August 27, 2026

Victoria Craw & Matthew Cappucci of the Washington Post: “... a nearly total lunar eclipse should be visible from much of the Americas [tonight].... The eclipse will begin at 9:25 p.m. Eastern time, but there won’t be much to see then.... Maximum eclipse, when the moon is 96.2 percent immersed in Earth’s shadow, will be at 12:13 a.m. This part will be visible to viewers in parts of the Americas (except Alaska and northwestern Canada), Western Europe and western Africa. We recommend viewing when the moon is 90 percent or more in the umbra. That window is 11:57 p.m. to 12:28 a.m. Eastern time.” ~~~

~~~ Marie: You know, there are natural phenomena -- like a lunar eclipse -- that can make us feel that the normal life cycle is taking its course. But then. But then, there's the unnatural POTUS*. I mean, really, just look at the few stories I've linked this afternoon.

⭐Lawrence Hurley & Gary Grumbach of NBC News: “A federal judge Thursday blocked a Postal Service regulation that would exert control over mail-in ballots ahead of the midterm elections in the latest setback on the issue for ... Donald Trump.... The decision by Boston-based U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani in a case brought by the League of Women Voters and other groups means that part of the executive order remains blocked for at least 14 days with time running out to implement it ahead of the November election. Talwani wrote that the regulation is likely unlawful because the president cannot insert the federal government into elections without the express authorization of Congress. 'The court finds plaintiffs likely to succeed on the merits of their claims,' she added.”

Trump's White House Construction Caused Air Safety Hazard to Himself and Others. Liam Scott of the Washington Post: “... Donald Trump’s Marine One helicopter took off from a temporary location due to White House construction earlier this month, leading to communication problems and a safety incident with Reagan National Airport, according to a preliminary report released Thursday. When Trump took off from a temporary spot at the Ellipse on Aug. 4, air traffic controllers at National Airport had not stopped commercial flights [as they are supposed to do].... According to a preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board, air traffic control recordings reveal the first attempt to contact the air traffic control tower was not received at all, and the second attempt was 'broken and completely unreadable.' Marine One was departing from the Ellipse while construction was underway at the White House, according to the report. Technicians later determined the temporary location was in a position that did not provide a direct line of sight for needed radio communications, according to the NTSB.”

Remember way back this morning when the Great lakes were H.O.M.E.S.? -- Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie and Superior? Well, now they're S.H.A.M.E., according to the Person Residing at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. ~~~

~~~ Natalie Allison of the Washington Post: “... Donald Trump ordered Lake Ontario to be renamed Lake America, the latest broadside in his escalating feud with Canada. In the Oval Office on Thursday, Trump signed an order requiring that the U.S. Interior Department update geographic information systems to change the name of the lake, located between New York and Canada.... 'We filed all the necessary papers, documents, everything else,' Trump said. 'We notified all the various people that we have to notify. So we’ve done everything that you have to do. And this is official, effective immediately.' Trump said he made the change, which follows his order renaming the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America last year, because 'Canada has been ripping us off for a long time on trade, very sadly.... The Canadian officials have treated us very badly. They’re nasty people,' he continued, calling the country the worst in the world to deal with on trade.” ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Of the many stupid aspects of Trump's rebranding effort is that both Canada and Mexico are among the "Americas," just as the U.S. is. So fake-renaming these bodies of water after "America" means nothing. I don't usually embed these highly-partisan videocasts, but sometimes it's appropriate to just be over-the-top horrified by the ridiculous, childish behavior of the nominal POTUS* ~~~

Here's the Latest Explanation of Why John Ratcliffe Went to Moscow. Adam Entous & Julian Barnes of the New York Times: “John Ratcliffe, the C.I.A. director, made a secretive visit to Moscow this week to privately share his bleak assessment of the state of the Russian war against Ukraine, and to urge the Russians to cut a deal before their military and economic situation gets worse, current and former officials said. Mr. Ratcliffe delivered the message to Aleksandr V. Bortnikov, the head of Russia’s F.S.B. intelligence service, and made no threats about potential consequences for the Russian side should President Vladimir V. Putin ignore the C.I.A. director’s assessment and choose to continue fighting. C.I.A. analysts have long questioned whether Mr. Putin’s advisers have given him honest assessments of the war’s trajectory and toll.... Last year, Mr. Trump and some of his top advisers appeared to hold the belief that a Russian battlefield victory over Ukraine was inevitable. Since then, the Russians have suffered massive losses, and their battlefield gains have stalled. It is not clear whether Mr. Ratcliffe’s message presages any change in U.S. policy toward Russia or Ukraine.” The link is a gift link.

A Coalition to Save the Nation from Demolition Don. Dan Diamond of the Washington Post: “A coalition of more than 600 historic preservation groups, architectural associations, tribal governments and other organizations is urging Congress to block ... Donald Trump’s efforts to weaken or evade laws intended to protect historic sites. Members of the new coalition say that they are seeking to safeguard sites in every congressional district — and that they intend to pursue legal action if Congress does not act.... The signatories want lawmakers to reject the administration’s revisions to a 60-year-old federal law that governs changes to landmarks such as the National Mall, sites that are significant to Indian tribes and other properties eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.”

Luke Broadwater of the New York Times: Donald “Trump has named Mark Paoletta, a lawyer in his administration and a close associate of Justice Clarence Thomas’s, to lead the panel that will oversee the construction of several of his prized construction projects, including the planned Triumphal Arch. Mr. Paoletta, who also serves as the general counsel for the Office of Management and Budget, will replace Will Scharf, a White House official who is set to become the White House counsel in September. As the chairman of the National Capital Planning Commission, Mr. Paoletta will be tasked with vetting Mr. Trump’s planned arch, the National Garden of American Heroes and the creation of a luxury golf course nearby, as well as other major construction projects the president undertakes. Mr. Paoletta previously worked for Vice President Mike Pence and represented Ginni Thomas, the wife of Justice Thomas, before the House committee that investigated the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.” The link is a gift link.

This time, the monkey is Donald Trump: ~~~

~~~ Shades of the Scopes Trial, A Century Later. Michael Bender & Greg Jaffe of the New York Times: “After 17 years of teaching science at West Point, Dr. Adam Kalkstein says he was suddenly ordered last year to cut from his curriculum information about the human causes of climate change, according to a new lawsuit filed against the U.S. Military Academy. The change was immoral and potentially illegal, Dr. Kalkstein says he told Brig. Gen. Shane R. Reeves, who at the time was dean of West Point. Instead of upholding Army values, Dr. Kalkstein said he felt like a liar and a fraud. General Reeves stormed out of the room when Dr. Kalkstein declined a suggestion that he resign, according to the lawsuit. Six months later, the tenured professor was told his contract would not be renewed. Filed in the Southern District of New York, the lawsuit accuses West Point of breaking the law by violating Dr. Kalkstein’s First Amendment rights..., an order that required him 'to omit a massive, fundamental, essential component of the court and to defy science,' according to the suit.... [Donald] Trump has made frequent public statements dismissing scientific consensus on global warming, and his administration has categorized federal and international climate change programs as 'woke, weaponized and wasteful spending' along with diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and transgender policies.” The link is a gift link.

Eric Katz of NOTUS: "... Donald Trump’s push to have the U.S. Postal Service screen voters for eligibility in the midterm election is running up against tight deadlines that some officials are warning will cause massive errors and disenfranchisement.... While the rule faces several renewed legal challenges, USPS now has just weeks until some states begin sending out ballots ahead of the November elections, and it has to bring thousands of state and local offices up to speed on the new steps. USPS has proposed something it has never done before, which would require a heavy lift, said Tom Day, a Postal Service executive for 35 years who spent parts of his career personally responsible for developing the network technology the agency would need to carry out its rule." MB: Marc Elias said on MS NOW that some states were scheduled to print ballots next week.

Mitch Smith & Ernesto Londoño of the New York Times: “An immigration officer facing state charges in connection with a shooting in Minneapolis was released from jail on Thursday after Republican officials in Texas prevailed in an extradition battle with their Democratic counterparts in Minnesota. It is unclear whether the agent will ultimately answer those charges in court. The officer, Christian Castro of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, had been jailed for the last three months in Cameron County, Texas, while Minnesota officials sought to have him sent north to face assault charges related to a shooting in January that wounded a Venezuelan immigrant. Sheriff Manuel Trevino of Cameron County said Mr. Castro was released just before 7 a.m. local time. The case has tested the limits of state powers in an era of deep political mistrust.” The link is a gift link. Related story linked below.

Hamed Aleaziz & Zolan Kanno-Youngs of the New York Times: “The Trump administration plans to step up deportation flights to Haiti as soon as this week, according to documents obtained by The New York Times, a move intended to more quickly expel thousands of Haitians whose legal status expired this summer with the end of a humanitarian program.... The push comes after the Supreme Court ruled in June that the administration was free to end Haiti’s Temporary Protected Status, a program that blocks the deportation of people from designated countries deemed too dangerous to return its citizens to. The Trump administration concluded that Haiti is safe enough to be removed from the protected list, despite widespread lawlessness and gang activity in the country. The State Department has warned U.S. travelers not to visit Haiti 'due to the risk of crime, kidnapping, terrorism, unrest and limited health care.' The Federal Aviation Administration banned commercial airlines from landing in the country’s capital, Port-au-Prince, earlier this year, citing 'ongoing instability.' There have been reports of gangs firing on aircraft trying to land at the Port-au-Prince airport.” The link is a gift link. 

Declare Victory and Get Out or Get Shot. Eric Schmitt, et al., of the New York Times: “The Pentagon is preparing to withdraw about 200 troops from Nigeria who were deployed this year to help fight Islamist militants, wrapping up a mission that American officials say could serve as a model for future operations in Africa. At a time when some 50,000 U.S. forces are involved in the war against Iran, American and Nigerian officials say the relatively small deployment to the West African nation had outsized results, including the killing of a top Islamic State leader.

“But the mission appears to have had limited success. The terrorists are a long way from being defeated and are still carrying out major attacks across the country. In recent days, gunmen killed more than two dozen people, including an imam, in northwestern Nigeria, and at least 25 people in an attack on a village in the central part of the country, according to news media reports. On Saturday, terrorists launched a large assault on a military base in the northeast.The U.S. troops were sent to northeastern Nigeria in February weeks after ... [Donald] Trump criticized the country for failing to protect Christians from terrorist attacks, though both Christians and Muslims have been victims of the violence.” The link is a gift link. 

Michelle Smith of the Guardian: “Newly obtained documents indicate that the US health secretary, Robert F Kennedy Jr, lied during two congressional hearings last year, when he told lawmakers who held the key to his confirmation that a 2019 visit to Samoa had 'nothing to do with vaccines'. Letters obtained by the Guardian and the Associated Press contradict that testimony. In one he wrote to the Samoan prime minister before the trip, Kennedy explicitly said he wanted to study the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine in the Pacific island nation. In it, he used the words 'vaccine' or 'vaccination' eight times.... Knowingly giving material false testimony to Congress is a crime that carries a possible prison sentence, though it is rarely prosecuted.... Kennedy was not under oath during the two confirmation hearings.” RAS linked the AP story earlier today.

Gosh, It Makes Sense to Me. Michael Luciano of Mediaite: “The Department of Education on Wednesday blasted out a wild social media post that seemingly compared ... Donald Trump and his administration to Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany. The post was deleted after this story was published. In the post on X, the department wrote, 'No one does it like us.' Following those words was a tiger emoji. The text was accompanied by a 19-second video montage that began with a scene from Darkest Hour, the 2017 biopic about former U.K. Prime Minister Winston Churchill and the British fight against the Nazis. In the scene, Churchill, played by Gary Oldman, is urged to negotiate with Germany. Disgusted, he responds emphatically, 'You cannot reason with a tiger when your head is in its mouth!' The snippet posted by the Department of Education featured only Churchill’s response, which was followed by a montage of Trump clips in which the president is raising a fist or pointing.” See also RAS's entry on this below. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Social media observers didn't seem to be sure if this was just a gigantic mistake by the uneducated Education Department or an intentional shoutout to their Nazi fanbase.

~~~~~~~~~~

Marie: Done for the morning. There's more, and I'll try to get to some of early this afternoon.

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. (Also linked yesterday.)

Here's one way the oligarchy works: ~~~

~~~ Samuel Oakford, et al., of the Washington Post: “Senior U.S. officials intervened in an international criminal investigation into a Venezuelan businessman who was enlisted by the Trump administration to help assert control over Venezuela’s government and oil industries.... The officials lobbied to resolve the case in Switzerland in a way that would avoid criminal charges and end travel restrictions against the Britain-based businessman, Alejandro Betancourt, and they have not acted on a Swiss arrest warrant against him.... Instead, the United States has allowed Betancourt to enter the country repeatedly for meetings with the Trump administration....

“Betancourt, 46, in the past decade has faced multiple investigations, in Switzerland, Spain and the United States, into alleged money laundering, including whether he had a role in a loan arrangement that U.S. prosecutors say embezzled more than $1 billion from Venezuela’s state-owned oil company. Betancourt was arrested twice in Britain in 2025, first after Spain issued a warrant in a related money laundering investigation, and in November at Switzerland’s request. For months, Betancourt was barred from leaving the United Kingdom as authorities there considered extraditing him to Switzerland.” 

Among the U.S. officials who have been involved in lobbying on Betancourt's behalf: Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Landau, then-Attorney General Pam Bondi, then-Assistant AG Todd Blanche, assistant AG for fraud Colin McDonald and Assistant Secretary of State Caleb Orr.” MB: IOW, a full-court press. In case you were wondering if just maybe the whole mysterious Venezuela oil grab was a corrupt enterprise. I'm not suggesting this is the first time the U.S. has sought the assistance of a shady character in an international predicament; it decidedly is not. What I am saying is that in the Trump administration, corrupt associations are SOP. 

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....” (Also linked yesterday.)

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. (Also linked yesterday.)

John Sakellariadis, et al., of Politico: “CIA Director John Ratcliffe warned Russian officials in Moscow this week not to escalate conflict with America’s NATO allies, in particular Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, in response to Moscow’s stalemated invasion of Ukraine, according to two people familiar with the matter. The U.S. spy chief also used the rare, unannounced trip to the Russian capital on Tuesday to press Russia to reduce military and economic support for Iran, according to one of those two people and a U.K. official with knowledge of the trip.... In a radio interview [Wednesday] morning, Trump denied speculation that Ratcliffe made the trip to persuade Putin not to test NATO’s resolve or attack the U.K., which this week vowed to double down on its support for Ukraine. Trump called the visit 'semi-routine,' but he acknowledged it was about bringing the war to a close.” ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: It doesn't trouble me when officials lie about international negotiations; there may be good reason to do so. But I will note that this was one of the many Trump lies that -- assuming the reporting is accurate (and it may not be) -- the media quickly exposed as such. (Several outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, have matched Politico's reporting on Ratcliffe's trip.) Trump isn't just a constant liar; he is an inept one.

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. (Also linked yesterday.)

When Attempting Suicide Leads to Disciplinary Measures. Priya Sridhar & Lindsey Pipia of MS NOW: “A sailor who jumped from the USS Abraham Lincoln this month in what his wife describes as a suicide attempt is now facing disciplinary action from the Navy, according to his wife and charging documents reviewed by MS NOW. The wife, who was granted anonymity to discuss sensitive disciplinary actions, said her husband is facing non-judicial punishment for violating articles of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ). The charging documents, which were reviewed by MS NOW, show that the sailor has been accused of violating Article 83 for 'malingering,' which is defined as a service member 'intentionally faking an illness or hurting themselves to avoid work, duty or service,' and Article 86 for 'absence without leave,' which means a service member failed to be at their required place of duty without proper authority.... The handling of the suicide attempt by the Navy is raising serious questions about how mental health is dealt with in the military, especially as deployments are hitting record lengths.”

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.” (Also linked yesterday.)

Everybody Out! Albert Sun & Allison McCann of the New York Times: “A surge in immigration arrests this summer has swept up thousands of people who had not previously been the focus of ... [Donald] Trump’s mass deportation campaign. They included people married to U.S. citizens, people who had entered legally and were pursuing an asylum claim, and others with a temporary legal status that the administration pushed to revoke. A majority of the immigrants arrested in July were people who were accused of violating civil immigration laws but who had not been charged with or convicted of a crime, an analysis of newly released federal data shows. The share with a past violent criminal conviction fell to less than 4 percent. Overall, immigration arrests rose to record highs with 43,000 ICE arrests in June and 49,000 in July. Two fatal shootings involving Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, in Texas and Maine, drew outrage but did not meaningfully slow the pace of arrests.” The link is a gift link. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Forget about Trump's proverbial scary "murderers and rapists." They were just an excuse. His goal is an impossible effort to turn the tide against everybody who might not be White enough or nominally Christian enough to fit into his imaginary White Christian nation. So he had employed an army of thugs to carry out geno-deportation. In the long run, the effort will fail. In the short run, millions of people will live in fear, and many of them will suffer devastating disruptions to their lives, even death.

Arek Sarkissian & Carmen Paun of Politico: “Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. suggested [in an X post] Wednesday an aide to Pennsylvania’s Democratic governor, Josh Shapiro, may have fabricated two deaths from measles in an attempt to score political points.... Kennedy said during a Wednesday news conference in Tampa, Florida, that Shapiro’s office was unwilling to provide the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention with any details about the deaths. 'The performance was a replay of the Democrats’ COVID playbook: fearmongering, misinformation, finger-pointing, and the weaponization of infectious disease fears for political gain,' Kennedy wrote on X about Shapiro’s press conference Tuesday.... Lancaster County Commissioner Josh Parsons, a Republican, said he has asked for more information about the deaths and that the county coroner’s office told him that 'it currently has ZERO reported cases where measles is the immediate cause of death.'...

“Pennsylvania’s health department announced two 'measles-associated' deaths Tuesday.... Shapiro’s office and the Pennsylvania Health Department said in an emailed statement that the department 'uses the term “measles-associated” when laboratory or epidemiologic evidence of measles is present, but the disease may not be assessed by the medical certifier or coroner to be the immediate cause of death.'” ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: So I did my own extensive, in-depth investigation (ha ha) on this set-to, and here is what I found. Yesterday, I linked a New York Times story by Teddy Rosenbluth, whose lede was, "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." Rosenbluth provides no evidence for her assertion, but several grafs down, she does link to a CDC (feds) post on X that states, "HHS and CDC extend their condolences to the families and communities affected by two measles-associated deaths in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. CDC is working closely with state and local health departments to strengthen response efforts, rapidly support affected communities across the stat...." Later, Gov. Shapiro put out the statement described above explaining the meaning of "measles-associated." This all would suggest (to me, anyway) that the CDC & state (as well as local) authorities knew that the two deaths were measles-associated, and not necessarily caused by measles, or as Rosenbluth put it, "died from measles." (That's like saying a person who had a heart attack "died from hives" because the deceased also had hives.) RFKJ's claim that Shapiro "rushed to Lancaster County" to make a "premature announcement" of what may have been a "fabricated" death from measles is the usual grandstanding BS you can expect from Bobby Junior. The Times report seems to be in error, at least based on what was known at the time it was published. ~~~

~~~ Also, in relation to Bobby Junior's BS about measles, I urge you to read digby's post here. She captures Secretary Brain Worm telling a crowd in Lancaster that "the cure for measles is chicken soup and Vitamin A." Really. She then links to an important post by Jonathan Cohn, now of the Bulwark, on a potential extraordinary breakthrough in cancer treatment found via mRNA technology. "Yet behind all the joy," Cohn writes, "there has been concern and even alarm — not about the treatment itself, but about the threat Donald Trump poses to the research ecosystem that made its creation possible.... Kennedy’s animus toward mRNA vaccines, which is based on wild, unsupported conspiracy theories tying COVID shots to harm and death, has so far not led him to meddle with mRNA funding outside of the context of infectious disease. But scientists say his hostility is bound to have — and is already having — a chilling effect on research into mRNA for other purposes, including cancer." Yesterday, most of Cohn's post was firewalled but I just linked to it again and it came up in full; if it doesn't fully come up for you, digby republishes some of it. ~~~

~~~ Update: AND at the top of today's Comments, RAS has yet another RFKJ lie -- this one told under oath during a Congressional hearing -- about measles and the MMR vaccine.

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. (Also linked yesterday.)

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.” (Also linked yesterday.)

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. (Also linked yesterday.)

Robert Jimison of the New York Times: “Senator Chris Van Hollen, Democrat of Maryland, on Thursday plans to introduce a resolution that would order the Trump administration to provide Congress with a detailed accounting of Israel’s human rights practices in the West Bank, laying the groundwork to force a vote on the matter in coming weeks. The measure, the latest bid by Democrats in Congress to challenge the policies and actions of Israel’s government, invokes a provision of the Foreign Assistance Act that allows lawmakers to request information from the State Department about the human rights record of any country receiving U.S. security assistance. Co-signed by 10 Senate Democrats, the resolution is privileged, meaning that Mr. Van Hollen could force a vote on it even if Republican leaders refuse, as expected, to bring it to the floor. That could lead to yet another vote in Congress showcasing Democrats’ divide over Israel as a growing contingent in the party turns against the Jewish state.” 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. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ Tyler Katzenberger, et al., of Politico: “Meta’s multibillion-dollar court settlements with U.S. states Wednesday set the stage for groundbreaking changes to protections for children across social media — a realm where Congress has tried and failed to regulate.... But its real power would come from the age limits and other safety guardrails that Meta would impose on its Instagram and Facebook platforms, terms that could someday extend to companies such as Google, TikTok and Snap. Indeed, Meta immediately issued a public plea for TikTok and Google-owned YouTube to 'join us and state attorneys general in adopting this new standard, to ensure teens use social media in a healthy and responsible way.' Meta is launching a campaign to 'shame' other companies into signing on to the provisions, according to a person with knowledge of the plan who was granted anonymity to disclose private conversations. Any resulting agreements could force substantial changes to platforms most Americans access daily....” ~~~

~~~ OR, as Mike Masnick of Tech Dirt put it more cynically: “Meta Just Paid Nearly $17 Billion To Make Sure It Gets To Write The Kid Safety Rules For Every Other Social Media Platform.... Notably, the whole point of doing this as a “settlement” is that everyone involved knows full well that no government could mandate these feature changes without violating the First Amendment. But now that it’s in a 'settlement' the courts may need to explore if these choices — which Meta could make freely on its own — suddenly have become a 'state action,' implicating the First Amendment. As with the various rulings against Meta over the last few months, people are cheering this on, without realizing the damage it will do.” He goes on. And on. The report includes the 144-page motion for a consent judgment.

David Gelles of the New York Times: Dolly Parton was “one of pop culture’s most prolific philanthropists. With cash gifts, benefit concerts and telethons, Ms. Parton supported causes that included early childhood literacy, wildlife conservation and the development of the Covid-19 vaccine. She became so effective at distributing her own money that the ultrawealthy asked her to distribute theirs. In 2022, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and his future wife, Lauren Sanchez, gave Ms. Parton $100 million to distribute to causes of her choosing. And this summer, Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce gave Ms. Parton’s Imagination Library $2 million to fund the distribution of children’s books.... Ms. Parton started her own charitable organization, the Dollywood Foundation, in 1988, the same year that 'Trio,' her album with Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt, won album of the year at the Academy of Country Music Awards. The foundation was initially focused on reducing school dropout rates in Sevier County, in part by offering $500 gifts to graduates.... High school dropout rates plummeted to just 6 percent in the county, from 35 percent.” The link is a gift link. ~~~

     ~~~ Reports on how some people remembered Dolly, linked under “U.K.” below. As to one of those people who “remembered” Dolly, the State of New York shut down his fake foundation for misuse of charitable donations for political purposes. 

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Florida. Jim DeFede of CBS News: "A state grand jury found the DeSantis administration 'misappropriated' taxpayer money when it diverted $10 million from a Medicaid settlement into the Hope Florida Foundation [MB: founded by Gov. Ron DeSantis' wife Casey DeSantis], arguing the transfer was 'part of a sophisticated scheme to fund political activities,' according to a copy of the sealed grand jury report obtained by CBS News Miami. The grand jury report said the money, which was supposed to be used to provide health insurance for poor children, was instead hastily passed through multiple organizations before eventually landing in the bank accounts of two political action committees and the Republican Party of Florida. Those funds were then used in 2024 to defeat Amendment 3, the citizen initiative to legalize marijuana in Florida.... The grand jury identified the nexus for much of the activity surrounding the transfer as the state's current attorney general, James Uthmeier....

"The grand jury also concluded that Ashley Moody, who was the attorney general at the time, was aware of the plans to divert the $10 million to Hope Florida and 'authorized' her former chief deputy, John Guard, to sign the settlement agreement. The grand jury noted that Guard [failed to conduct due diligence before signing.]... Guard, whom Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed to the state appeals court in January, said he could not comment further on grand jury proceedings." This is a long story, with lotsa players.

Preston Parra on his X
account. He seems nice.

Georgia Senate Race. You Might Be a Racist if ... Your Staff Are a Gang of White Supremacists. Liz Goodwin & Olivia George of the Washington Post: “A former staffer for Rep. Mike Collins (R-Georgia) shared images in June and July on his X account of a swastika and one that depicts himself in Ku Klux Klan robes. The images — found in a search by The Washington Post — follow other controversial actions and rhetoric from former Collins staffers and other Collins associates that have dogged his Senate campaign. A number of people in Collins’s orbit have been accused of having ties to white nationalists or of making racist or antisemitic comments, and the congressman’s own social media presence has also drawn scrutiny.... Several Republicans in Georgia told The Post that they have grown increasingly worried about what some call a pattern of troubling associations and behavior....

“[The former staffer, Preston] Parra, who recently described himself as a 'twink fascist' on his X account until changing his biography and making his posts private on Aug. 24, is a conservative political operative whose consulting site touts his ability to marshal a network of influencers to boost Republicans. The Daily Mail reported this year that Parra posted frequent crotch shots and a photo of himself that he captioned 'racist.'” The link is a gift link because there are just too many extremist Collins staff to summarize.

Ohio Senate Race. Jessica Contrera of the New York Times: An “ad, which aired across Ohio this month, shows ... Lynnea Soposki, along with her husband, Luke, and their 1-year-old son, Logan. In April, all three family members were killed when a semi truck crashed into their pickup truck on a highway north of Columbus, causing a nine-car pileup and setting their vehicle on fire. The driver, who was charged with multiple felonies, has been accused of fraudulently obtaining U.S. citizenship and Ohio drivers licenses. Titled 'Dangerous for Ohio,' the ad was paid for by the National Republican Senatorial Committee and authorized by the campaign of Senator Jon Husted, who is running against former Senator Sherrod Brown, a Democrat.

“But the driver, Modou Ngom, has not been charged with any immigration-related crimes. His lawyer, who declined to comment on Wednesday, has said in a court motion that the state’s statements violated Mr. Ngom’s right to a fair trial. In a statement on Wednesday afternoon, the Department of Homeland Security said Mr. Ngom was naturalized as a citizen in 2015, but did not answer a series of questions about the state’s fraud allegations.... [Lynnea Soposki's brother Jesse Mallen], 40, said in an interview that he privately reached out to the Husted campaign through email and certified mail last week, imploring it to stop running the ad.... He said the decision was not based on personal politics, but on his certainty that his sister, who was a veterinarian in the Columbus area, would not want to appear in a political ad for any party. Mr. Mallen said his family had not been in contact with the Brown campaign.” The link is a gift link. ~~~

One of these guys is Jon Husted.
One is Bernie Moreno. Can you tell
which is which? Obviously, I can't!

~~~ Marie: I don't know anything about Jon Husted, but the way he treats families, including his own, is deplorable. He wilfully, and without permission, uses this family to promote his own interests, at the same time he hesitated -- for a long time -- to condemn his son-in-law for physically and emotionally abusing his (Husted's) own daughter and granddaughter. Not all Republicans are callous bastards, but Husted is another one who is. Update: Oops! My mistake. I confused Husted with Bernie Moreno. All these middle-aged White guys look alike. Thanks to Victoria D. for catching my error.

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. (Also linked yesterday.)

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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....” (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Update. Aoife Walsh of the Washington Post: “At least 270 people have died, Nepali police said Thursday. Some 910 people remain unaccounted for, according to Nepal’s national disaster management agency. More than 640 tourists from over 30 countries are among the missing, including 65 Americans, 178 Indians, and 25 Canadians, the Nepal Tourism Board said. Chinese state media said the landslide hit Gyirong Port in Tibet, killing three people and leaving 558 missing, including 260 foreign nationals. Many of the tourists caught in the disaster were Hindu pilgrims from India embarking on the Kailash Manasarovar, officials said.” ~~~

     ~~~ Update 2. Sarah Kaplan of the Washington Post: “The floodwaters that killed more than 250 people in Nepal and China on Wednesday were probably unleashed by a landslide from a collapsing glacier, according to a rapid analysis by a team of geoscientists — a harbinger of the dangers posed by melting ice in a warming world. High-resolution images taken by satellite monitoring company Planet Labs show the site of the apparent landslide high in the Himalayas, close to the Nepal-China border. In the 'before' image, a glacier can be seen looming some 4,000 feet above a narrow valley, emptying into the meandering Lhende River. Afterward, the glacier appears smaller by about 2 million square feet — equal to the area of about 25 professional soccer fields. The valley is strewn with ice and mud. And the river is swollen beyond its banks, submerging the surrounding vegetation beneath murky brown floodwaters.” A Guardian story is here. ~~~

     ~~~ The New York Times is running a liveblog of developments. The link is a gift link.  

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. (Also linked yesterday.)~~~

~~~ 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.” (Also linked yesterday.)