August 4, 2026

Chris Marquette of Politico: “Sen. Susan Collins said Tuesday she will vote against Todd Blanche’s confirmation as attorney general. The Maine Republican ... said in a statement she would oppose Blanche, citing 'several actions that have further eroded the Department’s independence.' She specifically mentioned his role in a controversial IRS settlement with ... Donald Trump and over having 'promised an anti-abortion organization that he would seek to prohibit the mailing of abortion medication to women nationwide.'” MB: Since Republicans can afford to lose only two votes here, this must mean Thune has secured all the votes he needs to confirm Blanche.

DOJ Steps Up Voter Suppression Program in Michigan. Trevor Drew of WPBN Michigan: "The U.S. Department of Justice is monitoring polling sites in four Michigan cities Tuesday as voters cast ballots in the state's primary election.The department said staff from its Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney's offices for Michigan's Eastern and Western districts are monitoring polling locations in Detroit, Hamtramck, Lansing and East Lansing." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Despite what you think about statistics, sometimes they tell a story. Here's a statistical story about those four Michigan cities Deathly White Todd Blanche picked out to "monitor" because "transparency" and "voting rights": (a) Detroit: 75% of the residents are Black; 11% are white; the mayor is a Democrat; (b) Hamtramck: first Muslim majority population in the U.S.; 40% of residents are foreign-born; (c) Lansing: almost half the population is non-White; the mayor is a Democrat; (d) East Lansing: although the population is 73% white, the city is the home of Michigan State & has not elected a Republican mayor since 1993. The population of Michigan as a whole is 75% to 70% White. How about that?

Claire Brown of the New York Times: “An appeals court on Tuesday handed a victory to a group of federal grant recipients that the Trump administration has prevented from spending billions of dollars in climate funding for over a year. In a split decision, 10 judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit upheld an earlier injunction that said the Environmental Protection Agency could not terminate $20 billion in climate grants, and that the recipients should have access to the funds as their case proceeds. If the E.P.A. does not appeal the decision to the Supreme Court in the next seven days, the judgment will effectively reinstate much of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, a Biden-era 'green bank' initiative that supports low-cost loans and investments for renewable energy projects across the country.” The link is a gift link.

Dan Diamond & Peter Stevenson of the Washington Post: “... Donald Trump has directed contractors to redo weeks of work on his planned White House helipad, frustrated with its appearance and questioning whether the slope of the White House lawn needs to be changed.... Trump has made the helipad a priority, ordering that work begun in June be completed by a state visit [by China's president Xi Jinping] in September, but was dissatisfied with the results.... The White House’s South Lawn, where the helipad is being built, slants downward. Trump has expressed a desire for a landing pad that sits level with the horizon, prompting contractors to disassemble their work and consider whether to start by changing the lawn itself, the people said. Photographs obtained by The Washington Post on Tuesday show how contractors have taken apart their work, including a 100-foot-wide granite presidential seal that was beginning to take shape last week.” Here's a gift link to a New York Times story.

Scott Horsley of NPR: "A report from Senate Democrats says big U.S. banks had concerns for years about money moves made by Jeffrey Epstein — but largely kept those worries to themselves until after Epstein was arrested on sex-trafficking charges in 2019. The report from Democrats on the Senate Finance Committee, which was released by Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon, says more than a dozen bankers at JPMorganChase, Bank of America and Deutsche Bank were aware of suspicious transactions Epstein made as far back as 2002." ~~~

~~~ David Gilmour of Mediaite: “Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) has claimed that a 60 Minutes investigation into Jeffrey Epstein’s banking relationships, for which he was interviewed, never aired following the exit of veteran correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi as part of the show’s staffing upheaval.... Alfonsi departed the network while publicly criticizing its leadership and, particularly, editor-in-chief Bari Weiss over her decision to stall the release of a different report....”

Theodoric Meyer, et al., of the Washington Post: “The Pentagon’s deployment of National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., is set to cost an additional $1.4 billion through the end of the Trump administration, according to information provided to Congress and reviewed by The Washington Post. The estimate, which encompasses October 2026 through January 2029, adds to the hundreds of millions of dollars spent on the mission to date. While the administration has not disclosed the full cost of the mission so far, the new figure represents the most comprehensive accounting yet of ... Donald Trump’s unprecedented use of the military to patrol the nation’s capital — an operation fiercely criticized by many Democrats and civil liberty advocates.” Thanks to RAS for the link. ~~~

~~~ Criticize? Criticize? What's to criticize? Well, there is this: ~~~

~~~ Kate Lonsdorf of NPR: "Anna King was sitting on a bench [on the] afternoon [of May 8] outside her home on a busy street in Washington, D.C., scrolling on her phone when three National Guard members entered her front gate, confronted her and pushed her to the ground.... King, a retired U.S. Army captain who served in Iraq and earned both a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star, can be heard [on a Ring security recording] telling the three male guard members...[,] 'You have absolutely no authority to detain me.'... The three Idaho National Guard members grab King and wrestle her to the ground. You can hear King yelling 'Get off of me!' and coughing, while two of the troops tighten the zip ties on her hands. Now, the ACLU of the District of Columbia and the private law firm Levy Firestone Muse have filed a federal tort claim against the Idaho National Guard on King's behalf.... King's attorneys say that they believe she was approached by the guard because she has been a vocal critic of their deployment in the city for months, hanging large signs outside her house with messages like 'Occupation: Troops Out' and 'National Guard Stop Being So Embarrassing.'"

Ha Ha. D.C. U.S. Attorney Boozy Boxwine thinks Donald Trump cares about facts & evidence. ~~~

~~~ Sarah Lynch & Jennifer Jacobs of CBS News: "The top federal prosecutor in the nation's capital carted a box full of evidence to the White House on Monday, in a bid to prove to ... [Donald] Trump that the damage to the Reflecting Pool was caused by shoddy construction and not by vandals, sources familiar with the matter told CBS News on Tuesday. U.S. Attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro ... made the case in a sometimes heated private meeting in the Oval Office Monday, hours after Mr. Trump had publicly rebuked her for dropping criminal charges against Olympic canoeist David Hearn. She was later photographed leaving the White House carting a large white box and other bags, which sources said contained all of the evidence collected from the Interior Department that exculpated Hearn and several others from criminal vandalism."

Chris Marquette of Politico: “Todd Blanche took a major step toward confirmation as attorney general Tuesday after the Senate Judiciary Committee voted 12-10 on party lines to advance his nomination, likely setting up a final vote within days.”

~~~ The New York Times is liveblogging developments in the Senate Judiciary Committee's vote to advance Donald Trump's nomination of his lawyer Todd Blanche to be attorney general. The link is a gift link. The Democrats on the committee have been magnificent. ~~~

~~~ Here's Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.): ~~~

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Nevertheless, They Desisted. Michael Gold & Andrew Duehren of the New York Times: “The two Republican senators who had threatened to block Todd Blanche’s confirmation as attorney general said on Monday that they would support his nomination after the Justice Department committed in writing to abandoning elements of a deal it struck with ... [Donald] Trump to resolve his lawsuit against the I.R.S. Senators John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina said in a joint statement that they were 'pleased' that Mr. Blanche issued a memo and a statement on Sunday night appearing to concede to demands they had made about the settlement.... Critics questioned whether the new memo and statement from Mr. Blanche were truly legally binding. And even in its new form, Mr. Blanche’s order for the I.R.S. to abandon any audits of Mr. Trump’s previous tax returns is an unprecedented and potentially illegal benefit to a sitting president, worth potentially tens of millions of dollars in lower taxes and avoided penalties.” Emphasis added. The link is a gift link. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ ⭐It's Official: All GOP Senators Endorse Rampant, Open Corruption. Devlin Barrett of the New York Times: “A pair of documents issued by the acting attorney general, Todd Blanche, that narrow or dissolve aspects of a deal to resolve ... [Donald] Trump’s lawsuit against the I.R.S. have met the demands of two Republican holdouts.... Critics, however, say the written assurances are a political solution to a political problem, rather than a legally binding document.... The original terms of the documents creating the [slush] fund said it “may be modified only with the written agreement of the parties” — a reference to Mr. Trump, his sons Eric and Donald Trump Jr., the Trump Organization and specific government agencies.... Mr. Blanche’s [new written] order, however, is a government document signed only by him.

'So absent any, a new executed agreement that they enter into, all of this is meaningless as a matter of law,' [said Matthew Platkin, a Democratic former New Jersey attorney general who is now, representing various people suing over the fund.]... Senator Adam B. Schiff, Democrat of California..., assert[ed] that the new written promise did not prevent the administration 'from bringing the slush fund back from the dead next week.' He noted that it 'still leaves vague who and what is covered' by the tax provisions.... [Sen. Thom] Tillis acknowledged the potential limitations of the written assurances. 'Now, could the president completely reverse this and create a new fund?' he said. 'He could, and then he can answer to the American people.'” The link is a gift link. (Also linked yesterday.)

     ~~~ Marie: Got that? The entire exercise -- the original Trump v. Trump "settlement," all of the Senators' theatrical objections to the resulting slush fund and the unprecedented get-out-of-audits-free card, all of Blanche's scenery-chewing objections to committing a rescission to writing, even the big concession itself -- all of that was a sham. And Thom Tillis -- one of the leading men in this sleazy drama -- admits it in the epilogue; he stands alone in the limelight upon a darkened stage and pronounces in a melodramatic soliloquy: Donald Trump "could completely reverse this." It has been said that if you gave typewriters to an infinite number of monkeys, they would eventually pound out Hamlet. Alas, this cheesy little sideshow -- Dance of the Invertebrates -- is the best Republican monkeys can produce. ~~~

     ~~~ AND Blanche Confirms that the Part of the “Settlement” That Most Benefits Trump Remains in Effect. Andrew Duehren of the New York Times: “But the fact remains that Mr. Trump, a billionaire who has tangled with the I.R.S. throughout his life, no longer has to worry about the agency coming after him for any of the many aggressive tax positions he has taken over the years. Where the I.R.S. previously made a point of regularly auditing whoever occupies the Oval Office, Mr. Trump has leveraged his control of the federal government to instead escape the scrutiny that every other modern president, not to mention every other regular taxpayer, has been subject to.... But exactly how much in additional taxes and penalties he can now avoid is unclear. I.R.S. audits are, in general, confidential. Just one dispute Mr. Trump had with the agency, previously revealed by The New York Times, could have cost him more than $100 million. Any other ongoing audits could have cost him even more.... Mr. Trump’s newly won ability to thwart the tax agency does not seem to bother [Senators Cornyn & Tillis]....” The link is a gift link. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ Marie: In a press availability Monday, Donald Trump feigned ignorance of Blanche's Senate-pleasing "concessions." But there is a firewalled CNN story that the White House was involved in the negotiations and I heard on the teevee that Susie Wiles, Trump's chief-of-staff, participated in the sausage-making. Do you think Susie would keep the boss in the dark? No? Neither do I.

~~~ BUT Wait, Wait. It Ain't Over Till the Maine Lady Sings. Jordain Carney & Chris Marquette of Politico: “Senate Republicans are hopeful they will be able to confirm Todd Blanche as attorney general by the end of the week. But he’s not in the clear yet, as several undecided GOP senators continue to mull it over.... He still needs to get through the full Senate, where he can only lose two Republican votes given likely unified opposition from Senate Democrats and Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell’s absence. [Senators Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), Bill Cassidy (Louisiana) & John Curtis (Utah) have not publicly committed to confirming Blanche.]... Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) added that she also wanted to talk to Tillis and Cornyn and read the agreement they struck with Blanche. 'Until I do that, I am not going to make a judgement,' Collins said.” ~~~

~~~ MEANWHILE. Alice Ollstein & Josh Gerstein of Politico: “As his confirmation to lead the Justice Department hung by a thread last week, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told faith leaders on a private call that he was preparing to take action to roll back abortion access nationwide. On a recording of the call posted online Thursday by the religious group Intercessors for America and hosted by the White House Faith Office, Blanche lamented that the Trump administration’s efforts to restrict abortion are 'taking longer than we want' but said the Justice Department was 'working hand in hand' with federal health agencies and the White House 'so that the Dobbs decision becomes permanent in every single state.'... Blanche appeared to suggest specific restrictions were coming on telehealth prescription and mail delivery of abortion pills, saying the administration is 'putting practices and policies in place' to stop shipment of the medications to states where they are banned.... Blanche’s remarks  go far beyond the actions on abortion he promised during his confirmation hearing. They also conflict with promises ... Donald Trump made on the campaign trail to keep the federal government from enforcing restrictions on the pills.” ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: As I recall, even Friar Savonarola Alito said his decision in Dobbs was intended to return matters pertaining to abortion to the states, which could make decisions without federal interference.

Julia Manchester & Sophie Brams of the Hill: “U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro’s clash with ... [Donald] Trump over the handling of the Reflecting Pool case is raising questions about her standing with the president, with whom she has enjoyed a friendly relationship for decades. Pirro visited the White House Monday evening after Trump lashed out at her on camera hours earlier in the Oval Office, telling reporters she 'folded like an umbrella' in her move to drop charges. 'The judge was extremely unfriendly to Jeanine, and frankly, I think she choked because the judge was really vicious,' Trump said. 'Instead of going after the people that did it, the judge went after her and went after her department,' he continued. 'And I guess she choked. I don’t know what the hell happened.'... CNN reported that Trump was weighing the possibility [of firing Pirro], citing two people familiar with his thinking. 'I’m not sure why a simple dismissal wasn’t enough. But going out of her way to admit that the White House was wrong — and throwing [Interior] Secretary [Doug] Burgum under the bus at the same time — isn’t really good for her job security,' said one former Trump administration official.” (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Update. Erica Green, et al., of the New York Times: Jeanine Pirro “was not fired by Mr. Trump [during their Oval Office meeting Monday], nor did she offer her resignation in that meeting, according to two people briefed on the outcome.... Speaking earlier Monday in the Oval Office, Mr. Trump grew angry when asked whether he had spoken with Ms. Pirro about her decision.... He lashed out at a reporter when asked whether he was reconsidering her role. He later ignored a question directly asking whether he was considering firing her.... Along with [David] Hearn [whose felony charges Pirro dropped Friday], prosecutors moved to drop [misdemeanor] charges against three others: Justin Carreno, Sophie Dennison-Gibby and Cameron Thiers, who all were charged with destruction of property less than $1,000.” The link is a gift link. ~~~

~~~ Dan Diamond, et al., of the Washington Post: “The Reflecting Pool project, intended as a showcase for Trump’s ability to quickly get things done, has instead become a speed bump in his second term.... Outside observers for weeks had dismissed claims of widespread vandalism. A Washington Post analysis of satellite imagery and photos and videos taken in June during the renovation concluded that the basin’s peeling was probably caused by application errors. Waterproofing experts who reviewed the evidence reached the same conclusion.... The 20-page filing by prosecutors to drop [David] Hearn’s case was extraordinary not only because it contradicted what Trump and [Jeanine] Pirro had said publicly about charges, but because it painstakingly outlined Interior Department documents showing problems with the liner’s installation and how prosecutors came to feel deceived. The report is a brief history of how the whole project developed (and failed).” ~~~

~~~ Sarah Rumpf of Mediaite: “... Donald Trump made an unusual and unfounded claim amidst his complaints about the Reflecting Pool prosecution of former Olympic canoeist David Hearn being dropped — that there was video evidence of an actual perpetrator committing the vandalism. This is not true. His own Department of Justice already admitted that.... [Trump shared] a video [on his social media site] that he claimed showed 'the VANDALISM that took place at the Reflecting Pool.... The material is being cut with a knife or a box cutter, for all to see!' he wrote.... [But] The video is grainy and from a distance, but there is no moment that shows someone with a 'knife or box cutter.' Several times during the clip..., people can be seen kneeling by the side of the pool and reaching into the water with their hands, sometimes pulling up something. But they aren’t holding knives and they’re doing this in full view of multiple National Park Service employees visibly working in the area....

“[In the Oval Office, Trump said,] 'we have photographs or tapes, like moving cameras, right? We have them where people are on the side, cutting it with a box knife.'” This is not true.... The video does not show David Hearn.... The fundamental issue here is that the President of the United States demanded someone take the blame for a problem that was embarrassing him, and his appointees at his Department of Justice tried to prosecute a U.S. citizen and former Olympian with a felony, threatening Hearn with years behind bars, plus the financial cost and stress that result from being charged with a federal crime.”

Donald Trump Screws Up Everything. Alan Feuer of the New York Times: “From the moment ... [Donald] Trump was re-elected, he has muscled his way into the driver’s seat at the Justice Department, leaving tread marks on its time-honored independence from the White House by demanding, and sometimes directing, investigations into his enemies. But his tight grip on the steering wheel has often threatened to lead the department off a cliff. Last week offered a particularly vivid portrait of the consequences of Mr. Trump’s meddling, which, in the span of only a few days, imperiled one criminal case, set the stage for sanctions in a second and gummed up the chances that his pick for attorney general will be confirmed by the Senate.” The link is a gift link. (Also linked yesterday.)

Donald Trump Lies About Everything. Maxine Joselow of the New York Times: “When ... [Donald] Trump sharply reduced the size of Bears Ears National Monument in Utah by more than 1.2 million acres, he claimed it was necessary because recreation was virtually impossible within the site’s boundaries. 'You can’t go hunting, you can’t go fishing, you can’t do anything, you can virtually not even walk on it,' Mr. Trump said during a ceremony in the Oval Office last month. The No. 2 official at the Interior Department, Kate MacGregor, chimed in, saying, 'That’s exactly right, sir, so you are remedying that today.' But recreation has been allowed in Bears Ears since President Barack Obama designated the monument in 2016. And government documents reviewed by The New York Times show that Trump administration officials were briefed on recreational opportunities inside the monument about a month before the Oval Office event.... The documents suggest that the administration was 'lying or spreading misinformation about these fantastic public lands' when it justified cutting the protected areas, said Steve Bloch ... of the nonprofit Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, who reviewed the records at the request of The Times.” The link is a gift link.

Prisoners of War. Jenny Gross & Peter Eavis of the New York Times: “The attacks by the United States and Israel on Feb. 28, followed by Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz, immediately stranded some 1,500 ships and nearly 20,000 sailors, according to the International Maritime Organization.... Roughly 6,000 sailors remain stranded, according to the International Maritime Organization. They live in peril, carrying out maintenance, lookouts and checks on cargo, with no safe way home.... Civilian seafarers rarely have to work on the front line of armed conflict. But that is what has happened to these sailors in the Middle East, sometimes with deadly consequences.” The link is a gift link.

Luke Fountain of CNBC: "A coalition of 25 Democratic-led states sued the Trump administration Monday, arguing ... Donald Trump exceeded his authority by imposing sweeping tariffs on goods from 60 U.S. trading partners. The complaint, filed in the U.S. Court of International Trade, challenges tariffs of 10% or 12.5% on most goods imported from the affected economies, which together account for 99.4% of U.S. imports, according to the states. The states are asking the court to halt the tariffs, declare them unlawful and order refunds of duties they have paid."

Maybe Bessent's Ruthless Expertise Is Paying Off. Alan Rappeport of the New York Times: “Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent made $1 billion betting against the yen as the top investor for George Soros more than a decade ago. Now, he is using the might of the U.S. economy to prop up the Japanese currency. But this time, Mr. Bessent is doing so to help ensure that Washington’s borrowing costs do not creep even higher and to support a faltering American ally in China’s backyard. The coordinated effort by the United States and Japan to stabilize the rapidly weakening yen late last week marked the second time in the last year that the Treasury secretary returned to his roots as a hedge fund manager to make a big currency bet. The move demonstrated the lengths that the Trump administration is prepared to take to shield the U.S. economy from the volatility of global markets at a moment of political peril.” The link is a gift link.

Ana Ley, et al., of the New York Times: “A Salvadoran immigrant who was being held at a troubled federal detention center in Newark died during the weekend, according to the city’s mayor and Senator Andy Kim.... Ras Baraka, the city’s mayor, identified the detainee as Edwin Jovanny Lopez Cornejo.... In December, Jean Wilson Brutus, 41, died after a medical emergency, federal officials said at the time. Delaney Hall was reopened last year to accommodate ... [Donald] Trump’s expanding immigration crackdown.... Gov. Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey condemned the man’s death and expressed support for his family while demanding answers from the federal government about what happened.” The link is a gift link. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ BUT MAGA is concerned Markwayne Mullin isn't mean enough.

Grace Ashford of the New York Times: “New York’s law prohibiting federal immigration agents from wearing masks and requiring them to display identification was blocked on Monday after a federal judge issued a preliminary injunction halting the ban. The Department of Justice has vehemently opposed New York’s efforts to rein in ICE operations, saying they represent an illegal push to regulate the federal government. In June, the Trump administration sued to block the mandates. Judge Mae D’Agostino of the Northern District of New York partially granted the Justice Department’s request for a preliminary injunction, saying she expected the federal government to succeed at trial.... Judge D’Agostino wrote that New York officials 'may be correct that federal immigration officers wearing masks and not displaying viable identification creates certain dangerous situations that the face covering and identification acts remedy.' But she added that 'settled law establishes that federal, not state, authorities make the policies that animate the enforcement of federal immigration laws.'” MB: D'Agostino is an Obama appointee.

David Frum of the Atlantic Finds the Real Covid Villains: “It’s the anti-vaxxers, not the scientific community, who should stand indicted in the light of 2026.... When the pandemic struck..., [Donald] Trump’s immediate concern was that it might depress the stock market.... As it became apparent that the virus had escaped China and reached the United States, Trump minimized the danger — although in private conversations with the reporter Bob Woodward, the president revealed that he expected a mass-casualty catastrophe for the United States as early as February 2020.... Trump allies made it explicit that to recognize the danger of COVID was to commit a thought-crime against Trump.... One thing that people should keep in mind, however, is that [Anthony] Fauci was thrust into his pandemic-leadership role because of Trump’s shameful and deadly dereliction of duty. Trump’s record of dishonesty, callousness, and selfishness during the pandemic is a documented reality. The imputations against Fauci are mostly fantasies.” Thanks to akaWendy for this gift link. 

Catie Edmondson of the New York Times: “The Senate on Monday cleared a key hurdle to passage of a stopgap spending bill to avert a government shutdown at the end of September, but it was unclear whether the agreement could pass the House and head off a confrontation before the midterm elections. The legislation, the product of bipartisan negotiations among senators, would keep federal funding flowing at current levels through Dec. 11 and bar the Trump administration from transferring funds to the Border Patrol, a provision that Democrats had insisted on. The 89-4 vote reflected enthusiasm in the Senate for avoiding any shutdown skirmishes in the weeks leading up to the midterm elections, after two lengthy lapses in funding over the past several months. Three members of the Democratic caucus, Senators Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Tim Kaine of Virginia, and Bernie Sanders, the Vermont independent, voted against advancing the measure. Senator Rand Paul, Republican of Kentucky, also opposed it.” The link is a gift link. (Also linked yesterday.)

Robert Draper of the New York Times: “The House Ethics Committee concluded in a damning report on Monday that there was 'substantial reason to believe' that Representative Chuck Edwards, Republican of North Carolina, 'violated House rules related to sexual harassment and hostile workplaces.' Specifically, the report found that Mr. Edwards 'engaged in persistent unprofessional and inappropriate conduct towards two young female staffers.' The committee recommended that Mr. Edwards be censured by the House. According to the report, Mr. Edwards was interviewed by the committee and said that he had not done anything inappropriate.... The report, which did not name the women, found that they both received numerous gifts from Mr. Edwards.... Axios previously reported that the congressman gave the two women matching handguns, one pink and the other blue.” The link is a gift link. (Also linked yesterday.) Politico's story is here. ~~~

     ~~~ The report, via the Ethics Committee, is here. (Also linked yesterday.)

Golly, Gee, It Ain't Fair. Nobody understands that nice young man David Ellison, so he must take to the New York Times op-ed page to stand up for himself. He's just a fellow whose taste in movies hasn't changed since he was a little kid and he likes Democrats & Republicans & factual news reports and also that Paramount/Warner Bros. deal would create just a teensy-weensy company. The link is a gift link.

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Ohio House Race. Alex Isenstadt & Marc Caputo of Axios: Donald "Trump phoned Rep. Max Miller Monday and expressed doubts about the Ohio Republican's candidacy amid reports he assaulted his ex-wife and their child.... On the call, the president told Miller that 'things aren't looking good' and repeatedly said his reelection would be tough, the three sources said.... Miller said his own polling showed him in solid shape.... Earlier Monday, Trump did not back away from Miller, calling the situation 'a very sad thing.... I know Max, he's a good person, I mean I always thought he was a very good person. And I'm going to let the families figure that out,' Trump said. 'It's accusations. And I'm going to let them figure that out.'... Miller would need to withdraw before Wednesday in order for a special election to be scheduled to replace him on the ballot." MB: Yeah, Donald, a very good person who (allegedly!) physically & psychologically abuses his wife and toddler. ~~~

~~~ Mia McCarthy & Riley Rogerson of Politico: “Multiple Senate Republicans joined Sen. Bernie Moreno in calling for Rep. Max Miller to step down from office Monday amid domestic abuse allegations from the Ohio senator’s daughter. Bernie Moreno — father of Miller’s ex-wife, Emily Moreno — said in a statement Sunday that Miller should not serve in the House soon after the House Republican did a livestream video attempting to defend himself from abuse accusations.... The surge of support from Bernie Moreno’s Senate colleagues marks the first significant crack in a wall of GOP silence regarding the allegations against Miller.” ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: This may sound like Republicans beginning to stand against domestic abuse of women and children. More likely, IMO, Moreno & maybe some GOP consulting groups polled or focus-grouped "broke a toddler's collarbone," and found it was not an optimal attribute for an elected official.

Washington State. Anna Griffin of the New York Times: “Firefighters and officials on Monday struggled to describe the scope of the wildfires in Spokane County, Wash., as they worked for a third day to get a hold of the blazes that have pushed more than 65,000 people out of their homes.... Late Monday, investigators arrested a 37-year-old man on a charge of first-degree arson in one of the three fires. Sheriff John Nowels of the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office said the suspect, Aaron F. Farinacci, was seen kneeling in grass at what investigators believe was the ignition.... All of the fires continued to burn, but the powerful winds that had driven them through Spokane County over the weekend had eased, allowing some evacuated residents to return. Rescue crews found entire streets reduced to rubble, trees blackened and toppled, broken pipes spraying water, and the occasional hot spot still sending smoke into the air.” The link is a gift link.