September 24, 2025

Dan Mangan & Kevin Breuninger of CNBC: “Former FBI Director James Comey is expected to be indicted on criminal charges in the coming days in federal court in Virginia, MSNBC reported Wednesday. The news comes days after the top prosecutor in the Eastern District of Virginia resigned under pressure from ... Donald Trump after opposing filing charges against Comey. Comey for years has been a target of Trump’s ire.... MSNBC reporter Ken Dilanian, in a post on X, said Comey is expected to be indicted in the Eastern District of Virginia, according to three people familiar with the matter. 'The full extent of the charges being prepared against Comey is unclear, but the sources believe that at least one element of the indictment — if it goes forward -- will accuse him of lying to Congress during his testimony on September 30, 2020 about whether he authorized a leak of information,' Dilanian tweeted. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, that day had asked Comey if he lied when he said he did not authorize a leak of information to The Wall Street Journal.The reporter noted that the five-year statute of limitations on that charge would lapse next Tuesday.” ~~~

     ~~~ Update. Katherine Faulders, et al., of ABC News: "Earlier this week, prosecutors presented Lindsey Halligan -- Trump’s former personal attorney whom he appointed to lead the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia -- with a detailed memo recommending that she decline to bring perjury and obstruction charges against Comey, the sources familiar with the memo said. A monthslong investigation into Comey by DOJ prosecutors failed to establish probable cause of a crime -- meaning that not only would they be unable to secure a conviction of Comey by proving the claims beyond a reasonable doubt, but that they couldn’t reach a significantly lower standard to secure an indictment, the sources said.... Despite their recommendations, Halligan -- who has never prosecuted a criminal case in her career as an insurance lawyer -- plans to present evidence to a grand jury before the statute of limitations for the alleged offense expires next week, the sources said. " ~~~

     ~~~ Update. Salvador Rizzo, et al., of the Washington Post: “The Justice Department will seek to indict former FBI director James B. Comey for allegedly giving false testimony to Congress about his role investigating efforts to influence the 2016 presidential election..., days after ... Donald Trump demanded prosecutors use the criminal justice system to punish his political opponents. The investigation centers on testimony Comey gave before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Sept. 30, 2020, about the FBI’s missteps in the 'Crossfire Hurricane' probe, which had delved into possible but ultimately unproven collaboration between Russia and Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign.” The link is a gift link.

Sad News. Joe Heim & Liam Bowman  of the Washington Post: “The National Park Service removed a statue of ... Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein holding hands from the National Mall early Wednesday morning, a day after it was placed there. 'The statue was removed because it was not compliant with the permit issued,' Interior Department spokeswoman Elizabeth Peace said in an email. She did not respond to follow-up questions about how or why the statue was not in compliance or if the department had provided 24 hours written notice before revoking the permit as required.... Carol Flaisher, a D.C.-based location manager, filed the permit application with the National Park Service on behalf of the artists who created the statue. She said that over 40 years of working with the Park Service arranging installations and filming, she has never had a permit revoked....  Video shows several workers pushing over the statue and eventually loading it on to a truck and driving it away.” Flaisher said she received no notice whatsoever re: the permit revocation or the statue's removal. Related story by Heim linked below.

⭐David Karpf, in the Atlantic, warns how Trump-friendly corporate magnates can abuse the system the Trump administration is establishing. These MAGA-adjacent corporations can manipulate our online presence and surveil us. MB: The subhead says the story is about the dangers this new MAGA corporate/government collaboration poses to free speech, but it looks to me as if the dangers are much more widespread. The first sentence that caught my attention concerns Oracle, et al.'s takeover of TikTok: “... we should be far less worried about what foreign governments could do with our social-media information than about how our own government might abuse it.” I think so, too. Thanks to akaWendy for this gift link.

From an NBC News liveblog: "Three people were shot at an ICE facility in Dallas this morning, an ICE spokesperson confirmed to NBC News. Two of the victims have died. The victims are ICE detainees, the spokesperson said. No ICE officers were hurt in the shooting. The suspected shooter is dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said. The shooter fired multiple rounds from a roof or an elevated position down into the field office’s sally port, an ICE spokesperson confirmed." ~~~

     ~~~ Update. From the pinned item (at 4:30 pm ET Wednesday) on a New York Times liveblog: “A shooter opened fire on a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Dallas on Wednesday, killing one detainee and critically wounding two others, investigators said. The gunman died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound and left behind ammunition that bore the phrase 'ANTI-ICE' in blue writing, according to officials. No law enforcement agents were hurt in the shooting, and investigators released few details. But officials suggested that it was a targeted attack aimed at immigration enforcement agents. Kash Patel, the F.B.I. director, posted an image of the ammunition on social media, saying that an initial review of the evidence indicated an ideological motive.

“Three people familiar with the investigation identified the gunman as Joshua Jahn. One of the people ... gave the gunman’s age as 29. The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement that the gunman had opened fire from a nearby rooftop, describing him as a 'sniper' who shot 'indiscriminately,' including at a van in an entrance area where the victims were struck. The identities of the victims have not been released, but one of the injured is a Mexican national, according to Mexico’s foreign ministry.

“Members of the Trump administration quickly sought to cast blame on harsh rhetoric against immigration enforcement agents. 'This vile attack was motivated by hatred for ICE,' Kristi Noem, the Homeland Security secretary, said in a statement. 'For months, we’ve been warning politicians and the media to tone down their rhetoric about ICE law enforcement before someone was killed.' During a news conference with law enforcement officials, Senator Ted Cruz, Republican of Texas, also blamed heated criticism of immigration agents.”

Nicole Sperling of the New York Times: “Apple TV+ has postponed the release of its show 'The Savant,' starring Jessica Chastain as an undercover investigator who infiltrates online hate groups to stop mass shootings. The show was set to begin streaming its first two episodes on Friday.... Two people ... said that the company was reluctant to release the show in the current political climate, after the assassination of Charlie Kirk this month. Ms. Chastain, who is also an executive producer on the show, took to social media on Wednesday morning to push back against the decision.... 'The Savant' is based on the Cosmopolitan article 'Is It Possible to Stop a Mass Shooting Before It Happens' by Andrea Stanley. Written in 2019, the feature follows an unnamed investigator known as the Savant whose job revolves around identifying violent extremists before they commit heinous crimes.” See also Akhilleus' commentary below.

Paul Krugman: "Trump is nakedly following the playbook of autocrats like Vladimir Putin and Viktor Orban. As his poll numbers fall, he is rushing to lock in permanent power by punishing his opponents and intimidating everyone else into submission. Craven congressional Republicans and a complicit Supreme Court have abetted Trump’s destruction of our democratic safeguards and norms. Yet Trump has a significant problem that neither Putin nor Orban faced. When Putin and Orban were consolidating their autocratics, they were genuinely popular.... Trump, by contrast, is deeply unpopular. He is increasingly seen as chaotic and inept.... Is the Jimmy Kimmel affair the harbinger of a failed Trumpian putsch?... Disney was evidently completely unprepared for the backlash caused by its decision to take Jimmy Kimmel off the air, a backlash so costly that the company reversed course after just five days — too late to avoid probably irreparable damage to its brand. And this time I hope and believe that other institutions will take notice."

Jennifer Rubin of the Contrarian: “Donald Trump, like the Bourbon dynasty, has 'learned nothing and forgotten nothing.' His defining features—aside from narcissism—are his willful, cringeworthy ignorance and his unremitting hunger for vengeance. Both have been on humiliating display of late.... Trump’s ignorance may be the defining feature of his agenda. He refuses to learn that consumers pay tariffs or that Russia is the aggressor in Ukraine or that windmills don’t hurt whales or that immigrants are not responsible for rising crime (which isn’t even rising) or that it is illegal to blow up boats on the high seas that could be interdicted. Knowledge and common sense would simply get in the way of his desire and ambition. However, his propensity for vengeance is as robust as his ignorance.”

Heather Cox Richardson recounts more lines from Trump's embarrassing U.N. speech in case you're not yet convinced of just how idiotic one "world leader" can be. MB: I'd guess that no one ever has given a speech before the U.N. General Assembly as stupid as that one. If none of his staff has the courage to tell him, "You can't say that stuff, Sir," one would think his wife would tell him.

~~~~~~~~~~ 

Luke Broadwater of the New York Times: Donald Trump “accused environmentalists of wanting to 'kill all the cows.' He personally insulted the Muslim mayor of London. He bashed allies and foes across the globe. He questioned whether the United Nations should even exist. 'What is the purpose of the United Nations?' [he] asked a gathering of the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday, in a meandering, 56-minute speech that extended nearly four times as long as his allotted time limit. 'I’m really good at this stuff,' Mr. Trump said. 'Your countries are going to hell.' In his remarks, Mr. Trump lectured the United Nations and other countries about how they were failing, and aired a list of grievances. Those included but were not limited to: a malfunctioning escalator at the U.N.; his not winning a renovation contract at the United Nations during his time as a real estate developer; windmills; other countries’ immigration policies, which he claimed were leading them to ruin; and the way Brazil is being run.” ~~~ 

~~~ Eli Stokols of Politico: “...  Donald Trump blasted the United Nations in his speech to the General Assembly on Tuesday, complaining about deficiencies inside the organization’s headquarters and asserting that he was singlehandedly engaging in peacemaking efforts because the UN hadn’t done enough.... The president painted a picture of the UN as an outdated, ineffective organization and said he’s worked to end 'seven wars' without any help.” (Also linked yesterday.) The report has been updated. ~~~

~~~ Trump Embarrasses U.S. Steve Benen of MSNBC: “Over the course of his remarks, [Trump] told strange lies about foreign investments in the U.S.... He pretended that he’s ended seven wars, while pointing to approval ratings that exist only in his mind. He renewed his pathetic lobbying for a Nobel Peace Prize, falsely claiming that 'everyone' wants him to get one. He took pointless shots at ostensible U.S. allies in NATO and at the United Nations itself. He told unnamed officials that their countries are 'going to hell.' He bragged about campaign swag sales. He attacked clean, renewable energy, while insisting that climate science is an elaborate 'con job' and a 'hoax' concocted by nefarious people with 'evil intentions.'... Trump told one of his favorite lies, bragging that international respect for the U.S. has reached all-time highs now that he’s back in power. This is, of course, the opposite of the truth — global surveys have shown support for the U.S. has collapsed in recent months — and it was an especially painful lie, given that Trump was alienating the world while delivering the ludicrous comment.” ~~~

~~~ Trump Blamed U.N. for His Own Staff's Screw-ups. Sarah Ewall-Wice of the Daily Beast, republished by Yahoo! News: "Donald Trump implied the United Nations was falling apart after his General Assembly address Tuesday kicked off with a set of technical challenges. But [his own staff caused] the embarrassing hitches.... First, the escalator stopped immediately after Trump and his wife, Melania, stepped onto it ahead of his major speech.... White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt posted a tweet later, demanding an investigation into whether someone had intentionally halted the escalator. But according to someone familiar with the situation, someone in the president’s own entourage accidentally tripped the emergency stop.... As Trump took the podium to speak, he complained that the teleprompter was not working. Instead, he had to read the printed copy of his speech. However, a person with knowledge of the situation ... said that the White House had its own laptop, and UN technicians were not in the booth for the president’s address.... It was suggested that they did not arrive with enough time to make sure their equipment was plugged in and ready to go." ~~~

     ~~~ Update. Edith Lederer of the AP: “Stephane Dujarric, the U.N. spokesman, said a videographer from the U.S. delegation who ran ahead of [Trump] triggered the stop mechanism at the top of the escalator.... A U.N. official ... [said] the White House was operating the teleprompter for the president.”

David Sanger of the New York Times: Donald “Trump reversed himself on one of the key foreign policy issues of his presidency on Tuesday, abandoning his insistence that Ukraine give up land to strike a peace deal with Russia and instead declaring that Ukraine, with the support of Europe, was 'in a position to fight and WIN all of Ukraine back in its original form.' His turnabout on social media shortly after a meeting in New York with President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine was a head-spinning pivot. After his three-hour meeting with Russia’s president, Vladimir V. Putin, in Alaska more than five weeks ago, he insisted that Mr. Zelensky would have to face reality and make a deal, giving up territory to its larger and stronger neighbor.... In his eight months in office, Mr. Trump has ricocheted from one position to another on Ukraine.” The AP's report is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I would not take the slightest comfort in Trump's supposed turnabout. Vlad has hurt Donnie's fee-fees, so this is pouty Don's way of getting back at Vlad. But one kissy-faced Zoom call from Vlad, and Trump will offer him Odessa & central Kyiv. Trump's only "principle" is what's good for Donnie, and what's good for Donnie are virtual strokes from Vlad the Impaler, Trump's favorite dictator. ~~~

~~~ Siobhán O'Grady, et al., of the Washington Post: “... Donald Trump’s abrupt change in rhetoric on Ukraine, in which he declared it could retake all its territory with help from NATO, was warmly welcomed by Kyiv and quickly dismissed Wednesday by Moscow, particularly his calling the Russian military 'a paper tiger' that had been 'fighting aimlessly for three and a half years.'... Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov ... suggested the motivation behind Trump’s push to halt European purchases of Russian oil and gas — which are helping fund Russia’s war machine — is tied to his desire to boost American sales.... Margarita Simonyan, who heads the Russian English-language state news channel RT, dismissed the U.S. president’s support for Zelensky as that of a carnival huckster.... When asked on Fox News if he thought Trump’s position on the war had changed, Zelensky replied he believed it had — and that Trump appeared to understand that the two countries could not 'swap territory.'”

Tyler Pager of the New York Times: “Dating back to his first term, when he mused about injecting bleach to kill off the coronavirus, Mr. Trump has used his position of authority to dole out medical advice, some of it deeply flawed. He often strays from the scientific consensus, seeking out individuals who will confirm his own hunches. Or he will elevate people recommending unproven treatments that they promise will make a problem go away quickly.... Mr. Trump has long cast doubt on the advice of medical professionals, and he routinely ignored officials in his first term during the pandemic.... Since returning to office, Mr. Trump has elevated vaccine skeptics, and his administration has defunded vaccine research.... He was eager for Monday’s announcement in part because he viewed it as delivering on another campaign promise, his advisers said, and he spent the last several days hyping it to his supporters.” ~~~

~~~ Nathaniel Weixel & Joseph Choi of the Hill: “Trump on Monday told pregnant women not to take Tylenol and to just 'tough it out.' He also suggested that young children should not take the medication. This is despite there being no evidence establishing a causal link between acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol, and neurodivergent conditions. Both the World Health Organization and the European Union refuted Trump’s assertion that acetaminophen may cause conditions like autism and ADHD when taken by pregnant women. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) acknowledged that 'a causal relationship has not been established' in public statements Monday.” Emphasis original. ~~~

     ~~~ Jonathan Lambert of NPR: "Health officials around the globe are rejecting ... [Donald] Trump's assertion that pregnant women should avoid taking acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol, during pregnancy because of unfounded links to autism. 'Available evidence has found no link between the use of paracetamol during pregnancy and autism,' the European Medicines Agency, Europe's top drug regulator, said in a statement. Paracetamol is a widely used name for acetaminophen outside the U.S.... Health officials from several other countries followed suit with their own statements. 'Don't pay any attention whatsoever to what Donald Trump says about medicine,' Wes Streeting, the U.K. health secretary, said in an interview with ITV's Lorraine program." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: In other news, Donald Trump cannot pronounced "paracetamol" any more than he can pronounce "acetaminophen." But he remains steadfastly against it. At least for the ladies who must continue to "tough it out" and have the decency to suffer in silence. ~~~

~~~ Max Rego of the Hill: “Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), a licensed doctor, pushed back on ... [Donald] Trump advising pregnant women not to take acetaminophen due to an alleged link to autism in children. 'The preponderance of evidence shows that this is not the case,'  Cassidy, the chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, wrote Monday on the social platform X. 'The concern is that women will be left with no options to manage pain in pregnancy. We must be compassionate to this problem.'” ~~~

~~~ Cultural anthropologist Roy Grinker writes about autism in an op-ed in the New York Times. MB: I found his essay quite informative. This is a gift link. (It will shock you to learn that Grinker says Trump & Kennedy don't know WTF they're talking about.) ~~~

~~~ Joseph Choi of the Hill: “The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced Monday it has begun the process of changing the labeling on acetaminophen to suggest that it may cause autism and ADHD in children whose mothers took the common pain reliever while pregnant. The announcement followed ... [Donald] Trump’s announcement from the White House in which he repeatedly told pregnant women, 'Don’t take Tylenol.'”

Igor Bobic of the Huffington Post: “... Donald Trump on Tuesday canceled a previously scheduled meeting with top Democratic leaders in Congress, just days before government funding is due to expire next week. 'After reviewing the details of the unserious and ridiculous demands being made by the Minority Radical Left Democrats in return for their Votes to keep our thriving Country open, I have decided that no meeting with their Congressional Leaders could possibly be productive,' Trump wrote in a lengthy post on his social media platform Truth Social. The plans were set just a day earlier after Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (N.Y.) wrote to Trump and demanded a meeting with him to discuss lowering the price of health care in a bill that would keep the government open past Sept. 30. Trump initially agreed to the meeting, but then changed his mind.... The president said he would be willing to meet with Democrats if they agree with him on his policies.” Thanks to RAS for the link. See also RAS's related commentary yesterday. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: See, Donald, usually when you agree to negotiate a deal, you don't tell the other side that they can sit down with you only after they agree to all of your side's demands. Oh, P.S. You remind Ken W. that the "TACO" rule (Trump Always Chickens Out) still applies.

Dan Ruetenik, et al., of CBS News report on an incident, 18 days before Jeffrey Epstein's death, in which guards found him in his cell, unresponsive but later claiming his cellmate tried to kill him, and still later changing his story to "I don't recall." Via Heather Cox Richardson. MB: The details the CBS reporters have dug up are great fodder for conspiracy theorists and could add to public demands to release the files. Richardson's post is worth reading for other content. So much news, so little time. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ Joe Heim of the Washington Post: “A spray-painted bronze statue titled 'Best Friends Forever' that depicts ... [Donald] Trump and disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein holding hands was placed on the National Mall in front of the U.S. Capitol early Tuesday morning. The work is the latest in a series of politically charged sculptures critical of the president that have been placed in Washington and elsewhere by an anonymous group. A plaque at the base of the installation reads, 'We celebrate the long-lasting bond between President Donald J. Trump and his “closest friend,” Jeffrey Epstein.'” MB: Sweet. A Guardian story is here.

Huh? Rebecca Falconer of Axios: Donald "Trump claimed Tuesday night that ABC told White House officials that Jimmy Kimmel's show had been canceled over his comments in the wake of Charlie Kirk's killing. Trump made the claim in a Truth Social post about an hour before 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' returned to air on ABC following a brief suspension, as Sinclair and Nexstar continued to preempt the show across ABC affiliate stations.... 'I think we're going to test ABC out on this. Let's see how we do. Last time I went after them, they gave me $16 Million,' Trump said in reference to the network settling his lawsuit over comments made by anchor George Stephanopoulos." ~~~

~~~⭐John Koblin & Michael Grynbaum of the New York Times: “Jimmy Kimmel broke his silence on Tuesday night in an emotional return to ABC’s airwaves, by turns defiant, joking and somber as he addressed the controversy that temporarily sidelined his late-night show and set off a national debate over free speech. His voice breaking at times, Mr. Kimmel said he understood why his comments last week about the suspected shooter of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk seemed 'ill-timed, or unclear, or maybe both.' He added, 'It was never my intention to make light of the murder of a young man.' But Mr. Kimmel also had harsh words for ... [Donald] Trump and the government regulator who suggested that the Trump administration would punish ABC because of his remarks, saying that 'a government threat to silence a comedian the president doesn’t like is anti-American.' 'This show is not important,' Mr. Kimmel said in his opening monologue. 'What’s important is that we get to live in a country that allows us to have a show like this.'” ~~~

~~~ NEVERTHELESS, Disney decided this would be a good time to remind everyone that giant corporations still suck, and if you beat 'em at one game, they'll get you in another. ~~~ 

~~~ John Yoon of the New York Times: “The Walt Disney Company said Tuesday that it would raise the price of its streaming services in the United States, including Disney+ and bundles that include Hulu and ESPN Select. Starting Oct. 21, the monthly price of a Disney+ plan with ads will rise by $2 to $11.99, and an ad-free plan will cost $18.99, $3 more than now. Packages combining Disney+ with Hulu, ESPN or HBO Max will also become more expensive, according to Disney’s website.”

~~~ Benjamin Mullin of the New York Times: “Nexstar, a major owner of local ABC stations, said on Tuesday morning that it would pre-empt [Jimmy] Kimmel’s show indefinitely. Sinclair, another owner of local affiliates, said the same on Monday evening, hours after Disney announced 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' would return, saying it would replace the show with news programming, pending further 'discussions with ABC.' Those decisions set up a high-stakes impasse between Disney and the TV station groups that transmit its shows to millions of households across the United States. The stations owned by Nexstar and Sinclair represent a meaningful source of ad revenue for Mr. Kimmel’s show. But pre-empting it indefinitely could lead to backlash for both Sinclair and Nexstar, especially from viewers who enjoy 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!'” Nexstar's decisions means that “about a quarter of the ABC stations in the United States won’t be airing” Kimmel's show. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Hmm. Bob Iger made more than $41MM last year on account of being such a brilliant manager. What will he earn this year? Thirteen cents? He sure blew this Kimmel thang. ~~~

~~~ Daniel Arkin of NBC News: "Four Democratic lawmakers are opening a probe into Nexstar and Sinclair, two major TV station owners that are refusing to air Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night talk show.... In a letter..., the lawmakers asked the corporate heads of both companies for more information about their decisions to pre-empt airings of ABC’s 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' and 'how those decisions may relate to regulatory issues pending with the Trump administration.'”

Noah Robertson of the Washington Post: “The Trump administration, in its latest challenge to Congress’s authority over federal spending, intends to shift almost $2 billion in U.S. foreign aid toward a slate of priorities aimed largely at advancing the president’s 'America First' agenda. The plan, which has not been reported previously, was outlined for lawmakers in a document the State Department sent to Capitol Hill on Sept. 12.... It represents a dramatic rebranding of Washington’s approach to foreign assistance after the Trump administration’s dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) this year.... The document explains how the administration will direct the money — totaling $1.8 billion, it says — toward vague initiatives abroad such as countering 'Marxist, anti-American regimes' in Latin America, and pursuing investments in Greenland and Ukraine. It also lists projects defunded by the administration, including $175 million meant for the West Bank and Gaza, and $150 million for Iraq.” ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I expect the funds will go to things like creating ice sculptures of Trump in Greenland and promotional Spanish-language videos of Trump, Jesus-like, gently guiding little brown children back to their idyllic little huts in rural Venezuela. So, yes, tax money well-spent.

Marie: One of Trump's main goals seems to be to alienate most people throughout the world and to make sure the U.S. has a bad name everywhere: ~~~ 

~~~ Choe Sang-Hun of the New York Times talked with some of the South Koreans whom U.S. immigration officers arrested this month at a Hyundai-LG factory. “'My main takeaway is that America is not a safe place to work,' [Park Sun-kyu] said. 'I don’t think I would go there again to work.',,, U.S. and South Korean authorities have not disclosed the visa details for the 317 Koreans who were arrested on Sept. 4. But five of the six engineers The Times interviewed were on six-month B-1 visas, which allow consulting with business associates. One traveled on the 90-day visa-waiver program called the Electronic System for Travel Authorization, or ESTA, which allows travel for business or pleasure. They ​all said they were on business trips since they were being paid by their employers back in South Korea.”

Good Work, Elon! Joshua Goodman & Ryan Foley of the AP: “Hundreds of federal employees who lost their jobs in Elon Musk’s cost-cutting blitz are being asked to return to work. The General Services Administration has given the employees — who managed government workspaces — until the end of the week to accept or decline reinstatement, according to an internal memo obtained by The Associated Press. Those who accept must report for duty on Oct. 6 after what amounts to a seven-month paid vacation, during which time the GSA in some cases racked up high costs — passed along to taxpayers — to stay in dozens of properties whose leases it had slated for termination or were allowed to expire. 'Ultimately, the outcome was the agency was left broken and understaffed,' said Chad Becker, a former GSA real estate official. 'They didn’t have the people they needed to carry out basic functions.'” 

Reed Abelson & Margot Katz-Singer of the New York Times: “... Obamacare bills may double next year [because] extensive subsidies that reduce premium costs for millions are set to expire, unless Congress extends them....  The vast majority of people enrolled in plans under the Affordable Care Act receive additional federal tax credits that were first expanded by President Joseph R. Biden Jr. and Congress in 2021. Those subsidies are now the subject of a standoff between Democratic and Republican lawmakers. Democratic leaders in both the House and Senate have demanded an extension in exchange for their support of a government spending bill that must pass by the end of this month to prevent a government shutdown.... If a deal is not struck, more than 20 million Americans will face higher insurance premiums next year.” MB: That is, if Chuck folds again, millions of Americans will be priced out of affordable health insurance. And this is a reminder that the U.S. has the crappiest healthcare system in the developed world.

David Ovalle of the Washington Post does his best to explain how you can get a Covid shot now that Dr. Crazy Q. Quack & his advisory Board of Cranks have changed the rules. The link is a gift link.

David Adams & Patricia Mazzei of the New York Times: “A man who plotted to kill ... [Donald] Trump last year and staked him out at one of his Florida golf courses with a semiautomatic rifle was found guilty on Tuesday of attempting to assassinate a major presidential candidate, a charge that carries a maximum penalty of life in prison. Ryan W. Routh, 59, an itinerant building contractor from North Carolina, was also found guilty of assaulting a federal officer and several firearm violations. The 12-member jury deliberated for about two and a half hours, following a fast-moving trial in which Mr. Routh chose to defend himself without a lawyer. After the verdict was read in court, Mr. Routh appeared to try to stab himself in the neck several times with a pen. Several United States marshals restrained him and removed him from the courtroom. He returned a few minutes later, shackled and escorted by marshals. His necktie and jacket had been removed, but he did not appear to be injured.” The AP story is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: There's a correction to this article that is Trumanesque in nature: “A correction was made on Sept. 23, 2025: Because of an editing error, an earlier version of this article was published inadvertently. That pre-written version of a not guilty verdict for Ryan Routh was posted to the site at 2:44 p.m. and replaced with the correct version at 2:45 p.m.” Also, I forgot about this, but the judge in the case is the only South Florida judge I can name. 

Marie: I linked a NYT story yesterday about Elon Musk's father, who is accused of sexually abusing his own children. Today I've found this gift link to the story. 

Marie: I hope you people are still out there. It turns out yesterday was the Rapture (NYT link), and I'm one of the Left-Behinds. That's not surprising. Update: Here's an AP story on the Rapture; like the NYT story, the AP report talks about how the Rapture nonsense has spread on TikTok. I sure am glad Trump is saving TikTok because now I realize it's an important source of news for us Left-Behinds. 

~~~~~~~~~~

Arizona Congressional Race. Sejal Govindarao of the AP: “Southern Arizona voters on Tuesday chose Adelita Grijalva to succeed her father, the late U.S. Rep. Raúl Grijalva, a progressive Democrat who represented the state for more than two decades in Congress. She defeated Republican candidate Daniel Butierez in the 7th Congressional District, which hugs almost the entire length of Arizona’s border with Mexico. The decisive win — early returns showed Grijalva with more than double the number of votes as her Republican opponent — will make Grijalva the first Latina to represent Arizona in Congress. The seat was one of two remaining vacancies in blue districts that Democrats needed to hold to avoid losing more ground to Republicans in the U.S. House.”

Georgia State Senate Race. Patrick Svitek of the Washington Post: “Republicans prevailed Tuesday in a closely watched special election runoff for a state Senate seat in Georgia, fending off Democrats who had hoped to continue harnessing voter backlash to ... Donald Trump’s second term. The Democratic candidate, Debra Shigley, made some gains in a ruby red district north of Atlanta, getting about 39 percent of the vote, according to unofficial results from the secretary of state, after Kamala Harris got 33 percent there in 2024. The victorious Republican, Jason Dickerson, received about 61 percent of the vote, compared to Trump’s 67 percent.”