There is big news today out of Russia, where the legislative body abruptly passed harsh penalties on those who don’t report to military duty, who surrender, or who refuse to fight against Ukraine. Meanwhile, Russian-installed officials in the parts of Ukraine occupied by Russia announced referenda for later this week on joining those territories to Russia.
So much is packed into tonight’s letter! First, Dearie has Trump’s number. Kise, the $3mil-up-front attorney, is bombing big time against the DOJ. I just hope “Loose Cannon” does not fire Dearie, which she has the authority to do, apparently. If she does, then we will see that she is bought and paid for by the Pro-Rape Party and Leonard Leo. Second, Putin is scraping the bottom of the barrel for soldiers. The fact that there is an age range of 18-60 says a lot. Between the west and other foreign sources, Ukraine may just beat Russia down. At least, I hope so. The best news was that Iranian women are fighting back against their elderly dictator. Hooray for them! Sheldon Whitehouse, one of my faves, has his brilliant DISCLOSE Act coming to the Senate. I love that Dems have found their cojones and are fighting back. AND a Texas Sheriff department in Bexar County, who’s head is of Latin descent, is investigating DeSantis and Abbott’s little hateful human trafficking scheme. Hope they drown in lawsuits after lawsuits. We are on the move, people! #YESWECAN
Robert Hubbell has a nice simple explanation of the main thing that happened to El Jefe del Merde a Loco in court today:
As many commentators note, the question of classification is irrelevant to the potential criminal charges that might be brought against Trump. But their classification status is relevant to Trump’s claim that he has a right to possess those documents. The government claims that it is impossible for Trump to have a possessory interest in classified documents. Trump responds that he might have declassified the documents because he had the authority to do so (when he was president). Dearie cut through the legal fog by asking a simple question: Did Trump actually declassify those documents? If not, Trump can have no possessory interest in classified documents.
Most importantly, Judge Dearie suggested that if Trump fails to produce any evidence of a possessory interest in the classified documents, then neither Trump’s attorneys nor the judge need review the documents. Dearie thus established a threshold evidentiary burden for Trump to overcome before reviewing classified documents. As Judge Dearie put it, “You can’t have your cake and eat it.”
A good explanation of why El Jefe's clowns want to see the documents is they think he lied to them about what the documents are.
The really funny thing is, El Jefe's clowns picked Judge Dearie (what an appropriate name) because they thought his time on the FISA court meant he would "question the FBI."
And best of all, El Jefe del Merde a Loco has to pay for all of this himself - and he can't stiff the federal courts.
Writing this had to be a huge task. Thank you for the very detailed summation. Reading this, although most enlightening, is frustrating as well as frightening.
The amount of time consuming lawsuits is surreal. So many have absolutely no merit and are a way to play out the clock and tie up our courts. Isn’t past due time for Biden & Team to pack the Supreme Court? And while we’re at it—find the tools it takes to get rid of DeJoy. There are less than 50 days until midterms. Just think of the amount of destruction he can do!
Enough! I’m going to try getting a good night’s sleep here in SF.
Thank you HCR for your detailed analysis which makes this horrible reality show a lot more understandable. To Leonard Lubinsky: it's seemed like a reality show from the beginning to me. I stopped watching the first one the head magnut starred in when he fired someone for taking responsibility for a mistake. Great way to describe the delusion.
What will $1.6 billion buy you on Mount Desert Island, Maine? Or maybe if you have $1.6 billion+ and your name is Leonard Leo then you needn't spend a penny to get some government officials to hop-to to your demands, or perhaps anticipate your wishes. And others apparently to join in a cover up.
In this small corner of this fallen world, we may be witnessing a microcosm of the sort of corruption which writ large gives us the American Republican Party, and writ worse - but for the fortitude of Democrats and perhaps only until January 2023 - the governments of Hungary, Russia, and Iran.
As the 'google Leonard Leo = Corrupt Government' chalk paint graffiti public outreach project winds down, here is a report.
Although there are material standards for permanency in paint, I do not believe there are legal or scientific standards which define 'temporary." I can report that a simple mixture of school and/or sidewalk chalk blended with water makes a chalk paint of a very surprisingly satisfying durability. Eventually it wears away with raining and walking on; a little simple kitchen science can speed up the process.
As for the situation on MDI. My reading is that after an appalling misstep in complying with Leonard Leo's instigation of an arrest, on an unusual interpretation and possibly unique application of an ordinance, the police leadership stepped back and stood up for the law. (Sort of like the US Army chiefs stepping back after the Trump Bible debacle.) The outreach project benefitted in that, from the start, police leadership declared it to be protected by the First Amendment and compliant with the Maine Criminal code - although they had to rein in a few Leo allied rogue cops. Enter the Bar Harbor Town Manager who - after some complaints presumably from Leo and with no jurisdiction as the local law is silent on graffiti - initiated a campaign of intimidation, misinformation, and erasure.
Where we are now, is that the Bar Harbor Town Council is ignoring requests for information about the Town Manager's actions, suggesting they may have been complicit in the campaign as well as the cover-up. Only they know, for now. Although the Town Manager is the public access officer - tragedy or farce - there are other paths to Freedom of Access compliance.
You can follow this on another excellent Maine based Substack blog, Lincoln Millstein's The QuietSide Journal - which covers a lot of ground and some surrounding waters here. https://theqsjournal.substack.com/
Seeing clips of the Nazi arm raises in rallies with Trump in Ohio and mastriano in Pennsylvania the past few days filled me with dread. Desantis’ action shocked me with its bold dehumanization of migrants. It’s been a rough few days with so much that is evil on full display.
But this letter...coupled with Dan Rather’s post...this letter has me filled with such hope!
Hope that truth will out. Hope that truth will put allow transparency into dark money. Hope that trump and his cohort will be held accountable. Hope that truth will be shared and HEARD by more people. Hope that both Putin and Trump will be sidelined. Hope that more countries will embrace freedom for all. Where there is truth, there is hope. Hope, sweet hope. Thank you, Professor-your letters are not only a source of truth, for also a source of hope. Thank you.
Gratitude for your clarity, Dear Heather. Turmoil rules over much of our world. Grateful for your generosity and capacity for truth. The UN gathering furthers the notions of truth and the needs of our shared Mother Earth. May we each and all be blessed
At first blush, it would appear that Judge Dearie is giving Trump a whopping spoonful of becareful what you wish for. We will see if he stays the course.
Does anyone else find DeSantis calling the investigation into his own political theater of flying people to another state under false pretense, "political theater" alittle rich ? It's dripping in irony.
I never thought I would live to see the day where "Russia" and " is staggering " would be used in the same sentence.
Citizens United will go down in the annals of American jurisprudence as among the very top corrupters of our politics. I can’t imagine what Roberts was thinking. It looks like the dark money forces won big time, doesn’t it?
Morale has to be at an all-time low on the right and not only here. Here morale is low for former Trump staffers, lawyers and supporters. Morale is low for Republicans in D.C. Elsewhere morale is not only low for Russian citizens over a 3 day war now closing in on a year but it's not as low as the soldiers being forced to fight it.
Russia is seeing it's position on the world stage dropping and the move by Kazakhstan to check for Russian bound EU sanctioned goods is proof. That Kazakhstan is making moves toward a liberal democracy makes it a double shot.
Morale has to be low for Iranian leaders as women rip off their hijabs with protection from male supporters who stand between the women and the police.
It's like dominos dropping in slow motion. As we move into fall expect the pace to quicken. Around the world democracy is finding its legs. Fascists are getting sloppy, low morale will do that to ya.
The Marthas' VIneyard covert interstate human trafficking & dumping Class Action is Case Number 1-22-cv-11550, Alianza Americas, Yanet, Pablo & Jesus DOE vs. Donald Desantis, State of Florida, et al.
It would be really nice to get some good news this week. I think that some former SSR states that have felt unable to make any moves that might piss off Putz-in will be taking very cautious steps away from Russian dominance (and yes: I imagine them as Looney Tunes tiptoe-ing) and the reason is because of President Biden's dogged determination to shore up the alliances of democratic regimes. Once again: his many years in the Senate and his experience as VP to a nice guy who was terrified to upset anyone for fear of being catalogued as an Angry Black Man has led him to enact strategies that have no doubt been developing for a long time. The thing I like about Biden is that he can admit that some of the things he did in his long career were awful (Anita Hill, for instance) and he recognizes that his actions have consequences. So he is trying to do better. As a pragmatist, he is never going to please the ideologues of the Dem Party, but since the ideologues on both sides fantasize about blowing everything up with no regard for reality, I am fine with that. I might dream of a More Perfect Union, but I am willing to settle for a Dem majority in House and Senate come November 9th. We have to keep supporting this administration by electing as many Dems as possible, not just on a national level but locally as well.
Russia (I am going to say) has not been great since record keeping began. But, great people they have produced. Together with great achievements in technology and science. The system they employ (to control humans) is hardly governing. It is phoney. Their people are kept in the dark and fed manure....like mushrooms. Our own (R)eprobate Party is also good with that. While the rest of us continue to experience diminishing returns, thanks to them (the R party). Only now, are we beginning to see a parallel here. If I may. While the Russians are "recruiting" or trying to, from their vast network of Labor Camps... our own "R" party has been busy gathering reprobates (Abbot, Cruz, Jordan, DeSantis, Hannity, Cannon, ad infinitum) to help spread their manure, and battle the Liberals.
Todays "Letter" is something to be read. Thank you Ms Heather! Thank you so very much.
Today’s letter is a complicated yet clear picture of good versus evil, in the USA and in countries around the world. Ken Burns’ PBS special on the Holocaust and fascism is a haunting connection to the continuing struggle and fight for Democracy and freedom. The tragedy of human loss, of violence and destruction versus humanity’s unstoppable struggle is both heartbreaking and reassuring. And it’s not just foreign countries we must fight against, it’s Fascism here in our country. I cried watching history and my own family’s loss and immigration experiences, and yours, knowing that we are living history in present time. An incalculable loss and threat of humanity and resources on this planet. And we have only the choice of continuing the struggle.
So much is packed into tonight’s letter! First, Dearie has Trump’s number. Kise, the $3mil-up-front attorney, is bombing big time against the DOJ. I just hope “Loose Cannon” does not fire Dearie, which she has the authority to do, apparently. If she does, then we will see that she is bought and paid for by the Pro-Rape Party and Leonard Leo. Second, Putin is scraping the bottom of the barrel for soldiers. The fact that there is an age range of 18-60 says a lot. Between the west and other foreign sources, Ukraine may just beat Russia down. At least, I hope so. The best news was that Iranian women are fighting back against their elderly dictator. Hooray for them! Sheldon Whitehouse, one of my faves, has his brilliant DISCLOSE Act coming to the Senate. I love that Dems have found their cojones and are fighting back. AND a Texas Sheriff department in Bexar County, who’s head is of Latin descent, is investigating DeSantis and Abbott’s little hateful human trafficking scheme. Hope they drown in lawsuits after lawsuits. We are on the move, people! #YESWECAN
Robert Hubbell has a nice simple explanation of the main thing that happened to El Jefe del Merde a Loco in court today:
As many commentators note, the question of classification is irrelevant to the potential criminal charges that might be brought against Trump. But their classification status is relevant to Trump’s claim that he has a right to possess those documents. The government claims that it is impossible for Trump to have a possessory interest in classified documents. Trump responds that he might have declassified the documents because he had the authority to do so (when he was president). Dearie cut through the legal fog by asking a simple question: Did Trump actually declassify those documents? If not, Trump can have no possessory interest in classified documents.
Most importantly, Judge Dearie suggested that if Trump fails to produce any evidence of a possessory interest in the classified documents, then neither Trump’s attorneys nor the judge need review the documents. Dearie thus established a threshold evidentiary burden for Trump to overcome before reviewing classified documents. As Judge Dearie put it, “You can’t have your cake and eat it.”
A good explanation of why El Jefe's clowns want to see the documents is they think he lied to them about what the documents are.
The really funny thing is, El Jefe's clowns picked Judge Dearie (what an appropriate name) because they thought his time on the FISA court meant he would "question the FBI."
And best of all, El Jefe del Merde a Loco has to pay for all of this himself - and he can't stiff the federal courts.
Writing this had to be a huge task. Thank you for the very detailed summation. Reading this, although most enlightening, is frustrating as well as frightening.
The amount of time consuming lawsuits is surreal. So many have absolutely no merit and are a way to play out the clock and tie up our courts. Isn’t past due time for Biden & Team to pack the Supreme Court? And while we’re at it—find the tools it takes to get rid of DeJoy. There are less than 50 days until midterms. Just think of the amount of destruction he can do!
Enough! I’m going to try getting a good night’s sleep here in SF.
Thank you HCR for your detailed analysis which makes this horrible reality show a lot more understandable. To Leonard Lubinsky: it's seemed like a reality show from the beginning to me. I stopped watching the first one the head magnut starred in when he fired someone for taking responsibility for a mistake. Great way to describe the delusion.
Dan Rather wrote an important column tonight about what reporters should do. https://steady.substack.com/p/why-am-i-speaking-out?r=3oeb6&s=r&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email
What will $1.6 billion buy you on Mount Desert Island, Maine? Or maybe if you have $1.6 billion+ and your name is Leonard Leo then you needn't spend a penny to get some government officials to hop-to to your demands, or perhaps anticipate your wishes. And others apparently to join in a cover up.
In this small corner of this fallen world, we may be witnessing a microcosm of the sort of corruption which writ large gives us the American Republican Party, and writ worse - but for the fortitude of Democrats and perhaps only until January 2023 - the governments of Hungary, Russia, and Iran.
As the 'google Leonard Leo = Corrupt Government' chalk paint graffiti public outreach project winds down, here is a report.
For those interested in the First Amendment, and who isn't, some legal scholars put 'chalking' in a separate category from graffiti (which they define as using permanent paint.) Here is a fascinating and formidable law review by Marie A. Failinger https://wvlawreview.wvu.edu/files/d/2a9f11ed-dc2f-4002-a5b2-90ec77d0fe73/failinger.pdf
Although there are material standards for permanency in paint, I do not believe there are legal or scientific standards which define 'temporary." I can report that a simple mixture of school and/or sidewalk chalk blended with water makes a chalk paint of a very surprisingly satisfying durability. Eventually it wears away with raining and walking on; a little simple kitchen science can speed up the process.
As for the situation on MDI. My reading is that after an appalling misstep in complying with Leonard Leo's instigation of an arrest, on an unusual interpretation and possibly unique application of an ordinance, the police leadership stepped back and stood up for the law. (Sort of like the US Army chiefs stepping back after the Trump Bible debacle.) The outreach project benefitted in that, from the start, police leadership declared it to be protected by the First Amendment and compliant with the Maine Criminal code - although they had to rein in a few Leo allied rogue cops. Enter the Bar Harbor Town Manager who - after some complaints presumably from Leo and with no jurisdiction as the local law is silent on graffiti - initiated a campaign of intimidation, misinformation, and erasure.
Where we are now, is that the Bar Harbor Town Council is ignoring requests for information about the Town Manager's actions, suggesting they may have been complicit in the campaign as well as the cover-up. Only they know, for now. Although the Town Manager is the public access officer - tragedy or farce - there are other paths to Freedom of Access compliance.
You can follow this on another excellent Maine based Substack blog, Lincoln Millstein's The QuietSide Journal - which covers a lot of ground and some surrounding waters here. https://theqsjournal.substack.com/
Seeing clips of the Nazi arm raises in rallies with Trump in Ohio and mastriano in Pennsylvania the past few days filled me with dread. Desantis’ action shocked me with its bold dehumanization of migrants. It’s been a rough few days with so much that is evil on full display.
But this letter...coupled with Dan Rather’s post...this letter has me filled with such hope!
Hope that truth will out. Hope that truth will put allow transparency into dark money. Hope that trump and his cohort will be held accountable. Hope that truth will be shared and HEARD by more people. Hope that both Putin and Trump will be sidelined. Hope that more countries will embrace freedom for all. Where there is truth, there is hope. Hope, sweet hope. Thank you, Professor-your letters are not only a source of truth, for also a source of hope. Thank you.
DeSantis called “political theater?" It just might turn into a reality show.
Gratitude for your clarity, Dear Heather. Turmoil rules over much of our world. Grateful for your generosity and capacity for truth. The UN gathering furthers the notions of truth and the needs of our shared Mother Earth. May we each and all be blessed
Thank you Heather.
At first blush, it would appear that Judge Dearie is giving Trump a whopping spoonful of becareful what you wish for. We will see if he stays the course.
Does anyone else find DeSantis calling the investigation into his own political theater of flying people to another state under false pretense, "political theater" alittle rich ? It's dripping in irony.
I never thought I would live to see the day where "Russia" and " is staggering " would be used in the same sentence.
How the world is changing before our eyes.
Be safe. Be well.
Hope and freedom may just prevail. As Pete Seeger sang,
When tyrants tremble in their fear
And hear their death knell ringing,
When friends rejoice both far and near
How can I keep from singing?
https://youtu.be/bcELg2BcvlE
Citizens United will go down in the annals of American jurisprudence as among the very top corrupters of our politics. I can’t imagine what Roberts was thinking. It looks like the dark money forces won big time, doesn’t it?
Morale has to be at an all-time low on the right and not only here. Here morale is low for former Trump staffers, lawyers and supporters. Morale is low for Republicans in D.C. Elsewhere morale is not only low for Russian citizens over a 3 day war now closing in on a year but it's not as low as the soldiers being forced to fight it.
Russia is seeing it's position on the world stage dropping and the move by Kazakhstan to check for Russian bound EU sanctioned goods is proof. That Kazakhstan is making moves toward a liberal democracy makes it a double shot.
Morale has to be low for Iranian leaders as women rip off their hijabs with protection from male supporters who stand between the women and the police.
It's like dominos dropping in slow motion. As we move into fall expect the pace to quicken. Around the world democracy is finding its legs. Fascists are getting sloppy, low morale will do that to ya.
The Marthas' VIneyard covert interstate human trafficking & dumping Class Action is Case Number 1-22-cv-11550, Alianza Americas, Yanet, Pablo & Jesus DOE vs. Donald Desantis, State of Florida, et al.
It would be really nice to get some good news this week. I think that some former SSR states that have felt unable to make any moves that might piss off Putz-in will be taking very cautious steps away from Russian dominance (and yes: I imagine them as Looney Tunes tiptoe-ing) and the reason is because of President Biden's dogged determination to shore up the alliances of democratic regimes. Once again: his many years in the Senate and his experience as VP to a nice guy who was terrified to upset anyone for fear of being catalogued as an Angry Black Man has led him to enact strategies that have no doubt been developing for a long time. The thing I like about Biden is that he can admit that some of the things he did in his long career were awful (Anita Hill, for instance) and he recognizes that his actions have consequences. So he is trying to do better. As a pragmatist, he is never going to please the ideologues of the Dem Party, but since the ideologues on both sides fantasize about blowing everything up with no regard for reality, I am fine with that. I might dream of a More Perfect Union, but I am willing to settle for a Dem majority in House and Senate come November 9th. We have to keep supporting this administration by electing as many Dems as possible, not just on a national level but locally as well.
Russia (I am going to say) has not been great since record keeping began. But, great people they have produced. Together with great achievements in technology and science. The system they employ (to control humans) is hardly governing. It is phoney. Their people are kept in the dark and fed manure....like mushrooms. Our own (R)eprobate Party is also good with that. While the rest of us continue to experience diminishing returns, thanks to them (the R party). Only now, are we beginning to see a parallel here. If I may. While the Russians are "recruiting" or trying to, from their vast network of Labor Camps... our own "R" party has been busy gathering reprobates (Abbot, Cruz, Jordan, DeSantis, Hannity, Cannon, ad infinitum) to help spread their manure, and battle the Liberals.
Todays "Letter" is something to be read. Thank you Ms Heather! Thank you so very much.
Today’s letter is a complicated yet clear picture of good versus evil, in the USA and in countries around the world. Ken Burns’ PBS special on the Holocaust and fascism is a haunting connection to the continuing struggle and fight for Democracy and freedom. The tragedy of human loss, of violence and destruction versus humanity’s unstoppable struggle is both heartbreaking and reassuring. And it’s not just foreign countries we must fight against, it’s Fascism here in our country. I cried watching history and my own family’s loss and immigration experiences, and yours, knowing that we are living history in present time. An incalculable loss and threat of humanity and resources on this planet. And we have only the choice of continuing the struggle.