The New York Times is liveblogging developments in the Iran War. From the pinned item at 4:00 am ET: “Iran’s armed forces on Wednesday said that they had attacked U.S. military sites in Bahrain and Kuwait, after the United States carried out airstrikes against several targets in Iran and reimposed sanctions on Iranian oil sales. The Pentagon said its strikes were in response to Iranian attacks on three commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz. The renewed hostilities put extreme pressure on negotiations between Washington and Tehran for a broader end to the fighting, and again threatened to disrupt the resumption of energy supplies transiting the strategic waterway. The Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, part of the Iranian military, called the U.S. strikes in Iran’s south an 'overt act of aggression' and warned that Iran would 'deliver a crushing response.' In remarks carried on Iranian state media on Wednesday, it also warned the United States against interfering in Tehran’s management of the Strait of Hormuz. Hours later, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps said that it had targeted 85 U.S. military sites in Bahrain and Kuwait.”
Michael Birnbaum of the Washington Post: “The ceasefire between Iran and the United States is 'over...,' Donald Trump declared Wednesday..., raising the prospect of major renewed hostilities. 'I think it’s over,' Trump said at a meeting of NATO leaders, the morning after U.S. forces launched over 80 strikes on Iran in response to Iranian attacks on ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz. 'They’re scum. They’re sick people. They’re led by sick people, and they’re vicious, violent people,' Trump said. 'Far as I’m concerned, it’s just a waste of time dealing with them. They’re liars … there’s something wrong with them. They’re cuckoo. As far as I’m concerned, it’s over.'” MB: You'll notice that once again Trump is projecting. His insults -- scum, sick, vicious, violent, cuckoo, liar -- sound like a description of himself. ~~~
~~~ New York Times: “Oil prices spiked on Wednesday to the highest level in weeks after ... [Donald] Trump said that the cease-fire with Iran was 'over' amid a series of strikes in the Persian Gulf. The Trump administration also revoked a waiver that allowed Iran to sell oil in retaliation for attacks on tankers this week in the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial conduit for the world’s energy.”
Jon Gambrell of the AP: “The U.S. military attacked Iran early Wednesday after it said Tehran struck three ships in the Strait of Hormuz, part of an American effort that also revoked the Islamic Republic’s ability to openly sell crude oil in the world market. Iran retaliated with strikes targeting Bahrain and Kuwait.”
The New York Times is liveblogging developments in the NATO summit. From the pinned item at 3:20 am ET: “The second day of NATO’s summit in Turkey was about to kick off on Wednesday as hostilities between the United States and Iran flared, a day after ... [Donald] Trump again said that the alliance’s other members were not paying enough for their own defense or doing enough to support his war in the Middle East. NATO began the meeting on Tuesday with talk of a new devotion to the trans-Atlantic defense industry. But Mr. Trump’s arrival changed the atmosphere, as he expressed his continuing anger at European allies who he believes have not been sufficiently loyal. Many attendees were looking ahead to Mr. Trump’s scheduled news conference on Wednesday afternoon with a mixture of anticipation and dread.
“For NATO, this is an important moment of transition, toward an alliance where the United States does and spends less, and Europe and Canada are pressed to do more for their own defense against an aggressive, militarized Russia.... Mr. Trump is thought to want a success for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey. That is only reason, Mr. Trump said, that he bothered to attend at all. But on Tuesday Mr. Trump continued to complain about U.S. allies and repeated his desire to somehow annex Greenland, the territory of a NATO ally, Denmark. He also warned that Europe is harming itself with its policies on immigration and climate. Mr. Trump’s threats were not new, but given the setting, his repeated insults to NATO allies set a combative tone....” ~~~
~~~ Marie: There's no reason at all that other world leaders should be "loyal" to Trump. He has never, after all, been "loyal" to NATO. He doesn't even know what it is. Trump's latest complaint is ridiculous; he is irritated because NATO allies didn't help him out in his war of choice in Iran, a war he began without even giving allies a heads-up. Then, when his & Bibi's Iranian "excursion" didn't go well, Trump went crying to NATO allies for help. But NATO is not an alliance to assist one another when one of them launches an unprovoked attack on another nation. It is a defensive treaty -- an agreement to come to the aid of a signatory when some entity attacks it. The only time the NATO treaty has been invoked was after the 9/11 attacks on the U.S. ~~~
~~~ Marie: Here's Trump arriving in Ankara. He has trouble walking a straight line. Plus, he gets distracted by the military guard, which stands at attention nearby. Trump turns away to look blankly at the troops. He is clearly confused. Erdogan, like all world leaders who may interact with Trump, knows he is dealing with a demented old man. Erdogan gently takes Trump by the arm and guides him toward the mic where Trump was supposed to say a few words. ~~~
~~~ In the screenshot here, Trump is turned away from Erdogan & his destination (a few feet away in another direction), staring at the smartly-uniformed Turkish troops. Trump is drawn, as you know, to shiny things & handsome young men.
Shawn McCreesh & Tyler Pager of the New York Times don't mention Trump's confusion when they assess the effects of his visit to the summit: “The second Mr. Trump landed on his Qatari-gifted jumbo jet, the center of gravity at the summit shifted right to where Mr. Trump likes it best: himself.... Last month, he said he would deign to take the 10-hour flight only because the summit was being hosted by his good friend Mr. Erdogan. Perhaps the most personal drama gripping NATO this week is Mr. Trump’s scrap with Italy’s prime minister, Giorgia Meloni — until very recently among the most Trump-aligned leaders in Europe. The president has been picking on her over her refusal to allow her country to be drawn into the war against Iran. Mr. Trump has been all over the front pages of the Italian papers for weeks. 'TRUMP È UN COGLIONE,' screamed the front page of the right-leaning newspaper Libero, using an Italian term of art that has many colorful translations — all of them vulgar. But the feud really crescendoed this weekend, when Mr. Trump posted a doctored picture of Ms. Meloni staring at him longingly with the caption, 'RESTRAINING ORDER NEEDED.'”
When Trump isn't attacking foreign states, he's attacking American states: ~~~
~~~ Trump Sides with Terrorists Against American Voters. Scott Dance, et al., of the New York Times: “The Trump administration is requiring states to change the way they conduct elections or risk losing tens of millions of federal terrorism-prevention funds, in its latest move that would make voting harder and undermine trust in results that don’t go ... [Donald] Trump’s way. The effort would force states to transition to paper ballots, verify citizenship of voters and make other changes to election procedures, according to Federal Emergency Management Agency documents. FEMA, part of the Homeland Security Department, has told states that it would withhold 20 percent of some terrorism-preparedness grants unless they provide 'proof of compliance' with the election security measures, the documents show. The grants, which total $1 billion each year, help pay for physical barriers and other security measures as well as planning and drill exercises and cybersecurity protections.”
Trump Is Wasting More of Your Money on Fake Emergencies. Sarah Balskey, et al., of the Washington Post: “The White House sped up construction of a new helipad and related work in anticipation of an 'upcoming state visit,' requiring crews to work around-the-clock and driving the cost up by $875,000, according to a contractor’s records obtained by The Washington Post. The $13 million project also includes work on the nearby South Portico and an adjacent portion of the White House driveway, which will be retopped with white stone, the contracting records show. Workers have been on-site since last Monday, when construction on the helipad got underway....” (Also linked yesterday.)
~~~ Arc de Trump, Ctd. Julia Ledur & Dan Diamond of the Washington Post: “... Donald Trump wants to build a towering triumphal arch at Memorial Circle..., arguing that it carries out a century-old congressional vision for the site.... The plan Congress authorized in 1925 called for a new bridge spanning the Potomac River and a pair of columns at its westward side, near where Memorial Circle is today. The bridge was built, but the columns never were.... The Justice Department has also repeatedly argued that Congress’s past support for columns gives them authority to build a structure there now. The National Capital Planning Commission, a federal agency reviewing the project, is set to review and potentially approve the administration’s arch plans in a hearing Thursday.
“But the 166-foot-tall columns that Trump and his deputies cite to press their case differ significantly from the 250-foot-tall monument they plan to construct, which would more dramatically alter pedestrians’ views.... The century-old discussions and plans 'are now being used as some sort of justification for the monumental arch.' Priya Jain, who chairs the historical preservation committee at the Society of Architectural Historians, said last month at a meeting of the National Capital Planning Commission.'But historic renderings and descriptions show clearly how materially different they are.'...” The link is a gift link.
~~~ Marie: In the view above, the columns look pretty stupid, too, but in a McKim, Mead & White sketch that is published with the article, they don't appear to stand out like sore thumbs. Probably what's reasonable is a couple of modest-height columns at the end of the bridge, not those huge columns in the circle. Trump's gigantic arch, as I've said, is an embarrassment.
After besting the USA team, Belgian soccer team trolls Trump by mimicking his hokey dance move:
~~~ Say, maybe that was Todd's Last Ride. ~~~
~~~ Rebecca Beitsch of the Hill: “More than 1,200 former Department of Justice (DOJ) employees encouraged the Senate to reject acting Attorney General Todd Blanche’s nomination to take on the role permanently, writing in a Tuesday letter that he has been 'demonizing career employees.' 'In the coming weeks, many will rightly underscore the corruption and abuses that have defined the Justice Department under Todd Blanche’s leadership: the vindictive prosecutions and investigations of the President’s foes; the deals designed to reward lawbreakers with taxpayer dollars; the erasure of accountability for January 6; the mishandling of the Epstein files; and the denigration of judges and repeated violations of their orders,' the former employees wrote in a letter organized by Justice Connection, a DOJ alumni group.... While such letters are common while a nominee is pending, it’s unusual for them to gain such a large number of signatures. The effort comes as Blanche is set to appear for his confirmation hearing next week.” (Also linked yesterday.)
Zachary Small of the New York Times: “In a scathing report by the White House that accuses the Smithsonian of downplaying the role of the country’s founders while pursuing 'extreme political activism,' the historian Anthea M. Hartig is mentioned nearly 230 times. It says she spreads 'radical activist ideology.'... Ms. Hartig, who has been the director of the National Museum of American History since 2019, has commissioned exhibitions that go beyond highlighting the accomplishments of presidents. They document the lived experiences of ordinary people, sometimes focusing on race, sexuality and colonialism. Her work seems to have infuriated the White House.... Many historians have come to her defense, however, arguing that the White House was using its own ideological lens to accuse the Smithsonian of being unpatriotic while presenting things out of context for shock value.” See also Ken W.'s comments yesterday. (Also linked yesterday.)
Molly Hennessy-Fiske, et al., of the Washington Post: “An Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer fatally shot a Mexican immigrant in Houston on Tuesday during an attempted traffic stop arrest, federal authorities said. ICE identified the man as Lorenzo Salgado Araujo and said he was in the United States illegally.... 'From information we are receiving, he rammed an ICE law enforcement vehicle, refused to follow multiple verbal commands, and weaponized his vehicle in an attempt to run over an ICE law enforcement officer resulting in our officer firing his weapon in self-defense,' the agency said in a statement.... ICE’s account of Salgado Araujo’s killing echoed many of the statements the agency quickly issued in other shootings that resulted in fatalities or injuries.... In several instances, however, video evidence and testimony from witnesses contradicted the agency’s initial accounts, establishing that the officers were not in danger and, in some cases, acted as the aggressors.... The incident appears to be the first fatal shooting involving federal immigration agents since U.S. citizens Renée Good and Alex Pretti were killed in separate incidents in Minneapolis in January during an enforcement surge in that city.”
Ben Binday, et al., of the Washington Post: “Several of Sen. Mitch McConnell’s Republican colleagues and allies said on Tuesday that they’ve spoken with him by phone, offering the fullest picture yet of the hospitalized Kentucky Republican’s condition after more than three weeks in which he has not been seen publicly and his office has said little. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-South Dakota) spoke with McConnell on Monday, and Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyoming) talked with him Tuesday, their offices said. McConnell ally Scott Jennings said on social media that he, too, had talked with the senator, who remains in the hospital.” Politico has an item here. (Also linked yesterday.)
~~~~~~~~~~
Maine Senate Race. Shane Goldmacher of the New York Times: “A top official with the Maine Democratic Party said on Tuesday night that Graham Platner’s team had been trying to 'put their thumb on the scale' in the party’s planning for his replacement as the Democratic nominee for Senate, but that he would have 'no role' in the selection process. 'We have repeatedly reiterated to Graham Platner’s team that they have no role in determining our U.S. Senate nominee, nor in determining what this process looks like, Devon Murphy-Anderson, the party’s executive director, said in a video posted on social media. The short video represented a behind-the-scenes look at an extraordinary breach between the Democratic nominee for Senate and the party, which was among the many groups to call for Mr. Platner to step aside on Monday after he was accused of rape by a woman he had dated. Mr. Platner said on Monday that he would 'reflect on the best path forward,' but he told his campaign team in a private call that he hoped to use his leverage as the existing nominee to influence who replaced him.” ~~~
~~~ Marie: Maine Democrats should listen to Platner, not to let him bully them into picking his replacement of choice but to get his advice. He obviously knows how to win over Maine voters, and I would say that other candidates do not. Janet Mills, the state's governor, obviously did not. Chris Hayes had the Secretary of State Shenna Bellows on air yesterday. She is hoping to replace Platner; she seems to me to be a decent enough young woman with the charisma, charm and leadership skills of a flea. In 2014, she lost in a landslide to Senator Concerned.TM ~~~
~~~ Mmm, how 'bout Doctor McDreamy? (NYT link)
~~~ Bayliss Wagner of the New York Times: “Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont urged Graham Platner on Tuesday to withdraw from the Maine Senate race, becoming the most prominent early supporter of the Democratic nominee to push for his departure after a rape accusation. 'I have spoken with Graham Platner about the best path forward for Maine,' Mr. Sanders said in a statement on Tuesday afternoon. 'In light of these very serious allegations, I have recommended that he step aside.' Mr. Sanders, a progressive independent who often caucuses with the Democrats, had defended Mr. Platner throughout prior scandals in his campaign.” Politico's story is here. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ Amy Brittain, et al., of the Washington Post: “An ex-girlfriend of embattled Senate candidate Graham Platner told The Washington Post that he repeatedly removed protection without her consent when they were having sex. Lyndsey Fifield, who said she dated Platner from 2013 to 2015 in D.C. and has previously accused him of physical abuse, said that she told Platner on multiple occasions that he had to wear condoms during sex because she was not on birth control. 'He would pull condoms off,' she said in an interview. 'He would do it in a sneaky way. He wouldn’t tell me.' In a statement in response to questions about Fifield’s allegation, Platner’s campaign called the claim 'categorically false and politically motivated.' The statement noted Fifield supported now-Supreme Court Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh when he was accused of sexual assault before his confirmation, an allegation he denied.” ~~~
~~~ Marie: So what we know now, ladies, is that sex with Graham Platner is definitely not about you.
New York.Ashley Southall & Mihir Zaveri of the New York Times: “Twenty-one stories above a Midtown Manhattan street on Tuesday morning, construction workers were busy converting an office building into a residential complex when it began falling apart. 'The beams started bending,' said Cliff Johnsen, the business agent for the Local 638 steamfitters union, which had workers on site. Several floors were sagging. The building seemed to be crumbling fast, he said. The workers evacuated the tower, at 235 East 42nd Street, near Grand Central Terminal and the United Nations, and a supervisor called 911, prompting a hurried emergency response. Fearing a partial collapse, officials evacuated nearby buildings and blocked off several nearby streets to pedestrians and vehicular traffic. Officials said there were no injuries, but they had seen severe structural damage between the 21st and 26th floors. As a precaution, the city established a 'frozen zone' stretching several blocks, disrupting businesses, stranding tourists and snarling traffic most of the day.”
~~~~~~~~~~
U.K. Hugh Leask of CNBC: “Nigel Farage, the leader of Britain’s right-wing Reform UK party, announced Tuesday that he will step down from parliament to fight a 'people versus the establishment' special election. Farage — an ally of ... Donald Trump and a high-profile figure in British politics — resigned as a lawmaker amid growing criticism of his financial arrangements. Farage has been subject to an investigation by the U.K. Parliament’s standards commissioner since May, after he failed to declare a £5 million ($6.7 million) gift from Christopher Harborne, a cryptocurrency investor and Reform party donor, before his election to parliament in 2024. At the weekend, The Sunday Times reported that the Reform leader also received financial support from George Cottrell, a political ally who was convicted of wire fraud in the U.S. in 2017. In a statement Tuesday, Farage said parliamentary standards were being used as 'a political tool' against him, adding that the voters of his constituency, Clacton, 'should be the judges.'” MB: Odd, innit?, how all these wingers have such shady, no-good friends. (Also linked yesterday.)
No comments:
Post a Comment