The Conversation -- August 14, 2025

Any pretense of deploy Trump's thugs to Gov. Newsom's press conference to "preserve the peace" is absurd. Whoever made the decision to send armed & masked gangsters to intimidate a sitting governor and his guests has effectively declared civil war. Was it some low-level functionary? Was it Noem? Trump? We have a right to know. ~~~

~~~ ⭐Laurel Rosenhall, et al., of the New York Times: “More than a dozen Border Patrol agents turned up in downtown Los Angeles on Thursday at a rally and news conference that Gov. Gavin Newsom was holding on congressional redistricting. The governor’s event had nothing to do with immigration, and local elected officials expressed outrage that the federal agents decided to stand there in a brazen show of force outside a museum where Mr. Newsom and other leaders were speaking. As the governor was preparing to speak inside the Japanese American National Museum in the Little Tokyo neighborhood of Los Angeles, the agents assembled outside, many of them masked and armed, and some wearing tactical helmets and carrying rifles. 'This is just completely unacceptable,' Mayor Karen Bass of Los Angeles told reporters. 'This is a Customs and Border Patrol that has gone amok. This absolutely has to stop. There was no danger here.'... A video shared on social media by Mr. Newsom’s press office shows the agents gathering outside the museum. In the video, Gregory Bovino, a Border Patrol chief who is leading the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown in Southern California, says, 'We’re here making Los Angeles a safer place, since we don’t have politicians who can do that. We do that ourselves.'”

Before there was KKKaroline, there was KKKudrow anticipating her. Really, ~~~

~~~ Alexa Lisitza of BuzzFeed: "A resurfaced clip of Lisa Kudrow doing a satirical impersonation of a far-right Republican spokesperson failing to debunk claims against the party is going viral thanks to a new tweet insisting she 'nailed' the character.... eople online can't help but feel striking similarities between Kudrow's character and the Trump administration today.... The original tweeter said the clip reminded them of 'literally every Republican.' Others thought the clip reminded them of ... White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt." ~~~

OMG! A Shocking Development in the Case of the Assault With A Deli Weapon. Joe Heim & Sophia Solano of the Washington Post: “Attorney General Pam Bondi said Thursday that a Justice Department employee [-- Sean Charles Dunn --] has been fired after he was arrested for allegedly throwing a sandwich at a federal law enforcement officer Sunday evening.... Dunn was an international affairs specialist in the criminal division of the Justice Department, according to a person who spoke on the condition of anonymity.... This is a developing story and will be updated.” MB: Well, yes, I hope so! ~~~

     ~~~ Update. Politico's report is here. Now let's roll the videotape: ~~~

Jeff Cox of CNBC: "Wholesale prices rose far more than expected in July, providing a potential sign that inflation is still a threat to the U.S. economy, a Bureau of Labor Statistics report Thursday showed. The producer price index, which measures final demand goods and services prices, jumped 0.9% on the month, compared with the Dow Jones estimate for a 0.2% gain. It was the biggest monthly increase since June 2022.” MB: Who ya gonna fire now, Donnie?

Nikki Ramirez & Asawin Suebsaeng of Rolling Stone, republished by Yahoo! News: “Donald Trump, Republicans in Congress, and the president’s allies across right-wing media have been trying everything to make public backlash to their botched handling of the Jeffrey Epstein investigation go away, amid reports that Trump himself appears in the government’s files pertaining to the convicted sex offender. The administration’s attempts to bury the story have been complicated by some of Epstein’s victims, and their families, speaking out as the scandal has intensified. Trump hasn’t engaged with them..., [but] in recent weeks, according to two sources familiar with his private remarks, Trump has repeatedly critiqued the string of media appearances by Epstein accusers and their families, arguing that some of them are just trying to make him look bad, or implying that he did something wrong during his time as one of Epstein’s friends and party companions. At times, Trump has said that some of these people speaking out are, in his words, clearly of a 'Democrat' political affiliation, while wondering aloud if some of them are coordinating with prominent liberal attorneys or groups.”

A Very Special Special Government Employee. Brittany Gibson & Marc Caputo of Axios: Corey "Lewandowski, a longtime and controversial Trump adviser, is wielding outsized influence at the Department of Homeland Security as a 'special government employee' whose work is supposed to be temporary. But administration officials tell Axios they believe Lewandowski — a constant presence with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who acts as her de facto chief of staff — has gamed the system by undercounting his work hours to avoid leaving his unpaid job when he should have.... Two sources said he has been seen entering government buildings with other employees to avoid swiping his own badge. That way, he could work without clocking in. They said he doesn't always use his government email or phone number for official business, avoiding digital paper trails on government systems.... Besides his proximity to power, Lewandowski's work at DHS has attracted media attention because of his close relationship with Noem. The two, married to others, have long denied rumors they're romantically involved." 

Florida. Lori Rozsa of the Washington Post: “Florida will use an old state prison to set up a second migrant detention center with capacity for up to 1,300 detainees, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Thursday as part of his aggressive stance on immigration. Converting the Baker Correctional Institution in north Florida will cost $6 million and take 'two to three weeks,' officials said. The plan is for a 'dormant' part of the prison, which currently has about 400 inmates, to soon hold people arrested in Florida under the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.” MB: You've got to give it to Ron: he embraces his dickheadedness. 

Paul Waldman has more on E.J. Antoni, Trump's pick to head up the Bureau of Labor Statistics and “a 'history buff' who for some reason has a giant photo of a Nazi warship on his wall.” Thanks to Ken W. for the link. ~~~

     ~~~ Update: Here are some images of E.J. doing an interview with his favorite Nazi battleship as a background wall art. Looks as if you can get your own picture of a Nazi battleship, starting at $90. 

Jeffrey Toobin of the New York Times: Donald “Trump’s Justice Department recently reached a nadir when two prominent Democrats, New York’s attorney general, Letitia James, and Senator Adam Schiff of California, were placed under criminal investigation for their personal financial dealings. They are the wrong targets chosen for the wrong reasons in a case supervised by the wrong prosecutor.... Among many other insults, Mr. Trump has reposted a call for Ms. James to be 'placed under citizens arrest' for 'blatant election interference and harassment,' and over the years he’s denounced 'Shifty Schiff,' demanding that he be 'questioned at the highest level for Fraud & Treason.' If there were any doubt that these investigations amount to political hit jobs against two of President Trump’s most indefatigable political adversaries, the issue was settled with Attorney General Pam Bondi’s pick to lead the inquiries — Ed Martin, the Justice Department official who was so unqualified and partisan that he couldn’t win confirmation in the Republican Senate to be the United States attorney in Washington.”

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Marie: Reality Chex still isn't working properly, and it's still not possible to comment. Squarespace admitted yesterday that they're not going to fix it. I had some personal business to take care of yesterday, but I should be able to start working on getting a new venue today. But I should think it will take a week or so to "get settled," and I'm not sure it's feasible. 

The Way We Were. Heather Cox Richardson: "On August 14, 1935, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act into law.... The Social Security Act established a federal system of old-age benefits; unemployment insurance; aid to homeless, dependent, and neglected children; funds to promote maternal and child welfare; and public health services. It was a sweeping reworking of the relationship between the government and its citizens, using the power of taxation to pool funds to provide a basic social safety net. The driving force behind the law was FDR’s secretary of labor, Frances Perkins. She was the first woman to hold a position in the U.S. Cabinet and still holds the record for having the longest tenure in that job: she served from 1933 to 1945." This is a swell memorial to Perkins & a reminder of how we got here and of some of those we owe.

Marie: Every day's news is a catalogue of horribles, a large portion of which are attributable to the Trump mob. A number of stories that made today's catalogue attest to how Trump, Inc. abuses ordinary Americans, the poor, and especially minorities. There's Trump's racist attack on the District of Columbia, where he has usurped police powers. Even more racist is the defunding of studies meant to find and ultimate reduce racial disparities in health outcomes; it is too "woke" to try to ensure that minorities get to live as long as White people. Immigrants, the majority of whom are minorities, are evidently being detained and held in substandard facilities. A pair of Mexican immigrant businessowners have been criminally prosecuted for breaking laws for which other businessowners are merely fined. Men and women who have put themselves in harm's way in service of their country aren't spared: the VA is woefully understaffed. And all middle-class & poor Americans who spend a large portion of their incomes on consumer goods must prop up the U.S. economy by paying exorbitant taxes on imports, lest -- according to Trump -- they will cause a GREAT DEPRESSION!

Tomorrow the Waskally Wabbit meets Elmer Fudd in Alaska (or as Elmer calls it, "Russia.") ~~~

~~~ Katie Rogers of the New York Times: Donald “Trump on Wednesday suggested that he was powerless to control President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia ahead of a planned meeting on Friday in Alaska, saying he could not convince the Russians to stop killing Ukrainian civilians or hacking American court records. Mr. Trump did warn of 'severe consequences' if Mr. Putin did not agree to abandon his grueling invasion of Ukraine during their discussion, scheduled to be held at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage. But Mr. Trump was dismissive when asked to address matters of national security and the horrors of war, raising questions about whether he has the leverage or the will to convince Mr. Putin to end the invasion. Asked whether he could convince Mr. Putin to stop targeting civilians, Mr. Trump said that it was a discussion he had already had with Mr. Putin.... Some [analysts] view the [upcoming Alaska] meeting as a haphazardly planned get-together that risks damaging American interests and blunting the power of the presidency, if Mr. Trump returns to Washington empty-handed.” An AP story is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I'm far from an expert on diplomatic negotiations, but I can say that typically when leaders of great nations meet to "negotiate" an agreement, the nuts-and-bolts negotiators for both sides have previously agreed on the terms, and the only question is what color ties the principals will wear. ~~~ 

     ~~~ In this and other matters, Nicholas Kristof of the New York Times is like a child possessed by magical thinking, one who believes all things are possible and even the cruelest and dimmest of characters may yet be persuaded to see the light. After describing a damning list of Trump's astounding blunders, Kristof settles on the story of an heroic Ukrainian woman and writes, “This extraordinary woman left me with a plea that I hope Trump will contemplate during his meeting with Putin. 'We are grateful to Americans,' she said. 'But we just ask, please don’t leave us halfway. Don’t leave us alone.'”

~~~ Europeans Try to Knock Some Sense into Trump. Victor Goury-Laffont of Politico: “... Donald Trump agreed with European leaders that Ukraine must be part of any discussions about territorial concessions to end the war with Russia, Emmanuel Macron said. The French president was speaking after an hour-long meeting between Trump, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders ahead of the U.S. president’s meeting with Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday. 'Territorial questions that fall under Ukraine’s authority cannot be negotiated and will only be negotiated by the President of Ukraine,' Macron said, adding that Trump had 'expressed' the same.” A Washington Post story is here. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ Marie: BTW, I've heard Donnie Dimento say twice that he's "going to Russia," not to Alaska. ~~~

~~~ From yesterday's New York Times liveblog: “President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine and European leaders on Wednesday urged ... [Donald] Trump not to unilaterally strike a peace deal with Russia to end the war it began with a full-scale invasion more than three years ago. The video call came two days before Mr. Trump is set to meet President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia in Alaska. Speaking in Berlin, Mr. Zelensky and Chancellor Friedrich Merz of Germany said the leaders had agreed on a strategy for Friday’s meeting, and that Mr. Trump had agreed to prioritize security guarantees for Ukraine.” (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ Also from the Narcissist News liveblog. Trump is to announce Kennedy Center honors this morning. “In his post on Tuesday hyping the new honorees, he wrote: 'GREAT Nominees for the TRUMP/KENNEDY CENTER, whoops, I mean, KENNEDY CENTER, AWARDS.' How much of a 'whoops' that actually was remains to be seen.” (Also linked yesterday.)  ~~~

     ~~~ Update. The Washington Post lists Trump's honorees. The Hill has the list here. (Also linked yesterday.) Also, Trump -- who has nothing better to do -- announces he will host the honors ceremony. On account of what he claims is popular demand. Right. ~~~

     ~~~ Shawn McCreesh & Katie Rogers of the New York Times: Donald “Trump affirmed his growing influence over the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington on Wednesday morning by announcing the new class of Kennedy Center honorees and revealing that he would host this year’s ceremony personally. Mr. Trump has taken a strong interest in the Kennedy Center’s affairs ever since naming himself chairman in February, when he purged its traditionally bipartisan board of Biden-era appointees and restocked it with loyalists. His news conference made clear that he is in complete control of the Kennedy Center Honors: He suggested he had approved the final list of honorees himself, saying he rejected several prospective names he called 'wokesters.'” ~~~

     ~~~ Here McCreesh provides a bit of the flavor of Trump's rambling speech & his pathetic penchant for nostalgia. Sam Stein & Sarah Longwell of the Bulwark are less kind. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I have come to enjoy some of these Bulwark "takes." This one on Laura Loomer's deposition in a case she brought against Bill Maher had me laughing out loud -- along with Stein, Tim Miller & Will Sommer. I had intended to link it the other day, but the post by Sommer, on which the podcast is based, is firewalled. (It's still kind of worth watching, not just for the giggles, but as a reminder of what an idiot Loomer is, an idiot who is influencing personnel decisions for the top people in our federal government. AND you'll never look upon an Arby's roast beef sammy (if indeed you ever have) in the same way again. We have the meats.

Igor Bobic & Arthur Delaney of the Huffington Post: “Donald Trump has a simple solution when numbers are telling him something he does not want to hear: Make up new numbers. The president’s strategy, if you want to call it one, was on vivid display this week on three fronts: His decision to appoint a conservative crony to an essential federal agency charged with compiling the monthly unemployment numbers, his decision to declare an emergency in Washington, D.C., while dismissing data showing crime in the city is in decline and at decades-long lows, and his demand for a new and likely unconstitutional census which would exclude undocumented immigrants.... Experts say Trump’s moves smack of authoritarianism seen in other countries.” ~~~

~~~ Paul Krugman, in a similar vein: What Trump's firing of the head of the BLS & his takeover of the D.C. police force “have in common is this: MAGA’s feelings don’t care about your facts. And the rejection of data Trump doesn’t like will surely extend to many areas beyond jobs and crime. About jobs: E.J. Antoni, Trump’s pick for BLS Commissioner, has actually said that we should define a recession not on the basis of things like employment data or GDP but by how people 'feel.'... About crime: If Trumpists wanted to make a semi-serious argument for occupying Washington, it would be that while DC crime is falling, it’s still high compared with relatively low-crime cities like New York or Los Angeles. But that would mean admitting that big cities run by Democrats aren’t dystopian hellscapes....” ~~~

~~~ Ryan Reilly of NBC News: "... Donald Trump's pick to run the Bureau of Labor Statistics was among the crowd outside the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, with the White House saying he was a 'bystander' who wandered over after seeing coverage on the news. E.J. Antoni, an economist from the Heritage Foundation nominated by Trump this week ... appears in numerous videos posted on social media of the crowd on the Capitol grounds. The footage shows Antoni approximately an hour after the mob removed police barricades. The footage appears to show him leaving the grounds as people entered the Capitol and not entering the building.... A White House official said Wednesday that Antoni was in Washington on Jan. 6 for in-person meetings with his then-employer at an office blocks away from the Capitol, and that he did not cross any barricades or participate in any demonstrations. The footage does not show Antoni crossing barricades or demonstrating." ~~~

     ~~~ Shouldn't be a problem. If a guy who was part of the mob and was encouraging others to kill police officers on Jan 6 can get a "senior advisory" position at the DOJ, then a passerby is A-Okay for top job.

Here is a truly frightening essay by two observers who know how these things work: ~~~

⭐~~~ Steven Simon & Jonathan Stevenson in a New York Times op-ed: “By ordering 800 National Guard troops to Washington, on the pretext of an illusory crime wave..., [Donald] Trump has further dragged the U.S. military into domestic law enforcement, in a move credibly perceived as an ominous 'test case.'... Unfortunately, though we (and others) had hoped that the military would only respond to calls to action in American cities and states kicking and screaming, we no longer expect resistance from that institution. Once, perhaps, traditionalist officers might have leaned on protocol and refused to heed a lawless order, taking inspiration from the generals — Mark Milley and James Mattis — who resisted the uprooting of established military standards in the first Trump term. But today, general officers no longer seem to see themselves as guardians of the constitutional order. It now seems clear to us that the military will not rescue Americans from Mr. Trump’s misuse of the nation’s military capabilities.... Mr. Trump and his allies have incentivized loyalty over legality and professional competence in administering military promotions.... There are structural as well as ad hoc components to Mr. Trump’s mobilization.” The authors go into details about how Trump is going about his takeover of the military.

Jamelle Bouie of the New York Times: “How did the president justify the 'public safety emergency' he used to deploy the National Guard to Washington and seize control of its local police force? He said there was crime — 'bloodshed, bedlam and squalor and worse.'... None of this is true.... Trump is simply enthralled by the image of a crackdown, especially on those he’s deemed deviant.... The president’s action in the capital ... is just the latest in a long list of so-called emergencies he has conjured up to claim unilateral authority over the American people.... For reasons of both personality and political ambition, Trump needs a crisis to govern — or rather, to rule. And if the actual conditions of reality will not give him a state of exception, he’ll create one himself.... Rather than treat emergency powers as a dangerous tool to be wielded with care and caution, this president has used them with reckless abandon as a toy — a means through which he can live his fantasies of strength, domination and authoritarian control.... A president with neither the disposition nor the ability to do the work of ordinary democratic politics — of deliberation, negotiation and compromise — is bound to abuse them. And this is all the more true for a president who doesn’t want order as much as he does submission and revenge.” ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Bouie writes: “The president’s most famous attribute is that nothing, for him, is ever enough. He has never had enough real estate, or enough wealth, or enough praise, adulation and worship. We should have realized, after his attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election, that he couldn’t have enough power, either. He still can’t.” John Roberts is smart enough to understand this. His cohort may be, too, though they are nearly blinded by their prejudices. It is up to the court not to just "call balls & strikes," but to appreciate certain players' willingness to throw spitballs or tamper with bats or browbeat the umps. The Supremes have a duty to interpret not just the laws but the excesses and abuses and pretenses applied to those laws. The Supremes must curb those excesses. With regard to Trump, they are not doing so -- perhaps because they so enjoy their own abuses of the law. ~~~ 

     ~~~ As Scott Lemieux notes in LG&$, "It’s John Roberts’s America, Article I [which defines Congressional prerogatives] is suspended if a Republican is in the White House[.]... In [the current circumstances,] the legislature is the authoritarian executive’s enabler, whether active or passive, and so it is with the Supreme Court as well."

We don’t live in a dirty city. We are not 700,000 scumbags and punks. We don’t have neighborhoods that should be bulldozed. We have to be clear about our story. -- Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser, in a Zoom call Tuesday with city leaders Tuesday night ~~~

~~~ Meagan Flynn, et al., of the Washington Post: “A split screen emerged in the first 48 hours of ... Donald Trump’s deployment of federal law enforcement and the National Guard onto D.C. streets: rhetoric from the president painting the city as a crime-addled wasteland, which D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) condemned, and, on the ground, a surge in federal resources bolstering D.C. police — which she and the police chief welcomed.... Trump said he intended to ask Congress to extend the emergency allowing him to federalize D.C. police beyond 30 days.... Trump’s executive action represents the most extraordinary federal intervention into the city’s home rule in decades, coming as violent crime is at 30-year lows following a historic spike in 2023, according to D.C. police data.... Top D.C. officials said ... they feared that Trump’s repeated denigrations of the nation’s capital as a dirty city unsafe for residents and visitors could do permanent damage to its image....

“Trump ... portrayed a sweeping vision of law enforcement on the streets of Washington, declaring that federal agents, D.C. police and the National Guard would use physical force to intimidate lawbreakers inside the District. 'They fight back until you knock the hell out of them, because it’s the only language they understand,' Trump told reporters at a White House news conference. 'It’s a disgusting thing.... It’s becoming a situation of complete and total lawlessness, and we’re getting rid of the slums, too.'...” Read on. The link is a gift link. ~~~

     ~~~ Giselle Ewing of Politico: “... Donald Trump on Wednesday suggested that he could avoid congressional approval to extend his 30-day federal takeover of Washington’s police, amid his efforts to wrest control of the capital’s law enforcement. But during his speech announcing the 2025 Kennedy Center honorees on Wednesday, Trump repeatedly floated circumventing Congress to maintain his hold over the city’s law enforcement. 'If it’s a national emergency we can do it without Congress, but we expect to be before Congress very quickly,' Trump said. Trump appeared to be banking on the support of congressional Republicans to push through any attempt to extend the 30 day takeover — but maintained that if lawmakers failed to approve the extension, he would go forward with the move on his own by declaring a national emergency. 'I don’t want to call a national emergency,' Trump said, before adding, 'If I have to, I will.' Trump also announced that he was working with congressional Republicans to put forward a crime bill initially targeted at Washington but intended as a 'beacon' for other Democratic cities such as New York, Chicago and Los Angeles.” ~~~

     ~~~ Chris Stein of the Guardian: “Donald Trump said on Wednesday he would ask Congress for 'long-term' control of Washington DC’s police department and signaled he expected other Democratic-led cities to change their laws in response to his deployment of national guard troops and federal agents into the capital. The president’s comments came as the White House took credit for dozens of arrests overnight in Washington as part of Trump’s campaign to fight a 'crime crisis', which the city’s leaders say does not exist.”

~~~ Violent Sandwich Attack on Capital City Street! Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs of the New York Times: “A man accused of throwing a sandwich at a federal agent who was patrolling Washington this week, after calling him and other agents 'fascists,' was charged with assaulting a federal officer on Wednesday. The police said the man threw a 'sub-style' sandwich at a Customs and Border Protection officer on Sunday night, the day before President Trump’s announcement that his administration was temporarily taking over Washington’s police force and sending National Guard troops and federal agents into the city for patrols. A video of the interaction went viral, showing a man repeatedly yelling at the agents near the corner of 14th and U Streets in Northwest D.C., a popular part of the city filled with bars and restaurants. 'Shame! Shame!' he yelled.... After minutes of yelling, the man paused briefly, wound up and threw the sandwich into the chest of the C.B.P. officer, then ran into the street as officers chased him.... [A transit police] detective wrote that the man charged in the crime, identified as Sean C. Dunn, 37, had confessed after he was apprehended. 'I did it. I threw the sandwich,' the detective quoted him as saying...” Jeanine Pirro will be prosecuting. Here's the Guardian's story; thanks to Julie from Massashusetts for that.

     ~~~ Also, to Julie for these responses, via Justin Baragona on BlueSky -- such as "Assault With A Deli Weapon" and sing-alongs: "🎵I threw the sandwich, But I did not throw the bag of chips🎵" ~~~

~~~ MEANWHILE. Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Ok) is right skeert of carjackers: ~~~

     ~~~ Michael Luciano of Mediaite: “Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) said he does not wear a seatbelt while driving in Washington, D.C., lest doing so prevent him from acting quickly in case he’s carjacked.... In Washington, D.C., the use of seatbelts is mandatory while driving. The fine for not wearing one is $50.” MB: One thing Markwayne could do to reduce the chance of carjacking is to ensure the doors are locked on the car he's riding in. (It seems to me most vehicles made in the last 10-15 years lock automatically.) Plus, there's this: Markwayne seems to have grown up in Stilwell, Oklahoma. I don't know how he survived the criminal element there. The current overall crime rate in Stilwell is 74 per 1,000 people "with both violent and property crime rates also exceeding national averages," according to Google's AI. In Washington, D.C., the rate is 40.3 per 1,000. So a little more than half the rate of crime in Stilwell. 

Bill Kristol in the Bulwark: “... Contemptible men occupy the highest offices in our land.... Last Friday, an American who believed the lies spread by [Robert F.] Kennedy [Jr.] and others ... fired some five hundred shots at the CDC complex [in Atlanta].... White killed a DeKalb County police officer who rushed to the scene, David Rose. After waiting eighteen hours, Kennedy tepidly condemned this attack on his department. On Monday, he paid a brief and perfunctory condolence visit to the CDC. He immediately followed this visit by giving an interview in which he chose once again to reiterate his view that 'the public health agencies have not been honest.'... [Donald] Trump has said not a word about this attack on federal public servants. Nor has he offered condolences or praise for Officer Rose. Rose was 33 years old. He was married with two children, and his wife is expecting their third child. He had served in Afghanistan as a Marine, and graduated from the [police] academy in March.... For their whole lives, Donald Trump and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have run away not merely from danger (recall Trump’s bone spurs) but from responsibility and accountability. They have gotten away with contemptible behavior. They occupy high public office after living sordid lives of wealth and privilege. They have paid no price for their irresponsibility and cowardice. The contrast with David Rose..., who lived far too short a life of courage and public service, is striking.” (Also linked yesterday.) 

Roni Rabin & Irena Hwang of the New York Times: “The federal government has for decades invested vigorously in research aimed at narrowing the health gaps between racial and socioeconomic groups, pouring billions of dollars into understanding why minority and low-income Americans have shorter lives and suffer higher rates of illnesses like cancer and heart disease. Spending on so-called health disparities rose even during the Trump administration’s first term. But in its second, much of the funding has come to a sudden halt. Following a series of executive orders prohibiting diversity, equity and inclusion policies at every level of the federal government, the National Institutes of Health this year began terminating initiatives that officials said smacked of identity politics and offered dubious benefits.... According to an analysis of federal data by The New York Times, as of mid-June the N.I.H. had terminated at least 616 projects focused on closing the health divide between Black and white, and rich and poor, Americans.”

Dr. Jake Scott in a STAT News opinion piece: “When Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. terminated $500 million in federal funding for mRNA vaccine research last week, claiming he had 'reviewed the science,' his press release linked to a 181-page document as justification. I reviewed Kennedy’s 'evidence.' It doesn’t support ending mRNA vaccine development. It makes the case for expanding it.”

Alan Rappeport & Andrew Duehren of the New York Times: “The U.S. government’s ethics watchdog agency said this week that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has failed to fully comply with an agreement that required him to divest his financial assets, posing potential conflicts of interest as he leads the Trump administration’s economic policy agenda. The United States Office of Government Ethics sent a letter dated Aug. 11 to Senator Michael D. Crapo, the Republican chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, alerting him to Mr. Bessent’s delinquency in fulfilling or amending the agreement.... The Treasury secretary maintains that he has divested 96 percent of the assets that he is required to shed and that he will be in full compliance by Dec. 15.”

Even Worse Than It Looks. Meryl Kornfield of the Washington Post: “The independent watchdog for the Department of Veterans Affairs said the department’s health system is facing a severe staffing shortage of clinical and nonclinical workers that has worsened since last year — at the same time the department has shed tens of thousands of workers and recruited fewer medical workers. The inspector general’s office released its annual report Tuesday, revealing the extent of staffing shortages that have plagued the department for years and have worsened this year. All of the Veterans Health Administration’s 139 medical center campuses reported lacking workers, and reports of severe shortages for specific jobs increased 50 percent from the previous fiscal year.... The survey of the medical centers, which was completed in April, did not fully capture the extent to which the Trump administration has reduced VA’s workforce. Many of the workers who took the latest buyout offer left after the survey was completed.”

Dana Munro & Erin Cox of the Washington Post: “Two weeks after most of Maryland’s congressional delegation staged a sit-in at a controversial immigration enforcement facility in Baltimore, lawmakers returned for a guided tour on Wednesday and said they were still being stonewalled about how detainees are being treated inside.... In Maryland, where a 2021 state law bars privately run immigration detention centers..., [ICE's Baltimore] field office functions as the agency’s primary holding facility for detainees awaiting transfer out of state. Civil rights groups have filed lawsuits in three states — including Maryland — alleging the holding facilities are not equipped for days-long detentions. And as arrests have increased, so too have concerns from immigrant rights groups and Democrats about a lack of adequate facilities.... A dozen Democratic lawmakers from across the country, including Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Maryland)..., file[d] a federal lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security and ICE last month, saying each had been blocked from conducting oversight at federal detention facilities.”

Alan Feuer of the New York Times: “A federal judge [-- Thomas Cullen of the Federal District Court in Baltimore --] signaled on Wednesday that he had doubts about an extraordinary lawsuit the Trump administration filed against the entire federal bench in Maryland, challenging a standing order intended to briefly slow down the government’s ability to deport undocumented immigrants.... It was clear from the outset of the hearing just how unusual the case was, which amounted to the administration’s latest attack on the judiciary. Because all 15 federal judges in Maryland were named as defendants, Judge Cullen, who normally sits in Roanoke, Va., was asked to ... preside over the matter. The judges themselves were excused from being in the courtroom.... Moreover, the judges managed to get Paul Clement, a former solicitor general who has argued more than 100 cases in front of the Supreme Court, to represent them. Out of the gate, Mr. Clement emphasized the bizarre nature of the government’s efforts.... In his arguments to Judge Cullen, Mr. Clement said the suit was a fundamental violation of the separation of powers laid out in the U.S. Constitution.”

Edgar Sandoval of the New York Times: “A federal jury on Wednesday found a Texas couple who owns a bakery on the Texas-Mexico border guilty of harboring undocumented workers, months after their beloved shop became snared in President Trump’s aggressive immigration crackdown. Federal authorities had accused the couple, Leonardo Baez, a father of seven, and his wife, Nora Alicia Avila, both immigrants from Mexico and green card holders, of knowingly employing and giving shelter to undocumented workers. The case was one of the first brought against business owners as Immigration and Customs Enforcement was ramping up arrests of undocumented workers.... 'What is unsettling is that this case went to trial in the first place,' [Prof. Sylvia Gonzalez-Gorman of the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley] said. 'Historically, large corporations found employing undocumented immigrants have had fines levied against them, not potential incarceration.'” ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Yeah, professor, but the owners of those large corporations are fine white Republican gentlemen, not Mexican immigrants. 

Eva Corlett of the Guardian: “A New Zealand woman who is being held at a US immigration centre with her six-year-old son after they were detained crossing the Canada-US border, is being wrongly 'treated like a criminal', according to her friend and advocate. Sarah Shaw, 33, a New Zealander who has lived in Washington state for just over three years, dropped her two eldest children to Vancouver airport on 24 July, so they could take a direct flight back to New Zealand for a holiday with their grandparents. When Shaw attempted to re-enter the US, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) detained her and her youngest son, in what was a 'terrifying' ordeal, said Victoria Besancon, Shaw’s friend.... 'Sarah thought she was being kidnapped,' she said. 'They didn’t really explain anything to her at first, they just kind of quietly took her and her son and immediately put them in like an unmarked white van.'... Shaw is on what is known as a 'combo card' visa – an employment visa, which she obtained through her employment at a maximum security juvenile facility, and an I-360 visa, which can grant immigration status to domestic violence survivors. Shaw had recently received a letter confirming her visa renewal, not realising that the I-360 element of her visa was still pending approval.” (Also linked yesterday.) 

Let us now revisit some of some brilliant deals some brilliant lawyers cut with il capo dei capi and one of his consiglieri. ~~~

~~~ Michael Schmidt & Maggie Haberman of the New York Times: “Two of the law firms that reached deals with ... [Donald] Trump this year to avoid punitive executive orders were connected in recent months with the Commerce Department about working on trade deals.... The firms, Kirkland & Ellis and Skadden Arps, were connected to the department by Mr. Trump’s personal lawyer, Boris Epshteyn, two of the people said. Mr. Epshteyn, who does not hold a government position, played a direct role in brokering the initial deals between Mr. Trump and the law firms, in which the firms agreed to do pro bono work on causes the president has championed, like helping veterans, military families and first responders.... After Mr. Epshteyn helped connect the firms with the government in recent months, Kirkland and Ellis went on to work on the trade deals the administration struck with Japan and South Korea, which were announced in July.... It is unclear if Skadden Arps has done work for the administration.”

Tony Romm of the New York Times: “The Trump administration’s top lawyers urged a federal court this week to uphold its sweeping global tariffs or risk 'financial ruin,' warning that the United States could slip into an economic depression if an adverse ruling forces the government to refund billions of dollars in duties. While experts broadly disputed that a losing verdict would trigger a calamity of that magnitude, many said the government’s extraordinary assertions underscored the risks looming over ... [Donald] Trump, who has widened the scope of his punishing trade war even while its legal basis remains unsettled. At the heart of the wrangling is a 1977 law that empowers the president to impose trade embargoes and sanctions in response to economic emergencies. The word tariff appears nowhere in that statute, but Mr. Trump has nonetheless invoked its powers as the basis for his withering levies, including the steep taxes he imposed on imports from more than 90 countries last Thursday.

“For Mr. Trump, the worst-case scenario would be a resounding defeat at the hands of the Supreme Court, which is likely to take up one of the pending cases.... The prospect [of losing] has spooked Mr. Trump, who took to social media last week to warn that it would be 'impossible to ever recover, or pay back, these massive sums of money' [the tariffs have garnered] if a court ruled against him, adding that a loss could trigger a 'GREAT DEPRESSION!'” ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: So Trump is admitting that ordinary citizens, paying these regressive tariffs/taxes, are all that is holding back a Trump-induced national financial collapse. 

Zach Montague of the New York Times: “A federal appeals court panel cleared the way on Wednesday for the Trump administration to continue refusing to spend billions of dollars in foreign aid, finding that aid organizations that had sued to recover the money lacked the legal right to bring the challenge. The decision, which centered on ... [Donald] Trump’s authority to withhold funding already appropriated by Congress, handed the White House a significant legal victory.... By a 2-to-1 vote, a panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled that under the Impoundment Control Act of 1974, only the Government Accountability Office, which serves as Congress's independent watchdog, could challenge the president’s efforts to withhold foreign aid funding. The panel found that groups that receive government funding — in this instance, a number of global health nonprofits — do not have cause to challenge Mr. Trump’s funding cuts. The decision lifted a lower court’s order that had required the administration to continue processing foreign aid payments with funds Congress had budgeted.”

Graham Bowley, et al., of the New York Times: “Historians and free speech advocates have begun to speak out to express their alarm at the White House’s announcement of a wide-ranging review of exhibits at the Smithsonian Institution’s museums and galleries. The free expression group PEN America said it feared the review 'will rewrite history and strip truth from exhibits,' while Sarah Weicksel ... of the American Historical Association described the Trump administration move as a 'major overstep.'... 'Only historians and trained museum professionals are qualified to conduct such a review, which is intended to ensure historical accuracy,'  she said.... Joy Connolly, the president of the American Council of Learned Societies, said that the moves against the Smithsonian are consistent with Mr. Trump’s broader campaign against universities and the idea of independent expertise they represent.”

Joe Sommerlad of the Independent: “First Lady Melania Trump has demanded that Hunter Biden retract comments he made linking her to convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, threatening legal action for 'over $1bn' if he does not issue an apology. Lawyers for Trump object to two statements made by Biden, son of former president Joe Biden, in a YouTube interview he gave to British journalist Andrew Callaghan last month. In the sprawling discussion in question, Hunter Biden alleged that it was Epstein who first introduced Melania to Donald Trump in the late 1990s....” MB: That sounds like one statement to me, but whatever. I think we can all agree that Hunter Biden should STFU.

Zach Schonfeld of the Hill: “An Illinois judge on Wednesday declined Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s (R) request to hold Texas Democrats who fled there in contempt. Paxton reached across state lines to seek a ruling that would effectively force the blue state to comply with efforts to arrest the lawmakers and return them to Texas to end their quorum breaking that has blocked Republicans’ redistricting push.” ~~~

~~~ Guardian: “California governor Gavin Newsom says the state will draw new electoral maps after Donald Trump 'missed'  a deadline on Tuesday night in an ongoing redistricting battle between Democratic and Republican states. 'DONALD “TACO” TRUMP, AS MANY CALL HIM, “MISSED” THE DEADLINE!!!”, Newsom’s office wrote on social media. “CALIFORNIA WILL NOW DRAW NEW, MORE 'BEAUTIFUL MAPS,” THEY WILL BE HISTORIC AS THEY WILL END THE TRUMP PRESIDENCY (DEMS TAKE BACK THE HOUSE!)'.” Thanks to Julie from Massachusetts for the link. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ BUT. Hannah Knowles of the Washington Post: “... Donald Trump’s push to redraw the congressional map has fueled a redistricting arms race, with blue and red states rushing to counter each other. But it’s an uneven fight. Republicans appear to hold the advantage in the nationwide scramble, according to strategists and nonpartisan analysts, with more opportunities to shift the lines in their favor ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Democrats have vowed to 'fight fire with fire' since the GOP moved to add five red seats in Texas, but they face many barriers. Republicans are eyeing ways to add a dozen or more red House districts across Texas, Florida, Missouri, Ohio and Indiana, despite some legal hurdles and reservations from local Republicans. Democrats are looking to retaliate with five more blue seats in California, and they are exploring other options, including in Maryland and Illinois. They control fewer states than Republicans, however, and they have already maximized their power in others. In some cases, they would have to work around independent commissions set up to prevent gerrymandering.” (Also linked yesterday.) 

~~~~~~~~~~

New York. Mara Gay of the New York Times: “The interest ... [President Obama] and those around him [have showed in New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani] is the clearest sign yet that Mr. Mamdani is likely to be embraced by the Democratic mainstream, whether the party’s leaders and donors like it or not. It comes at a time of dueling visions among voters, Democratic politicians and donors over the future of the party.... Mr. Obama governed as a liberal-centrist, and the party’s left flank has grown increasingly progressive since he left office.... Though it has been nearly two decades since Mr. Obama’s 2008 victory, the parallels between the two charismatic Democrats are unmistakable.... [David] Axelrod [-- who was Mr. Obama's chief campaign strategist and has been in touch with Mr. Mamdani --] said he found the reaction of much of New York’s political establishment dispiriting and outdated. “‘Scare the hell out of people and maybe we can get them to vote for our deficient politics,’” he said, describing the approach with brutal efficiency. 'That’s not a politics I want to be associated with. That’s not a politics I think prevails.'”

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[Marie Burns]

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