July 19, 2026

Jennifer Bahney of Mediaite: “The U.S. death toll has risen after U.S. Central Command reported finding the remains of a service member who went missing after Iran struck a U.S. base in Jordan on Friday. Fox News correspondent Mike Tobin in Tel Aviv reported Sunday, 'Unfortunately, the loss of life of U.S. Service members, an update. We reported earlier two U.S. Service members had been killed and a third missing. The remains of that third missing U.S. Service member have been recovered, so you’re talking about three people killed by that strike. And another unfortunate incident, service members were disposing of the explosives, and an Iranian attack zone, something went wrong and another U.S. Service member was killed. All of this according to Central Command.'” ~~~

~~~ MEANWHILE. Daily Beast, clip republished by Yahoo! News: "Trump, meanwhile, spent Saturday golfing at his Bedminster club, taking hours to finally address [the] deaths Saturday afternoon, when he called the development 'a very sad thing.' But the deaths apparently didn't have too great of an impact on the president, as he spent the rest of his evening with a dressed-up MAGA crowd to attend the ]America's 250th Birthday Gala] at his Bedminster National Golf Club in New Jersey." ~~~

     ~~~ AND today (Sunday) he is attending the World Cup soccer finals at MetLife Stadium where the crowd booed him when his image appeared on the jumbotron. 

Apparently the 33-room mansion at the U.S. Naval Observatory is no longer good enough for Hillbilly Vance & Family. OR, he's depositing Usha & the kids out on the farm while he stays in town canoodling with a high-priced couch. ~~~

~~~ Paul Schwartzman of the Washington Post: “... word that Vance and his wife, Usha, are making a second home in Middleburg[, Virginia,] is dominating local chatter, the focus of which is less about MAGA and more about him bringing too much Washington — motorcades, helicopters, Secret Service — to an old-money enclave that views itself as an escape from Washington.... Published reports [say] that the Vances, who are expecting their fourth child later this month, are moving into a second residence at Wolver Hill Farm, a nearly 500-acre estate.... A person familiar with the arrangement ... confirmed the vice president is leasing two of the farm’s four homes and said the Secret Service is expected to be a visible presence on the road leading to the property.” Many residents are not amused. MB: Middleburg is in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains -- part of Appalachia -- so maybe it reminds JayDee of the topography of home, if not the accommodations. 

Danny Hakim of the New York Times: “The U.S. attorney’s office in Chicago is among the most prestigious in the country.... But the Trump administration’s immigration sweep in Chicago last fall has left the office in crisis. The office brought a wave of doomed cases that accused protesters and immigrants of assaulting federal officers. That accelerated an exodus of veteran prosecutors, some of whom felt they’d been wrongly pressured into pursuing the charges.... The heads of all seven sections of the Chicago office’s criminal division have left in the past year, as have many of their successors and deputies. More than 100 former federal prosecutors from the office recently signed a letter criticizing Andrew S. Boutros, the U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, saying that 'actions taken by leadership in the last year have tarnished the reputation' of the office.... Some 59 [assault] charges were abandoned by prosecutors or dismissed by judges.... That 2 percent success rate is a stark reversal for the Justice Department, which wins an average of more than 90 percent of criminal cases.” The link appears to be a gift link.

David Ovalle of the New York Times: “A man fatally hit by a truck in Florida while running from an encounter with immigration agents was visiting from Mexico, according to a nonprofit organization supporting his widow. A spokeswoman for the organization identified the man as Juan Jairo Coronilla Durán, 28, of Guanajuato State. State and federal officials have repeatedly declined to identify the man who was killed last Tuesday when he ran on to a busy roadway and was struck by a tractor-trailer. The man was fleeing an encounter with agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Homeland Security Investigations at a Wawa gas station in St. Augustine, Fla.... [A spokeswoman for t]he nonprofit, Colectivo Árbol..., said that, according to Mr. Coronilla’s wife, he was visiting on a valid tourist visa and had planned to return to his home country on Saturday. The New York Times could not independently verify the claim.” 

Maine Senate Race. Bayliss Wagner, et al., of the New York Times: “Troy Jackson, a progressive, has built a clear edge in Maine’s abbreviated nomination process to replace Graham Platner as the Democratic Senate nominee after he dropped out this month under pressure from party leaders. On Sunday, as Mr. Jackson widened his considerable advantage among a group of delegates who will pick the nominee, another candidate, Shenna Bellows, dropped out of the race. Mr. Jackson, a former president of the Maine State Senate, appeared to have the support of a broad group of delegates elected at county meetings this weekend for a statewide convention next week. At the convention, the delegates will vote on a replacement for Mr. Platner, who ended his campaign after a rape accusation that he has denied.” ~~~

~~~ Aaron Pellish & Andrew Howard of Politico: “Troy Jackson has effectively secured the Democratic nomination in the crucial Maine Senate race, winning the support of a majority of the state delegates who will officially nominate a candidate next weekend. While they are not legally bound to support him, nearly two-thirds of the 601 delegates have committed to voting for Jackson at that statewide convention. Jackson dominated the county-level meetings this weekend that selected those delegates, with two rivals falling far behind — and one of them, Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, dropping out of the race partway through the process Sunday.”

Ukraine/Russia. Cassandra Vinograd & Marc Santora of the New York Times: “Russia bombarded Ukraine’s capital with one of the largest ballistic missile assaults of the war before dawn on Sunday, Ukrainian officials said, the third major attack on the capital, Kyiv, in the past 35 days.... City officials said one person had been killed and more than 15 had been injured. The attack was part of a broader barrage across Ukraine that included at least 41 missiles and 125 drones of various types, the Ukrainian Air Force said in a statement. The sustained campaign aimed at Kyiv has coincided with Ukraine’s own increasingly successful targeting of Russian oil and gas facilities — which has prompted fuel shortages across the country — to take the war closer to Russia. Over the weekend, Ukraine expanded that campaign, striking two warehouses belonging to Russia’s largest online retailer, Wildberries.”

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The New York Times is liveblogging developments in the Iran War. From the pinned item at 6:30 am ET: “U.S. and Iranian forces edged closer to wider war over the weekend after the killing of two American service members in Jordan during an Iranian missile barrage.... The U.S. military said early on Sunday that it had struck Iranian military coastal surveillance and air defense facilities, as well as the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps forces responsible for striking U.S. forces in Jordan. Iran responded by launching strikes on Kuwait, where the United States has a significant military presence. The Kuwaiti government said an oil facility as well as a power and water treatment plant had been attacked. Jordan’s military said on Sunday that it had intercepted hostile drones and missiles. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the loss of the soldiers 'only stiffens our resolve.' But the attacks seemed equally likely to deepen Mr. Trump’s dilemma over how to move forward with the war....  ~~~

     ~~~ A Stars & Stripes report on the deaths of the two soldiers & related casualties is here. (Also linked yesterday.)  

Dasha Burns of Politico: “... Donald Trump’s Thursday night speech was far tamer than some of his closest aides feared. Acting Director of National Intelligence Bill Pulte, a favorite of the president’s, had in the days leading up the speech pushed to reveal the names of intelligence officials accused of concealing election interference from Trump.... Senior officials, including chief of staff Susie Wiles..., argued to Pulte that naming individuals involved in an alleged cover up of election fraud could lead to conspiracy theorists to take the law into their own hands.... '[Pulte] got POTUS all spun up and then was incredibly scared when he realized people could die with his reckless behavior,' [said a senior official]. Simultaneously, several Trump officials urged the president to remain restrained and on script....” (Also linked yesterday.)~~~

~~~ Maureen Dowd of the New York Times: “When you commandeer prime time, or try to, you’d better have something prime to say. Trump didn’t. His speech on Thursday was a dud — a batty stew of whiny complaints stemming from an election that he claims was stolen that wasn’t, during a period when he was running the country. If something was wrong, dude, why didn’t you fix it? He still has no proof, and he muddied matters by releasing documents containing information already known and warning about 'vulnerabilities' his administration has made worse.... He is willing to undermine and destroy any institution, law, norm or ideal cherished by Americans in a bonfire of his vanities.... He seemed impotent, raving about nonsense, threatening to punish ABC and NBC for not taking his weird rant live. He struggled to wield his superpower: creating a fake alternate universe for his supporters.” (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ Maggie Miller of Politico: “Election officials are warning that ... Donald Trump’s assertion that America’s voting machines aren’t safe is far more dangerous than the vulnerabilities he highlighted in his Thursday night address. Flaws in electronic voting machines have been well-documented for more than a decade by researchers, and states have poured money into bolstering security. Still, none have ever been exploited by malicious actors to successfully change the outcome of an election.... Investigators did find that Russian hackers successfully accessed the voter registration databases of a few U.S. states ahead of the 2016 elections, but they never changed any votes. To date, that’s the most intensive hacking effort documented by federal authorities involving U.S. elections.” (Also linked yesterday.)

Tim Balk & Lisa Lerer of the New York Times: “Vice President JD Vance embraced claims that there were ties between the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and the 'highest levels' of Israeli intelligence, echoing conspiracy theories that have been a source of tension among conservatives. During an episode of his popular podcast, Joe Rogan said there was a widespread perception that Mr. Epstein’s financial support and drive to influence thinking at American universities stemmed from links to Mossad, Israel’s foreign intelligence service.... 'Most people think he was Mossad,' Mr. Rogan, a frequent promoter of conspiracy theories, said of Mr. Epstein in an episode of the 'The Joe Rogan Experience' released on Wednesday. 'He clearly had connections to the upper — the highest — levels of American intelligence,' the vice president added.... The comments, made during a nearly three-hour episode that covered a broad range of issues, marked a striking embrace of conspiracy theories from an official in one of the highest perches of the U.S. government.”

There seems to be a pattern of charges being filed without any merit. -- Jimmy L. Arce, a former federal prosecutor in Chicago ~~~ 

~~~ A Disastrous Record of Losses. Mike McIntire, et al., of the New York Times: “In its nationwide immigration crackdown, the Trump administration has charged hundreds of people with assaulting or impeding federal agents.... [Donald] Trump has branded them 'insurrectionists,' 'animals' and 'thugs,' part of a broader effort by his administration to cast protesters and immigrants as violent criminals. But a close examination of those cases reveals that in its rush to meet White House demands for deportations, federal law enforcement has engaged in extensive misconduct — ranging from attacking protesters to destroying evidence and misrepresenting facts in court. The New York Times found that the Trump administration has filed assault charges against more than 550 people who were caught in its immigration dragnet — far more than previously known. Of the more than 400 cases resolved so far, nearly half have unraveled: Juries acquitted defendants, judges threw out charges, or prosecutors withdrew them. The record is abysmal by the typical standards of federal prosecutions: The Justice Department seldom loses criminal cases, with more than 90 percent of defendants pleading guilty or being convicted at trial.” The link appears to be a gift link. (Also linked yesterday.)

A New Trumpy Star Chamber. Kyle Cheney & Josh Gerstein of Politico: “The Trump administration has activated a secretive and never-before-used legal process to quickly deport foreign nationals deemed to be 'alien terrorists' or their immediate family members. The Justice Department submitted the first-ever application to the Alien Terrorist Removal Court — which has lain dormant since it was established by law in 1996 — with little notice earlier this week. The details of the July 15 application are sealed and an accompanying cover sheet indicates that the substance is classified. The chief judge of the court, U.S. District Judge Joan Ericksen, held a sealed hearing on the matter Thursday and subsequently issued an order asking the government to make a more 'thoughtful' application.... She noted that she had lingering questions about the actions taken by the Justice Department target and how they connect to the laws providing for the removal of 'alien terrorists.'” (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ Marie: The Sixth Amendment guarantees that "In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial...." Emphasis added. This amendment protects non-citizens as well as citizens.

Matthew Adams of Stars & Stripes: “The medical community is expressing skepticism of the Pentagon’s plan to annually screen service members 30 and older for testosterone deficiency. 'There is insufficient evidence to support a general recommendation to perform population-level screening,' the Endocrine Society said in a statement. Screenings for all active-duty and reserve personnel are effective immediately, according to a memorandum signed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday.... 'A universal screening program would inevitably generate a large number of false-positive results, triggering unnecessary confirmatory testing, specialist referrals, anxiety, and potential inappropriate treatment,' Karl Nadolsky, a former active-duty endocrinologist, posted on Facebook.... Testosterone replacement therapy has long been associated with health risks.”

Ain't we got fun! Forbes illustration.

~~~ Paul Krugman writes the first of what he says will be a series on progressive taxation. MB: I haven't read through the "claim my free post" yet, but I may do so later in the day. Just the first part -- free to everyone -- is worth reading.  

Christina Jewett & Julie Creswell of the New York Times: “Taylor Farms announced late Friday that it was recalling iceberg lettuce that had been shipped to retailers in 27 states because it was potentially contaminated with cyclospora, a parasite that can cause severe illness, including vomiting, cramping and explosive diarrhea. Although the investigation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tied the parasite to lettuce that Taylor Farms shipped to Taco Bell in five states, the company’s recall notice suggests far broader distribution of potentially contaminated greens. The announcement listed eight brand codes but did not say what they stood for. The company did not respond to questions about them on Saturday morning.” The second link here -- “retailers in 27 states” -- lists the names of the states plus the brands Taylor Farms is recalling. (Also linked yesterday.) Update: the link has been changed to one that appears to be a gift link. 

Boosie Wants His Bribe Money Back. Rick Rojas of the New York Times: “Boosie BadAzz, a prolific and popular Southern rapper whose career started in the 1990s..., has had many run-ins with the law, and has served time in the notorious Louisiana prison known as Angola. He has also kicked up plenty of controversy, including a well-documented history of bizarre, homophobic and transphobic rants. Last year, he ... [faced] another [possible] stretch in prison, having pleaded guilty to a federal felony gun possession charge.... Two lobbyists reached out to the rapper’s lawyers, saying they could use their proximity to ... [Donald] Trump and others in his orbit to help Boosie secure a pardon. He paid them $600,000 for their services. But the pardon never came.... Now, he wants the money back — half of it, at least. He has a signed contract that entitles him to such, he said. The lobbyists disagree.” The link appears to be a gift link. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: When the POTUS* is corrupt, all kinds of disagreements may ensue. 

AP via Politico: "Influencer brothers Andrew and Tristan Tate, whose social media empire promoting wealth, male dominance and misogyny has made them among the world’s most polarizing internet personalities, were arrested Saturday in Miami as British authorities sought their extradition on rape and sex trafficking charges. The brothers were taken into custody by the U.S. Marshals Service on a sealed warrant, agency spokesperson Brady McCarron told The Associated Press, placing the United States at the center of an international legal saga that has stretched from Romania to Britain.”

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Maine Senate Race. Bayliss Wagner, et al., of the New York Times: “Democrats in Maine took a step on Saturday toward finding a Senate nominee to replace Graham Platner, choosing hundreds of delegates for a party convention next week and delivering a jolt of momentum to one candidate: Troy Jackson. After Democrats held a day of meetings in stuffy college lecture halls, middle-school gymnasiums, barns, civic centers and virtual gatherings, Mr. Jackson, a progressive former State Senate president, claimed to have secured a significant advantage in eight counties that voted Saturday on their delegates. A review of the county results, along with campaign delegate slates, and interviews with Democratic operatives, voters and candidates pointed to a very successful showing for him, even as some variables — including a high-profile debate next week — could still shift the race.... Eight other counties in the state had yet to pick their delegates, and the full scope of the advantage Mr. Jackson might take into the July 25 convention was still unclear. And while some delegates described their preferences in their nominating documents and in forms they submitted to campaigns, they could still change their minds before the convention.” Politico's story is here.

Minnesota Governor's Race. Ha Ha. Pooja Salhotra of the New York Times: “Mike Lindell, the chief executive of MyPillow and a leader of the election denial movement who was endorsed by ... [Donald] Trump for Minnesota governor this week, acknowledged that he is not registered to vote in the state he seeks to lead. But Mr. Lindell, 65, said his biggest problem was not his registration status but that the Minnesota Republican Party had not supported his campaign, even after Mr. Trump publicly endorsed him.... Minnesota has not elected a Republican to statewide office in two decades, and Senator Amy Klobuchar is seen as the leading Democratic candidate to replace the state’s current governor, Tim Walz, who dropped out of the race last year. Mr. Lindell faces two main rivals in the Aug. 11 primary: Kendall Qualls, a businessman who was endorsed by the state Republican Party, and Lisa Demuth, the speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives.” The link appears to be a gift link.

Nebraska Senate Race. Bayliss Wagner of the New York Times: “The Democratic nominee for Senate in Nebraska, Cindy Burbank, filed paperwork to withdraw from the general election on Friday, a move that could boost an independent candidate running against Senator Pete Ricketts, the Republican incumbent. While unusual, Ms. Burbank’s decision has long been anticipated. Ms. Burbank said during the primary that if Dan Osborn, the independent candidate backed by the Nebraska Democratic Party, qualified for the ballot, she would drop out to clear the way for him. On Thursday, the secretary of state announced that he had qualified. Ms. Burbank’s effort to exit the race could face obstacles from Republican state officials. A representative for Bob Evnen, Nebraska’s secretary of state, who is a Republican, said his office would ask the state’s attorney general if Ms. Burbank should be allowed to bow out, the Nebraska Examiner reported.... Mr. Evnen had previously booted Ms. Burbank from the primary ballot but was forced to reinstate her after she won a lawsuit over the move.”

Wisconsin Gubernatorial Race. Democrats in Disarray! Julie Bosman & Mitch Smith of the New York Times: “Wisconsin’s Democratic primary for governor was turned on its head on Friday as one high-profile candidate from the party’s establishment wing exited the race and another rejoined it. Early in the day, Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez dropped out, citing problems with her campaign’s financial reports. By evening, David Crowley, the Milwaukee County executive, signaled his plans to get back in the race, from which he had withdrawn just last week amid poor poll numbers. The change in candidates was the latest rupture in a crowded contest to replace Gov. Tony Evers, a Democrat who is not running for re-election in the closely divided state. Some more moderate Democrats in Wisconsin have watched the primary with growing trepidation, worried that the winner in August could be State Representative Francesca Hong, a democratic socialist who has excited voters on the party’s left flank.... Days ago, Ms. Rodriguez disclosed that she had fired her campaign manager after discovering a shortfall of more than $1 million.” (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Gregory Svirnovskiy of Politico: “Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley reentered the Democratic primary for Wisconsin governor on Saturday and quickly nabbed an endorsement from Gov. Tony Evers — a major reversal in a fractured primary that has top state party officials scrambling less than a month before Election Day.” (Also linked yesterday.)