September 29, 2026

The New York Times is liveblogging the Senate Judiciary Committee's interrogation of former Special Counsel Jack Smith. The link is a gift link. From the pinned item at 10:30 am ET: “Jack Smith, who as special counsel twice charged Donald J. Trump with criminal offenses after his first term, is appearing before members of Congress on Tuesday as Republicans vow to scrutinize his every word for possible prosecution. Republican lawmakers have urged that Mr. Smith face charges, claiming his answers about his investigations into Mr. Trump were misleading. Mr. Smith defended his actions in his opening statement to the Senate Judiciary Committee, saying Mr. Trump engaged in a criminal scheme to overturn the 2020 election and unlawfully retained classified documents after leaving office. 'I will not be silenced by the continued threats of prosecution from the president or others,' he said. The former prosecutor denied there was any political motivation for the cases he brought. 'If asked whether to prosecute a former president today, based on the same facts, I would do so regardless of whether that president was a Republican or a Democrat.'” ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: At 1:00 pm ET, I read the NYT reporters' entries. The Republicans on the committee are disgraceful. They are shamelessly defend a known criminal at the same time they falsely accuse his would-be prosecutor of criminal malfeasance. This is not politics-as-usual. It's wanton character assassination.  

The Fish Rots from the Head Down. David Gilmour of Mediaite: “... Donald Trump personally helped craft a series of taxpayer-funded TV ads promoting himself and his administration, including hand-picking some of the footage and imagery used in the spots, according to a new report. CNN reported Tuesday that a source revealed Trump was directly and creatively involved in the campaign, which has drawn criticism from Democrats and Republicans alike as it airs just weeks before the November midterms. Two Trump advisers told the network the commercials were produced in-house by Trump’s own video team, part of the communications operation responsible for promoting the administration’s message.” Thanks to RAS for the lead. MB: The CNN story is firewalled. You can read the whole CNN story on the link RAS provided, but I'm a little leery of the source, part of the archive.today "family." You can decide for yourself. I did open the link RAS provided, and my computer didn't blow up. Yet.

Trumpish Treachery, Ctd. George Conway puts it succinctly: "In a normal administration counterintelligence agents at the FBI would be investigating this photo. In this administration, the FBI director is in the photo." Michael Weiss, in the squeet Conway linked, explains. Thanks to RAS for the link. MB: Because nothing could make me watch Star Wars movies, I did not know the meaning of Mos Eisley, to which Weiss refers. My assistant Art Intel tells me it's a spaceport town, which is a "wretched hive of scum and villainy." That, to me, also is a fine description of the Trump White House. And, IMO, the FBI can still investigate why the FBI director is socializing with a suspected double agent. Since we already know, Kash drinks himself stupid(er), you have to suspect he's spilling secrets to Abedelaziz. 

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Ian Duncan of the Washington Post: Today, the Trump administration will seek “to convince a skeptical public that the nation is ... about to embark on a tech-powered 'golden age.'... Donald Trump will deliver a speech launching America.gov, a new portal for accessing public services, part of a day-long event featuring members of his Cabinet and tech executives. AI company leaders are also set to meet with the president and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana).... Even as the public’s concerns have grown and Democrats in Congress have pressed for regulation, Trump has largely dismissed the risk, calling it a 'hoax.'” The link is a gift link. ~~~

     ~~~ Yes, yes. What could possibly go wrong? ~~~ 

     ~~~ Ramon Vargas of the Guardian (September 27): “Bill Gates has called on the US’s federal legislators and law enforcers to regulate the development of artificial intelligence (AI), saying in an interview airing on Sunday that the technology left unchecked could cause 'a billion deaths' and 'no one thinks self-regulation is enough'. 'You need law enforcement and the politicians to get into the discussion about what safeguards and monitoring look like,' the Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist said to Kristen Welker, the NBC Meet the Press host. 'And that has to be a required thing.'” ~~~

     ~~~ Gerrit De Vynck of the Washington Post: “ChatGPT-maker OpenAI canceled the planned launch of a new artificial intelligence model after it was found to take actions beyond the instructions it received and not accurately communicate to human users what it did. The cancellation comes just days after OpenAI said it would pause development of new highly capable AI models out of concern that the company doesn’t have appropriate safeguards to keep the technology from behaving in unintended ways.... The cancellation of the new AI model, along with a freeze at the company on training advanced new models, underscore the debate over safety that has roiled the AI industry in recent weeks. Prominent researchers and chief executives have warned that their companies don’t fully know how to keep cutting-edge AI under control.... OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman joined calls from rival company Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei to slow down development of AI to allow safety systems to catch up. Despite widespread backing inside the AI industry, the proposal has been rejected by ... Donald Trump.” 

Ana Swanson of the New York Times: “The Trump administration imposed an import ban on some Canadian products, including alcohol, dairy products and motorcycles, at 12:01 a.m. on Tuesday. The move was the latest offensive in a vicious trade fight ... [Donald] Trump has picked with Canada. Though the bans affect just a tiny proportion of Canada’s exports to the United States, they are a sign of how much the relationship between two formerly close political and economic allies has unraveled. On Monday, U.S. officials released a notice saying Canadian products including whey protein, molasses, nonalcoholic beer, wine, vermouth and a variety of liquor would be 'unconditionally rejected' by U.S. Customs and Border Protection starting at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday. The ban comes on top of 50 percent tariffs that Mr. Trump slapped on about 5 percent of Canadian goods last month, a move that prompted Canada’s prime minister, Mark Carney, to hit back 'dollar for dollar' on a range of U.S. imports.” The link is a gift link.

We're Trumplodytes & Proud of It. Brad Plumer & Maxine Joselow of the New York Times: “The Trump administration on Monday finalized its plan to significantly weaken fuel efficiency standards for automobiles, scaling back Biden-era rules meant to reduce gasoline consumption and speed the shift to electric vehicles. Under the new rules from the Transportation Department, automakers will be required to achieve an average fuel efficiency of 34.9 miles per gallon for new cars and light trucks in model year 2031. That’s far below the standard of 50.4 miles per gallon set by the Biden administration.... [Donald] Trump portrayed the change as a way to lower car prices for consumers, as affordability has become a major issue in the coming midterm elections. He posted on social media over the weekend that the new rules marked a 'BIG DAY FOR AMERICAN AUTO WORKERS AND CAR BUYERS.' But critics said that less efficient vehicles could cost consumers more at the pump in the long run. U.S. gasoline prices have spiked because of the conflict in the Middle East, with the national average price for unleaded gas near $4.50 per gallon, up more than 40 percent since this time last year.” The link is a gift link. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Todd Frankel of the Washington Post: “The average new vehicle price in 2031 should be reduced by $1,289 due to the weaker fuel economy standards, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which drafted the regulation.... Trump touted the new standard in a social media post Saturday, writing: 'That means LOWER PRICES, saving families thousands on a new, beautiful, and safe car.' Analysts were doubtful that car shoppers should expect $1,300 price cuts from the new regulations — and any savings would be hard to notice, with average new vehicle prices currently hovering around $50,000.... Jessica Caldwell ... [of] Edmunds [said] ... any savings from weaker fuel economy standards would probably go to offset [Trump's] tariffs first ... [and will not be passed along to consumers].” (Also linked yesterday.) 

Brad Plumer & Claire Brown of the New York Times: A March 11, 2025 letter from a coal trade group to Energy Secretary Chris Wright warned that “roughly one-third of the nation’s coal-burning power plants were scheduled to close within five years.... The trade group, America’s Power, proposed [that t]he Energy Department could deploy rarely used emergency powers to force them to stay open longer. Two months later, the Trump administration began doing exactly that. The letter, which has not been previously reported, reveals some of the earliest known discussions about a move that experts have called an extraordinary intervention into the nation’s energy markets. Since May 2025, the Energy Department has repeatedly issued emergency orders to keep nine coal-burning units at six plants operating long past their scheduled retirement dates, saying the facilities are needed to prevent looming blackouts. The orders have sometimes come over the protests of the plant’s owners and are expected to cost ratepayers hundreds of millions of dollars. A federal appeals court has already struck down one order, ruling that it overstepped the law.” The link is a gift link.

Kevin Breuninger of CNBC: “... Donald Trump on Monday announced a steel-making company’s plan to invest about $15 billion to build what would be the largest plant of its kind in U.S. history. The Oval Office announcement with Mesabi Metallics came just weeks before the November midterm election, which is poised to be shaped by Americans’ increasingly sour views of Trump’s handling of the economy. The steel plant is planned to be built in Iowa and aims to begin production in 2030, a White House official told CNBC on condition of anonymity ahead of the Oval Office event.... Mesabi Metallics, based in Nashwauk, Minnesota, told CNBC the project will deliver '100% American steel: mined, melted and poured in Minnesota and Iowa.'” (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ You won't be surprised to learn there's more to the story: ~~~ 

     ~~~ Katie Rogers & Farrah Stockman of the New York Times: “The project in Iowa is one of several job-creation announcements Mr. Trump is expected to make as he traverses the country. He will travel to several reliably conservative states this week, including Oklahoma and Alabama.... In the Oval Office on Monday, Mr. Trump, several cabinet members and Iowa Republicans said the project would remind voters that Mr. Trump’s policies have created jobs.” The link is a gift link. 

     ~~~ Marie: It's interesting that “Mesabi Metallics, based in Nashwauk, Minnesota, told CNBC the project will deliver '100% American steel: mined, melted and poured in Minnesota and Iowa.'” -- Interesting because Rogers & Stockman report that “Mesabi Metallic is owned by Essar Group, a Mumbai-based conglomerate controlled by one of India’s wealthiest families.” So, if the project is built and gets up and running, I assume it will create American jobs. But any profits will go to India. AND, the Times reporters write, the project “has been supported by EXIM Bank, a U.S. federal import-export bank that announced it would extend loans to the company worth up to $10 billion. Some analysts consider the EXIM loan to be risky, because Mesabi has faced financial problems and significant delays over the years. Alec Varsamis, a spokesman for EXIM, said that Mesabi had so far been granted a $770 million loan for the iron-ore mine in Minnesota.... The company filed for bankruptcy protection in 2016....” ~~~

     ~~~ Oh, and this: Mesabi “hired Jason Miller, a longtime Trump adviser, as its lobbyist, paying him at least $240,000.... The government of India also hired Mr. Miller’s company, paying $150,000 per month for “strategic counsel, tactical planning and government relations assistance on policy matters before the U.S. government.'... On Monday, Mr. Miller said in a text message that he had stopped his work as a lobbyist for Mesabi.... He has since joined the administration as an unpaid special government employee. He was not present in the Oval Office.” CNBC's Breuninger also notes some caveats. IOW, it looks to me as if this whole Iowa steel plant thing is an inside job that may be a mirage, and if it's not, could leave a taxpayer-supported bank holding the bag. That is, it's another Trump scam aimed at garnering votes for his allies.... “'In any other administration, this would be treated as a monumental scandal,' [Robert] Weissman [of Public Citizen] said. 'But in this one, it’s just another day.'” 

Another Trumpy Election Stunt Quashed. Patrick Marley of the Washington Post: “A federal judge on Monday blocked the Federal Emergency Management Agency from withholding anti-terrorism funds from local governments that don’t change how they run elections. It marked the latest blow to the Trump administration’s attempts to rewrite election rules. In June, FEMA made counterterrorism grants available but said it would withhold 20 percent of the funding from states and local governments that didn’t agree to use a federal database to check the citizenship status of voters, make plans to stop using certain types of voting equipment and modify other aspects of how they run elections.” The Democracy Docket report is here.

This Was the Plan. Jen Fifield & Peter Elkind of ProPublica: "... the [Trump] administration initially floated an idea that would have virtually shut down mail voting: requiring all ballots to be delivered exclusively through certified mail. The proposal — which would have required voters to be home and sign for delivery of their ballots — was ultimately abandoned, after vehement Postal Service objections that it would have been impossible to execute. Even after the idea fizzled, Postal Service officials were cut out of crucial conversations as the Trump administration moved forward with what became the final executive order.... Trump’s order would have forced postal workers to serve as gatekeepers, deciding which ballots would be delivered and which wouldn’t. Beyond that, it would have inexplicably handed authority over the plan’s execution to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who has no formal oversight over the Postal Service. Inside the Postal Service, which is overseen by a bipartisan Board of Governors, deliberations on whether to comply with the order stretched on for weeks. (Also linked yesterday.)

 
     ~~~ (Stewart's takedown of Susan Collins is classic.) 

I Approve This Message. Paul Krugman: “Democrats — and everyone who believes in rule of law — are, rightly, outraged by the fact that the U.S. government just effectively reran a Trump campaign ad from 2024. My guess is that they probably also hope that Trump runs more such ads, and not just as a basis for future prosecutions. I mean, the ad reminds voters that Trump is effectively on the ballot, which is all to the good given his approval rating. Furthermore, the ad has Trump promising to 'expel the warmongers,' which is an ironic message given” the approval rating of Trump's Iran war. ~~~

~~~ Heather Cox Richardson has a good deal more to say about Trump's ad & related matters. For instance, "On Friday the administration announced it is refusing to spend about a billion dollars Congress appropriated for programs that help the American people — a refusal the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office (GAO) says is illegal — and on Saturday, Trump used taxpayer money for his own vanity ads." MB: I checked Richardson's link to a GAO release; it reads, "A pocket rescission is illegal...." And that's that.

~~~ Once He Was A Humble Caddy. Not Anymore. Isabel Keane of the Independent: “White House Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino is facing fierce backlash — even from fellow Republicans — over a social media post depicting him in a tuxedo, sloshing champagne with some glamorous party pals as Americans grapple with a deepening cost-of-living crisis linked to the Iran War and the Trump administration’s tariffs. Scavino shared the apparent AI-generated video depicting him and who appears to be his second wife, Erin Elmore, and Lara Trump, grinning in ballgowns while they are pushed on a gold luggage cart through the White House by Eric Trump to Pitbull’s 'Don’t Stop the Party.' Gold confetti falls before a jubilant ... Donald Trump enters the scene.... [Despite widespread criticism,] Scavino appeared to lean into the controversy by resharing another AI-generated video that showed a rowdy party after the State Dinner at the White House.”

Erik Wemple of the New York Times: “Three news outlets that were barred from the White House this month — CNN, MS NOW and Politico — asked a federal court on Monday to extend their access to the grounds and protect their participation in pool coverage. 'The White House’s words and actions leave little doubt that it will immediately reinstitute a complete ban of CNN, MS NOW, and POLITICO if allowed the opportunity,' the filing said. The outlets were barred from entry on Sept. 19 after ... [Donald] Trump cited their 'constant “reporting” FAKE NEWS!' and called for the ban in a social media post. Two days later, they sued in federal court in Washington to have their access restored. Judge Timothy J. Kelly ruled last week that the White House had not given the outlets proper notice of the ban and issued a two-week order restoring their access to the White House grounds. That order is set to expire on Oct. 8.” The link is a gift link.

“October Is Cybersecurity Awareness Month.” Dustin Volz, et al., of the New York Times: “The theft by a criminal hacking group of reams of sensitive personal data involving potentially tens of thousands of former and current F.B.I. employees is emerging as one of the worst breaches of sensitive government information, leaving the bureau rushing to protect its personnel as a deadline looms. Nearly a week after the group, known as ShinyHunters, revealed it had pilfered intimate details about bureau personnel from the agency’s jobs portal and threatened to leak them online, F.B.I. investigators are still piecing together how the breach took place and the total damage. The hack appears to have swept up home addresses, Social Security numbers, secretive job assignments and much more.... Some are already comparing it to China’s breach of more than 20 million records from the Office of Personnel Management over a decade ago.... Many F.B.I. employees first learned about the hack when news reports about it surfaced on Tuesday, according to current and former officials. The next day, F.B.I. staff received an email reminding them that October is cybersecurity awareness month....” The link is a gift link. (Also linked yesterday.)

Everything Is Going Very Smoothly. Devlin Barrett, et al., of the New York Times: “Andrew Bailey, a deputy director of the F.B.I., said on Monday that he would leave the job after a little more than a year, the second such departure amid the turbulence in federal law enforcement under the Trump administration. Mr. Bailey said on social media that he was stepping down from his post, part of an unusual three-person leadership arrangement, 'to return to my family in Missouri.'... In recent months, people familiar with the inner workings of the agency have described a rocky arrangement between Mr. Patel and his two deputy directors, Mr. Bailey and Christopher Raia, a longtime F.B.I. agent and manager. Mr. Patel and Mr. Bailey did not get along, and often went long stretches without speaking to each other....” The link is a gift link. An ABC News story is here. (Also linked yesterday.)

Jeremy Roebuck & Perry Stein of the Washington Post: “Another prominent Trump loyalist working on the wide-ranging conspiracy investigation in Florida into ... Donald Trump’s political foes has abruptly left the probe..., marking the latest departure in a high-profile inquiry that has become a central focus for the administration and its allies. Kurt Olsen — who before joining to the so-called 'grand conspiracy' investigation in June had served several months as Trump’s election security czar — tendered his resignation from the Justice Department on Monday.... Two ... people said Olsen had become frustrated by pressure from Justice Department officials in Washington to increase the pace of the probe and secure grand jury indictments. [A] third person, who disputed that description, said Olsen left after issues arose with his security clearance that prevented his further involvement.” ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: If you read on, you just might be tempted to conclude that this whole Trumpity witch hunt is a hoax. Mind you, Olsen was a true believer. From the WashPo report: “Olsen had been working in the White House, investigating Trump’s baseless claims that the 2020 election was stolen and had played a central role in initiating the FBI’s ongoing investigation into the vote count in Fulton County, Georgia, which was pivotal to Trump’s loss that year.” So when you lose this kind of guy, it's kind of game over, despite the fact that the “investigation” is continuing.

Michael Shear of the New York Times: “The counterterrorism police in Britain on Monday said that five men arrested Sunday near an air base were being released on bail, an unexpected development in what officials originally said was a major incident involving a possible terrorist act.... Laurence Taylor, who leads Britain’s counterterrorism police, said in a brief statement to reporters Monday afternoon that the men would remain under investigation and would be subject to 'stringent conditions on their movement and contact with others.' But their release raised new questions about what happened near the base, how the men managed to drive three vans so close to an area where American bombers are stationed and whether the British Army’s bomb disposal unit had failed to find any evidence after examining the vehicles for more than 24 hours.” The link is a gift link. Related story linked yesterday. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ Marie: I don't know how long the pirated video embedded here will stay up, but at the top of her show last night, Rachel Maddow pulled together a number of very recent stories that gives a more big-picture understanding of Trump administration ops. (If this video dies, you might be able to find another one on the YouTubes): ~~

 
Lauren Lumpkin of the Washington Post: “The Education Department will scrap Biden-era Title IX rules that sought to bolster nondiscrimination protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity, officials announced Monday, marking a return to rules from the first Trump administration. The regulations, initially released in 2020, outline how schools must handle reports of sexual misconduct, including setting a stricter definition for what constitutes sexual harassment and giving more due process rights to those accused. The rules, which take effect Tuesday, will not change much for schools. The Trump administration has been enforcing its own rules, including targeting schools that allow transgender athletes to play on girls’ and women’s sports teams, since the president took office last year.” (Also linked yesterday.)

Carl Hulse of the New York Times: “The Senate on Monday approved a sweeping remake of collegiate sports regulations in an effort to restore stability to an athletic landscape that has been upended by constant transfers, frequent shifts in conference membership and an infusion of money from wealthy boosters eager to lure top talent. Known as the Protect College Sports Act, the bill passed by an overwhelming bipartisan vote of 77 to 22, making it one of the last major pieces of business to be tackled by lawmakers before the midterm elections. It was a bid by Congress to lay out significant new rules and standards governing popular college sports.... Authors of the legislation, which faces an uncertain future in the House, said aggressive congressional intervention was necessary because a series of legal rulings had sowed chaos in college sports.But it has run into fierce opposition from Black lawmakers and others who say the measure restricts opportunities for players, many of them Black, while doing little to hold down the pay or mobility of top coaches.... Democratic opponents also were unhappy with the lack of clarity about future collective bargaining.” The link is a gift link. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: About that “uncertain future in the House”: it's a certainty the bill won't be passed before the November election because Bible Mike sent the members home a couple of weeks back so they wouldn't get to impeach Drunk Pete. In addition, Hulse writes, “The measure is strongly opposed by members of the Congressional Black Caucus.” 

Abbie Van Sickle of the New York Times: “Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. said on Monday that he will not take part in a major climate-change lawsuit scheduled to be heard next week by the Supreme Court. The one-sentence announcement from the clerk of the Supreme Court provided no reason for the justice’s recusal. Justice Alito has faced pressure from environmental and court watchdog groups to step aside because he owns stock in two oil companies, and he flew on the private jet of an investor in a company involved in the dispute. The case could determine whether oil companies face billions of dollars in potential liability for damages from climate change. It is the first matter scheduled to be argued before the court when the justices return to the bench on Monday following their annual summer break.” The link is a gift link. MB: Insufferable Sam probably counted the votes and determined that the nays have it, so he's good. ~~~

     ~~~ Lesley Clark & Alex Guillén of Politico: “A spokesperson for the court as recently as May had said that Alito wouldn’t recuse because he didn’t have a 'financial interest in any party' involved in Suncor and that he was advised by the court’s legal counsel that 'his recusal is not required.' Alito did recuse himself when the court turned away an appeal from the companies in the ... case in 2023. But that recusal came as the court on the same day rejected appeals in similar cases involving other companies.... The court spokesperson said earlier this year that Alito had 'inadvertently recused' himself in the earlier ... case 'because it was considered at the same time as other cases where the justice did have a financial interest in the parties.'” MB: It seems a bit odd that a justice would get mixed up and accidentally recuse himself from a case in which he supposedly had no conflict-of-interest, but that's his story. Now, at the last minute, he's recusing himself from the same matter -- again. Another accident?

In a liveblog, the New York Times is tracking Hurricane Polo. The link is a gift link. From the pinned item at 5:30 am ET: “Hurricane Polo made landfall in Baja California in northwestern Mexico late Monday, bringing life-threatening winds and setting off dangerous flash flooding, the National Hurricane Center said. The storm had approached the peninsula on Monday as a major hurricane and may stay near that strength as moves across the state of Baja California Sur. Weakening as it passes over the peninsula, the storm is expected to make a second landfall when it reaches mainland Mexico.... The storm is expected to bring 6 to 12 inches of rainfall to parts of Baja California Sur.”

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Texas. Jasmine Crockett Is a Sore Loser. Mary O'Bar of the Texan: “U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX-31) issued a slate of endorsements in various Texas races ahead of the midterm election, confirming her earlier indication that she would not be endorsing her former U.S. Senate primary opponent, state Rep. James Talarico (D-Austin), but would instead aid the Democratic Party by boosting other candidates.  Crockett has endorsed in two Texas congressional contests, 14 Texas House races, one Texas Senate race, and a handful of county races via the Fueling Individual Rights Everywhere political action committee, which she founded. Crockett has not voiced such support for Talarico at the top of the ballot, consistent with her prior statements that she would instead endorse down ballot to bolster said races’ black voter turnout. Crockett previously alleged that the Democratic U.S. Senate primary was a 'racist race,' and has repeatedly shared that her plan for aiding the Democrats this cycle does not lie alongside an explicit endorsement of Talarico. She also noted that black voter turnout, which will be necessary for Talarico to succeed in November, will be positively impacted by her doing her 'best to uplift them and increase the voter participation.'”

Brazilian Elections. Ana Ionova & Adam Ellick of the New York Times: “As Brazilians prepare to head to the polls, the question looming over Latin America’s largest democracy is whether Mr. Trump will try to influence its presidential election next month. The American leader has not openly championed any Brazilian candidate. But the Trump administration has in more subtle ways lifted the right-wing challenger, Flávio Bolsonaro, who is running against President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, a leftist. Having watched Mr. Trump wade into other elections and experienced his failed attempt to help Mr. Bolsonaro’s father avoid prison for plotting a coup, Brazil is erecting a firewall to try to shield its high-stakes vote from potential U.S. meddling. The efforts include monitoring foreign lobbying and disinformation, fighting false claims about electoral fraud and enlisting the support of countries in Europe, Asia and elsewhere.... The Trump administration has rejected Brazil’s claims that it is seeking to interfere, even though it tried this summer to send a U.S. delegation to investigate Brazil’s electoral integrity.” The link is a gift link. (Also linked yesterday.)