The Conversation -- January 7, 2025
Marie: So I'm five years late with this weather report, but it was totally worth the wait: ~~~
Not a laughing matter:
Daniel Barnes & Dareh Gregorian of NBC News: "The federal judge who oversaw the classified documents case against ... Donald Trump issued an order Tuesday temporarily blocking the release of special counsel Jack Smith's report on his investigation. The injunction lasts until three days after the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rules on a pending request to block the release of the report over a separate matter involving Trump co-defendants Walt Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira. Lawyers for Nauta and De Oliveira filed a motion Monday night asking U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon to block the report, citing the judge's previous ruling that Smith's appointment was unconstitutional.... Despite no longer being a defendant in the case, attorneys for Trump filed a motion with Cannon on Tuesday asking her to step in." Thanks to RAS for the link.
Marie: AND I suppose I'm five hours late with this "live"-blog, but I'm not sorry I've failed to hang on Trump's every word: ~~~
~~~ David Sanger & Michael Shear of the New York Times: .. Donald J. Trump refused on Tuesday to rule out the use of military or economic coercion to force Panama to give up control of the canal that America built more than a century ago and to push Denmark to sell Greenland to the United States. In a rambling, hourlong news conference, Mr. Trump repeatedly returned to the theme of American sacrifice in building the canal and accused China, falsely, of operating it today."
Michael Shear & Michael Crowley: "'If [the hostages held by Hamas are] not back by the time I get into office, all hell will break out in the Middle East,' [Trump] told reporters. 'And it will not be good for Hamas, and it will not be good, frankly, for anyone. All hell will break out. I don't have to say any more, but that's what it is.'"
Jonathan Swan & Alan Feuer: "... Donald J. Trump on Tuesday once again left open the possibility of offering pardons to some of his supporters who are serving prison time for assaulting police officers during the attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.... 'Well, we're looking at it,' Mr. Trump told reporters at a news conference at Mar-a-Lago ... when asked whether he was considering pardoning people charged with violent offenses. 'We'll be looking at the whole thing, but I'll be making major pardons, yes.' When a reporter pressed Mr. Trump on whether he would pardon anyone who attacked a police officer, Mr. Trump deflected and suggested that his supporters were the true victims of Jan. 6. 'Well, you know, the only one that was killed was a beautiful young lady named strong>Ashli Babbitt,' he said, adding that she was 'shot for 'no reason whatsoever.' In fact, three other pro-Trump protesters also died during the riot. [MB: The "no reason" was that Babbitt was trying to break into the House floor where members of Congress were sheltering.]... ~~~
"Mr. Trump sought to blame the F.B.I. for the riot, echoing a conspiracy theory that is widespread on the right and that was contradicted by a recent report from the Justice Department's internal watchdog. Moreover, he seemed to suggest, without evidence, thatIranian-backed terrorist organization Hezbollah was somehow involved in the attack...."
Matina Stevis-Gridneff: "Canada's leadership on Tuesday reacted angrily to ... Donald J. Trump's threat to use 'economic force' against the country to acquire it, with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau saying in a social media post that 'there isn't a snowball's chance in hell that Canada would become part of the United States.'"
Annie Correal: "Experts on Latin America say there is nothing stopping Trump, as president, from ordering an invasion of Panama. But they dismissed his threat on Tuesday as empty intimidation."
Lisa Friedman & Brad Plumer: "...Donald J. Trump said on Tuesday that 'no new windmills' would be built in the States when he takes office, a direct rebuke of the Biden administration, which has approved 11 commercial-scale offshore wind projects. In meandering news conference, Mr. Trump angrily attacked President Biden'decision this week to ban oil drilling off most of the U.S. coast and criticized federal spending on clean energy as throwing money 'right out the window.'"
Feuer: "Trump's team just sent out an email quoting him at the news conference as saying that on Jan. 6 rioters went to the Capitol 'with not one gun.' That's simply not true. Prosecutors have charged and convicted several people with carrying firearms that day."
Zolan Kanno Youngs: "Trump says Meta's decision to end its fact-checking program is most likely in response to his past threats against the company.... Trump is asked why he would criticize Jimmy Carter's Panama Canal deal on the day the former president will lie in state at the U.S. Capitol in Washington. Trump says he mentioned it because he was asked about Panama by reporters. Trump actually brought up Panama himself in his opening remarks."
Ana Swanson: "He says he would 'tariff Denmark at a very high level' if it does not give Greenland to the United States."
Swan: "... today he said the Gulf of Mexico should be renamed the 'Gulf of America.'"
Baker: "Trump complains that Biden has continued to act as president during the transition. No president-elect has been as aggressive as Trump has in acting as if he were already in charge before the inauguration."
Kanno-Youngs: "We are roughly 10 minutes into this news conference and it has gone from an announcement of an economic investment to a venting of Trump's grievances. He has attacked special counsel Jack Smith, the New York judge that issued Trump a gag order and the Biden administration's economic and environmental policies. He has falsely claimed he 'defeated' ISIS during his first term.'... Trump is now criticizing the Biden administration, saying 'inflation is raging.' In fact, inflation has cooled sharply."
Baker: "Trump complains that votes from the election are still being counted even though all 50 states have in fact certified their election results and sent them to Congress, which counted them Monday to end the process. Likewise, he continues to claim he won a landslide when in fact, he won by 1.5 percentage points, one of the smallest margins of victory since the 19th century."
Timothy Snyder on Substack: In Great Britain, "the party in opposition ... appointed its own leading members to 'shadow' each government minister, including the prime minister.... The shadow ministers 'shadowed' the actual ministers, in the sense of following their every move, criticizing policy and offering alternatives. Importantly, the shadow minister was always available to offer commentary to the press on his or her area of expertise.... At any point a journalist, and thus the public, had access to an alternative point of view, one which was both pertinently expert and politically relevant.... In two weeks, the same man [who tried to violently overthrow the government four years ago] will be inaugurated president of the United States, this time with a centibillionaire as the unelected de facto head of government and with anti-qualified anti-patriots as his cabinet nominees.... The Democratic Party ... [should] form a shadow cabinet.... A a shadow cabinet would remind us of how much better things can be." Thanks to RAS for the link. MB: Sounds to me like an excellent idea. ~~~
~~~ Marie: There are open questions, like (1) Who would "appoint" the shadow cabinet? (2) Would there be a shadow president*? (3) Who would appoint her? (4) Would the DNC pay the shadow Cabinet members? (5) Would the shadow Cabinet meet to discuss issues? (6) How would people in the shadow Cabinet be dismissed? And so forth. Something would have to be established (and modified) in a quasi-formal manner.
This video from Rachel Maddow's show last night begins abruptly in mid-segment, but Maddow does tell us (and demonstrate to us) that Republicans truly do not support democracy. (What's most frightening, IMO, is that the majority of Americans do not get that):
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Peter Baker of the New York Times: "Former President Jimmy Carter, who disavowed the trappings of the imperial presidency and never gave up his humble Georgia roots, will nonetheless be given an elaborate national send-off starting on Tuesday when he is brought to Washington for three days of tributes. Mr. Carter, who died last week at age 100, will be flown from Atlanta to Washington and taken to the U.S. Navy Memorial downtown before being delivered to the U.S. Capitol by a horse-drawn caisson. In the Rotunda of the Capitol, he will lie in state for a day and a half before a formal state funeral at Washington National Cathedral on Thursday. Vice President Kamala Harris; House Speaker Mike Johnson, Republican of Louisiana, and Senator John Thune, the Republican majority leader from South Dakota, will deliver eulogies and lay wreaths at the Capitol during a ceremony set to begin around 4:30 p.m. Tuesday."
~~~ Marie: This looks as if it would have been a good place for the president*-elect to say a few words. But that couldn't happen, of course, because the president*-elect does not know how to comport himself on even the most solemn of occasions.
Lisa Friedman of the New York Times: "President Biden will travel on Tuesday to the Coachella Valley in California to announce the creation of two national monuments that together will protect more than 848,000 acres of land in the state from drilling and mining as well as wind, solar and other energy development. According to the White House, one site in the mountains near Joshua Tree National Park will be designated the Chuckwalla National Monument. The other, in the woodlands north of Mount Shasta near the Oregon border, will be the Sáttítla National Monument. The proclamation caps a flurry of final environmental proclamations that Mr. Biden has issued in his final days in office. On Monday, he banned future oil and gas drilling in more than 600 million acres of U.S. waters. Last week, the administration barred oil, gas and geothermal development in Nevada's high alpine Ruby Mountain and also prevented mining and geothermal leasing in 20,000 acres of the Black Hills National Forest in South Dakota. With Tuesday's announcement, Mr. will have protected more than 674 million acres of public lands and federal waters, more than any president." ~~~
~~~ The AP story is here. The White House's "fact sheet" is here.
Madeleine Ngo of the New York Times: "The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau moved on Tuesday to ban medical debt from appearing on credit reports, potentially lifting the credit scores of about 15 million Americans and making it easier for them to obtain loans. Th finalized new rule would effectively prohibit loan providers from using medical information while making lending decisions. It is set to take effect 60 days after publication in the federal register, but with ... Donald J. Trump returning to office this month, its future remains in question. The bureau has found that having medical debt on a credit report is not a good predictor of whether a borrower will repay a loan, and that consumers frequently report receiving inaccurate bills." ~~~
~~~ Marie: Why is the CFPB just getting around to doing this now? The agency has had almost four years to study the issue, and it seems to me they could have made a determination much earlier than this, one that might stick even if some reprobate Republican became president (as is about to occur).
Carol Rosenberg of the New York Times: "The U.S. military sent 11 Yemeni prisoners at Guantánamo Bay to Oman to restart their lives, the Pentagon said on Monday, leaving just 15 men in the prison in a bold push at end of the Biden administration that has left the prison population smaller than at any time in its more than 20-year history. None of the released men had been charged with crimes during their two decades of detention. Now, all but six of the remaining prisoners have been charged with or convicted of war crimes." (Also linked yesterday.)
The New York Times liveblogged Congress's certification of the Electoral College vote yesterday. Here's part of a late summary, by Annie Karni: "A joint session of Congress on Monday certified ... Donald J. Trump's victory in the 2024 election, peacefully performing a basic ritual of democracy that was brutally disrupted four years ago by a violent pro-Trump mob inflamed by his lie about a stolen election.... Unlike Mr. Trump back then, Vice President Kamala Harris did not dispute her loss in November, and unlike Republicans in the aftermath of the 2020 balloting, Democrats made no objections during the counting of the Electoral College votes. Instead, Ms. Harris stoically presided over the certification of her own loss without interruption.
"The presentation of the results unfolded quickly without drama, as House and Senate lawmakers who had been designated in advance read out the number of electoral votes from each state in alphabetical order, and who won them. One by one, the lawmakers, Republicans and Democrats, rose to declare each state's electoral votes 'regular in form and authentic,' and nobody rose to challenge any. The only sign of partisanship in the House chamber was in the applause: Only Republicans applauded after the counting of each state that Mr. Trump won, and rose at the end for a standing ovation when it was announced that he had secured a majority, while only Democrats clapped for the states that Ms. Harris won and rose to applaud when her total electoral votes were announced." MB: So this means that if Trump keels over, it will be President JayDee. (Also linked yesterday.)
See yesterday's Conversation for some of the brief entries in the liveblog (some of which I further abbreviated).
Jennifer Bendery of the Huffington Post: "... Donald Trump on Monday accused President Joe Biden of making his transition into the White House 'as difficult as possible' -- four years after Trump tried to prevent the peaceful transfer of power by inciting a mob of his supporters to smash their way into the U.S. Capitol and threaten lawmakers with violence to stop them from certifying Biden's win. 'Biden is doing everything possible to make the TRANSITION as difficult as as possible, from Lawfare such as has never been seen before, to costly and ridiculous Executive Orders on the Green New Scam and other money wasting Hoaxes,' Trump posted on social media. 'Fear not, these "Orders" will all be terminated shortly, and we will become a Nation of Common Sense and Strength. MAGA!!!'"
Alan Feuer of the New York Times: "Defense lawyers asked both the Justice Department and a federal judge on Monday night to stop the special counsel, Jack Smith, from publicly releasing a report detailing his investigation into ... Donald J. Trump's mishandling of classified documents after he left office in 2021.... Mr. Trump's lawyers, in an aggressively worded letter to Attorney General Merrick B. Garland, said they had recently been shown a draft copy of Mr. Smith's report, calling it an example of the special counsel's 'politically motivated attack' against Mr. Trump. They demanded that Mr. Garland not allow Mr. Smith to make the report public and 'remove him promptly' from his post.... In separate court papers, lawyers for Mr. Trump's two co-defendants in the classified documents case, Walt Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira..., asked the judge who oversaw the case, Aileen M. Cannon, to issue an emergency order to bar Mr. Smith from making the report public until the case 'has reached a final judgment and appellate proceedings are concluded.'
"Both attempts to block Mr. Smith could face an uphill battle. Mr. Trump's lawyers have no power to force Mr. Garland to stop the report from coming out, and their letter amounted to little more than a belligerent request. It is also unclear whether Judge Cannon would have the authority to tell the attorney general how to handle a report by a special counsel that he himself appointed, especially when the case is technically out of her hands and in front of an appeals court." Politico's story is here. MB: So it's up to Merrick the Unready? Sorry, but two weeks is way too short a time for him to reach a decision on anything.
Ben Protess & Kate Christobek of the New York Times: "... Donald J. Trump's latest attempt to stave off his criminal sentencing in New York was denied on Monday, teeing a frenzied series of last-minute appeals as his inauguration draws near. The denial came from the trial judge overseeing the case, Juan M. Merchan, who scheduled the sentencing for Friday, 10 days before Mr. Trump is scheduled to be sworn in for a second presidential term. Although Mr. Trump's lawyers had implored the judge to postpone the sentencing, Justice Merchan dismissed their claims as 'a repetition of the arguments he has raised numerous times in the past.' Mr. Trump is now poised to escalate his effort, court filings show, turning to a New York appeals court in hopes that it will intervene in his case." (This is an update of a story (by Protess) linked yesterday.)
Rachel Pannett, et al., of the Washington Post: "Donald Trump Jr. is set to pay a personal visit to Greenland on Tuesday after his father ... again floated the suggestion that the United States should buy the Danish territory -- an idea that has been roundly dismissed by officials in Denmark and Greenland in the years since Trump first brought it up. Trump Jr. said during his show Monday evening on the Rumble platform that he would be taking a 'very long personal day trip' to Greenland with Charlie Kirk, a prominent pro-Trump activist. Trump Jr. said he is visiting 'as a tourist' and would not meet with any government officials." The AP's story is here. MB: Junior is probably hoping to bag some polar bears & walruses. See more lined under "Denmark," below
Contemptible Rudy. Stefanos Chen of the New York Times: "A federal judge on Monday held Rudolph W. Giuliani in contempt of court for failing to cooperate in the handover of $11 million of his personal assets to Georgia poll workers he falsely accused of helping to steal the 2020 presidential election. Mr. Giuliani ... has so far failed to turn over the bulk of his personal assets as a down payment on the $148 million judgment the poll workers, Ruby Freeman and her daughter, Shaye Moss, won in a defamation lawsuit. The judge, Lewis J. Liman of U.S. District Court in Manhattan, has yet to detail what specific sanctions Mr. Giuliani faces." (Also linked yesterday.) The AP's story is here.
Elizabeth Warren Is Very Annoying. Nevertheless, She Persists. Missy Ryan of the Washington Post: "The record of Pete Hegseth..., Donald Trump's choice to lead the Pentagon, should disqualify him for such a pivotal national security role, a Democratic senator [Elizabeth Warren (Mass.)] told the former Fox News personality in a letter imploring him to address, before his confirmation hearing next week, the swirl of controversy that has marked his candidacy.... Warren..., the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services subcommittee on personnel, outlined 10 areas of concern, including allegations of heavy drinking and sexual misconduct, remarks suggesting female troops should play more limited role in the military, his past skepticism about the need for U.S. personnel to comply with laws of war, and accusations of mismanagement of veterans' organizations he headed. Hegseth has vehemently denied claims of wrongdoing....The 33-page letter, which includes more than 70 specific questions for Hegseth and his team..., comes a week before Hegseth ... appears before the Senate Armed Services Committee for his confirmation hearing...."
Jennifer Rubin of the Washington Post: Democrats in the Senate chose Dick Durbin (Ill.) to be the ranking member on the Judiciary Committee. Big mistake. They should have chosen Sheldon Whitehouse (R.I.) "Durbin time and time again refused to use the full powers of his position to defend the rule of law and rein in the rogue Supreme Court." Read on, if you have a subscription. Rubin's case against Durbin is strong.
Mark Landler of the New York Times: "Minister Keir Starmer of Britain on Monday fired back at Elon Musk after days of inflammatory social media posts by Mr. Musk, the billionaire owner of X, indirectly accusing him and others of 'spreading lies and misinformation' about victims of child sex abuse gangs.... Mr. Starmer also defended himself against accusations by Mr. Musk that he did not act quickly enough against gangs that abused and exploited young girls, when he was head of public prosecutions.... Mr. Musk has repeatedly asserted, without evidence, that Mr. Starmer had covered up the abuses.... The online accusations 'crossed a line,' Mr. Starmer said, adding, 'Once we lose the anchor that truth matters, in the robust debate that we must have, then we are on a very slippery slope.'" (Also linked yesterday. Related CNBC story also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ Michelle Goldberg of the New York Times: In the recent uproar over a genuine, widespread sex-abuse scandal which began more than a decade ago, Elon "Musk is using a genuine atrocity to pursue his campaigns against both [British Prime Minister Keir] Starmer, with whom he has a long-running feud over the regulation of social media, and against mass immigration.... But much of what he's saying about the current government's culpability is either distorted or flatly untrue, part of his increasingly vigorous crusade against the worlds remaining liberal leaders.... In asserting himself as the most powerful troll on earth, Musk is doing nothing to protect women or girls.... What a travesty that the world must take him seriously."p>
Annals of "Journalism," Ctd. This is sickening: ~~~
~~~ Andrew Sorkin, et al., of the New York Times: "Jeff Bezos surprised many when he spoke of his hopes for ... Donald Trump's return to power at the DealBook Summit last month. The duo's reset took a new twist with Amazon's announcement that it would release a documentary on Melania Trump shot by an outcast filmmaker, and more tumult at The Washington Post. But Bezos, like other business leaders, has been moving closer to the president-elect, and the decisions are inevitably being analyzed in that context. Amazon called it a 'behind the scenes' look at Trump -- but she will have a big say. The documentary will be released this year on its Prime Video service and in theaters; filming began after the election. Melania is an executive producer, suggesting that she will be able to shape the narrative. The documentary was directed by Brett Ratner, who was accused of sexual misconduct." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ Oliver Darcy: "Layoffs are expected to rock The Washington Post this week, according to people familiar with the matter. The layoffs are slated to hit the ... newspaper's business division, I'm told. One person familiar with the matter said that the cuts will be deep, impacting many dozens of employees.... The beleaguered newspaper ... has suffered a talent exodus over the last several weeks. As I reported earlier, star reporter Josh Dawsey will exit The Post for a job at The Wall Street Journal. His departure comes on the heels of other top staffers fleeing, including Matea Gold, Ashley Parker, Michael Scherer, Charles Lane, Tyler Pager, and Amanda Katz. A spokesperson for The Post didn't have an immediate comment. But The Post has been in poor financial shape in recent years, a fact that management has not hidden from employees. Those financial problems were exacerbated when [owner Jeff] Bezos blocked The Post's planned endorsement of Kamala Harris ahead of the November election, a move that led to more than 250,000 readers canceling their subscriptions." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ MEANWHILE, over a Amazon, Caroline O'Donovan of the Washington Post reports that Jeff is handing out water bottles (IOW, cheap plastic swag) & stress balls to employees whose workload increased as much as 33% during peak holiday shopping season and who may have to work as long as 60 hours a week.
This is sickening and barbaric: ~~~
~~~ Kate Conger of the New York Times: "Mark Zuckerberg said in a Facebook post Monday that Meta had added Dana White, the chief executive of Ultimate Fighting Championship, and two other executives to its board. Meta is adding Mr. White, a longtime friend of ... Donald J. Trump, to the social media company's leadership amid a series of moves strengthen its ties to the incoming administration. Last week, the company shook up the top of its policy team, appointing a longtime executive known for his Republican ties as head of global policy. Meta has also donated $1 million to Mr. Trump"s inaugural fund." ~~~
~~~ Update. It Gets Worse. Aaron Gregg of the Washington Post: "Meta plans to get rid of its fact-checking program and replace it with a system similar to X's 'community notes,' chief executive Mark Zuckerberg said Tuesday. The company plans to allow its users to write and rate community notes that appear next to specific posts. In a video accompanying a Meta blog post, Zuckerberg cited errors made by the company's fact-checking team and mentioned the November election results. 'We've reached a point where it's just too many mistakes and too much censorship,' Zuckerberg said. 'The recent elections also feel like a cultural tipping point towards once again prioritizing speech. So we are going to get back to our roots, focus on reducing mistakes, simplifying our policies, and restoring free expression on our platforms.'"
If you're wondering how these billionaires, some of whom once professed to be liberals, got to be such jerks, Paul Waldman is here to help (also linked yesterday).
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Colorado. Adeel Hassan of the New York Times: "A prosecutor in the Denver District Attorney's Office, who was fired two years ago, has been ordered disbarred after framing a male colleague for sexual harassment, a Colorado judicial office ruled. The former prosecutor, Yujin Choi, faked receiving text messages, altered her cellphone records and, during the investigation, destroyed her laptop and phone, according to a 26-page ruling by Colorado Supreme Courts Office of the Presiding Disciplinary Judge released on Dec. 31." (Also linked yesterday.)
Louisiana. Apporva Mandavilli & Emily Anthes of the New York Times: "A Louisiana patient who had been hospitalized with severe bird flu has died, the first such fatality in the United States, state health officials reported on Monday. The patient was older than 65 and had underlying medical conditions, the officials said. The individual became infected with the bird flu virus, H5N1, after exposure to a backyard flock and wild birds. There is no sign that the virus is spreading from person to person anywhere in the country, and Louisiana officials have not identified any other cases in the state. Pasteurized dairy products remain safe to consume." (Also linked yesterday.)
Minnesota. Ernesto Londoño and Shaila Dewan of the New York Times: "The Minneapolis City Council unanimously voted on Monday to overhaul its police department to address a pattern of systemic abuses, as part of an agreement with the Department of Justice. Lawyers from the Department of Justice and the city, where George Floyd was killed in 2020 by a police officer, have raced in recent weeks to finalize terms of the deal, known as a consent decree, before ... Donald J. Trump takes office. The previous Trump administration opposed the use of consent decrees, and the fate of nearly a dozen other federal investigations into American police departments is uncertain." (Also linked yesterday.)
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⭐Canada. The New York Times liveblogged developments yesterday in Canadian politics: "Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada announced on Monday that he would step down as Liberal Party leader and prime minister, a decision that means Canada will have a new leader once his party picks a new head through a nationwide election.... His resignation sets off a succession battle to replace him after roughly a decade at the helm of both the party and the country. The upheaval comes as the country is grappling with how best to deal with ... Donald J. Trump's pledge to impose crippling tariffs on all imports from Canada on his first day in office. Canada and the United States are each other's biggest trading partners." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ Here is President Biden's statement on his friendship & working relationship with Prime Minister Trudeau, via the White House.
Denmark. King Stands up to Trump. Miranda Bryant of the Guardian: "The Danish king has shocked some historians by changing the royal coat of arms to more prominently feature Greenland and the Faroe Islands -- in what has also been seen as a rebuke to Donald Trump. Less than a year since succeeding his mother, Queen Margrethe, after she stood down on New Year's Eve 2023, King Frederik has made a clear statement of intent to keep the autonomous Danish territory and former colony within the kingdom of Denmark."
Israel, et al. Euan Ward of the New York Times: "A top U.S. envoy who helped broker the cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah issued reassurance on Monday that Israel would withdraw fully from southern Lebanon, as called for in the fragile 60-day truce deal that paused the bloodiest war between the two sides in decades. Speaking to reporters in Beirut, the Lebanese capital, the envoy, Amos Hochstein, said that Israeli troops had pulled out on Monday from the southern town of Naqoura. In a statement, the Lebanese military said it had redeployed in the town, after the Israeli withdrawal."
News Ledes
New York Times: "A winter storm unfurled a blanket of snow and ice along the East Coast on Monday, disrupting routines in much of the Mid-Atlantic and the Northeast. In the coming days, a rush of Arctic air was expected to deepen the chill. Nighttime temperatures were expected to fall into the single digits across the Central Plains and into the Mississippi and Ohio Valleys this week, The Weather Prediction Center warned. The Mid-Atlantic region was expected to be not quite as chilly, with daytime temperatures near freezing." ~~~
~~~ The Washington Post is liveblogging developments in the D.C. region, and occasionally, beyond.
New York Times: "Jean-Marie Le Pen, the founding father of France's modern political far-right who built a half-century career on rants of barely disguised racism, antisemitism and neo-Nazi propaganda, has died. He was 96." The AP's report is here.
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Reader Comments (17)
Marie wrote:
“So it's up to Merrick the Unready? Sorry, but two weeks is way too short a time for him to reach a decision on anything.”
Ummm…except and unless he needs to appear “non-partisan” and super FAIR to traitors, thugs, liars, rapists, and con artists. Creampuff Merrick might very well do the bidding of the Fat Fascist so’s not to look Democrat-like. After all, he waited yeeeeaars to give that fat fuck a chance to jigger the truth about all kinds of criminality. Why stop now?
Can't wait to see that documentary on Melania. It should be
brilliant. After all, she's an Einstein visa holder.
And Einstein had an IQ of 160 (he wasn't actually tested, but that's
what's thought).
So does Melania have an IQ of 160? Or would that be 1.60?
I sound really nasty for so early in the week.
@Forrest Morris: Not "nasty." "Funny" and "on point," I would say.
And, I'm sorry, even though I have access to and often watch shows on Amazon Prime, I won't be watching "The Melanie Story."
Scary!
Annie Lowrey, in The Atlantic, predicts
a speculative crypto frenzy
"The danger is not just that crypto-friendly regulation will expose millions of Americans to scams and volatility. The danger is that it will lead to an increase in leverage across the whole of the financial system. It will foster opacity, making it harder for investors to determine the riskiness of and assign prices to financial products. And it will do so at the same time as the Trump administration cuts regulations and regulators."
Second effort.
When did fact and truth become Public Enemy # 1?
Was it when newspapers that fact-checked or criticized the Pretender became enemies of the people?
When Facebook decided that even a half-hearted show of fact-checking was just too much trouble?
When releasing the Smith report on Jan. 6 was "not in the public interest?"
Looks like the entire nation wants to line up behind a wide-eyed, innocent Alice for a trip into Wonderland.
Only this time they will be led, not by Alice, but by nasty, self-serving thugs.
Anne Applebaum, in The Atlantic, describes how Anti-science mysticism is enabling autocracy around the globe
"The philosophers of the Enlightenment, whose belief in the possibility of law-based democratic states gave us both the American and French Revolutions, railed against what they called obscurantism: darkness, obfuscation, irrationality. But the prophets of what we might now call the New Obscurantism offer exactly those things: magical solutions, an aura of spirituality, superstition, and the cultivation of fear. "
Elon the Muskrat is certainly not the person to accuse anyone of
misconduct (Britain, for example). Or of child sex abuse or any
other kind of abuse.
He's has multiple marriages and girlfriends at the same time as those
marriages. He claims to have 'about' 12 children. He's seems uncertain
about the actual number. That's one great father figure.
Timothy Snyder
"Shadow Cabinet
A Positive Form of Opposition
Shadow meant follow. The shadow ministers "shadowed" the actual ministers, in the sense of following their every move, criticizing policy and offering alternatives. Importantly, the shadow minister was always available to offer commentary to the press on his or her area of expertise. This greatly enriched public life. At any point a journalist, and thus the public, had access to an alternative point of view, one which was both pertinently expert and politically relevant. Shadow ministers did not always become real ministers after the next elections, but often they did.
In Great Britain, the shadow cabinet represents "the loyal opposition." The loyalty in question is to the state and to its head, the monarch. In the United States, a "loyal opposition" would be loyal to our Constitution — and, indeed, that could be the basis of its activity.
By beginning from the principle that we have a government of laws, not men, a shadow cabinet would reinforce the American way of politics. It would be a very good thing to have a constitutional lawyer or two on the shadow cabinet.
And a shadow cabinet would remind us of how much better things can be."
I guess Zuckerberg heard Musk and Ramaswamy promoting people working for them for free at their anti-democratic project and decided it was too good an idea not to steal.
Thanks, everybody, for being here day after day after day.
Just reading the synopses of today's events is so depressing. I guess we should realize that no one is going to save us, and the people taking over are incredibly mean and stupid, so we are so on our own.
I'm not surprised that Jack Smith did what he was supposed to do, but his boss, Merrick the Unready, has, despite Emptywheel defending him in writing last week, a lot of blame in this whole debacle taking place. We have come to expect nothing to go our way, where the criminality of the Fat Felon will never be addressed and used to make him suffer for it all. Merrick has failed utterly, regardless of the equal blame by the voters and the mainstream media. I would be shocked if that report is allowed to see the light of day. Nothing else has worked in our favor. We need to count the judges in his pocket along with his administration, including "Judge" Loose Cannon. Ugh. And I heard Junior is in Greenland. They are so criminal it isn't even mentioned anymore. Oh, pardon me as I run down to the Golden Showers Palace to kiss the ring, as we all must.
Graphic editorials can bring events home in a way we can understand,
Like this one that says it all without a word.
https://www.gocomics.com/jeffdanziger/2025/01/06
This is exactly what Andrew Weissman said would happen on Lawrence O'Donnell last night,
"The federal judge who oversaw the classified documents case against President-elect Donald Trump issued an order Tuesday temporarily blocking the release of special counsel Jack Smith’s report on his investigation.
Lawyers for Nauta and De Oliveira filed a motion Monday night asking U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon to block the report, citing the judge’s previous ruling that Smith’s appointment was unconstitutional."
The important issues,
GulfGolf of America"President-elect Trump on Tuesday told reporters he wants to change the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America as he bemoaned that Mexico was taking advantage of the United States on trade and immigration.
“We’re going to be changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America,” Trump said. “What a beautiful name. And it’s appropriate. It’s appropriate. And Mexico has to stop allowing millions of people to pour into our country.”
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) said she would quickly introduce a bill renaming the Gulf of Mexico, shortly after Trump’s remarks.
“President Trump’s second term is off to a GREAT start,” she wrote on the social platform X. “I’ll be introducing legislation ASAP to officially change the name of the Gulf of Mexico to its rightful name, the Gulf of America!”"
A bit late on this one, but the censoring of Ann Telnaes’ editorial cartoon still sticks in my craw, and it bespeaks the pummeling of the first amendment in the second Age of Fatty Fascism.
WaPo editorial page editor David Shipley, when queried about his decision to kill the cartoon, unctuously sniffed that the paper had already published a story about Jeff Bozo’s servile acquiescence in the presence of the small fingered vulgarian (I haven’t read it but I’m guessing the words “servile” and “acquiescence” probably don’t make an appearance in whatever 50 word blurb the Post put out), Shipley, according to his statement, was only biased against “repetition”.
So…repetition is now a thing to be avoided at Bozo’s pro-authoritarian rag?
“Holy shit! Two hijacked planes hit the World Trade Center! We need copy!” “Nah. We already ran a story on that yesterday.”
“Trump tried to overthrow the government! Get some reporters on it.” “Nope. We covered that last night. A whole 125 words. Find something else.”
You mean no repetition, like that?
Will the Post refrain from multiple stories on Trump’s coming decimation of the constitution? When the concentration camps open, will there be only one story? How about if Bozo’s space program gets a gazillion dollars from the Trump regime as payback for ass kissing. One story?
In fact, repetition, further investigation, more trenchant commentary are the heart and soul of journalism. Well, used to be.
But aside from the “bias against repetition”, the political cartoon offers a much different take on news events than will be found in print.
You could read a hundred reports on the assassination of JFK, but Bill Mauldin’s image of Lincoln, sitting on his chair at the Lincoln Memorial, face in hands, weeping, encapsulated the nation’s grief in an immediate and memorable manner.
Jules Feiffer’s cartoon of LBJ lifting his shirt to show a scar in the shape of Vietnam likely helped many Americans understand the damage that war was costing.
I was particularly impressed with how Ted Rall’s “Generalisimo El Busho” cartoons got to the heart of that asshole’s War of Choice.
Artists are often the first victims of authoritarian regimes because of the immediacy and power of art to distill the essence of events.
Still are, I guess.
Should I repeat that? No?
So reporters are leaving the Post in droves, Marky-Mark (it’s my party and I’ll lie if I want to) Zuckerberg is kissing facts goodbye and opening the doors to Trump cronies. Hey, Jeff Bozo doesn’t need reporters, just make shit up. It’s Trump’s World now. Besides, printing anything factual about that fat fascist is bound to piss him off. We’re heading into good old fashioned Soviet style dictator media days. Social media run for and by Nazis and white supremacists, newspapers making shit up to suck up to the Dear Leader, who needs facts or reporters?
even more sickening,
AaronRupar , on Threads quotes from a talking points memo Amazon paid not for ownership of the melania doc but simply for licensing a whopping $40 million straight into the t**** family pocket.
I can get to the original through the thread, but hit a paywall calling talkingpoints directly
I had mostly memory holed what a firehose of stupid rambling shit that is a D J press conference. I am so not looking forward to this once again being the norm. Marie, take care with wading through all that sewage and take as long as you need to stay sane. That was an exhausting live blog to read through. I'm trying to remember how I got through this stuff for four years.