News Day

After the October 7 Hamas terrorist attack that killed more than a thousand people in Israel and took about 200 hostages, Israel responded with understandable and justifiable rage, taking military action in self-defense. No justification for Hamas’s action is possible.

Today Israeli bombs fall on all of Gaza. The Hamas terrorists came from Gaza, but Gaza is more than Hamas, and Gaza civilians must be protected under international and humanitarian law.

The Gaza Strip is tiny— 25 miles long and from three and a half to seven and a half miles wide. The total land area of the Gaza Strip is 141 square miles, less than the 170 square mile land area of Ramsey County. Two million people live in Gaza. Almost half of them are children. If you forced the entire population of Hennepin County to move into Ramsey County, the county would still be less densely populated than Gaza.

Israel warned residents in northern Gaza to move to the southern part of Gaza. Even those civilians who managed to move from northern to southern Gaza after Israeli warnings are not safe. A Minnesota nursing professor and his wife are mourning the deaths of five relatives in southern Gaza. 

[Star Tribune] “Abumousa’s five relatives were killed by consecutive rockets that hit the family’s home in the Khan Younis refugee camp about noon Sunday. They included Abumousa’s sister-in-law Heba, 42, her sister-in-law’s two sons, ages 8 and 18, another 6-year-old nephew, and a 43-year-old cousin. At least eight others in the home were injured.  …

“The cousin who died, Hani Madhoun, had fled northern Gaza and was staying at the house. He was downstairs when the first bomb hit and had rushed upstairs to check on the injured when he was killed by a second bomb.

“Adwan, 54, said he’s angered by the bombing because it was in the south, where Israel had instructed Gazans to flee to avoid additional attacks.

“’It’s like a fish tank, and you’re just shooting through, knowing, more probable than not, you’re going to harm civilians, and that is a war crime,’ he said.” 

A cease-fire will save civilian lives. Minnesota Jewish and Muslim leaders, a growing number of Congressional representatives, thousands of marchers led by Jewish Voices for Peace at the U.S. Capitol, and the U.N. Secretary Generalhave all called for a cease-fire. 

Israel’s goal eliminating Hamas terrorism is legitimate. But both “rules of war” and common humanity set limits on the tactics that may be used. Congressman Jamie Raskin’s powerful statement describes the anguishing choices:

“Israel has the indisputable right under international law to engage in military self-defense against this explosion of mass terrorist violence. It may act to stop and repel the violence, completely secure its borders and people, and disarm and neutralize Hamas, a terrorist organization which has openly targeted Israel for “obliteration” since 1988 when, as a new terror group fusing Nazi and Islamist ideas, it published its Covenant advocating Jihad against the Jewish people and destruction of the Jewish state. …

“A just war undertaken in self-defense must be prosecuted justly, according to international and humanitarian law, the central purpose of which is the protection of civilian life from military violence. The more than two million Palestinians essentially trapped in miserable and vulnerable conditions in the densely packed Gaza Strip, nearly half of them children, have a right to be kept safe from the terrorist violence of Hamas and from the Israeli military campaign launched in response to it. The Palestinian people are not responsible for the criminal actions of Hamas terrorists …

“Under international law, innocent civilians may never be targeted in a military campaign, … and state armies and militaries must take great precautions to keep civilians safe during the course of battle.”

Not all Palestinians are Hamas. Not all Gazans are Hamas. Far from it. Yasmine Mohamed wrote eloquently about her Gaza born and raised father’s long opposition to Hamas, and about the continuing need to distinguish between Hamas from Gaza. 

“To throw all Gazans in the same bucket as Hamas is a grave insult — one that people on both sides of the political spectrum are committing.

“Many people on the left, for example, conflate Hamas with all Palestinians and then deem them all the oppressed — the minority group, the victims, the besieged. Hamas is happy with this misguided and confused perspective because it allows the group to hide under the umbrella of “oppression” to justify its violence. It would rather, of course, be seen as freedom fighters than terrorists.

“Among the hard right, many people are conflating Palestinians with Hamas to justify the flattening of Gaza. While cutting power and water to civilians violates international law, cutting water and electricity to terrorists is justified, according to that line of thinking.

“The truth is, Hamas is not Gaza, and Gaza is not Hamas. Gaza is an area of land with people who are trying to do the best that they can to survive under abysmal circumstances.”

Along with her parents, brother, sister-in-law, and nieces, 26-year-old journalist Jamileh Tawfiq moved to southern Gaza after Israeli warnings to evacuate. The UN compound where they landed is dirty and overcrowded. Food is rationed, water is difficult to find and running out. 

And they are still not safe. Tawfiq is a journalist, committed to her reporting, but even if she wanted to leave, there’s no way out. 

[The Guardian] “The Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate says 17 media workers have been killed in Gaza since the airstrikes began, with 20 more injured. The Committee to Protect Journalists says 21 have died in total as of Friday morning, with three Israeli reporters dead and a Reuters journalist killed in southern Lebanon. …

“’The explosions are relentless,’ she says, explaining that she was trying to continue her work as a television news anchor but limited internet and frequent attacks made her work difficult.

“’No one knows what is going to happen next. It feels as if they are trying to control our fates; they even made us leave our homes, not knowing if we can ever return. We’re trying to stay alive, but we don’t have hope any more.

“’We are destroyed from the inside, and even if this ends, I don’t think life will ever be normal again. That’s one of the reasons I want to keep reporting – I want people to understand.’”

The effort to understand requires facing painful and difficult facts, about the long history of Israel and Palestine, about the difference between Hamas and Gaza, and about the demands of justice and humanity.  

The IRS, given new impetus by the Biden administration directive to pursue high-income tax cheats and fortified by funding from the Inflation Reduction Act, is already collecting hundreds of millions from wealthy tax evaders.

[MarketWatch] “A month after announcing it would crack down on 1,600 millionaires who were far behind on their taxes, the Internal Revenue Service said Friday it has collected $122 million from 100 of these cases.

“That’s on top of $38 million in back taxes the IRS has already collected from 175 millionaires. It brings the recent rake of back taxes from rich households to $160 million, IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel said.”

That’s just the beginning. The IRS estimates that there was a “$688 billion gap between the amount of taxes owed and the amount of taxes actually paid during tax year 2021.” [MarketWatch]

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Sometimes we need inspiration from our leaders, a reminder of common values and a clarion call to defend those values. President Joe Biden delivered just that on September 28 at an event honoring his long-time personal friend and political adversary, the late Senator John McCain. Think about that for a minute: personal friend and political adversary, patriots both, sharing a deep commitment to country and Constitution. 

This speech is a clarion call to defend democracy against the haters, the MAGA extremists, the enemies of democracy. The transcript of President Biden’s whole speech is worth reading, for the humor, for the personal interaction with hecklers in the audience, for every interaction and interruption and response. These clearly show his presence of mind and ready wit, characteristics so often called into question by political opponents and doubters alike. 

For those who won’t read the whole transcript, here’s an excerpt as a reminder of what we share as a nation, and what a real leader sounds like: 

Every other nation in the world has been founded on either a grouping by ethnicity, religion, background. We’re the most unique nation in the world. We’re founded on an idea — the only major nation in the world founded on an idea. An idea that we are all created equal, in the image of God, endowed by our Creator to be able to be treated equally throughout our lives.

We’ve never fully lived up to that idea, but we’ve never walked away from it. But there’s danger we’re walking too far away from it now, the way we talk in this country. …

Democracy means rule of the people, not rule of monarchs, not rule of the monied, not rule of the mighty. Regardless of party, that means respecting free and fair elections; accepting the outcome, win or lose. It means you can’t love your country only when you win. 

Democracy means rejecting and repudiating political violence. Regardless of party, such violence is never, never, never acceptable in America. It’s undemocratic, and it must never be normalized to advance political power.

And democracy means respecting the institutions that govern a free society. That means adhering to the timeless words of the Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be self-evident.” A mission statement embodied in our Constitution, our system of separation of powers and checks and balances. …

For centuries, the American Constitution has been a model for the world, with other countries adopting “We the People” as their North Star as well. But as we know, we know how damaged our institutions of democracy — the judiciary, the legislature, the executive — have become — become in the eyes of the American people, even the world, from attacks from within the past few years. …

Think about this: The first meeting I attended of the G7 — the seven wealthiest nations in the world — in Europe… I sat down, and I said, “America is back.” And Macron looked at me, and he said, “Mr. President, for how long — for how long?”

And then, the Chancellor of Germany said, “Mr. President, what would you think if you picked up the paper tomorrow — tomorrow, the London Times — and it said a thousand people broke down the doors of Parliament, marched, and killed two bobbies in order to overthrow an election of the new prime minister? What would you think then? What would America think?”

What would we think, the leading nation in the world, having gone through what we went through? …

And from that institutional damage, we see distrust and division among our own people.

I’m here to tell you: We lose these institutions of our government at our own peril. And I’ve always been clear: Democracy is not a partisan issue. It’s an American issue. …

And there is something dangerous happening in America now. There is an extremist movement that does not share the basic beliefs in our democracy: the MAGA Movement.

Not every Republican, not even a majority of Republicans, adhere to the MAGA extremist ideology. I know because I’ve been able to work with Republicans my whole career. But there is no question that today’s Republican Party is driven and intimidated by MAGA Republican extremists. Their extreme agenda, if carried out, would fundamentally alter the institutions of American democracy as we know it.

My friends, they’re not hiding their attacks. They’re openly promoting them — attacking the free press as the enemy of the people, attacking the rule of law as an impediment, fomenting voter suppression and election subversion.

Did you ever think we’d be having debates in the year — stage of your careers where banning books — banning books and burying history?

Extremists in Congress — more determined to shut down the government, to burn the place down than to let the people’s business be done. …

Trump says the Constitution gave him, quote, “the right to do whatever he wants as President,” end of quote. I’ve never even heard a president say that in jest. Not guided by the Constitution or by common service and decency toward our fellow Americans but by vengeance and vindictiveness. …

Just consider these as actual quotes from MAGA — the MAGA movement. Quote, “I am your retribution.” “Slitting throats” of civil servants, replacing them with extreme political cronies. MAGA extremists proclaim support for law enforcement only to say, “We…” — quote, “We must destroy the FBI.”

It’s not one person. It’s the controlling element of the House Republican Party.

Whitewash attacks of January 6th by calling the spearing and stomping of police— quote, a “legitimate political discourse.”

Did you ever think you’d hear leaders of political parties in the United States of America speak like that? Seizing power, concentrating power, attempting to abuse power, purging and packing key institutions, spewing conspiracy theories, spreading lies for profit and power to divide America in every way, inciting violence against those who risk their lives to keep America safe, weaponizing against the very soul of who we are as Americans.

This MAGA threat is the threat to the brick and mortar of our democratic institutions. …

Tomorrow, I have the honor of overseeing the change of responsibilities of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the United States military from one genuine hero and patriot, General Mark Milley, to another, General CQ Brown — both — both defining leaders of our time.

And yet, here is what you hear from MAGA extremists about the retiring patriot general honoring his oath to the Constitution: quote, he’s “a traitor,” end of quote. “In times gone by, the punishment…” — quote, “In times gone by, the punishment would’ve been death,” end of quote.

This is the United States of America. This is the United States of America.

And although I don’t believe even a majority of Republicans think that, the silence is deafening. The silence is deafening.

Hardly any Republican called out such heinous statements, just as they watch one MAGA senator outrageously — instead, blocking the promotions of hundreds of top military leaders and affecting not only those leaders but their families, their children.

MAGA extremists claim support of our troops, but they are harming military readiness, leadership, troop morale, freezing pay, freezing military families in limbo.

Just as they looked the other way when the defeated former President refused to pay respects at an American cemetery near Paris, referring to the American servicemen buried there — and I’ve been to this cemetery — as “suckers” and “losers,” quotes.

I’m not making this up. I know we all tried not to remember it, but that’s what he said. He called servicemen “suckers” and “losers.”

Was John a sucker? Was my son, Beau, who lived next to a burn pit for a year, came home, and died — was he a sucker for volunteering to serve his country? …

The MAGA extremists across the country have made it clear where they stand. So, the challenge for the rest of America — for the majority of Americans is to make clear where we stand.

Do we still believe in the Constitution? Do we believe in the basic decency and respect? The whole country should honestly ask itself — and I mean this sincerely — what it wants and understand the threats to our democracy.

I believe very strongly that the defining feature of our democracy is our Constitution.

I believe in the separation of powers and checks and balances, that debate and disagreement do not lead to disunion.

I believe in free and fair elections and the peaceful transfer of power.

I believe there is no place in America — none, none, none — for political violence. We have to denounce hate, not embolden it.

Across the aisle, across the country, I see fellow Americans, not mortal enemies. We’re a great nation because we’re a good people who believe in honor, decency, and respect.

I was able to get the infrastructure bill passed. It’s over a trillion dollars. The majority of it so far has gone to red states who didn’t vote for me. Because I represent all Americans. …

I’m asking you that regardless of whether you’re a Democrat, Republican, or independent, put the preservation of our democracy before everything else. Put our country first.…

You know, toward the end of my Senate campaign, I convinced Strom Thurmond to vote for the Civil Rights legislation — not a joke — and I thought, “Well, you can — you cn defeat hate.”

You can’t defeat it. You just bury it. But when someone comes along and lifts up the rock and breathes a little oxygen in there, it comes roaring back. It comes roaring back.

We should all remember: Democracies don’t have to die at the end of a rifle. They can die when people are silent, when they fail to stand up or condemn the threats to democracy, when people are willing to give away that which is most precious to them because they feel frustrated, disillusioned, tired, alienated. I get it. I really do. I get it.

For all its faults, though, American democracy remains the best path forward to prosperity, possibilities, progress, fair play, equality. …

We’re at an inflection point in our history. One of those moments that not only happens once every several generations, it happens once every eight or nine generations, where the decisions made in the short period of time we’re in now are going to determine the course of this country and the world for the next six or seven decades.

So, you, me, every American who is committed to preserving our democracy and our constitutional protections, we carry a special responsibility. We have to stand up for American values embedded in the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, because we know the MAGA extremists have already proven they won’t. …

We are the United States of America. There is nothing — nothing beyond our capacity when we act together.

General Mark Milley retired last week after a four-year term as chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. His tenure was tough. Two moments stand out: his response to being manipulated by Trump during protests over George Floyd’s murder and his parting speech last week, with its insistence on allegiance to the Constitution and not to “a wannabe dictator.” 

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Headlines trumpeted Target closing stores because of horrendous increases in retail crime. Except: that’s probably not true. Back in January, Popular Information reported on a similar story from Walgreens, which had to backtrack after being fact checked.  

“Walgreens has been joined by other major retailers who have been echoing similar cries and drumming up fear …

“Publicly available data, however, contradicts the theft-wave narrative. The number of shoplifting offenses dropped 46 percent between 2019 and 2021, according to the FBI’s crime data explorer. The National Retail Federation (NRF), a trade group that represents retailers like Walgreens and has amplified the theft-wave narrative, has also found that shrink declined to 1.4% of total retail sales in 2021, from 1.6% in 2020.”

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Yesterday, Judge Arthur Engoron ruled that Donald Trump, Don Jr., Eric Trump, Allen Weisselberg, and Jeffrey McConney all committed fraud in New York State. The ruling was made on motions for summary judgment. The case is complicated, and I read several articles about it before finally turning to the text of the judge’s ruling itself. Before going further, I should note that this is a civil case, not a criminal case. That means civil penalties can be imposed, but there is no possibility of jail time. 

A motion for summary judgment is based on evidence already submitted to the court before trial. Based on that evidence, the Trumps’ attorneys moved for summary judgment in their favor—that is, for a judgment dismissing the case because the evidence and arguments did not support the charges. The New York Attorney General moved for partial summary judgment against the Trumps—that is, for a judgment that the evidence and arguments submitted before the trial already proved one part of the seven-part case against the Trumps. 

Summary judgment is granted when the evidence already submitted means there are no material issues of fact left to decide. 

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The House Republican budget promises more tax cuts for the wealthy and cuts in services for everyone else. The Chaos Caucus of ultra-right House Republicans reject even that budget, and want to shut down the government entirely. 

“Don’t cut off your nose to spite your face,” says the old adage. That means not taking revenge in a way that will end up causing harm to yourself. Both a government shutdown and the Republican budget would damage the entire country. 

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Child poverty more than doubled last year, a sad and entirely predictable consequence of Congressional action. Expansion of the Child Tax Credit (CTC) in 2021 slashed child poverty to 5.2 percent. Congressional Republicans refused to continue the expanded Child Tax Credit. Child poverty zoomed back up to 12.4 percent. 

That’s more than one in ten children in the country living in poverty. For Black and Hispanic children the number is even higher—almost one in five. More than a quarter of all Native American children live in poverty. 

We know how to help poor children. What we need is the will to do so. Child poverty should not be a partisan issue.

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A Republican minority in Wisconsin has seized control of the legislature and won’t let go. Instead, they threaten a baseless impeachment of a newly-elected Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice, voted to remove the nonpartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission administrator, and passed a last-minute redistricting bill that they falsely claim follows the successful “Iowa model,” but that actually would allow them to maintain minority rule.

In 2022, Republicans in Wisconsin got 200,000 fewer votes than Democrats. Republicans lost every state-wide race. But gerrymandering won the day: despite massive popular vote losses, Republicans maintain absolute control of the Wisconsin legislature, with a two-thirds majority in the Senate and 64 of 99 seats in the Assembly. 

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I grew up in a rural community, living on a farm near a small town. I know that small towns can be havens of neighborly ties and community support. They can also turn into police states under the corrupt reign of lawless officials. Sometimes that leads to tragedy, as it did this week in Marion, Kansas. 

I read about the police raid on newspaper editors, publishers, and reporters last night, and thought I would wait until today to write about it.  Then I woke up to the report of the death of the 98-year-old co-owner of the newspaper. Heather Cox Richardson’s daily newsletter began: 

“In Marion, Kansas, yesterday morning, four local police officers and three sheriff’s deputies raided the office of the Marion County Record newspaper; the home of its co-owners, Eric Meyer and his 98 year old mother, Joan Meyer; and the home of Marion vice mayor Ruth Herbel, 80. They seized computers, cell phones, and other equipment. Joan Meyer was unable to eat or sleep after the raid; she collapsed Saturday afternoon and died at her home.”

By this afternoon, the New York Times had picked up the story. 

This morning, I thought I would skip writing this blog post. After all, the New York Times covered the story. And Heather Cox Richardson did even better, giving the historical context of the assassination of abolitionist editor Elijah Lovejoy in Illinois in 1837. But then I thought: maybe even one person who reads my blog will read the story here for the first time. Maybe even one person will pass this story on to someone else who has not read it and does not know the vital importance of defending free press and free speech, of resisting even the small tyrannies of small towns. 

The Marion County Record managed to publish its own story online—they don’t know when they will be able to publish on paper because of all the equipment seized from the newspaper.

“Stressed beyond her limits and overwhelmed by hours of shock and grief after illegal police raids on her home and the Marion County Record newspaper office Friday, 98-year-old newspaper co-owner Joan Meyer, otherwise in good health for her age, collapsed Saturday afternoon and died at her home.

“She had not been able to eat after police showed up at the door of her home Friday with a search warrant in hand. Neither was she able to sleep Friday night.

“She tearfully watched during the raid as police not only carted away her computer and a router used by an Alexa smart speaker but also dug through her son Eric’s personal bank and investments statements to photograph them. Electronic cords were left in a jumbled pile on her floor.

“Joan Meyer’s ability to stream TV shows at her home and to get help through her Alexa smart speakers were taken away with the electronics. 

“As her home was raided, other officers descended upon the Record office, forcing staff members to stay outside the office for hours during a heat advisory. They were not allowed them to answer the phone or make any calls.

“Marion police chief Gideon Cody forcibly grabbed reporter Deb Gruver’s personal cell phone out of her hand, reinjuring one of her fingers, which previously had been dislocated.

“Officers seized personal cell phones and computers, including the newspaper’s file server, along with other equipment unrelated to the scope of their search.”

There’s more, and you can read it at the newspaper’s website. (You can also support the Marion County Record by subscribing.)

Of course, the raid and seizures were illegal. Federal law strictly limits the circumstances under which any law enforcement official may search or seize material from news media. None of those criteria were met.

Moreover, the search warrant was supposedly based on an affidavit alleging probable cause to believe that identity theft had been committed—but the affidavit is missing and was never filed with the court. So what was really going on? Before his mother’s death, Eric Meyer explained to the Kansas Reflector: 

“Eric Meyer, owner and publisher of the newspaper, said police were motivated by a confidential source who leaked sensitive documents to the newspaper, and the message was clear: ‘Mind your own business or we’re going to step on you.’

“The city’s entire five-officer police force and two sheriff’s deputies took ‘everything we have,’ Meyer said, and it wasn’t clear how the newspaper staff would take the weekly publication to press Tuesday night.

“The raid followed news stories about a restaurant owner who kicked reporters out of a meeting last week with U.S. Rep. Jake LaTurner, and revelations about the restaurant owner’s lack of a driver’s license and conviction for drunken driving.”

Coincidentally (?), the newspaper was also investigating separate allegations of misconduct by the town’s police chief. It had not published any story about either investigation because—as good journalists do—the staff was still investigating and fact-checking to be sure that they had all the facts before publishing anything at all. 

Meyer knows the crucial importance of local newspapers. The Kansas Reflector reported:

“Meyer, whose father worked at the newspaper from 1948 until he retired, bought the Marion County Record in 1998, preventing a sale to a corporate newspaper chain.

“As a journalism professor in Illinois, Meyer said, he had graduate students from Egypt who talked about how people would come into the newspaper office and seize everything so they couldn’t publish. Those students presented a scholarly paper at a conference in Toronto about what it has done to journalism there.

“’That’s basically what they’re trying to do here,’ Meyer said. ‘The intervention is just like that repressive government of Egypt. I didn’t think it could happen in America.’” 

Small towns can be havens of neighborly ties and community support. They can also turn into police states under the corrupt reign of lawless officials. When everybody knows everybody else, that means the sheriff and the judge and the police chief also know everybody. And that’s when they can issue a dangerous, even deadly, message: “Mind your own business or we’re going to step on you.”