The Conversation -- September 27, 2024

A comparison of the statements made by Donald Trump and Kamala Harris on Ukraine over the last 24 hours pic.twitter.com/ZRvsZsLM1P

— Acyn (@Acyn) September 27, 2024

     ~~~ Thanks to RAS for the link. Via digby, who is of the view that the Orange Jesus is "The Greatest Embarrassment in American History."

The New York Times is live-updating developments Friday in the NYC Mayor Eric Adams indictment matter: "Mayor Eric Adams pleaded not guilty on Friday in a Lower Manhattan courtroom to five felony counts, including bribery and fraud charges. Mr. Adams is accused of accepting more than $100,000 in illegal gifts in exchange for using his political influence to help Turkey."

The New York Times' live updates of developments Friday in Israel's wars are here.

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Presidential Race

Katie Rogers & Zolan Kanno-Youngs of the New York Times: "Vice President Kamala Harris met with President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine on Thursday at the White House, a sign that President Biden's administration is positioning her to take over a politically fraught diplomatic relationship if she wins the election in November. The meeting, held shortly after Mr. Biden announced $8 billion worth of military support to the war-torn country, was Ms. Harris's second this week with a key world leader -- even as she runs a presidential campaign focused on domestic issues. Ms. Harris, who has met with Mr. Zelensky a half-dozen times since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, said at the White House on Thursday that ... those who would have Ukraine trade territory fo peace were supporting 'proposals of surrender' -- a dig at ... Donald J. Trump ... and his skepticism of aid for Kyiv." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

Retired Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal, in a New York Times op-ed: "... I have already cast my ballot for character -- and voted for Vice President Kamala Harris.... Character is the ultimate measure of leadership for those who seek the highest office in our land.... Regardless of what a person says, character is ultimately laid bare in his or her actions. So I pay attention to what a leader does.... Ms. Harris has the strength, the temperament and, importantly, the values to serve as commander in chief. When she sits down with world leaders like President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine, representing the United States on the global stage, I have no doubt that she is working in our national interest, not her own. I would urge others to vote as I have." (Also linked yesterday.)

Filip Timotija of the Hill: :Former Kansas Republican Sen. Nancy Kassebaum (R-Kan.) is endorsing Vice President Harris in the 2024 presidential election, stating the White House contest 'presents a stark choice that is not easy for any of us.' Kassebaum, who served three terms in the upper chamber, announced her backing of the Democratic nominee in a Thursday statement alongside two other GOP officials, former Kansas Insurance Commissioner Sandy Praeger and retired federal circuit judge Deanell Reece Tacha."

In a New York Times article titled, "Harris Has a Lot of Strengths. Giving Interviews Isn't One of Them," reporter Rebecca O'Brien concedes (in Graf 10), "It is a fundamental imbalance of the campaign, not lost on Ms. Harris's supporters, that while her every remark is scrutinized, her opponent..., Donald J. Trump, seems to suffer few consequences for his public remarks, which are often undisciplined explorations of grudges, rumors and preoccupations, laden with innuendo and outright falsehood, often untethered from standard syntax and, at times, reality.... Consider an answer Mr. Trump gave last month in an interview with Dr. Phil McGraw, in response to a question about what he thought about Ms. Harris: ~~~

"She's a Marxist. Well, I can see, by action, she;s a person that wanted to defund the police very strongly, bailed out a lot of people in Minnesota from jails who did some really bad things. I saw that very loud and clear then, when that took place, a lot of bad things. She's done a lot of bad things. There will be no fracking. There'll be no drilling. She doesn't want to drill, which will mean our country is going to shrivel up and die. You can't run the country without fossil fuel, at least not for quite a while because you don't have the power. They don't have the power. You have all sorts of nice contraptions, but they don't have -- wind is fine, but it kills the birds. It destroys the fields. Destroys the fields, what it does."

     ~~~ Marie: See yesterday's Comments for a discussion of the NYT's/media's criticisms of Harris versus their coddling of Trump. I can't recall ever seeing a NYT story dedicated to criticizing Trump's verbal skills, whereas the paper made careers for reporters writing about Joe Biden's garbled speech. Now, for a second time and based on the same interview, is taking digs at Harris's responses. In that interview, it should be noted, Harris' performance was a bit rocky, IMO, but it by no means approached Trump's incoherent stream-of-unconsciousness babble. I'm not saying the critiques of Harris are wrong; what I am saying is that if a paper publishes criticisms of the Democratic presidential candidates, they should pan the Republican candidate every time he makes disastrous remarks -- which is every damned time he opens his mouth or writes a comment on his failing social media site. The excuse, "But 'Trump's a Shambolic Nitwit' Isn't News" is not good enough. ~~~

~~~ Still, all this unpleasantness could have been avoided if only the interview had gone like this: ~~~

     ~~~ But Wait! The Unpossible Is Possible! Michael Gold & Maggie Haberman of the New York Times: At a Trump Tower event billed as a news conference about the U.S.-Mexico border, "Mr. Trump quickly appeared to grow bored with the remarks he read from, and drifted repeatedly toward other topics. He talked about inflation, accused [Vice President] Harris of lying about working at McDonald's years ago and nursed his fury over how the ABC News debate moderators handled his face-off with Ms. Harris nearly three weeks ago. At the beginning of the news conference, Mr. Trump struggled at times to articulate his thoughts or make a point clearly. He stumbled over some words as he read from remarks he had plainly not written. He bootstrapped one thought onto another based on whether the words associated with something else, as opposed to having a clear through line. ~~~

"And you know, you can go to California, where she ruined San Francisco.... She destroyed. San Francisco may have been the greatest city in the world, 16, 18 years ago, and now it;s a practically unlivable place. And I hate to say that. I have property in San Francisco. It's not a good thing to say, but this far supersedes my ownership of property. It’s an unlivable place. It was the best city. Bob Tisch, of Loews, a friend of mine. Great guy. Wonderful man. He was in San Francisco. He was in Chicago. He had big businesses all over, the Tisch family. Bob Tisch used to tell me that he thinks San Francisco is the greatest city in the country. He passed away, quite a while ago. But, and San Francisco probably was. And now it's not even livable."

     ~~~ Read on. It's almost as if some New York Times editor read your criticisms yesterday. ~~~

~~~ Here's Trump at the presser deftly dealing with a question about his endorsement of self-described "Black NAZI" Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson of North Carolina: ~~~

Me: “Are you going to pull your endorsement of Mark Robinson?”

Trump: “I don’t know the situation.” pic.twitter.com/Y3orTxf9Ku

— Libbey Dean (@LibbeyDean_) September 26, 2024

Seb Starcevic & Csongor Körömi of Politico: "... Donald Trump lashed out at Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday for not making concessions to Russia, giving his strongest indication to date he would stop backing Kyiv if he wins the U.S. presidential election. Trump, speaking at a campaign event in North Carolina, said Ukraine should have 'given up a little bit' to appease Moscow and avoid a bloody conflict with its invading neighbor, which he said 'didn't need to happen.... 'We continue to give billions of dollars to a man who refuses to make a deal, Zelenskyy,' Trump railed in a lengthy tirade." AP story linked yesterday. (Also linked yesterday.)

New York Times Editors: "Dozens of people who know [Donald Trump] well, including the 91 listed here, have raised alarms about his character and fitness for office -- his family and friends, world leaders and business associates, his fellow conservatives and his political appointees -- even though they had nothing to gain from doing so. Some have even spoken out at the expense of their own careers or political interests. The New York Times editorial board has made its case that Mr. Trump is unfit to lead. But the strongest case against him may come from his own people. For those Americans who are still tempted to return him to the presidency or to not vote in November, it is worth considering the assessment of Mr. Trump by those who have seen him up close." The editorial includes derogatory assessments of Trump from his closest associates. (Also linked yesterday.)

New York Times Editors republish their July 11 editorial, titled "Donald Trump Is Unfit to Lead." (Also linked yesterday.)

Matt Egan of CNN: "... a new analysis finds that ... [Donald Trump]'s plans for tariffs, deportations and the Federal Reserve would ... cause weaker economic growth, higher inflation and lower employment, according to a working paper released Thursday by the Peterson Institute for International Economics. In some cases, the damage could continue through 2040. 'We find that ironically, despite his "make the foreigners pay" rhetoric, this package of policies does more damage to the US economy than to any other in the world,' the Peterson Institute working paper from researchers Warwick McKibbin, Megan Hogan and Marcus Noland concluded. The paper represents the most comprehensive analysis to date on the combined impact of Trump's trade, immigration and Fed proposals. The findings are stark."

Marie: I spoke too soon when way back yesterday I let on that Trump's Grift of the Week was hawking $100 "Trump coins" for three times the value of their silver content: ~~~

     ~~~ Steve Contorno & Alejandra Jaramillo of CNN: "Donald Trump is now hawking a new line of watches, some with an eye popping six-figure price tag -- the latest example of the former president cashing in on his name like no presidential candidate ever has. The GOP nominee announced his latest branded merchandise, Trump Watches, on social media Thursday -- 40 days before the election and on a day when he did not appear on the campaign trail. He told his supporters the watches would make good Christmas gifts and then directed them to a link where they could be purchased. The watches retail for $499 but one series == Tourbillon -- is priced at $100,000. They come in three different colors and are limited in number to 147." ~~~

~~~ Ah, the Family That Grifts Together. Katie Rogers of the New York Times: "While promoting a memoir, [Melania Trump] told Fox News that she blamed Democrats and members of the news media for the assassination attempts against her husband." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ Jimmy Kimmel has some thoughts about the Trump Family Grift:

So first, RAS learns this about the Center for Free Speech Absolutism, Elon Musk, Proprietor: ~~~

     ~~~ Elizabeth Lopatto of the Verge: "X is preventing users from posting links to a newsletter containing a hacked document that's alleged to be the Trump campaign's research into vice presidential candidate JD Vance. The journalist who wrote the newsletter, Ken Klippenstein, has been suspended from the platform. Searches for posts containing a link to the newsletter turn up nothing.... Though other news outlets have received information from the hack, they declined to publish. Klippenstein says in his newsletter that a source called 'Robert,' with an AOL email address, offered him the document." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ But then Ken W. finds this: ~~~

     ~~~ "The Vance Dossier." Ken Klippenstein: "Behold the dossier. It reportedly comes from an alleged Iranian government hack of the Trump campaign, and since June, the news media has [have!] been sitting on it (and other documents), declining to publish in fear of finding itself at odds with the government's campaign against 'foreign malign influence.' I disagree. The dossier has been offered to me and I've decided to publish it because it's of keen public interest in an election season. It's a 271-page research paper the Trump campaign prepared to vet now vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance. As far as I can tell, it hasn't been altered, but even if it was, its contents are publicly verifiable. I'll let it speak for itself." The page has a link to the dossier (or you can download it). As Klippenstein points out, there are "No Jason Bourne style capers appear, and there's no sleaze." MB: So sorry to say there are no fun/gross revelations about JayDee having his way with Grandma's sofa. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ Betsy Swan & Josh Gerstein of Politico: "A grand jury has indicted multiple Iranians on charges related to hacking Donald Trump's 2024 presidential campaign. The federal charges stem from an Iranian operation that allegedly stole internal Trump campaign communications this summer.... Stolen materials from the Trump campaign were later sent to journalists and individuals associated with President Joe Biden&'s reelection campaign before Kamala Harris became the Democratic nominee. The names of the defendants and the specific criminal charges were not immediately available. A grand jury secretly approved the indictment on Thursday afternoon. The Justice Department is expected to announce the charges as soon as Friday."

Paul Krugman of the New York Times: "... the tech bro style in American politics has emerged as a major force, one that, in my view, is pushing our democracy closer to catastrophe." Krugman concentrates on Elon Musk, JD Vance, and the emergence of cryptocurrency as a major source of campaign financing.

Spencer Hsu of the Washington Post: "A nearly 200-page special counsel filing of facts and legal argument on why Donald Trump can be criminally prosecuted for his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election landed Thursday in D.C. federal court, triggering a process that could end in the public seeing significant new details of the case before the November election. The massive brief on special counsel Jack Smith's case against the former president -- which could run up to 180 pages, plus more in exhibits -- was filed under seal, per the court's order, a spokesman for Smith's office said. It will remain that way until U.S. District Judge Tanya S. Chutkan decides what she wants to do with a redacted version, which prosecutors also planned to file under seal with the expectation that it will later be released publicly. Here's what we know about what happens next." Politico's report is here.

Josh Gerstein & Kyle Cheney of Politico: "... Rudy Giuliani had his law license permanently revoked in the nation's capital, following similar action by a New York court earlier this year over Giuliani's role in ... Donald Trump's attempt to undermine the results of the 2020 presidential election.... A disciplinary panel of the D.C. Bar's Board of Professional Responsibility in 2022 recommended Giuliani's disbarment, triggering the indefinite suspension of his law license. Giuliani had been fighting that proposal when the appeals court made its decision Thursday."

Jeremy Barr of the Washington Post: "Voting technology company Smartmatic and conservative cable channel Newsmax have reached a settlement, averting a defamation trial that would have begun Monday over allegations that Newsmax personalities and guests spread lies about the 2020 election and Smartmatic's role in it. Details of the 'confidential' settlement were not released. The settlement came as the process of picking a jury was underway...."

Matthew Goldstein of the New York Times: "An investment company formed by two former contestants on 'The Apprentice' TV show sold almost all of their 5.5 percent stake in ... Donald J. Trump's social media company, according to a regulatory filing on Thursday. United Atlantic Ventures sold roughly 7.5 million shares of Trump Media & Technology Group within the past few days, after a lockup provision that had barred large investors, including Mr. Trump, from selling any shares ended on Sept. 19. The two principals of United Atlantic, Andy Litinsky and Wes Moss, were founders of Trump Media and its flagship social media product, Truth Social. They were both contestants on the second season of 'The Apprentice,' the reality TV show that helped raised Mr. Trump's national profile.... At the stock's current price of about $14 a share, the two men's entire equity stake was worth roughly $100 million.... Both Mr. Litinsky and Mr. Moss were 'fired' by Mr. Trump from the show, but Mr. Litinsky later went to work for Mr. Trump as the head of his television production company. Shortly after Mr. Trump left the White House in 2021, Mr. Litinsky and Mr. Moss approached him with the idea of founding his own social media company." A CBS News story is here.

Justin Jouvenal & Tobi Raji of the Washington Post: "A sweeping bill introduced by a Democratic senator Wednesday would greatly increase the size of the Supreme Court, make it harder for the justices to overturn laws, require justices to undergo audits and remove roadblocks for high court nominations. The legislation by Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) is one of the most ambitious proposals to remake a high court that has suffered a sharp decline in its public approval after a string of contentious decisions and ethics scandals in recent years. It has little chance of passing at the moment, since Republicans have generally opposed efforts to overhaul the court. Wyden, who chairs the Senate Finance Committee, said the goal of the bill is to restore public confidence in a battered institution. He said he hopes to get parts of the bill passed, even if the whole package is not embraced by lawmakers."

Steward, led by its founder and CEO Dr. Ralph de la Torre and his corporate enablers, looted hospitals across the country for their own profit. While they got rich, workers, patients and communities suffered. Nurses paid out of pocket for cardboard bereavement boxes for the babies to help grieving parents who had just lost a newborn. -- Sen. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), on the Senate floor, Wednesday ~~~

~~~ Dan Diamond of the Washington Post: "The Senate voted unanimously Wednesday to hold Steward Health Care chief executive Ralph de la Torre in contempt of Congress, asking the Justice Department to pursue criminal charges against the hospital executive for failing to comply with a congressional subpoena. It is the first time since 1971 that the Senate has asked the Justice Department to pursue criminal contempt charges against an individual, lawmakers said. Steward, a for-profit company that owns about two dozen hospitals across the country, is engaged in bankruptcy proceedings and has been seeking to sell its hospitals. Community leaders and health workers in states served by Steward's facilities have blamed the company's leaders for extravagant paydays even as hospitals struggled to meet mortgage payments and cover other expenses. The Justice Department also has been investigating the company regarding allegations of fraud."

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Mississippi. Still Dickensian. David Nakamura & Robert Klemko of the Washington Post: "A tiny police department in Lexington, Miss., whose chief was fired two years ago for using a racial epithet, has engaged in the systemic use of excessive force, jailed suspects improperly and targeted Black people, the Justice Department said in a report released Thursday. The results of a nearly 11-month federal civil rights investigation found that the Lexington police force, which has fewer than 10 officers, pursued overly aggressive tactics in response to relatively minor infractions, in part as a strategy to drive up revenue through fines and processing fees. During the past several years, the police department's revenue grew sevenfold in a jurisdiction in one of the poorest counties in the nation, as officers routinely violated suspects' civil rights, federal authorities said.... The police 'turned the jail into the kind of debtor's prison that Charles Dickens wrote about in his novels written in the 1800s -- only this happened in Mississippi in 2024,' [U.S. Attorney Todd] Gee said."

New York. Dana Rubinstein & William Rashbaum of the New York Times: "Mayor Eric Adams of New York City, a former police captain who ran on a law-and-order platform but whose tenure has been consumed by accusations of corruption, spent years accepting free airline tickets, lavish overseas accommodations and illegal campaign donations from Turkey, federal prosecutors said on Thursday. In return for the gifts and donations, Mr. Adams used his influence as Brooklyn borough president and later as mayor to assist Turkish officials with issues they were facing in the city, prosecutors said -- most notably in obtaining safety clearances from the Fire Department for a new high-rise Turkish consulate building."

From the New York Times' live updates of developments Thursday in the indictment of New York City Mayor Eric Adams (related stories as well as the NYT liveblog linked yesterday):

"Mayor Eric Adams has been indicted on federal charges of bribery, fraud and soliciting illegal foreign campaign donations. The indictment, which was unsealed on Thursday morning, follows an investigation that started in 2021 and has focused at least in part on whether he conspired with the Turkish government to receive illegal foreign campaign contributions and whether he took official actions on its behalf. Federal prosecutors said that Mr. Adams 'sought and accepted improper valuable benefits' for at least a decade, when he was then the Brooklyn borough president, according to the indictment.

"Federal agents searched the official residence of Mayor Eric Adams on Thursday morning, hours before prosecutors were expected to announce the details of a federal indictment against him.... At about 6 a.m. on Thursday, nearly a dozen men and women dressed in business attire arrived in S.U.V.s outside the entrance of Gracie Mansion, the mayor's official residence, on the Upper East Side. At least one vehicle had a federal law enforcement parking placard on its dashboard. They carried briefcases, backpacks and bags. Many agents were still at Gracie Mansion later in the morning when some of the mayor's top advisers and his former chief counsel, Brendan McGuire, walked inside." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ NBC News updates are here. A CNBC story is here. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Here's the indictment, via Politico. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Dana Rubinstein & William Rashbaum of the New York Times: "The indictment of Mayor Eric Adams unsealed on Thursday provides a banquet of strange, amusing and troubling vignettes unearthed during the investigation by the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York and the F.B.I. Here are 10 of them[.]" Funniest: No. 10: "After F.B.I. agents seized Mr. Adams's personal phone in November 2023, he claimed he was unable to remember the password because he had recently changed it. He had changed it, he said, to prevent staff members from inadvertently or intentionally deleting anything because of the investigation." MB I wonder if it was little Eric who coined the dog-ate-my-homework excuse. An AP report is here.

Bill Mahoney & Nick Reisman of Politico: "Gov. Kathy Hochul [D] has begun to examine a long-dormant power that lets governors remove local officials such as New York City mayors, following Thursday's indictment of Eric Adams [D]. Lawyers in Hochul's office on Thursday internally discussed the legal and constitutional framework for removing an elected official, according to two people familiar with the conversations...."

New York Times Editors: "To serve the city that elected him, Mr. Adams should immediately resign and turn City Hall over to someone untainted by criminal charges and endless investigations.... The challenge of governing the city is daunting for even the best mayors, and the specter of widespread corruption in the Adams administration has little precedent."

North Carolina. Ashleigh Fields of the Hill: "North Carolina's State Board of Elections has removed 747,000 people from its list of registered voters within the last 20 months, officials announced Thursday in a press release. The State Board of Elections in the release said the majority of those stripped from the rolls were deemed ineligible to be registered because they had moved within the state and did not register their new address, or because they did not participate in the past two federal elections, prompting an inactive status. Other reasons for removal included death, felony convictions, out-of-state moves and personal requests for removal, the board said."

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Japan. Motoko Rich of the New York Times: "The elite power brokers of Japan's governing party appeared to take public sentiment into account on Friday when they elected Shigeru Ishiba, 67, to become the next prime minister of Japan. Mr. Ishiba, a former defense minister who has long been popular with rank-and-file members of the Liberal Democratic Party but less favored by parliamentary lawmakers, had run for the leadership four times before finally attaining victory on Friday. In a runoff between Mr. Ishiba and Sanae Takaichi Mr. Ishiba, who is known for his plain-spoken opinions and extreme interest in military equipment, defeated Ms. Takaichi 215 to 194 in voting at the party's headquarters in Tokyo. He will officially take over as prime minister next Tuesday, replacing Fumio Kishida, the outgoing prime minister."

Ukraine, et al. Yasmeen Abutaleb & Michael Birnbaum of the Washington Post: "Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, appealing urgently to President Joe Biden on Thursday to let the country extend its use of American weapons, waded into a heightened partisan divide over the Russia-Ukraine war, with the U.S. presidential election weeks away. Biden met with Zelensky at the White House on Thursday, but he did not grant Kyiv's request for permission to fire American-made missiles deeper into Russia. Instead, he announced the delivery of more military aid and new air defense capabilities, as the White House sought to show strong support for Ukraine while rejecting the country's primary plea.... Donald Trump, meanwhile, announced that he would meet with Zelensky on Friday morning, apparently a last-minute addition to the Ukrainian leader's schedule following growing tensions between Zelensky and Republican leaders." An AP story is here.

News Ledes

New York Times: "Maggie Smith, one of the finest British stage and screen actors of her generation, whose award-winning roles ranged from a freethinking Scottish schoolteacher in 'The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie' to the acid-tongued dowager countess on 'Downton Abbey,' died on Friday in London. She was 89."

The Washington Post's live updates of developments related to Hurricane Helene are here: "Hurricane Helene left one person dead in Florida and two in Georgia as it sped north. One of the biggest storms on record to hit the Gulf Coast, Helene slammed into Florida's Big Bend area on Thursday night as a Category 4 colossus with winds of up to 140 mph before weakening to Category 1. Catastrophic winds and torrential rain from the storm -- which the National Hurricane Center forecast would eventually slow over the Tennessee Valley -- were expected to continue Friday across the Southeast and southern Appalachians." ~~~

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

Mediaite: "Fox Weather's Bob Van Dillen was reporting live on Fox & Friends about flooding in Atlanta from Hurricane Helene when he was interrupted by the screams of a woman trapped in her car. During the 7 a.m. hour, Van Dillen was filing a live report on the massive flooding in the area. Fox News viewers could clearly hear the urgent screams for help emerging from a car stuck on a flooded road in the background of the live shot. Van Dillen ... told Fox & Friends that 911 had been called and that the local Fire Department was on its way. But as he continued to file the report, the screams did not stop, so Van Dillen cut the live shot short.... Some 10 minutes later, Fox & Friends aired live footage of Van Dillen carrying the woman to safety, walking through chest-deep water while the flooding engulfed her...."

The Conversation -- September 26, 2024

Katie Rogers & Zolan Kanno-Youngs of the New York Times: "Vice President Kamala Harris met with President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine on Thursday at the White House, a sign that President Biden's administration is positioning her to take over a politically fraught diplomatic relationship if she wins the election in November. The meeting, held shortly after Mr. Biden announced $8 billion worth of military support to the war-torn country, was Ms. Harris's second this week with a key world leader -- even as she runs a presidential campaign focused on domestic issues. Ms. Harris, who ha met with Mr. Zelensky a half-dozen times since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, said at the White House on Thursday that ... those who would have Ukraine trade territory for peace were supporting 'proposals of surrender' -- a dig at ... Donald J. Trump ... and his skepticism of aid for Kyiv." ~~~

     ~~~ You can see video of Vice President Harris's and President Zelensky's remarks here.

Retired Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal, in a New York Times op-ed: "... I have already cast my ballot for character -- and voted for Vice President Kamala Harris.... Character is the ultimate measure of leadership for those who seek the highest office in our land.... Regardless of what a person says, character is ultimately laid bare in his or her actions. So I pay attention to what a leader does.... Ms. Harris has the strength, the temperament and, importantly, the values to serve as commander in chief. When she sits down with world leaders like President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine, representing the United States on the global stage, I have no doubt that she is working in our national interest, not her own. I would urge others to vote as I have."

So first, RAS learns this about the Center for Free Speech Absolutism, Elon Musk, Proprietor: ~~~

     ~~~ Elizabeth Lopatto of the Verge: "X is preventing users from posting links to a newsletter containing a hacked document that's alleged to be the Trump campaign's research into vice presidential candidate JD Vance. The journalist who wrote the newsletter, Ken Klippenstein, has been suspended from the platform. Searches for posts containing a link to the newsletter turn up nothing.... Though other news outlets have received information from the hack, they declined to publish. Klippenstein says in his newsletter that a source called 'Robert,' with an AOL email address, offered him the document." ~~~

~~~ But then Ken W. finds this: ~~~

     ~~~ "The Vance Dossier." Ken Klippenstein: "Behold the dossier. It reportedly comes from an alleged Iranian government hack of the Trump campaign, and since June, the news media has [have!] been sitting on it (and other documents), declining to publish in fear of finding itself at odds with the government's campaign against 'foreign malign influence.' I disagree. The dossier has been offered to me and I've decided to publish it because it's of keen public interest in an election season. It's a 271-page research paper the Trump campaign prepared to vet now vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance. As far as I can tell, it hasn't been altered, but even if it was, its contents are publicly verifiable. I'll let it speak for itself." The page has a link to the dossier (or you can download it). As Klippenstein writes, there are "No Jason Bourne style capers appear, and there's no sleaze." MB: So sorry to say there are no fun/gross revelations about JayDee having his way with Grandma's sofa.

New York Times Editors: "Dozens of people who know [Donald Trump] well, including the 91 listed here, have raised alarms about his character and fitness for office -- his family and friends, world leaders and business associates, his fellow conservatives and his political appointees -- even though they had nothing to gain from doing so. Some have even spoken out at the expense of their own careers or political interests. The New York Times editorial board has made its case that Mr. Trump is unfit to lead. But the strongest case against him may come from his own people. For those Americans who are still tempted to return him to the presidency or to not vote in November, it is worth considering the assessment of Mr. Trump by those who have seen him up close." The editorial includes derogatory assessments of Trump from a few of his closest associates.

New York Times Editors republish their July 11 editorial, titled "Donald Trump Is Unfit to Lead."

Ah, the Family That Grifts Together. Katie Rogers of the New York Times: "While promoting a memoir, [Melania Trump] told Fox News that she blamed Democrats and members of the news media for the assassination attempts against her husband."

From the New York Times' live updates of developments Thursday in the indictment of New York City Mayor Eric Adams (related stories as well as the NYT liveblog linked below):

"Mayor Eric Adams has been indicted on federal charges of bribery, fraud and soliciting illegal foreign campaign donations. The indictment, which was unsealed on Thursday morning, follows an investigation that started in 2021 and has focused at least in part on whether he conspired with the Turkish government to receive illegal foreign campaign contributions and whether he took official actions on its behalf. Federal prosecutors said that Mr. Adams 'sought and accepted improper valuable benefits' for at least a decade, when he was then the Brooklyn borough president, according to the indictment.

"Federal agents searched the official residence of Mayor Eric Adams on Thursday morning, hours before prosecutors were expected to announce the details of a federal indictment against him.... At about 6 a.m. on Thursday, nearly a dozen men and women dressed in business attire arrived in S.U.V.s outside the entrance of Gracie Mansion, the mayor's official residence, on the Upper East Side. At least one vehicle had a federal law enforcement parking placard on its dashboard. They carried briefcases, backpacks and bags. Many agents were still at Gracie Mansion later in the morning when some of the mayor's top advisers and his former chief counsel, Brendan McGuire, walked inside."

     ~~~ NBC News updates are here. A CNBC story is here. (MB: I've been looking for a facsimile of the indictment itself with no luck yet. Update: here is is now, via the NYT, but I'll still look for one directly from the prosecutor or from a non-subscriber site.) ~~~

     ~~~ Update: Okay, here's the indictment, via Politico.

Seb Starcevic & Csongor Körömi of Politico: "... Donald Trump lashed out at Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday for not making concessions to Russia, giving his strongest indication to date he would stop backing Kyiv if he wins the U.S. presidential election. Trump, speaking at a campaign event in North Carolina, said Ukraine should have 'given up a little bit' to appease Moscow and avoid a bloody conflict with its invading neighbor, which he said 'didn't need to happen.... 'We continue to give billions of dollars to a man who refuses to make a deal, Zelenskyy,' Trump railed in a lengthy tirade." AP story linked below.

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Presidential Race

I intend to chart a new way forward and grow America's middle class. Donald Trump intends to take America backward to the failed policies of the past. You see, for Donald Trump, our economy works best if it works for those who own the big skyscrapers. Not those who actually build them. Not those who wire them. Not those who mop the floor. -- Vice President Kamala Harris, in a speech in Pittsburgh, Pa. yesterday about her economic plan ~~~

~~~ Matt Viser & Jeff Stein of the Washington Post: "Vice President Kamala Harris, seeking to further erode Donald Trump's advantage on economic issues, announced plans Wednesday for a broad expansion of investment in American industries from semiconductors to clean energy. But she was light on specifics, instead focusing much of her speech on emphasizing that she understands the struggles of middle-class Americans. The account ... [which tied] her economic philosophy to her own biography..., was intended to create a contrast with Trump, who grew up wealthy and has made a career of showcasing his lavish lifestyle." A Politico report is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Liz Skalka of the Huffington Post: "Vice President Kamala Harris called Donald Trump a 'loser' who failed to grow domestic manufacturing under his watch in one of her strongest speeches yet against the former president. 'All told, almost 200,000 manufacturing jobs were lost during his presidency, starting before the pandemic hit, making Trump one of the biggest losers ever on the economy,' Harris said in remarks Wednesday that channeled Trump's own hyperbole.... '... Not everybody was handed, on a silver platter, $400 million and then filed for bankruptcy six times.'"

Reid Epstein of the New York Times: "As Vice President Kamala Harris parses out the details of her agenda, she has favored broad strokes over detailed policy papers.... Little about that careful approach changed during a 25-minute interview with Stephanie Ruhle of MSNBC that was broadcast on Wednesday night. It was Ms. Harris's first one-on-one interview on cable television since becoming the Democratic nominee. In her discussion with a friendly interviewer, the vice president again presented herself as a champion of the middle class and hit many of the same themes from her pro-business economic speech earlier in the day." Epstein goes on to list his takeaways. ~~~

      ~~~ Marie: It's true that Harris -- like most politicians -- often does not answer questions directly. For instance, Epstein criticizes her refusal to answer Ruhle's question about why voters aren't buying her economic plan. I too think she could have handled this better. Instead of dodging the question, she could have said something mealy-mouthed about how voters don't know her yet, blah blah. Of course, the real answer -- and one Harris mustn't share -- is that those who say they favor Trump's "plan" are either dumb as rocks, uninformed, misinformed, or maybe are homing in on something else like, "never gonna vote for no Black chick." ~~~

     ~~~ You can watch the full interview, as aired, here. ~~~

~~~ Megan Lebowitz of NBC News: "Vice President Kamala Harris on Wednesday criticized ... Donald Trump's recent comments about reproductive rights.... 'I don't think the women of America need him to say he's going to protect them,' Harris said during an interview with MSNBC's Stephanie Ruhle, referring to previous comments from Trump. 'The women of America need him to trust them.'... [In a post on his failing social media site, Trump wrote in all caps,] 'I will protect women at a level never seen before.'... 'They will finally be healthy, hopeful, safe, and secure.'... Harris separately pointed to Trump's previous comments suggesting women should be punished for having abortions.... '... He also then chose three members of the United States Supreme Court who did as he intended, undid the protections of Roe v Wade.'" ~~~

~~~ Harris "Fact-checked" Ruhle's Fact-check. Kathleen Culliton of the Raw Story: "Stephanie Ruhle grilled [Vice President] Harris about her new economic policy plan in an exclusive interview during which she tried to fact-check Harris -- and found herself checked in return. 'Donald Trump,' said Harris, 'left us with the worst economy since the Great Depression when you look at, for example, the employment numbers.' Ruhle cut it to remind Harris about the COVID-19 global pandemic. 'Unemployment was so high because we shut down the government, we shut down the country,' said Ruhle. [Harris replied,] 'Even before the pandemic, he lost manufacturing jobs by most people's estimates at least 200,000,' Harris said. This number appears in an analysis from the BlueGreen Alliance, a group that represents the United Steelworkers and the Sierra Club." MB: Harris also said Trump lost auto plants before the pandemic hit. ~~~

     ~~~ BUT. Notice the difference between Harris's remarks during her prepared speech -- recited above in the HuffPost story -- and in her pushback against Ruhle. As Glenn Kessler of the Washington Post notes, "This is a good example of how a cleverly phrased line in a speech can get bungled when a politician tries to repeat it later off the cuff. In the speech, Harris's phrasing was defensible. But the wording in the interview was wrong.... In 2019, the year before the pandemic, manufacturing went into a mild recession, and the number of manufacturing jobs fell nearly 50,000 from January 2019 to February 2020.... From February 2017, the first month of jobs data in his presidency, to the time the pandemic struck in March 2020, manufacturing jobs increased about 400,000...." ~~~

~~~ That is, before the pandemic, there was a hefty increase in manufacturing jobs during Trump's presidency*, though that number was beginning to fall shortly before the pandemic caused an economic crisis. Obviously, it's impossible to know what would have happened to manufacturing jobs absent the Covid virus: if the numbers would have continued to increase as they had in the first years of Trump's term or continued to decrease as they had shortly before the pandemic hit. ~~~

~~~ Josh Boak & other AP reporters try to analyze and contrast Harris's & Trump's economic "plans." MB: Good luck with that. Harris at least has a theme; Trump has a disastrous grab-bag of policies meant to help the rich, pander to the struggling poor & middle-class, and generally cause a recession or depression.

Sheryl Stolberg of the New York Times: "President Biden on Wednesday delivered a blunt assessment of the character of his predecessor, telling the hosts of 'The View' on ABC that 'there's not a lot of redeeming value' to... Donald J. Trump. Asked if he would have won if he stayed in the presidential race, Mr. Biden replied: 'Yes. I was confident I would beat Trump. He's a loser.' But in an appearance that was part personal, part policy and part political, Mr. Biden said he was 'at peace' with his decision not to run again. He also made an enthusiastic pitch for Vice President Kamala Harris: 'She is smart as hell, No. 1,' he said. He added that 'she's tough, she's honorable, and the thing I like about her -- and one thing to share in common -- is that we have an optimistic view in the future.' Mr. Biden's appearance on the 'The View,' his 10th, was the first time a sitting president has appeared live on the show." (Also linked yesterday.)

Washington Post Editors: "The one thing worse than high credit card rates is Trump's plan to cut them.... He promised that interest rates would be held down to roughly 10 percent.... The impact of a plan like Mr. Trump's would be to worsen the plight of debt-strapped consumers.... When you restrict the price of credit, which is all the interest rate is, the supply of credit falls. And supply shrinks especially sharply for the riskiest borrowers.... In short, this supposed help for the little guy would disproportionately harm consumers of relatively modest means.... When struggling families can't tap credit cards for emergency expenses such as car repairs or utility bills, they can be forced to use alternative sources of credit, such as pawnshops, that offer money on even less attractive terms than credit card companies." The editors go on to decry Trump's entire package of proposals, which Trump's alma mater Penn Wharton estimates "would increase the deficit by more than $4 trillion over the next 10 years." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: My guess is that Trump has economic advisors who occasionally give him good advice (though "conservative" economists tend not to be very sensible). And Trump just ignores them. It appears that since her initial goof-up of mounting the Trump no-tax-on-tips bandwagon, Harris seems to be making proposals that are at least reasonable, though she ought to get a bit more open on who would pay for the giveaways.

Our Own Neville Chamberlain. Jonathan Cooper of the AP: At a North Carolina event that was supposed to be about the economy, "... Donald Trump described Ukraine in bleak and mournful terms Wednesday, referring to its people as 'dead' and the country itself as 'demolished'... Trump argued Ukraine should have made concessions to Russian President Vladimir Putin in the months before Russia's February 2022 attack, declaring that even 'the worst deal would've been better than what we have now.' Trump, who has long been critical of U.S. aid to Ukraine, frequently claims that Russia never would have invaded if he was president and that he would put an end to the war if he returned to the White House. But rarely has he discussed the conflict in such detail.... On Tuesday, Trump touted the prowess of Russia and its predecessor Soviet Union, saying that wars are 'what they do.'... [Trump], notoriously attuned to slights, began his denunciation of Ukraine by alluding to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's recent criticism of Trump and running mate JD Vance.... '... the president of Ukraine is in our country and he's making little nasty aspersions toward your favorite president, me.... Biden and Kamala allowed this to happen by feeding Zelenskyy money and munitions like no country has ever seen before,' Trump said.'" ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: What would Trump do if Russia, visible from Sarah Palin's house," invaded Alaska & declared that Seward's Folly deal null & void? Would Trump cede Alaska to Russia, like his suggestion that Ukraine roll over for Russian aggression? No way to know. Really.

Jamie Frevele of Mediaite: "... Donald Trump declared this week that he would be a 'protector' of women. In a pair of campaign ads, two women described how the ex-president sexually assaulted them. People Magazine was the first to report on the ads, which were backed by George Conway's Anti-Psychopath PAC, and one of their own journalists, Natasha Stoynoff, recounted what happened when she visited Trump at Mar-a-Lago in 2005[.]" The ads are embedded in yesterday's Commentariat & in Frevele's post. (Also linked yesterday.)

A Libertarian and a Libertine walk into a Manhattan crypto-bar. The Libertarian, Nick Gillespie, an editor at Reason, says to the Libertine, Donald Trump, an aging, lying, totally disreputable SOS, "You signed legislation adding $7.8 trillion to the deficit in your first four years. Why will it be different if you're reelected?" "Well, we had a thing called Covid," the Libertine replied. "But you added it before Covid," the Libertarian countered. "And we were getting the country all set with our liquid gold and all the other assets that we have. We were going to bring that way down," the Libertine said, making no sense at all. (Also linked yesterday.)

This Week's Big Grift: "Trump Is Hawking Silver Coins at a 210% Markup." Michael Luciano of Mediaite: Donald Trump is promoting silver 'Trump Coins.'... On Tuesday, Trump retweeted a post by @realtrumpcoins1, whose profile states it is an 'Official Partner of The Trump Organization.' The post contains a 48-second video showing the coin, which has Trump's face on the obverse. On the reverse is the White House, Trump's signature, and the motto 'In God We Trust.' The coin is one troy ounce of silver. The post also contains a link to a website where people can 'preview the coin' and join a waitlist to buy them for a cool $100. As of this writing, the spot price for an ounce of silver is $32.... Typically, custom-made silver coins sell for less than $10 above the spot price of silver...." (Also linked yesterday.)

The Candidates' Debate. Alex Griffing of Mediaite: "CNN reported this week that former Fox News personality and Trump administration official Monica Crowley is helping Sen. JD Vance (R-OH) prepare for his vice presidential debate next week against Gov. Tim Walz (D). Crowley is playing the moderator during the debate prep sessions, while House GOP Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN), who is a longtime colleague of Walz's, is playing the Democratic nominee for VP. News that Vance enlisted Crowley for debate prep raised eyebrows as she is a prominent contributor to the much-maligned Project 2025, which Donald Trump and his campaign are working overtime to distance themselves from." (Also linked yesterday.)~~~

~~~ MEANWHILE. Kathryn Watson, et al., of CBS NEWS: "Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is standing in for Vance in [Gov. Tim] Walz's debate prep sessions, according to a campaign official familiar with the prep. Buttigieg was praised for his debating skills during the 2020 Democratic presidential primary process, and was a stand-in for former Vice President Mike Pence's in Harris' [2020] debate prep.... Buttigieg has also made frequent appearances on Fox News, earning the nickname 'Slayer Pete' by the Los Angeles Times for being a 'rhetorical assassin' on cable news." (Also linked yesterday.)

Ryan Grenoble of the Huffington Post finds a number of Republicans who really have killed family pets, in contrast to Haitian refugees whom Trump, Vance & other Republicans (see, for instance, reports on Rep. Clay Higgins (R-La. below) falsely claim are killing & eating their neighbors' pets.

Here are the New York Times' live updates in developments at the U.N. General Assembly today. (Also linked yesterday.) See also entry under "Ukraine, et al." below.

Sorry, meant to link this earlier: ~~~

~~~ Sheryl Stolberg & David Sanger of the New York Times: "President Biden used his final speech to the United Nations on Tuesday to celebrate his defense of Ukraine against Russia's invasion and his work to restore the United States' global alliances, but he also warned that the advances of his administration could easily fall apart if America returned to isolationism. In an address of a little more than 20 minutes to the U.N. General Assembly, Mr. Biden combined personal touches with policy imperatives and an impassioned defense of democracy. He traced the arc of his own political career, from election to the Senate in 1972 at age 29, to his 'difficult' decision two months ago to drop his bid for re-election -- a decision he framed as a lesson for other heads of state. 'My fellow leaders,' Mr. Biden said, 'let us never forget: Some things are more important than staying in power.'" CNN's story is here. (Also linked yesterday.)

Democrats Save the Republic! Again. Catie Edmondson of the New York Times: "The House on Wednesday passed a short-term spending bill to avert a government shutdown just ahead of the November elections, punting a bigger funding fight to the end of the year. Speaker Mike Johnson again turned to Democrats to supply the bulk of the votes to keep federal funding flowing through Dec. 20, after conservatives in his own conference said they would not support the legislation because it would not cut spending and did not include a measure imposing new proof-of-citizenship requirements on voter registration. The vote was 341 to 82, with a majority of the Republican conference voting in favor of the legislation. Mr. Johnson had brought the legislation to a vote using a special procedure to pass the bill that requires the support of two-thirds of those voting in an effort to circumvent any attempt by hard-liners to block consideration of the measure. All Democrats present voted in support of the legislation.... Senator Chuck Schumer ... said on Tuesday night that the Senate would take up and pass the measure mere hours after it passed the House." CNN's story is here. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ NYT Update: "In a pair of votes in quick succession, lawmakers in both chambers overwhelmingly voted to pass the measure to keep federal funding flowing through Dec. 20. The Senate vote was 78 to 18. All the 'no' votes were Republicans. [President] Biden is expected to sign the legislation before the Sept. 30 deadline." ~~~

     ~~~ Mychael Schnell & Emily Brooks of the Hill reported on Trump's last-minute attempt to tank the stopgap measure since it no longer contains his demand that people provide proof-of-citizenship in order to register to vote. Had Trump succeeded, of course, the Congress would have shut down the government.

Karoun Demirjian of the New York Times: "A bipartisan House majority passed a resolution on Wednesday condemning President Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and 13 other current and former members of the administration over their roles in the chaotic and deadly U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, after 10 Democrats joined all Republicans in delivering the rare and sweeping rebuke. The 219-to-194 vote was the House's final roll call before members departed Washington to focus on the election, in which control of the chamber is up for grabs. Though the resolution was uniquely broad and direct in condemning the president, members of his cabinet and top advisers in a personal capacity, instead of as an administration, the vote was symbolic because the measure carries no force of law. Still, the participation of 10 Democrats -- almost all of them facing tight re-election contests -- buoyed the Republicans behind the effort to formally hold senior administration officials primarily responsible for the failures of the withdrawal in the summer of 2021...."

Justine McDaniel of the Washington Post: "Republican Rep. Clay Higgins (La.) published racist comments about Haitians on Wednesday -- only to delete them after being confronted by House colleagues. In a post on X..., Higgins called Haitians 'thugs,' called Haiti the 'nastiest country in the western hemisphere,' and repeated false and dehumanizing claims about pet-eating.... He has not yet issued an apology.... Rep. Steven Horsford (D-Nev.) confronted Higgins on the floor and asked him to take down the post. House Speaker Mike Johnson, also a Louisiana Republican, told reporters Higgins was approached by colleagues who told him the post was 'offensive.' Johnson said he then spoke to Higgins about it, after which Higgins 'prayed about it and he regretted it and he pulled the post down.'... On the House floor, Horsford introduced a censure resolution against Higgins. In a statement shortly thereafter, Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said Higgins 'must be held accountable for dishonorable conduct that is unbecoming of a Member of Congress.'... Higgins resigned from the St. Landry Parish sheriff's office in 2016 after he described alleged gang members as 'heathens' and 'animals' in a viral video. He won his House seat months later."

     ~~~ Marie: That is to say, Higgins is a lifelong raving bigot, but God & Mike Johnson are helping him find his way now. Very uplifting. ~~~

     ~~~ Oops! Higgins Scrapes God & Johnson Off His Boot, Like You-Know-What. Annie Grayer, et al., of CNN: "Despite the backlash and ultimate decision to take down the post after he said he prayed on it, Higgins told CNN he stood by his demeaning comments. 'It's all true,' Higgins said. 'I can put up another controversial post tomorrow if you want me to. I mean, we do have freedom of speech. I'll say what I want.' Digging in, Higgins continued: 'It's not a big deal to me. It's like something stuck to the bottom of my boot. Just scrape it off and move on with my life.' Horsford said on [CNN's] 'AC360' that he will 'follow through' on the effort to censure Higgins over the post, which he called 'divisive, racially charged, hateful rhetoric.'"

~~~~~~~~~~

Kentucky. David Chen of the New York Times: "A Kentucky sheriff charged with first-degree murder in the fatal shooting of a judge pleaded not guilty on Wednesday in a case that has shaken the small rural community of Letcher County. Sheriff Shawn Stines, also known as Mickey, made his first court appearance as a defendant in the case at his virtual arraignment. He is accused of fatally shooting Judge Kevin Mullins last Thursday in his chambers in the Letcher County Courthouse in Whitesburg in southeastern Kentucky, not far from the Virginia border."

⭐ New York. Wowza! William Rashbaum, et al., of the New York Times: "Eric Adams, a retired police captain who was elected as New York City's 110th mayor nearly three years ago on a promise to rein in crime, has been indicted in a federal corruption investigation, people with knowledge of the matter said. The indictment remained sealed on Wednesday night, and it was unclear what charge or charges Mr. Adams will face. But the federal investigation has focused at least in part on whether Mr. Adams and his campaign conspired with the Turkish government to receive illegal foreign donations. When the indictment is made public, Mr. Adams, a Democrat, will become the first New York City mayor to face a federal charge while in office. It was not clear when he will surrender to the authorities. Federal prosecutors were expected to announce more details on Thursday.... Mr. Adams struck a defiant tone in a video statement issued Wednesday, insisting that he had done nothing wrong. 'I always knew that if I stood my ground for New Yorkers that I would be a target -- and a target I became,' he said. 'If I am charged, I am innocent, and I will fight this with every ounce of my strength and spirit.'" CNN's report is here. ~~~

     ~~~ New York Times reporters are live-updating developments in the case. ~~~

~~~ Everybody Eric Adams Knows Is Suspicious. Hurubie Meko & Elena Shao of the New York Times: "Several federal corruption investigations have reached people in the orbit of Mayor Eric Adams of New York, with Mr. Adams -- who faces re-election in 2025 -- and some of the highest-ranking officials in his administration [are] coming under scrutiny.... Here are people with ties to Mr. Adams that are related to the investigations and other legal issues[.]" The report goes on to name a fairly astounding list of 20 individuals, a number of whom have served in his administration. ~~~

~~~ Dana Rubinstein of the New York Times: "... after the news of the mayor's indictment, the calls for his resignation promptly surged. Mr. Adams is not required to resign."

~~~ Nicholas Fandos of the New York Times: "Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York on Wednesday said Eric Adams should resign as mayor of New York City, becoming the most prominent Democrat to push for his ouster amid federal corruption investigations involving his administration. In a statement to The New York Times Ms. Ocasio-Cortez, a national leader of her party's progressive wing, said she could 'not see how Mayor Adams can continue governing New York City.... 'The flood of resignations and vacancies are threatening government function,' she said. 'Nonstop investigations will make it impossible to recruit and retain a qualified administration.'" (Also linked yesterday.) Politico's story is here. MB: AOC made her remarks before Adams' indictment.

North Carolina. Rats ... Ship. Eduardo Medina of the New York Times: "Senior staff members in the office of Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson of North Carolina have said they will resign on Oct. 1, becoming the latest people to abandon Mr. Robinson, the state's Republican nominee for governor, in the wake of a CNN report that linked him to disturbing comments on a porn site. Those resigning include Brian LiVecchi, the chief of staff and general counsel; Jonathan Harris, the policy director; John Wesley Waugh, the director of communications; and Nathan Lewis, the director of government affairs. Mr. LiVecchi confirmed the resignations in a brief phone call on Wednesday afternoon. On Sunday, most of the senior employees of Mr. Robinson's campaign for governor also resigned." (Also linked yesterday.)

Wisconsin. Scott Bauer of the AP: "The mayor of a central Wisconsin city who ran for office on his opposition to absentee ballot drop boxes said Wednesday he did nothing wrong when he put on work gloves, donned a hard hat and used a dolly to cart away a drop box outside City Hall. Wausau Mayor Doug Diny posed for a picture Sunday to memorialize his removal of the city's lone drop box that had been put outside City Hall around the same time late last week that absentee ballots were sent to voters. The city's election clerk, Kaitlyn Bernarde, said she has reported the issue to the Marathon County district attorney a well as the state elections commission.... It is a felony in Wisconsin to impede or prevent 'the free exercise of the franchise at an election.'"

~~~~~~~~~~

Israel/Palestine, et al.

The Washington Post's live updates of developments Thursday in Israel's wars are here: "Israeli forces and Hezbollah militants exchanged more fire Thursday, as Biden administration officials awaited Israeli and Lebanese action on a 21-day cease-fire proposal formulated by the United States and other nations. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu distanced himself from the proposal, emphasizing that Israel has not yet responded to it and instructing his forces to 'continue fighting with full force.' The proposal, which does not directly include Hezbollah as a signatory, came after Israel said it was preparing for a potential ground incursion into Lebanon.: ~~~

~~~ Michael Shear, et al., of the New York Times: "The United States, its allies in Europe and several Arab nations on Wednesday unveiled a joint cease-fire proposal to temporarily end the recent deadly fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, hoping to avert a wider war and bolster stalled negotiations between Israel and Hamas in Gaza." ~~~

The New York Times' live updates of developments Wednesday in Israel's wars are here. CNN's live updates are here. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ Erika Solomon, et al., of the New York Times: "Over two weeks, Palestinians watched as Israeli military bulldozers tore up mile after mile of their streets and alleys, sewage seeping into the dusty ruts left behind. The people of Tulkarm and Jenin, the two West Bank towns that were the focus of Israel's latest military raids, said they had never before experienced such a scale of destruction. Residents pointed to one video that shows an Israeli armored bulldozer flattening a decorative roundabout and nearby vegetation." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Surely I'm not the only wild-eyed conspiracy theorist who suspects Bibi is laying down all this death and destruction at least partially in order to undermine the Biden administration, thus Vice President Harris's election bid. Bibi can't want an honorable, intelligent U.S. president when Trump is the alternative.

Ukraine, et al. Neil MacFarquhar & Farnaz Fassihi of the New York Times: "President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine urged the United Nations on Wednesday to prevent Russia from freezing the war as it is now, saying that the Kremlin 'still wants even more land -- more land, which is insane, and is seizing it day by day while wanting to destroy its neighbor.' Those nations pushing to end the conflict were ignoring the wishes of the Ukrainian people, he said in an address to the General Assembly, and were encouraging President Vladimir V. Putin's expansionary aims."

News Ledes

The New York Times:' live updates of Hurricane Helene developments today are here. "Hurricane Helene was barreling through the Gulf of Mexico on Thursday en route to Florida, where residents were bracing for extreme rain, destructive winds and deadly storm surge ahead of the storm's expected landfall. The storm could intensify to a Category 4, if not higher, before making landfall late Thursday, and forecasters warned Helene's anticipated large size could make its impacts felt across an extensive area. Areas as distant as Atlanta and the Appalachians are at risk for heavy rains.... Many forecast models show the storm making landfall late Thursday near Florida's Big Bend Coast, a sparsely populated stretch...." ~~~

     ~~~ The Washington Post has forecasts for some cites in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina & Tennessee that are in or near the probable path of Helene. ~~~

     ~~~ This morning, an MSNBC weatherperson said Tallahassee (which is inland) would experience wind gusts of up to 120 m.p.h. and that the National Weather Service said expected 20-foot storm surges near the coast would be "unsurvivable."

The Conversation -- September 25, 2024

You never have to watch local news again! The report below covers everything you need to know and every report you've ever heard. (Substitute some event like "a bear wandered through Riverdale back yards Wednesday morning" for "bullshit.") On the other hand, if you're hoping to break into broadcast news by starting at your local teevee station, the report is a model object lesson in how to produce, report, film & cut a live report, including obligatory recorded clips of eyewitnesses & experts. Good luck, kid! Thanks to RAS for the lead: ~~~

Sheryl Stolberg of the New York Times: :President Biden on Wednesday delivered a blunt assessment of the character of his predecessor, telling the hosts of 'The View' on ABC that 'there;s not a lot of redeeming value' to... Donald J. Trump. Asked if he would have won if he stayed in the presidential race, Mr. Biden replied: 'Yes. I was confident I would beat Trump. He;s a loser.' But in an appearance that was part personal, part policy and part political, Mr. Biden said he was 'at peace' with his decision not to run again. He also made an enthusiastic pitch for Vice President Kamala Harris: 'She is smart as hell, No. 1,' he said. He added that 'she's tough, she's honorable, and the thing I like about her -- and one thing to share in common -- is that we have an optimistic view in the future.' Mr. Biden's appearance on the 'The View,' his 10th, was the first time a sitting president has appeared live on the show."

New York. Nicholas Fandos of the New York Times: "Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York on Wednesday said Eric Adams should resign as mayor of New York City, becoming the most prominent Democrat to push for his ouster amid federal corruption investigations involving his administration. In a statement to The New York Times, Ms. Ocasio-Cortez, a national leader of her party's progressive wing, said she could 'not see how Mayor Adams can continue governing New York City.... 'The flood of resignations and vacancies are threatening government function,' she said. 'Nonstop investigations will make it impossible to recruit and retain a qualified administration.'"

Democrats Save the Republic! Again. Catie Edmondson of the New York Times: "The House on Wednesday passed a short-term spending bill to avert a government shutdown just ahead of the November elections, punting a bigger funding fight to the end of the year. Speaker Mike Johnson again turned to Democrats to supply the bulk of the votes to keep federal funding flowing through Dec. 20, after conservatives in his own conference said they would not support the legislation because it would not cut spending and did not include a measure imposing new proof-of-citizenship requirements on voter registration. The vote was 341 to 82, with a majority of the Republican conference voting in favor of the legislation. Mr. Johnson had brought the legislation to a vote using a special procedure to pass the bill that requires the support of two-thirds of those voting in an effort to circumvent any attempt by hard-liners to block consideration of the measure. All Democrats present voted in support of the legislation.... Senator Chuck Schumer ... said on Tuesday night that the Senate would take up and pass the measure mere hours after it passed the House." CNN's story is here. ~~~

     ~~~ NYT Update: "In a pair of votes in quick succession, lawmakers in both chambers overwhelmingly voted to pass the measure to keep federal funding flowing through Dec. 20. The Senate vote was 78 to 18. All the 'no' votes were Republicans. [President] Biden is expected to sign the legislation before the Sept. 30 deadline."

North Carolina. Rats ... Ship. Eduardo Medina of the New York Times: "Senior staff members in the office of Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson of North Carolina have said they will resign on Oct. 1, becoming the latest people to abandon Mr. Robinson, the state's Republican nominee for governor, in the wake of a CNN report that linked him to disturbing comments on a porn site. Those resigning include Brian LiVecchi, the chief of staff and general counsel; Jonathan Harris, the policy director; John Wesley Waugh, the director of communications; and Nathan Lewis, the director of government affairs. Mr. LiVecchi confirmed the resignations in a brief phone call on Wednesday afternoon. On Sunday, most of the senior employees of Mr. Robinson's campaign for governor also resigned."

The New York Times' live updates of developments Wednesday in Israel's wars are here. CNN's live updates are here. ~~~

~~~ Erika Solomon, et al., of the New York Times: "Over two weeks, Palestinians watched as Israeli military bulldozers tore up mile after mile of their streets and alleys, sewage seeping into the dusty ruts left behind. The people of Tulkarm and Jenin, the two West Bank towns that were the focus of Israel's latest military raids, said they had never before experienced such a scale of destruction. Residents pointed to one video that shows an Israeli armored bulldozer flattening a decorative roundabout and nearby vegetation." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Surely I'm not the only wild-eyed conspiracy theorist who suspects Bibi is laying down all this death and destruction at least partially in order to undermine the Biden administration, thus Vice President Harris's election bid. Bibi can't want an honorable, intelligent U.S. president when Trump is the alternative.

Here are the New York Times' live updates in developments at the U.N. General Assembly today.

Sorry, meant to link this earlier: ~~~

~~~ Sheryl Stolberg & David Sanger of the New York Times: "President Biden used his final speech to the United Nations on Tuesday to celebrate his defense of Ukraine against Russia's invasion and his work to restore the United States' global alliances, but he also warned that the advances of his administration could easily fall apart if America returned to isolationism. In an address of a little more than 20 minutes to the U.N. General Assembly, Mr. Biden combined personal touches with policy imperatives and an impassioned defense of democracy. He traced the arc of his own political career, from election to the Senate in 1972 at age 29, to his 'difficult' decision two months ago to drop his bid for re-election -- a decision he framed as a lesson for other heads of state. 'My fellow leaders,' Mr. Biden said, 'let us never forget: Some things are more important than staying in power.'" CNN's story is here.

Jamie Frevele of Mediaite: "... Donald Trump declared this week that he would be a 'protector' of women. In a pair of campaign ads, two women described how the ex-president sexually assaulted them. People Magazine was the first to report on the ads, which were backed by George Conway's Anti-Psychopath PAC, and one of their own journalists, Natasha Stoynoff, recounted what happened when she visited Trump at Mar-a-Lago in 2005:" ~~~

A Libertarian and a Libertine walk into a Manhattan crypto-bar. The Libertarian, Nick Gillespie, an editor at Reason, says to the Libertine, Donald Trump, an aging, lying, totally disreputable SOS, "You signed legislation adding $7.8 trillion to the deficit in your first four years. Why will it be different if you're reelected?" "Well, we had a thing called Covid," the Libertine replied. "But you added it before Covid," the Libertarian countered. "And we were getting the country all set with our liquid gold and all the other assets that we have. We were going to bring that way down," the Libertine said, making no sense at all.

This Week's Big Grift: "Trump Is Hawking Silver Coins at a 210% Markup." Michael Luciano of Mediaite:  Donald Trump is promoting silver 'Trump Coins.'... On Tuesday, Trump retweeted a post by @realtrumpcoins1, whose profile states it is an 'Official Partner of The Trump Organization.' The post contains a 48-second video showing the coin, which has Trump's face on the obverse. On the reverse is the White House, Trump's signature, and the motto 'In God We Trust.' The coin is one troy ounce of silver. The post also contains a link to a website where people can 'preview the coin' and join a waitlist to buy them for a cool $100. As of this writing, the spot price for an ounce of silver is $32.... Typically, custom-made silver coins sell for less than $10 above the spot price of silver...."

The Candidates' Debate. Alex Griffing of Mediaite: "CNN reported this week that former Fox News personality and Trump administration official Monica Crowley is helping Sen. JD Vance (R-OH) prepare for his vice presidential debate next week against Gov. Tim Walz (D). Crowley is playing the moderator during the debate prep sessions, while House GOP Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN), who is a longtime colleague of Walz's, is playing the Democratic nominee for VP. News that Vance enlisted Crowley for debate prep raised eyebrows as she is a prominent contributor to the much-maligned Project 2025, which Donald Trump and his campaign are working overtime to distance themselves from." ~~~

~~~ MEANWHILE. Kathryn Watson, et al., of CBS NEWS: "Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is standing in for Vance in [Gov. Tim] Walz's debate prep sessions, according to a campaign official familiar with the prep. Buttigieg was praised for his debating skills during the 2020 Democratic presidential primary process, and was a stand-in for former Vice President Mike Pence's in Harris' [2020] debate prep.... Buttigieg has also made frequent appearances on Fox News, earning the nickname 'Slayer Pete' by the Los Angeles Times for being a 'rhetorical assassin' on cable news."

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Presidential Race

Megan Messerly of Politico: "Kamala Harris is calling for [eliminating the filibuster] ... to pass federal legislation protecting abortion rights. Harris voiced support for ending the 60-vote threshold needed to advance most legislation in the Senate, commonly known as the filibuster, during an interview with Wisconsin Public Radio that aired Tuesday.... President Joe Biden has long said he supports such an exception, and in 2022 Harris promised as vice president to cast a tie-breaking vote to end the filibuster for reproductive rights and voting rights. Democrats face an uphill battle to keep the Senate this November." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Nicholas Nehamas of the New York Times: "Senator Joe Manchin III of West Virginia, an independent who considered making a presidential run this year, said on Tuesday that he would not endorse Vice President Kamala Harris after she reiterated her support for eliminating the Senate filibuster to pass abortion rights legislation. 'Shame on her,' Mr. Manchin, who is not running for re-election, told CNN. 'She knows the filibuster is the Holy Grail of democracy. It's the only thing that keeps us talking and working together. If she gets rid of that, then this would be the House on steroids.'" CNN's story is here.

Matt Flegenheimer of the New York Times on "the long, strange saga of Kamala Harris & Kimberly Guilfoyle. More than two decades ago, the future vice president and the future conservative firebrand were rising legal stars in San Francisco. Then Ms. Guilfoyle accused Ms. Harris of trying to deny her a job." (Also linked yesterday.)

Annals of "Journalism," Ctd. Paul Waldman in a Substack essay: "... many [journalists] are dissatisfied with the way [Kamala Harris] is running her campaign. In particular, they're unhappy with how she is treating them, namely that she isn't doing a lot of interviews with big-time news organizations.... What really galls reporters, I believe, is that Harris has declined to approach them as a supplicant. They expect (and receive) contempt from Trump and Republicans, but from Democrats they want respect, admiration, and acknowledgment of their vital role in the operation of the democratic system." A fine piece. Thanks to Ken W. for the link.

Ashleigh Fields of the Hill: "Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) fired back at Former President Trump, condemning media coverage of his shots at the Vice President during a CNN appearance on Tuesday after he said [Vice President] Harris had 'bigger cognitive problems' than [President] Biden. 'Why would you even cover that? This is a person who's not on the level,' Pelosi fumed." ~~~

~~~ Wait, Wait. Who Has Cognitive Problems? AP: "Donald Trump flubbed the name of Charlottesville, Virginia, while going off script during a speech on Tuesday otherwise focused on economic policy, slamming Vice President Kamala Harris for lying about 'Charlottestown.'... Trump has faced years of criticism from Harris and other top Democrats when he blamed 'both sides' [for the violence committed by white nationalists in 2017]...." ~~~

Marie: Donald Trump, writing on his failing social media site, after Kamala Harris's campaign confirmed that she would not be attending the Al Smith dinner: "... It was a virtual event in 2020, and I was delighted to speak to our Catholic friends that day and, of course, it was a HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL evening in 2016 when we were there in person with Crooked Hillary Clinton. The reviews of my remarks were TREMENDOUS. It's sad, but not surprising, that Kamala has decided not to attend. I don't know what she has against our Catholic friends, but it must be a lot, because she certainly hasn't been very nice to them, in fact, Catholics are literally being persecuted by this Administration. Any Catholic that votes for Comrade Kamala Harris should have their head examined…." Via Mediaite. (Also linked yesterday.)

Seb Starcevic & Veronika Melkozerova of Politico: "Donald Trump said Monday [at his Indiana, Pennsylvania, rally] that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wanted 'so badly' for Vice President Kamala Harris to win the 2024 U.S. presidential election.... Zelenskyy on Sunday visited a munitions factory in Scranton, Pennsylvania -- a critical swing state in November's knife-edge election -- as part of a tour to shore up support for Kyiv's resistance against Russia's war, providing a fillip to the Harris campaign which riled Trump.... [Trump said] that if he wins the election, 'the first thing I'm gonna do is call up Zelenskyy and call up President Putin and I'm gonna say, "You gotta make a deal, this is crazy."'... He has also threatened to cut U.S. aid to Ukraine.... Zelenskyy's office refused to confirm the swing state trip was chosen for any purpose other than 'to pay a visit of gratitude' to the Scranton munitions factory, which manufactures shells used by Ukraine's military." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: It seems the main utility of Zelensky's visit to the munitions factory was to remind Americans that almost all of the materiel we send to Ukraine is American-made. That is, the money stays in the U.S. Sure it's redistributed, but it's moving from general federal taxpayers to U.S. workers, who then recirculate it in their communities when they pay for goods & services. Trump either doesn't understand this, or (there's some slight possibility) he gets it but he's pulling the wool over the eyes of his sheeples. ~~~

~~~ James Kilner of the (U.K.) Telegraph: "Donald Trump doesn't know how to stop the war in Ukraine, despite claiming he could end it on his first day as US president, Volodymyr Zelensky has said. In his harshest criticism yet of the Republican presidential nominee, the Ukrainian president also described Trump's running mate JD Vance as 'dangerous' and 'too radical'. 'His message seems to be that Ukraine must make a sacrifice,' Mr Zelensky said of Mr Vance in an interview with the New Yorker magazine before he flew to the US to present his 'Victory Plan' to the White House this week. 'But I believe that we have shielded America from total war.' Mr Vance has been criticised by supporters of Ukraine for pushing a peace deal that consolidates the Kremlin's control over captured territory." (Also linked yesterday.)

Justin Glawe of the Guardian: "At an event intended to tout economic policies that would usher in what his campaign calls a 'new age of American industrialism', Donald Trump spent as much time discussing personal grievances and blaming immigrants for everything from fentanyl overdoses to crime and taking Americans' jobs as he did discussing the economy. 'This is a speech on economic development but this is a big part of economic development,' the former president said of immigration at a speech in Savannah, Georgia, on Tuesday.... Trump said he would revive American manufacturing and restore it to 'how it was 50 years ago'..." MB: Right, back when unions were becoming weaker and the jobs went first to white, male applicants.

Racists of America, Unite! Michael Luciano of Mediaite: "... Donald Trump riled up rally-goers on Monday night by saying that some immigrants who are in the U.S. legally should be deported. Speaking in Indiana, Pennsylvania, Trump once again invoked Springfield, Ohio.... The Haitian migrants are there legally under Temporary Protected Status and have helped the city plug a severe labor shortage. Despite knowing this, Trump's running mate, JD Vance, has said he will keep calling them 'illegal.'... 'The fact is -- and I'll say it now -- you have to get 'em the hell out. You have to get 'em out. I'm sorry. But get 'em out. Can't have it.' The crowd responded by erupting in applause. 'They've destroyed it,' he said. The crowd broke into a chant demanding deportations. 'Send them back! Send them back! Send them back!'... The ex-president went on to commend Dwight Eisenhower for his deportation program in the 1950s that was dubbed 'Operation Wetback,' though Trump did not refer to it by name." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't think Trump would have accused legal immigrants of eating their neighbors' pets if the immigrants had come from, say, Denmark. Hell, in one of his crazier schemes, Trump wanted to buy Greenland from Denmark. (In fairness to Trump, I don't suppose he realized that about 88 percent of its population is Inuit; or maybe he just figured he could deport them to ... someplace.)

Ariana Baio of the Independent, republished by Yahoo! News: "Donald Trump scolded those who critique the Supreme Court at a rally on Monday, saying people should be jailed for 'the way they talk about our judges and our justices' -- despite the First Amendment allowing people to criticize the government. The former president, who has invoked his First Amendment right to launch a bevy of attacks against federal and state judges, suggested it should be 'illegal' to rebuke judicial decisions or try and advocate in favor of a certain decision.... The former president was referring to the backlash the Supreme Court received after overturning Roe v. Wade in June 2022. He called the court 'very brave' for making a decision that 'everybody wanted' -- an unfounded claim." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Aaron Blake of the Washington Post: "For someone who has so strongly objected in recent weeks to the idea that he's an authoritarian or a threat to democracy, Donald Trump has a funny way of showing it. At a rally Monday in Pennsylvania, the former president said for at least the fourth time that criticizing judges and justices either is or should be illegal. And for what may be the first time, he directly said people who do so should go to jail. This was not only a stunning comment about restricting free speech, but it suggests a standard that most likely would have landed Trump in jail long ago. Few modern political figures, after all, have spent so much time attacking judges and others involved in the judicial process, in an obvious attempt to apply political pressure." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Donald Trump says scary stuff all the time, and this is among the scariest. He is signaling that when he is president*, it will be "illegal" to criticize government officials who do his bidding. And if it's illegal, you can bet a penalty will follow. ~~~

     ~~~ Oops! Spoke too soon. It gets worse: ~~~

     ~~~ Ellie Houghtelling of the New Republic, republished by Yahoo! News: Donald Trump said during an interview "that under his potential second administration, he would round up and mass-deport noncitizens based on their 'serial numbers.'... 'But we're getting the criminals out, and we're going to do that fast, and we know who they are, and the local police know their names, and they know their serial numbers,' Trump said. 'They know everything about them.' Trump has regularly mimicked Adolf Hitler during his campaign. But the mention of serial numbers -- a terrifying echo of the identification numbers forcibly tattooed on concentration camp prisoners -- is one of his most chilling references yet." Read on. MB: Even more frightening, millions of Americans are cheering on this crap. (Also linked yesterday.)

Julie Smyth of the AP: "The leader of a nonprofit representing the Haitian community invoked a private-citizen right to file charges Tuesday against ... Donald Trump and his running mate, JD Vance, over the chaos and threats experienced by Springfield, Ohio, since Trump first spread false claims about legal immigrants there during a presidential debate. The Haitian Bridge Alliance made the move after inaction by the local prosecutor, said their attorney, Subodh Chandra of the Cleveland-based Chandra Law Firm. Charges brought by private citizens are rare, but not unheard of, in Ohio." MB: Sure would be fun if the next time JayDee flies home, authorities cuff him at the airport. Film at 11:00. (Also linked yesterday.)

Hannah Rabinowitz & Hans Lybrand of CNN: "Prosecutors on Tuesday filed the charge of attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate against Ryan Wesley Routh, the man they say camped outside of Donald Trump's West Palm Beach golf course for hours on end, armed with a rifle that he pointed through a chain-link fence with a clear shot to the next hole where the former president was headed on September 15.... Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointee who oversaw, and later threw out, the federal criminal classified documents case against the former president, was randomly assigned to oversee the case, court documents show.... [Attorney General Merrick Garland] also responded to a statement Trump posted Monday evening accusing the federal government of mishandling the assassination attempt investigation and saying that the Justice Department should 'LET FLORIDA HANDLE THE CASE!' Garland said that the Justice Department will 'seek to cooperate and get assistance from' Florida state officials 'consistent with the law.'" (Also linked yesterday.) The New York Times story is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Trump certainly knew that the original gun charges against Routh were placeholders to detain him while investigators explored evidence for other charges, but he complained anyway in order to discredit the DOJ. ~~~

     ~~~ Isaac Arnsdorf & Josh Dawsey of the Washington Post: "... Donald Trump further escalated his long-running bid to discredit federal law enforcement by accusing agencies on Monday of mishandling the investigation of last week's apparent assassination attempt.... Trump criticized the initial charges as 'a slap on the wrist' and accused the Justice Department and FBI of 'downplaying' the threat to his life because they 'have been coming after me nonstop with Weaponized Lawfare,' a term [MB: Trump uses] for alleged political tampering in prosecutions of Trump and his supporters. His statement sought to implicate President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, picking up on other recent remarks blaming them for failing to protect him. There is no evidence that Biden or Harris were involved in any security decisions leading up to the apparent assassination attempts, and Biden has since ordered the administration to provide the Secret Service with every available resource and asked Congress for more funding." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ The Squeaky Wheel Gets the Grease. Chris Cameron of the New York Times: "... Donald J. Trump was briefed on Tuesday by U.S. intelligence officials about 'specific threats from Iran to assassinate him,' according to his campaign."~~~

But Keeps on Squeaking. Isaac Arnsdorf & Shane Harris of the Washington Post: Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung "claim[ed] without evidence that Iran wanted [Vice President] Harris to win the election. 'Make no mistake, the terror regime in Iran loves the weakness of Kamala Harris, and is terrified of the strength and resolve of President Trump,' Cheung said.... Officials have said that plots against former Trump administration officials are driven by Iran's desire to retaliate for the killing of Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani, the head of the Quds Force, which Trump ordered in 2020. Intelligence officials have said Iran views this presidential election as 'particularly consequential' for its national security, but they have not said whether Iran has a preferred candidate."

Karen Tumulty of the Washington Post marvels at the way "Republican candidates [including Donald Trump & Ohio Senate candidate Bernie Moreno] are finding new and creative ways to insult women."

Luke Broadwater, et al., of the New York Times: "No one was in charge of planning and security decisions for the July 13 campaign rally where ... Donald J. Trump was shot, according to a preliminary report released Wednesday by a Senate committee that described a withering list of Secret Service failings. Diffuse and blurred leadership roles for the event in Butler, Pa., led to communications breakdowns and security lapses, the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs committee found. There was confusion over who was supposed to secure the building from which the gunman opened fire. There were multiple plans in place, none of them definitive. There were urgent warnings that were picked up but then dropped. The report painted a portrait of hapless on-site leadership unaware of potential threats to Mr. Trump's safety and a culture within the agency of individuals unwilling to take responsibility for those failures." A CNN report is here. ~~~

     ~~~ The Senate report, via Politico, is here.

The GOP Really Does Not Want Your Vote to Count. Patrick Marley & Colby Itkowitz of the Washington Post: "A panel of federal judges heard arguments Tuesday in a case that could upend the rules for counting a sliver of mail ballots in Mississippi just weeks before Election Day, with possible ramifications for all states. At issue is a Mississippi law that allows mail ballots to be counted if they arrive up to five days after Election Day and are postmarked by Election Day or earlier. Seventeen other states and Washington, D.C., have laws allowing postmarked mail ballots to be counted if they arrive after Election Day, according to the nonpartisan National Conference of State Legislatures. The case in Mississippi is one example of a nationwide effort by Republicans to invalidate mail ballots over issues unrelated to whether they were cast by a legitimate voter."

Madison Fernandez of Politico: "Republicans' effort to change Nebraska's unique electoral vote system ahead of the November election to benefit ... Donald Trump has been dashed. Republican Gov. Jim Pillen, a major proponent of making Nebraska a winner-takes-all state, said on Tuesday that he has 'no plans to call a special session on this issue prior to the 2024 election' because he couldn't secure the 33 votes needed to avoid a filibuster, should the change be put before the legislature." (Also linked yesterday.)

Alan Feuer of the New York Times: "A federal judge on Tuesday rejected an effort by ... Donald J. Trump's lawyers to push off until after November an assessment of whether the indictment accusing Mr. Trump of plotting to overturn the 2020 election can survive the Supreme Court's ruling granting him broad immunity from prosecution. In a brief order, the judge, Tanya S. Chutkan, said that by Thursday evening, the special counsel, Jack Smith, should file his written presentation about why the Supreme Court's immunity decision should not lead to the dismissal of the charges he brought against Mr. Trump in a revised indictment last month. Moreover, the judge granted Mr. Smith's request to have that presentation, which will be filed under seal and therefore not publicly accessible, run as long as 180 pages. Nearly half of those pages, Mr. Smith's deputies have said in court papers, would contain detailed evidence -- from things like grand jury testimony and F.B.I. interviews -- about how Mr. Trump's attempts to overturn the election are fair game despite the Supreme Court ruling, which granted him significant protections for official acts he took as president.... ~~~

"The special counsel has already said he intends to file his brief -- and its numerous factual exhibits -- under seal. Parts of the filing could eventually become public -- perhaps even before voters go to the polls. But it will be up to Judge Chutkan, in consultation with the defense and prosecution, to determine how much, if any, new information about Mr. Trump will be revealed in the papers and when those revelations will be made." The Hill's report is here. (Also linked yesterday.)

The New York Times live-updated events at yesterday's opening of the United Nations General Assembly here. (Also linked yesterday.)

Aaron Gregg of the Washington Post: "The Justice Department is suing Visa, accusing it of pressuring merchants and partners to go along with debit card practices that stifle the payment giant's rivals. Visa violated antitrust law by imposing a 'web of exclusionary agreements' that penalize merchants who use alternative payment processors, the Justice Department said. The Visa monopoly harms consumers because the merchant fees are ultimately passed along through higher prices across myriad purchases, Attorney General Merrick Garland argued."

Catie Edmondson of the New York Times: "Speaker Mike Johnson is preparing to steer around a bloc of conservative opposition to a bipartisan short-term agreement to fund the government by relying -- yet again -- on Democrats to provide the bulk of votes to pass the legislation. Late on Monday night, Republican leaders abruptly abandoned an effort to bring the funding legislation to the House floor using routine procedural measures, in an acknowledgment of the growing opposition to the measure from hard-right lawmakers. Instead, on Wednesday evening Mr. Johnson will put the legislation to a vote using a special procedure that requires the support of two-thirds of those voting to pass. That all but guarantees that Democrats will need to rally most of the votes to push the critical bill extending current funding until Dec. 20 across the finish line." (Also linked yesterday.)

Annie Grayer of CNN, on X: "House Speaker Mike Johnson declined to say if he supports Mark Robinson amidst the unfolding scandal in North Carolina's gubernatorial race, telling CNN, 'I'm not involved in the North Carolina governor's race, I got enough on my hands." MB: Mike Johnson may have callouses on his knees from all that praying he does, but it has not made him a person with anything approaching Christian morality, much less human decency or a hint of a backbone. (Also linked yesterday.)

Karoun Demirjian of the New York Times: "Republicans on the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Tuesday recommended holding Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken in contempt of Congress for failing to testify in their investigation of the chaotic U.S. exit from Afghanistan, in what Democrats charged was a political stunt ahead of the election. The committee's party-line vote came just days before the House was set to disband for the campaign trail and as Mr. Blinken was in New York, participating in high-level diplomatic meetings during the United Nations General Assembly. It is one of two expected Afghanistan-related moves in the House this week. The full chamber is also expected to vote on a resolution condemning 15 senior members of the Biden administration -- including President Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and Mr. Blinken -- for their roles in the withdrawal."

The Senate Checks Up on Jared, the Boy Entrepreneur. Eric Lipton of the New York Times: "The private equity firm [Affinity Partners] run by Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of ... Donald J. Trump, has been paid at least $112 million in fees since 2021 by Saudi Arabia and other foreign investors, even though as of July it had not yet returned any profits to the governments largely bankrolling the firm. Those are among the findings of a Senate Finance Committee inquiry into the operations of Affinity Partners, the Miami-based firm Mr. Kushner set up. The committee opened an investigation this spring in response to reporting in The New York Times examining the firm's first three years of work. Senator Ron Wyden, Democrat of Oregon, the committee's chairman, said the new information had only deepened his concerns that Mr. Kushner's firm creates conflicts of interest, particularly with his father-in-law running for re-election. Mr. Wyden asked [in a letter to Affinity] why Affinity Partners had not 'distributed a penny of earnings back to clients,' and suggested that perhaps it was set up primarily as a way for foreign entities to pay the Kushners...."

Frances Vinall of the Washington Post: "Johnny Cash, the giant of American music, is now memorialized with a statue standing at almost 11 feet at the U.S. Capitol, donated by his home state of Arkansas and unveiled Tuesday. Rosanne Cash, one of Johnny Cash's children, said in a social media statement that ... there were more than 100 members of her family in attendance. Cash, whose statue is located in the Emancipation Hall at the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center as part of the National Statuary Hall Collection, is the first musician to be represented in the collection, Rep. Rick Crawford (R-Ark.) said."

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Missouri. Zach Schonfeld of the Hill: "The Supreme Court refused to block Missouri from executing Marcellus Williams on Tuesday amid questions about the jury selection process and key evidence used in convicting him of murder in 2001. Williams, 55, who maintains his innocence, is scheduled to be executed by lethal injection Tuesday at 6 p.m. CDT. Moments before, the Supreme Court denied his emergency requests to halt the execution. The three justices appointed by Democratic presidents -- Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson -- voted to block it.... Wesley Bell, the St. Louis County's current prosecuting attorney, does not stand behind the conviction won by his predecessor, citing concerns Williams's constitutional rights were violated and he may be innocent. Court records show the victim's widower also does not want the death penalty used. The Midwest Innocence Project backed Williams's defense, with his legal team in court filings calling his execution a 'horrifying injustice' that reveals 'systemic problems bigger than even Mr. Williams' case.'" (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Update. David Lieb & Jim Salter of the AP: "Marcellus Williams, 55..., was put to death despite questions his attorneys raised over jury selection at his trial and the handling of evidence in the case."

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The New York Times' live updates of developments Tuesday in Israel's wars are here. CNN's live updates are here. (Also linked yesterday.)

News Ledes

The New York Times is live-updating developments in the progress of Hurricane Helene. "Helene continued to power north in the Caribbean Sea, strengthening into a hurricane Wednesday morning, on a path that forecasters expect will bring heavy amounts of rain to Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula and western Cuba before it begins to move toward Florida's Gulf Coast." ~~~

~~~ CNN: "Helene rapidly intensified into a hurricane Wednesday as it plows toward a Florida landfall as the strongest hurricane to hit the United States in over a year. The storm will also grow into a massive, sprawling monster as it continues to intensify, one that won't just slam Florida, but also much of the Southeast.... Thousands of Florida residents have already been forced to evacuate and nearly the entire state is under alerts as the storm threatens to unleash flooding rainfall, damaging winds and life-threatening storm surge.... The hurricane unleashed its fury on parts of Mexico's Yucátan Peninsula and Cuba Wednesday."