block a series of sweeping laws that target transition care, legislation they say would be harmful to young people's health. Until the ruling Saturday, judges had been compelled by the argument that the laws are discriminatory against transgender people and violated the Constitution, ruling to either temporarily or permanently block their enforcement." The AP's report is here.

Way Beyond

Ukraine, et al.

The Washington Post's live briefing of developments Sunday in Russia's war on Ukraine is here: "Moscow accused Kyiv and Ankara of violating a prisoner exchange agreement after five commanders from Ukraine's Azov Brigade returned to Ukraine from Turkey, where they were held after being freed from Russian captivity. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian state news agency RIA Novosti that neither Turkey nor Ukraine consulted Russia about the transfer. The office of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he accompanied the men from an Istanbul airport back to Ukraine after a state visit to Turkey.... [President] Biden faces the challenge of uniting allies at this week's NATO summit, where divisions are mounting over the Ukraine war.... Ten people were killed in Russian attacks across the Donetsk region, in eastern Ukraine, Ukraines national police said Sunday." ~~~

     ~~~ The Guardian's summary report is here.

Tom Ambrose of the Guardian & Agency: "The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, has visited Snake island to mark 500 days since Russia's invasion. The island became a symbol of Ukrainian defiance after guards refused to surrender to Russian forces on the first day of the war.... Wearing a black hoodie and a camouflage bullet-proof vest, Zelenskiy laid flowers to honour those who defended the island, and thanked all the soldiers who had fought for Ukraine in the months since Russia's invasion."