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.

The Conversation -- January 6, 2025

The New York Times is liveblogging Congress's certification of the Electoral College vote. The headline of the current pinned item is kinda perfect: "Security is high for an event expected to underscore a peaceful transition." ~~~

~~~ Update: Here's part of the latest 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.

Here are some other, brief entries (I've abbreviated some of them):

Karni: "Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the Democratic minority leader, is giving a floor speech now recounting the events of Jan. 6, 2021.... He warned ... Donald J. Trump against pardoning the criminals who assaulted police officers that day. He said pardoning them 'would be a dangerous endorsement of political violence. It is wrong, it is reckless, and would be an insult to the memory of those who died in connection to that day.'"

Zolan Kanno-Youngs: "In a video posted on social media this morning, [Vice President] Harris said her job 'is a sacred obligation -- one I will uphold guided by love of country, loyalty to our Constitution and my unwavering faith in the American people.'"

Noah Weiland: "Senator Andy Kim, a New Jersey Democrat, published a series of photos on X that he took at the Capitol Monday showing the quiet around the building as lawmakers prepared to certify ... Donald J. Trump's victory. Next to each of the photos Kim posted was the scene in that location on January 6, 2021: shattered glass on doors, overturned furniture and the mob that stormed through the hallways.... Kim served in the House on that day in 2021, and was photographed in the Capitol Rotunda retrieving trash left behind by rioters. Relatively unknown at the time, the photos helped launch him onto the national political stage."

Karni: “The House chamber is fairly empty as Vice President Kamala Harris and the senators file in for a joint session. It seems like the weather kept many House members from being here today.”

Karoun Demirjian: “The lawmakers reading out the electoral votes are the top Republican and Democrat from the Senate Rules Committee and the Committee on House Administration. They are Representatives Bryan Steil, Republican of Wisconsin, and Joe Morelle, Democrat of New York, and Senators Amy Klobuchar, Democrat of Minnesota, and Deb Fischer, Republican of Nebraska.”

Chris Cameron: “... Vice President Harris announces that 'Kamala D. Harris of the state of California has received 226 votes,' to raucous applause from Democrats in the audience.”

Catie Edmondson: “All told that took about 36 minutes, a reminder of what is supposed to be the pro forma nature of these sessions.”

Maya Miller: “Former Vice President Mike Pence, who received death threats four years ago when he presided over the certification of the 2020 election, praised the 'return of order and civility' to that process. In a post on social media, he called Vice President Kamala Harris 'particularly admirable' for presiding over the certification of an election she lost.”

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."

⭐MEANWHILE, the New York Times also is liveblogging developments 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.”

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.”

Ben Protess of the New York Times: “... Donald J. Trump has signaled that he plans to mount a full-scale legal offensive to stave off his criminal sentencing in New York, seeking a last-minute reprieve before becoming the first president who is a convicted felon. With the sentencing scheduled for Friday, just 10 days before the presidential inauguration, Mr. Trump’s lawyers have implored the judge overseeing his case to postpone the proceeding, according to a court filing unsealed on Monday.... If the judge does not pause the sentencing by 2 p.m. on Monday, the filing said, Mr. Trump will 'seek an emergency appellate review.'... Mr. Trump’s lawyers plan to file a civil action against Justice [Juan] Merchan and seek to freeze the sentencing....”

Mark Landler of the New York Times: “Prime 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.'” Related CNBC story linked below.

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.” ~~~

     ~~~ 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."

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 Court’s Office of the Presiding Disciplinary Judge released on Dec. 31.”

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.”

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.”

Marie: I got a very late start this morning, so if you zoomed in early and you're back, you might want to scan today's links again.

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A Day That Lives in Infamy

⭐President Joe Biden, in a Washington Post op-ed: “On this Jan. 6..., the vice president of the United States, faithful to her duty under our Constitution, will preside over the certification of her opponent’s victory in the November election. It is a ceremony that for more than two centuries has made America a beacon to the world.... For much of our history, this proceeding was treated as pro forma, a routine act. But after what we all witnessed on Jan. 6, 2021, we know we can never again take it for granted.... An unrelenting effort has been underway to rewrite — even erase — the history of that day.... As president-elect that day, I spoke to the country and called for peace, and for the certification to resume.

“Four years later, leaving office, I am determined to do everything I can to respect the peaceful transfer of power and restore the traditions we have long respected in America. The election will be certified peacefully. I have invited the incoming president to the White House on the morning of Jan. 20, and I will be present for his inauguration that afternoon.... We should commit to remembering Jan. 6, 2021, every year. To remember it as a day when our democracy was put to the test and prevailed. To remember that democracy — even in America — is never guaranteed.”

Matt Viser of the Washington Post: “President Joe Biden, who has attempted to oversee a smooth transition by withholding criticism of ... Donald Trump, has grown more animated about their differences ahead of the anniversary of the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection. 'I think it should not be rewritten. I don’t think it should be forgotten,' he told reporters at the White House on Sunday afternoon. He expanded upon the remarks at an evening event and in a new opinion piece published Sunday night by The Washington Post. '... if you notice, I’ve reached out to make sure the smooth transition, we’ve got to get back to basic, normal transfer of power. I don’t think we should pretend it didn’t happen,' he said.... Speaking about Trump specifically, Biden added: '“I think what he did was a genuine threat to democracy, and I’m hopeful that we’re beyond it.'”

Kyle Cheney of Politico:  “Donald Trump is about to get the Jan. 6 that he denied Joe Biden.... If all goes as expected, by late Monday afternoon, Trump’s victory will be certified in a ceremony overseen by his vanquished rival, Vice President Kamala Harris, who will preside over the proceedings in her capacity as the president of the Senate. Harris has been clear she will administer a straightforward transfer of power. In doing so, she’ll follow in the footsteps of all vice presidents before her — including Mike Pence, who resisted Trump’s pressure to refuse to count electors from states Trump lost in 2020. House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries drew Republican applause when he acknowledged Trump’s win Friday during a speech on the House floor. 'It’s OK,' Jeffries said in a moment of gallows humor directed at his GOP colleagues. 'There are no election deniers on our side of the aisle.'” ~~~

     ~~~ Annie Karni of the New York Times: “Still, there are reminders everywhere of the violence that shocked the world on this day four years ago. The Capitol is on heavy lockdown, with tall black metal fencing around the building. Heightened federal, state and local security resources are on hand as lawmakers prepare to convene, starting at 1 p.m., for the constitutionally mandated task of counting and certifying the Electoral College votes. For the first time, the day has been designated by the Homeland Security Department as a 'national special security event.'”

The Washington Post is live-updating developments in the certification of the Electoral College vote.

Matthew Yglesias: "The unapologetic nature of Trump's political renaissance is an ongoing menace.... What disturbs me is the extent to which the entire conservative movement has retconned not just the events of four years ago, but their own reactions to those events, such that these days, to be disturbed by them is considered some form of lib hysteria.... Today, I am extremely alarmed, because Trump is back in power and no longer faces meaningful intra-party criticism for his actions four years ago.... Bad actors ... probe boundaries to see what they can get away with. Trump got in hot water after 1/6, but ultimately he got away with it. He won the nomination, and he won the general election. He’s stated his intention to pardon the perpetrators, and by all accounts, he’s going to do it. If he gets away with that with minimal intra-party pushback or criticism, he’ll try more stuff. And we’ll see what happens." An unusually interesting read.

Kyle Cheney of Politico:  “Federal prosecutors are weighing charging as many as 200 more people for their involvement in the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol — including 60 suspected of assaulting or impeding police officers during the riot that nearly derailed the transfer of power from Donald Trump to Joe Biden. The new figures, released by the Justice Department Monday, reveal for the first time how many cases prosecutors believe are pending as Trump prepares to take office and threatens to unravel the massive four-year probe. About 1,583 people have faced federal charges for their role in the attack — including more than 600 facing felony charges for assaulting or resisting police during the chaos.... It’s a signal flare to Trump, who has indicated he expects to pardon many people involved in the attack but has repeatedly mischaracterized the status of the cases.”

Washington Post Editors: “Justice Department Inspector General Michael E. Horowitz concluded last month that no undercover FBI employees were at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, nor at the rally on the Ellipse preceding the riot. He also revealed that the bureau had 26 informants in D.C. that day, but only three of them had been tasked by FBI field offices to be in the city. While they entered restricted areas at the Capitol, none were [was!] authorized to do so or to encourage others to break the law. These findings should be so unsurprising as to be unworthy of much attention. They are sadly relevant because, four years after the insurrection, key figures in the orbit of ... Donald Trump have tried to misrepresent them to suggest that they validate the preposterous claim that the FBI staged the Capitol attack.” Among those “key figures”: JayDee Vance, Elon Musk & Vivek Ramaswamy. “Hovering over all of this is Mr. Trump’s promise to quickly pardon people convicted of Jan. 6 crimes. This would be even less justifiable after the IG report’s than it was before.” ~~~

~~~ Thomas Joscelyn & Norm Eisen in the Bulwark: "Kash Patel..., Donald Trump’s nominee to serve as FBI director..., has repeatedly insinuated or argued that the FBI used its confidential human sources or employees to instigate the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol and entrap Trump’s supporters.... The man who could lead Trump’s FBI has failed to substantiate these wild accusations, which are contradicted by other evidence and by common sense.... Patel pushing conspiracy theories about what happened on January 6th should disqualify him from leading the FBI...." The authors go into details about Patel's elaborate conspiracy theories. MB: These are not offhand tweets like those by JayDee, Elon & Vivek. Patel had to do quite a bit of fake research to come up with these wackadoodle theories. It's horrifying to recall that Patel's most significant "qualification" for becoming FBI director is his time as a federal prosecutor. It is no wonder that so many Americans have so little respect for our system of jurisprudence.

Jennifer Jacobs, et al., of CBS News: "Senate Majority Leader John Thune has privately told ... Donald Trump that he believes Pete Hegseth will have the votes to be confirmed as Secretary of Defense, according to three sources." And this is one of the many bits that have caused Matt Yglesias to be "extremely worried": "... he’s got an unqualified drunk set to run the Pentagon...."

Jeff Stein of the Washington Post: “... Donald Trump’s aides are exploring tariff plans that would be applied to every country but only cover critical imports, three people familiar with the matter said — a key shift from his plans during the 2024 presidential campaign. If implemented, the emerging plans would pare back the most sweeping elements of Trump’s campaign plans but still would be likely to upend global trade and carry major consequences for the U.S. economy and consumers.... As a candidate, Trump called for 'universal' tariffs of as high as 10 or 20 percent on everything imported into the United States.... [Now,] rather than apply tariffs to all imports, the current discussions center on imposing them only on certain sectors deemed critical to national or economic security....”

Ruth Marcus of the Washington Post: “In the matter of Donald J. Trump, the criminal justice system failed egregiously to hold the once and future president accountable.... Still, to read [New York State Supreme Court Justice Juan] Merchan’s decision last week upholding Trump’s felony conviction is to see welcome glimmers of accountability for Trump’s underlying conduct and his behavior as the prosecution proceeded. 'It was the premediated and continuous deception by the leader of the free world that is the gravamen of this offense' he wrote. 'Defendant has gone to great lengths to broadcast on social media and other forums his lack of respect for judges, juries, grand juries and the justice system as a whole. In the case at bar, despite repeated admonitions, this Court was left with no choice but to find the Defendant guilty of 10 counts of Contempt.'” Merchan also finds considerable fault with Trump's lawyers, lawyers whom Trump plans to place in top positions at the Justice Department. ~~~

~~~ Jennifer Rubin of the Washington Post: “Despite previewing a sentence without real punishment, [Justice Juan] Merchan, to his credit, issued a blistering opinion reaffirming the foundation of our legal system.... If Americans remain aggrieved over the lack of real punishment for Trump’s New York crimes, however, our ire should not be directed solely at Merchan. The failure to enact a punishment to fit the crime is largely the fault of the voters. They knew he was a felon. They still voted him into office. They determined he would essentially never face accountability. They decided tax cuts or mass deportation or 'owning the libs' or something was more important than keeping a convict who abused his oath out of office. They, not Merchan, are the ones who flaunted their disdain for the rule of law and decided that character no longer should be a qualification for president.... It turns out that the rule of law is no match for voters determined to elect a convict, serial liar and insurrectionist leader to the presidency.”

Musk Suggests U.S. Declare War against U.K. Chloe Taylor of CNBC: “Elon Musk has questioned whether the United States should 'liberate the people of Britain from their tyrannical government' after hitting out at top U.K. lawmakers.... Musk accused the U.K. Safeguarding Minister Jess Phillips of being a 'rape genocide apologist' on Friday, before publishing a series of posts calling for Prime Minister Keir Starmer to be ousted and face jail time over how child grooming gangs and other criminals who targeted children have been prosecuted. His criticisms of the U.K. government over the weekend culminated in a poll, where he posed the concept of 'liberating the people of Britain' to the platform’s users.” MB: Hey, we did it once, & by 1781, that worked out okay. So why not now?

⭐“The Tech Oligarchs Have Found Their Man." Paul Waldman on Substack: “We’ve heard this so often about the ultra-rich when they enter politics as candidates: It is their very commitment to devoting their lives to amassing ever more money that shows they can’t be bought. This is something many Trump supporters say about him, all the evidence of his relentless grasping for every last dime notwithstanding. And now, apparently, we’re even saying it about the oligarchs who use use their money to bend government to their will. This is not just about Elon Musk.... We’re also witnessing a procession of his tech industry plutocrat peers lining up to offer tributes to Donald Trump in the form of million-dollar checks — Bezos, Zuckerberg, Cook, and more surely to come....

“That’s not to say Musk does not stand apart.... He changed his avatar on X to a cartoon of Pepe the Frog, a meme associated with various kinds of far-right extremists, including neo-Nazis. He also changed the name on his account to 'Kekius Maximus,' referencing a related alt-right meme[.]... Apart from his copious conflicts of interest, he is a toxic man-baby, embodying everything repellent about contemporary internet culture — desperate for attention, marinating in hate, credulous toward every idiotic lie that passes his eyeballs — to the point where the world’s richest man is now also the world’s most influential spreader of misinformation.” Do read on. Thanks to Ken W. for the link.

David Lynch of the Washington Post: “Nippon Steel and U.S. Steel sued President Joe Biden on Monday over his decision to bar them from joining forces, alleging that he had violated their constitutional rights to due process in a corrupt bid to obtain political support for his reelection campaign. In a second legal filing, the companies sued steelmaker Cleveland-Cliffs; Lourenco Goncalves, its chief executive; and David McCall, the president of the United Steelworkers union, for interfering with Nippon Steel’s plans to buy the American company. That lawsuit, filed in the Western District of Pennsylvania, says Goncalves and McCall engaged in antitrust and racketeering violations while trying to wreck the transaction so that Cleveland Cliffs could obtain a chokehold on the domestic steel market.”

Annals of Journalism, Ctd. Now that he is no longer working for the New York Times, Paul Krugman feels free to directly criticize its reports -- as he does here. (Link fixed; thanks, Elizabeth.)

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Louisiana. Katie Selig of the New York Times: “President Biden will travel to New Orleans on Monday to meet with local and state officials, the families of victims and others affected by the deadly Jan. 1 terror attack in the city, according to the White House. Mr. Biden’s visit will be one of his final acts as the nation’s “consoler in chief.” He will be accompanied by the first lady, Jill Biden, the White House announcement said.... Monday is also Twelfth Night, the start of Carnival season in New Orleans.” MB: Yes, and a good day for President Biden to be as far away as reasonable from the Capitol on the anniversary of the day his vice president will certify the election of the terrorist who tried to take the presidency from him by force.

     ~~~ Rick Rojas of the New York Times: “Months before the man behind the New Orleans terror attack plowed a truck into a New Year’s Day crowd, he rode through the area on a bicycle, recording videos of his target using eyeglasses with a built-in camera, investigators said on Sunday. He was back again a few weeks later, they said, probably to continue his plotting. Those details emerged as investigators revealed more about the driver and the extensive planning behind the attack, which killed 14 people, injured many others and left New Orleans starting 2025 grappling with a cascade of anguish and alarm.... Investigators found that the attacker, Shamsud-Din Jabbar, had made trips to Egypt and Canada in 2023. But they said on Sunday that they had yet to determine what role, if any, those travels might have played in his evolving beliefs or his planning for the New Orleans attack.Investigators found that the attacker, Shamsud-Din Jabbar, had made trips to Egypt and Canada in 2023. But they said on Sunday that they had yet to determine what role, if any, those travels might have played in his evolving beliefs or his planning for the New Orleans attack.”

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⭐ Canada. Oliver Holmes of the Guardian: “Justin Trudeau could announce his resignation as early as Monday, two leading Canadian newspapers have reported, after a snowballing leadership crisis that has caused the prime minister to lose support within his party. The Globe and Mail newspaper cited three sources as saying that Trudeau, 53, would quit as head of the ruling Liberal party after nearly a decade in office. It said one of the sources had recently spoken to the prime minister and believed he intended to step down before an emergency meeting of party members on Wednesday, 'so it doesn’t look like he was forced out by his own MPs'. The Toronto Star said it had also confirmed that Trudeau was 'expected to signal his intentions to step aside as early as Monday', citing what it said was a senior source.”

News Lede

New York Times: “A major winter storm slammed into the Mid-Atlantic region on Monday, snarling morning commutes and daily routines with heavy snow and freezing rain. Dangerous driving conditions were expected from West Virginia to Delaware, the Weather Prediction Center said, with up to 12 inches of snow expected in some areas, including Washington. Air and train travel was disrupted, and more than 350,000 people across the path of the storm were without power on Monday morning, from Missouri to Virginia.... An additional two to four inches of snow is likely over portions of the Ohio Valley, where travel disruptions will continue.... Several states in the path of the storm — including Arkansas, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, parts of New Jersey and Washington, D.C. — have declared states of emergency.”

The Conversation -- January 5, 2025

Kyle Cheney of Politico: "Donald Trump is about to get the Jan. 6 that he denied Joe Biden.... If all goes as expected, by late Monday afternoon, Trump's victory will be certified in a ceremony overseen by his vanquished rival, Vice President Kamala Harris, who will preside over the proceedings in her capacity as the president of the Senate. Harris has been clear she will administer a straightforward transfer of power. In doing so, she'll follow in the footsteps of all vice presidents before her -- including Mike Pence, who resisted Trump's pressure to refuse to count electors from states Trump lost in 2020. House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries drew Republican applause when he acknowledged Trump's win Friday during a speech on the House floor. 'It's OK,' Jeffries said in a moment of gallows humor directed at his GOP colleagues. 'There are no election deniers on our side of the aisle.'&"

Now that he is no longer working for the New York Times, Paul Krugman feels free to directly criticize its reports -- as he does here. (Link fixed; thanks, Elizabeth.)

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Michael Shear & Zach Montague of the New York Times: "... on Saturday, [President] Biden awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to 18 people, including some of the brightest lights of the old guard that Mr. Trump wants to tear down. In doing so, the 82-year-old president is sending an unmistakable message of support for a democratic order he has said is threatened by Mr. Trump's re-election.... Among those receiving the award were Hillary Clinton, the former first lady, senator and secretary of state whom Mr. Trump threatened to jail and who received a standing ovation on Saturday; Robert F. Kennedy, the assassinated senator whose son has embraced Mr. Trump; and George Romney, the late father of former Senator Mitt Romney, the Republican from Utah who repeatedly rejected Mr. Trump's actions and philosophy. The younger Mr. Romney accepted the award on Saturday. Mr. Kennedy's medal was accepted by his daughter, strong> Kerry Kennedy." (This is an update of a story linked yesterday.) ~~~

Peter Baker of the New York Times: "To hear ... Donald J. Trump tell it, he is about to take over a nation ravaged by crisis, a desolate hellscape of crime, chaos and economic hardship. 'Our Country is a disaster, a laughing stock all over the World!' he declared on social media last week. But by many traditional metrics, the America that Mr. Trump will inherit from President Biden when he takes the oath for a second time, two weeks from Monday, is actually in better shape than that bequeathed to any newly elected president since George W. Bush came into office in 2001.

"For the first time since that transition 24 years ago, there will be no American troops at war overseas on Inauguration Day. New data reported in the past few days indicate that murders are way down, illegal immigration at the southern border has fallen even below where it was when Mr. Trump left office and roaring stock markets finished their best two years in a quarter-century. Jobs are up, wages are rising and the economy is growing as fast as it did during Mr. Trump's presidency. Unemployment is as low as it was just before the Covid-19 pandemic and near its historic best. Domestic energy production is higher than it has ever been."

Alessandro Sassoon & others of the New York Times followed the procession of President Jimmy Carter's remains as they traveled through Georgia. ~~~

~~~ Emily Cochrane of the New York Times reports on the schedule of events honoring President Jimmy Carter this week. (Also linked yesterday.)

Emma Bubola of the New York Times: "Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni of Italy has gone to to visit ... Donald J. Trump at his Florida golf club for an informal meeting held on Saturday. The trip, to Mar-a-Lago, comes just a few days before Ms. Meloni is set to welcome President Biden in Rome for an official visit to Italy and the Vatican on Jan. 9 to 12.... The meeting reinforces the hopes of Ms. Meloni's supporters that the conservative Italian prime minister will become Mr. Trump's go-to ally in Europe."

Steff Thomas of the Hill: "President-elect Trump in a weekend rant turned his ire on the New York judge who ordered sentencing to begin next week in his hush money case, calling him 'the most conflicted judge in New York State history.... I never falsified business records. It is a fake, made up charge by a corrupt judge who is just doing the work of the Biden/Harris Injustice Department, an attack on their political opponent, ME!,' he wrote on Truth Social on Saturday morning, echoing his initial response. 'He created a case where there was none. Keeps a "gag order" on me so that I can't talk about how crooked he is,' Trump continued. 'The Fake News knows all about it, but they refuse to talk. He may be the most conflicted judge in New York State history.'" Et-cetera. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Of course Trump's rant -- which goes on -- is full of lies. Just these few sentences are falsehoods: Merchan bent over backwards to accommodate Trump & his entourage, the case was not brought by an arm of the DOJ, Trump did falsify business records, the gag order does not seem to be precluding Trump from talking about the judge, & the MSM has written thousands of words about the case.

On Board with the Biggest Grifter, Ctd. Ken Vogel, et al., of the New York Times: "Since his victory in November..., Donald J. Trump's allies have raised well over $200 million for a constellation of groups that will fund his inauguration, his political operation and eventually his presidential library.... It is a staggering sum that underscores efforts by donors and corporate interests to curry favor with Mr. Trump ahead of a second presidential term after a number of business leaders denounced him following the violence by his supporters at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021." (Also linked yesterday.) MB: Now you see why Ann Telnaes of the Washington Post felt compelled to quit her job (see NYT story & her Substack post linked yesterday).

The Liars' Tallest Tale. Dan Barry & Alan Feuer of the New York Times: "As the Inauguration Day ritual conveying the peaceful transfer of power unfolds, [Donald Trump] will stand where the worst of the mayhem of Jan. 6, 2021, took place, largely in his name.... Myriad factors explain his stunning resurrection, but not least of them is how effectively he and his loyalists have laundered the history of Jan. 6, turning a political nightmare into a political asset. What began as a strained attempt to absolve Mr. Trump of responsibility for Jan. 6 gradually took hold, as his allies in Congress and the media played down the attack and redirected blame to left-wing plants, Democrats and even the government. Violent rioters '' prosecuted, convicted and imprisoned -- somehow became patriotic martyrs. This inverted interpretation defied what the country had watched unfold, but it neatly fit the persecution narrative that binds Mr. Trump to many of his faithful. Once he committed to running again for president, he doubled down on flipping the script about the riot and its blowback, including a congressional inquiry and two criminal indictments against him, as part of an orchestrated victimization." ~~~

~~~ MEANWHILE, in the Real World. Joe Heim & Olivia George of the Washington Post: "The black security fences are up again. Local and federal law enforcement agencies have been placed on full alert. Five-hundred soldiers with the D.C. National Guard stand ready to assist if called. If the preparations are any indication, the certifying of the presidential election at the U.S. Capitol on Monday will not be a repeat of Jan. 6, 2021.... For those caught in the direct wake of Jan. 6, it remains a day marked by both fear and heroism, by despair for the country as well as determination that the attack not define it.... For many of those living and working on Capitol Hill, the neighborhood surrounding the Capitol, the attack was personal and felt for months. Streets were closed. Helicopters circled overhead. Local parks were patrolled by troops."

Michael Podhorzer has some observations about how Trump "won" the 2024 election. His essay explains (in unnecessary detail, IMO) why he put "won" in quotation marks. But up front he reminds us of something it's sometimes easy to forget: "... Trump's candidacy was only viable because the justices he appointed to the Supreme Court: (1) disabled the insurrection clause of the 14th Amendment (which should otherwise have barred him from holding office again) and (2) shielded him from standing trial before the election for trying to overturn the 2020 results or for hoarding classified documents (which would have kept his criminality in full view of the electorate, and possibly rendered his candidacy a non-starter due to a jail sentence or loss of support). In any other country, we would understand that as part of an autocratic takeover, not a democratic victory." And he does ignore Mitch McConnell's part in all this.

I object to [Speaker Johnson's] false attribution of the prayer to Jefferson -- part of the endless Christian nationalist campaign to remake Jefferson into a devout Christian when he was actually an enlightenment era freethinker who thought religion should remain private and out of government. -- Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) ~~~

~~~ Bible Mike Tries to Tear Down Jefferson's Wall of Separation. Azi Paybarah of the Washington Post: "Shortly before Mike Johnson was sworn in as House speaker on Friday, he stood in front of the incoming members of Congress and offered what he said was 'a prayer for the nation' that was said every day [by] Thomas Jefferson [when he] was in the White House 'and every day thereafter until his death.'... Johnson told the lawmakers, it is 'quite familiar to historians and probably many of us.'... Historians do know the quote -- because it has been falsely attributed to Jefferson for years.... 'Ultimately, it seems unlikely that Jefferson would have composed or delivered a public prayer of this sort,' the [Thomas Jefferson Foundation] said. 'He considered religion a private matter, and when asked to recommend a national day of fasting and prayer, wrote, "I consider the government of the US. as interdicted by the constitution from intermedling with religious institutions, their doctrines, discipline, or exercises."'" ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I would suggest Bible Mike take a field trip over to the Library of Congress (which I believe he can reach from his office via tunnel). There he will find on display President Jefferson's letter to the Danbury, Connecticut, Baptists, in which he assured them, "Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between Man & his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legitimate powers of government reach actions only, & not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should 'make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,' thus building a wall of separation between Church & State." ~~~

     ~~~ However, I'm not convinced of the logic of the Jefferson Foundation's argument. Read the letter the Danbury Baptists wrote to Jefferson, then compare (a) a clause from Jefferson's complimentary close to them with (b) the language of the prayer Bible Mike falsely attributes to Jefferson:

(a) Letter to Baptists: -- "I reciprocate your kind prayers for the protection & blessing of the common father and creator of man...." ~~~

(b) Mike's Prayer: "Endow with Thy spirit of wisdom those whom in Thy name we entrust the authority of government, that there may be justice and peace at home, and that through obedience to Thy law, we may show forth Thy praise among the nations of the earth."

     It appears to me Jefferson's closing proves he was willing to make quasi-public prayers. As for what daily prayers he may or may not have said, well, we can't know, can we? That's the whole idea of separation of church & state.

Cat Zakrzewski of the Washington Post: Elon Musk "has boosted far-right figures in Britain, Germany and Canada with a blizzard of social media posts in recent days.... He appears to be applying a playbook similar to the one he used to disrupt American politics, now boosting conservative politicians in the governments of the United States' top allies. But his disregard for the veracity of his posts and his elevation of far-right and extremist figures have alarmed liberal leaders around the world.'" MB: It's as if those evil cartoon characters who dominated the world in various action comic book stories have come to life and settled into the person of Elon Musk.

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New York. In case you're a person who has to drive into Manhattan, Ana Ley & Winnie Hu of the New York Times explain how traffic congestion pricing, which began just after midnight today, works.