August 8, 2026

 

As seen from I-40 outside Knoxville, Tennessee.

Jeff Cox of CNBC: "Nonfarm payrolls in the U.S. unexpectedly declined in July, but so did the unemployment rate, leaving investors with mixed signals on how to process the latest jobs report." Cox elaborates on what the numbers signify. Here's an earlier report by Cox. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ Paul Krugman on Trump's “Golden Age”: “The surprise fall in employment — 23,000 jobs lost, when the consensus forecast was for around 80,000 gained — made headlines. As always, it’s important to realize that monthly jobs numbers are noisy, so you shouldn’t overreact to one report. However, this report also revised data for several earlier months down, so the broader picture of job growth in Trump’s 'golden age' is significantly worse than it seemed.... The fact that job growth has slowed so sharply puts the lie to claims that anti-immigration policies would free up jobs for the native-born.... [Also,] wage growth keeps falling, suggesting weak worker bargaining power....”

“One of the Greatest Presidents Ever.” Jennifer Bahney of Mediaite: “During a sit-down interview about the midterm elections, Jake Sherman said to Donald Trump, 'If Democrats do take over the House, it’s just going to be investigation mania.... They’re going to do oversight. They could impeach you again. Do you think they will?' 'Well, a lot of people are saying I’m one of the greatest presidents ever,' Trump said. 'They’re not saying that, though,' Sherman quipped. 'Yeah, but they know,' Trump answered. 'They see the results.'” Trump then launched into an incoherent boast about foreign investment in the U.S. (I guess). ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: A teevee pundit (sorry, I forget who) pointed out yesterday that when Trump says "people are saying" or "they're saying," he means he is saying. So Trump, not "people," is saying he's one of the best presidents ever. In other words, it's another Trump tell we can count on, like all the fake "sir" stories.

The bold assertion that the Executive can act with utter lawlessness, destroying treasured national landmarks and harming the interests of individuals, and that no court can stop it flouts our constitutional order.... While this court accords great weight and deference to invocations of national security and the safety of the President, such arguments are not an automatic get-out-of-law-free card. -- Judges Patricia Millet & Bradley Garcia, opinion, National Trust for Historic Preservation v. National Parks Service

~~~ Dan Diamond & Jonathan Edwards of the Washington Post: “A federal appeals panel ruled Friday that ... Donald Trump must halt most construction of his planned White House ballroom, saying that he had exceeded his authority by moving ahead with the planned $400 million, privately funded addition. In a 2-1 decision, a three-judge panel at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit sided with a federal judge’s April ruling requiring construction to halt until Congress expressly authorizes the project. 'Each President is a temporary tenant, not the owner, of the White House and its Executive Residence,' Judges Patricia A. Millett and Bradley N. Garcia wrote in their majority opinion. They stayed their ruling for 14 days to allow the White House to appeal to the Supreme Court.” Politico's story is here. The dissenting vote came from Judge Neomi Rao, a Trump appointee, who was aghast at the audacity of the National Trust, District Court Judge Richard Leon & her Appeals Court colleagues for opining on a matter where they had no jurisdiction. Because President*! (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ The WashPo story has been updated: “... Donald Trump on Friday said that he would ask the Supreme Court to allow him to resume building his planned White House ballroom, after an appeals court ruled he had exceeded his authority by demolishing part of the mansion and beginning construction without congressional approval. 'We will be immediately appealing to the United States Supreme Court,' Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, reiterating his argument that the planned addition, which he has pegged at $400 million, is needed to protect him and future presidents. 'This unjust decision must be overturned by the Supreme Court in its entirety.'” MB: (where one may assume that “in its entirety” is a hanging prepositional phrase. Trump may have the best words, but he don't know where to put 'em.) And, technically, Trump did not “ask” the Supreme Court to overturn the Appeals Court ruling, as the reporters write; he “told/ordered” them: “must be overturned.”

     ~~~ Alex Galbraith of Salon: “Trump rebranded the ballroom as a 'military center' in a post to Truth Social that blamed the order on liberal activist judges. He said the addition’s security measures would keep future presidents and guests safe from attacks on the White House. 'Two Obama and Biden Appellate Court Judges just voted against the desperately needed Military Center, required for the National Security of Washington, D.C., and our Country, itself,' he wrote. 'The Military and Secret Service are viewing this horrendous, politically motivated, and unlawful ruling as a National Security threat to our Nation in that the entire Complex is being built for the protection of our Country and, additionally, all future Presidents.'” ~~~

     ~~~ Here's the zinger of an opinion, via the courts. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ Trump Talks about the Things He Cares About. Kathianne Boniello of Mediaite: Here is Donald Trump taking time out from his planned remarks at a mining roundtable at the State Department Friday to admire his surroundings: 'This is a beautiful building, by the way. You know, I look at the president's allowed to remove things from any building, and I'm liking the chandeliers. I really, I like those Corinthian columns, but I don't know, cutting them out would be not good. Those are beautiful columns. But I'm allowed to do it. Every once in a while I'll come in here and grab a painting and put it at the Oval Office, right? But not too much.'”

Colby Smith & Maggie Haberman of the New York Times: Donald “Trump opened a new front in his battle [link fixed] with Lisa D. Cook, the Federal Reserve official he tried — and failed — to oust from her position last year. In a letter sent on Wednesday, the White House informed Ms. Cook, who serves on the Board of Governors, that it was 'considering' removing her from her position. The letter, which was signed by Dan Scavino, the White House deputy chief of staff, gave Ms. Cook 21 days to respond to previous allegations that she had committed mortgage fraud. Ms. Cook has not been charged with a crime, even though it has been a year since the administration first made the claims, nor has she been convicted of any wrongdoing. The escalation comes after Mr. Trump suffered a significant legal setback in June when the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that Ms. Cook, whom Mr. Trump tried to fire last August, should have been given the formal ability to contest the accusations against her. In siding with the lower court, the Supreme Court granted Ms. Cook the ability to continue serving out her term, which is set to end 2038.

“But the Supreme Court left much unresolved, providing an opportunity for Mr. Trump to revive his attacks. The justices did not clearly articulate the full legal criteria that would allow Mr. Trump to fire Ms. Cook. The Federal Reserve Act stipulates the president can remove a sitting Fed official only 'for cause,' which has long been interpreted to mean gross negligence or a dereliction of duty. The justices in June also did not offer an opinion on the exact allegations against her, which revolve around her taking out mortgages on a range of properties that were all listed as a primary residence. Ms. Cook has in the past suggested that these were clerical errors.” The link is a gift link. A CNBC story is here. (Also linked yesterday.)

Trump Takes Supreme Court Rulings as Suggestions. Isaac Arnsdorf of the Washington Post: “... Donald Trump took aim this week at two high-profile defeats at the Supreme Court, treating the justices’ efforts to define his power as fresh hurdles rather than the final say. The high court dealt Trump both of the losses during the term that ended in June, striking down his executive order to end birthright citizenship and blocking his attempt to fire Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook. This week Trump tried again on both fronts.”

Tyler Pager, et al., of the New York Times: “The Trump administration has pressed its spy agencies to identify [a Cuban] in the mold of Delcy Rodríguez, who became Venezuela’s interim president after U.S. forces captured the previous leader, Nicolás Maduro, in January. U.S. officials viewed Ms. Rodríguez as a pragmatist who could seamlessly assume power and would be willing to work closely with them. Some administration officials believe that a similarly pragmatic leader can be found in Cuba.... But American spy agencies have assessed that Cuba is less like Venezuela and more like Iran.... There are few pragmatic officials who would be poised to take power if U.S. forces captured Raúl Castro, the former president of Cuba who still wields enormous political influence, or somehow forced out the current leadership, according to multiple U.S. officials. Instead, the officials waiting in the wings in Cuba, like their Iranian counterparts, represent more hard-line factions.” The link is a gift link.

Jonathan Last & Tim Miller of the Bulwark featured a different video of Callista making a different statement and dressed in a different outfit. But the effect is the same. You tell me: is this person real? Or is the U.S. ambassador to Switzerland & Lichtenstein an AI figment?

Zachary Cohen of CNN: “Over the last few weeks, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Dan Caine has privately made clear to other top Trump advisers that the US needs to find an off-ramp from the war with Iran — because the military options on the table to escalate the conflict could backfire and airpower alone is unlikely to achieve ... Donald Trump’s stated objectives, according to three sources familiar with the matter.... He has discussed concerns ... with other key Cabinet officials, including CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance ... in an effort to facilitate interagency coordination and ensure they are on the same page ahead of meetings with the president.” ~~~

     ~~~ Heather Cox Richardson looks at some related stories (tho not Cohen's), including these firewalled reports: Lara “Seligman and Yoko Kubota of the Wall Street Journal reported that U.S. intelligence assesses that the depletion of U.S. munitions has made it more likely that Russia will try to fracture the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) alliance in the next few years by attacking a NATO nation. Global affairs columnist David Rothkopf wrote today in the Daily Beast that replenishing the munitions stockpiles Hegseth and Trump have depleted will take years and will cost hundreds of billions of dollars. Rothkopf reports that experts in the military and former employees of the Defense Department consider Hegseth’s record 'to be the most egregious example of defense management malpractice in our history. And,' Rothkopf wrote, 'that’s saying something since this is the country that gave us the Vietnam War, the Iraq War, the Afghanistan War, blank check support for Israeli genocide in Gaza, and drunken sailor levels of defense spending that have actually weakened us while, in so doing, strengthening our rivals worldwide.'”

Filip Timotija & Ellen Mitchell of the Hill: “The Pentagon revoked former Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall’s eligibility for access to classified information, accusing him of 'unauthorized disclosure of classified information regarding Air Force One’s capabilities' to a news outlet, it announced Friday evening. Pentagon chief spokesperson Sean Parnell said the Defense Department (DOD) also yanked Kendall’s 'ability to hold any sensitive position,' he wrote in a post on social platform X. Kendall told The Hill he had been 'extremely careful to not say anything that could be classified, and as far as I know I have not said anything classified.... So far no one has told me what I’m supposed to have revealed. I have of course been very critical of the Trump administration ever since,' he left office in early 2025, Kendall said Friday night.” ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: The fact that Parnell is broadcasting this likely bogus claim online shows (a) that he wants to unnecessarily humiliate a Biden official. and (b) that Hegseth wants to show he is being responsive to Trump's demands for a leak investigation about his bailout from the Qatari jet because it didn't meet security requirements.

Alan Feuer of the New York Times: “One day last September, a right-wing influencer named Natalie Winters posted what she billed as an 'EXCLUSIVE' on social media: A federal prosecutor in Miami overseeing a fraud case against 'MAGA patriots' had once written a blog with comments critical of ... [Donald] Trump. Ms. Winters, who has hundreds of thousands of followers, addressed her message to the accounts of senior officials at the Justice Department. Her demands for the prosecutor, Will Rosenzweig...: 'Fire him.'... Less than three hours later, the department did exactly that. Mr. Rosenzweig, who during his career had consistently earned praise for his work, received an emailed letter signed by Pam Bondi, then the attorney general, dismissing him from his position at the U.S. attorney’s office in Miami, effective immediately. No reason was provided. 

“On Friday, Mr. Rosenzweig sued the Justice Department along with Todd Blanche ... and Jason A. Reding Quiñones, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Florida, asking for financial damages and his job back. In doing so, he joined a growing list of former prosecutors and federal agents who have gone to court in an effort to fight back against the widespread purge of law enforcement officials deemed to be disloyal to the president.” The link is a gift link. Read on, if you have time.

Madeleine Ngo & Hamed Aleaziz of the New York Times: “The Trump administration is facing pressure on the right to ramp up arrests of about 350,000 Haitians who recently lost their legal status after the Supreme Court cleared the way for termination of a humanitarian program allowing them to live and work in the United States for years. The Department of Homeland Security has so far focused its enforcement efforts in the Springfield, Ohio, area, where a large group of Haitians with Temporary Protected Status arrived in recent years. At least 50 Haitians have been called into immigration offices and given ankle monitors in recent days, according to advocacy groups. But logistical challenges to deporting such a large group to an unstable country, and a lack of internal guidance within Immigration and Customs Enforcement, have complicated the effort. Some Republican politicians have also voiced concerns about the impact on certain industries if Haitian workers were deported en masse.” The link is a gift link. See related story linked below under “New York.” ~~~

     ~~~ When the reporters write "on the right," I'll concede there could be a few wingers who believe Haitians are taking the jobs of "real Americans" (see Krugman, linked above, on that). But I'll hazard a guess that most of those people "on the right" who are pressing for the deportation of Haitians are just your run-of-the-mill racists.

This next story is a bit surprising inasmuch as the participants' Dear Leader has declared affordability "a hoax": ~~~ 

~~~ Rachel Berman of the Washington Post on the Right-Wing Debate Over the $20 Burrito: “The conversation kicked off when Andrew Kolvet of Turning Point USA, a conservative youth organization, posted on X that a college student gave him a take on affordability: 'A burrito shouldn’t cost $20.'... (A steak burrito from Chipotle in downtown Washington comes out to $13.37 including tax. Guac is an extra $2.95! The price surges to $20.68 via DoorDash, according to one estimate for delivery a few blocks away....)... Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas) called the debate 'dumb' and posted on X, 'Stop whining, get a job, eat Ramen like the rest of us did in college, on a budget with 4 roommates.' But others suggest that the students have a point.... Cato’s R. Evan Scharf ... [disagreed:] 'It’s a bad economic argument, because it ignores the roots of inflation. And it’s a losing political argument, because people don’t like to be told you can avoid the effects of inflation by making your life worse.'”

     ~~~ Marie: After WashPo righty-right columnist Marc Thiessen joined the Great Burrito Debate, JayDee weighed in by fat-shaming him (and misspelling his first name): “I’m surprised to hear Mark say this. If you’ve ever met him in person, it’s quite obvious the man has never missed a burrito.” ~~~

~~~ So Then. Finya Swai of the Hill: “In an interview with ... Hugh Hewitt, Vance doubled down on his joke directed at Thiessen.... Hewitt asked Vance on Thursday whether he regretted 'taking a punch at a fellow Catholic,' while interviewing the vice president about his new book on his conversion to Catholicism.... Vance said he looked to Jesus Christ as an example.... 'I’m always going to fall short of that example, but I don’t think that there’s anything wrong with being a little spicy from time to time,' he said. 'Right now I feel pretty good about that.' ['that' being his fat-shaming remark]” ~~~

~~~ RFKJ to the Rescue with an Affordability Cooking Show! Monica Hesse of the Washington Post: The YouTube show is “based on the premise that America’s diet is crap (true) but that RFK Jr., with the help of a series of special guest chefs, can teach us 'how to cook delicious, nutritious meals with real ingredients, all at affordable prices.' He later reiterates, 'a very, very affordable price'; in this episode, we’re making crispy salmon cakes and an arugula salad with celebrity chef Andrew Gruel, and the recipe will work out to $4.91 a serving.' [Hesse checked out the prices of Gruel's ingredients at her local chain grocery store: even omitting the costs of staples that were among the ingredients,] my final total, to provide groceries for this one meal, was $73.46. Which works out to a little more than $18 per person.... I started to feel like this was a cooking show about what rich people don’t understand about how poor people eat.” ~~~

     ~~~ Hesse is right. I'm not even a qualified "poor person," and I eat fairly healthy foods, but I don't buy $14/jar avocado mayo. (You would like my mayo & eggs riff on Jose Andres' recipe for a one-minute microwaved omelet.)

They're Killing the Birds! They're Killing the Whales! Brad Plumer of the New York Times: “The Trump administration will pay the German energy firm RWE $1.22 billion to abandon plans to build wind farms off the coasts of New York, California and Louisiana, the company announced on Thursday. It was the fifth such deal the government has reached this year to halt the development of offshore wind, a source of renewable energy that ... [Donald] Trump has derided for decades.... Including Thursday’s announcement, the government has so far spent roughly $3.9 billion to get companies to terminate 12 offshore wind leases.... Democrats denounced the deal.” The link is a gift link. (Also linked yesterday.) 

Catie Edmondson of the New York Times: “The Senate on Saturday passed a stopgap spending bill to avert a government shutdown at the end of September, in a bipartisan effort to head off a major spending skirmish before the midterm elections. The vote was 90-6, with one senator voting present, to 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. It was unclear whether the agreement, which was negotiated by senators, could pass the House, though lawmakers there are also eager to avoid a shutdown fight before November. The bill also would delay for a month a ban on intoxicating hemp products that is scheduled to go into effect in November, a provision inserted at President Trump’s request that generated a mini revolt and briefly threatened to derail the entire bill. The passage of the interim spending legislation, more than a month before the Sept. 30 shutdown deadline, was a departure from the last-minute, buzzer-beater funding votes that have become the norm in Congress. But this time, both the political impetus of the midterm elections and the bitter experience of two previous government shutdowns over the past year incentivized senators to move quickly, greasing the way for a nearly painless passage.” The link is a gift link.

Robert Jimison of the New York Times: “The Senate passed a sweeping new package of sanctions targeting Russia and Iran on Friday, approving a measure aimed at supporting Ukraine in its fight against President Vladimir V. Putin’s war of aggression. The 86-to-11 vote was a rare bipartisan feat for a chamber that has been divided on most meaningful legislation to back Ukraine since ... [Donald] Trump returned to office last year after a campaign that railed against foreign and military aid. The bill’s passage came just weeks after the sudden death of Senator Lindsey Graham, its leading champion, an unexpected turn that provided a burst of momentum for the package among senators newly incentivized to push it forward in his honor. The measure, which also would extend sanctions against Iran for five years, still must pass the House and be signed by Mr. Trump, who in recent days has indicated support.” (Also linked yesterday.) The link has been changed to a gift link. Politico's report is here.

Blanche Confirmed in Wee-Hour Vote. Ryan Reilly of NBC News: "After weeks of uncertainty, Todd Blanche was confirmed as U.S. attorney general early Saturday in a mostly party-line vote. Blanche ... was confirmed by a vote of 50-49, with only two Republican senators, Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, voting against him. The vote was held after 4 a.m. on Saturday, as a late-night session ran over into the early hours ahead of a planned Senate recess.” The Washington Post's report is here. The New York Times report is here; the link is a gift link.

Oh, I'm So Surprised. Alexander Bolton of the Hill: “Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) announced Friday morning he will support Todd Blanche’s nomination to serve as attorney general, all but ensuring the controversial nominee will have the votes he needs to be confirmed. 'All considered, I will vote for Mr. Blanche,' Cassidy announced, and then added with a tone of resignation: 'I will be criticized for this vote. What’s new?'” MB: Yeah, it's so unfair that anyone would criticize Cassidy. I feel like such an old meanie. Cassidy's inexcusable excuse, BTW, is that Trump might put someone worse in the job. Update: the New York Times story is here; the link is a gift link. (Also linked yesterday.)

Jordain Carney of Politico: “Senate Republicans confirmed dozens of ... Donald Trump’s nominees Friday, just before they leave for a five-week congressional recess. Senators voted 51-47 to approve officials at the Departments of Defense, Energy, State and other agencies.... Senate Republicans changed the chamber’s rules last year to be able to confirm lower-level nominees as a package instead of having to hold a vote on each.” (Also linked yesterday.)

~~~~~~~~~~ 

New York. Emma Goldberg of the New York Times: “New York City is terminating the employment of Haitian city workers who have lost Temporary Protected Status, after a Supreme Court ruling cleared the way for ... [Donald] Trump to end humanitarian protections for Haitian immigrants, Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced on Friday. City officials said at least dozens of city workers were affected, but that number could rise to the hundreds.... The work permits of Haitians with Temporary Protected Status expired on July 24, and the mayor said the city had little choice but to comply with federal law.... Mr. Mamdani has tended to avoid directly antagonizing Mr. Trump, with whom he has had a surprisingly warm relationship. But after announcing the cuts, he took aim at Mr. Trump. 'Only President Trump has the power to restore T.P.S.,' Mr. Mamdani said. 'The president should exercise his authority to benefit all New Yorkers and protect our economy.'” The link is a gift link.

New Rule: No Skinning Bears on Campus. Miles Cohen of the New York Times: “One Saturday last September, two Cornell University students plopped a bear carcass on a table in a communal dormitory kitchen and began to carve it up. They planned to make 'black-bear pastrami,' as one of them described their plans later. But soon after they put the raw meat in the freezer, a picture of the animal laid out on a camo-colored tarp with its hide stripped began to circulate on social media. A complaint was lodged against the students and a police report was filed, yet they were cleared of all wrongdoing by the police and the university. Both had hunting licenses and the bear was killed legally, according to state officials. Now, ahead of another school year, Cornell has expressly banned the processing of wild game in residential kitchens on campus.” The link is a gift link. MB: Cornell's new rule must trouble Bobby Junior. Surely he can get Trump to sanction Cornell for something, something, bear hunters. 

Ohio House Race. News from the (Alleged!) Abusers Caucus. Emily Davies & Annie Karni of the New York Times: “Representative Max Miller, the increasingly embattled Republican from Ohio who was accused of physically abusing his ex-wife and young daughter, continued to resist pressure on Friday to drop his re-election bid as the deadline for him to withdraw neared. Mr. Miller planned to loan his campaign $1 million, according to a person familiar..., effectively rebuffing calls from powerful Republicans in the state to withdraw from the race. Senator Jon Husted, who faces his own tough re-election battle, broke his silence Thursday by publicly urging Mr. Miller to 'step aside as a candidate and resign from Congress.' And on Friday, the head of an Ohio-based conservative group, the Center for Christian Virtue, posted on social media that Mr. Miller had 'disqualified himself.' Ohio state law gives local party leaders until 4 p.m. on Monday to name a new candidate, but the law requires two days of notice to convene a meeting to do so. Mr. Miller would most likely have to end his congressional campaign either by Friday or Saturday, though officials have said there is still some confusion about the deadline.” The link is a gift link. ~~~

     ~~~ Michelle Cottle of the New York Times adds some background. Not surprisingly, many reports suggest that Max Miller has been a violent, misogynistic prick since he was a teenager. The link is a gift link.

Washington State. Timothy Egan in the New York Times on the fires that destroyed his childhood Spokane neighborhood: “The polling on human-caused climate change tells us that while most Americans believe it is happening, only about half think it will significantly threaten their way of life. It’s too often an academic debate, or a shouting match between pundits, or met with a shrug. The mournful site of my old neighborhood, the blackened playgrounds, the chimneys standing alone in the graveyards of homes that held three generations of memories, ashes and embers falling like snow in 90-degree heat, tell me something more personal. Loss. And grief. And a sense of urgency.” The link is a gift link.