Aaron Boxerman & Sanam Mahoozi of the New York Times: “The war between the United States and Iran remained on pause for a second straight day on Sunday, while the Iranian Foreign Ministry said that there had been some movement in talks between Tehran and mediators over the Strait of Hormuz. No U.S. strikes on Iran have been reported since Friday, while Iran has similarly held off attacking American allies around the Middle East after about two weeks of skirmishes brought the two countries back to the brink of full-blown war.” The link is a gift link.
Eric Schmitt & Jonathan Swan of the New York Times: Donald “Trump has set aside, at least for now, plans to sharply escalate the American military assault against Iran, with particular concern that intensifying the war could dangerously drain the Pentagon’s already diminished stockpile of Patriot antimissile interceptors and other air defense munitions in the Middle East. The threat to interceptor stockpiles is one of many considerations that have made a return to major combat operations a hugely risky endeavor, administration officials say. Mr. Trump and his top aides are also uneasy about the prospect of a widening war in the Middle East, the alienation of key Gulf allies who are vulnerable to Iranian attack, a global economic crunch, and growing energy and refugee crises.” The link is a gift link. (Also linked yesterday.)
David Sanger of the New York Times: “... in recent weeks, [Donald Trump] has seemed trapped, his presidency gradually consumed by a war he cannot find his way out of. And Mr. Trump, once confident that overwhelming force would enable him to pursue in Iran what he proudly called the 'Venezuela model' — a change of government to one amenable to U.S. control — is now hesitant to plunge back into major combat operations that his intelligence agencies assess are unlikely to work as well in Tehran.... [The] limits [on his options] have left him deeply frustrated, his aides say, and have made him more erratic, even by Trumpian standards.” Sanger lists a few of Trump's more consequential erratic moves. The link is a gift link.
New Rule. A person cannot be a war casualty if killed or injured by a party who violates an announced ceasefire.
New Definition. "Temporary data disruption": we changed our minds and are trying to hide something we previously admitted. ~~~
~~~ Tim Arango, et al., of the New York Times: “A change in the count of those killed as a result of the war in Iran has some veterans, military families and lawmakers expressing outrage and calling for more transparency from the Pentagon. Earlier this week, the Pentagon had reported on its website that 18 service members had been killed, but that number was later lowered to 14. The change was made because the four service members killed recently in Jordan and Iraq had died after a cease-fire had been declared by ... [Donald] Trump in April.... In comments on Thursday, Mr. Trump compared the toll from other American wars with the war against Iran, saying that even one death 'is too many, but it’s 18.' The acting press secretary for the Pentagon, Joel Valdez, on Thursday attributed the change to 'temporary data disruptions' on the website that he suggested would be quickly fixed. As of Saturday morning, the Pentagon’s website was still listing 14 service members killed.” The link is a gift link.
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| Scale models of huge Arc de Trump, dinky Washington Monument, dinky Capitol. |
~~~ Dan Diamond & Jake Spring of the Washington Post: “The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, a federal agency that oversees preservation reviews and advises the president and Congress, said it was moving forward with changes to a federally required process that governs changes to landmarks such as the National Mall, sites that are significant to Indigenous tribes and other properties eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. The process currently applies to any construction projects that are on federal land or receive federal funding, as well as private projects that require any type of federal approval. If codified into law, the new rules would make it easier for ... Donald Trump to pursue his controversial construction projects — such as building his planned triumphal arch — and could eliminate the need for public input on other major federal projects. The ACHP is dominated by Trump appointees, leaving little doubt the proposal would pass.”
Philip Kennicott of the Washington Post: “The warning signs the Trump administration has ordered placed along walkways outside the Smithsonian National Museum of American History will attest visually at least one truth: The institution is under siege. On Friday..., Donald Trump signed an executive order ... that requires the National Park Service to place signs near the history museum that 'notify visitors that the Museum exhibits should be renovated' consistent with a highly critical report issued by the White House on July 4 claiming that the museum was divisive and misleading in its presentation of American history.... [The report hints that the signs may read,] ‘Warning: the exhibits in this museum were prepared by people who don’t want you to love your country.’... For a museum that is so relentlessly negative in Trump’s eyes, I’ve witnessed a surprising amount of joy among the crowds who flock there.... Visitors may not always be comfortable at the American history museum, but I don’t believe they find its pluralistic view of America discordant or dissonant with lived reality.” ~~~
~~~ Marie: Those signs will attest to something else: Donald Trump is stupid, and so are the people who gladly work for him.
Eric Lipton & Kate Kelly of the New York Times: “There is no evidence at this point that Mr. Trump’s friends or family helped orchestrate the Saudi nuclear deal. Yet a number of the president’s allies and relatives, including members of his cabinet, stand to benefit if his big bet on nuclear power pays off. Certain investors with ties to these deals are positioned to profit, even if the delivery of large new loads of nuclear-powered electricity remains years away.... In some cases, how the Trump family or the president’s allies could potentially gain from the president’s nuclear plans is straightforward. In others, no direct line can be drawn, but there are such overlapping business ties that it is hard to separate the policy decisions from the potential personal benefits.... Here is a look at Mr. Trump and some of those with ties to him that could benefit from his nuclear goals.” The link is a gift link. ~~~
~~~ Marie: The fact is that when everyone you appoint to any position is a billionaire or multi-millionaire, you are inviting conflicts of interest even if you're not an openly corrupt jackass like Trump. Energy Secretary Chris Wright, for instance, who penned the Saudi nuclear deal (before President* Bozo blew it up) is a multi-millionaire who sits on the board of a nuclear technology company. So conflict of interest? Of course.
Adam Sella of the New York Times: “An appeals court on Saturday upheld a lower-court ruling blocking key parts of an executive order from ... [Donald] Trump to restrict voting by mail, the latest setback to his efforts to wrest control over elections.... In a 20-page ruling, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit wrote that Mr. Trump’s order 'directs unprecedented levels of involvement by federal officials in how states administer elections.' If the order took effect in the midterm elections this November, 'it would sow confusion and threaten disenfranchisement of many eligible voters,' the court ruled. The Constitution grants authority over elections to states and Congress, not to the executive branch. But Mr. Trump has waged a yearslong campaign against voting by mail, signing executive orders, supporting court challenges and promoting legislation to curtail the option, which the president himself uses. Courts have blocked many of these attempts. Mr. Trump has also repeatedly made unfounded claims that mail voting is rife with fraud, even as he has made clear that restricting the practice would be a boon for his party.” The link is a gift link. (Also linked yesterday.)
Where's Mitch? Theodoric Meyer of the Washington Post: “Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) is facing growing calls to be more transparent about his health nearly six weeks after he was hospitalized. McConnell, 84, has been absent from the Senate since June 14, when his staff said he was hospitalized after suffering a fall. His office shared a photo of McConnell holding The Washington Post on July 12, and McConnell said in a statement that he had left the hospital and moved to a rehabilitation center — but he did not say when he planned to return, offering only that he would not 'be able to return to the Senate floor to vote quite yet.' Those scant details have not quieted rampant rumors and online speculation about McConnell’s condition.” The link is a gift link.
Diaper Don apparently is not the only Washington "leader" who throws tantrums ~~~
~~~ Shane Goldmacher & Reid Epstein of the New York Times: The Democratic National Committee's “money troubles threaten to undercut Democratic momentum with 100 days until the midterms. So much is going politically right for Democrats these days.... [Donald] Trump’s approval is down, gas prices are up and an unpopular war with Iran drags on. But dysfunction and debt inside one of the party’s key institutions — which is getting crushed in fund-raising by its Republican counterpart — are creating rising anxiety for top Democrats. At the center is Ken Martin, the 53-year-old party chairman, who has found himself increasingly isolated, gripped by the fear that he will lose his job and relying on a vanishingly small circle of people he trusts.... In a pique of frustration in early July, he threw his phone at the desk of a junior aide while upbraiding the person. The phone-tossing incident resulted in a formal complaint to the D.N.C.’s human resources department.” The link is a gift link.
Tara Bernard of the New York Times has some pointers about 530A accounts, a/k/a Trump accounts: “Many families with children under 18, particularly younger ones, should strongly consider opening a 530A account if only to serve as a collection basket, even if they need to (and probably should) prioritize other savings goals first.” The link is a gift link.
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Maine Senate Race. Reid Epstein of the New York Times: “Maine Democrats chose Troy Jackson, a progressive former state legislator, to replace Graham Platner as their Senate candidate at a convention on Saturday that followed weeks of internal turmoil in a key battleground state. Mr. Jackson’s victory, a vote of 566 to 5, came on the first ballot of a pop-up state convention the Maine Democratic Party organized in the 17 days since Mr. Platner, who faced a rape accusation he denies, dropped out of the race. The coronation of Mr. Jackson, who has spent a quarter-century in Maine state politics, completes a tumultuous process since Mr. Platner was forced from the race. Mr. Jackson will face Senator Susan Collins, a five-term Republican who has stymied generations of Maine Democrats. 'Today we turn the page,' Mr. Jackson told delegates in Bangor, Maine. 'Today, we begin the work of defeating Susan Collins in November.'” The link is a gift link. (Also linked yesterday.)
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Jeanna Smialek & Amanda Taub of the New York Times (July 24): “Karim A. A. Khan, the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, has been removed from his position, the court’s oversight body announced on Friday, after a 20-month-long investigation into allegations that he sexually harassed a subordinate. The decision came down to an assessment that Mr. Khan had committed 'serious misconduct' and a breach of duty. The I.C.C.’s Assembly of States Parties, the governing body that brings together its 125 member nations, made the decision during a session in New York on Friday. A substantial majority of its members, 82, voted to remove Mr. Khan.... The decision is one that victims’ rights groups and outside watchdogs have been pushing for, but will leave the criminal court searching for leadership at a difficult moment. The investigation into Mr. Khan left the institution without its most visible face for much of the past two years, damaging its credibility at the same time it has confronted attacks from the Trump administration.” The link is a gift link.
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