October 21, 2026

Tomo Chien of L.A. Material: “When the Department of Justice unveiled voter fraud charges against 28 defendants in California on Monday morning, it summoned a media circus, news helicopters and all, to the Commerce home of 72-year-old Omar Muñoz, who is accused of voting in five elections despite not being a citizen. Within minutes of his arrest, Muñoz’s perp-walk photos were plastered in the California Post and touted on Truth Social by ... [Donald] Trump, who has repeatedly claimed that Democrats are cheating in elections by allowing noncitizens to vote. Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson posted a statement claiming that 'the playbook for Democrats and their Marxist pals is clear: Reopen the border. Allow millions of illegals into America. Let them vote in our elections.' But Muñoz ... is actually a registered Republican, according to voter records.... Of the 12 people who prosecutors allege were illegally registered to vote in L.A. County, just one is a registered Democrat. Among the others, five are listed as no party preference, two are Republicans, and one belongs to the socialist Peace and Freedom Party. Four do not appear at all in databases of active California voters under the names, ages, and cities of residence listed by the DOJ.” Thanks to RAS for the link.

Elisabetta Povoledo of the New York Times: “Pope Leo XIV will need no further treatment after his surgery for lung cancer, his doctors announced on Wednesday. The pope’s personal doctor and the surgeon who removed a lower lobe of the pope’s right lung at Gemelli Hospital in Rome on Oct. 13 said in a statement that follow-up tests confirmed that the cancer was localized.” The link is a gift link.

JayDee is “Disgusted” with Republicans Who Condemn Sick Attack Ad. Megan Brand of NBC News: “Vice President JD Vance told Republicans to 'stop whining' about Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy’s controversial ad featuring his Democratic opponent Amy Acton’s estranged mother. 'Politics is a tough business, and my message to my fellow elected Republicans is if you actually believe in the things you say you believe in, stop whining about an advertisement and go win the race in 13 days,' Vance told reporters on Wednesday in Cincinnati.... 'I have to admit that I’m a little bit disgusted when I see Republicans across the country who are whining more about that advertisement than they are about what the congressional Democrats and other Democrats want to do to the United States of America,' he said.” Here's more from Mediaite. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: This is a stomach-churning exploitative ad. Ramaswamy and JayDee are as disturbed as the mother who allowed her children to be abused and now is victimizing one of them again. JayDee is fine with this. Vivek is doubling down on it. I don't care why JayDee & Vivek are twisted misogynists. But we need to let JayDee get back to his relationship with his couch ASAP & Vivek to his many other interests. 

Marie: There a number of important links in this morning's Comments; I'll try to get to some of them later, but they're available right now! Update: here's one: ~~~

Priya Sridhar of MS NOW reports on the entirely foreseeable attack on the U.S. Naval installation in Bahrain. The chaotic evacuation of military families was harrowing & preventable. Sometimes "they really don't know what they're doing" is funny. Here it decidedly is not. Thanks to RAS for the link.

Former Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin in a New York Times op-ed on the potential economic impact of more Trumpian election interference: "There is ... the possibility that the election will be, like so much else over the past two years, chaotic at best and lawless at worst. From amplifying false claims of fraud and slashing defenses against foreign meddling in our elections to attempting to bully states into using an error-prone database to purge voter registrations, the Trump administration has already thrown up obstacles to fair and free midterm elections. There are widespread fears Mr. Trump and his allies could go further, including by sending armed federal agents to polling locations, seizing ballot boxes and exploiting a procedural loophole involving the clerk of the House that could enable them to refuse to seat duly elected Democratic members when the new Congress convenes on Jan. 3. If the Trump administration launches an effort to manipulate the outcome of the midterms, the economic impact [of the diminished rule of law] could be felt immediately, and it could last long after Mr. Trump’s presidency ends.” The link is a gift link.

He's Not Gay; He's a Nazi! Paul Waldman: "Trump has always been interested in the physical appearance of both women and men, which until recently one could put down to his belief that politics is a show that requires casting conventionally attractive people. But in the last year or so ... he has been talking more and more about handsome men and their bodies.... Meanwhile, wherever possible Republicans charge their Democratic opponents with being gay, like fifth-grade bullies mocking the smaller kids on the playground.... [Nevertheless,] Trump is hardly the only one on the right ogling muscly men.... But it isn’t quite homoerotic, because it isn’t erotic. Instead, it falls within a long tradition of fascist aesthetics, clothed in Trump’s allergy to subtlety or subtext.... A key part of the fascist aesthetic is that the perfect man is de-sexualized.... The prominent men of MAGA and the manosphere [-- including Trump --] do want to sleep with women, but mostly as a way of outdoing other men.... Once you realize how anti-erotic the iconography and rhetoric of today’s conservative movement is, you begin to see it everywhere.... For instance, last year, government accounts began posting a variety of white supremacy-tinged memes, including some featuring fair-haired, square-jawed young men.... [The images] were directly evocative of Nazi propaganda imagery in which Hitler’s government promoted the image of the perfect Aryan man." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: An interesting read. I'm not quite convinced yet, but I could become a believer. 

Liam Stack of the New York Times: “Brad Lander, a Democratic House nominee in New York City, was detained on Wednesday in the West Bank by the Israeli military [link fixed] while he participated in an international delegation to harvest olives alongside Palestinian farmers. Mr. Lander shared news of his detention on social media, where he posted a photo of himself on a bus and said he was with a group of rabbis and other volunteers. In a phone interview, he said he had been detained for roughly three hours and then released, but that dozens of Israeli and international participants in the solidarity mission remained in custody. 'I was eventually released and I was told I was being given a warning, that my actions were illegal and wrong, and that we had created a public disturbance and gone where we weren’t supposed to go,' Mr. Lander said in an interview.... 'The rabbis and others are still there in detention and we don’t know — obviously they’re under threat of deportation, and all we were doing was harvesting olives,' he added.” The link is a gift link.

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Demented Old Guy Threatens, Berates Reporter for Asking Questions During a Press Availability. Jessica Botelho of the National News Desk, published by WGME, Portland, Maine: "... Donald Trump clashed with at least one reporter during a heated Oval Office exchange on Tuesday.... The confrontation came as Trump took questions from reporters at the White House. The president grew visibly irritated during the exchange and questioned the reporter directly.... 'What's wrong with you?' Trump asked. 'Are you a sick person?' 'Not that I know of, sir' the reporter replied. 'I actually think there's something wrong with you,' Trump said.... Trump told [Andrew] Feinberg [of the Independent] to 'be careful' after Feinberg questioned why a new whistleblower program offered a 1% commission when the False Claims Act can award whistleblowers at least 10%." Watch the video. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Perhaps more remarkable than Trump's threat & abuse of Feinberg was his "Rapid Response Team"'s manner of "confirming" the identity of the reporter: '@POTUS absolutely roasts Mongoloid Moron @AndrewFeinberg for his disgraceful behavior'." As Art Intel says, "using this term [-- Mongoloid --] to describe someone with Down syndrome is considered offensive, inaccurate, and is strictly avoided in modern medicine and public discourse, as noted by the Merriam-Webster definition & Oxford English Dictionary." Watch the video. ~~~

~~~ Dictator Dreams. Maggie Haberman & Jonathan Swan of the New York Times: “In late August, during one of Karoline Leavitt’s final meetings with ... [Donald] Trump in the Oval Office, he ... told her to move reporters out of the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room, which would effectively remove news organizations from the White House. It would be, he told her, her 'last legacy.' But the proposal never moved forward while she was there. The president had put the request to her several times over months.... Ms. Leavitt officially stepped down as White House press secretary on Aug. 27.... While moving the media out of the White House may be a relatively small debate considering Mr. Trump’s attacks on journalists more broadly, it would be highly symbolic.... A growing number of people around him favor the idea.  The proximity of the media to the seat of U.S. executive power has long been an acknowledgment of the importance of a free press in a constitutional democracy.” The link is a gift link. ~~~

~~~ MEANWHILE. Dominick Mastrangelo of the Hill: “CNN is threatening ... [Donald] Trump’s Department of Justice (DOJ) with further legal action if the White House continues blocking the network from performing its duties in pool rotation. In a letter to the DOJ this week, CNN’s attorney Ted Boutrous wrote 'these efforts to retaliate and discriminate against CNN based on the content of its news coverage are mistaken, counterproductive, and unlawful,' the outlet reported. Boutrous argued that certain White House spaces the West Wing has attempted to block CNN from 'belong not to any particular president or administration but to all Americans.' He added that 'CNN and other members of the press serve as surrogates for the public when covering the White House.'” ~~~

~~~ It's Going to Get Worse. Zachary Leeman of Mediaite: “The White House is reportedly turning into a 'toxic mix of jockeying for power and preemptive finger-pointing' in the days leading up to the midterm elections, and officials fear a “rampage” from ... Donald Trump should Republicans lose.... 'It’s more brutal than any other situation in modern times in the White House,' a Trump ally [told CNN]. 'You can’t trust anybody here.'”~~~

~~~ As for the story of Trump's angry outburst at Andrew Feinberg for asking a question about Trump's fraudbuster award, it naturally brings to mind ~~~

~~~ Malcolm Ferguson of the New Republic, republished by Yahoo! News: Donald "Trump is offering up to $30,000 to anyone who calls in a tip pertaining to government fraud — all while turning a blind eye to the fraud being committed by his administration. Trump made the announcement about the Justice Department's new $25 million anti-fraud program on Tuesday afternoon alongside Vice President JD Vance, White House adviser Stephen Miller, Dr. Mehmet Oz, and right-wing provocateur Nick Shirley. Trump explained the new program while handing a $10,000 check to Shirley, a 24-year-old YouTuber who gained notoriety for a shoddy investigation into Somali daycare centers in Minnesota that led to an increase in racist attacks on that community, culminating in the recent raid on the home of Somali American Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Ferguson seems to be a generous fellow. He helpfully passes along some tips you might want to send to Fraud.gov in hopes of collecting $30,000: oddly enough, Ferguson's tips finger members of the Trump administration, including the biggest fraudster of all, Donald himself.

Luke Broadwater of the New York Times: As Donald “Trump said on Tuesday that he had asked President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia to release Stephen James Hubbard, a Michigan teacher who was seized from his home in Ukraine months after Russia invaded that country in February 2022. The United States has maintained that the charges against Mr. Hubbard are fabricated. Accused of being a mercenary, he was sentenced to more than six years in a penal colony. 'I’ve been talking to President Putin about Mr. Hubbard,' Mr. Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. 'I’ve been talking to him at length. I’ve asked him to release him. Let’s see what happens.'” The link is a gift link. ~~~

     ~~~ Update. Victoria Craw of the Washington Post: “U.S. citizen Stephen Hubbard, who was held by Russia since 2022, has been released, Russian state media reported Wednesday. Trump envoy Steve Witkoff thanked Putin for releasing Hubbard, according to Russian media. It comes a day after ... Donald Trump said he had been speaking to Putin about Hubbard’s release.... Hubbard was released at a moment when Russia and Ukraine appear to be in a fierce tug of war for the Trump administration’s favor.... This is a developing story and will be updated.” ~~~

     ~~~ Update 2. David Sanger, et al., of the New York Times: “Praising President Vladimir V. Putin as a 'humanitarian,' the Trump administration envoy Steve Witkoff on Wednesday thanked the Russian leader in St. Petersburg for releasing an American man held for over four years on what the State Department called fabricated charges. The release came after ... [Donald] Trump made a direct appeal to Mr. Putin to let the 74-year-old teacher, Stephen James Hubbard, return to the United States. Russia had accused Mr. Hubbard of being a Ukrainian mercenary. 'You talk so much about my president, President Trump, being a humanitarian,' Mr. Witkoff told Mr. Putin. 'You are a humanitarian also, sir, and I salute that.' The Russian leader, who started a war of aggression against Ukraine that has led to the deaths of tens of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers and civilians, is wanted as a war criminal by the International Criminal Court. Mr. Trump, who has repeatedly expressed sympathies for strongmen and parroted Kremlin talking points, has long made clear his disdain for the I.C.C. Mr. Witkoff’s embrace of Mr. Putin capped a tumultuous 12 days in which Mr. Trump has repeatedly sided with Russia and sidelined Ukraine.... Mr. Witkoff, over repeated visits to Moscow, has raised eyebrows in Kyiv for his what critics call his at times fawning behavior toward Mr. Putin.” The link is a gift link.~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Look at that: Witless's groveling before a mass murderer is too much for even the circumspect reporters of the New York Times. At least we know there is a line: don't call a murdering despot a humanitarian or the Times will insinuate with proximate facts that you are full of it.

A'Campaigning He Will Go. Natalie Allison of the Washington Post: “... Donald Trump’s political groups are no longer spending big money [in North Carolina] to help his chosen Senate candidate. Other national Republican groups have effectively given up on the high-profile race in a state Trump won three times. But Trump still visited here Tuesday night to rally with Michael Whatley, the Republican nominee, who is trailing his opponent, Democratic former governor Roy Cooper. It’s the latest instance of the president lending his time — if not much cash — to try to boost turnout among his supporters for candidates he personally likes. After Senate Republicans’ top super PAC canceled tens of millions of dollars of ad spending in support of Whatley at the start of the month, a nonprofit associated with Trump has in the last week put just over $2 million into the race.... At least six protesters were escorted out of Trump’s rally Tuesday by security, continuing a recent pattern of demonstrators shouting to interrupt his events.” ~~~

     ~~~ During the rally, Trump returned -- once again -- to reveries about Jon Husted's ass. ~~~

     ~~~ TMZ asks Pete Buttigieg about Republicans' machismo fetish, and his answers are excellent. ~~~

~~~ Maegan Vazquez of the Washington Post: “... Donald Trump railed against Democrats as anti-Christian extremists, comparing them at a rally Monday night to the 'jihadists' and 'radicals' whom he blamed for destructive protests in France and asserting that the state’s Democratic Senate candidate, a pastor, 'openly mocks Jesus.' Trump was in Kansas to support several Republicans on the ballot, especially Sen. Roger Marshall, who faces a surprisingly tight reelection race in a state that has not elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1932. Marshall, a physician and first-term senator, faces Adam Hamilton, a Methodist pastor. The dead heat that polls show in their race highlights the immense risks that Trump’s party faces in the midterm elections now two weeks away. Before Trump arrived, Hamilton’s campaign published a video of the Democratic candidate welcoming the president to the state and saying he’d always be willing to 'sit down and have a civil conversation' with him. But at Monday night’s rally, Marshall and Trump lobbed attacks at the Democrat.” (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Riley Beggin of the Washington Post: “The Trump administration plans to dole out $8 billion in aid to farmers, a key Republican constituency that has been buffeted by economic problems ahead of the midterm elections. The U.S. Department of Agriculture will provide the payments to farmers who have experienced losses 'to offset diesel costs during this harvest season,' Trump announced at a rally in Kansas on Monday night.... The plan marks the second time in a year that the Trump administration has provided direct payments to farmers. Earlier this year, the Agriculture Department began $12 billion in payments as part of the Farmer Bridge Assistance program, intended to help farmers with diminished exports caused by the president’s trade wars. The cost of diesel has skyrocketed over the last year as a result of the Iran war, which the U.S. started with Israel in February, and the continued war between Russia and Ukraine. The average cost of diesel is now $6.32 per gallon, according to AAA, nearly double the price this time last year.”

New York Times Editors: “Desperate to reduce gas prices before the midterms, [Donald Trump] is now helping Mr. Putin wage war.... He is aiding an autocratic leader and dangerous adversary of the United States who is waging a brutal war against a democratic neighbor. Mr. Trump is doing so partly in the faint hope that gas prices, which have jumped because of his reckless war in Iran, will fall over the next two weeks and help Republicans avoid big losses in the midterm elections.... The stakes in Ukraine are much larger than the fate of one nation. The war is a test of whether authoritarian expansion can succeed by military force in the 21st century — or whether the West can rally to protect democracy and innocent lives.... A functional Congress would quickly pass legislation constraining Mr. Trump, on both Russian sanctions and Ukraine’s satellite access.... Seeing the West as weak and divided, Mr. Putin has started a campaign of barely disguised attacks and provocations against other parts of Europe.... The people of Ukraine ... are fighting a battle that benefits the entire free world. Mr. Trump is fighting only for himself.” The link is a gift link. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: It sure took the Times editors a long time to get around to issuing this mild rebuke. That isn't "responsible journalism." It's cowardice. ~~~

~~~ David Lurie in Public Notice: “... last week, Trump gave up any pretense of being a 'mediator' in Russia’s War on Ukraine, and openly threw in his lot with Putin. The dire significance of Trump’s actions can’t be minimized. Trump has declared his desire to make the United States an ally in Russia’s ever more brutal effort to annihilate Ukraine.... But there may be a silver lining in a very dark cloud: Ukraine’s true supporters are being forced to face facts many have long avoided.... Many have clung to the false proposition that pandering and supplication could induce Trump to change his mind and support Ukraine....The false notion that Trump was not fully committed to Putin also allowed many Republican supporters of Ukraine to justify looking the other way while Trump uttered his endearments to the Russian dictator.” Read on. Lurie makes mincemeat of Jarhead & Witless (& takes down the WashPo's David Ignatius while he's at it). (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

The Wall Street Journal Advances the Story. Zachary Leeman of Mediaite: “Elon Musk ordered a 'slowdown' to Starlink in Ukraine that set off a 'panic' in the country and 'confusion inside' the Trump administration[, according to a Wall Street Journal report on Tuesday.... According to U.S. officials and three people familiar with the situation, 'Elon Musk ordered the slowdown of a military-grade version of Starlink relied on by Ukraine.... Last week, Musk reportedly 'capped the speeds at which Ukrainian hardware could stay connected to the satellite-based network,' making many drones useless to the country.... The president reportedly spoke to the billionaire tech mogul in a call after a 'disruption' in Ukraine’s service became public. One of the people discussing the situation suggested Trump and Musk discussed the decision beforehand.” ~~~

     ~~~ Jennifer Jacobs of CBS News: "A decision by Elon Musk led to restrictions on Ukraine's use of SpaceX's satellite communications network, people familiar with the matter told CBS News.... Musk held multiple conversations with administration officials leading up to the order, the sources said. He wanted clarity on the president's thinking on the matter.... It's not clear how Musk's order to curtail service was executed.... Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Tuesday the Pentagon has not manipulated the service." MB: When all of the major players -- Trump, Musk, Marco, Drunk Pete --are liars, it's pretty difficult to find out what the truth is. ~~~

~~~ Heather Cox Richardson Compares Musk to Benedict Arnold: “Musk’s decision to change the course of a war with 'a seeming flick of a switch,' taking it upon himself, with or without the complicity of White House officials, to reverse the foreign policy of the United States of America for the benefit of Russia’s president Vladimir Putin, is a stunning assumption of power reminiscent of Revolutionary War general Benedict Arnold’s weakening of the Americans’ defenses and draining of supplies at the strategic fort at West Point to enable the British to capture it before he was discovered and defected to the British Army. Another lens through which to see this story is the apparent eagerness of White House officials to turn Musk into a scapegoat for a decision they were happy to endorse until it blew up in their faces. Richardson cites “four stories, just from today, [that] encapsulate the administration’s betrayal of U.S. national security, its corruption, and its disregard for the welfare of Americans. It’s not a great record to run on, and the leaks from the administration show that at least some insiders are aware of how unpopular and dangerous that record is.” ~~~

~~~ Francesca Ebel of the Washington Post: “Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that U.S. intelligence sharing with Ukraine had been restored Tuesday, following a meeting with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff in Oslo. 'I’m speaking about the early warning. That is very important for our people, for children, adults, civilians, because we can know when a ballistic is coming. So we are thankful to American side. Now it works,' he said. The meeting, hosted by Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store, and attended by Finnish President Alexander Stubb and representatives from Britain, the European Union and NATO, followed a dramatic deterioration of relations between Kyiv and Washington, after Trump lifted some sanctions on Russia this month, announced a diesel deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin and embraced Moscow at a time when Ukraine needs all the help it can get.... Jared Kushner ... joined the meeting by video link.” ~~~

Inna Maryukhna & her daughter Anelina.
Killed by Musk, Putin & Co.

     ~~~ Hanna Arhirova & Barry Hatton of the AP, published by PBS News: "In other developments, Russia unleashed another missile and drone blitz of civilian areas in Ukraine, killing at least nine people, officials said, as Zelenskyy sought more American and European help." MB: Very humanitarian, hey, Witless? ~~~

     ~~~ Paul Krugman: "In Memoriam." The Telegraph story Krugman cites is firewalled, but you can read a story by the Independent.

Nest of Vipers Agreed to Steal Venezuelan Natural Resources. Cate Brown, et al., of ProPublica: “In late August..., Donald Trump announced what he called the 'biggest oil deal in world history.' Since then, the full text of the accord — which grants the U.S. sweeping access to Venezuela’s oil reserves — has been one of the most sought-after secrets in Washington, D.C.  ProPublica has reviewed a copy of the 18-page strategic partnership agreement signed for the United States by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The document reveals carefully constructed terms that favor U.S. interests at every turn and cements the power of a small group of people handpicked by the Trump administration to govern and profit from the deal. The role of the Venezuelan government and the potential benefits to its people are largely absent from the text.

“One of the most criticized aspects of Trump’s announcement has been his choice of a partner: Alejandro Betancourt, a globe-trotting Venezuelan oligarch who has faced money-laundering investigations in three countries. The Trump administration is taking a 35% stake in Betancourt’s firm.... Orlando Alvarado, a name not disclosed by the Trump administration as a party to the accord, signed the agreement on behalf of the parent company, alongside Betancourt, Hegseth and Rubio.... According to the Miami Herald, federal prosecutors identified Alvarado as an unindicted co-conspirator in a scheme to embezzle money from Venezuela’s national oil company.... Key aspects of the plan differ from the Trump administration’s public pronouncements.”

Talking Trash. Rick Maese & Grey Battle of the Washington Post: Donald “Trump has made the condition of the 124-year-old municipal golf property [on the Potomac] central to his case for remaking it into a championship course. In recent days, he and his administration have repeatedly highlighted one particularly evocative example of what they say ails East Potomac: a patch of land they call 'Trash Island.' Early Tuesday, Trump posted roughly two dozen photographs of East Potomac to his social media platform — some more than once — showing piles of logs and fencing, drainage problems, deteriorating infrastructure and overgrown portions of a property he claimed he would turn into 'an Island of Beauty and Success.' The true picture is more complicated: an aging municipal course with genuine infrastructure problems, but also one that has undergone significant improvements and remains heavily used.

“Start with Trash Island. It is not an island. It is not awash in trash. And people familiar with course operations said they had never heard anyone call it Trash Island until recent weeks.... Gus Johnson, a 67-year-old retiree, has played East Potomac for more than 20 years.... Sure, the course could use improvements, he said, but he has watched its fairways and greens steadily get better in recent years. What bothered him Tuesday were some of the most conspicuous changes to the landscape: trunks and limbs from hundreds of recently cut trees piled around the property and, alongside the White Course, a giant mound of dirt excavated from the White House grounds for Trump’s new ballroom.” MB: IOW, Trump had trash dumped on or near the fairways, then complained about the trash. Like the man who murders his parents & asks for mercy because he's an orphan.

Dan Diamond of the Washington Post: “The Trump administration is spending at least $343,100 on video cameras to monitor several of ... Donald Trump’s construction projects, federal records show, after the president falsely accused 'vandals' of causing the widespread damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.... 'It’s a good example of how public agencies are just lighting taxpayer dollars on fire these days in service of Trump’s whims and lies,' said Rep. Jared Huffman (California), the top Democrat on a House committee that oversees the national parkland where the Reflecting Pool, the planned triumphal arch and other Trump projects are located. ”

Among the many destructive and perhaps irreparable legacies of Donald Trump is this one: ~~~

~~~ Chico Harlan of the New York Times: “The United States’ 'abandonment' of a crucial climate pledge has increased the odds that the world will warm more than previously estimated, according to a United Nations scientific report released Wednesday. The U.N.’s annual Emissions Gap Report is considered a definitive assessment of global progress on climate change. It identified the United States as an outlier among the industrialized nations that are responsible for most planet-warming pollution. Among the Group of 20 industrialized nations, the report noted, emissions overall had slowed down in 2025, 'with the United States of America being the major exception.' That came after a year of rising electricity demand from the rapid construction of data centers to serve artificial intelligence, as well as a cold North American winter that prompted more fossil fuel use for heating. But the United States’ most consequential action, in terms of the global effect on climate change, has been to abandon its pledge to cut its emissions that was made in 2024 under President Joseph R. Biden Jr.” The link is a gift link.

Thomas Edsall of the New York Times: “Throughout his three presidential campaigns, [Donald Trump] claimed again and again to be the savior of working-class America. Those claims, however, mask his real agenda: to protect and enhance the wealth and income of the superrich — most importantly himself — while leaving driblets behind for the struggling working class.” Edsall goes on to document how Trump's regressive policies have led to an increase in income inequality. Edsall relies upon input from economists. He concludes, “What remains worrisome is how this godawful man will react to a severe rebuke on Election Day, Nov. 3., with two years still to go on his presidency. He has, after all, devoted much of his adult life to seeking revenge against those who dissed him, and on Nov. 4 the target of his lust for vengeance may well be the American voter.” The link is a gift link.

Habba Dabba Doo! Your “Justice” Department at Work. Tyler Pager of the New York Times: “Julio Herrera Velutini..., a billionaire banker from a prominent Venezuelan family..., faced felony bribery charges in the United States and struck an unusually lenient plea deal in August 2025 for a misdemeanor campaign finance violation. But he felt that reduced charge was still a stain on his record. So Mr. Herrera deployed his lawyer, Christopher M. Kise, the former Florida solicitor general who was on Mr. Trump’s personal legal team, to help with a plea for clemency. His 27-year-old daughter, Isabela Herrera, who is an American citizen, donated $3.5 million to a super PAC tied to Mr. Trump. But as of last fall, the pardon remained elusive. Then the Herrera family hired Alina Habba, who had been one of Mr. Trump’s personal lawyers and at the time was an adviser at the Justice Department. They offered her $10 million a year for four years along with a range of bonuses. In total, including bonuses, she was guaranteed more than $50 million over four years....

“Under the agreement, Ms. Habba would become general counsel at Concord Partners, a company that Ms. Herrera set up in late October 2025 in Florida. The company has no public profile and its business remains unclear.... Ms. Habba finalized her deal days after the company was registered, while she was still serving as U.S. attorney in New Jersey. She formally began her work for Concord Partners on Jan. 1. Weeks later, Mr. Trump granted Mr. Herrera a full and unconditional pardon. By then, Ms. Habba was a senior adviser to Attorney General Pam Bondi, overseeing U.S. attorneys.” The link is a gift link. MB: Not to make too fine a point of it, but -- to one degree or another -- the POTUS* is once again the Big Grifter here. Whether or not he knew the precise arrangements, whether or not he took his cut of the millions proferred, this is just one instance of a pay-for-pardons system the POTUS* has established.” The link is a gift link.

Miles Parks & Jude Joffe-Block of NPR: "The Department of Justice is demanding California take the unprecedented step of segregating ballots associated with 20,000 people the department says are 'likely' noncitizens. But an initial review by local officials suggests the list is 'unreliable' and that some people on it had indicated in records they were born in the U.S. and therefore may be citizens. The new details come from court filings submitted Tuesday by the state of California and local officials, in response to a lawsuit filed by the federal government attempting to compel the state to investigate the thousands of people before their votes are counted. The state says doing what the DOJ requests would be unfeasible this close to the election and would likely break federal and state election laws. 'At best, this litigation is a reckless political stunt,' the state wrote in Tuesday's filing. 'At worst, it threatens to disenfranchise thousands of Californians this election.'"

The Enemy Within. Andy Mannix & Doug Clark of ProPublica: “A few months into ... Donald Trump’s second term, political appointees at the Department of Homeland Security made an unusual request of its agency focused on cybersecurity: Secretly acquire a voting machine and hack it. The appointees wanted the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency to procure the machine, examine it and report back the findings so they could be given to the White House.... Moreover, the agency had been directed not to alert the voting machine company if it uncovered flaws, contrary to its standard practices. The request made the CISA employees fear they were being asked to take part in political interference. 'My thought was they could keep it in their back pocket to invalidate any [election] results they don’t like,' one ... former [official] said. 'This goes against everything CISA represents.' The CISA employees repeatedly told the political appointees that their request was impossible, in part because the agents capable of pulling off such an operation had just been laid off by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency initiative. The appointees eventually stopped pressing CISA.” Thanks to RAS for the link. (Also linked yesterday.)

Molly Redden, et al., of ProPublica: “In early 2025, the FBI opened a sweeping investigation into bribery on Capitol Hill.... [Martin] Kao[, CEO of Navatak, a defense contractor] confessed to federal agents that his business model consisted of bribing public officials in exchange for government contracts, and that the research Navatek was providing to the government was often worthless. The scheme involved some of the most powerful figures in Congress, he said — in both parties. In South Carolina, Kao told agents, Navatek made a campaign cash-for-contracts deal not only with [Sen. Lindsey] Graham, but also with the state’s top Democrat, Rep. James Clyburn, and another influential Republican, Rep. Joe Wilson.... [But when] Donald Trump returned to the White House..., [he] almost immediately gutted the specialized FBI and Department of Justice teams dedicated to taking on public corruption — an act of revenge for having previously investigated him. The two experienced agents on the [Kao] case were swept up in the purge, and the career prosecutor assisting them quit.... Today, there is no one left to look into Kao’s explosive allegations, as the Trump administration has abandoned any pretense of prosecuting public corruption. The case is dead.” (Also linked yesterday.)

Cycling While Hispanic, Ctd. Madison Kircher of the New York Times: “Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Tuesday denied hitting a cyclist with a car in Long Beach, Calif., before detaining him. But video footage of the moments before the interaction and an account shared publicly by the man’s daughter offer a different story. Footage obtained by The New York Times shows the moment an S.U.V. driving the wrong way down a one-way street swerves toward an oncoming bicyclist. An officer jumps out, appearing to draw a weapon that is immediately trained on the rider. The man on the bike, Ricardo Gonzalez, is an American citizen, according to his daughter, Leslie Gonzalez. She has said on social media that her father was struck by the vehicle. Mr. Gonzalez has worked for the city of Long Beach, according to the mayor, Rex Richardson, who has submitted a complaint to the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General, calling for an independent investigation into the agents’ treatment of Mr. Gonzalez and the overall operation.” Includes video. The link is a gift link. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: This is a follow-up to a story linked here yesterday. (The link above at "is an American citizen" links to that story, but it is not a gift link, as is the link in yesterday's Reality Chex.) Courts should treat every single exonerating remark coming out of DHS & DOJ as a lie. Every single story I've read in which video evidence emerged after some kind of violent altercation between DHS agents & residents/victims, the victims' accounts were always truthful or much closer to truthful than the agents'. 

While Trump is handing out -- or pretending to hand out -- pre-election bonuses to each & every one of us, reality looks more like this: ~~~

~~~ You're on Your Own, Folks! Thomas Frank of Politico “The Trump administration’s disaster chief told state officials Tuesday they must increase their financial reserves and emergency capabilities to handle most disasters on their own, without federal help. Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Cameron Hamilton gave unprecedented detail at a conference in Little Rock, Arkansas, about the administration’s long-planned shift of disaster responsibilities to states. 'Every state must have the appropriate financial reserves' and other abilities 'to ensure that recovery efforts can start immediately and not necessarily be held up simply because of the federal [disaster] declaration process,' Hamilton said, according to a recording of his remarks....”

Ann Marimow of the New York Times: “Justice Elena Kagan on Tuesday criticized the Supreme Court’s conservative majority for a series of election-related decisions in recent years that she said have led to more polarization and a dysfunctional democracy. Justice Kagan ... delivered the sharp critique ... in front of an ideologically mixed crowd of law students and professors. In a wide-ranging discussion, she pointed to the court’s rulings that have loosened restrictions on campaign funding, cleared the way for partisan voting maps and undermined landmark voting rights protections. 'In all these areas, the court has kind of blinded itself to the very deleterious effects of their rulings on how the political system works' and has created 'a democracy that does not work as well as it should.' The justice’s remarks came during a conversation at Catholic University’s law school with Prof. J. Joel Alicea, who was a law clerk to Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr.” The link is a gift link. A Courthouse News Service report is here.

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Trump Bribe Money Finances GOP Campaigns. Theodore Schleifer of the New York Times: Donald “Trump’s political operation dedicated about $277 million from September through mid-October to help Republican midterm candidates, a staggering sum that has given the party an upper hand financially as it clings to full control of Congress. That spending, unheard-of for a term-limited president, is an unbridled expression of Mr. Trump’s power. Immediately upon being elected for the second time, his aides began soliciting checks at dinners where companies and donors angling for influence could buy face time with the leader of the free world, sometimes for a million dollars a head. His main super PAC, MAGA Inc., has raised about $473 million since his election — and now Mr. Trump is putting that money to work. The money has financed an explosion of Republican spending that Democrats have had no answer for, even as they aim to take advantage of an otherwise favorable political environment. Around Labor Day, Mr. Trump’s three outside groups started running advertisements in 24 states that included some of the most competitive Senate and House races.... In recent days, the Trump-tied super PACs have drastically increased their spending on ads through Meta and Google.” The link is a gift link.

Kansas Senate Race. Kevin Frey of MS NOW: "Weeks before Election Day, Sen. Roger Marshall’s campaign still had no one on payroll.... The Kansas Republican’s latest Federal Election Commission filing showed no outgoing payments for payroll or salary [from July through September], even as his spending jumped from just under $50,000 the previous quarter and his Democratic challenger, Adam Hamilton, began picking up steam. Running a campaign without paid staff is not illegal.... But it is highly unusual for a Senate race and raises fresh questions about who is doing the day-to-day work of Marshall’s re-election effort.... Senate rules bar official staff from doing campaign work on government time or with government resources, though aides may volunteer for their boss’ campaign on their own time.Previous reporting suggests Marshall may have used his taxpayer-funded congressional staff during his 2020 Senate campaign." MB: Will due respect to Marshall, he seems to be a money-grubbing, anal-retentive hack.

Marie: I won't pretend that all Democratic candidates are ethical paragons or arbiters of fair play. But the tactics of Republican candidates in 2026 range from underhanded to sickening to illegal. But then, they're merely following their leader: ~~~

Michigan Senate Race. Marie: A couple of days ago, I embedded a video of Michigan's Democratic Senatorial candidate Dr. Abdul El-Sayed schooling a young man on the First Amendment. Several people on line accused El-Sayed's questioner of being a MAGA plant. Turns out it's a little worse than that: ~~~

~~~ Jason Wilson of the Guardian: “The man who attempted to ambush the Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed with a question about his supposed allegiance to the Muslim Brotherhood ... is the son of a political operator who recently received $250,000 for 'canvassing and influencer marketing' against El-Sayed, the Guardian has learned.... A man – first identified by the Handbasket as Thomas 'Tommy' Teepell – asked El-Sayed if he would 'disavow' the Muslim Brotherhood.... What followed was a five-minute exchange that has drawn over 50m views across several social media platforms, in which El-Sayed queries the man about the guarantees of religious freedom in the constitution.

“Teepell is the son of Timothy 'Timmy' Teepell, a longtime strategist for the Missouri Republican senator Josh Hawley as well as former Republican Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal. Timmy Teepell’s firm, Breakthrough LLC, was paid $250,000 on 29 September by America Next, a 501(c)(4) non-profit with which it shares a Baton Rouge office suite, according to a filing with the Federal Election Commission (FEC). The filing says the money would fund the canvassing and influencer marketing in opposition to El-Sayed. America Next has been trying to gin up 'organic' town hall opposition to El-Sayed, as the Handbasket report noted.... Nothing in the filings shows that Thomas Teepell was paid by Breakthrough or America Next.” (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ MEANWHILE, El-Sayed's GOP opponent has some even dirtier tricks up his sleeve: ~~~

Republicans have a long list of people they want to disenfranchise, and Black people are at the very top. They're not subtle about it either.

[image or embed]

— Jean-Michel Connard (@torriangray.bsky.social) October 19, 2026 at 5:15 PM

Ohio Gubernatorial Race. Jessica Contrera of the New York Times: “A new attack ad in the Ohio governor's race features the mother of the Democratic candidate, Amy Acton — estranged from her daughter over allegations of molestation by a stepfather — calling the candidate a liar. Vivek Ramaswamy, the Republican candidate for governor, confirmed to reporters Tuesday evening that the ad, which had not yet appeared on television, came from his campaign. Many Republicans hailed it as a bombshell after it began circulating on social media Monday night, while Democrats, and some Republicans, called it a new low by Mr. Ramaswamy in a campaign that was already one of the nation’s ugliest. Dr. Acton’s brother, Philip Stearns, condemned it as 'despicable.'

“But Axios reported Tuesday night that the Ramaswamy campaign was investing $4 million to air the advertisement statewide.... On the campaign trail and during her time as the director of the Ohio Department of Health, Dr. Acton has shared details of a troubled childhood in which she was homeless for a time and was molested by her stepfather.... Dr. Acton’s stepfather was charged with raping her in 1978, after her biological father made a report to police.... Dr. Acton’s stepfather pleaded not guilty, was indicted by a grand jury and fled the state before trial. Though another warrant was issued for his arrest, he never appeared before a judge. He died in Pennsylvania in 2004.... By Tuesday night, the ad had generated considerable backlash.” The link is a gift link.

     ~~~ You can see at least part of the ad in this news report. Marie: I think the ad is backfiring. For one thing, Acton's mother is about as unappealing as a "grandma"-type person can get. I think Chris Hayes said last night that since the ad began airing, the Cook Report moved the race from "toss-up" to "leans Democratic." ~~~

     ~~~ Cheyanne Daniels of Politico: “Ohio Democrat Amy Acton’s campaign on Tuesday sharply condemned an ad circulating on social media featuring her estranged mother, which landed amid a heated campaign between Acton and Republican Vivek Ramaswamy to be the state’s next governor.”

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