Good morning.

Monday in Whitewater will see afternoon thunderstorms with a high of seventy-seven.  Sunrise is 6:00 AM and sunset 7:45 PM, for 13h 44m 37s of daytime.  The moon is a waning gibbous with 89.5% of its visible disk illuminated.

The Whitewater School Board meets at 6 PM, with an open session beginning at 7 PM.

On this day in 1954, the televised portion of the Army-McCarthy hearings begins:

Chaired by Senator Karl Mundt, the hearings convened on March 16, 1954, and received considerable press attention, including gavel-to-gavel live television coverage on ABC and DuMont (April 22–June 17). The media coverage, particularly television, greatly contributed to McCarthy’s decline in popularity and his eventual censure by the Senate the following December.

Recommended for reading in full:

Abigail Tracy reports The “Red Line” Investigations that Will Haunt Trump’s Presidency:

For Donald Trump, perhaps the most chilling moment in the Mueller report occurs on page 446, where the special counsel reveals that he has referred a total of 14 potential cases to other prosecutors. Because while Robert Mueller was given a limited mandate to investigate the Trump-Russia affair, special counsel investigations have a habit of unearthing other, unrelated criminality in the process. Perhaps that is why, when Trump first learned that Mueller had been appointed, according to the report, he slumped back in his chair and exclaimed, “I’m fucked.”

What flashed through Trump’s mind in that moment—his sprawling business empire, his byzantine taxes, his hush-money payments to a porn star—is unknown. Indeed, 12 of the 14 referrals that Mueller outsourced were redacted and remain shrouded in secrecy. (The two public referred cases involve Michael Cohen, the president’s former fixer, and a false-statement case against Democratic attorney and lobbyist Gregory Craig.) But, with investigations churning in Congress, in New York, and in Washington, D.C., it is clear that Trump’s nightmare is just beginning. Below is an accounting of the known legal threats Trumpworld has yet to grapple with. [Tracy lists all 14.]

Lachlan Markay reports Russian State Media Binges on Fox Prime Time and Sean Hannity Reruns:

Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s report implicated the Russian government in a widespread campaign of hacking and political disinformation during the 2016 presidential campaign.

Russian state media is nonetheless trumpeting the reaction of U.S. conservativesto the report, which found that the Trump campaign was not complicit in those election-meddling efforts, as evidence of a broad anti-Russian conspiracy in the U.S. And it’s using at least one prominent American conservative voice to do so.

The Russian government-owned Rossiya 1 news channel recently broadcasted excerpts from Fox News primetime host Sean Hannity’s on-air monologue, which hammered “media hysteria” over the report and allegations of campaign “collusion” with the Russian government.

In its own editorializing, Rossiya 1 described the report as “bestseller about the absence of collusion between Trump and Russia,” and blamed the political press and U.S. intelligence agencies for “hounding Trump” over the allegations, according to a translation by journalist and Daily Beast contributor Julia Davis.

 Protecting the Future of Rock Lobster Fishing:

Good morning.

Easter in Whitewater will be mostly sunny with a high of seventy-seven.  Sunrise is 6:02 AM and sunset 7:44 PM, for 13h 41m 57s of daytime.  The moon is a waning gibbous with 94.7% of its visible disk illuminated.

On this day in 1838, John Muir is born:

On this date John Muir was born in Dunbar, Scotland. He immigrated with his family to Wisconsin in 1849 and spent his youth working on his father’s farms in Marquette County, experiences that are recounted in The Story of My Boyhood and Youth (1913). In 1868 he moved to Yosemite Valley, California, where he became a conservationist and leader in the forest preserve movement. His work led to the creation of the first national parks, the saving of California’s redwoods, and the founding of the Sierra Club.

Recommended for reading in full:

Jake Rudnitsky and Ilya Arkhipov write Mueller Exposes Putin’s Use of Tycoons as Trump Emissaries: 

Shortly after news emerged that Hillary Clinton had phoned Donald Trump to concede the presidential election early on November 9, 2016, the head of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund received a message from New York: “Putin has won.”

The exchange recorded in Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s report, in which the name of Kirill Dmitriev’s contact has been redacted, captures the jubilation among Kremlin insiders over Trump’s victory following what U.S. intelligence said was a campaign of Russian interference designed to help the underdog. The win set in motion what the report called a “flurry of Russian activity” among businessmen to establish contact with the president-elect’s team.

Mueller’s report, which includes details of Dmitriev’s private correspondence and an interview with billionaire investor Petr Aven, offers a rare glimpse into how President Vladimir Putin uses leading businessmen to act as informal Kremlin emissaries, meeting regularly with them to give directions.

….

“It’s an open secret that oligarchs are an important tool not only domestically but in Russia’s foreign policy,” Valery Solovei, a political scientist at the Moscow State Institute for International Relations, said. “The merit of the Mueller report is that he exposes this, showing how it functions.”

  Scott Simon reports Helvetica, The Iconic Font Both Loved And Loathed, Gets Its 1st Redesign In 36 Years:

It’s been used by brands such as American Airlines, Panasonic and Toyota. It’s all over the signage in the New York City subway system. Even Google, Apple and Netflix used it for a time.

Helvetica is ubiquitous around the world, but despite its popularity, the typeface has some issues: letters scrunch together at small sizes and the space between them can be uneven.

Now, after 36 years, the widely used — and widely controversial — font is getting a makeover.

The upgrade was designed by the the Massachusetts type giant Monotype, which controls licensing for Helvetica. The company has updated each of Helvetica’s 40,000 characters for the digital age, offering three new sizes designed to work on everything from billboards to the tiny screens of a smartwatch. The updated font even has a new name: “Helvetica Now.”

Helvetica® Now:

Good morning.

Saturday in Whitewater will be sunny with a high of sixty-six.  Sunrise is 6:03 AM and sunset 7:43 PM, for 13h 39m 15s of daytime.  The moon is a waning gibbous with 98.4 of its visible disk illuminated.

On this day in 1836, the oldest library in Wisconsin is founded.

Recommended for reading in full:

Conservative David French writes Donald Trump Is Weak and Afraid. The Mueller Report Proves It:

It’s difficult to overestimate the extent to which Trump’s appeal to his core supporters is built around the notion that — regardless of his other flaws — he possesses a core strength, a willingness to “fight” and an ability to strike a degree of fear in the hearts of his opponents. I live in the heart of Trump country in Tennessee, and I have consistently heard the same refrain from his most loyal supporters. Trump, as they say, “kicks ass.” He was the ultimate alpha male, a political version of Tony Soprano, a formidable boss who commands an army of loyal consiglieri. Cross him at your peril.

But now, thanks to the Mueller report, his “fights” look more like temper tantrums, and those closest to him — including low men like Lewandowski and far-more-noble men like former White House counsel Donald McGahn — understand that his fury is passing and his directives are unreliable, seemingly transitory and easily forgotten or disregarded.

Moreover, his vaunted personal judgment — an image cultivated through years of careful television production on The Apprentice — has been exposed as well. When one reads Robert Mueller’s account of Trump’s own campaign chair’s extraordinary efforts to maintain an encrypted connection to Ukrainian and Russian oligarchs, it’s plain that Trump was played. Paul Manafort used Trump’s gullibility as a business opportunity.

….

As the Mueller report stated, Trump’s attempts to influence the investigation “were mostly unsuccessful,” but it’s “largely because the persons who surrounded the President declined to carry out orders or accede to his requests.” He’s not strong. He’s not wise. He’s not honorable. And sometimes, when his subordinates disregard is orders, he’s not even truly the president. Regardless of his potential criminality, there is nothing revealed in the report that is admirable — or alpha — about Donald Trump.

David A. Fahrenthold reports ‘I have no recollection’: Trump turned to familiar refrain in response to Mueller questions:

President Trump has bragged that he has “one of the great memories of all time.”

But — when faced with questions from special counsel Robert S. Mueller III about the 2016 campaign — Trump said his memory failed him.

When did Trump learn that his aides had met with a Russian lawyer offering dirt on rival Hillary Clinton?

“I have no recollection,” Trump wrote in written responses to Mueller’s team.

Did anyone tell Trump during the campaign that Russian President Vladi­mir Putin supported Trump’s candidacy?

“I have no recollection of being told,” Trump wrote back.

In at least 37 instances, Trump responded to Mueller’s questions — about his campaign’s contacts with Russians and about Russian interference in the 2016 election — by saying he couldn’t recall.

India’s Growing Economy:

Good morning.

Good Friday in Whitewater will be mostly sunny with a high of fifty-eight.  Sunrise is 6:05 AM and sunset 7:42 PM, for 13h 36m 32s of daytime.  The moon is full with 100% of its visible disk illuminated.

On this day in 1775, the American Revolution begins at the Battles of Lexington and Concord.

Recommended for reading in full:

Scott R. Anderson, Victoria Clark, Mikhaila Fogel, Sarah Grant, Susan Hennessey, Matthew Kahn, Quinta Jurecic, Lev Sugarman, Margaret Taylor, and Benjamin Wittes write What Mueller Found on Russia and on Obstruction: A First Analysis:

The report identifies and analyzes ten episodes of concern in the obstruction investigation.

1. conduct involving then-FBI Director Comey and Michael Flynn;
2. the president’s reaction to the continuing Russia investigation;
3. the president’s termination of Comey;
4. the appointment of a special counsel and efforts to remove him;
5. efforts to curtail the special counsel’s investigation;
6. efforts to prevent public disclosure of evidence;
7. further efforts to have the attorney general take control of the investigation;
8. efforts to have White House Counsel Don McGahn deny that the president had ordered him to have the special counsel removed;
9. conduct toward Flynn, Manafort, and a redacted individual (likely Roger Stone); and
10. conduct involving Michael Cohen.

Each episode includes a detailed set of factual findings and then analyzes how the evidence maps onto the criminal charge of obstruction, which requires (1) an obstructive act; (2) a nexus with an official proceeding; and (3) a corrupt intent. We have summarized all of the episodes and Mueller’s analysis of them under the obstruction statutes here.

For present purposes, the critical point is that in six of these episodes, the special counsel’s office suggests that all of the elements of obstruction are satisfied: Trump’s conduct regarding the investigation into Michael Flynn, his firing of Comey, his efforts to remove Mueller and then to curtail Mueller’s investigation, his campaign to have Sessions take back control over the investigation and an order he gave to White House Counsel Don McGahn to both lie to the press about Trump’s past attempt to fire Mueller and create a false record “for our files.” In the cases of Comey’s firing, Trump’s effort to fire Mueller and then push McGahn to lie about it, and Trump’s effort to curtail the scope of the investigation, Mueller describes “substantial” evidence that Trump intended to obstruct justice. Only in one instance—concerning Trump’s effort to prevent the release of emails regarding the Trump Tower meeting—does the special counsel seem to feel that none of the three elements of the obstruction offense were met. It is not entirely clear how Mueller would apply his overarching factual considerations, discussed above, to the specific cases, but he does seem to be saying that the evidence of obstruction in a number of these incidents is strong.

Do Fish Sleep?:

Good morning.

Thursday in Whitewater will be mostly cloudy with a high of fifty-one.  Sunrise is 6:07 AM and sunset 7:40 PM, for 13h 33m 48s of daytime.  The moon is a waxing gibbous with 98.7% of its visible disk illuminated.

On this day in 1906, the 1906 Great San Francisco Earthquake shakes that city, killing thousands and causing significant property damage.

Recommended for reading in full:

Natasha Bertrand and Anna Nemtsova describe The Trump-Putin Relationship, As Dictated by the Kremlin (“Why does the White House cede control of the narrative to the Russians?”):

It would have once been unthinkable to accuse a sitting president of putting the interests of a hostile foreign power above those of the United States. But Trump’s continual praise of Putin on the campaign trail, his pursuit of a multimillion-dollar real-estate deal in Moscow throughout the election—while Russia was waging a massive hacking and disinformation campaign to undermine his opponent, Hillary Clinton—and the secrecy that still surrounds his conversations with Putin gave many, including the FBI, pause.“All this would be unusual enough for any president,” The Atlantic’s David Frum notedin January. “It is more than suspicious for a president being formally investigated by the FBI as a possible Russian-intelligence asset.” ….

Trump took the extraordinary step of confiscating his interpreter’s notes after his first private meeting with Putin in Hamburg, Germany, in 2017, according to the Post, and demanded that the interpreter refrain from discussing the meeting with members of his own administration. (The White House senior adviser Kellyanne Conway told reporters earlier this month that Trump was concerned about leaks when he confiscated the notes.) Then–Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told reporters after that meeting that Trump and Putin had discussed Russia’s election interference in 2016. But he wouldn’t say whether Trump accepted Putin’s denial of any such interference at face value—providing Russia with another golden opportunity to shape the narrative.

Bess Levin writes Trump’s Lawyers Prefer His Exceptionally Shady Financial  Documents Not See the Light of Day: 

As we learned from Michael Cohen’s congressional testimony in February, a New York Times exposé last month, and documents obtained from The Washington Post shortly after that, Donald Trump’s long history of lying about his wealth has not been confined to bragging about it on TV, but also allegedly made its way into financial statements sent to banks and insurance companies, in which the ex-real-estate developer inflated his assets to obtain certain loans. For example, in a 2011 document, Trump purported to own 55 home lots ready to sell for at least $3 million apiece at his Southern California golf course; in reality, he’d only been zoned for 31, thus overstating his future revenue by roughly $72 million. A year later, in another “Statement of Financial Condition,” he tacked an extra 800 acres on to the size of his 1,200-odd-acre Virginia vineyard. At one point, he claimed Trump Tower had 68 stories, despite the fact that anyone with eyes could tell you there are 58.

The effects of climate change on the Galápagos Islands:

Good morning.

Wednesday in Whitewater will be cloudy with thunderstorms and a high of sixty-one.  Sunrise is 6:08 AM and sunset 7:39 PM, for 13h 31m 05s of daytime.  The moon is a waxing gibbous with 94.3% of its visible disk illuminated.

On this day in 1970, the crew of Apollo 13 successfully returns to Earth despite an oxygen tank explosion during their mission.

Recommended for reading in full:

Shawn Regan writes 5 Ways The Government Keeps Native Americans In Poverty:

Imagine if the government were responsible for looking after your best interests. All of your assets must be managed by bureaucrats on your behalf. A special bureau is even set up to oversee your affairs. Every important decision you make requires approval, and every approval comes with a mountain of regulations.

How well would this work? Just ask Native Americans.

The federal government is responsible for managing Indian affairs for the benefit of all Indians. But by all accounts the government has failed to live up to this responsibility. As a result, Native American reservations are among the poorest communities in the United States. Here’s how the government keeps Native Americans in poverty.

Indian lands are owned and managed by the federal government.

….

Nearly every aspect of economic development is controlled by federal agencies.

….

Reservations have a complex legal framework that hinders economic growth.

….

Energy regulations make it difficult for tribes to develop their resources.

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The federal government has repeatedly mismanaged Indian assets.

Michael Kranish reports Inside the Russian effort to target Sanders supporters — and help elect Trump:

After Bernie Sanders lost his presidential primary race against Hillary Clinton in 2016, a Twitter account called Red Louisiana News reached out to his supporters to help sway the general election. “Conscious Bernie Sanders supporters already moving towards the best candidate Trump! #Feel the Bern #Vote Trump 2016,” the account tweeted.

The tweet was not actually from Louisiana, according to an analysis by Clemson University researchers. Instead, it was one of thousands of accounts identified as based in Russia, part of a cloaked effort to persuade supporters of the senator from Vermont to elect Trump. “Bernie Sanders says his message resonates with Republicans,” said another Russian tweet.

While much attention has focused on the question of whether the Trump campaign encouraged or conspired with Russia, the effort to target Sanders supporters has been a lesser-noted part of the story. Special counsel Robert S. Mueller III, in a case filed last year against 13 Russians accused of interfering in the U.S. presidential campaign, said workers at a St. Petersburg facility called the Internet Research Agency were instructed to write social media posts in opposition to Clinton but “to support Bernie Sanders and then-candidate Donald Trump.”

Trump threatened to close the border. Here’s what could happen if he did: