August 26, 2026

Zach Montague of the New York Times: “The Postal Service can for now move ahead with plans to restrict mail-in voting ahead of the midterm elections in November, after a federal judge on Wednesday lifted an order that had blocked it from carrying out Trump administration efforts. However, the judge left open the possibility that the Postal Service rule could be blocked again soon as legal challenges unfold, a process that is already underway. The judge, Indira Talwani of the Federal District Court in Massachusetts, wrote that she felt compelled to act in response to a ruling from the Supreme Court on Monday that action by the courts was premature. She indicated that she may reconsider the issue after groups challenging the policy updated their legal arguments to reflect that the agency has now taken concrete steps to carry out an executive order from ... [Donald] Trump dealing with the issue. And she predicted that those groups could offer 'substantial arguments that might persuade the Supreme Court to reach a different result.'” The link is a gift link.

Ernesto Londoño & Mitch Smith of the New York Times: “An immigration agent facing state charges for an on-duty shooting in Minnesota could be released from jail on Thursday after a federal judge sided with Texas in an extradition dispute between the states.... In his ruling on Wednesday, Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. sided with the Republican, Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas. Judge Rodriguez said Minnesota had not proven that Mr. Abbott had done anything wrong by waiting to act on the extradition request. The ruling by Judge Rodriguez, who was appointed by ... [Donald] Trump, means that the immigration agent, Christian Castro, could be released from a Texas jail on Thursday after three months in custody. Texas law limits detention on extradition warrants to 90 days. The Minnesota attorney general, Keith Ellison, said in a statement that he disagreed with the ruling. 'We will continue litigating this case and do everything in our power to ensure Castro is returned to Minnesota to face his criminal charges,' said Mr. Ellison, a Democrat.” The link is a gift link.

Cecilia Kang & Eli Tan of the New York Times: “Meta on Wednesday reached a landmark settlement with 47 states, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories, agreeing to pay up to $17.1 billion in penalties and make major changes to its products over claims it endangered children with addictive social media platforms. In a dramatic capitulation, the owner of Facebook and Instagram agreed to the financial penalties for violating federal child privacy and states’ consumer protection laws, the states announced. Meta also agreed to limit how long teenagers can spend on its platforms and to bans on features that stoke mental health issues, striking at the heart of the company’s business of engagement for advertising.” The link is a gift link. A CNBC report is here.

Jamelle Bouie of the New York Times: “... under Donald Trump, a president with monarchical pretensions, the United States is getting a sharp taste of what it is like when the ruler’s name is inviolate. It is practically cliché at this point to observe that President Trump is jealous of the trappings of monarchy.... It is appropriate that King Trump, first of his name, would also seek to use the force of the state to punish those who question him, insult him or challenge his narrative of events — lèse-majesté, American-style.... The fatal flaw of monarchy is that the strength of the state depends on the personality and capacities of the monarch.... Both [Trump's] unilateral exercise of authority and his monarchical aspirations are reminders, at the very least, that putting this much power in the hands of one man — in the hands of one ego — is a reliable way to produce disaster.” The link is a gift link. ~~~

~~~ Oh, look, here's an example right here of one of King Donald's courtiers bowing to even the perceived wishes of the king. ~~~

~~~ Dan Lamothe & Noah Robertson of the Washington Post: “Days before the Army’s top officer was abruptly fired earlier this year, he was advised by a fellow general now vying to replace him to stop the military’s investigation into an unauthorized helicopter flyby of musician Kid Rock’s Tennessee estate, three people familiar with the matter said. Gen. Randy George, whom Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth removed as the Army chief of staff without explanation, felt it was important to follow typical protocol and determine whether any safety regulations had been violated during the March 28 flyby.... Gen. Chris LaNeve, the Army’s No. 2 officer, told George that Hegseth did not want the investigation to proceed.... George later confided in colleagues about the encounter with LaNeve and seemed troubled bit it. George told them that LaNeve suggested it would be best if the review was scuttled.... The revelation ... adds a new layer of understanding to Hegseth’s potential motivations for firing George on April 2. Kid Rock, whose legal name is Robert Ritchie, is a vocal supporter of ... Donald Trump and avowed critic of many Democratic politicians and causes....

“Since taking charge of the Pentagon in January 2025, Hegseth, a former Fox News personality who spent years in the Army National Guard, has overseen the dismissal of more than two dozen top officers. The firings typically occur without cause, though he has complained broadly that the military’s upper ranks are insufficiently loyal to the president or caught in old ways of thinking. Many of those removed have been women and minorities.” MB: The king, of course, is an infamous misogynist & racist. The link is a gift link.

For a bit of history of the earth beneath the Kennedy Center's feet, see Patrick's comment in today's thread.

Perry Stein of the Washington Post: “The Trump administration in recent weeks has warned states that it would withhold federal funding and even arrest and prosecute election officials if noncitizens cast ballots in federal elections. Now, with high-stakes midterm elections only months away, private voting rights attorneys and some attorneys general in Democratic states are gearing up to defend election officials and file lawsuits against the federal government if they believe the Trump administration is attempting to undermine the elections. While the administration casts its efforts as a way to preserve election integrity, voting rights groups and others see a threat to public servants working to carry out elections. President Donald Trump has claimed noncitizens are voting in large numbers despite numerous reviews showing it rarely happens....”

Dan Mangan of CNBC: “The Federal Reserve, the U.S. Senate, the Department of Justice, NASA, and other federal agencies were victims of computer intrusions by a Chinese state-sponsored hacking group, the DOJ said on Wednesday morning as it announced the court-ordered seizure of internet domains used for hacking platforms. The hacking platforms, known as 'QScan' and 'QTRouter,' were 'used to target U.S. critical infrastructure and other sensitive networks,' the DOJ said in a statement. 'Other targeted networks include those operated by hospitals, telecommunications providers, power companies, financial institutions, and defense contractors,' a court filing said. Other federal agencies that were victims of computer intrusion by the platforms were the Energy Department, the Health and Human Services Department, and the National Institutes of Health, according to the DOJ.”

Leo Shane of Politico: “Pentagon officials on Wednesday claimed they have uncovered classified documents that were 'hidden away in safes where they would not be found' that shed new light on the chaotic end to the U.S. war in Afghanistan five years ago — but declined to offer public details of the revelations. The claim comes hours before Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is scheduled to participate in a Pentagon ceremony to upgrade the valor awards for service members who served at the Kabul International Airport during the final days of the conflict....

“The [MB: Trump] White House has labeled the final days of the war 'one of the most shameful and heartbreaking moments in our nation’s collective memory.' Pentagon leaders established a new Afghanistan Withdrawal Special Review Panel to examine the decisions leading up to the American exit from Kabul and determine who deserves blame for the U.S. deaths there. Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell, chair of the panel, in April announced plans to upgrade valor awards given to troops serving at the airport in August 2021 to 'more accurately reflect the extreme risk' the troops faced, claiming that the Biden administration had 'inappropriately downgraded' earlier honors.”

Fallon Gallagher & Casey Gannon of MS NOW: “A federal appeals court is allowing two federal assault charges against Rep. LaMonica McIver, D-N.J., stemming from an oversight visit to Delaney Hall Detention Facility to move forward, finding she does not have legislative immunity from the charges. The congresswoman had moved to dismiss her indictment, arguing the government had violated separation of powers. The two charges allege that the congresswoman — while engaging in an inspection visit of the conditions of the immigration facility in May 2025 — forcibly assaulted two federal agents. The government alleged she 'slammed her forearm' and was 'forcibly grabbing' one agent and that she used her forearms to 'forcibly strike' another agent.” MB: I watched most of the videos made available to the public, and unless McIver made some mighty cagey moves, I sure didn't see her “forcibly strike” an agent. I'm surprised she has not countersued.

Texas. Angie Hernandez of NOTUS: “A federal judge in Texas struck down a state ban on drag performances, deeming it an unconstitutional restriction on free speech, according to a court order filed this week. The Tuesday ruling by U.S. District Judge David Hittner bars Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is currently running for Senate, from enforcing a law signed by Gov. Greg Abbott in 2023 that targeted 'sexually oriented' performances in front of minors. Abbott touted the law as a ban on public drag shows — an activity increasingly targeted by right-wing figures in recent years.... 'The solution is relatively simple ... just don’t go,' Hittner wrote.” Hittner is a Reagan appointee. MB: He's an 87-year-old senior judge. If an 87-year-old Reagan appointee can figure this out, you'd think Paxton & Abbott could, too. But no.

Nepal/China. Joshua Yang of the Washington Post: “At least 98 people were killed in Nepal and China, and hundreds more were missing Wednesday as flash floods devastated the countries’ Himalayan border region. In Nepal, at least 95 were dead, according to the prime minister’s office, and 403 people, included 47 U.S. citizens, were among the missing, Nepalese authorities said. In China, where the flood caused 'severe casualties,' state media reported, at least three were reported dead and 265 missing. The floods were triggered by an avalanche that caused the Bhotekoshi River to overflow, according to a preliminary analysis from the Nepalese national disaster agency. The U.S. Geological Survey reported a 4.4 magnitude landslide shortly before waves of water and mud swept buildings and people away. The waterway originates in the Tibetan Plateau in China and crosses into Nepal. Nepalese authorities have appealed to the Indian and Chinese governments for assistance....”

U.K. In front of Buckingham Palace, the Band of the Grenadier Guards plays "9 to 5" in honor of Dolly Parton. Thanks to akaWendy for the link. ~~~

~~~ On This Side of the Pond. Steve Nelson of the New York Post: Donald “Trump said Wednesday that country music star Dolly Parton 'really liked me,' but stayed out of politics to avoid losing fans. Trump ordered flags to be lowered to half-staff Tuesday after the ... singer died at age 80.”

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Trump Threatens to Take His East Wing Wrecking Ball to the Kennedy Center. Julia Jacobs of the New York Times: “Lawyers for the Trump administration told a federal judge that the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts desperately needs the major renovation ordered by ... [Donald] Trump and raised the specter that it would need to be 'taken down' if those plans are blocked. In a court filing late on Monday, Justice Department lawyers defended plans for the $250 million renovation project and described how, as recognition for the president’s role, an inscription of his name on the arts center’s marble facade would be appropriate.... It was unclear how seriously any thought to knock down the building has been considered, but it was the most extreme measure that has been cited to support Mr. Trump’s contention that the Washington arts center needs a major overhaul that would force it to close for two years. (Also linked yesterday.)

“Mr. Trump ordered the demolition of the White House’s East Wing last fall to make way for a luxury ballroom.... The filing was part of the proceedings in a lawsuit by Representative Joyce Beatty, an ex officio board member at the center who has fought to block its plans to close and conspicuously honor Mr. Trump. In a statement on Tuesday, Nathaniel Zelinsky, a lawyer for Ms. Beatty, said the suggestion by Justice Department lawyers was a 'not-so-subtle threat to demolish the Kennedy Center if the president doesn’t get his way.'” The link is a gift link. (Also linked yesterday.) The Guardian's story is here.

Yahoo! News has republished (i.e., not firewalled) Jonathan Edwards' Washington Post story on Trump's Kennedy Center financial fiasco (original linked yesterday). (Also linked yesterday.)

Just When You Think Trump Can't Do of Say Anything Dumber. Angie Hernandez of NOTUS: "... Donald Trump on Tuesday threatened to rename Lake Ontario, the body of water between Canada and New York, 'Lake America' after collapsed negotiations over the weekend sparked an escalating trade war between the two historic allies. Trump, in a post to Truth Social, said Tuesday that the name change was under 'serious consideration' because the United States didn’t expect to be 'doing much business with Ontario any longer.'” MB: Oh, why not just call it Lake Donaldo? Or as someone else suggested, Lake Natalie? (Also linked yesterday.)~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Hernandez doesn't say so, but I imagine the beef here is with Doug Ford, the premier of Ontario. ~~~

     ~~~ Rob Ferguson & Robert Benzie of the Toronto Star: Ontario "Premier Doug Ford is in a war of words with ... Donald Trump as trade tensions escalate between Canada and the U.S. After Ford said Monday that Trump 'can kiss my ass' for threatening 50 per cent tariffs on Canadian-made vehicles going stateside starting in January, the president lashed out at the premier and Prime Minister Mark Carney on social media. 'Lots of "bluster" from Doug Ford, who is the Premier of the Canadian Province of Ontario, but who is better known as the overall unimpressive brother of the late, great Rob Ford,' wrote Trump on his Truth Social website, referring to the former Toronto mayor." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ ⭐Paul Krugman: "... Trump wants to rename Lake Ontario Lake America. Which is silly, would be funny, except that this guy is the President of the United States.... It’s not news to anybody that Trump is ego-driven, disconnected from reality, and at the same time, somehow commands a level of deference and obedience from the entire machinery of the federal government that no president has ever had before. So this is really quite serious. What I don’t think people are fully aware of is just how bad it can get, given that Trump is so obviously dissociating, decompensating, that he’s not all there.... [As a result of] Trump’s provocations, insults, his trade wars..., we are not loved, we are not respected, and we aren’t even feared. And we’re not getting that back.... Hitler’s final acts were to basically try to bring everyone else down with him. Do you really want to say that that’s not what’s going to happen with Trump?" Do read on. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: When someone as serious and responsible as Krugman is comparing Trump to Hitler, then the jokes here about Fat Hitler do not seem inappropriate. ~~~

~~~ So Much Winning. Paul Waldman: "This is one of the central pillars of Trump’s worldview: Every interaction, whether between individuals or nations, is a contest of strength with a winner and a loser. Yet ironically, his stubborn pursuit of dominance blinds him to everything about economics, politics, international relations, and human nature that might actually enable him to succeed.... When it doesn’t actually work that way — because people, systems, and nations are more complicated than that — he’s at a loss. The only thing he can think of is to do the same thing, only harder. That’s what we’re seeing with Canada and Iran.... The trade war on Canada will likely hurt Republicans in the midterm elections, especially in the Midwest. America’s military and economic primacy in the world now look shakier than they have in decades. And the man whose entire life has been an endless, desperate quest not to be seen as a loser? He has never looked weaker." Thanks to Ken W. for the link.

Tony Romm of the New York Times: “To impose punishing tariffs around the world..., [Donald] Trump has repeatedly turned to a series of decades-old, never-before-used trade powers, only to be slapped down by federal courts for overstepping the law. But those past defeats have hardly deterred the president, who reprised that exact strategy this week to commence his new trade war against Canada — risking yet another round of costly legal wrangling for the White House. This time, the uncertainty surrounds Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930, a little-known authority that allows the president to impose duties in response to unreasonable and discriminatory trade practices. On Saturday, Mr. Trump invoked that statute to impose a 50 percent tax — the maximum allowed — on a small subset of Canadian imports, claiming that one of America’s closest allies had mistreated U.S. industries. Before this weekend, no president appears to have issued tariffs under Section 338....” The link is a gift link.

New York Times Editors: Donald “Trump’s ... tariffs ... have hurt the American economy and his own popularity. They also range from legally dubious to blatantly illegal.... We ... urge Congress and the courts to take action and stop this madness.... Mr. Trump ... has twice tried to circumvent the [Supreme C]ourt’s tariff ruling, imposing new rounds of import fees by invoking legal justifications that are patently ridiculous.... With the Supreme Court, he has ... engaged in 'legalistic noncompliance,' as the scholars Daniel T. Deacon and Leah M. Litman have written. It involves 'an array of specious legal arguments and legalisms in an attempt to conceal what is actually widespread resistance to judicial oversight.'... Several of Mr. Trump’s individual justifications are far flimsier than those that past presidents have attempted.” The link is a gift link.

Ian Austen of the New York Times: “Canada announced retaliatory tariffs as high as 50 percent on hundreds of American products on Tuesday, just days after the collapse of trade talks triggered punishing tariffs from the Trump administration. As a trade war between the countries intensifies, Canada will start collecting tariffs of 50, 25 and 15 percent on about 700 products beginning on Sept. 8. The most significant measure is a doubling of tariffs on American steel and aluminum to 50 percent. But the list of products affected ranges from household rolls of aluminum foil to railway locomotives and steel bridges. Many of the American products Canada will now tax mirror the Canadian exports hit by the new U.S. tariffs, particularly in clothing, forestry products, tools and electronics including smartphones. But Canada is also targeting costly consumer products like dishwashers, washing machines and stoves. A wide array of fish, frozen and fresh, also appear on the list.” The link is a gift link. (Also linked yesterday.) 

Say, here's a bit of a difference between Trump's tariffs & Carney's: ~~~

~~~ Alex Nguyen of Mother Jones: "On Tuesday, Canadian officials announced funding to back businesses, workers, and industries, as they implement dollar-for-dollar counter-tariffs on the US in response to the Trump administration’s newly imposed 50 percent tariffs on roughly $20 billion worth of Canadian imports. Senior members of Canada’s government announced a support package worth $7.5 billion Canadian dollars, or about $5.4 billion US, including $3 million in non-repayable loans for every small business and a further $2 million in interest-free loans — even for businesses only indirectly affected by tariffs. Small and medium-sized businesses directly affected will be able to apply for a further $5 million through Canada’s business development bank, and the Canadian government has set aside $2 billion for medium-sized and large firms, more than half a billion dollars for retraining workers whose industries are affected by tariffs, and a one-year extension on temporary employment insurance benefits Canada already issued in response to the start of Trump’s trade war with Canada last year." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: IOW, the Canadian government takes a we're-in-this-fight-together approach, whereas Trump's many tariff schemes, from the gitgo, dinged U.S. businesses AND U.S. consumers. 

Shane Harris of the Atlantic: “People close to Trump suggested to the Qataris that instead of selling [their ultra-luxurious jet to him as they had hoped to do], they could donate it to the United States. A gift. A freebie from 'friends' who had already put hundreds of millions of dollars into Trump’s son-in-law’s private-equity firm and bought a debt-laden Manhattan hotel belonging to Steve Witkoff, his Middle East special envoy, for $623 million. That’s to say nothing of the $8 billion they’d spent to build the Americans an air base — the biggest U.S. military base in the Middle East — or their plans to spend $10 billion more to enhance and maintain it. What was another $400 million, for a plane that the president so dearly loved? Even some Qatari leaders were surprised by the president’s gall. But they did what they’ve always done when an American official has asked them for something dubious.... They said yes.

“But recently, Qatar’s leaders haven’t gotten what they paid for. In February, the United States attacked Iran with practically no warning to the Qataris.... Then Iran attacked Qatar, badly damaging the country’s natural-gas facilities, the main source of its wealth. Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz, the only route available to Qatar to export its natural gas.... Qatar is stuck, uniquely afflicted by the misadventures of the guy who took their airplane. In Trump, the Qataris had met a man who could not be bought. He could be paid, and expected to be. But the security the Qataris hoped for turned out to be a protection racket. A man who doesn’t remember yesterday never asks Are we friends? He only wants to know, What have you done for me lately?” Thanks to akaWendy for this gift link. (Also linked yesterday.)

Maybe the Jig Is Up. Peter Baker of the New York Times: Mark Carney's “refusal to buckle in the face of Mr. Trump’s trade ultimatum even at the cost of retaliatory tariffs has flipped the narrative of the president’s second term. Instead of giving in, Mr. Carney is testing whether defiance is a viable strategy against Mr. Trump. The age of capitulation that defined Mr. Trump’s return to office may be starting to fade. World leaders and domestic institutions are, in some cases at least, showing less willingness to submit to Mr. Trump’s will. European leaders have refused to join his war with Iran. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel flatly rejected his Gaza plan. Gulf Arab states forced him to abandon plans to charge a shipping toll in the Strait of Hormuz. Universities and law firms are rebuffing his directives rather than signing on the bottom line. Bond markets are rebelling against his fiscal policies. Even the ABC network, whose $16 million payment to settle a Trump lawsuit was seen as an early example of yielding to the president, has discovered that it did not buy peace and is now suing his administration for threatening its broadcast licenses.” The link is a gift link. MB: Baker even knocks the Supremes. It's as if the both-sides scales have been removed from his eyes.

Robert Jimison of the New York Times: “The Trump administration has submitted to Congress a nuclear cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia that could allow the kingdom to enrich its own fuel for nuclear reactors, according to two officials with firsthand knowledge of the transmission of the agreement. The accord, announced by the White House last month, would deepen ties between the United States and Saudi Arabia at a moment when the war with Iran has strained the relationship between the two countries. The 30-year agreement would give U.S. companies a central role in developing Saudi Arabia’s civilian nuclear infrastructure while largely shutting out foreign competitors. The submission formally begins a congressional review process required under Section 123 of the Atomic Energy Act, which gives such nuclear cooperation accords their shorthand name, '123 agreements.' Unlike treaties, they do not require approval by two-thirds of the Senate.” The link is a gift link. A CNBC report is here.

Pandering to Putin?? Or a Lovely Summer Vacation? Alex Horton, et al., of the Washington Post: “CIA Director John Ratcliffe was in Moscow on Tuesday ... for a rare visit by a U.S. spy agency chief as Russia slogs through its fifth year of war in Ukraine.... It was not immediately clear what the trip’s purpose was or whether any other senior U.S. officials were part of the U.S. delegation. ~~~

     ~~~ Peter Beaumont of the Guardian: “The Financial Times reported that the Trump administration had asked Kyiv to pause its long-range strikes on major Russian cities during the course of the visit.”

Holmes Lybrand of CNN: "Three Secret Service officials, including the agency’s director of communications, have been placed on leave as an investigation into potential misconduct unfolds.... The nature of the alleged misconduct was not immediately clear. All three officials, including comms chief Anthony Guglielmi, have lost their security clearances and access to their work devices.... They each work in the agency’s communications office...."

They Really Don't Care What They're Doing. Anton Troianovski & Eric Schmitt of the New York Times: “Two weeks ago, the State Department invited foreign ambassadors to what looked like one of the premier diplomatic events of the Washington summer: a V.I.P. zone at ... [Donald] Trump’s IndyCar race last Sunday. The dignitaries would be brought by bus to the 'Freedom 250' track set up in downtown Washington.... The invitation promised free food and drinks and 'shaded seating areas with misting fans.'... Then on Saturday evening, some embassies received another email. 'Due to changes by the event organizers,' it said, the V.I.P. invitation was off. The State Department apologized ... and offered them general admission tickets instead. And several senior diplomats from countries including Germany and Monaco still got V.I.P. treatment.... Jeremy Shapiro, a former State Department official..., said the incident fits into a pattern of signals that the Trump administration 'just doesn’t really care very much' about what 'not just diplomats, but other countries, think of them.'... Ambassador Maguy Maccario Doyle of Monaco, who did get to attend..., said in a phone interview that she was surprised to hear that some other diplomats were disinvited because 'there was space left' in the suite.... [She] estimat[ed] that about 20 diplomats attended.” The link is a gift link.

Heather Cox Richardson: “Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s threat of yesterday that the U.S. intends to strangle Iran’s economy isn’t faring much better than Trump’s attempt to rename Lake Ontario. As economist Paul Krugman pointed out in his newsletter today, China can supply much of what Iran needs and has incentive to do so as Trump’s 'self-inflicted quagmire in Iran' saps U.S. strength and respect. Krugman warned that Bessent’s threat 'reeks of desperation,' a scent China would surely smell. Krugman concluded with a prediction: 'I can safely predict that the Chinese will make sure that the Iranian regime survives, and that they will thoroughly enjoy watching Trump slowly twist in the wind over the Strait of Hormuz.' Indeed, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian today rejected the administration’s call for isolating Iran economically.... MS NOW national security analyst Barry R. McCaffrey, a retired Army general, posted Saturday: 'In my judgement, the US Armed Forces have probably permanently lost access to 15 Persian Gulf bases. Iran now poised to control access [to] the Gulf States. US will have to negotiate new access in western Saudi Arabia, Israel, southern Europe.'... In The Atlantic, Robert Kagan noted that the Iran war has reconfigured the Middle East.” ~~~

     ~~~ Here's Krugman's post. 

An Army Without a Leader. Greg Jaffe, et al., of the New York Times: “A series of firings and feuds initiated by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has left the Army essentially rudderless as it struggles to deal with the threat posed by cheap, deadly drones and missiles that have pounded U.S. bases in the Middle East. The Army has not had a chief of staff, the service’s top officer, since Mr. Hegseth fired Gen. Randy George without explanation in April, and there are no signs that he is close to filling the position.... Mr. Hegseth has forced out at least three senior officers who had been viewed as potential successors to General George. Army Secretary Daniel P. Driscoll, the service’s top civilian leader, is also expected to leave the administration in the next few months.... The turmoil comes as the Army, the military’s largest service, faces its busiest period since the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.” The link is a gift link. (Also linked yesterday.)

Pete Hegseth thinks if you're not a murderer, you're a woke sissy. ~~~

⭐Megan Rose & Hannah Allam of ProPublica: “Shortly after taking office last year, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth polled the nation’s top commanders about cutting a program designed to protect civilians during U.S. military operations. Hegseth had bet senior officers would endorse his view that focusing on civilian security was 'woke' and out of step with 'maximum lethality.'... Instead, every commander rebuffed the idea.... Retired Army Gen. Erik Kurilla, who was then in charge of Central Command, and several other senior officers directly involved in combat operations had appealed to Hegseth to keep the program. They explained that it was a valuable tool, another retired general said — but 'that intent was overridden.' Hegseth gutted the effort, leaving only a handful of people to carry out the mission. It was stripped of almost all of its funding, even as the U.S. launched new campaigns in Somalia, Yemen and Iran. One official summed up the Hegseth approach as: 'Bombs away!'... But now, after U.S. missile strikes have killed hundreds of civilians in Iran and Yemen, episodes that drew global criticism and questions from Congress, the program could soon be partially revived.”

Teddy Rosenbluth of the New York Times: “Two unvaccinated people in Pennsylvania have died from measles, as a large outbreak there continues to spread, the state’s Health Department reported on Tuesday morning. They were the first measles deaths this year in the United States. The deaths come during a record-setting year for measles in the United States: More cases have been reported in 2026 than in any other year since the virus was declared eliminated in 2000. Outbreaks have popped up all over the country. Lancaster County, Pa., where both patients lived, has been at the center of an outbreak that has so far hospitalized 70 people and infected more than 390, a third of whom were children. Some public health experts believe this number to be a vast undercount because the area is home to large Mennonite and Amish communities that tend to avoid traditional health care....

“Earlier this month..., [Donald] Trump made the unsubstantiated claim that vaccinating against measles, mumps and rubella at the same time could be 'quite lethal.' The nation’s health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has long underplayed the seriousness of measles infections and spread misinformation about vaccines.” The link is a gift link. The ABC News story is here. (Also linked yesterday.)

Ted Hesson of the Washington Post: “Hundreds of federal immigration officers responsible for vetting the applications of people seeking a legal status in the United States are being reassigned to search for potential voter fraud.... Fraud detection officers with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services have been tasked with screening voter data to look for noncitizens who registered to vote, said the former officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal security operations. The officers’ work screening immigration applications for false information and possible security threats has effectively ground to a halt, they said. The reassignment is the latest step in a broad campaign by ... Donald Trump to marshal the federal government behind his unsupported claim that noncitizens vote in numbers large enough to change U.S. elections.”

Judge Talwani v. the Supremes. Justin Jouvenal of the Washington Post: “A federal judge in Massachusetts on Tuesday issued a setback to the Trump administration’s plans to issue sweeping new restrictions on mail-in balloting for November’s crucial midterm elections. The ruling is not the final word in a complex and rapidly escalating legal fight over the president’s executive order that would bar the U.S. Postal Service from sending mail-in ballots to voters not on lists of citizens created by federal agencies.... U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani, an Obama administration nominee, found the Trump administration violated her earlier preliminary injunction blocking the executive order when it issued rules on how the Postal Service should implement it. The rules were set to take effect Wednesday.

“In June, Talwani sided with the League of Women Voters and other voting rights groups challenging the order, finding the president did not have the constitutional authority to alter how states administer elections.... After the new Postal Service rules were announced late Friday, the voting groups asked Talwani to intervene. “[The administration's] arguments ignore the court’s explicit directive not to “initiat[e] or complet[e]” rulemaking,' Talwani wrote Tuesday. 'And Defendants cannot contend that they misunderstood the scope of the court’s order.'... The ruling comes the day after a divided Supreme Court decided 23 states and the District of Columbia had not met the legal bar to challenge the executive order in separate litigation.” ~~~

     ~~~ Kate Riga of TPM: "It’s never safe to assume that the [Supreme] Court will rule against Trump’s interests, even with an order that likely has unconstitutional components and would require an unworkably massive lift by the USPS on the eve of an election. But Talwani is at least speeding up the proceedings that will lead to that final decision." Riga publishes a facsimile of Talwani's order. ~~~

     ~~~ Mona Charon of the Bulwark: "After the 2024 immunity ruling, you’d be ill advised to assume anything about this Court. Until three years ago, it was axiomatic that the president was not above the law. The Roberts Court undermined that key principle. And here too, it seems an open-and-shut case that the Constitution grants power over elections to the Congress and the states, not to the executive branch. But we’ll see.... Early voting will begin in some places in as little as four weeks, and while the polls and projections look good for Democrats, this is not an ordinary election year. Trump is weakened and flailing, yes, but he remains determined to prevent a free and fair election in November if he possibly can. And he does not lack for lackeys. The Supreme Court touched on just one of his efforts to subvert the election: his executive order directing the Postal Service to work with states to determine whether voters requesting mail-in ballots were citizens. There have been other below-the-radar efforts to subvert election security."

Yunior Rivas of Democracy Docket: "Democrats renewed their bid Tuesday to block ... Donald Trump’s anti-mail voting executive order, arguing that a newly finalized U.S. Postal Service (USPS) rule has eliminated the concerns that led a judge to reject their first injunction request as premature. The filing — which argues that the USPS lacks the authority to regulate who receives a mail ballot — is the first litigation to challenge the order on its merits.... The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC), Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), Democratic National Committee, Democratic Governors Association, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries* filed the proposed supplemental complaint in their Washington, D.C., lawsuit challenging Trump’s March executive order. The plaintiffs also filed a renewed motion for preliminary injunction.... *The Elias Law Group (ELG) represents the plaintiffs in this case.... Marc Elias is the founder of Democracy Docket."

Zolan Kanno-Youngs of the New York Times: “A preliminary order Monday by the Supreme Court granting ;... [Donald] Trump the authority to move ahead with aspects of his plan to restrict mail-in ballots is unlikely the final verdict on his efforts to overhaul the voting process. But ... whether the president ultimately wins or loses in the courts, the latest ruling bolstered his longstanding efforts to seed doubt about the voting process, voting rights advocates said.... The president’s attempt to have the U.S. Postal Service determine whether voters can cast ballots by mail this fall will likely alarm and confuse the public as multiple court fights play out, according to state officials.” The link is a gift link.

Kanishka Singh of the Independent: "Immigrant visa interviews at U.S. embassies and consulates worldwide have been temporarily suspended as ... Donald Trump's administration continues a broad immigration enforcement push during his second term.... The administration's efforts have included canceling visas and permanent residency status, as well as turning down applications linked to political views, such as participation in pro-Palestinian demonstrations targeting Israel's military actions in Gaza. These initiatives have encountered legal hurdles in federal court. On Friday, a U.S. judge blocked a policy that would halt immigrant visas for individuals from 75 nations.... Although Trump's 2024 presidential campaign focused primarily on curbing unauthorized border crossings, his administration has simultaneously introduced hurdles for lawful entry, including steep fee increases for specific employment-based visa categories."

New Reality Chex Feature! Marie's Practical Advice for Travelers. Rule 1: Do Not Park Your Guillotine at the Supreme Court. Ben Conarck of the Washington Post: “The U.S. Capitol Police seized a guillotine and arrested a man it says transported it in the bed of his pickup truck before illegally parking it alongside the U.S. Supreme Court building. Capitol Police said officers noticed the pickup truck around 3 p.m. Tuesday and later arrested 35-year-old Philan-Tam-Duy Le, of Julian, California. Le, who drove to Washington from California, was charged with carrying a dangerous weapon, police said.” A KTLA report is here.

Shane Goldmacher of the New York Times: “In the obscure yet consequential world of the cost of television ads for political candidates and parties, Democrats scored a legal victory on Tuesday ahead of the midterm elections. A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit ruled that low-cost ad rates that candidates qualify for do not have to be made available to political parties. The ruling is a win for Democrats, whose candidates tend to raise more money than its committees. The opposite is true for Republicans, whose party committees are more flush with cash than many of its individual candidates. The ruling comes less than two months after the Supreme Court, in an unrelated case, unshackled political parties from any limit on how much they could spend in coordination with candidates.” The link is a gift link. An Axios report is here.

Karen Weise of the New York Times: “Bill Gates, the billionaire co-founder of Microsoft, is loudly warning that artificial intelligence poses a grave threat to jobs and human life, and that urgently addressing the risks should be 'the world’s top priority.' In an hourlong interview with The New York Times last week, Mr. Gates said the tech industry was knowingly downplaying those threats because there was too much money on the line.... On Wednesday, Mr. Gates published a nearly 6,000-word essay on his personal website laying out his concerns about A.I. and offering solutions, such as new taxes and bans. He said he was motivated to speak now because recent improvements in A.I. had far surpassed his expectations and because the industry had ignored technology milestones — like A.I.’s escaping the control of its creators or making recipes for bioweapons — that it once said would warrant more caution.... Mr. Gates, 70, is the latest in a string of tech luminaries to call out the risks of A.I. as the industry spends trillions of dollars on new data centers, and as young A.I. companies edge toward some of the largest initial public offerings in history.” The link is a gift link. ~~~

~~~ Jeffrey Dastin of the Independent: "Bill Gates is seeking to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping later this year to propose joint international initiatives to address the escalating risks of artificial intelligence. The Microsoft co-founder and billionaire philanthropist told Reuters during an interview that he believes China would likely support restrictions on releasing hazardous AI models if the U.S. takes the initiative first."

Bill Friskics-Warren of the New York Times: “Dolly Parton, the country singer, songwriter, entertainer and entrepreneur whose rags-to-riches story, outsize persona and prodigious vision and talent placed her in a class by herself, died on Tuesday in Nashville. She was 80.” The link is a gift link. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

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Alaska Senate Race. Tim Balk of the New York Times: “Dan J. Sullivan, a retired teacher who is challenging the Republican senator Dan S. Sullivan of Alaska, won a spot on the general-election ballot on Tuesday, according to The Associated Press.... Dan J. Sullivan is not expected to wage a competitive general-election campaign. But Republicans have worried for months that some voters may confuse the two Sullivans in November, potentially depriving Senator Sullivan of votes and lifting his well-funded Democratic challenger, former Representative Mary Peltola, to victory. Senator Sullivan and Ms. Peltola easily earned spots on the general-election ballot; soon after polls closed a week ago, The Associated Press said they both had advanced. But Dan J. Sullivan won just a few thousand votes, and it took about a week for it to become clear that he had secured one of the four spots on the November ballot.... It was unclear late Tuesday whether another Republican, Gerald L. Heikes, would join the Sullivans on the ballot in November, potentially offering Ms. Peltola another marginal lift.” The link is a gift link. Politico's report is here.

Georgia House Race. Bayliss Wagner of the New York Times: “Everton Blair Jr., a former chair of the Gwinnett County School Board in Georgia, won a special election runoff on Tuesday to serve the remainder of Representative David Scott’s term after his death in April, according to The Associated Press. Mr. Blair and Aisha Wahab, a California state senator who won a special election last week to fill former Representative Eric Swalwell’s seat, are set to cut Republicans’ majority in the House down to just four members.... Mr. Blair defeated Marcye Scott, the congressman’s daughter, in a runoff that pitted a local education leader against a prominent political family.... Mr. Blair will head to Washington only for the remaining months of Mr. Scott’s term.... He is not running in the November general election, which will determine who serves the district’s next full term. The Democratic nominee in that race is State Representative Jasmine Clark, who was running against Mr. Scott in the primary when he died and is now heavily favored to win the seat in the fall.” The link is a gift link.

Every single thing that happens to Mike Lindell is so unfa-a-a-ir! ~~~

~~~ Minnesota Governor's Race. Minnesota Public Radio: “Republican candidate Mike Lindell balked at a recount at his expense in the governor’s race primary after he objected to a state-approved plan for one and instead sought an emergency ruling from the Minnesota Supreme Court. Lindell had until midnight Monday to formally seek and pay for one. Late in the evening, the MyPillow founder filed a petition with the state Supreme Court over the terms of the potential recount. Lindell lost the GOP nomination for governor to House Speaker Lisa Demuth by about 45,000 votes in the Aug. 11 primary. Because of the wide margin, he is required to pay for a recount upfront. He said he was ready to wire $825,000.... But he held back on giving final authorization ... [because he] didn’t agree with the format that only Lindell and Demuth votes would be recorded by name.... Other votes would go into a third column.... 'It’s not just about us two,' Lindell said in a phone interview. 'I’m not paying for what they’re calling a recount.'”

Oklahoma Gubernatorial Race. David Goodman of the New York Times: “Mike Mazzei, a Trump-backed businessman, won the Republican nomination for governor of Oklahoma on Tuesday, narrowly defeating the state’s attorney general, Gentner Drummond, in a primary runoff, according to The Associated Press. Mr. Mazzei campaigned on sharply cutting taxes, including a proposal to phase out the state’s income tax over six years. His support for a $4 billion aluminum smelter helped win him ... [Donald] Trump’s backing. The smelter, backed by investments from a United Arab Emirates company, split the Republican field. Many Oklahomans opposed the project, citing its foreign ownership and its demands on the state’s power grid. Mr. Drummond filed suit to try to block the smelter. Mr. Trump championed the project.... Mr. Mazzei now enters the November election as the favorite against the Democratic nominee for governor, State Representative Cyndi Munson.” The link is a gift link.

Oklahoma Senate Race. Bridget Bowman of NBC News: "Nurse N’Kiyla Jasmine Thomas has won the Democratic Senate primary runoff in Oklahoma, NBC News projects, securing another win for the party’s democratic socialist wing. Thomas, a 31-year-old member of the Chickasaw Nation, defeated attorney and minister Jim Priest, 70, in the contest, despite being drastically outspent. The two advanced to a runoff after neither clinched a majority of the vote in the initial June primary. Thomas will face GOP Rep. Kevin Hern, who will be heavily favored this fall to win the open seat to replace former Sen. Markwayne Mullin, now the secretary of homeland security. Oklahoma is a solidly Republican state that President Donald Trump won by 34 points in 2024. "

South Carolina Senate Race. Gavin Jackson & Saige Miller of NPR: "South Carolina Sen. Darline Graham has won the GOP nomination for the U.S. Senate, according to a race call by the Associated Press. Her win came after an endorsement from ... [Donald] Trump, backing her for a full term in the seat formerly held by her brother, the late Sen. Lindsey Graham. She beat Rep. Ralph Norman for the nomination in Tuesday's special election primary runoff after no candidate won the GOP special election primary outright earlier this month. She now faces Democratic nominee Annie Andrews, a pediatrician, in November in the heavily Republican state."

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Congo. Rael Ombuor & Rachel Chason of the Washington Post: “The Ebola epidemic raging in the Democratic Republic of Congo is on track to become the worst in history — amid a response hobbled by a severe lack of funding and rampant misinformation, according to doctors, relief organizations and global health authorities. At least 5,605 people have been infected since the first case of the outbreak was identified May 15, of whom 2,683 had died as of Tuesday, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.... That means the outbreak is already bigger than the one that lasted from 2018 to 2022, which killed 2,200 people, and is spreading faster in its initial months than the West Africa epidemic that began in 2014 and caused more than 11,000 deaths.... Medical personnel and aid organizations say their ability to respond has been hampered by sweeping cuts in aid to Congo and the World Health Organization by the United States and other Western nations.”

Pakistan. Elian Peltier of the New York Times: “At least 14 newborn babies died on Wednesday in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, after a fire broke out in a nursery in the city’s largest hospital, according to officials.” The link is a gift link.