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April 2, 2022
Putin's War Crimes, Ctd.
The New York Times' live updates of developments Saturday in Russia's war on Ukraine are here: "Ukrainians were taking stock of the destruction left behind by Russian troops that have pulled out of parts of the country's north and areas near the capital, Kyiv, as a humanitarian convoy was set to try again on Saturday to deliver much-needed aid to the besieged southern city of Mariupol. President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine, in his videotaped nightly address, accused Russians of planting mines and booby-trapping the dead with explosives as they retreated. He said the country was bracing for scaled-up attacks in the east.... Military analysts say that Russia appears to be following through on its stated intention of pulling away from areas around the capital and concentrating on the east, in the face of fierce Ukrainian resistance and counterattacks and mounting supply and morale problems among Russian forces.... In the southeast, the International Committee of the Red Cross said that its convoy would try again on Saturday to reach Mariupol. Its relief workers hope to bring critical supplies to the tens of thousands who have been trapped there for weeks amid relentless Russian shelling, and to serve as an escort to help more of them leave the city safely. The Red Cross said its convoy, consisting of three cars and nine personnel, was not given the security guarantee it needed to make it to Mariupol on Friday, despite earlier Russian pledges to establish a cease-fire and a humanitarian corridor." ~~~
~~~ The Washington Post's live updates for Saturday are here: "Ukrainian officials said at least 3,000 people fled the war-torn port city of Mariupol on Friday, some in private vehicles and others in at least 42 buses that carried residents to safety.... [Red Cross] teams were 'on the move' from Zaporizhzhia to Mariupol, a spokesman told The Post early Saturday. Roughly 100,000 people remain trapped in Mariupol, according to Ukrainian officials. Virtual peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv took place Friday, with no major breakthrough, following a fuel depot fire in a Russian city near the border that the Kremlin blamed on a Ukrainian strike.... Kyiv would not confirm or deny its role, although some military experts said it was probably responsible. The Pentagon on Friday announced a new $300 million security assistance package for Ukraine that will include drones, counter-drone systems and armored vehicles.... Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, in a video posted early Saturday, threatened to punish Ukrainians who collaborate with Russian occupying forces, a day after he ousted two generals he accused of disloyalty. He also urged Russian families to keep their sons away from Moscow's latest military draft." ~~~
~~~ The Guardian's live updates for Saturday are here.
Anton Troianovski, et al., of the New York Times: "Five weeks into... Vladimir V. Putin's invasion of Ukraine, there are signs that the Russian public's initial shock has given way to a mix of support for their troops and anger at the West.... Polls and interviews show that many Russians now accept Mr. Putin's contention that their country is under siege from the West and had no choice but to attack. The war's opponents are leaving the country or keeping quiet." ~~~
~~~ So maybe these pro-war Russians haven't heard the next story. Or maybe they have. ~~~
~~~ Extraordinary War Crimes. Martin Farrer of the Guardian & Agencies: "Volodymyr Zelenskiy has warned that retreating Russian forces are creating 'a complete disaster' by leaving mines on homes and corpses in their wake, as renewed missile strikes on Ukrainian cities were reported. Ukraine's president issued the warning on Saturday morning as the humanitarian crisis in the encircled city of Mariupol deepened, with Russian forces reportedly blocking evacuation operations for the second day in a row.... 'They are mining the whole territory. They are mining homes, mining equipment, even the bodies of people who were killed,' Zelenskyy said in his customary video address to the nation. 'There are a lot of trip wires, a lot of other dangers.'"
Helene Cooper of the New York Times: "The Biden administration will work with allies to transfer Soviet-made tanks to bolster Ukrainian defenses in the country's eastern Donbas region, a U.S. official said on Friday. The decision to act as an intermediary to help transfer the Soviet-made tanks, which Ukrainian troops know how to use, comes in response to a request from President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine, the official said. It marks the first time in the war that the United States has helped transfer tanks."
David Klepper & Amanda Seitz of the AP: "As that war rages, Russia is launching falsehoods into the feeds of Spanish-speaking social media users in nations that already have long records of distrusting the U.S. The aim is to gain support in those countries for the Kremlin's war and stoke opposition against America's response. Though many of the claims have been discredited, they're spreading widely in Latin America and helping to make Kremlin-controlled outlets some of the top Spanish-language sources for information about the war. Russian outlet RT en Español is now the third most shared site on Twitter for Spanish-language information about Russia's invasion."
President Biden speaks about the March jobs report:
~~~ See related stories linked under Friday's News Ledes.
Michael Laris of the Washington Post: "The Department of Transportation released tailpipe pollution standards Friday that would require average fuel efficiency of new cars and light trucks to reach 49 miles per gallon in less than four years. Biden administration officials said the new standards, which largely reverse a Trump-era rollback, would help cut greenhouse gas emissions and save consumers money at the pump. The regulation finalizes the Biden administration's rejection of the approach taken under the Trump administration, which in 2020 weakened standards set during the Obama presidency. The new rule requires the nation's automakers to increase fuel efficiency fleetwide by 8 percent starting late next year, another 8 percent the year after and 10 percent for model year 2026."
Jake Tapper of CNN: "The Biden administration on Friday secured the release of Safi Rauf, 27, an Afghan-American Naval reservist who was doing humanitarian work in Kabul and who had been in captivity under the Taliban since December. Rauf and his brothers, all former Afghan refugees, founded the Human First Coalition, which, along with others in the 'Digital Dunkirk' movement, worked to evacuate those desperately trying to flee after Kabul fell.... Rauf and his brother Anees Khalil, a green card holder, were taken into custody by the Taliban on December 18.... In a statement first obtained by CNN, Safi Rauf announced that on Friday, 'we were released due to the efforts of the US government (most especially political officer JP Feldmayer, Special Representative Tom West, and Lt. Col. Jason Hock), our family and loved ones, the Qatari government, the British government, our team at Human First Coalition, and countless friends in country, in the region, and all over the world.' A source with the Human First Coalition tells CNN that Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Connecticut Democrat, former New York Democratic Rep. Nita Lowey and national security adviser Jake Sullivan were also very helpful in securing Rauf's release." A Washington Post report is here.
Eric Tucker of the AP: "An American man kidnapped in Afghanistan two years ago is seen in a video pleading for his release so that he can be reunited with his family, according to a recording posted Friday by The New Yorker magazine. The video of Mark Frerichs marks the first time that the Navy veteran and civilian contractor has been seen by the public since his abduction in Kabul on Jan. 31, 2020. Frerichs, of Lombard, Illinois, is believed to be held by the Taliban-affiliated Haqqani network, and U.S. officials across two presidential administrations have tried unsuccessfully to get him home."
Felicia Sonmez & Mike DeBonis of the Washington Post: "The House on Friday passed legislation that would remove marijuana from the federal schedule of controlled substances, a move that comes as an increasing number of states have passed decriminalization laws.... The House passed similar legislation in December 2020, but it was not brought up for a vote in the Senate, which was controlled by Republicans at the time. Friday's 220-to-204 vote largely took place along partisan lines, with only three Republicans joining most Democrats to back the legislation. Two Democrats voted 'no.' It remains unclear whether the latest measure will receive a vote in the Senate. The White House has not yet issued a statement on whether President Biden supports the legislation.... The three Republicans voting 'yes' on Friday were Reps. Matt Gaetz (Fla.), Brian Mast (Fla.) and Tom McClintock (Calif.). The two Democrats voting 'no' were Reps. Henry Cuellar (Tex.) and Chris Pappas (N.H.)." ~~~
~~~ Marie: So an honest vote from Matt Gaetz, but not so from Madison "Key Bump" Cawthorn. And, no, I had no idea what a key bump was until Merriam-Webster picked up on Madison's false assertion. In fact, the term is so specialized -- a bump of powder cocaine (or other drug) off a key -- that Webster's doesn't recognize it yet. So Madison's greatest contribution to society might be popularizing a drug term. What an influencer!
Lock Him Up. Mary Jalonick of the AP: "... increasingly, lawmakers on the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 assault are pressing Attorney General Merrick Garland to investigate [Donald] Trump and his associates. They've been laying out possible crimes in at least one court filing and openly discussing others, all related to that day's violent attack by Trump supporters looking to disrupt Congress' formal certification of his reelection defeat. Here's a look at some of the suggested crimes floated by the House panel[.]" ~~~
~~~ Tierney Sneed of CNN: "After several recent developments in the January 6 investigations that put the Justice Department in the center of the political whirlwinds, Attorney General Merrick Garland said Friday that the only pressure his agency feels is to 'do the right thing' by following 'the facts and the law.'"
Ryan Reilly of NBC News: "An Alabama man who brought a truckload of weapons, ammunition, and Molotov cocktails near the U.S. Capitol building on Jan. 6 was sentenced to 46 months in prison on Friday. Lonnie Coffman, 72, who has been detained since his arrest nearly 15 months ago, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly. He pleaded guilty in November. Under a plea deal, 46 months was at the top of the agreed upon sentencing guideline range. Kollar-Kelly agreed with the probation office that 46 months was appropriate in Coffman's case. 'I don't think in all my years as a judge I've had such a collection of weapons,' Kollar-Kotelly said. 'He had like almost a small armory in his truck, ready to do battle.'" The Washington Post's report is here.
Spencer Hsu of the Washington Post: "A lawsuit by D.C. Attorney General Karl A. Racine (D) seeking to bankrupt groups and individuals it asserts are responsible for the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on Congress added more defendants Friday, following criminal charges filed against leaders of the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers. The original lawsuit filed Dec. 14 in federal court in Washington named the two groups as defendants and sought damages under the modern version of an 1871 law known as the Ku Klux Klan Act, which was enacted after the Civil War to safeguard government officials carrying out their duties and protect civil rights.... The new defendants include Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes, who was charged in January and who has pleaded not guilty to seditious conspiracy; and Matthew Greene, who in late December became the first Proud Boys member named in a lead criminal conspiracy case to plead guilty and cooperate with U.S. prosecutors."
"Iced Out." Zachary Cohen, et al., of CNN: "Just days before the US Capitol riot, White House officials started providing fewer details about ... Donald Trump's calls and visits, the person in charge of compiling those activities for the official record told the House select committee investigating January 6, 2021, according to two sources with knowledge of the probe. The committee interviewed Trump's presidential diarist roughly two weeks ago.... Other witnesses also have told the panel there was significantly less information being shared with those involved in White House record-keeping during the same time period, according to three sources.... One source described how White House record-keepers appeared to be 'iced out' in the days leading up to January 6. 'The last day that normal information was sent was the 4th,' said another source.... 'So, starting the 5th, the diarist didn't receive the annotated calls and notes. This was a dramatic departure. That is all out of the ordinary.'... ~~~
~~~ "The Presidential Records Act outlines that the office of the presidency has an obligation to adequately document activities of the president. But there is little to no enforcement mechanism to ensure the law is followed. While there are criminal consequences for the destruction of government records, there are none that penalize the failure to create them in the first place."
The Rip-off Artiste. Timothy Carney of the right-wing Washington Examiner: "When Donald Trump's handpicked White House photographer Shea Craighead asked him to write the foreword to her book of Trump-era White House photos, he had one thought: How can I make money off this? Trump's first idea, according to a New York Times story, was to take a cut from Craighead's royalties. In the end, the former president decided to simply beat her to market by publishing his own book of photos and pocketing millions in royalties himself.... . Donald Trump never looks out for the little guy, the working man, or even his own supporters.... Donald Trump is a conman and always has been a conman. Since 2015, he's just added tens of millions of new marks."
The Enabler. Alex Henderson of the National Memo: "... according to Daily Beast reporters Asawin Suebsaeng and Adam Rawnsley, one of Trump's worst enablers during his four years in the White House was far-right GOP activist and conspiracy theorist Ginni Thomas.... Ginni Thomas, Suebsaeng and Rawnsley emphasize in an article published by the Beast on April 1, encouraged ... [Trump's demand for absolute loyalty] and offered lists of people she recommended hiring or firing.... 'Years before she became one of then-President Donald Trump's most prominent coup supporters, Ginni Thomas was already notorious in his West Wing for, among other things, ruining staffers' afternoons by working Trump into fits of vengeful rage'''. Thomas ... had perfected a proven formula of enthralling and manipulating the president's emotions and mood.... On multiple occasions throughout the Trump era, Thomas would show up in the White House, sometimes for a private meeting or a luncheon with the president. She often came armed with written memos of who she and her allies believed Trump should hire for plum jobs -- and who she thought Trump should promptly purge -- that she distributed to Trump and other high-ranking government officials. The fire lists were particularly problematic, as they were frequently based on pure conjecture, rumor, or score-settling, where even steadfastly MAGA aides were targeted for being part of the 'Deep State'..." The Daily Beast story is firewalled.
John Koblin & Michael Grynbaum of the New York Times: "Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, is in advanced talks with MSNBC to join the network after she leaves the Biden administration, according to two people familiar with the negotiations. Ms. Psaki could leave the White House as soon as next month, one of the people said.... It's unusual for a White House press secretary to be linked to a news organization before formally leaving their government post.... During Ms. Psaki's regularly scheduled briefing..., she faced tough questions -- including from a potential future colleague -- about her possible new job after an Axios report.... Kristen Welker, NBC News's co-chief White House correspondent, pressed her repeatedly.... 'How is it ethical to have these conversations with media outlets while you continue to have a job standing behind that podium?' Ms. Welker asked.... The White House said in a statement: 'Jen is here and working hard every day on behalf of the president to get you the answers to the questions that you have, and that's where her focus is.'" Okay then. ~~~
~~~ Sara Fischer of Axios broke the news here.
Marie: I found it! I found it! Here's where to begin to look for your family records in the 1950 Census. ~~~
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Click to see larger image.
~~~ Philip Bump of the Washington Post: "On Friday, the Census Bureau released the individual records collected during the 1950 Census. (Bureau policy is to maintain the privacy of census documents for 72 years.) There has probably never been a census release in which so many living Americans can trace their own roots, given the size of the baby boom and the extended life expectancy that boomers enjoy.... America's first three baby-boom presidents -- Bill Clinton, George W. Bush andDonald Trump -- were all born within about two months of each other in mid-1946.... As you will see, [finding their records] is not as easy as it might seem." Neither Bush nor Trump appears in the records.
The Pandemic, Ctd.
Good News. Ben Finley & Kimberlee Kruesi of the AP: "COVID-19 hospitalization numbers have plunged to their lowest levels since the early days of the pandemic, offering a much needed break to health care workers and patients alike following the omicron surge. The number of patients hospitalized with the coronavirus has fallen more than 90% in more than two months, and some hospitals are going days without a single COVID-19 patient in the ICU for the first time since early 2020. The freed up beds are expected to help U.S. hospitals retain exhausted staff, treat non-COVID-19 patients more quickly and cut down on inflated costs. More family members can visit loved ones. And doctors hope to see a correction to the slide in pediatric visits, yearly checkups and cancer screenings."
Camilo Montoya-Galvez of CBS "News": "CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said she decided to terminate the order that authorized the border expulsions because of improving pandemic conditions, including increased vaccination rates in the U.S. and migrants' home countries and the drop in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations since the Omicron surge this winter.... Walensky said she delayed the termination until late May to give Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials time to implement coronavirus mitigation measures, including a migrant vaccination campaign launched earlier this week. Walensky's order on Friday marks the beginning of the end of an unprecedented Trump-era border policy started in March 2020 that the Biden administration continued for over a year, despite concerns about the validity of its public health justification. U.S. authorities along the Mexican border have used Title 42 to expel migrants over 1.7 million times in two years.... After Title 42 is terminated, DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said Friday, migrants who enter the U.S. illegally will be placed in deportation proceedings, and his department will strive to deport those who don't qualify for asylum using longstanding immigration laws." The Washington Post's report is here. ~~~
~~~ The Great Mancini. Alexander Bolton of the Hill: "Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) on Friday slammed President Biden's decision to rescind Title 42, a Trump-era health order used to rapidly deport people who cross the border without authorization, as 'a frightening decision' that would likely increase the volume of migrants at the southern border.... 'Title 42 has been an essential tool in combatting the spread of COVID-19 and controlling the influx of migrants at our southern border. We are already facing an unprecedented increase in migrants this year, and that will only get worse if the Administration ends the Title 42 policy,' Manchin warned." MB: Thank you for your support, Joe. Manchin's grandparents were all immigrants. (Manchin is an anglicization of the name Mancini (pronouned Man-chee-nee). But, you know, that was then; this is now.
Beyond the Beltway
Alaska Congressional Race. Jazmine Ulloa & Jeremy Peters of the New York Times: "Sarah Palin ... said Friday that she was entering the race for Alaska's lone congressional seat.... She will be joining a crowded field of nearly 40 candidates to fill the House seat left vacant by Representative Don Young, whose unexpected death last month has spurred one of the largest political shifts in the state in 50 years. Ms. Palin said in a statement that she planned to honor Mr. Young's legacy, while painting a dystopian picture of a nation in crisis and criticizing the 'radical left,' high gas prices, inflation and illegal immigration." The Guardian's story is here. MB: Those of you who think I was wrong to link this story will get no argument from me.
Florida/New York. Mafia Mystery. Jesse McKinley of the New York Times: "After decades in prison, and less than a year before his likely release, Dominic Taddeo apparently decided he couldn't wait to get out. Mr. Taddeo, a convicted hit man for the mafia in upstate New York, has seemingly restarted his criminal career after escaping custody in Florida, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Mr. Taddeo, 64, had been, until recently, an inmate at a medium-security correctional facility in Sumterville, Fla., about 50 miles northwest of downtown Orlando. But in mid-February, he was transferred to a residential halfway house nearby. And after a recent 'authorized appointment,' he did not return, according to the prison bureau, and was officially declared as having escaped on Monday.... 'Either there's something wrong upstairs, or something bad happened to him,' [Jerry Capeci, a Mafia reporter, said.]"
Georgia Senate Race. Walker Claimed He Was Graduated in the Top One Percent of His University Class. He Wasn't Graduated at All. Andrew Kaczynski & Em Steck of CNN: "For years, Herschel Walker has told the same inspiring story: that he graduated in the top 1% of his class at the University of Georgia. He's told the story, according to a review of his speeches by CNN's KFile, during motivational speeches over the years and as recently as 2017. The only problem: it's not true. Walker, who is a candidate in the Republican primary race for US Senate in Georgia, acknowledged in December that he did not graduate from Georgia after the Atlanta-Journal Constitution first reported that the false claim was listed on his campaign website.... 'So that Herschel that all the kids said was retarded become valedictorian of his class. Graduated University of Georgia in the top 1% of his class,' [Walker has said]." Walker also claimed to be his high school class's valedictorian. He was not. ~~~
~~~ Natalie Allison of Politico: "In the eight weeks running up to the May 24 primary, two super PACs supporting [Herschel] Walker's GOP rivals plan to drop millions of dollars in ads attacking Walker, according to people familiar with their spending plans -- ad buys that stand to alter the shape of a race that could decide control of the Senate. Walker is still expected to finish first in the primary. But his opponents intend to drive his support under 50 percent and force him into a June runoff, when the second-place finisher will be able to focus attention on what many Georgia Republicans contend is Walker's unique vulnerability to Democratic attack: his history of alleged domestic abuse. With one of the Senate's top fundraisers, Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock, looming in the fall, some Republicans fear Walker won't be able to survive the onslaught of Democratic attack ads."
We just can't think of enough ways to screw Black Americans, but we're trying. ~~~
~~~ Louisiana. Darryl Fears of the Washington Post: "The city of New Orleans built 67 ranch-style houses on a sprawling former garbage dump in the late 1970s without saying a word to the Black, mostly first-time home buyers who were encouraged to move there by city officials. Under the untreated soil where the new residents planted fruit trees, grew flower gardens and watched their children play in the dirt were 149 toxic contaminants, 49 of them linked to cancer, according to an analysis by the Environmental Protection Agency. The saga of 57 families living on the former Agriculture Street Landfill in the Gordon Plaza housing subdivision is considered by many to be one of the worst examples of environmental injustice in the United States.... And now, nearly three decades after residents finally learned they were living on deadly ground, government officials have refused their demand to be relocated from homes that lost their appeal and nearly all of their value."
Michigan. Mitch Smith of the New York Times: "Jurors [in the trial of four men who] ... had schemed to abduct Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan ... briefly began deliberations on Friday afternoon and were scheduled to resume those discussions on Monday.... Testimony during the trial, one of the highest-profile domestic terrorism prosecutions in recent memory, has provided a glimpse into increasingly brazen and violent discourse among some on the far right. But the case has also raised questions about when hateful political speech and gun possession cross a line from constitutionally protected acts to crimes."
We wanna thank Jeff Bezos, 'cause while he was up in space we was signing people up. -- Chris Smalls, union organizer ~~~
~~~ New York. Karen Weise & Noam Scheiber of the New York Times: "A handful of employees at Amazon's massive warehouse on Staten Island, operating without support from national labor organizations, took on one of the most powerful companies in the world. And, somehow, they won. Workers at the facility voted by a wide margin to form a union, according to results released on Friday, leading to one of the biggest victories for organized labor in a generation.... The win on Staten Island comes at a perilous moment for labor unions in the United States, which saw the portion of workers in unions drop last year to 10.3 percent, the lowest rate in decades, despite high demand for workers, pockets of successful labor activity and rising public approval.... The win by a little-known, independent union with few ties to existing groups appears to raise as many questions for the labor movement as it answers: not least, whether there is something fundamentally broken with the traditional bureaucratic union model that can only be solved by replacing it with grass-roots organizations like the one on Staten Island." The AP's story is here.
New York. Grace Ashford of the New York Times: "Former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo sued New York's ethics commission on Friday, contending that its efforts to force him to turn over the proceeds of a $5.1 million book deal were a violation of his constitutional rights. The dispute centers on the commission's approval of Mr. Cuomo's 2020 memoir -- a decision it reversed last year over what it said were misrepresentations of, among other things, his use of state resources. When the panel, the Joint Commission on Public Ethics, ordered Mr. Cuomo to turn over the book's proceeds, the state attorney general's office balked at enforcing the directive, saying the commission needed to conduct an investigation before seeking to recoup the money. In the lawsuit, filed in State Supreme Court in Albany, Mr. Cuomo is trying to block such an investigation, arguing that the commission's previous actions and what the suit characterizes as prejudicial comments demonstrated that it had already decided on his guilt."
New York. Benjamin Weiser of the New York Times: "A Manhattan judge on Friday denied Ghislaine Maxwell's request for a new trial, rejecting her claim that a juror's failure to disclose his personal history of being sexually abused as a child had deprived her of a fair and impartial jury. The decision by Judge Alison J. Nathan appears to clear the way for Ms. Maxwell to be sentenced on June 28. The ruling is also likely to be part of any appeal by Ms. Maxwell of her conviction. Ms. Maxwell, 60, was found guilty on Dec. 29 of sex trafficking and four other counts related to accusations she had helped the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein procure, groom and sexually abuse underage girls." A CNBC story is here.
Way Beyond
Elisabetta Povoledo & Ian Austen of the New York Times: "Pope Francis apologized on Friday for the Roman Catholic Church's involvement in a system of Canadian boarding schools that abused Indigenous children for 100 years, an announcement that comes after the discovery last year of signs of unmarked graves with the remains of hundreds of people, many of them children. 'I feel shame -- sorrow and shame -- for the role' that Catholics played 'in the abuses you suffered and in the lack of respect shown for your identity, your culture and even your spiritual values,' Francis said. Francis also promised he would travel to Canada, where he would be better able to 'express to you my closeness' as part of a process of healing and reconciliation."
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