Marie: If you want more evidence that the men leading the Trump administration have serious, debilitating inferiority complexes about their sexual prowess and other virility indicators, here's yet another marker (among many). Unfortunately, the sexual shortcomings of these men, real or imagined, affect the rest of the nation's health in one way or another: ~~~
~~~ Robyn Pennacchia of Wonkette: "In what seems like an extremely overwrought satire, the Department of Health and Human Services recently canceled over $38 million in grants to programs that address infant mortality, maternal health, community cancer screenings, and other things of actual importance, in favor of programs that prioritize firm penises, fertility, and exercise. Because, you know, who cares if the infants die or mothers die or the mother strangles her children as a result of postpartum depression? What really matters is how much a bro can lift and how his sperms are doing." Thanks to Akhilleus for the link. Also, see his commentary below.
"Schooley"'s BlueSky posts on normalized fraud comprise a classic. Thanks to RAS for the link. Check it out.
Missouri Mess Gets Messier. Mitch Smith & Ann Marimow of the New York Times: “Intensifying a night of litigious chaos that spanned four courts, the fight over Missouri’s U.S. House districts has returned to the State Supreme Court, which signaled just before midnight on Tuesday that it was considering whether to hold the state’s top election officer in contempt. The fight over which House districts will be used in November’s general election remained unsettled Tuesday night after contradictory decisions from Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh of the U.S. Supreme Court and a federal district judge in St. Louis. The State Supreme Court’s decision to call in Secretary of State Denny Hoskins for a contempt hearing, scheduled for Thursday morning, reflected a new juncture in a rising battle over what appears on Missouri ballots and which judges’ orders should be heeded. Mr. Hoskins and his fellow Republican officials said Tuesday night that they would keep using congressional districts redrawn last year at President Trump’s request to benefit Republicans, following the federal district judge’s order instead of the State Supreme Court’s.” The link is a gift link.
Marie: Akhilleus reminds me in today's comments that Jon Stewart (here) and Jimmy Kimmel (here) are back from their summer vacations.
The number of women who died after an ectopic pregnancy has spiked in recent years, a ProPublica analysis found. The mounting deaths in Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data have drawn little scrutiny or response. Such deaths typically occur in the first trimester, after a pregnancy fails to properly implant in the uterus and begins to develop elsewhere, most commonly inside a fallopian tube. The embryo grows until it causes the organ to rupture, triggering catastrophic bleeding. With prompt and appropriate medical care..., women should not die. Yet ProPublica’s analysis found a stark and baffling increase: Almost 200 women with the condition died from 2020 to 2025, compared with about 100 in the previous six years.... While chaos and access issues at hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic likely contributed to at least some of the deaths, the surge has persisted.... While the uptick in ectopic deaths occurred nationwide, the climb has been much steeper in states that banned abortion after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022.... To treat an ectopic pregnancy, which is almost never viable, doctors must terminate it. But lawsuits and federal complaints have alleged that some medical providers are hesitating or flat-out refusing to do that in states where they face criminal penalties for performing an abortion."
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Pocketa-Pocketa. Trump "Remembers" Firemen Rescuing Him Near Ground Zero: ~~~
~~~ Stolen Valor: The Real Walter Mitty Stands Up. Danny Kemp of AFP (published by Yahoo! News): "In ... Donald Trump's telling at a White House event on Tuesday, two firefighters bodily lifted him to safety from a site near an unstable building after the September 11, 2001 attacks. 'And I'll never forget,' Trump said, 'we thought it was coming down on top of us, and two firemen, big strong guys -- and I'm not the smallest guy in the world -- they grabbed me under the arm, said, "Got to get out of here!'" Trump said. His comments, at an event honoring emergency personnel killed on 9/11, appeared to be a new installment in a constantly evolving narrative that Trump has told over the years about his actions after the attacks. It's a story that has long featured the New York property tycoon as the hero, with variations on him taking workers down to Ground Zero. But it is one that US media say is disputed by rescue officials present at the time." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ The New York Times story, by Katie Rogers, of Trump's "unverified" claims is here; this is a gift link. ~~~
~~~ Caleb McCullough of PolitiFact can't find any solid evidence of this self-aggrandizing porkie. AND Lawrence O'Donnell said last night that in an earlier iteration of this fantastical story, Trump claimed he ran out of the building of his own volition. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ Marie: What I think we see in these and so many of Trump's false claims is a "consciousness of guilt." That is, he knows what he should have done in certain situations and he knows that he failed to do it. So he claims he did the far, far better thing. Now that he's so demented and since he's told some of the fairy tales so many times, he may believe some version of them to be true. But the bottom line is that he is not (or was not) the sort of criminal who doesn't know right from wrong. He knows, but he goes right ahead and does the wrong thing anyway. Then he lies about it. Of course, not helping out on 9/11 is not a crime. But the same impulse is at work when Trump does commit crimes. For instance, when he stole all those boxes of documents from the White House at the end of his first term: he went to extraordinary lengths to hide the theft from authorities; when caught red-handed, he lied and asserted the documents belonged to him. ~~~
~~~ MEANWHILE, here's what's happening to the real heroes under Trump's watch: ~~~
~~~ Devlin Barrett of the New York Times: “A federal fund for those who became sick or died after being exposed to toxic dust from the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks has been stymied in recent months by the Social Security Administration, which has not turned over key data required to resolve claims, according to lawyers, advocates and officials involved in the work. The reason for the inaction is unclear. But since the start of ... [Donald] Trump’s second term, the administration has made sweeping cuts to the agency, leading to complaints from citizens that basic services are long-delayed or nonexistent. Such delays are likely to compound the stress and financial pressure on Sept. 11 victims and their families, particularly those whose illnesses now prevent them from working. The people most affected 'are the sickest of the sick, they are the most injured people who have these types of claims,' said Matthew McCauley, a lawyer who represents claimants to the fund, adding that many of his clients had been waiting a year to 18 months for the Social Security Administration to provide the information.” The link is a gift link. ~~~
~~~ Marie: How jarring is the contrast between Trump's vainglorious lies and what his administration -- because of his mismanagement -- is doing to the heroes & other victims of 9/11? Both then and now, he could have helped. But hee did not help them then. And he is hurting them now.
Arc de Trump News, Ctd. Dan Diamond of the Washington Post: “Veterans and Democrats are escalating efforts to prevent construction on ... Donald Trump’s planned arch as the anticipated start of site work approaches, arguing the project is illegal and would diminish the experience of visiting nearby Arlington National Cemetery. VoteVets, a political organization aligned with Democratic veterans, on Tuesday launched a new messaging campaign to mobilize more veterans against the planned 250-foot-tall arch. In a 2½-minute video..., speakers call attention to the Trump administration’s stated plan to spend 20 hours per day building the arch over several years, which they note could conflict with military burials. The arch also would feature an observation deck for tourists to gaze at the city — and look out at the cemetery.... Home of the Brave, a political advocacy group whose leaders and advisers include prominent Trump critics such as commentator Bill Kristol and former Biden administration official Susan Rice, is also supporting the campaign. Meanwhile, Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) on Tuesday urged House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) to sue and halt construction before it begins. Johnson and other Republican leaders have shown no interest to date in blocking Trump’s construction projects.” The video below also is embedded in the linked WashPo story: (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ What Goes Up Must Come Down. Paul Waldman in an MS NOW opinion piece: Donald Trump “calls it a 'Triumphal Arch,' though what triumph it is supposed to commemorate is unclear. It will stand as a 250-foot monument to his ego, his insecurity and his bad taste.... What Trump constructs can be deconstructed. We are not stuck with the monuments to his narcissism.... For the dozens of existing monuments and memorials in the area, 'the undertaking would result in adverse effects,' the National Park Service acknowledged in a legally mandated report. 'It would alter significant views, vistas, designed spatial relationships, commemorative axes, cultural landscape features, circulation patterns, setting, feeling, association, or nighttime visual character.'... The next Democratic president and Congress will confront a complex and challenging project of de-Trumpification.... Alongside these practical steps [that must be taken], it will be important to give the nation a symbolic, visual representation of the transition underway. They must see that the recklessness, lawlessness and corruption of the Trump era are being put behind us so something better can take its place. And there is no better way to do that than to remove the monuments Trump has erected to himself.” (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
“Leaders of the association — established in 1961 to preserve the building’s character, ensure it remained 'the People’s House' and teach its history to future generations — say it is not their place to resist Trump as he remakes the White House to his tastes. Instead, the association has continued to cultivate close ties with Trump, who has publicly championed the organization, helped it with fundraising and previously donated his salary to it. 'We have a lot of things in common. We love the White House, right?' Trump said last year when visiting the association, where, flanked by McLaurin, he touted his renovations to the White House while wearing a hat emblazoned 'Trump was right about everything.'”
~~~ Marie: I have made small purchases from the Historical Association's gift shop. I won't be doing that anymore; I suppose they will be devastated. Seriously, how is it possible that no one who worked for an association that is supposed to help "preserve the building's character," had the courage to at least leak to the press that the wrecking ball was en route. I don't know who is responsible for staffing the association, but every single employee should be fired.
Eric Schlosser in a New York Times op-ed, illuminates the corrupt details behind Trump's enthusiasm for importing mystery meat from places unknown. MB: If you or members of your family eat ground beef, I urge you to read Schlosser's op-ed. It will make you sick even before you get to the "remarkable coincidences" behind Trump's corrupt decision to authorize importation of dodgy bits of meat and animal fat. The link is a gift link. (Also linked yesterday.)
Jobs with Benefits. Cat Zakrzewski & Aaron Schaffer of the Washington Post: “... Donald Trump gave $45,000 cash gifts to his executive assistant Natalie Harp and two of his other young, loyal White House employees, according to financial disclosures released by the administration. On their disclosure forms, which were released publicly late last week, the three women described the payments as 'Cash Gift for Holidays.' The gifts amount to about one-third of the $150,000 salaries they each earn from their White House positions, according to an annual report to Congress. Richard Painter, the former chief White House ethics lawyer for President George W. Bush and a critic of Trump, said the payments appear to violate a federal statute that prohibits the supplementation of federal employees’ salaries from outside sources.... Trump also gave $45,000 to Margo Martin, a 31-year-old communications adviser who often gets closer to the president than his Secret Service detail to film his daily activities for social media, and Chamberlain Harris, a 26-year-old White House aide who serves as Trump’s executive assistant. Trump in February appointed Harris to the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, which has oversight of his White House ballroom and other Washington-area construction projects.” Update: the link has been changed to a gift link.
⭐New York Times: “A day after summoning the American ambassador for a formal rebuke, Iceland’s leaders on Tuesday publicly condemned a social media post from ... [Donald] Trump showing the American flag covering their nation along with Greenland, Canada, Mexico and Caribbean states. 'It is an insult to Icelanders, Canadians, Greenlanders,' Prime Minister Kristrun Frostadottir of Iceland told reporters on Tuesday, referring to Mr. Trump’s Monday post, which did not include any written commentary. 'There is nothing funny or normal about making fun of the sovereignty of states,' she added. Icelanders have been wary of Mr. Trump since he threatened Greenland, their closest neighbor. Now, this social media post feels like a marked escalation in rhetoric, said Eirikur Bergmann, a politics professor at Bifrost University in Iceland. 'Icelanders are used to looking toward the U.S. as Iceland’s defender,' he said. 'Now, our protector has become our intimidator.'” The link is a gift link. (Also linked yesterday.)
Elahe Izadi of the Washington Post: “'South Park' is now 'South America.' The show’s creators announced Tuesday they’ve renamed 'South Park' after tech companies heeded ... Donald Trump’s call to rename various geographic entities to include the word 'America.' 'Inspired by the bravery and patriotism of Apple and Google, we are changing the name of South Park to SOUTH AMERICA,' Trey Parker and Matt Stone announced in a statement Tuesday. 'We especially want to thank our parent company Paramount — a Skydance Capitulation.'... Parker and Stone announced the name change as they celebrated the series — which has been mercilessly roasting Trump officials this second term — winning a Creative Arts Emmy for outstanding animated program.”
Oliver Ward, et al., of Politico: “... Donald Trump responded to new tariffs on U.S. exports Tuesday by announcing bans on U.S. imports of Canadian motorcycles, dairy products and alcohol, and directed officials to restrict Canadian access to U.S. procurement programs. From Sept. 29, Canadian exports of beer, wine and other spirits, as well as certain dairy products like whey protein will no longer be permitted to enter the U.S. market, according to a trio of proclamations published Tuesday night. The move is the latest confrontation in a quickly escalating U.S.-Canada trade conflict. Trump and other senior administration officials spent the weekend lashing out at Ottawa over its decision to match U.S. tariff hikes dollar-for-dollar. Those duties on some $20 billion in U.S. exports went into effect Tuesday morning.” A Washington Post story is here; this is a gift link. ~~~
~~~ Jessica Piper of Politico: “Sen. Susan Collins says the White House doesn’t understand how its trade war with Canada is affecting Maine. The five-term GOP incumbent told Politico she has spoken with Vice President JD Vance and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer about the escalating tariffs between the two countries, which come as Collins faces a heated reelection race in a state that has close economic ties with Canada. But the White House has shown little sign of relenting on what has been a cornerstone of ... Donald Trump’s trade policy, and Collins hasn’t spoken with Trump himself.” MB: Of course not. Trump was too busy posting memes like the one that made him Imperial Poobah of Canada and all the other North and Central American countries. Why would anyone listen to reality when he can pretend to be Emperor of Canada AND Mexico? ~~~
~~~ Tariffotherapy. Paul Krugman: "There have been many trade conflicts in history, some of them more destructive than the US-Canada fight. But I don’t think there has ever been a dispute this stupid. Bear in mind that this crisis is entirely gratuitous. Canada has done nothing wrong. Even if one buys into Trumpian nonsense about how every nation that sells us more than it buys is ripping us off, Canada isn’t a villain. Last year Canada did run a modest trade surplus with the United States in goods, but more than half of this imbalance was offset by a U.S. surplus in services. Overall trade between our nations was almost balanced. So what is this about? Clearly, we’re looking at a symptom of deranged Trump syndrome. As Trump’s failures, from soaring fuel prices to plunging approval, multiply, he is doubling down on his disrespect for and attempted bullying of our northern neighbor and former ally. That is, you should think of this conflict not as something reflecting U.S. national interests, but as a form of self-medication from a sundowning president." ~~~
~~~ Marie: While you're at it, take a look at the graphic Krugman reposted from one of Trump's social media posts. Mark Carney is an accomplished ice hockey player; he was a (third-string) goalie on his Harvard team, and he can (and does) still suit up & skate on rare occasions. Trump? I'd be surprised if he can stand up on a pair of skates.
Stef Kight & Hans Nichols of Axios write about how Donald Trump has spent the summer sabotaging Republicans, including, of course, those who are up for re-election in November. Let's hope Trump's efforts work.
Erika Solomon of the New York Times: “Iran has signaled that it is willing to escalate its fight with the United States, with senior leaders issuing increasingly sharp warnings in recent days after attacking American warships for the first time. The country’s leaders are taking a more aggressive approach as Iran faces mounting economic pressure and they worry that their grip on the Strait of Hormuz is slipping. The American blockade is making it nearly impossible for Iran to ship oil, its main money source. And in effect, Iran sees escalation as the primary leverage it has against the United States. The situation, analysts say, raises the risk that a series of recent clashes could reignite a full-blown war.” The link is a gift link. ~~~
~~~ Bamo Nouri & Inderjeet Parmar in Informed Comment: "Iran’s threat to target American warships with an enhanced ballistic missile appears to mark a new and potentially more dangerous phase of the Middle East conflict, six months in. Tehran says its solid-fuel Qassem Basir missile enables it to 'take action against any threat, even before it is carried out'. Reports have suggested that the Qassem Basir was the missile used in tests Iran claimed to have carried out against US warships on September 5.... The more assertive rhetoric coming out of the Islamic Republic suggests it is moving beyond the largely retaliatory strategy that characterised much of the war and is increasingly prepared to raise the stakes itself."
~~~ Helene Cooper & Pranav Baskar of the New York Times: “The U.S. military said on Tuesday that it had destroyed five Iranian oil tankers in reprisal for attempted strikes by Iran on a U.S. Navy warship, adding to the burst of fighting in recent days that has punctured weeks of relative calm. U.S. Central Command said in a statement that it had destroyed four crude oil tankers used by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps in the Gulf of Oman and another one near Kharg Island. Iranian state media said that U.S. forces had attacked Iranian oil tankers off the coast of Kharg Island, the hub of the country’s oil industry, and Jask, a port city on Iran’s southern shore. The Revolutionary Guards vowed to retaliate, warning tankers near Kuwait and Bahrain — which both host American forces — to evacuate their crews. Shortly afterward, the Guards said in statements that they had launched a “heavy missile strike” at a U.S. base in Jordan and fired on two Navy destroyers.” The link is a gift link.
Aruni Soni of the New York Times: “The global price of oil reached $100 a barrel on Wednesday for the first time since July as tensions in the Middle East escalated. That’s nearly 40 percent higher than on the eve of the war in Iran. The rise reflects investors’ concerns about how long the war, now in its seventh month, will last; tensions have snarled a large chunk of global oil shipments.” The link is a gift link. The Guardian's report is here. MB: The price of gas at my local station hit $4.50/gallon yesterday; that's the highest it's ever been, as I recall.
Dave Philipps of the New York Times: “As concerns mounted that the extreme physical strain of flying fighter jets was causing brain injuries in pilots, and may have led to the death of a number of career aviators, the Navy did almost nothing. It didn’t even study its pilots to understand if it had a problem. That is one of the numerous findings in a harshly critical report released on Tuesday by the powerful House Oversight Committee. The report said that because the Navy had repeatedly failed to act, Congress should pass legislation requiring the military to create a specific program to study and care for the brain health of all aviators.... Naval aviators are repeatedly exposed to body-crushing forces as they catapult off aircraft carriers and pull high G-force turns in training.... A number of career pilots have raised concerns that those repeated exposures may cause brain injuries that slowly accrue over years of service and lead to debilitating mental health problems.” The link is a gift link. (Also linked yesterday.)
Hannah Natanson of the Washington Post: “A federal judge has ruled that the U.S. Military Academy at West Point cannot limit what its faculty say and write in public, a victory for a law professor who sued the academy over the restrictions, arguing they were unconstitutional. U.S. District Judge Cathy Seibel on Tuesday sided with Tim Bakken, finding that the academy’s policy violated the First Amendment. In a three-page judgment, Seibel 'permanently enjoined' West Point from enforcing its speech rules. She also forbid the academy from 'prohibiting or restraining' Bakken from 'expressing or offering his opinions, beliefs, or views to his students on the subjects he teaches.'... Academy officials implemented [new] guidelines in early 2025, a month after ... Donald Trump issued an executive order barring the nation’s military service academies from 'promoting, advancing or otherwise inculcating' ideas the administration deemed 'radical,' 'divisive' or 'un-American.'”
Abbie Van Sickle of the New York Times: “The Trump administration on Tuesday asked the Supreme Court to allow it to use a federal citizenship database to help spot invalid voters ahead of the midterm elections. The administration is currently blocked from rolling out the tool, which the administration proposed using as part of a larger effort by ... [Donald] Trump to enact additional screening of voters ahead of November. If the justices allow the administration to proceed, states could use the Department of Homeland Security database to check voter information against federal citizenship and Social Security records. The emergency application to the justices marks the latest in a dizzying series of legal developments in the fight over the Trump administration’s push to upend voting procedures. The administration has also sought permission from the Supreme Court to change mail-in voting rules even as some states begin sending out ballots.” The link is a gift link. ~~~
~~~ Jacob Knutson of Democracy Docket: "The Department of Justice (DOJ) asked the Supreme Court Tuesday to lift a lower court order and allow the Trump administration to use a flawed federal immigration database to initiate voter registration purges. The petition marks the department’s latest rushed attempt to get the Supreme Court’s conservative-appointed majority to stay a lower ruling blocking ... Donald Trump’s attempt to increase the executive branch’s control over elections." Thanks to RAS for the link.
Matt Bracken of FedScoop: “A block on the IRS from sharing taxpayer data with Immigration and Customs Enforcement will continue after a federal appeals court upheld an order Tuesday prohibiting the tax agency from disclosing massive amounts of sensitive information to the Department of Homeland Security component. In considering a district court’s ruling in Center for Taxpayer Rights v. IRS that put the stay in place, the three-judge panel in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit took issue with several elements of the IRS-ICE pact.... The court ruled that the agreement 'indisputably contravenes the requirements' laid out in federal tax code, specifically the section that guarantees privacy for taxpayer returns and information. The IRS processed ICE’s request for the addresses of nearly 1.3 million taxpayers, returning more than 47,000 matches to the DHS unit.”
Bessent Brags that He's an Unbeatable Insider Trader. Bloomberg, republished in the Japan Times: “U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent challenged traders to test his resolve on boosting Japan’s currency, saying when he makes market calls these days he’s effectively doing so with inside information. 'I am the house now, so when we intervene with the Japanese yen, I have pretty good insight into what the Japanese, what the Bank of Japan is going to do, what Japanese policymakers are going to do,' Bessent said at a Southern Methodist University event in Texas on Tuesday. 'And you can bet against me if you want.'”
Robin Pogrebin & Graham Bowley of the New York Times: “After a seven-year run marked most recently by attacks from the Trump administration, Lonnie G. Bunch III announced on Tuesday that he was stepping down as secretary of the Smithsonian. The White House has escalated its criticism of how the Smithsonian presents American history and values, prompting concern from some about what they see as an assault on the institution’s autonomy and commendation from others for reining in an organization they view as overtaken by liberal bias. In an interview, Mr. Bunch, 73, said it was not the pressure that had led to his departure.... 'I have to be honest, it has been stressful,' he said. 'And at a certain point, I’d like to wake up in the morning and not look at my cellphone.'” The link is a gift link. A NOTUS report is here. (Also linked yesterday.)
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| Marie: Clearly, I don't know much about art, but I find Shapiro's "Blue" only slightly more compelling than a used-car-lot Tube Man. The good news is that I could afford to buy Tube Man. But I won't. ~~~ |
~~~ Poet Tom Healy disagrees with me. In an article in the Atlantic, he explains some of the connections among "Blue" and other D.C. iconic people and structures. Thanks to akaWendy for this gift link. (And, for the record, I'd still expect to see "Blue" on Fort Myers' Palm Beach Blvd., where the used-car lots flourish.) ~~~
~~~ Julia Jacobs of the New York Times: “The billionaire philanthropist David Rubenstein has purchased the abstract sculpture called 'Blue' that was removed from the grounds of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts last week, according to two people familiar with the sale. It will eventually be displayed in the Sculpture Garden of the National Gallery of Art, the people said. Mr. Rubenstein, a major arts donor, was chairman of the Kennedy Center’s board until he was ousted in early 2025 during ... [Donald] Trump's takeover. He is the chairman of the board of trustees at the National Gallery. He purchased the sculpture from a foundation dedicated to its artist, Joel Shapiro, which received the artwork after its removal. One of the people familiar with the sale said the price was more than $2 million.” The link is a gift link.
Trump's troops are doing a great job keeping D.C. safe: ~~~
~~~ Chris Cameron of the New York Times: “A National Guard soldier has been charged with felony assault, accused of pointing his service gun at another soldier while they were on patrol in Washington, D.C., last month. Zion Mitchell, 21, of Macon, Ga., drew his handgun and pointed it at a female Guard member during an argument while on patrol on a commercial strip in Washington’s Northeast quadrant, according to a criminal complaint filed in criminal court last week that cited the testimony of the victim and several of Mr. Mitchell’s fellow soldiers. Mr. Mitchell initially denied drawing his gun, according to the complaint, and said he had a 'playful' dispute with the female soldier, but later told investigators he pointed it at a downward angle toward her. The victim told a D.C. police detective that she and Mr. Mitchell had gotten into an argument 'over their hairstyles and whether they were following Army regulations.' The office of Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney in Washington, charged Mr. Mitchell with two felonies: assault with a dangerous weapon and possessing a firearm during a crime of violence.” The link is a gift link.
What a Dick! Sarah Kliff of the New York Times: Sen. Roger “Marshall, a Republican who is seeking re-election this fall, filed lawsuits against more than 700 patients with outstanding bills during his decades-long career as an obstetrician-gynecologist, according to a New York Times analysis of Kansas court records. Patients were arrested in 81 of those cases for missing court dates, the record show.... [Mr. Marshall's lawyers] also garnished patients’ paychecks and bank accounts. They routinely charged patients an 18 percent annual interest rate.... Most [of those Mr. Marshall sued] lived in Barton County, a rural area with above-average uninsured and poverty rates.... Doctors have wide discretion in how to handle unpaid bills. They can decide when to involve a debt collector, file lawsuits or drop the debt entirely if a patient seems unable to pay.... [During his political campaigns, Mr. Marshall] has ... highlighted his care of low-income patients.”Thanks to RAS for the link. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ Marie: Marshall's opponent in November in Democrat Adam Hamilton, a Methodist minister. Unless we find out he's a pedophile with his little victims' bodies buried in the crypt, vote for Hamilton! ~~~
~~~ Scott Lemieux in LG&$ is very impressed with Doc Marshall's healthcare acumen and puts him second only to Medicare fraudster/Senator Rick Scott for "best exemplif[ying] MAGA healthcare principles." More linked under "Kansas Senate Race."
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New York Times: Donald “Trump’s political operation is behind a mysterious new super PAC that on Tuesday placed a $25 million reservation for advertisements to help Republicans in half a dozen key midterm races. The new group, No Going Back PAC Inc., is linked to MAGA Inc., Mr. Trump’s powerful main super PAC, according to two people with knowledge of the matter who insisted on anonymity to disclose the private spending plans. The reservations target six Senate races and one House battleground, with most of the money going to the Senate contests in New Hampshire and Alaska. The spending represents the biggest midterm expenditure yet tied to Mr. Trump’s $400 million super PAC, which his team has promised for months will spend significantly on this year’s races. It also comes on the eve of the president’s unusual two-day convention in Dallas. No Going Back PAC Inc. was incorporated just a week ago, on Sept. 1. The timing ensures that it will not be required to file paperwork disclosing its funders or founders until mid-October.” The link is a gift link.
Kansas Senate Race. Theodoric Meyer of the Washington Post: “Adam Hamilton, a Democrat challenging Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kansas), criticized the incumbent Tuesday over a report that he sued hundreds of patients over unpaid bills during his decades as an obstetrician-gynecologist.... ''In Washington, Roger Marshall votes to strip healthcare and raise costs,' Hamilton wrote on X. 'In Kansas, he sued more than 700 patients who couldn’t afford the bill. Dozens were handcuffed and jailed.' Hamilton, a Methodist pastor, is facing an uphill battle against Marshall. No Democrat has won a Senate race in Kansas since 1932, and the nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates the race as 'Likely Republican.'”
Missouri House Races. A State Without a Map. Ann Marimow & Mitch Smith of the New York Times: “Conflicting court orders issued on the same day threw the congressional elections in Missouri into chaos on Tuesday, two months before an election in which a handful of races could decide control of the House. First, Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh denied a request from Missouri officials to use a congressional map in November that was redrawn to give Republicans an edge in the midterm elections. Soon after, a District Court judge in Missouri ruled the other way, ordering the state to rely on that map, which had been used in last month’s primary election. Taken together, the dueling court orders left Missouri where it began, with no agreement about which congressional map should be in effect in November and no immediate route to resolving that question. Missouri’s Republican attorney general and governor quickly said that the state intended to use the redrawn map that favors Republicans. Their opponents said they planned to appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit and to Justice Kavanaugh, meaning the issue will be resolved only after additional legal twists.” The link is a gift link. (Also linked yesterday.) Politico's report is here.
Nebraska. The Expediency of Hypocrisy. Yanqi Xu New York Times: “Before becoming Nebraska’s governor three years ago, Jim Pillen built a multimillion-dollar hog enterprise. Casting himself as a conservative businessman who would grow the state’s economy, he defeated a Trump-backed candidate in the Republican primary. This time around, Mr. Pillen, who is seeking re-election this fall, won ... [Donald] Trump’s endorsement. The governor — who had rarely spoken out about immigration issues until last year — had embraced Mr. Trump’s hard-line immigration agenda. Days after Mr. Trump’s return to the White House, the governor directed the Nebraska State Patrol to partner with ICE on immigration enforcement. He allowed the federal agency to use a former state prison, now referred to as Cornhusker Clink, to hold hundreds of detainees caught up in the administration’s mass deportation sweep. He has echoed Mr. Trump’s rhetoric about 'criminal illegal aliens' who have 'invaded our country' and decried 'the worst of the worst' immigrants he has claimed are hiding out in Nebraska. But for more than a decade, Mr. Pillen’s hog business has employed migrant workers, those who are in the country legally — and those who are not, The New York Times and The Flatwater Free Press found.” The link is a gift link.
New Hampshire Senate Race. Most Boring Candidate Imaginable Wins Primary. EmNew York Times: “Representative Chris Pappas, a four-term congressman, defeated a progressive challenger in the New Hampshire Democratic Senate primary on Tuesday, according to The Associated Press. Mr. Pappas, 46, who represents the state’s First District, prevailed over Karishma Manzur, a medical scientist and member of the Southern New Hampshire Democratic Socialists of America, who sought to harness the anti-establishment mood and shifting sentiment against Israel that have upended Democratic primaries nationwide.... His victory sets up a general election contest that could help determine which party controls the U.S. Senate. Mr. Pappas will face former Senator John E. Sununu, who easily won the Republican nomination on Tuesday.” The link is a gift link.
New Hampshire House Race. Evan Gorelick of the New York Times: “Stefany Shaheen, the daughter of Senator Jeanne Shaheen, narrowly won a Democratic House primary in New Hampshire on Tuesday, according to The Associated Press, a victory for the party establishment that rallied around her candidacy. Ms. Shaheen, a 52-year-old biotech entrepreneur and former Portsmouth city councilor, finished first in a field that included Maura Sullivan, a 46-year-old Iraq War veteran and former Obama administration official. Ms. Sullivan had tried to cast the primary as a referendum on nepotism in U.S. politics, accusing Ms. Shaheen of believing that she was 'entitled' to a seat in Congress. Ms. Shaheen campaigned heavily on health care issues and sought to walk a careful line on her family ties, recently highlighting her roots in the state through her father’s family history. She also broke with her mother over a government shutdown last year. The contest in New Hampshire’s First Congressional District, historically a purple area, has the potential to be competitive this fall after the decision by Chris Pappas, the incumbent Democratic representative, to vacate his seat and run for the Senate.” The link is a gift link. ~~~
~~~ New Hampshire House Race. Evan Gorelick of the New York Times: “Anthony DiLorenzo, an automotive executive backed by ... [Donald] Trump, won a Republican House primary in New Hampshire on Tuesday, according to The Associated Press, in the latest showing of the president’s influence in the Republican Party. Mr. DiLorenzo, a 62-year-old who owns nearly two dozen car dealerships, defeated Hollie Noveletsky, a 67-year-old steel executive and former Army reservist who also tried to cast herself as pro-Trump. The race for New Hampshire’s open First Congressional District, which has flip-flopped between Republican and Democratic control five times since 2002, holds the potential to be competitive this fall.” The link is a gift link.
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Israel. Ephrat Livni & Isabel Kershner of the New York Times: “Israeli opposition politicians said on Tuesday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was 'unfit' for office after a newspaper reported he had been warned that Hamas was planning a major operation weeks before the Oct. 7, 2023, attack but did not alert security officials. The report in the Israeli newspaper, Haaretz, which The New York Times could not confirm, said that Mr. Netanyahu had a 45-minute phone call with Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, the president of the United Arab Emirates, in late September 2023, and was told about a plan by Hamas to attack Israel and destabilize the region. Mr. Netanyahu’s office has denied the report. Mr. Netanyahu was said to have been unfazed by the revelations, responding that Israel was prepared for any scenario, according to the report. On Wednesday, he vowed to sue Haaretz for libel, calling the report 'a wicked fabrication with clear political timing,' in a post on social media. He said security officials had found no record that he had spoken with Sheikh Mohamed between September 2023 and the Oct. 7 attack.” The link is a gift link. The Jerusalem Post story is here; thanks to RAS for the link.
Israel/U.K., France, Canada. Stephen Castle, et al., of the New York Times: “Britain announced significant trade restrictions on settlements in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday and accused extremist settlers of perpetrating 'ethnic cleansing of Palestinians,' as it acted with Canada and France to toughen policies toward the Israeli government. Britain’s package of measures, including a trade ban on goods produced in the settlements, was announced on Tuesday in Parliament by Ed Miliband, who became foreign secretary in July. The decision is the clearest shift in British foreign policy since Andy Burnham became prime minister in the same month, succeeding Keir Starmer who was elected in 2024. It was coordinated with Canada and France, whose foreign ministers issued a joint statement with Britain promising “national measures” to ban trade in settlement goods, and supporting other nations that have done so....
“In a speech with an often deeply personal tone, Mr. Miliband said that he made his announcement as a 'proud British Jew' who was 'unwavering' in his support for the state of Israel. He added, however, that Britain had concluded that the occupation was unlawful in line with a ruling of the International Court of Justice.... Mr. Miliband also announced that Britain would refuse applications for the sale of arms that would 'materially contribute to the occupation.'” The link is a gift link. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
New York Times: “When Britain confirmed last September that it would recognize a Palestinian state, it was pulled in the wake of France, which had signaled a few months earlier that it planned to take the symbolically freighted step. On Tuesday, almost a year later, Britain was the one to seize the initiative....This diplomatic sequencing speaks partly to domestic politics in each country. Last year, President Emmanuel Macron of France, entering the twilight of his term, was eager to cement his legacy. Now, a new British prime minister, Andy Burnham, wants to mollify Labour Party members appalled by the suffering in Gaza and angry that Britain hasn’t done more about it. Yet the cumulative impact is strikingly united European pressure on Israel. It has left the Israeli government bitterly estranged from Europe, at odds with its two largest military powers — once stalwart allies — and facing economic punishment that analysts said could prove to be more than symbolic.... The ban [on trade with West Bank settlers] has underscored Europe’s widening divergence from the United States on Middle East policy.” The link is a gift link.
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Tom Healy, for The Atlantic, argues that Blue Is a Good Sculpture
"Shapiro spent two years in India in the Peace Corps, which President John F. Kennedy established. The antecedent for the Kennedy Center was right there in New Delhi: the architect Edward Durell Stone’s striking new American embassy, which he would channel in his later design for a national arts center—which would be named for Kennedy after his assassination. Decades later, Shapiro made monumental works for American diplomatic missions overseas. Blue, fittingly, stood near the Kennedy Center’s Peace Corps Gallery.
Washington, D.C.’s landscape is full of these cords of connection—some accidental, some carefully arranged. This one was simply cut, leaving a blemish in a city full of symbols."
"we have normalized fraud."
They have no shame.
"Trump officially plans for civilian federal pay freeze in 2027
The alternative pay plan that the White House issued this week carves out exceptions to give larger raises to federal law enforcement and military personnel."
Minority Report Made Real
"Border Patrol is running secretive predictive policing units that analyze Americans’ financial activity and other data, then feed that intelligence to local police who pull people over who are not suspected of any specific crime, but which the government thinks may be worth searching, 404 Media has found.
The units, the name of which 404 Media is revealing here for the first time, are called Predictive Intelligence Targeting Teams (PITT)."
Gangsters, thugs, and goons, oh my!
The always reliable Jeet Heer has something to say about the WSJ report about how Fat Hitler goon Corey Lewandowski, in his unappointed role as Obergruppenführer of DHS, alongside his paramour, the horrible puppy killer, Kristi Gnome, had tried to shake down foreign governments for billions.
Just another day among the scum Fatty has brought in to run our government and pad their own pockets.
"In both the Mafia of popular folklore and in Trump’s real-life governing style, there is a strict hierarchy of power. The mob boss and his inner circle sit at the top, forming a tight-knit crime family—the people who are to be protected and kept close at all cost. This is the role played by Trump, his children, and his son-in-law Jared Kushner. The second tier of power is the capos and made men who are guaranteed senior leadership roles; real-estate developer and emissary Steve Witkoff currently occupies that role.
But as with the Mob, Trump’s lawless enterprise also requires the services of a lower ring of goons and hoodlums who are more disposable—not enjoying quite the unlimited access to power of the close family and capos but still of service, particularly since they are more willing to do the dirty work of intimidation that is sometimes needed. These are the wiseguys and goodfellas, louts who often get into trouble and need to be kept at a distance but still have their uses. At various times, disreputable figures such as Steve Bannon and the disgraced lawyer Michael Cohen have fulfilled these roles, falling in and out of presidential favor.
Corey Lewandowski is a classic Trumpian wiseguy, never truly part of the inner core but still kept in the president’s orbit."
The grifting goon and sidled up to Qatari and UAE officials and said "Hire me on the side and I'll get you the goods", or some such come on. Of course, those officials already had the mob boss Fat Hitler on speed dial so they told Lewandowski to fuck off. But that didn't stop him.
"Aside from Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, Lewandowski and his associates allegedly targeted private companies such as Palantir. After Palantir refused to play ball with Lewandowski, the company found that an expected government contract of $2.7 billion had been reduced to $1 billion.
On one level, these shakedown schemes were as ill-conceived as they were criminal: Governments such as Qatar and the UAE clearly saw no need to deal with a mere wiseguy like Lewandowski, since they already had free access to mob boss Trump. But even if the plans didn’t always work, the corrupt intent was clear."
And Trump Mafia goons like Lewandowski aren't afraid of the cops or congress or the corrupt DoJ under that other goon, Todd (White Death) Blanche. He knows, like all Fatty's henchmen, that laws are for the normies.
We're gonna need some kind of massive industrial strength fumigation when the Fatty mob is finally kicked out of town. And cheap gunsels like Lewandowski need to be arrested, tried, convicted, and jailed.
Jon Stewart, responding to the Orange Monster's eye popping lie that the USS Abraham Lincoln, with its obviously rusting exterior and manifold interior problems is in fabulous shape. As Stewart points out, the actual Abraham Lincoln is in better shape than this ship.
I would point out that the actual Abraham Lincoln is also in better shape than the fat demented blob pooping his diaper in the Opioid Office.
The obese infant's emotional support convention starts tonight. As Amanda Marcotte points out, plenty of PoT boot-lickers will not be attending because they have all of a sudden realized that, um, well...um....they have to run home because they think they might have left the stove on.
"This is bad news for Trump, because the only real reason this convention is happening is to boost his fragile ego. It’s apparently not enough to have a full-time aide, a svelte blonde by the name of Natalie Harp, to follow him around night and day for the sole purpose of offering praise. Nor is he satisfied with regularly televised Oval Office events, where he surrounds himself with administration officials singing hosannas to his greatness. The U.S. Mint breaking the law to put his face on a fake gold coin, the Supreme Court blessing his equally illegal White House ballroom project, the IndyCar race through the streets of Washington, the UFC fight on the White House lawn, the attempts to build an arch in Trump’s name — there is seemingly no end to the efforts at assuaging the president’s gnawing fears of his own inadequacy. Ultimately, it’s a lost cause, because his fears are justified. "
Poor, fat Boo-Boo. Nanny Natalie better have his special blankie ready.
Of course, the First Moron also chose to have his "AREN'T I WONDERFUL?" extravaganza on the opening night of the NFL season. Looks like his TV ratings might also need a special blankie.
RFK Jr. Puts Firm Boners, Sperm Count Over Infant Mortality, Maternal Health, Cancer, Unimportant Things Like That
I know, I know....it sounds like an Onion Unfortunately, it's not.
"In what seems like an extremely overwrought satire, the Department of Health and Human Services recently canceled over $38 million in grants to programs that address infant mortality, maternal health, community cancer screenings, and other things of actual importance, in favor of programs that prioritize firm penises, fertility, and exercise.
Because, you know, who cares if the infants die or mothers die or the mother strangles her children as a result of postpartum depression? What really matters is how much a bro can lift and how his sperms are doing.
These programs had been funded by the Office of Minority Health, which the Trump administration tried to eliminate last year on the grounds that they thought it was “DEI” and therefore bad. They’re still around, but they did lose 40 percent of their budget and a significant number of their employees."
From the South African Chainsaw Monster to Drunk Pete, to Scott (Insider Trading is my Game) Bessent, the Gnome and Plumbing Supply Guy at DHS, the wrestling lady at Education, a Secretary of State who hires Nazis, and Polio Bob who wants to Pump YOU Up with Peptides, and never mind about all those kids dying of the measles...the rogues gallery of crooks, liars, grifters, and imbeciles Fatty has put in charge has done, and continues to do, so much damage to the health, welfare, and humanity of this nation that it's almost impossible to comprehend. But "Boners before Cancer Research" pretty much says it all.
Jesus effing effing effing Christ!
Remember that old game of Telephone, where you start with something simple and as news of this situation or event gets passed from one person to the next, the story grows exponentially with more and more craziness?
Well Fatty plays that game alone.
Just look at how what began as "I went down to Ground Zero" over the years has grown with each retelling, adding more and more lies about his heroism and gallantry in the face of extreme danger to himself. The latest addition is that he had to be bodily carried by firefighters away from the smoking ruins because he too was a victim. First of all, those firefighters must have been Superman and Wonder Woman to have been able to pick up that fat load by themselves. He'd need six or seven big guys to pick up that tub.
What will we hear next year? "I told everyone that bin Laden was going to do it! No one listened. So I raced down there and went into he building myself. I saw the plane coming and I got a thousand people out safely before it hit."
It's like that old Monty Python bit about the Four Yorkshireman who "reminisce" about hard times.
"Our house had holes in the roof"
"You had a house? We lived in a corridor"
"We used to DREAM of living in a corridor. We lived in a tank of rotting fish"
"Oh, you had it lucky..."
And like that. Only Fatty does it all by himself. I think Marie is partially right about the idea that Fatty seems to think he should have done something so he invents heroic stories about himself, but I'm not sure guilt has anything to do with it. He doesn't give a shit about guilt, but he does care about his public image so he has constantly to fabricate better and more outlandish tales of his own wonderfulness.
It would be sad if he wasn't such a dangerous shithead.
Musk is grifting stealing and selling your data again. TNR refs a Legum article, showing Musk's political business encouraging voters to check their voter registration at his site . (If you google it, replace the "." with "dot")
People who use that site and fill in the boxes give Musk permission to use their data, which appears to include data stored on the voter's computer (e.g. browsing and keystroke records) for any purpose, which includes selling to third parties.
I don't understand how this can be legal.
Wired
"A report published by the US Census Bureau last month purported to uncover evidence backing up President Donald Trump’s baseless claims that noncitizens voting cost him the 2020 election. It was the latest salvo in Trump’s broader assault on the safety of US elections. “I WON THE ELECTION,” Trump quickly declared on Truth Social after the publication of the report.
However, though Trump and other government officials quickly shared and praised the report, a WIRED investigation has uncovered significant flaws in the data used to compile the report, as well as in the approval process used prior to publication. WIRED has also learned that a number of the report’s authors have links to the Trump administration and the Republican party. They include one former affiliate of Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency and two researchers from the America First Policy Institute (AFPI), a highly influential think tank founded by veterans of Trump’s first administration."
What Conflicts IOKIYAR
"Ken Paxton cozy with judge who sealed his depositions
Judge Cynthia Wheless sealed two of Ken Paxton’s depositions; her husband, a fellow judge, sealed the Paxtons’ divorce. Both have donated to the Paxtons’ campaigns."
Having Republicans In the Family
"The sister of Maine’s gubernatorial nominee writes:
My mother taught me and my brother, Bobby Charles, that how we treat other people matters. She taught us to be compassionate, not to name-call or judge people by their race, gender, religion, country of origin or who they love. She taught us that differences do not diminish us, and that we have a responsibility to treat others with dignity. Those lessons shaped my entire life, as well as my career. They are also the reason I cannot support my brother’s campaign for governor."
Just like the drew it up
"An inflatable slide deployed on President Donald Trump’s Qatari-gifted Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews on Wednesday afternoon before he was set to board it to head to the Republican Midterm Convention in Dallas, Texas. Trump appeared to indicate that the emergency slide was deployed intentionally (insert “Sure, Jan” gif) as he waited for about 20 minutes inside Marine One on the tarmac.
Asked by ABC News why the slide was being checked and if there was a security concern, Trump said they just want to make sure it “works perfectly.”"
A report issued by any department, office, commission, organization, bureau, or double secret handshake society of treasonous circle jerkers working under the aegis of the Trump Crime Family has all the integrity and trustworthiness of a mafia don on the witness stand. So the Census Bureau, now thoroughly corrupted by the Orange Monster sez "Holy Illegal voters, Batman! The Dear Leader fuckin' won the 2020 'lection!"
Had they released a report hinting at anything other than complete victory for the obese infant, the whole place would have been closed down, everyone fired and put on a DHS flight to some central Africa war zone to be pushed out of the plane at 30,000 feet without parachutes.
So yeah, very believable. And don't miss that line in the Wired piece indicating "significant flaws in the data". Isn't that the motto of the Trump Census Bureau?
Inflatable slide on Grift Force One was deployed? Were they testing it with a two ton weight to see if it would hold the Fat Fascist? I mean, can you picture that load of pig dung rolling onto an inflatable slide? It would be a deflated slide in a flash.
At tonight's Trumpapalooza (otherwise know as the Trump-a-pa-loser), Fatty was thrilled to roll a video from John Fetterman promising fealty to the Orange Monster. Nice.
Remember when Fetterman, a couple of weeks ago, promised not to desert the Democratic Party? Such a liar. My guess is that he will stab Democrats in the back the first chance he gets. Should Democrats retake the Senate, look for this asshole to switch parties to make sure the traitors don't have to finally obey the law.
I guess they mean well, but the editorial board of the NY Times is now warning that Fat Hitler is set to steal the midterms and they're saying that the Swine Court must stop him.
Right.
Did Ranger Rick ever stop Yogi Bear from stealing yet another pic-a-nic basket? Stop him? They might write him a warning for running a red light, but they're not gonna stop him from stealing the car he's driving.
Anyone looking for the Swine to help save democracy from the clutches of an authoritarian-minded would-be dictator is smoking some really good shit.
Why this is even still an issue is exactly the fault of this court. They are responsible for much of the chaos currently washing over the nation. Rather than providing a bulwark against the illegal and unconstitutional schemes of the Turd Reich, the Swine Court, at almost every opportunity, has turned its back on the rule of law and instead have given their all to the slimy concept of the unitary executive.
I wouldn't trust these fuckers to save a child in a stroller from being run over if they had their hands on it. I wouldn't, of course, be surprised were they to shove the stroller into the path of the oncoming truck, as long as the baby wasn't white and the truck had Fatty's face on it.
Fetterman has been betraying us loyal PA Dems for the last two years. I don't know if he will change parties, but I think he may as well have...he has sucked up to the Orange Monster (currently applauding himself after saying some yada yada yada--) every chance he gets. Also, he has insulted and avoided numerous people in the course of not doing his job. And now they have shown an ad to vote for McDonald or whatever the Connecticut Yankee is named, with Fetterman in his big ole hoodie saying he will always stand. for America and against "socialism"-- when PA people see that, they will be thrilled...he's a stroke victim, so maybe he is also had a complete personality change. Something happened to him and he is useless as a Democrat. I don't even wear my tee shirt from Fetterman's dog back in the day...
Speaking of advertisements, I saw a big billboard today telling people to vote for Republicans. Cuz they are standing against communism. Right in town. I'd say the party is a lying POS, except because the MAGA cult is as stupid as goldfish, the powers-that-be have hit on something that turns on the cult. Just say "socialism" or "communism" and they all wet their pants. Hard to counteract people that dumb.
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