2:00PM Water Cooler 1/24/2025 | bare capitalism

“Trump’s two asks from California: voter ID legal guidelines and water circulate” [Reuters]. “U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday stated he needed to safe two issues from a go to to California later within the day: voter identification legal guidelines and modifications to water coverage within the wake of huge wildfires. ‘I simply need voter ID to start out, and I would like the water to be launched, and so they’re going to get plenty of assist from the U.S.,’ Trump stated throughout a go to to North Carolina.” • Properly, that’s why we’ve got a Federal system, no?

“Information Evaluation: Stakes are excessive for Newsom and California when Trump visits L.A. wildfires” [Los Angeles Times]. ” California Gov. Gavin Newsom and President Trump shared a surprisingly symbiotic relationship throughout the Republican’s first time period within the White Home, with their public sparring and talent to work collectively in instances of disaster elevating each politicians. Whether or not the 2 males can overcome an unsightly 2024 election cycle and resume a respectful rapport for the good thing about Californians ought to change into clearer when Trump surveys wildfire harm in Los Angeles County….” These two calls for don’t appear “symbiotic” to me. Extra: “The Democratic governor might finish the day with a presidential instance of performing like a level-headed chief able to placing politics — and private emotions — apart to assist his state. Or, Newsom might stroll away extra susceptible to criticism that his political gamesmanship and thirst for the nationwide highlight compromised his skill to ship for Californians.” • I believe Trump senses weak spot. We’ll see.

Power within the government:

“Trump strikes to revoke clearances of ex-intel officers who signed letter on Hunter Biden laptop computer” [PBS]. “President Donald Trump says his administration will transfer to revoke the safety clearances of the greater than 4 dozen former intelligence officers who signed a 2020 letter saying that the Hunter Biden laptop computer saga bore the hallmarks of a ‘Russian data operation.’ The motion is an early indication of the president’s willpower to actual retribution on perceived adversaries and is the most recent level of stress between Trump and an intelligence neighborhood of which he has been overtly disdainful.” Implementation: “The president has plenty of authority in the case of safety clearances. The issue the White Home will run into is, in the event that they depart from their current procedures, they may arrange a judicial attraction for these 51 folks — and it’ll in all probability be a class-action go well with since they’re all in alike or comparable circumstances,” stated Dan Meyer, a Washington lawyer who specializes within the safety clearance and background verify course of.”

“Now the reality comes out: Reporters admit Politico snuffed out Hunter Biden laptop computer story to guard Joe in 2020” [New York Post]. “‘Politico did that horrible, ill-fated headline: 51 intelligence brokers, or former intelligence brokers, say that the Hunter Biden laptop computer was disinformation,’ recalled [reporter Neil] Caputo. ‘Seems that story was nearer to disinformation, as a result of the Hunter Biden laptop computer seemed to be true.’” And: “Caputo advised his editor the outlet wanted to ‘write concerning the Hunter Biden laptop computer’ however was instructed, per orders from ‘on excessive’ at Politico, to not: ‘Don’t write concerning the laptop computer. Don’t discuss concerning the laptop computer. Don’t tweet concerning the laptop computer,’ he was advised. So ‘the one factor Politico wound up writing was that piece that referred to as it disinformation.’” Extra: “The 51 Spies Who Lied — ex-intel officers who signed an open letter that trashed The Publish’s laptop computer scoop as a ‘Russian data operation’ — gave the media cowl.” Extra seemingly they “briefed’ the editors and publishers. And: “If these intel veterans weren’t positive about Russia’s involvement, and weren’t making an attempt to mislead the general public, they may’ve checked with their sources on the FBI, which had already verified the laptop computer’s authenticity. Or simply stored their mouths shut. Brennan & Co. knew precisely what they had been doing.” • To the extent that the FBI can “confirm” something…

“Trump’s First Shot in His Battle on the ‘Deep State’” [The Atlantic]. “In response, the 51 former officers signed a letter asserting that “the arrival on the US political scene of emails purportedly belonging to Vice President Biden’s son Hunter … has all of the traditional earmarks of a Russian data operation.” Thoughts you, the signatories supplied no proof of a hidden Russian hand in all of this. They provided no digital trails resulting in Russian spies, no confidential sources claiming a connection. And so they had been up-front about this: ‘We need to emphasize that we have no idea if the emails … are real or not and that we shouldn’t have proof of Russian involvement—simply that our expertise makes us deeply suspicious that the Russian authorities performed a big function on this case.’ That’s it. They had been suspicious. Perhaps with good cause. On the time, present officers, with entry to categorised data, believed that Russian intelligence operatives had been making an attempt to feed misinformation concerning the Bidens to Giuliani, as my colleagues at The Washington Publish and I reported on the time. The signatories argued that, primarily based on their lengthy expertise doing battle with Russia within the enviornment of worldwide espionage, folks ought to take their suspicions critically. If this all feels like what op-ed writers or self-professed consultants on social media or speaking heads on TV routinely do, that’s as a result of it’s. Certainly, a number of of the signatories had been common “By no means Trump” commentators on cable discuss reveals, political podcasts, and Twitter.” • IOW, it’s free speech.

“Unique — CIA Director Ratcliffe: ‘Day-One Factor’ to Get to Backside of Chinese language ‘Origins of COVID,’ Wuhan Lab Leak” (interview) [John Ratcliffe, Breitbart]. I have a tendency to not cite to Breitbart, however right here we’re: “[RATCLIFFE:] You’ve individuals who have been on the completely different intelligence businesses for therefore lengthy and targeted on the Russia menace — and, as you stated, legitimately as a result of [Vladimir] Putin is a foul man and a regime with an enormous nuclear stockpile that we have to speak about — however yeah, the Intelligence Neighborhood has been gradual to regulate to the truth that China is the first geopolitical menace we face,” Ratcliffe stated. “It’s the second largest economic system, and so they compete with us throughout the board on a peer-to-peer foundation in a means that Russia can’t, and I believe there are causes for that which are sadly — there’s a monetary side to that. From Washington, DC, to Wall Avenue to Silicon Valley to Hollywood, there was a need to maintain China from being labeled a foul man as a result of lots of people make some huge cash from China and in China, and China has plenty of affect in all of these locations. However our intelligence is evident —I noticed that as DNI and now it’s inescapable for folks to not see — on how sinister and nefarious the Individuals’s Republic of China and its varied arms of the Chinese language Communist Social gathering have been. So, we’ve been gradual to regulate the main target, and it’s one of many issues that the president wants and needs from us.”

“‘Mitch McConnell Is In’: Fox Information Experiences On Ex-Host Pete Hegseth Clearing Key Vote Forward of Possible Affirmation” [Mediaite]. “In order that’s the 2 senators [Murkowski, Collins] which are out. Mitch McConnell is in as is all as are all the opposite senators within the convention. Roger Wicker, the Armed Companies Committee chairman, had advised me proper earlier than this vote I’d requested him, do you suppose you continue to have the 50? That was when Lisa Murkowski got here out as she was a no and he stated sure. In order that they walked into the room right here feeling assured. That they had whipped the votes for fairly a while. And so they knew that that they had these votes and they might not want JD Vance to come back in.”

“RFK Jr. applauds Trump’s order to declassify RFK, JFK assassination recordsdata” [The Hill]. “‘I believe it’s an amazing transfer as a result of they should have extra transparency in our authorities and he’s retaining his promise to have the federal government inform the reality to the American folks about all the pieces,’ Kennedy, President Trump’s nominee for secretary of Well being and Human Companies, advised reporters. Kennedy has claimed that the CIA was concerned in his uncle’s demise. ‘There’s overwhelming proof that the CIA was concerned in his homicide,’ Kennedy stated in a 2023 interview with John Catsimatidis on New York Metropolis radio station WABC 770. ‘I believe it’s past an affordable doubt at this level.’ RFK Jr. stated his uncle was focused because of his refusal to commit U.S. forces to Vietnam.” • Little question there will probably be redactions galore and key paperwork could have gone mysteriously lacking. However, such an unlimited mass of fabric should be sufficient to make such judgments as historians make, if not the courts.

“RFK Jr.’s allies have a plan to upend childhood vaccination” [Politico]. “‘The folks [RFK] actually trusts are people who clearly are attempting to execute a plan to completely take away vaccines,’ stated one of many folks with information of the discussions. ‘The danger of overreach, I don’t suppose is zero.’” And: “‘They’re lethal critical,’ stated one other particular person with information of the deliberations. ‘He’s going to maneuver on vaccines and I believe he feels he has a mandate.’” • As I’ve stated, I don’t suppose it’s doable to have dialogue on vax coverage, as a result of RFK’s anti-vaxers are coming for MMR. With measles circumstances already going up.

“Challenge 2025 parallels in Trump’s government order avalanche” [Axios]. “A evaluation of Trump’s early government orders reveals clear parallels with Challenge 2025 on key proposals, corresponding to dismantling variety, fairness and inclusion initiatives; loosening environmental laws; and ending sure worldwide agreements. Trump additionally took steps Challenge 2025 didn’t explicitly point out, like declaring an power emergency and making an attempt to finish birthright citizenship. There are scores of suggestions within the Heritage Basis plan, like outlawing pornography, that Trump hasn’t touched to date.” • The query for me is whether or not Heritage is driving the Trump Administration, or whether or not its proposals had been already “within the air” in conservative circles, and so one would count on to see them in Trump government orders whether or not Challenge 2025 existed or not. My sense is the latter (“within the air”). I might be persuaded of the previous by in depth verbal parallels, on the order of plagiarism, and overlap in communication by subject (i.e., it’s not sufficient to say this reactionary dude wrote this screed on Subject A for Heritage, after which acquired a job with Trump; precise affect on Subject A in government orders needs to be proven). Moar reporting, please!

“Kamala Harris offers a giant sign about her subsequent transfer” [Politico]. “Kamala Harris hasn’t made any public selections about what her political future goes to be — however she has already created the group that may assist gas it. The previous vp established an LLC referred to as Pioneer49 final month in her residence state of California, in line with her presidential marketing campaign’s closing monetary disclosure that was filed final week and confirmed by an individual conversant in the group’s plans. The disclosure type described the group as an ‘entity to help the previous vp’ and is probably going to assist gas Harris’ subsequent political transfer. There are basically three choices for Harris: run for governor of California in 2026, run for president once more in 2028 or decline to run for workplace and be a frontrunner of the occasion from the sidelines.” I suppose this entity is funding this timeline litter:

DNC race continues great:

Properly, the place had been you?