By David Kurtz
Copyright
A lot of things happened. Here are some of the things. This is TPM’s Morning Memo. Sign up for the email version.
Appeals Court Backs Lisa Cook … for Now
In a late night ruling, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals declined to block a lower court order that reinstated Trump-target Lisa Cook to the Federal Reserve Board. The decision, less than 48 hours before an important meeting of the Fed, sets up a likely race to the Supreme Court by the Trump administration.
In a 2-1 decision, Biden appointees Bradley Garcia and J. Michelle Childs ruled that Cook was likely to prevail on the underlying appeal. They were especially focused on the lack of due process given to Cook. Trump appointee Gregory Katsas dissented.
The decision came the same day Senate Republicans confirmed Trump White House official Stephen Miran to the Federal Reserve Board. Miran is not giving up his White House post to serve on the ostensibly independent Fed. Senators were racing to confirm him ahead of the same Wednesday meeting of the Fed that Trump is trying to block Cook from attending.
Meanwhile, Reuters turned up yet more information that confirms Trump’s mortgage fraud claims against Cook are a bogus pretext for bringing the Federal Reserve to heel. After reviewing records at Reuters request, the property tax authority in Ann Arbor, Michigan, said that Cook hasn’t broken rules for tax breaks on a home there that she declared her primary residence.
For Your Radar …
Longtime federal prosecutor Maurene Comey, the daughter of former FBI Director James Comey who was fired by the Trump administration without cause or explanation, has filed a well-crafted wrongful termination lawsuit alleging she was retaliated against because of her father and/or the perception of her own political beliefs.
Comey was prosecuting major cases in the Southern District of New York when she was abruptly terminated in July. Among the defendants she named in the lawsuit: the Justice Department, Attorney General Pam Bondi, and the Executive Office of the President.
Comey’s case will be an important one to watch as the lawless Trump DOJ purge of career prosecutors and investigators is challenged in court.
When Every Political Foe of Trump Is a Terrorist
The labeling of all the political foes of President Trump as terrorists and falsely ascribing bad acts to them is a searing threat to democratic life whose historical analogues are universally sobering:
Quote of the Day
HuffPost’s Paul Blumenthal:
Conservatives’ efforts to blame some vague “they” for these attacks are not a slip of the tongue: It crafts a narrative of victimhood aimed at enacting retributive repression or violence against their political opponents. This is made explicit in calls to indict billionaire liberal donor George Soros, investigate and dismantle liberal nonprofits and target media companies, none of which appear to have had any involvement, as a response to Kirk’s murder.
Trump Lawlessly Attacks Another Boat on High Seas
Three people were killed in a second U.S. attack on a boat in international waters off Venezuela that was allegedly smuggling drugs. No evidence was produced to bolster this claim. Trump touted the attack in raw terms on social media.
Former State Department attorney Brian Finucane has a new piece out prompted by the first attack earlier this month on why this is a dangerous departure from the Global War on Terror.
Trump Files Nuisance Suit Against NYT for $15 BILLION
In an absurd defamation lawsuit filed in federal court in Tampa, Florida, President Trump is claiming billions of dollars in damages from the NYT coverage of him, citing numerous stories. The 85-page complaint reads like a survey of a wounded man’s fragile ego.
Chutkan Says She Has No Jurisdiction in Ghana Case
U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan of Washington, D.C., overnight refused to intervene in the case of the Trump administration using Ghana as middle man to re-deport migrants to their home countries because U.S. law prohibits them being sent there directly. Chutkan deplored the administration’s conduct but ultimately concluded she did not have jurisdiction to intervene in the case.
Trump’s Great Whitewashing of American History
A print of the “The Scourged Back” is among the many signs, exhibits, and educational tools reportedly being removed from national parks by the Trump administration as part of a sweeping revisionism of American history that blots out the often excruciating experiences of people of color.
Another Shining Moment for the Roberts Court
At the Supreme Court, it’s open season on trans rights, TPM’s Kate Riga reports.
Robert Redford, 1936-2025
The movie icon and independent film cultivator died early this morning at his home in Utah.
