April 9, 2022

Afternoon Update:

Christina Goldbaum & Salman Masood of the New York Times: "Imran Khan, the former international cricket star turned politician who oversaw a new era of Pakistan's foreign policy that distanced the country from the United States, was removed as prime minister early on Sunday after losing a no-confidence vote in Parliament. The vote, coming amid soaring inflation and a rift between Mr. Khan's government and the military, capped a political crisis that has embroiled the country for weeks and came down to the wire in a parliamentary session that dragged into the early morning hours. Pakistan remains in a state of turmoil as it heads into an early election season in the coming months. The recent crisis has charged the country's already polarized political climate and has exacerbated tensions between civilian institutions and the country's powerful military establishment."

Luke Harding & Clea Skopeliti of the Guardian: U.K. Prime Minister “Boris Johnson is meeting the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy during an unannounced visit to Kyiv, Ukrainian officials have said. A picture posted on Twitter by the embassy of Ukraine to the UK showed the two leaders sitting across a table in the capital, with their respective flags in the background.... 'The prime minister has travelled to Ukraine to meet President Zelenskiy in person, in a show of solidarity with the Ukrainian people,' [a No. 10] spokesperson said. 'They will discuss the UK's long-term support to Ukraine and the PM will set out a new package of financial and military aid.'"

~~~~~~~~~~

Putin's War Crimes, Ctd.

The New York Times' live updates of developments Saturday in Russia's war on Ukraine are here: "Residents of eastern Ukraine were coming to terms Saturday with the aftermath of a missile attack on a railway station that killed at least 50 people and injured scores of others who were caught in the line of fire while trying to flee the region at the urgent warning of local officials. Friday's attack at the station in Kramatorsk, which killed children and left behind a gruesome scene of bodies scattered between suitcases, is the latest Russian action that should be investigated by a war-crimes tribunal, President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine said in his nightly address.... A chorus of world leaders, including President Biden and President Emmanuel Macron of France, condemned the attack.... Mr. Zelensky said he discussed the possibility of a special tribunal with Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, who visited Kyiv on Friday and surveyed a mass grave in the suburban city of Bucha....

"Slovakia supplied Ukraine with an S-300 air defense system to help defend against Russian missiles and airstrikes, the country's prime minister, Eduard Heger, said during a visit to Kyiv. The United States sent a U.S. Patriot missile system to Slovakia as a replacement for its own defenses to enable the transfer.... Prime Minister Boris Johnson of Britain announced fresh shipments to Ukraine of an antiaircraft missile system, known as Starstreak, and 800 antitank missiles. The defense minister, Ben Wallace, said Britain would also provide Ukraine with armored vehicles." ~~~

     ~~~ The Washington Post's live updates for Saturday are here: "More than 6,600 people fled from embattled areas in [eastern and southern Ukraine] via humanitarian corridors Friday, according to Kyiv, the highest count this week. The evacuations came as Russia dispatches thousands more troops to eastern Ukraine, according to Washington, suggesting fighting there would intensify. The Kremlin is also concentrating air attacks on southern and eastern Ukraine, the Pentagon said, with Russian planes flying some 240 sorties daily. But some Russian forces deploying east are likely to have already incurred heavy losses, according to U.S. assessment. Combat ahead will be a 'knife fight ... very bloody and very ugly,' a senior U.S. defense official said." ~~~

     ~~~ The Guardian's live updates for Saturday are here: "A Ukrainian government minister has said she expects Ukraine to be granted EU candidate country status in June. Olga Stefanishyna, Ukraine's deputy prime minister for European and Euro-Atlantic integration, said her country was 'ready to move fast' with its application to become a member of the European Union. Her remarks come a day after the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, pledged to offer a speedy response to Ukraine's bid for bloc membership. At a joint news conference with Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Von der Leyen handed the Ukrainian president a questionnaire that will form a starting point for a decision on membership, saying: 'It will not as usual be a matter of years to form this opinion but, I think, a matter of weeks.'"

The Arrogance of the Depraved. The Hill: "A Russian missile that struck a train station in Kramatorsk, Ukraine -- killing at least 50 -- had a Russian phrase scribbled on its side that translated to 'for the children.'... In the Kramatorsk strike, 5 children were among the 50 people killed. One hundred people were injured. Ukraine's prosecutor general's office said women and children made up a majority of the nearly 4,000 people who were taking shelter inside the station, according to the BBC. The train station was being used to assist in civilian evacuations."

Thomas Gibbons-Neff & John Ismay of the New York Times: Via rockets, Russians are shooting PTM-1S land mines, a type of scatterable munition, into parts of Ukraine. "The weapons roar in like any rocket, but instead of exploding instantly, they eject up to two dozen mines that explode at intervals, parceling out death in the hours afterward.... These scatterable mines, banned under some interpretations of international law and never officially recorded during this war, have appeared only sparingly in Bezruky and elsewhere in the periphery of Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city.... The mines are green tubes about the size of a liter of soda, packed with three pounds of explosives."

Mark Landler of the New York Times: "Speaking after [a meeting between British Prime Minister Boris Johnson & German Chancellor Olaf Scholz], Mr. Johnson said Germany had committed to weaning itself off Russian energy, even if the European Union has rejected British calls for a clear timetable to eliminate imports of Russian gas.... Britain, under Mr. Johnson, has staked out the most aggressive role of any major European power in its support for Ukraine and its condemnation of Russia. Yet its influence on Germany and France is questionable, given that Britain, having left the European Union, no longer has a seat at the table in Brussels.... For Mr. Scholz, the economic and political costs of cutting off Russian gas outweigh anything Mr. Johnson can say to him." ~~~

~~~ Paul Krugman of the New York Times: "Vladimir Putin's war of aggression runs on the money Russia gets by selling fossil fuels to Europe.... Putin won't be definitively stopped until Europe ends its energy dependence. Which means that Germany -- whose political and business leaders insist that they can't do without Russian natural gas, even though many of its own economists disagree -- has in effect become Putin's prime enabler. This is shameful; it is also incredibly hypocritical given recent German history.... Germany has been warned for decades about the risks of becoming dependent on Russian gas. But its leaders, focused on the short-run benefits of cheap energy, ignored those warnings. On the eve of the Ukraine war, 55 percent of German gas came from Russia.... One member of the German Council of Economic Experts ... [said that] an embargo on Russian gas would be difficult but 'feasible.'... German industrialists refuse to accept economists' estimates, insisting that a gas embargo would indeed be catastrophic.... Unfortunately, Germany's political leaders, including Chancellor Olaf Scholz, have taken the side of the scaremongers." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Stupid AND Depraved. Andrew Kramer & Ivor Prickett of the New York Times: "As the staging ground for an assault on the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, one of the most toxic places on earth, was probably not the best choice. But that did not seem to bother the Russian generals who took over the site in the early stages of the war. 'We told them not to do it, that it was dangerous, but they ignored us,' Valeriy Simyonov, the chief safety engineer for the Chernobyl nuclear site, said in an interview. Apparently undeterred by safety concerns, the Russian forces tramped about the grounds with bulldozers and tanks, digging trenches and bunkers -- and exposing themselves to potentially harmful doses of radiation lingering beneath the surface.... The soldiers had apparently camped out for weeks in the radioactive forest.... As they retreated from Chernobyl, Russian troops blew up a bridge in the exclusion zone and planted a dense maze of anti-personnel mines, trip wires and booby traps around the defunct station. Two Ukrainian soldiers have stepped on mines in the past week, according to the Ukrainian government agency that manages the site."

You're Paying for Elon Musk's "Charitable" Gifts & PR. Cristiano Lima of the Washington Post: "After Russia launched its invasion, Ukrainian officials publicly pleaded for Elon Musk's SpaceX to dispatch their Starlink terminals to the region to boost Internet access. 'Starlink service is now active in Ukraine. More terminals en route,' Musk replied to broad online fanfare. Since then, the company has cast the actions in part as a charitable gesture. 'I'm proud that we were able to provide the terminals to folks in Ukraine,' SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell said at a public event last month, later telling CNBC, 'I don't think the U.S. has given us any money to give terminals to the Ukraine.' But according to documents obtained by The Technology 202, the U.S. federal government is in fact paying millions for a significant portion of the equipment and for the transportation costs to get it to Ukraine On Tuesday, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) announced it has purchased 1,333 terminals from SpaceX to send to Ukraine, while the company donated 3,667 terminals and the Internet service itself." Emphasis original. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Katie Rogers of the New York Times: "President Biden on Friday basked in the confirmation of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court, hailing what he called a moment of 'real change' in American history as he and his supporters celebrated the ascension of the first Black woman to the court. Flanked by Judge Jackson and Vice President Kamala Harris -- the first Black woman to hold her role and whom he called the first 'smart' decision of his presidency -- Mr. Biden said the judge's confirmation had changed not only his own trajectory but the course of American life itself.... Mr. Biden said on Friday that Judge Jackson had endured 'verbal abuse' and 'vile' personal attacks but had shown poise through more than 20 hours of questioning in confirmation hearings that at times turned bruising.... In her remarks, Judge Jackson ... recalled substantive meetings with 97 senators and thanked them for their role in the nomination process, providing a graceful coda to hours of televised interactions with senators who had often acted emotionally as they questioned her." MB: "Emotionally"? How about with rancor, lies, abuse, character assassination, racism & misogyny? (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

     ~~~ Video of the remarks is here. A Guardian story is here. Politico's story is here.

Jamelle Bouie of the New York Times: "... there's nothing that [soon-to-be Justice Jackson] or the other liberals on the court (or Chief Justice John Roberts, for that matter) can do to restrain a hard-right conservative majority that seeks to unravel what's left of postwar jurisprudence.... The liberal mythology around the Supreme Court -- the idea that it stands in defense of marginalized groups and underrepresented minorities -- took shape when the court changed to meet the demands of the New Deal and the postwar welfare state.... In the hands of the current conservative majority, the court will most likely remain a defender of minority rights that adjudicates social and political conflict. But rather than marginal and oppressed minorities, this court will turn its attention to the interests and prerogatives of powerful political minorities -- you might call them factions -- that seek to dominate others free of federal interference.... Large corporations, right-wing activists and conservative religious groups ... will approach the court knowing a majority of justices are almost certainly on their side." An interesting read, all the way through.

Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) has had enough of Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Hypocrite):

     ~~~ Greg Sargent of the Washington Post: "Schatz ripped ...[Hawley] over his hold on a senior staffing nominee to the Defense Department, even as the United States is calibrating its response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.... [Hawley's] arguments are saturated in almost bottomless levels of bad faith. That's the real topic of Schatz's tirade.... Beyond this, Schatz noted that it's absurd to use these differences as an excuse to apply a hold, especially given Hawley's vote against a spending bill that contained billions in military aid to Ukraine sought by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. And Schatz derided the call for [Defense Secretary Lloyd] Austin to resign as ludicrous grandstanding.... 'Spare me the new solidarity with the Ukrainians,' Schatz said of Hawley on the floor. 'Because this man's record is exactly the opposite.'" Sargent writes that Democrats don't call out Republican absurdities nearly enough. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

** The Coup Plot Was Born Before the Election Was Called. Ryan Nobles, et al., of CNN: "Two days after the 2020 presidential election, as votes were still being tallied, Donald Trump's eldest son texted then-White House chief of staff Mark Meadows that 'we have operational control' to ensure his father would get a second term, with Republican majorities in the US Senate and swing state legislatures.... In the text, which has not been previously reported, Donald Trump Jr. lays out ideas for keeping his father in power by subverting the Electoral College process, according to the message reviewed by CNN. The text is among records obtained by the House select committee investigating January 6, 2021. 'It's very simple,' Trump Jr. texted to Meadows on November 5, adding later in the same missive: 'We have multiple paths We control them all.'... The November 5 text message outlines a strategy that is nearly identical to what allies of the former President attempted to carry out in the months that followed. Trump Jr. makes specific reference to filing lawsuits and advocating recounts to prevent certain swing states from certifying their results, as well as having a handful of Republican state houses put forward slates of fake 'Trump electors.' If all that failed, according to the Trump Jr. text, GOP lawmakers in Congress could simply vote to reinstall Trump as President on January 6."

Alan Feuer of the New York Times: "Ali Alexander, a prominent organizer of pro-Trump events after the 2020 election, has agreed to cooperate with the Justice Department's investigation of the attack on the Capitol last year, the first high-profile political figure known to have offered assistance to the government's newly expanded criminal inquiry. Speaking through a lawyer, Mr. Alexander said on Friday that he had recently received a subpoena from a federal grand jury that is seeking information on several broad categories of people connected to pro-Trump rallies that took place in Washington after the election." A Guardian story is here.

Tom Jackman & Spencer Hsu of the Washington Post: "A North Carolina man [-- Charles Donohue --] who was one of the leaders of the far-right Proud Boys as they assaulted the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, pleaded guilty Friday to two felony counts with a minimum sentence of nearly six years in prison and agreed to cooperate against other defendants in hopes of getting a lighter sentence. Court records filed Friday show he has provided numerous insights into the group's plans and intention to disrupt the electoral vote confirmation.... Donohoe, 34, of Kernersville, N.C., admitted to conspiring to help organize an attack on Congress by supporters of ... Donald Trump and to assaulting law enforcement officers. Donohoe is the first among six of the charged Proud Boys leaders, including chairman Enrique Tarrio, to admit to planning an attack on Congress and assaulting law enforcement officers." CNN's story is here.

Josh Gerstein of Politico: "A federal judge has informed a defendant in the highest-profile conspiracy cases stemming from the Jan. 6 storming of the Capitol that he will need to find a new attorney because his lawyer has been disbarred. During a hearing Friday in the seditious conspiracy case against 10 alleged leaders and members of the Oath Keepers militia, U.S. District Court Judge Amit Mehta informed defendant Kelly Meggs that lawyer Jonathon Moseley cannot continue to defend him as a result of an action a panel of Virginia judges took last week to revoke Moseley's right to practice law in that state. Politico first reported Tuesday that Moseley, who also represents other individuals in Jan.6-related litigation, had been disbarred in the state following a disciplinary hearing in Virginia's Prince William County last week.... Meggs, who was a leader of the Oath Keepers' Florida chapter, complained that finding a new attorney will be all but impossible due to restrictions on prisoners at the D.C. Jail.... Mehta said he would reach out to officials at the jail to see if restrictions on Meggs' phone use can be relaxed." ~~~

     ~~~ P.S. Some Judges Keep Up with the News. From Gerstein's report: “Mehta indicated that Moseley sought to have the portion of Friday's hearing about his disbarment held under seal, but the judge rejected that. He said the bar action had drawn public attention and wasn't much of a secret at this point. 'There has been public reporting about your circumstances. I've read a number of articles about it,' said Mehta."

We're Crooks, We're Crooks, We're Crookedy-Crooked Crooks. Matthew Lee of the AP: "The State Department says it is unable to compile a complete and accurate accounting of gifts presented to ... Donald Trump and other U.S. officials by foreign governments during Trump's final year in office, citing missing data from the White House. In a report to be published in the Federal Register next week, the department says the Executive Office of the President did not submit information about gifts received by Trump and his family from foreign leaders in 2020. It also says the General Services Administration didn't submit information about gifts given to former Vice President Mike Pence and White House staffers that year. The State Department said it sought the missing information from National Archives and Records Administration and the General Services Administration, but was told that 'potentially relevant records' are not available because of access restrictions related to retired records.... [The report] also noted that there had been a 'lack of adequate recordkeeping pertaining to diplomatic gifts' betwee" (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Eric Lipton of the New York Times: "A Canadian steel industry billionaire illegally helped steer $1.75 million in donations to a pro-Trump super PAC and has agreed to pay one of the largest fines ever levied by the Federal Election Commission to settle the case, the commission said on Friday. The $975,000 fine will be paid by entities controlled by Barry Zekelman, a steel industry executive from Ontario who had lobbied the Trump administration to use its power to tighten import restrictions on Mr. Zekelman's competitors from around the world. The action came as the election commission continues a multiyear crackdown on foreign influence in American politics. Mr. Zekelman's donations in 2018 to the America First Action super PAC helped him secure an invitation to a private dinner with ... Donald J. Trump at the Trump International Hotel in Washington, where Mr. Zekelman personally pushed Mr. Trump about the steel tariffs and other matters.... Mr. Zekelman, in a settlement deal that his lawyer signed in late March but that was finalized on Friday, also agreed to ask America First Action, which helped support Mr. Trump's 2020 election efforts, to return the donated money, or to redirect it to the U.S. Treasury." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Ha ha. Good luck with that. These are crookedy-crooked crooks, and they don't just cheerfully return ill-gotten gains.

A Bronx Cheer for Trump. Michael Gold of the New York Times: "The Trump Organization can continue to operate a city-owned golf course in the Bronx after a judge ruled on Friday that New York City had wrongly terminated the company's contract following the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol in Washington. New York City moved to cancel the lucrative contract at the course, the Trump Golf Links at Ferry Point, just days after the attacks on the Capitol last year...." Politico's story is here.

Little by Little. Aaron Gregg of the Washington Post: "Employees at six more Starbucks coffee shops in Upstate New York voted to unionize Thursday and Friday, delivering a string of wins for the nascent organization effort at one of America's most ubiquitous coffee retailers. Workers United, a labor union affiliated with the Service Employees International Union, announced Thursday afternoon that two stores in Rochester and another in Buffalo had voted in its favor. Then on Friday afternoon the National Labor Relations Board confirmed that workers at three more coffee shops, in Ithaca, N.Y., voted overwhelmingly to form a union, bringing the number of unionized company-owned stores to 16 out of almost 9,000."

Karen Weise of the New York Times: "Amazon objected on Friday to a landmark union election at its Staten Island fulfillment center, saying an upstart union's unorthodox tactics there crossed legal lines, according to a copy of its filing to the National Labor Relations Board obtained by The New York Times. The company argued that the result should be thrown out because the labor board had conducted the election in a way that favored the union and members of the union had coerced workers into supporting their cause."

Extreme Tourism. Christian Davenport of the Washington Post: "A crew comprised entirely of private citizens blasted off from the Kennedy Space Center on a flight to the International Space Station Friday morning, marking yet another milestone in the evolution of human spaceflight and the growth of the commercial space sector. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off at 11:17 a.m., carrying three wealthy entrepreneurs, each of whom paid $55 million for the mission, and a former NASA astronaut, who is serving as their guide. While private citizens have for years flown to the space station on Russian rockets, the mission -- which was commissioned by Axiom Space, a Houston-based company -- is the first all-private mission to the station. It also is the first time private citizens have flown to the station from American soil." The Guardian's report is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I suppose there is some minimal value to sending these super-rich bozos into space (like maybe finding out how the bodies of super-rich bozos react to weightlessness or whatever), but there are better places for super-rich bozos to deposit their money, one of them being into the coffers of the U.S. Treasury.

From the New York Times' live updates of Covid-19 developments Friday: "At least 53 people have tested positive for the coronavirus since attending The Gridiron Club and Foundation's annual dinner last Saturday in Washington, the group's president confirmed on Friday. The Gridiron Club dinner, an annual white-tie roast between journalists and presidential administrations, was held at the Renaissance Hotel. But a night of good-natured ribbing has devolved into an outbreak of cases among Washington's elite, including members of Congress, members of the president's cabinet and journalists."

Beyond the Beltway

Alabama. Rick Rojas of the New York Times: "Gov. Kay Ivey of Alabama signed legislation on Friday that prevents medical professionals from providing care that aids transgender young people in transitioning, adopting some of the country's most restrictive measures and threatening doctors and nurses with up to 10 years in prison. Ms. Ivey, a Republican, also approved legislation that requires students to use restrooms and locker rooms for the sex listed on their original birth certificates. It also limits classroom discussions on gender and sexual orientation -- a version of what critics call a 'Don't Say Gay' measure that goes further than some other states.... Legal challenges are being prepared by the Transgender Law Center and the American Civil Liberties Union, among other groups, to stop the legislation from being carried out. Last year, a federal court blocked Arkansas from enforcing a similar law." (See yesterday's page for related link to related story (and the link to that story is fixed.) The Guardian's report is here.

California. Anemona Hartocollis of the New York Times: "A federal jury found a former water polo coach at the University of Southern California guilty on Friday of taking thousands of dollars in bribes in exchange for designating high school applicants as recruits so they would be favored in the college admissions process. The defendant, Jovan Vavic, has been the only coach to stand trial rather than take a guilty plea in the federal investigation known as Operation Varsity Blues, in which wealthy parents paid bribes to have their children admitted to elite schools. Mr. Vavic was a star at U.S.C. who had stewarded the men's and women's water polo teams to 16 national championships.... Prosecutors ... said that Mr. Vavic received more than $200,000 in bribes from William Singer, a college admissions consultant to the rich, in exchange for facilitating the recruitment of athletes with trumped-up credentials.... [The U.S. attorney who prosecuted the case, Rachel] Rollins, said the verdict resolved all the cases connected to Mr. Singer, with 54 convictions, one deferred prosecution agreement and one person pardoned by ... Donald J. Trump."

Idaho. AP: "The Idaho Supreme Court on Friday temporarily blocked a new state law that would ban abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy and allow the law to be enforced through lawsuits. Idaho last month had become the first state to enact legislation modeled after the Texas statute banning abortions after about six weeks. The ruling from Idaho's high court in a lawsuit brought by Planned Parenthood means the new law won't go into effect as planned on April 22. The state Supreme Court instructed both sides to file further briefs as it considers the case before its ultimate decision."

Michigan. Josh Flesher & Ed White of the AP: "Two of four men were acquitted Friday in a conspiracy to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in 2020, motivated by fury at the Democrat's tough COVID-19 restrictions early in the pandemic. The jury's verdicts against Daniel Harris and Brandon Caserta were read in the federal court in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in the case presided over by U.S. District Judge Robert Jonker. Jurors said they couldn't agree on verdicts again Adam Fox and Barry Croft Jr. Prosecutors described Fox as a ringleader of an anti-government group. Fox, Croft and Harris faced additional charges. The two most serious charges, kidnapping conspiracy and conspiracy to use explosives, both carry potential life sentences. Defense attorneys portrayed their clients as credulous weekend warriors prone to big, wild talk, who were often stoned. They said FBI undercover agents and informants tricked and cajoled the men into agreeing to a conspiracy." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) The Detroit Free Press story is here. MB: I guess you can't convict right-wing white terrorists in upstate Wisconsin.

Way Beyond

France. Jonathan Lemire of Politico: "The White House has begun to harbor fears that Vladimir Putin could soon notch his biggest victory of Russia's invasion of Ukraine -- in Paris. There is growing concern within President Joe Biden's administration about the narrowing polls in the French presidential election that show a tight race between incumbent Emmanuel Macron and far-right challenger Marine Le Pen. A possible victory by Le Pen, a Putin sympathizer, could destabilize the Western coalition against Moscow, upending France's role as a leading European power and potentially giving other NATO leaders cold feet about staying in the alliance, according to three senior administration officials not authorized to publicly discuss private conversations."

April 8, 2022

Afternoon Update:

Josh Flesher & Ed White of the AP: "Two of four men were acquitted Friday in a conspiracy to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in 2020, motivated by fury at the Democrat's tough COVID-19 restrictions early in the pandemic. The jury's verdicts against Daniel Harris and Brandon Caserta were read in the federal court in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in the case presided over by U.S. District Judge Robert Jonker. Jurors said they couldn't agree on verdicts again Adam Fox and Barry Croft Jr. Prosecutors described Fox as a ringleader of an anti-government group. Fox, Croft and Harris faced additional charges. The two most serious charges, kidnapping conspiracy and conspiracy to use explosives, both carry potential life sentences. Defense attorneys portrayed their clients as credulous weekend warriors prone to big, wild talk, who were often stoned. They said FBI undercover agents and informants tricked and cajoled the men into agreeing to a conspiracy." MB: I guess you can't convict right-wing white terrorists in upstate Wisconsin.

Katie Rogers of the New York Times: "President Biden on Friday basked in the confirmation of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court, hailing what he called a moment of 'real change' in American history as he and his supporters celebrated the ascension of the first Black woman to the court. Flanked by Judge Jackson and Vice President Kamala Harris -- the first Black woman to hold her role and whom he called the first 'smart' decision of his presidency -- Mr. Biden said the judge's confirmation had changed not only his own trajectory but the course of American life itself.... In her remarks, Judge Jackson ... recalled substantive meetings with 97 senators and thanked them for their role in the nomination process, providing a graceful coda to hours of televised interactions with senators who had often acted emotionally as they questioned her." MB: "Emotionally"? How about with rancor, lies, character assassination, racism & misogyny?

Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) has had enough of Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Hypocrite):

     ~~~ Greg Sargent of the Washington Post: "Schatz ripped ...[Hawley] over his hold on a senior staffing nominee to the Defense Department, even as the United States is calibrating its response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.... [Hawley's] arguments are saturated in almost bottomless levels of bad faith. That's the real topic of Schatz's tirade.... Beyond this, Schatz noted that it's absurd to use these differences as an excuse to apply a hold, especially given Hawley's vote against a spending bill that contained billions in military aid to Ukraine sought by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. And Schatz derided the call for [Defense Secretary Lloyd] Austin to resign as ludicrous grandstanding.... 'Spare me the new solidarity with the Ukrainians,' Schatz said of Hawley.... 'Because this man's record is exactly the opposite.'" Sargent writes that Democrats don't call out Republican absurdities nearly enough.

Paul Krugman of the New York Times: "Vladimir Putin's war of aggression runs on the money Russia gets by selling fossil fuels to Europe.... Putin won't be definitively stopped until Europe ends its energy dependence. Which means that Germany -- whose political and business leaders insist that they can't do without Russian natural gas, even though many of its own economists disagree -- has in effect become Putin's prime enabler. This is shameful; it is also incredibly hypocritical given recent German history.... Germany has been warned for decades about the risks of becoming dependent on Russian gas. But its leaders, focused on the short-run benefits of cheap energy, ignored those warnings. On the eve of the Ukraine war, 55 percent of German gas came from Russia.... One member of the German Council of Economic Experts ... [said that] an embargo on Russian gas would be difficult but 'feasible.'... German industrialists refuse to accept economists' estimates, insisting that a gas embargo would indeed be catastrophic.... Unfortunately, Germany's political leaders, including Chancellor Olaf Scholz, have taken the side of the scaremongers."

You're Paying for Elon Musk's "Charitable" Gifts & PR. Cristiano Lima of the Washington Post: "After Russia launched its invasion, Ukrainian officials publicly pleaded for Elon Musk's SpaceX to dispatch their Starlink terminals to the region to boost Internet access. 'Starlink service is now active in Ukraine. More terminals en route,' Musk replied to broad online fanfare. Since then, the company has cast the actions in part as a charitable gesture. 'I'm proud that we were able to provide the terminals to folks in Ukraine,' SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell said at a public event last month, later telling CNBC, 'I don't think the U.S. has given us any money to give terminals to the Ukraine.' But according to documents obtained by The Technology 202, the U.S. federal government is in fact paying millions for a significant portion of the equipment and for the transportation costs to get it to Ukraine. On Tuesday, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) announced it has purchased 1,333 terminals from SpaceX to send to Ukraine, while the company donated 3,667 terminals and the Internet service itself." Emphasis original.

~~~~~~~~~~

President Biden & Judge Jackson watched the confirmation vote together in the White House. New York Times photo. ~~~ Mike DeBonis, et al., of the Washington Post: "The Senate voted Thursday to confirm Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court, felling one of the most significant remaining racial barriers in American government and sending the first Democratic nominee to the high court in 12 years. Jackson, a daughter of schoolteachers who has risen steadily through America's elite legal ranks, will become the first Black woman to sit on the court and only the eighth who is not a White man. She will replace Associate Justice Stephen G. Breyer after the Supreme Court's term ends in late June or early July. Thursday's 53-47 vote represents the culmination of a six-week whirlwind confirmation process for the 51-year-old federal appeals judge." This is an update of a story linked earlier. Politico's story is here. (Also linked yesterday.) The AP story is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Carl Hulse & Annie Karni of the New York Times: "The vote was a rejection of Republican attempts to paint her as a liberal extremist who had coddled criminals. Dismissing those portrayals as distorted and offensive, Judge Jackson's backers saw the confirmation as an uplifting occasion for the Senate and a mark of how far the country had come.... At the Capitol, the galleries, closed for much of the pandemic, were filled with supporters on hand to witness the historic vote. The chamber erupted in cheers, with senators, staff and visitors all jumping to their feet for a lengthy standing ovation, when the vote was announced.... As applause echoed from the marbled walls, Senator Mitch McConnell ... turned his back and slowly walked out, as did most of the few Republicans remaining on the floor.... At the White House, Mr. Biden and Judge Jackson watched the vote together from the Roosevelt Room, embracing and taking selfies in front of a television screen displaying the final vote count." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: That doofus Rand Paul held up the vote for a good ten minutes while he was finishing his lunch or vacuuming his head rug or something. Update: It turns out the "real reason" Li'l Randy couldn't show up to cast his vote, according to Ari Melber of MSNBC, was just as ridiculous of the ones I made up: he wasn't wearing a tie, and well, the gentlemen of the Senate must wear ties in the chamber. Is in possible that every male Senate page & staffer roaming the halls of power dislikes Rand Paul so much that not one would lend him a tie? Is it possible Dandy Randy doesn't keep an extra tie or two in his office in case he dribbles Senate bean soup on the one he is wearing? Is it possible it takes Rand ten minutes to tie his tie? Or what? (Also linked yesterday.) Update 2: Hulse & Karni of the NYT (linked above) elaborate: "By Thursday, the outcome of the vote was not in doubt, but it dragged on for almost 30 minutes because Senator Rand Paul, Republican of Kentucky, was not present on the floor. Once he had arrived, Mr. Paul cast his 'no' vote from the Senate cloak room because he was dressed too casually to meet the jacket-and-tie dress code for the chamber." But maybe it's wrong to pick on Senator Randy for his attire. Here he was, quite a few years back, dressed for a teevee interview. ~~~

Not Photoshopped.

     ~~~ The New York Times live-updated proceedings here: "Vice President Kamala Harris, the first Black woman to hold the position and one of just 11 Black senators in American history, presided over the vote to confirm Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson as the first Black woman on the Supreme Court -- one historic figure presiding over the elevation of another. But no Black woman had the opportunity to vote for the barrier-breaking nominee: None is currently a member of the 100-person chamber, which includes three Black men.... ~~~

~~~ "Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the minority leader, used his floor time before the votes on Thursday to argue against confirming Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson.... 'alas, Judge Jackson was the court-packers' favorite pick for the vacancy, and she ... said she'd be thrilled to be one of however many -- one of however many.'... The context, which Mr. McConnell omitted, was that she pointed out that Congress, not the judiciary, decides how many seats should be on the Supreme Court.... 'I don't think it's appropriate for me as a nominee to comment on a political matter that is in the province of Congress,. she said.... She also noted that Justice Amy Coney Barrett had similarly evaded answering the question during her confirmation hearing in 2020, citing the same rationale. Several other Republican senators who are not expected to make floor arguments on Thursday -- like Richard M. Burr of North Carolina -- have also justified their decision to vote against her by raising alarms about her demurral when asked whether she would personally support expanding, or 'packing,' the Supreme Court." MB: What dickheads! (Also linked yesterday.)

Erin Doherty of Axios: "Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said Thursday that he won't commit to hearings for a potential Supreme Court nominee if he's the Senate Majority Leader leading up to the 2024 election.... The Senate minority leader told Axios' Jonathan Swan that he won't 'put the cart before the horse,' but would expect President Biden to moderate if Republicans retake Congress." MB: Gosh, I'm sure Mitch will play fair. (Also linked yesterday.) More on Mitch linked below.

Anita Hill in a Washington Post op-ed: "The shameful spectacle of the Senate Judiciary Committee during the confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson makes clear: The confirmation process is broken and the panel must act to restore people's faith in it.... A confirmation hearing should be about learning how a person will judge, not how well she handles specious browbeating.... I know something about being mistreated by the Senate Judiciary Committee. During the confirmation hearing for Justice Clarence Thomas in 1991, I was subjected to attacks on my intelligence, truthfulness and even my sanity when I testified about my experience working for the nominee.... Critics of Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan were also allowed to lob racially and gender-tinged attacks during their hearings." MB: As long as there are Republicans on the Judiciary Committee, there will be a "shameful spectacle." (Also linked yesterday.)

Putin's War Crimes, Ctd.

The New York Times' live updates of developments Friday in Russia's war on Ukraine are here: "A Russian strike on a crowded train station in [Kramatorsk,] eastern Ukraine on Friday morning left at least 39 people dead and nearly 90 wounded, Ukrainian officials said, in what appeared to be a major attack on a main point of evacuation for thousands trying to flee before an expected stepped-up offensive in the region.... The mayor of Kramatorsk said there were 4,000 people at the city's railway station in eastern Ukraine at the time of the attack, and that most were women, children and older people.... Photos provided by Ukrainian officials showed people splayed on the ground, surrounded by scattered luggage and debris.... President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine warned in a speech late Thursday that the scale of devastation in the southeastern city of Mariupol, which has been bombarded for weeks, was likely to be even greater [than have been depicted so far].... On Friday, the European Union formally approved a new set of sanctions against Russia, including a ban on coal imports, as well as sanctions against high-profile Russians and two daughters of ... Vladimir V. Putin. It is the bloc's fifth round of sanctions since the war began.... The Kremlin's spokesman, Dmitri S. Peskov, said in an interview with Sky News on Thursday that Russia had suffered 'significant losses of troops,' which he called 'a huge tragedy.' It was a stark official acknowledgment of the scale of Russian losses." ~~~

     ~~~ The Washington Post's live updates for Friday are here: Re: the Kramatorsk train station massacre, "Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of 'cynically destroying the civilian population,' amid battlefield losses, adding: 'This is an evil that has no limits.' The Russian Defense Ministry denied any involvement in the strike, calling the accusations a 'provocation' and insinuating that Kyiv was responsible. The deadly strike came as European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen traveled to Kyiv to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. She made the trip a day after the European Union approved a plan to phase out Russian coal by mid-August, a move spurred by global outrage after the brutal slaying of civilians in the Kyiv suburb of Bucha.... A British intelligence assessment Friday said Russian forces have now fully withdrawn from northern Ukraine into Russia and Belarus." ~~~

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

Guardian & Agencies: "Dozens of people have died after rockets struck a train station in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk that was being used to evacuate civilians to safer parts of the country, Ukrainian authorities have said. Pavlo Kyrylenko, the governor of the Donetsk region, said at least 39 people were killed and 87 wounded, many of them seriously, updating an earlier estimate of 30 dead.... Kyrylenko said thousands of people had been at the station when the rockets struck. 'The Rashists [Russian fascists] knew very well where they were aiming and what they wanted: they wanted to sow panic and fear, they wanted to take as many civilians as possible,' he said. He published a photo online showing several bodies on the ground beside piles of suitcases and other luggage."

Louisa Loveluck, et al., of the Washington Post: "Outraged by the grisly images emerging after nearly seven weeks of war, the U.N. General Assembly suspended Russia from its Human Rights Council, a rarely used penalty that comes as Western powers boost military aid to fend off a Russian assault on Ukraine's eastern provinces.... Ukraine is pleading for urgent weapons transfers as Russia sets its sights on the east after failing to seize the capital, Kyiv. Airstrikes continued Thursday, Ukrainian officials said, with Russia seemingly undeterred as its pariah status deepened with a new round of sanctions and expelled diplomats.... Declining to give specifics, [NATO Secretary General Jens] Stoltenberg said NATO is providing both Soviet-era and modern systems in preparation for 'a long haul' in Ukraine." ~~~

~~~ Richard Roth, et al., of CNN: "The United Nations General Assembly voted Thursday to suspend Russia from the UN Human Rights Council after high-profile allegations of atrocities committed by Russian soldiers during the war in Ukraine. The voting result was 93 in favor, 24 against and 58 abstentions. A draft of the resolution says the General Assembly may 'suspend the rights of membership in the Human Rights Council of a member of the Council that commits gross and systematic violations of human rights.' The draft resolution adds that the council has 'grave concern' regarding reports of 'gross and systematic violations and abuses of human rights' and 'violations of international humanitarian law' committed by the Russian Federation during its invasion of Ukraine."

Isaac Stanley-Becker & Vanessa Guinan-Bank of the Washington Post: "Germanys foreign intelligence service claims to have intercepted radio communications in which Russian soldiers discuss carrying out indiscriminate killings in Ukraine. In two separate communications, Russian soldiers described questioning Ukrainian soldiers as well as civilians and then shooting them, according to an intelligence official familiar with the findings who, like others, spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the matter's sensitivity. The findings, first reported by the German magazine Der Spiegel and confirmed by three people briefed on the information, further undermine Russia's denials of involvement in the carnage. Russia has claimed variously that atrocities are being carried out only after its soldiers leave occupied areas or that scenes of massacres of civilians are 'staged.'... The radio traffic suggests that members of the Wagner Group, the private military unit with close ties to ... Vladimir Putin and his allies, have played a role in attacks on civilians.... Reliance by Russian troops on nonsecure communication devices, including smartphones and push-to-talk radios, has left their units vulnerable to targeting, Western defense and intelligence officials say." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Here's the Der Spiegel story, in English translation. (Also linked yesterday.)

Dalton Bennett of the Washington Post: "In interviews with The Washington Post in recent days, local officials, fighters and residents of Izyum [in eastern Ukraine] recounted what they called the 'scorched earth' tactics of Russian forces that destroyed their home. Ukrainian military officials said the wholesale destruction of towns and villages seems to be a deliberate strategy as Russia tries to take full control of Donetsk and Luhansk, which make up the eastern Ukrainian region known as the Donbas.... Vladimir Putin has indicated that eastern Ukraine is now the primary target of Russia's war effort. Russian forces in the air and on the ground ... are mowing down entire towns in the east, killing and terrorizing civilians simply for the fact of where they live, as they push to take full control of the region.... Izyum was seized by Russian forces Friday and is believed now to be the primary military staging and launching point for their assault on what remains of Ukrainian-held territory in the region...."

Shane Harris, et al., of the Washington Post: "In the international game of spy vs. spy, Europe has dealt Russia a potentially crippling blow. Nearly two dozen European countries have expelled hundreds of Russian government personnel from embassies and consulates since Russia invaded Ukraine in late February and more recently was accused of war crimes against civilians. A significant number are probably spies posing as diplomats, according to U.S. and European officials. Russia depends on those operatives to gather intelligence inside the countries where they serve, so the expulsions could dismantle large parts of Moscow's spy networks and lead to a dramatic reduction in espionage and disinformation operations against the West, current and former officials said."

Jeanne Whalen of the Washington Post: "Prominent Russian newspaper editor Dmitry Muratov was attacked on a train Thursday, doused with a paint and acetone mixture that left his eyes burning, his newspaper said. The attack came just days after Muratov, a winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, was forced to suspend operations of the independent Novaya Gazeta newspaper until the end of Russia's war with Ukraine."

Mike DeBonis of the Washington Post: "The Senate on Thursday cleared a months-long partisan impasse over how to respond to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, sending multiple bills aimed at punishing Russia and aiding Ukraine to the House for final action. The direct impact of the bills on the course of the conflict is likely to be negligible. They largely reinforce moves that President Biden has already made to ban energy imports and remove trade preferences from Russia. But they represent a significant gesture signaling ongoing bipartisan interest in supporting Ukraine's quest to maintain its independence amid deadly aggression from its larger neighbor. While Congress delivered nearly $14 billion in military and humanitarian aide to Ukraine as part of a recent government-wide spending bill, it has not passed any stand-alone legislation pertaining to the conflict. Efforts to draft a sanctions bill before the invasion as a deterrent fell apart, and post-invasion legislation has not been much easier." (Also linked yesterday.)

Who Are Those Guys? Nicole Sganga & Robert Legare of CBS News: Arian Taherzadeh, 40, and Haider Ali, 35, "the two men accused of impersonating federal agents over the course of several years[,] will remain in jail pending a detention hearing Friday, a federal magistrate judge ruled Thursday.... Law enforcement sources told CBS News that investigators are looking into the possibility that the two suspects have ties to Iranian intelligence including to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, an elite component of the Iranian military that conducts special operations, or the Quds force. Prosecutors said Thursday that Ali told witnesses he had connections to the Pakistani Intelligence Service, which the government said it has not yet verified." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: According to the CBS News report, "The FBI claimed [the two men] used their false associations with the U.S. government 'to ingratiate themselves with members of federal law enforcement and the defense community' by providing gifts and favors to residents of an apartment building, many of whom were employees of the FBI, Secret service, and the Department of Homeland Security and Defense." So these actual federal officials either are not too sharp or knowingly accepted gifts from men impersonating federal officers. These fake officials did not fool the USPS, which came upon them by accident: "An investigation into the two men began on March 14, when a U.S. Postal Inspector responded to a D.C. apartment building for a report of an assault involving a U.S. Postal Service letter carrier." Related story linked yesterday.

Hugo Lowell of the Guardian: "The House select committee investigating January 6 appears to believe the Capitol attack included a coordinated assault perpetrated by the Oath Keepers and the Proud Boys militia groups that sought to physically stop the certification of Joe Biden's election victory. The panel's working theory -- which has not been previously reported though the justice department has indicted some militia group leaders -- crystallized this week after obtaining evidence of the coordination in testimony and non-public video, according to two sources...."

Trump-Appointed Judge Rules for Insurrectionists. Josh Gerstein & Kyle Cheney of Politico: "A judge has restored a Texas woman's right to possess firearms just weeks after she was sentenced for illegally entering the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. U.S. District Court Judge Trevor McFadden issued an order on Thursday granting florist Jenny Cudd's request to lift a term of her probation that forbade her to own or possess any 'firearm, ammunition, destructive device, or dangerous weapon.'... The judge's ruling was a rebuke to prosecutors, who opposed the change, and it was the latest setback for prosecutors dealt by McFadden, who was appointed by ... Donald Trump.... McFadden's order came one day after he delivered the first outright acquittal of a Jan. 6 defendant, finding a former government contractor from New Mexico, Matthew Martin, not guilty on four misdemeanor charges. McFadden, who also served as the No. 2 official in the Justice Department under Trump before being confirmed to the bench, has openly questioned the priorities of federal prosecutors."

Chris Cameron of the New York Times: "The three offspring of a fox captured on the grounds of the Capitol have been euthanized because they were exposed to their rabid mother, city health officials announced on Thursday, in yet another tragic turn to the canine saga that has gripped Washington. 'Three fox kits were recovered from the den site of the female fox who tested positive for rabies,' the statement from D.C. Health said. 'Since the mother tested positive for the rabies virus and the kits could have been exposed during grooming or other means, they were no longer able to be safely rehabilitated and were humanely euthanized.'"

Elizabeth Dwoskin of the Washington Post: "Twitter plans to host Elon Musk for a question-and-answer session with employees after a week of internal outcries over his appointment to the social network's board of directors, according to company messages obtained by The Washington Post." MB: Please. Who thinks Elon Musk will give a damn about how he worries employees?

Trump's Various Crimes, Ctd.

DOJ Thinking of Taking Top-Secret Boxes Out of Basement Broom Closet. Matt Zapotosky & Jacqueline Alemany of the Washington Post: "The Justice Department has begun taking steps to investigate ... Donald Trump's removal of presidential records to Mar-a-Lago --some of which were labeled 'top secret,' people familiar with the matter said. The people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity..., said the probe remained in the very early stages.... The department is facing increasing political pressure to disclose its plans in the case. On Thursday, House Oversight Committee Chairwoman Carolyn B. Maloney (D-N.Y.) accused the Justice Department of obstructing her committee's investigation into the 15 boxes of records Trump took to his estate in Palm Beach, Fla.... In her letter [to the DOJ] Thursday, Maloney said her committee needed further explanation as to why the Justice Department was blocking its request for an inventory of the records." (Also linked yesterday.)

It's All Nancy's Fault (Except the Part That's Muriel's Fault). Josh Dawsey of the Washington Post: "... Donald Trump voiced regret Wednesday over not marching to the U.S. Capitol [link fixed] the day his supporters stormed the building.... 'Secret Service said I couldn't go. I would have gone there in a minute,' he said.... And he defended his long silence during the attack by claiming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and others were responsible for ending the deadly violence. 'I thought it was a shame, and I kept asking why isn't she doing something about it? Why isn't Nancy Pelosi doing something about it? And the mayor of D.C. also. The mayor of D.C. and Nancy Pelosi are in charge,' Trump said of the Jan. 6, 2021, riot in a 45-minute interview with The Washington Post. 'I hated seeing it. I hated seeing it. And I said, "It's got to be taken care of," and I assumed they were taking care of it.'... In the interview, [Trump] struck a defiant posture, refusing to say whether he would testify before a congressional committee investigating the Jan. 6 assault. Trump said he didn't remember 'getting very many' phone calls that day, and he denied removing call logs or using burner phones." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Jacqueline Alemany & Theodoric Meyer of the Washington Post highlight the lowlights of Dawsey's interview of the Conde de Mar-a-Lardo: "Trump blamed Pelosi for the events of Jan. 6, falsely claiming she was in charge of security at the Capitol, on at least a dozen occasions during Josh's 45-minute interview with him.... 'The former president praised organizers of the rally, some of whom have now received subpoenas from federal authorities, and repeatedly bragged about the size of the crowd was on the Ellipse when questioned about the events of Jan. 6,' Josh reports.... '[Trump said] he had offered [Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner] "privilege" [so they would not have to testify before the January 6 committee] if they wanted it. They declined, Trump said.'... He claimed Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban ... had called him this week and credited him for Orban's election victory on Sunday, 'After I endorsed him, he went up like a rocket ship,' Trump said." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Based on the number of scoops to his name, Josh Dawsey is an excellent, tenacious reporter. So why didn't he, or any of the few other actual reporters, press Trump on his lying, corruption and general lack of any moral compass? One would do that at the end of the interview, of course, and one would do it while showing as much respect as possible, but one would do it. Yet no reporter has dared confront Trump. So what if he never grants you another interview? Making Trump squirm, the way Jonathan Swan did Mitch McConnell (Aaron Blake post linked below), is part of a reporter's job, and the failure of any Washington reporter to do it is a sorry indictment of the state of "journalism" in the U.S.

     ~~~ Philip Bump of the Washington Post discusses the significance of some of Trump's claims. Interesting. ~~~

     ~~~ Yo, Merrick! Greg Sargent of the Washington Post: "A central feature of Trump's corruption is that he sometimes confesses to it in public.... Here Trump appears to blithely confirm he spoke to lawmakers during the insurrection, and suggests there was nothing wrong with those calls. Presto! All wrongdoing goes poof!... We need to know what happened on these calls. And this is why Trump's admission should increase pressure on [AG Merrick] Garland to criminally investigate.... Here it's crucial to note that [Kevin] McCarthy, [Jim] Jordan and others with direct knowledge of Trump's Jan. 6 state of mind are refusing cooperation with the House committee examining these events.... [NYU law professor Ryan] Goodman noted the vast disconnect between Trump's 'statement that there's nothing to hide' about the calls and the refusal of Republicans to disclose what happened on them, a disconnect that 'places significant pressure on the department to follow up.'"

Clean-up on Aisle 45*. Jonah Bromwich, et al., of the New York Times: "The Manhattan district attorney, Alvin Bragg, publicly discussed his office's investigation into Donald J. Trump for the first time on Thursday, insisting that the inquiry has continued despite the recent resignations of two senior prosecutors who had been leading it. Mr. Bragg said in an interview that his office had recently questioned new witnesses about Mr. Trump and reviewed additional documents, both previously unreported steps in the inquiry. But citing grand jury secrecy rules, Mr. Bragg declined to provide details on the new steps in the investigation.... It remains unclear whether Mr. Bragg and his prosecutors have found a productive new route in the investigation, which has already spanned more than three years. For Mr. Bragg, a series of interviews on Thursday as well as the release of a lengthy formal statement represent an attempt to quell the intense criticism he has faced over his handling of the high-stakes investigation into the former president." CNN's story is here.

Jonah Bromwich & William Rashbaum of the New York Times: "The New York State attorney general, Letitia James, filed a motion on Thursday asking a judge to hold Donald J. Trump in contempt for failing to turn over documents in her civil investigation into his business activities. The request by lawyers in Ms. James's office, which was filed in New York State Supreme Court in Manhattan, said that the former president had declined to turn over documents that the attorney general had sought in eight requests. The filing also asked the judge to fine Mr. Trump $10,000 a day until he turns over the materials. The filing cited a response from Mr. Trump's legal team arguing that the attorney general's requests were 'grossly overbroad, unintelligible, unduly burdensome' and did not 'adequately' describe the requested materials."

Momentary anguish and I walk away / To fall in love ten times a day -- from a poem by Donald Trump's lawyer

Hey, it must be poetry; it rhymes, dunnit? -- Marie Burns, literary critic ~~~

~~~ Trump's Judge-Shopping Outing, Ctd. Corbin Barthold of the Bulwark: "... a curious aspect of [Donald] Trump's latest legal publicity stunt, a civil racketeering action in which the former president alleges that Hillary Clinton, the Democratic National Committee, John Podesta, and James Comey, among many others, conspired to rig the 2016 election ... is that Trump's lawyer .... chose to file the complaint in Fort Pierce, Florida, [not in West Palm Beach, the division of the judicial district where Trump lives & where the two judges were appointed by Democrats].... Trump apparently wanted a judge appointed by Trump.... The attorney who signed the complaint has repeatedly been suspended from practicing law. At his website -- no kidding: www.legalbrains.com -- you will find a selection of his poetry.... MB: FYI, Fort Pierce is about 68-1/2 miles, via I-95, from Mar-a-Lardo. So definitely not as convenient as WPB, which is right across a little bridge that spans the Intercoastal Waterway. (Also linked yesterday.)

Addison the Amoral. Aaron Blake of the Washington Post: In an interview, Jonathan Swan of Axios made the usually-unflappable Mitch McConnell squirm. Specifically, in extended questioning, Swan asked McConnell to define his "moral red line," in this case to explain how he could condemn Donald Trump on the Senate floor in which he accused Trump of a "disgraceful dereliction of duty," and then, weeks later, say he would support Trump if he were the GOP nominee for president* in 2024: "... in an interview in which McConnell said he had real moral red lines, he didn't wind up saying where he drew them. Indeed, the exchange suggested he doesn't see any role for morality in this decision. That's the logical extension of saying you have an 'obligation' to support your party's nominee -- apparently, no matter what they've done, or might yet do."

The Pandemic, Ctd.

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

Alyssa Lukpat & Adeel Hassan of the New York Times: "A federal appeals court on Thursday reversed a decision that had blocked the White House from requiring federal workers to be vaccinated against Covid-19. In September, President Biden said that the vast majority of federal workers had to be vaccinated or they would face disciplinary measures. But a preliminary injunction, instated in January by a federal judge in Texas, stopped the Biden administration from enforcing that mandate. About 95 percent of federal workers were already in compliance with the mandate by the time the injunction was issued, the White House said. In a 2-1 vote, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled that the judge in Texas, Jeffrey Brown[, a Trump appointee], did not have the jurisdiction to block the mandate."

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

Amy Wang of the Washington Post: "House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has tested positive for the coronavirus and is currently asymptomatic, her office said Thursday. Pelosi, 82, is the first in congressional leadership to test positive and the latest among a raft of Washington officials who have come down with the virus in recent days. 'The Speaker is fully vaccinated and boosted, and is thankful for the robust protection the vaccine has provided,' Pelosi spokesman Drew Hammill said. 'The Speaker will quarantine consistent with CDC guidance, and encourages everyone to get vaccinated, boosted and test regularly.'" CNN's report is here. (Also linked yesterday.)

Annals of "Journalism," Ha Ha Ha. Michael Luciano of Mediaite: "A full week has passed since the New York Times flagged a major new study showing that ivermectin does not work against Covid-19. Despite this, Fox News -- a network that spent about a year trying to convince its viewers otherwise -- has yet to report on this study, which debunks some of the most dangerous nonsense it has ever aired.... For much of 2021 and early 2022..., hardly a night passed without one of its hosts [including popular prime-time hosts Tucker Carlson and Laura Ingraham --] interviewing some kook citing bogus studies to feed garbage to the viewers."

Beyond the Beltway

Alabama. Rick Rojas & Tariro Mzezewa of the New York Times: "Alabama lawmakers voted on Thursday to criminalize medical care for transgender young people [link fixed] who are transitioning, adopting some of the nation's most restrictive language and threatening doctors and nurses with up to 10 years in prison.... On Thursday, Alabama lawmakers also advanced legislation that would require students to use restrooms and locker rooms for the sex listed on their original birth certificates. It also included an amendment that would restrict classroom discussions on gender and sexuality in kindergarten through fifth grade -- a version of what critics call a 'Don't Say Gay' measure that goes further than some other states.... Gov. Kay Ivey, a Republican, has not said whether she will sign the [medical restrictions] legislation.... The American Medical Association has assailed these kinds of measures as 'government intrusion into the practice of medicine that is detrimental to the health of transgender and gender-diverse children and adults.'" MB: If this bill becomes law, then there really is no such thing as a right to privacy in this country. (The U.S. Constitution does not specifically guarantee a right to privacy.)

Michigan. Zach Montellaro & Alice Ollstein of Politico: "Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer filed a lawsuit Thursday challenging her state's 1931 law banning abortion -- the latest move in a flurry of state activity preparing for the possible overturning of Roe v. Wade in a few months. The Michigan law bans abortion at any stage of pregnancy, with an exception for the health of a woman but not for cases of rape or incest. It has remained on the books for decades despite the 1973 Roe decision rendering it unenforceable and establishing the right to abortion nationally. But with the Supreme Court expected to rule this summer on Mississippi's ban on abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy, both sides of the abortion debate anticipate that the justices will either completely reverse or significantly roll back Roe. That would allow pre-Roe bans in Michigan and a swath of other states to go back into effect and give states a green light to pass new ones...." (Also linked yesterday.)

Missouri Senate Race. Why Didn't State Authorities Investigate a Report of Domestic Abuse? Jonathan Shorman, et al., of the Kansas City Star: "Missouri state Sen. Jamilah Nasheed grew concerned enough about Gov. Eric Greitens' potential for violence in April 2018 that she sent a letter asking the Department of Public Safety to investigate rumors of an incident involving 'troubling behavior' at Greitens' private home. DPS Director Charles 'Drew' Juden wrote back the next day. He had contacted the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Capitol Police and law enforcement in Warren County, where the Greitens lived in the wealthy, largely gated community of Innsbrook.... The four-year-old exchange has taken on new significance in the wake of allegations by Sheena Chestnut Greitens, the former governor's ex-wife, that she and their children were victims of domestic violence. In an affidavit filed last month, Sheena Greitens said in late April 2018 Eric Greitens knocked her down and confiscated her cell phone, wallet and keys so she couldn't call for help or leave the Innsbrook home.... If Nasheed's letter was sent when it was dated, it was sent before Eric Greitens knocked her down."

Way Beyond

France Is Full of Nationalistic, Xenophobic Idiots, Too. Rick Noack of the Washington Post: "Leading candidates for the French presidency staged their final campaign rallies on Thursday, three days before a vote that appears increasingly likely to result in a tight runoff between President Emmanuel Macron and far-right leader Marine Le Pen. Macron is still leading in polls of voter intent, but the gap between him and Le Pen has shrunk to five or six percentage points, for both the first round and a presumed runoff between them. The finish order could pivot on voter turnout."

Pakistan. Christina Goldbaum of the New York Times: "Pakistan's Supreme Court on Thursday overturned Prime Minister Imran Khan's move to dissolve Parliament, setting the stage for a no-confidence vote widely expected to remove him from office and offering a major victory to opposition leaders, who said that Mr. Khan had attempted an 'open coup.' Mr. Khan, the international cricket-star-turned-politician, and his allies dissolved Parliament on Sunday, effectively blocking a no-confidence vote. The move plunged the country into a constitutional crisis and sharply escalated the political instability that has embroiled Pakistan for weeks."

April 7, 2022

Late Morning/Afternoon Update:

Mike DeBonis, et al., of the Washington Post: "The Senate voted Thursday to confirm Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court, felling one of the most significant remaining racial barriers in American government and sending the first Democratic nominee to the high court in 12 years. Jackson, a daughter of schoolteachers who has risen steadily through America's elite legal ranks, will become the first Black woman to sit on the court and only the eighth who is not a White man. She will replace Associate Justice Stephen G. Breyer after the Supreme Court's term ends in late June or early July. Thursday's 53-47 vote represents the culmination of a six-week whirlwind confirmation process for the 51-year-old federal appeals judge." This is an update of a story linked earlier. Politico's story is here.~~~

     ~~~ Marie: That doofus Rand Paul held up the vote for a good ten minutes while he was finishing his lunch or vacuuming his head rug or something. Update: It turns out the "real reason" Li'l Randy couldn't show up to cast his vote, according to Ari Melber of MSNBC, was just as ridiculous of the ones I made up: he wasn't wearing a tie, and well, the gentlemen of the Senate must wear ties in the chamber. Is in possible that every male Senate page & staffer roaming the halls of power dislikes Rand Paul so much that not one would lend him a tie? Is it possible Dandy Randy doesn't keep an extra tie or two in his office in case he dribbles Senate bean soup on the one he is wearing? Is it possible it takes Rand ten minutes to tie his tie? Or what? ~~~

     ~~~ The New York Times live-updated proceedings here: "Vice President Kamala Harris, the first Black woman to hold the position and one of just 11 Black senators in American history, presided over the vote to confirm Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson as the first Black woman on the Supreme Court -- one historic figure presiding over the elevation of another. But no Black woman had the opportunity to vote for the barrier-breaking nominee: None is currently a member of the 100-person chamber, which includes three Black men.... ~~~

~~~ "Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the minority leader, used his floor time before the votes on Thursday to argue against confirming Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson.... 'alas, Judge Jackson was the court-packers' favorite pick for the vacancy, and she ... said she'd be thrilled to be one of however many -- one of however many.'... The context, which Mr. McConnell omitted, was that she pointed out that Congress, not the judiciary, decides how many seats should be on the Supreme Court.... 'I don't think it's appropriate for me as a nominee to comment on a political matter that is in the province of Congress,. she said.... She also noted that Justice Amy Coney Barrett had similarly evaded answering the question during her confirmation hearing in 2020, citing the same rationale. Several other Republican senators who are not expected to make floor arguments on Thursday -- like Richard M. Burr of North Carolina -- have also justified their decision to vote against her by raising alarms about her demurral when asked whether she would personally support expanding, or 'packing,' the Supreme Court." MB: What dickheads!

Erin Doherty of Axios: "Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said Thursday that he won't commit to hearings for a potential Supreme Court nominee if he's the Senate Majority Leader leading up to the 2024 election.... The Senate minority leader told Axios' Jonathan Swan that he won't 'put the cart before the horse,' but would expect President Biden to moderate if Republicans retake Congress." MB: Gosh, I'm sure Mitch will play fair.

Anita Hill in a Washington Post op-ed: "The shameful spectacle of the Senate Judiciary Committee during the confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson makes clear: The confirmation process is broken and the panel must act to restore people's faith in it.... A confirmation hearing should be about learning how a person will judge, not how well she handles specious browbeating.... I know something about being mistreated by the Senate Judiciary Committee. During the confirmation hearing for Justice Clarence Thomas in 1991, I was subjected to attacks on my intelligence, truthfulness and even my sanity when I testified about my experience working for the nominee.... Critics of Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan were also allowed to lob racially and gender-tinged attacks during their hearings." MB: Sorry, Prof. Hill, as long as there are Republicans on the Judiciary Committee, there will be a "shameful spectacle."

Isaac Stanley-Becker & Vanessa Guinan-Bank of the Washington Post: "Germany's foreign intelligence service claims to have intercepted radio communications in which Russian soldiers discuss carrying out indiscriminate killings in Ukraine. In two separate communications, Russian soldiers described questioning Ukrainian soldiers as well as civilians and then shooting them, according to an intelligence official familiar with the findings who, like others, spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the matter's sensitivity. The findings, first reported by the German magazine Der Spiegel and confirmed by three people briefed on the information, further undermine Russia's denials of involvement in the carnage. Russia has claimed variously that atrocities are being carried out only after its soldiers leave occupied areas or that scenes of massacres of civilians are 'staged.'... The radio traffic suggests that members of the Wagner Group, the private military unit with close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin and his allies, have played a role in attacks on civilians.... Reliance by Russian troops on nonsecure communication devices, including smartphones and push-to-talk radios, has left their units vulnerable to targeting, Western defense and intelligence officials say." ~~~

     ~~~ Here's the Der Spiegel story, in English translation.

DOJ Thinking of Taking Top-Secret Boxes Out of Basement Broom Closet. Matt Zapotosky & Jacqueline Alemany of the Washington Post: "The Justice Department has begun taking steps to investigate ... Donald Trump's removal of presidential records to Mar-a-Lago -- some of which were labeled 'top secret,' people familiar with the matter said. The people ... said the probe remained in the very early stages.... The department is facing increasing political pressure to disclose its plans in the case. On Thursday, House Oversight Committee Chairwoman Carolyn B. Maloney (D-N.Y.) accused the Justice Department of obstructing her committee's investigation into the 15 boxes of records Trump took to his estate in Palm Beach, Fla.... In her letter [to the DOJ] Thursday, Maloney said her committee needed further explanation as to why the Justice Department was blocking its request for an inventory of the records."

It's All Nancy's Fault (Except the Part That's Muriel's Fault). Josh Dawsey of the Washington Post: "... Donald Trump voiced regret Wednesday over not marching to the U.S. Capitol [link fixed] the day his supporters stormed the building.... 'Secret Service said I couldn't go. I would have gone there in a minute,' he said.... And he defended his long silence during the attack by claiming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and others were responsible for ending the deadly violence. 'I thought it was a shame, and I kept asking why isn't she doing something about it? Why isn't Nancy Pelosi doing something about it? And the mayor of D.C. also. The mayor of D.C. and Nancy Pelosi are in charge,' Trump said of the Jan. 6, 2021, riot in a 45-minute interview with The Washington Post. 'I hated seeing it. I hated seeing it. And I said, "It's got to be taken care of," and I assumed they were taking care of it.'... In the interview, [Trump] struck a defiant posture, refusing to say whether he would testify before a congressional committee investigating the Jan. 6 assault. Trump said he didn't remember 'getting very many' phone calls that day, and he denied removing call logs or using burner phones." ~~~

     ~~~ Jacqueline Alemany & Theodoric Meyer of the Washington Post highlight the lowlights of Dawsey's interview of the Conde de Mar-a-Lardo: "Trump blamed Pelosi for the events of Jan. 6, falsely claiming she was in charge of security at the Capitol, on at least a dozen occasions during Josh's 45-minute interview with him.... 'The former president praised organizers of the rally, some of whom have now received subpoenas from federal authorities, and repeatedly bragged about the size of the crowd was on the Ellipse when questioned about the events of Jan. 6,' Josh reports.... '[Trump said] he had offered [Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner] 'privilege' [so they would not have to testify before the January 6 committee] if they wanted it. They declined, Trump said.'... He claimed Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban ... had called him this week and credited him for Orban's election victory on Sunday, 'After I endorsed him, he went up like a rocket ship,' Trump said."

Momentary anguish and I walk away / To fall in love ten times a day -- from a poem by Donald Trump's lawyer

Hey, it must be poetry; it rhymes, dunnit? -- Marie Burns, literary critic ~~~

~~~ Corbin Barthold of the Bulwark: "... a curious aspect of [Donald] Trump's latest legal publicity stunt, a civil racketeering action in which the former president alleges that Hillary Clinton, the Democratic National Committee, John Podesta, and James Comey, among many others, conspired to rig the 2016 election ... is that Trump's lawyer .... chose to file the complaint in Fort Pierce, Florida, [not in West Palm Beach, the division of the judicial district where Trump lives & where the two judges were appointed by Democrats].... Trump apparently wanted a judge appointed by Trump.... The attorney who signed the complaint has repeatedly been suspended from practicing law. At his website -- no kidding: www.legalbrains.com -- you will find a selection of his poetry.... MB: FYI, Fort Pierce is about 68-1/2 miles, via I-95, from Mar-a-Lardo. So definitely not as convenient as WPB, which is right across a little bridge that spans the Intercoastal Waterway.

Mike DeBonis of the Washington Post: "The Senate on Thursday cleared a months-long partisan impasse over how to respond to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, sending multiple bills aimed at punishing Russia and aiding Ukraine to the House for final action. The direct impact of the bills on the course of the conflict is likely to be negligible. They largely reinforce moves that President Biden has already made to ban energy imports and remove trade preferences from Russia. But they represent a significant gesture signaling ongoing bipartisan interest in supporting Ukraine's quest to maintain its independence amid deadly aggression from its larger neighbor. While Congress delivered nearly $14 billion in military and humanitarian aide to Ukraine as part of a recent government-wide spending bill, it has not passed any stand-alone legislation pertaining to the conflict. Efforts to draft a sanctions bill before the invasion as a deterrent fell apart, and post-invasion legislation has not been much easier."

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

Amy Wang of the Washington Post: "House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has tested positive for the coronavirus and is currently asymptomatic, her office said Thursday. Pelosi, 82, is the first in congressional leadership to test positive and the latest among a raft of Washington officials who have come down with the virus in recent days. 'The Speaker is fully vaccinated and boosted, and is thankful for the robust protection the vaccine has provided,' Pelosi spokesman Drew Hammill said. 'The Speaker will quarantine consistent with CDC guidance, and encourages everyone to get vaccinated, boosted and test regularly.'" CNN's report is here.

Michigan. Zach Montellaro & Alice Ollstein of Politico: "Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer filed a lawsuit Thursday challenging her state's 1931 law banning abortion -- the latest move in a flurry of state activity preparing for the possible overturning of Roe v. Wade in a few months. The Michigan law bans abortion at any stage of pregnancy, with an exception for the health of a woman but not for cases of rape or incest. It has remained on the books for decades despite the 1973 Roe decision rendering it unenforceable and establishing the right to abortion nationally. But with the Supreme Court expected to rule this summer on Mississippi's ban on abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy, both sides of the abortion debate anticipate that the justices will either completely reverse or significantly roll back Roe. That would allow pre-Roe bans in Michigan and a swath of other states to go back into effect and give states a green light to pass new ones...."

~~~~~~~~~~

Putin's War Crimes, Ctd.

An American friend of Reality Chex has redecorated the family's front porch:

The New York Times' live updates of developments Thursday in Russia's war on Ukraine are here: "President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine harangued his allies to find the will to take harsher measures against Moscow, as the European Union prepared Thursday to discuss another round of sanctions and a possible ban on Russian coal.... 'Russian troops have changed their tactics and are trying to remove the killed people from the streets and basements of the occupied territory,' Mr. Zelensky said in his nightly address on Wednesday. They would not succeed in hiding evidence, he said, 'because they killed a lot. Responsibility cannot be avoided.' Europe and the United States have moved to provide more weapons to Ukraine's military and further ostracize Russia economically with new penalties, including restrictions on its leading banks and on the assets of President Vladimir V. Putin's children. Russia has appeared to move closer to default on its foreign debt because of U.S. currency restrictions." ~~~

     ~~~ The Washington Post's live updates for Thursday are here: "... amid growing revelations over the gruesome killings in Bucha -- where The Washington Post recently saw the remnants of beheadings and a man whose body was connected to a tripwire for a land mine -- the United Nations could vote to expel Russia from its Human Rights Council.... President Volodymyr Zelensky pushed the West to go further, particularly by banning imports of Russian oil -- as the United States has done, though Europe continues to buy billions of dollars worth -- and by providing Ukraine with more weapons. Not doing so 'will be considered by Russia as a permission. A permission to go further. A permission to attack. A permission to start a new bloody wave in Donbas,' he said...." ~~~

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

Kate Conger & David Sanger of the New York Times: “The United States said on Wednesday that it had secretly removed malware from computer networks around the world in recent weeks, a step to pre-empt Russian cyberattacks and send a message to ... Vladimir V. Putin of Russia. The move, made public by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland, comes as U.S. officials warn that Russia could try to strike American critical infrastructure — including financial firms, pipelines and the electric grid — in response to the crushing sanctions that the United States has imposed on Moscow over the war in Ukraine. The malware enabled the Russians to create 'botnets' — networks of private computers that are infected with malicious software and controlled by the G.R.U., the intelligence arm of the Russian military. But it is unclear what the malware was intended to do, since it could be used for everything from surveillance to destructive attacks.”

Max Bearak & Louisa Loveluck of the Washington Post: "... the scale of the killings [in Bucha] and the depravity with which they were committed is only just becoming apparent as police, local officials and regular citizens start the grim task of clearing Bucha of the hundreds of corpses decomposing on streets and in parks, apartment buildings and other locations. As a team from the district prosecutor’s office moved slowly through Bucha on Wednesday, investigators uncovered evidence of torture before death, beheading and dismemberment, and the intentional burning of corpses. Some of the cruelest violence took place at a glass factory on the edge of town. On the gravel near a loading dock lay the body of Dmytro Chaplyhin, 21, whose abdomen was bruised black and blue, his hands marked with what looked like cigarette burns. He ultimately was killed by a gunshot to the chest, concluded team leader Ruslan Kravchenko. His body then was turned into a weapon, tied to a tripwire connected to a mine."

John Ismay of the New York Times: "Russian forces in Ukraine appear to be using a new type of weapon as they step up attacks on civilian targets: an advanced land mine equipped with sensors that can detect when people walk nearby. Ukrainian bomb technicians discovered the device, called the POM-3, last week near the eastern city of Kharkiv, according to Human Rights Watch, a leading human rights group, which has reviewed photos provided by Ukraine's military. Older types of land mines typically explode when victims accidentally step on them or disturb attached tripwires. But the POM-3's seismic sensor picks up on approaching footsteps and can effectively distinguish between humans and animals. Humanitarian deminers and groups that campaign against the use of land mines said the POM-3 would make future efforts to locate and destroy unexploded munitions in Ukraine vastly more complicated and deadlier." MB: In case you wondered how horrible Putin's army could be.

Cristina Marcos of the Hill: "The House passed bipartisan legislation on Wednesday that would require the Biden administration to detail its efforts to collect evidence of war crimes committed by Russian forces in Ukraine. The bill passed handily by a vote of 418-7. All seven votes in opposition were from Republicans. A spokesman for Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) confirmed that she mistakenly voted against the bill and will inform the House clerk that she meant to vote for it. The Republicans who opposed the bill were Reps. Andy Biggs (Ariz.), Warren Davidson (Ohio), Paul Gosar (Ariz.), Marjorie Taylor Greene (Ga.), Thomas Massie (Ky.) and Scott Perry (Pa.)." MB: IOW, the usual suspects.

The New York Times' live updates of developments Wednesday in Russia's war on Ukraine are here: "A day after President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine demanded a tougher global response to mounting evidence of atrocities by Russian forces, European Union and NATO leaders were meeting on Wednesday to consider additional sanctions against Moscow and military assistance to Ukraine. E.U. leaders were weighing a ban on buying Russian coal and a ban on Russian vessels in European ports, and deliberations were extended by a day to Thursday." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ The Washington Post's updates for Wednesday are here: "The Biden administration is escalating efforts to punish Russia amid global alarm over civilian deaths, imposing new sanctions that will include two of the country's largest banks as well as ... Vladimir Putin's adult children, said White House National Economic Council Director Brian Deese. The announcement comes as NATO foreign ministers are gathering in Brussels beginning Wednesday for discussions that include how to continue support for Ukraine, and to end fighting." (Also linked yesterday.)

David Leonhardt of the New York Times: “Donald Trump turned Vladimir Putin into a popular figure among a significant segment of Republican voters.... Putin's invasion of Ukraine has changed the situation, damaging his popularity in the U.S., even among Republicans.... Yet Trump's effect on Putin's popularity has not entirely disappeared: There is still a meaningful faction of Republican elites who feel an affinity for the Russian president.... Representative Liz Cheney, the Wyoming Republican..., describes it as 'the Putin wing of the G.O.P.'" Leonardt gathers up some remarks from the pro-Putin wing.

Luke Broadwater of the New York Times: "The House on Wednesday voted to recommend criminal contempt of Congress charges against Peter Navarro and Dan Scavino Jr., two close allies of ... Donald J. Trump, after the pair defied subpoenas from the special committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. The mostly party-line vote of 220 to 203 referred contempt charges to the Justice Department.... Only two Republicans, Representatives Liz Cheney of Wyoming and Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, both members of the investigative committee, voted for the charges.... [Before the vote,] Representative Kevin McCarthy, Republican of California and the minority leader, attacked the investigation in a floor speech as a 'political show trial' and accused the panel of bullying the men and trampling on their civil rights.... 'Democrats are using the power of the federal government to jail their political opponents.'... A contempt of Congress charge carries a penalty of up to a year in jail and a maximum fine of $100,000."The Guardian's story is here.

Travis Gettys of the Raw Story: "A longtime aide and spokesperson for Steve Bannon was interviewed by the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection this week. Alexandra Preate, who has been described as Bannon's 'consigliere' and reportedly worked with Donald Trump's White House staff on communications, was photographed at the 'Stop the Steal' rally that preceded the attack on the U.S. Capitol, and two sources confirmed that she met with congressional investigators, reported Rolling Stone." The Rolling Stone story is firewalled. (Also linked yesterday.)

Mychael Schnell of the Hill: "The president of a West Virginia Proud Boys branch pleaded guilty on Wednesday to one count of illegally entering or remaining in a restricted building or grounds on Jan. 6, 2021, the latest individual to admit to charges connected to the attack on the Capitol. Jeffrey Finley, 29, is facing up to one year in prison, according to his plea agreement provided to The Hill. His sentencing is scheduled for July 19." Finley was pictured in photos & in videos showing him breaking into the Capitol. He later boasted on social media about breaching the building, but days later took down his posts, which included photos & videos of himself & other Proud Boys.

Alan Feuer of the New York Times: "A federal judge decided on Wednesday that a former government contractor from New Mexico who claimed that the police let him into the Capitol during last year's pro-Trump riot was not guilty of four petty offenses, the first acquittal connected to the sprawling investigation of the attack. At a two-day bench trial in Federal District Court in Washington, the defendant, Matthew Martin, admitted that he went into the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, along with hundreds of other supporters of ... Donald J. Trump. But he claimed that he had not broken the law because two Capitol Police officers had waved him in through a door.... Ruling in favor of the defense, Judge Trevor N. McFadden said he found it plausible that Mr. Martin believed the police had let him in and thus had not knowingly gone into the building improperly." Politico's report is here.

Monica Hesse of the Washington Post: During a confirmation hearing, Judge "Ketanji Brown Jackson could not ... 'provide a definition for the word "woman."' Jackson replied that she was 'not a biologist.'... And neither could the people who said it should be easy." When tested, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Josh Hawley & Madison Cawthorn failed miserably. The photo accompanying the article of Josh Hawley trying to answer the question captures an hilarious Stump the Senator moment. Kudos to WashPo photographer Jabin Botsford.

Gosar Says He's Not Going to Hitler's Birthday Party, After All. Jerod MacDonald-Evoy of the Arizona Mirror: "Prescott Republican Congressman Paul Gosar was listed as a 'special guest' with the white nationalist >American Populist Union at an event that will be on a date popular among white nationalists and Neo-Nazis: Hitler's birthday. The American Populist Social will be held in Tempe on April 20, a date revered by white suprememacista and Neo-Nazis. But Gosar’s campaign says he isn't attending and it doesn't know how he was listed as a guest of honor, even though Gosar promoted his scheduled appearance on social media." After this story, indicating Gosar would be attending the Hitler bash, was originally published, Gosar's office contacted the Mirror & said he would not attend; according to the Mirror, 'Gosar's office did not respond to multiple requests for comment before the story was published.'"

Miss Margie Is Not Amused. Josephine Harvey of Yahoo!: "Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, the Georgia Republican who liked social media posts about executing prominent Democrats, said Wednesday she had reported comedian Jimmy Kimmel to the U.S. Capitol Police for making a slap joke about her. During his monologue on Tuesday night, Kimmel ridiculed Greene for accusing three Republican senators of being 'pro-pedophile' because they voted to confirm Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson. 'Wow, where is Will Smith when you really need him, huh?' Kimmel quipped, referring to the actor who slapped comedian Chris Rock onstage at the Oscars last month." MB: So when the Capitol Police put out an APB, will it be for Jimmy Kimmel or Will Smith? Or both. I can just hear them whispering into their radios, "Be on the lookout for West Coast TV comedian accompanied by 'Men in Black' star. One arm dangerous."

Chris Cameron of the New York Times: "A fox that bit at least nine people on Capitol Hill, possibly including [Rep. Ami Bera (D-Calif.)], tested positive for rabies on Wednesday, according to city health officials, after she had been euthanized in a grim turn in an episode that had briefly captivated those who live and work around Congress. 'The D.C. Public Health Lab has confirmed the fox that was captured yesterday tested positive for the rabies virus,' a statement from the city's health agency said, advising anyone who had come into contact with the animal or its offspring to reach out to the authorities. 'D.C. Health is contacting all human victims who were bitten by the fox.'... The late vixen's children -- known as kits -- were also found on the Capitol grounds and recovered on Wednesday morning, D.C. Health said. Officials said they were still determining what to do with the kits."

CJ Agrees: the Shadow Docket Sucks. Robert Barnes of the Washington Post: "Conservatives on the Supreme Court on Wednesday reinstated for now a Trump-era environmental rule that limited the ability of states to block projects that could pollute rivers and streams, a decision more notable because Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. joined liberals in calling it an abuse of the court's emergency powers. The five members of the court who granted the request from Louisiana, other states and the oil and gas industry did not explain their reasoning, which is common in emergency requests at the court. But Justice Elena Kagan, dissenting along with Roberts and Justices Stephen G. Breyer and Sonia Sotomayor, said her conservative colleagues were turning what critics have called the court's 'shadow docket' into something it was never intended to be. The majority's order 'renders the Court's emergency docket not for emergencies at all,' Kagan wrote. 'The docket becomes only another place for merits determinations -- except made without full briefing and argument.'"

Judge Brushes off Trump's Frivolous Demand. Kyle Cheney & Josh Gerstein of Politico: "A federal judge -- nominated to the bench by President Bill Clinton in 1996 -- on Wednesday emphatically rejected Donald Trump's demand that he recuse from Trump's sprawling lawsuit against Hillary Clinton, declaring that there's no legitimate basis to demand that he step back from the case. In a five-page order, Judge Donald Middlebrooks emphasized that he has never met either of the Clintons and was confirmed by unanimous consent in the Senate, requiring backing from both parties.... Middlebrooks also pointed out he was chosen by a judicial selection commission appointed by Florida's bipartisan Senate delegation at the time: Democratic Sen. Bob Graham and Republican Sen. Connie Mack.... 'Every federal judge is appointed by a president who is affiliated with a major political party, and, therefore, every federal judge could theoretically be viewed as beholden, to some extent or another,' Middlebrooks wrote. 'As judges, we must all transcend politics.'... ~~~

~~~ “Middlebrooks observed that Trump filed his lawsuit in the Fort Pierce division of the Southern District of the Florida federal court and that the only District Court judge who sits in that division is a Trump appointee. However, under the court's docketing system, the case wound up assigned to Middlebrooks, who sits in West Palm Beach.... Middlebrooks ... suggest[ed] that Trump's legal team was judge-shopping.... Trump, Middlebrooks noted, never seemed to have those ethical qualms when his legal matters landed in front of judges he nominated to the bench."

Unexplained News. Michael Balsamo of the AP: "Federal prosecutors on Wednesday charged two men they say were posing as federal agents, giving free apartments and other gifts to U.S. Secret Service agents, including one who worked on the first lady's security detail. The two men -- Arian Taherzadeh, 40, and Haider Ali, 36 -- were taken into custody as more than a dozen FBI agents charged into a luxury apartment building in Southeast Washington on Wednesday evening.... Prosecutors said four Secret Service employees were placed on leave earlier this week as part of the investigation.... Authorities did not detail what, if anything, the men were aiming to accomplish by posing as law enforcement officers or by providing the gifts. Prosecutors said the investigation remains ongoing."

The Three Fs. Erin Doherty of Axios: "Democratic National Committee chair Jaime Harrison on Wednesday slammed the Republican Party, saying "it is a party built on fraud, fear and fascism" in an interview on MSNBC's Morning Joe. MB: I don't think Harrison likes Sen. Tom Cotton (Rrrr-Ark.) that much, either; Harrison described Cotton as a "little maggot-infested man." (Also linked yesterday.)

Matt Egan of CNN: "The Federal Reserve's fight against inflation will spark a recession in the United States that begins late next year, Deutsche Bank warned on Tuesday. The recession call -- the first from a major bank -- reflects growing concern that the Fed will hit the brakes on the economy so hard that it will inadvertently end the recovery that began just two years ago." (Also linked yesterday.)

Jesus Is a Trumpbot. Elizabeth Dias & Ruth Graham of the New York Times: "Rituals of Christian worship have become embedded in conservative rallies, as praise music and prayer blend with political anger over vaccines and the 2020 election.... At events across the United States, it is not unusual for participants to describe encountering the divine and feel they are doing their part to install God's kingdom on earth. For them, right-wing political activity itself is becoming a holy act. These Christians are joining secular members of the right wing, including media-savvy opportunists and those touting disinformation. They represent a wide array of discontent, from opposing vaccine mandates to promoting election conspiracy theories. For many, pandemic restrictions that temporarily closed houses of worship accelerated their distrust of government and made churchgoing political."

A Massive Study Finds the Obvious. Guardian & Agencies: "Most American gun owners say they own firearms to protect themselves and their loved ones, but a study published this week suggests people who live with handgun owners are shot to death at a higher rate than those who don't have such weapons at home. 'We found zero evidence of any kind of protective effects' from living in a home with a handgun, said David Studdert, a Stanford University researcher who was the lead author of the Annals of Internal Medicine study. The study followed nearly 600,000 Californians...."

Katie Robertson of the New York Times: "Eric Boehlert, a veteran journalist who was a fierce critic of right-wing misinformation and hypocrisy in the news media, died on Monday in New Jersey. He was 57. Mr. Boehlert was struck by a New Jersey Transit train while riding his bicycle near the Watchung Avenue station in Montclair. His death was confirmed by his wife, Tracy Breslin. A frequent commentator on television and radio, as well as a prolific writer, Mr. Boehlert never shied away from searing critiques of what he saw as bias in the mainstream press and the circular impact of media on politics. After more than a decade as a senior fellow at Media Matters for America, a left-leaning media monitoring group, Mr. Boehlert had in recent years started his own newsletter, Press Run, as a vehicle for his commentary." ~~~

     ~~~ Deadline's obituary is here. digby writes a short piece here.

The Pandemic, Ctd.

A Good Times Was Had by All -- Till They Got Covid. Paul Farhi, et al., of the Washington Post: "More than a dozen guests who attended Saturday night's Gridiron Club dinner -- including two Cabinet members, two members of Congress and a top aide to Vice President Harris -- have since tested positive for coronavirus.... A-list guests were asked to show proof of vaccination but not negative tests, and many mingled freely without masks at the dinner at the downtown Renaissance Washington Hotel. But by Wednesday, Reps. Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.) and Joaquin Castro (D-Tex.) and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo had announced they had tested positive. They were soon followed by Attorney General Merrick Garland, who requested a test Wednesday afternoon after learning he may have been exposed -- and discovered that he, too, carried the virus. Thus far, none have reported serious illness. Jamal Simmons, the communications director for Vice President Harris, said later Wednesday he, too, had tested positive and is now isolating at home.... About a half-dozen journalists as well as members of the White House and National Security Council staffs who said they tested positive after the event." A Hill story is here.

Beyond the Beltway

Kentucky. Amelia Nierenberg of the New York Times: "Gov. Andy Beshear of Kentucky vetoed a bill on Wednesday that would prevent transgender girls and women from playing on girls' sports teams in middle school and high school. The State Legislature, which is dominated by Republicans, could override the veto with a simple majority in both chambers, and analysts expect lawmakers to do so when they reconvene next Wednesday. The bill had easily passed both chambers. Mr. Beshear, a Democrat, wrote in his veto that the bill 'discriminates against transgender children' and thus 'most likely' violates the equal protections enshrined in the U.S. Constitution. Republican governors in Utah and Indiana have recently vetoed similar legislation, and the governors of Kansas, Louisiana and North Dakota did so last year. The Utah Legislature overrode the veto, becoming the 12th state to enact legislation barring young transgender athletes from participating in girls' sports. Republican lawmakers are expected to override the Indiana veto, too."

Tennessee. Melissa Brown of the Tennessean: "A Tennessee bill to exclude same-sex couples from a proposed legal marriage contract process sparked widespread backlash after sponsors initially failed to include a minimum age limit in the legislation, though sponsors have submitted amendments to address the issue. Widespread public outcry spread Tuesday over child welfare concerns, as critics said a pathway to marriage without minimum age limits relaxes guardrails to protect minors from predatory behavior and abuse. The bill would create an alternate pathway to marriage, allowing opposite-sex couples to file marriage 'contracts,' based on common law principles that have not yet been legally recognized in Tennessee. The contracts would not be available to same-sex couples. Sponsors of the legislation have now added amendments specifying a man and woman seeking the contract must have 'attained the age of majority,' which is 18 in Tennessee." MB: So, at the last minute, the legislators decided against child abuse, but they're still pushing for LGBTQ discrimination. Nice.

Texas. Hannah Knowles of the Washington Post: "The governor of Texas said Wednesday that his state will start busing and flying undocumented immigrants to the nation's capital, escalating his clash with the Biden administration over border policy and its plans to phase out pandemic-era restrictions. Gov. Greg Abbott (R) announced the busing as part of a broader crackdown amid rising illegal crossings and fears that restoring old policies will overwhelm border communities. For two years, a federal health order called Title 42 has allowed the government to expel more than 1.7 million migrants in the name of controlling covid-19. Republicans and Democrats alike have expressed alarms about a humanitarian 'crisis' at the U.S. border with Mexico, but Abbott's critics accuse him of favoring flashy politics over effective solutions." MB: Never underestimate the cruelty of a Republican running for office. ~~~

     ~~~ Even Abbott Noticed He Was Meaner than a Junkyard Dog. James Barragan of the Texas Tribune: "At a press conference on Wednesday, Abbott unveiled a stunning plan that sent a shockwave through the immigration rights community: Texas would place state troopers in riot gear to meet migrants at the border and bus them straight to the steps of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., where he said the Biden administration 'will be able to more immediately address the needs of the people that they are allowing to come across our border.' But soon after the press conference, Abbott's office released more details about the plan that struck a notably softer tone. The governor's office clarified that the program is completely voluntary for migrants and would happen only after they had been processed and released by the Department of Homeland Security. And in addition to buses, Abbott also ordered the state to charter flights to transport migrants to the nation's capital."

Way Beyond

France. Norimitsu Onishi & Constant Méheut of the New York Times: "With just days to go before the first round of France's presidential election, President Emmanuel Macron is still the odds-on favorite to make it through the political juggernaut and win a second term. But even if he does succeed, and before a single ballot is cast, another clear winner has already emerged from the race. The French right. Despite a late surge by Jean-Luc Mélenchon, the leading left-wing candidate, virtually the entire French campaign has been fought on the right and far right, whose candidates dominate the polls and whose themes and talking points -- issues of national identity, immigration and Islam -- have dominated the political debate. The far right has even become the champion of pocketbook issues, traditionally the left's turf.... In a tightening race, the candidate [Macron] is most likely to face in a runoff two weeks from Sunday's initial voting is Marine Le Pen, the far-right leader of the National Rally, according to polls."