The Conversation -- October 12, 2024

Myah Ward of Politico: Donald Trump's "rhetoric has veered more than ever into conspiracy theories and rumors, like when he amplified false claims about Haitian immigrants in Ohio eating pets. And Trump has demonized minority groups and used increasingly dark, graphic imagery to talk about migrants in every one of his speeches since the Sept. 10 presidential debate, according to a Politico review of more than 20 campaign events. It's a stark escalation over the last month of what some experts in political rhetoric, fascism, and immigration say is a strong echo of authoritarians and Nazi ideology.... Trump vowed to 'rescue' the Denver suburb of Aurora, Colorado, from the rapists, 'blood thirsty criminals,' and 'most violent people on earth' he insists are ruining the 'fabric' of the country and its culture: immigrants.... The supposed threat migrants pose is the core part of the former president's closing argument.... He is no longer just talking about keeping immigrants out of the country.... Trump now warns that migrants have already invaded, destroying the country from inside its borders, which he uses as a means to justify a second-term policy agenda that includes building massive detention camps and conducting mass deportations."

Sam Levine of the Guardian: "The far-right website The Gateway Pundit acknowledged for the first time on Saturday that there was not any fraud during ballot counting in Atlanta in 2020 when Donald Trump lost the presidency, a significant concession from one of the most influential conservative sites that plays a key role in spreading election misinformation. The statement, the first acknowledgment from the site that there was no proof of fraud in Atlanta, came days after the site settled a defamation lawsuit with Ruby Freeman and her daughter, Shaye Moss, two local election workers who the site falsely accused of wrongdoing. The terms of the settlement were not disclosed publicly, but the site appears to have removed all mention of the two women."

Ariana Baio of the Independent: "After mocking Vice President Kamala Harris over her teleprompter use, Donald Trump's rally in Reno, Nevada, ground to a halt as he ... was forced to fix his [teleprompter] on-stage after a campaign sign fell on it. 'Thank god I don't use teleprompters too much,' Trump told rallygoers after the sign fell on the teleprompter, causing the script to stop being projected. 'I look at the teleprompter, it's totally gone. I say "What the hell happened." The sign fell on top of it.... He went on to, again, falsely accuse Harris of using one during her town hall with Univision on Thursday. Both the Harris campaign and Univision have confirmed to CNN that the vice president did not use a teleprompter during her town hall. A teleprompter that was seen in a photo from the event was in Spanish and meant for the moderator, not Harris." MB: Harris does not speak Spanish. "Many questions were asked in Spanish and translated for her [at the town hall]." ~~~

     ~~~ Ha Ha. From the Independent story: Trump told supporters on Friday night that "there's something wrong with [Harris]" for using teleprompters. "He added: 'I don't use them that much. The concept I use but I don't like it.' So after thinking about it since 2015, he has concepts of a healthcare plan. And now he has a concept of a teleprompter. Either Trump is a great philosopher who spends his waking hours theorizing & conceptualizing stuff, or he lives in a fantasy world that absolves him a need to grapple with the vicissitudes of reality.

Steve M. has some thoughts on JD Vance's NYT interview, and you will enjoy reading them. MB: They are funny in the way some horror movies have humorous elements: like I saw an ad for the new "Joker" movie where Lady Gaga sings "Get Happy" to River Phoenix, and I thought that was funny, even though it was obvious that the lyric, "Get ready for the judgment day" was an ominous signal. ~~~

Katie Rogers, et al., of the New York Times: "Vice President Kamala Harris released a letter on Saturday from her White House doctor, who said she is in 'excellent health' and is successfully managing some minor health issues. Ms. Harris, 59, has seasonal allergies, mild nearsightedness and skin hives that she treats with over-the-counter and prescription medication, wrote Joshua R. Simmons, the physician to the vice president. 'Vice President Harris remains in excellent health,' Dr. Simmons wrote in a two-page letter that appeared to be a summary but not a complete medical report. 'She possesses the physical and mental resiliency required to successfully execute the duties of the presidency, to include those as chief executive, head of state and commander in chief.' Ms. Harris has not had diabetes, high cholesterol, heart disease, cancer, osteoporosis or neurological disorders, Dr. Simmons wrote. ... The release of Ms. Harris's medical information comes as ... Donald J. Trump, her 78-year-old rival, has refused to reveal similar basic health information.... Mr. Trump, the oldest person to become a presidential nominee, has declined requests to release new information about his health even though he has promised to." ~~~

     ~~~ Here's Dr. Simmons' letter, via the White House. ~~~

     ~~~ Fritz Farrow, et al., of ABC News: "Vice President Kamala Harris released a report with details about her health and medical history on Saturday, as the Harris team tries to place ... Donald Trump's health and advanced age under new scrutiny." MB: Note that right up in the lede ABC News contrasts Harris's release of her medical report with Trump's refusal to do the same, whereas the NYT first makes reference to Trump's refusal to release recent medical records a ways down the page.

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Presidential Race

David Gilmour of Mediaite: "The feature by [Vogue], which publicly endorsed Harris in July, comes as a publicity boost in the pivotal final moments in her presidential campaign, the announcement noting: 'Rarely are individuals summoned for acts of national rescue.'... The image shot by famed photographer Annie Leibovitz, is accompanied by a lengthy cover story, for which Harris was interviewed, and highlights Harris's rise to the forefront of politics." ~~~

     ~~~ Apparently, wingers are very upset that the photo of Harris was touched up. MB: I'm not sure then why they don't mind that all the officials photos of Trump have been air-brushed. And those trading cards picture him as a fantastical, cartoonish young, muscular hunk.

Ashleigh Fields of the Hill: "Vice President Harris's campaign released an ad titled 'Like Detroit' on Friday, criticizing former President Trump for his unfavorable comments about the city.... The video will air in Michigan markets during the Detroit Tigers game on Saturday and the Lions game on Sunday." Actor Courtney Vance, a Detroit native, does the voiceover.~~~

Kellen Browning of the New York Times: "Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota took the stage in a Detroit suburb on Friday to offer a sharp rebuttal to ... Donald J. Trump, who had positioned himself as a savior of the auto industry at an appearance in Detroit a day earlier. Speaking to about 100 people inside a community college's fabrication shop in Warren, Mich., Mr. Walz argued that the Trump economic agenda would be harmful to blue-collar workers and manufacturing in the state.... 'Trump ... has been an absolute disaster for working people,' Mr. Walz said. 'One of the biggest losers of manufacturing jobs of any American president in history.' He blamed Mr. Trump for the loss of about 280,000 jobs in Michigan during the pandemic, suggesting the former president's 'disastrous mismanagement' of Covid, his trade wars and the federal contracts he gave to businesses that off-shored jobs were to blame.... Mr. Walz, speaking in Warren, also condemned Mr. Trump's unusual decision to disparage Detroit while in the city itself.... Mr. Walz said, 'If the guy were to ever spend time in the Midwest, like all of us know -- we know Detroit's experienced an American comeback, a renaissance.'

"Mr. Walz referenced recent reporting that thousands of copies of Trump-branded Bibles were produced in China. 'This dude even outsourced God to China,' he said, as the crowd laughed. Mr. Walz said he did not blame Mr. Trump for not noticing 'the made-in-China sticker -- cause they put it inside, a place he's never looked.' Mr. Walz also had harsh words for Elon Musk..., who is working relentlessly to get Mr. Trump elected. He criticized Mr. Musk for laughing while Mr. Trump discussed firing striking workers during a livestreamed conversation the duo had on the Musk-owned social media platform X, and pointed out that the businessman was building a Tesla factory in Mexico, rather than in Michigan.... By contrast, Mr. Walz said, Ms. Harris's administration would help 'release the full potential of American industry.'" ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Walter Einenkel, writing in the Daily Kos, reports that what Walz actually said about the made-in-China Trump Bible was, "I don't blame him. He didn't notice the 'Made in China' sticker because they put it inside, a place he's never looked in the Bible." This short clip, embedded in Einenkel's story backs him up. Why Browning truncated Walz' remark, in a manner that gives it a different meaning, is beyond me. But I know it's dishonest reporting. ~~~

Michael Gold & Jonathan Weisman of the New York Times: "... Donald J. Trump escalated the nativist, anti-immigration rhetoric that has animated his political career with a speech Friday in Aurora, Colo., where he repeated false and grossly exaggerated claims about undocumented immigrants that local Republican officials have refuted. For weeks, Aurora has been fending off false rumors about the city. And its conservative Republican mayor, Mike Coffman, said in a statement on Friday that he hoped to show Mr. Trump that Aurora was 'a considerably safe city.' But Mr. Trump has made debunked claims about Aurora ... such a central part of his stump speech that he took a campaign detour to Colorado, which has not voted for a Republican in a presidential election since 2004.... During a meandering 80-minute speech Mr. Trump repeated [debunked] claims ... that Aurora had been 'invaded and conquered,' described the United States as an 'occupied state,' called for the death penalty 'for any migrant that kills an American citizen' and revived a promise to use the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to deport suspected members of drug cartels and criminal gangs without due process."~~~

     ~~~ Sabrina Rodriguez of the Washington Post: “Donald Trump is leaning into a nativist, anti-immigrant message in the final stage of his third presidential campaign, advancing a closing argument centered on fearmongering, falsehoods and stereotypes about migrants as polls show his edge on economic issues fading. In recent days, the former president has suggested that 'bad genes' are to blame for people in the country illegally who have committed murders, reprised his warnings about a migrant 'invasion' and suggested Vice President Kamala Harris's handling of border issues shows she is 'mentally impaired.'... [At his rally in Aurora, he] blamed Harris for importing 'an army of illegal alien gang members and migrant criminals from the dungeons of the Third World.'"

     ~~~ Marie: I realize Trump is not capable of logical thinking, but I wonder how a mentally competent Trump would justify imposing the death penalty upon the very people he says are predestined to murder: "You know, now, a murderer, I believe this, it's in their genes. And we got a lot of bad genes in our country right now." It seems to me that in Trump Court, anyone (or at least anyone of color) should be able to mount a successful defense based on Trump's theory that "My genes made me do it."

Jonathan Swan, et al., of the New York Times: "Over ... [dinner at Trump Tower in late September with wealthy donors, Donald Trump] tore through a bitter list of grievances. He made it clear that people, including donors, needed to do more, appreciate him more and help him more. He disparaged Vice President Kamala Harris as 'retarded.' He complained about the number of Jews still backing Ms. Harris.... At one point, Mr. Trump seemed to suggest that these donors had plenty to be grateful to him for. He boasted about how great he had been for their taxes, something that some privately noted wasn't true for everyone in the room.... He's trailing ... [Ms. Harris] for cash and has had to hustle to keep raising it.... [She raised] $1 billion in less than three months as a candidate -- a sum greater than the total Mr. Trump raised all year.... She raised more than twice as much as Mr. Trump in July, August and September."

Josh Dawsey & Isaac Arnsdorf of the Washington Post: "Donald Trump’s campaign requested military aircraft for Trump to fly in during the final weeks of the campaign, expanded flight restrictions over his residences and rallies, ballistic glass pre-positioned in seven battleground states for the campaign's use and an array of military vehicles to transport Trump, according to emails reviewed by The Washington Post and people familiar with the matter. The requests are extraordinary and unprecedented -- no nominee in recent history has been ferried around in military planes ahead of an election. But the requests came after Trump's campaign advisers received briefings in which the government said Iran is still actively plotting to kill him....

"'Assistance from the Department of Defense is regularly provided for the former president's protection, to include explosive ordnance disposal, canine units, and airlift transportation,' [Secret Service spokesman Anthony] Guglielmi said. The Secret Service is also imposing temporary flight restrictions 'over the former president's residence and when he travels,' he added. 'Additionally, the former president is receiving the highest level of technical security assets which include unmanned aerial vehicles, counter unmanned aerial surveillance systems, ballistics and other advanced technology systems.' Senior U.S. officials said it was unlikely the Trump campaign would be provided military planes based on the current intelligence."

Sophia Cai of Axios: "Donald Trump's campaign quietly has changed a key part of its messaging operation, tapping Trump 2020 veteran Tim Murtaugh to lead its communications in the final month before the election.... The campaign isn't changing anyone's titles in its communications team to try to avoid the appearance of a shake-up..., two sources said.... 'Danielle Alvarez, Steven Cheung and Brian Hughes are unparalleled,' [co-campaign manager Susan Wiles] said...." MB: IOW, campaign spokespeople will still be spewing appalling insults in response to routine questions.

Peter Baker of the New York Times: "In the nearly four years since he left the White House, Mr. Trump has acted as something of a shadow president on international affairs operating out of what he used to call the Winter White House at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. Even before he kicked off a comeback bid to reclaim his old office, foreign governments realized that Mr. Trump was still a force in American politics and that they needed to take him into account in their dealings with the United States. Now that he is the Republican nominee for president in next month&'s election, foreign leaders have been playing up to Mr. Trump even more. A parade of world leaders has made the pilgrimage to Mar-a-Lago or to Trump Tower in New York, including the leaders of Ukraine, Israel, Poland, Hungary, Argentina, Qatar, [and] the United Arab Emirates.... 'Trump ran his White House like a Middle East dictatorship, so these actions are par for the course with him,' said Brian Katulis, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute. 'But its off-the-charts unusual and potentially a major national security threat for a number of reasons.'"

Andrew Feinberg of the Independent: "Mark Milley, the US Army general who Donald Trump appointed as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, now says the current Republican presidential nominee is a 'fascist to the core' and says no person has ever posed more of a danger to the United States than the man who served as the 45th President of the United States. Milley, a decorated military officer who became a target for right-wing scorn after it became known that he expressed concerns over Trump's mental stability in the wake of his 2020 election loss to Joe Biden, is described by journalist Bob Woodward in his new book, War, as incredibly alarmed at the prospect of a second Trump term in the White House." Read on.

Michael Bender of the New York Times: "In an interview with The New York Times that will be published on Saturday, [JD] Vance repeatedly refused to acknowledge ... Donald J. Trump's defeat and went to even greater lengths to avoid doing so than he did during the vice-presidential debate earlier this month. When asked about the previous election during an hourlong interview with Lulu Garcia-Navarro, a host of 'The Interview,' a Times podcast published each Saturday, the Republican vice-presidential nominee responded that he was 'focused on the future.' It was the same phrase he used to evade the same question during his debate with his Democratic rival, Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota.... On her fifth request for a yes-or-no answer, Ms. Garcia-Navarro pointed out that there was 'no proof, legal or otherwise,' of election fraud. Mr. Vance dismissed that as 'a slogan.'" ~~~

     ~~~ Update. Lulu Garcia-Navarro of the New York Times: JD "Vance has always been comfortable in the public eye, starting with his job dealing with the media as a public-affairs officer in the Marines. As an author, commentator and candidate, he has left a long record ... of his evolving views.... In a 2021 podcast, for example, he said that Trump, if elected again, should 'seize the institutions of the left,' 'fire every single midlevel bureaucrat' in the U.S. government, 'replace them with our people' and defy the Supreme Court if it tried to stop him. That is what Vance sounds like when he's talking to his base. But a very different Vance appeared recently on the debate stage, where, when speaking to a national audience, he was much less divisive and much more willing to engage in a civil discussion with a political opponent ... Tim Walz...." What follows is what appears to be a full transcript of the interview. Included as well are audio of the interview and links to a number of podcasts. ~~~

     ~~~ Update 2. Here are Bender's takeaways from the interview. Bender and JayDee make JayDee sound quite nice & reasonable. ~~~

     ~~~ Hypocrisy, Thy Name Is JayDee. Philip Bump of the Washington Post: During the Times interview, "Vance revived the old, false claim that briefly limiting the Hunter Biden story on social media made Trump lose. Meanwhile, his campaign pushed X to do just that.... X banned [Ken] Klippenstein's [publication of a purloined Trump briefing book], purportedly because the linked document included personal information about Vance. But also because the Trump campaign wanted it to be limited, according to the Times's Elon Musk story. 'After a reporter's publication of hacked Trump campaign information last month,' the story notes, 'the campaign connected with X to prevent the circulation of links to the material on the platform, according to two people with knowledge of the events. X eventually blocked links to the material and suspended the reporter's account.'" ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I feel a bit dishonest when I refer to the junior senator from Ohio as JayDee. As Akhilleus has pointed out, JayDee has used many aliases.

Today, he prefers JD Vance.
But before that, he called himself J.D. Vance; i.e., J Dot D Dot Vance.
Before that it was J.D. Hamel.
Before that it was James. D. Hamel.
Before that he was James David Hamel.
He was born James Donald Bowman.

Maya Boddie of AlterNet: "Undercover audio shared to social media by liberal filmmaker Lauren Windsor on Thursday shows Donald Trump ally Roger Stone revealing his plans to disrupt the electoral process next month if the ex-president doesn't defeat Kamala Harris.... [Stone told an undercover reporter at an event in August 2024 that during Trump's previous administration,] 'We were never really in control.... I was indicted by Donald Trump's Justice Department. Donald Trump never controlled the Justice Department. [Former Attorney General] Bill Barr [is a] traitorous piece of human garbage!' Stone went on to call the former Trump AG 'a piece of s--t.' [Stone's plan to put Trump back in office:] '... We gotta fight it out on a state-to-state basis.... When they throw us out of Detroit, you go get a court order, you come in with your armed guards, and you dispute it.'"~~~

     ~~~ Alice Herman of the Guardian writes a story that includes a bit more context.

Lolita Baldor of the AP: "Two U.S. Navy SEALs drowned as they tried to climb aboard a ship carrying illicit Iranian-made weapons to Yemen because of glaring training failures and a lack of understanding about what to do after falling into deep, turbulent waters, according to a military investigation.... The review concluded that the drownings of Chief Special Warfare Operator Christopher J. Chambers and Navy Special Warfare Operator 1st Class Nathan Gage Ingram could have been prevented. But both sank quickly in the high seas off the coast of Somalia, weighed down by heavy equipment they were carrying and not knowing or disregarding concerns that their flotation devices could not compensate for the additional weight. Both were lost at sea. The highly critical and heavily redacted report -- written by a Navy officer from outside Naval Special Warfare Command, which oversees the SEALs -- concluded there were 'deficiencies, gaps and inconsistencies' in training, policies, tactics and procedures as well as 'conflicting guidance' on when and how to use emergency flotation devices and extra buoyancy material that could have kept them alive."

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Marie: Perhaps there are some costs to buying one of world's largest social media platforms, then turning it into a vehicle for promoting fascism. ~~~

~~~ California. Mike Bedigan of the Independent: "State officials have rejected SpaceX's plans to launch further rockets in California, after Elon Musk's recent 'aggressive' insertion into the US presidential race. Questions have been raised as to whether actions by the space exploration company, owned by Musk, should be considered federal or private activity. The plan to increase the number of SpaceX rocket launches to up to 50 a year was rejected by the California Coastal Commission on Thursday, with some officials citing Musk's incredibly political posts on his social media platform X. 'We're dealing with a company, the head of which has aggressively injected himself into the presidential race,' commission Chair Caryl Hart said. 'This company (SpaceX) is owned by the richest person in the world with direct control of what could be the most expansive communications system on the planet,' Commissioner Mike Wilson said. 'Just last week that person was talking about political retribution.'"

Texas. Caroline Kitchener of the Washington Post: "A Texas man who sued three women for allegedly helping his ex-wife obtain abortion pills has dropped his claims == prompting abortion rights advocates to declare victory in the first case of its kind to be brought since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. The lawsuit, filed in state court in Galveston County in March 2023, claimed that helping someone obtain an abortion qualifies as murder under the state's homicide law and the abortion ban that took effect shortly after the Supreme Court ruling, allowing a Texas man to sue under the wrongful-death statute.... [Marcus] Silva, who identified himself as the 'father of the unborn child,' agreed to drop the case late Thursday after several different state courts refused to compel his ex-wife and the three defendants to provide additional information. One Texas Supreme Court justice called attention to what he described as Silva's 'disgracefully vicious harassment and intimidation of his ex-wife.'"

Virginia. Alexander Malin of ABC News: "The Justice Department filed suit against Virginia on Friday over a statewide program aimed at removing voters from its election rolls in the lead-up to the 2024 election if DMV records don't indicate United States citizenship. The Department said it filed the lawsuit based on a federal law that prohibits purges from rolls within the 90-day period leading up to an election.... The [purge] system, implemented via executive order by Gov. Glenn Youngkin, has already faced lawsuits from several immigration rights groups. The DOJ recently filed a similar lawsuit against the state of Alabama over similar voter roll purges.... In a statement on the governor's website, Youngkin called the lawsuit a 'politically motivated action,' and vowed to not 'stand idly by.'" MB: Uh, Glenn, that's what my grandma used to call the pot calling the kettle black. ~~~

     ~~~ Here's the DOJ's press release.

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Israel/Palestine, et al.

The Washington Post's live updates of developments Saturday in Israel's wars are here: 'President Joe Biden said he is 'absolutely, positively' asking Israel to stop hitting U.N. peacekeepers. His remarks, in response to a reporter's question on Friday, follow those by several world leaders and rights groups who have expressed concern since the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon announced that explosions near its headquarters had injured two peacekeepers -- the second time the headquarters was affected by explosions in 48 hours. Lebanon's caretaker prime minister, Najib Mikati, described the attacks on UNIFIL as a criminal act that endangers international community norms and said his cabinet would urge the U.N. Security Council to call for an urgent cease-fire in Lebanon."

Lara Jakes of the New York Times explores the unsettled international legal questions surrounding Israel's invasion of Hesbollah.

Ukraine, et al. Alex Horton, et al., of the Washington Post: "Russian forces have become deadlier and more agile with the help of illicit Starlink terminals ... despite U.S. efforts to stop the flow of technology.... Tens of thousands of Starlink dishes form the backbone of Ukraine's military network, fueling devices vital to fighting a digital war -- one of the few advantages Kyiv has against Moscow's bigger, if less modernized, force.... The issue [of Russia's access to Starlink] has renewed Ukrainian frustrations over Elon Musk, SpaceX's mercurial chief executive. Some [Ukraine] soldiers criticized Musk by name, saying his company has not done enough to crack down on illicit use and casting doubt on his desire to fix the problem, saying he appears to have favorable views toward Russia.... Musk was also widely condemned in Ukraine following reports he denied Kyiv's request to allow Starlink access for sea drones in a planned 2022 attack on Russia's Black Sea Fleet. His biographer Walter Isaacson also wrote that Musk sought counsel from the Russian ambassador to the United States and was worried he would play a role in a destabilizing escalation....

"The U.S. and Ukrainian governments are working with SpaceX to 'prevent Russia's illicit use of Starlink terminals in occupied Ukraine,' including focus from the U.S. Treasury Department on 'potential sanctions violations' related to the international smuggling effort, said ... a Defense Department spokesman.... SpaceX provided free Starlink connection to Ukraine after Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022 but then threatened to cut service following online spats with diplomats, citing the high costs. Musk relented under public pressure and then sent the bill to the Pentagon, the most recent totaling $14.1 million for six months of service through next month." ~~~

~~~ Marie: No one should be a billionaire.

The Conversation -- October 11, 2024

So here's what a appears to be a series of X posts that is worth reading to the end. (It's not long.) Thanks to RAS for the link.

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Philip Nieto of Mediaite: "President Joe Biden bashed former President Donald Trump for spreading misinformation regarding the hurricanes destroying parts of the country. During a Thursday press conference, Biden spoke on his administration's efforts to provide relief to victims of Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton. Recently, online misinformation regarding the storms has complicated FEMA's efforts to provide victims with the necessary aid.... When asked by a reporter if he has spoken to Trump recently..., [Biden said,] 'Are you kidding me? Mr. President Trump, former President Trump -- Get a life, man! Help these people.'"

Presidential Race

Nicholas Nehamas, et al., of the New York Times: At a town hall in Las Vegas, aired on Univision, Kamala Harris took "emotional questions from voters on health care and the economy -- and displayed the balance [she] is seeking on tough border rules and paths to citizenship.... Many questions were asked in Spanish and translated for her.... Polls show Ms. Harris with less support from Hispanic voters than Mr. Biden carried four years ago.

"On Thursday evening, Ms. Harris held a get-out-the-vote rally outside Phoenix. There, she criticized Mr. Trump for threatening to undo the Affordable Care Act, and got raucous applause when she mentioned how the late Senator John McCain, a longtime Arizona Republican, had cast a decisive vote in 2017 thwarting efforts by Mr. Trump and Republicans to repeal it."

Andrew Harris of Politico: "Vice President Kamala Harris will participate in a town hall with CNN on Oct. 23, her campaign announced Thursday. Harris' participation comes after ... Donald Trump has declined to face the vice president in another debate before the Nov. 5 election. CNN also offered Trump a town hall, and his campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Politico."

Stephen Collinson of CNN: At a campaign rally in Pittsburgh, Pa., on Thursday, former President Barack "Obama ... painted a searing picture of Trump as a malicious, ridiculous and incompetent menace, while trying to weave a rhetorical case for voters who are feeling economically insecure to vote for Harris, who is part of an incumbent administration, nonetheless.... The ex-president savagely mocked Trump, asking whether his successor had ever changed a tire or a diaper and condemning his single term and 'mean and ugly' border policies.... The 44th and 45th presidents have waged a political feud for more than a decade, since Trump built the foundation of his populist movement on false claims that Obama was not US-born. Birtherism was the earliest indication of the potency of Trump's political cocktail of racial aspersions and untruths, which has reached new heights in the 2024 election." ~~~

~~~ Marie: If you or your children or your grandchildren aspire to a career in retail politics, here's how it's done. If you have time while you're washing your socks, or as my old priest once said, "cleaning out the corners in the glory of God," (a turn of phrase I have remembered for 65 years) start up this video and turn up the volume: ~~~

~~~ Here's something President Obama said during his Pittsburgh speech that I wish the Harris campaign would emphasize. ~~~

     ~~~ Matthew Chapman of the Raw Story: "Former President Barack Obama knocked down [link fixed] one of ... Donald Trump's most central pitches to voters for re-election at a Pittsburgh rally Thursday evening: that Trump was a masterful steward of the economy.... 'Some think, I remember that economy when he first came in being pretty good,' said Obama. 'Yeah, it was pretty good -- because it was my economy. It wasn't something he did. I spent eight years cleaning up the mess that the Republicans had left me.' The economy continued to grow after Obama left office under Trump. However, Trump also presided over one of the worst single-year economic disasters in U.S. history, as the COVID-19 pandemic first hit in 2020. Supply shortages crippled supermarkets around the country and unemployment peaked at 15 percent. Under President Joe Biden, the job market trend returned to pre-pandemic levels." ~~~

     ~~~ Here's the full citation, via Mediaite:

And the reason some people think, 'I remember that economy when he first came in being pretty good' -- yeah, it was pretty good because it was my economy! We had had 75 straight months of job growth that I handed over to him! It wasn't something he did! I had spent eight years cleaning up the mess that the Republicans had left me the last time. So just in case everyone has a hazy memory, he didn't do nothing! Except those big tax cuts. His other big economic plan now is to slap tariffs on everything, from food to TVs.

Michael Luciano of Mediaite: Obama -- Trump -- diapers. MB: Nice to see I'm not the only person who noticed Trump seemed to be wearing "adult protection."

You're coming up with all kinds of reasons and excuses. I've got a problem with that. Part of it makes me think that, well, you just aren't feeling the idea of having a woman as president, and you're coming up with other alternatives and other reasons for that.... The women in our lives have been getting our backs this entire time. When we get in trouble and the system isn't working for us, they're the ones out there marching and protesting. -- Barack Obama, in a message to Black men, delivered at a campaign stop in Pittsburgh, Pa. ~~~

~~~ Erica Green & Katie Rogers of the New York Times: "Former President Barack Obama traveled to Pittsburgh on Thursday to urge voters there to choose Vice President Kamala Harris in November, aiming a message at one group in particular: Black men. The decision voters have between the vice president and ... Donald J. Trump, her Republican opponent, 'isn't a close call,' Mr. Obama said as he visited with a group of campaign volunteers and officials at a field office just ahead of his appearance at a Harris rally." The AP's report is here.

If you're interested in what Tim Walz has been up to the last couple of days, Rebecca O'Brien of the New York Times has a run-down. HOWEVER, you'll have to wade through the first several paragraphs of what the paper considers a thrilling mini-scandal: Walz's remarks, made on the West Coast, that he wanted to get rid of the Electoral College. The problem apparently is that abolishing the Electoral College is not the Harris campaign's position because they don't want to offend voters in the only states that matter: swing states like Pennsylvania & Michigan.

Chris Cameron & Rebecca O'Brien of the New York Times: "Senator JD Vance of Ohio and Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota opened the first day of voting in Arizona on Wednesday with a spree of campaign events across the state.... Arizona, with its 11 Electoral College votes, has no clear favorite in the presidential race -- even as polls there show a slight lead by ... Donald Trump over Vice President Kamala Harris.... Mr. Vance first held a rally in Tucson before attending a town-hall event hosted by the Conservative Political Action Conference in Mesa, near Phoenix. Mr. Walz visited a Veterans of Foreign Wars post and met with tribal leaders on tribal land, near Phoenix, before holding a campaign rally in the evening at a high school gym in Tucson.... In Arizona on Wednesday morning, he linked up for breakfast with Doug Emhoff, Ms. Harris's husband." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ Getting Out the Incel Vote??? Simon Levien of the New York Times: "Vice President Kamala Harris's campaign bridged the real world with World of Warcraft on Wednesday, livestreaming Gov. Tim Walz's rally in Arizona via Twitch, while a Twitch streamer played the role-playing game and provided commentary about his rally.... This was the first time the Harris campaign has livestreamed gameplay from its Twitch account, which was created in August, and roughly 5,000 viewers were tuned in.... Preheat, a Twitch streamer and World of Warcraft player with about 50,000 followers, hosted the stream from the Harris campaign's account and encouraged the viewers to vote for her. The screen was split, with Mr. Walz's rally in Tucson on the left and gameplay on the right." (Also linked yesterday.)

Hadleigh Zinsner of FactCheck.org: "An ad from Vice President Kamala Harris features a Pennsylvania farming couple who say they are 'lifelong Republicans' but are voting for Harris. Social media users, citing a video from an Australian news site, falsely claim the couple are 'actors' and Democratic donors. The news site has corrected its report.... Following the release of the ad, [Kristina & Robert Lange] said they were the target of harassment, including threatening calls to their business."

Michael Gold & Alan Rappeport of the New York Times: "... Donald J. Trump was roughly an hour and a half into a nearly two-hour speech to the Detroit Economic Club on Thursday afternoon before he got to his main new policy proposal: a call to make car loan interest fully tax deductible. The proposal, which came late during a circuitous speech to business leaders, merged two of Mr. Trump's favored efforts to win voters: targeted tax cuts aimed at key voting blocs nationwide and promises to revitalize the auto industry in Michigan, a critical battleground state. Even before this latest tax cut proposal, the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget estimated that Mr. Trump's agenda could add as much as $15 trillion to the nation's debt over a decade.... But before he got to his new proposal..., he took a pointed dig at the city that was hosting him. 'Our whole country will end up being like Detroit if she's your president,' he said. 'You're going to have a mess on your hands.' Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, a Democrat, blasted Mr. Trump's comments in a social media post, saying that 'you better believe Detroiters won't forget this in November.' As Mr. Trump spoke about his proposals to revive the auto industry, he used some of the same kind of violent, cataclysmic language he often uses to vilify immigrants." Politico's story centers on proposals Trump says will boost the U.S. auto industry. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: You might wonder why Trump would go to a city in a swing state and slam that city right in the faces of its leaders. Hint: There's a photo of some of the audience in the Times story, and every face in the photo is white. ~~~

     ~~~ Lee Moran of the Huffington Post: "The New York Times' Maggie Haberman on Thursday explained why she believes ... Donald Trump trashed Detroit during an address in the city.... Haberman [told CNN's Anderson Cooper], 'I think he was appealing to the people in that room who were a group of largely white businessmen, as I understand it. You could hear there was applause when he said the line.' But Haberman acknowledged 'this is going to appear in local news outside of that room and insulting the city that you are in.... It's certainly not something that I think his advisers would have liked that he said. I think calling it a developing nation was something that you will see again used by opponents.' ~~~

     ~~~ Some leaders and other commentators were not amused. Bradley Moss doesn't say, but he does seem to suspect what it is Trump doesn't like about Detroit. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: You know, the Times story told us Trump's speech was "circuitous" and that he "often rambled." But it doesn't tell us what Mediaite does. The Times doesn't even hint of it unless "circuitous" means "something about circles" & "rambling" means "insane": ~~~

     ~~~ Michael Luciano of Mediaite: “... Donald Trump went on an indecipherable rant about President Joe Biden and his 'circles' -- among other matters -- while delivering a speech on Thursday. Trump addressed the Detroit Economic Club and meandered from one topic to another with seemingly no segue.... He said:

"And then all of a sudden, you hear that they're leaving Milwaukee or they're leaving wherever they may be located. It's very sad to see it. And it's so simple. I mean, you know, this isn't like Elon with his rocket ships that land within 12 inches on the moon where they wanted to land. Or he gets the engines back. That was the first I realized. I said, 'Who the hell did that?' I saw engines about three, four years ago. These things were coming. Cylinders, no wings, no nothing. And they're coming down very slowly, landing on a raft in the middle of the ocean someplace with a circle. Boom. Reminded me of the Biden circles that he used to have, right? He'd have eight circles and he couldn't fill 'em up. But then I heard he beat us with the popular vote. I don't know. I don't know. Couldn't fill up the eight circles. I always loved those circles. They were so beautiful. They were so beautiful to look at. In fact, the person that did them, that was the best thing about his, the level of that circle was great. But they couldn't get people, so they used to have the press stand in those circles because they couldn't get the people. Then I heard we lost. Oh, we lost. No, we're never gonna let that happen again. But we've been abused by other countries. We've been abused by our own politicians, really, more than other countries." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Read it all, please. Don't skim. I suspect JayDee read up on the 25th Amendment before he accepted the nomination for the veep gig. ~~~

~~~ "Man of the Year." Peter Baker of the New York Times: "... Donald J. Trump expressed irritation on Thursday that anyone would challenge his claim that he had been declared 'man of the year' in Michigan many years ago. During a speech in Detroit, he triumphantly pulled out a news story to prove that he was right. The only problem: The news outlet that published the story corrected it online shortly after he cited it. The revised version of the story that he held up as evidence that his account was correct now reports that his account was wrong. At issue is a claim that Mr. Trump has been making since at least 2016 and that he repeated on the campaign trail just last month.... The article that he held up was not about some honor 18 or 20 years ago, long before he ran for president, as he had just told the audience. Instead, it was about a party dinner where he was to speak in June 2023...."

Patrick Svitek & Amy Wang of the Washington Post: "... Donald Trump said Thursday that CBS News should lose a broadcasting license over how it edited a '60 Minutes' interview with Vice President Kamala Harris, even though the federal government does not issue licenses for such television networks.... The agency licenses individual broadcast stations, not networks in their entirety.... Trump raised the issue again during an afternoon speech in Detroit, claiming the edited Harris interview 'will go down as the single biggest scandal in broadcast history.'... It was the latest example of Trump calling for media outlets that have angered him to lose their rights to broadcast -- a push that evokes government control of media, which is a hallmark of authoritarianism.

"Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel denounced Trump's latest call targeting CBS, flatly rejecting an idea the agency has ruled out under both the Biden and Trump administrations. 'While repeated attacks against broadcast stations by the former President may now be familiar, these threats against free speech are serious and should not be ignored,' Rosenworcel said in a statement. 'As I've said before, the First Amendment is a cornerstone of our democracy. The FCC does not and will not revoke licenses for broadcast stations simply because a political candidate disagrees with or dislikes content or coverage.'... Trump has been fixated for days on Harris's interview with '60 Minutes,' which came after he backed out of sitting for his own interview with the show, according to the network." Emphasis added. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: CBS's edits, BTW, were consistent with standard practice. CNN's story is here.

Dana Milbank of the Washington Post recounts Trump's torrent of lies at a Wednesday rally and other atrocious remarks made over the past week. Reading his column made me feel sick.

Trolling Trump. Sarah Fortinsky of the Hill: "The distribution company behind the movie 'The Apprentice' promoted the controversial film outside former President Trump's rally on Wednesday, flying a plane carrying a banner that urged the GOP nominee to watch the movie when it's released this weekend. 'TRUMP: GO SEE THE APPRENTICE FRIDAY!' read the banner, which was visible from the ground outside the closed rally venue in Reading, Pa., on Wednesday.... The movie premiered in May at the Cannes Film Festival and reportedly received an eight-minute standing ovation at the festival but did not clinch any awards.... In May, a lawyer for Trump sent a cease-and-desist letter to the filmmakers, seeking to block the movie's release. His team also threatened to file a suit for what it claimed were 'blatantly false assertions.'"

Tony Schwartz, who ghost-wrote The Art of the Deal, in a New York Times op-ed: "Watching 'The Apprentice' crystallized two big lessons that I learned from Mr. Trump 30 years ago and that I've seen play out in his life ever since with more and more extreme consequences. The first lesson is that a lack of conscience can be a huge advantage when it comes to accruing power, attention and wealth in a society where most other human beings abide by a social contract. The second lesson is that nothing we get for ourselves from the outside world can ever adequately substitute for what we're missing on the inside.... What 'The Apprentice' captures most evocatively is Mr. Trump's transition from pleasing his father to enlisting [Roy] Cohn as a mentor and role model.... There are seven characteristics associated with 'antisocial personality disorder,' according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders:... I've observed all seven in Mr. Trump over the years, and watched them get progressively worse."

Bob Woodward finds & resurrects an interview of Donald Trump he and Carl Bernstein did in February 1989 -- oh, at Trump's invitation. (WashPo link.)

Noah Berlatsky on why Trump lies about natural disasters: "... Trump sees natural disasters entirely through the lens of his own narrow self-interest. When the worst happens, he immediately tries to figure out how he can leverage that worst to harm his (perceived) partisan enemies, or how he can avoid blame." Thanks to RAS for the link.

Here's an easy-to-understand essay on the effects of tariffs by Jeremy Mayer, in a Hill opinion piece. This seems surprising, inasmuch as Mayer is a professor at George Mason, a notoriously right-wing university. However, its conservatism is of the libertarian bent, and -- not surprisingly -- libertarians hate tariffs. I don't know anything about Mayer's own politics.

Melanie confessed in her "memoir"/picture book that she once tried to market a make-up that included caviar among its ingredients. Her venture failed (through no fault of her own! -- just ask her), but her husband's is bound to succeed:

Jeff Jarvis of Buzz Machine tells the media how they have failed us: "You have refused to recognize fascism at the door. You insist on covering authoritarianism as just another side in still-symmetrical American politics. You do not read history.... You let yourselves be exploited by these malign forces to spread their bigotry and bile, cushioned with your white-gloved euphemisms and sane-washing.... You hide behind your impotent fact-checking, never seeing  -- though frequently warned  --  that in the ways you debunk their lies, you spread them, and by pedantically nitpicking the other side in your misguided search for balance you create false equivalence. This is how they exploit you." With examples. Thanks to RAS for the link. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Here's a "thing" about the media's GOP-whitewashing project is that some of us have learned to translate it, but probably most have not. When I read a report that Trump or some other Republican has made a claim "without evidence" or "unsubstantiated" or "baseless," of course my mind reads "lied." But a low-information reader, who might engage sporadically or only in the few weeks before an election, is not going to see it that way. Obviously, in our everyday conversations, we speak "without evidence" almost all of the time. Nobody walks around with documentation to support water-cooler chitchat. So politicians' remarks delivered "without evidence" seem, well, normal. The typical reader doesn't "get" that "without evidence" means it's a lie, perhaps made up out of whole cloth.

Charlie Savage of the New York Times: "The federal judge [Tanya Chutkan] overseeing the 2020 election case against ... Donald J. Trump on Thursday approved a limited release of a compilation of evidence against him, [link fixed] but stayed her order for a week in case Mr. Trump's legal team wants to challenge the disclosure."

Theodore Schleifer, et al., of the New York Times: "In the final weeks of the presidential campaign, the richest man in the world has involved himself in the U.S. election in a manner unparalleled in modern history. Elon Musk, seen over the weekend jumping for joy alongside ... Donald J. Trump at a rally in Butler, Pa., is now talking to the Republican candidate multiple times a week. He has effectively moved his base of operations to Pennsylvania, the place that he has recently told confidants he believes is the linchpin to Mr. Trump's re-election. He has relentlessly promoted Mr. Trump's candidacy to his 201 million followers on X ... and has used to spread conspiracy theories about the Democratic Party and to insult its candidate, Vice President Kamala Harris. Above all, he is personally steering the actions of a super PAC that he has funded with tens of millions of dollars to turn out the vote for Mr. Trump, not just in Pennsylvania but across the country." Read on. It's all too disgusting. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: All too disgusting or not, Marcy Wheeler calls the article a "puff piece." I don't think I agree with that, but it is true that the article doesn't mention Elon's "jokes" about assassinating Kamala Harris. He (not to mention TuKKKer) is a horrible person.

Douglas Martin of the New York Times: "Ethel Kennedy, the widow of Senator Robert F. Kennedy and a popular and vital force in the Kennedy political dynasty, died on Thursday. She was 96." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Ethel Kennedy's life in pictures (link is to a NYT story).

Perry Stein of the Washington Post: "TD Bank pleaded guilty to federal money laundering charges Thursday, agreeing to pay more than $3 billion in fines for enabling drug traffickers and other criminals to open accounts and transfer money through the bank. Federal prosecutors said the bank violated the law when it did not properly monitor trillions of dollars in transactions that stretched back over a decade. Attorney General Merrick Garland announced the agreement and said the Canadian bank -- the 10th-largest in the United States -- is the first in American history to plead guilty to conspiring to laundering money. TD Bank also pleaded guilty to violating the Bank Secrecy Act, which requires banks to report suspicious activity and maintain effective anti-money-laundering programs." CNBC's story is here.

~~~~~~~~~~

Florida & Georgia. Devan Cole, et al., of CNN: "Two federal judges have rejected requests to immediately reopen voter registration in Georgia and Florida as the southeast continues to grapple with significant storm damage ahead of the November election. Southern states impacted by Hurricane Helene have been facing intense pressure by voting and civil rights groups to give residents more time to register to vote given the devastation wrought by the storm and the disruption already caused by Hurricane Milton, which made landfall on Florida's western coast late Wednesday." MB: Both judges were appointed by Democratic presidents.

~~~~~~~~~~

Megan Specia & Lynsey Chutel of the New York Times: "The 2024 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded on Friday to the Japanese organization Nihon Hidankyo, a grass-roots movement of atomic bomb survivors, 'for its efforts to achieve a world free of nuclear weapons.' Nihon Hidankyo has for decades represented hundreds of thousands of survivors of the U.S. atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. These survivors, known as the hibakusha, are living memorials to the horror of the attacks and have used their testimony to raise awareness of the human consequences of nuclear warfare." This is a liveblog.

Israel/Palestine, et al. The Washington Post's live updates of developments Friday in Israel's wars is here: "An Israeli attack in central Beirut on Thursday night killed at least 22 people and injured 117, making it the deadliest strike on the city since Oct. 8, 2023, when Hezbollah launched its first rocket attacks on northern Israel. Israeli forces also fired on three positions held by U.N. peacekeepers in Lebanon, injuring two peacekeepers, the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon said. The Israeli security cabinet, meanwhile, gathered to vote on how to respond to Iran's Oct. 1 missile attack, according to an Israeli official who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly." ~~~

     ~~~ The New York Times' live updates for Friday are here.

U.K. William Booth of the Washington Post: "Boris Johnson has published his political memoir. The book is like the former prime minister: Funny. Frustrating. And not entirely believable. At least, that's the early take.... There are some spicy reveals.... The revelations have made minor news and sparked rounds of chat on TV and social media here. But British readers seem to be viewing the memoir more as entertainment than definitive history.... The Daily Mail, which has been running excerpts, proclaimed it 'the political memoir of the century.' The London Times called it 'childishly amusing.' The Guardian went with 'memoirs of a clown.'"

News Ledes

Washington Post: "Floridians began returning to damaged and waterlogged homes on Thursday after Hurricane Milton carved a path of destruction and grief across the state, the second massive storm to strike Florida in as many weeks. At least 14 storm-related deaths were attributed to the hurricane, which made landfall south of Sarasota at 8:30 p.m Wednesday, officials said. Six of them were killed when two tornadoes touched down ahead of the storm in St. Lucie County on Florida's central Atlantic coast. The deadly tornadoes, rising waters, torrential rain and punishing winds battered the state from coast to coast as Milton churned eastward before heading out to sea early Thursday."

Washington Post: "Twelve people were rescued from an inactive Colorado gold mine after they were trapped 1,000 feet underground for about six hours following an elevator malfunction. One person was killed in the accident, which happened about 500 feet underground at the Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine near Cripple Creek, Colo., Teller County Sheriff Jason Mikesell said at a Thursday news conference. The site is a tourist attraction. Eleven other people aboard the elevator at the time, including two children, were rescued shortly after the mechanical malfunction, which Mikesell said 'created a severe danger for the participants.' He said four suffered minor injuries.... Twelve others in a separate group remained trapped in a mine shaft 1,000 feet underground for several hours after the incident, before they were rescued Thursday evening, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis said."

The Conversation -- October 10, 2024

Douglas Martin of the New York Times: "Ethel Kennedy, the widow of Senator Robert F. Kennedy and a popular and vital force in the Kennedy political dynasty, died on Thursday. She was 96."

Re: those NYT stories linked earlier today -- the one about Kamala Harris bobbing & weaving & the one about scientist Donald Trump's intellectual "fascination" with "genetics" -- digby writes, "It's not as if they don;t know the stakes:"

NYT editor Joe Kahn says there’s no guarantee the US press would remain free in a second Trump term.

From ⁦@NPRinskeep⁩’s interview that aired this AM. (First speaker is Steve) pic.twitter.com/r6p7tu2bK3

— David Folkenflik (@davidfolkenflik) October 9, 2024

And here's digby on Trump's "woman problem" and "worker problem." MB: The money quote for me -- and something I unsuccessfully tried to find [on a non-firewalled site] this morning -- is this, from the New Republic: "It turns out that some of the people wearing 'Auto Workers for Trump' shirts at J.D. Vance's rally in Detroit Tuesday weren't autoworkers at all."

Chris Cameron & Rebecca O'Brien of the New York Times: "Senator JD Vance of Ohio and Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota opened the first day of voting in Arizona on Wednesday with a spree of campaign events across the state.... Arizona, with its 11 Electoral College votes, has no clear favorite in the presidential race -- even as polls there show a slight lead by ... Donald Trump over Vice President Kamala Harris.... Mr. Vance first held a rally in Tucson before attending a town-hall event hosted by the Conservative Political Action Conference in Mesa, near Phoenix. Mr. Walz visited a Veterans of Foreign Wars post and met with tribal leaders on tribal land, near Phoenix, before holding a campaign rally in the evening at a high school gym in Tucson.... In Arizona on Wednesday morning, he linked up for breakfast with Doug Emhoff, Ms. Harris's husband." ~~~

~~~ Getting Out the Incel Vote??? Simon Levien of the New York Times: "Vice President Kamala Harris's campaign bridged the real world with World of Warcraft on Wednesday, livestreaming Gov. Tim Walz's rally in Arizona via Twitch, while a Twitch streamer played the role-playing game and provided commentary about his rally.... This was the first time the Harris campaign has livestreamed gameplay from its Twitch account, which was created in August, and roughly 5,000 viewers were tuned in.... Preheat, a Twitch streamer and World of Warcraft player with about 50,000 followers, hosted the stream from the Harris campaign's account and encouraged the viewers to vote for her. The screen was split, with Mr. Walz's rally in Tucson on the left and gameplay on the right."

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Presidential Race

Marie: I'm with Carville on This. David Gilmore of Mediaite: "James Carville told MSNBC host Ali [MB: s/b Ari] Melber that he was 'scared to death' about impending presidential election day and called on Democrats to get 'sharp' and 'aggressive' in the final weeks of the campaign."

Damned if She Does, Damned if She Doesn't. Michael Bender of the New York Times: "... Vice President Kamala Harris blitzed the media this week in a series of interviews to speak to voters who say they still don't know enough about her. One thing they learned: how she keeps answering the question she wants, not the one that was asked.... Her verbal acrobatics may be contributing to the impression that some voters have that they do not know her or her policy views very well. It has become a key weakness as she rushes to sway millions of undecided voters in the battleground states." MB: Even though media outlets whined that Harris wasn't sitting for interviews, now that she's on this supposed "media blitz," they're criticizing her responses -- which certainly was always their intent. Bender seems very unhappy that (a) a candidate for president is a politician, and (b) some questions require a potential president to offer pragmatic or politic responses. For instance, Bender complains that Harris doesn't directly answer a question about Netanyahu; but in most cases, a U.S. president -- or vice-president, for that matter -- would be unwise or irresponsible to publicly knock a supposed ally.

Marie: I can't access the report, but here's the lede in a Daily Beast story by Josh Fiallo: "Kamala Harris called into The Weather Channel on Wednesday to speak about Hurricane Milton ahead of its evening landfall -- an appearance the network said was also offered to Donald Trump, but he ignored it." I suppose Donald the Chickenpoop was afraid they wouldn't let him use a Sharpie to expand the path of Milton into swing-state Georgia.

Oh, another Colbert segment I missed. Thanks to Patrick for the lead: ~~~

Sahil Kapur of NBC News: At a rally in Scranton, Pa., Wednesday, Donald Trump "lashed out at his Democratic rival by calling her 'a horrible person,' 'a liar,' a 'radical left Marxist' and 'not a smart person,' often drawing jeers and boos as his supporters fed off his energy.... 'I don't want to be nice. Somebody said, "You should be nice sir, women won't like it,"' Trump said, adding: 'The women want safety.' He then described an apocalyptic America if he loses. 'Kamala will deliver a 1929-style depression,' Trump said, resurrecting a claim he made about strong> Joe Biden ahead of the 2020 election that didn;t materialize."

Colby Hall of Mediaite: "... Donald Trump is calling for an investigation into CBS News and its news magazine 60 Minutes for apparently editing Vice President Kamala Harris's answers 'to make her look "more Presidential" or, at least, better.'... In a Wednesday morning post..., Trump alleged that the producers of 60 Minutes may be guilty of a 'major Campaign Finance Violation.' The alleged crime? Editing Harris's answers for concision and time.... Trump is ... probably well aware that the same practice of editing for time occurs in nearly all the taped interviews he does for Fox News opinion hosts." (Also linked yesterday.)

Brett Samuels of the Hill: During a briefing on Hurricane Milton, "President Biden on Wednesday blasted former President Trump and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) for spreading what he called 'irresponsible' and 'beyond ridiculous' falsehoods around severe weather bearing down on Florida and other states.... Biden specifically called out Trump for leading 'the onslaught of lies.' He said claims that property is being confiscated and that those impacted by the storm are only receiving $750 in assistance are not true. And he said claims the government is diverting disaster response funds to aid migrants, which Trump has amplified repeatedly, are not true. 'Now the claims are getting even more bizarre. Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, a congresswoman from Georgia, is now saying the federal government is literally controlling the weather. We're controlling the weather,' Biden said. 'It's beyond ridiculous. It's got to stop. Moments like this, there are no red or blue states.'" (Also linked yesterday.)

Brett Samuels of the Hill: "Former President Trump on Wednesday made clear there would be no second debate between him and Vice President Harris in the closing weeks of the campaign, seemingly shutting the door for good on the prospect as media outlets made final proposals.... In explaining his decision, Trump repeated his claim that he had won his debate on Sept. 10 with Harris, though polling and criticism from some Republicans indicated that was not the case.... Trump's post on Truth Social [declaring 'there will be no rematch!'] came after CNN told candidates they had until Thursday to accept an invitation for an Oct. 23 debate. Harris has already accepted the invitation." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Trump is absolutely right to turn down these media invitations. First of all, he's a lamebrain with waning cognitive abilities, so even a person as vain as he knows he isn't likely to beat a former prosecutor. Second, the media has not been especially nice to its favorite star lately: Look what happened just this week on Fox "News" & on a supposedly friendly podcast: ~~~

~~~ This Moment in History. Yes, Fox's Laura Ingraham fact-checked Donald Trump on-air. Watch the top of the video. I'd like to know why -- because certainly somebody on the top floor told her not to let him get away with lies about the hurricane response. And did they warn Trump? ~~~

~~~ David Moye of the Huffington Post: "Podcaster Andrew Schulz couldn't keep a straight face in his recent interview with Donald Trump. Although Schulz has previously said that he thinks the GOP presidential nominee seems 'enticing' when compared with Democrats, the comedian couldn't take him seriously during one moment in their 90-minute discussion, which was released Wednesday. That moment? Well, it was when Trump claimed that he's 'basically a truthful person.' Trump's no-way-it-would-survive-a-fact-check statement came while he was insisting that Democrat Kamala Harris has lied about him and about previously working at McDonald's." Includes video.

On Trump's Chats with Putin

I honestly didn't know that Bob Woodward was still alive until you just asked me that question. And that's -- what little I know about Bob Woodward is that he is -- I'm going to use I'm going to use a word here. He is a hack. The guy is a hack. So have I talked to Donald Trump about his calls with Vladimir Putin? No. I've never had that conversation with Donald Trump in my life.... But if Donald Trump -- even if it's true, look, is there something wrong with speaking to world leaders? No. Is there anything wrong with engaging in diplomacy? Kamala Harris's approach has been to hide in a basement, hide from the American people and hide from world leaders. And you know what that's gotten us? We are on the verge of World War III. It's a disgrace and it's a complete failure of a foreign policy. -- JD Vance, responding to reporters' questions, Tuesday

This would seem to be a violation of the Logan Act. Exactly what Trump falsely accused John Kerry of. Another apparent Trump crime. -- Susan Rice, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations

We only have one president at a time, JayDee, you ignorant sofa-slut. The Logan Act, passed in 1799, was designed to prevent unauthorized "diplomacy" that could undermine the current administration. Kerry did not violate the act, because he was in contact with the U.S. State Department throughout any discussions with foreign agents he may have had. -- Marie (Logan Act background via the Hill) ~~~

~~~ Ivana Sarac of Axios: "The Kremlin on Wednesday confirmed a report that former President Trump sent Russian President Vladimir Putin COVID-19 testing equipment during the height of the pandemic.... The Trump campaign categorically denied new revelations in journalist Bob Woodward's book 'War,' which renewed scrutiny of the relationship between Putin and the Republican presidential nominee." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: the "categorical denial," courtesy of Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung, went like this: "None of these made up stories b Bob Woodward are true and are the work of a truly demented and deranged man who suffers from a debilitating case of Trump Derangement Syndrome.... Woodward is an angry, little man and is clearly upset because President Trump is successfully suing him because of the unauthorized publishing of recordings he made previously." (Also linked yesterday.)

Hannah Knowles & Josh Dawsey of the Washington Post: Speaking of the small Pennsylvania town of Charlesroi, Donald Trump said at a recent rally, "'The town is virtually bankrupt.' (It wasn't.) 'This flood of illegal aliens is also bringing massive crime,' he said. (They weren't, and they have at least temporary authorization to live in the United States, town and factory officials said.) 'Char-le-roi, what a beautiful name. But it's not so beautiful now.' The Republican presidential nominee had sketched a misleading caricature. But he also tapped into real tensions and a powerful anger in Charleroi and far beyond -- stemming from a widespread conviction that America did too much for newcomers and not enough for citizens.... Interviews with three dozen voters show his pitch is appealing to many in the town and surrounding Washington County, Pa.... It has also angered some residents and inflamed an ugly discourse scattered with baseless claims about illegal voting and a 'great replacement' of native-born Americans."

Bringing Back Eugenics. Michael Gold of the New York Times: "For decades..., Mr. Trump has been publicly obsessed with bloodlines and his stated belief that genetics are the best predictor of a person's success. He has repeatedly commented on what he described as his, his family's and his supporters' good genes, and on others' bad genes.... Mr. Trump's remarks [Monday] about migrants' having 'bad genes' brought a flurry of headlines from news outlets, and then condemnation from Democrats.His remarks on Monday in some ways echoed his repeated assertion last year that undocumented immigrants were 'poisoning the blood of our country,' a phrase criticized by many for evoking the ideology of eugenics promulgated by Nazis in Germany and white supremacists in the United States.... Mr. Trump has defended his use of that phrase by saying he was 'not a student of Hitler,' even as a number of news articles, biographers and books about his presidency have documented his long interest in Hitler." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: If Michael Bender's whining about Kamala Harris's refusal to directly answer some questions aggravated you, maybe the fact that Michael Gold, in an article that appeared on the Times' online main page, finally let on that Trump is a Nazi kinda guy. However, the original headline for the story was "In remarks about migrants, Donald Trump invoked his long-held fascination with genes and genetics." It's been changed to "Trump's Remarks on Migrants Illustrate His Obsession With Genes." David Gilmore of Mediaite rounds up some journalists' comments about the first headline. Mark Jacob, for instance, a former editor of the Chicago Tribune, wrote on X, "This New York Times headline makes it seem as if Trump has a deep intellectual curiosity about genetics instead of stating the obvious fact that he's simply a racist." (Could be the first time in history this group of words was strung together in this order: "Trump has a deep intellectual curiosity".)

How "exceptional" is a country of immigrants where a lying lardbucket may be able to win election to the presidency based on false, racist claims about immigrants?

Richard Lardner & Dake Kang of the AP: "Thousands of copies of Donald Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible were printed in a country that the former president has repeatedly accused of stealing American jobs and engaging in unfair trade practices -- China. Global trade records reviewed by The Associated Press show a printing company in China's eastern city of Hangzhou shipped close to 120,000 of the Bibles to the United States between early February and late March. The estimated value of the three separate shipments was $342,000, or less than $3 per Bible, according to databases that use customs data to track exports and imports. The minimum price for the Trump-backed Bible is $59.99, putting the potential sales revenue at about $7 million. The Trump Bible's connection to China, which has not been previously reported, reveals a deep divide between the former president's harsh anti-China rhetoric and his rush to cash in while campaigning." (Also linked yesterday.)

Marie: I don't much do polls, but this one's so bad, I thought I should share it: ~~~

~~~ Shane Goldmacher of the New York Times: "Control of the Senate appears likely to flip from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party this fall, as one of the nation's most endangered Democrats, Senator Jon Tester of Montana, trails his Republican challenger in his bid for re-election, according to a new poll from The New York Times and Siena College. Mr. Tester, who first won election to the Senate in 2006, is winning over moderate and independent voters and running far ahead of the Democrat at the top of the ticket, Vice President Kamala Harris. But as of now, that does not appear to be enough to survive in Montana, a conservative state where ... Donald J. Trump is ahead by 17 percentage points.... Tim Sheehy, a wealthy Republican businessman and a former Navy SEAL who has never held public office, leads Mr. Tester 52 percent to 44 percent, the poll shows." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: So repeatedly lying about who shot you when doesn't matter in Montana.

Musk Seeks to Scam Hurricane Victims. Ariel Zilber of the New York Post, republished by Yahoo! News: "Elon Musk pledged to give victims of Hurricane Helene 30 days worth of free access to his satellite-based Starlink internet service -- but the billionaire failed to mention that survivors of the disastrous storm that has claimed the lives of more than 200 people will need to fork over $400 for the system's hardware.... According to the company, anyone in the disaster-hit area who signs up for free internet service will then automatically be moved to a $120-a-month residential subscription after the 30-day grace period.

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Florida. Ben Brasch of the Washington Post: "Florida's health department threatened criminal charges for television stations that run a political ad calling for the repeal of the state's six-week abortion ban, one of the nation's strictest. At least two stations [-- WCJB in Gainesville and WFLA in Tampa --] received cease-and-desist letters Thursday written by John Wilson, general counsel from the Florida Department of Health.... He ordered the stations to remove the ads within 24 hours or open themselves up to a second-degree misdemeanor charge, which in Florida carries a sentence of imprisonment up to 60 days and a fine up to $500.... The ads were still running as of Wednesday, according to Floridians Protecting Freedom, the group that purchased the ad time. The organization said they have ads running on more than 50 stations, most of which have received the cease-and-desist letter.... 'The right of broadcasters to speak freely is rooted in the First Amendment. Threats against broadcast stations for airing content that conflicts with the government's views are dangerous and undermine the fundamental principle of free speech,' [FCC Chair Jessica] Rosenworcel wrote in a statement."

Georgia Election Board Plans Election Interference. Nick Valencia & Jason Morris of CNN: "The Donald Trump-allied Georgia State Election Board is pushing to install people who deny the result of the 2020 presidential election as part of a monitoring team in Fulton County, the biggest Democratic-leaning county in the state and one that was consequential for Joe Biden's victory four years ago. The board has no legal authority to install its own recommended monitors, but that did not stop the GOP majority from voting on Tuesday to repeat its effort to include its own suggested monitoring team in Fulton County. The move, coming less than 30 days before Election Day, is the latest example of what critics say is the board acting in a way that may create chaos next month." (Also linked yesterday.)

New York. William Rashbaum, et al., of the New York Times: "As federal prosecutors scrutinize Mayor Eric Adams and his top aides, the Manhattan district attorney's office has opened yet another corruption investigation into City Hall, this one involving the city's leasing of commercial properties, people with knowledge of the matter said. As part of the inquiry, investigators have seized the phones of at least five people -- including Mr. Adams's chief adviser, a top New York City real estate official and a broker involved in city leases, the people said. The investigation has focused at least in part on possible bribery, money laundering and other crimes, one of the people said."

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Israel/Palestine, et al.

The Washington Post's live updates of developments Thursday in the Israeli wars are here: "Israel's security cabinet will meet Thursday night to vote on Israel's response to Iran's Oct. 1 missile attack, said an Israeli official who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.... Defense Minister Yoav Gallant warned Wednesday that Israel would inflict a 'powerful, precise and above all -- surprising' attack on Iran."

David Sanger & Eric Schmitt of the New York Times: "For the first time in two months, President Biden and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke on Wednesday in a phone conversation that focused on Israel's plans to retaliate against Iran for a missile attack. When the meeting ended, American officials said nothing about Israel's plans, or whether Mr. Netanyahu indicated he would heed Mr. Biden's warnings not to hit nuclear or energy sites, which the White House fears could lead to an escalating cycle of Iranian missile strikes and Israeli responses. Instead, a terse account of the conversation issued by the White House hours later said Mr. Biden 'condemned unequivocally Iran's ballistic missile attack against Israel on Oct. 1,' but made no reference to discussions on how to respond -- which was the purpose of the call." ~~~

     ~~~ Here's the White House readout.

Steve Hendrix & Shira Rubin of the Washington Post: "... divisions inside the Israeli government and across the Atlantic are converging, with Netanyahu apparently incensed over his lack of direct contact with President Joe Biden and a cabinet rivalry [between Netanyahu & his defense minister Yoav Gallant] overshadowing Israel's security deliberations.... The two have publicly split on numerous key strategic decisions, including the timing of a cease-fire and hostage deal with Hamas as well as a potential role for the Palestinian Authority in the future governance of Gaza. But Gallant is also seen as a future rival for party leadership, which political observers said is likely to have played a role in the last-minute grounding of his flight to Washington.... 'Netanyahu is clearly trying to assert control and weaken Gallant to the point where it could weaken the relationship with the United States,' said Chuck Freilich, former deputy head of Israel's National Security Council...."

News Ledes

CNBC: "The pace of price increases over the past year was higher than forecast in September while jobless claims posted an unexpected jump following Hurricane Helene and the Boeing strike, the Labor Department reported Thursday. The consumer price index, a broad gauge measuring the costs of goods and services across the U.S. economy, increased a seasonally adjusted 0.2% for the month, putting the annual inflation rate at 2.4%. Both readings were 0.1 percentage point above the Dow Jones consensus. The annual inflation rate was 0.1 percentage point lower than August and is the lowest since February 2021."

The New York Times' live updates of Hurrucane Milton consequences Thursday are here: "Milton was still producing damaging hurricane-force winds and heavy rainfall to parts of East and Central Florida, forecasters said early Thursday, even as the powerful storm roared away from the Atlantic coast and left deaths and widespread damage across the state. Cities along Florida's east coast are now facing flash flooding, damaging winds and storm surges. Some had already been battered by powerful tornadoes spun out by the storm before it made landfall on the Gulf Coast on Wednesday as a Category 3 hurricane. In [St. Lucie] county [Fort Pierce], several people in a retirement community were killed by a tornado, the police said.... More than three million customers were without power in Florida as of early Thursday." ~~~

     ~~~ Here are the Weather Channel's live updates.

CNN: "The 2024 Nobel Prize in literature has been awarded to Han Kang, a South Korean author, for her 'intense poetic prose that confronts historical traumas and exposes the fragility of human life.' Han, 53, began her career with a group of poems in a South Korean magazine, before making her prose debut in 1995 with a short story collection. She later began writing longer prose works, most notably 'The Vegetarian,' one of her first books to be translated into English The novel, which won the Man Booker International Prize in 2016, charts a young woman's attempt to live a more 'plant-like' existence after suffering macabre nightmares about human cruelty. Han is the first South Korean author to win the literature prize, and just the 18th woman out of the 117 prizes awarded since 1901.' The New York Times story is here.