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Good news: The Supreme Court for a second time has refused a request by Trump to review a $5 million civil judgment against him in the E Jean Carroll trial for sexual abuse and defamation! The announcement by the justices did not include their reasons, and no public dissents were noted. It was a stupid ask.
There appears to be no end in sight for Trump’s Iran War. The US and Iran missed their 60-day deadline to reach a deal after the cease-fire they agreed to in June. Trump has repeatedly promised a truce, an end, and, as usual, nothing is happening. He is thinking about ballrooms, giant arches, reflecting pools and whatever else he superglue gold plated stuff on. There have been no reported strikes since July, but both countries are manipulating each others’ economies, or trying to. Iran still controls the Strait of Hormuz.
“The Islamic republic is trying to put the economic crunch on America, and America is trying to put the economic crunch on the Islamic republic,” said Behnam Ben Taleblu, an Iran expert told the NY Times.
Trump is praising the leader of North Korea. Of course he is. He ordered the Pentagon to cut back on military excerises with South Korea, an important ally in the Asia-Pacific. This might be due to the fact the US is running low on critical weapons, sending everything to the Middle East for his endless war. Trump said he has a “very good relationship” with the North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
“These exercises are not only costly, with much of these costs paid for by the United States of America (as usual!), but send a signal that is totally inappropriate and hostile, to a Country that, as long as Donald J. Trump has been President, has been unthreatening and respectful,” Trump said in a social media post.
I saw this on social media yesterday. While it’s funny, I am trying not to give in and accept it. Not buying it.
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It’s a slow, slightly muggy overcast day. We are in the thick of August. I sense that people are tired of the news and tired of the roller coaster.
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We know we need to read the news, but we don’t want to. I will keep my eye on the news so you don’t have to, that’s what I have been doing here and I hope it’s helpful. Things will pick up speed—as I believe our hope will— in September as we barrel down the path to the midterms; I’ll be right there.
On a personal sad note, we just learned that we lost Ed Frascino, another great New Yorker cartoonist. Ed was a friend, and his wonderful work has been around as long as I’ve been a professional cartoonist. He had a 61 year run at the magazine, that’s remarkable. “Only six other New Yorker cartoonists (out of the nearly 800 who contributed in these past 101 years) had reached that mark. The others: William Steig, 73 years; Chon Day, 67 years; George Price, 62 years; Mischa Richter, 61 years; Edward Koren, 61 years; Mort Gerberg, 61 years, and counting,” writes New Yorker magazine historian Michael (my other half) Maslin. Michael posted his 2020 interview with Ed, on his Substack, Ink Spill, which includes some of Ed’s cartoons and photos.
I visited him in Los Angeles a few years ago, and was planning to do so again this fall to interview him on videotape. So many stories. He was a generous man.
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