October 2, 2026

Tennessee. Emily Cochrane of the New York Times: “Christa Pike was unconscious, intubated and on a ventilator in a Nashville hospital as of Thursday evening, a day after surviving a botched execution attempt, her lawyers said in a court filing[.] Ms. Pike was critically ill, they wrote in a Friday filing in Davidson County Chancery Court, and both of her arms were swollen, burned and blistered when she arrived at the hospital. Ms. Pike’s medical condition, some legal experts said, raises questions about whether the state could attempt to execute her again if she is not fully cognizant or capable of understanding what is happening. The disclosure is the most detailed update on Ms. Pike’s health since she survived two rounds of pentobarbital, the drug used as part of Tennessee’s lethal injection protocol, on Wednesday evening.” The link is a gift link.

Jeff Cox of CNBC: "The U.S. economy created far fewer jobs than expected in September, pointing to a surprising soft spot in the labor market and broader economy. Nonfarm payrolls rose a seasonally adjusted 29,000 for the month while the unemployment rate increased to 4.2%, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday. Economists surveyed by Dow Jones had been looking for job growth of 84,000 and an unemployment rate of 4.1%. In addition to the weakness in September, the August jobs count was revised lower to reflect a gain of 133,000 while July switched from a gain to a loss as payrolls fell by 10,000. The revisions in total showed 60,000 fewer jobs than previously reported." MB: The only thing good about this report is that it's bad for Trump & Assoc.

Asmaa Elkeurti & Claire Miller of the New York Times: “All American children will be automatically enrolled in Trump accounts for investing in the stock market, the Treasury Department announced this week.... In addition to Trump accounts (also known as 530As), families have two main options: 529s, which are for college savings, and custodial brokerage accounts, which are standard brokerage accounts in a child’s name (known as UTMA or UGMA accounts). Our calculator can help parents estimate which account would be worth the most when a child turns 18, if they started investing now. You can compare different scenarios here, and learn more about each account below.... In most cases, the differences in total savings aren’t huge, but there are important distinctions, like flexibility in how the money can be used and how it’s taxed. The 529 almost always wins because of the tax benefits for education savings. And a custodial account is more flexible than a Trump account for other savings goals.” Emphasis added. The calculator is included in the article. The link is a gift link.

Julian Barnes & Tyler Pager of the New York Times: Donald “Trump will give Jay Clayton, the director of national intelligence, an additional position focused on helping develop the administration’s policies and regulations on artificial intelligence, according to current and former officials. Mr. Trump said last month that he would create an 'AI “Czar’” as concerns grow about his administration’s approach to the technology. Amid broad political and public backlash against artificial intelligence, the administration is under pressure to develop new regulations or safety standards for the industry. But Mr. Trump has expressed skepticism of government regulations or any notion that A.I. research labs should slow down the development of new models.” The link is a gift link.

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Donald Trump Is a Corrupt Thief, an Autocrat & a Traitor. John Hudson of the Washington Post: “The Trump administration, acting in defiance of top Democrats on the House and Senate foreign affairs committees, has stripped tens of millions of dollars in U.S. military assistance from European and Middle Eastern countries and will give those funds instead to conservative-leaning governments in Latin America, three U.S. officials told The Washington Post. The State Department notified Congress of its intentions in September, prompting Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-New Hampshire) and Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-New York) to place a hold on the diversion of funds. Late Wednesday, the administration quietly notified Congress it was defying the hold and moving ahead, diverting to Panama, Peru, Ecuador and Colombia $52 million that had been approved for Slovakia, North Macedonia, Tunisia and Iraq, the officials said.... It is the latest move by the Trump administration to reduce U.S. spending or troop deployments in Europe and coincides with a Pentagon review that could result in a reduction and realignment of U.S. basing on the continent.” The link is a gift link. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Trump can't do this by himself. He has to have the cooperation of Scott Bessent, and most likely Marco Rubio, Russell Vought and others are aiding and abetting him. ~~~

     ~~~ (Update. Here, ProPublica fingers the "shadow president," the culprit behind many of "Trump"'s policies: "Under the second Trump administration, the White House has often ignored Congress to carry out its agenda. Entire agencies, like USAID, have been gutted. ICE has grown explosively. Behind it all is one man...: Russell Vought.") ~~~

~~~ AND There's This. Scott Nover of the Washington Post: “More than a year after the Trump administration attempted to dismantle Voice of America, it is paying an estimated $1.6 million a week to keep 420 of its staffers on administrative leave, according to July numbers revealed in a State Department inspector general report published earlier this week. The report paints perhaps the clearest picture yet of how much the Trump administration effort to shutter the government-funded news outlet has cost taxpayers — which, it said, did not conduct a detailed analysis of the impact or cost before making the cuts.... According to agency employees cited in the report, decisions on USAGM’s reorganization were made by personnel from the U.S. DOGE Service ... and USAGM’s political leadership, without the input of senior career officials at the agency.” 

Marie: Here is Time's full interview of Donald Trump, "lightly edited." I'm not going to read it. Nonetheless, I am prepared to endorse Patrick's description: "It is long. He is insane. But you knew that." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: By printing a transcript of the interview, Time has provided evidence of how unhinged Trump is. In view of the number of commentators who have homed in on his evident mental instability, I suspect the editors' intention was to provide a record. When they write that the transcript is "lightly edited," I think they mean they removed the "ah"s and "er"s. Unless you're a remarkably articulate extemporaneous speaker who can glide through complex material without making any of the common verbal pauses, you would want any editor to do the same for you. ~~~

     ~~~ Zachary Leeman of Mediaite lists what he calls "five wildest bombshell moments" from the interview. First among them, he's pissed off at the justices he appointed to the Supreme Court because he thinks they owe him "loyalty." MB: Here he's more mafioso than autocrat, IMO. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Nevertheless, Trump Remains One Scary, Lawless Autocrat. Ryan Mancini of the Hill: Donald “Trump said in an interview published Thursday that he has not ruled out invoking the Insurrection Act or declaring a national emergency around the midterm elections in November. 'I’m not committing to anything,' Trump said in an interview with Time when asked about the limits of his presidential power. 'We’re going to see how it plays out in court.'... The president has a history of threatening to deploy troops via the Insurrection Act of 1807....” (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Sir, Why Do You Think You're So Wonderful, Sir? Ryan Mancini of the Hill: Donald “Trump slammed Time’s staff during a lengthy interview published Thursday, where he ripped into them for not asking him 'one f‑‑‑ing positive question.'” (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Alex Woodward of the Independent: “... his answers routinely veer into the long-held grievances he blames for any negative outlook about the state of the country and his presidency: 'fake news,' 'lunatic' judges and former President Joe Biden. He appeared frustrated and defensive when presented with straight-forward questions dealing with issues at the top of mind for millions of Americans, including the widening cost of living and growing healthcare costs.... Asked how the so-called 'president of peace' would also call for the annihilation of an entire people, the president said ... 'Because by annihilating Iran, we've created peace in the world.... With Iran, I don't think you could ever have peace.'...

“TIME also reports that the president had learned about munitions supply shortages in The New York Times.... 'What the f*** is this?' Trump reportedly told Hegseth. The defense secretary allegedly told the president that the report, based on an assessment from the Pentagon’s own internal watchdog, was 'fake news.'... When told that his polls have 'never been lower,' Trump called them 'fake numbers.' 'I would beat anybody running today by 20 points,' he said. 'Your numbers that you have are fake. The pollsters are corrupt. They're almost as corrupt as the writers.'” (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Matt Novak of Gizmodo: “The president's new interview with Time magazine is just the latest evidence his brain is completely broken. Donald Trump has spent recent weeks insisting that AI data centers are fantastic and every American should want to have one in their community. The president has even claimed that they make everyone rich, teasing the idea of a 'dividend' that could be paid out in communities where they’re built. But ... the aspiring authoritarian leader admitted to Time magazine that he wouldn’t want to live next to a data center, echoing a common sentiment among Americans.... Trump suggested to Time that he might force the federal government to buy a significant stake in the AI companies as he did with Intel, and insisted several times that he wasn’t profiting from these deals.... Asked about ... cyberattacks, Trump seemed very confused.” MB: You might want to read the excerpt where Trump talks about his uncle. I think it would please Freudians who encourage their patients to free-associate. (Also linked yesterday.)

     ~~~ The Gold Lamé Must Stay: A Remarkable “Sir” Story. Dan Diamond of the Washington Post: “... Donald Trump said that Secret Service officials have encouraged him to replace the current Oval Office, according to a new interview with Time magazine. “‘Sir, we think the Oval Office should be taken down, and we’ll build a new one, sir,’” said Trump, quoting a Secret Service official. 'I said, “My ass, you can’t build a new one. This is a special place.’” The Secret Service has encouraged prior administrations to take steps to fortify the Oval Office, said four former officials.... Past presidents have declined to do so because it would require them to relocate.... In the Time interview, the president said he was exploring the possibility of a new federal designation for the Oval Office, which he suggested could protect the office from being torn down and preserve his changes to it....

“The White House is already designated a National Historic Landmark, a federally conferred status that is intended to offer protections against sudden changes. But Congress exempted the White House from the National Historic Preservation Act, which has allowed presidents ... to swiftly remake parts of the building when they assume office. 'The discussion of making it a landmark is legally meaningless,' said Greg Werkheiser, founding partner of Cultural Heritage Partners, a law firm focused on historical preservation. He also questioned why Trump was invoking historical preservation after disregarding it to tear down the White House’s East Wing, pave over the Rose Garden and make other changes.” (Also linked yesterday.)

     ~~~ “Only I Can Save It.” Amy Wang of the Washington Post: “... Donald Trump is refusing to rule out demolishing the Kennedy Center, which closed last month amid a legal battle over whether Trump can add his name to the building. 'I’m not committing to anything,' Trump said in an interview with Time magazine that published Thursday. 'We’re going to see how it plays out in court.' Trump and his allies have argued that the Kennedy Center was structurally unsafe and needed to be closed to undergo a two-year, $250 million renovation. Trump, however, has said he won’t allow renovations to start unless he can put his name on the building. 'It’s in terrible shape. I’d be willing to save it, but it’s in terrible, terrible shape. Only I can save it,' Trump told Time magazine.” (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: It seems as if Trump is threatening the courts; rule in my favor, or else. If elections don't turn out as he wants, he'll go to court. If the courts don't change election results to suit him, he'll invoke the Insurrection Act. If the courts don't rule in his favor and allow him to slap his name on the Kennedy Center, he'll tear it down.

Judge Issues “F-U, Trump” Order. Ryan Reilly of NBC News: “A D.C. Superior Court judge has permanently banned Jeanine Pirro’s office from bringing charges against a former Olympic canoeist over damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. Judge Todd Edelman entered an order on Thursday that dismissed the case with prejudice. Edelman cited the 'exceptional circumstances' of the case and said the government’s 'own representations make plain' that bringing another indictment against David 'Davey' Hearn 'is theoretical at best, and more likely, is simply fanciful.'

“[Donald] Trump, Edelman wrote, 'has criticized the decision of the Office of the United States Attorney to drop the case in the most vituperative terms; demanded that the government reinstitute the prosecution, in part because of Mr. Hearn’s political activity and the identity of one of his attorneys; and publicly entertained the possibility of firing the United States Attorney as a result of the dismissal.' Hearn, Edelman wrote, 'faces the unique possibility that the government will revive this case — one that it has already announced to be meritless — based on political pressure brought by the President of the United States upon his subordinate officers.' The government 'has no right to retain the ability to compound the errors it has already made, or even to threaten to do so, at Mr. Hearn’s expense,' Edelman wrote.” (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: You can read the order here. It's clear Judge Edelman carefully considered all of the aspects of this case, and found Donald Trump to be a malevolent actor who had the power to further curb Hearn's Constitutional rights and punish him should be exercise those rights. (Also linked yesterday.)

Scott Nover of the Washington Post: “The Trump administration bought advertising space on both CNN and MS NOW, running taxpayer-funded ads promoting ... Donald Trump, even as the president barred both cable networks from the White House grounds — bans that have been paused by a federal judge.... For two of the three advertisements in the campaign, the administration has bought ad space on CNN and MS NOW in local markets, according to data from AdImpact.” Thanks to RAS for the lead. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I don't mind a bit when stations I watch run political ads for candidates I would never support. The stations are businesses. I just mute the audio. But this is too much. These ads are produced and aired with money stolen from you and me. MS NOW & CNN are accepting cash stolen from their own viewers.

Erica Orden of Politico: “A federal judge on Thursday ruled that ... Donald Trump doesn’t have the power to fire court-appointed U.S. attorneys, rejecting a core tenet of the Trump administration’s approach to top prosecutorial jobs. 'The president cannot unilaterally fire a United States attorney appointed by the district court,' U.S. District Judge Stanley Bastian said in a ruling from the bench. Doing so, Bastian said, 'would upend the framework created by the Constitution and the statutes, which together balance the president’s right to appoint and the Senate’s right to confirm.' The Justice Department said it will ask an appeals court to temporarily block Bastian’s decision while it appeals the ruling. The ruling came in a lawsuit brought by Roger Rogoff, whom Trump purportedly fired from the job of U.S. attorney for the Seattle-area Western District of Washington immediately after the district’s federal judges appointed him to the role in July.” (Also linked yesterday.) 

Jennifer Scholtes of Politico: “Lawsuits challenging ... Donald Trump’s move to cancel $810 million in congressionally approved spending are piling up in courtrooms throughout the country as states and groups that receive federal dollars fight to keep the cash flowing.” (Also linked yesterday.) 

In an effort to rehabilitate the Republican convicted felon currently occupying (and destroying) the White House, his lackeys in the DOJ are trying to rehabilitate (an alleged! and pardoned!) Republican felon who formerly occupied the White House. ~~~

If you look at the story of how the deep state took down Richard Nixon, it’s not all that different from what the same groups of people, the same institutions tried to do to Donald Trump in the first Trump administration. -- Vice President JD Vance, at the Nixon Presidential Library, June 2026 ~~~ 

~~~ Rachel Dobkin of the Independent: "...  Donald Trump’s Department of Justice is now looking to see if Nixon-era special prosecutors committed misconduct in investigating the Watergate scandal.... More than 50 years [after the break-in of the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate apartments], Geoff Shepard, a former Nixon aide who has written books on Watergate, was invited last month to give a two-hour presentation to the DOJ’s Office of Professional Responsibility, an internal watchdog created out of the Watergate scandal, on allegations that the special prosecutor’s office that investigated the break-in committed misconduct, people familiar with the matter told The Wall Street Journal. A DOJ spokesperson confirmed to The Independent that Shepherd gave a presentation..., but said it does not mean an investigation has been opened." RAS linked the (firewalled) WSJ story yesterday. Update: This link to the WSJ story from Paul Campos in LG&$ appears to be a gift link. ~~~

     ~~~ Campos writes, "It’s just gaslighting and trolling 24/7, along with lunatic Orwell/Kafka historical re-writes." MB: I'm not sure it's gaslighting. I think hundreds of thousands of confederates like JayDee do think Nixon got a raw deal. And, as many have noted, Nixon might well have been impeached by a Democratic-led House, but today's Senate would not have convicted him.

Marie: Yesterday, I linked a Guardian story about Hegseth's little task force on the future of warfare. The story did not explain, and I did not know, just what sort of shenanigans the "leaders" of this gang of opportunists would get up to. So now, there's this: ~~~ 

~~~ Follow the Money. Aram Roston of the Guardian: “By installing the tech billionaires Elon Musk and Palmer Luckey to advisory roles in a Pentagon project about the future of warfare, the defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, bestowed extraordinary influence on two of Maga’s most significant campaign donors – and both men own companies that benefit from federal defense contracting. The new project, which Hegseth dubbed 'Project Meridian' in an event in Quantico, Virginia, on Wednesday, will be led by Pentagon official Emil Michael, a former Uber executive. As the Guardian has reported, Michael made millions in profits off non-public Musk company AI stock while in federal office – and while guiding the Department of Defense’s artificial intelligence efforts.... 

“Musk’s SpaceX has been a crucial contractor for US space programs since 2018, and in the second Trump administration his company has emerged as key player in Trump’s pet Golden Dome ballistic missile defense project, a phenomenally expensive effort that could cost as much as $1.2tn.... Initially a young celebrity in the tech world for inventing a virtual reality headset, Luckey later founded Anduril, a defense contracting company that has already won significant federal contracts. Luckey has also become of the most important 'bundlers' for Republican candidates on the west coast....” Luckey has already opined on what he thought future warfare would look like, and -- here's a surprise -- he's already working on prototypes of systems to do just that type of battle. ~~~

     ~~~  Tom McCay of Gizmodo has written quite a fine little piece, illuminating the news that "The Future of War Is These Four Jerks, Apparently: Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has tapped Newt Gingrich, Palmer Luckey, and Elon Musk to write a report on the future of warfare." MB: After running down the, ah, qualifications of this team of drivelers, he points out, the team will no doubt come back with a plan much like the one developed by "The Simpsons" before the end of the last century -- lending yet more evidence to my assertion yesterday that "We Are Witnesses to a Dark Comedy": ~~~

     ~~~ Chris Walker of TruthOut further outlines Musk's & Luckey's profound conflicts of interest. ~~~

     ~~~ Tom Nichols of the Atlantic accidentally reminds us he's a Republican when he approves one member of the team: Palmer Luckey. Thanks to akaWendy for this gift link. MB: Republicans just don't care much about Luckey's screaming conflicts of interest, as the other commentators I linked above all pointed out. 

Bureaucrats Who Sit at Their Desks (or in Conference Rooms!) Decide TSA Officers Must Stand Up All Day. Andrea Sachs of the Washington Post: “Transportation Security Administration officers who check passengers’ documents can no longer sit down on the job. The agency announced this week that it is removing chairs at this position in airports throughout the country, requiring staff members to stand for their shift. In a statement, TSA explained the reason as twofold: to ensure its employees meet its fitness standards and to create an amiable environment for travelers.... In a Facebook post, the American Federation of Government Employees TSA Council 100, the union that represents the officers, expressed concern over the agency’s 'consequential decision.' The ergonomic chairs, the union argued, provide safety and support for officers who stand and walk on hard surfaces for extended periods.

“'TSA is treating this matter like it is a privilege,' the union said in its statement. 'It is not; it is basic safety and common decency for the workforce.' Kathryn Sawyer, a board-certified orthopedic clinical specialist and assistant professor at Tufts University, said swapping sitting for standing can still be hard on the body, causing strain on feet, ankles and knees. Instead, she recommends an arrangement that allows the officers to frequently change positions.” MB: I can tell you just how effing “amiable” I would be if I had to stand in one place all day. 

Ann Marimow of the New York Times: “The Supreme Court on Thursday agreed to review the Trump administration’s policy of indefinitely detaining immigrants who crossed the border illegally years ago, signaling the court plans to weigh in on major pieces of ... [Donald] Trump’s aggressive deportation agenda as it begins its new term on Monday. The policy is a departure from past practice, when such migrants were generally allowed an opportunity to seek release after a hearing before a judge. The justices previously announced that they would fast-track a separate case testing the administration's policy of deporting immigrants to countries where they have no ties, including nations that have faced allegations of human rights abuses. Between the two cases, the justices will consider the legality of some of the most controversial aspects of the Trump administration’s efforts to rapidly expel millions of migrants living in the United States.” The link is a gift link. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I believe we're about to find out that six so-called justices are unfamiliar with the Bill of Rights. Due process? Whazzat? Habeas corpus? Latin for haricot beans with pork chops; delicious but irrelevant. ~~~

~~~ Akhilleus points to a ScotusBlog essay that helps solve the mystery of what the Supreme Court is up to. Maria Glover, a Georgetown law professor, demonstrates that a pattern of inconsistent decisions by the Supreme Court makes the case, as it were, that the Court is not so much in the bag for Trump as it is busily making the judiciary, or rather itself, the most important branch of government. Glover shows how the Court's recent ruling on election matters, for instance, or on who has standing, or even on matters of fact are almost whimsical, but that this whimsy is an assertion of power; it is a way of saying, "We're the Supremes, and we can do what we want." Sound familiar? (Also linked yesterday.)

Silvia Foster-Frau of the Washington Post: “The family of Renée Good, who was shot and killed by a federal immigration officer during the Trump administration’s enforcement surge in Minneapolis earlier this year, has sued the United States and officials for her death. The family filed two civil lawsuits Thursday seeking accountability for what they described as a wrongful use of force that resulted in Good’s death and a broader effort to undermine the rights of Minneapolis residents. 'Renee’s death was not an accident,' lawyers for Good’s family said in a statement. 'It was the predictable result of a coordinated campaign by senior officials in this administration to target Minnesotans of Somali or Hispanic origin and silence anyone who dared to raise their voice in protest.'... The lawsuits, filed by Romanucci & Blandin, a Chicago-based law firm, name as defendants White House and Department of Homeland Security officials, as well as Jonathan Ross, the ICE officer who fired at Good.” (Also linked yesterday.)

Michael Gold & Carl Hulse of the New York Times: “Republicans in Congress this week spent their last hours in the Capitol before the midterm elections pushing a series of meant-to-fail votes that they hoped could signal to voters that they were at least trying to address widespread concerns about the high cost of living.... But they emerged with no meaningful progress on a long list of issues weighing on their constituents.... Though polls have shown voters to be concerned with the economy, the cost of living, the war in Iran and government corruption, the Senate spent most of its final two weeks of floor time debating an expansive college sports bill that few thought would have much resonance on the campaign trail.

“Republicans’ marquee legislative achievements have been a sweeping tax cut and domestic policy bill that was so unpopular they tried to rename it; a tranche of funding for federal immigration enforcement efforts of which Americans are increasingly wary; and a substantial housing law that the president refused to sign and is unlikely to have an immediate impact on housing costs. G.O.P. leaders ... have spent most of their party’s two-year governing trifecta deferring to Mr. Trump....” The link is a gift link.

Marie: Jeff Bezos may be trying to ruin the Washington Post, but some of its remaining reporters (many of the top staff have left) still manage to do credible journalism, and sometimes they even get results that matter. ~~~ 

Saved from Trump by the Washington Post.

~~~ Stephanie Apstein & Jake Spring of the Washington Post: “Major League Baseball has abandoned a proposal to build a ballpark in Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Park. League officials had approached the Trump administration about the viability of playing a game at the national park, and a National Park Service official had scouted potential locations. After The Washington Post reported on the proposal, local leaders sent letters on Monday to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred expressing 'strong opposition' to the idea. Manfred said in a Thursday letter that 'it has become clear the local community does not want us to continue evaluating Grand Teton National Park as a potential site.'”

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Georgia Elections. Jacob Knutson of Democracy Docket: “Georgia’s Republican-controlled election board invited the Department of Justice (DOJ) Thursday to declare the state’s voting system unlawful before the upcoming midterm elections. In a letter Thursday, State Election Board (SEB) Executive Director James Mills (R) asked the DOJ to 'prohibit' the state’s use of voting machines previously certified by the federal government. Mills also asked the DOJ to 'set a binding six-month deadline' to force the state to phase out machines that he asked it to deem illegal. The request is an extraordinary assault on Georgia’s voting system by unelected officials appointed to make and enforce the state’s election rules. It was also sent despite several SEB members — including the chairman — denouncing federal involvement in state election procedures. The DOJ lacks the legal authority to declare voting machines unlawful or unilaterally seize voting equipment, as the U.S. Constitution gives state and local officials the power to administer elections.”

New York. Santul Nerkar, et al., of the New York Times: “Gov. Kathy Hochul has named Letitia James, the New York State attorney general, to serve as special prosecutor to investigate a woman’s allegation that she was raped in a fraternity house near Cornell University’s campus in October 2024. In a post on X on Thursday night, Ms. Hochul said that she would be assigning Ms. James, who had already begun a review of the way law enforcement handled the matter, to oversee the investigation in Tompkins County. 'New information has raised serious questions about how this case was handled, and I’ve lost faith in the Tompkins County D.A.’s ability to fairly oversee it,' Ms. Hochul said.... 'The young woman at the center of this case deserves to know that every fact will be examined and justice pursued.'...

“In a lawsuit filed last month, the woman said that when she was a 20-year-old sophomore, she was plied with alcohol and drugs and then raped by several men at the [Chi Phi] fraternity house. She reported the incident to the Cornell University Police Department several weeks later, but no criminal charges were filed. At the heart of the criticism [of law enforcement] has been the revelation that the woman, in her statements to the police, said that she could say 'with 100 percent confidence I was raped.' [Matthew] Van Houten, [the Tompkins County district attorney,] has said that his office primarily reviewed a six-page report provided by Cornell police, which omitted the definitive language detailed in a transcription of her interview with investigators.” The link is a gift link. ~~~

Hurubie Meko of the New York Times: A Cornell University sophomore “spoke for hours with [a campus police] officer, telling him how what began as a consensual sexual encounter with a man she liked spiraled into a prolonged drug-fueled attack by several men inside the Chi Phi fraternity house.... 'There was really no escape,' she said.... 'I can say with 100 percent confidence I was raped.'... The officer then condensed the interview into a six-page 'voluntary statement' written from her perspective.... The student, after leaving about 20 handwritten corrections on a draft, signed a final version the next day. While the shorter statement explained that she felt some of that night’s events were a crime, it omitted some of the more forceful and definitive language she used. And it was missing her unequivocal statement that she had been raped.” The link is a gift link. ~~~ 

     ~~~ Marie: This is why you don't have a male police officer interview a possible female victim of sexual assault -- and it also is probably the reason campus police supervisors chose a male officer to take Jane Doe's statement. They wanted the case to go away. ~~~ 

     ~~~ New York Times reporters comb through pages of records accumulated during a university review of the accusations. The link is a gift link.

If you favor the death penalty, this might cause you to think again: ~~~ 

~~~~ Tennessee. Emily Cochrane of the New York Times: “Christa Pike remained in critical condition at a Nashville hospital on Thursday after surviving a botched execution that resulted from what her lawyers said was the state of Tennessee’s failure to heed warnings about its lethal injection protocol. Little was known about her condition, other than that she was being given 'lifesaving care.' It is the first time in the modern era of capital punishment that someone received an execution drug and survived, the nonpartisan Death Penalty Information Center said. Randy Spivey, one of her lawyers, described what he said was a 'torturous' experience in the execution chamber, where Ms. Pike’s left arm was pierced by at least seven needles, her right arm turned purple, and she spoke about a burning sensation. At one point, he said, Ms. Pike tried to help her executioners. She asked them to “‘please try up on my shoulder higher,’” he recalled.” The link is a gift link. ~~~

     ~~~ Let's See What the President* Thinks. Emily Goodin of the New York Post: Donald “Trump expressed disbelief about Christa Pike’s botched execution.... 'How does that happen?,' Trump said. 'Should be easy to do. It shouldn’t be very difficult.'”

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Iran/Israel/U.S. Pranav Baskar, et al., of the New York Times: “Confidential data shared with The New York Times by a Western security official ... shows that Iran has been launching dozens of drones and missiles at commercial ships in the [Strait of Hormuz] each week, largely out of the public eye, though it has often failed to strike its targets. And on Wednesday, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps for the first time appeared to confirm it was behind the near-daily sounds of explosions heard from Iran’s southern coast, saying it was striking targets in the Strait of Hormuz every 24 hours. 'We prevent them from passing, but for some time now, America has not responded,' a spokesman for the Revolutionary Guards said in a state news interview. The aggression shows that even as oil exports from the Middle East have rebounded in recent weeks, shipping through the waterway remains risky, as Iran jostles to keep control of one of its biggest sources of leverage.... At least four commercial ships have been hit by Iran in the past 10 days, the official said.” The link is a gift link. ~~~

~~~ Anniek Rao of CNBC: "The U.S. is reportedly sending a third aircraft carrier strike group to the Middle East, along with an amphibious force carrying 2,000 Marines, raising stakes for an escalation in the months-long conflict. The deployment comes as ... Donald Trump has signaled an intention to resume strikes on Iran after the November midterm elections. The USS Theodore Roosevelt group and the Makin Island force have left San Diego, a U.S. official told Al Jazeera. Separately, the Wall Street Journal reported the full buildup is expected to be complete by November. Trump recently told aides that he expects to resume bombing Iran that same month, according to the newspaper."

Ukraine/Russia. Time for Some Massive War Crimes. Constant Méheut of the New York Times: “For months, Ukrainian officials have warned people to brace for what could be their hardest winter at war. Russia, they said, would use its ever more powerful weapons to try to cripple the country’s power grid. The first big strike was expected later this fall, with the first bite of cold. Russia did not wait that long. Before dawn on Wednesday, missiles and drones slammed into a large thermal power plant and other energy facilities, shaking the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, with explosions. By morning, several neighborhoods were without power and water. The attack, Ukrainian officials said, marked the opening salvo of a new campaign to plunge Ukrainian cities into cold and darkness, with the ultimate goal of breaking people’s morale and crippling the war effort. Russia has waged similar campaigns each year, with mixed results, but it is approaching this winter armed with stocks of ballistic missiles and jet-powered drones that Ukraine has struggled to intercept. The scale of Russia’s ambition to freeze Ukrainians into submission is evident in a document that the Ukrainian energy minister, Denys Shmyhal, showed to European partners in Paris two weeks ago....” The link is a gift link.