The Conversation -- January 5, 2025

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Conversation -- January 4, 2025

Marie: Here's one thing I like about the New York Times. You don't have to agree with their takes, but they do have takes, and they often are not shy about them: ~~~

     ~~~ Michael Shear of the New York Times: "... on Saturday, Mr. Biden will award the Presidential Medal of Freedom to 19 Americans, including some of the brightest lights of the old guard that Mr. Trump wants to tear down. In doing so, the 82-year-old outgoing president is sending an unmistakable message of support for a democratic order he has said is threatened by Mr. Trump's re-election. Among those receiving the award are HillaryClinton, the former first lady, senator and secretary of state whom Mr. Trump threatened to jail; Robert F. Kennedy, the assassinated senator whose son has embraced Mr. Trump; and George Romney, the late father of Senator Mitt Romney, the Republican from Utah who repeatedly rejected Mr. Trump's actions and philosophy." Compare this to the WashPo story linked earlier today; there's nothing wrong with the WashPo story; it adequately shares the facts, but Shear ascribes a purpose to the awards. Shear may or may not be right, but he gives the reader a key to the latch.

Emily Cochrane of the New York Times reports on the schedule of events honoring President Jimmy Carter this week.

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

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

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

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Catie Edmondson of the New York Times: "Speaker Mike Johnson on Friday won re-election to the top post in the House, salvaging his job in a dramatic last-minute turnabout by putting down a revolt from conservatives who initially voted to block his ascent. Mr. Johnson barely mustered the majority he needed to win re-election on the first ballot, with help from ... Donald J. Trump, who interrupted a golf game to lobby holdouts by phone.... The chaotic scene that played out on the House floor -- with three Republicans initially opposing Mr. Johnson and six more abstaining until it appeared he would lose before voting for him -- reflected the same divisions within G.O.P. ranks that had plagued [former speaker Kevin] McCarthy [R-Calif.]. It was a grim portent for Mr. Johnson at the start of the new all-Republican Congress, and for Mr. Trump as he embarks upon his second term with an ambitious and crowded agenda that will require his party to stay almost entirely unified." Politico's story is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: The headline here is not that Johnson won the speakership but that Trump interrupted his golf game to help him out. It's true that in so doing Trump benefited himself nearly as much as he did Johnson. But still. What a sacrifice! Until Johnson loses the speakership, he will never be anything more than Trump's abused puppydog. Not a Congressman, not a father, not a husband, not a "Christian," not a person.

~~~ New York Times liveblog (January 3): "Speaker Mike Johnson on Friday salvaged his bid to win another term in a dramatic turn on the House floor after he won over a pair of conservative holdouts who initially opposed him, denying him the majority needed to prevail. As the vote was held open well past the point when every member had voted, Mr. Johnson huddled off the House floor with two of the three hard-liners who had refused to back him. Minutes later, they returned to the floor, and the two -- Representatives Keith Self of Texas and Ralph Norman of South Carolina -- strode to the center of the chamber and changed their votes, handing the Louisiana Republican the support necessary to win another term as Republicans stood and applauded. Ultimately only one Republican, Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky, held firm in his opposition to Mr. Johnson. The vote made for a tense and confusing scene on the House floor, after a clutch of conservatives initially withheld their votes for Mr. Johnson, only to later reverse course and vote for him." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

Maya Miller: "The far-right House Freedom Caucus released a letter following Johnson's victory making clear that its members' support for him as speaker is lukewarm at best. They only voted for him 'because of our steadfast support of President Trump and to ensure the timely certification of his electors,' the letter said, and they cast their votes 'despite our sincere reservations regarding the Speaker's track record over the past 15 months.'"

Luke Broadwater: "You saw at the end [of the vote (but before two holdouts changed their vote to Johnson)] several House Freedom Caucus members vote for Johnson to prevent [Democratic Leader Hakim] Jeffries from becoming speaker. If too many hard-right members had refused to vote at all, there was a danger they would accidentally cause a Democrat to be elected."

Annie Karni (an entry with Biblical echos): "And on the first day of the 119th Congress, Representative Nancy Pelosi wore flats." Pelosi recently had hip replacement surgery after fracturing her hip on a fall in Luxembourg during a Congressional trip.

~~~ Joe Perticone of the Bulwark made a helpful report on how the vote went down. He writes gems like, "Prior to the vote, Democrats cheered as the clerk read the notice that former Rep. Matt Gaetz would not be joining them."

⭐Felonious Don Is Still Felonious. Ben Protess & Kate Christobek of the New York Times: "A New York judge on Friday upheld ... Donald J. Trump's felony conviction but signaled that he was inclined to spare him any punishment, a striking development in a case that had spotlighted an array of criminal acts and imperiled the former and future president's freedom. The judge, Juan M. Merchan, indicated that he favored a so-called unconditional discharge of Mr. Trump's sentence, a rare and lenient alternative to jail or probation. He set a sentencing date of Jan. 10, and ordered Mr. Trump to appear either in person or virtually. An unconditional discharge would cement Mr. Trump's status as a felon just weeks before his inauguration -- he would be the first to carry that dubious designation into the presidency -- even as it would water down the consequences for his crimes.... That sentence, Justice Merchan wrote in an 18-page decision, 'appears to be the most viable solution to ensure finality and allow defendant to pursue his appellate options.'" The linked "decision and order" comes via the New York courts. The AP's story is here.

Marie: Some of you hardnosed cynics were speculating the other day that Trump's relatively decent statement in regard to the death of President Carter would soon be amended. Julie in MA informed us in yesterday's Comments that we're there. Here is a post Trump wrote (no big words so likely his own voice) on his failing social media site (artwork added):

The Democrats are all "giddy" about our magnificent American Flag potentially being at "half mast" during my Inauguration. They think it's so great, and are so happy about it because, in actuality, they don't love our Country, they only think about themselves. Look at what they've done to our once GREAT America over the past four years - It's a total mess! In any event, because of the death of President Jimmy Carter, the Flag may, for the first time ever during an Inauguration of a future President, be at half mast. Nobody wants to see this, and no American can be happy about it. Let's see how it plays out. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! -- Donald Trump

Trump's New Friend & Master of the Universe Knows Best. Mark Landler of the New York Times: "Elon Musk has once again set his sights on Britain, putting the country in the bull's-eye in the capricious world of his online obsessions. In a fusillade of posts that began before the new year, Mr. Musk moved on from his enthusiastic boosting of a far-right party in Germany to targeting Britain on multiple politically sensitive fronts.... He demanded the release of a convicted criminal and far-right agitator. He falsely accused the prime minister, Keir Starmer, of failing to go after child rapists when he was head of public prosecutions. He endorsed a post calling on King Charles III to dissolve Parliament and call elections to remove Britain's seven-month-old Labour government, a constitutional impossibility."

Now, Let Us Turn Our Lonely Eyes to Trump's Discarded Friend. The Question Arose, "Where Have You Gone, Joe DiMaggio?" Stefanos Chen & Olivia Bensimon of the New York Times: "Rudolph W. Giuliani, the former mayor of New York, was grilled for hours in federal court on Friday after missing several deadlines to hand over $11 million of his prized possessions to two poll workers he defamed after the 2020 election. Mr. Giuliani avoided, for now, being held in contempt of court -- a charge he has been threatened with at various times during the case and that could include jail time. But for most of his time on the stand, Mr. Giuliani frustrated the judge and the plaintiffs' lawyers with a spotty memory and vague answers that slowed to a crawl proceedings that were already bogged down in minutiae." Giuliani claimed not to know the whereabouts of his Yankee memorobilia, including a signed DiMaggio jersey that once hung over Giuliani's fireplace.

Aw, So Unfa-a-a-a-air! Kyle Cheney of Politico: "A federal judge has denied a Jan. 6 felony defendant's request for permission to attend Donald Trump's inauguration, despite a personal invitation from members of the Utah congressional delegation. U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth said Russell Taylor's 'unusually grave' conduct at the Capitol -- which included recruiting 'fighters' to descend on the Capitol, wearing armor, carrying weapons and helping others push past a police line -- did not warrant the 'immense privilege' of attending an inauguration.... Former Utah representative Chris Stewart, who wrote to Lamberth on behalf of three current members of Utah's congressional delegation, asked the judge's permission for Taylor to attend as their guest." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Stewart, in his December 6, 2024, letter to Judge Lambeth, does not name the "three other current members of the Utah congressional delegation" who would just love to host an insurrectionist whose actions against the U.S. Congress were "unusually grave." But assuming Stewart did not include Utah's U.S. Senators Mike Lee & Mitt Romney when he wrote, the gracious hosts, according to this Wikipedia entry, would be three of these four: Blake Moore, John Curtis (as of yesterday, U.S. Sen. Curtis). Burgess Owens & Celeste Maloy, all Republicans (of course).

Maxine Joselow of the Washington Post: "President Joe Biden will move Monday to block all future oil and gas drilling across more than 625 million acres of federal waters -- equivalent to nearly a quarter of the total land area of the United States, according to two people briefed on the decision.... Donald Trump, who has described his energy policy as 'drill, baby, drill,' is likely to work with congressional Republicans to challenge the decision. Biden will issue two memorandums that prohibit future federal oil and gas leasing across large swaths of the Atlantic Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, the eastern Gulf of Mexico and the Northern Bering Sea in Alaska, the two people said. The oil and gas industry has long prized the eastern Gulf of Mexico in particular, viewing the area as a key part of its offshore production plans."

Maeve Reston & Rachel Tashjian of the Washington Post: "President Joe Biden on Saturday will award the Presidential Medal of Freedom to a star-studded list of celebrities, donors and former politicians, bestowing the nation's highest civilian honor on some of the country's best-known names and others who were integral in securing the victory of Biden and other Democrats in recent elections. Several of the nominees are already thorns in the side of ... Donald Trump, in an indication that Biden is trying to cement a legacy and uphold institutions central to democracy. The honorees include 2016 presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, billionaire donor George Soros, actor Michael J. Fox and deceased titans of politics such as Robert F. Kennedy." The story includes the names of all of those who will receive the Medal of Freedom today. The ABC News report is here.

David Lynch & Jeff Stein of the Washington Post: "President Joe Biden's decision Friday to block the sale of U.S. Steel to a Japanese rival has ignited an imminent legal challenge, alarmed foreign investors and cast a shadow over the careers of several thousand American steelworkers the White House says it wants to help.... The president's decision, at least for now, leaves in ruins the corporate strategies of two giants: Nippon Steel, the world's fourth-largest steel producer, and U.S. Steel, whose products shaped the nation's buildings, bridges, autos and appliances. In the near term, the companies plan a legal offensive they expect will demonstrate that the government's review was distorted by the president's political needs. As he faced a tough reelection fight, Biden sided with David McCall, the president of the United Steelworkers union, who opposed the deal from the start and provided the president campaign help in several key states."

Roni Rabin of the New York Times: "Alcohol is a leading preventable cause of cancer, and alcoholic beverages should carry a warning label as packs of cigarettes do, the U.S. surgeon general [Dr. Vivek Murthy] said on Friday. It is the latest salvo in a fierce debate about the risks and benefits of moderate drinking as the influential U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans are about to be updated. For decades, moderate drinking was said to help prevent heart attacks and strokes.... But growing research has linked drinking, sometimes even within the recommended limits, to various types of cancer." The CBS News report is here.

Not Getting a Medal. Tracey Tully of the New York Times: "With less than a month to go before Robert Menendez, New Jersey's disgraced former U.S. senator, is scheduled to be sentenced for corruption, his lawyers submitted an emotion-laden appeal for leniency based on what they depicted as Mr. Menendez's hardscrabble upbringing, life of service and devotion to family.... As they did during Mr. Menendez's two-month bribery trial in Manhattan, [Mr. Menendez's lawyers] ... suggested that their client's greatest failing was being led astray by a conniving wife. Nadine Menendez, the former senator's wife, was charged with her husband with conspiring to trade his political influence for bribes of cash, gold bars and a Mercedes-Benz convertible. Her trial is expected to start next month." MB: If Trump can get off with an unconditional discharge, why not Bribable Bob?

Annals of Journalism, Ctd. Benjamin Mullin of the New York Times: "Ann Telnaes, a Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist for The Washington Post, said on Friday evening that she was resigning after the newspaper's opinions section rejected a cartoon depicting The Post's owner, Jeff Bezos, genuflecting toward a statue of President-elect Donald J. Trump. In a brief statement posted to Substack, Ms. Telnaes -- who has worked at The Post since 2008 -- called the newspaper's decision to kill her cartoon a 'game changer' that was 'dangerous for a free press.'... David Shipley, The Post's opinions editor, said in a statement that he respected Ms. Telnaes and all she had given to The Post 'but ... not every editorial judgment is a reflection of a malign force.... My decision was guided by the fact that we had just published a column on the same topic as the cartoon and had already scheduled another column -- this one a satire -- for publication. The only bias was against repetition.'" ~~~

     ~~~ Telnaes's Substack post, which is here, include an image of her draft of the cartoon.

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Louisiana, Isabelle Taft, et al., of the New York Times: "The man who plowed a pickup truck down a crowded New Orleans street early on New Year's Day, killing 14 people, had planned to use a transmitter to detonate two explosives he had placed near the site of the attack, the F.B.I. said on Friday. The attacker, Shamsud-Din Jabbar, who the authorities have said was inspired by the Islamic State extremist group, had placed both of the explosive devices on Bourbon Street, the famous stretch of bars and revelry that Mr. Jabbar turned into a scene of devastation on Wednesday morning. Neither of the devices went off, and the transmitter and two guns were recovered from the truck driven by Mr. Jabbar, who was killed by the police moments after his attack. It was not clear whether the devices had failed to detonate because Mr. Jabbar had not activated the transmitter, or because it did not work."

Nevada. Jacey Fortin, et al., of the New York Times: "The Green Beret who blew up a Tesla Cybertruck outside the Trump International Hotel this week in Las Vegas and took his own life had written that he wanted to send a 'wake-up call' to the country, the authorities said on Friday. In notes recovered by investigators from one of his phones and made public on Friday, the soldier, Master Sgt. Matthew Alan Livelsberger, praised ... Donald J. Trump and wrote that 'our soldiers are done fighting wars without end states or clear objectives.'... Friday..., authorities disclosed that Sergeant Livelsberger, a veteran of several combat tours, had post-traumatic stress disorder and had written in a notes app on his phone that the country was 'headed toward collapse.' 'This was not a terrorist attack,' the note said. 'It was a wake-up call. Americans only pay attention to spectacles and violence. What better way to get my point across than a stunt with fireworks and explosives?' At a news conference on Friday, Assistant Sheriff Dori Koren of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said that in the notes, Sergeant Livelsberger had gone on to 'explain a variety of other grievances and issues -- some political, some personal.'" The AP report is here.

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Honduras. Annie Correal of the New York Times: "Honduras's president threatened to push the U.S. military out of a base it built decades ago in the Central American country should ... Donald J. Trump carry out mass deportations of undocumented immigrants from the United States. The response by President Xiomara Castro of Honduras, in an address broadcast on television and radio on Wednesday, was the first concrete pushback by a leader in the region to Mr. Trump's plan to send back millions of Latin American citizens living in the United States.... Governments in the region rely on remittances from immigrants in the United States. They account for as much as 25 percent of Honduras's economy." Thanks to Ken W. for the link. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Here's a concrete example of Trump's making the U.S. less safe even before he assumes office.

News Lede

New York Times: "David Lodge, the erudite author of academic comedy and a wide-ranging literary critic, died on Wednesday in Birmingham, England. He was 89."

The Conversation -- January 3, 2025

Marie: Some of you hardnosed cynics were speculating the other day that Trump's relatively decent statement in regard to the death of President Carter would soon be amended. Julie in MA informs us in today's Comments that we're there. Here is a post Trump wrote (no big words so likely his own voice) on his failing social media site (artwork added):

The Democrats are all "giddy" about our magnificent American Flag potentially being at "half mast" during my Inauguration. They think it's so great, and are so happy about it because, in actuality, they don't love our Country, they only think about themselves. Look at what they'e done to our once GREAT America over the past four years - It's a total mess! In any event, because of the death of President Jimmy Carter, the Flag may, for the first time ever during an Inauguration of a future President, be at half mast. Nobody wants to see this, and no American can be happy about it. Let's see how it plays out. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! -- Donald Trump

New York Times liveblog: "Speaker Mike Johnson on Friday salvaged his bid to win another term in a dramatic turn on the House floor after he won over a pair of conservative holdouts who initially opposed him, denying him the majority needed to prevail. As the vote was held open well past the point when every member had voted, Mr. Johnson huddled off the House floor with two of the three hard-liners who had refused to back him. Minutes later, they returned to the floor, and the two -- Representatives Keith Self of Texas and Ralph Norman of South Carolina -- strode to the center of the chamber and changed their votes, handing the Louisiana Republican the support necessary to win another term as Republicans stood and applauded. Ultimately only one Republican, Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky, held firm in his opposition to Mr. Johnson. The vote made for a tense and confusing scene on the House floor, after a clutch of conservatives initially withheld their votes for Mr. Johnson, only to later reverse course and vote for him.: ~~~

Maya Miller: "The far-right House Freedom Caucus released a letter following Johnson's victory making clear that its members' support for him as speaker is lukewarm at best. They only voted for him 'because of our steadfast support of President Trump and to ensure the timely certification of his electors,' the letter said, and they cast their votes 'despite our sincere reservations regarding the Speaker's track record over the past 15 months.'"

Luke Broadwater: "You saw at the end [of the vote (but before two holdouts changed their vote to Johnson)] several House Freedom Caucus members vote for Johnson to prevent [Democratic Leader Hakim] Jeffries from becoming speaker. If too many hard-right members had refused to vote at all, there was a danger they would accidentally cause a Democrat to be elected."

Annie Karni (an entry with Biblical echos): "And on the first day of the 119th Congress, Representative Nancy Pelosi wore flats." Pelosi recently had hip replacement surgery after fracturing her hip on a fall in Luxembourg during a Congressional trip.

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In today's entertainment news, the House is voting to elect (or not elect) a speaker, beginning at noon. Story linked below.

Maeve Reston of the Washington Post: "President Joe Biden on Thursday awarded the Presidential Citizens Medal to former Republican congresswoman Liz Cheney, honoring one of ... Donald Trump's most outspoken critics at a White House ceremony less than three weeks before Trump is set to reclaim the presidency. The medal, given to those who have performed exemplary deeds of service for their country, is the nation's second-highest award, after the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Biden also gave the medal to Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-Mississippi), who along with Cheney led the House committee that investigated the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol. The attendees at the ceremony in the East Room -- composed largely of Democratic lawmakers and aides, along with friends and relatives of the honorees -- rose to give Cheney a standing ovation as she took the stage to accept the medal, later doing the same for Thompson. Biden alluded to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack and pointedly mentioned the 'free and fair election of 2020' in his brief remarks before bestowing the medals, but did not mention Trump by name."

Alan Rappeport of the New York Times: "President Biden has decided to block the $14 billion takeover of U.S. Steel by Nippon Steel of Japan in an announcement expected as soon as Friday based on grounds that the sale poses a threat to national security, according to people familiar with the matter. The decision would be an extraordinary use of executive power, particularly for a president who is just weeks from leaving office. It is also a departure from America's long-established culture of open investment, one that could have wide-ranging implications for the U.S. economy. Mr. Biden's move to stop the transaction could cause foreign investors to rethink the wisdom of acquiring American firms in sensitive industries that are based in politically important states. It could also roil relations with Japan, a close ally of the United States and one of America's largest sources of foreign investment." ~~~

     ~~~ Update. President Biden's statement, via the White House, is here.

Sheryl Stolberg of the New York Times: "The Biden administration, in a final push to shore up the nation's pandemic preparedness before ... Donald J. Trump takes office, announced on Thursday that it would nearly double the amount of money it was committing to ward off a potential outbreak of bird flu in humans. Federal health officials have been keeping a close eye on H5N1, a strain of avian influenza that is highly contagious and lethal to chickens, and has spread to cattle. The virus has not yet demonstrated that it can spread efficiently among people. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that the current risk to humans remains low, and that pasteurized milk products remain safe to consume. But should human-to-human transmission become commonplace, experts fear a pandemic that could be far more deadly than Covid-19."

Devlin Barrett & Alan Feuer of the New York Times: "F.B.I. officials on Thursday released new details of their investigation into the still-unidentified suspect believed to have placed pipe bombs in Washington the night before the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol, hoping to spur tips that might solve a lingering mystery.... Now, four years later, with investigators still uncertain of the suspect's gender, the F.B.I. has offered video from a new angle of the suspect planting a bomb near a bench outside the Democratic headquarters. Investigators also say the suspect's height has been estimated at 5-foot-7. There is a $500,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction.... The F.B.I. said its best hope to crack the case lies with the public.... The F.B.I. asks that anyone with information call 1-800-CALL-FBI or go online to tips.fbi.gov." The AP's report is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I'm glad to learn the FBI has accepted my view that the person could be a woman. Although a Reality Chex reader pointed me to one portion of video in which the suspect appears to be broad-shouldered, there are a number of snippets that show the person walking in a way that resembles a woman's gait, and I told the FBI so, as I was worried investigators might be too misogynistic to consider female suspects. The fact that the suspect is 5'7" (my height), suggests my gender-theory could be correct.

⭐Marianna Sotomayor of the Washington Post: "... [House] Speaker Mike Johnson is still working to win over a handful of Republican lawmakers who are skeptical of his leadership.... Johnson (R-Louisiana) has spent the week working the phones and met with lawmakers in the Capitol through Thursday evening to try to better understand the concerns of roughly half a dozen hard-liners whose support he needs in the speakership election, which begins at noon. Many of the skeptics come from the ultraconservative House Freedom Caucus.... Johnson needs 218 votes if all House lawmakers are present and voting for a speaker candidate by name. Because of the resignation of Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Florida) last month, House Republicans will start the year with just 219 seats, meaning Johnson can afford to lose just one GOP vote. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Kentucky) has said he'll definitely vote against Johnson, so the speaker would need every other Republican vote." A Vox report is here. ~~~

     ~~~ If Not Bible Mike, Then Who? Olivia Beavers of Politico: "Even House Republicans who are skeptical about keeping Mike Johnson on as speaker acknowledge they have a persistent problem: Who could replace him? As Johnson faces potentially a dozen holdouts or more going into the speakership vote on Friday, three familiar alternative candidates have come up in internal GOP conversations: Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana, Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan of Ohio and GOP Whip Tom Emmer of Minnesota. All three ran for the speakership in October 2023 before Johnson was elected to take the gavel, and all three were forced to drop their bids as it became obvious they couldn't get the near-unanimous support needed from House Republicans. Their prospects haven't changed a ton since then -- each still has a faction of the conference that would likely oppose them."

Andrew Solender of Axios: "House Democrats are pushing back furiously against a proposed change to House rules that would allow only Republicans to force a vote on removing the speaker of the House.... 'This makes it clear that they have no intention of working together to find common ground,' Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.), the top Democrat on the House Rules Committee, said of the rules change.... McGovern added: 'Instead of electing a Speaker of the House, they have decided to elect a Speaker of the Republican Conference -- held hostage by their most extreme members.'... Whereas in the last Congress, any single House member could introduce such a motion, now eight others have to co-sponsor the measure. But all nine of those lawmakers have to be members of the majority party...." (Also linked yesterday.)

Carl Hulse of the New York Times: Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) "will become majority leader in the new Congress that convenes on Friday, but he is ... facing an early challenge and a major threat to his political standing. Mr. Thune's task ... is to juggle ... Donald J. Trump's demands, the competing desires of 53 G.O.P. senators and a formidable legislative agenda. It starts with shepherding multiple baggage-laden Trump nominees to confirmation in the closely divided Senate, where he can afford to lose no more than three Republican votes if Democrats hold together in opposition. At the same time, he intends to use a tricky maneuver to steer around a filibuster and pass a combination border security, military spending and energy production bill that will require serious legislative finesse. And he wants to do it in the first month or so, while also reordering how and how often the Senate works."

Patrick Svitek of the Washington Post: "Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-New York) on Thursday endorsed Ben Wikler, chairman of the Wisconsin Democratic Party, to lead the national party, making Schumer the highest-ranking Democratic official to weigh in on the race so far.... DNC members are set to pick the next chair in a Feb. 1 election. Wikler's opponents include Ken Martin, a DNC vice chair who leads the Minnesota party; Martin O'Malley, the former commissioner of the Social Security Administration and a former governor of Maryland; and James Skoufis, a New York state senator." (Also linked yesterday.)

Lindsay Whitehurst of the AP: "The federal courts will not refer allegations that Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas may have violated ethics laws to the Justice Department, the judiciary's policymaking body said Thursday. Thomas has agreed to follow updated requirements on reporting trips and gifts, including clearer guidelines on hospitality from friends, the U.S. Judicial Conference wrote to Democratic senators who had called for an investigation into undisclosed acceptance of luxury trips. Thomas has previously said he wasn't required to disclose the many trips he and his wife took that were paid for by wealthy benefactors like Republican megadonor Harlan Crow because they are close personal friends." Read on.

Cecilia Kang of the New York Times: "A federal appeals court struck down the Federal Communications Commission's landmark net neutrality rules on Thursday, ending a nearly two-decade effort to regulate broadband internet providers like utilities. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, in Cincinnati, said that the F.C.C. lacked the authority to reinstate rules that prevented broadband providers from slowing or blocking access to internet content. The decision put an end to the Biden administration's hallmark tech policy, which had drawn impassioned support from consumer groups and tech giants like Google and fierce protests by telecommunications giants like Comcast and AT&T.... In its opinion, a three-judge panel pointed to a Supreme Court decision in June, known as Loper Bright, that overturned a 1984 legal precedent that gave deference to government agencies on regulations.... Thursday's decision effectively concludes the back-and-forth battle. Brendan Carr, whom Mr. Trump has named as the incoming F.C.C. chair, has been a strong critic of net neutrality. The court's reliance on the Loper case in its ruling could also portend more lawsuits to hollow out federal regulations at the F.C.C. and other agencies." (Also linked yesterday.) The Verge's report is here.

Ana Swanson of the New York Times: "Trump's falsehoods aside..., the growing influence of Chinese companies and the Chinese government over shipping and global ports, including the Panama Canal, has become a concern for U.S. officials. The Chinese government has invested heavily in building ports throughout the world. And given that China is the world's biggest exporter, private Chinese companies now play a major role in shipping and port operations, giving them significant influence over the movement of global goods and strategic positions from which to monitor other countries' activities.... Much of the concern of U.S. officials in more recent times centers on two seaports at either end of the Panama Canal, a channel through which 40 percent of U.S. container traffic runs. Those seaports have been operated for decades by Hutchison Ports PPC, a division of CK Hutchison Holdings, a Hong Kong-based company."

⭐"When You're a Star, People Let You Think You're Smart." Paul Krugman on Substack: "The Smoot-Hawley level tariffs [Donald Trump] promised during the campaign would be disastrous, but sometimes I think he may have at least a vague sense of the damage those tariffs would do, so what he's really aiming for is an extortion scheme -- one in which most companies would secure exemptions via political contributions and/or de facto bribes (e.g. buying Trump crypto.) But then ... I'll be reminded that wealthy and powerful people like Trump or [Marc] Andreesen or, of course, Elon Musk are often far more ignorant than policy wonks can easily imagine." Read the whole post; it's not long and Krugman's explanation about why the federal government can't be funded by tariffs, as it was in the 1890s, is easily understandable.

... this country has suffered more deadly terrorism at the hands of American-born citizens who are veterans of the United States military than [from] people who have crossed into this country at the southern border. -- Lawrence O'Donnell, Thursday night ~~~

Sarakshi Rai of the Hill: "Chris Velazco of the Washington Post: "Vice President-elect JD Vance took to the social platform X on Thursday to share an op-ed by Elon Musk in which the tech mogul expressed support for the far-right German political party Alternative for Germany, or AfD. Quoting Musk's English version of the opinion piece, Vance said it was an 'interesting piece.' [Vance] emphasized that he wasn't endorsing AfD in the upcoming German elections, as it was not his country and 'we hope to have good relations with all Germans.' He further took aim at U.S. media outlets, adding that 'American media slanders AfD as Nazi-lite, But AfD is most popular in the same areas of Germany that were most resistant to the Nazis.'...

⭐“In response to Vance's tweet, Germany's ambassador to the U.S. Andreas Michaelis called it an 'interesting observation. in a post on Bluesky. 'Historical context can be tricky -- while some areas you are referring to resisted the Nazi party early on, others did not, or later became strongholds of the regime. Germany's history reminds us how important it is to challenge extremism in all its forms,' he wrote." MB: I believe that's the diplomat's way of saying, "JayDee, you blithering idiot."

Chris Velazco of the Washington Post: "Apple has agreed to end a five-year legal battle over user privacy related to its virtual assistant Siri with a $95 million payout to affected customers, according to a preliminary settlement. The company ... signed off on the payment to settle a class-action lawsuit claiming its virtual assistant Siri can be accidentally activated, and subsequently record parts of people's conversations without their consent. Apple then violated its users' privacy, plaintiffs alleged, by sending those recordings to third parties.... The terms of the settlement ... are still subject to approval by the court...." The Ars Technica story is here.

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Colorado. "Trump's America." Maria Luisa Paul of the Washington Post: "A White Colorado man was charged Thursday after allegedly following a Pacific Islander reporter for 40 miles, berating him about his nationality and choking him at his news station in what court records describe as a racially motivated attack.... While heading north toward Grand Junction, [KKCO/KJCT journalist Ja'Ronn] Alex realized [Patrick Thomas] Egan's car, a Sunshine Rides taxi cab, was following him.... At a traffic light, Egan pulled up next to Alex's car, rolled down the windows and shouted xenophobic threats, according to [an arrest] affidavit. 'Are you even a U.S. citizen? This is Trump's America now! I'm a Marine and I took an oath to protect this country from people like you!' Alex -- who is a Detroit native, according to KKCO/KJCT -- recalled, according to the affidavit."

Louisiana. Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs, et al., of the New York Times: "A Texas man who ... drove into a crowd in New Orleans on New Year's Day, killing 14 people, appears to have acted alone, an F.B.I. official said on Thursday, as the city reopened Bourbon Street after the attack and hosted thousands of fans for the Sugar Bowl. Investigators have found no definitive link' between the attack and the explosion of a Tesla Cybertruck hours later that wounded at least seven people outside of a Trump hotel in Las Vegas, according to the F.B.I. official, Christopher Raia, the deputy assistant director of the bureau's counterterrorism division." ~~~

~~~ Adam Nossiter, et al., of the New York Times: "Five years before a man in a pickup mowed down dozens of New Year's revelers in New Orleans, a confidential security report warned that the iconic Bourbon Street tourist strip was vulnerable to a 'vehicular ramming' attack. The assessment, prepared by a security firm in November 2019 for the group that manages the city's French Quarter, warned that the bollards designed to block vehicles from entering Bourbon Street did 'not appear to work.' The New York security firm recommended fixing the barriers immediately.... Police officials stressed that the city had started work to replace the old barriers in November, ahead of the Super Bowl next month, and that the work was still ongoing on Wednesday when the attack occurred.... But some security experts said New Orleans had left Bourbon Street dangerously vulnerable."

Nevada. Jacey Fortin & Jesus Jiménez of the New York Times: "... authorities identified the driver ... of the Tesla truck that exploded outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas on Wednesday morning ... as Master Sgt. Matthew Alan Livelsberger of the Army and a soldier with the 10th Special Forces Group.... The cause of [his] death was a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the driver's head, the county coroner ruled.... Over a few days, Sergeant Livelsberger drove from Colorado through New Mexico and Arizona -- a route that officials traced using data from the Tesla charging stations he had visited." The article provides some biographical details about Livelsberger, but authorities have not discovered the motives behind the apparent attack. A CBS News story is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Justin Rohrlich of the Independent: "The active-duty Green Beret [Matthew Livelsberger] who was driving a Tesla Cybertruck that blew up outside the Trump International Hotel Las Vegas on New Year's Day 'was a 100 percent patriot,' his bewildered uncle [Dean Livelsberger] said Thursday.... 'He used to have all patriotic stuff on Facebook, he was 100 percent loving the country,' he continued. 'He loved Trump, and he was always a very, very patriotic soldier, a patriotic American. It's one of the reasons he was in Special Forces for so many years. It wasn't just one tour of duty.'"

New York. Christopher Maag of the New York Times: "A few hours after midnight on New Year's Day, a man scaled the fence surrounding Gracie Mansion, the official residence of the New York City mayor, Eric Adams, and broke into the building.... Mayor Adams was not at home at the time, a spokeswoman for the mayor said. The bizarre incident was recorded by surveillance cameras, which captured the man, Michael Aromando, 20, climbing the fence at 4:23 a.m. Wednesday.... One minute later, a police officer noticed Mr. Aromando walking around inside the mansion. Mr. Aromando was unarmed when he was arrested. He was carrying several items, including a Christmas ornament he had taken from the mansion, the police said. In an interview with a police officer, Mr. Aromando shared a video recorded on his phone, which showed him taking the ornament from a drawer inside the residence. Police officers assigned to guard the mansion did not notice him scaling the fence, the police spokesman said. The closed-circuit television video of the break-in was found only after he was arrested."

New York. Maria Cramer & Chelsia Marcius of the New York Times: "Federal agents on Thursday morning searched the home of Jeffrey Maddrey, the former chief of department for the New York Police Department, Commissioner Jessica Tisch said. Mr. Maddrey, who resigned on Dec. 20 after a lieutenant accused him of coercing her into sex, is also being investigated by the department's Internal Affairs Bureau, which is working with law enforcement authorities in its inquiry, Commissioner Tisch said in a statement on social media. Mr. Maddrey, who left the department but whose resignation is not yet effective, was suspended without pay Thursday morning as the search warrant was executed, the commissioner said."

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Kenya. Coming Soon to a Village Near You? Lynsey Chutel of the New York Times: "A glowing ring of metal, more than eight feet in diameter and weighing more than 1,100 pounds, fell from the sky and crash landed in a remote village in Kenya this week, causing no injuries but frightening residents who feared a bomb or worse. The object turned out to be space debris -- junk left over from six decades of space exploration and a growing number of commercial launches, the Kenya Space Agency said Wednesday. It identified the object as a separation ring from a launch rocket and said that it was investigating the ring's origin and ownership.... Last year, the European Space Agency estimated that there were more than 14,000 tons of material in low Earth orbit. About a third of that is junk, according to Sara Webb, an astrophysicist...."

South Korea. The New York Times is live-updating developments in the political turmoil in South Korea: "Officials in South Korea abandoned an attempt to take President Yoon Suk Yeol in for questioning over insurrection charges on Friday after a standoff inside the president's residence that lasted several hours.... Officials began withdrawing from Mr. Yoon's residence at 1:30 p.m. local time after entering the compound in the morning. To get inside, they had cleared away crowds of supporters attempting to block their path. But when they neared the building where Mr. Yoon was believed to be, they met walls of vehicles, and 200 soldiers and presidential bodyguards, officials told reporters. The dozens of investigators and police officers were outnumbered and had to withdraw after brief and minor scuffles, they said. Mr. Yoon has ignored repeated summonses from the investigators to appear for questioning...."