September 17, 2025

Today we live in a repressive, oppressive dictatorship. No one is safe. ~~~ 

~~~⭐John Koblin of the New York Times: “ABC announced on Wednesday evening that it was pulling Jimmy Kimmel’s late night show 'indefinitely' after criticism of comments he made on Monday about the motives of the man who is accused of fatally shooting the conservative activist Charlie Kirk last week. Brendan Carr, the Federal Communications Commission chair, sharply criticized Mr. Kimmel’s comments on a podcast earlier on Wednesday. Nexstar, an owner of many local stations throughout the United States, said shortly before ABC’s announcement that it was pre-empting episodes of 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' for the 'foreseeable future.'” This is a breaking news story at 7:00 pm ET, and the story doesn't make clear just what happened. 

     ~~~ Here's Brian Stelter of CNN who provides some clarity of what is publicly known so far: ~~~

    ~~~ Update. Brian Stelter, et al., of CNN: “... FCC chair Brendan Carr told right-wing podcaster Benny Johnson on Wednesday ... that his FCC could move to revoke ABC affiliate licenses as a way to force Disney to punish Kimmel. 'We can do this the easy way or the hard way,' Carr said.  'These companies can find ways to change conduct and take actions on Kimmel, or there’s going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.' Carr added that the broadcasters, including ABC, 'have a license granted by us at the FCC, and that comes with it an obligation to operate in the public interest.' Elsewhere in the interview, Carr attacked Kimmel as 'talentless' and suggested the late-night comedian’s comments displayed  'some sort of desperate irrelevance.'” ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: BTW, if you look down the page, you'll see this: Tommy Christopher of Mediaite: “... Donald Trump openly threatened ABC News Chief Washington Correspondent Jonathan Karl when Karl grilled him about the threatened crackdown on so-called 'hate speech.'...” “We’ll probably go after people like you,” Trump said to Karl. Is it a coincidence that Trump threatened ABC News' chief correspondent and the next day Trump's hand-picked FCC chair threatened to pull the licenses of ABC affiliates because its top entertainment star dared to exercise his free speech? I doubt it. 

akaWendy figured Trump must be taking notices for his glorious ballroom when he saw all the gilding in St. George's Hall at Windsor Castle where he had dinner tonight. Some of that gold may date to the 14th century, though most of it is probably new because the hall -- including that gilded ceiling -- was lost or severely damaged in a 1992 fire. So Trump could copy it! ~~~

Here's a video of a portion of a sermon by Howard-John Wesley that RAS & Akhilleus would like us to hear. The Reverend Doctor does have a point: ~~~

Marie: While the usual suspects around here were doing some useful work in the Comments section, I was (among other things) watching the YouTubes, and here's one thing I saw. Lawrence O'Donnell, too, does have a point (or two): ~~~

      ~~~ Unfortunately, O'Donnell doesn't give quick enough attention to the $15BB "crazy lawsuit" Trump filed against the New York Times, but if you want to laugh along with Tim Miller & Andrew Egger of the Bulwark, they do a fine reading of portions of the suit. If you'd like to read along, the complaint, via the court, is here. 

Finally, here's more of the flavor of Kash Patel's testimony before the Senate yesterday. He's at it again today before a House panel, where I heard him use the word "bullshit" in the august halls of our nation's Capitol. Clearly, Patel does not understand the fundamentals of his job or of Congress's responsibility to oversee his, well, bullshit. ~~~

Shawn McCreesh & Maggie Haberman of the New York Times: Donald “Trump and the first lady, Melania Trump, were greeted by the British royal family on Wednesday at Windsor Castle outside London, beginning a two-day state visit swaddled in the kind of pomp and grandeur that so pleases this president.” That's the lede to the pinned item (at 11:30 am ET) on NYT's liveblog of developments in the most ridiculous of "royal" visits. 

You Can Put a Man in a Suit, But You Can't Make It Fit. Yan Zhuang & Claire Moses of the New York Times: “One of Ben & Jerry’s founders, Jerry Greenfield, has resigned from the ice cream company, saying that its independence had been lost and its social activism 'silenced' under the control of its parent company, Unilever. Mr. Greenfield’s business partner, Ben Cohen, announced the move on social media early Wednesday. The decision comes after years of increasing tension between Unilever, which acquired the ice cream company in 2000, and the Ben & Jerry’s founders, who have long been outspoken on social issues. 'I never thought I would have to write this, but after 47 years Jerry has made the difficult decision to stand down from the company we built together,' Mr. Cohen wrote on Instagram, along with a statement from Mr. Greenfield. In his statement, Mr. Greenfield said he could no longer 'in good conscience' remain at the company he started with Mr. Cohen in 1978.” The AP's report is here.

~~~~~~~~~~  

~~~ Reuters, published in the Guardian: “Four people have been arrested after images of Donald Trump alongside deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein were projected on to Windsor Castle, where the US president is set to be hosted by King Charles during his state visit to Britain. Trump arrived in Britain late on Tuesday for an unprecedented second state visit, and will be greeted by Charles on Wednesday for a day of pomp at Windsor Castle.... Earlier on Tuesday, protesters unfurled a massive banner featuring a photograph of Trump and Epstein near Windsor Castle, and later projected several images of the two on to one of the castle’s towers. The police said in a statement four adults were arrested on suspicion of malicious communications after an 'unauthorised projection' at Windsor Castle.... The four remain in custody.”

Marie: Here is the New York Times, in its top story (at 4:00 am ET) warning against Donald Trump's authoritarian crackdown on free speech. Also, their language has advanced from calling his accusations as delivered "without evidence," to calling them "baseless." ("Without evidence" suggests there is or could be evidence, but it went unmentioned; "baseless" means no evidence exists.) Maybe it's the $15BB defamation lawsuit Trump brought against the Times for normal, First-Amendment-protected reporting and editorializing, maybe it's the accumulation of evidence. Whatever. The paper of record finally is getting on our page. (They're not quite there yet. They're still both-sidering political violence when the evidence is that about three-fourths of acts of political violence comes from the right -- AND we know Trump has promoted and pardoned that violence.) ~~~

~~~ Zolan Kanno-Youngs, et al., of the New York Times: Donald “Trump has begun a major escalation in his long-running efforts to stifle political opposition in the United States, using the assassination of the right-wing activist Charlie Kirk to make the baseless argument that Democratic organizations and protesters are part of a violent conspiracy against conservative values and the American way of life. In the six days since Mr. Kirk was gunned down in Utah, Mr. Trump and his top officials have promised a broadside against the political left, indicating that they would go after liberal groups like George Soros’s Open Society Foundations and the Ford Foundation; revoke visas for people seen to be 'celebrating' Mr. Kirk’s death; begin federal investigations into hate speech; and designate certain groups domestic terrorists.... The threats come even as the authorities said the suspect in Mr. Kirk’s shooting acted alone and presented no evidence that political violence is coordinated on one side.... Mr. Trump’s aggressive moves to target only his political opponents is a continuation of his attempts to wield power — through lawsuits, executive orders and public intimidation — to punish people and institutions that power the political left, or that he believes wronged him. ” ~~~

~~~ Tyler Pager of the New York Times: “Former President Barack Obama suggested on Tuesday that ... [Donald] Trump and his allies were using the assassination of the conservative activist Charlie Kirk to stoke division and silence debate about Mr. Kirk’s ideas. Mr. Obama, speaking in a moderated conversation in Erie, Pa., as part of the Jefferson Educational Society’s 17th annual global summit, did not mention Mr. Trump by name. But he said that Mr. Trump’s attacks in recent days on his political rivals and his threats of drastic actions to stifle his opposition after the killing of Mr. Kirk had exacerbated tensions in the country. 'When I hear not just our current president, but his aides, who have a history of calling political opponents “vermin,” enemies who need to be “targeted,”  that speaks to a broader problem that we have right now, and something that we’re going to have to grapple with — all of us,' Mr. Obama said.” ~~~

~~~ 404 Alert. Sarah Rumpf of Mediaite: “Within the past few days, the Department of Justice deleted one of its own studies from its website showing that 'far-right extremists have committed far more ideologically motivated homicides than far-left or radical Islamist extremists.'... In the wake of [Charlie] Kirk’s death, Trump and other Republicans have broadly blamed the 'radical left' for the shooting. The deletion of the study from the DOJ website was flagged by Daniel Malmer, a PhD student at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill who is studying 'online extremism, radicalization, and conspiracy beliefs.'...  According to a report by 404 Media, [a] message [replacing the report] originally read, 'The Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs is currently reviewing its websites and materials in accordance with recent Executive Orders and related guidance. During this review, some pages and publications will be unavailable. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.' That message has now been updated ... to a single sentence: 'The requested page could not be found.'” ~~~

~~~ Pam Bondi Is a Fascist Idiot. Glenn Thrush & Alan Feuer of the New York Times: “Attorney General Pam Bondi provoked a broad backlash this week after announcing she would 'absolutely target' protesters engaging in 'hate speech' — and claiming she had authority to investigate businesses that refused to print memorial vigil posters for the conservative activist Charlie Kirk.... It is not clear under what authority Ms. Bondi planned to bring 'hate speech' cases when the First Amendment provides sweeping protections for free speech that does not directly incite violence.... 'Someone needs to explain to Ms. Bondi that so-called “hate speech,” repulsive though it may be, is protected by the First Amendment,' Brit Hume, the longtime Fox News host, wrote on social media. 'She should know this.'... She seemed to back away from ... her remarks on Tuesday morning, writing on social media that 'hate speech that crosses the line into threats of violence is NOT protected by the First Amendment. It’s a crime.'” (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Erica Orden of Politico: “Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor appeared to take aim at recent remarks by Attorney General Pam Bondi vowing to 'target' anyone who uses 'hate speech' following the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. 'Every time I listen to a lawyer-trained representative saying we should criminalize free speech in some way, I think to myself, that law school failed,' Sotomayor said while speaking on a panel Tuesday morning at New York Law School.” (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Looks Like Smartypants Ted Passed Constitutional Law. Jacob Wendler of Politico: “Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) defended constitutional protections for hate speech in the aftermath of the fatal shooting of conservative organizer Charlie Kirk.... '“The First Amendment absolutely protects speech,” Cruz said Tuesday at Politico’s AI & Tech Summit in Washington. 'It absolutely protects hate speech. It protects vile speech. It protects horrible speech. What does that mean? It means you cannot be prosecuted for speech, even if it is evil and bigoted and wrong.'  At the same time, Cruz endorsed 'naming and shaming' as 'part of a functioning and vibrant democracy,' citing English philosopher John Stuart Mill’s famous axiom that free and plentiful expression is the best antidote to undesirable speech.” (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ BUT after that, Cancun Ted went on national teevee and claimed that the person who murdered Minnesota Democratic House Speaker Melissa Horton & her husband, who critically wounded another Democratic lawmaker and his wife, who had a "hit list" of Democrats and abortion providers he intended to kill -- was merely "deranged" and "was not a right-wing assassin acting on a political motive." MB: Thanks to Michael Luciano of Mediaite. This is an excellent example of how being good at book-learning doesn't make a person an intelligent, rational thinker. ~~~  

     ~~~ Charles Cooke of the (right-wing) National Review was fairly apoplectic when he wrote the rebuttal to Bondi's "false, incorrect, imaginary" assertions. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~ 

     ~~~ Donald Trump Is a Fascist Idiot. Giselle Ewing of Politico: “...  Donald Trump didn’t appear to take issue with Bondi’s comments. Asked by reporters about the attorney general’s remarks Tuesday, Trump returned to a suggestion he has previously floated — that members of the media should be targeted for their coverage of his administration — which he claimed was 'hate.' 'We’ll probably go after people like you because you treat me so unfairly, it’s hate. You have a lot of hate in your heart,' Trump said, responding to a question from ABC’s Jonathan Karl.” (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ OR, as Tommy Christopher of Mediaite put it, “... Donald Trump openly threatened ABC News Chief Washington Correspondent Jonathan Karl when Karl grilled him about the threatened crackdown on so-called 'hate speech.'...” MB: Of course it doesn't matter to Blondie what opinion writers, or senators or even Supreme Court justices think; her sole audience is Delusional Donnie. (Also linked yesterday.)

Bryony Gooch of the Independent: “Donald Trump has accused former president Joe Biden of “trying to put Charlie Kirk out of business” after it emerged the right wing influencer’s organization Turning Point USA was investigated by the FBI. In a post on Truth Social, the incumbent president asked: 'Why was the wonderful Turning Point under INVESTIGATION by “Deranged” Jack Smith and the Corrupt & Incompetent Biden Administration'? Trump referred to the FBI’s election-related investigation into him, launched in 2022, which looked at dozens of Republican entities. That included Kirk’s Turning Point movement, as revealed by Republican Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IOWA) on Tuesday.” ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Without knowing anything about it, I'm still comfortable guessing that (a) Jack Smith's investigation of Kirk's group was a legitimate piece of the investigation into Trump's January 6 insurrection, and (b) Joe Biden had zip to do with it. I'll be surprised if my guess is wrong.

Kadia Goba & Katie Tarrant of the Washington Post: “Republicans in Congress are launching an aggressive campaign to punish individuals they accuse of posthumously smearing Charlie Kirk, threatening to bring them before lawmakers, defund entities that protect them and oust them from positions of power.... [Also o]n Monday evening, two House Republicans introduced resolutions to censure Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minnesota) and remove her from her congressional committees for comments she made about the conservative influencer during an interview with liberal commentator Mehdi Hasan. During the interview, Omar expressed 'empathy' for Kirk’s wife and children but also chastised those who 'completely pretend' that the conservative influencer just wanted a 'civil debate,' pointing to his views on guns, slavery and George Floyd. Omar also reposted a video to X from an anonymous user that called Kirk a 'reprehensible human being' who was 'spewing racist dog whistles' in his 'last, dying words.'” ~~~

     ~~~ Andrew Solender of Axios: "A House Democrat responded Tuesday to GOP efforts to censure Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) by forcing his own vote to censure Rep. Cory Mills (R-Fla.).... Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) took to the House floor Tuesday to force a vote on her resolution censuring Omar for her critical comments and posts about Charlie Kirk following his assassination last week. Mace's resolution would kick Omar off the House Budget and Education & Welfare Committees. In response, Congressional Progressive Caucus chair Greg Casar (D-Texas) introduced a measure that would censure Mills but not kick him off committees.... The Mills resolution centers on reports and allegations of domestic violence and sexual misconduct, stolen valor, making false financial disclosures and committing campaign finance violations...." ~~~

~~~ Taylor Telford & Faiz Siddiqui of the Washington Post: “The wave of companies and other institutions firing or suspending employees over what they’ve said in reaction to last week’s killing of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk has expanded in recent days, as some of his supporters in and outside the government amp up a push against speech they say crosses lines. The Secret Service, several U.S. airlines, Office Depot, and Nasdaq said they were among more than 30 employers that have sanctioned or fired employees in reaction to their statements about Kirk’s killing. Roughly three dozen workers are reported to have been suspended or fired over their responses to Kirk’s killing, including employees of Clemson University, MSNBC, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Carolina Panthers. Several local fire departments and school districts said they had also suspended or terminated employees over their remarks.” (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ Zachary Basu of Axios: Donald "Trump and MAGA spent years lampooning censorship, discrimination against conservatives, and progressive 'cancel culture.' Now in power — and riding an outpouring of grief and fury over Charlie Kirk's tragic killing — they're enforcing speech codes to punish ideological opponents.... Any person who celebrates or mocks Kirk's death — or even criticizes his right-wing views — is being cast as complicit in political violence. The Charlie Kirk Data Foundation — an anonymous website initially branded as 'Expose Charlie's Murderers' — claims to have received more than 60,000 submissions. Hundreds of people, if not more, have been fired for social media activity related to last week's shooting, including federal workers and military members named and shamed by Trump Cabinet secretaries."

Jess Bedayn, et al., of the AP: “Prosecutors brought an aggravated murder charge on Tuesday against the man accused of assassinating Charlie Kirk and outlined evidence including a text message confession to his partner and a note left beforehand that said he had the opportunity to kill one of the nation’s leading conservative voices 'and I’m going to take it.' The charge means 22-year-old Tyler Robinson could face the death penalty if convicted of killing Kirk last week at Utah Valley University in Orem....” (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ The New York Times liveblog has more details. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs of the New York Times: “The text message exchange between the suspect [in Charlie Kirk's murder], Tyler Robinson, and his romantic partner provides the clearest explanation yet into a motivation for the killing of Mr. Kirk.... A charging document filed by prosecutors in court said that Mr. Robinson’s mother told investigators that her son had grown more political, and that his political views had moved to the left over the last year or so. She also told the police that he had become 'more pro-gay and trans-rights oriented.' Mr. Robinson’s partner, who was living with him, had been transitioning to being a woman from a man, prosecutors said. The text exchange between Mr. Robinson and his partner was reproduced ... in the charging document. It showed that Mr. Robinson had texted his partner shortly after the shooting on Wednesday about a note left under his keyboard, which read, 'I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I’m going to take it.'... 'You weren’t the one who did it right????' the partner wrote. 'I am, I’m sorry,' Mr. Robinson responded. When Mr. Robinson’s partner asked why he had done it, Mr. Robinson wrote: 'I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can’t be negotiated out.' Mr. Robinson then texted about trying to grab his rifle from where he had left it, near the scene.” 

Andrew DeGrandpre & Dan Lamothe of the Washington Post: “... Donald Trump disclosed Tuesday that the U.S. government had 'knocked off' what he said was a total of three alleged drug-smuggling boats, all apparently from Venezuela, a country whose leader his administration has villainized while dramatically escalating the use of deadly force in a bid to disrupt the Latin American narcotics trade. The president, speaking to reporters outside the White House, offered no other details about the previously undisclosed incident. The White House and the Pentagon declined to address questions about the third vessel, including when it was struck, where it was struck, and how many people were aboard.” ~~~

     ~~~ Eli Stokols & Josh Gerstein of Politico: “The Trump administration is facing growing calls from former government officials — including some in Republican administrations — to offer a legal justification for ... Donald Trump’s two missile strikes this month on boats allegedly piloted by members of a Venezuelan drug cartel. Those experts say the use of such force outside of war blurs the legal distinction between law enforcement and military actions and comes amid calls on Capitol Hill to curtail Trump’s military powers.” MB: Even John Yoo -- the infamous author of the Torture Memos --  is skeptical of Trump's authority.

Loose Ends. Richard Fausset & Danny Hakim of the New York Times: “The Georgia Supreme Court on Tuesday dealt another blow to the moribund election interference case against ... [Donald] Trump, declining to intervene after an appeals court ruling last year disqualified Fani T. Willis, the Fulton County district attorney, from prosecuting the case. The 4-3 ruling means that the criminal case ... will not move forward anytime soon, if ever. The Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia, a state entity, will now decide whether to reassign the case, and to whom. The executive director of the council, Pete Skandalakis, served for years as a Republican district attorney. A new prosecutor could decide to press on with the case — now against a sitting president — drop it or bring a modified version. If charges remain against Mr. Trump, he would most likely not face trial until after his term ends in 2029. But if a new prosecutor wanted to proceed with the case against some or all of the 14 other defendants, they could be tried sooner.”

Claire Rush & Ali Swenson of the AP: “The Justice Department said Tuesday that it has sued Oregon and Maine for failing to turn over their voter registration lists, marking the first lawsuits the department has brought against states in its wide-ranging effort to get detailed voter data.The department said the states were violating federal law by refusing to provide electronic copies of state voter registration lists and information regarding ineligible voters. It added that Oregon also did not provide information on how it maintains its voter list. Oregon and Maine are among at least 26 states that the department has asked for voter registration rolls in recent months, according to an Associated Press tally.... The Justice Department’s outreach has raised alarm among some election officials because the agency doesn’t have the constitutional authority to run elections. That power is granted to states and Congress. Federal law also protects the sharing of individual data with the federal government.... Election officials have ... raised concerns that federal officials are trying to use the sensitive data for other purposes, such as searching for potential noncitizens on the rolls.” ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Responsible critics have speculated on an even more sinister motive: to overturn elections in which Democrats have won.  

Eric Tucker of the AP: “FBI Director Kash Patel clashed with skeptical Democrats at a contentious Senate oversight hearing Tuesday, defending his record amid criticism that he has politicized the nation’s premier federal law enforcement agency and pursued retribution against perceived adversaries of ... Donald Trump.... The appearance Tuesday before the Senate Judiciary Committee represented the first oversight hearing of Patel’s young but tumultuous tenure.... Democrats ... suggested his firing of experienced agents and supervisors was a troubling about-face from his confirmation hearing pledge in January that he would not look 'backwards' or seek retaliation as director. 'I’m not going to mince words: you lied to us,' said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Connecticut Democrat. Patel angrily disputed that suggestion, and said that though he could not discuss the specifics of those firings due to the litigation. 'Anyone that’s been terminated failed to meet the needs of the FBI and uphold their constitutional duties.'” (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ Glenn Thrush & Alan Feuer of the New York Times: Kash Patel went to the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing “to brawl, perhaps to convince Mr. Trump he still had the attributes that endeared him to the president’s inner circle in the first place — that unique hybrid of public defiance and personal compliance demanded of those placed in positions of power.... He has never been a decorous congressional guest, but on Tuesday, he abandoned any pretense of courtesy beyond calling his targets 'senator.' His targets were not much more polite.... [Sen. Adam] Schiff [D-Calif.] called Mr. Patel an 'internet troll' during a scrap over the Epstein files. The witness quickly responded by calling the senator 'an utter coward,' a  'political buffoon' and 'the biggest fraud to ever sit in the United States Senate.'... The Republicans on the panel rallied to his side.... All of the conflict on Tuesday obscured the fact that Mr. Patel either flatly refused, or evaded, tough questions about the state of the bureau’s work force, particularly the loss of up to 5,000 experienced field agents driven out through purges or retirements.” ~~~

     When he wasn't shouting and defaming Democratic senators for executing their Constitutional oversight duties, Patel's testimony was pretty fantastic. For instance ~~~

     ~~~  Avery Lotz of Axios: "FBI Director Kash Patel said Tuesday that the bureau has 'no credible information' that sex offender Jeffrey Epstein trafficked young women to other individuals beside himself.... If there was such evidence, Patel emphasized, 'I would bring the case yesterday.'" ~~~

     ~~~ Alex Griffing of Mediaite: “Pundits and journalists were quick to call out how extraordinary Patel’s statement was. 'What about the victims’ depositions who name the men they were trafficked to? Is that not “credible evidence”?' fumed political journo Tara Palmeri.” MB: The answer is no. Girls accusing wealthy, powerful men of sexual abuse are not credible. That's the rule.

~~~ Glenn Thrush & Alan Feuer of the New York Times: “Chris Meyer, a field agent assigned to fly the F.B.I. director Kash Patel’s plane..., knew he was in trouble ... when a pro-Trump influencer claimed, without a wisp of proof, that he was 'THE' main agent in the Mar-a-Lago documents investigation. Mr. Meyer said he was never assigned to that case.... No matter. Last month, Mr. Patel summarily fired Mr. Meyer and another top agent in the Washington, D.C., field office who had been targeted by the right, Walter Giardina. Mr. Patel did so after being told that the terminations were unlawful and that pushing out Mr. Giardina, who was caring for his dying wife, would be 'inexcusably cruel,' according to a lawsuit filed by three F.B.I. supervisors also dismissed by Mr. Patel. The allegations by Mr. Meyer and Mr. Giardina, reported for the first time in their own words, offer an unusual glimpse into the nation’s top law enforcement agency.... They also raise fundamental questions about Mr. Patel’s treatment of the bureau’s career work force — and why he personally fired two respected midlevel agents he accused of weaponizing the F.B.I. against Mr. Trump without a formal internal investigation.” (Also linked yesterday.)

Sheryl Stolberg of the New York Times: “Susan Monarez, the former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is set to tell a Senate panel on Wednesday that she was fired 'for holding the line on scientific integrity.' Dr. Monarez will make her first detailed account of her ouster last month by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in prepared testimony obtained by The New York Times.... Shortly after the White House fired Dr. Monarez, she wrote an opinion article in The Wall Street Journal saying that Mr. Kennedy had 'pressured me to resign or face termination.' She elaborated in her prepared remarks that Mr. Kennedy had given a choice: fire top C.D.C. officials responsible for vaccine policy and accept the recommendations of his handpicked advisers, or resign. Dr. Monarez told him to fire her after he said he could not trust her, she wrote.”

Markets have to trust the data are not manipulated. Firing your chief statisticians for releasing data you do not like, it has serious economic consequences. The list of countries that have gone down this route, it’s not a good list. -- Former BLS Commissioner Erika McEntarfer, remarks at Bard College, Tuesday 

~~~ Tony Romm of the New York Times: “When the federal government revealed last month a sharp contraction in the nation’s hiring..., [Donald] Trump attacked the report and abruptly fired the longtime civil servant responsible for overseeing the data. On Tuesday, Erika McEntarfer, the former commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, offered her first major public comments on her ouster. She warned about the rising risk of political interference in the government’s work to measure the economy, stressing that it could harm consumers and businesses. 'Economic data must be free from partisan influence,' she said. Ms. McEntarfer voiced her fears during a speech at Bard College in New York, her alma mater, more than one month after Mr. Trump dismissed her over his widely condemned claims that federal hiring data had been 'rigged.'”

Your Tax Dollars Going to Useless Wingers. Janay Kingsberry of the Washington Post: “The National Endowment for the Humanities on Monday awarded $10.4 million to Jewish educational and civic nonprofit Tikvah to combat antisemitism — the largest grant in the federal agency’s history and part of an apparent shift in how it distributes money following its sweeping reorganization under the Trump administration. The funding will support Tikvah’s 'Jewish Civilization Project,' a three-year project to examine Jewish history and fight antisemitism in America..., according to the agency’s news release.... Tikvah ... has been associated with conservative U.S. politics. At an upcoming conference, it will award prizes to right-wing commentator Ben Shapiro, Free Press editor Bari Weiss and former Republican adviser Dan Senor.”

Beth Reinhard & Kadia Goba of the Washington Post: “The House Oversight Committee on Tuesday released documents from convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s estate, as well as testimony by former Attorney General William P. Barr about the federal investigation into Epstein. The committee also released letters from two other former attorneys general, Alberto Gonzalez and Jeff Sessions, who were subpoenaed by the committee to answer questions on the federal inquiry into Epstein; they said had no information relevant to Epstein’s case.” (Also linked yesterday.)

Catie Edmondson of the New York Times: “The top Democrats in Congress on Tuesday said they opposed Republicans’ stopgap spending plan to fund the government past a Sept. 30 deadline, increasing the chances of a shutdown within weeks. Their decision to reject the G.O.P. plan reflected rising anger among Democrats on Capitol Hill at ... [Donald] Trump’s policies and his moves to circumvent Congress, including his assertion last week that Republican leaders should not 'even bother' negotiating with Democrats.... It also came amid intense pressure from liberal activists who were enraged earlier this year when Democratic senators allowed a similar bill to advance and kept government funding flowing. Speaker Mike Johnson on Tuesday released a temporary spending bill that would keep funding flowing largely at current levels until just before Thanksgiving, while boosting spending on security for federal officials. He is aiming for a vote on the House floor by Friday.”

Congress Strips Itself of Constitutional Powers. Again. Robert Jimison of the New York Times: “The Republican-led House moved anew on Tuesday to relinquish Congress’s power to weigh in on ... [Donald] Trump’s tariffs, even as Democrats in the Senate prepared to force votes challenging his trade war. The maneuver by House Republicans effectively stripped lawmakers of the ability to force action on lifting the tariffs until March 31, 2026, extending a prohibition they initially imposed in the spring to spare their members a politically tough vote. It came after Representative Gregory W. Meeks of New York, the top Democrat on the Foreign Affairs Committee, tried to surprise Republicans with a bid to block the president’s tariffs on Brazil. His measure was swiftly defeated.... It was the latest instance in which House Republicans, many of whom have spent much of their career opposing tariffs as a matter of principle, have given up their power over trade.” A Politico item is here.

Lauren Hirsch, et al., of the New York Times: Donald “Trump on Tuesday extended for the fourth time the deadline for when TikTok must be separated from its Chinese owner, ByteDance, or face a ban in the United States. The extension to mid-December could be Mr. Trump’s last for the video app. He and other officials said this week that they had reached a framework for a deal with China to address national security concerns about ByteDance and its ties to Beijing. 'We have a deal on TikTok,' Mr. Trump told reporters on Tuesday. 'We have a group of very big companies that want to buy it.' He is set to speak Friday with China’s top leader, Xi Jinping, on Friday to 'confirm everything up,' he said.” Here's a related CNBC story.

Meagan Flynn of the Washington Post: “House lawmakers voted Tuesday to allow 14-year-olds to be tried as adults for serious crimes and to treat young people more harshly in the D.C. justice system — fulfilling a top request from the Trump administration despite universal opposition among top D.C. elected officials. The two bills are part of broader constellation of 14 policy ideas from Republicans that could overhaul criminal justice and policing in the nation’s capital. Thirty-one Democrats joined Republicans in voting to restrict judges from having discretion to dole out lighter sentences to young people. Eight voted alongside Republicans to allow 14-year-olds to be charged as adults.”

Salvador Rizzo of the Washington Post: “Retired Adm. Robert P. Burke, who was convicted of corruption offenses after a four-decade military career in which he rose to become the Navy’s second-highest-ranking officer, was sentenced Tuesday to six years in prison, days after the trial of the tech executives who were accused of bribing him ended with a hung jury.... At his trial and in legal filings, federal prosecutors said Burke capped his distinguished career as a four-star admiral with 'a stunning abuse of power,' ordering his subordinates to award a no-bid contract worth $355,000 in the waning days of 2021 to a New York tech company whose executives had promised to make him a millionaire after retirement. Burke was convicted in May of bribery, conspiracy, acts affecting a personal financial interest and concealing material facts.... He is appealing his convictions.”

Brooks Barnes of the New York Times: “Robert Redford, the big-screen charmer turned Oscar-winning director whose hit movies often helped America make sense of itself and who, offscreen, evangelized for environmental causes and fostered the Sundance-centered independent film movement, died early Tuesday morning at his home in Utah. He was 89.” This is yesterday's saddest news. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Benjamin Mullin of the New York Times: “One of Robert Redford’s most indelible screen roles was Bob Woodward, the hungry young Washington Post reporter in pursuit of one of the biggest stories of his generation: the Watergate scandal that consumed the administration of President Richard M. Nixon.... In a statement to The New York Times, Mr. Woodward remembered Mr. Redford as 'genuine, a noble and principled force for good who fought successfully to find and communicate the truth.... I loved him, and admired him — for his friendship, his fiery independence, and the way he used any platform he had to help make the world better, fairer, brighter for others.'... Mr. Redford’s friendship with Mr. Woodward lasted a half-century, when the actor urged Mr. Woodward and his Watergate reporting partner, Carl Bernstein, to tell the story of the investigation through the prism of their relationship. That effort became their book, published in 1974, which was the basis for the film.”

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Minnesota. Steve Karnowski of the AP: “Democrat Xp Lee won a special election Tuesday to fill the Minnesota House seat of a top Democratic leader who was assassinated, restoring a 67-67 tie and preserving a power-sharing deal that has forced both parties to work together. Rep. Melissa Hortman, of Brooklyn Park, held the seat until her death in June. Lee is a former Brooklyn Park City Council member. He defeated Republican real estate agent Ruth Bittner in the heavily Democratic district. Lee promised he would 'work hard every day' to honor Hortman’s legacy.” The Washington Post story is here.

Oklahoma. Sean Murphy of the AP: “The Oklahoma Supreme Court temporarily put on hold proposed new social studies standards for K-12 public school students that include conspiracy theories about the 2020 election. The state’s high court issued a temporary stay on Monday while a lawsuit filed by a group of parents and educators challenging the new standards is being litigated. The court’s order directs the State Department of Education to keep the previous social studies standards in place while the case is being decided.” MB: According to Art Intel of Google, “Oklahoma was ranked last (50th) for education quality and overall in a WalletHub report in July 2025.” Just sayin'. 

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Israel/Palestine, et al. “Duh, I Dunno.” Michael Crowley of the New York Times: “As several major nations warned Israel about dire civilian casualties and the risk of prolonging the war in Gaza, Mr. Trump has been mostly a bystander, neither urging Israel to show restraint nor giving it his approval. Outside the White House on Tuesday, he said he had not discussed the matter with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, and when asked if supported the offensive, the president said, 'Well I have to see — I don’t know too much about it.' Casting himself as a global peacemaker, Mr. Trump has repeatedly called for a stop to the nearly two-year Gaza war. But where he once publicly pressed Israel to end the conflict, he now appears content to look on as it escalates. Because of the enormous leverage created by U.S. military aid to Israel, only an American president could slow Mr. Netanyahu, and Mr. Trump’s inaction amounts to a free pass for the Israeli leader.... [By contrast,] when Israel prepared in early 2024 to mount a military assault on the densely populated Gaza city of Rafah, Biden administration officials attempted to shape the operation, threatening to block the shipment of American weapons unless Israel developed a 'credible and executable' plan to protect civilian lives.” ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Does Where's-My-Nobel?-Donald think there's a prize for sitting on his hands except when blowing up Venezuelan fishing boats?