Latest batch of Clinton emails discuss iPad, 'vast right wing conspiracy,' gefilte fish


On Monday night, at 9 p.m. on the East Coast, the State Department released 7,121 new pages of emails from Hillary Clinton's tenure as secretary of state, just meeting a court-ordered deadline to release a certain number each month. The emails were sent and saved on a private server at the Clinton residence in New York. Reporters are digging through the new dump, covering parts of 2009 and 2010, to find anything beyond mundane scheduling requests, and this early look from Politico has a few tidbits.
First, close friend Sid Blumenthal, who did not work for the State Department at the time, appears to be Clinton's version of that friend who sends you lots of articles on Facebook or over email. In one email chain with the subject line "H: Yes, there is a vast right wing conspiracy. Sid," Blumenthal pasted articles from Israeli newspaper Haaretz on the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, and a New Yorker article on Charles and David Koch and their support for the Tea Party. To the long New Yorker article, Clinton replied: "Ah, a little lite vacation reading!"
Also, it appears Clinton didn't know how to use an iPad before June 2010. "That is exciting news — do you think you can teach me to use it on the flight to Kyev next week?" Clinton asked top aide Philippe Reines when he advised her that her "hPad" had arrived. In another email to top advisers in March 2010, Clinton used the subject line "Gefilte fish," with the email body simply asking: "Where are we on this?"
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Of the 4,368 emails released, 125 had been retroactively deemed classified, all at the lowest level, "Confidential," the State Department said. Parts of those emails were blacked out. On Monday, State Department spokesman John Kirby apologized to reporters for the late-night email dump, explaining that the department was straining to meet the release schedule set by a judge. He promised the department will try to get the next batch out earlier in the day on Sept. 30.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Trump uses tariffs to upend Brazil's domestic politics
IN THE SPOTLIGHT By slapping a 50% tariff on Brazil for its criminal investigation into Bolsonaro, the Trump administration is brazenly putting its fingers on the scales of a key foreign election
-
3 questions to ask when deciding whether to repair or replace your broken appliance
the explainer There may be merit to fixing what you already have, but sometimes buying new is even more cost-effective
-
'Trump's authoritarian manipulation of language'
Instant Opinion Vienna has become a 'convenient target for populists' | Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Trump set to hit Canada with 35% tariffs
Speed Read The president accused Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney of failing to stop the cross-border flow of fentanyl
-
Mahmoud Khalil files $20M claim over ICE detention
Speed Read This is the 'first damages complaint' brought by an individual targeted by the Trump's administration's 'crackdown' on Gaza war protesters
-
Trump threatens Brazil with 50% tariffs
Speed Read He accused Brazil's current president of leading a 'witch hunt' against far-right former leader Jair Bolsonaro
-
AI scammer fakes Rubio messages to top officials
Speed Read The unknown individual mimicked Rubio in voice and text messages sent to multiple government officials
-
SCOTUS greenlights Trump's federal firings
speed read The Trump administration can conduct mass federal firings without Congress' permission, the Supreme Court ruled
-
New tariffs set on 14 trading partners
Speed Read A new slate of tariffs will begin August 1 on imports from Japan, South Korea, Thailand and more
-
Elon Musk launching 'America Party'
Speed Read The tech mogul promised to form a new political party if Trump's megabill passed Congress
-
Judge blocks Trump's asylum ban at US border
Speed Read The president violated federal law by shutting down the US-Mexico border to asylum seekers, said the ruling