Trump Declares Emergencies As Hurricane Irma Intensifies

Semafor: “On the fourth anniversary of the violent Capitol riot, congressional Democrats made the certification of Donald Trump’s 2024 victory as dull as possible. They arrived at the joint session with a plan to offer no objections on the floor, the first time since 1989 that no Democrat spoke up against a Republican win.” “It was also the first sign of the new Democratic Party.

“Federal prosecutors tacitly signaled on Wednesday that the public may never see a portion of a report by the special counsel, Jack Smith, detailing his investigation into President-elect Donald Trump’s refusal to give back a trove of classified documents he took from the White House after leaving office,” the New York Times reports.

“Pharmacists have begun prescribing abortion pills, not simply dispensing the medication — a development intended to broaden abortion access by taking advantage of rules that give them prescribing ability in most states,” the New York Times reports. “The new effort is small so far — a pilot program in Washington State — but the idea is expected to be tried in other states where abortion remains legal.”

David Sanger: “There was a lot of déjà vu in Tuesday’s news conference, recalling scenes from his first presidency. The conspiracy theories, the made-up facts, the burning grievances — all despite the fact that he has pulled off one of the most remarkable political comebacks in history. The vague references to ‘people’ whom he never names.

“Attorney General Merrick Garland plans to release only the volume of special counsel Jack Smith’s report dealing with Donald Trump’s plans to subvert the transfer of power, holding back on sharing the Mar-a-Lago report while the president-elect’s two co-defendants still face trial,” The Hill reports.

Reuters: ‘Three senior U. S. Justice Department officials committed misconduct in the final months of Donald Trump’s first presidency by leaking details about a non-public investigation, a move that may have been intended to sway the 2020 election, the department’s internal watchdog concluded in a new report.”