The Commentariat -- June 28, 2020
Late Morning/Afternoon Update:
It's a day ending in "y", so another Trumpatrocity:
** Michael Shear of the New York Times: "President Trump on Sunday retweeted a video of one of his supporters yelling 'White power!,' once again using the vast reach of his social media platforms to inflame racial divisions in a nation roiled by weeks of protests about police brutality against black people and demands for social justice reforms. The edited racist video shows a white man riding in a golf cart bearing 'Trump 2020' and 'America First' signs during what appears to be an angry clash over the president and race between white residents of a Florida retirement community.... In response to a protester shouting 'Where's your white hood?' and other taunts, the man in the golf cart pumps his fist in the air and says 'White power!' twice. The two-minute video continues to show profane exchanges between protesters and other Trump supporters riding on more golf carts. The president retweeted the video to his millions of followers just after 7:30 a.m., thanking 'the great people of The Villages,' the Florida retirement community where the clash apparently took place. He added: 'The Radical Left Do Nothing Democrats will Fall in the Fall. Corrupt Joe is shot. See you soon!!!'... Mr. Trump deleted the tweet more than three hours after posting it."* An NPR story is here.
* Mrs. McCrabbie: No, "Mr Trump did not delete the tweet." According to NBC News, someone deleted the tweet while Trump was on the golf course with Lindsey Graham. The "White Power" yells came right at the top of the video, also according to NBC. In fairness to Trump, it does seem quite possible that he didn't notice or see anything wrong with someone yelling "White Power" twice. (An amazed protester immediately repeats it, too: "He said 'White Power.' Did you hear that?" So that's three times.) But it seems like a normal remark to Trump. Neither he nor anyone from the White House condemned the "White Power" sentiment. Judd Deere of the White House eventually put out this statement: "President Trump is a big fan of The Villages. He did not hear the one statement made on the video. What he did see was tremendous enthusiasm from his many supporters." Big fan.
Lynn Berry & Zeke Miller of the AP: "... Donald Trump on Sunday denied that he had been briefed on reported U.S. intelligence that a Russian military intelligence unit secretly offered bounties to Taliban-linked militants for killing American troops in Afghanistan, and he appeared to minimize the allegations against Moscow. American intelligence officials concluded months ago that Russian officials offered rewards for successful attacks on American service-members last year, at a time when the U.S. and Taliban were holding talks to end the long-running war, according to The New York Times. Trump, in a Sunday morning tweet, said 'Nobody briefed or told me' or Vice President Mike Pence or chief of staff Mark Meadows about 'the so-called attacks on our troops in Afghanistan by Russians.... Everybody is denying it & there have not been many attacks on us,' he said.... Trump's director of national intelligence, John Ratcliffe, also said neither the president nor vice president was 'ever briefed on any intelligence alleged' in the Times' report and he said the White House statement was 'accurate.'" ~~~
~~~ Mrs. McCrabbie: This is a remarkable response. Trump is downplaying the attacks as "not many" and saying that "everybody is denying it," when "everybody" = Russia & the Taliban. That is, Trump is once again taking Putin -- and even the Taliban's! -- word over the U.S. intel community's. In addition, a real president who learned that his own intel staff had not informed him of proxy acts of war against U.S. military personnel would immediately find out why, & staff heads likely would roll. ~~~
~~~ J.L. Cauvin, on the other hand, says Putin did not place a bounty on our troops; after seeing Donald strongly throw the paper towels at Puerto Ricans, Putin offered to send our troops Bounty paper towels.
Mark Mazzetti, et al., of the New York Times have written (what I consider) a devastating story on how AG Bill Barr colluded with Michael Flynn's attorney Sidney Powell to drop the charge against Flynn. "Ms. Powell and her client won a significant victory on Wednesday when a divided appeals court panel -- in a surprise ruling written by Judge Neomi Rao, a former White House official whom Mr. Trump appointed to the bench -- ordered Judge Sullivan to drop the case without scrutiny. Judge [Emmet] Sullivan suspended his review but has not dismissed the charge, suggesting that the extraordinary legal and political saga is not yet over."
Shane Goldmacher & Thomas Kaplan of the New York Times: "Former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. released statistics on the diversity of his presidential campaign staff on Saturday evening, announcing that 35 percent of his full-time staff members and 36 percent of his full-time senior staff members are people of color. A majority of Mr. Biden's staff members and senior staff members are women '' 53 percent and 58 percent, respectively.... [Donald Trump's] campaign said on Saturday that 25 percent of senior staff members are people of color.... The Trump campaign also said on Saturday that 52 percent of its full-time staff members, and 56 percent of its senior staff members, are women." Mrs. McC: Re: Trump campaign, pardon my skepticism. And here's a good reason why:
~~~ Zoe Tillman of BuzzFeed News: There are 93 U.S. attorney positions. Trump has filled 81 of them. Of those, seven and women. Two are black: "Louis Franklin Sr. in Alabama and Kenji Price in Hawaii, who is also Asian American."
Justin Wise of the Hill: "... Joe Biden's campaign on Sunday denounced Vice President Pence for his scheduled trip to Dallas, saying it 'epitomizes the dismissive attitude"'the Trump administration has taken toward addressing the coronavirus outbreak. Pence, the head of the White House coronavirus task force, is set to visit Texas Sunday to receive an on-the-ground report from officials about the surge in coronavirus cases throughout the state. He is also scheduled to speak at an event at the First Baptist Dallas, a church led by Pastor Robert Jeffries, during the visit. 'Our leaders should be tackling this pandemic head on and laying out concrete recovery plans for the American people -- not jet setting across the country to hold events that go against basic public health guidance,' Biden campaign manager Kate Bedingfield said in a statement."
Jamie Ehrlich, et al., of CNN: "Senior Republican Sen. Lamar Alexander said Sunday that he thinks it would 'help' if ... Donald Trump wore a mask because it would eliminate political stigma around doing so as the coronavirus continues to spread across the US. 'If wearing masks is important and all the health experts tell us that it is in containing the disease in 2020, it would help if from time to time the President would wear one to help us get rid of this political debate that says if you're for Trump, you don't wear a mask, if you're against Trump, you do,' the Tennessee Republican, who chairs the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, said on CNN's 'Inside Politics.'"
The New York Times' live updates for coronavirus developments Sunday are here. The Washington Post's live updates for Sunday are here.
Christina Maxouris & Eliott McLaughlin of CNN: "Only two US states are reporting a decline in new coronavirus cases compared to last week: Connecticut and Rhode Island. A rise was reported in a staggering 36 states, including Florida, which some experts have cautioned could be the next epicenter for infections.... Florida reported 9,585 new coronavirus cases Saturday, a single-day record since the start of the pandemic. The number rivals those of New York's peak in early April (New York's new case tally Saturday was about 6% of Florida's)."
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The Trumpidemic, Ctd.
** Toluse Olorunnipa, et al., of the Washington Post: "Six months after the novel coronavirus was first detected in the United States, a record surge in new cases is the clearest sign yet of the country's historic failure to control the virus -- exposing a crisis in governance extending from the Oval Office to state capitals to city councils. President Trump -- who has repeatedly downplayed the virus, sidelined experts and misled Americans about its dangers and potential cures -- now finds his presidency wracked by an inability to shepherd the country through its worst public health calamity in a century. The dysfunction that has long characterized Trump's White House has been particularly ill-suited for a viral outbreak that requires precision, focus and steady leadership, according to public health experts, administration officials and lawmakers from both parties.... On Friday, Vice President Pence used the first White House coronavirus task force briefing in almost two months to praise Trump's handling of the virus and cast aside concerns about a record spike in new infections.... Later Friday, the United States recorded more than 40,000 new coronavirus cases -- its largest one-day total." ~~~
~~~ Sabrina Tavernise, et al., of the New York Times: "More than four months into fighting the coronavirus in the United States, the shared sacrifice of millions of Americans suspending their lives -- with jobs lost, businesses shuttered, daily routines upended -- has not been enough to beat back [the novel coronavirus].... The result has been a realization for many Americans that however much they have yearned for a return to normalcy, their leaders have failed to control the coronavirus pandemic.... Months of mixed messages have left many exhausted and wondering how much of what they did was worth it.... A lack of federal leadership also meant that states lacked a unified approach.... Just as the country needed to stay shut down longer, many states -- mostly with Republican governors -- took their foot off the brake, and Mr. Trump cheered them on.... And there is little clarity on what comes next."
The New York Times' live updates of coronavirus developments Saturday are here. "As the United States reached its third consecutive day with a record number of new reported coronavirus infections, officials were urgently rethinking their strategies to head off new infections. The U.S., which leads the world in total confirmed cases and deaths, reported more than 45,000 new infections on Friday, according to a Times database. Before this week, the country's largest daily total had been 36,738 on April 24." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
~~~ The Washington Post's live updates for Saturday are here. "Across the United States, health departments reported 44,782 new coronavirus infections on Saturday -- surpassing the previous single-day record of 43,715, which was set on Friday. It is the fifth straight day the country has hit a new single-day record.... Saturday's U.S. record of new single-day cases did not include numbers from Louisiana and Rhode Island, which did not report their daily cases." ~~~
~~~ "Facing a surge of new coronavirus cases, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott expressed regret for allowing bars to reopen so early, saying Friday that he did not realize how fast the virus would spread." Mrs.McC: That's what happens, Greg, when you align yourself with a stupid, narcissist POTUS*. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~
~~~ Edward Moreno of the Hill: "The U.S. reached over 2.5 million confirmed coronavirus cases on Saturday as several states experience record-breaking spikes of infections amid efforts to reopen the economy. According to a count by Johns Hopkins University, as of Saturday, 2,501,244 have tested positive for the coronavirus in the U.S. and 125,435 people have died." Mrs. McC: AND Donald Trump, who doesn't want to talk about it, went golfing. I wish a reporter, at the next opportunity, would ask him, "Since you don't want to do your job, Sir, why don't you quit?"
** Joshua Partlow & Josh Dawsey of the Washington Post: "In the hours before his rally in Tulsa, President Trump's campaign directed the removal of thousands of 'Do Not Sit Here, Please!' stickers from seats in the arena that were intended to establish social distance between rallygoers, according to video and photos obtained by The Washington Post and a person familiar with the event. The removal contradicted instructions from the management of the BOK Center, the 19,000-seat arena in downtown Tulsa where Trump held his rally on June 20. At the time, coronavirus cases were rising sharply in Tulsa County, and Trump faced intense criticism for convening a large crowd for an indoor political rally, his first such event since the start of the pandemic.... The actions by Trump's campaign were first reported Friday by Billboard Magazine." Includes short video of campaign workers removing stickers. Mrs. McC: Dear Trumpbots: Your Dear Leader, who called you "warriors" at the Tulsa rally, doesn't mind if you warriors die for the noble cause of providing him a slightly-better campaign picture. Chumps. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~
~~~ Protection for Trump But Not for You Chumps. Kevin Liptak & Kaitlan Collins of CNN: "... the measures meant to protect [Donald Trump] from catching the [corona]virus have scaled up dramatically. As he seeks to insert rival Joe Biden's health into the presidential campaign, Trump has voiced escalating concern about how it would appear if he contracted coronavirus and has insisted on steps to protect himself, even as he refuses to wear a mask in public and agitates for large campaign rallies where the virus could spread. When he travels to locations where the virus is surging, every venue the President enters is inspected for potential areas of contagion by advance security and medical teams, according to people familiar with the arrangements. Bathrooms designated for the President's use are scrubbed and sanitized before he arrives. Staff maintain a close accounting of who will come into contact with the President to ensure they receive tests. While the White House phases out steps such as temperature checks and required mask-wearing in the West Wing -- changes meant to signal the country is moving on -- those around the President still undergo regular testing." (Also linked yesterday.)
I was going to go to Bedminster, New Jersey, this weekend, but wanted to stay in Washington, D.C. to make sure LAW & ORDER is enforced.... -- Donald Trump, Friday
Apparently Trump can see protesters at Black Lives Matter Plaza in Washington, D.C. from his golf course in Potomac Falls. -- Mrs. Bea McCrabbie ~~~
~~~ Mrs. McCrabbie: In light of Trump's disappearing act Friday, I thought maybe he was sick with something -- like Covid-19. But no. Guardian: "Donald Trump visited one of his own private golf courses in Virginia on Saturday as America continued to see fallout from a rapid surge in coronavirus cases. The trip came a day after the US president said he would stay in Washington DC to 'make sure law and order is enforced' amid ongoing anti-racism protests.... On Friday night Trump tweeted that he was cancelling a weekend trip to his Bedminster, New Jersey golf course because of the protests which have rocked the capital, including taking down statues of confederate figures." A trip to Bedminster, with staff, would have violated New Jersey's quarantine rule, though Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy said Trump was welcome as an "essential worker." How a fat man golfing is an essential worker beats me.
Evan Semones of Politico: "Vice President Mike Pence has postponed campaign events in Florida and Arizona 'out of an abundance of caution' as both states experience a spike in coronavirus cases, a Trump campaign spokesperson confirmed Saturday. Pence was set to make stops in each state this coming week as a part of his 'Faith in America' tour, and will also not appear at an additional Florida event Thursday organized by pro-Trump group America First Policies."
"60 Minutes"/CBS News: "Federal officials failed to immediately stop the distribution of many COVID-19 antibody tests they knew were flawed, leading to inaccurate data about the spread of the virus. Congress is now investigating why the FDA did not review the tests it allowed to be distributed widely throughout the U.S.... The FDA said it would allow the antibody tests to enter the US market and would do so without a formal review. Over 200 companies hit the market with the tests.... It took 50 days for the FDA to reverse its course on antibody tests.... By then, many American municipalities had already used the tests to determine whether they could send essential workers like EMTs, policemen and firemen back to work.... In May, [the FDA] began requiring test developers to apply for emergency authorization and submit data to show their tests worked. It was too late, says Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi."
New York Times: "At least 54,000 residents and workers have died from the coronavirus at nursing homes and other long-term care facilities for older adults in the United States, according to a New York Times database. As of June 26, the virus has infected more than 282,000 people at some 12,000 facilities.... While 11 percent of the country's cases have occurred in long-term care facilities, deaths related to Covid-19 in these facilities account for more than 43 percent of the country's pandemic fatalities.... In 24 states, the number of residents and workers who have died accounts for either half or more than half of all deaths from the virus." The article includes numerous charts & graphs. ~~~
~~~ Mrs. McC: New Hampshire, where I live, is the worst: 80% of deaths are associated with nursing homes, but other states are nearly as bad. What the article does not document is how many people live & work in nursing homes. According to this and other sites, about 1.5 million Americans live in nursing homes. If we assume, generously, that another 500K work in these homes, we can bump up the number of those associated with nursing homes to 2 million. The population of the U.S. is 328.2, so that would mean that only 0.6% (that is, less than one percent) of Americans live or work in nursing homes.
Michigan. Sheena Jones of CNN: "People who visited a bar in East Lansing, Michigan, are being asked to self-quarantine because roughly 85 people contracted Covid-19 after visiting the establishment this month, a health official says. That number is up from the 34 reported Wednesday and is expected to rise, Ingham County Health officer Linda S. Vail told CNN."
Texas. Moore Stupid Republican Tricks. Meena Venkataramanan of the Texas Tribune: "Harris County, where Houston is located, has the highest number of coronavirus cases and deaths in the state, but the Texas GOP plans to press forward with plans to hold an in-person convention from July 16-18 in the city's George R. Brown Convention Center.... The Texas GOP convention is expected to draw about 6,000 attendees, roughly half of what it would expect for such a convention in normal times, according to [Texas Republican party executive director Kyle] Whatley. The party's website brands its annual convention as the 'largest political gathering in the free world.' Whatley said registrations are 'increasing exponentially.'..."
Patriots Take a Knee for Justice. Molly Hensley-Clancy of the New York Times: "Before the [National Women's Soccer League's] first game of its rebooted season, every starter from the Portland Thorns, the league's most popular team, and the North Carolina Courage, the league's defending champion, took a knee during the national anthem. The players said the action, which they had debated this week in their locker rooms -- and which gave each player the choice to take part or not -- was a protest against 'racial injustice, police brutality and systemic racism against Black people and people of color in America.'... When the N.W.S.L. became the first professional team sports league in the United States to return to play, kicking off a monthlong tournament in Utah, it did so with Black Lives Matter shirts and armbands, and with players on one knee."
** David Leonhardt of the New York Times: "Despite decades of political change '' the end of enforced segregation across the South, the legalization of interracial marriage, the passage of multiple civil rights laws and more -- the wages of black men trail those of white men by as much as when Harry Truman was president. That gap indicates that there have also been powerful forces pushing against racial equality.... The traditional statistics on the black-white wage gap ... examine only people with earnings. As social scientists put it, the traditional numbers ignore the 'zero values' [men who have given up looking for work or are incarcerated]."
Trump Tweets "Wanted" Posters. Rebecca Falconer of Axios: "Four men have been charged with destruction of federal property for allegedly trying to tear down the Andrew Jackson statue outside the White House this week, the Department of Justice said in a statement on Saturday night.... The announcement came hours after President Trump retweeted images of 15 people the U.S. Park Police said they and the FBI Washington Field Office's Violent Crimes Task Force were seeking to identify for 'vandalizing' the statue and 'other related crimes.' Trump signed an executive order on Friday to denounce protesters who vandalized Civil War and World War II monuments. Most statues that have been torn down in recent weeks have been symbols of the Confederacy, Axios' Orion Rummler notes."
Kentucky. Austin Ramzy of the New York Times: "One man was killed and another person was injured in a shooting Saturday evening in a park where protesters against police violence have gathered for weeks in Louisville, Ky., the authorities said. Videos posted online showed a man standing on the edge of Jefferson Square Park firing more than a dozen shots that sent protesters scrambling for shelter among tents and park benches. One man died at the scene, and another person who was shot was found across the street at the Hall of Justice and taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, the Louisville Metro Police Department said in a statement."
Mississippi. Rick Rojas of the New York Times: On Saturday, "both chambers of [Mississippi's] Republican-led Legislature voted, with the support of supermajorities, to push ahead with legislation that would remove the [state] flag ... embedded with the blue bars and white stars of the Confederate battle flag ... and lay the framework for replacing it.... The flag, the only state banner left in the country with an overt Confederate symbol, has been the target of opposition that crosses racial, partisan and cultural divides.... Gov. Tate Reeves, a Republican, said on Saturday morning that he would sign a bill to change the flag. The announcement signals a marked evolution in the governor's thinking on the subject, as he had previously said that any decision over changing the flag should be made directly by voters, not lawmakers." A Mississippi Today story is here. ~~~
~~~ Mrs. McCrabbie: Kayleigh Skinner, who was the lead reporter on the Mississippi Today story, said on MSNBC last night that what appears to have turned the tide was major corporations like WalMart urging legislators to ditch the Confederate flag. Makes me wonder if it wouldn't be useful for activists to do more lobbying of corporations on this as well as on other matters. If big campaign contributors withheld contributions from recalcitrant legislators, they would abandon their reprehensible "principles" in a Mississippi minute.
New Jersey. Laura Aratani of the Washington Post: "Princeton University's board of trustees has voted to remove Woodrow Wilson's name from its school of public and international affairs, saying the late president's segregationist policies make him an 'especially inappropriate namesake' for a public policy school.... The school will now be known as the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs. In addition, trustees voted to change the name of a residential college that had been named for Wilson to First College." Politico's story is here.
White House: Trump & Pence Knew Nothing. Edward Moreno of the Hill: "White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany denied a Friday report from the New York Times President Trump and Vice President Pence were briefed on American intelligence findings that Russian military operatives offered bounties to Taliban-linked militants to kill coalition forces in Afghanistan, including US troops, amid peace talks. Citing White House officials briefed on the matter, the Times reported that Trump and Pence were briefed on the intelligence findings and that the White House's National Security Council held a meeting about the issue in late March. McEnany denied any such briefing, saying in a statement Saturday that, 'While the White House does not routinely comment on alleged intelligence or internal deliberations, the CIA Director, National Security Advisor, and the Chief of Staff can all confirm that neither the President nor the Vice President were briefed on the alleged Russian bounty intelligence.'"
~~~ The New York Times report, also linked yesterday, is here. The Guardian/Observer now has a good summary report of the Times story. The Washington Post also has independently reported the story. The Post story does not specifically state that Trump & Pence were briefed. But if Trump was not briefed, why the hell not? Russians killing American soldiers by proxy is a very big deal. The Wall Street Journal report puts it this way: "The intelligence assessment regarding Russia's actions in Afghanistan was delivered to the White House earlier this spring, and until recently had been known only to a handful of officials, a person familiar with it said." If we are to believe both Mac-a-Ninny & "a person familiar," then White House staff kept it from Trump. ~~~
~~~ Spencer Kimball of CNBC: "Joe Biden has accused Donald Trump of betraying his duty as president, after a report claimed the White House knew for months Russian intelligence offered Afghan militants bounties to kill U.S. soldiers but did not punish Moscow. 'His entire presidency has been a gift to Putin, but this is beyond the pale,' Biden said during a virtual town hall Saturday. 'It's betrayal of the most sacred duty we bear as a nation to protect and equip our troops when we send them into harm's way. It's a betrayal of every single American family with a loved one serving in Afghanistan or anywhere overseas.... President Trump, the commander in chief of American troops serving in a dangerous theater of war, has known about this for months according to the Times and done worse than nothing. Not only has he failed to sanction or impose any kind of consequences on Russia for this egregious violation of international law, Donald Trump has continued his embarrassing campaign of deference and debasing himself before Vladimir Putin.... He has had this information according to the Times and yet he offered to host Putin in the United States and sought to invite Russia to rejoin the G7.'" Update: A New York Times story is here.
Luke Broadwater of the New York Times: "The House tried and failed on Friday to invalidate stringent rules imposed by the Trump administration on student loan forgiveness, falling short of overriding a veto by President Trump. The override effort, which would have revived bipartisan legislation to overturn regulations put in place last year by Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, failed by a vote of 238 to 173, lacking the two-thirds majority it would have needed to pass. Six Republicans joined every Democrat in voting to defy Mr. Trump's position." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
Presidential Race
Maureen Dowd of the New York Times: "In the last election, Trump milked white aggrievement to catapult himself into the White House. But even Republicans today recognize that we have to grapple with systemic racism and force some changes in police conduct '' except for our president, who hailed stop-and-frisk in [an interview with Sean Hannity Thursday]. The other scary narrative is about our 'protean' enemy, as Tony Fauci calls Covid-19, which Trump pretends has disappeared, with lethal consequences.... The president showed off his sociopathic flair by demanding the repeal of Obamacare -- just because he can't stand that it was done by Barack Obama. Millions losing their jobs and insurance during a plague and he wants to eliminate their alternative? Willful maliciousness. And this at the same time he has been ensuring more infections by lowballing the virus, resisting more testing because the numbers would not be flattering to him, sidelining Dr. Fauci and setting a terrible example."
Alex Isenstadt of Politico: "Donald Trump knows he's losing. The president has privately come to that grim realization in recent days, multiple people close to him told Politico, amid a mountain of bad polling and warnings from some of his staunchest allies that he's on course to be a one-term president.... What should have been an easy interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity on Thursday horrified advisers when Trump offered a rambling, non-responsive answer to a simple question about his goals for a second term. In the same appearance, the normally self-assured president offered a tacit acknowledgment that he might lose when he said that Joe Biden is 'gonna be your president because some people don't love me, maybe.'... Trump has time to rebound, and the political environment could improve for him. But interviews with more than a half-dozen people close to the president depicted a reelection effort badly in need of direction -- and an unfocused candidate who repeatedly undermines himself." ~~~
~~~ Trump's Second Term Agenda: Me, Myself and I. Evan Semones of Politico: "Sen. Chuck Grassley laid blame on Fox News -- and ... Donald Trump -- on Saturday over failing to articulate what his administration's second term priorities would be during a recent interview with the news organization. The Iowa Republican tweeted that Trump got 'off point' when asked by Fox's Sean Hannity what his goals would be if re-elected, but appeared vexed at Hannity for helping the president 'digress' instead of helping Trump form a more intelligible answer. 'Does FOXNews want Trump Re-elected?' Grassley wrote. Trump was widely criticized for his meandering answer to the softball question, in which he promoted his experience and attacked former national security adviser John Bolton instead of focusing on initiatives and policies he'd promote if given another four years in office." Mrs. McC: Because it's the purpose of a "news" network to support Trump's campaign.
Donald Trump Steals Things. You Can't Always Get What You Want. AP: "The Rolling Stones are threatening Donald Trump with legal action for using their songs at his rallies despite cease-and-desist directives. The Stones said in a statement on Sunday that their legal team was working with the BMI music rights organisation ... to stop the use of their material in Trump's reelection campaign.... The 1969 classic You Can't Always Get What You Want was a popular song for his events. It was played again at the close of Trump's recent rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, an indoor event criticised for its potential to spread coronavirus. Other musicians and their representatives have also complained about having their music associated with Trump's events. The family of the late Tom Petty said it had issued a cease-and-desist order after his song I Won't Back Down was used in Tulsa."
There's a Sucker Born Every Minute. Cecilia Kang & Sheera Frenkel of the New York Times: PizzaGate is back. Since the nutty conspiracy theory took hold among right-wingers in 2016, "Facebook, Twitter and YouTube managed to largely suppress PizzaGate. But now, just months before the next presidential election, the conspiracy theory is making a comeback on these platforms -- and on new ones such as TikTok -- underlining the limits of their efforts to stamp out dangerous speech online and how little has changed despite rising public frustration.... The theory has morphed. PizzaGate no longer focuses on [Hillary] Clinton and has taken on less of a political bent. Its new targets and victims are a broader assortment of powerful businesspeople, politicians and celebrities, including [Justin] Bieber, Bill Gates, Ellen DeGeneres, Oprah Winfrey and Chrissy Teigen, who are lumped together as part of the global elite. For groups like QAnon, PizzaGate has become a convenient way to foment discontent."
Way Beyond the Beltway
Ed O'Loughlin of the New York Times: "Ireland's Parliament appointed Micheal Martin, a center-right politician, as prime minister on Saturday as the country deals with the coronavirus and fallout from a housing crisis. Mr. Martin replaces Leo Varadkar, a doctor who drew acclaim for his handling of the coronavirus outbreak but who had been a caretaker prime minister since a February general election delivered a loss of seats for his party but no clear winner. The new government, the result of more than four months of negotiations, will be the first to include the country's two rival center-right political movements -- Fianna Fail, led by Mr. Martin, and Fine Gael, led by Mr. Varadkar. The two parties have alternated in power since the foundation of the modern Irish state in 1922." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)"
News Lede
New York Times: "Charles Webb, who wrote the 1963 novel 'The Graduate,' the basis for the hit 1967 film, and then spent decades running from its success, died on June 16 in East Sussex, England. He was 81.... Mr. Webb's novel, written shortly after college and based largely on his relationship with his wife, Eve Rudd, was made into an era-defining film, directed by Mike Nichols and starring Dustin Hoffman and Anne Bancroft, that gave voice to a generation's youthful rejection of materialism."
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