February 27, 2022

SNL Cold Open: "Ukrainian Chorus Dumka performs Prayer for Ukraine:

     ~~~ Marie: The last cold open that was this poignant was after the 2016 election, when Kate McKinnon (as Hillary Clinton) played a version of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah." Classy.

Late Morning Update:

The New York Times' live updates Sunday of developments in Russia's war on Ukraine are here: "President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine agreed on Sunday to talks with Russia 'without preconditions,' even as President Vladimir V. Putin further escalated tensions by placing his nuclear forces on alert." They will meet "'on the Ukrainian-Belarusian border, near the Pripyat River,' Mr. Zelensky announced on his official Telegram channel."

CBS News/AP: "In a dramatic escalation of East-West tensions over Russia's invasion of Ukraine, President Vladimir Putin ordered Russian nuclear deterrent forces put on alert Sunday in response to what he called 'aggressive statements' by leading NATO powers. The move means Putin has ordered Russia's nuclear weapons prepared for increased readiness to launch, raising the threat that the tensions could boil over into a nuclear war. In giving it, the Russian leader also cited hard-hitting financial sanctions imposed by the West against Russia, including Putin himself." MB: So it's, "If I can't have my ill-gotten billions, I'll nuke you."

Annabelle Timsit of the Washington Post: "Twenty European countries have closed -- or have said they will close -- their airspace to Russian flights and flight operators, amid a coordinated pushback against Russia's invasion of Ukraine. About half of the countries announced the move on Sunday, ahead of an extraordinary meeting of European foreign ministers to discuss further measures to support Ukraine and punish Moscow. Other countries, including Estonia and Romania, had previously announced their intention to ban Russian flights.... Also on Sunday, Canada's minister of transport, Omar Alghabra, said: 'Effective immediately, Canada's airspace is closed to all Russian aircraft operators....'"

Rick Noack, et al., of the Washington Post: "German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Sunday announced a major increase in the country's defense spending, marking one of the most significant changes in decades to the country's post-World War II approach to security and possibly upending European defense policy. German lawmakers were still debating the plans as over 100,000 protesters assembled just a few meters away in front of the Brandenburg Gate to rally for peace. The scale of the protest -- one of the largest in years -- took authorities by surprise, and provided a visible display of just how deeply Russia's invasion of Ukraine has shaken Germans this week."

Ellen Doherty of Axios: "Some liquor stores and bars in the U.S. and Canada are taking Russian vodka off their shelves in protest of President Vladimir Putin's military invasion of Ukraine." Related item about New Hampshire linked below.

Ellie Silverman & John Cox of the Washington Post: "Fencing around the U.S. Capitol is being reinstalled in advance of Tuesday's State of the Union address, authorities announced Sunday, in a statement that also referred to potential protests in the city over the next two weeks. The decision was made 'out of an abundance of caution,' according to the Capitol Police, who have long been preparing for the possible arrival of trucks inspired by the 'Freedom Convoy' that occupied downtown Ottawa for more than three weeks to protest vaccine mandates."

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Putin's War, Ctd.

The Washington Post's live updates Sunday of developments in Russia's war on Ukraine are here: "Russian forces pushed into Kharkiv on Sunday, sparking a battle for control in Ukraine's second-largest city that included heavy street fighting and back-and-forth rocket firing.... [Russian forces faced] fierce resistance elsewhere, including Kyiv, where the Ukrainian government maintained control as residents sheltered underground and air raid sirens sounded. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky squashed a Russian proposal for negotiations to be held in Belarus. Though the Kremlin said that Russian officials had already flown to the Belarusian city of Gomel for talks, Zelensky said he wanted to meet in a neutral location -- not in a country supporting Russia's attack. Zelensky accused Russia of attacking civilians and warned that Russian actions in Kyiv and other areas showed 'the sign of genocide.' He said Ukraine had submitted a complaint against Russia's actions to the International Court of Justice at The Hague."

The New York Times' live updates of developments Saturday in Russia's war on Ukraine are here: "Through intense fighting in the streets of Kyiv and other cities, Ukraine's defense forces and civilian volunteers resisted Russia's invasion for a third day, battling for control of the capital as international pressure mounted on Moscow and support for Kyiv's besieged government grew.... Russian forces bombarded Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, again on Saturday night, after a day of pitched fights around the city. Most of the more than 150,000 Russian troops who had massed around Ukraine are now fighting in the country, U.S. officials said.... Two large explosions shook Kyiv shortly before 1 a.m. The country's deputy interior minister had warned earlier of an impending airstrike.... Ukraine's defense forces, outmanned and outgunned, waged a ferocious resistance to the Russian invasion on Saturday, battling to keep control of the capital, Kyiv, and other cities. There was intense street fighting, and bursts of gunfire and explosions could be heard across Kyiv." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: So Long, Stoli. Even Chris Sununu does something right once in a while. From the NYT Saturday updates: "In New Hampshire, where liquor and wine are sold through state-run stores, Gov. Chris Sununu, a Republican, announced on Saturday the removal of 'Russian-made and Russian-branded spirits from our liquor and wine outlets until further notice.'"

Zeke Miller, et al., of the AP: "The United States, European Union and United Kingdom on Saturday agreed to put in place crippling sanctions on the Russian financial sector, including a block on its access to the global financial system and, for the first time, restrictions on its central bank in retaliation for its invasion of Ukraine. The measures were announced jointly as part of a new round of financial sanctions meant to 'hold Russia to account and collectively ensure that this war is a strategic failure for (Russian President Vladimir) Putin.' The central bank restrictions target the more than $600 billion in reserves that the Kremlin has at its disposal.... U.S. officials said Saturday's steps were framed to send the ruble into 'free fall' and promote soaring inflation in the Russian economy.... Saturday's move includes cutting key Russian banks out of the SWIFT financial messaging system, which daily moves countless billions of dollars around more than 11,000 banks and other financial institutions around the world." The Washington Post's story is here.

AP: "In a significant shift, the German government said Saturday it will send weapons and other supplies directly to Ukraine.... Germany's chancellery announced Saturday evening that it will send 1,000 anti-tank weapons and 500 'Stinger' surface-to-air missiles to Ukraine 'as quickly as possible.' 'The Russian invasion of Ukraine marks a turning point. It threatens our entire post-war order,' German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said in a statement. 'In this situation, it is our duty to help Ukraine, to the best of our ability, to defend itself against Vladimir Putin's invading army.'" A Washington Post story is here.

Caroline Vakil of the Hill: "President Biden late Friday ordered the release of up to $350 million for military aid for Ukraine. Biden ordered for the money to be allocated from the Foreign Assistance Act 'in defense articles and services of the Department of Defense, and military education and training, and to make the determinations required under such section to direct such a drawdown.' Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement on Saturday that it represented the country's third drawdown of money to Ukraine in the last year, totaling more than $1 billion." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Tara Copp of Defense One: "'Javelins will be in this next tranche as they had been in so many tranches in the past,' a senior defense official told Pentagon reporters on Saturday. The shoulder-fired, Raytheon-produced missile can be carried by one soldier and used to disable tanks and other targets. They are part of a package that includes weapons and armor to defend against the 'armored, airborne, and other threats it is now facing,' the State Department announced Saturday. In the days leading up to the invasion the United States flew planeloads of weapons and supplies into Ukraine, but stopped flying all manned and unmanned aircraft over the country once hostilities began, the senior defense official said. But the United States has other ways such as ground routes to supply Ukrainian forces, the official said."

Isabelle Khurshudyan of the Washington Post: "The Ukrainian Territorial Defense Forces, which is believed to have more than 130,000 volunteers, has been conducting weekend training sessions for months in preparation to help defend its turf from Russia. Now that the attack has started, Ukrainians across the country are mobilizing and turning to the Territorial Defense Forces to arm them and send them into the fight. Anyone between 18 and 60 can join.... President Volodymyr Zelensky tweeted Thursday, 'We will give weapons to anyone who wants to defend the country. Be ready to support Ukraine in the squares of our cities.' But arming civilians, many of whom have little training, risks exacerbating the violence in cities across Ukraine and potentially giving the Russian military more pretext to fire indiscriminately."

Dan Lamothe of the Washington Post: "Ukrainian border guards who insulted Russian forces this week in a recorded exchange that went viral may not have been killed, Ukrainian officials said Saturday, contradicting an earlier claim by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The State Border Guard Service of Ukraine said in a statement posted to its Facebook page that the guards may be alive, after Russian media reported that they were taken as prisoners from their base on Snake Island in the Black Sea to Sevastopol, a port city that Russia controls on the Crimean Peninsula." A Guardian report is here. (MB: And congrats to the Guardian for putting "fuck" in its URL for this story.)

Hannah Knowles & Emmanuel Felton of the New York Times: Since George Zimmerman killed Trayvon Martin ten years ago, "stand your ground" laws and how they're applied have "only expanded -- and grown 'more extreme,' some say -- since the death of another Black 17-year-old thrust it into the spotlight 10 years ago.... A growing body of research links stand-your-ground laws to sudden increases in homicide, including unlawful killings.... Stand-your-ground laws have now spread to most states in the United States, propelled by gun groups such as the National Rifle Association and lawmakers of both parties who say people under attack should not have to worry about a legal 'duty to retreat.'" See also the story linked below of a Florida man who was acquitted for fatally shooting a man who tossed popcorn at him after a verbal altercation which the acquitted guy started.

Barack Obama, Al Sharpton & Henry Louis Gates talk about the killing of Trayvon Martin ten years ago. New York Times video, with a column by Charles Blow. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ Timothy Bella of the Washington Post: "A decade has passed since [George] Zimmerman fatally shot [Trayvon] Martin and claimed self-defense in a case that was among the first to set the stage for the nation's racial reckoning -- and that helped give birth to the Black Lives Matter movement. Yet, since the former neighborhood watch volunteer was acquitted of second-degree murder and manslaughter, Zimmerman, once described by GQ as 'the most hated free man in America,' has stretched his 15 minutes of infamy into 10 years of reprehensible headlines: arrests for domestic violence allegations, retweeting a photo of the 17-year-old Martin's dead body, reportedly selling the gun that killed the teen for $250,000." (Also linked yesterday.)

Jacqueline Alemany, et al., of the Washington Post on Trumpettes feuding backstage at the Elipse over who-all would speak at the Insurrection Rally. Turns out there's a Park Police recording of at least some of the dispute, and the January 6 committee finds that recording of interest. MB: Inconsequential, but sort of funny.

Donald Trump spoke at CPAC Saturday & told a pack of lies. Linda Qiu of the New York Times debunks some of the lies. ~~~

~~~ Colby Itkowitz, et al., of the Washington Post: "... Donald Trump gave his strongest indication yet that he intends to run in 2024 during a nearly 90-minute speech to supporters on Saturday night that also included continued praise of Russian President Vladimir Putin. 'We did it twice, and we'll do it again,' Trump told a crowd at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Orlando, falsely claiming again that he won the 2020 election."

The Pandemic, Ctd.

Carl Zimmer & Benjamin Mueller of the New York Times: "Scientists released a pair of extensive studies on Saturday that point to a market in Wuhan, China, as the origin of the coronavirus pandemic. Analyzing data from a variety of sources, they concluded that the coronavirus was very likely present in live mammals sold in the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market in late 2019 and suggested that the virus twice spilled over into people working or shopping there. They said they found no support for an alternate theory that the coronavirus escaped from a laboratory in Wuhan." MB: Sorry, Li'l Randy.

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

Beyond the Beltway

Florida, Where Assault by Popcorn Is a Capital Offense. Eduardo Medina of the New York Times: "A jury in Florida on Friday acquitted a retired SWAT commander [link fixed] who shot and killed a man more than eight years ago inside a movie theater after a dispute over cellphone use. A jury of four men and two women found Curtis J. Reeves Jr. not guilty of second-degree murder in the fatal shooting of Chad W. Oulson on Jan. 13, 2014, at a matinee showing of 'Lone Survivor' in a movie theater near Tampa. A defense lawyer for Mr. Reeves argued that his client had acted in self-defense when he fired on Mr. Oulson, who had tossed a bag of popcorn at Mr. Reeves, a retired Tampa Police Department SWAT commander."

February 26, 2022

Late Morning/Afternoon Update:

Caroline Vakil of the Hill: "President Biden late Friday ordered the release of up to $350 million for military aid for Ukraine. Biden ordered for the money to be allocated from the Foreign Assistance Act 'in defense articles and services of the Department of Defense, and military education and training, and to make the determinations required under such section to direct such a drawdown.' Secretary of State Antony Blinken said ... on Saturday that it represented the country's third drawdown of money to Ukraine in the last year, totaling more than $1 billion."

Barack Obama, Al Sharpton & Henry Louis Gates talk about the killing of Trayvon Martin ten years ago. New York Times video, with a column by Charles Blow. ~~~

~~~ Timothy Bella of the Washington Post: "A decade has passed since [George] Zimmerman fatally shot [Trayvon] Martin and claimed self-defense in a case that was among the first to set the stage for the nation's racial reckoning -- and that helped give birth to the Black Lives Matter movement. Yet, since the former neighborhood watch volunteer was acquitted of second-degree murder and manslaughter, Zimmerman, once described by GQ as 'the most hated free man in America,' has stretched his 15 minutes of infamy into 10 years of reprehensible headlines: arrests for domestic violence allegations, retweeting a photo of the 17-year-old Martin's dead body, reportedly selling the gun that killed the teen for $250,000."

The New York Times' live updates of developments Saturday in Russia's war on Ukraine are here: "Ukraine's defense forces, outmanned and outgunned, waged a ferocious resistance to the Russian invasion on Saturday, battling to keep control of the capital, Kyiv, and other cities. There was intense street fighting, and bursts of gunfire and explosions could be heard across Kyiv. Here are the latest developments[.]

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

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Putin's War on Ukraine

The Washington Post's live updates of developments Saturday in Russia's war on Ukraine are here: "Gunfire and explosions rocked Kyiv overnight Saturday, as Russian forces advanced further toward the capital and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that the fate of the nation was 'being decided right now.' Municipal authorities said fighting was taking place in the streets and told residents to find shelter. At least four dozen explosions were heard early Saturday morning local time, followed shortly after by loud bursts of gunfire. Some clashes appeared to take place near the seat of government and videos verified by The Washington Post depicted fires and billowing smoke, as well as the sound of live rounds, on a major road some seven miles west of the legislature. Later, the Ukrainian military said they had destroyed combat vehicles in the area's vicinity." ~~~

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

The fight is here; I need ammunition, not a ride. -- President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine, turning down U.S. offer to help him leave Kyiv ~~~

~~~ Shane Harris, et al., of the Washington Post: "The U.S. government is prepared to help Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky leave Kyiv to avoid being captured or killed by advancing Russian forces, according to U.S. and Ukrainian officials. But so far, the president has refused to go. As the Russian military ratcheted up its attacks on Friday, a defiant Zelensky pledged to remain in charge of his government despite grave personal risk. 'According to the information we have, the enemy has marked me as target No. 1, my family as target No. 2,' he told Ukrainians in an early-morning address. 'They want to destroy Ukraine politically by destroying the head of state.' For weeks, Zelensky has heard those warnings from U.S. officials."

Dasha Litvinova of the AP: "Protesters took to the streets in Moscow, St. Petersburg and across Russia on Friday to decry the invasion of Ukraine, even as authorities sought to suppress the spreading antiwar sentiment and project an image of strength and righteousness.... The rallies on Friday night appeared smaller than on Thursday, when thousands took to the streets across Russia."

The New York Times' live updates of developments Friday in Russia's war on Ukraine are here: "Russian officials signaled an openness to talks, but President Vladimir V. Putin derided the Ukrainian government and it was unclear under what conditions the Kremlin would consider negotiations. Mr. Putin was becoming increasingly isolated by the international community.... Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, continued to be bombed late Friday, as Russia's invasion passed into its second night." (Also linked yesterday.)

Emily Rauhala & Michael Birnbaum of the Washington Post: "European Union foreign ministers agreed Friday to freeze the assets of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, the first time the two men have been targeted personally by such measures. The decision, part of a larger round of sanctions approved to punish Russia for the invasion of Ukraine, likely won't be the last step taken against the Kremlin during the conflict, policymakers said.... E.U. foreign policy officials said that it would take some technical work to target the sanctions properly. Neither man will be barred from traveling to the European Union, a step that in some ways would have been more concrete but could also have complicated any diplomatic settlement to the escalating violence that Russia is inflicting on its neighbor." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Update. Brett Samuels of the Hill: "The Biden administration will sanction Russian President Vladimir Putin and other top officials in Moscow in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, White House press secretary Jen Psaki confirmed Friday. The move follows an announcement from the European Union earlier in the day that it would sanction Putin and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov directly for the country's attack on neighboring Ukraine." The story is developing at 3:45 pm ET. (Also linked yesterday.)

Peter Alexander of NBC News: "Kazakhstan, one of Russia's closest allies and a southern neighbor, is denying a request for its troops to join the offensive in Ukraine, officials said Friday. Additionally, the former Soviet republic said it is not recognizing the Russia-created breakaway republics upheld by Russia's president, Vladimir Putin, as a pretext for its aggression in Ukraine.... The surprising development from a traditional ally of Russia has the support of the United States." (This is part of a liveblog & may or may not show up near the top of the linked page.) MB: Apparently Kazakh leaders have enough imagination to picture Russian tanks rolling across its border with Russia.

Prince of Peace. Nicole Winfield of the AP: "Pope Francis went to the Russian Embassy on Friday to personally 'express his concern about the war' in Ukraine, in an extraordinary, hands-on papal gesture that has no recent precedent. Francis later assured a top Ukrainian Greek Catholic leader he would do 'everything I can' to help. Usually, popes receive ambassadors and heads of state in the Vatican, and diplomatic protocol would have called for the Vatican foreign minister to summon the Russian ambassador. Francis is the Vatican head of state, and for him to leave the walled city state and travel a short distance to the Russian Embassy to the Holy See was a sign of his anger at Moscow's invasion and his willingness to appeal personally for an end to it. Vatican officials said they knew of no such previous papal initiative." (Also linked yesterday.)

Snake Island Massacre. Dan Lamothe & Paul Sonne of the Washington Post: "As the Russian military pounded targets across Ukraine with an array of bombs and missiles, a small team of Ukrainian border guards on a rocky, desolate island received an ominous message: Give up or be attacked. 'I am a Russian warship,' a voice from the invaders said, according to a recording of the communications. 'I ask you to lay down your arms and surrender to avoid bloodshed and unnecessary deaths. Otherwise, you will be bombed.'... 'Russian warship,' came the [Ukrainians'] reply, 'go f--- yourself.' The Russians opened fire, eventually killing the 13 border guards.... Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said hours later that the island's defenders will be bestowed with the title 'Hero of Ukraine,' the highest honorific the Ukrainian leader can award." (Also linked yesterday.)

New York Times Business Updates Friday: "Investors pushed past Russia's invasion of Ukraine to focus on a sliver of good news on Friday: that President Vladimir V. Putin might engage in talks with his Ukrainian counterpart. That hope drove stocks up, and the S&P 500 closed a rollercoaster week with a gain. The S&P 500 rose 2.2 percent, its best day in nearly a month, bringing it to a gain of 0.8 percent for the week after two consecutive weeks of losses. New data released on Friday showing that a key gauge of inflation had hit a new 40-year high in January also didn't deter investors. Friday's gains echoed trading in Europe and Asia after the Kremlin said that Mr. Putin was willing to hold talks with Ukraine -- although the Russian president later suggested he was not seriously planning to engage in them. The Nikkei in Japan closed nearly 2 percent higher, and the Stoxx Europe 600 rose more than 3 percent."

~~~ Get Back! Javier C. Hernández of the New York Times: "A day after he was dropped from concerts at Carnegie Hall, the star Russian maestro Valery Gergiev on Friday faced rising anger over his record of support for President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, with several leading European institutions -- including the Munich Philharmonic, of which Mr. Gergiev is chief conductor -- threatening to sever ties with him unless he denounced Mr. Putin's invasion of Ukraine. The fallout, encompassing Germany, Italy and the Netherlands, was a rare rebuke of a titan of the classical music industry, and it reflected growing global outrage over Mr. Putin's ongoing military offensive in Ukraine."

Jonathan Edwards of the Washington Post: "As Russian forces closed in on Ukraine, Fox News host Tucker Carlson on Tuesday downplayed the conflict.... The host of the network's top-rated show ... called the situation between the two nations 'a border dispute.'... On Thursday night, Carlson backpedaled, recharacterizing what he had called a 'border dispute' two days earlier as a conflict that 'could become a world war.'... Carlson also shifted his tone on Putin. After Russian troops had invaded and were bombing Ukrainian cities, Carlson said of Putin: 'He is to blame for what we're seeing tonight in Ukraine.'" MB: Where was the part where TuKKKer said, "I was wrong"? (Also linked yesterday.)

Colleen Long, et al., of the AP: "President Joe Biden on Friday nominated federal appeals court Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the U.S. Supreme Court, making her the first Black woman selected to serve on a court that once declared her race unworthy of citizenship and endorsed segregation." (Also linked yesterday.) The New York Times' story is here. ~~~

     ~~~ The New York Times liveblog on Judge Jackson's nomination is here. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ President Biden begins speaking at about 1:35 min. in. ~~~

     ~~~ Jake Tapper & Ariane de Vogue of CNN: "President Joe Biden has selected Ketanji Brown Jackson as his nominee to the Supreme Court, according to a source who has been notified about the decision, setting in motion a historic confirmation process for the first Black woman to sit on the highest court in the nation. Jackson, 51, currently sits on DC's federal appellate court and had been considered the front-runner for the vacancy since Justice Stephen Breyer announced his retirement. She received and accepted Biden's offer in a call Thursday night, a source familiar with the decision told CNN. Jackson clerked for Breyer and served as a federal public defender in Washington -- an experience that her backers say is fitting, given Biden's commitment to putting more public defenders on the federal bench. She was also a commissioner on the US Sentencing Commission and served on the federal district court in DC, as an appointee of President Barack Obama, before Biden elevated her to the DC Circuit last year." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Walking, Chewing Gum. Katie Rogers of the New York Times: "President Biden informed his advisers that he had chosen a Supreme Court nominee on Thursday, according to two people familiar with the selection process." CNN's report is here. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ Roxanne Roberts of the Washington Post: "With the historic nomination of Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court comes a Washington version of Six Degrees of Separation: Jackson is related, by marriage, to former House speaker Paul Ryan.... 'Our politics may differ, but my praise for Ketanji's intellect, for her character, for her integrity, it is unequivocal,' said Ryan at Jackson's 2012 hearing for her nomination as a U.S. District Court judge." The judge is married to Patrick Jackson, who has a twin brother William Jackson. William is married to Dana Little Jackson. Dana's sister is Janna Ryan. She is married to Paul Ryan. "In other words: Ketanji Brown Jackson's brother-in-law (William) is married to Paul Ryan's sister-in-law (Dana)."

Katelyn Polantz, et al., of CNN: "The chairman of the Republican Party in Georgia on Friday told the House select committee investigating the January 6 riot that the Trump campaign had directed the party in 2020 to put forward an alternate slate of electors after ... Donald Trump lost the state's vote, according to a person familiar with the testimony.... David Shafer, chair of the GOP in Georgia, served as one of several bogus electors for Trump and had convened Republicans in the state's Capitol to put together an alternate elector certification in December 2020. He also was a plaintiff in a long-shot legal attempt for Trump to overturn the election in Georgia.... The committee on Friday also heard from another Georgia Republican involved in the alternate elector attempt: Shawn Still, who served as the secretary." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: And good luck trying to trace this back to the mob boss himself, who probably was chatting on-air with TuKKKer whe campaign staff were making arrangements to fake Georgia's Trump-Pence slate of electors.

Ryan Nobles, et al., of CNN: "The House select committee investigating the January 6 Capitol Hill riot tells CNN it will issue a subpoena to compel testimony from Kimberly Guilfoyle after she ended a virtual interview on Friday. Guilfoyle, who is engaged to Donald Trump Jr. and worked on his father's presidential campaign, 'has information of interest to the Select Committee and has provided documents germane to our investigation,' committee spokesman Tim Mulvey said in a statement." (Also linked yesterday.)

Crappergate, Ctd. Luke Broadwater of the New York Times: 'A House committee on Friday expanded its investigation into ... Donald J. Trump's destruction and removal of White House documents, demanding more information about classified material found at Mr. Trump's property in Florida and reports that aides had discovered documents in a White House toilet during his time in office. In a letter to the national archivist, Representative Carolyn B. Maloney, Democrat of New York and the chairwoman of the Oversight Committee, said the panel was seeking a detailed description of the contents of 15 boxes recovered from Mar-a-Lago, Mr. Trump's Palm Beach compound, including their level of classification, and all records that he 'had torn up, destroyed, mutilated or attempted to tear up, destroy or mutilate.' She also said the panel wanted documents 'relating to White House employees or contractors finding paper in a toilet in the White House, including the White House residence.' The letter also sought information about the findings of any federal inquiries into the classified material and any communications with Mr. Trump about the Presidential Records Act or White House policies on record-keeping." (Also linked yesterday.)

Christopher Mathias of the Huffington Post: "Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) spoke at a white nationalist conference in Florida on Friday evening. Greene, a QAnon conspiracist and rabidly anti-trans Republican, was the surprise speaker at the third annual America First Political Action Conference in Orlando, organized by white nationalist figurehead Nick Fuentes."

The Pandemic, Ctd.

Lena Sun, et al., of the Washington Post: "The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention eased mask recommendations for the vast majority of the country Friday under a new framework to monitor the coronavirus that immediately affects about 70 percent of Americans -- a process that state and local officials had already begun amid demands for a return to normalcy. The new guidelines, which took effect Friday, reflect the administration's view that the United States has entered a different, potentially less dangerous phase of the pandemic." The article is free to nonsubscribers. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: The "new guidelines" link above takes you to a CDC page where you can plug in your county to learn the level of infection in your area & the CDC's advice for precautions you should take.

Emily Anthes of the New York Times: "More than half of people who took a rapid antigen test five to nine days after first testing positive for the coronavirus or after developing Covid-19 symptoms tested positive on the antigen test, according to a new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The finding raises more concerns about the agency's revised isolation guidelines, which say that many people with Covid can end their isolation periods after five days, without a negative coronavirus test.... The results suggest that many people with the virus may still be infectious during this period, scientists said."

Joanna Slater of the Washington Post: Conspiracy theorists & other loons are threatening hospital staff around the country for prescribing approved medications for Covid-19 patients & for not treating the patients with horse-worm meds. "... hostility toward the medical establishment has flourished during the pandemic, encouraged by misinformation campaigns, anti-vaccine activists and conspiracy theorists."

Beyond the Beltway

Texas, Where Your Vote Doesn't Count, Especially if You're an "Urban Person." Nick Corasaniti of the New York Times: "Local election officials in Texas have rejected thousands of absentee ballots based on requirements set by the state's new election law, an alarming jump that risks potentially preventing some Texans from voting in Tuesday's primary election. The state's Republican and Democratic primaries will be the first elections held since the Republican-led Texas Legislature overhauled the state's election laws. Election officials in the most populous counties have rejected roughly 30 percent of the absentee ballots they have received -- more than 15,000 ballots -- as of Wednesday, according to a review of election data by The New York Times. The ballots were rejected largely because voters either did not include their driver's license number or the last four digits of their Social Security number, or the numbers they put down did not match what officials had on file.... The rate of rejection represents a significant increase from past elections, including in 2020, when the statewide rejection rate was less than 1 percent for the general election, according to data from the federal Election Assistance Commission."

Virginia, Where the Schools Will Favor Bigotry & Racism. Hannah Natanson & Karina Elwood of the Washington Post: "The Virginia Department of Education has rescinded a wide range of policies, memos and programs established to further diversity, equity and inclusion in schools in obedience to an executive order from Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R). Jillian Balow, the Virginia superintendent of public instruction, announced the end of the initiatives in a letter sent to Youngkin and Education Secretary Aimee Guidera on Friday.... The programs Balow has rescinded or is working to rescind were established under Youngkin's Democratic predecessor, Ralph Northam. They include a framework called 'EdEquityVA' that aimed to eliminate racial and socioeconomic disparities in academic and disciplinary outcomes for students. They also include a website devoted to 'culturally responsive' teaching, and a memo that ex-state superintendent James Lane published in 2019 urging teachers to 'facilitate meaningful dialogue on racism and bigotry.'"

February 25, 2022

Morning/Afternoon Update:

Colleen Long, et al., of the AP: "President Joe Biden on Friday nominated federal appeals court Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the U.S. Supreme Court, making her the first Black woman selected to serve on a court that once declared her race unworthy of citizenship and endorsed segregation." ~~~

     ~~~ The New York Times liveblog on Judge Jackson's nomination is here. ~~~

     ~~~ President Biden begins speaking at about 1:35 min. in. ~~~

     ~~~ Jake Tapper & Ariane de Vogue of CNN: "President Joe Biden has selected Ketanji Brown Jackson as his nominee to the Supreme Court, according to a source who has been notified about the decision, setting in motion a historic confirmation process for the first Black woman to sit on the highest court in the nation. Jackson, 51, currently sits on DC's federal appellate court and had been considered the front-runner for the vacancy since Justice Stephen Breyer announced his retirement. She received and accepted Biden's offer in a call Thursday night, a source familiar with the decision told CNN. Jackson clerked for Breyer and served as a federal public defender in Washington -- an experience that her backers say is fitting, given Biden's commitment to putting more public defenders on the federal bench. She was also a commissioner on the US Sentencing Commission and served on the federal district court in DC, as an appointee of President Barack Obama, before Biden elevated her to the DC Circuit last year." ~~~

     ~~~ Walking, Chewing Gum. Katie Rogers of the New York Times: "President Biden informed his advisers that he had chosen a Supreme Court nominee on Thursday, according to two people familiar with the selection process." CNN's report is here. ~~~

The New York Times' live updates of developments Friday on Russia's war on Ukraine are here: "Russian officials signaled an openness to talks, but President Vladimir V. Putin derided the Ukrainian government and it was unclear under what conditions the Kremlin would consider negotiations. Mr. Putin was becoming increasingly isolated by the international community.... Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, continued to be bombed late Friday, as Russia's invasion passed into its second night."

Emily Rauhala & Michael Birnbaum of the Washington Post: "European Union foreign ministers agreed Friday to freeze the assets of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, the first time the two men have been targeted personally by such measures. The decision, part of a larger round of sanctions approved to punish Russia for the invasion of Ukraine, likely won't be the last step taken against the Kremlin during the conflict, policymakers said.... E.U. foreign policy officials said that it would take some technical work to target the sanctions properly. Neither man will be barred from traveling to the European Union, a step that in some ways would have been more concrete but could also have complicated any diplomatic settlement to the escalating violence that Russia is inflicting on its neighbor." ~~~

     ~~~ Update. Brett Samuels of the Hill: "The Biden administration will sanction Russian President Vladimir Putin and other top officials in Moscow in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, White House press secretary Jen Psaki confirmed Friday. The move follows an announcement from the European Union earlier in the day that it would sanction Putin and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov directly for the country's attack on neighboring Ukraine." The story is developing at 3:45 pm ET.

Prince of Peace. Nicole Winfield of the AP: "Pope Francis went to the Russian Embassy on Friday to personally 'express his concern about the war' in Ukraine, in an extraordinary, hands-on papal gesture that has no recent precedent. Francis later assured a top Ukrainian Greek Catholic leader he would do 'everything I can' to help. Usually, popes receive ambassadors and heads of state in the Vatican, and diplomatic protocol would have called for the Vatican foreign minister to summon the Russian ambassador. Francis is the Vatican head of state, and for him to leave the walled city state and travel a short distance to the Russian Embassy to the Holy See was a sign of his anger at Moscow's invasion and his willingness to appeal personally for an end to it. Vatican officials said they knew of no such previous papal initiative."

Snake Island Massacre. Dan Lamothe & Paul Sonne of the Washington Post: "As the Russian military pounded targets across Ukraine with an array of bombs and missiles, a small team of Ukrainian border guards on a rocky, desolate island received an ominous message: Give up or be attacked. 'I am a Russian warship,' a voice from the invaders said, according to a recording of the communications. 'I ask you to lay down your arms and surrender to avoid bloodshed and unnecessary deaths. Otherwise, you will be bombed.'... 'Russian warship,' came the [Ukrainians'] reply, 'go f--- yourself.' The Russians opened fire, eventually killing the 13 border guards.... Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said hours later that the island's defenders will be bestowed with the title 'Hero of Ukraine,' the highest honorific the Ukrainian leader can award."

Ryan Nobles, et al., of CNN: "The House select committee investigating the January 6 Capitol Hill riot tells CNN it will issue a subpoena to compel testimony from Kimberly Guilfoyle after she ended a virtual interview on Friday. Guilfoyle, who is engaged to Donald Trump Jr. and worked on his father's presidential campaign, 'has information of interest to the Select Committee and has provided documents germane to our investigation,' committee spokesman Tim Mulvey said in a statement."

Jonathan Edwards of the Washington Post: "As Russian forces closed in on Ukraine, Fox News host Tucker Carlson on Tuesday downplayed the conflict.... The host of the network's top-rated show ... called the situation between the two nations 'a border dispute.'... On Thursday night, Carlson backpedaled, recharacterizing what he had called a 'border dispute' two days earlier as a conflict that 'could become a world war.'... Carlson also shifted his tone on Putin. After Russian troops had invaded and were bombing Ukrainian cities, Carlson said of Putin: 'He is to blame for what we're seeing tonight in Ukraine.'" MB: Where was the part where TuKKKer said, "I was wrong"?

Crappergate, Ctd. Luke Broadwater of the New York Times: "A House committee on Friday expanded its investigation into ... Donald J. Trump's destruction and removal of White House documents, demanding more information about classified material found at Mr. Trump's property in Florida and reports that aides had discovered documents in a White House toilet during his time in office. In a letter to the national archivist, Representative Carolyn B. Maloney, Democrat of New York and the chairwoman of the Oversight Committee, said the panel was seeking a detailed description of the contents of 15 boxes recovered from Mar-a-Lago, Mr. Trump's Palm Beach compound, including their level of classification, and all records that he 'had torn up, destroyed, mutilated or attempted to tear up, destroy or mutilate.' She also said the panel wanted documents 'relating to White House employees or contractors finding paper in a toilet in the White House, including the White House residence.' The letter also sought information about the findings of any federal inquiries into the classified material and any communications with Mr. Trump about the Presidential Records Act or White House policies on record-keeping."

~~~~~~~~~~

Putin's Abomination

The Washington Post's live updates of developments in the Russian invasion of Ukraine are here: "Rockets struck Kyiv early Friday morning, according to several Ukrainian officials, as the United States warned that Russian forces were just 20 miles outside the capital and cautioned that the city could fall quickly. An air raid siren went off about 7 a.m. local time and at least one residential building in the capital caught fire after being hit by rocket debris, Kyiv's mayor said. Multiple explosions were heard earlier in the day." ~~~

     ~~~ The AP's live updates are here. The Guardian's updates are here.

Emma Graham-Harrison & Luke Harding of the Guardian: "Fighting has reached the outskirts of Kyiv, following a night of missile attacks on Ukraine's capital to prepare for a major Russian assault on the city. Heavy gunfire and explosions could be heard in a residential district of the capital on Friday morning and Ukrainian officials have warned that Russian military vehicles are approaching the city from the north-west. The Ukrainian defence ministry said Russian forces had entered the Obolon district of Kyiv, about six miles from the centre of the city. In a statement posted online, it advised residents to report the movements of Russian troops and to 'prepare molotov cocktails in order to neutralise the enemy'."

Michael Schwirtz, et al., of the New York Times write a summary of Day 1 of Russia's invasion of Ukraine: "By Thursday's end, Russian special forces and airborne troops were pushing into the outskirts of Kyiv. While the ultimate goal of Russia's president, Vladimir V. Putin, and his generals remained unclear, American officials assessed that the end game was likely the replacement of President Volodymyr Zelensky's government with a Russian-controlled puppet regime.... In a short video message addressing the nation, Mr. Zelensky, unshaven and wearing a T-shirt, added that Russian saboteurs had entered Kyiv and that he was 'target No. 1' for Russian forces, followed by his family.... The lethal realities spurred tens of thousands of Ukrainians to flee by car or bus on Thursday toward the far-western part of the country, which was deemed safer, snarling the roads, and there were long lines at gas stations."

Aamer Madhani, et al., of the AP: "President Joe Biden ordered broad new sanctions targeting Russia on Thursday..., declaring that Russian leader Vladimir Putin 'chose this war' and his country will bear the consequences. The sanctions target Russian banks, oligarchs and high-tech sectors, Biden said. The United States and its allies will block assets of four large Russian banks, impose export controls and sanction oligarchs. Biden also said the U.S. will be deploying additional forces to Germany to bolster NATO after the invasion of Ukraine, which is not a member of the defense organization. Approximately 7,000 additional U.S. troops will be sent." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

~~~ Ellen Nakashima & Felicia Sonmez of the Washington Post: "President Biden on Thursday announced an unprecedented package of sweeping sanctions and export controls coordinated with European and Asian allies to punish and isolate Russia for its invasion of Ukraine. No country as large as Russia, with an economy as large as Russia's -- ranked 12th, according to the International Monetary Fund -- has been hit with such massive international sanctions.... The Biden administration and allies in Europe and Asia are also cutting off Russia's access to key components crucial to their emerging and high-tech industries." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

Edward Wong, et al., of the New York Times: President Biden's announcement of "tough new sanctions" against Russia "was accompanied by a blizzard of sanctions from other countries announced on Thursday. Britain adopted penalties largely in line with the American ones, with additions such as barring Aeroflot, the Russian airline, from operating in its territory. The European Union announced measures including bans on large bank deposits in the European Union and halts in many technological exports to Russia, including semiconductors. Japan and Australia also unveiled various sanctions." Experts predict the effect sanctions may have on the Russian economy.

Hans von der Burchard & Jacopo Barigazzi of Politico: "Even as they agreed at an emergency summit to what they called a 'massive and painful' package of economic penalties in response to Moscow's shocking military assault on its neighbor, [European Union] leaders shunned a plea from Ukraine to kick Russia out of the SWIFT international payments system. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba had made a heartfelt online appeal for Russia to be excluded from the Belgium-based network.... But while the United States, Britain and some EU capitals have all indicated they favor a ban, other EU countries such as Germany, Italy and Austria have signaled they do not want to play all their sanctions cards at this stage. Part of the reason, officials say, is that European countries use SWIFT to pay for Russian gas, on which they are highly dependent."

Marie: I noticed an item in one of the live updates that former U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul was urging the U.S. to sanction Belarus for its participation in the Russian invasion. Apparently, Treasury was listening: ~~~

~~~ U.S. Treasury: "As part of the United States' serious and expansive response to Russia's further invasion of Ukraine, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is sanctioning 24 Belarusian individuals and entities due to Belarus's support for, and facilitation of, the invasion. Today's action focuses on Belarus's defense sector and financial institutions, two areas in which Belarus has especially close ties to Russia. Belarus has become increasingly reliant on Russia for economic, political, and military support in recent years as the regime has clung to power following the fraudulent August 2020 presidential election."

Yuras Karmanau, et al., of the AP: "Ukrainian officials said their forces were battling Russians on a multiple fronts, but had suffered dozens of deaths and also had lost control of the decommissioned Chernobyl nuclear power plant, scene of the world's worst nuclear disaster.... Ukraine's health minister said 57 Ukrainians were killed in the invasion and 169 more were wounded. It was not clear how many were civilians, although earlier in the day it had said 40 soldiers had died." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

~~~ William Branigin, et al., of the Washington Post: "Ukrainian authorities said Thursday that Russian forces have captured the abandoned Chernobyl nuclear power plant, the scene of a 1986 meltdown that sent a radioactive cloud over parts of Europe and left a no man's land of contaminated soil and other fallout, which remains dangerous.... 'Our defenders are giving their lives so that the tragedy of 1986 will not be repeated,' [Ukrainian President Volodymyr] Zelensky said on Twitter. 'This is a declaration of war against the whole of Europe.' The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, recalling the catastrophe that ranks as the world's worst nuclear power plant accident, said the Russian attack 'may cause another ecological disaster.' If the war continues, it said, Chernobyl 'can happen again in 2022.'" ~~~

     ~~~ Update. Ivan Nechepurenko of the New York Times: "Russia's Defense Ministry said in a statement on Friday that its paratroopers had taken control of the territory around the former Chernobyl nuclear plant in northern Ukraine and were working with Ukrainian guards to ensure the safety of its facilities, contradicting Ukrainian claims that Russian forces were holding the plant's personnel hostage."

Dasha Litvinova of the AP: "Shocked Russians turned out by the thousands Thursday to decry their country's invasio of Ukraine as emotional calls for protests grew on social media. Some 1,745 people in 54 Russian cities were detained, at least 957 of them in Moscow. Hundreds of posts came pouring in condemning Moscow's most aggressive actions since the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.... As sirens blasted in Kyiv, Ukraine's capital, and large explosions were heard there and in other cities, Russians were signing open letters and online petitions demanding the Kremlin halt the assault.... Several Russian celebrities and public figures, including some working for state TV, spoke out against the attack. Yelena Kovalskaya, director of a state-funded Moscow theater, announced on Facebook she was quitting her job, saying 'it's impossible to work for a killer and get paid by him.'" (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

~~~ Anton Troianovski of the New York Times: "For most of his 22-year rule, Vladimir V. Putin presented an aura of calm determination at home -- of an ability to astutely manage risk to navigate the world's biggest country through treacherous shoals. His attack on Ukraine negated that image, and revealed him as an altogether different leader: one dragging the nuclear superpower he helms into a war with no foreseeable conclusion, one that by all appearances will end Russia's attempts over its three post-Soviet decades to find a place in a peaceful world order." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Sergei Kuznetzov & Zoya Sheftalovich of Politico: "Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday launched an all-out assault on Ukraine with missiles, warplanes and tanks that threatens to push Europe into its biggest conflict since World War II.... Ukraine warned that Moscow was turning to propaganda tricks by suggesting that Russian troops were not meeting resistance and by exhorting Ukrainians to lay down their weapons. Kyiv insisted that its troops were locked in heavy fighting, had shot down seven warplanes, destroyed dozens of armored vehicles and killed dozens of enemy soldiers.... In a sign of the desperate straits Ukraine is facing against a stronger adversary, however, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called for a general mobilization. The country also put out an appeal for blood donors as news began to filter in of dozens of Ukrainian casualties across the country." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Kevin Granville & William Davis of the New York Times: "The price of oil jumped as high as $105 a barrel, European natural gas futures soared 50 percent, and global stock indexes fell on Thursday as Russia launched an invasion of Ukraine, extending market turmoil that had been driven by fears of a full-scale attack. The impact on financial and commodity markets from Russia's overnight attack was immediate and broad, starting in Asia, where the Hang Seng in Hong Kong lost 3.2 percent. In Germany, the DAX index slid more than 4 percent, and the broader Stoxx Europe 600 was about 3.5 percent lower." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Putin Threatens Nuclear War. John Daniszewski of the AP: "It has been a long time since the threat of using nuclear weapons has been brandished so openly by a world leader, but Vladimir Putin has just done it, warning in a speech that he has the weapons available if anyone dares to use military means to try to stop Russia's takeover of Ukraine.... It kindled visions of a nightmarish outcome in which Putin's ambitions in Ukraine could lead to a nuclear war through accident or miscalculation. 'As for military affairs, even after the dissolution of the USSR and losing a considerable part of its capabilities, today's Russia remains one of the most powerful nuclear states,' Putin said, in his pre-invasion address early Thursday. 'Moreover, it has a certain advantage in several cutting-edge weapons. In this context, there should be no doubt for anyone that any potential aggressor will face defeat and ominous consequences should it directly attack our country.'"

Miriam Berger of the Washington Post looks into the history behind Vladimir Putin's false claim that he was invading Ukraine to "denazify" the country. MB: But Putin was not the only politician who hit on a crazy "justification" for unprovoked war. ~~~

Mr. Potato Head Explains Why Putin Invaded Ukraine

Marie: Some readers here have asked why Putin would invade Ukraine. Others have offered explanations or pointed them toward analysts' assessments. But I, Marie Burns, will direct you to the True Answer, as delivered by that font of knowledge and wisdom, Senator Potato Head: ~~~

     ~~~ "He can't feed his people. It's a communist country, so he can't feed his people, so they need more farmland." -- Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) ~~~

     ~~~ This comes as a surprise to me because (1) I thought Russia quit being a communist country 30 years ago, and (2) as a somewhat sparsely-populated country with the most landmass on Earth, Russia is not short on farmland. In fact, Russia is renting out farmland to other countries. ~~~

Okay, Maybe Not Farmland. Eugene Robinson of the Washington Post: "Vladimir Putin's brutal and tragic attack on Ukraine is about more than his own delusions of grandeur. It is also a lesson for the Russian people about what happens to those who insist on seeking Western-style democracy.... So Putin has both rational and irrational motives for the unspeakable crime he is committing.... From all indications, Russia's leader wants to be remembered as Putin the Great, who reversed the 'catastrophe' and restored the Russian empire -- first czarist, then Soviet, then dismembered -- to its rightful glory.... [Putin] took the position that the 2014 Revolution of Dignity in Ukraine was nothing but an illegal coup."

Isaac Stanley-Becker, et al., of the Washington Post: "Leading Republicans on Thursday assailed Russia for plunging Europe into its first major land war in decades -- isolating ... Donald Trump, the de facto standard-bearer of their party, in his praise for the country's authoritarian leader. From Capitol Hill to the campaign trail, prominent GOP voices, including some close Trump loyalists, vowed that Russian President Vladimir Putin would pay a severe price for ordering a military offensive against Ukraine, even as the party sought to blame President Biden for the crisis. Meanwhile, Republican leaders strained to articulate an alternative policy to counter Russia's revanchist campaign -- at once insisting on more severe measures and opposing the deployment of U.S. forces, which Biden has said is not an option."

Michael Grynbaum & Katie Robertson of the New York Times assess how cable news handled the first day of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Margaret Sullivan of the Washington Post: "As Russia prepared to invade Ukraine, the biggest star on Fox News was busy ... defend[ing] the murderous instigator Vladimir Putin while disparaging legitimate heroes like Alexander Vindman, the Ukrainian-born retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel and former White House national security aide.... In 2020, Fox's own lawyers successfully made the case in court that [Tucker] Carlson shouldn't be taken seriously. And a Trump-appointed federal judge agreed. U.S. District Court Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil echoed Fox's own arguments ... [that] the whole tenor of Carlson's show makes it clear to viewers that he is not stating 'actual facts' about his topics.... 'Fox persuasively argues, that given Mr. Carlson's reputation, any reasonable viewer "arrive[s] with an appropriate amount of skepticism" about the statement he makes.' That's the problem, of course. Too many in Carlson's audience simply don't arrive with that measure of doubt or disbelief. They swallow his nonsense whole." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I can't find a "free" article that tells us how TuKKKer Kremlin Karlson dealt with the Russian invasion, but apparently he toned down his praise of Putin Thursday night.

Persona Non Grata. Javier Hernández of the New York Times: "Carnegie Hall and the Vienna Philharmonic announced on Thursday that the Russian conductor Valery Gergiev, a friend and prominent supporter of President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, would no longer lead a series of concerts there this week amid growing international condemnation of Mr. Putin's invasion of Ukraine. Mr. Gergiev, who had been slated to conduct the Philharmonic in three high-profile appearances at the hall beginning Friday evening, has come under growing scrutiny because of his support for Mr. Putin, whom he has known for three decades and has repeatedly defended.... The extraordinary last-minute decision to replace a star maestro apparently over his ties to Mr. Putin -- just days after the Philharmonic's chairman insisted that Gergiev would be appearing as an artist, not a politician — reflected the rapidly intensifying global uproar over the invasion."

David McCabe of the New York Times: "The Justice Department on Thursday sued to block a $13 billion acquisition of a health technology company by a subsidiary of UnitedHealth Group, in the latest move by the Biden administration to clamp down on corporate consolidation. The agency argued that a deal by UnitedHealth to buy the health tech firm Change Healthcare would give UnitedHealth sensitive data that it could wield against its competitors in the insurance business. The suit was filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. New York and Minnesota also joined the lawsuit."

Vimal Patel of the New York Times: "A group founded by the former N.F.L. quarterback Colin Kaepernick started this week to offer free secondary autopsies for families of people who died under 'police-related' circumstances. A certified autopsy can be prohibitive, sometimes costing $5,000 or more, so those without means have had to rely on the official inquiry conducted by a medical examiner or coroner. But proponents of a second autopsy argue that forensic pathology is not an exact science, and that medical experts can have differing opinions that are sometimes colored by bias."

Shayna Jacobs of the Washington Post: "Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg (D) has asked his investigations chief to oversee the ongoing probe into ... Donald Trump and his business practices, a day after the abrupt resignations of two veteran attorneys who had been leading the case. Susan Hoffinger, also an experienced litigator and recent addition to Bragg's executive team, will captain what has been described as a squad of about 25 lawyers, paralegals and analysts. Over more than three years, the group has pored through millions of records relating to Trump and operations at the Trump Organization, his family-run company, focusing most recently on whether assets were illegally overvalued to secure better terms on loans and insurance rates, and undervalued to get tax breaks." ~~~

     ~~~ Kara Scannell of CNN: "On Thursday, [Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg's] office reiterated that the investigation is ongoing and said Susan Hoffinger, a former prosecutor and experienced white-collar defense attorney he recruited, would oversee the probe. There were discussions within the office over the strength of the case. Some prosecutors believed there is sufficient evidence to charge, while others were skeptical that they could win a conviction at trial, in part because of the difficulty in proving criminal intent, one person familiar with the matter said. Multiple factors are at play, including New York state law, which makes it hard to bring such a case, as well as the lack of a key cooperator."

The Pandemic, Ctd.

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

Yasmeen Abutaleb of the Washington Post: "The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will soon loosen its mask guidelines by weighing metrics such as hospital capacity and coronavirus admissions, rather than simply looking at case counts, so more people can feel comfortable going maskless in indoor public spaces, according to two senior administration officials and two people familiar with the plans. The change comes weeks after numerous states, including those led by Democratic governors, announced plans to lift mandates as omicron cases drop sharply. But states have long been pressing the agency for better guidelines to inform their decisions to ease restrictions, the officials said. The CDC could announce the new guidelines as soon as Friday, according to the Associated Press." The article is free to nonsubscribers.

Beyond the Beltway

Florida. Matt Lavietes of NBC News: "Florida's House of Representatives passed a bill Thursday that would prohibit 'classroom discussion about sexual orientation or gender identity' in the state's primary schools. The legislation -- titled the Parental Rights in Education bill but dubbed by critics the "Don't Say Gay" bill -- heads to the state's Republican-held Senate, where it is expected to pass. Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican who is running for re-election and is widely considered to be a potential 2024 presidential candidate, has previously signaled his support for the legislation and is expected to sign it into law."

Michigan. Corey Williams of the AP: "A judge on Thursday ordered the parents of a 15-year-old boy charged with killing four students at his Michigan high school to stand trial on involuntary manslaughter charges. Rochester Hills District Court Judge Julie Nicholson said following the preliminary examination for Jennifer and James Crumbley that she found enough evidence to send their case to circuit court. They are charged with involuntary manslaughter and accused of making the gun used in the shooting available to the teen. The couple is also accused of failing to intervene when he showed signs of mental distress at home and at school."

Minnesota. Tim Arango, et al., of the New York Times: "Three former Minneapolis police officers were found guilty on Thursday of federal crimes for failing to intervene as another officer killed George Floyd by pressing his knee on his neck for more than nine minutes. The case was an extraordinarily rare example of the Justice Department prosecuting officers for their inaction while another officer used excessive force. The verdicts signal to police departments across America that juries may become more willing to convict not just officers who kill people on the job, but also those who watch them do it. A federal jury determined that the officers -- Tou Thao, 36; J. Alexander Kueng, 28; and Thomas Lane, 38 -- had willfully violated Mr. Floyd's constitutional rights by not providing medical care when he lost a pulse and that two of them were also guilty of not intervening to stop a fellow officer, Derek Chauvin, from planting his knee on Mr. Floyd's neck."

Oklahoma. Jonathan Martin of the New York Times: "Senator James M. Inhofe, Republican of Oklahoma, has told officials in his state that he will step down at the end of this Congress, vacating a seat he has held since 1994 with four years remaining in his term. Mr. Inhofe, 87, was poised to announce his plans on Monday, according to two Oklahoma Republicans who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment in advance. His retirement is unlikely to affect the balance of power in the 50-50 Senate, given Oklahoma's solidly Republican leanings.... By announcing his intention next week, he will assure that he can be replaced in a special election in November." Politico's report is here.

News Ledes

Washington Post: "Monique Hanotte, who as a Belgian teenager risked her life to help escort 135 Allied airmen out of German-occupied France and Belgium during World War II, died Feb. 19 in the Belgian city of Nivelles. She was 101.... The unarmed Belgian resistance -- two-thirds of them women of all ages -- hid, clothed, fed and created false documents for downed airmen, and then guided more than 800 of them on a long, dangerous trail through France, over the rugged Pyrenees to Spain, and finally into the British territory of Gibraltar, from which they would be flown to England.... Around 160 members of the network, including many women, were captured by the Gestapo, often tortured, executed or sent to German concentration or extermination camps."

New York Times: "Sally Kellerman, the willowy, sultry-voiced actress and singer whose portrayal of Maj. Margaret (Hot Lips) Houlihan in the 1970 dark comedy 'MASH' earned her an Oscar nomination, died on Thursday at an assisted-living facility in Los Angeles. She was 84."