November 10, 2021

Republicans Behaving (Very) Badly. Marianna Sotomayor, et al., of the Washington Post: "Republicans are increasingly divided over the bipartisan infrastructure bill that will soon become law, with tensions rising among GOP members over whether the party should remain united against all aspects of President Biden's agenda or strike deals in the rare instances when there is common ground... Donald Trump has led the call to trash the bill while deriding Republicans who voted for the measure, saying they should be 'ashamed of themselves' for 'helping the Democrats.'... Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R) told reporters in his home state of Kentucky that he was 'delighted' the bill will soon be signed into law, touting the improvements it would make to the state's roads and bridges.... The tensions are highest in the House where some members who voted for the bill have been the subject of heated criticism from colleagues ... and who have received menacing and threatening messages at their offices.... House Republican leaders have done nothing to come to aid of the 13 who voted for the bill.... Former Trump White House chief of staff Mark Meadows said in interview on Stephen K. Bannon's 'War Room' podcast Tuesday that all 13 members should 'absolutely' be stripped of their committee assignments by House leadership in the coming days." ~~~

     ~~~ Aaron Blake of the Washington Post: "There is a GOP effort afoot to strip some of their members of their House committee assignments. And no, it's not the guy [Rep. Paul Gosar] who has aligned with white nationalists and just released an anime video depicting him killing Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.); it's the 13 House Republicans who had the temerity to vote for a broadly popular, demonstrably bipartisan infrastructure bill.... Very little of the pushback is about the bill having been bad.... The prevailing idea is that this helps Democrats win elections and that's why it's bad.... By and large, it doesn't allow for the idea that, just maybe, they were voting for something they thought was a good idea or was good for their constituencies."

Paul LeBlanc of CNN: "Republican Rep. Fred Upton on Monday shared a threatening voicemail he had received after voting for the bipartisan infrastructure bill last week. In the voicemail, which Upton played during an interview with CNN's Anderson Cooper..., a caller told the Michigan Republican: 'I hope you die. I hope everybody in your f**king family dies,' while labeling him a 'f**king piece of sh*t traitor.'Upton was one of just 13 House Republicans who voted with Democrats on Friday to pass the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill.... Upton's office said the voicemail was not an isolated incident. The calls came after GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia tweeted the phone numbers of those who had voted for the bill and later called them traitors." (Also linked yesterday.)

Michael Shear of the New York Times: "Thirteen of ... Donald J. Trump's most senior aides -- including his son-in-law and his chief of staff -- campaigned illegally for Mr. Trump's re-election in violation of a law designed to prevent federal employees from abusing the power of their offices on behalf of candidates, a government watchdog agency said Tuesday. Henry Kerner, who heads the Office of Special Counsel, made the assertion in a withering report that followed a nearly yearlong investigation into 'myriad' violations of the law, known as the Hatch Act.... Investigators in Mr. Kerner's office said Trump administration officials purposely violated the law prohibiting political activity during the final few weeks of the administration, when they knew that the Office of Special Counsel would not have time to investigate and issue findings before Election Day.... The people accused of breaking the law are a who's who of Trump officials: Secretary of Energy Dan Brouillette; Kellyanne Conway, counselor; Alyssa Farah, White House communications director; David Friedman, ambassador to Israel; Jared Kushner, senior adviser; Kayleigh McEnany, press secretary; Mark Meadows, chief of staff; Stephen Miller, senior adviser; Brian Morgenstern, deputy press secretary; Robert C. O'Brien, national security adviser; Marc Short, chief of staff to the vice president; Secretary of State Mike Pompeo; and Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf. The report said that Mr. Pompeo and Mr. Wolf violated the law through their actions during the Republican National Convention, which took place at the White House because of the pandemic." ~~~

     ~~~ Jacqueline Alemany & Josh Dawsey of the Washington Post broke the story. ~~~

     ~~~ Philip Bump of the Washington Post: "The apex of [Donald Trump's] effort to leverage his position and government resources to aid his campaign was a remarkable segment that aired during the convention. In it, Trump participated in a naturalization ceremony at the White House for a group of immigrants to the United States.... 'OSC [Office of Special Counsel] repeatedly warned both DHS and the Trump White House that, because the ceremony was designed to produce content for the RNC, the proposed naturalization ceremony would violate the Hatch Act even if it was later characterized as an official event,' the report reads.... 'Though discipline is no longer possible once subjects leave government service,' it reads, 'OSC is issuing this report to fully document the violations, highlight the enforcement challenges that OSC confronted in investigating the violations, and to deter similar violations in the future.'... A prohibition that neither serves to prohibit actions nor to hold to account those who violate it is not a prohibition at all. It;s just a request, one that people like Trump are free to ignore." ~~~

     ~~~ Lachlan Markay of Axios: "Donald Trump and senior members of his administration turned the federal government into a sprawling, taxpayer-funded political machine in violation of U.S. law, a top watchdog says.... OSC's inability to effectively prosecute those violations -- and its reliance on the very officials who allegedly permitted those violations -- expose glaring weaknesses in federal ethics safeguards, experts say. The office says significant reforms are needed to ensure the Trump administration's conduct is 'an anomaly, not a precedent.'"

Luke Broadwater & Mark Mazzetti of the New York Times: "What unfolded at the Willard Hotel in the hours before the Capitol riot has become a prime focus of the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack as the panel intensifies its scrutiny into whether there was any coordination or tie between those pushing a legal strategy to overturn the election results and those who stormed the Capitol that day as Congress met to count the electoral votes to formalize Mr. Biden's victory.... On Tuesday, the committee announced 10 new subpoenas that seemed to expand the aperture of the inquiry even further, seeking information from top officials in Mr. Trump's White House including Stephen Miller, his senior adviser; Keith Kellogg, the national security adviser to Vice President Mike Pence; Johnny McEntee, the former president's personnel chief; and others. In the past two days alone, the panel has nearly doubled the number of subpoenas it has issued, bringing the total to 35. In recent weeks, the committee has hired new investigators, pored over thousands of documents and heard privately from a stream of voluntary witnesses, from rally planners and former Trump officials to the rioters themselves. They are looking at the money trail..., planning meetings..., [and] foreknowledge of violence.... But the Willard was only one hub of Trump activity before the Jan. 6 riot.... [A meeting] at the Trump International Hotel on Jan. 5 ... included about 15 people.... Among those in attendance, according to [Nebraskan Charles] Herbster, were [Michael Flynn,] Mr. Trump's sons Eric and Donald Jr.; [Rudy] Giuliani; Senator Tommy Tuberville of Alabama; the Trump advisers Peter Navarro, Corey Lewandowski and David Bossie; and Mike Lindell, the MyPillow executive and conspiracy theorist." ~~~

     ~~~ A CNN report is here. The Select Committee's press release is here.

Plaintiff [Trump] does not acknowledge the deference owed to the incumbent president's judgment. His position that he may override the express will of the executive branch appears to be premised on the notion that his executive power 'exists in perpetuity.'... But presidents are not kings, and plaintiff is not president. -- Judge Tanya Chutkan, decision denying Donald Trump's petition to grant him executive privilege ~~~

~~~ Charlie Savage of the New York Times: "A federal judge on Tuesday night rejected a bid by ... Donald J. Trump to keep secret papers about his actions and conversations leading up to and during the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol by his supporters. In a 39-page ruling, Judge Tanya S. Chutkan of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia held that Congress's constitutional oversight powers to obtain the information prevailed over Mr. Trump's residual secrecy powers -- especially because the incumbent, President Biden, agreed that lawmakers investigating the Jan. 6 riot should see the files." ~~~

     ~~~ Nomaan Merchant of the AP: "Barring a court order, the National Archives plans to turn over Trump's records to the committee by Friday. But Trump's lawyers swiftly promised an appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. The case will likely eventually head to the U.S. Supreme Court." ~~~

~~~ Lauence Tribe on AG Merrick Garland's failure to act on bringing charges against Steve Bannon for contempt of Congress by his refusal to honor a Congressional subpoena:

Rebecca Shabad of NBC News: "A federal judge on Monday shot down a request from ... Donald Trump to prevent the National Archives from releasing documents requested by the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. Trump filed a lawsuit last month to block the records but that case is still ongoing. Trump filed an emergency motion late Monday, asking Judge Tanya S. Chutkan of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to grant a stay in the case pending appeal or an administrative injunction. Chutkan, however, quickly denied the request on Tuesday, calling the move 'premature.'" (Also linked yesterday.)

Jan Hoffman of the New York Times: "Oklahoma's highest court on Tuesday threw out a 2019 ruling that required Johnson & Johnson to pay the state $465 million for its role in the opioid epidemic. It was the second time this month that a court has invalidated a key legal strategy used by plaintiffs in thousands of cases attempting to hold the pharmaceutical industry responsible for the crisis. The Oklahoma Supreme Court, 5-1, rejected the state's argument that the company violated 'public nuisance' laws by aggressively overstating the benefits of its prescription opioid painkillers and downplaying the dangers. The ruling, along with a similar opinion by a California state judge on Nov. 1, could be a harbinger that plaintiffs' hopes for favorable resolution in courts nationwide against opioid manufacturers, distributors and retailers will be dashed."

David Zucchino of the New York Times: "More than 140 Afghan Air Force pilots and crew members detained in Tajikistan since mid-August after fleeing Afghanistan were flown out of the country Tuesday with the help of the American authorities, according to a retired U.S. Air Force officer who leads a volunteer group that has assisted the Afghans. The flight, bound for the United Arab Emirates, ended a three-month ordeal for the U.S.-trained military personnel, who had flown American-supplied aircraft to Tajikistan to escape the Taliban only to end up in custody.... In WhatsApp audio recordings made on smuggled cellphones, the English-speaking pilots described poor conditions, insufficient food rations and limited medical care at the site where they were being held outside the capital, Dushanbe."

Brad Plumer & Hiroko Tabuchi of the New York Times: "At least six major automakers -- including Ford, Mercedes-Benz, General Motors and Volvo -- and 31 national governments pledged on Wednesday to work toward phasing out sales of new gasoline and diesel-powered vehicles by 2040 worldwide, and by 2035 in 'leading markets.' But some of the world's biggest car manufacturers, including Toyota, Volkswagen, and the Nissan-Renault alliance did not join the pledge, which is not legally binding. And the governments of the United States, China and Japan, three of the largest car markets, also abstained. The announcement, made during international climate talks [in Glasgow], was hailed by climate advocates as yet another sign that the days of the internal combustion engine could soon be numbered."

Karla Adam & Harry Stevens of the Washington Post: "The largest delegation at the COP26 climate summit does not belong to the United States, which is trying hard to reinstate itself as a climate leader, or to the United Kingdom, the host nation that pulled out the stops by adding Prince William and David Attenborough to its list of delegates. The prize for largest delegation went to the fossil fuel industry, which, as a whole, sent more delegates than any single country, according to the advocacy group Global Witness. Climate activist Greta Thunberg ... tweeted, 'I don't know about you, but I sure am not comfortable with having some of the world's biggest villains influencing & dictating the fate of the world.'" (Also linked yesterday.)

Fredrick Kunkle of the Washington Post: "Thousands of people joined a solemn procession at Arlington National Cemetery on Tuesday, following a path trod for decades by only the Old Guard, to lay flowers and pay respect to the nation's military dead at the Tomb of the Unknowns in honor of its centennial. The line moved at a steady pace and the row of flowers -- the stems arrayed side by side, along with slips of paper and small U.S. flags -- rose steadily higher as a uniformed sentinel of the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, known as the Old Guard, kept precise, ritualistic vigil on the eastern side of the massive stone crypt overlooking the cemetery and the nation's capital. The event -- which continues Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and is open to members of the public who must register to attend -- was one of several to commemorate the establishment of the tomb 100 years ago."

Katharine Seelye of the New York Times: "Max Cleland, who lost both legs and an arm during the Vietnam War and who became a Senator from Georgia, only to lose his seat after Republicans impugned his patriotism, died on Tuesday at his home in Atlanta. He was 79. The cause was congestive heart failure, said ... a close friend. After a grenade accident in Vietnam in 1968, Mr. Cleland spent 18 months recuperating. He served in local politics in his native Georgia and as head of the federal Veterans Administration, now the Department of Veterans Affairs, before he was elected in 1996 to the U.S. Senate. But it was his treatment at the hands of Republicans while he was seeking re-election in 2002 that made him a Democratic cause célèbre. Running for another term just a year after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, he was the target of an infamous 30-second television spot that showed images of Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein while it questioned Mr. Cleland's commitment to homeland security and implied that he was soft on the war on terror.... Even prominent Republicans, including Senators John McCain and Chuck Hagel, both Vietnam veterans, were outraged." (Also linked yesterday.)

The Pandemic, Ctd.

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

Sheryl Stolberg & Rebecca Robbins of the New York Times: "Moderna and the National Institutes of Health are in a bitter dispute over who deserves credit for inventing the central component of the company's powerful coronavirus vaccine, a conflict that has broad implications for the vaccine's long-term distribution and billions of dollars in future profits. The vaccine grew out of a four-year collaboration between Moderna and the N.I.H., the government's biomedical research agency -- a partnership that was widely hailed when the shot was found to be highly effective.... The agency says three scientists at its Vaccine Research Center ... worked with Moderna scientists to design the genetic sequence that prompts the vaccine to produce an immune response, and should be named on the 'principal patent application.' Moderna disagrees. In a July filing with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the company said it had 'reached the good-faith determination that these individuals did not co-invent' the component in question. Its application for the patent, which has not yet been issued, names several of its own employees as the sole inventors.... If the two sides do not come to terms by the time a patent is issued, the government will have to decide whether to go to court...."

Mark Maske of the Washington Post: "The NFL imposed fines Tuesday on quarterback Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers for violations of the league's coronavirus protocols. That came hours after Rodgers said in a broadcast interview that he stands by the comments he made last week about his vaccination status but he also takes 'full responsibility' for misleading statements he made previously about being unvaccinated. The league fined the Packers $300,000. Rodgers and a teammate, wide receiver Allen Lazard, were fined $14,650 each for violating the protocols for unvaccinated players. The findings of the review conducted by the league and the NFL Players Association as well as the fines were confirmed by NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy. Rodgers was not suspended, and the Packers said they accepted the penalties." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: The Packers pay Rodgers millions of dollars a year, plus I assume State Farm throws many more millions his way. He won't even notice a $300K fine. And, sadly, he doesn't seem to have learned a thing from actions & comments that brought him to the attention of even football know-nothings like me. He's one of those colossal jerks who gets to laugh all the way to the bank.

The New York Times' live updates of Covid-19 developments Tuesday are here: "Pfizer and BioNTech are expected on Tuesday to ask federal regulators to expand authorization of its coronavirus booster shot to include all adults.... The Food and Drug Administration is considered likely to grant the request, perhaps before Thanksgiving." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ The Washington Post's live Covid-19 updates for Tuesday are here: "A federal court has ruled that United Airlines can put employees who are unvaccinated against the coronavirus on unpaid leave, even if the workers had received medical or religious exemptions from the company, according to Leslie Scott, a spokeswoman for the carrier. The Monday ruling allows the airline to proceed with enforcing the mandate, which doesn't allow unvaccinated employees to submit to regular testing in lieu of getting vaccinated. About 2,000 workers have received medical or religious exemptions, Scott said. They will be offered non-customer-facing roles, and those who don't accept will be put on leave, she said." (Also linked yesterday.)

Beyond the Beltway

Hannah Natanson of the Washington Post: There is "a wave of anger against elected and appointed school officials, including superintendents, that is cresting nationwide. Parents upset over things including mask mandates in schools, as well as officials' efforts to introduce more diverse curriculums and bias trainings for teachers, have taken over school board meetings, shouting abuse, making threats and demanding resignations.... The hottest conflict over education has arguably come in Loudoun [County, Va.,], a majority White, politically divided and wealthy suburb just outside D.C. Intense coverage from conservative media has converted Loudoun into the face of the nation's culture wars."

California. Marie: The "Where's Gavin?" story has been popping up around the Internets -- mostly on right-wing outlets -- for several days. Now it has made the New York Times, so I suppose it's worth linking.

California. Julian Mark of the Washington Post: "According to a lawsuit [Daphna & Alexander] Cardinale filed Monday, the fertility clinic that facilitated [Daphna's] in vitro pregnancy, the California Center for Reproductive Health, implanted another couple's embryo into Daphna. Their own embryo, the Cardinales learned, was implanted into the mother of the child to whom Daphna gave birth. In other words, the Cardinales allege, the fertility clinic mixed up the embryos -- a mistake that forced the couples to trade their babies after months of raising them.... The couple is suing the clinic and its owner, obstetrician Eliran Mor, for monetary damages. Their claims against Mor and his company include breach of contract, medical malpractice and infliction of emotional distress on the couple."

New Hampshire. John Wagner of the Washington Post: "New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu (R) announced Tuesday that he would seek reelection to a fourth term, rebuffing overtures from GOP leaders in Washington, who have urged him to seek a U.S. Senate seat and help the party retake control of the chamber. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), among others, had sought to persuade Sununu to challenge Sen. Maggie Hassan (D) in a state that represents one of the Republican Party's best chances for a pickup next year." CNN's story is here. (Also linked yesterday.)

Oklahoma. Timothy Bella of the Washington Post: "Two former Oklahoma police officers were convicted of murder for using their Tasers more than 50 times on an unarmed man who died in 2019, court records show. Brandon Dingman, 35, and Joshua Taylor, 27, were convicted of second-degree murder Friday in the death of Jared Lakey, 28, with the court ruling that the officers' repeated use of their Tasers on the man in July 2019 was 'dangerous and unnecessary.' Dingman and Taylor's use of their Tasers played a 'substantial factor' in Lakey's death, according to court records, and 'greatly exceeded what would have been necessary or warranted by the attendant circumstances.'"

November 9, 2021

Late Morning Update:

Katharine Seelye of the New York Times: "Max Cleland, who lost both legs and an arm during the Vietnam War and who became a Senator from Georgia, only to lose his seat after Republicans impugned his patriotism, died on Tuesday at his home in Atlanta. He was 79. The cause was congestive heart failure, said ... a close friend. After a grenade accident in Vietnam in 1968, Mr. Cleland spent 18 months recuperating. He served in local politics in his native Georgia and as head of the federal Veterans Administration, now the Department of Veterans Affairs, before he was elected in 1996 to the U.S. Senate. But it was his treatment at the hands of Republicans while he was seeking re-election in 2002 that made him a Democratic cause célèbre. Running for another term just a year after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, he was the target of an infamous 30-second television spot that showed images of Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein while it questioned Mr. Cleland's commitment to homeland security and implied that he was soft on the war on terror.... Even prominent Republicans, including Senators John McCain and Chuck Hagel, both Vietnam veterans, were outraged."

Paul LeBlanc of CNN: "Republican Rep. Fred Upton on Monday shared a threatening voicemail he had received after voting for the bipartisan infrastructure bill last week. In the voicemail, which Upton played during an interview with CNN's Anderson Cooper..., a caller told the Michigan Republican: 'I hope you die. I hope everybody in your f**king family dies,' while labeling him a 'f**king piece of sh*t traitor.'Upton was one of just 13 House Republicans who voted with Democrats on Friday to pass the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill.... Upton's office said the voicemail was not an isolated incident. The calls came after GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia tweeted the phone numbers of those who had voted for the bill and later called them traitors."

Rebecca Shabad of NBC News: "A federal judge on Monday shot down a request from ... Donald Trump to prevent the National Archives from releasing documents requested by the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. Trump filed a lawsuit last month to block the records but that case is still ongoing. Trump filed an emergency motion late Monday, asking Judge Tanya S. Chutkan of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to grant a stay in the case pending appeal or an administrative injunction. Chutkan, however, quickly denied the request on Tuesday, calling the move 'premature.'"

The New York Times' live updates of Covid-19 developments Tuesday are here: "Pfizer and BioNTech are expected on Tuesday to ask federal regulators to expand authorization of its coronavirus booster shot to include all adults.... The Food and Drug Administration is considered likely to grant the request, perhaps before Thanksgiving." ~~~

     ~~~ The Washington Post's live Covid-19 updates for Tuesday are here: "A federal court has ruled that United Airlines can put employees who are unvaccinated against the coronavirus on unpaid leave, even if the workers had received medical or religious exemptions from the company, according to Leslie Scott, a spokeswoman for the carrier. The Monday ruling allows the airline to proceed with enforcing the mandate, which doesn't allow unvaccinated employees to submit to regular testing in lieu of getting vaccinated. About 2,000 workers have received medical or religious exemptions, Scott said. They will be offered non-customer-facing roles, and those who don't accept will be put on leave, she said."

New Hampshire. John Wagner of the Washington Post: "New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu (R) announced Tuesday that he would seek reelection to a fourth term, rebuffing overtures from GOP leaders in Washington, who have urged him to seek a U.S. Senate seat and help the party retake control of the chamber. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), among others, had sought to persuade Sununu to challenge Sen. Maggie Hassan (D) in a state that represents one of the Republican Party’s best chances for a pickup next year." CNN's story is here.

Karla Adam & Harry Stevens of the Washington Post: "The largest delegation at the COP26 climate summit does not belong to the United States, which is trying hard to reinstate itself as a climate leader, or to the United Kingdom, the host nation that pulled out the stops by adding Prince William and David Attenborough to its list of delegates. The prize for largest delegation went to the fossil fuel industry, which, as a whole, sent more delegates than any single country, according to the advocacy group Global Witness. Climate activist Greta Thunberg ... tweeted, 'I don't know about you, but I sure am not comfortable with having some of the world's biggest villains influencing & dictating the fate of the world.'"

~~~~~~~~~~

Jim Sciutto & Natasha Bertrand of CNN: "CIA Director Bill Burns held a rare conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow last week, to convey 'serious' US concerns about Russia's military buildup along the Ukrainian border and to attempt to determine Russian intentions, two sources with direct knowledge told CNN.... 'Of course, cybersecurity issues were also mentioned,' [Putin spokesman Dimitry] Peskov added." (Also linked yesterday.)

Luz Lazo of the Washington Post: "The $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill that passed the House on Friday is expected to spur the largest expansion in Amtrak's history while kick-starting repair and replacement projects across the nation's passenger rail network. The bill includes $66 billion in new funding for rail to address Amtrak's repair backlog, improve stations, replace old trains and create a path to modernize the Washington-to-Boston corridor, the nation's busiest. It would be the biggest boost of federal aid to Amtrak since Congress created it half a century ago.... It could also help bring passenger service to new cities and towns across the nation."

Jeff Cox of CNBC: "Federal Reserve Governor Randal Quarles said he is stepping down from his post around the end of the year, an announcement that comes a little over a month after ending his run as the Fed's supervisor of the banking system.... Quarles was named to the board in October 2017 to fill a term that expired the following year. He subsequently was reappointed to a term that would have ran out in 2032. In recent weeks, he has become a lightning rod for criticism from some of the more progressive congressional leaders. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., has been one of the more vocal critics, faulting Quarles and Fed Chairman Jerome Powell for loosening the regulations that were put in place following the financial crisis.... With Quarles' resignation and the expiration of Federal Open Market Committee Vice Chairman Richard Clarida's term on Jan. 31, 2022, [President] Biden will have the opportunity to remake the Fed."

Luke Broadwater of the New York Times: "The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol issued new subpoenas on Monday for a half-dozen allies of ... Donald J. Trump, including his former national security adviser Michael T. Flynn, as it moved its focus to an orchestrated effort to overturn the 2020 election. The subpoenas reflect an effort to go beyond the events of the Capitol riot and delve deeper into what committee investigators believe gave rise to it: a concerted campaign by Mr. Trump and his network of advisers to promote false claims of voter fraud as a way to keep him in power. One of the people summoned on Monday was John Eastman, a lawyer who drafted a memo laying out how Mr. Trump could use the vice president and Congress to try to invalidate the election results." Also subpoenaed Monday were Bernard Kerik, Bill Stepian, Jason Miller & Angela McCallum. ~~~

     ~~~ Betsy Swan & Kyle Cheney of Politico: "The Jan. 6 Committee is homing in on the top actors linked to Donald Trump's last-ditch attempt to overturn the 2020 election, newly subpoenaing campaign employees and allies linked to the infamous 'war room' that was used to strategize how to reverse the election results."

** Blueprint for a Coup. Christian Vanderbroux of the Bulwark: "... in mid-October 2020 ... the Claremont Institute and Texas Public Policy Foundation's (TPPF) [published a report] called '79 Days to Inauguration,' prepared by 'Constitutional scholars, along with experts in election law, foreign affairs, law enforcement, and media ... coordinated by a retired military officer experienced in running hundreds of wargames.' Among these luminaries were figures such as John Eastman -- lawyer for Donald Trump and author of a memo advising Vice President Mike Pence to unilaterally block certification of Joe Biden's win in order to buy time for GOP-controlled state legislatures to send competing slates of electors -- and K.T. McFarland, who served as deputy national security advisor under Michael Flynn in the Trump White House. Other participants include Kevin Roberts, then-executive director of the Texas Public Policy Foundation (soon to be head of the Heritage Foundation), Jeff Giesea, 'a [Peter] Thiel protégé and secret funder of alt-right causes,' and Charles Haywood, a fringe blogger who anxiously awaits an American 'Caesar, authoritarian reconstructor of our institutions.' Yet despite the authors' pretensions to scholarship and rigor -- 'for a simulation to be valuable, the other side gets a vote and actions must be based in realism' -- the final document is a frenzied and paranoid piece of work, revealing of the anxieties and aspirations of the authoritarian right. Practically, the report is an instruction manual for how Trump partisans at all levels of government -- aided by citizen 'posses' of Proud Boys and Oath Keepers -- could, quite literally, round up opposition activists, kill their leaders, and install Donald Trump for a second term in office." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: The fact that this "report" was conceived & printed even before the election demonstrates that the January 6 coup attempt was not a spontaneous uprising in response to a few incendiary speeches in January but a long-anticipated, multi-faceted plot to overturn a democratic election, should the election results warrant it.

Cashing In on Holding Out. David Corn of Mother Jones: "Over the past few weeks, Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) has been involved in some of the most intense Capitol Hill negotiations of recent years.... Yet during this hectic and stressful stretch, Manchin has found the time to pursue a side project: a book deal. In between negotiating sessions that have raised his profile in Washington and across the nation, Manchin has held multiple conversations regarding this book project, according to people with knowledge of this endeavor. And the project has reached the stage of a book proposal being drafted.... Manchin has had multiple conversations with agents and has discussed a possible collaborator [MB: i.e., someone to ghost-write the book], according to people with knowledge of this project."

Michael Kranish of the Washington Post takes a look at Mitch McConnell's long, unprincipled political career. (Also linked yesterday.)

Rick Scott Is Neutral on Spousal Strangulation. John Wagner of the Washington Post: "Sen. Rick Scott, who heads the group that works to elect Senate Republicans, declined Monday to say whether Sean Parnell, a GOP hopeful in Pennsylvania who has been accused of strangling his wife and abusing his children, is the right candidate for the job.... Scott maintained that in his role as NRSC chairman he should remain neutral in primaries, except in the cases of GOP incumbents." MB: Donald Trump has endorsed Parnell ... maybe because strangulation, I don't know. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ Daniel Dale of CNN: "A new national television ad from House Republicans' campaign arm deceptively uses images of events that occurred during ... Donald Trump's time in office to attack President Joe Biden's tenure. The 30-second ad from the National Republican Congressional Committee, titled "Chaos," begins with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi predicting 'bold progress for the people when we have President Joe Biden in the White House.' It then contrasts Pelosi's words with a rapid-fire series of photos and videos depicting scenes of violence and tumult in the US and abroad.... Nowhere does the ad offer any indication that the images from 2020 are not from Biden's presidency."

Felicia Sonmez of the Washington Post: "Rep. Paul A. Gosar (R-Ariz.) shared an altered, animated video that depicts him killing Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and swinging two swords at President Biden, prompting condemnation and calls for his Twitter and Instagram accounts to be suspended. Ocasio-Cortez responded Monday night after arriving in Glasgow, Scotland, as part of a congressional delegation. Gosar, she said, will probably 'face no consequences' because House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) 'cheers him on with excuses.'... A Twitter spokesperson said late Monday that a 'public interest notice' had been placed on Gosar's tweet because it violates the company's policy against hateful conduct." The AP has a brief report here. MB: The House should at least censure Gosar, if they can't think up anything more harsh to do. And I don't think they need Kevin's permission to do so.

"Goodbye, America." Isabelle Khurshudyan & Mary Ilyushina of the Washington Post: "A man who allegedly participated in the Capitol riot on Jan. 6 and is wanted by the FBI is now seeking asylum in Belarus, the country's state media reported Monday, presenting him as a 'simple American whose shops were burned by Black Lives Matter activists.' Evan Neumann, who appears to have sat down for an interview with Belarusian state television in a segment entitled 'Goodbye, America,' is wanted in the United States on charges of violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds, as well as for assaulting, resisting and obstructing law enforcement during civil disorder.... But Neumann could be welcomed in Belarus as part of the regime's anti-Western propaganda." (Also linked yesterday.)

Jessica Gresko of the AP: "The Supreme Court is to hear arguments in a case about whether Texas must allow a chaplain to pray audibly and touch a prisoner during an execution. Executions in Texas, the nation's busiest death penalty state, have been delayed while the court considers the question. The outcome won't take anyone off death row but could make clear what religious accommodations officials must make for inmates who are being put to death. The case before the justices involves John Henry Ramirez, who is on death row for killing a Corpus Christi convenience store worker during a 2004 robbery. Ramirez stabbed the man, Pablo Castro, 29 times and robbed him of $1.25."

The Washington Post live-updated developments Monday at the COP26 conference in Glasgow: "In a 44-minute speech in Glasgow, [former U.S. President Barack] Obama affirmed that 'the U.S. is back' at the negotiating table after four years of 'a lack of leadership.' He urged young people to be hopeful in the face of cynicism and despair, and he criticized China, Russia, the Republican Party and the administration of ... Donald Trump for their relative inattention to an 'existential' problem.... Midway through his speech to the U.N. climate summit..., Obama took a shot at Republicans, saying many GOP lawmakers have rejected the overwhelming scientific consensus on global warming. 'One of our two major parties has decided not only to sit on the sidelines, but express active hostility toward climate science and make climate change a partisan issue,' Obama said. He added for his international audience: 'Perhaps some of you have similar a dynamic in your own countries, although, generally speaking, the United States seems to have a more vigorous opposition to climate than in many other places.'" (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ A CNN report on President Obama's Glasgow speech is here. The U.N.'s Youtube video of the speech is here. (Also linked yesterday.)

The Pandemic, Ctd.

Welcome to America! Ceylan Yeginsu, et al., of the New York Times: "The United States reopened its borders for vaccinated foreign travelers on Monday, ending more than 18 months of restrictions on international travel that separated families and cost the global travel industry hundreds of billions of dollars in tourism revenue. Before dawn on Monday, thousands of excited passengers flocked into Heathrow Airport for the first flights to the United States out of London. They were welcomed by dozens of airline staff who beamed and waved American flags as they ushered guests toward designated areas for documentation and security checks.... As a steady stream of traffic made its way through the San Ysidro, Calif., border crossing between Mexico and the United States on Monday morning, Todd Gloria, the mayor of San Diego, said, 'This is a great day for Tijuana, for San Diego, and for the entire binational region.' Traffic at the Canadian border was less robust. Canadians returning to their country must take an expensive P.C.R. test, which makes going to the United States for a quick shopping trip impractical."

Spencer Kimball of CNBC: "The White House on Monday said businesses should move forward wit President Joe Biden's vaccine and testing requirements for private businesses, despite a federal appeals court ordering a temporary halt to the rules.... In its [legal] response [to the pause ordered by Fifth Circuit judges] Monday evening, the Biden administration asked the court to lift the pause, dismissing the states' and companies' claims of harm as 'premature' given that the deadlines for vaccination and testing are not until January. The administration claimed that pausing the requirements 'would likely cost dozens or even hundreds of lives per day' as the virus spreads. The Labor and Justice Departments also argued that OSHA acted within its authority as established by Congress."

The New York Times' live updates of Covid-19 developments Monday are here. The Washington Post's live Covid-19 updates for Monday are here. (Also linked yesterday.)

Yes, Fox "News" Is Killing off Its Viewers. David Leonhardt of the New York Times: "There simply was not a strong partisan pattern to Covid during the first year that it was circulating in the U.S. Then the vaccines arrived. They proved so powerful, and the partisan attitudes toward them so different, that a gap in Covid's death toll quickly emerged.... The gap in Covid's death toll between red and blue America has grown faster over the past month than at any previous point. In October, 25 out of every 100,000 residents of heavily Trump counties died from Covid, more than three times higher than the rate in heavily Biden counties (7.8 per 100,000). October was the fifth consecutive month that the percentage gap between the death rates in Trump counties and Biden counties widened.... The ... explanation is straightforward: The vaccines are remarkably effective at preventing severe Covid, and almost 40 percent of Republican adults remain unvaccinated, compared with about 10 percent of Democratic adults.... This situation is a tragedy, in which irrational fears about vaccine side effects have overwhelmed rational fears about a deadly virus. It stems from disinformation -- promoted by right-wing media, like Rupert Murdoch's Fox News, the Sinclair Broadcast Group and online sources...." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ AND So Is This Guy. Ken Belson & Emily Anthes of the New York Times: "... when news broke that [Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers] tested positive for the coronavirus last week and was unvaccinated, Rodgers justified his decision to not get vaccinated by speaking out against the highly effective vaccines and spewing a stream of misinformation and junk science. Medical professionals were disheartened not just because it will make it harder for them to persuade adults to get vaccinated, but because they are also starting to vaccinate 5- to 11-year-olds. 'When you're a celebrity, you are given a platform,' said Dr. Paul A. Offit, the director of the Vaccine Education Center at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. 'When you choose to do what Aaron Rodgers is doing, which is to use the platform to put out misinformation that could cause people to make bad decisions for themselves or their children, then you have done harm.'... In [an] interview, Rodgers ... [tried] to distance himself from conspiracy theorists. 'I'm not, you know, some sort of anti-vax, flat-earther,' he said. 'I am somebody who's a critical thinker.' But many of his statements on the show echo those made by people in the anti-vaccine movement." ~~~

     ~~~ Like a Bad Neighbor. Mary Papenfuss of the Huffington Post: "State Farm insurance is continuing its financial partnership with vaccine-rejecting NFL star Aaron Rodgers, praising the Green Bay Packers quarterback as a 'great ambassador' for the company for nearly a decade. But the insurance giant is still encouraging people to get vaccinated against COVID-19, even though their ambassador evaded questions about his vaccination status, spread misinformation about the disease and has tested positive for COVID-19. 'We don't support some of the statements that he has made, but we respect his right to have his own personal point of view,' said a statement issued by a company spokesperson to USA Today."

     ~~~ Marie: Actually, Rodgers is a perfect fit for State Farm. He doesn't care about the consequences of his actions, & the insurance company suits don't care about theirs, either. Capitalism is awesome. State Farm carries a lot of my insurance. They'll be hearing from me. (I'm sure they're quaking in their boots.) ~~~

~~~ So This. Aaron Blake of the Washington Post: The Kaiser Family Foundation ran a new poll that "asked about false and unproven claims that have permeated the past year or so. Of the eight statements the poll tested, just 6 percent of Republicans believed each of them to be untrue, compared with 38 percent of Democrats. And 46 percent of Republicans either believed or were unsure about at least half of the claims, compared with just 14 percent of Democrats.... If you exclude Republicans who haven't heard the claims and focus on just who is familiar with them, a majority of them actually believe the claims."

Beyond the Beltway

Kentucky. Daniel Victor & Eduardo Medina of the New York Times: "A girl reported missing from Asheville, N.C., and in distress in the passenger seat of a car traveling through Kentucky appeared to be waving through the window to passing cars on Thursday. But one driver recognized the signal.... The girl, 16, was using a new distress signal, tucking her thumb into her palm before closing her fingers over it, according to the Laurel County Sheriff's Office. The signal, created by the Canadian Women's Foundation for people to indicate that they are at risk of abuse and need help, has spread largely through TikTok in the past year. The driver who spotted the signal called 911 and conveyed a suspicion that the girl was in trouble because she was using the hand gesture. Though the dispatcher and officers were unfamiliar with the signal, sheriff's deputies pulled the car over to investigate, and learned that the girl's parents had reported her missing two days earlier. Sheriff's deputies arrested the driver, James Herbert Brick, 61, of Cherokee, N.C., and charged him with unlawful imprisonment. Mr. Brick, who the sheriff's office said had pornographic images of a child on his phone, also faces a child pornography charge."

Wisconsin. Julie Bosman of the New York Times: "Gaige Grosskreutz, the only person who survived being shot by Kyle Rittenhouse in Kenosha, Wis., in August 2020, took the witness stand on Monday and described the instant he faced Mr. Rittenhouse, who had just fired several shots with a semiautomatic rifle. 'What was going through your mind at this particular moment?' Thomas Binger, the prosecutor, asked in court. 'That I was going to die,' Mr. Grosskreutz, a volunteer paramedic, said. As the prosecution's case in the homicide trial of Mr. Rittenhouse nears an end, Mr. Grosskreutz, 28, calmly delivered testimony for several hours as a star witness for the state. But his testimony at times lent support to Mr. Rittenhouse's central claim, that he was acting in self-defense when he shot Mr. Grosskreutz and two other men."

News Lede

AP: "Four astronauts returned to Earth on Monday, riding home with SpaceX to end a 200-day space station mission that began last spring. Their capsule streaked through the late night sky like a dazzling meteor before parachuting into the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Pensacola, Florida. Recovery boats quickly moved in with spotlights.... Within an hour, all four astronauts were out of the capsule, exchanging fist bumps with the team on the recovery ship. Their homecoming -- coming just eight hours after leaving the International Space Station -- paved the way for SpaceX's launch of their four replacements as early as Wednesday night."

November 8, 2021

Late Morning Update:

Jim Sciutto & Natasha Bertrand of CNN: "CIA Director Bill Burns held a rare conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow last week, to convey 'serious' US concerns about Russia's military buildup along the Ukrainian border and to attempt to determine Russian intentions, two sources with direct knowledge told CNN.... 'Of course, cybersecurity issues were also mentioned,' [Putin spokesman Dimitry] Peskov added."

The Washington Post is live-updating developments at the COP26 conference in Glasgow: "In a 44-minute speech in Glasgow, [former U.S. President Barack] Obama affirmed that 'the U.S. is back' at the negotiating table after four years of 'a lack of leadership.' He urged young people to be hopeful in the face of cynicism and despair, and he criticized China, Russia, the Republican Party and the administration of ... Donald Trump for their relative inattention to an 'existential' problem.... Midway through his speech to the U.N. climate summit..., Obama took a shot at Republicans, saying many GOP lawmakers have rejected the overwhelming scientific consensus on global warming. 'One of our two major parties has decided not only to sit on the sidelines, but express active hostility toward climate science and make climate change a partisan issue,' Obama said. He added for his international audience: 'Perhaps some of you have similar a dynamic in your own countries, although, generally speaking, the United States seems to have a more vigorous opposition to climate than in many other places.'" ~~~

~~~ A CNN report on President Obama's Glasgow speech is here. The U.N.'s Youtube video is here.

Michael Kranish of the Washington Post takes a look at Mitch McConnell's long, unprincipled political career.

Rick Scott: Neutral on Spousal Strangulation. John Wagner of the Washington Post: "Sen. Rick Scott, who heads the group that works to elect Senate Republicans, declined Monday to say whether Sean Parnell, a GOP hopeful in Pennsylvania who has been accused of strangling his wife and abusing his children, is the right candidate for the job.... Scott maintained that in his role as NRSC chairman he should remain neutral in primaries, except in the cases of GOP incumbents." MB: Donald Trump has endorsed Parnell ... maybe because strangulation, I don't know.

"Goodbye, America." Isabelle Khurshudyan & Mary Ilyushina of the Washington Post: "A man who allegedly participated in the Capitol riot on Jan. 6 and is wanted by the FBI is now seeking asylum in Belarus, the country's state media reported Monday, presenting him as a 'simple American whose shops were burned by Black Lives Matter activists.' Evan Neumann, who appears to have sat down for an interview with Belarusian state television in a segment entitled 'Goodbye, America,' is wanted in the United States on charges of violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds, as well as for assaulting, resisting and obstructing law enforcement during civil disorder.... But Neumann could be welcomed in Belarus as part of the regime's anti-Western propaganda."

The New York Times' live updates of Covid-19 developments Monday are here. The Washington Post's live Covid-19 updates for Monday are here.

Yes, Fox "News" Is Killing off Its Viewers. David Leonhardt of the New York Times: "There simply was not a strong partisan pattern to Covid during the first year that it was circulating in the U.S. Then the vaccines arrived. They proved so powerful, and the partisan attitudes toward them so different, that a gap in Covid's death toll quickly emerged.... The gap in Covid's death toll between red and blue America has grown faster over the past month than at any previous point. In October, 25 out of every 100,000 residents of heavily Trump counties died from Covid, more than three times higher than the rate in heavily Biden counties (7.8 per 100,000). October was the fifth consecutive month that the percentage gap between the death rates in Trump counties and Biden counties widened.... The ... explanation is straightforward: The vaccines are remarkably effective at preventing severe Covid, and almost 40 percent of Republican adults remain unvaccinated, compared with about 10 percent of Democratic adults.... This situation is a tragedy, in which irrational fears about vaccine side effects have overwhelmed rational fears about a deadly virus. It stems from disinformation -- promoted by right-wing media, like Rupert Murdoch's Fox News, the Sinclair Broadcast Group and online sources...."

~~~~~~~~~~

Where Trump Failed, Biden Delivered. Matt Viser of the Washington Post: "... over the past three months, [President] Biden has demonstrated a willingness, and ability, to carry out some of the policies Trump could not.... 'Finally, infrastructure week,' Biden said, adding later of the $1.2 trillion measure funding improvements to transportation, electricity and other needs: 'We did something that's long overdue, that long has been talked about in Washington.' Biden seemed to relish not only besting his predecessor, but also doing so in a bipartisan way that to him began to validate the kind of politics that Biden seeks to practice. At a time of tribal warfare and balkanized politics, Biden could fairly tout legislation that was supported by top Senate Republicans such as Mitch McConnell -- and in many ways saved when 13 Republican House members backed it late Friday night as six Democrats voted against." ~~~

     ~~~ AND Biden's Success Makes Trumpty-Dumpty Vewy Angry. Caroline Vakil of the Hill: "Former President Trump on Sunday doubled down on his criticism of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and other Senate Republicans who voted in favor of passing a $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill. 'All Republicans who voted for Democrat longevity should be ashamed of themselves, in particular Mitch McConnell, for granting a two month stay which allowed the Democrats time to work things out at our Country's, and the Republican Party's, expense!' Trump said in a statement. The former president called Republican lawmakers who voted in favor of the bill 'RINOs.'..."

Jennifer Rubin of the Washington Post: "This week, deputy White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre showed how to start fighting back against Republicans.... Asked about critical race theory in the Virginia contest on Thursday, she began with a full-throated defense of accurate history in instruction: '... great countries are honest, right? They have to be honest with themselves about the history, which is good and the bad. And our kids should be proud to be Americans after learning that history.'... [That is,] eliminating the story of individual and collective struggles to form a more perfect union is not only disinformation, but also unpatriotic.... 'Fundamentally, we believe a school's curriculum isn't a federal decision. It's rightly up to communities around the country -- the parents, the school, the school board, the teachers and the administrators. And that means that politicians .. should not be dictating what our kids are being taught.'... 'Republicans are lying[, Jean-Pierre said. ']... And they're cynically trying to use our kids as a political football.... They're talking about our kids ... when it's election season, but they won't vote for them when it matters.... Republicans did not vote for the American Rescue Plan.'... Democrats should not be shy about arguing that the last thing we want is Confederate flag boosters in Congress writing lesson plans."

Mike Allen of Axios: "Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) told 'Axios on HBO' he'll make masculinity a signature political issue, because he claims 'the left' is telling men: 'You're part of the problem. ... Your masculinity is inherently problematic.'... As an ambitious Republican frequently mentioned as a possible future candidate for president or vice president, Hawley, 41, is using American masculinity to appeal to suburban parents, and to working men won over by Donald Trump. 'As conservatives, we've got to call men back to responsibility,' Hawley said. 'We've got to say that spending your time not working ... spending your time on video games, spending your time watching porn online ... is not good for you, your family or this country.'" MB: If Hawley were a normal person, his sexual identity crisis would not be funny at all. But, well, he's Josh Hawley.

Mary Papenfuss of the Huffington Post: "In a startling address to constituents, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) recently talked about controversial COVID-19 conspiracist Joe Rogan becoming the 'president' of Texas if the state secedes from the union. 'I'm not there yet,' Cruz told an audience last month at Texas A&M University about Texas seceding from the United States -- popularly known as 'Texit.' But 'if there comes a point where it's hopeless, then I think we take NASA, we take the military, we take the oil,' he said to loud applause." More on anti-American Senator Ted linked under "The Pandemic, Ctd."

Sara Boboltz of the Huffington Post: "At least eight people were killed and about two dozen injured when a high-octane Travis Scott show ... descended into scenes of total chaos Friday evening.... Scott is particularly well known ... for giving raucous live performances that have led to legal consequences. He's been arrested at least twice over accusations that he encouraged fans to rush past security barriers.... During 2015's Lollapalooza festival in Chicago..., he took the stage for a packed crowd ― albeit briefly. Police arrested Scott and charged him with disorderly conduct after only a few minutes, saying that he was encouraging fans to jump barriers and rush the stage in defiance of festival security measures. 'Middle finger up to security right now!' Scott shouted into the microphone, Rolling Stone reported at the time. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to one year of probation, according to The Associated Press. In early 2017, Scott was arrested again on a similar charge: Police accused him of inciting a riot during a show at the Walmart Arkansas Music Pavilion. Several people, including a security guard, had been injured while Scott was on stage allegedly encouraging people to join him. He pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct in a deal with prosecutors, reportedly in exchange for dropping more serious charges." ~~~

~~~ When Chaos Is the Point. Sarah Cahlan & Elyse Samuels of the Washington Post "reviewed dozens of videos from the night to understand how the mass-casualty event unfolded.... Key moments of synced videos display a tumultuous scene from the crowd's perspective, which includes concertgoers receiving medical aid and others trying to stop the concert, as the show continues." ~~~

~~~~ David Goodman & Edgar Sandoval of the New York Times: "Concert organizers and Houston city officials knew that the crowd at a music festival planned by Travis Scott, a favorite local rapper turned megastar, could be difficult to control. That's what happened two years earlier, the last time Mr. Scott held his Astroworld Festival. For months, they braced themselves, adding dozens more officers from the Houston Police Department and more private security hired by Live Nation, the concert organizer. The Houston police chief, who knows Mr. Scott personally and felt the musician had been trying to do good for his hometown, said that he visited Mr. Scott in his trailer before his show on Friday and conveyed concerns about the energy in the crowd, according to a person with knowledge of the chief's account.... A spokeswoman for the Houston Police Department declined to comment on their timeline of events or on Chief Finner's private conversations, citing the pending investigation."

Brady Dennis & Sarah Kaplan of the Washington Post: "The pomp and promises that marked the initial days of the COP26 climate conference [in Glasgow, Scotland] are giving way to the difficult task of hammering out an agreement on what nations will actually do together to combat global warming -- and how.... COP26 President Alok Sharma, striving to make Glasgow a success, urged delegates that it was 'the time to shift the mode of work' and enter 'a more political, high-level phase of the conference.'... In coming days, by contrast, negotiators from nearly 200 countries will haggle over every word in every line of an agreement that could shape how nations report progress on cutting greenhouse gas emissions, how global carbon markets function, and how the rich countries of the world deliver on promises to help more vulnerable nations." ~~~

~~~ Chris Mooney, et al., of the Washington Post: "Across the world, many countries underreport their greenhouse gas emissions in their reports to the United Nations, a Washington Post investigation has found. An examination of 196 country reports reveals a giant gap between what nations declare their emissions to be versus the greenhouse gases they are sending into the atmosphere.... The plan to save the world from the worst of climate change is built on data. But the data the world is relying on is inaccurate.... The gap ... is the result of questionably drawn rules, incomplete reporting in some countries and apparently willful mistakes in others -- and the fact that in some cases, humanity's full impacts on the planet are not even required to be reported." MB: Isn't it ridiculous to allow politicians to report such important data on an "honor system"? It's like making Donald Trump the White House ethics advisor or appointing him IRS commissioner. Or, well, (Orwell?) putting Trump in charge of anything.

Will Steakin of ABC News: "In an angry conversation on his final day as president, Donald Trump told the chairwoman of the Republican National Committee he was leaving the GOP and creating his own political party -- and that he didn't care if the move would destroy the Republican Party, according to a new book by ABC News Chief Washington Correspondent Jonathan Karl. Trump only backed down when Republican leaders threatened to take actions that would have cost Trump millions of dollars, Karl writes his upcoming book, 'Betrayal: The Final Act of the Trump Show.' 'I'm done,' Trump told [RNC Chair Ronna Romney] McDaniel. 'I'm starting my own party.' 'You cannot do that,' McDaniel told Trump. 'If you do, we will lose forever.' 'Exactly. You lose forever without me,' Trump responded. 'I don't care.' Trump's attitude was that if he had lost, he wanted everybody around him to lose as well, Karl writes.... According to the book, [over the next several days,] 'McDaniel and her leadership team made it clear that if Trump left, the party would immediately stop paying legal bills incurred during post-election challenges.... But, more significant, the RNC threatened to render Trump's most valuable political asset worthless,' Karl writes, referring to 'the campaign's list of the email addresses of forty million Trump supporters.'"

The Pandemic, Ctd.

David Cohen of Politico: "Surgeon General Vivek Murthy on Sunday defended the Biden administration's workplace rules on vaccine mandates after a federal court blocked a new Occupational Safety and Health Administration policy. Citing historical precedents datin back to George Washington during the American Revolution, Murthy said President Joe Biden had faith in both the legality of the mandate and the effectiveness of such requirements.... Noting that the United States still has '75,000 cases a day,' Murthy said that the mandate ultimately will have great benefits for the economy and for society as a whole.&"

Who Shot Big Bird? Ben Kesslen of NBC News: "'I got the COVID-19 vaccine today! My wing is feeling a little sore, but it'll give my body an extra protective boost that keeps me and others healthy,' ['Sesame Street''s Big Bird] wrote on Twitter. 'Ms. @EricaRHill even said I've been getting vaccines since I was a little bird. I had no idea!' While Big Bird has been on "Sesame Street" for decades, his ageless character is meant to be 6 years old. He became eligible for the vaccine only in late October, when the Food and Drug Administration announced that it had authorized the Pfizer vaccine for children ages 5 to 11. The right wing quickly seized on the Muppet's tweet. 'Government propaganda --- for your 5 year old!' Sen. Ted Cruz tweeted." MB: Don't know who controls the Dr. Seuss franchise now, but I strongly suggest they give a very public shot in the arm to Sam-I-Am of Green Eggs & Ham. It could drive Ted to taking up permanent residence in Cancun.

Lisa Rein, et al., of the Washington Post: "With a Monday deadline looming, high percentages of federal workers are reporting they have been vaccinated against the coronavirus. But tens of thousands of holdouts have requested exemptions on religious grounds, complicating President Biden's sweeping mandate to get the country's largest employer back to normal operations.... The number of religious objectors ranges from a little more than 60 people at the Education Department to many thousands among the 38,000-strong workforce at the Bureau of Prisons, according to federal employee union officials. A Texas-based IRS affinity group, Christian Fundamentalist Internal Revenue Employees, wrote a four-page letter to the official handling exemption requests, citing scripture and mistrust of the government among African Americans, as well as falsely claiming thousands of deaths from the coronavirus vaccine.... The process [of ruling on the requests] could take months for officials designated at each agency.... Managers will soon assume the thorny role of deciding whether someone is sincere or requesting an exemption for political reasons." Thanks to Ken W. for the link. See also his commentary in yesterday's thread. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Here are a few ways to cull the phonies: (1) check their cars to see if they sport faded Trump-Pence bumper stickers; (2) invite every one of the "religious objectors" to a MAGA rally & take the names of those who show up; (3) they work for the Bureau of Prisons or Border Patrol.

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

News Lede

New York Times: "Aaron Feuerstein, a Massachusetts industrialist who became a national hero in 1995 when he refused to lay off workers at his textile plant after a catastrophic fire, then spent hundreds of millions of dollars to rebuild it, died on Thursday at a hospital in Boston. He was 95.... Mr. Feuerstein's commitment to Lawrence and his employees was all the more noteworthy amid the painful waves of deindustrialization during the 1980s and '90s, when private-equity buyouts and wage competition drained millions of jobs from high-income states like Massachusetts.″