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Wednesday

Jul282021

The Commentariat -- July 29, 2021

Late Morning Update:

Ben Casselman of the New York Times: "The U.S. economy grew 1.6 percent in the second quarter, returning to prepandemic size.... That is a remarkable achievement, exactly a year after the economy's worst quarterly contraction on record. After the last recession ended in 2009, G.D.P. took two years to rebound fully.... Vaccinations and federal aid helped lift the U.S. economy out of its pandemic-induced hole this spring. The next test will be whether that momentum can continue as coronavirus cases rise, masks return and government help wanes.... Other economic measures remain deeply depressed, particularly for certain groups: The United States still has nearly seven million fewer jobs than before the pandemic. The unemployment rate for Black workers in June was 9.2 percent." ~~~

~~~ Rachel Siegel & Andrew Van Dam of the Washington Post: "The U.S. economy was officially back and fully recovered from the coronavirus pandemic as of June, although a recent surge in cases could bring new uncertainty. The economy grew at an annual rate of 6.5 percent in the quarter ending in June, below forecasts of at least 8 percent, as coronavirus vaccinations and unleashed consumer spending added momentum to the recovery. The lower-than-expected figures reflect an economy struggling with supply-chain backlogs that have hamstrung business productivity by lowering inventories of basic goods and materials and pushing prices higher, economists say."

John Wagner of the Washington Post: "President Biden on Thursday called on Congress to act 'without delay' to extend a national eviction moratorium that is set to expire Saturday. The White House said Biden is not able to act on his own because of a Supreme Court ruling. In a statement, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Biden would have 'strongly supported' a move by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to again extend a moratorium that began nearly 11 months ago in response to the pandemic, particularly given the spread of the delta variant of the coronavirus." The AP's story is here. And here is Psaki's statement.

The New York Times' live updates of Covid-19 developments Thursday are here: "The 27 member states of the European Union altogether have now administered more coronavirus vaccine doses per 100 people than the United States, in another sign that inoculations across the bloc have maintained some speed throughout the summer, while they have stagnated for weeks in the United States."

Isaac Stanley-Becker of the Washington Post: "... the communications by Turning Point USA and its affiliate, Turning Point Action, reflect the increasingly hard line [against Covid vaccinations] taken by the group, which describes itself as the 'largest and fastest-growing youth organization in America' and claims a presence on more than 2,500 college and high school campuses. Its dire warnings about a government-backed inoculation program -- now a major theme of its Facebook ads, which have been viewed millions of times -- illustrate how the Trump-allied group is capitalizing on the stark polarization around vaccine policy. Experts say the messages, many of which steer online audiences to donation pages, threaten to undermine vaccine confidence among young people, who have already proved particularly reluctant to roll up their sleeves." MB: I suppose when a kid or someone he infects dies, that a "Turning Point."

Marie: How stupid are the pod people that they can't figure out that they & their GOP masters are drags on society, the economy, health & well-being, U.S. leadership & prestige, you-name-it?

Here's more on that New York state senate candidate/Capitol insurrectionist (a Hill story is linked below): ~~~

~~~ Andrea Salcedo of the Washington Post: "Moments after Daniel Christmann climbed through an open window to get into the Capitol on Jan. 6, the former New York state senate candidate took out his phone to record the insurrection for his Instagram followers, prosecutors said. That afternoon, Christmann walked around the building taking videos he posted to his @dannyforsenate account, according to a 19-page criminal complaint that was unsealed Wednesday. In the following days, private messages obtained by federal authorities show Christmann bragged about participating in the riot, explaining to those messaging him on Instagram how he reached unauthorized areas. When Christmann later became aware that authorities arrested two people he knew who were inside the Capitol on Jan. 6, he began reaching out to Facebook friends to ask them to delete any videos showing him on the grounds that day...."

The New York Times' live updates of the Tokyo Olympics are here.

Arizona. Rosalind Helderman of the Washington Post: "A private contractor [Cyber Ninjas] conducting a Republican-commissioned review of 2020 presidential ballots in Arizona's largest county announced late Wednesday that it has collected more than $5.7 million in private donations to fund the process. The controversial ballot review, which included a hand recount of Maricopa County's nearly 2.1 million ballots and a review of ballot tabulating machines, has been underway since April. It was ordered by the state's Republican-led Senate, which agreed to spend $150,000 in taxpayer money to fund the audit. But the Senate allowed Cyber Ninjas, a Florida-based firm hired to lead the process, to collect donations as well."

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** Tony Romm of the Washington Post: "Senate Democrats and Republicans banded together on Wednesday to advance a roughly $1 trillion proposal to improve the country's aging infrastructure, overcoming months of political deadlock on one of President Biden's signature economic policy priorities. The day of breakthroughs began with news of a deal, as a bipartisan bloc of 10 negotiators coalesced around a package to upgrade the nation's roads, bridges, pipes, ports and Internet connections. The announcement from some of the group's leaders, including Sens. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), capped off a series of frenetic talks that nearly collapsed amid behind-the-scenes battles about the new spending and how to pay for it. With that once-elusive agreement finally in hand, the Senate hours later then took its first formal legislative step. Lawmakers voted 67-32 to put themselves on track to begin debating infrastructure reform this week, clearing the first of many hurdles toward adopting a proposal that the White House has described as historic." ~~~

~~~ Emily Cochrane & Jim Tankersley of the New York Times: "The 67-to-32 vote, which included 17 Republicans in favor, came just hours after centrist senators in bot parties and the White House reached a long-sought compromise on the bill, which would provide about $550 billion in new federal money for roads, bridges, rail, transit, water and other physical infrastructure programs. Among those in support of moving forward was Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Republican leader and a longtime foil of major legislation pushed by Democratic presidents. Mr. McConnell's backing signaled that his party was -- at least for now -- open to teaming with Democrats to enact the plan. The deal still faces several obstacles to becoming law, including being turned into formal legislative text and clearing final votes in the closely divided Senate and House. But the vote was a victory for a president who has long promised to break through the partisan gridlock...." ~~~

~~~ CNN's story is here. It is an update of a story linked yesterday. Politico's story is here. ~~~

Joe Biden is the President who showed the real art of making a deal. -- Cedric Richmond, advisor to Joe Biden, on MSNBC Wednesday night ....

~~~ AND the Vote Was a Big Defeat for the Marqués de Mar-a-Lardo. Olafimihan Oshin of the Hill: Donald "Trump lambasted Senate Republicans for reaching a deal with their Democratic counterparts on "major issues" involving an infrastructure proposal.... 'Hard to believe our Senate Republicans are dealing with the Radical Left Democrats in making a so-called bipartisan bill on "infrastructure," with our negotiators headed up by SUPER RINO [Republican in name only] Mitt Romney,' Trump said. Trump said any passage of such a measure would be a win for the Biden administration and Democrats, alluding to such a vote being 'heavily used in the 2022 election.' 'It is a loser for the USA, a terrible deal, and makes the Republicans look weak, foolish, and dumb. It shouldn't be done. It sets an easy glidepath for Dems to then get beyond what anyone thought was possible in future legislation,' the former president said." ~~~

~~~ Meredith McGraw of Politico: Donald Trump "encouraged GOP lawmakers to abandon the talks [on the infrastructure bill] and criticized Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) for even entertaining them. Senate Republicans have said, in interviews, that they have directly asked the former president not just to tone down his criticism but to actually support the infrastructure deal.... The former president has threatened lawmakers who support the deal..., 'Republican voters will never forget their name, nor will the people of our Country.'... Trump's efforts to derail any infrastructure package have, so far, mostly been met with a shrug on Capitol Hill.... Trump tried and failed to pass an infrastructure bill so many times over the course of his presidency that his attempts were reduced to a punchline. Now out of office, Trump is trying to ensure that ... Joe Biden suffers the indignity of the 'infrastructure week' jokes as well.... The self described dealmaker came to realize the trickiness of negotiating a massive spending package in Washington, and he repeatedly sabotaged his own efforts to reach a deal by spinning off track with self-inflicted political controversies."

Katie Williams & Maegan Vazquez of CNN: President "Biden made his first formal remarks to staff at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence on Tuesday -- an address at a moment of quiet but profound change for a workforce that was buffeted by the fierce political winds of the Trump era. After four years of bitter criticism by ... Donald Trump, who accused the intelligence community of 'Nazi'-like practices and said top leaders should 'go back to school,' the intelligence community has sought to quietly return to business-as-usual under a decidedly more conventional president. And Biden, in turn, has vowed to never politicize the intelligence community's work, installing senior leaders who are seen as far less overtly partisan than either of Trump's final two national intelligence directors. 'You've served the American people no matter which political party holds power in Congress or the White House,' Biden told staff at the ODNI. 'It's so vital, so vital that you are and should be totally free of any political pressure or partisan interference. It's basic. And I want to be absolutely clear that my administration is getting us back to the basics.... I'll never politicize the work you do. You have my word on that,' he added." (Also linked yesterday.)

Josh Gerstein & Zach Montellaro of Politico: "The Justice Department on Wednesday issued another warning aimed at states conducting or considering audits of ballots tallied in last year's election, reminding election authorities that allowing ballots to be mishandled can violate federal law. While the Biden administration 'guidance' document carries no formal legal weight and may not strike fear into local officials, the Justice Department used the release of the legal analysis to press their campaign of saber-rattling against Republican-led audits of the 2020 vote in Arizona and other states, as well as voting changes many GOP-controlled states are pursuing as part of purported anti-fraud efforts. 'Jurisdictions have to be careful not to let those ballots be defaced or mutilated or lost or destroyed as part of an audit,' said a Justice Department official.... 'Election audits are exceedingly rare. But the Department is concerned that some jurisdictions conducting them may be using, or proposing to use, procedures that risk violating the Civil Rights Act,' the memo says. 'We are keeping a close eye on what's going on around the country,' the official said, alternately referring to the reviews as 'audits' or 'so-called audits.'" More on the Arizona fraudit linked under Beyond the Beltway.

Mychael Schnell of the Hill: "GOP Rep. Andrew Clyde (Ga.) defended his description of rioters walking through the Capitol on Jan. 6 appearing to look like a 'normal tourist visit' during a committee meeting on Tuesday. The heated exchange occurred hours after four police officers appeared before the select committee probing the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.... Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), a member of the select panel, confronted Clyde during a Rules Committee meeting about his previous comments regarding the insurrection, in which he said people 'would actually think it was a normal tourist visit' if they had not known the footage was from Jan. 6. 'Do you stand by your statement that they were tourists?' Raskin asked Clyde. The GOP lawmaker, however, refused to answer the question, claiming that Raskin had read an 'interpretation' of his statement.... [Raskin read back Clyde's original statement.] 'And I stand by that exact statement, as I said it,' Clyde responded." Includes video. MB: Photos taken January 6 show Clyde helping to barricade the House doors against the ~~advancing horde~~ normal tourists. (Also linked yesterday.)

Taegan Goddard of Political Wire: "Rep. Mo Brooks (R-AL) told Slate he had been wearing body armor at the 'Save America' rally before the Capitol attack on January 6.... Said Brooks: 'I was warned on Monday that there might be risks associated with the next few days. And as a consequence of those warnings, I did not go to my condo. Instead, I slept on the floor of my office. And when I gave my speech at the Ellipse, I was wearing body armor.'" OR, as Jim Newell of Slate, who interviewed Brooks, put it in a tweet, "... Mo Brooks was wearing body armor when giving his very peaceful Ellipse speech at the very peaceful 1/6 rally' Newell's interview, which is firewalled, is here.

** Josh Dawsey & Devlin Barrett of the Washington Post: "... Donald Trump called his acting attorney general nearly every day at the end of last year to alert him to claims of voter fraud or alleged improper vote counts in the 2020 election, according to two people familiar with the conversations. The personal pressure campaign, which has not been previously reported, involved repeated phone calls to acting attorney general Jeffrey Rosen in which Trump raised various allegations he had heard about and asked what the Justice Department was doing about the issue.... Rosen told few people about the phone calls, even in his inner circle. But there are notes of some of the calls that were written by a top aide to Rosen, Richard Donoghue, who was present for some of the conversations..., people said. Donoghue's notes could be turned over to Congress in a matter of days, they added, if Trump does not file papers in court seeking to block such a handover. In addition, both Rosen and Donoghue could be questioned about the conversations by congressional committees examining Trump's actions in the days after the election.... ~~~

~~~ "The phone calls came in late 2020 and early 2021, when Trump and his supporters were furiously pressing for officials at all levels of the government to intercede in the usually routine process of certifying the election results -- asking them to either launch new investigations, support unverified allegations of fraud or manipulation of vote counts, or otherwise throw up roadblocks to Democrat Joe Biden becoming president." MB: At the same time, of course, Trump was also pressuring local elections officials, state legislators & Mike Pence to change or refuse to certify the official presidential election results. So after he failed in his attempts to manipulate the levers of the government he headed to flip the election results, Trump resorted to encouraging a popular insurrection to unlawfully install him for another term. I think Trump's "state of mind" and "intention" on January 6 are pretty clear.

John Wagner of the Washington Post: "Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) acknowledged Wednesday that he spoke with ... Donald Trump on Jan. 6, increasing the likelihood that he will be called to testify before the House select committee investigating the attack on the Capitol by Trump supporters. 'I spoke with him on Jan. 6,' Jordan, a staunch Trump ally, said during an interview with Spectrum News, in which he was asked to clarify previous comments about whether the two had communicated on the day of the attack."

Caroline Vakil of the Hill: "A former New York state Senate candidate is facing four charges in connection to his alleged role in the Jan. 6 riot, CNBC reported. Daniel Christmann was arrested on Wednesday in Brooklyn and faces charges of knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority; disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or ground; disorderly conduct in a Capitol building; and parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building. According to a federal criminal complaint..., footage was found of Christmann entering the building through a window. The complaint also shows comments that Christmann made on his Instagram account where he confirmed that he had entered the Capitol."

Jeanna Smialek of the New York Times: "The Federal Reserve on Wednesday offered the most direct signal yet that it will begin to dial back its emergency support for the economy in the near future, as its chair, Jerome H. Powell, made it clear that policymakers will do so deliberatively and with plenty of warning. Fed officials voted to leave both of their key policy supports intact before wrapping up their two-day July meeting, holding interest rates near zero and continuing government-backed bond purchases unabated. Those two tools fuel economic demand by making money cheap to borrow and spend. But they spent the meeting debating when and how to slow the bond-buying program, which is expected to be the first step toward a more normal policy setting as the economy rebounds strongly from its pandemic stupor. A decision isn't imminent, but officials used their July policy statement to signal that one is coming."

Devlin Barrett of the Washington Post: "Federal prison officials have allowed Larry Nassar, the former USA Gymnastics doctor accused of sexually abusing hundreds of girls and women, to avoid paying financial penalties that are part of his sentence -- even as he spent more than $10,000 from his Federal Bureau of Prisons account while behind bars, according to a new court filing. The spending details are contained in a prosecutor's motion Wednesday that seeks to force the Bureau of Prisons to turn over Nassar's current prison account balance to help cover a court-ordered payment of $5,300 to the federal Crime Victims Fund.... The Washington Post reported last month that the bureau allows inmates to keep unlimited amounts of money in their accounts and effectively shields much of that money from collection..., leaving the Justice Department in the odd position of having to file court cases to force one of its own agencies to turn over money owed to crime victims or for other debts."

Ben Cohen & Jerry Greenfield, in a New York Times op-ed, explain why they're proud that the company they founded -- Ben & Jerry's -- and which they no longer control, decided to end the sale of their ice cream in Palestine's occupied territories.

Annals of, uh, Journalism, Ctd. Their Goal Is Spit-Takes. Katie Robertson of the New York Times: "Gawker is back. Again. The website known for blunt, gossipy coverage of celebrities, tech entrepreneurs, media figures and anyone else with an inflated ego went live on Wednesday, two years after a failed reboot attempt. The editor in chief is Leah Finnegan, a former executive editor of The Outline, a news site that shut down last year. She has also worked as an editor at Gawker and The New York Times. 'The current laws of civility mean that no, it can't be exactly what it once was,' Ms. Finnegan wrote of Gawker in a note to readers published Wednesday, 'but we strive to honor the past and embrace the present. We are here to make you laugh, I hope, and think, and do a spit-take or furrow your brow,' she continued, asking readers to consider the site's new incarnation 'with an open mind and an open heart.'"

The Pandemic, Ctd.

It's Official. Kevin McCarthy Is a Moron. Marianna Sotomayor & John Wagner of the Washington Post: "House Republicans on Wednesday angrily criticized a new order from the Capitol Hill physician to wear masks inside the Capitol due to the spread of the delta variant of the coronavirus, leading Speaker Nancy Pelosi to call House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy a 'moron' over his argument that the decision was not based on science. Many House Republicans refused to wear masks on the House floor during a series of morning votes, before they called for the chamber to adjourn as GOP members rebuffed attempts by staff to get them to put on a mask.... '... The threat of bringing masks back is not a decision based on science, but a decision conjured up by liberal government officials who want to continue to live in a perpetual pandemic state,' McCarthy tweeted shortly after [Capitol physician Brian] Monahan sent his email [outlining the new policy] Tuesday night. Asked Wednesday morning by NBC News about McCarthy's comment, Pelosi responded: 'He's such a moron.'... Many Republicans have declined to say whether they have been vaccinated, although they represent areas with the biggest spikes in infections."

Margaret Talev of Axios: "The most hardcore opponents of coronavirus vaccination -- the group who say they'll never get one -- tend to be older, whiter and more Republican than the unvaccinated Americans who are still persuadable, according to an analysis of our Axios/Ipsos Coronavirus Index." MB: Can't figure out why that is. ~~~

~~~ Oriana Gonzalez of Axios: "Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) plans to use money from his reelection campaign to run radio ads on over 100 Kentucky stations in the coming days to promote getting vaccinated for COVID-19, Reuters reports."

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

Marie: In Tuesday's thread, Akhilleus pointed out that Rep. Margie Greene (GQP-Ga.) is upset that some liberal-type establishments may start banning potential customers with "staff infections." I meant to point that out earlier Wednesday, but I guess I let myself accidentally forget because I recently wrote "phase" where I meant "faze." My excuse is I don't have a staph to correct my spelling errors.

U.K. Karla Adam & William Booth of the Washington Post: "Coronavirus cases are plummeting in Britain. They were supposed to soar. Scientists aren't sure why they haven't.... The trajectory of the virus in Britain is something the world is watching closely and anxiously, as a test of how the delta variant behaves in a society with relatively high vaccination rates. And now people are asking if this could be the first real-world evidence that the pandemic in Britain is sputtering out -- after three national lockdowns and almost 130,000 deaths." The article includes several theses for the reason for the drop in cases -- including the possibility is that Brits just aren't getting tested.

Beyond the Beltway

Arizona. Allan Smith & Jane Timm of NBC News: "The Republican serving as liaison between the Arizona state Senate and the private company conducting a partisan ballot review said Wednesday that he intended to resign, then walked it back. Ken Bennett, a former Arizona secretary of state, said he'd decided to resign when it became clear he would not regain access to the Phoenix fairgrounds where the private company, Cyber Ninjas, continues its examination of millions of ballots cast last November in Maricopa County.... Bennett ... was first barred from entering the audit site Friday after he shared some results with outside election experts, according to The Arizona Republic. Those experts told the paper that what they reviewed indicated the auditors' vote tally was in line with the results reported by the county.... Bennett's announcement comes as another public-facing element of the audit -- its Twitter account ... -- was permanently suspended by Twitter along with seven other pro-audit accounts that promoted ... Donald Trump's lies about last fall's vote. The suspensions were first reported by BuzzFeed News." MB: So everything is going very smoothly.

New York. Luis Ferré-Sadurní & William Rashbaum of the New York Times: "One of Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo's top lawyers, a central figure in the state attorney general's investigation of the governor, will resign from her post next week just as the sexual harassment inquiry may be nearing an end. Judith L. Mogul has served as special counsel to the governor since 2019 and was one of the senior Cuomo aides who handled a sexual harassment complaint lodged by Charlotte Bennett, a former executive assistant to Mr. Cuomo." Mogul was one of two staff to whom Bennett had related her allegations against Cuomo.

Way Beyond

Japan. The New York Times' live updates of the Olympics games Wednesday are here.

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Tuesday

Jul272021

The Commentariat -- July 28, 2021

Late Morning/Afternoon Update:

Marie: According to CNN & MSNBC, President Biden has announced that Democrats, Republicans, & the White House have reached a bipartisan agreement on an infrastructure bill. I'll get up a link to a print story when one becomes available. ~~~

~~~ Ali Zaslav, et al., of CNN: "The senators negotiating an infrastructure deal announced they have an agreement on their major issues and hope to move forward with a procedural vote as soon as Wednesday evening, an optimistic sign for the group that has been seeking a deal for weeks though final bill text has yet to be released. The new bipartisan infrastructure bill will include $550 billion in new spending over the next five years, according to two sources familiar with the matter, rather than the $579 billion agreed to last month. The Republican senators made the announcement after a meeting in Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's office on Wednesday morning."

Mychael Schnell of the Hill: "GOP Rep. Andrew Clyde (Ga.) defended his description of rioters walking through the Capitol on Jan. 6 appearing to look like a 'normal tourist visit' during a committee meeting on Tuesday. The heated exchange occurred hours after four police officers appeared before the select committee probing the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.... Rep. (D-Md.), a member of the select panel, confronted Clyde during a Rules Committee meeting about his previous comments regarding the insurrection, in which he said people 'would actually think it was a normal tourist visit' if they had not known the footage was from Jan. 6. 'Do you stand by your statement that they were tourists?' Raskin asked Clyde. The GOP lawmaker, however, refused to answer the question, claiming that Raskin had read an 'interpretation' of his statement.... [Raskin read back Clyde's original statement.] 'And I stand by that exact statement, as I said it,' Clyde responded." Includes video. MB: Photos taken January 6 show Clyde helping to barricade the House doors against the ~~advancing horde~~ normal tourists.

Marie: In yesterday's thread, Akhilleus pointed out that Rep. Margie Greene (GQP-Ga.) is upset that some liberal-type establishments may start banning potential customers with "staff infections." I meant to point that out earlier today, but I guess I let myself accidentally forget because I recently wrote "phase" where I meant "faze." My excuse is I don't have a staph to correct my spelling errors.

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Marie: What most people, including many teevee pundits, don't seem to entirely grasp is that those defending the Capitol were defending it against a would-be fascist dictator (and his collaborators) who was at the time President* of the United States. This is, as said POTUS* would say, unpresidented.

Meet Your Trumpbot. Here's a voicemail D.C. MPD Officer Michael Fanone received while he was testifying at the hearing: ~~~

~~~ If CNN has this video removed, here's a tweet with an embedded video that includes the voicemail, which Fanone released to CNN's Don Lemon. Discussion of the voicemail begins at about 5:35 min. in, the voicemail at about 6 min. in.

Annals of "Journalism," Ctd. Lee Moran of the Huffington Post: "Fox News' prime-time personalities Laura Ingraham and Tucker Carlson were slammed on Tuesday for their coverage of the first day of the House select committee's hearing on the U.S. Capitol riot. Ingraham responded to the harrowing testimony from officers who faced down the violent mob of ... Donald Trump's supporters on Jan. 6 with a spoof awards ceremony.... Ingraham said the hearing was akin to 'performance art.' Among the 'awards,' Ingraham gave 'best performance in an action role' to Washington Metropolitan Police Officer Michael Fanone, who during his testimony recalled fearing he'd be shot with his own weapon.... Carlson, meanwhile, responded with a smirk to footage of Fanone telling the hearing he'd experienced post-traumatic stress disorder after the riot. Throughout his monologue, Carlson piled onto his previous claims about the violence just being a 'political protest that got out of hand.'" Thanks to P.D. Pepe for the link. See also her comment below.

** Karoun Demirjian, et al., of the Washington Post: "A House select committee examining the events of Jan. 6 opened its investigation Tuesday with vivid, visceral testimony from four law enforcement officers who were among those attacked as they defended the U.S. Capitol from armed supporters of ... Donald Trump, delivering an emotional portrait of the insurrection's lasting toll more than six months later.... The select committee's members believe the first-person accounts of such intensely traumatic experiences will resonate with the American public, cutting through the bitter political war in Congress over how the Capitol riot should be investigated -- and who bears responsibility for it." ~~~

Mary Jalonick of the AP: "'This is how I'm going to die, defending this entrance,' Capitol Police Sergeant Aquilino Gonell recalled thinking, testifying Tuesday at the emotional opening hearing of the congressional panel investigating the violent Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection. Gonell told House investigators he could feel himself losing oxygen as he was crushed by rioters -- supporters of ... Donald Trump -- as he tried to hold them back and protect the Capitol and lawmakers. He and three other officers gave their accounts of the attack, sometimes wiping away tears, sometimes angrily rebuking Republicans who have resisted the probe and embraced Trump's downplaying of the day's violence. Six months after the insurrection, with no action yet taken to bolster Capitol security or provide a full accounting of what went wrong, the new panel launched its investigation by starting with the law enforcement officers who protected them. Along with graphic video of the hand-to-hand fighting, the officers described being beaten as they held off the mob that broke through windows and doors and interrupted the certification of Democrat Joe Biden's presidential win." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) The New York Times report is here. ~~~

~~~ Chairman Bennie Thompson released this video of the insurrection before the officers' testimony began:

~~~ Video of the full hearing, via USA Today, is here. The testimony was remarkably compelling. ~~~

~~~ Jeremy Herb of CNN suggests five takeaways from the hearing.

Maeve Sheehey of Politico: "The two House Republicans participating in the Democratic-led investigation into the Jan. 6 Capitol attack issued pointed rejoinders to their party's leadership, defending their own conservative credibility, during the select panel's first hearing on Tuesday. An emotional Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois spent much of his questioning time criticizing fellow Republicans who 'have treated this as just another partisan fight.' While he didn't mention House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy by name, the GOP leader has chastised Kinzinger and Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming for serving on the panel, calling them 'Pelosi Republicans' in a bid to link them to the Democratic speaker who appointed them." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

~~~ ** Dana Milbank of the Washington Post: "... Republican lawmakers took the occasion [of Tuesday's hearing] to demand justice -- for the terrorists who took up arms against the U.S. government on that terrible day. Six Republican members of the House, escorted by a man in a giant Trump costume bearing the message 'TRUMP WON,' marched on the Justice Department Tuesday afternoon to speak up for those they called 'political prisoners' awaiting trial for their roles in the insurrection. 'These are not unruly or dangerous, violent criminals,' Rep. Paul Gosar (Ariz.) proclaimed at a news conference outside DOJ headquarters. 'These are political prisoners who are now being persecuted and bearing the pain of unjust suffering.'... They distributed copies of a letter alleging the Jan. 6 defendants had been denied 'potentially exculpatory evidence' and subjected to 'cruel and unusual punishment.' Their supporters waved signs proclaiming 'Free the Jan. 6 Political Prisoners,' and 'Jan. 6 Was an Inside Job.'... The half-dozen lawmakers, including Matt Gaetz of Florida and Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, made explicit what has become more obvious by the day: Republicans stand with those who attempted a violent coup on Jan. 6." ~~~

~~~ Mychael Schnell of the Hill: "A news conference held by a coalition of House GOP firebrands was cut short Tuesday after a group of counterprotesters gathered behind the lawmakers.... [The House members] were repeatedly interrupted and eventually ended the event after counterprotesters got too close to the speakers.... 'The left is interrupting the press conference, we need to end it,' [an unidentified] man announced, as protesters gathered behind the lawmakers with signs. As the Republicans left the microphones at the DOJ, the protesters followed them down the street." ~~~

~~~ Dana Milbank, in the column linked above, writes that "the unidentified man" was "a worried staffer" who said, "We got to get out." Milbank wonders, "What were they afraid of? These protesters were nonviolent -- unlike the Jan. 6 terrorists with whom Republicans now side."

~~~ Luke Broadwater & Nicholas Fandos of the New York Times: "One officer described how rioters attempted to gouge out his eye and called him a traitor as they sought to invade the Capitol. Another told of being smashed in a doorway and nearly crushed amid a 'medieval' battle with a pro-Trump mob as he heard guttural screams of pain from fellow officers. A third said he was beaten unconscious and stunned repeatedly with a Taser as he pleaded with his assailants, 'I have kids.' A fourth relayed how he was called a racist slur over and over again by intruders wearing 'Make America Great Again' garb.... The two top congressional Republicans [McConnell & McCarthy] later said they had been too busy with other work to watch.... Ignoring those who organized, encouraged and carried out the attack, [House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy] and other Republicans faulted Ms. Pelosi, who on Jan. 6 was forced to flee the Capitol as armed members of the mob roamed the corridors calling out, 'Where are you, Nancy?'... Congressional leaders hire the law enforcement personnel responsible for Capitol security, but are typically not involved in day-to-day decisions about security protocols." ~~~

~~~ It's All Nancy's Fault. Mike Lillis of the Hill: "House GOP leaders teed off on Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) Tuesday morning, accusing her of neglecting her duty to defend the Capitol on Jan. 6 and demanding answers about her role in the violent attack that injured more than 140 police officers.... They also did not answer reporters' questions about why Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who was Senate majority leader on Jan. 6, should not bear the same responsibility they say Pelosi does for the security lapses.... Pelosi's office quickly issued a statement pushing back against the charges. The statement noted that congressional leaders do not oversee the everyday decisions surrounding Capitol security -- a responsibility of the Capitol Police Board -- while asserting that the Speaker never denied a request to active the National Guard." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Jill Colvin of the AP: "The Republican Party's self-portrayal as champions of law and order collided with searing testimony Tuesday from police officers themselves. Officers described in vivid, personal terms the terror of defending the U.S. Capitol from violent Trump-inspired insurrectionists on Jan. 6.... It highlighted the GOP's effort to brush past the violence unleashed by a mob of ... Donald Trump's supporters that endangered hundreds of officers."

Bad News for Der Furor. Katie Benner of the New York Times: "The Justice Department notified former officials this week that they could testify to the various committees investigating the Trump administration's efforts to subvert the results of the presidential election and the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, according to a letter obtained by The New York Times. Witnesses can give 'unrestricted testimony' to the House Oversight and Reform Committee and the Senate Judiciary Committee, the department said. Both panels are scrutinizing the bid by officials in the Trump White House to force the Justice Department to undermine President Biden's victory, as well as the events leading up to the Capitol riot, as Congress convened to formally tally the electoral results.&" (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

~~~ Evan Perez of CNN: "The Justice Department formally declined to assert executive privilege for potential testimony of at least some witnesses related to the January 6 Capitol attack.... The decision paves the way for some former Justice Department officials to testify on what they witnessed in the chaotic days between ... Donald Trump's November election loss and early January when he tried to use the Justice Department and other means to advance false claims that he won." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

~~~ Devlin Barrett & Rachel Weiner of the Washington Post: "A Republican congressman's Jan. 6 speech at a rally ahead of the riot at the U.S. Capitol is not covered by protections for members of Congress and federal employees, the Justice Department said in a court filing Tuesday -- drawing a legal line over attempts to stop the certification of the 2020 election results. Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.) had argued that he is effectively immune from a lawsuit filed by his colleague Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) that accused Brooks..., Donald Trump, and others of fomenting the failed attack on Congress.... The agency 'cannot conclude that Brooks was acting within the scope of his office or employment as a Member of Congress at the time of the incident out of which the claims in this case arose,' the court filing said. 'Inciting or conspiring to foment a violent attack on the United States Congress is not within the scope of employment of a Representative -- or any federal employee.'" ~~~

~~~ Katie Benner of the New York Times: "The Justice Department's decision shows it is likely to also decline to provide legal protection for Mr. Trump in the lawsuit.... Lawyers for the House also said on Tuesday that they declined to defend Mr. Brooks in the lawsuit."

White, Christian, heterosexual males are 25 percent of the population, and they are not satisfied to hold only 85 percent of the power. -- Matthew Dowd, a white, Christian, heterosexual male, on the teevee Tuesday

Jonah Bromwich of the New York Times: "A one-of-a-kind album recorded by the Wu-Tang Clan and sold at auction to the disgraced pharmaceutical executive and hedge fund manager Martin Shkreli has been purchased by an anonymous buyer for an undisclosed sum of money, the federal prosecutors who seized the album three years ago said. Jacquelyn M. Kasulis, the acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, announced the sale of the one known copy of the album, 'Once Upon a Time in Shaolin,' in a news release on Tuesday.... The sale satisfied the balance that Mr. Shkreli had owed the government, according to the news release. The buyer was a group of people or a company, rather than an individual, according to a person with knowledge of the sale."

Julian Barnes of the New York Times: "A former intelligence contractor who disclosed details of the American drone warfare program to a reporter [at the Intercept] was sentenced on Tuesday to nearly four years in prison. The former official, Daniel E. Hale, 33, was working as a contract employee with a security clearance at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency when he provided documents to a reporter for The Intercept, a news site that specializes in intelligence matters. He was originally charged in 2019 with various counts including disclosing intelligence information and theft of government property. In March, Mr. Hale pleaded guilty to retaining and transmitting national defense information. On Tuesday, Judge Liam O'Grady of U.S. District Court sentenced Mr. Hale to 45 months in prison." MB: But, who will take care of Hale's cat?

Abha Bhattarai of the Washington Post: "Walmart will begin offering free college tuition and books to its 1.5 million U.S. employees, the latest effort by the country's largest private employer to attract and retain workers in a tight labor market. The retail giant said Tuesday that it will invest nearly $1 billion over the next five years in career training and development programs for workers who want to pursue majors in high-demand fields, such as business administration, supply chain and cybersecurity. The company had previously required its Walmart and Sam's Club workforce to pay $1 a day to participate in the program.... Walmart's Live Better U education program, which will be free beginning Aug. 16, was created three years ago to help employees advance within the company.... More than 52,000 employees have participated and 8,000 have graduated since 2018." MB: Walmart just made itself an attractive employer for young people and anyone who wants to work toward a college degree. I never thought I'd say, "Good for Walmart." I'm saying it now. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

The Pandemic, Ctd.

Tyler Pager & Eli Rosenberg of the Washington Post: "President Biden will announce Thursday that all federal employees will be required to be vaccinated against the coronavirus or face repeated testing mandates, a White House official said, a dramatic escalation of the administration's effort to combat the spread of the delta variant. The new rules will closely align with policies recently put in place for government officials in California and New York City, the person said, speaking on the condition of anonymity.... The White House is not planning on firing government employees who aren't vaccinated but will impose a number of restrictions on them as a way to encourage them to receive one of the vaccines that have received emergency-use authorization. Another official cautioned that nothing is final until Biden announces it and the plan could change, adding that a policy review is underway." (This is a substantial update of a story linked yesterday afternoon.) The New York Times story is here. CNN's story is here.

Annie Karni of the New York Times: "The White House is masking up again, just over two months after President Biden and senior government officials shed their face coverings in the biggest sign to date that the country was moving toward normalcy. The shift came after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Tuesday that people vaccinated against the coronavirus should resume wearing masks in public indoor spaces in parts of the country where the virus is surging, amid growing reports of breakthrough infections of the more contagious Delta variant among people who are fully immunized."

Cristina Marcos of the Hill: "Masks will once again be universally required on the House side of the Capitol amid the spread of the highly contagious delta variant, the Capitol physician announced late Tuesday night. The resumption of the House mask mandate -- just over a month after it was lifted -- comes after new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) earlier Tuesday recommending that vaccinated people should wear masks in high-risk areas.... The Capitol physician, Brian Monahan..., said that masks are justified given that members of Congress hail from all over the country, where some areas -- primarily conservative-leaning -- are seeing a surge in COVID-19 amid low vaccination rates.... The mask requirement will not apply to the Senate. But it's a different COVID-19 risk environment in the Senate, where all but four senators have confirmed publicly that they are vaccinated in a recent CNN survey."

Yasmeen Abutaleb, et al., of the Washington Post: "The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended Tuesday that vaccinated Americans wear masks indoors in certain circumstances -- the latest step in the nation's escalating fight against the highly transmissible delta variant of the coronavirus. The agency advised that vaccinated people who live in high-transmission places wear masks in indoor public spaces, according to three people familiar with the guidance. It also recommended that vaccinated people with vulnerable household members, including young children and those who are immunocompromised, wear masks indoors in public spaces." The article is free to nonsubscribers. CNN's report is here.

Paul Waldman of the Washington Post: "... in the world's richest country we have more vaccine doses than we know what to do with, and we're terribly worried about not hurting the delicate feelings of those who insist on putting everyone else at risk... Being nice to those who refuse to be vaccinated is getting awfully tiresome.... After a year and a half of this pandemic, and so much suffering and death, it's hard to care about their feelings.... At the very least, we should start taking every step possible to prevent those actively refusing to participate in our mutual effort to prevent each other from getting sick and dying from doing more harm.... There's no perfect answer to how far ... restrictions should go, but at a minimum we ought to say that if you want the freedom not to be vaccinated, a business or organization should have the freedom to tell you to stay away until either you're vaccinated or the pandemic is over." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Jordan Frieman of CBS News: "The Department of Justice on Tuesday ordered the forfeiture of a tablet containing a portion of the 'Epic of Gilgamesh,' one of the oldest known works of literature. The forfeiture is part of an ongoing process to return thousands ;of clay tablets and bullae that were illegally smuggled out of Iraq and purchased by Hobby Lobby.... Hobby Lobby purchased the tablet and thousands of others like it with the intent of displaying some of them in the Museum of the Bible, which is funded by the family of the arts and crafts chain's founder, David Green. The Gilgamesh Dream Tablet was seized by law enforcement officers in 2019, according to the DOJ, and Hobby Lobby agreed to its forfeiture." MB: Green, an evangelical Christian, fought -- and won in the Supreme Court -- the Obamacare mandate that required large companies like Hobby Lobby to pay for birth control. Most of Hobby Lobby's employees are women. Green laid off a big percentage of those women in March 2020 because his wife had a vision from God. MB: Too bad God didn't tell the lovely Mrs. that all those artifacts they bought were stolen.

Beyond the Beltway

California. Do as I Say, Not as I Do. Kathleen Ronayne of the AP: "California Gov. Gavin Newsom's office said Tuesday he pulled his children out of a summer day camp that did not require kids to wear masks, a violation of state policy that Newsom's spokeswoman said he and his wife missed when reviewing communication from the camp.... Two of Newsom's four children, ages 10 and 11, attended the day camp, [the spokeswoman] said. Reopen California Schools, a group that promotes full school reopening without masks, tweeted Monday it had obtained photos of one of Newsom's sons at the camp. The group cast it as another example of Newsom saying one thing and doing another, something that could further frustrate his critics and other voters as his Sept. 14 recall election looms. Signatures in support of the recall spiked last November after he was caught dining maskless at the expensive French Laundry restaurant while telling Californians to avoid gatherings of more than three households."

California. Katie Shepherd of the Washington Post: "An attacker robbed former senator Barbara Boxer near her home in Oakland, Calif., on Monday, shoving the longtime lawmaker and snatching her cellphone before fleeing by car.... 'I said, "How can you do this to a grandmother?"' said Boxer, who served as a Democratic senator from California.... The attack on 80-year-old Boxer follows the Oakland City Council's decision last month to cut the police department's budget by about $18 million in favor of funding social services and violence-prevention programs." (Also linked yesterday.)

California. Stephanie Dazio of the AP: "A federal jury on Tuesday convicted a wealthy California political donor on charges he injected gay men with methamphetamine in exchange for sex, leading to two deaths and other overdoses. Ed Buck, 66, was found guilty of all nine felony counts in federal court, which could lead to a life sentence. The verdict came exactly four years after one of the victims, 26-year-old Gemmel Moore, was found dead of an overdose in Buck's West Hollywood apartment.... Prosecutors said Buck paid men and provided drugs in return for sex acts. Buck had pleaded not guilty."

Oregon. Matthew Chapman of the Raw Story: "On Tuesday, The Daily Beast reported that former Oregon state Rep. Mike Nearman has been banned from setting foot on the state capitol grounds for 18 months as part of a guilty plea deal to official misconduct relating to his participation in a violent right-wing riot. 'Last December, when the Capitol was closed due to the pandemic, Nearman opened a side door to allow a group of violent protestors inside,' the publication writes. 'It led to a clash with police near the entrance. While explaining his actions to Marion County Circuit Court Judge Cheryl Pellegrini, Nearman claimed he didn't support what the group did upon entering but eventually admitted that he opened the door so he could "appear favorable to certain citizen groups."'... Nearman was expelled from the Oregon House of Representatives in a bipartisan 59 to 1 vote in June -- the first time any lawmaker was removed this way in the history of the state." MB: As the linked WashPo story reports, "Nearman himself cast the sole no in the 59-to-1 tally." The Daily Beast report, which is firewalled, is here. ~~~

~~~ BUT. Katie Shepherd of the Washington Post: "Despite pleading guilty to knowingly committing official misconduct after holding open a door to allow right-wing demonstrators into the Oregon Capitol building in December, former Republican lawmaker Mike Nearman denied wrongdoing in a radio interview after his sentencing. 'I don't think I committed a crime, and I don't think I did anything wrong,' Nearman, 57, told conservative talk-show host Lars Larson on Tuesday.... 'The legal bills were stacking up,' he told Larson. 'It made more sense to pay and do a little community service rather than pay twenty or thirty thousand more to attorneys.'"

New Jersey. Ed Shanahan & Tracey Tully of the New York Times: "A New Jersey woman can leave up several banners that use what local officials called an obscenity to express her hostility toward President Biden, a state court ruled on Tuesday. The ruling came after the woman, Andrea Dick of Roselle Park, enlisted the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey to fight a municipal judge's order that she take the banners off a fence outside the house where she lives with mother or face $250 a day in fines. After the civil liberties group joined the case, Roselle Park officials backpedaled on their earlier demand that Ms. Dick take down the banners and effectively dropped the matter.... [Some of Dick's large banners] included a crude word [-- fuck --] whose use the Supreme Court long ago ruled could not be restricted simply to protect those it offends."

Texas Congressional Election. Ally Mutnick of Politico: "Voters in North Texas delivered an upset Tuesday, picking GOP state Rep. Jake Ellzey to fill a vacant House seat over a candidate endorsed by ... Donald Trump. Ellzey beat fellow Republican Susan Wright, the widow of former Rep. Ron Wright, 53 percent to 47 percent, when the Associated Press called the low-turnout, Republican-vs.-Republican runoff. Though Ellzey was better funded, Wright leaned heavily on her backing from the former president.... [Trump] held two tele-town halls for [Susan Wright] and taped a robocall for her, making the loss more painful.... It's possible Ellzey benefited from Democratic voters who participated in the runoff to rebuff Trump. Though the runoff was between tw Republican candidates, it was a special election open to all voters in the district."

Way Beyond

Japan. The New York Times' live updates of Olympics games developments Tuesday are here: Simone "Biles, the most decorated gymnast in the world, walked off the mat and left the competition, saying she was not mentally prepared to continue. She said later that she was not certain she would compete again at the Tokyo Games. In her absence, the Russian team surged to the gold medal. The Americans held on for silver."

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Jul262021

The Commentariat -- July 27, 2021

Afternoon Update:

White, Christian, heterosexual males are 25 percent of the population, and they are not satisfied to hold only 85 percent of the power. -- Matthew Dowd, a white, Christian, heterosexual male, on the teevee Tuesday

Eli Rosenberg of the Washington Post: "President Biden said that the federal government was considering making vaccines mandatory for its workforce -- what would be a significant escalation in push to expand vaccine coverage as the coronavirus surge from the Delta variant sends shockwaves through the country. 'That's under consideration right now,' he said in response to a reporter's question at an appearance Tuesday. 'If you're not vaccinated, you're not nearly as smart as I thought you were.' There are at least 4 million federal employees, a figure that includes civilian workers, members of the military, and members of the U.S. Postal Service, according to recent estimates, making the government the country's largest employer. It could not be learned if the discussions about vaccine requirements would also apply to members of the military."

Katie Benner of the New York Times: "The Justice Department notified former officials this week that they could testify to the various committees investigating the Trump administration's efforts to subvert the results of the presidential election and the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, according to a letter obtained by The New York Times. Witnesses can give 'unrestricted testimony' to the House Oversight and Reform Committee and the Senate Judiciary Committee, the department said. Both panels are scrutinizing the bid by officials in the Trump White House to force the Justice Department to undermine President Biden's victory, as well as the events leading up to the Capitol riot, as Congress convened to formally tally the electoral results." ~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~

The Washington Post is liveblogging developments in the House select committee on the January 6 insurrection. The first hearing is scheduled to begin today at 9:30 am ET. ~~~

~~~ Jeremy Herb, et al., of CNN: "In its opening act, the House select committee investigating the January 6 attack on the Capitol holds its first high-profile hearing Tuesday with testimony from four officers who will give firsthand accounts of the horrors they witnessed and endured as rioters stormed the building. The officers are expected to recount the harrowing attacks they faced on January 6, including being beaten with a flagpole, getting crushed in a doorway, being the target of racial slurs and facing rioters who tased them. The committee also is expected to show never-before-seen videos depicting the violence from that day, just as House impeachment managers did during the impeachment trial of ... Donald Trump." ~~~

~~~ Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), chair of the committee, in a Washington Post op-ed: "Many of the Jan. 6 rioters have stated in their court pleadings that they stormed the Capitol believing they were acting on behalf of, or even at the behest of, then-President Donald Trump. The protection of our democracy demands that we comprehensively investigate what drove Americans to riot and violently assault Capitol Police, Metropolitan Police and other law enforcement officers to access the inner sanctum of Congress and private offices of top congressional leaders, including the speaker of the House.... The committee will provide the definitive accounting of one of the darkest days in our history." ~~~

~~~ Marianna Sotomayor of the Washington Post: "Democrats are seeking to elevate the role of Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) on the committee examining the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, scheduling her to deliver one of the two opening statements at the panel's first public hearing Tuesday, according to two people familiar with the decision. The move is intended to present the committee as a bipartisan effort following Republican leadership's decision not to participate in the panel.... During a closed-door meeting last week, Rep. Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.) proposed to [Speaker Nancy] Pelosi and Cheney that having the Wyoming congresswoman speak after Chairman Bennie G. Thompson (D-Miss.) would present a 'strong visual' for the committee's goals and intentions as it embarks on a months-long process to investigate the insurrection, according to a person familiar with the conversation, who, like others, spoke on the condition of anonymity...." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

~~~ Marie: Pundits have been talking about Nancy Pelosi's outsmarting Kevin McCarthy. Looks as though Liz Cheney outsmarted McCarthy, too -- not that outsmarting Kevin is all that difficult.

Anne Gearan of the Washington Post: "President Biden on Monday announced that the United States will end its combat mission in Iraq by year's end, his latest effort to push American diplomacy past a post-9/11 worldview and shift its focus away from terrorism and the Middle East and toward threats like China and cyberwarfare. Welcoming Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi to the Oval Office, Biden promised ongoing support for democracy in Iraq, including elections this fall, but he said the military mission there will change.... The Iraq announcement came three months after Biden announced the full withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, and just one week after he started transferring prisoners from Guantánamo Bay in hopes of eventually shutting down the prison. Taken together, the moves represent what has become a pillar of Biden's foreign policy: ending two decades of what he sees as an outdated reaction to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and focusing on an increasingly aggressive China, which he sees as the biggest threat to American security." (This is an update of a story linked yesterday afternoon.)

Nomaan Merchant of the AP: "President Joe Biden is making his first visit to an agency of the U.S. intelligence community, looking to emphasize his confidence in national security leaders after his predecessor's incendiary battles against what he often derided as the 'deep state.' Biden is scheduled Tuesday afternoon to visit the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, which oversees the 17 U.S. intelligence organizations. The White House said in a statement that Biden intends to express 'admiration for their work and underscore the importance for our national security of intelligence collection and analysis free from political interference.'... Donald Trump visited the Central Intelligence Agency on his first full day in office, praising the agencies but also airing personal grievances. Standing in front of CIA's memorial wall with stars marking each of the officers who have died while serving, Trump settled scores with the media and repeated false claims about the size of his inauguration crowd.... Trump would go through four permanent or acting directors of national intelligence in four years and engaged in near-constant fights with the intelligence community."

Arsenic & Old Lead. Dino Grandoni of the Washington Post: "The Environmental Protection Agency announced Monday it will set stricter requirements for how coal-fired power plants dispose of wastewater full of arsenic, lead and mercury -- a major source of toxic water pollution in rivers, lakes and streams near electric generators across the country, from Wyoming to Pennsylvania. In a new rulemaking process that kicked off Monday, President Biden's team is aiming to undo one of the Trump administration's major regulatory rollbacks. Last year, the Trump EPA weakened rules forcing many coal plants to treat wastewater with modern filtration methods and other technology before it reached waterways that provide drinking water for thousands of Americans.... It is ... an example of how the Biden administration is grappling with decades of neglect on water issues under Democratic and Republican presidents as it pushes for billions of dollars from Congress to replace lead pipes and fix aging sewage systems."

Lisa Mascaro, et al., of the AP: "Senators and the White House are locked in intense negotiations to salvage a bipartisan infrastructure deal, with pressure mounting on all sides to wrap up talks and show progress on President Joe Biden's top priority. Despite weeks of closed-door discussions, senators from the bipartisan group blew past a Monday deadline set for agreement on the nearly $1 trillion package. Instead they hit serious roadblocks over how much would be spent on public transit and water infrastructure and whether the new spending on roads, bridges, broadband and other projects would be required to meet federal wage requirements for workers. They're also at odds over drawing on COVID-19 funds to help pay for it. Republican negotiator Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio, who took the lead in key talks with a top White House aide, insisted the bipartisan group was 'making progress.'"

** The Right's Moral Bankruptcy. Paul Krugman of the New York Times: "... J.D. Vance, the author of 'Hillbilly Elegy,' who is now a Republican Senate candidate in Ohio..., noted that some prominent Democrats don't have children, and he lashed out at the 'childless left.' He also praised the policies of Viktor Orban, the leader of Hungary, whose government is subsidizing couples who have children, and asked, 'Why can't we do that here?' As The Washington Post's Dave Weigel, who was there, pointed out, it was odd that Vance didn't mention Joe Biden's newly instituted child tax credit, which will make an enormous difference to many poorer families with children. It was also interesting that he praised Hungary rather than other European nations with strong pronatalist policies [such as France].... So why did Vance single out for praise a repressive, autocratic government with a strong white nationalist bent? That was a rhetorical question.... When politicians rant about values, or attack other people's personal choices, it's usually a sign that they're unable or unwilling to propose policies that would actually improve American lives."

Shayna Jacobs of the Washington Post: "Thomas J. Barrack, a wealthy investor and ex-adviser to ... Donald Trump, pleaded not guilty to charges related to foreign lobbying at his first court appearance in New York since his arrest in California last week. Barrack, 74, and his co-defendant Matthew Grimes, 27, were arraigned Monday in federal court in Brooklyn, where they are charged with failing to register as agents of a foreign government while covertly working on behalf of the United Arab Emirates. Barrack, who is also accused of lying to the FBI, is free on a $250 million bond." MB: Though not explicited stated in the story, it appears Grimes also pleaded not guilty.

Jamelle Bouie of the New York Times: The "Founding Fathers"' "fears and apprehensions are the subject of a recent book by Dennis C. Rasmussen, a political scientist at Syracuse University. In 'Fears of a Setting Sun...', Rasmussen walks readers through the later-in-life correspondence of Jefferson, Washington, Alexander Hamilton and John Adams, each of whom feared for the fate of the American republic following their service in the government they created. And for good reason.... '...the founders' correspondence was "littered with predictions of imminent collapse.'... Adams wrote ... to [his son] John Quincy that, 'If there is any Thing Serious in this World, the Selfishness of our Countrymen is not only Serious but melancholy, foreboding ravages of Ambition and Avarice which never were exceeded on this Selfish Globe.'... To Rufus King, Hamilton wrote that 'the prospects of our Country are not brilliant. The mass is far from sound.'... 'The source of Jefferson's frustration and despondency,' Rasmussen writes, 'was not the continued failure of the South to finally put slavery on the road to extinction, but rather the North's opposition to its expansion.'"

Jacey Fortin of the New York Times: "Michael B. Enzi, a long-serving United States senator from Wyoming who had a reputation as a low-key, consensus-seeking conservative and who led the Senate Budget Committee for several years before he retired in January, died on Monday, days after a bicycle accident. He was 77." The Guardian's obituary is here.

The Pandemic, Ctd.

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

John Wagner of the Washington Post: "President Biden said Monday that long-term symptoms of covid-19 could be considered a disability under federal civil rights laws, an announcement timed to coincide with the 31st anniversary of the landmark Americans With Disabilities Act. 'Many Americans seemingly recovered from the virus still face lingering challenges like breathing problems, brain fog, chronic pain and fatigue,' Biden said during a ceremony in the Rose Garden at the White House, where he signed a proclamation commemorating the 1990 law that passed with bipartisan support. 'These conditions can sometimes rise to the level of a disability,' Biden said."

Dan Diamond of the Washington Post: "The Department of Veterans Affairs, which runs one of the nation's largest health systems, announced Monday it would mandate coronavirus vaccines for its front-line workers, becoming the first federal agency to do so and signaling what some experts said could be a national pivot to such requirements. Faced with the explosive growth of a new virus variant, the state of California and the city of New York gave workers a choice: Get vaccinated or face weekly testing. And an array of hospitals from coast to coast, including the prestigious Mayo Clinic, declared they would require staff to get vaccinated, following a joint plea from the nation's major medical groups. Health-care leaders say the moves represent an escalation of the nation's fight against the coronavirus -- the first concerted effort to mandate that tens of millions of Americans get vaccinated, more than seven months after regulators authorized the shots and as new cases rip through the nation." The article is free to nonsubscribers.

Jeremy Diamond & Kate Sullivan of CNN: "The White House has decided to maintain existing coronavirus travel restrictions amid surging cases triggered by the Delta variant, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Monday.... The Biden administration has been under growing pressure from the travel industry and US allies to lift pandemic-era restrictions limiting who can travel to the US."

An Unvaccinated Nitwit.Roni Rabin of the New York Times: "... many inoculated Americans are losing patience with vaccine holdouts who, they say, are neglecting a civic duty or clinging to conspiracy theories and misinformation.... The country seemed to be exiting the pandemic; barely a month ago, a sense of celebration was palpable. Now many of the vaccinated fear for their unvaccinated children and worry that they are at risk themselves for breakthrough infections. Rising case rates are upending plans for school and workplace reopenings, and threatening another wave of infections that may overwhelm hospitals in many communities.... Some vaccinated people believe the federal government should start using sticks rather than carrots, like lottery tickets." MB: Count me among those who are "losing patience" with the nitwits. Some of the vaccinated people interviewed suggested sticks to use against the unvaccinated. I think it would be appropriate to require them all to wear tinfoil dunce caps when they go out in public.

Dan Diamond of the Washington Post: "Congressional investigators expanded their inquiry Monday of political interference at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention under ... Donald Trump, citing newly obtained documents and additional reports of the administration's meddling in government scientists' work. The expanded investigation centers on efforts to blunt the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Reports (MMWRs), which offer public updates on scientists' findings. The reports had been considered sacrosanct for decades and untouchable by political appointees in the past, but Trump appointees pushed last year to edit the findings, worried that they undermined Trump's more optimistic spin on the coronavirus pandemic.... The subcommittee is requesting interviews with Anne Schuchat, a former CDC deputy director; Nancy Messonnier, a former senior official who held a variety of leadership roles at the CDC during the pandemic; and six current career staff members at the CDC and the Department of Health and Human Services. The subcommittee also is requesting interviews with former Trump appointees Kyle McGowan, Amanda Campbell and Nina Witkofsky, who served as top political appointees at the CDC last year." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Jonathan Weisman of the New York Times: "Representative Clay Higgins, Republican of Louisiana and an outspoken coronavirus skeptic who has drafted legislation to make vaccine mandates a federal crime, announced this weekend that he, his wife and his son have Covid-19. The announcement on Facebook, which did not provide details on symptoms, raised many questions. Mr. Higgins said he and his wife had previously been infected with the coronavirus in January 2020, at the dawn of the pandemic.... He did not say whether he had gotten an antibody test to confirm a previous infection, nor has he said whether he has been vaccinated against the coronavirus.... Mr. Higgins also asserted, without proof, that the Chinese Communist Party created the novel coronavirus as a biological warfare agent, calling it 'weaponized.' Republicans have increasingly stated, with no evidence, that the coronavirus is human-made and leaked from a laboratory in Wuhan, China -- some say intentionally. Although President Biden has ordered an intelligence assessment of the theory, most scientists continue to believe that the virus emerged naturally from animals. A senior virologist at the Wuhan Institute of Virology has strenuously denied the virus was created or leaked from her lab." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Tajikstan. Robyn Dixon of the Washington Post: "After the president of Tajikstan's sister died in the hospital reportedly of covid-19, her three sons attacked and beat up the country's health minister and a senior doctor, according to local media. The reports, widespread in Tajik media, cast a rare spotlight on the sudden surge of covid-19 cases in this Central Asian country that for a time denied it had any infections. In a change, the latest surge seems to be hitting right at the top levels of the nation's leadership. The incident came just weeks after the death of President Emomali Rahmon's mother-in-law, also reportedly of covid-19. The government has faced criticism over its denials and inaction after covid-19 spread in the country last year, and its failure to stem a disastrous new wave of infections. The latest spike in cases, initially denied by authorities, has hit wealthy and influential families in Tajikistan." MB: Seems a little like Tennessee.

Beyond the Beltway

California. Quint Forgey of Politico: "California voters most likely to participate in the September recall election are virtually split over whether to oust Gov. Gavin Newsom from office, according to a survey released Tuesday. The poll -- conducted by University of California, Berkeley's Institute of Governmental Studies and cosponsored by the Los Angeles Times -- showed that 47 percent of likely voters support recalling the Democratic governor, while 50 percent oppose the effort. That difference falls within the poll's margin of error."

Florida. Giulia Heyward, et al., of the New York Times: "More than a month after the terrifying collapse of a condominium tower in Surfside, Fla., the last victim's remains were identified on Monday, bringing the final death toll to 98 and capping a tedious, painstaking effort to account for every resident who had been killed.... The disaster is now officially one of the deadliest structural building failures in American history.... While the search for bodies at the collapse site concluded on Friday, teams of police officers continued to search off-site through millions of pounds of debris for evidence, victims' remains and personal items belonging to residents."

Texas. Eva Moravec & Elise Viebeck of the Washington Post: "Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan (R) has signed a warrant for the arrest of a Democratic legislator -- the first one he has signed since dozens of Democrats fled the state earlier this month in a bid to prevent Republicans from passing new voting restrictions. Phelan signed the warrant Sunday, directing law enforcement to take Rep. Philip Cortez into custody and bring him to the House after Cortez returned to Austin to negotiate with Republicans, then abruptly went back to D.C. Although the warrant is unlikely to be carried out now, as it is not enforceable outside Texas, the move escalates the showdown between Texas Republicans and Democrats over voting access less than two weeks before the House's special legislative session is scheduled to end."

Texas. A Crook After His Own Heart. Myah Ward of Politico: "... Donald Trump on Monday night endorsed Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton for reelection, even as the incumbent faces a criminal indictment on fraud charges and a separate FBI corruption investigation.... [Trump passed over] George P. Bush -- grandson and nephew of two former presidents, and the last remaining member of the political dynasty in public office -- [who] made the trek to Florida to ask for Trump's endorsement for attorney general a couple of weeks ago, tweeting that he appreciated Trump's 'friendship & kind words as we work together to Keep America Great.'"

Texas. Timothy Bella of the Washington Post: "Santos and David Rodriguez were handcuffed in a Dallas police car when an officer began to play Russian roulette with the hope of getting them to confess to stealing $8 from a gas station vending machine. Santos, 12, and David, 13, had been pulled from their beds by Dallas police officer Darrell Cain in the early-morning hours of July 24, 1973. The White officer had already once pulled the trigger of his .357 Magnum revolver during his interrogation of the Mexican American boys, who said they did not commit the petty theft.... The second time the officer fired his gun, he shot Santos in the head. The killing of the 12-year-old rocked Dallas and the nation, and resulted in Cain being convicted of murder.... Cain, who died in 2019 at 75, was sentenced to five years in prison, but ended up serving only half of his sentence for a murder described by one critic as 'one of the worst cases of racism with impunity.'... Nearly 50 years later, Dallas police have apologized to Bessie Rodriguez, the mother of Santos and David...." MB: A horrifying story.

Way Beyond

Ben Hubbard of the New York Times: "A billionaire telecoms tycoon, Najib Mikati, was appointed Monday to form Lebanon's next government, handing him the challenge of trying to pull the small Mediterranean country out of a downward economic spiral. Mr. Mikati, 65, is the third politician delegated by the Parliament to form a government since the huge explosion nearly a year ago in the port of Beirut that killed more than 200 people and led to the cabinet in charge at the time resigning. Since the August blast, the country has continued to sink, with frequent protests against the political elite, chronic traffic jams, and the currency losing 90 percent of its value, leading to acute shortages of fuel, medicine and electricity."

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