April 13, 2026

David Goodman of the New York Times: “Representative Tony Gonzales, a Texas Republican accused of a coercive sexual relationship with a staff member who later killed herself, announced that he would resign from Congress amid growing bipartisan outcry from House members. Mr. Gonzales, a third-term congressman whose border district stretches from San Antonio to El Paso, was embroiled in a bitter primary fight when text messages became public that documented his pursuit of a female staff member. He announced last month that he was withdrawing from the race.” Politico's report is here.

Jill Cowan of the New York Times: “Eric Swalwell, a Democratic congressman from the San Francisco Bay Area, said on Monday that he was resigning from the House after allegations that he sexually assaulted a former staff member and engaged in misconduct with other women. The accusations, published in articles by The San Francisco Chronicle and CNN, prompted rescinded endorsements, a criminal investigation and, now, his exit from politics. Mr. Swalwell has denied the accusations. This is a developing story. Check back for updates.” The NBC News story, also developing at 5:40 pm ET, is here.

The New York Times Goes There. Peter Baker: “As the president threatens to wipe out Iran and attacks the pope, even some former allies and advisers are questioning whether he has grown increasingly unbalanced, describing him as 'lunatic' and 'clearly insane.'... Never in modern times has the stability of a president been so publicly and forensically debated — and with such profound consequences. Democrats who have long challenged Mr. Trump’s psychological fitness have issued a fresh chorus of calls to invoke the 25th Amendment to remove the president from power for disability. But it is not just a concern voiced by partisans on the left, late-night comics or mental health professionals making long-distance diagnoses. It can be heard now among retired generals, diplomats and foreign officials. And most strikingly, it can be heard now on the political right among onetime allies of the president.... Mr. Trump fired back in a long, angry social media post that did not exactly radiate calm stability.... The dissent on the right has not extended to Congress, where Republican lawmakers remain publicly loyal to the president, nor has it reached the cabinet, which would have to approve any invocation of the 25th Amendment, rendering that idea moot.” ~~~

~~~ Claire Moses of the New York Times: “Shortly after criticizing Pope Leo XIV in a lengthy social media post on Sunday..., [Donald] Trump shared an apparently A.I.-generated image depicting him as a Jesus-like figure. The image was posted on the president’s account on his social media platform, Truth Social, but had disappeared from his profile by late Monday morning. Mr. Trump told reporters outside the Oval Office soon after that he had taken down the post.... There was a swift backlash to Mr. Trump’s post across the political and ideological spectrum, including from some prominent conservatives.While speaking to reporters on Monday, [Mr.] Trump said that he would not apologize for his attacks on Pope Leo. 'I’m just responding to Pope Leo,' he said. 'There’s nothing to apologize for. He’s wrong.'” The Guardian has a report here. ~~~

     ~~~ Update. Katie Rogers of the New York Times: “The image showed ... [Donald] Trump in a white and red robe, commonly used in renderings of Jesus Christ and in Scripture prophesying his return. Bright golden light, which is used to depict divine intervention in religious imagery, radiated from Mr. Trump’s hand as he touched the forehead of a sick man. A woman observed the scene with her hands steepled in prayer. As he received two bags of a McDonald’s food delivery to the Oval Office on Monday morning, Mr. Trump told reporters that he did not catch all that religious imagery. He said he had thought the image he had posted to his Truth Social account had depicted him not as Jesus — but as a physician. 'I thought it was me as a doctor,' Mr. Trump said of the social media post, which he deleted after an outcry. 'Only the fake news could come up with that.'” ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: See it was all just a perfectly reasonable misunderstanding. Is Trump (a) incredibly stupid, or (b) does he think we are? The answer is (c) Yes.  

Not. Even. Close. Kyle Cheney & Josh Gerstein of Politico: “A federal judge on Monday tossed ... Donald Trump’s lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal for reporting on a racy letter he purportedly wrote to commemorate Jeffrey Epstein’s 50th birthday in 2003. U.S. District Judge Darrin Gayles concluded that Trump came 'nowhere close' to asserting that the newspaper’s actions revealing the existence and contents of the note amounted to the 'actual malice' needed for Trump to prevail in a defamation case.... Gayles gave Trump’s team the chance to salvage the lawsuit, providing his lawyers two weeks to file a revised complaint that alleges more evidence of 'actual malice.' A spokesperson for Trump’s legal team said in a statement that the president’s lawyers will take the judge up on that offer.... The letter was later released in a batch of files provided by the late Epstein’s estate to congressional investigators probing the disgraced financier’s sex trafficking operation.”

Anne Applebaum of the Atlantic: “...  if Orbán can lose, then his Russian and American admirers can lose too. Applebaum outlines how Péter Magyar's party won even though Orbán and his party control the government and most of the media.” Thanks to akaWendy for this gift link.  

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The New York Times liveblog of the Trumplebibi war is here. From the pinned item at 6:20 am ET: “Oil prices surged and stocks fell early Monday, hours before the U.S. military was expected to begin a blockade of Iranian parts of the Strait of Hormuz.... On Monday, Iran threatened repercussions. Ebrahim Zolfaghari, an Iranian military spokesman, said that if Iranian ports were threatened, 'no port in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman will be safe.' European leaders, already frustrated by Mr. Trump’s military campaign in Iran, quickly distanced themselves from his proposed blockade. Prime Minister Keir Starmer of Britain said in a radio interview that the United Kingdom would not participate, while Spain’s defense minister said the maneuver 'makes no sense.' 

“The U.S. military said that it would begin blocking ships 'entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas' starting at 10 a.m. Eastern on Monday, while allowing other vessels to transit the strait on their way to or from non-Iranian ports....  The United States had previously been allowing Iranian oil tankers to traverse the strait to keep up global supplies, according to Scott Bessent, the Treasury secretary.”

Susannah George, et al., of the Washington Post: “After marathon overnight talks between the United States and Iran failed to clinch a deal on U.S. terms..., Donald Trump on Sunday announced the imposition of a naval blockade on Iran — a move that could derail a tenuous two-week ceasefire reached just five days ago. 'Effective immediately, the United States Navy, the Finest in the World, will begin the process of BLOCKADING any and all Ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz,' Trump posted Sunday on Truth Social, his social media site. The president also said he had instructed the Navy to interdict all ships that have paid a toll to Iran for traversing the strait, calling Tehran’s expanded control of the waterway 'EXTORTION.'” A CNBC report is here. (Also linked yesterday.) Politico's report is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Ben Hubbard of the New York Times: “'We think that numerous countries are going to be helping us with this also,' [Donald Trump] told Fox News on Sunday. Early Monday, there was no sign of volunteers.... Ahmet Kasim Han, a professor of international relations at TED University in Ankara, Turkey, said Mr. Trump could be overestimating how effective the economic pain of a blockade would be in changing Iran’s position.... 'This habit of saying that people are on board with him while not naming them diminishes his credibility, and that does not work well for U.S. standing internationally,' he said.” The link appears to be a gift link.

Say What? Matthew Choi & Dan Merica of the Washington Post: “Now we are the ones shutting down the Strait of Hormuz?... Jjust one day [before announcing the U.S. blockade], Trump was still maintaining that reopening the strait was his top priority in the conflict, writing on Truth Social that it would be open soon as top U.S. and Iranian officials were negotiating in Islamabad, Pakistan. He said he would deploy the Navy to make sure it happened, and U.S. Central Command announced mine sweeping operations in the strait. So what happened? Let’s catch up on what brought us to this moment.”

Guardian (Sports Department!): “Donald Trump and US secretary of state Marco Rubio attended a UFC event in Miami ... on Saturday night as peace talks with Iran failed on the other side of the world.... 'The Secretary of State skipped the Iran negotiations in Pakistan to attend a UFC fight. So did the Special Envoy for South and Central Asia, while Pakistan has no confirmed U.S. ambassador,' the House Democrats Foreign Affairs Committee wrote on X. 'Tens of thousands of Americans are in harm’s way. Gas prices are rising. This is not serious leadership. It’s amateur hour.'” 

Tyler Pager of the New York Times: “After more than 16 straight hours of closed-door meetings that stretched into early Sunday morning, Vice President JD Vance ambled into an ornate ballroom in Pakistan and let out a sigh.... Exhausted and frustrated after 21 hours on the ground, Mr. Vance provided few details, took three questions and departed. He did not address whether the two-week cease-fire with Iran would hold or what would happen to the Strait of Hormuz or if ... [Donald] Trump would now follow through with his threat to wipe Iranian civilization off the map. It was a remarkable conclusion to a high-stakes diplomatic trip for Mr. Vance, who made his opposition known to a full-scale war in Iran.”

Jonathan Guyer of the Institute for Global Affairs, in a New York Times op-ed: “Mr. Kushner and Mr. Witkoff, the president’s son-in-law and special envoy for peace missions, respectively, represent the Trump mind-set: a rogue version of diplomacy that’s focused on the flashy and theatrical, a reflection of the Trump real estate developer ethos. But that ethos has failed, and Iran is proof.... In February, Mr. Kushner and Mr. Witkoff had a chance to enter into serious negotiations with Iran that could have secured a new nuclear deal and averted the American and Israeli war.... Former officials and diplomacy experts ... say that the February talks with Iran ... were botched. Real progress was being made, and Iran had shown some flexibility, but Mr. Kushner and Mr. Witkoff not only lacked experience and expertise; they also lacked the bandwidth: The same pair was also playing point on Russia and Ukraine and on Gaza rebuilding while shuttling back and forth to and from Miami. They also lacked a strong enough team to work out the details and a strategic vision to execute a transformational accord.... Unlike Mr. Kushner and Mr. Witkoff, the Iranian team was knowledgeable on both nuclear issues and how their counterparts operated, and backed by further technical experts on aspects of the science and engineering at play, and so forth....

Now..., the [two-week] cessation of hostilities came not through a Witkoff and Kushner-led initiative, but through emergency diplomacy led by Pakistan and China.... When it comes to peacemaking, Mr. Kushner and Mr. Witkoff are no match for the intensive work that it actually requires.... Mr. Witkoff and Mr. Kushner (now joined by Mr. Vance) pale in both number and expertise to the Obama team that negotiated the 2015 nuclear agreement. MB: Guyer -- with the distinct advantage of having expertise and sources -- is saying exactly what we've been saying: that Dumb & Dumber & their sidekick JayDee are crap negotiators who are far outmatched by the Iranian teams & the Obama team. 

New York Times Editors: “When ... [Donald] Trump attacked Iran on Feb. 28, we called his decision reckless.... In the six weeks since, the recklessness of his war has become clearer yet.... We count four main setbacks for America’s national interests that are the direct result of Mr. Trump’s carelessness. These setbacks likewise weaken global democracy.... The most tangible blow ... the increased influence that Iran has secured over the global economy by weaponizing the Strait of Hormuz.... Mr. Trump’s lack of foresight about the strait reveals glaring incompetence.... The second setback is to America’s military standing around the world.... The war’s third big cost is to America’s alliances.... The fourth setback is to America’s moral authority....  Mr. Trump should at long last recognize the ineptitude of his impulsive, go-it-alone approach. He should involve Congress and seek help from America’s allies to minimize the damage from his war.” (Also linked yesterday.)

Tim Balk of the New York Times: Donald “Trump suggested on Sunday that elevated gasoline prices in the United States might not fall before the November midterm elections, a prediction that continued his mixed messaging and underscored potential political headwinds facing Republicans in the fall. Mr. Trump had long downplayed a sharp spike in gas prices driven by the war in Iran by casting it as a “short-term increase” that would subside within weeks. But on Sunday, Mr. Trump told Fox News that while he hoped gas and oil costs would drop before the midterms, prices 'should be around the same' in November — and might be 'a little bit higher.'” MB: Looks like Trump is extending his little excursion.

“Trump attacks Pope Leo, taking credit for his election as bishop of Rome.” Natalie Allison of the Washington Post: “... Donald Trump on Sunday issued sharp criticism of Pope Leo XIV, calling the bishop of Rome 'WEAK on crime,' and 'terrible for Foreign Policy' while claiming that the first U.S.-born pontiff would not have been selected if it hadn’t been for Trump. 'I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s terrible that America attacked Venezuela,' Trump wrote on Truth Social shortly before returning to Washington from Miami on Sunday night. 'And I don’t want a Pope who criticizes the President of the United States because I’m doing exactly what I was elected, IN A LANDSLIDE, to do,' Trump continued.'... 

“'He wasn’t on any list to be Pope, and was only put there by the Church because he was an American, and they thought that would be the best way to deal with President Donald J. Trump,' Trump wrote. 'If I wasn’t in the White House, Leo wouldn’t be in the Vatican.' Asked about the post after landing at Joint Base Andrews, Trump called Leo 'a very liberal person.'... I don’t think he’s doing a very good job. He likes crime, I guess,' Trump said. 'I am not a fan of Pope Leo.'” ~~~

~~~ From the pinned item at 6:15 am ET on a New York Times liveblog: “Pope Leo XIV said on Monday that he had 'no fear of the Trump administration,' after ... [Donald] Trump assailed him in a lengthy social media post as too liberal and 'weak on crime.' Leo’s admonishments of the war in Iran have become more pointed in recent days. Speaking to reporters on a flight to Algeria, Leo said he was not afraid of 'speaking out loudly of the message of the Gospel, which is what I believe I am here to do.'” 

Motoko Rich: “Asked directly about Trump’s comments on Truth Social, Leo said: 'It’s ironic — the name of the site itself. Say no more.'” ~~~

~~~ The AP's report is here. Politico's report is here. ~~~

~~~ Catherine Bouris of the Daily Beast, republished by Yahoo! News: "... Donald Trump followed a bizarre rant against Pope Leo XIV with an AI-generated image depicting himself as Jesus Christ. The image, posted to Truth Social late Sunday night, depicts Trump as Christ, laying his hand on a patient in a hospital bed, seemingly healing him.... The reception to the president’s Sunday night posts was frosty, with several prominent MAGA figures [including Marjorie Taylor Greene] condemning Trump’s decision to compare himself to the son of God.... The president’s bizarre posts came just hours after 60 Minutes broadcast an interview with three American cardinals who criticized several Trump administration policies, including his war in Iran and his immigration policies." Includes image. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I'm not sure how blasphemous this image is. It doesn't look to me as if the artist has depicted Trump as Jesus. There have been plenty of people through the ages who have portrayed themselves as Christian faith healers who derive their "healing powers" from God and Jesus. If I were a Trump fan, that's how I would take the picture Trump posted.

Pooja Salhotra of the New York Times: “The Trump administration has terminated all six board members of the federal agency that oversees the Presidio, a beloved San Francisco national park that sits at the base of the Golden Gate Bridge. The board members, all of whom were appointed by President Joseph R. Biden Jr., were fired on Wednesday, and new members have not been installed..., a spokeswoman for the agency, the Presidio Trust, said in an email on Saturday.... In February 2025..., [Donald] Trump issued an executive order calling the Presidio Trust an 'unnecessary governmental entity' that should be 'dramatically' shrunk. That order also targeted three other agencies — the Inter-American Foundation, the United States African Development Foundation and the United States Institute of Peace — that the administration has already taken steps to dismantle.... Nancy Pelosi, the former speaker of the House, played a central role in the creation of the [Presidio T]rust, and the park is in her district. She told The San Francisco Chronicle, which first reported the terminations, that she was 'disappointed' with the firings and said that the Presidio would 'continue to be protected by the strength of the legislation which created it.'” (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Trump was probably afraid the Biden-appointed board would erect a statue of Pelosi in the park. Perhaps someday that will happen. 

Doug Clark & Jen Fifield of ProPublica: "In advance of this year’s midterm elections..., Donald Trump has systematically demolished federal guardrails that prevented him from overturning the 2020 election.... At least 75 career staff are gone. Two dozen appointees, including many from the election denial movement, have been hired. Ten helped try to overturn the 2020 vote.... Once-fringe actors now have access to vast powers, which they’ve already used to push forward unprecedented actions that critics say amount to partisan interference." The report begins with an account of how Bill Barr & others resisted Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election; then contrasts that effort with what is likely to happen in the future.

Meryl Kornfield of the Washington Post: “A year after Elon Musk brought in a cohort of allies from Silicon Valley to remake the government, through a newly established Department of Government Efficiency, lawsuits and public record releases have steadily begun shedding light on who was in DOGE and how its members approached their roles.... When DOGE members were deposed in January as part of a lawsuit over cuts to grants awarded to the National Endowment for the Humanities, they described a vague network of similarly minded technologists and lawyers who had been tasked with a vast mandate to reduce federal spending. They also described a lack of structure that allowed them to operate with little oversight or understanding of what others might be doing.... The disclosures have confirmed news coverage from last year about the extent of DOGE cuts and identified several key DOGE figures operating in federal agencies.”  

Daniel Lippman of Politico: “The Trump administration’s U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services agency has referred allegations of Rep. Eric Swalwell illegally employing a Brazilian nanny several years ago to law enforcement officials at the Department of Homeland Security for investigation, according to a DHS spokesperson. The probe marks an escalation of hostilities with the Trump administration, following a referral to the Justice Department for investigation into potential mortgage fraud by Swalwell, which he condemned as meritless. It also comes as the Cal[i]fornia Democrat is in a political tailspin from unrelated allegations of sexual misconduct, which he denies.” (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

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Alaska Elections/Confederate Supremes. Lisa Kashinsky of Politico: “... Alaskans across the political spectrum are sounding the alarm about a pending Supreme Court ruling. A majority of justices appear to be leaning toward barring states from counting late-arriving ballots, a ruling that would upend voting laws in Alaska and more than a dozen other states. That could potentially disenfranchise hundreds of voters in Kodiak’s distant villages and thousands more across the remote reaches of The Last Frontier — and upend Alaska’s election process in a state that could determine Senate control. 'This matters a lot in a place like Kodiak, because absentee voting, it’s not a convenience here,' said Jared Griffin, the mayor of Kodiak Island Borough, who is an independent. 'It’s going to really hurt those rural, remote voters.' A ban on late-arriving ballots could have an outsized impact on Alaska Natives, many of whom live in rural villages that already experience delays in receiving and returning ballots. It’s a scenario that’s sparking bipartisan fears of depressed turnout in the state’s hotly competitive Senate race between former Democratic Rep. Mary Peltola and GOP Sen. Dan Sullivan. The contest could decide control of the chamber.”

California Gubernatorial Race. Jill Cowan of the New York Times: “Eric Swalwell, a Democratic congressman from the San Francisco Bay Area, said in a social media post on Sunday evening that he is suspending his campaign for California governor in the wake of allegations that he sexually assaulted a former staff member and engaged in sexual misconduct with other women.... Mr. Swalwell has repeatedly denied the accusations and continued to do so Sunday evening. 'To my family, staff, friends, and supporters, I am deeply sorry for mistakes in judgment I’ve made in my past,' Mr. Swalwell said in a post on X. 'I will fight the serious, false allegations that have been made — but that’s my fight, not a campaign’s.'... [Among similar calls,] on Friday, House Democratic leaders issued a joint statement calling on Mr. Swalwell to drop out.” An NBC News report is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: In his Sunday statement and in his original statement regarding the allegations, Swalwell makes clear (albeit in an oblique way) that he has abused women. What he's not admitting to are the specific and severe claims CNN & the Chron have aired. And that, of course, is his Constitutional right. Also too, he must know there are videotapes and/or impeccable witnesses to some of his "indiscretions." 

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Canada. Ian Austen of the New York Times: “After months of backroom political intrigue, the results from three special elections on Monday are expected to give Prime Minister Mark Carney of Canada a voting majority in the House of Commons, solidifying the Liberal Party’s hold on power. Since late last year, five members of opposition parties have joined the Liberals, one as recently as last week, bringing Mr. Carney within a single vote of the 172 needed for a majority. Two of the special elections are widely considered to be almost certain Liberal wins that would put him over the top. If he gains control, Mr. Carney will have broader latitude with his legislative agenda, which is focused on reducing Canada’s dependency on the United States, and give him a stronger footing with which to deal with President Trump, especially on trade.”

⭐Hungary. How Do You Say “Wowza” in Hungarian? Justin Spike & Sam McNeil of the AP: “Hungarian voters on Sunday ousted long-serving Prime Minister Viktor Orbán after 16 years in power, rejecting the authoritarian policies and global far-right movement that he embodied in favor of a pro-European challenger in a bombshell election result with global repercussions. Election victor Péter Magyar, a former Orbán loyalist who campaigned against corruption and on everyday issues like health care and public transport, has pledged to rebuild Hungary’s relationships with the European Union and NATO — ties that frayed under Orbán. European leaders quickly congratulated Magyar. It’s not yet clear whether Magyar’s Tisza party will have the two-thirds majority in parliament to govern without a coalition. With 77% of the vote counted, it had more than 53% support to 38% for Orbán’s governing Fidesz party.” (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Andrew Higgins & Lili Rutai of the New York Times: “Prime Minister Viktor Orban of Hungary, a lodestar for MAGA culture warriors and right-wing populists in Europe, conceded defeat on Sunday in a general election, breaking the momentum of a global nationalist revival promoted by ... [Donald] Trump. Speaking to supporters Sunday evening in Budapest, Mr. Orban said the 'election results, although not complete, are understandable and clear. They are painful for us but unequivocal.' He congratulated the opposition in a surprisingly early and gracious concession speech....” (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ As RAS pointed out in yesterday's Comments, Orban's loss is a tribute to Trump's endorsement. And extra thanks to JayDee, too. Maybe a few Republicans will quit bending the knee to Trump when they realize his support is not only unnecessary, but could be the kiss of death to any viable campaign. Ken W. pointed out the huge difference in Orban's response to his loss and Trump's. ~~~

     ~~~ Michelle Goldberg of the New York Times: “In an election with the highest voter turnout in Hungary’s democratic history, Magyar’s Tisza Party won a two-thirds supermajority, enough to alter the constitution that Orban had rewritten to shore up his power.... Opposition to Fidesz was so strong it was able to overwhelm all the structures Orban put in place to protect his rule: wildly distorted voting districts, a captured media, state-sponsored propaganda, local patronage networks, and widespread threats and intimidation.... Hungary’s election, like Poland’s election in 2023, was a choice between the center-right and the authoritarian right.... The Parliament elected on Sunday will be the first since 1989 with no left-wing representation, in part because many progressive candidates stood down to avoid splitting the anti-Orban vote.... In the run-up to the election, people in Hungary spoke less about a change in leadership than a change in regime, from one that is Russian-aligned and kleptocratic, with the ruling party embedded in virtually every institution, to one that is free, liberal and oriented toward Europe. If Magyar was just a slightly less corrupt version of Orban, Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin wouldn’t have cared so much about thwarting him.” ~~~  

     ~~~ Jeanna Smialek of the New York Times: “Viktor Orban has long been a challenge and a frustration for the European Union, and his concession in Sunday’s Hungarian election was greeted by top E.U. leaders as a potential moment for sea change after years of clashes between Brussels and Budapest. 'Europe’s heart is beating stronger in Hungary tonight,' Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Union’s executive arm, posted on social media as the votes came in. Mr. Orban has often stood in the way of critical policy goals for the European Union, including blocking a loan to Ukraine and sanctions packages targeting Russia. His administration has long been viewed as a security risk at sensitive meetings because of its comparatively cozy ties to the Kremlin. With the victory of Hungary’s opposition party, led by Peter Magyar, that could begin to change.” ~~~

     ~~~ Hungary/Ukraine. Constant Méheut of the New York Times: “For much of the past four years, Hungary was a persistent source of irritation for Ukraine. An outlier in Europe, Hungary maintained friendly relations with Russia while blocking critical European Union funding for Kyiv and stalling its path toward integration into the bloc. After the election defeat on Sunday of Viktor Orban, Hungary’s longtime prime minister and the architect of its pro-Kremlin policy, many Ukrainians were hoping for a turning point.... President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine ... [sent] a congratulatory message to Mr. Magyar on social media.... 'Ukraine has always sought good-neighbourly relations with everyone in Europe and we are ready to advance our cooperation with Hungary,' Mr. Zelensky wrote. In the immediate term, Sunday’s election result could deliver a much-needed financial boost for Ukraine. Since February, Mr. Orban has blocked a 90 billion euro loan to the country, leaving the government at risk of running out of funds by the end of spring. His defeat is expected to clear the way for the loan to be disbursed.”

Election Day(s) Chaos in Peru. Genevieve Glatsky and Mitra Taj of the New York Times: “Peru extended voting by a day in parts of the capital, Lima, after widespread logistical failures left tens of thousands unable to cast ballots, an extraordinary disruption that has some candidates raising questions about the conduct of the election. The decision by the electoral oversight body allowed voting to continue Monday in the 15 affected polling stations in Lima — as well as two locations in the United States — even as early results from Sunday’s vote had already begun to circulate. Although authorities later called for a halt to quick counts to avoid influencing voters still casting ballots, some exit polls had already been released. At the same time, the electoral authority that organizes and runs the vote, known as ONPE, continued publishing preliminary results as they came in, creating a fragmented picture of the vote. Exit polls by Datum and Ipsos showed Keiko Fujimori, a four-time presidential candidate and daughter of former President Alberto Fujimori, in the lead, with four candidates virtually tied for second place.”