⭐Gloves Off. Supremes Approve Racist Gerrymandering. Zach Schonfeld of the Hill: “The Supreme Court revived Texas’ congressional map that sparked a mid-decade redistricting war by adding up to five Republican pickup opportunities, paving the way Thursday for it to be used for the midterm elections as litigation proceeds. Over the dissents of the court’s three liberal justices, the majority said a lower court likely erred when invalidating the map as a likely racial gerrymander.... It is not the high court’s final word, but it enables Texas to move ahead to its March primary under the new map as the state continues its appeal.” Update: The New York Times story is here.
Ken Dilanian & Carol Leonnig of MS NOW: "Federal prosecutors are expected to seek to reindict New York Attorney General Letitia James on Thursday in Norfolk, Virginia, on charges related to alleged mortgage fraud, according to a source with knowledge of the plans. Now Roger Keller, a federal assistant U.S. attorney normally based in Missouri, is expected to present information before a grand jury regarding the allegations against James." ~~~
~~~ ⭐Update: Carol Leonnig just reported on-air that the grand jury did not agree to indict Letitia James today. MB: Another huge embarrassment for the most embarrassing DOJ of the 21st century. And that's saying something, ~~~
~~~ Ryan Reilly, et al., of NBC News: “The Justice Department on Thursday failed to secure an indictment against New York Attorney General Letitia James, a person familiar with the matter told NBC News. The presentation to the grand jury came less than two weeks after the original criminal case against her was dismissed ... [because] a judge found [that prosecutor Lindsey] Halligan’s appointment was unlawful.... The failure to secure an indictment on Thursday does not bar prosecutors from attempting to do so again in the future. A ... source familiar with the matter said there 'should be no premature celebrations.'” ~~~
~~~ Bill Mahoney & Erica Orden of Politico: “A federal judge suggested Thursday that she may disqualify a Trump loyalist as the top federal prosecutor in the Albany region, a move that would extend a string of losses in the Trump administration’s gambit to circumvent the Senate confirmation process to install U.S. attorneys. During oral arguments, U.S. District Judge Lorna Schofield, appointed by President Barack Obama, appeared poised not only to toss the prosecutor, John Sarcone III, from the top job, but also from other posts that might allow him to serve in the same capacity.... The legal fight stems from an effort by New York Attorney General Letitia James to quash a pair of subpoenas Sarcone’s office issued earlier this year, related to civil cases she brought against Trump and the National Rifle Association. James argued the subpoenas are invalid because Sarcone wasn’t legally appointed. Sarcone, a Republican lawyer who ran for office unsuccessfully several times, had no apparent prosecutorial experience when he was appointed as a temporary U.S. attorney. He had a tumultuous start to his tenure that included listing as his home address a location that was actually a boarded-up building on a police affidavit.”
Here's the Pentagon Inspector General's report on Pete Hegseth's use of Signal to share sensitive information about an impending military strike. MB: I haven't found a news story about its release yet.
Mike Lillis of the Hill: “Rep. Jim Himes (D-Conn.), the senior Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said Thursday that he is 'deeply' troubled by the Pentagon’s double-tap strikes on suspected drug runners in the Caribbean, saying it’s clear that U.S. forces targeted survivors who posed no threat to American security. Himes was among the handful of lawmakers who were briefed Thursday on the strikes by Adm. Frank Bradley, the commander of the Sept. 2 mission, in a secure location on Capitol Hill. He said the lawmakers were shown the video footage of the episode. 'I reviewed the video and it’s deeply, deeply troubling,' Himes said. 'The fact is that we killed two people who were in deep distress and had neither the means nor obviously the intent to continue their mission.'” ~~~
~~~ Robert Jimison of the New York Times in a liveblog entry: “Representative Jim Himes, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said the briefing by Admiral Bradley on boat strikes by the military denied the contention that U.S. forces had been directed to treat anyone encountered at sea as a threat requiring lethal force. 'The last thing I’m going to say is that the admiral confirmed that there had not been a kill-them-all order and that there was not an order to grant no quarter.'” AND
“'What I saw in that room was one of the most troubling things I’ve seen in my time in public service,' Himes, who has spent years overseeing some of the nation’s most sensitive counterterrorism and covert operations, told reporters. 'You have two individuals in clear distress without any means of locomotion, with a destroyed vessel, who were killed by the United States.'” ~~~
~~~ Sarah Fortinsky of the Hill: “Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) on Wednesday questioned where Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth went on Sept. 2, after watching the livestream of the first strike on a boat allegedly carrying narcotics in the Caribbean. Tillis, in an appearance on CNN’s 'The Source,' said he has no reason to doubt Hegseth’s claim that he did not see the second attack — which reportedly targeted two survivors of the initial attack — but said it’s important to get a full accounting of what happened during the military operation.... 'I would assume a part of the record was, what was the other thing that he was doing that was more important than a battle damage assessment over the first strike in the Caribbean?'”
Wowza! Eric Tucker & Alanna Richer of the AP: “The FBI made an arrest on Thursday in its nearly 5-year-old investigation into who placed pipe bombs in Washington on the eve of the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol. The arrest marks the first time investigators have settled on a suspect in an act that had long vexed law enforcement, spawned a multitude of conspiracy theories and remained an enduring mystery in the shadow of the dark chapter of American history that is the violent Capitol siege. The arrest took place Thursday morning, and the suspect is a man, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press. He was arrested in Virginia, according to another person familiar with the matter. No other details were immediately available....” Thanks to RAS for the link. ~~~
~~~ Alan Feuer & Glenn Thrush of the New York Times in a liveblog: “The suspect was described as a 30-year-old man from Prince William County.... The break in the case was not based on new information but came after agents bore down yet again on their investigative files and discovered a new lead, according to one person familiar with the matter.” You may have to scroll down to get to this item in the liveblog. ~~~
~~~ Ryan Reilly, et al., of NBC News: "Brian Cole was identified as the suspect in custody, according to two senior law enforcement officials briefed on the matter."
~~~ RAS: "They say it is a man they arrested so Marie's theory may be wrong, but this is the Trump administration so we should wait and see if they actually have the evidence." MB: Absolutely right. As Desi Lydic of the "Daily Show" pointed out earlier this week (embedded yesterday), Kash Patel wouldn't get off his plane till a female agent gave him her FBI jacket to wear to a press conference following Charlie Kirk's murder. So if the FBI director himself is cross-dressing for the cameras AND claims to have a country-singing girlfriend, then how can you expect the lowly agents who work for him to suss out the sexual identity of a suspect -- even if there is compelling evidence the person is the would-be pipe-bomber? It's all very confusing. ~~~
~~~ Update: Alan Feuer, et al., of the New York Times: “Federal agents arrested a Virginia man on Thursday on charges that he planted two pipe bombs on Capitol Hill the night before Jan. 6, 2021, a breakthrough that came after years of false leads and rampant conspiracy theories — some promoted by the same F.B.I. leaders who took credit for cracking the case. The man, Brian Cole Jr., 30, has been charged with transporting explosive materials across state lines and with the attempted destruction of buildings with explosives, according to court papers filed in Federal District Court in Washington. He was expected to appear there in front of a judge on Friday.... Mr. Cole [was] taken into custody on Thursday morning at the home he shared with his parents in suburban Woodbridge....
“At a Justice Department news conference on Thursday, Kash Patel, the F.B.I. director, said the break in the case was not based on new information, but came after agents bore down — yet again — on their investigative files and connected dots that eventually led to Mr. Cole. Mr. Patel and Attorney General Pam Bondi both declined to discuss Mr. Cole’s motive.... Ms. Bondi used the moment to criticize [President] Biden, falsely claiming that the case had been left to languish under his administration. In fact, the F.B.I. had gone to great lengths to identify the would-be bomber almost from the moment the explosive devices were discovered....”
~~~ Marie: I was in another room working on something and decided not to get up and turn off the teevee when Blondie along with Bongo & Kash conducted their presser. They are such obnoxious, hate-oozing, lying braggarts that I'm embarrassed for them. They're caricatures of the cruel boss or mean ex-girlfriend in a 20th-century light comedy.
~~~~~~~~~~
~~~ Marie: Oh, how I wish all of Trump's narcissistic gestures were this comical: ~~~
~~~ Aishvarya Kavi of the New York Times: “A dormant government building in the nation’s capital may seem like an unlikely setting for the signing of a peace deal. But nearly nine months after the Trump administration seized control of the U.S. Institute of Peace headquarters in an extraordinary public showdown and all but shuttered it, the center has re-emerged, newly named for ... [Donald] Trump. The morning before Mr. Trump was scheduled to host a signing ceremony at the institute with the presidents of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, workers arrived at the building on the National Mall to install Mr. Trump’s name in large, silver letters to two sides of the exterior of the building, positioning his name to the left of where the institute’s name was already engraved into the facade. The result was a re-dubbing of the building as the 'Donald J. Trump United States Institute of Peace.'... Renaming the decades-old institute ... appears to be a continuation of Mr. Trump’s effort to portray himself as a great diplomatic deal-maker as he campaigns for a Nobel Peace Prize.” An AP story is here. ~~~
~~~ Marie: The Orange Jesus is so far gone, he has no idea he is a laughingstock -- or why. His clueless confusion is why he seems willing to die on the hill where Jimmy Kimmel stands. I guess it's hard to get the joke when you are the joke.
Lisa Friedman, et al., of the New York Times: Donald “Trump on Wednesday threw the weight of the federal government behind vehicles that burn gasoline rather than electric cars, gutting one of the country’s most significant efforts to address climate change and thrusting the automobile industry into greater uncertainty. Flanked by executives from major automakers in the Oval Office, Mr. Trump said the Transportation Department would significantly weaken fuel efficiency requirements for tens of millions of new cars and light trucks. The administration claimed the changes would save Americans $109 billion over five years and shave $1,000 off the average cost of a new car. The Biden administration’s stricter efficiency standards were designed to get more Americans to go electric. But Mr. Trump said they 'forced automakers to build cars using expensive technologies that drove up costs, drove up prices, and made the car much worse. This is a green new scam, and people were paying too much for a car that didn’t work as well.'
“Transportation is the largest source of greenhouse gases in the United States, and Mr. Biden had adopted a carrot-and-stick approach to reducing these emissions. He offered tax credits to encourage motorists to buy electric cars while requiring that automakers meet stringent fuel efficiency standards to pressure them to sell more nonpolluting models. Mr. Trump and the Republican-controlled Congress got rid of the tax credits earlier this year. They also eliminated fines for automakers who violate the fuel efficiency standards. And now the standards themselves will be watered down.” (Also linked yesterday.)
MAWA president* launches second racist tirade against Somalians. Via Scott Lemiuex.
~~~ Glenn Thrush & Christopher Cameron of the New York Times: “House Judiciary Committee Republicans on Wednesday subpoenaed Jack Smith, the special counsel who prosecuted ... [Donald] Trump, for a closed-door interview this month, but lawmakers were swiftly blindsided by Mr. Trump’s fiery demand that Mr. Smith face a public grilling. 'I’d rather see him testify publicly,' Mr. Trump told reporters at the White House after attacking Mr. Smith as a 'thug' and 'a sick man.' In doing so, Mr. Trump, who has called for Mr. Smith’s imprisonment, upended the best-laid plans of Republican lawmakers to confront Mr. Smith and deny the disciplined former special counsel a televised platform to present his rationale for charging the president for trying to overturn the 2020 election and retain classified documents.... Mr. Trump’s rejection of [Rep. Jim Jordan's (R) secretive] approach places him on the same side as the man he detests as much any other person he has targeted for retribution.” (Also linked yesterday.)
Trump, like the Roberts Court, want to make bribery and corruption no longer a crime. Just more projection from the sluggish Don. -- RAS, in yesterday's Comments ~~~
~~~ Gregory Svirnovskiy of Politico: “... Donald Trump pardoned Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas), the president announced in a Truth Social post on Wednesday, blaming former President Joe Biden for weaponizing the Justice Department against his opponents. 'Sleepy Joe went after the Congressman, and even the Congressman’s wonderful wife, Imelda, simply for speaking the TRUTH,' Trump wrote. 'It is unAmerican and, as I previously stated, the Radical Left Democrats are a complete and total threat to Democracy.' Cuellar and his wife were charged in 2024 with accepting $600,000 in bribes from foreign entities. The moderate Democrat — who has long been a battleground target for Republicans — was nonetheless reelected to his South Texas seat in November. Trump’s pardon of Cuellar comes just a day after national Republicans got their top recruit to challenge him in a seat made redder thanks to Texas’ mid-decade redistricting. Webb County Judge Tano Tijerina, a former Democrat who switched parties last year, announced his campaign for the 28th District as a Republican on Tuesday after months of speculation. Cuellar told a small group of Democrats Wednesday he is not planning to switch parties after Trump pardoned him....” The Texas Tribune report is here. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ Kate Santaliz & Hans Nichols of Axios: Donald "Trump didn't tell Speaker Mike Johnson that he was granting a 'full and unconditional PARDON' to Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) before announcing it on Truth Social [Wednesday] morning, Johnson told Axios. Trump's pardon boosts one of House Republicans' top political targets — and could hamper GOP efforts to protect their razor-thin majority in next year's midterms. 'I didn't know anything about it,' Johnson told Axios Wednesday afternoon." MB: I suppose it should be noted that there is no sentence in the English language that comes out of Bible Mike's mouth more often than, "I didn't know anything about it." The guy is a total mushroom. ~~~
~~~ Chris Cameron of the New York Times: “President Trump on Tuesday pardoned a real estate developer who had been charged by the president’s own Justice Department earlier this year with rigging the bidding process for a sports arena. Mr. Trump's pardon effectively quashed his administration's effort to convict the developer, Timothy J. Leiweke, a founder and former chief executive of Oak View Group, for allegedly orchestrating a conspiracy to rig the bidding process for the Moody Center Arena at the University of Texas to benefit his own company. The maximum penalty for the charge was 10 years in prison and a $1 million fine.... When Mr. Leiweke was charged in June, he stepped down as head of Oak View Group, and the company agreed to pay $15 million in penalties for its role in the arena scheme. At the time, Trump administration officials who had worked on the investigation hailed the indictment as part of a wider effort by the Justice Department to root out corruption and unfair business practices.” The Guardian's story is here. ~~~
~~~ Jonah Bromwich of the New York Times: “When ... [Donald] Trump pardoned the former leader of Honduras this week, he erased the crowning achievement of years of work by one of his own former criminal defense lawyers and top Justice Department officials, Emil Bove III.... From 2015 to when he left the job [as a prosecutor in Manhattan] in 2021, Mr. Bove helped lead the investigation that identified Honduras as a key conduit for cocaine shipments into the United States. The inquiry revealed the violence that had cleared a pathway for the drugs through Honduras, as the country’s officials mowed down anyone who sought to thwart them. And it ultimately led to the conviction in 2024 of President Juan Orlando Hernández, who prosecutors said had been at the center of the conspiracy.... Mr. Bove, according to two people with knowledge of the matter, was one of the authors of a memo laying out the evidence against Mr. Hernández, the road map prosecutors used to navigate the case.” (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ Marie: To follow up on RAS's observation, maybe it is inaccurate to say that Donald Trump doesn't have empathy for others. It appears he does possess a weird kind of "narcissistic empathy," which is not necessarily an oxymoron. That is, Trump sees himself in these crooks, so he lets them off. Over the course of a couple of days, he pardoned (1) an extremely corrupt president of another country even though the pardon made a mockery of Trump's supposed war on drugs; (2) a(n alleged!) crooked member of Congress who took bribes from foreigners to help him win an election, even though the crook was a member of the opposition party and the pardon could rob Trump's part of its House majority; and (3) a crooked real estate developer, even though the developer was charged by Trump's own DOJ. Every one of these descriptors -- corrupt president of a country, crooked U.S. politician, crooked real estate developer -- describes Trump. Next thing you know, Trump will be pardoning some crooked crypto-billionaire. Oh, wait.
~~~ Michael Gold of the New York Times: “House Democrats on Wednesday released photographs and videos of the disgraced billionaire Jeffrey Epstein’s home on the private Caribbean island where his accusers have said that he trafficked underage girls for sex. Mr. Epstein, who was also accused of shuttling dozens of girls between his homes in Manhattan and Palm Beach, Fla., owned two private islands in the U.S. Virgin Islands, both off the coast of St. Thomas. One of the islands, Little St. James, was where Mr. Epstein lived for the better part of two decades and was at the center of allegations that it had been a place where he sexually abused teenage girls. The release of the cache of 10 photos* and four videos of Mr. Epstein’s secluded home appeared to be the latest bid by Democrats to intensify pressure on the Justice Department to make public all of its investigative files on the convicted sex offender’s case following enactment last month of a law requiring it.” Politico's story is here. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ * Make that 73 photos, which are linked in the CBS News story linked below.
~~~ You can watch the video here. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ Kathryn Watson of CBS News: "Democrats on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform said Wednesday that the committee has received financial records related to Jeffrey Epstein from JPMorgan Chase and Deutsche Bank.... Epstein was a major client of JPMorgan Chase's private banking division for years before the bank cut ties with him in 2013. Epstein then took his business to Deutsche Bank, where he remained until 2018.... Both banks reached legal settlements in 2023 over their involvement with Epstein.... Rep. Robert Garcia of California, the ranking member on the Oversight Committee, said Democrats plan to make the financial records public 'in the days ahead.' The committee also released 73 photos and four videos of Epstein's estate on the 72-acre island, known as Little St. James, that he owned in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Epstein allegedly exploited underage girls for sex at the island, and he had stakes in businesses in the U.S. territory." ~~~
~~~ Sahil Kapur of NBC News: “Five members of Congress from both parties and both chambers are asking Attorney General Pam Bondi for a briefing and status update by the end of the week on the legally mandated release of the Jeffrey Epstein files.... The signatories are Sens. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore.; Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska; and Ben Ray Lujan, D-N.M., as well as the law’s lead authors, Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Ro Khanna, D-Calif. They expressed in the letter a 'shared interest in supporting the Department of Justice’s efforts to carry out the provisions of this critical new law.'” (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ The Company He Keeps. Debra Kamin of the New York Times: “Few people wield more power in New York City real estate than Andrew Farkas.... Developers and brokers refer to him as 'the legend of real estate.' Mr. Farkas, 65, is the founder of Island Capital, a merchant bank, and has also been a powerful political benefactor, especially to former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, to whom he has donated millions and whom he employed in a lucrative role when Mr. Cuomo was out of office. He is also friendly with ... [Donald] Trump and has invested in projects of Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law.... The emails [released by Congressional Democrats] ... reveal a window into one of [Jeffrey] Epstein’s longest business partnerships and shed light on a St. Thomas business deal of Mr. Farkas.... Though the first explosive allegations of abuse and trafficking against Mr. Epstein had already made headlines, Mr. Farkas offered Mr. Epstein a deal to split the ownership of [a marina in the Virgin Islands] a few months later.... Mr. Epstein and Mr. Farkas had regular phone calls, documents and daily schedules show. Sometimes they met in person....”
Lisa Mascaro & Ben Finley of the AP: “The Pentagon’s watchdog found that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth put U.S. personnel and their mission at risk when he used the Signal messaging app to convey sensitive information about a military strike against Houthi militants in Yemen, two people familiar with the findings said Wednesday. Hegseth, however, has the ability to declassify material and the report did not find he did so improperly, according to one of the people familiar with the report’s findings....In at least two separate Signal chats, Hegseth provided the exact timings of warplane launches and when bombs would drop — before the men and women carrying out those attacks on behalf of the United States were airborne.” (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ Robert Jimison, et al., of the New York Times: “The report also said that Mr. Hegseth had refused to sit for an interview with the inspector general on the matter and instead provided a short written statement.... [The Pentagon inspector general's] office is led by Steven A. Stebbins, who took over in an acting capacity following President Trump’s firing of his predecessor, Robert P. Storch, as part of a purge of inspectors general in the executive branch just four days after Mr. Trump took office in January. The inquiry did not include whether Mr. Hegseth’s use of the app was more extensive or whether additional sensitive information was shared with unauthorized individuals. The report ... also did not address whether any of the information was classified at the time it was shared. It noted, however, that Mr. Hegseth has 'original classification authority' as part of his role as secretary of defense and did not assess whether he properly sought to declassify information before discussing it on the unauthorized messaging platform. Investigators also determined that not all of the messages were properly preserved in compliance with the Federal Records Act and instead relied heavily on publicly available details about the exchanges.” ~~~
~~~ Marie: Stebbins, then, is a Trump-picked IG, and therefore likely to be more lenient to Hegseth than would a "real" IG. In the interview embedded below, Jake Sullivan & Jon Finer say they doubt Hegseth would have declassified the sensitive information he shared before sharing it because -- as far as he knew -- everyone on the call had top clearance, so it would not have been necessary to declassify information meant for their ears only.
The Murder-at-Sea story keeps getting more complex and convoluted. Here's the latest version: ~~~
~~~ Helene Cooper, et al., of the New York Times: “Before the Trump administration began attacking people suspected of smuggling drugs at sea, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth approved contingency plans for what to do if an initial strike left survivors, according to multiple U.S. officials. The military would attempt to rescue survivors who appeared to be helpless, shipwrecked and out of what the administration considered a fight. But it would try again to kill them if they took what the United States deemed to be a hostile action, like communicating with suspected cartel members, the officials said. After the smoke cleared from a first strike on Sept. 2, there were two survivors, and one of them radioed for help, the U.S. officials said. Adm. Frank M. Bradley, who commanded the operation, ordered a follow-up strike and both were killed.
“The military’s contingency plans have taken on new significance as Admiral Bradley and Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, are set to go to Capitol Hill on Thursday to answer questions about the attack amid an uproar over the killing of the survivors. The men plan to present a vigorous defense, officials said, of what they will assert was a lawful follow-up strike on the survivors.... The Pentagon’s defense of its actions rests heavily on the premise that there was a 'fight' in the first place.” ~~~
~~~ Then There's This One. Lisa Mascaro of the AP: “The Pentagon knew there were survivors after a September attack on an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean Sea and the U.S. military still carried out a follow-up strike, according to two people familiar with the matter. The rationale for the second strike was that it was needed to sink the vessel, according to the people familiar with the matter.... What remains unclear was who ordered the strikes and whether Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was involved, one of the people said.” ~~~
~~~ Maegan Vazquez of the Washington Post relates some of the shifting tales told by Trump, Hegseth & others. ~~
~~~ Marcie Jones of Wonkette adds to Vazquez's rundown. For instance, "Hegseth himself was just telling the House Armed Services Committee behind closed doors last month that he didn’t need no stinking war powers resolution for Operation Normal Sized Wanglet because the targets had no way to strike back at American soldiers. Some enemy combatants!" MB: That should answer the question Helene Cooper, et al., of the NYT raise: "The Pentagon’s defense of its actions rests heavily on the premise that there was a 'fight' in the first place." Assuming Jones' assertion is correct, Hegseth himself answer the question: no, there was no fight because the "enemy" were never adequately armed to respond to a U.S. attack, whether they were bounding, bounding over the deep blue sea or were clinging for dear life to the charred remains of a little fishing boat. ~~~
~~~ Marie: I don't usually watch Jen Psaki's show, as often I've found it boring, but I happened to tune in yesterday, and I'm glad I did. Watch to the end, if you have time: ~~~
~~~ Here's a pirated copy of the first segments of Psaki's show, which includes her interview of Jake Sullivan & Jon Finer, National Security Advisor & Deputy National Security Advisor, respectively, to Joe Biden. The interview -- which begins at about 11:22 minutes into the video -- was interesting because Sullivan said that real defense secretaries, like Lloyd Austin, observe important military operations to the end. They don't walk away before the ops are complete. Sullivan also said that real national security advisors brief real presidents on the results of these operations. So Sullivan & Finer find it pretty peculiar that (1) Drunk Pete didn't know about the second strike on September 2, and that (2) Trump didn't know, either. (Trump's NSA would be Little Marco.)
Update. Here's the full transcript of the PBS New Hour segment (mentioned by Heather Cox Richardson in the essay linked yesterday) about the four strikes on the fishing boat the Navy hit September 2, courtesy of RAS. As RAS puts it, "First strike, second for the survivors, and three and four to sink the wreckage and get rid of any evidence." (Also linked yesterday.)
~~~ Marie: Sounds right to me. The number of times Pete has changed his story, the fact that he appeared to read part of the story he told during the Cabinet meeting, Trump's usual "I know nothing about it," and the drip-drip-drip of additional and often conflicting information tells you that something really bad happened here and the gang that can't shoot straight is desperately trying to cover it all up. But some people are talking. And in this fairly interesting discussion between Nicolle Wallace & Rachel Maddow, Maddow tells us why she thinks that is (at the end of the discussion). (Also embedded yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ Amanda Marcotte of Salon: “Shooting unarmed, helpless and likely injured people in the open sea is certainly evil and probably criminal, and it’s also pathetic. It’s the behavior of someone who’s afraid of a fair fight, and enjoys killing people from afar by pushing buttons. Unsurprisingly, War Secretary Warrior-Ethos-Man [Pete Hegseth] appeared on Fox News the next day to brag about this pitiful behavior.... Hegseth giddily recounted of the attack that killed a reported 11 people. 'I watched it live!.... And Hegseth’s subsequent reaction to the Washington Post report [that he had ordered the killing of everyone on the vessel] has amounted to acting like a huge weenie. First, he lied about it, calling the report 'fake news.' Now that it seems he can’t hide from the story entirely, Hegseth is trying to wriggle out from responsibility by blaming an underling, Adm. Mitch Bradley. In true quisling fashion, Hegseth won’t even admit that’s what he’s doing. He’s disguising the buck-passing as praise, and writing that he will 'stand by' Bradley.... On Tuesday Hegseth rolled out an even more preposterous story. During one of Trump’s interminable public 'Cabinet meetings,' Hegseth insisted that, yeah, he watched the first strike but did not 'stick around' to watch Bradley order the killing of survivors.”
Marie: If, like me, you were unsure of the meaning of "the fog of war," it does have different meanings, Retired General Mark Hertling writes, but none of them is the literal meaning -- smoke that obscures one's view -- that Pete Hegseth seems to have attached to it this week when he claimed he couldn't see the survivors because with all that "fire and smoke, you can't see anything."
Rhian Lubin of the Independent: “Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth asked a top U.S. Navy admiral to step down after the military chief expressed concern about the 'murky' legality of the lethal strikes on alleged drug boats in the Caribbean, according to a report. The shock departure of Admiral Alvin Holsey one year into his tenure as head of U.S. Southern Command, which oversees military operations in the Caribbean, was announced by Hegseth on Oct.16. It followed 'months of discord' between the pair that intensified in the summer when the Trump administration began bombing the alleged drug boats, according to the Wall Street Journal, citing two Pentagon officials and former officials.” The WSJ report is firewalled.
Scott Nover of the Washington Post: “The New York Times sued the Defense Department over its press policy prohibiting journalists from soliciting any information not explicitly authorized for release by the government. In a complaint filed Thursday morning in federal district court in Washington, the Times alleged that the press rules violated the First Amendment’s guarantee of a free press and the newspaper’s due process rights under the Fifth Amendment.... Julian E. Barnes, a national security reporter for the Times who handed in his Pentagon press credentials rather than sign the policy, was named as a plaintiff alongside the newspaper. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Sean Parnell, the Pentagon’s chief spokesman, were also named as defendants. The Pentagon’s policy, which took effect in October and has been widely condemned by media organizations and press freedom groups, states that any reporter credentialed to cover the Pentagon in person must sign an agreement pledging not to solicit information — even unclassified material — that the government hasn’t expressly authorized for release.” ~~~
~~~ Here's the New York Times story. Mediaite has an item here.
Robert Davis of the Raw Story: "FBI insiders revealed on Wednesday that they are being pressured by officials to open an investigation into six Democratic lawmakers who created a video that seemed to make ... Donald Trump furious, according to a new report. Bloomberg Law reported on Wednesday, citing three sources familiar with the matter, that FBI agents in the bureau’s domestic terrorism unit are being pressured by officials in Washington to investigate the Democratic lawmakers who made a video telling military members they do not have to follow illegal orders. Thus far, leaders within the Washington office have pushed back, according to the report. One of the supervisors 'cited a lack of legal and factual basis to initiate a criminal case,' it added."
A Kavanaugh Stop in the Florida Keys. Milena Malaver & David Goodhue of the Miami Herald: “A woman in medical scrubs who was driving on U.S. 1 in the Florida Keys Wednesday morning was stopped by federal immigration agents and forcibly removed from her car, despite screaming she was an American citizen. About 9:15 a.m. in Key Largo, in front of the Pink Plaza at mile marker 103.4, federal agents stopped the woman driving a white Toyota Corolla and surrounded the vehicle. Video recorded by a Miami Herald reporter shows an agent pulling the woman from her car. Agents with ICE, CBP and U.S Border Patrol could be seen. She can be heard screaming as agents attempted to handcuff her. 'I’m a U.S. citizen, please help me,' she shouted after agents forced her to the ground. 'This is unfair. Why are you doing this to me?' Agents then placed her in a patrol vehicle. She was released a short time later.” The link is a gift link. ~~~
~~~ Marie: The days of "No Irish Need Apply" are long gone, so I guess O'Kavanaugh couldn't quite grasp that being manhandled and dragged from your vehicle by a phalanx of goons is not what most people would describe as a "brief" inconvenience, which is the way Bart characterized race-based detentions of U.S. citizens and other legal residents. It's terrifying.
Eduardo Medina, et al., of the New York Times: “Federal Border Patrol agents began dispersing across immigrant enclaves in the New Orleans area on Wednesday, the latest front in the Trump administration’s crackdown.... Gregory Bovino, a senior Border Patrol official who was in charge of the operations in the three other cities, confirmed on X that he and his agents had arrived in New Orleans. Some were spotted at Home Depot stores on Wednesday afternoon, while others, including Mr. Bovino himself, fanned into residential neighborhoods and the city’s French Quarter.” ~~~
~~~ To get you in the holiday spirit, a jolly protest in a Home Depot parking lot: ~~~
Sheryl Stolberg & Christina Jewitt of the New York Times: Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. “took over the Department of Health and Human Services in February after assuring skeptical senators weighing his confirmation that, despite 20 years of hostility toward the country’s long-established vaccine system, he would do nothing that “makes it difficult or discourages people from taking vaccines.” He sought to present a more unifying agenda, vowing to target ultraprocessed foods and minimize toxic exposures as part of a broader mission to 'reverse the chronic disease epidemic and put the nation back on the road to good health.' But an examination of Mr. Kennedy’s tenure atop the nation’s massive health agency shows how, in ways not previously known, he has methodically laid the groundwork to overhaul American vaccine policy, following a blueprint he laid out in books, speeches and podcast appearances during his years as the leader of a movement attacking the system he now oversees. He has walled himself off from the government scientists and other civil servants he distrusts while elevating longtime allies to help carry out his vaccine agenda.” The link is a gift link. ~~~
~~~ Rylee Kirk of the New York Times: “In an article published Wednesday in The New England Journal of Medicine, 12 former Food and Drug Administration commissioners sharply criticized anticipated changes to vaccine policy that were detailed in a leaked memo from an agency official. 'We are deeply concerned by sweeping new F.D.A. assertions about vaccine safety and proposals that would undermine a regulatory model designed to ensure that vaccines are safe, effective and available when the public needs them most,' the former commissioners wrote. The former commissioners, including four from the first Trump administration, were responding to a memo written by Dr. Vinay Prasad, the director of the F.D.A.’s vaccine division. He sent it to agency staff members on Friday, outlining findings from a review of reports concerning 10 childhood deaths and attributing them to myocarditis, or inflammation of the heart muscle, after receiving a Covid-19 shot. The memo was obtained by The New York Times and not publicly released.” The AP's report is here.
Ha Ha. Hannah Sampson of the Washington Post: Air travelers dress down to pajamas to protest Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy's campaign to dress up for air travel in a return to the “Golden Age of Travel.” “Many pointed out the delays, fees, barebones amenities and minimal service they would be experiencing on their trips — hardly the conditions for luxury threads.”
The Nativists Are Restless. Annie Karni of the New York Times: “Less than a year out from midterm elections in which Republicans’ vanishingly small majority is at stake, [Speaker Mike] Johnson’s grasp on his gavel appears weaker than ever, as members from all corners of his conference openly complain about his leadership. Some predict that he may not last as the speaker for the rest of this term. Republican women, in particular, have been publicly challenging Mr. Johnson and taking issue with his priorities and his style. Their dissatisfaction is indicative of a broader splintering of a restive group of G.O.P. lawmakers who are perpetually unhappy with their leaders, but appear to be reaching a breaking point with the current man at the top.... Many G.O.P. lawmakers are unhappy with the passive role the speaker has played in the redistricting arms race.... Even more are angry at his decision to send the House home for nearly eight weeks before and during the government shutdown.... Members in competitive districts are desperate for a vote on extending expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies, which Mr. Johnson is resisting.” Here's an Axios item.
Shane Goldmacher of the New York Times: “Just like every other congressional contest held this year, the Tennessee special election for the House tilted sharply in the Democratic Party’s direction compared with the 2024 election. The Trump-backed Republican candidate, Matt Van Epps, won by nine percentage points in a ruby-red seat that Mr. Trump had romped through a year earlier by 22 points. That 13-point swing to the left — if it continues into 2026 — threatens to be an undertow strong enough to subsume a range of Republicans in less lopsidedly red seats and deliver Democrats a comfortable House majority next year. Republican candidates, as they have been for much of the last decade, are caught between Mr. Trump’s singular popularity with the Republican base and his distinct, and dipping, unpopularity with swing voters.” MB: Never has a gang of "representatives of the people" so deserved to lose the majority.
Hannah Ziegler of the New York Times: “An armed volunteer was charged on Wednesday over his role in a June shooting at a 'No Kings' protest in Salt Lake City that killed a fashion designer [-- Arthur Folasa Ah Loo --] who had competed on 'Project Runway.' The Salt Lake County district attorney, Sim Gill, said on Wednesday that he had charged Matthew Scott Alder, 43, with one count of manslaughter, a second-degree felony. Mr. Alder was assisting with crowd control at the 'No Kings' rally on June 14 when he tried to confront a man who was carrying an AR-15 style rifle. In the process, he shot the armed man and an unarmed bystander, prosecutors said.”
Matt Stevens of the New York Times: “A doctor who illegally supplied Matthew Perry with the drug ketamine in the weeks leading up to the actor’s death in 2023 was sentenced Wednesday to 30 months in prison. the doctor, Salvador Plasencia, pleaded guilty in June to four criminal counts of distribution of ketamine, a powerful anesthetic. A month before Mr. Perry’s death, Mr. Plasencia texted another doctor about how much to charge Mr. Perry for ketamine, according to court papers, writing, 'I wonder how much this moron will pay' and 'Lets find out.' Mr. Perry, who played Chandler Bing on 'Friends' and had long struggled with addiction, became increasingly reliant on ketamine in the weeks before he was found unresponsive in his hot tub. The Los Angeles County medical examiner’s office said his death was caused by the “acute effects” of ketamine.”
~~~~~~~~~~
Syria. Kareem Fahim, et al., of the Washington Post: “A newly revealed trove of photos depicts 10,000 people who had died in Bashar al-Assad’s brutal prison system during his last decade in power.... [The trove contains] more than 70,000 images taken by Syrian military police photographers who recorded deaths mostly between 2015 and 2024 — years that encompassed the height of the Syrian civil war. Included are those of 10,212 people who died in detention or after they were transferred from detention to military hospitals.”
Ukraine, et al. C'est évident. Seb Starcevic, et al., of Politico: “French President Emmanuel Macron warned the U.S. could be about to 'betray' Ukraine, according to a leaked transcript of a call between European leaders strategizing about how to protect Kyiv. The details of the phone call — which took place Monday and involved Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and others — were published by German magazine Der Spiegel and saw the leaders discussing U.S.-led peace negotiations with Kyiv and Moscow. 'There is a possibility that the U.S. will betray Ukraine on the issue of territory without clarity on security guarantees,' Macron said, according to Spiegel, adding there was 'a great danger' for Zelenskyy.... Spiegel reported the Élysée denied in a statement to the German outlet that Macron spoke of any betrayal. 'The president did not use those words,' Macron’s office said, per Spiegel.” MB: True. Because Der Spiegel no doubt reported in German, and Macron spoke in French.
22 comments:
A Times piece (linked above) does a rigorously researched and well written deep dive into the maniacal and truly horrifying ways that RFKJ has warped and debased not only the CDC, but the tilt of the federal government away from fact and science based approaches to healthcare, and by extension the health and well being of hundreds of millions of Americans toward woo-woo nonsense and dangerously out of control humbuggery. If you miss the deluge of horror movies revived every year around Halloween, read this piece. There are more jump scares, sickening scenes, and ghastly revelations than in the worst slasher films you can imagine, except non of this is fictional.
And you know what the most truly scary thing about this tilt to medieval and hack job bullshit is? Here's Polio Bob's coup de grace to the scientific method that pulled humanity out of the dark ages of disease and early death:
He remains convinced that vaccines, along with ultraprocessed foods and environmental toxins, have fueled an increase in asthma, allergies, autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders that have been on the rise in recent decades — when the number of childhood immunizations rose.
There is no scientific proof. But Mr. Kennedy is on a mission to change that.
'Vaccines,' he said, 'must be a culprit, because they became ubiquitous along that timeline.'"
This is the classic Post Hoc fallacy. This is no different that blaming my red striped tie for changes in the weather. "Every time I wear that tie with the red stripes, it rains. That tie MUST be causing it to rain. No doubt about it."
This is worse than absurd. This is brain dead stupidity. And THAT's what's driving healthcare in America for the next four year.
Tomorrow, the hacks Polio Bob has installed at the CDC are voting on a complete overhaul of recommendations for childhood vaccines, including demanding that no infants be given the hepatitis B, without which their lives can be altered forever, for the worse.
And what's scarier than that? Insurance companies base their coverage on CDC recommendations, so even if parents of newborns are smart enough to reject whatever new bullshit gushes out of the ass of RFKJ's hacks, they'll be on the hook for paying for it themselves. This is more pure evil from the Fat Hitler Reich.
Oops. I meant "...no infants be given the hepatitis B vaccine..."
Fatty put Kennedy in charge of American's health because he (Trump) doesn't give a shit about healthcare. He's well taken care of, so fuck everyone else. He needed a little extra boost for his campaign so he handed the future of America's health over to this whacko, heroin addict, worm-eaten brain moron.
The Drunk Pete timeline:
I did it! I watched it on TV! It was AWESOME!
I didn't do it.
Some other guy did it. I, um, didn't even see most of it. I had another meeting to go to.
Fog of war! That was it. There was a lot of smoke, um, and I couldn't see shit.
The survivors were trying to radio their cartel pals! Aieeee! We had to kill them!
What's next? His Commander Cody decoder ring got lost so he couldn't figure out what was going on?
And here's the thing about that radioing for help idea. So....we blow the boat to hell and gone, then, oops, two guys are still alive. One of them has a radio. He's trying to get help. It's an ACT OF WAR! Aiiieeeee!!! All hands on deck! This guy floating in the water, probably injured severely is calling for help. ALL AMERICA is in DANGER! Launch the NUKES!
Is this really where we are? Are we really so scared of one guy floating in the water trying desperately to save his own life that we have to nuke this guy? Are we Lilliputiastan? Are we a postage stamp nation with a navy comprised of a couple of speed boats and a sling shot?
And so what if the guy is calling his cartel buddies for help? Wait until they get there, then grab those guys too. Wouldn't it be better to ascertain that this boat actually was running drugs (probably should have done that first, though, right?) and grab anyone coming out to help? And even if the guy was calling to say "Holy crap, we just got nuked!" What are his pals going to do? Attack America? Are we really such craven cowards that one guy with a radio causes the Secretary of WAR, a bunch of admirals, and the Joint Chiefs to collectively shit their pants?
Nothing more embarrassing than a guy pretending to be a macho man who runs from his own shadow.
This fucker is an embarrassment. We don't need any more reports, investigations, or soul searching. Send this venal coward back to Fox.
Maybe the renamed Institute of Peace makes sense....
https://www.npr.org/2025/12/03/nx-s1-5628936/drc-rwanda-peace-deal-trump
Seems like the treaty is more Pretender bullshit. A peace treaty when there's no peace. What better place to sign it than in a building named for him?
Life in the bubble...
So here are some Fox navel gazers opining that women get "hotter" if they join the Party of Traitors.
“She’s getting hotter, and they’re so jealous, right? They’re like, ‘She’s so Republican,’ she gets hotter by the minute, right? And so my advice to all the ladies, our side is better, and you get hotter, right? All Republican women are hot! Tell me that’s not true.”
“It is true,” replied host Jesse Watters. “So when you register Republican, you just get hotter.”
Right. Because you really want to take life advice from Jesse Fucking Watters.
But hey, if by getting hotter they mean closer to hell, then I guess they're right. But that reminds me of the craze for the Marred-a-Lardo Face among a certain class of classless idiots. But there's really two kinds of that face...One for the Fatty fans and the other...for women who aren't morons.
Okay, there are all sorts of weird things popping up on the web, and a lot of stuff is named specifically to garner clicks, things like "If you can name these three people, you are one of the smartest humans in history, Click here!"
Of course, already being one of the smartest humans in history, I was immune from such blandishments (heh-heh), but then I saw the title of this piece, and just had to find out WTF this was all about:
"Pete Hegseth and the Radical Queer Wing of al-Qaeda"
I mean, how can you not click on THAT?
So, as funny as it sounds, the basis for this hilarity is pretty serious. In effect, what the author is getting at is the way the government can now decide if you need killing. And if you give yourself the wrong name, Drunk Pete will be coming for you. That is, when he cleans the poop out of his pants.
Akhilleus,
Women joining the traitor party get hotter because they are now compared to the other women who have given themselves permanent mar a lardo face. Once you join the clan you eventually get consumed by it and find an unethical plastic surgeon to transform you into just another plastic Barbie bobble for the loser MAGA men to oggle. Doesn't that sound wonderful ladies? They are still willing to let you do much of the work, but the ladies will get little of the credit and not much respect. Who wouldn't want to live in MAGA World?
So there's this abandoned house down the street from us. Rocket likes to nose around in the yard as there's a pile of empty beer cans about three feet high in the driveway, overgrown with weeds and the like. He probably thinks he's gonna find some chips under there somewhere, and he just won't take my word for it.
The place looks like Ed Gein might have lived there once. But after reading about how Fatty is sticking his name on random buildings to try to get hisself a Nobel Peace Prize, I'm thinking I'll make a sign that says "The Akhilleus Peace Place. Drop Nobel Behind Pile of Beer Cans. Thanks!"
Think it'll work? Hey, I figure I've got at least as good a chance as a fat war criminal, and even better, I'm neither fat nor a war criminal!
Proper boating protocol says that if your boat is blown up by the US government then you are to tread water or cling to wreckage for two hours minimum to wait for your potential capture before attempting to call for rescue. Of course if your boat is blown up by a narco-state or authoritarian state then you need to call for help immediately to get out of the area as quickly as possible. All western hemisphere boats should have a "for emergencies" laminated card that includes the makes of US missiles versus cartel used missile varieties. Always boat safely and visit these defense contractor websites [...] to keep up to date and know which missiles they are currently selling to which side.
RAS,
Hey, great idea. And ladies who decide to go the "Hot Mar-a-Lardo Face" direction likely get groped by gross and disgusting Trump donors and treated like party favors. But what happens when the Fat Facist is out of office or dead? They have to live the rest of their lives looking like scary cartoon characters? I sometimes think of this sort of thing when I see kids all tatted up, looking like Queequeg, and wonder if that will impede their progress when they go for that circuit court judge position.
What are the chances Cuellar's daughters put their pictures in their bribery plea to Fat Hitler?
Master Negotiator
Akhilleus,
I've seen a number of MAGA women wearing shirts with Trump's "grab 'em by the pussy" quote over the years. It makes me wonder what the creeps around them think when they see that. And how many think that if they are cool with Fat Hitler groping them then I should be able to do it too. Their culture tells women to submit and knock out some white babies. Until they are too old and are only good for childcare.
digby: "The Bulwark’s J.V. Last has a terrific article today talking about the success of the last 40 years, liberal masochism, neoliberalism and what really motivates MAGA. I could quibble with a few points but I have to agree on the main one which is that liberals need to stop so much navel gazing and confront the fact that the Republicans have become something that’s not recognizably democratic much less economically motivated."
Suspect
"The FBI made an arrest on Thursday in its nearly 5-year-old investigation into who placed pipe bombs in Washington on the eve of the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press."
They say it is a man they arrested so Marie's theory may be wrong, but this is the Trump administration so we should wait and see if they actually have the evidence.
Amazon
"Amazon is preparing to expand its nationwide delivery network and give up its long-standing partnership with the U.S. Postal Service, according to three people with knowledge of the matter, a move that could make the e-commerce goliath the most ubiquitous delivery service in the country and wreak havoc on the postal agency’s long-term financial viability.
Amazon has long been the Postal Service’s top customer, providing more than $6 billion in annual revenue in 2025,"
If Fat Hitler worked for the good of the US people he would tell Bezos what their rates are going to be and make him sign the contract or lose his government handouts. But FH doesn't work for us and he is afraid of billionaires and powerful people. So he will continue to abuse his power only for evil.
"MAGA To Trump: Use The Military To Free Tina Peters
During a Nov. 24 interview with Steve Bannon, Peters’ attorney Peter Ticktin suggested that the president send in the military to free Peters from state prison in Colorado."
Normally this would be a laughable crazy theory, but under Fat Hitler's crimapalooza and all the insane criminals and grifters he has surrounded himself with it is no longer unthinkable. A few well placed or timed lies is all it takes to set the demented grandpa off on another rant about his stolen election. And if someone just happened to place some orders for the military to break into the prison in front of him the chances that he would be aware enough or coherent enough to know that it was wrong and illegal would be very low. One thing that he says that I actually believe is that he doesn't know that much about what is going on in his government.
"Court Order? What Court Order?
This is not law enforcement. It’s domestic terrorism."
Trump's thugs attacking Americans.
Fall Guys
The most lawless administration keeps on keepin’ on, ignoring a court order that instructs Fat Hitler’s lawyer bimbos Alina Habba and Lindsey Halligan to stand down and go back to doing something they’re qualified for, which is something other than serving as US Attorneys. They aren’t the only Trumpy hacks shoved in to run federal district offices without senate approval. One would think that anything these unqualified Fatty hacks do should be considered illegitimate. Cases prosecuted by these people are null and void, but we have a Dept of Injustice that continues to ignore judicial orders. The only orders they obey come from the Fat King.
We are a nation untethered from the rule of law.
Can you imagine the glee with which Vlad the Impaler met the jamokes Fatty sent to “negotiate” some kind of end to his invasion of Ukraine?
Unlike having to deal with actual experienced diplomats possessed of an encyclopedic knowledge of Russian history, skilled in negotiation tactics, he has Tweedledum and Tweedledee, Witkoff and Kushner, greedy idiot grifters who care more about lining their own pockets than effectuating an actual truce, never mind a peace plan that isn’t a carbon copy of Russia’s maniacal and illegally expansionist demands.
No wonder he spent five hours with them. There was nothing to talk about. Maybe they told jokes and trades sock puppetry techniques.
More MAGA moronics in action.
I wonder If he played the pee-pee tape for them.
Why can't we just say Merry Christmas anymore?
"Celebrating 50 years of Christmas"
"Oy vey. The invitation for a Hanukkah celebration at the vice president’s residence included glaring errors referencing the wrong holiday. The error was noticed by Jewish Insider senior national correspondent Gabby Deutch, who shared an image of the invitation on her social media.
The green-and-gold invite for the cocktail-attire festivities on December 15 said it was an invitation from “The Vice President and The Second Lady” for a “Hanukkah Reception at the Vice President’s Residence,” but at the top of the invite it said “The Golden Noel: CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF CHRISTMAS AT THE VICE PRESIDENT’S RESIDENCE.”"
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