April 18, 2023

Afternoon Update:

** The New York Times is live-updating developments in the Dominion/Fox "News" trial as it gets underway: "The judge in the Fox News defamation case said on Tuesday that the case was resolved, abruptly ending a long-running dispute over misinformation in the 2020 election just as a highly anticipated trial was about to begin. It was a last-minute end to a case that began two years ago and after the disclosure of hundreds of thousands of pages of documents that peeled back the curtain on a media company that has long resisted outside scrutiny. Details of the settlement were not yet known. The agreement was reached a few hours after a jury in Wilmington, Del., was selected on Tuesday, just as opening statements were expected to begin.... Fox Corporation said in a statement that 'we acknowledge the court's rulings finding certain claims about Dominion to be false.' Lawyers for both sides had been preparing to make their cases to the jury, their microphones clipped to their jacket lapels." (MB: This item, pinned at the top of the live blog, has been revised several times over the course of 10 or 15 minutes, & my citations incorporate revisions.)

     ~~~ Update: "The settlement includes a $787.5 million payment from Fox, according to Dominion's lawyers." MB: It looks as if, at least at this point, that what Fox got for their 3/4 of a $billion was not having to admit they lied about Dominion & lie every day in every way. That's a win for Fox. ~~~

     ~~~ Earlier: "... opening statements in the case appeared to be delayed. A jury has been selected and lawyers for Dominion Voting Systems, the election technology company that brought the suit, will be first to offer opening statements in Delaware Superior Court in Wilmington.... The judge ... has authorized a special master to investigate Fox relating to its handling of discovery, an issue he had raised at an earlier hearing." ~~~

     ~~~ The AP's story, by David Bauder & others, is here.

Missouri. Derrick Taylor, et al., of the New York Times: "Andrew D. Lester, the man accused of shooting Ralph Yarl, a Black teenager, in Kansas City, Mo., turned himself in to the authorities on Tuesday, a day after he was charged with assault in the first degree and armed criminal action."

White House Security So Flimsy Even a Toddler Can Breach It! AP: ";A curious toddler on Tuesday earned the title of one of the tiniest White House intruders after he squeezed through the metal fencing on the north side of the executive mansion. U.S. Secret Service Uniformed Division officers, who are responsible for security at the White House, walked across the North Lawn to retrieve the tot and reunite him with his parents on Pennsylvania Avenue. Access to the complex was briefly restricted while officers conducted the reunification. Officers briefly questioned the parents before allowing them to continue on their way. Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said [in a statement that] officers 'encountered a curious young visitor along the White House north fence line who briefly entered White House grounds.... The White House security systems instantly triggered Secret Service officers and the toddler and parents were quickly reunited.'"

House Republicans in Disarray. Melanie Zanona & Haley Talbot of CNN: "Speaker Kevin McCarthy made a plea to House Republicans during a closed-door meeting Tuesday morning to back his debt ceiling plan, telling them that although it doesn't have to include everything they want, it will help get him to the negotiating table with President Joe Biden. McCarthy also told members that once he is at the table, he can push for other policy provisions down the road, according to multiple sources in the room, underscoring the idea that leadership sees the GOP-only plan as purely a way to strengthen their hand at the negotiating table. Top House Republicans are projecting confidence that they will be able to unite the conference behind a plan and move quickly to pass it. But that is far from certain. Key details of the plan are still yet to be finalized and some members are expressing frustration over the proposal as it stands-- and elements that have not been included."

Senate Republicans in Lock-step. John Wagner & Liz Goodwin of the Washington Post: "Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Tuesday voiced his strong opposition to allowing Democrats to temporarily replace Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) on the Judiciary Committee, stymieing a move sought by Democrats to strengthen the party's hand in confirming judicial nominees during Feinstein's extended absence.... Adding another Democratic vote in the meantime would only serve to allow Democrats to 'force through their very worst nominees,' McConnell said." MB: So once again we wonder, "What's your plan, Chuck Schumer?"

Draw & Quarter Him! Oh, Wait.... John Wagner of the Washington Post: "Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra violated a law that restricts political activities of federal employees when he advocated for the election of Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) at a Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute event in the fall, the Office of Special Counsel has determined.... While federal employees are permitted to express support for candidates when speaking in their personal capacity, the Hatch Act restricts employees from doing so when speaking as a government official. In a response to the findings, Becerra said he regretted what he described as an 'inadvertent violation.'... During the presidency of Donald Trump, numerous administration officials violated the Hatch Act without consequence. In just one episode, [Special Counsel Henry J.] Kerner's office found that at least 13 senior Trump administration officials illegally mixed governing with campaigning before the 2020 election." MB: I can't recall any of Trump's team ever apologized.

Christina Jewett of the New York Times: "The Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday approved an additional round of bivalent booster shots for adults who are 65 and over as well as people with compromised immune systems. The effort is to ensure ongoing protection against Covid, which is still claiming more than 1,300 lives each week. The bivalent shots target Omicron variants of the coronavirus. The agency said people who are 65 and older who have not had a bivalent booster shot in at least four months may get another one. For those who are immunocompromised, additional doses of the bivalent vaccine can be given two months after the last shot. Those who are unvaccinated can get a single dose of the bivalent booster, the agency said.... The spring booster approval was for the same formula that was released to protect people from the Omicron variant of the virus." The Washington Post story, which is here, is free to non-subscribers.

Andrew Jeong of the Washington Post: "The Canadian Broadcasting Corp. said it would halt activities on Twitter in protest of the social media platform's decision to label the CBC as 'government-funded media' -- a tag that implies potential government control over editorial content. The episode is part of a broader dispute that has emerged between Twitter and publicly funded news outlets since billionaire Elon Musk took over the company in October."

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Michael Shear of the New York Times: "President Biden plans to sign an executive order on Tuesday directing federal agencies to find ways to make child care cheaper and more accessible, seeking to make progress on a promise he made that stalled in his first two years in office.... Susan E. Rice, the director of the White House's Domestic Policy Council..., said the order would direct some agencies to lower co-pays for services. Other provisions will seek to make Medicare and Medicaid dollars go further. Still others will examine new ways to improve care for veterans and Native American tribes.... But the order does not deliver on the goal Mr. Biden himself identified at the beginning of his presidency, when he proposed $225 billion to fully cover child care for low-income Americans and an additional $200 billion for universal preschool. Those proposals failed to win support in Congress...."

Catie Edmondson & Jim Tankersley of the New York Times: "Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Monday proposed a one-year debt ceiling increase paired with a set of spending cuts and policy changes, backing down substantially from earlier demands but making clear that Republicans would not raise the borrowing limit to avert a catastrophic debt default without conditions. In a speech delivered from the New York Stock Exchange, Mr. McCarthy said House Republicans would vote 'in the coming weeks' on a measure that would lift the debt ceiling into the next year in exchange for freezing spending at last year's levels while enacting stricter work requirements for social programs and a host of regulatory rollbacks. The plan, which would be dead on arrival in the Senate, would set the stage for yet another fiscal confrontation just as the presidential campaign hits a critical period." Politico's story is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Yeah But. Mariana Sotomayor & Leigh Ann Caldwell of the Washington Post: "After 100 days in control, House Republicans have not reached consensus on how they will handle a vote on raising the debt ceiling.... They have not agreed on what their budget should, or should not, include, with various factions of the conference preparing their own versions.... And behind ... public debates, skepticism and distrust is growing among GOP leaders. The growing rancor and the lack of progress on major legislation have set the stage for months of tumult ahead for House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (Calif.).... The coming battles could have profound effects on the U.S. economy as well as on the 2024 election, as House Republicans pursue numerous right-wing policies that could influence races for Congress and the White House." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I'm not sure how "profound" any policy matters will have on the 2024 election. Matt Dowd, appearing on MSNBC, said that 400 members are in non-competitive districts, thanks in great part to gerrymandering. In the Senate, Dowd claims, 80 senators are in non-competitive states. I don't know if Dowd's numbers are exactly right, but he's right in general. Worse still, as long as small-population southern and western states remain Republican-leaning, there's little chance Democrats will hold a filibuster-safe majority. And that's a good enough reason, IMO, to eliminate the filibuster: it gives far too much power to the party that already has far too much power due to structural advantage.

The Traveling GOP Fantasy Circus Comes to Manhattan! Luke Broadwater & Jonah Bromwich of the New York Times: "Two weeks after Alvin L. Bragg, the Manhattan district attorney, announced 34 criminal charges against former President Donald J. Trump, House Republicans descended on his home turf on Monday to hold a hearing attacking Mr. Bragg's record on crime, leveling exaggerated and sometimes outright false charges. Representative Jim Jordan, Republican of Ohio and the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, convened his panel at the Jacob K. Javits Federal Building to hear from an array of witnesses who have been outspoken critics of Mr. Bragg for a session that was ostensibly about crime in New York City but whose unmistakable subtext was an effort to tarnish the man who is prosecuting Mr. Trump.... The witnesses described New York -- where crime has plummeted in recent decades but spiked during the pandemic, as in other cities -- as being in a state of decay, and blamed Mr. Bragg's policies.... The hearing was repeatedly interrupted by protesters and outbursts." ~~~

     ~~~ Rubes & Goobers. Charles Pierce of Esquire: "You see, instead of trying to run a crooked former president* to ground, [Jim] Jordan was attempting to express his great, lifelong concern for the people and property of New York City, who are the primary victims of a crime wave that exists only in the heads of Jordan and his fellow Republicans, and when is [Alvin] Bragg going to do something about that?... The Republicans were an incredible passel of rubes and goobers; Ben Cline of Virginia expressed his fear that Alvin Bragg might personally turn his beloved Shenandoah Valley into Times Square, circa 1973.... The witnesses appeared to be sincere, and grateful for the chance to tell their stories, which made Jordan's cynical use of them all the more disgusting, and his fellow Republicans tried very hard to be more cynical and disgusting than he was. But the one thing the visitors didn't want to talk about was this country's insane attraction to its firearms, an odd omission given the events of the past two weeks." Firewalled.

Liz Goodwin of the Washington Post: "Senate Republicans lined up against Democrats' push to temporarily replace Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) on the Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday, appearing to doom Democrats' plan to solve the political and tactical problems caused by her extended health-related absence." MB: Your move, Chuck Schumer.

** Chris Panella & Brent Griffiths of Business Insider, republished by MSN: "Clarence Thomas' mother is living rent-free in the home GOP megadonor Harlan Crow bought from the family, according to CNN. And that deal may have saved her more than $150,000 in rent for the property, according to Zillow estimates.... An occupancy agreement allows Thomas' 94-year-old mother, Leola Williams, to stay in the home without paying rent for the rest of her life, CNN reported. While Williams doesn't pay rent, she's responsible for other expenses such as property taxes and insurance, CNN added. According to Zillow's estimates for what the property would cost to rent, Williams could have saved as much as $154,900 over the years." MB: CNN's reporting contradicts what ProPublica found last week. According to ProPublica, "A Crow Holdings company soon began paying the roughly $1,500 in annual property taxes on Thomas' mother's house, according to county tax records. The taxes had previously been paid by Clarence and Ginni Thomas." From what I gather, Clarence is either Leola Willaims' only living child or the only one with the means to help with her support. If that's true -- and ProPublica checked the public records, then that adds another -- at minimum -- $15,000 to the $155K that Harlan Crow has put directly in Clarence's pocket. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ Ariane De Vogue of CNN: "Justice Clarence Thomas intends to amend his financial disclosure forms to reflect a 2014 real estate deal he made with a GOP megadonor -- an acknowledgment that the transaction should have been disclosed almost a decade ago, a source close to Thomas tells CNN. The deal between Thomas and Harlan Crow, a Dallas real estate magnate and long-time friend of Thomas, involves the sale of three Georgia properties, including the home where Thomas' mother, Leola Williams, 94, currently lives. The source said Thomas has always filled out his forms with the help of aides, and that it was an oversight not to report the real estate transaction. Thomas believed he didn't have to disclose because he lost money on the deal, according to the source." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I'm sorry, Clarence, but amending your forms to reflect one of the deals the press caught you hiding does not solve your massive disclosure fail. You need to retire. Today. On the bright side, now you'll have plenty of time to go camping in the Walmart parking lots. ~~~

     ~~~ Eugene Robinson of the Washington Post: "It was hard for me to believe that Thomas could be as much of a puppet of the most reactionary forces in American society as he seemed. But now, there is overwhelming evidence that that's exactly what he is.... Thomas expects the nation to take seriously his views on the subtlest contours of the Constitution. He also expects us to believe he cannot understand a clear and simple instruction on a disclosure form.... Thomas doesn't believe in affirmative action or protecting voting rights, though he benefited from both. He does believe in living the good life among millionaires and billionaires whose interests he just happens to protect in his opinions." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Robinson poses a question similar to one that has perplexed me for years: how can a Black justice repeatedly rule in ways that particularly harm Black Americans? As it has for Robinson, ProPublica's recent reporting has answered that question: Thomas would rather associate with super-wealthy white Americans, especially the ones who treat him to luxuries most of us don't enjoy. Disenfranchised Black voters, Black people who can't afford health insurance, etc. -- they are not going to take Clarence Thomas on fancy vacations or relieve him of responsibility for the care of his elderly mother. ~~~

     ~~~ In today's Comments, Akhilleus offers the most convincing explanation for Thomas's political "philosophy."

~~~Jamelle Bouie of the New York Times: "... penalties for either falsifying or 'knowingly or willfully' failing to file or report required information include fines of as much as $71,316 per omission and, potentially, a criminal referral.... The idea that [Clarence] Thomas will face any penalty, much less an official investigation by the Supreme Court, is obviously wish-casting. The politics of the court, the lack of any internal check on the court's members and the general unwillingness of Congress to challenge the court's power -- or even scrutinize its affairs -- mean Thomas can act with relative impunity.... It is apparently no harm and no foul for a justice of the Supreme Court to show willful and repeated indifference to disclosure requirements under the law. Here, it's worth saying that Justice Thomas is notoriously unforgiving of criminal defendants who make procedural mistakes. In a 2022 opinion for the court, he narrowed the scope of appeals for state prisoners -- including those on death row -- who believe they received inadequate legal representation. Thomas says those prisoners can no longer present new evidence to support their claim.... With a little money and a little power -- or at least a seat on the Supreme Court -- the law becomes less of a directive and more of a suggestion."

Are All of Trump's Supporters Creeps? digby republishes much (all?) of a Daily Beast story: "A key figure in the pro-Trump 'Stop the Steal' campaign has apologized after being accused of asking teenage boys for sexual pictures. Ali Alexander has become one of the most ubiquitous figures in the MAGA movement. Trump himself reportedly requested that Alexander speak at his rally before the riot, with his appearance only quashed by a last-minute intervention from Trump's aides.... 'I apologize for any inappropriate messages sent over the years,' Alexander wrote, adding later, 'When I've flirted or others have flirted with me, I've flexed my credentials or dropped corny pick up lines. Other times, I've been careless and should've qualified those coming up to me's (sic) identities during flirtatious banter at the start.'... [After a disagreement with Alexander, far-right jerk Milos] Yiannopoulos started releasing video interviews and other evidence meant to prove that Alexander sexually propositioned [two] adult men in their 20s and at least two teenagers." Alexander repeatedly asked the young men for dick pics, which would be "good jack off material." ~~~

     ~~~ Digby describes Alexander as "recently working with Marjorie Taylor Greene, so this is surprising: ~~~

     ~~~ Jennifer Bahney of Mediaite: "Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) is calling on the Federal Bureau of Investigation to look into far-right MAGA supporter Ali Alexander for allegedly propositioning underage boys he met in Nick Fuentes' White supremacist organization.... 'This is disgusting textbook predation of underage boys. And Nick Fuentes was in on it. #NickKnew,' Greene tweeted about accusations he propositioned boys for nude photos.Twitter users posted photos of Greene smiling alongside Nick Fuentes and Ali Alexander."

David Bauder, et al., of the AP: The Fox "News"-Dominion trial is supposed to begin today. ~~~

     ~~~ Dominick Mastrangelo of the Hill: "Former President Trump is urging Rupert Murdoch, the chairman of Fox Corp., to embrace his false allegations of voter fraud if the media mogul is to give testimony during a jury trial in the defamation lawsuit facing Fox News this week." MB: Apparently Trump is unaware -- or doesn't care -- that the judge in the case already ruled that Fox's statements about Dominion's voting machines were false.

Drip Drip. Missy Ryan, et al., of the Washington Post: "Egypt paused a plan to secretly supply rockets to Russia last month following talks with senior U.S. officials and instead decided to produce artillery ammunition for Ukraine, according to five leaked U.S. intelligence documents that have not been previously reported. The Washington Post last week reported on another document that exposed a covert scheme by Egyptian President Abdel Fatah El-Sisi in February to provide Russia with up to 40,000 122mm Sakr-45 rockets, which can be used in Russian multiple-launch rocket launchers. Sisi instructed his subordinates to keep the project secret 'to avoid problems with the West,' the document said. But the new documents, which The Post obtained from a trove of material allegedly posted on Discord by a member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard, appear to show Sisi in early March backing away from plans to supply Moscow, a move that would have represented a major rebuke to Cairo's most generous Western ally, the United States." ~~~

~~~ Tim Starks & Karen DeYoung of the Washington Post: "The United States eavesdropped on United Nations Secretary General António Guterres's conversations with other U.N. officials, according to four classified reports obtained by The Washington Post. The documents, two of which haven't been previously reported, summarize intercepted conversations that shed new light on Guterres's interactions with top U.N. officials and world leaders, including detailing what they describe as his 'outrage' over being denied a visit to a war-torn region in Ethiopia and frustrations toward Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The documents are part of trove of national security reports, allegedly leaked onto the online messaging platform Discord by a member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard...."

Beyond the Beltway

Florida. Brooks Barnes of the New York Times: "... Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida punched Disney anew on Monday, announcing new legislation that would override the company's recent effort to sidestep state oversight of its theme parks. Mr. DeSantis also suggested a variety of potential punitive actions against Disney -- the state's largest private employer and corporate taxpayer -- including reappraising the value of Walt Disney World for property tax levies and developing land near the entrances to the resort. 'Maybe create a state park, maybe try to do more amusement parks -- someone even said, like, maybe you need another state prison,' Mr. DeSantis said at a news conference near Disney World." CNN's report is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: DeSantoliniWorld or DeSantis State Penitentiary? I'm going with the prison thing. The prison could have a hole in the fence leading to the Disney World campus, so all the jailbirds could have "access" to Disney's visitors. That would fix Mickey Mouse, all right! But there is an upside for Disney: that hole in the fence goes two ways. Your ticket to ride would also grant you entry to Slammer World, where you could buy tasty prison food, romp in the prison exercise yard, get a little zap on the electric chair and "interact" with hardened criminals! ~~~

~~~ Washington Post: "Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis wants to 'make America Florida.' As the Republican gears up for a likely presidential run, we created this guide to current legislative proposals in the Sunshine State that offer a lens into his vision for the country. The bills cover topics such as permitting gunowners to carry a concealed weapon without a license and eliminating funding for diversity and equity initiatives in state universities."

You've heard about driving while Black. You've heard about all the other issues that Black people confront in life. Can you not knock on the door while Black? It's almost like you can't exist. -- Kansas City, Mo., Mayor Quinton Lucas ~~~

~~~ Missouri. Livia Albeck-Ripka, et al., of the New York Times: In Kansas City, Mo., an 84-year-old White man shot 16-year-old Ralph Yarl, who is Black, after Yarl knocked on his door (or rang the doorbell), mistaking the address for a similar one a block away. "The white man who answered the door there shot him in the head and again in the arm after he fell, according to prosecutors. Somehow, Ralph made his way, bleeding, to another nearby house. There, he was told to lie on the ground while someone called for help, his family said. The homeowner who shot him, Andrew D. Lester, 84, was taken into custody by the police for 24 hours then released without charges on Friday. Over the weekend, anger began to spread in the community. Protesters marched on Mr. Lester's home on Sunday, while the Kansas City police chief, Stacey Graves, acknowledged the public frustration at a news conference. The teenager was released from the hospital on Sunday evening, his father said. As pressure mounted on Monday afternoon, the Police Department said in a statement that it had submitted the case file to the Clay County prosecuting attorney's office. The prosecutor, Zachary Thompson, publicly identified Mr. Lester a few hours later and announced that he had been charged, saying what many already believed: 'There was a racial component to the case.'... ~~~

"It was not clear if the teenager had knocked on Mr. Lester's door or if he rang the doorbell, but he did not 'cross the threshold' into the man's home, Mr. Thompson said. The shots from a .32-caliber handgun were fired through a glass door, the prosecutor said, adding that there was no indication that 'any words were exchanged.'" According to on-air reports, Yarl had to go to three houses before anyone would help him; the person who helped ordered him to lie on the ground with his hands up. The AP story is here.

New York Congressional Race. Rebecca Shabad of NBC News: "Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., announced Monday that he is running for re-election, despite calls for him to resign and ongoing investigations at the federal, state and local levels."

Ohio. Michael Levenson & Jesus Jiménez of the New York Times: “A grand jury in Ohio has decided not to charge eight Akron police officers in the death of Jayland Walker, a 25-year-old Black man who was shot dozens of times by the police after an attempted traffic stop and a chase last summer during which he shot at the police, the state's attorney general said on Monday. Mr. Walker was killed on June 27, 2022, after the Akron police tried to stop his car. When Mr. Walker did not pull over, video released by the police showed, officers chased him, first in vehicles and then on foot. Officers said that they thought Mr. Walker had fired a weapon from his car and that they feared he would fire again, prompting them to shoot him.... Mr. Walker was unarmed when the police pursued him on foot and fatally shot him. Eight Akron police officers fired a total of 94 shots at Mr. Walker, and he sustained 46 gunshot wounds, the attorney general's office said."

** Oklahoma. First Kill All the Journalists. Really. Sean Murphy of the AP: "Oklahoma's governor is seeking the resignation of four county officials after a newspaper's audio recording apparently captured some of them complaining about two of the paper's journalists and knowing hit men and where two holes are dug. A portion of the recording was released by the paper, and it also appears to capture one of the four making racist comments about Black people. Gov. Kevin Stitt said Sunday he was seeking the resignations of McCurtain County Sheriff Kevin Clardy and three other county officials: sheriff's Capt. Alicia Manning, District 2 Commissioner Mark Jennings and Jail Administrator Larry Hendrix.... More than 100 people gathered outside the McCurtain County Courthouse in Idabel on Monday, with many of them calling for the sheriff and other county officials to resign."

Way Beyond

Ukraine, et al. The New York Times' live updates of develoments Tuesday in Russia's war on Ukraine are here. The Guardian's live updates for Tuesday are here. The Guardian's summary report is here. ~~~

     ~~~ The Washington Post's live briefing for Tuesday is here: "A Moscow court rejected U.S. journalist Evan Gershkovich's appeal of spying charges on Tuesday. The Wall Street Journal reporter, 31, was seen standing inside a glass-enclosed defendant dock as he appealed the charges, which could bring up to 20 years in prison if he is convicted.... Western officials called for the immediate release of Vladimir Kara-Murza, a top Kremlin critic and opposition lawmaker. He was convicted of treason and sentenced by a Russian court to 25 years in prison, the harshest penalty handed down yet to an opponent of the invasion of Ukraine. Kara-Murza, a dual national of Britain and Russia and a Washington Post Opinions contributor, described the closed trial as 'politically motivated.'... Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the command posts of his forces in Ukraine's Luhansk and Kherson regions, where he was briefed by top commanders, the Kremlin said Tuesday.... Russia's Wagner mercenary group appears to be back in favor with the Kremlin, according to analysts at the Institute for the Study of War.... Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva met with Russia's foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, on Monday as the White House issued a stern rebuke of his weekend accusations that the United States was 'encouraging' the war." ~~~

     ~~~ CNN's report on Russia's denial of appeal by Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich is here. The Guardian's report on Vladimir Kara-Murza's 25-year sentence is here.

Northern Ireland. Rory Carroll & Lisa O'Carroll of the Guardian: "Bill Clinton has expressed optimism that there will be a breakthrough in Northern Ireland's political deadlock and a restoration of power sharing. The former US president made the prediction on Tuesday after meeting Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, the leader of the Democratic Unionist party, which holds the key to resolving the crisis.... Clinton is in Belfast this week with his wife, Hillary, for a conference at Queen's University to mark the Good Friday agreement's 25th anniversary. He shared a platform on Monday with the former British and Irish prime ministers Tony Blair and Bertie Ahern, who exhorted the DUP to revive Stormont."

Sudan. The New York Times is liveblogging developments in the Sudanese civil war. ~~~

~~~ Katharine Houreld, et al., of the Washington Post: "Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday that a U.S. diplomatic convoy in Sudan came under fire in what he called a 'reckless' and 'unacceptable' attack as rival armed forces clash in some of the country's worst violence in years." The Guardian's story is here.

News Lede

NBC News:“A New York man was accused of fatally shooting a 20-year-old woman after her friend pulled into the driveway of a home that they mistakenly believed belonged to another friend, authorities said Monday. Kevin Monahan, 65, is alleged to have fired at the car after the group of four friends realized they'd pulled into the wrong driveway and were leaving the home in Hebron, roughly 50 miles north of Albany, Washington County Sheriff Jeffrey Murphy told reporters." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: You can bet that Monahan there murdered a young woman on the theory that "a man has a right to protect his own home." And where did he get that idea? From the NRA & their Republican vassels promoting & proliferating "castle doctrine" laws, a common law concept developed in medieval England to exempt a person from having a "duty to retreat" and to use force in defense of his own home. When people persistently used my driveway as a turnaround, I suppose I could have gone after them with a shotgun. Instead, I bought a sign for each end of the driveway that say something like "Private Property -- Please Do Not Use as a Turnaround." The effect was that people quit treating my driveway as a public road and nobody died. You might see that result as an upside to rational behavior.

April 17, 2023

California Super Bloom:

CNN explains.

Morning/Afternoon Update:

** Chris Panella & Brent Griffiths of Business Insider, republished by MSN: "Clarence Thomas' mother is living rent-free in the home GOP megadonor Harlan Crow bought from the family, according to CNN. And that deal may have saved her more than $150,000 in rent for the property, according to Zillow estimates.... An occupancy agreement allows Thomas' 94-year-old mother, Leola Williams, to stay in the home without paying rent for the rest of her life, CNN reported. While Williams doesn't pay rent, she's responsible for other expenses such as property taxes and insurance, CNN added. According to Zillow's estimates for what the property would cost to rent, Williams could have saved as much as $154,900 over the years." MB: CNN's reporting contradicts what ProPublica found last week. According to ProPublica, "A Crow Holdings company soon began paying the roughly $1,500 in annual property taxes on Thomas' mother's house, according to county tax records. The taxes had previously been paid by Clarence and Ginni Thomas." From what I gather, Clarence is either Leola Willaims' only living child or the only one with the means to help with her support. If that's true -- and ProPublica checked the public records, then that adds at least another $15,000 to the $155K that Harlan Crow has put directly in Clarence's pocket. ~~~

~~~ Ariane De Vogue of CNN: "Justice Clarence Thomas intends to amend his financial disclosure forms to reflect a 2014 real estate deal he made with a GOP megadonor -- an acknowledgment that the transaction should have been disclosed almost a decade ago, a source close to Thomas tells CNN. The deal between Thomas and Harlan Crow, a Dallas real estate magnate and long-time friend of Thomas, involves the sale of three Georgia properties, including the home where Thomas' mother, Leola Williams, 94, currently lives. Thesource said Thomas has always filled out his forms with the help of aides, and that it was an oversight not to report the real estate transaction. Thomas believed he didn't have to disclose because he lost money on the deal...." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I'm sorry, Clarence, but amending your forms to reflect one of the deals the press caught you hiding does not solve your massive disclosure fail. You need to retire. Today. On the bright side, now you'll have plenty of time to go camping in the Walmart parking lots.

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Sarah Burris of the Raw Story: "The Wall Street Journal revealed that one of the people that helped promote and spread the leaked Pentagon documents was a former Navy noncommissioned officer on U.S. soil who developed a pro-Russia network on social media. 'A purported Russian blogger known as Donbass Devushka, which translates as Donbas Girl, is the face of a network of pro-Kremlin social-media, podcasting, merchandise and fundraising accounts. But the person who hosted podcasts as Donbass Devushka and oversees these accounts is a Washington-state-based former U.S. enlisted aviation electronics technician whose real name is Sarah Bils,' the report revealed. Bils, who is 37 years old, served at the naval air station on Whidbey Island until last year. All the while, she was promoting the Russian military and paramilitary Wagner Group, which WSJ described as 'among the most widely followed English-language social-media outlets promoting Russia's views.'... Read the full report at The Wall Street Journal." Firewalled.

Meredith Hill of Politico: "House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's new debt limit negotiating proposal set to be unveiled Monday morning will include broad moves to restrict food assistance for millions of low-income Americans. His GOP colleagues in the Senate aren't optimistic any of those measures will survive. McCarthy's initial list calls for expanding the age bracket for people who must meet work requirements in order to participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Food Assistance Program or SNAP, while closing what Republicans say are 'loopholes' in existing restrictions.... But Senate Democrats have said such measures are dead on arrival in the upper chamber, and with the help of key Senate Republicans, they have killed off a series of similar House GOP efforts over the years...." See related story linked under "Beyond the Beltway -- Iowa, et al."

Luke Broadwater & Hurubie Meko of the New York Times: "House Republicans are descending on New York on Monday for a hearing that will use the issue of crime as a political cudgel against Alvin L. Bragg, the Manhattan district attorney who charged ... Donald J. Trump with falsifying business records.... 'The pro-crime Republican Party's latest political stunt is to come to New York City and interfere in an ongoing criminal investigation,' Representatives Dan Goldman and Adriano Espaillat, both Democrats of New York, said a statement 'At the explicit direction of Donald Trump, they are coming to the safest big city in America with the sole aim of abusing their power to serve as a taxpayer-funded arm of Donald Trump's legal defense team.'"

At the 11th Hour, Rupert Blinks. Rosalind Helderman, et al., of the Washington Post: "The beginning of the much-anticipated defamation case between Dominion Voting Systems and Fox News has been delayed by one day, until Tuesday, to allow both parties to hold conversations about the possibility of a settlement, according to two sources.... No reason was officially given for the delay, which was announced Sunday evening by the judge overseeing the case. Jury selection had been scheduled to conclude on Monday and then both sides were expected to give opening arguments....: A Deadline story is here.

Beyond the Beltway

Iowa, et al. Comes Now to America a New Dickensian Age. Kyle Swenson, et al., of the Washington Post: "The state legislature, with the support of the Republican supermajority, [is] poised to approve some of the nation's harshest restrictions on SNAP. They include asset tests and new eligibility guidelines. By the state's own estimate, Iowa will need to spend nearly $18 million in administrative costs during the first three years -- to take in less federal money. The bill's backers argue the steps would save the state money long term and cut down on 'SNAP fraud.' The measure is part of a broader national crackdown on SNAP, the federal program at the heart of the nation's welfare system. The proposed legislation was not a homegrown effort but the product of a network of conservative think tanks pushing similar SNAP restrictions in Kentucky, Kansas, Wisconsin and other states. But experts say Iowa's represents the boldest attack yet on SNAP, and Republicans in Congress have signaled a similar readiness to impose limits on federal food assistance."

Louisiana. What We Need Is White People's Fake History. Katie Balevic of Business Insider, republished by MSN: "Republican officials in Louisiana are proposing a ban on teaching about racism at the state's higher education institutions..., claiming the 'inglorious aspects' of American history are too divisive, according to NOLA.com, which cites a GOP resolution on the matter.... The state GOP leadership also wants to nix diversity, equity, and inclusion departments at colleges and universities, claiming without evidence that such agencies stir political tensions on campuses and have overgenerous budgets, NOLA.com reported. A third of Louisiana residents are Black, according to the US Census Bureau."

Way Beyond

Sudan. Abdi Dahir of the New York Times: "The forces of rival generals battling for control of Sudan clashed for a third day on Monday in the capital, Khartoum, as one of Africa's largest nations descended deeper into violence. The fighting has pitted a paramilitary group known as the Rapid Support Forces against the Sudanese Army -- a longstanding rivalry between Sudan's two top generals who have been vying for dominance over the northeast African nation. It was still not clear who was in control of the country even as both sides claimed crucial victories. The death toll from the first two days of fighting rose to 97, according to the Central Committee of Sudanese Doctors."

Ukraine, et al. The New York Times live updates of developments Monday in Russia's war on Ukraine are here. The Guardian's live updates for Monday are here. The Guardian's summary report is here. ~~~

     ~~~ The Washington Post's live briefing for Monday is here: "A Russian court issued its harshest penalty yet for an opponent of the Ukraine war, sentencing Kremlin critic Vladimir Kara-Murza to 25 years in prison on Monday on charges of treason. Murza, a longtime opposition politician and Washington Post Opinions contributor, called the closed trial 'unfounded, illegal and politically motivated.' Meanwhile, China's defense minister, Gen. Li Shangfu, is in Moscow, where he met with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday. Li hailed the 'substantial achievements' of close cooperation with Russia's military and said China is ready to deepen the partnership to 'make new contributions to stability and security,' in the latest sign of Beijing's commitment to its relationship with Russia despite the war in Ukraine.... Russian operators of fake social media accounts, many of which spread disinformation, claim they are detected only about 1 percent of the time, according to an analysis of the effectiveness of the Kremlin's propaganda. The document was part of a trove of sensitive U.S. government materials circulated in a Discord chatroom and obtained by The Post."

News Ledes

Washington Post: "A Black teenager was shot in the head in Kansas City, Mo., after showing up at the wrong house to pick up his siblings, lawyers for his family said. Family members identified the victim online as Ralph Yarl, a 16-year-old high school junior. Kansas City Police were called to a residence shortly before 10 p.m. on Thursday where the teenager was shot by a homeowner, Police Chief Stacey Graves said in a news conference Sunday. The teenager was transported to a hospital to be treated for his injuries, Graves said. She did not name the victim. Police said the teenager's parents asked him to pick up his siblings at a residence on 115th Terrace, in the city's northeast, but that he instead went to a residence on 115th Street, the Kansas City Star reported. Civil rights attorneys Ben Crump and Lee Merritt, who are representing Yarl and his family, said in a statement that Yarl 'is alive and recovering' but that he has severe injuries." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Here's some advice for homeowners who get an unexpected knock on the door at night: if the person/people knocking on your door frighten you for some real or imagined reason, don't open the damned door! You have a moral, ethical and possibly legal obligation, no matter how tight the stand-your-ground and "castle doctrine" laws in your state are, not to murder people because they scare you.

Washington Post: SpaceX decided "to scrub the [Starship test] launch came just minutes before launch [this morning] when a valve froze. A new effort won't come for at least 48 hours, SpaceX said. The test would have been the first test for SpaceX's Super Heavy rocket and Starship spacecraft together, an endeavor that, if successful, would make it the most powerful rocket in the world and could remake space exploration in coming years. No one was on board...." This is a liveblog.

April 16, 2023

Dan Rosenzweig-Ziff of the Washington Post: "... it is not out of the norm for a young person in the military to be entrusted with such responsibilities [as leaker Jack Teixeira had], experts say.... In his role as a 'Cyber Transport Systems Journeyman,' Teixeira managed computers and communications systems, a function similar to providing tech support. To do that job, he had maintained a top-secret clearance since 2021.... Teixeira also had access to a Defense Department computer network called the Joint Worldwide Intelligence Communications System.... Teixeira was serving in a National Guard unit that has large responsibilities. The 102nd Intelligence Wing runs an around-the-clock operation that distills intelligence for senior military leaders, a defense official told CNN.... More than a million people have top-secret security clearance.... The clearances show someone is reliable only at a moment in time. But 18- or 19-year-olds who receive clearances could undergo significant changes in maturity or ideology before follow-up clearance checks, which often are conducted every five years." ~~~

The Security Check Didn't Pick up This. Dave Philipps, et al., of the New York Times: &"Kailani Reis, 20, a high school classmate in Airman [Jake] Teixeira's graduating class, said that as a student, the airman expressed his interest in weapons often enough that she and some other students found it 'unsettling' and avoided him. She said few of the former classmates she knew were surprised when he was arrested.&" MB: One would think that security clearance for a person just out of high school would include an extensive check of his high-school records & activities, including interviews with teachers & classmates.

Uh-oh. Another Trumpity-Doo-Dah Day. Jacqueline Alemany, et al., of the Washington Post: "One of former president Donald Trump's top lawyers on the Mar-a-Lago classified documents case is no longer working on the matter after he appeared before a federal grand jury last month, according to people familiar with the move. Evan Corcoran is still representing Trump in other cases, such as special counsel Jack Smith's probe into the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.... Prosecutors investigating Trump's taking classified documents to his Mar-a-Lago Club after leaving office won a court fight that allowed them to question Corcoran when judges ruled that he could not use attorney-client privilege to avoid disclosing information about his communications with Trump.... Corcoran was forced to answer questions about Trump and his legal team's response to [a] subpoena [for documents] and regarding the communications he had with Trump about returning the documents, The Post has previously reported." CNN has a developing report here. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

A Lie of Omission. Caroline Kitchener, et al., of the Washington Post: "As a lawyer for a conservative legal group, Matthew Kacsmaryk in early 2017 submitted an article to a Texas law review criticizing Obama-era protections for transgender people and those seeking abortions. The Obama administration, the draft article argued, had discounted religious physicians who 'cannot use their scalpels to make female what God created male' and 'cannot use their pens to prescribe or dispense abortifacient drugs designed to kill unborn children.' But a few months after the piece arrived, an editor at the law journal ... received an unusual email: Citing 'reasons I may discuss at a later date,' Kacsmaryk, who had originally been listed as the article's sole author, said he would be removing his name and replacing it with those of two colleagues at his legal group, First Liberty Institute.... What Kacsmaryk did not say in the email was that he had already been interviewed for a judgeship by his state's two senators and was awaiting an interview at the White House. As part of that process, he was required to list all of his published work on a questionnaire submitted to the Senate Judiciary Committee.... [Kacsmaryk] did [not] list the article on the paperwork he submitted to the Senate in advance of confirmation hearings...." Read on. First Liberty claims Kacsmaryk was only a "placeholder" on the article, but there is strong evidence that is a lie. Experts the reporters consulted were not amused. The Raw Story summarizes the WashPo reporting. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Shawn Boburg & Emma Brown of the Washington Post: "Over the last two decades, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has reported on required financial disclosure forms that his family received rental income totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars from a firm called Ginger, Ltd., Partnership. But that company -- a Nebraska real estate firm launched in the 1980s by his wife and her relatives -- has not existed since 2006.... The previously unreported misstatement might be dismissed as a paperwork error. But it is among a series of errors and omissions that Thomas has made on required annual financial disclosure forms over the past several decades, a review of those records shows. Together, they have raised questions about how seriously Thomas views his responsibility to accurately report details about his finances to the public." MB: It would be perfectly believable if Clarence blamed Ginni for this repeated error; we'll see if he does. BUT "Thomas did not respond to emailed questions sent through a court spokeswoman. His wife also did not respond to requests for comment."

Maureen Dowd of the New York Times compares Shakespeare's King Lear to the U.S.'s geriatric leaders. MB: A fairly good Dowd column, IMO, though I suppose Shakespeare scholars might know otherwise. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Sorry We Lied to You, Judge. Marshall Cohen of CNN: "Fox News formally apologized to the judge in the Dominion defamation case, taking responsibility for the 'misunderstanding' regarding Rupert Murdoch's role at the network that led the judge to launch an investigation into potential legal misconduct by Fox, according to a letter obtained by CNN. In the letter, which was dated Friday and filed with the court, Fox attorney Blake Rohrbacher said the right-wing network 'never intended to omit information' and that its inaccurate representations about Murdoch's formal role at Fox News were 'not meant to mislead the Court or evade the question.'... The legal spat revolves around Murdoch's roles at Fox News and its parent company, Fox Corporation. In past court filings, and when asked directly by the judge, Fox lawyers have repeatedly said he didn't have an official title at Fox News. But last week, Fox disclosed that he is also an executive officer at Fox News.Dominion says this distinction may have narrowed what Fox turned over as part of the discovery process...." ~~~

~~~ Truth on Trial. Elahe Izadi, et al., of the Washington Post: "One of the most closely watched media trials in decades begins Monday morning in a Delaware courtroom, as Fox News defends itself against a $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit brought by a voting technology company that says its business was severely damaged by lies about a stolen presidential election. At its core, the trial will test the limits of libel law and whether Fox News can be held legally accountable for airing false election fraud claims about Dominion Voting Systems in the wake of Donald Trump's 2020 loss.... Once the trial gets underway, on-air personalities such as prime-time ratings champ Tucker Carlson, [Maria] Bartiromo and others are expected to testify, as could conservative billionaire founder Rupert Murdoch. Some observers also view the trial, which is expected to last up to six weeks, as a symbolic referendum on the truth-challenged 'alternative facts' culture that defined the Trump presidency." A Guardian story is here.

Faiz Siddiqui of the Washington Post: "Twitter has been dramatically transformed under [Elon] Musk and few -- even among some in the billionaire's corner -- say the changes have been for the better. In recent weeks, government agencies, news organizations and powerful social media influencers have questioned the usefulness of the platform, with some major players publicly abandoning their accounts or telling users they can't rely on it for urgent information. Advertisers have fled in droves over Musk's policy changes and erratic behavior on the site, causing advertising revenue to recently drop by as much as 75 percent.... Rounds of layoffs have left Twitter operating with a skeleton staff of 1,500 -- an 80 percent reduction -- and so riddled with bugs and glitches that the site goes down for hours at a time. Meanwhile, the company's valuation has cratered, Musk has said, to less than half the $44 billion he paid [for it].... A previous Post analysis found Twitter was amplifying hate speech..., thanks in part to Musk's decision to restore thousands of previously suspended accounts.... Twitter is also aggressively trying to monetize.... Meanwhile, Twitter is a shadow of its former self, without anything to replace it, one of the former workers said."

Beyond the Beltway

New Mexico. Timothy Bella of the Washington Post: "New Mexico police officers were questioning whether they were at the right house shortly before they fatally shot an armed homeowner this month at what turned out to be the wrong address, according to body-camera video released Friday. The release of the video comes more than a week after Robert Dotson, 52, was killed by police in Farmington, N.M., on April 5, when officers showed up to the wrong house in response to a domestic violence call.... The fatal mix-up is being investigated by the New Mexico State Police. After the officers appeared to laugh at the notion that they mixed up the addresses, police backed away and shined a light on Dotson once he came to the door.... When Dotson opened the screen door and began to raise his firearm, police opened fire on the homeowner, who quickly fell to the ground, according to body-cam video.&" (Also linked yesterday.)

New York. Hurubie Meko of the New York Times: "New York City's storefront businesses ... are ... contending with what the police say is a dramatic increase in shoplifting. But statistics also reveal a startling reality: A relative handful of shoplifters are responsible for an outsize percentage of retail crime. Nearly a third of all shoplifting arrests in New York City last year involved just 327 people, the police said. Collectively, they were arrested and rearrested more than 6,000 times, Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell said." MB: I've linked this story because it bears on a comment yesterday by Forrest M. Apropos of Forrest's remarks, I'm betting a few of those 327 shoplifters are very, very strong, although -- oddly! -- Meko's story makes no mention of refrigerators. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

South Dakota. Candice Ortiz of the Mediaite: "South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem explained to an NRA audience on Friday, that her toddler grandchild already has several guns.... During her speech, Noem talked about her grandchildren. 'Little Miss Addie, who is almost two, and Branch who's just a few months old, they have brought us so much joy. They've brought us purpose,' Noem explained. 'Now Addie, who you know -- soon will need them, I wanna reassure you, she already has a shotgun and she already has a rifle and she's got a little pony named Sparkles too. So the girl is set up,' Noem added. According to her office, Noem signed an executive order in the middle of her speech, designed to 'further protect the 2nd Amendment rights of South Dakotans.'" MB: Maybe she should have signed an order to protect South Dakotans from that toddler holstering a shotgun over her diapers. This woman and her family are sick. Social Services should check up on the child. MEANWHILE, Forrest M. speculates today that Sparkles is for target practice.

Tennessee. Brad Reed of the Raw Story: "A new robocall is falsely accusing the three Tennessee Democrats targeted by Republicans for expulsion from the state legislature of being violent 'Antifa' radicals. Audio of the call, which was obtained by the Tennessee Holler, describes Tennessee Democrats Justin Pearson, Justin Jones, and Gloria Johnson as 'radical activists posing as elected officials' who purportedly 'led an angry mob of Antifa intending violence' to the Tennessee State Capitol building earlier this month. The robocall also falsely claimed that law enforcement officials confiscated 'pipe bombs' from demonstrators protesting against the three Democrats' expulsion. According to the Tennessee Holler, the calls were funded by right-wing organization Enlighten Tennessee...."

Texas. Ja'han Jones of MSNBC: "... Texas' Republican governor, Greg Abbott, is a proud supporter of Daniel Perry, the Army sergeant convicted of murdering a Black Lives Matter protester in 2020. The fact Perry killed someone in opposition to conservative ideals has made him into a celebrity of sorts on the right, including many in far-right media who have called for Abbott to pardon Perry. And Abbott has wasted no time obliging.... Abbott claims a jury and a 'progressive' district attorney 'nullified' Texas' self-defense laws by convicting Perry. But a court filing released Thursday give us a clearer window into who Daniel Perry is: a racist, blood-thirsty killer who fantasized about carrying out violence against protesters and, I should note, seemed interested in connecting with young girls.... Here's just a sampling of what was found on Perry's phone, according to the court document[.]"

Way Beyond

China/Taiwan. Ellen Nakashima, et al., of the Washington Post: "Taiwan is unlikely to thwart Chinese military air superiority in a cross-strait conflict, while tactics such as China's use of civilian ships for military purposes have eroded U.S. spy agencies' ability to detect a pending invasion, according to leaked Pentagon assessments that contain troubling details about the self-governed island's ability to fend off war.... The classified documents addressing a potential conflict suggest China's air force would have a much better shot at establishing early control of the skies -- a strategy that Taipei itself believes will underpin an attack -- than Russia did in Ukraine."

Germany. Kate Brady of the Washington Post: "Germany is ending its nuclear energy era with the shutdown of its last three nuclear reactors by midnight on Saturday night -- a moment pushed by the country's steadfast anti-nuclear movement for decades and promised by successive governments, though it comes at a time when many other countries are moving in the opposite direction. Originally scheduled to be turned off by December, the three plants won a brief extension as Germany dealt with the fallout of the war in Ukraine and scrambled to find substitutes for cheap pipeline gas from Russia."

Sudan. Declan Walsh & Abdi Dahir of the New York Times: "Fighting raged across the capital of Sudan for a second day on Sunday, as months of rising tensions between factions of the armed forces suddenly spiraled into an all-out battle that threatened to scuttle the last remaining hopes of a transition to civilian rule. By Sunday morning, it was unclear who was in control of Sudan, with both the Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group each denying that the other group had claimed control of key installations. Residents of the capital hid in their homes through a night of fighting that appeared to intensify as the sun rose on Sunday. At least 56 people were dead and almost 600 injured, mostly in Khartoum.The chaos was an alarming turn for a nation that only four years ago was an inspiration in Africa and the Arab world." This is the top item of a liveblog.

Ukraine, et al. The Washington Post's live briefing of developments Sunday in Russia's war on Ukraine is here: "The Kremlin-linked Wagner mercenary group released more than 100 Ukrainian prisoners of war on Sunday to mark Orthodox Easter, Reuters said that at least 50 buildings were destroyed in the attack and that there were more bodies buried in the rubble.... Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva told reporters the United States should cease 'encouraging' war in Ukraine and support peace efforts." ~~~

     ~~~ The Guardian's live updates are here. The Guardian's summary report is here.

News Ledes

Saturday Night in the U.S.A.

New York Times: "At least four people were killed and several others were injured in a shooting on Saturday night in an Alabama city, officials said. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said in a statement on Sunday that the shooting in Dadeville took place around 10:34 p.m.... The shooting took place at the Mahogany Masterpiece dance studio, where teenagers had gathered for a birthday party, The Montgomery Advertiser reported. Dadeville is about 60 miles northeast of Montgomery, and about 3,000 people live there." A CNN report is here.

New York Times: "Two people were dead and four others injured after a shooting at a park in Louisville, Ky., on Saturday night, the police said, the latest instance of gun violence just days after five people were fatally shot at a downtown bank in the city. The shooting at Chickasaw Park occurred around 9 p.m. as hundreds of people gathered to enjoy a warm spring night outside, Deputy Chief Paul Humphrey of the Louisville Police Department said at a news conference on Saturday night. Police were still looking for a gunman as of Saturday night, and said that they were unsure if there was more than one."