April 22, 2022

Late Morning/Afternoon Update:

Jonathan Weisman & Neil Vigdor of the New York Times: "Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, Republican of Georgia, on Friday repeated false claims of widespread fraud in the 2020 presidential election as she defended her actions surrounding the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, in an extraordinary hearing that asked whether she should be labeled an 'insurrectionist' and barred from office under the Constitution. While under oath at an administrative law hearing in Atlanta, Ms. Greene insisted that 'a tremendous amount of fraudulent activity' had robbed ... Donald J. Trump of his re-election, an assertion that has been soundly refuted by multiple courts, Republican-led recounts and Mr. Trump's own attorney general, William P. Barr. But despite her exhortations on social media to '#FightForTrump,' she said she had possessed no knowledge that protesters intended to invade the Capitol on Jan. 6, or disrupt the congressional joint session called to count the electoral votes and confirm Joseph R. Biden Jr.'s victory. She said she did not recall meeting with any of the instigators.... The legal case appeared to be on shaky ground as the administrative law judge, Charles R. Beaudrot, repeatedly sided with Ms. Greene's lawyer, the prominent conservative election attorney James Bopp Jr.... The final decision [on whether or not Greene can remain on the ballot] will fall to Georgia's secretary of state, Brad Raffensperger [R]...." Read on. Greene repeatedly could not recall saying things that have been reported or that she posted on Twitter. ~~~

~~~ Matthew Brown & Feliciz Sonmez of the Washington Post: "Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, testifying Friday about her alleged role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol as part of a case seeking to disqualify her from seeking reelection, said she could not remember whether she urged ... Donald Trump to impose martial law as a way to remain in power....[An] exchange [between Greene & an attorney for the plaintiff] was one of dozens of times during Friday's hearing that Greene said she could not recall her tweets or statements related to the attack." Neal Katyal, appearing on MSNBC, said Greene's testimony demonstrated that her memory was worse than Harold & Kumar's when they were high on dope.

** Neil Vigdor of the New York Times: "Representative Kevin McCarthy, the House Republican leader, told G.O.P. lawmakers in the days after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol that ... Donald J. Trump acknowledged that he bore 'some responsibility' for what happened that day, new audio revealed. The audio obtained by The New York Times that emerged on Friday is part of a series of new revelations about Republican leaders' private condemnations of Mr. Trump in the days after his supporters stormed the Capitol as part of an effort to stop the certification of electoral votes for Joseph R. Biden Jr. 'Let me be very clear to all of you, and I have been very clear to the president: he bears responsibilities for his words and actions,' Mr. McCarthy said on the call, which took place on Jan. 11. 'No if, ands or buts.... I asked him personally today, does he hold responsibility for what happened?' Mr. McCarthy said. 'Does he feel bad about what happened? He told me he does have some responsibility for what happened and he'd need to acknowledge that.' Mr. McCarthy's assertion is at odds with the former president's refusal, then and now, to accept responsibility for the deadly attack." ~~~

~~~ Supplicant McCarthy Seeks Absolution from the Lord High Executioner. Jacqueline Alemany, et al., of the Washington Post: "... Donald Trump and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) spoke on the phone Thursday night about a newly released audio of McCarthy telling Republican leaders that Trump should resign in the wake of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, according to two people familiar with the conversation. The audio contradicted McCarthy's claim that he didn't push for Trump to resign after the deadly insurrection by a pro-Trump mob. On Friday, more audio clips surfaced in which McCarthy says, 'I've had it with this guy,' and blamed Trump for the storming of the Capitol. McCarthy called Trump after the audio was released. The former president was not upset about McCarthy's remarks and was glad the Republican leader didn't follow through, which Trump saw as a sign of his continued grip on the Republican Party, according to the three people...."

Dana Goldstein & Stephanie Saul of the New York Times on Florida's rejection of math textbooks: "The New York Times was able to review 21 of the rejected books and see what may have led the state to reject them. Because Florida has released so few details about its textbook review process, it is unknown whether these examples led to the rejections. But they do illustrate the way in which these concepts appear -- and don't appear -- in curriculum materials." This is a much more comprehensive report on the rejected textbooks than the WashPo story linked earlier today. ~~~

     ~~~ Judd Legum & others at Popular Information also looked at eight of the rejected textbooks and found that the very worst thing they did was to encourage young children to work together. One textbook, oh horrors, featured a couple of Black mathematicians. You knew that would be a problem. Thanks to RAS for the link.

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Anna Phillips of the Washington Post: "President Biden will sign an executive order on Friday in Seattle laying the groundwork for protecting some of the biggest and oldest trees in America's forests.... Biden will direct the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management to define and inventory mature and old-growth forests nationwide within a year.... He will also require the agencies to identify threats to these trees, such as wildfire and climate change, and to use that information to craft policies that protect them.... [The order] will include initiatives aimed at restoring U.S. forests ravaged by wildfire, drought and insects, requiring federal agencies to come up with a reforestation goal by 2030. It will also address major problems facing tree planting efforts in the West -- insufficient seeds and seedlings -- by directing agencies to develop plans to increase cone and seed collection and nursery capacity.

Putin's War Crimes, Ctd.

The New York Times' live updates of developments Friday in Russia's war on Ukraine are here: "In the besieged southern port city of Mariupol, uncertainty loomed over the fate of the Azovstal steel plant, where hundreds if not thousands of Ukrainian fighters and civilians have been holed up for weeks in fortified underground warrens with diminishing supplies of food, water and ammunition. The plant was being shelled on Thursday, according to a Ukrainian soldier there, though ... Vladimir V. Putin of Russia had called off an assault hours earlier in favor of a blockade 'that a fly can't get through,' apparently with the intent of starving the defenders out.... Though Mr. Putin prematurely claimed victory in Mariupol on Thursday, a soldier with the Ukrainian National Guard inside ... the steel plant said that Ukrainian forces were holding on while they had ammunition.... In his nightly address, [President] Zelensky said that Russia had rejected a proposal for a truce on Orthodox Easter this Sunday."~~~

     ~~~ The Washington Post's live updates for Friday are here: "Mariupol's mayor made a renewed appeal Friday for a 'full evacuation' and said more than 100,000 people remained trapped in the city.... The war has inflicted roughly $60 billion worth of physical damage to Ukraine's infrastructure, according to the World Bank's chief, who warned the cost would rise. [President] Zelensky told a virtual World Bank forum on Friday that his country would need $7 billion in monthly financial support and hundreds of billions of dollars more to rebuild after the conflict." ~~~

     ~~~ The Guardian's live updates for Friday are here. ~~~

     ~~~ Samantha Lock & Luke Harding of the Guardian write an overview of the latest updates on the war: "Volodymyr Zelenskiy has accused Russia of planning to 'falsify' an independence referendum in the partly occupied southern regions of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, telling Ukrainians there not to give personal information to occupying forces.... The Ukrainian president said in a video message on Thursday evening: 'Be very careful about what information you provide to the invaders. And if they ask you to fill out some questionnaires, leave your passport data somewhere, you should know -- this is not to help you ...'"

Paulina Villegas of the Washington Post: "New satellite images show a mass grave in the Russian-occupied village of Manhush, located about 12 miles west of Mariupol, a discovery that Ukrainian officials say is evidence of war crimes against civilians in the strategic port city. The images, provided Thursday to The Washington Post by Maxar Technologies, show several rows of graves in four distinct sections, each measuring nearly 280 feet. The company's review of the images indicates that the new graves appeared between March 23 and March 26 and that there are now more than 200 burial plots alongside an existing cemetery. The Mariupol City Council said in a statement on Telegram that officials believe up to 9,000 civilians could be buried in the mass grave, where authorities said Russians forces 'dug new trenches and filled them with corpses every day throughout April.'" The Guardian's report is here.

Louisa Loveluck & David Stern of the Washington Post: A "convoy of vehicles, the first to be granted safe passage by Russia [from Mariupol] in almost two weeks, was meant to include scores of vehicles. As it was, only four buses arrived in the southeastern town of Zaporizhzhia, 140 miles north of Mariupol, the rest held up as night fell by Russian checkpoints along the route, officials said. A trickle of private cars had also made it through.... On Thursday, the escaped civilians came with horror stories of the brutal tactics that Russian forces had used.... Families lived underground and survived on dried pasta or raw grains. Even venturing out to find water could mean death from above.... In a rare televised meeting broadcast Thursday, [Vladimir] Putin addressed Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, telling him that 'the work of the armed forces to liberate Mariupol has been a success. Congratulations.'"

Aamer Madhani, et al., of the AP: "President Joe Biden on Thursday announced an additional $800 million in military aid to help Ukraine fight back in its strong but increasingly difficult battle against the Russian invasion, and he warned that Congress will need to approve even more assistance if the U.S. is to keep up its crucial support. The new military package includes much needed heavy artillery, 144,000 rounds of ammunition and drones for the escalating battle in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine. It builds on roughly $2.6 billion in military assistance that Biden had previously approved." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

John Ismay of the New York Times: "... two senior defense officials described to reporters the efforts by the U.S. European Command in Stuttgart, Germany, to move as many weapons as possible from American stockpiles to the border of Ukraine. Representatives from 14 nations, including Ukraine, have posted liaison officers to a task force in Stuttgart that takes requests from the government in Kyiv and arranges for weapons and supplies from different countries to be delivered, said one of the official.... The new drone that will soon head to the region, called Phoenix Ghost, is a previously-unknown design that 'was developed rapidly by the Air Force' after discussions with Ukrainian troops about what kinds of weapons they need, the second official said.... For the expected battle between large Ukrainian and Russian forces over the Donbas region, the United States is providing a significant new flush of artillery weapons: dozens of 155-millimeter howitzers. Five new Ukrainian artillery battalions will be outfitted, each with 18 guns and nearly 37,000 rounds."

Cowardly Liar Caught on Tape. Marie: In yesterday's New York Times, we learned from Times reporters Jonathan Martin & Alex Burns that House Minority leader Kevin McCarthy had told other House leaders that "he would tell Mr. Trump of the impeachment resolution: 'I think this will pass, and it would be my recommendation you should resign,' he said...." McCarthy issued a statement Thursday calling the report "totally false and wrong," and his spokesman further denied to NBC News that McCarthy had ever said any such thing. Now, Martin & Burns have revised their Times report: "The Times has reviewed the full recording of the conversation..., which runs just over an hour." They also have included a recording of McCarthy's remarks within the body of the linked report. Rachel Maddow, who devoted her opening segments Thursday to McCarthy's false denial, was aghast that a Congressional leader would tell such a bald-faced lie. You can watch the Maddow segments here. ~~~

     ~~~ Update. Felicia Sonmez & Julian Mark of the Washington Post report on Kevin McCarthy big lie.

Amy Wang of the New York Times: "Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) will be among the recipients this year of the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award, which is given by the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation to underscore the importance of fighting for democracy. It is also the first time the foundation is honoring five people simultaneously with the award. Other recipients this year will be Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson (D), Arizona House Speaker Russell 'Rusty' Bowers (R) and Wandrea 'Shaye' Moss, an election department employee in Fulton County, Ga." MB: I have a feeling Kevin McCarthy & Mitch McConnell didn't make the short list.

Luke Broadwater & Maggie Haberman of the New York Times: "Donald Trump Jr. ... has agreed to meet soon with the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, according to a person familiar with matter. The committee has not issued a subpoena for Donald Trump Jr.'s testimony, but he is expected to answer questions voluntarily, the person said. His testimony is slated to come after his fiancée, Kimberly Guilfoyle, met with the panel on Monday for a lengthy interview, which the panel had said would focus on her activities the morning of Jan. 6, 2021, including an Oval Office meeting with the former president, and her role raising money for the rally that preceded the attack on the Capitol." The ABC News report is here.

Ryan Reilly of NBC News: "A Florida man has been arrested and accused of pepper-spraying officers at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and then making a menacing call to the FBI special agent investigating his role in the riot, law enforcement officials said. Barry Bennett Ramey, who officials say was affiliated with the Proud Boys, was arrested Thursday in Florida, according to court records.... According to the FBI affidavit, Ramey called the FBI special agent investigating his case this month and read the agent's home address aloud. He then texted the agent's former vehicle identification number, according to the affidavit."

Shayna Jacobs of the Washington Post: "Brian Kolfage, a disabled veteran who headed a $25 million fundraising effort for a U.S.-Mexico border wall with the help of former Trump aide Stephen K. Bannon, has pleaded guilty in connection to defrauding donors for his own gain. Kolfage, an amputee who lost three limbs serving in Iraq, could serve more than five years in prison. He was accused of using more than $350,000 in donations on personal expenses such as home renovations and vehicle payments, after telling 'We Build the Wall' campaign contributors that he would not take a cut of the collections or give himself a salary.... Kolfage, a conservative activist, admitted that he 'knowingly and willfully conspired to receive money from donations' as he pleaded guilty to wire fraud and tax-related charges.... Prosecutors accused Bannon of personally pocketing more than $1 million.... Bannon received a presidential pardon on the eve of Trump's departure from the White House...." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I think it was Rachel Maddow who pointed out Thursday that -- even though the defrauded donors were likely Trump supporters -- Bannon appears to have paid no price for defrauding Trump supporters, and supporters have not punished Trump for pardoning Bannon.

So much of the conversation around disinformation is focused on what people post. The bigger issue is what content these platforms promote. -- President Barack Obama, in a speech, Thursday ~~~

~~~ Steven Myers of the New York Times: "Former President Barack Obama on Thursday called for greater regulatory oversight of the country's social media giants, saying their power to curate the information that people consume has 'turbocharged' political polarization and threatened the pillars of democracy across the globe. Weighing in on the debate over how to address the spread of disinformation, he said the companies needed to subject their proprietary algorithms to the same kind of regulatory oversight that ensured the safety of cars, food and other consumer products." ~~~

Glenn Kessler of the Washington Post: "After Donald Trump lost the presidential election, falsely claiming election fraud, [his former chief of staff Mark] Meadows became senior partner at the Conservative Partnership Institute (CPI), which promotes 'election integrity' efforts. The organization's 'citizen's guide' urges activists to determine that the registrations of their neighbors are legal by checking on 'whether voters have moved, or if the registrations are PO Boxes, commercial addresses or vacant lots' and then ... and 'securing affidavits from current residents that a registered voter has moved.'... Now it turns out that until last week, Meadows was simultaneously registered to vote in three different states -- North Carolina, Virginia and South Carolina -- according to state records...." MB: I wonder if Meadows is heartened that the New Yorker's Charles Bethea took CPI's advice & checked out that North Carolina trailer where Meadows was registered to vote but purportedly never even visited.

Lauren Hirsch of the New York Times: "Elon Musk said on Thursday that he had commitments worth $46.5 billion to finance his proposed bid for Twitter and was exploring whether to launch a hostile takeover for the social media company. In documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission dated Wednesday, the world's richest man said he planned to finance the bid with a mix of debt and cash. The investment bank Morgan Stanley and a group of other lenders are offering $13 billion in debt financing and another $12.5 billion in loans against Mr. Musk's stock in Tesla, the electric carmaker that he runs. He is expected to add about $21 billion in equity financing."

CNN Minus. Michael Grynbaum, et al., of the New York Times: "In a move that stunned the media and tech worlds, Warner Bros. Discovery said on Thursday that it will abruptly shut down [its new streaming service] CNN+ on April 30. 'While today's decision is incredibly difficult, it is the right one for the long-term success of CNN,' Chris Licht, the network's incoming president, told staff. The shutdown is an ignominious end to an operation into which CNN sank tens of millions of dollars: from a nationwide marketing campaign to hundreds of newly hired employees to big contracts for name-brand anchors, including the former 'Fox News Sunday' host Chris Wallace and the former NPR co-host Audie Cornish. It collapsed just two days after Netflix reported a quarterly decline in subscriptions for the first time in a decade...." CNN's story is here. CNBC's report is here.

The New York Times' live updates of Covid-19 developments Friday are here: "Four days after Philadelphia became the first major American city to reinstate an indoor mask mandate in response to rising coronavirus cases, the city health department announced that the mandate would be lifted because of improving conditions. Precisely when the mandate, which began on Monday, would be lifted was not clear."

Beyond the Beltway

Florida. Brooks Barnes of the New York Times: "... the Florida House voted to revoke Disney World's designation as a special tax district -- a privilege that Disney has held for 55 years, effectively allowing the company to self-govern its 25,000-acre theme park complex. The Florida Senate on Wednesday voted to eliminate the special zone, which is called the Reedy Creek Improvement District. Having cleared the way to this outcome on Tuesday, Gov. Ron DeSantis will almost certainly make the measure official by adding his signature. It would take effect in June of next year." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

     ~~~ A Billion-Dollar-Plus Cost of Ron's Folly. Robert Frank of CNBC: "A repeal of Disney's self-government status in Florida could leave local taxpayers with more than $1 billion in bond debt, according to tax officials and legislators.... To fund the government services of [Disney's] Reedy Creek [special district], Disney effectively taxes itself. While the precise tax flows of Reedy Creek are unclear, Scott Randolph, the tax collector for Orange County, said the Reedy Creek district collects roughly $105 million annually in general revenue. On top of the $105 million, Disney also pays local property taxes. Public records show Disney is the largest taxpayer in central Florida, paying over $280 million in property taxes to the counties between 2015 and 2020. If the special district is dissolved, Orange and Osceola counties would have to provide the local services currently provided by Reedy Creek. And, the $105 million in revenue would disappear, meaning county and local taxpayers would be on the hook for part or all of the added costs."

Florida. Valerie Strauss of the Washington Post: "Days after announcing that it had rejected 41 percent of math textbooks submitted by publishers -- some of them because of references to critical race theory and other 'prohibited' topics -- the Florida Department of Education on Thursday released four examples of lessons it considers unacceptable.... One of the examples ... shows a social-emotional learning objective that says: 'Students build proficiency with social awareness as they practice with empathizing with classmates.'" MB: As we all know, empathy is a destructive emotion. Well, okay, only if your political fortunes depend upon amplifying & encouraging hatred of "the other."

Kentucky. Caroline Kitchener of the Washington Post: "A federal judge issued a temporary order Thursday blocking a sweeping new abortion law passed last week in Kentucky that had halted all abortions across the state, a decision that allows the two clinics there to resume performing the procedure. U.S. District Judge Rebecca Grady Jennings in Louisville approved the request of Planned Parenthood, one of the abortion providers, for emergency relief. Both clinics plan to restart this week. Last week, the Republican-led legislature overrode Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear's veto to pass the abortion limits. The new law, one of the most restrictive in the nation, imposes limits on medication abortion, requiring abortion providers to be certified by the state pharmacy board and outlawing telemedicine for abortion pills. It also requires the cremation or burial of fetal remains and bans abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy. An exception is allowed if the woman's life is in danger, but there is no exception for rape or incest."

New York. Nicholas Fandos of the New York Times: "A New York appeals court ruled on Thursday that new congressional districts drawn by Democrats violated the state's ban on partisan gerrymandering, partially upholding a lower-court ruling that would block the state from using the lines in this year's critical midterm elections. A divided five-judge panel in Rochester said Democratic legislative leaders had drawn the new House map 'to discourage competition and favor Democrats,' knowingly ignoring the will of voters who recently approved a constitutional amendment outlawing the practice." Politico's report is here.

Texas. Greggers Buys a "Charity." David Fahrenthold of the New York Times & Keri Blakinger of the Marshall Project: "On television, Twitter and videos, the traditionally nonpartisan nonprofit organization [Crime Stoppers of Houston] has been condemning more than a dozen elected judges -- all Democrats [NYT link], four of whom lost primaries last month -- while praising the crime policies of Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas, a Republican.... Financial documents and government records, along with dozens of interviews, show that the organization, with an annual budget of about $2.4 million, has in recent years become reliant on state grants backed by Mr. Abbott.... In the past five years, the Texas government under Mr. Abbott has given the group more than $6 million, state records show.... Many of the Democratic judges Crime Stoppers is slamming have cut into the organization's revenue by curbing a common practice requiring many people sentenced to probation to pay a $50 fee that goes to Crime Stoppers.... The drop in court revenue and the growing reliance on funding from elected officials came as Crime Stoppers went into debt and ran growing annual deficits." MB: The Marshall Project link to this story, which is here, is free to nonsubscribers (I think).

Texas. Abbott Holds up International Trade to Expose ... Underinflated Tires. Uriel J. García of the Texas Tribune: "State troopers ordered by Gov. Greg Abbott to inspect every commercial truck coming from Mexico earlier this month -- which clogged international trade with Mexico -- found zero drugs, weapons or any other type of contraband, according to data released by the Department of Public Safety to The Texas Tribune.... Over eight days, starting April 8, troopers conducted more than 4,100 inspections of trucks. Troopers didn't find any contraband but took 850 trucks off the road for various violations related to their equipment. Other truckers were given warnings, and at least 345 were cited for things such as underinflated tires, broken turn signals and oil leaks."

Way Beyond

France. Kim Willsher of the Guardian: "Emmanuel Macron appears to have opened up his lead against his French presidential rival, Marine Le Pen, according to the latest opinion polls, on the last day of campaigning before Sunday's second-round vote. In an Ipsos survey, 57.5% of those questioned said they intended to vote for the incumbent president, against 42.5% for Le Pen. Even allowing for a 3.3-point margin of error, a result along those lines would give Macron a convincing victory." MB: Nonetheless, I suspect a lot of people are ashamed to admit they are pro-fascist, and they still could vote for Le Pen. I'm still worried.

Honduras, U.S. Benjamin Weiser & Joan Suazo of the New York Times: "The former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernández was extradited to the United States on Thursday, where he will face charges in a New York court accusing him of trafficking drugs for decades to further his political career.... A federal indictment unsealed late Thursday in Manhattan charged that over nearly the last two decades, Mr. Hernández 'participated in a corrupt and violent drug-trafficking conspiracy to facilitate the importation of tons of cocaine into the United States.' The indictment charged that Mr. Hernández received millions of dollars from numerous drug trafficking organizations in Honduras, Mexico and elsewhere, including from the former leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, the Mexican drug lord known as El Chapo."

April 21, 2022

Afternoon Update:

Aamer Madhani, et al., of the AP: "President Joe Biden on Thursday announced an additional $800 million in military aid to help Ukraine fight back in its strong but increasingly difficult battle against the Russian invasion, and he warned that Congress will need to approve even more assistance if the U.S. is to keep up its crucial support. The new military package includes much needed heavy artillery, 144,000 rounds of ammunition and drones for the escalating battle in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine. It builds on roughly $2.6 billion in military assistance that Biden had previously approved."

Florida. Brooks Barnes of the New York Times: "... the Florida House voted to revoke Disney World's designation as a special tax district -- a privilege that Disney has held for 55 years, effectively allowing the company to self-govern its 25,000-acre theme park complex. The Florida Senate on Wednesday voted to eliminate the special zone, which is called the Reedy Creek Improvement District. Having cleared the way to this outcome on Tuesday, Gov. Ron DeSantis will almost certainly make the measure official by adding his signature. It would take effect in June of next year."

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Putin's War Crimes, Ctd.

The New York Times' live updates of developments Thursday in Russia's war on Ukraine are here: "... Vladimir V. Putin ordered Russian forces on Thursday not to storm a steel plant where Ukrainian troops were holding out in Mariupol, but to blockade it completely.... [The Guardian has a full story, linked below.] In his nightly address, President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine repeated his pleas for international allies to send 'serious and heavy' arms. Russia expanded its assault across eastern Ukraine, adding more weaponry as its forces made minor territorial gains along the 300-mile front, military analysts said.... The Pentagon said that Russia had assembled 76 battalion tactical groups, each with as many as 1,000 soldiers, in southeastern Ukraine, up from 65 a few days ago, and that about 22 more were amassed just outside Ukraine." ~~~

     ~~~ The Washington Post's live updates for Thursday are here: "Mariupol's mayor accused Russian forces of 'war crimes,' calling for a cease-fire Thursday to allow people to leave. While Kyiv has offered to exchange Russian prisoners and send senior officials to Mariupol to negotiate for the evacuation of nearly 1,000 civilians and 500 wounded soldiers, Moscow has so far rebuffed the effort, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said earlier" ~~~

     ~~~ The Guardian's live updates for Thursday are here.

Andrew Roth of the Guardian: "Vladimir Putin has ordered his forces not to storm the last remaining Ukrainian stronghold in the besieged city of Mariupol, after his defence minister admitted that the Russian army was still fighting thousands of Ukrainian troops there. The Russian president described a plan to storm the Azovstal steelworks as 'impractical' and called instead for Russian troops to blockade the area 'so that a fly can't get through'. The declaration came during a meeting at the Kremlin, where the Russian defence minister, Sergei Shoigu, presented a report to Putin about the closely watched battle for the Ukrainian port city and claimed that the city had been 'liberated', although fighting was ongoing."

David Stern, et al., of the Washington Post: "... another Russian deadline for Ukrainian forces to surrender the key port city of Mariupol passed without movement, and Moscow's forces continued pummeling a broad swath of the country's east. Russia's Defense Ministry announced that it had successfully conducted the first test of a new intercontinental ballistic missile that President Vladimir Putin said 'is capable of overcoming all missile defense systems' and would make those who 'try to threaten our country think twice.' Putin also claimed, according to Russian news reports, that the nuclear-capable RS-28 Sarmat missile was made using 'exclusively' domestically manufactured parts -- an apparent shot at Western sanctions, which have kept Moscow from obtaining critical components for other weapons systems it has relied upon in its assault on Ukraine."

David Sanger of the New York Times: "President Vladimir V. Putin's calculated move on Wednesday to test-launch a new intercontinental ballistic missile, declaring it a warning to those in the West who 'try to threaten our country,' fed into a growing concern inside the Biden administration: that Russia is now so isolated from the rest of the world that Mr. Putin sees little downside to provocative actions.... The first launch of the nuclear-capable Sarmat missile was just the latest example of how he has tried to remind the world of his capabilities ... despite early setbacks on the ground in Ukraine.... Mr. Putin, assessments delivered to the White House have concluded, believes he is winning, according to a senior American official.... He is certainly acting that way." An AP story is here.

Amy Cheng & Claire Parker of the Washington Post: "Western nations say they are dispatching more heavy weaponry and even aircraft to Ukraine as part of an effort to strengthen the country's military as Russia steps up its attacks in the east. The Pentagon said Wednesday that the Ukrainian air force has at least 20 more fighter jets available to them after an influx of parts in the last few weeks made repairs possible. Ukraine has 'been given whole helicopters, including helicopters from the United States,' a senior U.S. defense official said.... 'The war has changed because now the Russians have prioritized the Donbas area, and that's a whole different level of fighting, a whole different type of fighting,' Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said Tuesday.... Other Western nations have also promised more advanced weapons for Ukraine as the war has evolved."

A Figurative Finger to Russia. Alan Rappeport of the New York Times: "Several finance ministers and central bankers including Treasury Secretary Janet L. Yellen and Ukraine's finance minister, Serhiy Marchenko, abruptly left a Group of 20 meeting in protest on Wednesday when Russia's finance minister, Anton Siluanov, started to speak, according to a person familiar with the meeting. The walkout was a stark demonstration of Russia's isolation on the global stage and came as the United States and its allies spend the opening days of spring meetings held by the World Bank and International Monetary Fund grappling with how to contain the fallout from Russia's war in Ukraine. Top economic officials from around the world have gathered in Washington and virtually to discuss ways to maintain economic pressure on Russia without further upending the global economy."

A Real Finger to Russia. Jane Arraf of the New York Times: "Ukrainians waited for hours outside post offices this week to buy stamps with a profane image of defiance that has become a symbol of the country's resistance. On Wednesday, they found out that the now iconic stamps had sold out. 'As of now nearly 700,000 stamps have been sold and the sale of stamps in our branches is done,' Igor Smelyansky, Ukraine's postal service director, said in a Facebook post. The postal service printed a run of one million stamps with the image of a Ukrainian special forces fighter raising his middle finger at a Russian warship. The image related to an incident early in the conflict, when a warship demanded the surrender of a small group of fighters guarding a rocky island in the Black Sea."

Lori Aratani of the Washington Post: "The nation's top aviation official on Wednesday said he is making permanent a 'zero tolerance' policy designed to curb bad behavior on U.S. commercial aircraft. The zero-tolerance policy was the Federal Aviation Administration's attempt to deal with a rise in reports of passengers acting out on flights. It was one of several actions taken to address security concerns in the wake of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. 'Behaving dangerously on a plane will cost you; that's a promise,' Billy Nolen, acting administrator of the FAA, said in a statement that accompanied the announcement."

Alan Feuer, et al., of the New York Times: "The federal investigation into efforts to overturn the 2020 election appears to be gaining traction, with the Justice Department having brought in a well-regarded new prosecutor to help run the inquiry and a high-profile witness seeking a deal to provide information.... Several months ago, the department quietly took [a] significant step, adding Thomas Windom, a career federal prosecutor from Maryland, to help in the expanded Jan. 6 investigation, according to three people familiar with the matter. Mr. Windom has been working with officials from the national security and criminal divisions at the Justice Department to determine whether and how to investigate potential criminal activity related to the Jan. 6 attack, other than what took place during the assault.... Alex Jones, the host of the conspiracy-driven media outlet Infowars and a key player in the pro-Trump 'Stop the Steal' movement, is in discussions with the Justice Department about an agreement to detail his role in the rally near the White House last Jan. 6 that preceded the attack on the Capitol." Jones is seeking, and won't likely get, immunity from prosecution.

Kyle Cheney & Betsy Swan of Politico: "Congressional investigators entering the last stage of their probe are gathering new evidence about a crucial moment on the Jan. 6 timeline: the final, fateful phone call between Donald Trump and Mike Pence before a pro-Trump mob attacked the Capitol.... Yet one crucial gap remains. Top Pence aides ... say [Pence] never revealed how he replied to Trump's intense last-minute pressure.... White House aide Keith Kellogg..., [who was in the room with Trump during the call,] said he couldn't hear Pence's responses but remembered Trump pushing his vice president to embrace a fringe theory intended to stop Biden's victory: sending the election back to a handful of GOP-controlled state legislatures to appoint new presidential electors. Kellogg said he presumed Pence rebuffed Trump because Trump seemed disappointed."

Jacqueline Alemany & Theodoric Meyer of the Washington Post: "House Democrats are seeking information from officials in key battleground states about their efforts to combat 'lies and conspiracy theories' that could damage the integrity of federal elections as part of a broader investigation into the 'weaponization of misinformation and disinformation' in the electoral process. The leaders of the House Oversight and Reform and House Administration Committee sent letters on Wednesday to election officials in Florida, Arizona, Texas and Ohio -- all Republican-led states -- requesting the information while noting their concern about new laws affecting election administration."

** The Party of Cowards. Alexander Burns & Jonathan Martin of the New York Times, adapted from their book: "In the days after the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol building, the two top Republicans in Congress, Representative Kevin McCarthy and Senator Mitch McConnell, told associates they believed President Trump was responsible for inciting the deadly riot and vowed to drive him from politics. Mr. McCarthy went so far as to say he would push Mr. Trump to resign immediately: 'I've had it with this guy,' he told a group of Republican leaders. But within weeks both men backed off an all-out fight with Mr. Trump because they feared retribution from him and his political movement. Their drive to act faded fast as it became clear it would mean difficult votes that would put them at odds with most of their colleagues...." Read on.

Felicia Sonmez of the Washington Post: "Former secretary of state Hillary Clinton on Wednesday asked a federaljudge to dismiss a lawsuit filed by ... Donald Trump alleging that Clinton, the Democratic National Committee and others 'maliciously conspired to weave a false narrative' that Trump's campaign colluded with Russia during the 2016 presidential race. 'Whatever the utility of Plaintiff's Complaint as a fundraising tool, a press release, or a list of political grievances, it has no merit as a lawsuit, and should be dismissed with prejudice,' attorneys for Clinton wrote in their motion to dismiss the case." Politico's story is here.

Maggie Haberman of the New York Times: "A court arbitrator has ordered ... Donald J. Trump's presidential campaign to pay nearly $1.3 million in legal fees to Omarosa Manigault Newman, the former 'Apprentice' star, White House aide and author of the first tell-all book about the Trump White House. The award, handed down on Tuesday, concludes a protracted legal fight after Mr. Trump unsuccessfully sued Ms. Manigault Newman over her book, 'Unhinged,' arguing that she had violated a nondisclosure agreement she had signed while working for his campaign in 2016. Mr. Trump lost the arbitration case in September 2021, one in a string of failed attempts to enforce nondisclosure agreements against former employees.... In March, Mr. Trump's campaign was ordered to pay more than $300,000 in legal fees to a former campaign aide who said that the candidate had forcibly kissed her." A Politico story is here.

Eric Lipton of the New York Times: "The [Trump International H]otel in Washington -- which for much of ... Donald J. Trump's four years at the White House served as his dining-out spot, a gathering place for his allies and a bazaar of sorts for those seeking influence and access -- is slated to be sold in the coming days to a Florida investor group that will take down the Trump name and rebrand it as a Waldorf Astoria.... The sprawling lobby turned into a gathering spot for Mr. Trump's cabinet, Republicans in Congress, foreign dignitaries, religious conservatives and Trump fans from across the United States, as well as Mr. Trump himself. The hotel generated millions of dollars in direct payments to Mr. Trump's family, starting from even before he was sworn in, as his own inaugural committee paid the venue more than $1 million..., [and] delivering an estimated profit of more than $100 million to the Trump family, even after it pays off its debts and accounts for other money spent on the hotel since it opened."

Dan Diamond & Ann Marimow of the Washington Post: "The Biden administration will appeal a federal judge's decision that struck down the mask mandate on public transportation, officials announced Wednesday. The Justice Department filed notice of its plans to appeal after U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle of Florida on Monday concluded that the mandate exceeded the statutory authority of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The ruling blindsided the White House and sparked days of debate within the administration about how to proceed. The Justice Department on Tuesday had said it would proceed with an appeal if the CDC determined the masking order was still needed. 'It is CDC's continuing assessment that at this time an order requiring masking in the indoor transportation corridor remains necessary for the public health,' the CDC said in a statement Wednesday evening. 'CDC believes this is a lawful order, well within CDC's legal authority to protect public health.'" The AP's report is here.

Marie: If you're thinking of getting a second Covid-19 booster shot, this Washington Post article might help. Or it might not. Sadly, the story is firewalled.

The New York Times' live updates of Covid-19 developments Wednesday are here. (Also linked yesterday.)

Beyond the Beltway

Connecticut. Chelsia Marcius of the New York Times: "A Connecticut state trooper who fatally shot a 19-year-old Black man after a car chase two years ago has been charged with manslaughter, state investigators said Wednesday. The trooper, Brian D. North, who is white, fired seven shots on Jan. 15, 2020, through the driver's side window of a stolen vehicle driven by Mubarak Soulemane. Mr. Soulemane, who had been diagnosed with schizophrenia, had been acting erratically that day, according to people he encountered, before leading officers in a chase that ended in West Haven."

Florida. Felicia Sonmez & Colby Itkowitz of the Washington Post: "The Florida Senate on Wednesday approved a new map that would hand Republicans a significant advantage over Democrats in congressional races, with the state House expected to send the proposal on to Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) as early as Thursday. Florida has 27 congressional districts, 16 of which are represented by Republicans and 11 by Democrats. Under the new map, which was proposed by DeSantis himself, Republicans would probably represent 20 districts while Democrats would represent eight. The once-a-decade redistricting process will see Florida's total number of districts rise to 28 because of the state's gain in population. In 2020, Donald Trump won the state by just three percentage points.... Florida's state Senate Republicans had previously advanced a map of their own that passed with near-unanimous bipartisan support. But the map was panned by national Republicans.... More than 200 Black leaders gathered in front of the state Capitol on Tuesday to speak out against the new map.... If Republicans win the House in the fall by only a few seats, DeSantis is likely to take credit." ~~~

     ~~~ Gary Fineout of Politico: "Democratic-aligned groups have already promised to sue to challenge the map, arguing that runs afoul of federal voting laws and Florida's anti-gerrymandering standards that were approved by voters."

Florida's Mickey Mouse Feud. Lori Rozsa of the Washington Post: "The feud between Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Walt Disney Company continued to simmer Wednesday, as the GOP-led legislature moved closer to dissolving the entertainment giant's special tax status. The state Senate voted to dissolve the Reedy Creek Improvement District, a 1967 deal between the state and the Walt Disney that allows Disney to control most of what goes on at the theme park and its vast land holdings. DeSantis (R) praised the effort, telling potential donors in a fundraising email, 'I was elected to put the people of Florida first, and I will not allow a woke corporation based in California to run our state.' Meanwhile, local officials in Central Florida sounded the alarm, warning the repeal could leave them with a burdensome tax bill. Currently, Disney is responsible for everything including road maintenance, building inspections, 911 emergency calls and sewage treatment at the theme park, which straddles two counties and covers 40 square miles. 'Orange County is going to be stuck with $164 million or more per year in expenses with no revenue,' Orange County tax collector Scott Randolph said." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Sorry, local officials. The worst place to try to stand is between Ron DeSantis & his megalomaniacal ambitions.

Michigan. A Democrat Responds to the Fake, GQP Pedophile Charge. Curtis Wong of the Huffington Post: "A Democratic Michigan state senator delivered an impassioned response after a Republican colleague accused her of supporting pedophilia, reiterating a common right-wing talking point. State Sen. Lana Theis, a Republican, made the troubling claims against state Sen. Mallory McMorrow in a fundraising email sent to her constituents on Monday. In the email, Theis branded her Democratic colleague a 'social media troll' and a 'snowflake' who was 'outraged' at not being able to 'groom and sexualize kindergarteners.' McMorrow struck back at the the smear ... while speaking on the Michigan Senate floor early Tuesday." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ Michigan, etc. The GQP's National Hate Campaign. Colby Itkowitz of the Washington Post: "When Michigan Democratic state Sen. Mallory McMorrow stood on the chamber floor to take on a Republican colleague who had accused her of wanting to sexually groom children, she was denouncing not just an isolated incident, but an onslaught of GOP attacks on the LGBTQ community. The rapid escalation in public support for the LGBTQ community's rights in recent years had quieted much of the blatant homophobia in the nation's political discourse. But, in recent weeks, Republicans have reverted to verbal and legal assaults on the community, sometimes employing baseless tropes that suggest children are being groomed or recruited by defenders of gay rights. The efforts ahead of the midterm elections are intended to rile up the Republican base and fill the campaign coffers of its candidates, without offering evidence that any Democrat had committed a repugnant crime.

Mississippi. Glenn Thrush & Katie Benner of the New York Times: "Officials at Mississippi's largest prison routinely violated the rights of prisoners by failing to provide mental health treatment, suicide counseling and protection from violence, among its 'systemic failures' that led to widespread death and despair, the Justice Department said on Wednesday. In a 59-page report about a two-year investigation, the department's civil rights division offered a scathing assessment of conditions at the Mississippi State Penitentiary, better known as Parchman, singling out the use of solitary confinement and enforced segregation of prisoners as particularly harmful practices that contributed to the poor mental and physical health of prisoners. Since 2019, 10 inmates have been killed at Parchman.... All or most of those issues need to be remedied quickly to comply with the constitutional protections afforded inmates under the Eighth and 14th Amendments, said Kristen Clarke, the head of the civil rights division of the Justice Department."

Texas. Ed Pilkington of the Guardian: "Next Wednesday, pending a last-minute stay, [Melissa] Lucio, 52, will be executed for a crime [-- the death of her two-year-old --] that significant evidence suggests she did not commit. Not only that, but significant evidence also suggests that the crime for which she will be strapped onto a gurney and injected with lethal drugs never happened in the first place. A mounting body of intelligence -- much of it never heard at trial, some of it actively suppressed by prosecutors -- points to a very different conclusion. Mariah was not beaten to death by her mother, she died of internal injuries from an accidental fall.... Among those calling for a stay of execution are a bipartisan group of 103 members of the Texas legislature -- including 32 Republican members of the House and eight Republican state senators. That is an extraordinary display of cross-party unity for such a toxically divided assembly."

Way Beyond

France. Roger Cohen of the New York Times: "In a bruising debate ahead of the vote on Sunday in the French presidential election, President Emmanuel Macron accused his far-right challenger, Marine Le Pen, of being in the pocket of Russia, and she countered with a withering attack on the 'unbearable injustice' of Mr. Macron's economic measures. Interrupting each other and accusing each other of lying, they traded barbs on everything from the environment to pension reform for almost three hours on Wednesday, without ever quite delivering a knockout blow." The Guardian's story is here. MB: After Russia, and maybe China, Le Pen is the world's biggest threat to Ukraine & the stability of western democracies. She is a Putin-friendly Nazi indebted to Russia.

U.K. Ben Quinn of the Guardian: "A court has formally approved the extradition of Julian Assange to the US on espionage charges, in what will ultimately be a decision for the UK home secretary,Priti Patel. The Wikileaks co-founder, who has the right of appeal, appeared by videolink during the Westminster magistrates court hearing, which one of his barristers described as a 'brief but significant moment in the case'.... The supreme court last month refused Assange's appeal agains his extradition. He had sought to challenge a judgment by the high court in December that ruled he could be extradited after assurances from the US authorities with regard to his prison conditions there." (Also linked yesterday.)

U.K. We Are Not Amused. Mark Landler of the New York Times: Britain's Prince "Harry, who paid his grandmother [Queen Elizabeth II] a rare and surprise visit for tea at Windsor Castle last Thursday with his wife, Meghan, said in an interview with NBC's 'Today' show, 'I'm just making sure she's protected and got the right people around her.' His cryptic comment, to an American TV network, raised the hackles of royal commentators and the London tabloids.... Now largely homebound, [Elizabeth] carries out most of her duties via video calls. Greeting visitors at Windsor Castle recently, she told them she had trouble walking.... While Buckingham Palace is loath to acknowledge it, the British monarchy has assumed the characteristics of a regency, with Charles fulfilling many of his mother's public duties as her proxy. That gave Harry's comment particular piquancy since it suggested she was vulnerable to manipulation."

April 20, 2022

Morning Update:

The New York Times' live updates of Covid-19 developments Wednesday are here.

Ben Quinn of the Guardian: "A court has formally approved the extradition of Julian Assange to the US on espionage charges, in what will ultimately be a decision for the UK home secretary, Priti Patel. The Wikileaks co-founder, who has the right of appeal, appeared by videolink during the Westminster magistrates court hearing, which one of his barristers described as a 'brief but significant moment in the case'.... The supreme court last month refused Assange's appeal against his extradition. He had sought to challenge a judgment by the high court in December that ruled he could be extradited after assurances from the US authorities with regard to his prison conditions there."

A Democrat Responds to the Fake, GQP Pedophile Charge. Curtis Wong of the Huffington Post: "A Democratic Michigan state senator delivered an impassioned response after a Republican colleague accused her of supporting pedophilia, reiterating a common right-wing talking point. State Sen. Lana Theis, a Republican, made the troubling claims against state Sen. Mallory McMorrow in a fundraising email sent to her constituents on Monday. In the email, Theis branded her Democratic colleague a 'social media troll' and a 'snowflake' who was 'outraged' at not being able to 'groom and sexualize kindergarteners.' McMorrow struck back at the the smear ... while speaking on the Michigan Senate floor early Tuesday." ~~~

~~~~~~~~~~

The New York Times' live updates of developments Wednesday in Russia's war on Ukraine are here: "Ukraine's allies are scrambling to deliver more advanced weapons, long sought by President Volodymyr Zelensky, to bolster the nation's defense against an escalating Russian campaign to capture the east. Russia's new offensive -- and the ability of Ukraine's trench-based forces in the Donbas region to fend it off -- is expected to rely on long-range missiles, howitzers and armed drones. President Biden said after a call with allies on Tuesday that the United States would send more artillery designed for such attacks. He is expected to announce more military aid soon. Underscoring the urgency of his country's needs, Mr. Zelensky said in a nightly address that had Ukraine received in the first week of the war what allies were sending now, the conflict might already be over. 'Any delay in helping Ukraine gives the occupiers an opportunity to kill more Ukrainians,' he said.... Russia is also ratcheting up pressure on Mariupol, where a group of holdout Ukrainian fighters are issuing increasingly dire pleas for help from the Azovstal steel plant where civilians are also sheltering.... The European Union is preparing the details of an embargo on Russian oil imports after banning Russian coal earlier this month, the president of the European Commission confirmed." ~~~

     ~~~ The Washington Post's live updates for Wednesday are here: "The Kremlin has issued a new ultimatum for Ukrainian fighters holed up in the southern city of Mariupol: Surrender by 2 p.m. local time Wednesday or face a bitter end. Kyiv's forces, holding out in a steel plant, let a Tuesday deadline pass, and their commander told The Washington Post they would not lay down their weapons.... Meanwhile, Ukraine is receiving fighter aircraft from other nations to help fight off the Russian invasion, according to the Pentagon. President Biden is set to announce around $800 million in additional military aid for Ukraine in the coming days, an official familiar with the decision said. A U.S. military aid package last week included 11 Soviet-designed Mi-17 attack helicopters. As Russia relaunches its campaign to take eastern Ukraine, it is pounding the region with artillery and airstrikes. Western strategists said Ukrainians appeared to be launching local 'spoiling attacks' in hope of disrupting the Kremlin's broader assault." ~~~

     ~~~ The Guardian's live updates for Wednesday are here. The Guardian's full report of developments is here.

Steve Erlanger, et al., of the New York Times: 'Now, as the Kremlin switches gears and begins a concerted effort to capture eastern Ukraine, Washington and its allies are pivoting as well, scrambling to supply Ukraine with bigger and more advanced weapons to defend itself in a grinding war. The West is focused on sending longer-range weapons like howitzers, antiaircraft systems, anti-ship missiles, armed drones, armored trucks, personnel carriers and even tanks -- the type of arms that President Biden said were tailored to stop 'the wider assault we expect Russia to launch in eastern Ukraine.'... After a video call with allies on Tuesday, Mr. Biden told reporters that the United States would send more artillery to Ukraine. He is expected to announce a new military aid package for Ukraine in the coming days, according to a person briefed on his plans. The aid amount will be on par with the $800 million package of weapons and artillery that was announced last week, the person said." CNN's story is here.

Julian Borger of the Guardian: "Russia has deployed up to 20,000 mercenaries from Syria, Libya and elsewhere in its new offensive in Ukraine's Donbas region, sent into battle with no heavy equipment or armoured vehicles, according to a European official.... [They were] recruited by the Russian mercenary company, the Wagner Group.... Syrian ex-soldiers have been offered monthly salaries of between $600 and $3,000, depending on rank and experience, to fight in Ukraine. Wagner is reported to have moved most of its soldiers who had been fighting in Libya to Ukraine, and last month Ukrainian military intelligence claim that Russia had made a deal with the Moscow-backed Libyan warlord Khalifa Haftar to send Libyan fighters.

Dino Grandoni & Anna Phillips of the Washington Post: "The White House on Tuesday announced it has restored key protections to a landmark environmental law governing the construction of pipelines, highways and other projects that ... Donald Trump had swept away as part of an effort to cut red tape. The new rule will require federal agencies to scrutinize the climate impacts of major infrastructure projects under the National Environmental Policy Act, a 1970 law that required the government to assess the environmental consequences of federal actions, such as approving the construction of oil and gas pipelines." MB: Trump was not trying "cut red tape." He was purposely undermining the federal government's mandate to protect the environment from his voracious corporate friends. Another "journalistic" effort to make the malign Trump appear benign. (Also linked yesterday.)

Stacy Cowley of the New York Times: "In its latest attempt to fix widespread breakdowns in the federal student loan payment system, the Education Department said on Tuesday that it would use one-time waivers and adjustments to retroactively credit millions of borrowers with additional payments toward loan forgiveness. The credits will help borrowers seeking to have their loans eliminated under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program and through the use of income-driven repayment plans. The public service program eliminates the debts of government and nonprofit workers after 10 years of qualifying loan payments, and those who enroll in income-driven plans are entitled to have their remaining debt wiped out after 20 to 25 years. The changes will immediately eliminate the debts of at least 40,000 borrowers through the public service program, and will give 3.6 million borrowers pursuing income-driven repayment at least three years of additional credits, the department said." NPR's story is here.

Luke Broadwater of the New York Times: "... as the House committee investigating last year's riot uncovers new evidence about the lengths to which Mr. Trump was willing to go to cling to power, some lawmakers on the panel have quietly begun discussions about rewriting the Insurrection Act, the 1807 law that gives presidents wide authority to deploy the military within the United States to respond to a rebellion. The discussions are preliminary.... Proponents envision a doomsday scenario in which a rogue future president might try to use the military to stoke -- rather than put down -- an insurrection, or to abuse protesters.... While Mr. Trump never invoked the law, he threatened to do so in 2020 to have the military crack down on crowds protesting the police killing of George Floyd. Stephen Miller, one of his top advisers, also proposed putting it into effect to turn back migrants at the southwestern border, an idea that was rejected by the defense secretary at the time, Mark T. Esper. And as Mr. Trump grasped for ways to overturn his defeat in the 2020 presidential election, some hard-right advisers encouraged him to declare martial law and deploy U.S. troops to seize voting machines. In the run-up to the Jan. 6 attack, members of right-wing militia groups also encouraged Mr. Trump to invoke the law....

Katelyn Polantz of CNN: "John Eastman, a far-right lawyer for ... Donald Trump who wanted to block his electoral loss in 2020, is still withholding about 3,200 documents from the House Select Committee investigating the January 6 insurrection, according to a new court filing this week.... Federal Judge David Carter in Santa Ana, California, may continue to weigh whether Eastman can keep those pages secret." (Also linked yesterday.)

Jamelle Bouie of the New York Times: "Ted Cruz of Texas and Mike Lee of Utah are two of the most prominent [self-described] 'constitutional conservatives' in the Senate.... It is interesting, then, that Lee and Cruz were among the Republican senators most involved in Donald Trump's attempt to subvert the Constitution and install himself in office against the will of the voters. As The Washington Post reported last month, Cruz worked 'directly with Trump to concoct a plan that came closer than widely realized to keeping him in power.'... Lee supported and encouraged the president's effort to overturn the election, with both ideas and political assistance.... Which gets to the truth of what that 'constitutional conservatism' really seems to be: not a principled attempt -- however flawed in conception -- to live up to the values of the founding, but a thin mask for the will to power." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ Reed Galen in the Salt Lake Tribune: "Mike Lee's attempts to find 'legal' remedies on Trump's behalf demonstrate either an active desire to overturn the 2020 election or a shocking lack of judgement. I suspect both. Either taken individually would be disqualifying to an individual in a powerful position of public trust.... Lee is up for reelection this November. As Utahns being to think about their choices, they should take to heart that when given every chance to choose fealty: to faith, to country, to Utah and to the Constitution, he's put himself, his ambition, and his grasping for power first.... His efforts helped create a crisis not seen in this country since the Civil War. Like so many members of Congress who supported the Confederacy, Lee should no longer serve in high office." Galen is a co-founder of the Lincoln Project; he lives in Utah. Firewalled.

Hugo Lowell of the Guardian: "Top leaders in the Oath Keepers militia group indicted on seditious conspiracy charges over the Capitol attack had contacts with the Proud Boys and a figure in the Stop the Steal movement and may also have been in touch with the Republican congressman Ronny Jackson, newly released text messages show. The texts -- which indicate the apparent ease with which Oath Keepers messaged Proud Boys -- could strengthen a theory being explored by the House January 6 committee and the US justice department: that the Capitol attack included a coordinated assault. Oath Keepers text messages released in a court filing on Monday night showed members of the group were in direct communication with the Proud Boys leader Enqrique Tarrio in the days before the Capitol attack.... That close relationship is certain to be of interest to the House committee as it zeroes in on whether the Oath Keepers and the Proud Boys coordinated an attack on the Capitol...."

Michael Grynbaum & Jim Windolf of the New York Times: "Joseph F. Kahn, a Pulitzer Prize-winning China correspondent who rose to lead the international desk of The New York Times, and then as managing editor helped steer the newspaper into the digital era, has been selected to be The Times's next executive editor, the top newsroom job. Mr. Kahn, 57, currently the No. 2-ranking editor at The Times, will take on one of the most powerful positions in American media and the global news business. He is to succeed Dean Baquet, whose eight-year tenure is expected to conclude in June. The announcement was made on Tuesday by the publisher of The Times, A.G. Sulzberger." (Also linked yesterday.)

AND in Other Media News.... Taylor Lorenz of the Washington Post: "Libs of TikTok [-- a Twitter account --] reposts a steady stream of TikTok videos and social media posts, primarily from LGBTQ+ people, often including incendiary framing designed to generate outrage. Videos shared from the account quickly find their way to the most influential names in right-wing media. The account has emerged as a powerful force on the Internet, shaping right-wing media, impacting anti-LGBTQ+ legislation and influencing millions by posting viral videos aimed at inciting outrage among the right.... Its content is amplified by high-profile media figures, politicians and right-wing influencers.... The content it surfaces shows a direct correlation with the recent push in legislation and rhetoric directly targeting the LGBTQ+ community." Republicans wallow in this homophobic, anti-trans crap. And it isn't just Tucker Carlson & Joe Rogan who traffic in this: Glenn Greenwald calls himself the account's "Godfather." (Also linked yesterday.)

World's Richest Man Seeks Loan. Lauren Hirsch of the New York Times: "Elon Musk is racing to secure funding for his $43 billion bid to buy Twitter. Morgan Stanley, the investment bank working with Mr. Musk on the potential deal, has been calling banks and other potential investors to shore up financing for the offer, four people with knowledge of the situation said. Mr. Musk is first focused on raising debt and has not yet begun to seek equity financing for his bid, one of the people said. Mr. Musk is evaluating various packages of debt, including more senior debt known as preferred debt and a loan against his shares of Tesla, the electric carmaker that he runs, two of the people said. Apollo Global Management, the private equity firm, is among the parties considering offering debt financing in a bid for Twitter. The equity he needs is likely to be sizable."

Sheryl Stolberg & Charlie Savage of the New York Times: "The Biden administration announced on Tuesday that it intends to appeal a Florida judge's ruling that struck down a federal mask requirement on airplanes, trains, buses and other public transportation -- but only if the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention decides that extending the measure is necessary. The announcement from the Department of Justice came after a day of back and forth inside the White House, as administration officials faced a legal and political quandary: whether to let the judge's ruling stand or to fight it, knowing that an appeal could result in a higher court, perhaps the Supreme Court, ruling against the administration and setting a lasting precedent that could undercut the C.D.C.'s authority." An NBC News report is here. ~~~

~~~ Ruth Marcus of the Washington Post: "Another day, another activist Trump judge legislating from the bench.... Federal law gives the CDC power 'to make and enforce such regulations as in [its] judgment are necessary to prevent the introduction, transmission, or spread of communicable diseases.'... The agency 'may provide for such inspection, fumigation, disinfection, sanitation ... and other measures as in [its] judgment may be necessary.' A mask requirement falls comfortably within the language of a rule necessary to prevent the spread of communicable disease.... When a statute is ambiguous and an agency's interpretation is reasonable, judges are supposed to defer to the agency. Here, though she had just spent more than a dozen pages parsing the meaning of 'sanitation,' [Judge Kathryn Kimball] Mizelle declared the law 'not ambiguous' and the CDC's interpretation 'not reasonable.'"

The New York Times' live updates of Covid-19 developments Tuesday are here. (Also linked yesterday.) 

Beyond the Beltway

Florida. Brooks Barnes of the New York Times: "In a move widely seen as retaliation, Gov. Ron DeSantis asked Florida lawmakers on Tuesday to consider the 'termination' of self-governing privileges that Disney World has held in the Orlando area for 55 years. He acted after Disney, the state's largest private employer, paused political donations in Florida and condemned a new state education law that opponents call 'Don't Say Gay.' The Florida Legislature had already been scheduled to convene this week for a special session on congressional redistricting. On Tuesday, Mr. DeSantis, a Republican, issued a proclamation allowing the Republican-controlled body to also take up bills that would eliminate special tax districts that were created before 1968. Florida has hundreds of such districts, but almost all were set up after that date -- with one of the exceptions covering Disney World." ~~~

~~~ Dana Milbank of the Washington Post discovers there is "math" and there is "Florida math." Typical Florida math problems: "Problem 1: In an election, the Republican candidate gets 232 electoral votes and the Democratic candidate gets 306. Who won? Answer: It was rigged. Problem 2: Florida had 153 coronavirus deaths per 100,000 people over the past year while California had only 58 per 100,000. How much higher is Florida's death rate? Answer: I'm going to do my own research.' Then Milbank reviews a precalculus book DeSantis' education department has banned. He was horrified to discover that "At a time when Floridians by law 'don't say gay,' much less 'trans,' this banned book brazenly teaches about the 'Transitive Property of Equality.'"

Tennessee. Oh Dear. Allan Smith of NBC News: "The Tennessee Republican Party voted Tuesday to remove former State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus and two other people from the August primary ballot in the state's 5th Congressional District. The vote marked the culmination of months of effort by both GOP legislators and activists to boot Ortagus because she had only recently moved to the state. She was endorsed by ... Donald Trump.... In recent years, the party has scuttled a number of candidates for failing to meet the [party's qualification bylaws]." MB: I can see why Trump endorsed her: she's a looker, and her "look" is very Melanie Trumpy.