The Commentariat -- August 28, 2021

~~~ As Ken W. announced at the end of yesterday's Comments, you no longer need to jump through hoops to post a comment on Reality Chex. So comment as usual. No need to sign in. I learned yesterday that all Squarespace customers who use the version of Squarespace that I do were afflicted with the same problem -- for ten days. Maybe it helped that I accused them of elder abuse & asked if any of their mothers had taught them better. Thank you for your patience. You all were way nicer about it than I was.

P.S. If you live on or near the Gulf Coast, please follow advisories on Hurricane Ida. It's predicted to land as a Cat 4 about where Katrina hit 16 years ago Sunday.

~~~~~~~~~~

The New York Times' live updates of developments in Afghanistan Saturday are here. The Guardian's live Afghanistan updates for Saturday are here: British "Civilian evacuations from Afghanistan will finish today, the head of the UK armed forces, Gen Sir Nick Carter, has said. With very few civilian flights remaining, Carter said it was heartbreaking that the evacuation had failed to get everybody out." ~~~

~~~ The Washington Post's live Afghanistan updates for Saturday are here: "... the U.S. Embassy in Kabul warned Americans of ongoing security threats at the capital's airport and urged them to 'leave immediately.'"

Robert Burns & Lolita Baldor of the AP: "The United States military struck back at the Islamic State on Saturday, bombing an IS member in Afghanistan less than 48 hours after a devastating suicide bombing claimed by the group killed as many as 169 Afghans and 13 American service members at the Kabul airport. U.S. Central Command said the U.S. conducted a drone strike against an Islamic State member in Nangahar believed to be involved in planning attacks against the U.S. in Kabul. The strike killed one individual, and spokesman Navy Capt. William Urban said they knew of no civilian casualties. It wasn't clear if that individual was involved specifically in the Thursday suicide blast outside the gates of the Kabul airport...."

The Guardian's live updates of developments in Afghanistan Friday are here: "US army general William Taylor told a Pentagon press briefing: 'I can confirm that we do not believe that there was a second explosion at or near the Baron hotel. That it was one suicide bomber. We're not sure how that report was provided incorrectly, but we do know it's not any surprise that in the confusion of very dynamic events like this it can cause information sometimes to be misreported or garbled. We felt it was important to correct the record.'... During a Pentagon briefing, a US military official said they now believed there was no separate explosion at the Baron hotel." (Also linked yesterday.)

Sayed Hashemi, et al., of the AP: "Evacuation flights from Afghanistan resumed with new urgency on Friday, a day after two suicide bombings targeted the thousands of people desperately fleeing a Taliban takeover and killed dozens. The U.S. warned more attacks could come ahead of next week's end to America's longest war. Two officials said 169 Afghans died, but a final count might take time amid confusion, with many bodies dismembered or not yet identified. Scores more were wounded in the blasts. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity.... The U.S. said 13 troops were killed in the deadliest day for American forces in Afghanistan since August 2011." (Also linked yesterday.)

Loveday Morris, et al., of the Washington Post: "Thousands of Afghans who put their lives at risk to work with the United States' NATO allies have been left behind as the military evacuations wrap up, and they hunker down in fear over Taliban reprisals. Britain became the latest nation to announce an end to its airlifts on Friday, as British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace told LBC radio that evacuations would end in hours. The British military has airlifted nearly 14,000 people out over the past two weeks, but 'the sad fact is that not every single one will get out,' he said, with up to 1,100 eligible Afghans who 'didn't make it.' Other countries fell further short of their targets. Germany, whose last soldiers flew out of Afghanistan on Thursday evening, said it had rescued around 4,000 Afghans -- far shy of the 10,000 people it had identified as at risk.... From Berlin to Ottawa, questions have been raised as to why more was not done to save those who were vulnerable sooner.... While the United States is continuing airlifts, it is focusing on its own Afghan partners and stranded citizens."

They Did What??? Lara Seligman, et al., of Politico: "U.S. officials in Kabul gave the Taliban a list of names of American citizens, green card holders and Afghan allies to grant entry into the militant-controlled outer perimeter of the city's airport, a choice that's prompted outrage behind the scenes from lawmakers and military officials. The move, detailed to Politico by three U.S. and congressional officials, was designed to expedite the evacuation of tens of thousands of people from Afghanistan as chaos erupted in Afghanistan's capital city last week after the Taliban seized control of the country. It also came as the Biden administration has been relying on the Taliban for security outside the airport. Since the fall of Kabul in mid-August, nearly 100,000 people have been evacuated, most of whom had to pass through the Taliban's many checkpoints. But the decision to provide specific names to the Taliban, which has a history of brutally murdering Afghans who collaborated with the U.S. and other coalition forces during the conflict, has angered lawmakers and military officials. 'Basically, they just put all those Afghans on a kill list,' said one defense official...." (Also linked yesterday.)

James Meek of ABC News: "With the Taliban growing more violent and adding checkpoints near Kabul's airport, an all-volunteer group of American veterans of the Afghan war launched a final daring mission on Wednesday night dubbed the 'Pineapple Express' to shepherd hundreds of at-risk Afghan elite forces and their families to safety, members of the group told ABC News. Moving after nightfall in near-pitch black darkness and extremely dangerous conditions, the group said it worked unofficially in tandem with the United States military and U.S. embassy to move people, sometimes one person at a time, or in pairs, but rarely more than a small bunch, inside the wire of the U.S. military-controlled side of Hamid Karzai International Airport. The Pineapple Express' mission was underway Thursday when the attack occurred in Kabul.... There were wounded among the Pineapple Express travelers from the blast, and members of the group said they were assessing whether unaccounted-for Afghans they were helping had been killed." (Also linked yesterday.)

Karoun Demirjian & Alex Horton of the Washington Post: "The U.S. military is destroying equipment at the Kabul airport and more than doubling its temporary housing capacity on bases in the United States to extract as many people from Afghanistan as possible before Tuesday's withdrawal deadline. The military will be able to accommodate up to 50,000 Afghans at seven bases and facilities in the United States, said Pentagon spokesman John Kirby, who announced that Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico, and Fort Pickett and Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia had been added to the four installations already part of the operation. The airlift, which as of Friday morning had carried upwards of 110,000 people out of Kabul, is entering its last four days amid intense urgency.... At least 25 countries have signed on to temporarily host or serve as way stations for the tens of thousands of other Afghans who have departed Kabul."

James Clark of Task & Purpose: "On Thursday, a Marine infantry officer and battalion commander took to social media to air his frustrations with senior military leadership over their handling of the U.S. military's withdrawal from Afghanistan and what he says is a lack of accountability for mistakes made by those charged with managing the final stages of America's longest war.... The Marine Corps announced that [Lt. Col. Stuart] Scheller was relieved 'due to a loss of trust and confidence in his ability to command,' according to Maj. Jim Stenger, a spokesman for Headquarters Marine Corps.... While some comments on social media criticized the officer for calling out his senior leaders while in uniform, many others praised Scheller for putting his career on the line to do so."

Michelle Goldberg of the New York Times: "... parts of the American right ... [have expressed] open admiration for the Taliban.... The influential young white supremacist Nick Fuentes -- an ally of the Arizona Republican congressman Paul Gosar and the anti-immigrant pundit Michelle Malkin -- wrote on the encrypted app Telegram: 'The Taliban is a conservative, religious force, the U.S. is godless and liberal. The defeat of the U.S. government in Afghanistan is unequivocally a positive development.' An account linked to the Proud Boys expressed respect for the way the Taliban 'took back their national religion as law, and executed dissenters.'... Fox's Tucker Carlson, the most important nationalist voice in America, seemed to sympathize with the gender politics of Taliban-supporting Afghans.... On Twitter earlier this month, [Rep. Matt] Gaetz [R-Fla.] described the Taliban, like Trump, as 'more legitimate than the last government in Afghanistan or the current government here.'... If there's one lesson of recent American history, it's that there's no such thing as something too ridiculous to be dangerous." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: While Gaetz is of course wrong about the U.S. government's legitimacy, he does sort of have a point when he compares the Taliban to the newly-fallen Afghan government the West had propped up for years. However, it's hard to say whether that government or the Taliban would win a popularity contest in Afghanistan, and I doubt Gaetz knows. As usual, he should STFU when he doesn't know what he's talking about.

Annie Karni of the New York Times: "President Biden on Friday used his first meeting with Prime Minister Naftali Bennett of Israel to underscore that working closely with a longstanding ally in the Middle East was still a focus of his administration, even as the crisis in Afghanistan has opened him up to criticism that he is ceding ground in the wider region to extremists.... 'I look forward to us establishing a strong personal relationship,' Mr. Biden said, sitting in the Oval Office next to Mr. Bennett. He said the focus of the meeting was to demonstrate 'an unshakable partnership between our two nations.' Both men wore masks. The two leaders have significant policy differences. In an interview with The New York Times several days before Friday's meeting, Mr. Bennett said he would oppose American-led attempts to reinstate a lapsed nuclear agreement with Iran and would expand West Bank settlements that Mr. Biden opposes."

Justice Breyer Has Some Thoughts. Adam Liptak of the New York Times "in an interview prompted by [Breyer's] new book.... Justice Stephen G. Breyer says he is struggling to decide when to retire from the Supreme Court and is taking account of a host of factors, including who will name his successor. 'There are many things that go into a retirement decision,' he said." MB: If Breyer is "struggling" over whether or not to retire while a Democrat is President & Democrats hold a slim, and tenuous, Senate majority, he must get downright apoplectic over every decision he renders from on high. (Also linked yesterday.)

Lois Beckett of the Guardian: "When David Dempsey was arrested in California on Thursday and charged with attacking police officers defending the US Capitol on 6 January, local activists in Los Angeles were not surprised. Federal prosecutors have accused 34-year-old Dempsey of striking police at the Capitol with improvised weapons, including a crutch and a pole, and spraying them with a chemical agent, according to the criminal complaint against him. Five months earlier, two Los Angeles men said, Dempsey had used the exact same tactics to assault them during tense summer political demonstrations in the Tujunga neighborhood and in Beverly Hills. One of these alleged assaults had happened directly in front of police officers in Beverly Hills, and the other was reported in detail to the Los Angeles police department, according to the two men. Both said that local police failed to follow up or to arrest Dempsey, even though he had previously been charged with using bear mace on anti-Trump protesters in Santa Monica, California, in 2019."

Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs of the New York Times: "California parole commissioners recommended on Friday that Sirhan B. Sirhan should be freed on parole after spending more than 50 years in prison for assassinating Robert F. Kennedy during his campaign for president. The recommendation from the two commissioners does not necessarily mean Mr. Sirhan, 77, will walk free, but it most likely puts his fate in the hands of Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat facing a recall election that will determine his political future. A spokeswoman for Mr. Newsom declined to say whether he would approve the recommendation, only tha he would consider the case after it is reviewed by the parole board's lawyers." MB: I think Sirhan -- and every assassin -- should die in jail.

The Pandemic, Ctd.

Julian Barnes of the New York Times: "American intelligence agencies have not been able to determine if the coronavirus pandemic was the result of an accidental leak from a lab or if it emerged more naturally, according to declassified portions of a report to the White House that were released on Friday. The nation's spy agencies, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence said, are unlikely to reach a conclusion without more cooperation from China or new sources of information." CNN'sreport is here. ~~~

     ~~~ The DNI's unclassified report is here.

Victoria Guida of Politico: "Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on Friday signaled that the central bank may start pulling back some of its historic support for the economy later this year, striking an upbeat tone even as the resurgent coronavirus and labor market troubles loom. The speech at the annual Jackson Hole conference in Wyoming could be Powell's last big test before President Joe Biden decides whether to reappoint him to the government's most powerful economic post. His main task was not to rattle investors -- and rankle the White House -- with any suggestion that the Fed would abruptly exit from a policy that has bolstered the economy throughout the pandemic. He succeeded: Stocks jumped as Powell said the Fed would move deliberately." A transcript of Powell's speech, titled "Monetary Policy in the Time of COVID" & provided by the Fed, is here.

A One-Two Punch to the Pocketbook. Tony Romm & Rachel Siegel of the Washington Post: "The clock is now ticking for millions of Americans who are set to face a series of stinging financial hardships in a matter of days, with the loss of federal protections against eviction and looming cuts to their weekly unemployment checks.... The first blow arrived Friday, as landlords now can more easily begin removing tenants who have fallen behind on their monthly payments. The potential wave of evictions comes after the Supreme Court found the Biden administration's recent eviction moratorium to be unconstitutional.... Ten days later, some of those same families could face additional financial peril as enhanced unemployment insurance benefits are set to lapse. Congress repeatedly has extended these weekly checks, but President Biden and some of his congressional allies have not sought to renew them ahead of their planned expiration Sept. 6."

God Is Agnostic on Vaccinations. Bob Smietana of Religion News Service: "The spokesman for a major evangelical nonprofit was fired for promoting vaccines on the MSNBC 'Morning Joe' cable news show.... Daniel Darling, senior vice president of communications for the National Religious Broadcasters, was fired Friday (Aug. 27) after refusing to back down from his pro-vaccine statements, according to a source authorized to speak for Darling.... During a broadcast on Aug. 2, Darling, an evangelical pastor and author, told host Joe Scarborough about how his faith motivated him to get a COVID-19 vaccine. Darling described the vaccines as an amazing feat of discovery by scientists, some of whom share his Christian faith. Darling said he was proud to be vaccinated.... Earlier this week, leaders at NRB, an international association of Christian communicators with 1,100 member organizations, told Darling his statements violated the organization's policy of remaining neutral about COVID-19 vaccines. According to the source, Darling was given two options -- sign a statement admitting he had been insubordinate or be fired. When he refused to sign a statement, Darling was fired and given no severance, the source told RNS."

Florida. Meryl Kornfield of the Washington Post: "A Florida judge ruled Friday that Gov. Ron DeSantis's administration overstepped its authority in restricting school districts from enacting mask mandates after parents sued officials amid a surge in coronavirus infections. Judge John C. Cooper of Florida's 2nd Circuit sided with parents from six Florida counties who challenged DeSantis (R) and state education officials in court this week, arguing that the governor's order infringes on classroom safety guaranteed by the state's constitution. In a milestone decision in the heated debate about mask mandates in Florida, Cooper declared that the state cannot require districts to offer voluntary mandates over 'the preservation of general welfare.'... The injunction is expected to go into effect as early as next week and will bar the Education Department from punishing school districts for not complying with a Health Department rule requiring those with mask mandates to offer an opt-out option." ~~~

~~~ Texas. KVUE (Austin): "A Travis County [Austin] judge has issued a temporary injunction order against Gov. Greg Abbott and his ban on mask mandates, according to court documents.... The Austin American-Statesman reported that lawyers say Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has already appealed Judge Catherine Mauzy's ruling. Mauzy's order says that the challengers made a sufficient showing' that Abbott is not authorized to declare by executive fiat that school districts are prohibited from requiring masks to be worn. According to the judge, Abbott's ban was unlawful and exceeded his authority of the Texas Constitution."

Georgia. Brad Reed of the Raw Story: "A captain at the Wayne County Sheriff's Office who promoted anti-vaccination propaganda on his Facebook page has died from COVID-19. Local news station WSAV reports that Capt. Joe Manning died this week at the age of 57 after what Sheriff Chuck Moseley described as a brief battle with COVID-19.... On August 14th, for instance, Manning posted a meme that stated, 'If we lose on vaccines we will completely lose our right to sovereignty over our own bodies.' That very same day, Manning informed his friends that 'Wayne Feed and Seed has some liquid and past Ivermectin get it while supplies last.'"

Texas. "Freedom Fighter" Now Fighting for His Life. Josephine Harvey of Yahoo! News: "A Texas man who helped organize protests against pandemic restrictions is fighting for his life after being hospitalized for nearly a month with COVID-19, the San Angelo Standard-Times reported.... Caleb Wallace, a 30-year-old father of three, has been unconscious, ventilated and heavily sedated in the ICU at Shannon Medical Center in San Angelo since Aug. 8, the Standard-Times reported.... In July 2020, Caleb Wallace reportedly helped organize a 'freedom rally' that billed itself as a protest against the 'government being in control of our lives.' He also founded the San Angelo Freedom Defenders, which hosted a separate rally last year to 'end COVID tyranny.'... When he first felt symptoms on July 26, his wife told the Standard-Times, he refused to get tested or seek medical care. He instead began treating himself with a cocktail of Vitamin C, zinc, aspirin and ivermectin, an anti-parasitic drug that has been falsely promoted as an effective treatment for COVID-19 by conservative media. He was taken to the hospital on July 30."

Wisconsin. Maria Paul of the Washington Post: "... the Waukesha School District board decided to opt out of a federally funded program that would give free meals to all students regardless of family income. The board voted June 9 to return to the pre-pandemic National School Lunch Program, which offers free and reduced-price lunches to students who apply and receive federal money for them. Waukesha is the only eligible school district in the state to eschew the funding.... Since June, the Alliance for Education in Waukesha, about 900 parents and teachers who connected over social media, has pressed the district to switch back to the 'universal' or free-for-everyone meals after board members decried the program's potential to produce an 'addiction' to the service -- a stigma that some experts have disproved.... Karin Rajnicek, a school board member, said the free program made it easy for families to 'become spoiled.'" MB: Yes, because there's nothing like a full stomach to spoil a child.

Beyond the Beltway

Texas. Michael Levenson of the New York Times: "A police officer in Austin, Texas, who was charged with murdering a man in April 2020 has been charged with murdering another man about nine months earlier, prosecutors said on Friday. The latest indictments charge the officer, Christopher Taylor, 29, and another officer, Karl Krycia, 28, with murder and deadly conduct in the fatal shooting of Mauris DeSilva, 46, who had been holding a knife in the hallway of his condominium complex on July 31, 2019. The charges came five months after Officer Taylor had been charged with fatally shooting Michael Ramos, 42, outside an Austin apartment complex on April 24, 2020. The killing of Mr. Ramos, who was Black and Hispanic, set off protests against police violence in Austin about a month before the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis catalyzed global demonstrations against police brutality and systemic racism. Mr. DeSilva had severe mental illness and had been holding a knife to his neck when people in the building called 911, according to a lawsuit filed by his father that accuses Officers Taylor and Krycia of knowing that Mr. DeSilva was experiencing a mental health crisis and yet still responding 'as if this were the scene of a violent crime.'"

News Ledes

Weather Channel: "Hurricane Ida is forecast to rapidly intensify into a major hurricane as it draws closer to the northern Gulf Coast this weekend, where it will bring life-threatening storm surge, dangerous rainfall flooding, potentially catastrophic winds and tornadoes. Ida is currently centered 510 miles southeast of New Orleans and is tracking northwest at just over 15 mph. Maximum sustained winds are 80 mph, making Ida a Category 1 hurricane. Interests along the northern Gulf Coast from Louisiana to Alabama should monitor Ida's progress closely and finish hurricane preparations on Saturday." MB: Sunday is the 16th anniversary of the day Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast. ~~~

     ~~~ The New York Times is live-updating Hurricane Ida developments Saturday: "Hurricane Ida, the rapidly intensifying storm barreling toward Louisiana, could be one of the most powerful to hit the state in more than a century, meteorologists and state officials warned on Saturday. 'We can sum it up by saying this will be one of the strongest hurricanes to hit anywhere in Louisiana since at least the 1850s,' said Gov. John Bel Edwards at a news conference, warning residents that their window to evacuate the area was closing." ~~~

     ~~~ The Washington Post's live updates of Ida on Saturday are here.

Guardian: "A stubborn wildfire continued its slow march toward the Lake Tahoe resort region, as crews worked in rugged terrain to hold the lines of the blaze. Gusty winds complicated the battle against the Caldor fire on Friday, while dry conditions made vegetation ready to burn. The fire has already consumed more than 143,900 acres and destroyed 469 homes and is just 12% contained. The fire has been the nation's top firefighting priority because of its proximity to Lake Tahoe. Home to thousands, the alpine lake on the California-Nevada border is a prime tourist destination that has been particularly popular during the pandemic. Flames churned through mountains just south-west of the Tahoe Basin on Friday, blanketing the area in smoke at a time when summer vacations should be in full swing."

The Commentariat -- August 27, 2021

Marie: For the TENTH day, Reality Chex is not accepting comments, through no design or fault of my own. In desperation, I have come up with an interim plan to get around the problem, one that will mean only a little extra work for those of you who have something to say. Here are the easy instructions:

1. In the URL (address line), enter www.realitychex.com/display/Login and return. The login is case-sensitive, so that "L" in "Login" must be capitalized.

2. A log-in page will come up. Type squarespace in the Login box. Type nonsense in the password box. And return. That will get you page to the standard Reality Chex page. (Note: Don't use boldface type; I've put the stuff you have to use in boldface only to make it easier to see.)

3. Type your comment in the Comments box as usual. But at the end of the comment, sign it with your usual Reality Chex handle, because the name of the poster will say "See Above."

Special thanks to all of you who have gone to the trouble to comment under this somewhat cumbersome system.

LATE START today. I added links till 9:30 am ET. -- Marie

~~~~~~~~~~

Late Morning/Afternoon Update:

The Guardian's live updates of developments in Afghanistan Friday are here: "US army general William Taylor told a Pentagon press briefing: 'I can confirm that we do not believe that there was a second explosion at or near the Baron hotel. That it was one suicide bomber. We're not sure how that report was provided incorrectly, but we do know it's not any surprise that in the confusion of very dynamic events like this it can cause information sometimes to be misreported or garbled. We felt it was important to correct the record.'... During a Pentagon briefing, a US military official said they now believed there was no separate explosion at the Baron hotel."

Sayed Hashemi, et al., of the AP: "Evacuation flights from Afghanistan resumed with new urgency on Friday, a day after two suicide bombings targeted the thousands of people desperately fleeing a Taliban takeover and killed dozens. The U.S. warned more attacks could come ahead of next week's end to America's longest war. Two officials said 169 Afghans died, but a final count might take time amid confusion, with many bodies dismembered or not yet identified. Scores more were wounded in the blasts. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media. The U.S. said 13 troops were killed in the deadliest day for American forces in Afghanistan since August 2011."

They Did What??? Lara Seligman, et al., of Politico: "U.S. officials in Kabul gave the Taliban a list of names of American citizens, green card holders and Afghan allies to grant entry into the militant-controlled outer perimeter of the city's airport, a choice that's prompted outrage behind the scenes from lawmakers and military officials. The move, detailed to Politico by three U.S. and congressional officials, was designed to expedite the evacuation of tens of thousands of people from Afghanistan as chaos erupted in Afghanistan's capital city last week after the Taliban seized control of the country. It also came as the Biden administration has been relying on the Taliban for security outside the airport. Since the fall of Kabul in mid-August, nearly 100,000 people have been evacuated, most of whom had to pass through the Taliban's many checkpoints. But the decision to provide specific names to the Taliban, which has a history of brutally murdering Afghans who collaborated with the U.S. and other coalition forces during the conflict, has angered lawmakers and military officials. 'Basically, they just put all those Afghans on a kill list,' said one defense official...."

James Meek of ABC News: "With the Taliban growing more violent and adding checkpoints near Kabul's airport, an all-volunteer group of American veterans of the Afghan war launched a final daring mission on Wednesday night dubbed the 'Pineapple Express' to shepherd hundreds of at-risk Afghan elite forces and their families to safety, members of the group told ABC News. Moving after nightfall in near-pitch black darkness and extremely dangerous conditions, the group said it worked unofficially in tandem with the United States military and U.S. embassy to move people, sometimes one person at a time, or in pairs, but rarely more than a small bunch, inside the wire of the U.S. military-controlled side of Hamid Karzai International Airport. The Pineapple Express' mission was underway Thursday when the attack occurred in Kabul.... There were wounded among the Pineapple Express travelers from the blast, and members of the group said they were assessing whethe unaccounted-for Afghans they were helping had been killed."

Justice Breyer Has Some Thoughts. Adam Liptak of the New York Times "in an interview prompted by [Breyer's] new book.... Justice Stephen G. Breyer says he is struggling to decide when to retire from the Supreme Court and is taking account of a host of factors, including who will name his successor. 'There are many things that go into a retirement decision,' he said." MB: If Breyer is "struggling" over whether or not to retire while a Democrat is President & Democrats hold a slim, and tenuous, Senate majority, he must get downright apoplectic over every decision he renders from on high.

~~~~~~~~~~

The Washington Post's live updates of developments in Afghanistan Friday are here. The New York Times' live Afghanistan updates for Friday are here.

Sean Sullivan & Anne Gearan of the Washington Post: "President Biden on Thursday confronted the most acute crisis of his young presidency, the deaths of at least 13 Americans in Afghanistan that threatened to undermine his credentials as a seasoned global leader and a steady hand. In emotional comments at the White House, Biden made clear that the attack would not cause him to rethink his strategy. Rather, he said, it reinforced his belief that the war must end and that the evacuation must proceed. He framed the deaths as the sacrifice of heroes performing a noble mission, and he suggested that any move to cut short the evacuation of Americans and their Afghan supporters would amount to caving to the terrorists." ~~~

     ~~~ A transcript of President Biden's remarks, via the White House, is here.

Matthieu Aikins, et al., of the New York Times: "Two explosions killed dozens of people, including at least 13 U.S. troops, ripping through the crowds outside Afghanistan's main airport on Thursday, just hours after Western governments had warned of an imminent Islamic State attack and told their people to stay away from the airport. The attack, by at least two suicide bombers, struck at the only avenue of escape for the thousands of foreign nationals and tens -- or hundreds -- of thousands of their Afghan allies who are trying to flee the country following the Taliban takeover and ahead of the final withdrawal of U.S. troops, set for next Tuesday. Afghan health officials gave varying estimates of the toll at the international airport in Kabul, the capital -- from at least 30 dead to more than 60, and from 120 wounded to 140 -- while a Taliban spokesman cited at least 13 civilians killed and 60 wounded. For American forces, the attacks were a gruesome coda to almost 20 years of warfare in Afghanistan-- one of their heaviest losses, just days before they are set to leave the country. In addition to 13 service members killed, 15 were wounded, the Pentagon said." ~~~

~~~ Ivana Kottasová, et al., of CNN: "Twelve US service members and dozens of Afghans have been killed in two bombing attacks outside Kabul's airport, according to the Pentagon and Afghanistan's Ministry of Public Health.... An official with Afghanistan's Ministry of Public Health told CNN on Thursday that more than 60 people were dead and 140 wounded. Fifteen US service members were injured in addition to the 12 dead, said Gen. Frank McKenzie, Commander of US Central Command." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ From the NYT live updates Thursday: "At least two blasts rattled the area outside Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul on Thursday, the Pentagon confirmed, just hours after Western governments had warned of a security threat there. While the numbers of injured or dead were still unconfirmed, reporters at a nearby emergency room said that at least 30 people had been brought to the site, and the Pentagon said there were a number of casualties.... 'We can confirm that the explosion at the Abbey Gate was the result of a complex attack that resulted in a number of US & civilian casualties,' John Kirby, the Pentagon press secretary, said in a post on Twitter. 'We can also confirm at least one other explosion at or near the Baron Hotel, a short distance from Abbey Gate.'" (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ Barbara Starr, et al., of CNN: "An explosion was reported outside the Hamid Karzai International Airport on Thursday, according to two US officials. One official said there are injuries among Afghans, but there is no information yet on any US casualties. Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby confirmed there was an explosion outside of the airport. 'We can confirm an explosion outside Kabul airport. An explosion was reported outside the Hamid Karzai International Airport on Thursday, according to two US officials. Casualties are unclear at this time. We will provide additional details when we can,' he said in a tweet. (Also linked yesterday.)

Ezra Klein of the New York Times has some thoughts on our sloppy -- and now bloody -- NATO Alliance exit from Afghanistan. They aren't all his thoughts, as he readily states, but he doesn't think much of some of the prevalent thoughts we're hearing on the airwaves. Thanks to Ken W. for the link. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I have a thought, too: that old chestnut "We get the government we deserve." Afghanistan will now return to a form of government that is more democratic than the one we tried to impose on it; that is, for the first time in nearly 20 years, it will return to the same form of self-rule it had when NATO showed up in late 2001. If you are inclined to think that rule is barbaric, bear in mind that it's not so much different from the type of government/perpetual war Europe had until 1945 and which still pops up in parts of Europe from time to time. I don't recommend blowing up little girls in their schools because the people in those venues belong to some other Islamic faction, just as I never recommended my Irish "relatives" blow each other up because those on "the other side" belonged to a different Christian faction. And, thanks to our escapade in Afghanistan, one faction in Afghanistan has grown much larger; that's the liberal, enlightened faction. Eventually the "liberal elites" may get some of their way.

Rich Schapiro, et al., of NBC News: "In the chaotic minutes before he shot and killed Ashli Babbitt during the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, Lt. Michael Byrd ... and a few other officers of the U.S. Capitol Police set up a wall of furniture outside the doors.... 'If they get through that door, they're into the House chamber and upon the members of Congress,' [said] Byrd, who gave NBC News permission to use his name after authorities had declined to release it.... Byrd, a 28-year veteran of the Capitol Police, took a defensive posture with his gun drawn as rioters smashed the glass doors. He said he yelled repeatedly for them to get back. But the mob kept pressing forward, and then a lone rioter tried to climb through one of the doors. What happened next was captured on video: Byrd fired one shot, striking Babbitt in the shoulder. Babbitt ... died from her injuries later."

This "Great White Savior" Is, Well, White. Sarah Ellison & Elahe Izadi of the Washington Post: "A lawyer for the famed all-girls Afghan robotics team has sent a cease-and-desist letter to an Oklahoma woman, telling her to stop taking credit for the girls' escape from Kabul and warning that her numerous media appearances endanger their organization's remaining members in Afghanistan. The woman, Allyson Reneau, spoke last week to Today.com and then to several other media outlets, telling a story of her supposed involvement in the evacuation of several members of the robotics team.... These outlets reported that she had 'saved' the girls from probable oppression under the Taliban.... A spokesman for the Qatari Foreign Ministry, which helped evacuate many Afghans, including the robotics team members, also accused Reneau of taking credit for a rescue she had little to do with -- and lambasted the U.S. media for making her a 'White savior.'... [A Today.com] story said that Reneau -- an entrepreneur who graduated from Harvard's extension school in 2016 and serves on the board of the Mars Explore foundation -- had met some of the girls at a 2019 space exploration conference in D.C. and then kept in touch with them.... The Wall Street Journal editorial page, which [inaccurate wrote that Reneau had flown to Qatar,] suggested that President Biden put 'this extraordinary woman' in charge of the Afghanistan evacuation -- before correcting the editorial to note that Reneau had not flown anywhere." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: What? Harvard grants extension degrees? I think I'll get me one, then run around claiming I'm a Harvard grad. I could make me a crimson coat with black stripes on the ample sleeves & a flowing cowl scarf. Or. Maybe I won't bother.

The Pandemic, Ctd.

The New York Times' live updates of Covid-19 developments Friday are here: "One year after becoming ill with the coronavirus, nearly half of patients in a large new study were still experiencing at least one lingering health symptom, adding to evidence that recovery from Covid-19 can be arduous and that the multifaceted condition known as 'long Covid' can last for months. The study, published Thursday in the journal The Lancet, is believed to be the largest to date in which patients were evaluated one year after being hospitalized for Covid. It involved 1,276 patients admitted to Jin Yin-tan Hospital in Wuhan, China, who were discharged between Jan. 7 and May 29, 2020." MB: Bear in mind that the study doesn't suggest that these symptoms go away in a year; the related maladies could last for decades; it's just that we haven't had decades to find out. ~~~

     ~~~ The Washington Post's live updates of Covid-19 developments Friday are here.

Adam Liptak & Glenn Thrush of the New York Times: "The Supreme Court on Thursday rejected the Biden administration's latest moratorium on evictions, ending a political and legal dispute during a public health crisis in which the administration's shifting positions had subjected it to criticism from adversaries and allies alike. The court issued an eight-page majority opinion, an unusual move in a ruling on an application for emergency relief, where terse orders are more common. The court's three liberal justices dissented. The decision puts hundreds of thousands of tenants at risk of losing shelter, while the administration struggles to speed the flow of billions of dollars in federal funding to people who are behind in rent because of the coronavirus pandemic and its associated economic hardship. Only about $5.1 billion of the $46.5 billion in aid had been disbursed by the end of July, according to figures released on Wednesday, as bureaucratic delays at the state and local levels snarled payouts." An NBC News story is here.

"Seriously, Y'all. Stop It." Ben Collins & Brandy Zadrozny of NBC News: "When users visit the telemedicine [pro-Trump] website SpeakWithAnMD.com, they are immediately hit with a warning: 'Due to overwhelming demand, we are experiencing longer than usual wait times.' The demand is for ivermectin, a drug primarily used to deworm animals that has become the latest false cure for Covid-19. And the website, in partnership with the organization America's Frontline Doctors, whose founder stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, has become well-known in the Facebook groups and Reddit communities where anti-vaccination sentiment thrives.... In recent weeks, a variety of conservative figures and anti-vaccination activists have embraced the drug. Fox News hosts Laura Ingraham, Sean Hannity and Tucker Carlson have mentioned it.... The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a health advisory Thursday warning of a rapid increase in ivermectin prescriptions and reports of severe illness by people using ivermectin products.... And in perhaps a prime example of the exhaustion with which some public health professionals have confronted ivermectin, the FDA recently tweeted: 'You are not a horse. You are not a cow. Seriously, y'all. Stop it.'"

Florida. Why Can't Biden Be More Like DeSantis? Timothy Bella of the Washington Post: "Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) said President Biden has failed to 'end covid' and should follow his state's lead, even as Florida experiences record-breaking cases, deaths and hospitalizations. Florida is now reporting an average of 227 covid-19 deaths each day -- a state record and by far the highest count in the nation. The daily death count in Florida, fueled by the highly transmissible delta variant, has increased by 613 percent in the past seven days, according to data compiled by The Washington Post."

Australia. Gina Harkins of the Washington Post: "Debra Cowdery ... died of cancer this month at 63. She lived in Brisbane, Queensland. [Her nephew, Ben] Jackson[, a sheep farmer was unable to attend her funeral ... [because of] Australia's pandemic restrictions[, which] made crossing state lines tough, [and Jackson lives in a different state from Queensland, where his aunt died]." So Jackson, who had made sheep art before, laid just the right amount of barley in a large heart shape and filmed the sheep from a drone. "The video played at Cowdery's funeral, which was live-streamed." The Guardian's story is here. ~~~

Beyond the Beltway

California. No Way to Pick a Governor. Paul Krugman of the New York Times: California "may be about to absent-mindedly acquire a Trumpist governor who could never win a normal election. This would happen at a moment when control of statehouses is especially crucial because it shapes the response to the coronavirus.... [California's] recall process is crazy. Voters answer two questions: Should [current Gov. Gavin] Newsom be recalled? And who should replace him? If a majority vote 'yes' on recall, whoever is chosen by the largest number of people on the second question becomes governor, even if that person receives far fewer than the number of votes to keep Newsom in office. And the most likely outcome if Newsom is ousted is that Larry Elder, a right-wing talk-radio host who is vehemently opposed to mask and vaccine mandates, will end up in the governor's office despite receiving only a small fraction of the total vote." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: As Chris Hayes of MSNBC pointed out this week, California's recall system is as anti-democratic as can be. Under the law, Newsom could get 49 percent of the vote (i.e., 49 percent of voters vote not to recall him); then Elder could become governor by getting, say, 10 percent of the vote (among those running to replace Newsom). Crazy, Krugman asserts? Yes, yes, it is.

New York. Benjamin Weiser of the New York Times: "Conditions at a high-security federal jail in Lower Manhattan have deteriorated so much that federal officials said on Thursday that they planned to close the facility, at least temporarily. The decision comes just weeks after the deputy attorney general, Lisa O. Monaco, visited the jail in order to get a firsthand look at its operations, 'given ongoing concerns,' as the Justice Department said at the time. The rust-colored lockup, the Metropolitan Correctional Center, has long been criticized by inmates, lawyers and even judges for the conditions in which prisoners have been held.... The jail is perhaps best known as the place where Jeffrey Epstein ... was found dead in his cell in August 2019 in what was ruled a suicide. Two jail guards were later accused of surfing the internet and napping rather than regularly checking in on him as they were supposed to do the night before he was found dead."

Tennessee. Christopher Flavelle of the New York Times: "A closer look at what happened in the days, years and even decades before [deadly floods hit Middle Tennessee last week] reveals that a series of government decisions -- where and how to build, when to update flood maps, whether to join the federal flood insurance program and how to warn of dangerous floods -- left residents more exposed to flooding than they had to be.... In general, communities that decide to stay out of the [federal] flood insurance program typically do so because of an aversion to building restrictions ... [which] govern the way houses must be built, to make them more likely to withstand natural disasters and other dangers.... While most states adopt a [mandatory] building code..., Tennessee lets local governments decide whether to follow the state rules, or establish rules of their own, or have none at all." Also, FEMA maps had not been updated & underestimated flood risk. And flood warnings from the National Weather Service were too late in coming." MB: See, I don't think it's technically a "flood warning" if you send it after the creeks have overflowed.

Texas. Eva Moravec & Elise Viebeck of the Washington Post: "Defying a months-long Democratic protest, the Texas House on Thursday moved forward wide-ranging voting restrictions that opponents say will make casting ballots and administering elections harder in the state. Elections bill SB1 passed 79-37 mostly along party lines after 12 hours of impassioned debate. Democrats -- who broke quorum for weeks, fled Texas and faced the threat of arrest to stave off passage of the measure this summer -- did not have the numbers to overcome the chamber's Republican majority. The bill is set for final passage in the House on Friday."

News Ledes

** Weather Channel: "Hurricane Ida is forecast to hammer the northern U.S. Gulf Coast as a major hurricane this weekend with life-threatening storm surge, dangerous rainfall flooding, potentially catastrophic winds and tornadoes. Hurricane Ida has made landfall in far western Cuba in Pinar Del Rio province with winds of 80 mph. New hurricane and storm surge warnings have been issued."

New York Times: "Jerry Harkness, a former All-American forward who led Loyola University Chicago's integrated basketball team to the 1963 N.C.A.A. championship, along the way defeating a Mississippi State team that had previously refused to play against Black athletes, died on Tuesday in Indianapolis. He was 81.... The 1963 tournament, and in particular Loyola's second-round game against Mississippi State on March 11, illustrated the racial tension that was prevalent in sports in the early 1960s. The all-white Mississippi State Bulldogs had chosen not to go to three previous N.C.A.A. tournaments, to avoid facing Black opponents. George Ireland, the coach of the Loyola Ramblers, had been irritating rival coaches by starting four Black players, including Harkness, violating a practice at the time of playing no more than three." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Good place for me to plead ignorance. In 1963, I was going to college basketball games, and I had no idea then, or until now, that there was a "gentlemen's agreement" among coaches not to start more than three Black players. The best thing about growing old is that you keep learning what was really going on around you as you glided through life in blissful ignorant.

The Commentariat -- August 26, 2021

Marie: For the NINTH day, Reality Chex is not accepting comments, through no design or fault of my own. In desperation, I have come up with an interim plan to get around the problem, one that will mean only a little extra work for those of you who have something to say. Here are the easy instructions:

1. In the URL (address line), enter www.realitychex.com/display/Login and return. The login is case-sensitive, so that "L" in "Login" must be capitalized.

2. A log-in page will come up. Type squarespace in the Login box. Type nonsense in the password box. And return. That will get you page to the standard Reality Chex page. (Note: Don't use boldface type; I've put the stuff you have to use in boldface only to make it easier to see.)

3. Type your comment in the Comments box as usual. But at the end of the comment, sign it with your usual Reality Chex handle, because the name of the poster will say "See Above."

Special thanks to all of you who have gone to the trouble to comment under this somewhat cumbersome system.

~~~~~~~~~~

Late Morning/Afternoon Update:

Ivana Kottasová, et al., of CNN: "Twelve US service members and dozens of Afghans have been killed in two bombing attacks outside Kabul's airport, according to the Pentagon and Afghanistan's Ministry of Public Health.... An official with Afghanistan's Ministry of Public Health told CNN on Thursday that more than 60 people were dead and 140 wounded. Fifteen US service members were injured in addition to the 12 dead, said Gen. Frank McKenzie, Commander of US Central Command." ~~~

     ~~~ President Biden is scheduled to address the country at 5 pm ET.

From the NYT live updates: "At least two blasts rattled the area outside Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul on Thursday, the Pentagon confirmed, just hours after Western governments had warned of a security threat there. While the numbers of injured or dead were still unconfirmed, reporters at a nearby emergency room said that at least 30 people had been brought to the site, and the Pentagon said there were a number of casualties.... 'We can confirm that the explosion at the Abbey Gate was the result of a complex attack that resulted in a number of US & civilian casualties,' John Kirby, the Pentagon press secretary, said in a post on Twitter. 'We can also confirm at least one other explosion at or near the Baron Hotel, a short distance from Abbey Gate.'"

Barbara Starr, et al., of CNN: "An explosion was reported outside the Hamid Karzai International Airport on Thursday, according to two US officials. One official said there are injuries among Afghans, but there is no information yet on any US casualties. Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby confirmed there was an explosion outside of the airport. 'We can confirm an explosion outside Kabul airport. An explosion was reported outside the Hamid Karzai International Airport on Thursday, according to two US officials. Casualties are unclear at this time. We will provide additional details when we can,' he said in a tweet.

~~~~~~~~~~

The Washington Post's live updates of developments in Afghanistan Thursday are here: "The U.S. Embassy in Kabul warned Americans late Wednesday to avoid traveling to Kabul airport because of unspecified security threats, and advised citizens at three airport gates to 'leave immediately.' Australia and Britain also issued comparable warnings that Afghanistan was facing 'high threat' of a terrorist attack. Although officials did not provide more details, the Biden administration has previously warned that Islamic State poses a threat to the evacuation mission. The warnings come as NATO allies, including Poland and Belgium, ended their evacuation flights ahead of the Aug. 31 deadline for American troops to depart."

Lara Jakes & Michael Levenson of the New York Times: "At least 1,500 American citizens remain in Afghanistan with just days left before the scheduled U.S. withdrawal from the country, but officials on Wednesday acknowledged the reality that tens of thousands of Afghan allies and others at high risk of Taliban reprisals would be left behind. The sound of gunfire, and clouds of tear gas and black smoke, filled the air around the international airport in Kabul, the capital, as thousands of Afghans massed at the gates on Wednesday, desperate to escape ahead of the American military's final departure on Aug. 31.... As military and government charter flights took off every 45 minutes as part of an airlift, Biden administration officials said they had evacuated about 82,300 people since Aug. 14, the day before Kabul fell to the Taliban. Around 4,500 of them were American citizens, with 500 more expected to depart soon."

Lauren Leatherby & Larry Buchanan of the New York Times: "At least 250,000 Afghans who may be eligible for expedited American visas remain in Afghanistan, far too many for American forces to rescue before their deadline to leave next week, new estimates suggest.... These estimates are based on reports on Afghan employment published annually by the Department of Defense and analyzed by the Association of Wartime Allies, a group that advocates for Afghans affiliated with the U.S., and researchers at American University. Other estimates vary widely....."

We Are Not Amused. Paul Kane & Annie Linskey of the Washington Post: "House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) blasted two lawmakers who surreptitiously flew into Kabul without approval to examine conditions at the international airport where a massive airlift is underway to evacuate U.S. citizens, allies and vulnerable Afghans. '... there's a real concern about members being in the region,' Pelosi told reporters Wednesday at her weekly briefing. There was an 'opportunity cost' of protecting Reps. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.) and Peter Meijer (R-Mich.), she said. 'This is deadly serious. We do not want members to go.' The sentiment was echoed across the Biden administration Wednesday morning. 'The secretary [Lloyd Austin] would have appreciated the opportunity to have had a conversation before the visit took place,' said Department of Defense spokesman John Kirby during his briefing.... 'They certainly took time away from what we had been planning to do that day.'... Some of the harshest criticism came from one of the lawmakers' colleague on the House Armed Services Committee[.] 'Neither one of them should have their ass in Afghanistan right now. The Defense Department has enough to do without having to try to protect two members of Congress. Period,' said Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.), the top Republican on the Armed Services panel." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

     ~~~ Catie Edmondson of the New York Times: "In an interview, Mr. Moulton and Mr. Meijer defended their decision to travel into a dangerous and unpredictable situation and said they had walked away with important insights. They said the trip had changed their minds about Mr. Biden's Aug. 31 deadline for a full withdrawal, which they had previously urged the administration to extend. Given that there is little chance that all Americans and Afghan allies can be evacuated in the next two weeks, they said, a swift departure is the only way for the United States to ensure that the Taliban will cooperate in eventually getting those left behind to safety."

** Sí, Se Puede. Ben Smith of the New York Times: "A group of Afghans who worked for The New York Times, along with their families, touched down safely early Wednesday ... at Benito Juárez International Airport in Mexico City. The arrival of the 24 families was the latest stop in a harrowing escape from Kabul. And Mexico's role in the rescue of journalists from The Times and, if all goes as planned, The Wall Street Journal offers a disorienting glimpse of the state of the American government as two of the country's most powerful news organizations frantically sought help far from Washington. Mexican officials, unlike their counterparts in the United States, were able to cut through the red tape of their immigration system to quickly provide documents that, in turn, allowed the Afghans to fly from Kabul's embattled airport to Doha, Qatar. The documents promised that the Afghans would receive temporary humanitarian protection in Mexico while they explored further options in the United States or elsewhere." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Gives New Meaning to "(In) Loco Parentis." Cameron Jenkins of the Hill: "Dozens of California students and parents are stranded in Afghanistan after taking a summer trip to the country. Mor than 20 students and 16 parents from the Cajon Valley Union School District in El Cajon, Calif., visited Afghanistan on summer vacation. Now they are among thousands of people who are waiting to leave the country amid the chaotic U.S. withdrawal that has caused political unrest across the nation, according to the Los Angeles Times." MB: This has to be the dumbest school vacation ever organized. Any school employees or board members who approved this trip should resign or be fired. Nitwits. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

** John Wagner of the Washington Post: "The House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection issued its first sweeping requests Wednesday for records from federal agencies pertaining to the attack on the Capitol and ... Donald Trump's efforts to subvert the election. In letters demanding materials from the National Archives and seven other agencies, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-Miss.), the committee chairman, signaled that an expansive investigation is underway, touching not only on what happened Jan. 6 but also on matters such as 'the former President's knowledge of the election results and what he communicated to the American people about the election.' Thompson gave the agencies a two-week deadline to produce materials and asked Archivist of the United States David Ferriero to use his authority under federal regulations to swiftly address the request for records from the Trump White House.... The requests include information on 'communications within and among the White House and Executive Branch agencies during the leadup to January 6th and on that day,' as well as on issues further removed, such as 'attempts to place politically loyal personnel in senior positions across government after the election.'" The Huffington Post's story is here. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Betsy Swan & Nicholas Wu of Politico: "Just a day before the Jan. 6 riot, the Secret Service warned the U.S. Capitol Police that their officers could face violence at the hands of supporters of ... Donald Trump, according to new documents.... The liberal-leaning government watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington obtained the documents through a Freedom of Information Act request and shared them with Politico.... The Secret Service's emails shed light on intelligence lapses by the Capitol Police previously highlighted by both the department's inspector general and a bipartisan report by Senate committees. Since then, the Hill's law enforcement agency has pledged reform and said it has made changes to ensure the effective sharing of intelligence."

Trump's Lawyers Disciplined, Ordered to Go to Law School. Rosalind Helderman of the Washington Post: "A federal judge in Michigan has ordered that Sidney Powell, L. Lin Wood and seven other attorneys who filed a lawsuit seeking to overturn the state's 2020 presidential election be disciplined, calling the suit 'a historic and profound abuse of the judicial process.' In a scathing 110-page opinion, Federal District Judge Linda V. Parker wrote that the lawyers had made assertions in court that were not backed by evidence and had failed to do the due diligence required by legal rules before alleging mass fraud in the Michigan vote. 'This case was never about fraud,' she wrote. 'It was about undermining the People's faith in our democracy and debasing the judicial process to do so.' She ordered the lawyers to pay the attorney's fees for their opponents in the case -- the city of Detroit and the state of Michigan. She also wrote that she will require them to attend legal education classes. And she referred the group to the Michigan Attorney Grievance Commission, as well as attorney disciplinary committees in the states where each attorney is licensed, which could initiate proceedings that could result in the lawyer's being disbarred.&" Law & Crime's report is here.

Look, when President Trump was president, you didn't see crisis after crisis. You just didn't see it. I shudder to think about what Covid would have been like under Joe Biden. -- Kayleigh McInany, who must have been on mind-altering drugs while press secretary to the Former Guy, on Fox "News" Tuesday

Tom Jackman of the Washington Post: "Sirhan B. Sirhan, convicted of the 1968 assassination of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, will face a California parole board for the 16th time Friday in a prison outside San Diego. But unlike the first 15 times, no prosecutor will stand to oppose the release of Sirhan, who is now 77. Sirhan was arrested at the scene of Kennedy's shooting in Los Angeles on June 5, 1968, convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death for the assassination of a U.S. senator who appeared headed for the Democratic presidential nomination. The assassination, along with that of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. two months earlier, created a turning point in American history with the sudden elimination of the charismatic leaders of the American civil rights movement and the Democratic Party." MB: I don't think any political assassin should get out of jail. Ever. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

The Pandemic, Ctd.

The New York Times' live updates of Covid-19 developments Thursday are here. The Washington Post's live Covid-19 updates Thursday are here: "There are more than 100,000 people hospitalized with covid-19 in the United States, a level not seen since Jan. 30 -- when coronavirus vaccines were not widely available -- as the country grapples with the delta variant's spread. Hospitalizations are highest across the South, where every state in the region has a higher portion of its population currently hospitalized with covid-19 than the national level, according to a Washington Post database. More than 17,000 people are currently hospitalized with covid-19 in Florida, which has the most hospitalizations for covid-19 of any state in the country, followed by Texas, which has more than 14,000."

Leslie Josephs of CNBC: "Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian notified employees Wednesday that they will face $200 monthly increases on their health insurance premiums starting Nov. 1 if they aren't vaccinated against Covid-19, citing steep costs to cover employees who are hospitalized with the virus. Unvaccinated employees will face other restrictions, including indoor masking effective immediately and weekly Covid-19 tests starting Sept. 12, the Atlanta-based airline said in announcing new Covid policies for employees." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

** Arkansas. Kim Bellware of the Washington Post: "The Washington County Detention Center in Fayetteville ... and its health-care provider [-- Karas Health Care--] are facing criticisms of 'medical experimentation' because the jail's medical staff has been treating covid-19 patients with ivermectin, a drug commonly used for deworming livestock.... [County Sheriff Tim] Helder told the Press-Democrat that he has known since July that jail detainees were being treated with ivermectin, and he praised Karas as a health-care partner.... The Post viewed screenshots of [Karas owner Dr. Robert] Karas's since-deleted Facebook posts in which he touts the use of ivermectin and indicates that more than 350 people at the jail had been given the drug, allegedly to no ill effect."

New York. Marina Villeneuve of the AP: "Delivering another blow to what's left of former Gov. Andrew Cuomo's legacy, New York's new governor acknowledged on her first day in office that the state has had nearly 12,000 more deaths from COVID-19 than Cuomo told the public. 'The public deserves a clear, honest picture of what's happening. And that's whether it's good or bad, they need to know the truth. And that's how we restore confidence,' Gov. Kathy Hochul said on NPR. In its first daily update on the outbreak Tuesday evening, Hochul';s office reported that nearly 55,400 people have died of the coronavirus in New York based on death certificate data submitted to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That's up from about 43,400 that Cuomo reported to the public as of Monday, his last day in office." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Florida. Dan Levin of the New York Times: "More people in Florida are catching the coronavirus, being hospitalized and dying of Covid-19 now than at any previous point in the pandemic, underscoring the perils of limiting public health measures as the Delta variant rips through the state. This week, 227 virus deaths were being reported each day in Florida, on average, as of Tuesday, a record for the state and by far the most in the United States right now. The average for new known cases reached 23,314 a day on the weekend, 30 percent higher than the state's previous peak in January, according to a New York Times database.... And hospitalizations in Florida have almost tripled in the past month..., stretching many hospitals to the breaking point.... Even as cases continue to surge, with more than 17,200 people hospitalized with the virus across Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, has held firm on banning vaccine and mask mandates." ~~~

~~~ "Bodies Stacked to the Ceiling." Michelle Meredith of WESH Orlando: "At West Side Crematory in Winter Garden, they're overwhelmed with the remains of people that need to be cremated. There's an influx of bodies like they've never seen, worse than the first wave of COVID-19. The area where bodies are stored prior to being cremated is stacked to the ceiling. The staff is working day and night to honor the dead. WESH 2 called 20 funeral homes and crematories and many were too busy to be part of our story."

South Dakota. How Could This Have Happened? Ben Kesslen & Joe Murphy of NBC News: "Two weeks after the annual motorcycle rally in Sturgis, South Dakota, reported Covid infections in the state have risen nearly sixfold. South Dakota counted 3,819 new cases in the past two weeks, including seven deaths, up from 644 cases in the 14 days preceding it. That makes it the state with the largest percent increase in Covid cases in the past two weeks.... Gov. Kristi Noem, a Republican, has been firm in keeping South Dakota open throughout the pandemic, shunning mask mandates, criticizing public health officials like Dr. Anthony Fauci, and insisting on holding mass gatherings against CDC recommendations."

Beyond the Beltway

Florida. Mike Baker & Michael LaForgia of the New York Times: Aggressive developers of the luxury condomiumum complex built in 1980 in Surfside, Florida, one tower of which collapsed this year causing extensive loss of life, threatened the small town with lawsuits & bullied the town commissioners & building department. "The development team ... had a dubious record. The architect had been disciplined previously for designing a building with a sign structure that later collapsed in a hurricane. The structural engineer had run into trouble on an earlier project, too, when he signed off on a parking garage with steel reinforcement that was later found to be dangerously insufficient. The early 1980s was a freewheeling period for construction in the Miami area, known at the time for its uneven enforcement of regulations, but the Champlain Towers project stood apart -- both for the tumult that occurred on the job site and the brazenness of the developers behind the project."

Michigan. Neil MacFarquhar of the New York Times: "The only defendant to plead guilty to taking part in a plot to kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan was sentenced on Wednesday to six years and three months in prison. Ty G. Garbin, 25, an airplane mechanic, was the first defendant to be sentenced for what prosecutors have described as an extremist plot driven by anger at the governor's efforts to slow the spread of the coronavirus. The 14 men arrested in October face charges in federal and state courts in one of the most significant domestic terrorism plots ever to come to trial in the United States. The defendants, many of them members of an antigovernment paramilitary group in Michigan called the Wolverine Watchmen, coalesced around protests against Covid-19 lockdown measures. After initially weighing storming the State Capitol in Lansing, they decided to abduct Governor Whitmer from her vacation home, according to prosecutors. Their efforts were seen as a precursor to the violence unleashed at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6." The AP's story is here.

New York. Luis Ferré-Sadurní & Jeffery Mays of the New York Times: "Gov. Kathy C. Hochul has chosen Brian A. Benjamin, a Democratic state senator from Harlem, to be her lieutenant governor, the second highest-ranking position in New York State, according to a person familiar with the decision. Ms. Hochul, a Democrat from Western New York who was sworn in as the state's first female governor on Tuesday, is expected to announce the appointment later this week. The selection of Mr. Benjamin, who is Black, underscored Ms. Hochul's attempt to diversify her ticket as she mounts her first campaign for governor next year, choosing a potential running mate who could help broaden her appeal in the voter-heavy New York City region." MB: Or maybe she likes the guy and is comfortable working with him. Not everything is transactional, even in politics. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

South Dakota. He Killed a Man, Fled the Scene, and Is Still Attorney General. Stephen Groves of the AP: "South Dakota Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg will avoid a trial and take a plea deal on misdemeanor traffic charges in a crash last year in which he hit and killed a man who was walking along a rural highway, a prosecutor said Wednesday. Beadle County State's Attorney Michael Moore, who is one of two prosecutors on the case..., declined to discuss further details of the arrangement. The plea will be entered Thursday, when Ravnsborg's trial was scheduled to begin, he said. Moore said a judge's order that bars state officials from discussing details of the investigation prevented him from disclosing more.... The charges don't affect the Republican's qualification to hold the office of attorney general in South Dakota, but lawmakers from his own party have called for him to step down and pushed for the Legislature to impeach him." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Way Beyond

Andrew Kramer of the New York Times: "In an interview with The New York Times, his first with a news organization since his arrest in January, [Russian dissident Aleksei] Navalny talked about his life in prison, about why Russia has cracked down so hard on the opposition and dissidents, and about his conviction that 'Putin's regime,' as he calls it, is doomed to collapse." Excerpts of the interview are here.

News Lede

CNBC: "Initial claims for unemployment insurance were little changed over the past week, hovering around Covid pandemic-era lows as the jobs market shows further signs of healing. First-time filings totaled 353,000 for the week ended Aug. 21, a slight increase from the previous week's 349,000, the Labor Department reported Thursday.... A separate economic reading showed that gross domestic product increased at a 6.6% annualized pace in the second quarter, according to the second estimate Thursday from the Commerce Department."