The Commentariat -- March 7, 2018
Afternoon Update:
Vikram Dodd, et al., of the Guardian: "The former Russian spy Sergei Skripal was deliberately poisoned with a nerve agent in a case that police are now treating as attempted murder, Scotland Yard's assistant chief commissioner has confirmed this afternoon. Mark Rowley said the police officer who was first to the spot where [Skripal & his daughter] were found in Salisbury on Sunday afternoon was now 'seriously ill' in hospital. His condition had deteriorated, Rowley said.... All three were suffering from 'exposure to a nerve agent'. Detectives now believed that Sergei and Yulia Skripal were specifically targeted, he added, in a deliberate act. The two victims are still critically ill in hospital."
Jeet Heer of the New Republic: "As dysfunctional as the White House is today, it likely will get worse because Trump is trapped in a vicious circle. His management style makes it difficult for him to hire and retain qualified people. This leads to an understaffed and relatively inexperienced White House, one prone to burnout and poor decision-making. And as more staffers leave, the fewer people remain to advise Trump responsibly and rein in his excesses. If this pattern continues, a trade war might seem tame compared to the wars an 'isolated and angry' Trump is willing to wage."
Louis Nelson of Politico: "... Donald Trump attacked the economic track record of his predecessors Wednesday morning, blaming presidents dating back nearly 30 years for accumulating the trade deficits that he has railed against and pledged to reverse. 'From Bush 1 to present, our Country has lost more than 55,000 factories, 6,000,000 manufacturing jobs and accumulated Trade Deficits of more than 12 Trillion Dollars,' the president wrote on Twitter. 'Last year we had a Trade Deficit of almost 800 Billion Dollars. Bad Policies & Leadership. Must WIN again! #MAGA'" ...
... Milan Schreuer of the New York Times: "European Union officials unveiled an array of tariffs on Wednesday that they would place on American-made goods if the United States followed through on President Trump's plan to impose penalties on imported steel and aluminum, raising the specter of a trade war. The announcement in Brussels was the latest rebuke to Mr. Trump's proposed tariffs, which have met with consternation domestically and with threats of retaliation abroad." ...
... Mrs. Bea McCrabbie: Capt Russ, in today's Comments thread has come up with a shockingly cynical -- and completely plausible -- theory of Trump Tariffs. In part: "Trump's threats to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum will be short-lived because they are just that, threats. The last-minute announcement of the tariffs is aimed at one audience - steelworkers - with aluminum thrown in as a distraction. More specifically, the target audience is steelworkers in Pennsylvania's 18th Congressional District, where a special election is scheduled for March 13th." ...
... Swampman. Sharon Lerner of The Intercept: "Among the people behind President Donald Trump's plan to impose steep tariffs on steel was Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross. On February 16, Ross released a Commerce Department report finding that the amount of steel imported to the United States threatens 'to impair the national security.'... [T]he U.S. doesn't produce enough of it.... What's not mentioned in the report is that Ross, whose net worth is estimated at around $700 million, made a good chunk of that fortune [$2 billion in cash] selling U.S. steel companies to a foreign entity [India].... At the time of the ISG sale, the Washington Post noted that Ross was able to make a stunning 12-fold gain on his initial investment in part by not paying steel workers' pensions and retiree health care costs. But there was another way that Ross maximized his profits: by not putting up millions of dollars to ensure that the environmental messes associated with the plants he bought would be cleaned up." --safari
Kaitlan Collins & Dan Merica of CNN: President Trump "has emboldened Anthony Scaramucci, the boisterous former communications director who was fired after just 10 days, to continue attacking White House chief of staff John Kelly during his cable news appearances, a source familiar with the situation told CNN. ...
... Noor Al-Sibai of RawStory: "Despite publicly calling reports of White House turmoil 'fake news,' President Donald Trump has privately encouraged his former aide Anthony Scaramucci to attack his chief of staff John Kelly in the media. According to a source close to the matter that spoke with CNN, Trump condones his short-lived former communications director bad-mouthing the man that fired him last summer.... The report came just hours after Trump told reporters during a press conference that he enjoys conflict." --safari
Presidunce's Sexts. Josh Marshall of TPM: "[A]n attorney for Stormy Daniels posted a legal filing in which she asks a court to declare the 'hush agreement' between her and Donald Trump and his lawyer, Michael Cohen, to be null and void. But this rather sterile description doesn't do justice to what is contained in the filing.... [I]t focuses not so much on Stormy Daniels staying mum about a sexual relationship with Donald Trump but on 'certain still images and/or text messages which were authored by or relate to' Donald Trump. Let's put this baldly: Stormy appears to be saying she's got or had sexts and maybe even 'dick pics' from President Trump." --safari ...
... Mrs. McCrabbie: If Stormy releases the dick pix, I promise not to post any of them here. But I will provide a link.
... Putin Puppet Makes "Very Good Impression." Vladimir Isachenkov of the AP: "Russian President Vladimir Putin lavished praise on ... Donald Trump, but added that he was sorely disappointed with the U.S. political system, saying that it has been 'eating itself up.' Speaking in a series of interviews with Russian state television which were included in a documentary released Wednesday, Putin described Trump as a great communicator. 'I have no disappointment at all,' Putin said when asked about the U.S. president. 'Moreover, on a personal level he made a very good impression on me.'"
The Plot Thickens. Suzanne Kianpour of BBC News: "The BBC has obtained leaked emails that show a lobbying effort to get US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson sacked for failing to support the United Arab Emirates against regional rival Qatar. Major Trump fundraiser and UAE-linked businessman Elliott Broidy met US President Donald Trump in October 2017 and urged him to sack Mr Tillerson, the emails reveal.... Mr Broidy's defence company Circinus has hundreds of millions of dollars worth of contracts with the UAE.... He emailed a detailed account of his meeting with the president to George Nader, a Lebanese-American businessman.... [Robert Mueller's] Investigators questioned Mr Nader and other witnesses on whether there were any efforts by the Emiratis to buy political influence by directing money to Mr Trump's presidential campaign.... Mr Broidy also detailed a separate sit-down with Mr Trump's son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner, according to the emails." --safari ...
... Joe Romm of ThinkProgress: "[W]hile [Rex] Tillerson's qualifications to be secretary of state were minimal at best, he is just the kind of guy the Kremlin would want to see in the job. So how did he get picked?.... [A]s Mueller's investigation into possible collusion between Trump officials and Russia moves forward, Tillerson's nomination is begging for a closer look." --safari
What a Mess! Lisa Rein & Emily Wax-Thibodeaux of the Washington Post: "Veterans Affairs Secretary David J. Shulkin on Wednesday announced a sweeping overhaul of the senior leadership at troubled hospitals across the country following the release of a searing investigation into what the agency watchdog said were management failures that put patients at VA's flagship medical center in the District at risk. Shulkin said that one senior regional official has been reassigned and two others forced to retire to clean up the management of hospitals and clinics in the Washington area, New England, Phoenix and parts of California. And he said he is replacing leaders of about 20 medical centers across the country, including in Maryland and Virginia, after outside teams identified low-performing hospitals.... The personnel moves came as Shulkin tries to reassert control over the second-largest federal agency in the aftermath of a separate, critical report by Inspector General Michael J. Missal on a trip he took to Europe last summer. That report exposed deep factions in the agency's senior leadership ranks, with Shulkin claiming that political appointees on his staff are trying to oust him." ...
... Donovan Slack of USA Today: "Department of Veterans Affairs officials at nearly every level knew for years about sterilization lapses and equipment shortfalls at the Washington, D.C., VA Medical Center, but they were either unwilling or unable to fix the problems, an inspector general investigation found. The failures put patients at risk and squandered taxpayer dollars. Clinicians put patients under anesthesia before realizing they didn't have equipment to perform scheduled procedures. In some cases, they canceled and redid surgeries later. In others, they ran across the street to a private-sector hospital to borrow supplies midprocedure. Investigators found more than 1,000 boxes of unsecured documents that contained veterans' personal information -- including medical records -- in storage facilities, the basement and a dumpster. The hospital paid exorbitant amounts for supplies and equipment, including $300 per speculum it could have bought for $122 each, and $900 each for a special needle that was available for $250.... Investigators did not find evidence that VA Secretary David Shulkin or his top deputies had been informed of the problems. Shulkin fired the Washington medical center director last year after the inspector general issued an emergency preliminary report concluding patients were in imminent danger at the facility."
Mark Hand of ThinkProgress: "The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is giving top officials permission to moonlight for private companies in their off-time, a practice that could conflict with their official duties at the federal agency. Two of the most prominent EPA officials currently under scrutiny are John Konkus, who serves as the EPA's deputy associate administrator for the Office of Public Affairs, and Patrick Davis, an EPA senior adviser.... Konkus received approval ... to work ... as a media consultant.... The EPA is refusing to disclose Konkus's clients, raising more questions about potential conflicts of interest with his official and outside work.... Davis, a ... former director of Trump's presidential campaign in Colorado .. .work[s] as the sales director for Telephone Town Hall Meeting, which does outreach for legislators and political campaigns.... Several current EPA political appointees have received approval...to engage in outside activity for compensation." --safari
Ben Carson Hates Black People. Amanda Terkel of the Huffington Post: "Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson is changing the mission statement of his agency, removing promises of inclusive and discrimination-free communities."
Shahien Nasiripour, et al., of Bloomberg: "Wells Fargo & Co. has emerged as the preferred financier for the U.S. gun industry. The bank has helped two of the biggest U.S. firearm and ammunition companies access $431.1 million in loans and bonds since December 2012, when the gun control debate gained steam after the school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. That puts it on the top of the list of banks arranging funding for gunmakers. Wells Fargo also has a long relationship with the National Rifle Association, inherited from banks that Wells took over. The San Francisco-based Wells Fargo created a $28 million line of credit for the NRA and operates the primary accounts for the pro-Second Amendment group, financial documents show." ...
... Mrs. McCrabbie: I closed out my large account with Wells Fargo last year after publication of all those stories about WF's cheating its customers. I still have a small checking account. As soon as the snow melts from this latest Nor'easter, I'm closing that out, too.
Martin Cizmar of RawStory: "Texas Republicans are not taking the Democratic surge in the Lone Star State lightly.... Record turnout has apparently sent chills through Republicans in the state.... Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is accusing local school districts of 'electioneering,' by encouraging students to vote and bussing them to polls. Paxton, who survived an indictment for securities fraud when a judge dismissed the case, has said that students cannot be bussed to the polls on election day and issued cease-and-desist letters to the school districts.... He's also tried to ferret out opponents in those schools by filing records requests for 'all emails between superintendents and principals pertaining to voting,'" --safari
*****
Kate Kelly, et al., of the New York Times: "Gary D. Cohn, President Trump's top economic adviser, plans to resign, becoming the latest in a series of high-profile departures from the Trump administration, White House officials said on Tuesday. The officials insisted there was no single factor behind the departure of Mr. Cohn, who heads the National Economic Council. But his decision to leave came after he seemed poised to lose an internal struggle amid a Wild West-style process over Mr. Trump's plan to impose large tariffs on steel and aluminum imports." ...
... Cristiano Lima of Politico: "Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven cautioned that ...Donald Trump's plan to impose additional trade tariffs 'will hurt us all in the long run' during a White House summit on Tuesday.... In his first joint public appearance with the leader of a European Union member since announcing his plan for tariffs on aluminum and steel imports last week, Trump maintained that action was needed to address the 'very unfair trade situation' between the U.S. and other nations.... The Swedish leader ... stressed that his nation's wealth has been 'built on cooperation, competitiveness and free trade' -- not increased trade barriers. 'I am convinced that increased tariffs will hurt us all in the long run,' Löfven said during a bilateral press conference with Trump in the East Room of the White House." ...
... As top White House staff run for the exits, Trump sez ...
... A Pre-emptive Lie. Maegan Vazquez of CNN: "... Donald Trump rebuffed claims Tuesday that his White House is in chaos amid reports of high-profile departures and discord within the top ranks of the West Wing. 'The new Fake News narrative is that there is CHAOS in the White House. Wrong! People will always come & go, and I want strong dialogue before making a final decision,' Trump tweeted. 'I still have some people that I want to change (always seeking perfection). There is no Chaos, only great Energy!'" Mrs. McC: At the same time, Trump knew Cohn was on his way out the door. ...
... Jennifer Jacobs of Bloomberg: "... Donald Trump demanded economic adviser Gary Cohn's cooperation on tariffs in a meeting in the Oval Office Tuesday -- asking Cohn directly if he would support his decision to move forward with the plan. Cohn would not offer his support, according to two people familiar with the episode -- and just hours later, the White House announced Cohn's resignation." ...
... Back to Constant Chaos. Andrew Restuccia & Nancy Cook of Politico: "... with his resignation announcement Tuesday, [Gary] Cohn joins the long list of policy experts who have departed in recent months -- a brain drain that leaves the president with fewer people around him who know how to get policy made, and how to stop Trump from moving ahead with unworkable ideas. Some worry the White House could return to the uncontrolled days immediately following Trump's inauguration, when many West Wing jobs were still unfilled and former strategist Steve Bannon was writing executive orders with policy adviser Stephen Miller.... Cohn's resignation comes a month after staff secretary Rob Porter stepped down amid domestic abuse allegations. Porter, a Harvard Law graduate, had emerged as the White House's lead policy coordinator, corralling the president's often-divided advisers in a bid to reach consensus.... Porter had worked closely with Cohn to persuade Trump to narrow the tariffs.... Several other senior officials on the [National Economic Council] are separately weighing whether to step down in the coming weeks, according to multiple administration officials and outside advisers to the president." ...
... Mike Allen of Axios: "Cohn had planned to leave last week, according to ... sources. But then with the departure announcements by Hope Hicks and Josh Raffel, Cohn didn't want to pile on..., sources said.... The Trump White House is bleeding talent, losing a half dozen or more officials who helped advise and contain the president. Worse, warn several officials, there is little to no succession planning to quickly fill vacancies with top-flight talent. This leaves the Trump White House understaffed and devoid of the moderating forces that helped shape his first 14 months in office. What remains is a more pliant, nationalistic staff, one much more aligned with Trump on trade, immigration and other issues." ...
... Linda Qiu of the New York Times: "In defending his embrace of steep tariffs -- and in comments that seem to encourage a trade war -- President Trump has repeatedly claimed enormous trade imbalances, unfair practices and an international system that benefits everyone but the United States. But these claims are often overstated and contradicted by his own economic council. Here is a fact-check of recent comments that Mr. Trump has made on trade deficits, the World Trade Organization and tariffs." Trump's claims rate quite a few "exaggerated"s, one "partly true," a "misleading," a "confusing" and a "false." ...
... Greg Sargent looks at the larger picture & notes how the tariffs & other stunts "Trump is objectively putting other imperatives before the national interest.... And if the White House makes no serious good-faith effort to present an affirmative case for some of Trump's biggest agenda items; and if independent reporting shows that other factors are what really weighed on his decision-making -- such as his emotional state or his desire to please his base or his fear of appearing 'weak' 'at what point do we get to say that, broadly speaking, Trump is actually not operating out of any vision of what is good for the country?" (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ...
... As the Worm Turns. Rebecca Shabad of NBC News: "House Speaker Paul Ryan said Tuesday that ... Donald Trump's proposed plan to impose steep tariffs on steel and aluminum imports should be 'more targeted' in order to prevent retaliation or 'collateral damage.'... On Monday, Ryan came out against the president's plan to apply duties of 25 percent on imported steel and 10 percent on aluminum."
This Russia Thing, Ctd.
Jordan Fabian of the Hill: "President Trump on Tuesday vowed to prevent Russia from interfering in this year's midterm elections, even as he claimed that Moscow had 'no impact' on the vote total during his run for president. 'You don't want your system of votes to be compromised in any way,' Trump said during a joint press conference with Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven. 'We won't allow that to happen. We will counteract it very strongly.'" Mrs. McC: We have learned, of course, in sworn testimony from top intelligence officials & from news reports that Trump has done nothing.
Mark Mazzetti, et al., of the New York Times: "An adviser to the United Arab Emirates with ties to current and former aides to President Trump is cooperating with the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, and gave testimony last week to a grand jury, according to two people familiar with the matter. Mr. Mueller appears to be examining the influence of foreign money on Mr. Trump's political activities and has asked witnesses about the possibility that the adviser, George Nader, funneled money from the Emirates to the president's political efforts. It is illegal for foreign entities to contribute to campaigns or for Americans to knowingly accept foreign money for political races. Mr. Nader, a Lebanese-American businessman who advises Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, the effective ruler of the Emirates, also attended a January 2017 meeting in the Seychelles that Mr. Mueller's investigators have examined. The meeting, convened by the crown prince, brought together a Russian investor close to President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia with Erik Prince, the founder of Blackwater and an informal adviser to Mr. Trump's team during the presidential transition, according to three people familiar with the meeting.... Mr. Nader's presence at the Seychelles meeting appears to connect him to the primary focus of Mr. Mueller's investigation: examining Russian interference during the 2016 presidential campaign."
Rosalind Helderman, et al., of the Washington Post: "Special counsel Robert S. Mueller III has requested documents and interviewed witnesses about incidents involving Michael Cohen, the longtime lawyer for President Trump whose wide-ranging portfolio has given him a unique vantage point into Trump's business, campaign and political activities. There is no indication that Cohen is a subject or target of the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. But the scrutiny of his interactions is another sign of the far-reaching nature of the special-counsel probe, which is examining members of the president's inner circle and aspects of Trump's past business outreach to Russia." ...
... Betsy Woodruff & Spencer Ackerman of the Daily Beast: Evidence "suggests that some people working on the [House Intelligence C]ommittee investigation may be trying to covertly assist [Trump attorney Michael Cohen,] one of the president's closest allies -- when the president's inner circle is ostensibly a focus of their probe.... This isn't the only leak accusation leveled against House intelligence committee officials.... Last week, The New York Times reported that leaders of the Senate intelligence committee believe House investigators leaked text messages that Sen. Mark Warner sent." Mrs. McC: That is, in their supposed investigation into "collusion," House Republican "investigators" are actually "colluding" with the target of the investigation. If this were a movie, it would be a comedy.
A reader recommended Olivia Nuzzi's late-night/early-morning interview of former Trump advisor & guy-gone-wild Sam Nunberg: "... close to midnight, he seemed to have a change of heart. He told New York, 'Of course, I'm going to cooperate!'" (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ...
... Steve Vladeck in an NBC News opinion piece: "This isn't about [Sam] Nunberg thumbing his nose at the special counsel; it's about disrespecting the integrity of the federal courts. They tend not to react too kindly to such abuse.... As if that weren't bad enough, Nunberg's antics will almost certainly create trouble for him with the Washington D.C. and New York bars (and any other state bars to which he is admitted to practice). Rule 8.4(d) of the D.C. Rules of Professional Conduct prohibits conduct 'that seriously interferes with the administration of justice.'... The analogous New York rule is even broader, prohibiting conduct 'that is prejudicial to the administration of justice.'"
Just Another Day in TrumpWorld. Sarah Fitzgerald of NBC News: "Adult film star Stormy Daniels sued Donald Trump Tuesday, alleging that he never signed the nondisclosure agreement that his lawyer had arranged with her. The civil suit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court and obtained by NBC News, alleges that her agreement not to disclose her 'intimate' relationship with Trump is not valid because while both Daniels and Trump's attorney Michael Cohen signed it, Trump never did."
Benjamin Hart of New York: "In a scene just faintly reminiscent of the ending of A Few Good Men -- but with a different sort of killing involved -- Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney got Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao to admit that President Trump personally asked House Speaker Paul Ryan to block funding for New York City's badly needed Gateway project.... The [Washington] Post reported that Trump may be using funding for the project as a bargaining chip with Senator Chuck Schumer to pass a bigger spending bill later this year, though that seems too clever by half for the president. The president could just be leveling a vendetta against Schumer.... Or he may just delight in punishing an area of the country that loathes him -- even if it's his hometown -- the way the president's tax bill did. With this presidency, it can be downright difficult to narrow down which petty grievance might be getting in the way of doing some actual good in the world."
M.J. Lee of CNN: "The US Office of [a different] Special Counsel announced Tuesday that White House aide Kellyanne Conway violated the Hatch Act on two occasions by 'advocating for and against candidates' in last year's Alabama Senate special election. In a new report, the OSC special counsel, Henry Kerner, pointed to Conway's TV interviews conducted in her 'official capacity' in November and December of last year. The agency said Conway 'impermissibly mixed official government business with political views about candidates in the Alabama special election.'... In a letter to ... Donald Trump, Kerner said he is referring her violations for the President's 'consideration of appropriate disciplinary action.' In a statement, White House deputy press secretary Hogan Gidley said Conway was expressing the President's position for lawmakers who support the administration's agenda." Mrs. McC: In other words, "Meh." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
Juliet Eilperin & Brady Dennis of the Washington Post: "Two senior Senate Democrats asked Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt on Tuesday to provide details about how a business associate of the head of his security detail got a security contract with the agency. Pasquale 'Nino' Perrotta -- who heads Pruitt's security detail and also serves as a principal of Rockville-based Sequoia Security Group -- advised EPA officials to hire a member of the management team at Sequoia.... Sens. Thomas R. Carper (Del.) and Sheldon Whitehouse (R.I.) on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee are seeking documentation that Perrotta obeyed federal conflict-of-interest rules."
Nicholas Fandos & Dave Philipps of the New York Times: "In an administration rife with intramural fights, the battle over the Department of Veterans Affairs has stood out, not only for its vitriol but also for its consequences. At stake is the future of the nation's veterans health care system. For now at least, it appears moderation has prevailed, with the Veterans Affairs secretary, David J. Shulkin, thwarting a pitched conservative push to drive him out. 'It's my job as secretary to get the organization singly focused on making the V.A. work better for vets,' the secretary, a physician and holdover from the Obama administration, said in an interview on Monday, after the latest in a string of meetings with the White House chief of staff. 'I've been making it clear to the organization that we will not be distracted as we have in the last couple weeks.' 'People need to get on board with that or need to leave,' he added."
Evan Halper of the Los Angeles Times: "The Trump administration, seeking to force a defiant California to cooperate with its agenda of stepped-up immigrant deportations, went to federal court Tuesday to invalidate three state laws -- the administration's most direct challenge yet to the state's policies. Administration officials say the three laws in question, all passed by the Legislature last year, blatantly obstruct federal immigration law and thus violate the Constitution's supremacy clause, which gives federal law precedence over state enactments.... The laws make it a crime for business owners to voluntarily help federal agents find and detain undocumented workers, prohibit local law enforcement from alerting immigration agents when detainees are released from custody, and create a state inspection program for federal immigration detention centers. Administration officials, who briefed reporters before the suit was filed, said other states that are pursuing law similar to California's are also likely to be targeted in court."
Erica Werner & Renae Merle of the Washington Post: "A plan to scale back post-financial crisis banking rules cleared a key Senate hurdle Tuesday, with more than a third of the Senate Democratic caucus joining united Republicans to move the measure toward passage. The vote was 67 to 32, well over the 60 votes needed in the closely divided Senate, setting up debate and final passage in coming days. Days of contentious wrangling on the Senate floor lie ahead, with Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) pledging to deliver speeches in opposition. But the level of bipartisan support Tuesday, with 17 members of the Senate Democratic caucus voting 'yes,' suggested the measure will ultimately get the chamber's approval."
Senate Races
Jeremy Wallace & Kevin Diaz of the Houston Chronicle: "Late voting returns showed U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz and Democrat Beto O'Rourke easily beating their respective primary opponents on Tuesday, putting them on the verge of their highly anticipated general election battle in November.... O'Rourke has heavily outraised Cruz since the start of 2018, according to the latest campaign reports filed with the Federal Election Commission.... Overall, Cruz still has more money in his campaign account than O'Rourke. O'Rourke had about $5 million in his main campaign account, while Cruz has about $6 million. But that doesn't tell the full story of the financial battle in the race. Cruz is also expected to benefit from Super PACs that have been created by his allies. A new PAC called Texans Are has piled up $1.7 million.... Despite O'Rourke's surprising fundraising numbers, he remains very much an underdog in the race."
Andrew Kaczynski of CNN: "The radio show hosted by Republican Senate candidate Chris McDaniel listed a group that advocates for southern secession among a list of 'favorite websites' featured on the show's website. McDaniel, a conservative firebrand who ran a failed campaign against Sen. Thad Cochran in 2014, announced last week that he would challenge incumbent Mississippi Sen. Roger Wicker, setting up a divisive primary race from Wicker's right flank. On Monday, Cochran announced he was retiring and vacating his Senate seat on April 1, opening up the possibility that McDaniel could run in the special election to replace Cochran instead. McDaniel co-hosted 'The Right Side Radio Show,' at the time a nationally syndicated broadcast, from the mid-2000s until he was elected to the Mississippi state Senate in 2008. He still appeared once weekly after the leaving the show as a full-time host." Mrs. McC: Not sure why someone who advocates for secession would even want to be a U.S. senator. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
Beyond the Beltway
Manny Fernandez & Jonathan Martin of the New York Times: "... even as Democrats in [Texas'] biggest cities came out in large numbers [for the state's first primary elections yesterday], Republicans still cast more ballots over all thanks to their rural strength." The story reports several results.
Jake Zuckerman & Ryan Quinn of the Charleston (W. Va.) Gazette-Mail: "Gov. Jim Justice signed into law a 5 percent pay raise for public school teachers and school service personnel Tuesday that appears to mark the end of the nine-school-day statewide strike. By 7 p.m., multiple county school systems ... announced that they're reopening schools Wednesday.... Before a meeting of a conference committee composed of Senators and members of the House of Delegates, Justice announced that all state employees, along with teachers, school service personnel (a category including bus drivers and cooks) and State Police would receive a 5 percent raise. The raises will take effect next fiscal year, which starts July 1, and equal $2,020 for teachers. Both houses of the Legislature voted unanimously Tuesday ... to accept the conference committee report and pass the bill." ...
... AP: "West Virginia lawmakers acted swiftly Tuesday after Gov. Jim Justice and Republican leaders tentatively agreed to end the state's nine-day teachers' walkout by giving 5 percent raises not just to teachers, but to all state workers.... With striking teachers cheering from the gallery, the House of Delegates subsequently passed the pay raise for teachers, school service personnel and state troopers on a 99-0 vote. It now awaits action in the state Senate. The governor, union leaders and the House had agreed to the raise for those groups last week. State teachers are among the lowest paid in the nation and haven't had a salary increase in four years." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
Exodus. Arelis R. Hernández of the Washington Post: "Even before Maria strafed the region, a record number of Puerto Ricans were realizing that the declining island might be where their heart is but cannot be where their feet stay. Nearly 500,000 people left Puerto Rico for the mainland during the past decade, according to the Pew Research Center, pushing the stateside Puerto Rican population past the number living on the island last year -- an estimated 3.3 million. The government of Puerto Rico's guess is that by the end of 2018, 200,000 more residents will have left the U.S. territory for good, moving to places such as Florida, New York, Texas, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New England. It would mean another drop of more than 5 percent in the island's population. Experts say the storm and its widespread devastation undoubtedly have sped up the pace of migration as residents have dealt with extended power outages, communication lapses, infrastructure failures and, in some cases, isolation. What already was the largest exodus in the island's history now includes people fleeing in droves simply to achieve some sense of normalcy." ...
... Mrs. McCrabbie Note to GOP: For all of you bigoted lamebrains who are skeert of Spanish-speaking Americans, you might want to rethink your moves to go hard on Puerto Rico. Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens, & once they move to U.S. states, they can vote in those states following a very short period (typically, 30 days) of taking up state residency. And it is not likely they will vote for you. So adios & all that.
Joey Garrison & Nate Rau of the Tennessean: "Nashville Mayor Megan Barry resigned on Tuesday amid a sex scandal involving her former head of security, a stunning fall from power for a leader who was once among Tennessee's brightest political stars. Barry, a Democrat, announced her resignation at a packed morning news conference at the mayor's office. It came after she pleaded guilty in court a half-hour earlier as part of a negotiated agreement with District Attorney Glenn Funk to felony theft over $10,000 related to her affair with her former police bodyguard. Barry's resignation, which is part of the plea agreement, takes effect at 5 p.m. Vice Mayor David Briley will then be sworn in as Metro's eighth mayor Tuesday.... As part of her plea deal, Barry was sentenced to three years of probation and has agreed to reimburse the city $11,000 in unlawful expenses." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
Bracey Harris & Anna Wolfe of the (Jackson, Miss.) Clarion-Ledger: "After a heated floor debate, the [Mississippi] Senate on Tuesday passed a bill 35-14 to ban abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy, bringing the state one step closer to enacting the most restrictive abortion ban in the country. In a statement Gov. Phil Bryant reiterated his support for the measure."
Maegan Vazquez: "Republicans in Utah are working their way toward naming a highway after ... Donald Trump in thanks of his decision to dramatically scale down national monuments in the state. State Democrats, however, have another idea: naming a rampway after Stormy Daniels, the porn star who has alleged a decade-old sexual encounter with the President...." ...
... Lay of the Land. For a wider perspective on the Utah highway system, see Akhilleus's comment below.
News Lede
New York Times: "A second major winter storm in less than a week descended on the Northeast United States on Wednesday, with more than a foot of snow expected in some areas. Schools were closed in counties throughout the region and the governors of Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York declared states of emergency. Many people were still reeling from last week's fierce nor'easter, in which eight people died, millions lost power and thousands of flights were canceled." The Times is updating developments here.
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