May 31, 2022

Afternoon Update:

Ha! Charlie Savage of the New York Times: "Michael Sussmann, a prominent cybersecurity lawyer with ties to Democrats, was acquitted on Tuesday of a felony charge that he lied to the F.B.I. about having no client in 2016 when he shared a tip about possible connections between Donald J. Trump and Russia. The verdict was a blow to the special counsel, John H. Durham, who was appointed by the Trump administration three years ago to scour the Trump-Russia investigation for any wrongdoing. The case centered on odd internet data that cybersecurity researchers discovered in 2016 after it became public that Russia had hacked Democrats and Mr. Trump had encouraged the country to target Hillary Clinton's emails. The researchers said the data might reflect a covert communications channel using servers for the Trump Organization and Alfa Bank, a Kremlin-linked bank. The F.B.I. briefly looked at the suspicions and dismissed them.... ~~~

~~~ "Mr. Durham [whom AG Bill Barr appointed] used the case to put forward a larger conspiracy: that there was a joint enterprise to essentially frame Mr. Trump for collusion with Russia by getting the F.B.I. to investigate the suspicions so reporters would write about it -- a scheme involving the Clinton campaign; its opposition research firm, Fusion GPS; Mr. Sussmann; and a cybersecurity expert who brought the odd data and analysis to him. That insinuation thrilled supporters of Mr. Trump who share his view that the Russia investigation was a 'hoax,' and have sought to conflate the actual inquiry with sometimes thin or dubious allegations developed by private citizens. In reality, the Alfa Bank matter was a sideshow and tangent...." The AP report is here.

Zeke Miller, et al., of the AP: "President Joe Biden is set to meet with Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell as soaring inflation takes a bite out of Americans' pocketbooks and the president's public approval. Tuesday's meeting is the first since Powell was renominated in November by Biden to lead the central bank and comes two weeks after his confirmation for a second term by the Senate. It also represents something of a reversal by Biden as inflation has evolved as a threat. The president asserted in April 2021 that he was 'very fastidious about not talking' with the independent Fed and wanted to avoid being seen as 'telling them what they should and shouldn't do.' The White House, along with the Fed, initially portrayed the inflation surge as a temporary side effect caused by supply chain issues as the U.S. emerged from the pandemic.... Inflation has shown signs of moderating but is likely to remain far above the Fed's 2% target through the end of this year."

Virginia. Steve Descano, Fairfax County prosecutor, in a New York Times op-ed: "Almost two and a half years ago, I took my oath of office as prosecutor, and swore to protect my community from those who broke the law. The real threat, I now realize, may stem from those who write the law. If the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, the rights of thousands of Virginian women will be thrown into question.... Our governor has said that he is 'staunchly, unabashedly' against abortion and fully committed to 'going on the offense' against abortion rights in our legislature.... So when the court's draft decision overturning Roe v. Wade was leaked earlier this month, I committed to never prosecute a woman for making her own health care decisions. That means that no matter what the law in Virginia says, I will not prosecute a woman for having an abortion, or for being suspected of inducing one.... I hope prosecutors across the country will join me in choosing to lead on behalf of the women we represent."

Benjamin Mueller & Eleanor Lutz of the New York Times: "Despite strong levels of vaccination among older people, Covid killed them at vastly higher rates during this winter's Omicron wave than it did last year, preying on long delays since their last shots and the variant's ability to skirt immune defenses. This winter's wave of deaths in older people belied the Omicron variant's relative mildness. Almost as many Americans 65 and older died in four months of the Omicron surge as did in six months of the Delta wave, even though the Delta variant, for any one person, tended to cause more severe illness. While overall per capita Covid death rates have fallen, older people still account for an overwhelming share of them."

Viktor Vlad. Victoria Kim of the New York Times: "The European Union's long-delayed deal to embargo Russian oil, finalized late Monday, effectively exempts Hungary from the costly step the rest of the bloc is taking to punish Russia for its invasion of Ukraine. While Hungary's prime minister, Viktor Orban, has cast his weekslong opposition to the deal as purely about shielding his country's economy, it was also the latest step in what has been a decade-long turn of Hungary's leadership toward closer alignment with Russia, at times at the expense of relations with its fellow members of the European Union and NATO. The pivot has occurred despite deep-seated suspicion in Hungary of Russian power and influence based on the history of Russian and Soviet troops brutally cracking down on Hungarian uprisings in 1848-49 and in 1956."

Julia Jacobs of the New York Times: "The actor Kevin Spacey said on Tuesday that he will voluntarily travel to Britain to face criminal sexual assault charges, allowing the authorities there to formally charge him without having to pursue extradition proceedings. Last week, Britain's Crown Prosecution Service announced that law enforcement had authorized the charges, of four counts of sexual assault against three men, as well as one charge of 'causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent.' But Mr. Spacey, 62, cannot be formally charged unless he enters England or Wales."

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** Murder Capital of the World. Annabelle Timsit of the Washington Post: “At least 14 mass shootings have taken place across the United States since Tuesday, from California to Arizona to Tennessee. This Memorial Day weekend alone -- spanning Saturday, Sunday and the federal holiday on Monday -- there have been at least 11 mass shootings.These incidents, gleaned from local news reports and police statements, meet the threshold for mass shootings as defined by the Gun Violence Archive, a nonprofit research organization. GVA defines a mass shooting as one in which 'four or more people are shot or killed, not including the shooter.' Several of those shootings occurred at parties, and one at a Memorial Day event." See also commentary in yesterday's thread. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

     ~~~ The story has been updated: Make that "at least 15 mass shootings ... since Tuesday," not 14, and 12 mass shootings, not 11, over the holiday.

Alexander Bolton of the Hill: "President Biden said Monday that it's up to Congress to outlaw assault weapons and strengthen background checks for gun sales, telling reporters: 'I can't dictate this stuff.... I can do the things I've done and any executive action I can take, I'll continue to take. But I can't outlaw a weapon. I can't change a background check. I can't do that,' Biden said after stepping off Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House.... The president has made clear in recent days that Senate Democrats led by Sen. Chris Murphy (Conn.) will handle the negotiations on Capitol Hill over gun control." ~~~

     ~~~ Myah Ward of Politico: "President Joe Biden on Monday said he believes there's a 'realization' among 'rational Republicans' that the nation 'can't continue like this,' after a gunman killed 19 children and two teachers at an elementary school in Texas. Biden, speaking to reporters after his return to the White House, was asked if he believes talks between Republicans and Democrats could produce bipartisan gun legislation after the latest tragedy. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell tapped Texas Sen. John Cornyn to work with Democrats on the legislation. 'I don't know, but I think there's a realization on the part of rational Republicans -- and I consider Sen. McConnell a rational Republican, and Cornyn is as well,' Biden said. 'I think there's a recognition on their part ... that we can't continue like this....'"

White House: "President Biden, the First Lady, the Vice President, the Second Gentleman, the Secretary of Defense, and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff participate[d] in a Wreath-Laying Ceremony" yesterday at Arlington National Cemetery. Video.

Carol Lee, et al., of NBC News: "... Faced with a worsening political predicament, President Joe Biden is pressing aides for a more compelling message and a sharper strategy while bristling at how they've tried to stifle the plain-speaking persona that has long been one of his most potent assets. Biden is rattled by his sinking approval ratings and is looking to regain voters' confidence that he can provide the sure-handed leadership he promised during the campaign, people close to the president say. Crises have piled up in ways that have at times made the Biden White House look flat-footed: record inflation, high gas prices, a rise in Covid case numbers -- and now a Texas school massacre that is one more horrific reminder that he has been unable to get Congress to pass legislation to curb gun violence. Democratic leaders are at a loss about how he can revive his prospects by November, when midterm elections may cost his party control of Congress." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Oddly, the reporters don't mention the Afghanistan fiasco. But Simon Tisdall of the Guardian is on that case: ~~~

~~~ Simon Tisdall of the Guardian: “Even by Donald Trump's chaotic standards, the 'comprehensive peace agreement' for Afghanistan signed by the US in Doha in February 2020 was a huge own goal.... This was not peacemaking. This was capitulation. The Taliban could hardly believe their luck.... Despite being hobbled by official secrecy, two damning reports this month, one by a US public watchdog, the other by the UK parliament's foreign affairs committee (FAC), lay bare the almost unbelievable incompetence of the two governments. Boris Johnson and the then British foreign secretary, Dominic Raab, failed to effectively challenge the Doha pact, then failed adequately to prepare for the 2021 withdrawal, the FAC report said.... The report of the US special inspector general (Sigar) blamed the calamity on Trump as well as his successor, Joe Biden, and the then Afghan president, Ashraf Ghani. Biden was certainly at fault. He should have insisted on renegotiating Doha and kept some US forces at Bagram base.... European Nato allies should have voiced their misgivings more forcibly. But responsibility lies primarily with the man who set this lethal geopolitical car crash in motion. While boasting of his prowess as a dealmaker, Trump caved to a gang of feudal warlords, who promptly defaulted to tyranny."

Jennifer Rubin of the Washington Post: "It's time for [President]Biden to strongly attack the White-grievance industry. On Saturday -- the day before he departed for Uvalde, Tex. -- President Biden told University of Delaware graduates: 'In the face of such destructive forces, we have to stand stronger. We cannot outlaw tragedy, I know, but we can make America safer.' He also warned of the 'oldest and darkest forces in America' preaching hate and 'preying on hopelessness and despair.'... 'Forces' are not the problem; one political movement encased within the Republican Party is.... It's not the plague of 'polarization' or 'distrust' ... that has darkened our society. Bluntly put, we are in deep trouble because a major party rationalizes both intense selfishness ... and deprivation of others' rights (to vote, to make intimate decisions about reproduction, to be treated with respect)." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Jonathan Weisman of the New York Times: "The decision of the Senate majority leader, Chuck Schumer of New York, to try for a negotiated compromise on new gun laws in the wake of the latest pair of mass shootings may prove to be a high-stakes bet on representative democracy itself, made at a time when faith in Congress -- and the Senate in particular -- is in tatters in both parties.... By raising expectations that a bipartisan deal on gun safety, mental health and school security is even possible, Mr. Schumer is intensifying the spotlight -- not only on Republicans and whether they will come to the table in good faith, but also on the institution of the Senate and its ability to grapple with a pressing national issue like gun violence, so searing in its trauma and obvious in its impact."

Luke Broadwater & Alan Feuer of the New York Times: "Peter Navarro, who as a White House adviser to ... Donald J. Trump worked to keep Mr. Trump in office after his defeat in the 2020 election, disclosed on Monday that he has been summoned to testify on Thursday to a federal grand jury and to provide prosecutors with any records he has related to the attack on the Capitol last year, including 'any communications' with Mr. Trump. The subpoena to Mr. Navarro -- which he said the F.B.I. served at his house last week -- seeks his testimony about materials related to the buildup to the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, and signals that the Justice Department investigation may be progressing to include activities of people in the White House. Mr. Navarro revealed the existence of the subpoena in a draft of a lawsuit he said he is preparing to file against the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack, Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Matthew M. Graves, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia." Politico's story is here.

Alexandra Berzon of the New York Times: "In the days after the 2020 election, [Cleta] Mitchell was among a cadre of Republican lawyers who frantically compiled unsubstantiated accusations, debunked claims and an array of confusing and inconclusive eyewitness reports to build the case that the election was marred by fraud.... Now Ms. Mitchell is prepping for the next election. Working with a well-funded network of organizations on the right, including the Republican National Committee, she is recruiting election conspiracists into an organized cavalry of activists monitoring elections. In seminars around the country, Ms. Mitchell is marshaling volunteers to stake out election offices, file information requests, monitor voting, work at polling places and keep detailed records of their work. She has tapped into a network of grass-root groups that promote misinformation and espouse wild theories about the 2020 election...." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Josephine Harvey of the Huffington Post: "An Oklahoma man was arrested last week for his alleged role in the U.S. Capitol riot after one of his college fraternity brothers tipped off the FBI. Levi Roy Gable, 36, was arrested in Tulsa Thursday and charged with four misdemeanor counts of illegally entering the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and engaging in disruptive conduct. According to an FBI affidavit, in the days after the riot, Gable's fraternity brother from roughly 15 years ago notified the FBI. He said he'd seen a series of videos posted on Gable's Facebook account that appeared to have been filmed from inside the Capitol."

All He's Got Is Spite. Paul Waldman of the Washington Post: Donald "Trump's political project can now be described in a single word: spite. His personal animosities and resentments always played a key role in his political decisions, but what's different today is how little anything else seems to animate him. It's why he went to Wyoming to campaign for Harriet Hageman -- and why Hageman herself was an afterthought. All that matters is that she's primarying [Liz] Cheney, whose criticism of Trump has been unrelenting.... What kind of case can a politician so consumed with spite make to the general electorate?... If and when Trump runs again, his bid will have all the anger and hate of his past two campaigns, but none of the optimism he had in 2016. He has been distilled to his bitter, resentful core." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Oren Liebermann of CNN: "The US is set to bring home and identify the remains of unknown World War II soldiers from the only American cemetery in Africa, the US Embassy in Tunisia said on Monday, Memorial Day. The announcement comes after the US and Tunisia signed a memorandum of understanding that will allow the US to exhume the remains of unknown soldiers from the North African American Cemetery and repatriate them for identification and reunification with family members.... The cemetery in Carthage, Tunisia, near the Mediterranean Sea is the burial site for 2,841 US service members from the North African campaign. The Wall of the Missing, a memorial wall bordering the cemetery, lists the names of 3,724 service members who went missing in action and have never been found."

Joan Biskupic of CNN: "Supreme Court officials are escalating their search for the source of the leaked draft opinion that would overturn Roe v. Wade, taking steps to require law clerks to provide cell phone records and sign affidavits, three sources with knowledge of the efforts have told CNN. Some clerks are apparently so alarmed over the moves, particularly the sudden requests for private cell data, that they have begun exploring whether to hire outside counsel. The court's moves are unprecedented and the most striking development to date in the investigation into who might have provided Politico with the draft opinion it published on May 2. The probe has intensified the already high tensions at the Supreme Court, where the conservative majority is poised to roll back a half-century of abortion rights and privacy protections. Chief Justice John Roberts met with law clerks as a group after the breach...."

Elizabeth Dias of the New York Times: "The United States is a nation that has learned to live with mass shooting after mass shooting.... More than one million people have died from Covid, a once unimaginable figure.... An increase in drug deaths, combined with Covid, has led overall life expectancy in America to decline.... Police killings of unarmed Black men continue long past vows for reform.... Has our tolerance as a country for such horror grown, dusting off after one event before moving on to the next? How much value do we place in a single human life?"

Jaclyn Peiser of the Washington Post: "In March and April of 2020, as the coronavirus spread and people isolated in their homes, a doctor in San Diego boasted that he had his hands on a 'miracle cure,' according to prosecutors -- hydroxychloroquine. In mass-marketing emails from his business, Skinny Beach Med Spa, Jennings Ryan Staley said the drug was included in his coronavirus 'treatment kits,' despite the medication becoming increasingly scarce. But Staley had a way of getting it, he later told an undercover federal agent. He planned to smuggle in a barrel of hydroxychloroquine powder with the help of a Chinese supplier, prosecutors said. Staley was sentenced last week to 30 days in prison and a year of home confinement for the scheme. He pleaded guilty last year."

Beyond the Beltway

Missouri. David Edwards of the Raw Story: "A Black pregnant woman was shot five times by Kansas City police despite having her hands up, according to a witness. KCTV first reported that Missouri State Highway Patrol is investigating an officer-involved shooting that occurred on Friday. Highway Patrol said that officers in the Kansas Police Department spotted a vehicle at a Family Dollar that was suspected of being stolen. A witness named Shédanja later told The Kansas City Star that she had seen the shooting and recorded a video of the aftermath." According to KCTV, the woman was taken to the hospital & is in stable condition. MB: With video that I can't stand to watch. Maybe this woman was a shoplifter. Maybe she wasn't. I have no idea. But I do know you don't shoot somebody for stealing a couple of cans of Spaghettios. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

New York. Bryan Pietsch of the Washington Post: "A tabernacle worth $2 million was stolen from a Catholic church in Brooklyn [-- St. Augustine Roman Catholic Church in Park Slope --], New York City police said Monday, in what church officials described as a 'brazen crime of disrespect and hate.' The bejeweled tabernacle -- a container that houses the Eucharist used in the rite of Communion -- is 'irreplaceable due to its historical and artistic value,' the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn said in a statement." The Guardian's story is here.

Texas. Nick Watt, et al., of CNN: "With the first funerals from last week's school shooting taking place this week in Uvalde, Texas, the city's mayor has postponed a city council meeting at which several new members were to be sworn in -- including school police chief, Pedro 'Pete' Arredondo, who had been elected to the council earlier this month.... 'Pete Arredondo was duly elected to the City Council,' the mayor's statement [said]. 'There is nothing in the City Charter, Election Code, or Texas Constitution that prohibits him from taking the oath of office. To our knowledge, we are currently not aware of any investigation of Mr. Arredondo.'... The Justice Department announced Sunday that it will conduct a review of the law enforcement response to the mass shooting."

Way Beyond

Ukraine, et al.

The New York Times' live updates of developments Tuesday in Russia's war on Ukraine are here: "As Russian and Ukrainian forces traded blistering artillery barrages and engaged in fierce fighting across towns and villages in eastern Ukraine, European Union leaders gathered on Tuesday for the second day of a summit aimed at pressing efforts to punish Russia while bolstering the battered Ukrainian economy. After weeks of tough talks finally led to agreement on an embargo on billions of dollars' worth of Russian oil and a package of sanctions aimed at the Russian economy, European leaders are now wrestling with how to help Ukraine export millions of tons of grain despite an effective naval blockade from Russia that has kept ships stranded at port.... At the same time, European leaders are working on a broader economic relief package worth more than $9 billion to be delivered over the course of 2022. ~~~

~~~ "Fighting in eastern Ukraine has reached pitched levels this week, according to Ukrainian and Russian officials, as Russia directed the might of its artillery and missile systems on an already devastated 75-mile stretch of land straddling the eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk. For weeks, they have rained fire on the last Ukrainian-controlled city in the Luhansk region, Sievierodonetsk, forcing civilians unable to flee to cower in basements and bomb shelters.... President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine offered condolences in his nightly address to the family and colleagues of the French journalist Frédéric Leclerc-Imhoff, who was killed on Monday in eastern Ukraine. Kalush Orchestra, the Ukrainian band that won the Eurovision Song Contest, auctioned off its trophy and the lead singer's signature pink bucket hat to buy drones for the Ukrainian army." ~~~

     ~~~ The Washington Post's live updates for Tuesday are here: "Russian forces now control 'around half' of Severodonetsk, one of the last major Ukrainian-held areas of the country's eastern Luhansk region, local officials said. Capturing the city would be a major symbolic victory for Russia.... A Ukrainian court found two Russian soldiers guilty of shelling civilian sites, including an educational institution, during fighting in Kharkiv and sentenced them Tuesday to 11 ½ years in prison.... [Ukraine's] chief prosecutor intends to try a Russian soldier for allegedly killing a civilian and raping his wife, which would be the first case of wartime rape to be heard in court -- although the accused is not in Ukrainian custody.... [President] Zelensky has denounced Russia's blockade on Ukrainian ports for halting the export of 22 million tons of grain. He accused the Kremlin of using African and Asian countries as 'bargaining chips.' Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has stressed the need to establish a safe passage for sea exports of grain." ~~~

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

Dan Sabbagh of the Guardian: "Joe Biden has said the US will not supply Ukraine with rockets that can reach into Russia, in an attempt to ease tensions with Moscow over the potential deployment of long-range missiles with a range of about 185 miles. The White House has been weighing up pleas from Ukraine -- which is losing ground in the battle for Donbas -- for multiple-launch rocket systems (MLRS) to offset Moscow's increasingly effective use of long-range artillery, amid Russian warnings that doing so would cross a red line. 'We are not going to send to Ukraine rocket systems that can strike into Russia,' Biden told reporters on Monday after arriving back at the White House after a weekend in Delaware."

Emily Rauhala & Quentin Ariès of the Washington Post: "European Union countries finally reached a deal to wean off Russian oil, their most significant effort yet to hit the Russian economy over the war in Ukraine, though the impact will be softened by an exemption for pipeline oil, a concession to landlocked holdouts, most notably Hungary. After weeks of negotiations, the 27 countries agreed on Monday to end seaborne deliveries of Russian oil. Pipeline deliveries will continue to flow. Several countries will also get extensions or exemptions, according to E.U. officials and diplomats. European Council President Charles Michel said the agreement would cover more than two-thirds of Russian oil imports, cutting off a 'a huge source of financing for its war machine.' E.U. officials and diplomats will still have to agree on technical details in the coming days and the sanctions must be formally adopted by all 27 nations." The Guardian's report is here.

Meryl Kornfield & Tara Bahrampour of the Washington Post: "A French photojournalist covering evacuation efforts in eastern Ukraine was killed during a Russian strike that hit the humanitarian truck he was in, officials say. Frédéric Leclerc-Imhoff, who was carrying press credentials, was fatally wounded after shrapnel pierced the armored evacuation truck that was about to pick up refugees near Severodonetsk, a focal point of the ongoing battle, according to Ukrainian officials. The shrapnel struck his neck." Politico's report is here.

Canada, Our More Civilized Neighbor. Ian Austen & Vjosa Isai of the New York Times: "Most owners of what Canada calls 'military-style assault weapons' would be required to turn over their firearms to a government buyback program under legislation introduced on Monday, which would tighten the country's already stringent control of firearms. The Canadian government also announced new regulations that will ban the sale, purchase, importation or transfer of handguns. 'We are capping the number of handguns in this country,' Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Monday. The handgun sales ban and the proposed assault weapons law are the latest in a series of steps Mr. Trudeau has taken to restrict firearms since 22 people were killed in rural Nova Scotia by a gunman in 2020, in the deadliest rampage in the country's history. The legislation, which could apply to tens of thousands of firearms, is expected to pass." A CNN story is here.

Colombia. Julie Turkewitz of the New York Times: "The Colombian establishment is lining up behind Rodolfo Hernández, a populist businessman with an incendiary streak, to defeat the leftist former rebel Gustavo Petro.... Hernández [is] a former mayor and wealthy businessman with a populist, anti-corruption platform whose outsider status, incendiary statements and single-issue approach to politics have earned him comparisons to Donald Trump.... Mr. Hernández once called himself a follower of Adolf Hitler, has suggested combining major ministries to save money, and says that as president he plans to declare a state of emergency to deal with corruption, leading to fears that he could shut down Congress or suspend mayors."

France. Through It All, She Kept on Smiling. Daniel Victor & Maria Cramer of the New York Times: A "protester, whom officials have not named, faked a disability to get close to the Mona Lisa, according to the Louvre.... [He sprang from his wheelchair and pounded] on the glass that shields the painting. Then ... the man smeared what appeared to be cake all over the glass protecting [Leonardo's painting].... After the man smeared the glass, he was tackled by security guards.... Videos on social media showed that the man, speaking in French, yelled that there were .people who were destroying the planet' and 'that's why I did it.'"

France. Oh, L'Horreur! AFP: "French officials on Monday continued their centuries-long battle to preserve the purity of the language, overhauling the rules on using English video game jargon. While some expressions find obvious translations -- 'pro-gamer' becomes 'joueur professionnel' -- others seem a more strained, as 'streamer' is transformed into 'joueur-animateur en direct'. The culture ministry, which is involved in the process, told AFP the video game sector was rife with anglicisms that could act as 'a barrier to understanding' for non-gamers. France regularly issues dire warnings of the debasement of its language from across the Channel, or more recently the Atlantic."

News Lede

New York Times: "Agatha, the year's first named storm in the eastern Pacific region, was moving across southern Mexico on Tuesday morning as a tropical storm, a day after making landfall as a Category 2 hurricane. Agatha came ashore on Monday afternoon just west of Puerto Angel, a fishing town in the Mexican state of Oaxaca, with heavy rains and winds of nearly 105 miles per hour -- strong enough to uproot trees, cause major power losses and rip roofs off well-built homes. It was downgraded to a tropical storm on Monday night. As of 1 a.m. local time on Tuesday, Agatha was moving northeast at nearly eight miles per hour, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said in an advisory. Parts of Oaxaca state could receive as much as 16 inches of rain later in the day, with isolated amounts of 20 inches, the center said."

May 30, 2022

Afternoon Update:

** Murder Capital of the World. Annabelle Timsit of the Washington Post: "At least 14 mass shootings have taken place across the United States since Tuesday, from California to Arizona to Tennessee. This Memorial Day weekend alone -- spanning Saturday, Sunday and the federal holiday on Monday -- there have been at least 11 mass shootings. These incidents, gleaned from local news reports and police statements, meet the threshold for mass shootings as defined by the Gun Violence Archive, a nonprofit research organization. GVA defines a mass shooting as one in which 'four or more people are shot or killed, not including the shooter.' Several of those shootings occurred at parties, and one at a Memorial Day event." See also commentary in today's thread.

Missouri. David Edwards of the Raw Story: "A Black pregnant woman was shot five times by Kansas City police despite having her hands up, according to a witness. KCTV first reported that Missouri State Highway Patrol is investigating an officer-involved shooting that occurred on Friday. Highway Patrol said that officers in the Kansas Police Department spotted a vehicle at a Family Dollar that was suspected of being stolen. A witness named Shédanja later told The Kansas City Star The Kansas City Star that she had seen the shooting and recorded a video of the aftermath." According to KCTV, the woman was taken to the hospital & is in stable condition. MB: With video that I can't stand to watch. Maybe this woman was a shoplifter. Maybe she wasn't. I have no idea. But I do know you don't shoot somebody for stealing a couple of cans of Spaghettios.

Alexandra Berzon of the New York Times: "In the days after the 2020 election, [Cleta] Mitchell was among a cadre of Republican lawyers who frantically compiled unsubstantiated accusations, debunked claims and an array of confusing and inconclusive eyewitness reports to build the case that the election was marred by fraud.... Now Ms. Mitchell is prepping for the next election. Working with a well-funded network of organizations on the right, including the Republican National Committee, she is recruiting election conspiracists into an organized cavalry of activists monitoring elections. In seminars around the country, Ms. Mitchell is marshaling volunteers to stake out election offices, file information requests, monitor voting, work at polling places and keep detailed records of their work. She has tapped into a network of grass-root groups that promote misinformation and espouse wild theories about the 2020 election...."

Jennifer Rubin of the Washington Post: "It's time for [President]Biden to strongly attack the White-grievance industry. On Saturday -- the day before he departed for Uvalde, Tex. -- President Biden told University of Delaware graduates: 'In the face of such destructive forces, we have to stand stronger. We cannot outlaw tragedy, I know, but we can make America safer.' He also warned of the 'oldest and darkest forces in America' preaching hate and 'preying on hopelessness and despair.'... 'Forces' are not the problem; one political movement encased within the Republican Party is.... It's not the plague of 'polarization' or 'distrust' ... that has darkened our society. Bluntly put, we are in deep trouble because a major party rationalizes both intense selfishness ... and deprivation of others' rights (to vote, to make intimate decisions about reproduction, to be treated with respect)."

All He's Got Is Spite. Paul Waldman of the Washington Post: Donald "Trump's political project can now be described in a single word: spite. His personal animosities and resentments always played a key role in his political decisions, but what's different today is how little anything else seems to animate him. It's why he went to Wyoming to campaign for Harriet Hageman -- and why Hageman herself was an afterthought. All that matters is that she's primarying [Liz] Cheney, whose criticism of Trump has been unrelenting.... What kind of case can a politician so consumed with spite make to the general electorate?... If and when Trump runs again, his bid will have all the anger and hate of his past two campaigns, but none of the optimism he had in 2016. He has been distilled to his bitter, resentful core."

~~~~~~~~~~

Zeke Miller & Elliot Spagat of the AP : "President Joe Biden grieved with the shattered community of Uvalde on Sunday, mourning privately for three hours with anguished families of the 19 schoolchildren and two teachers killed by a gunman. Faced with chants of 'do something' as he departed a church service, Biden pledged: 'We will.' At Robb Elementary School, Biden visited a memorial of 21 white crosses -- one for each of those killed -- and first lady Jill Biden added a bouquet of white flowers to those already placed in front of the school sign. The couple then viewed individual altars erected in memory of each student, the first lady touching the children's photos as they moved along the row. After visiting the memorial, Biden attended Mass at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, where several victims' families are members, and one of the families was in attendance." A Washington Post story is here.

Katie Benner of the New York Times: "The U.S. Justice Department said on Sunday that it will review the law enforcement response to the mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas, at the request of its mayor, Don McLaughlin. 'The goal of the review is to provide an independent account of law enforcement actions and responses that day, and to identify lessons learned and best practices to help first responders prepare for and respond to active shooter events,' the Justice Department said in a statement." The Guardian's report is here.

Shawn Hubler & Luis Ferré-Sadurní of the New York Times: In Democratic-controlled states like New Jersey, New York and California, governors and legislators are rushing to enact firearms safety laws. "In Republican-controlled statehouses, however, the moves evoked an equal and opposite reaction. A day after Uvalde, rural conservatives in Pennsylvania and Michigan beat back Democratic attempts to force votes on long-blocked gun safety legislation. And in Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott and other Republican officials blamed the school massacre on a gunman with mental health problems, not gun laws. They accused Democrats of politicizing the situation with calls for gun control.... The state actions come as hope for congressional consensus has waned to a flicker, not only on gun violence, but on an array of American social issues..., , including abortion and civil rights.... As they publicly mourned the tragedy in Uvalde, Republican senators showed scant signs that they had budged."

Julia Shapero of Axios: "Attorney General Merrick Garland warned about threats to democracy in the U.S. and abroad in a commencement speech at Harvard University on Sunday.... Garland, who is a Harvard alumnus, pointed to efforts to undermine the right to vote, violence against particular groups of people, the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol and the Russian invasion of Ukraine abroad as the 'many ways in which democracy is under threat.'"

Trump's Revenge Tour Makes a Stop in Wyoming. Dave Weigel & Josh Dawsey of the Washington Post: "... Donald Trump is ... rallying aggressively behind [Liz Cheney's] primary challenger Harriet Hageman, who he is wagering can topple his most outspoken Republican critic in Congress. He hit the trail over the weekend in a very different Wyoming from years past, one where thousands cheered him as he railed against Cheney and looped together what he called the 'failed foreign policy of the Clintons, Bushes, the Obamas and the Bidens.'... The Aug. 16 primary in Wyoming is shaping up as the next big test of Trump's effort to unseat Republican elected officials who have been critical of him and who fought his falsehood-ridden attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 election." ~~~

~~~ Joanna Walters of the Guardian: "As the House committee investigating the attack on the US Capitol by extremist supporters of Donald Trump prepares to start public hearings next week, the former president >called the insurrection on January 6, 2021, a hoax. Trump spoke at a rally in Wyoming on Saturday night in support of the Republican primary challenger in the midterm elections to congresswoman Liz Cheney. Cheney sits on the committee and has been vilified by Trump since she voted in favor of his historic second impeachment over the insurrection. Addressing the sub-capacity crowd at a rally in Casper for Republican candidate Harriet Hageman, Trump slammed Cheney, saying: 'As one of the nation's leading proponents of the insurrection hoax, Liz Cheney has pushed a grotesquely false, fabricated, hysterical partisan narrative.'

Vikram Dodd of the Guardian: "British authorities are pursuing the return of Kevin Spacey from the US to face sexual assault charges. An official familiar with the process told the Guardian the UK would seek the actor's formal extradition unless he decided to come back voluntarily. The international criminality directorate, a special Home Office unit, will act on behalf of police and prosecutors. Experts in extradition say US police may soon be sent to find Spacey, 62, and detain him on behalf of British authorities."

Beyond the Beltway

California. Vimal Patel of the New York Times: "Paul Pelosi, the husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol in Napa County, Calif., on Saturday night, according to the county's website. Bail for Mr. Pelosi, 82, was set at $5,000. County records show he was released from custody on Sunday morning. The charge he faces is a misdemeanor. Ms. Pelosi, a Democrat, has not addressed the arrest publicly. On Sunday, she delivered a commencement address at Brown University. News of her husband's arrest was reported by TMZ. A spokesman for Ms. Pelosi, Drew Hammill, said she was not with her husband during the incident."

New York. Amy Harris of the New York Times: "Ten people were injured at the Barclays Center [in Brooklyn] early Sunday morning when a loud noise heard on the street outside incited panic, sending throngs of people running as they tried to escape what they thought was a gunman."

Way Beyond

Ukraine, et al.

The New York Times' live updates of developments Monday in Russia's war on Ukraine are here: "... European leaders will be gathering in Brussels for a two-day summit focused on the war in Ukraine.On the agenda of the European Council meeting is a package of sanctions against Russia, including an oil embargo.... President Volodymyr Zelensky is scheduled to address the European leaders by video link on Tuesday. On Sunday, Mr. Zelensky sought to build morale among his fighters by making a rare journey outside Kyiv to visit the country's northeast, near Kharkiv, which is still under shelling.... He was visiting eastern Ukraine as his military announced a counteroffensive in Kherson, a key city in the south that had been of the first to fall to Russia when the war began in February.... [Ukrainian officials] said the maneuver would require the delivery of Western artillery systems that had been promised by the United States and other allies. Those weapons are now showing up at frontline positions in the war's eastern theater.... Ukraine's defense minister, Oleksiy Reznikov, said that sophisticated Harpoon anti-ship cruise missiles had arrived. He said the missiles came courtesy of Denmark and would be used to try to break Russia's Black Sea blockade and to protect the port city of Odesa." ~~~

     ~~~ The Washington Post's live updates for Monday are here: "Russian troops' assault on Severodonetsk, one of the last Ukrainian-held cities in the country's eastern Luhansk region, continued Sunday as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said 90 percent of the city's buildings and all of its 'critical infrastructure' had been destroyed.... A Russian ship was seen in new satellite images picking up grain in annexed Crimea and unloading it in Syria last week, with Ukrainian officials alleging that Moscow is stealing one of the country's main exports. In the hard-hit Donetsk region, 115 miners are stuck underground because of power outages, a provincial leader said Sunday. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will have separate telephone conversations Monday with the Ukrainian and Russian presidents 'to encourage the parties to operate channels of dialogue and diplomacy,' he said." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Do you think it would be a good idea -- or perhaps idiotic -- for the U.S. & E.U. to start signaling to Russia that the West will never support Russia's annexation of any part of Ukraine, so Putin should get over it? ~~~

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

Colombia. Julie Turkewitz of the New York Times: "Two anti-establishment candidates, Gustavo Petro, a leftist, and Rodolfo Hernández, a right-wing populist, captured the top two spots in Colombia's presidential election on Sunday, delivering a stunning blow to the country's dominant conservative political class. The two men will compete in a runoff election on June 19 that is shaping up to be one of the most consequential in the country's history. At stake is the country's economic model, its democratic integrity and the livelihoods of millions of people pushed into poverty during the pandemic. The Petro-Hernández face-off, said Daniel García-Peña, a Colombian political scientist, pits 'change against change.'"

U.K. Jennifer Hassan of the Washington Post: "In a sea of bright red military uniforms..., Prince William, on horseback, inspected the Irish Guards, an Irish infantry regiment that is part of the British Army. While the display of pomp and pageantry unfolding in London on Saturday was extensive, it was just a 90-minute rehearsal. The rehearsal ... was staged just a few days before Thursday's ceremony, known as Trooping the Colour. It's held annually to mark the queen's official birthday, which is in June, but this year it also kick-starts a string of events celebrating her Platinum Jubilee, marking 70 years on the throne. The 96-year-old monarch usually takes the salute at the ceremony, but it remains unclear how involved the queen will be this year.... If the queen passes these ceremonial duties to another royal family member Thursday, it will be the first time in her reign she has done so, the Sunday Times reported."

News Ledes

New York Times: "Rescue workers recovered 21 bodies on Monday after a daylong effort to reach the site of a plane crash in the rocky heights of the Himalayas, according to officials in Nepal. The Canadian-made De Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter, operated by Tara Air and carrying 19 passengers and three crew members, took off on Sunday morning from the central Nepali city of Pokhara and was headed for Jomsom, a tourist destination popular with trekkers.... 'We recovered 21 dead bodies,' said Netra Prasad Sharma, the chief administrator of Mustang District, where the crash occurred. 'One is still missing.'"

New York Times: "Hurricane Agatha, the first named storm this year in the eastern Pacific, intensified rapidly on Sunday, packing winds of up to 110 miles per hour and heavy rains that threaten to unleash potentially fatal floods and mudslides when it makes landfall in Mexico on Monday, the National Hurricane Center said. Agatha, which was upgraded from a tropical storm on Sunday, had sustained winds that exceeded the threshold for a Category 2 hurricane. Forecasters said it was expected to become a 'major hurricane' -- with maximum sustained winds of 111 m.p.h. or greater -- before it reaches the coast of southern Mexico on Monday afternoon or evening. The Mexican state of Oaxaca could get as much as 16 inches of rain, with isolated amounts of 20 inches, the center said on Sunday night."

May 29, 2022

Kevin Liptak of CNN: President "Biden and first lady Jill Biden plan to visit Uvalde, Texas, [Sunday].... The White House said they would meet community and religious leaders along with family members of the young victims."

Tim Craig, et al., of the Washington Post: "The Uvalde massacre was "prolonged and worsened by the failure of security measures and a catastrophically slow response from authorities.... Heartbreak bubbled into rage as Texas officials waxed on about police bravery, glossing over law enforcement missteps that took days to acknowledge. Only now, a more reliable chronology is emerging through official statements, 911 logs, social media posts, and interviews with survivors and witnesses. The revelations tell a story of institutional failure at the expense of unprotected children." The story is an account of what happened when.

Stefanie Dazio of the AP: "The actions -- or more notably, the inaction -- of a school district police chief and other law enforcement officers have become the center of the investigation into this week's shocking school shooting in Uvalde, Texas. The delay in confronting the shooter -- who was inside the school for more than an hour -- could lead to discipline, lawsuits and even criminal charges against police.... The chief's decision [not to confront the shooter] -- and the officers' apparent willingness to follow his directives against established active-shooter protocols -- prompted questions about whether more lives were lost because officers did not act faster to stop the gunman, and who should be held responsible.... One of the officials said audio recordings from the scene capture officers from other agencies telling the school police chief that the shooter was still active and that the priority was to stop him." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Just looking at CNN's timeline, though it's necessarily vague, it appears the gunman did shoot children after there was a substantial assemblage of police in the corridor. Also, it would seem, from other reporting, that there was at least one child who was mortally wounded but still alive for some time who might have been saved by early medical care. Experts seem to agree (link is to a CNN story).

"Delay, Obstruct, Prevent." Ashley Parker & Michael Scherer of the Washington Post: "... over ... three decades, [Mitch McConnell has] consistently working to delay, obstruct or prevent most major gun-control legislation from passing Congress.... During his seven terms in Congress, [he would offer] vague promises of action, often without any specifics, only to be followed by no action or incremental measures that avoided new gun regulations. As a Republican leader, he also helped dissuade his conference -- as after the 2012 mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. -- from supporting gun legislation and, as majority leader, refused to bring up significant gun-control measures for a vote.... Many Democrats and anti-gun advocates ... [predict] that McConnell and his fellow Republicans are poised to obstruct any consequential gun-violence-prevention bills yet again." The reporters relate some of Mitch's obstructionist moves.

Stephen Gandel of the New York Times: "... a new law in Texas ... bars state agencies from working with a firm that 'discriminates' against companies or individuals in the gun industry. One provision of the law requires banks and other professional-services firms to submit written affirmations that they comply with the law." Giant banks like JPMorgan & Citigroup have filed letters with the Texas attorney general declaring they do business with firearms companies. "If a bank states that it is in compliance with the law and is found to be otherwise, it could face criminal prosecution. It could also be shut out of the state's giant municipal bond market. Texas is one of the biggest bond issuers in the country, and Wall Street has long made lucrative -- and relatively risk-free -- fees underwriting municipal bonds.... The Texas law is the first of its kind in the country. Similar ones -- described by gun industry lobbyists as FIND laws, or firearm industry nondiscriminatory legislation -- are working their way through at least 10 statehouses...." MB: Mind-boggling, but not surprising because ~~~

~~~ Anna Massoglia of Open Secrets: "Texas representatives in the 117th Congress took more money from gun rights groups than lawmakers in any other state, a new OpenSecrets analysis found. Senators and House members representing Texas have received more than $14 million in contributions from gun rights interests over the course of their careers, with much of that coming from the National Rifle Association. Texas also ranks second among the 19 states tracked by OpenSecrets for state-level lobbying by gun rights groups with more than $3 million in spending from 2015 through 2021. During that period, the NRA spent more on state-level lobbying in Texas than any other state in the 19 states tracked by OpenSecrets with over $2.5 million in spending. The influence gun rights groups exert in Texas is also evident in grassroots organizing and advocacy efforts spearheaded by the NRA." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: There's a chain of cause and effect that leads back to the way we finance political campaigns in this country. If legislators and other elected officials were not so dependent upon gun-lobby financing, there's a good chance the assault-weapons ban would have been extended and other crazy pro-gun laws never would have been enacted.

Guess what happened where the red line is. Anyone? pic.twitter.com/vkahBGCkbj

— Mike Jason (@mikejason73) May 27, 2022

     ~~~ That red line indicates when the U.S. assault weapons ban ended. Thanks to RAS for the link.

Frederic Frommer in the Washington Post: "Four years ago, when -- as now -- the nation was reeling from the horror of a mass school shooting, a retired Supreme Court justice suggested a radical solution: getting rid of the Second Amendment.John Paul Stevens issued the call after 17 people were killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., in February 2018. The attack prompted hundreds of thousands to demand action the next month to end gun violence at the March for Our Lives. In a March 27, 2018, New York Times op-ed, Stevens praised the protesters and their call for stricter gun control laws. 'But the demonstrators should seek more effective and more lasting reform,' he wrote, about a year before his death at 99. 'They should demand a repeal of the Second Amendment.' Stevens said the amendment was adopted out of concern that a national standing army might pose a threat to the security of the states. 'Today that concern is a relic of the 18th century,' he wrote.... But Stevens didn't acknowledge the herculean challenge that his proposal entailed, as there was (and remains) zero chance that gun control advocates would get anywhere close to the two-thirds majority in both houses of Congress and ratification by three-fourths of the states needed for repeal."

Silvia Foster-Frau, et al., of the Washington Post: "... girls who spoke with The Post lived around the world but met [the Uvalde gunman] on Yubo, an app that mixes live-streaming and social networking and has become known as a 'Tinder for teens.'... He could be cryptic, demeaning and scary, sending angry messages and photos of guns. If they didn't respond how he wanted, he sometimes threatened to rape or kidnap them -- then laughed it off as some big joke. But the girls and young women who talked with [him] online in the months before he allegedly killed 19 children in an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, rarely reported him. His threats seemed too vague, several said in interviews with The Washington Post. One teen who reported Ramos on the social app Yubo said nothing happened as a result. Some also suspected this was just how teen boys talked on the Internet these days -- a blend of rage and misogyny so predictable they could barely tell each one apart." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: We already know social media are doing entirely too little to ensure that their apps aren't used for nefarious purposes. But are schools teaching students how to interact safely online? Are parents & teachers explaining boundaries? Social media apps & the devices that run them have to be the most disruptive & destructive systems afflicting teenagers (and some "adults") in the history of Earth. For all of the open sexism that was the status quo in the 1960s, no one ever threatened to rape and kill me. Had anyone done so, I certainly would not have brushed it off as "just talk."

Caitlin O'Kane of CBS News: "The Uvalde mass shooting suspect bought more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition before opening fire and killing 22 people at Robb Elementary School, a law enforcement official said during a news conference on Friday. A U.S. soldier would take 210 rounds into combat.... [Three hundred fifteen] rounds were found inside the school, said Steven McCraw, the director of the Texas Department of Public Safety. A law enforcement source told CBS News that the amount of ammunition that the suspect brought with him is more than what an average U.S. soldier would go into basic combat with, apparently planning on a massive gun battle." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Just after he turned 18 a few weeks ago, that kid bought two automatic rifles, reportedly costing about $2,000 each, and more than 1,000 rounds of ammo. He worked in a fast-food place. Did he really make enough money assembling burgers to buy these tools of war?

María Méndez & Jolie McCullough of the Texas Tribune: Daniel Patrick, "Texas' lieutenant governor, has echoed the idea of locking all but one door of a school. And [Ted] Cruz and ... Donald Trump repeated the call for single-entry schools at the National Rifle Association convention in Houston on Friday.... But limiting schools to one access point is not a proposal grounded in reality, according to several school and safety experts." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: The underlying message in all of these half-assed proposals is, "Look, we are going to continue to enact laws that make it easier for bad actors to kill you and your family. It's up to you to spend a lot of money futilely trying to save yourselves & your loved ones from us. Good luck, suckers."

Timothy Bella & Adela Suliman of the Washington Post: "Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) was heckled at a Houston restaurant on Friday night, following his speech at the National Rifle Association's convention, in which he broadly rejected proposals for gun control, days after the Uvalde school shooting. A video shared on social media shows Cruz standing stoically at Uptown Sushi in Houston as a man challenges him to support expanding background checks on gun sales, which the senator and many of his Republican colleagues have rejected. 'Why did you come here to the convention?' the man, later identified as Benjamin Hernandez, asked Cruz. 'Why? When 19 children died!' As Hernandez was pulled away by security officials, he said to Cruz: 'That's on your hands! That's on your hands, Ted Cruz! That's on your hands!'" The Huffington Post's story is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Of course I'm with Hernandez, but I find it amusing that Ted Cruz, he-man gunslinger, was dining at a place called Uptown Sushi. Is Uptown Sushi where he-man gunslingers go to rustle up some grub?

Minyvonne Burke of NBC News: "Congressman Chris Jacobs (R-NY), who was endorsed by the National Rifle Association in 2020, said he would support a ban on assault weapons following two horrific mass shootings at a grocery store in New York and an elementary school in Texas. Jacobs made the remarks -- a contradiction to the Republican party's staunch stance on gun laws -- during a news conference on Friday.... Jacobs ... also said he is in favor of raising the age for some gun purchases to 21."

Joanna Walters & Gloria Olpadipo of the Guardian: "The last funeral for victims of a gunman's racist attack on a supermarket in Buffalo, New York, two weeks ago took place on Saturday afternoon, as the oldest person to die in the mass shooting was laid to rest. Ruth Whitfield, 86, was shot and killed along with nine other people, all of them Black, when a white supremacist and self-declared 'eco-fascist' extremist allegedly traveled far from his home to wreak violence and tragedy. The vice-president, Kamala Harris, and second gentleman, Doug Emhoff, attended and the civil rights activist Al Sharpton delivered the eulogy at the service at Mount Olive Baptist church in Buffalo."

Ellen Nakashima & Amy Gardner of the Washington Post: "The federal government has found no evidence that flaws in Dominion voting machines have ever been exploited, including in the 2020 election, according to the executive director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. CISA, an arm of the Department of Homeland Security, has notified election officials in more than a dozen states that use the machines of several vulnerabilities and mitigation measures that would aid in detection or prevention of an attempt to exploit those vulnerabilities. The move marks the first time CISA has run voting machine flaws through its vulnerability disclosure program, which since 2019 has examined and disclosed hundreds of vulnerabilities in commercial and industrial systems that have been identified by researchers around the world." CNN's report is here.

Spencer Hsu of the Washington Post: "A prominent Republican-appointed federal judge on Thursday joined calls for Supreme Court justices to be subject to an ethics code, saying a failure by judges to police their own misconduct lessens Americans' respect for the judiciary. Senior U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton of D.C. told attendees of a conference in Chicago focused on threats to the independence of the courts that it was 'unimaginable that we have a segment of our federal judiciary that's not subject to an ethics code,' Reuters reported."

Vimal Patel of the New York Times: "A California woman who repeatedly punched a Southwest Airlines flight attendant last year, bloodying her face and chipping three of her teeth, was sentenced on Friday to 15 months in federal prison, prosecutors said. The woman, Vyvianna M. Quinonez, 29, of Sacramento, will also have to pay nearly $26,000 in restitution and a $7,500 fine, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of California. A video of the attack, which occurred in May 2021, was widely viewed on social media. Judge Todd W. Robinson of United States District Court also ordered Ms. Quinonez to be on supervised release for three years after completing her sentence, during which she will be barred from flying on any commercial aircraft."

Fenit Nirappil, et al., of the Washington Post: "For the third year, Americans are greeting the unofficial start of summer shadowed by the specter of the coronavirus amid rising covid-19 cases and hospitalizations across the country. The United States is recording more than 100,000 infections a day -- at least five times higher than this point last year -- as it confronts the most transmissible versions of the virus yet. Immunity built up as a result of the record winter outbreak appears to provide little protection against the latest variants, new research shows. And public health authorities are bracing for Memorial Day gatherings to fuel another bump in cases, potentially seeding a summer surge.... A year ago..., coronavirus seemed to teeter on the brink of defeat as cases plummeted to their lowest levels since spring 2020 and vaccines became widely available for adults."

Way Beyond the Beltway

Ukraine, et al.

The New York Times' live updates of developments Sunday in Russia's war on Ukraine are here: "Ukraine, newly armed with Harpoon anti-ship cruise missiles from Denmark, is making a last push to hold on to its eastern Donbas region, where Russian forces are close to occupying the entirety of Luhansk, a province now at the heart of the conflict. In a war that is increasingly becoming an arms race, Russia has been deploying thermobaric warheads, fearsome explosives that send potentially lethal shock waves into bunkers or trenches. Russia's defense ministry also claimed to have successfully test-fired a hypersonic Zircon cruise missile from the Barents Sea at a target more than 620 miles away. Ukraine, for its part, has stepped up its calls for Western nations to provide it with better weaponry. The Biden administration has approved sending long-range multiple-launch rocket systems to Ukraine, a significant transfer that could hugely aid the country's defense.... Vladimir V. Putin of Russia said in a statement from the Kremlin that he was 'open to renewing dialogue with Kyiv,' but Zelensky has not addressed the offer." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Russia's war of aggression on Ukraine should put an end to the maxim, "To the victor go the spoils." There should not be a reward for invading and trying to destroy a sovereign country on groundless or even flimsy excuses. Any treaty should come down hard on Russia. ~~~

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

Elena Becatoros & Ricardo Mazalan of the AP: "Russian and Ukrainian troops engaged in close-quarter combat in an eastern Ukraine city Sunday as Moscow's soldiers, supported by intense shelling, attempted to gain strategic footholds in the region while facing fierce Ukrainian resistance. Ukrainian regional officials reported that Russian forces were 'storming' the eastern city of Sievierodonetsk, where the fighting has knocked out power and cellphone services and terrorized civilians who haven't fled. Sievierodonetsk, a manufacturing center, has emerged as an epicenter of Russia's quest to conquer Ukraine's industrial Donbas region. Russia also stepped up its efforts to take nearby Lysychansk, where Ukrainian officials reported constant shelling."

U.K. Danica Kirka of the AP: Britain "will celebrate Queen Elizabeth II's 70 years on the throne this week with four days of pomp and pageantry in central London. But behind the brass bands, street parties and a planned appearance by the aging queen on the balcony of Buckingham Palace lies a drive to show that the royal family still remains relevant after seven decades of change." ~~~}

~~~ Brexit, by the Ounce. Nadeem Badshah of the Guardian/Observer: "Boris Johnson will reportedly announce the return of imperial measurements to mark the Queen's platinum jubilee, in an apparent attempt to garner support among Brexiter voters in battleground seats that the Conservatives are in danger of losing. Britain currently uses a mix of imperial and metric measurements, with speed limits in miles per hour and milk and beer bought in pints. The prime minister, under increasing pressure after further damaging revelations in the Partygate scandal, is expected to announce next week that British shops will be allowed to sell products in pounds and ounces to coincide with celebrations for the monarch's 70 years on the throne.... Since 1995, goods sold in Europe have had to display metric weights and measurements.... While it is still legal to price goods in pounds and ounces, these have to be displayed alongside the price in grams and kilograms."