FBI surveillance caused Vincent “Vinny Gorgeous” Basciano to kill a time-honored and beloved mob tradition. [NYP]
environment
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos Pledges $10 Billion to Fight Effects of Climate Change
THE FEED
democratic primaries
As Bloomberg Rises, Democratic Candidates Go On the Attack
gun control
Virginia’s Assault Weapons Ban Fails
Senator Tom Cotton is still promoting the debunked conspiracy theory that China engineered the coronavirus
“This analysis provides evidence that SARS-CoV-2 is not a laboratory construct nor a purposefully manipulated virus.” Before you read any speculation about SARS-CoV-2 origins, read this post by some leading researchers in pathogen evolution/genomics https://t.co/S2OeJuLCYS
—@AdamJKucharski
The White House mole hunt sounds like the search for a serial killer
Officially, assistant to the president Peter Navarro is Trump’s point-man on trade policy. But Navarro has also taken it upon himself in recent weeks to uncover the identity of the person known simply as “Anonymous,” the senior Trump administration official who has railed against the president in the New York Times opinion pages and, most recently, in a bestselling book titled A Warning, and whose actual identity has so far confounded White House leak hunters.
Since at least the time of the impeachment process against Trump, Navarro—whom the president affectionately calls “my Peter”—began conducting his own private investigation into the identity of Anonymous, according to three sources with knowledge of Navarro’s efforts.
One of those sources described Navarro’s investigative efforts as partially an in-depth analysis of the language and phrases used in Anonymous’ book and other public writings. The process, as described to The Daily Beast, mimics forensic linguistic profiling, and the goal is to cross-reference Navarro’s “profile” with a list of potential suspects.
cityscape
L.A.’s Beguiling Idea: An African-American Arts Destination
the second term
What Would Four More Years of Trump Look Like?
vision 2020
What Obama Is Saying in Private About the Democratic Primary
health
Everything We Know About the Coronavirus Epidemic
new york city
Could Andrew Yang and His Gang Make It in New York’s Mayoral Race?
Bloomberg’s billions on political causes
In less than three months as a candidate, Mr. Bloomberg has poured more than $400 million, and rapidly counting, into the campaign. But that figure pales in comparison with what he spent in prior years, positioning himself as a national leader with presidential ambitions.
A Times examination of Mr. Bloomberg’s philanthropic and political spending in the years leading up to his presidential bid illustrates how he developed a national infrastructure of influence, image-making and unspoken suasion that has helped transform a former Republican mayor of New York City into a plausible contender for the Democratic nomination. …
In all, Mr. Bloomberg has spent at least $10 billion on his charitable and political pursuits. The vast majority has gone to philanthropy, for causes that reflect his personal interests and passions, including $3.3 billion to his alma mater, Johns Hopkins University.
But The Times’s examination — based on a review of years of campaign and nonprofit tax filings, as well as interviews with more than 50 people who have benefited from his support — illustrates how deeply that philanthropy is entwined with Mr. Bloomberg’s political preoccupations. In fact, in 2019, the year he declared his presidential candidacy, Mr. Bloomberg’s charitable giving soared to $3.3 billion — more than in the previous five years combined. His campaign disclosed that total in response to inquiries by The Times, but the donations were not itemized and most of it does not fall under public disclosure requirements.
More details emerge about Bloomberg’s denigrating comments toward women
While allegations about Bloomberg’s comments and treatment of women have received notice over the years, a review by The Post of thousands of pages of court documents, depositions obtained under the Freedom of Information Act and interviews with witnesses underscores how Bloomberg and his company, Bloomberg LP, have fought the claims.
A number of the cases have either been settled, dismissed in Bloomberg’s favor or closed because of a failure of the plaintiff to meet filing deadlines. The cases do not involve accusations of inappropriate sexual conduct; the allegations have centered around what Bloomberg has said and about the workplace culture he fostered. …
[One accuser] alleged that Bloomberg berated female employees who got pregnant. “What the hell did you do a thing like that for?” Bloomberg allegedly told one pregnant employee. On another occasion, the lawsuit said, Bloomberg berated a female employee who had trouble finding a nanny. “It’s a f—— baby! . . . All you need is some black who doesn’t have to speak English to rescue it from a burning building.”
election reform
Sometimes Slow Election Results Are Good for Democracy
vision 2020
This One Chart Explains Why the Kids Back Bernie
vision 2020
De Blasio To Endorse, Campaign With, Sanders
the law
Disgraced Lawyer Michael Avenatti Found Guilty in Nike Extortion Trial
vision 2020
Why Biden’s Candidacy May Survive
Game over
Mayor Bill de Blasio of New York will endorse Sen. Bernie Sanders for the Democratic presidential nomination, according to people familiar with the plans https://t.co/JRIyjqfAP9
—@nytimes
air travel
Tall Delta CEO Asks Passengers to Please Think of the Tall Before Reclining
just asking question
A Stranded Cruise Passenger on Staying Cheerful Through a Coronavirus Quarantine
gotta go fast
The Staff of New York Shows Off Its Sonic OCs
the national interest
Obama Auto Standards May Survive Because Trump Staff Can’t Do Math
medicaid
Trump Loses Big Court Decision on Medicaid Work Requirement
In a chatty mood
Trump, wielding photos, says a part of the wall gets “virtually untouchable” in the sun because it’s black, “so not only would you have to be a good climber, but you’re gonna have to bring a hose with lots of water to water it down…there aren’t too many hoses in the area.”
—@ddale8
media
A Visit With Andrew Neil, The Spectator’s Publisher and Boris Johnson’s Old Boss
white house
Fired Trump Loyalist Will Now Control White House Hiring
Here’s someone who probably won’t be getting a Trump pardon
Michael Avenatti guilty on all counts in Nike extortion trial. He stared straight ahead and showed no reaction as verdict was read.
—@PPVSRB
Ok, but Loretta Lynch and Bill Clinton met on a plane once
Attorney General William P. Barr has assigned an outside prosecutor to scrutinize the criminal case against President Trump’s former national security adviser Michael T. Flynn, according to people familiar with the matter.
The review is highly unusual and could trigger more accusations of political interference by top Justice Department officials into the work of career prosecutors.
Mr. Barr has also installed a handful of outside prosecutors to broadly review the handling of other politically sensitive national-security cases in the U.S. attorney’s office in Washington, the people said. The team includes at least one prosecutor from the office of the United States attorney in St. Louis, Jeff Jensen, who is handling the Flynn matter, as well as prosecutors from the office of the deputy attorney general, Jeffrey A. Rosen.
just asking questions
Is NYC Prepared for Coronavirus?
politics
The Left Takes Center Stage in Spain
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