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Success is not final, failure is not fatal; it is the courage to continue that counts. — Anonymous

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Publisher & Editor: Marie Burns

I have a Bluesky account now. The URL is https://bsky.app/profile/marie-burns.bsky.social . When Reality Chex goes down, check my Bluesky page for whatever info I am able to report on the status of Reality Chex. If you can't access the URL, I found that I could Google Bluesky and ask for Marie Burns. Google will include links to accounts for people whose names are, at least in part, Maria Burns, so you'll have to tell Google you looking only for Marie.

Friday

Mar222024

The Conversation -- March 23, 2024

Aishvarya Kavi of the New York Times: "President Biden signed a $1.2 trillion spending package on Saturday, putting an end to the prospect of a government shutdown after the legislation passed a rushed series of congressional votes with bipartisan support and landed on his desk just after 2 a.m."

Marianne Levine, et al., of the Washington Post: Donald Trump has aligned "himself with Jan. 6 rioters, as he intensifies his use of dark, graphic and at times violent language.... Until November, he called the Jan. 6 defendants ... 'political prisoners' before introducing the term 'hostages,' according to a Washington Post analysis of his speeches this campaign cycle.... [A Washington Post] analysis [of his speeches] also showed an uptick in his references to Jan. 6 defendants, as well as the word 'criminals,' which Trump has used to describe prosecutors, political opponents, the press and undocumented immigrants. The escalation overlaps with his own mounting legal jeopardy...."

Dareh Gregorian of NBC News: "Donald Trump's social media company could go public as soon as next week, paving the way for a potentially huge windfall for a former president who raked in tens of millions of dollars the last time one of his companies was listed on a stock exchange. That previous, decades-ago experience, however, did not end well for the company or its investors. While a 2016 Washington Post review found that Trump made over $44 million, the company -- Trump Hotels and Casino Resorts --- lost more than $1 billion and ended up in bankruptcy.... Trump, who was the company's chairman and later CEO, continued making millions of dollars a year in salary and bonuses despite the heavy losses [the company was experiencing under his direction]." ~~~

~~~ Marie: I'm no market guru, but my sense is that if Trump ran into the ground a business that is normally a cash cow, "Truth Social" -- a knockoff social media site in which the only "asset" is Trump tweets -- is worth about 50 cents.

~~~~~~~~~~

Catie Edmondson of the New York Times: "The Senate overwhelmingly gave final approval early Saturday to a $1.2 trillion spending bill to fund more than half of the government, effectively averting a shutdown by sending the legislation to President Biden's desk just hours after a midnight deadline. The 74-to-24 vote, which concluded about 2 a.m., capped an extraordinary day on Capitol Hill that began with a big bipartisan vote to speed the measure through the House, which set off a conservative revolt and prompted one Republican to threaten a bid to oust Speaker Mike Johnson from his post. The Senate action came more than 12 hours after the House vote, after intense haggling to arrange a series of politically charged votes on proposed changes to the legislation that Republicans had demanded that threatened to push the government into a brief partial shutdown into the weekend. The White House said in a statement minutes after the midnight deadline that federal officials had 'ceased shutdown preparations' in anticipation of Mr. Biden signing the legislation later Saturday." The AP's story is here. Both the NYT & AP stories are updates of stories linked earlier.~~~

~~~ Jacob Bogage of the Washington Post: "The House approved a $1.2 trillion spending package Friday, hours before a midnight government shutdown deadline -- forcing the Senate up against a ticking clock to take up and pass the measure. The bill, which passed by a 286 to 134 vote, would fund about three-quarters of the federal government for the next six months, while also raising military pay, eliminating U.S. funding for the U.N. relief agency for Palestinians and bolstering security at the U.S.-Mexico border. The legislation's passage in the Senate is not in doubt -- it has the support of President Biden, Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.). But a single senator can throw up procedural roadblocks that push the government past the deadline and force a vote days later.... Republican Sens. Rand Paul (Ky.), Mike Lee (Utah) and Bill Hagerty (Tenn.) have already signaled they are likely to offer amendments, which would slow the Senate's progress on the bill." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ SO THEN. Manu Raju, et al., of CNN: "Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene has filed a motion to oust Mike Johnson from the speakership, according to sources familiar with the matter, amid anger about the government funding bill. The House would have to consider Greene's motion within two legislative days after she is recognized. The chamber is heading for a two-week recess, and Greene told reporters she would not call up the resolution on Friday, which means the clock to force a vote has not started. Asked for a reaction by CNN, Johnson didn't respond, dismissing the question with a wave. After Greene filed the motion, she was swarmed by her Republican colleagues. A source close to the conversations told CNN that a number of fellow GOP lawmakers were trying to convince the Georgia Republican not to bring the motion.... Part of the argument to Greene from her Republican colleagues is that if she goes through with this, it could lead to House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries inadvertently becoming speaker...." (Also linked yesterday.) The New York Times story is here. ~~~

~~~ Saving Ukraine. Nicholas Wu & Daniella Diaz of Politico: "Several Democrats from across the ideological spectrum said in interviews with Politico they would motion to table Greene-s resolution -- if it came to a vote -- if Johnson put a Ukraine aid package on the House floor for a vote.... 'It's not a question of saving Mike Johnson,' [said] Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.). 'I'll make a common cause and an alliance with anybody in Congress who will try to save the Ukrainian people at this point.'"

Eleanor Mueller & Olivia Beavers of Politico: "Speaker Mike Johnson is about to drop to a one-vote majority, as retiring Rep. Mike Gallagher has decided he will exit the House as soon as next month, according to two people with knowledge of the matter. In a statement shortly after this story published, Gallagher said he planned to leave April 19.... Wisconsin law dictates that Gallagher's seat -- in a solidly red district -- will stay empty for the rest of his term. Departing before April 9 would have triggered a special election. The Wisconsin Republican announced earlier this year that he would not seek reelection, after he received blowback for voting against impeaching Homeland Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. His allies, however, say he was long jaded by the antics of the House following the ouster of Speaker Kevin McCarthy." (Also linked yesterday.)

The Trials of Trump

Matthew Goldstein of the New York Times: "... Donald J. Trump's social media company on Friday completed a long-awaited merger with a cash-rich shell company, raising Mr. Trump's wealth by billions and potentially providing him a fresh source of cash to pay his mounting legal bills. In approving the merger, shareholders of Digital World Acquisition Corporation will become shareholders of Trump Media & Technology Group, which will trade on the stock market under the stock symbol DJT. The deal will pump more than $300 million into Trump Media, which has all but exhausted its available cash and will allow Truth Social, the company's flagship digital media platform, to keep operating. Based on Digital World's stock price of $44 a share just before the vote announcement, Trump Media will debut with a market value of more than $5 billion. That means Mr. Trump's personal stake will be worth more than $3 billion. Shares of Trump Media could begin trading under the new stock symbol as soon as next week." (Also linked yesterday.)

It's a Miracle! Rebecca Shabad & Dareh Gregorian of NBC News: "... Donald Trump claimed early Friday morning that he has 'almost' $500 million in cash, undercutting his lawyers' claims that he would not be able to comply with the $464 million judgment against him and his co-defendants in the civil fraud case brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James. 'Through hard work, talent, and luck, I currently have almost five hundred million dollars in cash, a substantial amount of which I intended to use in my campaign for president,' Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social in all caps. 'The often overturned political hack judge on the rigged and corrupt A.G. case, where I have done nothing wrong, knew this, wanted to take it away from me, and that's where and why he came up with the shocking number which, coupled with his crazy interest demand, is approximately $454,000,000.'... Trump hasn't contributed any of his own money to his presidential campaigns since 2016."* (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ * Lawrence O'Donnell said on-air that even in 2016, Trump did not really contribute to his campaign. He lent the campaign $10MM, but he reimbursed himself later.

~~~ Marie: I'd be curious to see Trump's filings & letters to the appeals court & to Justice Engoron. Do the attorneys assert that he doesn't have the cash? If so, that's a misrepresentation -- assuming he's able to pull $454MM out of a hat now. Update: According to O'Donnell, the attorneys asserted to the court that it was a "practical impossibility" for Trump to come up with the cash.

Glenn Thrush & Adam Goldman of the New York Times: At the time Merrick Garland was sworn in as attorney general, in March 2021, "some in the Justice Department were pushing for the chance to look at ties between pro-Trump rioters who assaulted the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, his allies who had camped out at the Willard Hotel, and possibly [Donald] Trump himself.... 'Follow the connective tissue upward,' said Mr. Garland.... Mr. Garland, 71, a former federal judge and prosecutor, proceeded with characteristic by-the-book caution, pressure-testing every significant legal maneuver, demanding that prosecutors take no shortcuts and declaring the inquiry would 'take as long as it takes.' As a result, prosecutors and the F.B.I. spent months sticking to their traditional playbook.... It would take the department nearly a year to focus on the actions contained in the indictment ultimately brought by Jack Smith.... Like many before them, Mr. Garland and his team appear to have underestimated Mr. Trump's capacity for reinvention and disruption, in this case through delay." (Also linked yesterday.)

Jamelle Bouie of the New York Times argues that the current Supreme Court does not reflect the will of the people: "five of the six members of the conservative majority on the Roberts court were nominated by presidents who entered office without the winds of a popular majority.... The three Trump justices bring additional baggage. Each one was nominated and confirmed in a show of partisan power politics.... As much as ours is a dire moment for the future of the American republic, we can at least rest assured that we aren't living through 1857 or 1860 or 1861.... This Supreme Court -- the Roberts court -- is playing its own version of the dangerous game that brought the Taney court to ruin. It is acting as if the public must obey its dictates. It is acting as if its legitimacy is incidental to its power. It is acting as if it cannot be touched or brought to heel."

Michelle Boorstein of the Washington Post: "Lawmakers in mostly conservative states are pushing a coordinated effort to bring chaplains into public schools, aided by a new, legislation-crafting network that aims to address policy issues 'from a biblical world view' and by a consortium whose promotional materials say chaplains are a way to convert millions to Christianity. The bills have been introduced this legislative season in 14 states, inspired by Texas, which passed a law last year allowing school districts to hire chaplains or use them as volunteers for whatever role the local school board sees fit, including replacing trained counselors.... The bills are mushrooming in an era when the U.S. Supreme Court has expanded the rights of religious people and groups in the public square and weakened historic protections meant to keep the government from endorsing religion."

Mark Walker of the New York Times: "Passengers aboard an Alaska Airlines plane that made an emergency landing after a fuselage panel blew off this year have started to receive letters from the F.B.I. identifying them as possible victims of a crime. The letters are a sign that a criminal investigation the Justice Department has opened into Boeing, the manufacturer of the 737 Max 9 jet, is ramping up."

Annals of "Journalism," Ctd.

Michael Grynbaum of the New York Times: "Ronna McDaniel, who stepped down as chairwoman of the Republican National Committee this month, is joining NBC News as an on-air contributor, the network said on Friday. The hire adds a reliably conservative voice to NBC's stable of political analysts. Ms. McDaniel is also expected to provide commentary on MSNBC, NBC's left-leaning cable cousin and a network that ... Donald J. Trump and his allies often accuse of being an arm of the Democratic Party." MB: I guess Donnie Junior wasn't available. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ Oliver Darcy of CNN: "NBC News on Friday announced that it had hired Ronna McDaniel, the former Republican National Committee chair who has repeatedly attacked the network and its journalists, assailed the news media as 'fake news' and promoted false claims around the 2020 vote, as an on-air commentator ahead of the 2024 presidential election.... McDaniel has a ... history attacking the progressive cable news channel MSNBC, which she will appear on in her new role. In recent years, she has repeatedly attacked the channel for 'spreading lies' and blasted those she described as the network's 'primetime propagandists.'... Earlier this month, CNBC hosted Trump for a lengthy phone interview in which the network's anchors allowed him to peddle lies and conspiracy theories on air without scrutiny. MSNBC has even started carrying Trump's remarks live on television, a practice that the network boasted for years it would not do." ~~~

~~~ John Knefel of Media Matters cites the network's own coverage of McDaniel's illustrious career as head of the RNC, like her prominent role in the fake electors scheme. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ Tim Murphy of Mother Jones: "Spending seven years running interference for a fascistic fraudster who holds the First Amendment in roughly the same terminal contempt with which he regards women and low-flow toilets is not the kind of thing that should qualify you for a new career in journalism. But McDaniel did more than shill for the president. She played an important role in public and behind the scenes in Trump's efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election -- and with it, two and a half centuries of constitutional governance. That should be a clear red line for employers in the truth-telling business.... [Donald Trump's] goal is to erode trust in the press. I'm not sure why the suits at NBC News think it's in anyone's best interest to hire someone to do that work for Trump." ~~~

~~~ Marie: I don't know. Akhilleus had a great idea at the end of yesterday's Comments: give Ronna Romney McD "her own Sunday morning show: Meet the Traitors. A weekly round table of insurrectionists, haters of democracy, Heritage authoritarians, liars, and thugs. Also because we don't hear enough from these creeps already." I'm hoping the J-6 Choir -- those thugs in prison for participating in the insurrection -- will write and sing the show's theme song. The suits who hired Ronna are probably the same geniuses who pulled Mehdi Hasan's show. Seriously, I hope prominent MSNBC hosts will boycott any show on which Ronna appears, and if not that, tear her to shreds on air.

Ruth Igielnik of the New York Times: "Republicans who get their news from nonconservative mainstream media outlets are less likely to support Donald J. Trump than those who follow conservative outlets. And sizable numbers from the first group say they think Mr. Trump acted criminally, according to a recent New York Times/Siena College poll. This division could affect his standing among Republicans in the general electorate -- a decidedly different group from G.O.P. primary voters. That is in line with research that shows that changing the media habits of Fox News consumers may actually change their views. One hundred percent of the Republicans in our poll who said they got their news from Fox News or other conservative sources said they intended to support Mr. Trump in the general election.... [Of] Republicans whose main media sources are outlets like CNN and major news organizations: Seventy-nine percent of them plan to vote for Mr. Trump, and 13 percent said they planned to vote for President Biden." ~~~

~~~ Marie: So the vast majority of self-identified Republicans, even given facts & relatively nonpartisan news, still thinks the DiJiTal Dictator is a good choice.

~~~~~~~~~~

California Senate Race. M.L. Nestel of the Raw Story: "Steve Garvey, the celebrity candidate angling to fill the late Sen. Diane Feinstein's seat, is deep in the hole with state and federal taxes. Garvey, a Los Angeles Dodger and San Diego Padres great, owes at least $350,000 and as much as $750,000 in back taxes dating over a decade ago, according to his February financial disclosure statement listing two estimated six-figure amounts and first reported by The Sacramento Bee.... Garvey is ... facing off against Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) in the November general election...." (Also linked yesterday.)

Texas. Oh, There Are Two "Justice" Systems. Jasper Scherer of the Texas Tribune: "Lawyers in Ken Paxton's felony securities fraud case are in talks about a deal to drop the charges facing the Republican attorney general if he performs community service and pays restitution, according to the Austin American-Statesman. Paxton could also have to take advanced legal education courses under a 'draft agreement' that would allow him to skirt next month's trial, the Statesman reported. Paxton, who has been under indictment on two first-degree fraud charges and a third-degree charge since 2015, was scheduled for a final pretrial hearing on Tuesday ahead of an April 15 trial in Houston. He is accused of soliciting investors in a McKinney technology company more than a decade ago without disclosing that the firm was paying him to promote its stock. He is also charged with steering clients to a friend's investment advising business without registering with the state securities board."

~~~~~~~~~~

Israel/Palestine, et al.

Making Matters Worse. Cate Brown of the Washington Post: "Israel's far-right finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, announced the seizure of 10 square kilometers (3.8 square miles) of Palestinian territory in the West Bank on Friday. The move marks the single largest land seizure by the Israeli government since the 1993 Oslo accords, according to Peace Now, a settlement watchdog group.... Israeli settlements in the West Bank are considered illegal under international law. Still, Israel has used land orders like the one issued Friday to gain control over 16 percent of Palestinian-controlled lands in the West Bank.... Friday's land order is particularly problematic for the prospect of a two-state solution, experts say.... More than 40 percent of the West Bank is under the control of Israeli settlers, according to the Israel-based rights group B'Tselem, and more than half-a-million Jewish residents now live in the West Bank."

Edith Lederer of the AP: "Russia and China on Friday vetoed a U.S.-sponsored U.N. resolution calling for 'an immediate and sustained cease-fire' in the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza to protect civilians and enable humanitarian aid to be delivered to more than 2 million hungry Palestinians. The vote in the 15-member Security Council was 11 members in favor, three against and one abstention." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ The New York Times' live updates of Friday's developments in the Israel/Hamas war are here.

Russia

AP: "Russian authorities detained 11 people, [link fixed] state media reported Saturday, after gunmen stormed a concert hall in Moscow in a grisly attack that left at least 115 people dead. Russia's Investigative Committee said four of those detained were directly involved in the attack that left the sprawling shopping mall and music venue smoldering with a collapsed roof. Russian agencies appeared to suggest the attack was linked to Ukraine even though the Islamic State group claimed responsibility in a statement. A U.S. intelligence official told The Associated Press that U.S. agencies had confirmed that that group was responsible for the attack. The four suspects were stopped in the Bryansk region of western Russia, 'not far from the border with Ukraine,' Russia's Investigative Committee said. They planned to cross the border into Ukraine and 'had contacts' there, state news agency Tass said, citing Russia's FSB. The head of the FSB briefed President Vladimir Putin on the arrests on Saturday, according to Tass.... Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, denied any involvement. 'Ukraine has never resorted to the use of terrorist methods,' he posted on X...." ~~~

~~~ The New York Times liveblog of developments is here.

AP: "Several gunmen burst into a large concert hall on the edge of Moscow on Friday and sprayed visitors with automatic gunfire, killing at least 40 and injuring 100 others in an attack that came just days after President Vladimir Putin cemented his grip on the country in a highly orchestrated electoral landslide. There were no immediate claims of responsibility for the raid..., which state authorities were investigating as an act of terrorism. It was the deadliest attack in Russia in years and came as the country's war in Ukraine dragged into a third year. Russia's Federal Security Service, the main domestic security and counter-terrorism agency, said 40 people were killed and more than 100 were wounded in the attack at Crocus City Hall, a large music venue on Moscow's western edge. Russian news reports said that the assailants threw explosives, triggering the massive blaze at the hall, which can accommodate 6,000. Video from outside showed the building on fire.... The attack followed a statement issued earlier this month by the U.S. Embassy in Moscow that urged the Americans to avoid crowded places in the Russian capital in view of an imminent attack, a warning that was repeated by several other Western embassies." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ The New York Times' liveblog yesterday is here. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ Julian Barnes & Eric Schmitt of the New York Times: "A branch of the Islamic State claimed responsibility on Friday for the attack in Moscow that killed at least 40 people and injured about 100 others, and U.S. officials confirmed the claim shortly afterward. The United States collected intelligence in March that Islamic State-Khorasan, known as ISIS-K, the branch of the group based in Afghanistan, had been planning an attack on Moscow, according to officials. ISIS members have been active in Russia, one U.S. official said.... In addition to publicly warning on March 7 about a possible attack, U.S. officials said they had privately told Russian officials about the intelligence pointing to an impending attack."

U.K. Karla Adam & Bryan Pietsch of the Washington Post: "Catherine, Princess of Wales, said she has been diagnosed with cancer and that she was in the early stages of chemotherapy, as she asked for "time, space and privacy' while completing treatment. The news came as a 'huge shock,' Catherine said in a prerecorded message posted on X on Friday and broadcast on the BBC. 'William and I have been doing everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family,' she said. She said that after she underwent major abdominal surgery in January, she thought that her condition was noncancerous. 'The surgery was successful, however, tests after the operation found that cancer had been present,' she said." (Also linked yesterday.)

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Friday

Mar222024

The Conversation -- March 22, 2024

Russia. AP: "Several gunmen burst into a large concert hall on the edge of Moscow on Friday and sprayed visitors with automatic gunfire, killing at least 40 and injuring 100 others in an attack that came just days after President Vladimir Putin cemented his grip on the country in a highly orchestrated electoral landslide. There were no immediate claims of responsibility for the raid..., which state authorities were investigating as an act of terrorism. It was the deadliest attack in Russia in years and came as the country's war in Ukraine dragged into a third year. Russia's Federal Security Service, the main domestic security and counter-terrorism agency, said 40 people were killed and more than 100 were wounded in the attack at Crocus City Hall, a large music venue on Moscow's western edge. Russian news reports said that the assailants threw explosives, triggering the massive blaze at the hall, which can accommodate 6,000. Video from outside showed the building on fire.... The attack followed a statement issued earlier this month by the U.S. Embassy in Moscow that urged the Americans to avoid crowded places in the Russian capital in view of an imminent attack, a warning that was repeated by several other Western embassies." ~~~

~~~ The New York Times is running a liveblog here.

U.K. Karla Adam & Bryan Pietsch of the Washington Post: "Catherine, Princess of Wales, said she has been diagnosed with cancer and that she was in the early stages of chemotherapy, as she asked for 'time, space and privacy' while completing treatment. The news came as a 'huge shock,' Catherine said in a prerecorded message posted on X on Friday and broadcast on the BBC. 'William and I have been doing everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family,' she said. She said that after she underwent major abdominal surgery in January, she thought that her condition was noncancerous. 'The surgery was successful, however, tests after the operation found that cancer had been present,' she said."

California Senate Race. M.L. Nestel of the Raw Story: "Steve Garvey, the celebrity candidate angling to fill the late Sen. Diane Feinstein's seat, is deep in the hole with state and federal taxes. Garvey, a Los Angeles Dodger and San Diego Padres great, owes at least $350,000 and as much as $750,000 in back taxes dating over a decade ago, according to his February financial disclosure statement listing two estimated six-figure amounts and first reported by The Sacramento Bee.... Garvey is ... facing off against Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) in the November general election...."

~~~ John Knefel of Media Matters cites the network's own coverage of McDaniel's career as head of the RNC, like her prominent role in the fake electors scheme.

Jacob Bogage of the Washington Post: "The House approved a $1.2 trillion spending package Friday, hours before a midnight government shutdown deadline -- forcing the Senate up against a ticking clock to take up and pass the measure. The bill, which passed by a 286 to 134 vote, would fund about three-quarters of the federal government for the next six months, while also raising military pay, eliminating U.S. funding for the U.N. relief agency for Palestinians and bolstering security at the U.S.-Mexico border. The legislation's passage in the Senate is not in doubt -- it has the support of President Biden, Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.). But a single senator can throw up procedural roadblocks that push the government past the deadline and force a vote days later.... Republican Sens. Rand Paul (Ky.), Mike Lee (Utah) and Bill Hagerty (Tenn.) have already signaled they are likely to offer amendments, which would slow the Senate's progress on the bill." ~~~

~~~ The New York Times' live updates of Friday's developments in the Israel/Hamas war are here.

It's a Miracle! Rebecca Shabad & Dareh Gregorian of NBC News: "... Donald Trump claimed early Friday morning that he has 'almost' $500 million in cash, undercutting his lawyers' claims that he would not be able to comply with the $464 million judgment against him and his co-defendants in the civil fraud case brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James. 'Through hard work, talent, and luck, I currently have almost five hundred million dollars in cash, a substantial amount of which I intended to use in my campaign for president,' Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social in all caps. 'The often overturned political hack judge on the rigged and corrupt A.G. case, where I have done nothing wrong, knew this, wanted to take it away from me, and that's where and why he came up with the shocking number which, coupled with his crazy interest demand, is approximately $454,000,000.'... Trump hasn't contributed any of his own money to his presidential campaigns since 2016." ~~~

~~~ Marie: I'd be curious to see Trump's filings & letters to the appeals court & to Justice Engoron. Does the attorneys assert that he doesn't have the cash? If so, that's a misrepresentation -- assuming he's able to pull $454MM out of a hat now.

~~~~~~~~~~

Tara Bernard of the New York Times: "The Biden administration continued its effort to extend student debt relief on Thursday, erasing an additional $5.8 billion in federal loans for nearly 78,000 borrowers, including teachers, firefighters and others who largely work in the public sector. To date, the administration has canceled $143.6 billion in loans for nearly four million borrowers through various actions, fixes and federal relief programs. That's the largest amount of student debt eliminated since the government began backing loans more than six decades ago, but it's still far less than President Biden's initial proposal, which would have canceled up to $400 billion in debt for 43 million borrowers but was blocked by the Supreme Court." The AP story is here. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ Marie: Have I thanked the Supremes yet? Nothing like a cabal of old fogies sticking it to young people and families who not only need the money but also would have put most of that money right back into the economy in the form of purchases that young people need. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ Here's President Biden's statement, via the White House. (Also linked yesterday.)

Lisa Friedman of the New York Times: "Louisiana and 15 other Republican-led states sued the Biden administration on Thursday over its decision to temporarily stop approving new permits for facilities that export liquefied natural gas. The lawsuit contends that the Biden administration acted illegally when it decided in January to pause the approvals so it could study how gas exports affect climate change, the economy and national security."

David McCabe & Tripp Mickle of the New York Times: "The Justice Department joined 16 states and the District of Columbia to file an antitrust lawsuit against Apple on Thursday, the federal government's most significant challenge to the reach and influence of the company that has put iPhones in the hands of more than a billion people. In an 88-page lawsuit, the government argued that Apple had violated antitrust laws with practices that were intended to keep customers reliant on their iPhones and less likely to switch to a competing device. The tech giant prevented other companies from offering applications that compete with Apple products like its digital wallet, which could diminish the value of the iPhone, the government said. Apple's policies hurt consumers and smaller companies that compete with some of Apple's services, in the form of 'higher prices and less innovation,' the lawsuit said." The AP story is here. (Also linked yesterday.)

Catie Edmondson of the New York Times: "Top congressional negotiators in the early hours of Thursday unveiled the $1.2 trillion spending bill to fund the government through September, though it remained unclear whether Congress would be able to complete action on it in time to avert a brief partial government shutdown over the weekend. Lawmakers are racing to pass the legislation before a Friday midnight deadline in order to prevent a lapse in funds for over half the government, including the Department of Homeland Security, the Pentagon and health agencies. They are already six months behind schedule because of lengthy negotiations to resolve funding and policy disputes. Now that they have agreed on a final package, which wraps six spending bills together, passage could slip past 12:01 on Saturday morning because of a set of arcane congressional rules." (Also linked yesterday.)

Annie Grayer & Katelyn Polantz of CNN: "The House Judiciary Committee is suing two Justice Department tax prosecutors involved in the Hunter Biden criminal investigation whom Republicans have been trying to interview for months, ratcheting up a separation of powers fight between Congress and the Biden administration that is now spilling into court. The Republican-led committee filed the lawsuit in Washington, DC's federal court against federal tax prosecutors Mark Daly and Jack Morgan. The committee has been demanding the men testify as part of its impeachment inquiry around the Biden family since September. The complaint asked the court on Thursday to step in immediately with an emergency order that would force Morgan and Daly to testify. That outcome is unlikely, however, as lawsuits like these typically are part of political tactics in standoffs between Congress and the executive branch when they are controlled by opposing political parties.... The Department of Justice has so far repeatedly told the House the DOJ wouldn't allow these employees to testify about their official work, and that the subpoenas were invalid...."

Maegan Vazquez of the Washington Post: "... President Biden and fellow Democrats wasted little time lambasting a budget proposal from a large group of House Republicans that would, among other things, raise the retirement age for Social Security and endorse a bill that would codify that life begins at conception. The fiscal 2025 budget proposal was released Wednesday by the Republican Study Committee -- a bloc that includes 80 percent of Republicans in the House, including every member of House leadership.... While the proposal ... is unlikely to become law, it offers insight into how Republicans could seek to govern if they win control of Congress and the White House in the 2024 elections. The White House, Democratic lawmakers and political groups hoping to elect more Democrats in November seized on the issue.... Biden called RSC's proposal 'extreme' in a statement Thursday.... The White House also circulated a document among reporters about the RSC plan, saying it 'cuts Medicare and Social Security while putting health care at risk for millions,' and 'rigs the economy for the wealthy and large corporations against middle class families.'"

The Trials of Trump

Jesse McKinley & Kate Christobek of the New York Times: "The Manhattan district attorney's office said in court papers Thursday that a large cache of newly disclosed documents contained little that might influence or delay the criminal trial of Donald J. Trump, which is scheduled to begin in mid-April.... 'The people now have good reason to believe that this production contains only limited materials relevant to the subject matter of this case and that have not previously been disclosed to defendant,' the filing read. 'The overwhelming majority of the production is entirely immaterial, duplicative or substantially duplicative of previously disclosed materials.' It added that the current delay -- until April 15 -- 'is a more than reasonable amount of time for defendant to review the information provided.'" CNN's story is here. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ Shayna Jacobs & Devlin Barrett of the Washington Post: "The documents at issue relate to a previous federal investigation into [Michael] Cohen, who is a central witness in [Manhattan D.A. Alvin] Bragg's case.... Thursday's court filing shows that there are two main categories of newly available evidence that are the subject of debate between Trump's lawyers and prosecutors: Cohen's phones, and interviews of Cohen conducted years ago by then-special counsel Robert S. Mueller III when he was investigating Russian interference efforts in the 2016 election.... The filings [also] offer a lot of new information about the types of documents that led to the current dispute -- including how state and federal prosecutors sometimes disagreed over their responsibilities in sharing information with each other, and with Trump's legal team." ~~~

~~~ Jennifer Rubin of the Washington Post: "Four-time indicted ... Donald Trump suffered arguably his worst loss(es) in any criminal matter this week when, in his New York trial for alleged falsification of business records, Judge Juan M. Merchan ruled against him in virtually all of his motions to exclude evidence. By contrast, the judge largely granted Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's motions to exclude evidence for trial that Trump believed might be exculpatory.... Trump, for example, moved to exclude testimony of former fixer Michael Cohen on the grounds Cohen is 'a liar.' The court rebuked this desperate move.... Most important, Merchan refused to exclude more than 100 Trump statements since these can be classified as 'admissions against interest.' Despite Trump's plea, he will also allow in Allen Weisselberg's notes, if the prosecutor shows they are business records. In sum, the lion's share of the evidence that Trump views as damaging will be heard by the jury." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ Marie: If you read through Rubin's quick summary of Merchan's rulings and compare them to the "fantastical, absurd" hoohah from Judge Aileen Cannon (only a bit of which is discussed in the Barrett & Stein WashPo story linked below), you likely will be struck by what a difference a judge makes. Somehow or the other, Jack Smith has got to get Miss Aileen removed to traffic court, where she can equivocate over the meaning of stop signs (hey, maybe they're optional when a rich Republican rolls through them).

Drew Harwell of the Washington Post: "When ... Donald Trump's Trump Media & Technology Group and its proposed merger partner, Digital World Acquisition, announced last month a shareholder vote on their long-delayed deal, it marked a final step for the owner of Truth Social to become a public company potentially worth billions of dollars -- most of which is owned by Trump himself. But in the lead-up to Friday's vote, both companies have been rocked by legal warfare. Their leaders, past and present, have traded heated accusations of deception and impropriety across four lawsuits in three states. And the cases threaten to erode Trump's grasp on a stake in the post-merger company potentially worth hundreds of millions of dollars -- a possible financial lifeline, given that he owes more than $500 million in legal fines.... If the deal is approved, Trump would own about 60 percent of the post-merger company, a stake that at Digital World's current price would be worth more than $3 billion." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ Spoiler Alert. Marie: My guess is that the guy pictured on the cover of "The Art of the Deal" will pull this one off and sweep into the courthouse with bags of cash at the last possible second. All the sturm und drang building over the past week will have played perfectly into the melodrama. End of episode, end of season. Next week, when the reviews come in, all the critics will marvel at what a stable genius Trump is. Oh Lord, let me be wrong. Update: Yay! Looks as if I am! ~~~

~~~ Aimee Picchi & Jacob Rosen of CBS News: "... while a $3.5 billion stake in a publicly traded company could help relieve some of those financial pressures, it's unlikely to immediately help Trump. That's because he and other big shareholders are subject to a so-called 'lock-up' provision that bars him from selling his stock for at least six months.... Trump likely won't be able to use the stock to get a loan, either. That's because the DWAC [Digital World Acquisition Corp., the company that may merge with Trump Media today] regulatory filing states that founding investors can't sell, lend, donate or encumber their shares for six months after the deal closes. Legal experts say 'encumber' is a powerful word that could prevent Trump from using the stock as collateral to raise cash before six months have elapsed." The new company's board could waive the 6-month requirement, but that too seems fairly unlikely. ~~~

~~~ MEANWHILE. Kara Scannell of CNN: "The New York attorney general's office has filed judgments in Westchester County, the first indication that the state is preparing to try to seize Donald TrumpArthur Engoron made official his $464 million decision against Trump, his sons Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, and the Trump Organization.... The judgment is already entered in New York city where Trump's properties including Trump Tower, his penthouse at Trump Tower, 40 Wall Street, his hotel abutting Central Park, and numerous apartment buildings are located....

"Thursday, Engoron expanded the role of the monitor overseeing the Trump Organization to include more expansive oversight of Trump's real estate business' internal financial practices. Engoron also ordered the Trump Organization to supply detailed information to the monitor about its efforts to obtain bonds to cover judgments.... Engoron laid out a timeline of certain steps the Trumps must take within the next month, including providing the monitor, retired Judge Barbara Jones, with full access to its day-to-day financial operations.... Engoron also empowered the monitor to have copies of the Trump Organization's monthly bank and brokerage statements, be notified in advance of any transfers above $5 million, be provided information about the creation or dissolution of business entities, and be informed in advance of any debt financing."

** The Valet. Luke Broadwater & Maggie Haberman of the New York Times: "The threat from ... Donald J. Trump to his vice president, Mike Pence, was clear and direct: If you defy my effort to overturn the 2020 election by certifying the results, your future in Republican politics is over. 'Mike, this is a political career killer if you do this,' Mr. Trump told Mr. Pence by phone on the morning of Jan. 6, 2021, according to the White House valet who was with the president for much of the day and told Congress he had overheard the conversation. The testimony of Mr. Trump's valet, provided to the now-defunct House Jan. 6 Committee in 2022 but not previously released publicly, offers a rare firsthand look into the former president's behavior in the hours before, during and after a mob of his supporters stormed the Capitol seeking to halt the certification of President Biden's victory.... Mr. Trump ... stewed about Mr. Pence's refusal for hours after violence engulfed Congress. Told that a civilian had been shot outside the House chamber amid the mob attack, he recalled, Mr. Trump appeared unconcerned.... [The valet] did recall hearing the president ask about contacting top officials on the possibility of dispatching the National Guard to Capitol Hill -- though there is no indication that he ever followed through.... The copy [of the transcript] reviewed by The Times is heavily redacted, and the valet is referred to simply as 'a White House employee.'" Read on. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ The New York Times' copy of the valet's transcript is here. (Also linked yesterday.) Martin Pengelly of the Guardian has a derivative story here.

Marie: If you wonder why Trump's legal bills are so high (currently $230,000 per day!), it might be because they busy themselves filing crap motions & briefs. Aaron Blake of the Washington Post cites a few of them, including one in which they grab an out-of-context citation from an old law review article by Brett Kavanaugh. The Kavanaugh article, as a whole, "actually took a different position from the one Trump's lawyers advanced.... Trump has pitched his many legal setbacks as a result of a biased and weaponized legal system. But when you have to reach for these kinds of arguments -- including citing your own Supreme Court nominee who clearly took a position at odds with your own -- it would seem to reinforce that you're not working with much."

Presidential Race

Sky Palma of the Raw Story: "During a speech at a fundraiser in Dallas, President Joe Biden took a shot at Donald Trump's legal headaches -- specifically the difficulty he's having obtaining the bond to allow him to appeal a civil judgment amounting to $454 million.... 'Just the other day, this defeated-looking man came up to me and said: "Mr. President I need your help. I'm in crushing debt. I'm completely wiped out,"' Biden said, adding that he then responded, 'Donald, I'm sorry. I can't help you.'"

Shane Goldmacher & Maggie Haberman of the New York Times: "... Donald J. Trump's new shared fund-raising agreement with the Republican National Committee directs a portion of donations to the political account he has used to pay his legal bills before any money goes to the party itself. The order in which entities will receive funds from big donors through what is known as the Trump 47 Committee was disclosed in the fine print of an invitation to a big dinner next month in Palm Beach, Fla., where top donors are asked to contribute up to $814,600 per person to attend.... The new fund-raising agreement comes shortly after Mr. Trump has functionally taken over the R.N.C. as the presumptive Republican nominee.... Mr. Trump is already directing 10 percent of every dollar he raises online to [the] PAC that pays his legal bills], a share that he raised from 1 percent early in his presidential run." This is part of a liveblog. Scroll down. The AP report is here. ~~~

~~~ Marie: According to on-air reports, the Daily Beast has calculated that Trump is spending, on average, $230,000 per day in personal legal costs.

Katherine Doyle of NBC News: "Huge funding from influential conservative donor networks is flowing into groups affiliated with a conservative venture aimed at creating a Republican 'government-in-waiting,' including over $55 million from groups linked to conservative activist Leonard Leo and the Koch network, according to an Accountable.US review shared exclusively with NBC News. Launched by the Heritage Foundation in April 2022, Project 2025 is a two-pronged initiative to develop staunch conservative policy recommendations and grow a roster of thousands of right-wing personnel ready to fill the next Republican administration."

Lauren Weber & Sabrina Malhi of the Washington Post: "Physicians say they're seeing an explosion of birth-control misinformation online targeting a vulnerable demographic: people in their teens and early 20s who are more likely to believe what they see on their phones because of algorithms that feed them a stream of video reinforcing messages often divorced from scientific evidence.... Many social media influencers recommend 'natural' alternatives, such as timing sex to menstrual cycles-- a less effective birth-control method that doctors warn could result in unwanted pregnancies in a country where abortion is now banned or restricted in nearly half the states.... Physicians and researchers say little data is available about the scale of this new phenomenon, but anecdotally, more patients are coming in with misconceptions about birth control fueled by influencers and conservative commentators." ~~~

~~~ Marie: This has to be a manifestation of our "educational system." Clearly, teachers aren't explaining to students the difference between straight reporting from more-or-less reputable news outlets and crap some stranger writes on TikTok or Facebook. Of course before there was an Internet -- and still today -- plain ole gossip and old wives tales influence people, but "my friend says" may not carry the same weight as something "in print" on the Internet. ~~~

~~~ Then There's Elon. Steve M. debunks Musk's latest foray into disinformation: "Greg Sargent reports: 'For much of the last week, Elon Musk's mighty Twitter feed -- sorry, his X feed -- featured as its pinned tweet a video that purports to lay bare a vast conspiracy among Democrats to 'flood' the country with 'illegals' to lock in a 'permanent voting majority.' Many people have picked apart the video's numerous lies. It is a strikingly crafted piece of 'great replacement theory' propaganda....' [Part of the 'Democrat' plan, according to the video, is to include non-citizens in the census.] Counting non-citizens in the census? That's been done in literally every census since the first one in 1790.... Sanctuary cities? They've been around since the 1980s. Mail and early voting? That's also been on the rise since the late twentieth century, though there was a decline in 2022 after a peak in 2020. In other words, for quite a while the elements have been in place for the evil Democrat Party to achieve single-party rule...." ~~~

~~~ Marie: I'd like to think that if I had several huge corporations to run, I would not be wasting my time reading and promoting crap conspiracy theories on the Internet. And that would be true of me even if my rocket ships didn't keep blowing up and my automatic-drive vehicles didn't keep crashing. (But then, who knows? I suppose each of us has the potential to be just as big a jerk as Elon Musk.)

~~~~~~~~~~

Alabama. Praveena Somasundaram & Hannah Natanson of the Washington Post: "Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey (R) signed a sweeping bill Wednesday that will restrict the teaching of 'divisive concepts' and limit diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs at public schools, universities and state agencies. The legislation, which the state's GOP-controlled legislature sent to Ivey's desk Tuesday, stipulates that schools and agencies cannot sponsor any DEI programs or require their students or employees to participate in them. It also states that they cannot punish students or employees for their 'refusal to support, believe, endorse, embrace, confess, or otherwise assent to a divisive concept or diversity statement.'... The legislation also includes language that public colleges and universities must require students to use bathrooms based on their biological sex at birth, citing existing state law.... Civil rights groups have condemned the bill, saying it furthers the chilling effect classrooms have experienced in recent years as they become the site of culture wars across the country." (Also linked yesterday.)

Idaho. Frances Vinall of the Washington Post: "An escaped inmate and his suspected accomplice have been captured in Idaho after 36 hours on the run, during which time authorities believe they killed two men. Skylar Meade, 31, escaped custody about 2 a.m. Wednesday during a medical transport after Meade injured himself in prison, authorities said. The transport was about to return him to prison from Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise when Nicholas Umphenour, 28, is accused of ambushing the transport and shooting two officers. A third corrections officer was shot by Boise police on arrival, police said.... [The pair] are suspected of killing two adult men in separate locations before they were recaptured about 2 p.m. Thursday in Twin Falls. Meade and Umphenour are both members of the Aryan Knights, Idaho Department of Correction director Josh Tewalt said at a news conference Thursday -- a white supremacist prison gang based primarily in Idaho.... Two of the three injured corrections workers remain in hospital...."

Mississippi Is Still Mississippi. Brian Howey & Nate Rosenfield of the New York Times: "Sentencing hearings this week for six law enforcement officers, some of whom were members of the Goon Squad, revealed a disturbing portrait of a Mississippi sheriff's department that encouraged deputies to use extreme violence as a policing tool. Prosecutors, along with several of the deputies who were sentenced, described a toxic culture in which senior officers directed the men they oversaw to humiliate and torture people suspected of crimes. Young deputies said they saw violence as a way to earn promotions and to live up to the expectations of their supervisors, who were considered heroes of the Rankin County Sheriff's Department.... An investigation by Mississippi Today and The New York Times last year exposed a decades-long reign of terror by nearly two dozen Rankin County deputies, several of them high-ranking investigators who reported directly to the Rankin County Sheriff, Bryan Bailey.... Judge Tom Lee of U.S. District Court sentenced the last of the officers Thursday. Brett McAlpin, a senior detective who has been described as the Goon Squad's ringleader, was sentenced to more than 27 years in prison. Joshua Hartfield, a narcotics detective for the Richland Police Department, received a 10-year sentence."

New Jersey Senate Race. Nicholas Fandos & Tracey Tully of the New York Times: "Senator Robert Menendez of New Jersey announced on Thursday that he would not run for re-election as a Democrat this year, bowing to intense political pressure and federal charges that place him at the center of an international bribery scheme. But in a nine-minute video posted on social media, Mr. Menendez, 70, reiterated that he would not resign and left the door open to running as a political independent if he is exonerated at a trial scheduled for May." Politico's story is here.

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Israel/Palestine, et al.

The Washington Post's live updates of developments Friday in the Israel/Hamas war are here: "Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Israel Friday and is set to tell officials there that a military incursion into Rafah would be a 'mistake.' During his Middle East trip this week Blinken told reporters gaps 'are narrowing' in cease-fire talks. Later Friday, a U.S.-sponsored resolution supporting an immediate cease-fire and hostage release will be up for a vote at the U.N. Security Council in New York.... Head of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said the agency had lost contact with health personnel at al-Shifa Hospital in northern Gaza during Israeli raids this week.... Britain and Australia on Friday in a joint statement, called for an 'immediate cessation of fighting in Gaza to allow aid to flow and hostages to be released as a crucial step toward a permanent, sustainable cease-fire.' It follows a statement a day earlier from European Union leaders also calling for an 'immediate humanitarian pause leading to a sustainable cease-fire.'"

Michael Crowley & Thomas Fuller of the New York Times: "Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, traveling in the Middle East on Thursday, pressed for a halt to fighting in the Gaza Strip as the United States prepared to introduce a resolution at the United Nations on Friday calling for 'an immediate and sustained cease-fire.' The Security Council resolution drafted by the United States contains the strongest language that Washington has supported so far, and was an apparent shift for Israel's closest ally. In February, the United States vetoed a Council resolution demanding an immediate humanitarian cease-fire." The Hill's story is here.

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Mar202024

The Conversation -- March 21, 2024

** Luke Broadwater & Maggie Haberman of the New York Times: "The threat from ... Donald J. Trump to his vice president, Mike Pence, was clear and direct: If you defy my effort to overturn the 2020 election by certifying the results, your future in Republican politics is over. 'Mike, this is a political career killer if you do this,' Mr. Trump told Mr. Pence by phone on the morning of Jan. 6, 2021, according to the White House valet who was with the president for much of the day and told Congress he had overheard the conversation. The testimony of Mr. Trump's valet, provided to the now-defunct House Jan. 6 Committee in 2022 but not previously released publicly, offers a rare firsthand look into the former president's behavior in the hours before, during and after a mob of his supporters stormed the Capitol seeking to halt the certification of President Biden's victory.... Mr. Trump ... stewed about Mr. Pence's refusal for hours after violence engulfed Congress. Told that a civilian had been shot outside the House chamber amid the mob attack, he recalled, Mr. Trump appeared unconcerned.... [The valet] did recall hearing the president ask about contacting top officials on the possibility of dispatching the National Guard to Capitol Hill -- though there is no indication that he ever followed through.... The copy [of the transcript] reviewed by The Times is heavily redacted, and the valet is referred to simply as 'a White House employee.'" Read on. ~~~

~~~ The New York Times' copy of the valet's transcript is here.

The New York Times live updates of developments Thursday in the Israel/Hamas war are here: "The United States has submitted a draft resolution to the United Nations Security Council calling for 'an immediate cease-fire tied to the release of hostages' in Gaza, Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken said on Wednesday in Saudi Arabia, during his latest trip to the region to broker a diplomatic resolution to the war between Israel and Hamas. Biden administration officials have grown more forceful in recent weeks in their push for a cease-fire, as conditions worsen for Gazan civilians and pressure mounts for stronger international action.... Israeli officials said ahead of this week's talks that the broad proposal being discussed includes a 42-day pause in fighting, in exchange for the release of 40 of the more than 100 hostages taken from Israel who remain captive in Gaza." MB: There seems to be a good deal of confusion over whether the draft resolution is for a permanent or temporary cease-fire.

~~~ Here's President Biden's statement, via the White House.

Jesse McKinley & Kate Christobek of the New York Times: "The Manhattan district attorney's office said in court papers Thursday that a large cache of newly disclosed documents contained little that might influence or delay the criminal trial of Donald J. Trump, which is scheduled to begin in mid-April.... 'The people now have good reason to believe that this production contains only limited materials relevant to the subject matter of this case and that have not previously been disclosed to defendant,' the filing read. 'The overwhelming majority of the production is entirely immaterial, duplicative or substantially duplicative of previously disclosed materials.' It added that the current delay == until April 15 -- 'is a more than reasonable amount of time for defendant to review the information provided.'" CNN's story is here. ~~~

~~~~~~~~~~

Coral Davenport of the New York Times: "The Biden administration on Wednesday issued one of the most significant climate regulations in the nation's history, a rule designed to ensure that the majority of new passenger cars and light trucks sold in the United States are all-electric or hybrids by 2032. Nearly three years in the making, the new tailpipe pollution limits from the Environmental Protection Agency would transform the American automobile market. A record 1.2 million electric vehicles rolled off dealers' lots last year, but they made up just 7.6 percent of total U.S. car sales, far from the 56 percent target under the new regulation. An additional 16 percent of new cars sold would be hybrids. Cars and other forms of transportation are, together, the largest single source of carbon emissions generated by the United States, pollution that is driving climate change and that helped to make 2023 the hottest year in recorded history." (Also linked yesterday.)

Zolan Kanno-Youngs, et al., of the New York Times: "President Biden on Wednesday awarded $8.5 billion in grants to Intel, a major investment to bolster the nation's semiconductor production, during a tour of battleground states meant to sell his economic agenda. Speaking from the Intel campus in Chandler, Ariz., Mr. Biden said the award would support thousands of new manufacturing jobs, including ones that do not require a college degree.... The award, which will go to the construction and expansion of Intel facilities around the United States, is the biggest the federal government has made with funding from the CHIPS Act, which lawmakers passed in 2022 to help re-establish the United States as a leader in semiconductor manufacturing.... In addition to the grants, the federal government is planning to award Intel up to $11 billion in loans on what the company characterized as generous terms.... The grants are intended to help fund the company's construction plans in Arizona, Ohio, New Mexico and Oregon. The projects are expected to create more than 10,000 manufacturing jobs and roughly 20,000 construction jobs, according to Biden administration officials."

Jeanna Smilek of the New York Times: "Federal Reserve officials left interest rates unchanged on Wednesday and continued to forecast that borrowing costs will come down somewhat by the end of the year as inflation eases. Fed policymakers have been battling rapid inflation for two full years as of this month, and while they have been encouraged by recent progress, they are not yet ready to declare victory over price increases. Given that, they are keeping interest rates at a high level that is expected to weigh on growth and inflation, even as they signal that rate cuts are likely in the months ahead. Officials held interest rates steady at about 5.3 percent, where they have been set since July 2023, in their March policy decision." (Also linked yesterday.)

Rachel Frazen & Zack Budryk of the Hill: "House Republicans on Wednesday kicked off voting on a slate of legislation for what they are dubbing 'energy week,' passing two measures in support of oil and gas development. Collectively, the energy-related legislation that passes this week is virtually certain not to become law because it would be unlikely to be taken up in the Democratic-led Senate or approved by the White House."

A Budget to Die From. Sahil Kapur of NBC News: "A new budget by a large and influential group of House Republicans calls for raising the Social Security retirement age for future retirees and restructuring Medicare. The proposals, which are unlikely to become law this year, reflect how many Republicans will seek to govern if they win the 2024 elections. And they play into a fight President Joe Biden is seeking to have with ... Donald Trump and the Republican Party as he runs for re-election. The budget was released Wednesday by the Republican Study Committee, a group of more than 170 House GOP lawmakers, including many allies of ... Donald Trump. Apart from fiscal policy, the budget endorses a series of bills 'designed to advance the cause of life,' including the Life at Conception Act, which would aggressively restrict abortion and potentially threaten in vitro fertilization, or IVF, by establishing legal protections for human beings at 'the moment of fertilization.' It has recently caused consternation within the GOP following backlash to an Alabama Supreme Court ruling that threatened IVF." ~~~

~~~ Marie: As usual, the Republican plan is both cruel and stupid. It's true that many workers -- primarily those who work in white-collar jobs -- prefer to work past age 65. And they do, deferring Social Security benefits up to age 70. The plan is hardest on individuals who work in demanding physical jobs. And it's probably bad for the economy: in general, older workers cost industry more because they have seniority. And they are not necessarily more effective workers or more innovative than young workers.

The only information ever pushed on the Bidens and Ukraine has come from one source and one source only: Russia and Russian agents, which everyone sitting here today knows. -- Lev Parnas, testimony at House hearing Wednesday ~~~

~~~ Jacqueline Alemany of the Washington Post: "Lacking support and evidence, the GOP-led impeachment inquiry against President Biden continued to sputter out, even as House Republicans on Wednesday held a hearing that featured witnesses who reiterated thin allegations that members of the Biden family capitalized financially on their father's name.... Fifteen months [into their 'investigation,'] no evidence or testimony obtained by congressional Republicans has showed that Joe Biden was a direct participant in or beneficiary of his son Hunter Biden's business dealings.... Tony Bobulinski, a onetime business associate of Hunter Biden's, and Jason Galanis, who is serving a nearly 16-year federal prison sentence ... for multiple fraud schemes, both testified at the hearing Wednesday at the behest of House Republicans.... Galanis, who testified via Zoom from prison..., described a 'relatively short discussion with then-Vice President Biden in May 2014....

"Several Democrats needled Republicans for choosing to hold a hearing for an impeachment inquiry that was in part opened on the basis of a claim that authorities now say was untrue.... The allegations made by [Alexander] Smirnov [MB: now jailed under a DOJ indictment & thought to be a Russian asset] were previously reviewed by the FBI under then-Attorney General William P. Barr and found not to be supported by facts.... Democrats also questioned Lev Parnas, a former associate of Rudy Giuliani's who was convicted in a campaign finance fraud case and appeared Wednesday, about his time working with Giuliani in 2018 and 2019 to track down damaging information about Joe Biden.... At the end of the hearing, Comer said he was inviting the president to testify to Congress, an invitation a White House spokesperson laughed off on social media." The AP's report, also linked yesterday, is here. ~~~

~~~ Andrew Feinberg & Eric Garcia of the Independent: "The House Oversight Committee's latest attempt to hold an impeachment hearing on President Joe Biden took a bizarre turn on Wednesday when one of the three witnesses who gave evidence before the Republican-led panel began revealing unflattering information on ... Donald Trump's disgraced ex-personal lawyer, Rudolph Giuliani. Lev Parnas ... told committee members that he'd been a 'key participant' in a scheme to dig up dirt on Mr Biden and his son, Hunter Biden, in the run-up to the 2020 presidential election. He said Mr Giuliani had 'tasked' him with 'finding dirt on the Bidens so that an array of networks could spread misinformation about them' so Mr Trump and his allies could 'damage the Bidens' reputations and secure the 2020 election for Trump'....

"Under questioning from Republicans, the incarcerated felon [Jason Galanis] described Hunter Biden as offering what he called a 'Biden lift' to potential business deals through his father's involvement.... Yet in a 2018 court opinion, US District Judge Ronnie Abrams said it was Galanis — not Hunter Biden -- who was leveraging Hunter's family name for his own gain.... [Tony] Bobulinski, who was represented by an attorney from Elections LLC -- a firm run by former Trump administration officials which has been paid by Mr Trump's political action committee, repeatedly engaged in theatrics throughout his testimony, displaying visible contempt for Democrats on the panel and personally attacking two Democratic members...." ~~~

~~~ Sarah Fortinsky of the Hill: "Lev Parnas ... named members of Congress on Wednesday he alleged were 'doing the bidding' of Russia by attempting to dig up 'dirt' on President Biden during his 2020 campaign.... Parnas named Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) and Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Texas) during his testimony as collaborators in their efforts.... Parnas, whom Democrats selected as a witness, was indicted on fraud and campaign finance crimes and was sentenced to 20 months in prison in 2022.... The indictment accused Parnas and his business partner Igor Fruman, who was also indicted, of heavily lobbying an unnamed congressman for the removal of Marie Yovanovitch as U.S. ambassador to Ukraine. The indictment said they 'committed to raise $20,000 or more for a then-sitting U.S. Congressman.' The unnamed congressman, 'Congressman-1,' was later reported by multiple outlets to be Sessions." ~~~

~~~ Marie: Jamie Raskin, appearing on MSNBC, spoke to a remarkable irony: that House Republicans' entire effort to impeach Joe Biden is based on the very lies that Trump tried to pressure Ukraine President Zelensky to falsely confirm in the "perfect phone call" that led directly to Trump's first impeachment. Raskin said he wish he had understood at the time that the whole Trump/Giuliani/Lev & Igor tall tale was the product of Russian disinformation. Decades past my time, Americans may get a fairly full picture of the conspiracy between the Trump gang and their Putin handlers. This pathetic little impeachment effort against Biden is a piece of a much bigger American story, and we know only bits of it. ~~~

~~~ It's also worth noting that RAS posted a list in yesterday's Comments of nine House Republicans who voted against a resolution condemning the Russian abduction of Ukrainian children. You have to be pretty deep in the tank to want to appear to favor child abduction. Maybe the GOP has adopted IOKIYAR and given it a new meaning: "It's Okay If You're A Russian."

~~~ Michael Luciano of Mediaite: "Republicans on the House Oversight Committee tabled a motion to subpoena Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of, and former White House adviser to Donald Trump. [Democrat Jamie Raskin (Md.) brought the motion.] Six months after exiting the White House, Kushner's private equity firm Affinity Partners received a $2 billion investment from Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund over the objections of the fund's advisers. They were overruled by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who had developed a close relationship with Kushner. The Oversight Committee convened on Wednesday for another hearing on Hunter Biden and his business dealings that Republicans say illicitly benefitted his father President Joe Biden. Despite investigating the matter for more than a year, the committee has turned up no proof." MB: Why, you'd almost think the "oversight" committee is not serious about overseeing administrative affairs. ~~~

~~~ Alex Griffing of Mediaite: "Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) sparred with Tony Bobulinski, a former business partner of Hunter Biden, at a GOP-led impeachment hearing for President Joe Biden on Wednesday. Ocasio-Cortez pressed Bobulinski to name a 'specific crime' committed by President Biden and when he could not do so she turned her ire to the Republican Party for continuing an investigation despite its key witness being arrested by the FBI for lying to officials about the Bidens.... '... At this point, the story is not the fact that the basis of this impeachment inquiry is wrong. The story is why it's proceeding anyway. Why is this committee proceeding based on false charges?... I have yet to hear in the chairman's opening the allegation that they are specifically charging the president of the United States with.... I have yet to hear in the chairman's opening the allegation that they are specifically charging the president of the United States with."

The Trials of Trump

Shayna Jacobs of the Washington Post: "New York Attorney General Letitia James on Wednesday urged an appeals court not to believe Donald Trump's recent assertion that he is unable to secure a bond for more than $450 million to satisfy the civil business-fraud judgment against him.... On Wednesday, Dennis Fan, a lawyer for James, told the appeals court that Trump's claims of striking out with insurance companies are not reliable because they are based on sworn statements from Gary Giulietti, a personal friend of Trump's, and from Alan Garten, general counsel at the Trump Organization. Fan wrote that New York Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron, who oversaw James's civil trial against Trump, decided Giulietti was not a credible witness. He argued that Garten was involved in the conduct at issue and 'has professional interests in this litigation.'" The AP's report is here. (Also linked yesterday.)

Kaitlan Collins of CNN: "... Donald Trump is in panic mode as the deadline approaches to secure a half-billion-dollar bond to appeal his civil fraud case in New York, according to multiple sources.... Trump's team has sought out wealthy supporters and weighed what assets could be sold -- and fast. The presumptive GOP presidential nominee himself has become increasingly concerned about the optics the March 25 deadline could present -- especially the prospect that someone whose identity has long been tied to his wealth would confront financial crisis."

"A Fantastical View of the Law.... Absurd." Devlin Barrett & Perry Stein of the Washington Post: "On Monday evening, U.S. District Judge Aileen M. Cannon ordered the defense lawyers and the prosecutors in the [Trump documents] case to file submissions outlining proposed jury instructions based on two scenarios, each of which badly misstates the law and facts of the case, according to legal experts.... 'What she has asked the parties to do is very, very troubling,' Nancy Gertner, a former federal judge in Massachusetts, said of Cannon. 'She is giving credence to arguments that are on their face absurd. She is ignoring a raft of other motions, equally absurd, that are unreasonably delaying the case.'... 'The [Presidential Records Act] is just not relevant here in any way it all; it provides no defense. To even allow it to be argued at trial would create confusion for the jury,' said Barbara McQuade, a law professor at the University of Michigan and a former U.S. attorney.... Cannon's order suggests that she thinks the PRA is critical to the case -- and that parts of the law are open to interpretation. Jason R. Baron, former director of litigation at the National Archives and Records Administration, said that's just not true. He said Cannon seems to continually conflate the PRA with the Espionage Act.... Baron said the judge, who has not previously overseen a major national security trial, seems to be embracing a fantastical view of the law." (Also linked yesterday.)

Jason Morris & Zachary Cohen of CNN: "A Georgia judge on Wednesday greenlit an effort by ... Donald Trump and his co-defendants to appeal the decision to allow Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis to continue to prosecute the 2020 election subversion case there. Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee, who ruled last week against the defendants' efforts to disqualify Willis, has issued a certificate of immediate review, allowing the case to be revealed by a Georgia Appeals Court.... The move doesn't pause the prosecution but allows appeals on the disqualification effort to play out before trial." (Also linked yesterday.)

Nick Miroff & Maria Sacchetti of the Washington Post: "The push by Republican-led states to take on a direct role in immigration enforcement -- historically a federal matter -- went before an appeals court Wednesday morning, a day after the Supreme Court briefly allowed Texas to begin arresting and deporting migrants under a controversial new law.... The push by Republican-led states to take on a direct role in immigration enforcement -- historically a federal matter -- went before an appeals court Wednesday morning, a day after the Supreme Court briefly allowed Texas to begin arresting and deporting migrants under a controversial new law.... Whatever the 5th Circuit decides, the status of the law is likely to end up back before the Supreme Court." (Also linked yesterday.)

~~~ Here's the New York Times' liveblog of developments. (Also linked yesterday.)

Presidential Race

Rebecca O'Brien of the New York Times: "President Biden's re-election campaign had $71 million on hand at the end of February, more than double the $33.5 million in ... Donald J. Trump's campaign account, as Democrats continued to expand their fund-raising advantage over Republicans in the presidential race. The cash disparity was detailed in filings with the Federal Election Commission on Wednesday, when campaigns and some presidential committees had a deadline to file fund-raising and spending reports for February.... Over the weekend, Mr. Biden's team reported raising a combined $53 million in February across the committees backing his re-election bid, with a combined total of $155 million, up from $130 million at the end of January.... Mr. Biden will also be backed by more than $1 billion that outside groups have pledged to support his bid -- money that is separate from the party accounts that filed on Wednesday. Mr. Trump's campaign told Fox News on Wednesday that it had raised a combined $20.3 million with a joint fund-raising committee, with $42 million on hand between the two groups." ~~~

~~~ Jessica Piper, et al., of Politico: "Donald Trump's leadership PAC spent another $5.6 million on legal expenses in February, furthering a trend that has seen the former president put valuable campaign dollars into his courtroom fights. That leadership PAC, Save America, was kept afloat last month by a $5 million refund from another Trump-related political group, the super PAC Make America Great Again Inc. The latter entity has now sent more than $50 million to Save America since last year to help cover Trump's many legal costs. The arrangement raises questions about where Trump will continue to find the money to pay his lawyers. Save America ended the reporting period with just over $4 million in cash on hand. And MAGA Inc. has just $7.75 million more that it can refund the group."

Adam Kinzinger on Substack: "As he campaigned for president last week Donald Trump turned up the volume on his authoritarian message. He followed the well-known blueprint for dictatorship, which included dehumanizing outsiders, predictions of violence, and dramatic warnings about a supposed emergency facing the nation.... Many of the fans -- err, voters -- who stand in line for hours to be admitted to a rally, seemed to be bored by the show."

https://t.co/XW2oVEACnz pic.twitter.com/LfbowsmEDe
— Justin Wolfers (@JustinWolfers) March 20, 2024

~~~ Thanks to RAS for the link.

Michael Kranish of the Washington Post: Donald "Trump's long fixation on mental fitness followed years of watching his father's worsening dementia -- a formative period that some associates said has been a defining and little-mentioned factor in his life, and which left him with an abiding concern that he might someday inherit the condition. While much remains unknown about Alzheimer's, experts say there is an increased risk of inheriting a gene associated with the disease from a parent.... Trump's father's condition also drove a wedge into his family, which fell into years of lawsuits that alleged in part that Donald Trump sought to take advantage of his father's dementia to wrest control of the family estate -- litigation that introduced reams of medical records detailing Fred Trump Sr.'s condition.... (A White House spokesman, Andrew Bates, told The Post via email that neither of [President] Biden's parents had dementia.)" (Also linked yesterday.)

~~~~~~~~~~

Mississippi. Michael Goldberg & Emily Pettus of the AP: "Two former Mississippi deputies wept in court Wednesday as a federal judge sentenced them to years in prison and condemned their cruelty for breaking into a home with four other white officers and torturing two Black men. U.S. District Judge Tom Lee sentenced Christian Dedmon, 29, to 40 years in prison and Daniel Opdyke, 28, to 17.5 years. Lee said Dedmon carried out the most 'shocking, brutal and cruel attacks imaginable' against the two Black men, Michael Corey Jenkins and Eddie Terrell Parker, and against a white man during a traffic stop weeks earlier.... Jenkins, who has trouble speaking after being shot in the mouth during the January 2023 attack, said in a statement read by his lawyer that Dedmon's actions were the most depraved of any of those who attacked him.

~~~~~~~~~~

Ireland. Megan Specia of the New York Times: "Leo Varadkar, Ireland's barrier-breaking taoiseach or prime minister, said on Wednesday that he would step down as the country's leader, days after the defeat of two referendums that the coalition government had championed and after years of waning public support for his political party, Fine Gael. Ireland is scheduled to hold a general election early next year, and his decision will not trigger an earlier election, he said.... Citing reasons both 'personal and political,' Mr. Varadkar said he would step down from the party leadership effective immediately and would continue to serve as prime minister until his party elects a new leader.... There had been little indication of his decision just days earlier when he visited the White House and met with President Biden for St. Patrick's Day.... Mr. Varadkar, who is gay and whose father is of Indian heritage, broke a number of barriers when he became the country's youngest-ever leader in 2017." (Also linked yesterday.)

Israel/Palestine, et al.

The Washington Post's live updates of developments Thursday in the Israel/Hamas war are here: "Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Egypt on Thursday, and will make a stop in Israel on Friday, as talks for a cease-fire and hostage deal in Gaza falter. The United States said it will review a written assurance from Israel that its use of U.S.-supplied defense equipment does not violate international or U.S. human rights law.... The Israeli military said Thursday its raid of al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City was ongoing and that 140 militants were killed. Civilians in the area have said they were trapped in dire conditions. Israel's chief of staff said from the hospital that the goal was striking Hamas and 'putting pressure on the negotiations.'"

Annie Karni of the New York Times: "Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel assailed Senator Chuck Schumer on Wednesday in a closed-door speech to Senate Republicans, days after the Democratic majority leader branded him an impediment to peace in the Middle East and called for a new election to replace him after the war winds down. Mr. Netanyahu's virtual appearance at a weekly gathering of Republican senators -- and a refusal by Mr. Schumer to allow him to make a similar address to Senate Democrats -- dramatized the growing partisan split on Capitol Hill and in American politics over Mr. Netanyahu's leadership and Israel's offensive in Gaza. 'Senator Schumer made it clear that he does not think these discussions should happen in a partisan manner,' said Alex Nguyen, a spokesman.... Inside the meeting with Republicans, Mr. Netanyahu called Mr. Schumer's speech last week on the Senate floor 'wholly inappropriate and outrageous,' according to Senator Josh Hawley, Republican of Missouri.... And many Republican senators spoke up to say they agreed with him."

Ukraine, et al.

Constant Méheut of the New York Times: "Russian missiles streaked into Kyiv early Thursday in the biggest assault on the Ukrainian capital in weeks, injuring at least 13 people and damaging several residential buildings and industrial facilities, according to local officials. The Ukrainian Air Force said that air defense systems had intercepted all 31 of the Russian missiles that targeted Kyiv. Still, debris from the downed missiles fell in various parts of the city, causing the injuries and damage. No deaths have been reported so far."

John Hudson & Siobhan O'Grady of the Washington Post: "National security adviser Jake Sullivan traveled in secret to Ukraine on Wednesday in a trip aimed at reaffirming U.S. support for the beleaguered ally despite an impasse in Congress over additional funding for the war effort.... Kyiv is facing chronic shortages of ammunition and soldiers as House lawmakers in the United States weigh a Senate aid package that includes $60 billion for Ukraine. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has thus far refused calls to vote on the measure, sending the White House scrambling to find weaponry and equipment it can send to Ukraine. 'You should believe in the United States,' Sullivan told reporters in a briefing at Ukraine's presidential office in Kyiv. 'We are confident we will get this done....'"

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