August 9, 2026

To the Loser, Goes a Crap Deal. Steven Erlanger of the New York Times: “Iran’s demands for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, as laid out in a statement on Saturday, are largely what ... [Donald] Trump had already agreed to do in the memorandum of understanding that was signed on June 17 and quickly fell apart. But Iran sees control over the strait as its best chance of getting Mr. Trump to deliver on those promises — and is not willing to give it up just yet. For Iran, analysts suggest, denying Mr. Trump the ability to claim victory over the strait is the most efficient lever to persuade him to recommit to those agreements and to implement them. Keeping the strait largely closed keeps energy prices high and is also a way to ensure that Persian Gulf states, which depend on the strait for exports, will also encourage Washington to return to the memorandum. The level of mistrust between Iran and the United States is so high that Tehran wants to ensure it gets the economic relief it has been promised, to enable reconstruction, before it gives up even partial control over the strait, said Esfandyar Batmanghelidj, founder of the Bourse & Bazaar Foundation, a think tank focused on economic diplomacy.” The link is a gift link. ~~~

~~~ Fat Man and Little Boy Have Another Falling-out. Aaron Boxerman & Adam Rasgon of the New York Times: “The Israeli government has rejected a 15-point plan backed by the Trump administration aimed at disarming the Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday. It appeared to be an unusually public break with ... [Donald] Trump, whose relationship with Mr. Netanyahu has had a dizzying and often unpredictable arc. The two leaders launched the war against Iran together in late February. But they have since clashed over how to end it, as well as over the future of Israel’s military campaigns in Gaza and Lebanon. Mr. Trump announced the agreement between his Board of Peace and Hamas late last month, lauding it as a major breakthrough. Mr. Netanyahu’s office had initially expressed reservations, saying that the framework did 'not reflect Israel’s positions,' but stopped short of rejecting it outright.” The link is a gift link.

Presidential Race 2028. Chelsia Marcius & Bayliss Wagner of the New York Times: Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York posted a series of video clips on social media Saturday night saying that she would freeze her eggs despite what she called a 'political risk' for sharing her decision. Ms. Ocasio-Cortez, 36, a Democrat who represents parts of Queens and the Bronx, made the announcement hours before saying in a TV interview Sunday that she is open to running for president or the Senate. 'There is very strangely a political risk, or a political tax, that comes with sharing this info,' she said of her decision to freeze her eggs. She added that she had shared the information 'to show more depictions of women having full lives in every context and every choice.' The announcement further fueled speculation on social media that she is gearing up for a presidential run. Asked on ABC News’s 'This Week' on Sunday morning if she would consider a White House bid, she said, 'I haven’t ruled out the possibility,' adding that she was 'humbled' by the support she is receiving.” The link is a gift link.

Michigan Senate Race. Tim Balk & Bayliss Wagner of the New York Times: “Dr. Abdul El-Sayed spoke by phone with former President Barack Obama on Friday, days after winning the Democratic primary race for Senate in Michigan, according to their representatives. Mr. Obama and Dr. El-Sayed, who narrowly prevailed in a divisive primary after campaigning on a progressive and anti-establishment platform, discussed unifying the party before the November general election in Michigan, Dr. El-Sayed’s campaign said. The call with Mr. Obama, who is selective in his outreach to up-and-coming Democrats, was one of many between prominent Democrats and Dr. El-Sayed after he defeated Representative Haley Stevens, a moderate backed by party leaders in Washington, after a bitter race. Mr. Obama also called Ms. Stevens on Friday and discussed uniting the party, according to a person briefed on the conversation.” The link is a gift link.

Tom Sullivan of Hullabaloo links a social media (Threads?) post by former Assistant FBI Director Frank Figlucci in which Figlucci writes that "85% of ICE and Border Patrol agents had sex offenses in their backgrounds amongst a group of 59 agents studied by the Ohio Immigration Alliance." Thanks to RAS for the link.& Marie: That does not mean that 85% of CPB & ICE agents are criminals; rather, the Ohio Alliance found 59 former felons among agents working all over the country , and among those 59 people, 85% had preyed on women and children (some while these women and children were in their custody; one of the agents sentenced for soliciting sex from a minor was in change of DHS background checks!); some of them were not convicted by had been "charged" or "accused." (There are roughly 43,000 agents, so approximately 0.137 [i.e., a little more than 1/10th of one percent] have a criminal or potential criminal records, mostly involving sex crimes.) As far as I can tell, all these felons were men.

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“The Curious Case of Mr. Zhou.” Russ Buettner of the New York Times: “... Guren 'Bobby' Zhou was a failed hardwood flooring retailer in Britain who had come under investigation there for money laundering and presided over the collapse of a small crypto start-up. Then seemingly out of nowhere, he became one of the biggest buyers of tokens from Mr. Trump’s company, World Liberty Financial, dropping a total of $100 million through a new firm called Aqua 1.... As much as $75 million of that money was distributed to a company controlled by the president and his three sons. The money also benefited the family of Steve Witkoff.... In any prior era, a windfall for the president of that size from a foreigner with no public signs of access to that level of wealth would have certainly gone against norms and might have spawned a congressional investigation. Instead, the curious case of Mr. Zhou illustrates the ease with which buyers with unknown backgrounds and motivations can use the anonymity of cryptocurrency to shower Mr. Trump with money. The president’s recent financial disclosure form shows that he collected $1.4 billion from his crypto businesses last year, the majority of it from anonymous sources.”

Justin Elliott, et al., of ProPublica: “The Trump administration has argued that Fed board member Lisa Cook may have committed mortgage fraud by declaring more than one primary residence on her loans. We found Trump once did the very thing he called 'deceitful and potentially criminal.'... In 1993, Trump signed a mortgage for a 'Bermuda style' home in Palm Beach, Florida, pledging that it would be his principal residence. Just seven weeks later, he got another mortgage for a seven-bedroom, marble-floored neighboring property, attesting that it too would be his principal residence. In reality, Trump, then a New Yorker, does not appear to have ever lived in either home, let alone used them as a principal residence. Instead, the two houses, which are next to his historic Mar-a-Lago estate, were used as investment properties and rented out.” Thanks to RAS for the link. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Trump is right about this type of mortgage fraud being "deceitful and potentially criminal." The reporters mention that primary residences receive more favorable mortgage interest rates than secondary homes. But they miss a larger advantage Trump got from his lies about the property: property tax rates. Florida voters passed the Save Our Homes state constitutional amendment in 1992, before Trump bought the two Palm Beach Homes. The law didn't take effect until January 1, 1995. Still, Trump (or his broker or tax advisor) could see the significant effect the law would have on Trump's property taxes. The law limits the increase in annual property taxes to 3 percent. So it saves the homesteader more money every year. After not too many years, the law saved me tens of thousands of dollars a year in property taxes. I don't know what enforcement looked like before 2000, but each year I had to sign a document under penalty of perjury swearing that I was a U.S. citizen and my Florida home was my primary residence. That meant I had to physically be in the house for more than 6 months each year, I had to register my vehicles in Florida, I had to vote in Florida. Declaring my primary residence was not something I could "accidentally" make a "mistake" about.

Tom Burgis of the Guardian: “An American oil company connected to Donald Trump is preparing to sink wells in remote Greenland despite not having received permission from the local authorities. As the US president renews his threats to claim the vast Arctic territory, materials to prepare for drilling were brought ashore in recent days on Greenland’s eastern coast. That has prompted Greenland’s government to issue a 'strong warning' that no approval had been granted to land the kit. “All future logistical matters must be advised and approved by the mineral resources authority – before they are carried out,” the government said in a statement.” Read on. The story has both sinister & bizarre elements. Thanks to RAS for the link.

Pranshu Verma of the Washington Post: “The Pentagon is asking the U.S. defense industry to rapidly escalate the production and delivery of weapons, including munitions that are in extreme shortage due to the war with Iran, according to a Defense Department memo obtained by The Washington Post. Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg wrote to industry leaders on Wednesday, saying they had no more than 21 days to submit plans to 'drive significantly faster, more aggressive delivery schedules and/or increased production for critical capabilities,' according to the memo.... The directive comes as the weapons shortage has been a source of tension between ... Donald Trump and the Defense Department, two people familiar with the issue recently told The Washington Post. It is also the latest in a series of actions the Pentagon and the White House have taken to address an issue that may largely remain unsolved until a gridlocked Congress releases additional defense spending, according to industry experts.” The link is a gift link. ~~~

~~~ Anton Troianovski, et al., of the New York Times: Donald “Trump’s war against Iran has depleted U.S. weapons stockpiles to troubling levels, siphoning supplies from Asia and Europe, according to senior officials. The rapidly shrinking supply of air-defense missiles and other critical weaponry in Europe and Asia not only leaves the U.S. military less equipped, but could also leave Russia and China feeling emboldened should they contemplate a potential conflict with the United States, experts said.... Tom Karako ... [of] the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, said the depletion of munitions was a 'generational annihilation of the means of conventional deterrence.... It’s impossible for that not to have a significant effect on the decision calculus of Russia and China.'...” The link is a gift link.

As Ken W. wryly observes in Saturday's Comments, "The war's loser dictates the terms:" ~~~

~~~ Yeganeh Torbati, et al., of the New York Times: “A top Iranian national security official delivered a sweeping set of demands on Saturday that he said the United States must meet before the Strait of Hormuz can reopen to maritime traffic, throwing the fate of the critical trade waterway into question. Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, issued a statement carried by state media laying out multiple requirements for reopening the strait. He called for the United States to lift its naval blockade and sanctions on Iran, withdraw the U.S. military from around Iran, pay war reparations and release frozen Iranian assets, as well as end attacks on Iran’s allies in the region and threats against the country.” The link is a gift link. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Obviously these "demands" comprise a negotiating tactic, but the message is clear: Trump & Hegseth have humiliated the U.S. by starting an unprovoked war -- against a minor power, no less -- that the U.S. could not win. 

M. Gessen of the New York Times with a Lesson from an Autocracy: “'We live in a country with an unpredictable past.' This was a saying among the intelligentsia in the Soviet Union when I was growing up. We never knew which part of our history would be obliterated next. Now Americans, too, live in a country with an unpredictable past. Two months into his second term..., [Donald] Trump issued an executive order titled Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History, in which he directed officials to 'remove improper ideology' from the Smithsonian and its museums, to cut funding to 'programs that degrade shared American values' and to reinstate some monuments removed after the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests.” Read on. The link is a gift link.

Paul Goldberger in a New York Times op-ed: “Section 106 ... of the National Historic Preservation Act ... requires that before approval is granted for any project that uses federal funds or could affect buildings or landscapes in the National Register of Historic Places, its impact on historic places must be evaluated and the public must be consulted. The Trump administration recently proposed changes that would render this type of review process impotent. If the changes go forward, the wanton destructiveness behind the arch and the East Wing ballroom will be just the beginning.... This new policy ... would extend the autocratic decision-making of Trump’s Washington fiascos to historic buildings and sites anywhere in the country. It is ironic indeed for the government to commemorate the nation’s 250th birthday by embarking on what Brent Leggs, the chief executive of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, has called 'an unprecedented and deliberate attack on our civic and cultural inheritance.'” The link is a gift link.

About That “Cooking with Junior” Show. Marcia Brown & Sophie Gardner of Politico: “Health Secretary Robert. F. Kennedy Jr.’s call for Americans to 'eat real food' to combat chronic illness is being tested by a parasite that’s driving consumers away from fresh produce. The spread of cyclospora, a parasite that can cause explosive diarrhea, is prompting people to reconsider their fresh food choices just as Kennedy launches a cooking show that he says is 'intended to show families how to cook delicious, nutritious meals with real ingredients at affordable prices.' The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suspects that more than 20,000 Americans have been sickened by cyclospora. Alongside other outbreaks that have emerged in recent months, the trend is raising concerns that foodborne illnesses — and the government’s failure to prevent them — could undermine Department of Health and Human Services efforts to Make America Healthy Again.... Kennedy’s campaign has focused on 'real food' — animal protein, fresh produce and whole grains — as the primary weapon against chronic disease, putting little emphasis onto the need to ensure that those foods are safe to consume.” ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Just yesterday, I myself made myself a delicious Argentinian shrimp roll (fake lobster roll for the frugal home cook), which would have been even more delicious if the guts of the sandwich had been wrapped in a leaf of butter lettuce. But I didn't dare. RFKJ may be enjoying his turn as Martha Stewart, but his incompetence at doing the rest of his day job is making tens of thousands (and potentially many more) of Americans sick.

Glenn Thrush of the New York Times: “The three lame-duck Republican senators who narrowly saved Todd Blanche’s confirmation as attorney general ended up backing him because they believed he was the only person who had earned enough trust, and enjoyed enough access, to rein in ... [Donald] Trump. One issue with that calculation: Mr. Blanche is a champion of unbridled presidential power.... Mr. Blanche’s confirmation in the pre-dawn hours on Saturday was ... a powerful endorsement by Congress of the philosophy that has guided him under a meddling, demanding boss — that he has a constitutional obligation to execute every lawful White House order, even if it shatters longstanding policy and rule-of-law norms, or contradicts what he thinks is right.” The link is a gift link. ~~~

~~~ Scott Lemieux in LG&$: "he Department of Justice is as clearly Trump’s personal law firm as ever, and that’s because that’s how the Republican conference wants it." 

Michael Gold of the New York Times: “The Senate bowed to political reality at 4:36 a.m. on Saturday, adjourning and allowing bleary-eyed senators to leave Washington without any concrete steps toward passing the voting restriction bill that ... [Donald] Trump has demanded for months. Republican lawmakers had insisted they would work tirelessly to enact election changes that Mr. Trump has suggested the party needs in place to win the midterm elections. Instead, they departed with little to show for their efforts, other than a performative pre-dawn procedural vote on a watered-down version of the bill that they knew they could not pass.” The link is a gift link. A Democracy Docket report is here.

Here's a Happy Thought: TuKKKer & Friends Plan Third Party. Digby in Salon: A “new political movement began to take shape on Wednesday when [Tucker Carlson] revealed [a] 10-point manifesto during a livestream. While he was vague about the specific form he expected this movement to take, it was later reported that [Marjorie Taylor] Greene, [Thomas] Massie and [Joe] Kent had visited Carlson’s Maine estate to urge him to run for president in 2028. The manifesto would seem to be the first step toward a third-party bid, since all these people are persona non grata with the GOP establishment, and have attempted to seize the MAGA mantle with varying degrees of success.... His manifesto is an eccentric amalgam of populist right-wing nationalism, woo-woo Make America Healthy Again anti-science beliefs, isolationism, anti-elitism, natalism, degrading education and xenophobia, and ideas of 'beautifying' the country and rebuilding manufacturing and farming.”   

One of History's Mysteries, Solved: ~~~

People always ask me where the tan suit came from. I think it’s time the truth finally came out. -- President Barack Obama ~~~ 

Mack Liederman of the New York Times: “Former President Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s prostate cancer has spread to other parts of his body, leaving him in pain, his son Hunter Biden said in an interview broadcast on Friday. 'It’s metastasized into his bones and further,' Hunter Biden told a BBC journalist. 'It’s very painful and it’s very debilitating, in many respects.' The former president, 83, was diagnosed in May 2025 with an aggressive form of prostate cancer, his office revealed at the time.” The link is a gift link. An AP report, via Scripps News, is here.

Kathryn Wilkins of Mediaite (August 6): “Tony Dokoupil’s two-week summer vacation has produced an 'awkward result' for CBS News, with his temporary replacement posting the CBS Evening News’ strongest weekly audience in months, according to figures cited by Oliver Darcy.... Matt Gutman averaged 4.1 million viewers during his first week filling in for Dokoupil, marking the program’s best performance in 17 weeks and the first time the broadcast has topped the 4 million-viewer mark since late March. As Darcy noted, CBS Evening News has struggled to consistently reach that audience level since editor-in-chief Bari Weiss oversaw a major overhaul of the broadcast earlier this year, despite executives once considering it the 'minimum acceptable audience' for the program.... Furthermore, Darcy reported that within the CBS newsroom, employees were struck by how 'likeable' and 'personable' Gutman proved to be.” ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: The difference between the permanent and temporary anchors' likeability and competence must come across on the small screen, because it certainly isn't that Bari went with a different "type" person (you know, Black lady) in an attempt to broad the audience. These two guys look so much alike -- studly, handsome White guys with pompadour hair -- that about the only way to tell the difference is that they part that hair on different sides:

FYI, that's Dokoupil on the left; Gutman on the right.

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Hawaii House Race. Bayliss Wagner of the New York Times: “Representative Ed Case, a moderate Democrat from Hawaii, warded off a progressive challenger in his primary race on Sunday, according to The Associated Press. His victory defies a larger trend of left-wing challengers ousting pro-Israel incumbents this year. Mr. Case, 73, is also among the few older, centrist Democrats who have hung onto their seats after serious primary challenges.” The link is a gift link.

Gubernatorial Race. Allison Schaefers of the (Honolulu) Star-Advertiser: "Gov. Josh Green secured a spot on Hawaii’s Nov. 3 general election ballot, and Kauai Mayor Derek S.K. Kawakami will be his running mate after cruising to victory in the Democratic primary for lieutenant governor tonight." 

Ohio House Race. Emily Davies of the New York Times: “Representative Max Miller, the Republican from Ohio accused of physically abusing his ex-wife and young daughter, has defied calls from his own party to drop out and plans to stay in the race to keep his seat in Congress, according to his spokeswoman. Mr. Miller would have had to withdraw by Saturday evening, at the latest, to allow local party chairs enough time to name a replacement on the ballot by Monday at 4 p.m., according to Ohio state law. His decision, confirmed by Abigail Angelos, a campaign spokeswoman, sets up a competitive general-election campaign. Mr. Miller’s district was considered solidly Republican before his divorce from the daughter of Senator Bernie Moreno of Ohio and the public allegations of physical abuse that followed.... In November, he will face Brian Poindexter, a union-card-carrying ironworker who Democrats believe can defeat Mr. Miller with an appeal to the working-class voters in Ohio’s Seventh District.” The link is a gift link. ~~~

     ~~~ Amanda Marcotte of Salon: Max Miller "benefits from a base that treats violence against women as a non-issue at best. In many cases, credible accusations against a GOP politician only bolsters his popularity with the MAGA base, who view men as the real victims of uppity women who should learn to keep their mouths shut. But as he aggressively attacks his ex-wife, Emily Moreno, and her father, Ohio Sen. Bernie Moreno, Miller’s behavior is as bizarre as it is unsettling. Even Republicans are starting to squirm.... In the past, Republicans — especially Donald Trump — have successfully weathered accusations of sexual or physical violence, regardless of how many or how well-evidenced the claims, by leaning on stereotypes that paint women as petty liars.... Miller is following the same playbook against Moreno, but he is running into a serious problem: He is so off-putting that even the president seems a little annoyed about defending him." Read on. Marcotte never disappoints.  

~~~ Emily Davies of the New York Times: Brian “Poindexter, who turned 47 on Tuesday, is a hard hat-wearing, union card-carrying ironworker. With fresh opportunity — given [Max] Miller’s struggles — to win over voters in a Cleveland-area district that went for ... [Donald] Trump by double digits, he is the type of candidate some Democrats believe can claw back working-class voters who have flocked to Mr. Trump in recent years.... Though he launched his campaign in January, Mr. Poindexter had been largely ignored by Democratic Party leadership until last week, when the fallout from an ugly custody battle between Mr. Miller and his ex-wife, the daughter of Senator Bernie Moreno, spilled into the national news.” The link is a gift link.