March 13, 2022

Afternoon Update:

Edward Wong & Julian Barnes of the New York Times: "Russia asked China to give it military equipment and support for the war in Ukraine after ... Vladimir V. Putin began a full-scale invasion last month, according to U.S. officials. Russia has also asked China for additional economic assistance, to help counteract the battering its economy has taken from broad sanctions imposed by the United States and European and Asian nations, according to an official. American officials ... declined to discuss any reaction by China to the requests.... Jake Sullivan, the White House national security adviser, is scheduled to meet on Monday in Rome with Yang Jiechi, a member of the Chinese Communist Party's elite Politburo and director of the party's Central Foreign Affairs Commission. Mr. Sullivan intends to warn Mr. Yang about any future Chinese efforts to bolster Russia in its war or undercut Ukraine, the United States and their partners."

Michael Schwirtz of the New York Times: "Brent Renaud, an award-winning American filmmaker and journalist, was killed in Ukraine on Sunday while reporting in a suburb of the capital, Kyiv, according to Ukraine's Interior Ministry. Mr. Renaud, 50, had worked for a number of American news and media organizations in the past, including HBO, NBC and The New York Times. The Ukrainian authorities said he was killed in Irpin, a suburb that has been the site of intense shelling by Russian forces in recent days, but the details of his death were not immediately clear. Ukrainian officials said another journalist was wounded as well. At the time of his death Mr. Renaud was on assignment for Time Studios working on a 'project focused on the global refugee crisis,' according to a statement from Time executives." An AP story is here.

More Tucker, Please. David Corn of Mother Jones: "On March 3, as Russian military forces bombed Ukrainian cities as part of Vladimir Putin's illegal invasion of his neighbor, the Kremlin sent out talking points to state-friendly media outlets with a request: Use more Tucker Carlson. 'It is essential to use as much as possible fragments of broadcasts of the popular Fox News host Tucker Carlson, who sharply criticizes the actions of the United States [and] NATO, their negative role in unleashing the conflict in Ukraine, [and] the defiantly provocative behavior from the leadership of the Western countries and NATO towards the Russian Federation and towards President Putin, personally,' advises the 12-page document written in Russian. It sums up Carlson's position: 'Russia is only protecting its interests and security.'"

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Putin's War Crimes, Ctd.

In the name of God, let the cry of the suffering people be heard, and let the bombings and attacks stop. In the name of God, I ask you, stop this massacre. -- Pope Francis, St. Peter's Square, Sunday

The Washington Post's live updates Sunday on developments in Russia's war on Ukraine are here: "At least 35 people were killed and 134 injured early Sunday when a barrage of Russian missiles slammed into a military facility in Western Ukraine about 15 miles from the border with Poland, a NATO member. The Yavoriv military range near Lviv, also known as the International Peacekeeping and Security Center, has for years been used for exercises by NATO troops and Ukrainians, with Americans on-site as recently as February.... The airstrike came a day after the Kremlin warned that it viewed Western weapons shipments as 'legitimate targets,' heightening the possibility of a direct conflict with the West. A convoy of Russian military vehicles was still about nine to 12 miles from central Kyiv, and making limited progress because of Ukrainian resistance and mechanical issues...." ~~~

     ~~~ The New York Times' live updates Sunday are here: "The base outside Lviv that was attacked by Russian forces early on Sunday was a key link between Ukraine's armed forces and Western militaries before the war -- and has become an important logistics hub and training center for foreign fighters since Russia's invasion began. A Ukrainian military official said that up to 1,000 foreign fighters were training at the base -- the International Peacekeeping and Security Center, which is also known as the Yavoriv military complex -- as part of the new International Legion that Ukraine has formed to help fight Russia." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Sure looks as if Russia is asking for a hot war with NATO countries. ~~~

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

David Stern, et al., of the Washington Post: "Russian forces continued to grind their way toward Ukrainian cities on Saturday, making limited gains in their attempts to surround Kyiv and capturing a minor city in the country's south. Despite mounting losses and stiff resistance from Ukrainian forces, Russia showed no signs of letting up, and ... Vladimir Putin rejected direct appeals from French and German leaders to de-escalate attacks. The humanitarian crisis is deepening across the country, with convoys of food and medicine still unable to reach hundreds of thousands of civilians trapped behind Russian lines in the southern city of Mariupol. Polish officials warned that they are running out of capacity to care for the over 1.5 million refugees who have streamed across its borders."

The New York Times' live updates of developments in Russia's war on Ukraine Saturday are here: "As Russian forces intensified their campaign of devastation aimed at cities and towns across Ukraine, including in the capital, Kyiv..., Volodymyr Zelensky accused Moscow on Saturday of terrorizing the nation in an attempt to break the will of the people. 'A war of annihilation,' he called it. Russian forces have not achieved anything resembling a strategic military victory since the first days of the war more than two weeks ago, and have turned to attempts to flatten whole sections of cities. Ukraine's military said on Saturday that all attempts by Russian forces to advance on any front had been stopped and that the Ukrainian forces had inflicted 'heavy losses in manpower and equipment.'" (Also linked yesterday.)

Eric Schmitt of the New York Times: "The White House has approved an additional $200 million in arms and equipment for Ukraine, administration officials said on Saturday, responding to urgent requests from ... Volodymyr Zelensky for more aid to stave off the Russian invasion. The latest arms package, which officials say includes Javelin antitank missiles and Stinger antiaircraft missiles, follows a $350 million arms package that the Biden administration approved last month. Altogether, the administration has authorized $1.2 billion in weapons for Ukraine in the past year, officials said."

Claire Parker, et al., of the Washington Post: "The United States and allies have surged weapons to Ukraine in recent weeks in the face of the Russian invasion. Images of destroyed Russian tanks on social media have drawn attention to one particular weapon: the Javelin missile. The U.S. and other NATO countries sent more than 17,000 antitank weapons, including Javelin missiles, overland to Ukraine via Poland and Romania in the span of less than a week this month, the New York Times reported.... Weapons experts say the Javelin could prove particularly effective against Russian tanks.... Here's what to know about how they work and the role they could play."

<>Eaun McGovern of the Guardian: "Vladimir Putin did not show a willingness to end the war with Ukraine during a call on Saturday with French president Emmanuel Macron and German chancellor Olaf Scholz, a French presidency official said. Scholz and Macron called for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine during the 75-minute phone call with ... Vladimir Putin, a German government spokesman added. Their demand echoed a statement made by Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, earlier on Saturday, who said negotiations must begin with a suspension of hostilities."

Marc Santora of the New York Times: The mayor of Melitopol, "Ivan Fyodorov, as his name suggests, is an ethnic Russian in a southern Ukrainian city where Russian is commonly spoken and where ties to Russia run deep. On Friday evening, Mr. Fyodorov had a bag thrown over his head and was dragged from a government office building by armed Russian soldiers, according to Ukrainian officials.... Since Russian forces captured his city in the first days of the war, he had encouraged resistance, earning him the support of the public and the ire of the occupying army. On Saturday, hundreds of his townspeople poured out into the streets in an expression of outrage and defiance, despite the presence of troops on their streets. 'Return the mayor!' they shouted.... 'Free the mayor!' But nearly as soon as people gathered, the Russians moved to shut them down, arresting a woman who they said had organized the demonstration, according to two witnesses and the woman's Facebook account. The episode is part of what Ukrainian officials say is a pattern of intimidation and repression that is growing more brutal." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ There is an updated & expanded NYT story here. ~~~

     ~~~ Update. Times of Israel & Agencies: "Russia has installed a 'new mayor' in the Ukrainian city of Melitopol, after its elected mayor was kidnapped by Russian troops. The city, now under Russian control, is strategically located between Mariupol and Kherson. The Russians took it over quickly during the invasion, but there have been protests since.... The area's regional administration said a former member of the city council, Galina Danilchenko, is now the mayor. She was previously a member of the opposition on the council.... New York Times correspondent Neil MacFarquhar tweeted that Danilchenko was immediately denounced by regional officials as a 'traitor.'"

War Babies. Andrew Kramer & Maria Varenikova of the New York Times: "Down a dusty stairwell, hidden from the shelling that has become the grim background noise of Ukraine's capital..., there are 19 [babies], sleeping or cooing in neatly arranged cribs, fed regularly from tubs of baby formula.... The babies were born to surrogate mothers, with their biological parents still outside the country. Because of the war, the citizenship of the newborns is unclear, as is the question of who their legal guardians are, since under Ukrainian law their biological parents must be present to confirm their nationality. There is also the question of how, or if, they can possibly be taken to safety. Elsewhere, expectant surrogate mothers are trapped by the fighting. Couples abroad have no idea how they will pick up their babies.... Ukraine is one of relatively few countries that offer surrogacy services to foreigners."

Radio Free Europe: "The bodies of Russian soldiers killed in battle in Ukraine are filling up morgues in Belarus, local residents told RFE/RL. Russian soldiers killed in battle are being brought by truck to the morgues and then sent back to Russia by train or plane, residents said.... 'The number of bodies was unbelievably large. People at the Mozyr station were simply shocked by the number of bodies being put on the train,; a local resident in Mazyr told RFE/RL. The morgues in Homel and Naroulia are also filled up, according to local residents."

Cathy Free of the Washington Post: In "three days and only five hours of sleep ... two Harvard teens, Avi Schiffmann and Marco Burstein..., [developed and] launched Ukraine Take Shelter, a [Web]site in 12 languages where Ukrainian refugees fleeing war can immediately find hosts with spare rooms, unused resort condos, mother-in-law apartments and school dormitories.... 'What we've done is put out a super fast, stripped-down version of Airbnb,' he said. In the first week, more than 4,000 potential hosts around the world, including in the United States, have offered a place to stay through Ukraine Take Shelter, said Schiffmann, noting that the number of hosts grows each day."

Hanan Razek & Ilya Barabanov of BBC News: "Social media channels and private messaging groups are being used in Russia to recruit a new brigade of mercenaries to fight in Ukraine alongside the army, the BBC has learned. The BBC has spoken to a serving mercenary and a former fighter with close links to one of Russia's leading mercenary organisations, who have shared details of the recruitment campaign. The serving mercenary said many veterans of the secretive Wagner organisation were contacted on a private Telegram group a few weeks before the start of the war. They were invited to a 'picnic in Ukraine'.... The message appeals to 'those with criminal records, debts, banned from mercenary groups or without an external passport' to apply. The message also included that 'those from the Russian-occupied areas of Luhansk and Donetsk republics and Crimea - cordially invited'."

Marie: I have been listening to experts lamenting that there is no easy exit from Putin's horrific war on Ukraine. Some have suggested terrible outcomes. I despair, as would anyone. Now, finally, someone comes up with a low-cost, life-saving solution. In yesterday's comments thread, RAS wrote, "Maybe we can send Rudy and the pillow guy to Russia to convince Putin that he has actually already won the war. It was such a massive success and everyone was so impressed by how big and strong Russia is now." In Russia's closed-loop propaganda media world, where millions of people already believe there is no war, RAS's sensible solution could work!

Ginni Thomas' Husband Worried Politics Could Taint Supreme Court. Martin Pengelly of the Guardian: "The US supreme court could 'at some point' become 'compromised' by politics, said Clarence Thomas -- one of six conservatives on the nine-member court after Republicans denied Barack Obama a nomination then rammed three new justices through during the hard-right presidency of Donald Trump. 'You can cavalierly talk about packing or stacking the court,' said Thomas, whose wife, Ginni Thomas, has come under extensive scrutiny for work for rightwing groups including supporting Trump's attempts to overturn an election. '... At some point the institution is going to be compromised.' Thomas was speaking at a hotel in Salt Lake City on Friday."

Beyond the Beltway

Florida. Steve Bousquet of the Orlando Sun-Sentinel: "Elections police. Thought police. Censoring teachers. Banning books -- then cynically calling it parental involvement. Welcome to America's culture war capital. This is no longer the Florida where you chose to go to college, launch a new career or retire. The place is virtually unrecognizable. After riding Donald Trump's coattails to the Governor's Mansion, Ron DeSantis has built a national cult following, but it comes at a steep cost to the rest of us. The Sunshine State has become a very mean place and it could get meaner." Firewalled. ~~~

~~~ Marie: While the Republican-controlled state legislature was busy passing anti-social bills at Governor Ron's behest, they couldn't seem to find the time to get together on an essential bill that could save lives. ~~~

~~~ Jon Schuppe of NBC News: "In the nine months since 98 people died in the collapse of a Surfside, Florida, condominium, state lawmakers have pledged to pass measures that could help avoid a similar disaster. On Friday, they failed. Negotiations between the Florida Senate and House of Representatives, both controlled by Republicans, broke down, with the two sides unable to agree on a bill that would require inspections of aging condo buildings and mandate that condo boards conduct studies to determine how much they need to set aside for repairs. The talks were undone by a disagreement over how much flexibility to give condo owners in the funding of those reserves."

Ohio. Amanda Holpuch of the New York Times: "For decades, Isaiah Andrews has maintained his innocence in the 1974 murder of his wife, unaware that the key to his exoneration was buried in the archives of the Cleveland Division of Police. The Cleveland police's decision to withhold crucial information in the case resurfaced on Thursday, when an Ohio court determined that Mr. Andrews, now 84, had been wrongfully imprisoned for 45 years. Mr. Andrews, who is sick and uses a wheelchair, has been free since May 2020. He was later found not guilty at a second jury trial in October, but the court had to declare him wrongfully imprisoned so he could seek damages from the State of Ohio." (Also linked yesterday.)

South Carolina Congressional Race. Lexi Lonas of the Hill: "Republican Rep. Tom Rice (S.C.) slammed former President Trump in a statement on Saturday following the former president's rally in South Carolina, calling him 'a would-be tyrant.' At the rally, Trump said Rice is a 'disaster' and 'total fool' and criticized the congressman for voting to impeach him following the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. Rice was one of 10 GOP House members to vote for impeachment at the time. Rice's primary opponent, South Carolina state Rep. Russell Fry (R), who was endorsed by Trump last month, also spoke at the event. In a statement following the rally, Rice hit back at Trump, saying the former president was in South Carolina 'because, like no one else I've ever met, he is consumed by spite,' according to local CBS affiliate WBTW."

Way Beyond

Iraq. Qassim Abdul-Zahra of the AP: "As many as 12 missiles struck Iraq's northern city of Irbil on Sunday near the U.S. consulate, Iraqi security officials said. A U.S. defense official said missiles had been launched at the city from neighboring Iran. No injuries were reported. Officials in Iraq and the U.S. gave different accounts of the strike and the damage it caused.... [A] U.S. defense official said it was still not certain exactly how many missiles were fired and exactly where they landed."

Saudi Arabia. Reuters, via the Guardian: "Saudi Arabia has executed 81 men over the past 24 hours, including seven Yemenis and one Syrian national, on charges including terrorism and holding 'deviant beliefs', state news agency SPA said on Saturday. The number dwarfed the 67 executions reported in the kingdom in all of 2021 and the 27 in 2020. 'These individuals ... were convicted of various crimes including murdering innocent men, women and children,' SPA said, citing a statement from the interior ministry. 'Crimes committed by these individuals also include pledging allegiance to foreign terrorist organisations, such as Isis (Islamic State), al-Qaeda and the Houthis,' it added."

March 12, 2022

Late Morning Update:

The New York Times' live updates of developments in Russia's war on Ukraine Saturday are here: "As Russian forces intensified their campaign of devastation aimed at cities and towns across Ukraine, including in the capital, Kyiv, President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Moscow on Saturday of terrorizing the nation in an attempt to break the will of the people. 'A war of annihilation,' he called it. Russian forces have not achieved anything resembling a strategic military victory since the first days of the war more than two weeks ago, and have turned to attempts to flatten whole sections of cities. Ukraine's military said on Saturday that all attempts by Russian forces to advance on any front had been stopped and that the Ukrainian forces had inflicted 'heavy losses in manpower and equipment.'"

Marc Santora of the New York Times: The mayor of Melitopol, "Ivan Fyodorov, as his name suggests, is an ethnic Russian in a southern Ukrainian city where Russian is commonly spoken and where ties to Russia run deep. On Friday evening, Mr. Fyodorov had a bag thrown over his head and was dragged from a government office building by armed Russian soldiers, according to Ukrainian officials.... Since Russian forces captured his city in the first days of the war, he had encouraged resistance, earning him the support of the public and the ire of the occupying army. On Saturday, hundreds of his townspeople poured out into the streets in an expression of outrage and defiance, despite the presence of troops on their streets. 'Return the mayor!' they shouted.... 'Free the mayor!' But nearly as soon as people gathered, the Russians moved to shut them down, arresting a woman who they said had organized the demonstration, according to two witnesses and the woman's Facebook account. The episode is part of what Ukrainian officials say is a pattern of intimidation and repression that is growing more brutal."

Amanda Holpuch of the New York Times: "For decades, Isaiah Andrews has maintained his innocence in the 1974 murder of his wife, unaware that the key to his exoneration was buried in the archives of the Cleveland Division of Police. The Cleveland police's decision to withhold crucial information in the case resurfaced on Thursday, when an Ohio court determined that Mr. Andrews, now 84, had been wrongfully imprisoned for 45 years. Mr. Andrews, who is sick and uses a wheelchair, has been free since May 2020. He was later found not guilty at a second jury trial in October, but the court had to declare him wrongfully imprisoned so he could seek damages from the State of Ohio."

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Putin's War Crimes, Ctd.

The Washington Post's live updates of developments in Russia's war on Ukraine Saturday are here: "Ukrainians in cities across the country awoke Saturday to withering bombardment as Russian forces pummeled targets including Kyiv, the capital, and Mykolaiv, a port on Ukraine's strategically significant southern coast. A health official in Mykolaiv said a cancer hospital had been struck -- though no deaths were reported -- while residents in Kyiv reported loud explosions and air raid sirens piercing the night. Russian ground forces were around 15 miles from the center of Kyiv, while the cities of Kharkiv, Chernihiv, Mariupol and Sumy were encircled and suffering heavy shelling, according to an intelligence update from the British defense ministry Saturday." ~~~

     ~~~ The Guardian's live updates are here: "Sanctions against Russia could cause the International Space Station (ISS) to crash and lead to a 500-tonne structure to 'fall down into the sea or onto land', the head of Russian space agency, Roscosmos, said.... Publishing a map of the locations where the ISS could possibly come down, he said it was unlikely to be in Russia. But the populations of other countries, especially those led by the 'dogs of war', should think about the price of the sanctions against Roscosmos."

Yuras Karmanau of the AP: "Russian forces pounding the port city of Mariupol shelled a mosque sheltering more than 80 people, including children, the Ukrainian government said Saturday as fighting also raged on the outskirts of the capital, Kyiv."

The New York Times' live updates of developments in Russia's war on Ukraine Friday are here. (Also linked yesterday.)

Ana Swanson of the New York Times: "President Biden and other Western leaders moved on Friday to further isolate Russia from the global trading system, saying they would strip the country of normal trade relations and take other steps to sever its links to the world economy in response to ... Vladimir V. Putin's invasion of Ukraine. The measures, which were announced jointly with the European Union and other Group of 7 countries, would allow countries to impose higher tariffs on Russian goods and would prevent Russia from borrowing funds from multilateral institutions like the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank." ~~~

     ~~~ Morgan Chalfant of the Hill: "President Biden announced Friday that the United States and other allies would move to revoke the 'most favored nation' trade status for Russia in response to its military invasion of Ukraine. In remarks from the Roosevelt Room, Biden said the coordinated move would deal a 'another crushing blow to the Russian economy.' The move requires an act of Congress and Biden said Friday that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) had agreed to hold off on a bill ending normal trade relations with Russia until he could get U.S. allies behind a plan to do so together.&" (Also linked yesterday.) The New York Times report is here. ~~~

Birds, Bats & Bugs. Julian Borger, et al., of the Guardian: "Russia has accused Ukraine and the US at the UN security council of a plot to use migratory birds and bats to spread pathogens, raising alarm among other council members that the accusations could be intended to provide cover for future Russian use of biological weapons. The Russian permanent representative to the UN, Vasily Nebenzya, delivered a lengthy account of the alleged biological weapons plot, and said the birds, bats and insects supposedly intended to spread disease would cross Ukraine's western border.... The United Nations high representative for disarmament, Izumi Nakamitsu, said the UN was 'not aware of any biological weapons programmes' in Ukraine...."

Steven Erlanger of the New York Times: "Russian demands that a revised nuclear agreement with Iran shield it from sanctions imposed because of its war in Ukraine halted efforts to revive the deal on Friday, just as negotiators said they had all but finalized the agreement. The breakdown in talks delays any prospect of a deal, and risks scuttling it entirely, allowing Iran to move closer to the ability to build a nuclear bomb. More immediately, the lack of a deal also delays the resumption of Iran's ability to sell oil on the world market, which Western countries hoped would ease soaring energy prices."

Never Mind. Hugh Son of CNBC: "Deutsche Bank said Friday that it was winding down its operations in Russia, one day after its chief financial officer said it wasn't 'practical' to shutter the unit.... The move by Deutsche Bank, the biggest German bank by assets, follows announcements Thursday that rival investment banks Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase were winding down operations in Russia."

About That Mystery Yacht. Jason Horowitz of the New York Times: "American officials are examining the ownership of a $700 million superyacht currently in a dry dock at an Italian seacoast town, and believe it could be associated with ... Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, according to multiple people briefed on the information. United States intelligence agencies have made no final conclusions about the ownership of the superyacht — called the Scheherazade -- but American officials said they had found initial indications that it was linked to Mr. Putin. The information from the U.S. officials came after The New York Times reported on Tuesday that Italian authorities were looking into the 459-foot long vessel's ownership and that a former crew member said it was for the use of Mr. Putin."

Dana Milbank of the Washington Post thinks everybody should know about Rick Scott's official Senate Republican plan for your future pocketbook: the one with "a 10-year tax increase of more than $1 trillion on, in his own words, 'more than half of Americans,' to make sure every household pays taxes.... The Republican plan would raise taxes by $100 billion a year.... Almost all of it would be shouldered by households with income of $100,000 or less. Scott's plan would also sunset -- eliminate -- all federal legislation over five years, under the (risky) assumption that worthy laws would be reenacted. That could mean an end to Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid..., military retirement benefits, veterans programs, unemployment compensation, student loans, deposit insurance and more. Additionally, [it] would require U.S. businesses to shut down $600 billion a year in foreign trade and abandon countless billions in overseas investments....."

Shayna Jacobs of the Washington Post: "A New York judge has rejected a bid by Donald Trump to sue author and columnist E. Jean Carroll on the grounds that her defamation case against him in 2019 was baseless -- a ruling that accused the former president of causing repeated delays to keep a sensitive matter from moving closer to trial. Carroll's lawsuit has also been held up by the Justice Department's bid to intervene as counsel on Trump's behalf, an effort based on the argument that he was acting in his official capacity as a federal employee when he made comments disparaging Carroll." An AP report is here. The Guardian's story is here. MB: So happy our tax dollars are going toward defending Trump against a woman who claims he raped her.

News from Trump Grift, LLC, New Orleans Edition. Igor Derysh of Salon: "Donald Trump's PAC sent a fundraising email touting the construction of a new private jet, dubbed 'Trump Force One,' hours after Trump's plane was forced to make an emergency landing over the weekend, according to Insider. A plane carrying Trump made an unscheduled landing last Saturday, while the former president was returning from a Republican National Committee donor event in New Orleans to his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, according to Politico. The plane, which belongs to a donor who loaned it to Trump for the event, suffered engine failure 75 miles after taking off from New Orleans and had to turn back, according to the Washington Post. Trump ultimately returned home on the plane of another Republican donor.... Hours after the incident was reported, the Trump Save America PAC sent a fundraising email.... 'Do you want to see the new Trump Force One?' the email asked, with a link to a site that asks for monthly recurring donations of up to $2,500." Thanks to Patrick for the lead. ~~~

~~~ Josh Dawsey & Isaac Stanley-Becker of the Washington Post: "... Donald Trump's political group sent at least 15 emails in recent weeks offering small-dollar donors the chance to win a coveted prize if they gave money: dinner with Trump in New Orleans last Saturday.... [One] pitch promised a full suite of perks. 'We'll cover your flight. We'll cover your very nice hotel. We'll cover your dinner,' the email promised, along with a picture with Trump.... But no such winner was flown to New Orleans last weekend, according to four people familiar with the matter. No flight or 'very nice' hotel was booked. Trump had no individual meeting with a small-dollar donor...."

Josh Gerstein of Politico: "A federal jury has acquitted two men of all charges in an alleged scheme to use straw donors to funnel nearly $2 million to various political causes including Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential bid and GOP House candidates in 2018." MB: Mind you, these were not Hillary devotees; "The men shifted their donations and their focus to Republican causes after Clinton's defeat in the 2016 election, exceeding donation limits and using go-betweens...."

All is Not Well in Zuckerberg. Mike Isaac, et al., of the New York Times: "Meta, the parent company of Facebook, told employees on Friday that it was cutting back or eliminating free services like laundry and dry cleaning and was pushing back the dinner bell for a free meal from 6 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., according to seven company employees who spoke on the condition of anonymity. The new dinner time is an inconvenience because the last of the company's shuttles that take employees to and from their homes typically leaves the office at 6 p.m. It will also make it more difficult for workers to stock up on hefty to-go boxes of food and bring them to their refrigerators at home. The moves are a reflection of changing workplace culture in Silicon Valley. Tech companies, which often offer lifestyle perks in return for employees spending long hours in the office, are preparing to adjust to a new hybrid work model."

Beyond the Beltway

Florida. Sarah Whitten of CNBC: "Disney's CEO [Bob Chapek] said Friday the company is ceasing its political donations in Florida due to the state's so-called 'Don't Say Gay' bill, and he apologized for the company's previous silence on the issue.... Disney, which operates four theme parks and dozens of hotels in Orlando, Florida, was targeted by activists after it was discovered that the company provided financial support for some of the bill's backers in the state legislature." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: According to Whitten's report, Disney has donated about $300,000 over the past two years to backers of the bill. This, and the fact that Disney is pausing all political donations, suggests they routinely fund a bunch of dimwitted bigots, perhaps only dimwitted bigots.

Texas. Kate Zernicke & Adam Liptak of the New York Times: "The Texas Supreme Court on Friday effectively shut down a federal challenge to the state's novel and controversial ban on abortion after about six weeks of pregnancy, closing off what abortion rights advocates said was their last, narrow path to blocking the new law. The decision was the latest in a line of blows to the constitutional right to abortion that has prevailed for five decades.... It is the most restrictive abortion law in the nation, and flies in the face of the Supreme Court's landmark 1973 decision in Roe v. Wade...." An AP story is here.

Texas. David Goodman of the New York Times: "Investigations of parents with transgender children for possible child abuse were temporarily halted across Texas on Friday after a state court ruled that the policy, ordered last month by Gov. Greg Abbott, had been improperly adopted and violated the State Constitution. The injunction, issued by Judge Amy Clark Meachum in Travis County, stemmed from a legal challenge by the parents of a 16-year-old transgender girl.... In issuing the ruling, which came after a day of testimony, Judge Meachum said the governor's actions, and those of the agency, 'violate separation of powers by impermissibly encroaching into the legislative domain.' She said there was a 'substantial likelihood' that plaintiffs would prevail after a trial on the merits.... The court said [Abbott's order] could no longer be enforced pending a trial on the issue, set for July." A Texas Tribune story is here.

News Lede

New York Times: "Dr. Donald Pinkel, a pediatrician who, starting in the early 1960s, developed an aggressive treatment for childhood leukemia that transformed the disease from a virtual death sentence to one that almost every patient survives, died on Wednesday at his home in San Luis Obispo, Calif. He was 95."

March 11, 2022

Late Morning Update:

The New York Times' live updates in developments in Russia's war on Ukraine Friday are here.

Morgan Chalfant of the Hill: "President Biden announced Friday that the United States and other allies would move to revoke the 'most favored nation' trade status for Russia in response to its military invasion of Ukraine. In remarks from the Roosevelt Room, Biden said the coordinated move would deal a 'another crushing blow to the Russian economy.' The move requires an act of Congress and Biden said Friday that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) had agreed to hold off on a bill ending normal trade relations with Russia until he could get U.S. allies behind a plan to do so together." ~~~

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Putin's War Crimes, Ctd.

The Guardian's live updates of Friday's developments in Russia's war on Ukraine are here: "The UK government has urged British veterans not to travel to Ukraine to fight.... A total of 48 schools have been destroyed in Kharkiv, its mayor has said, as the city comes under relentless bombardment....The regional governor of Kharkiv has condemned today's attack on a psychiatric hospital, saying it was 'a war crime against civilians'.... Russian forces shelled residential areas of Kharkiv 89 times in one day, the local governor has said. Reuters reports that Oleh Synegubov also said there is no danger to civilians after an institute with a nuclear laboratory was hit. Vladimir Putin today approved bringing thousands of fighters from the Middle East to fight for Russia against Ukraine. At a meeting of Russia's Security Council, defence minister Sergei Shoigu said there were 16,000 volunteers in the Middle East who were ready to come to fight with Russian-backed forces in eastern Ukraine in the breakaway Donbass region.... Lithuania's president Gitanas Nausėda said there was a 'flavour of disappointment' to the decision by the EU leaders at a summit in Versailles not to offer Ukraine a fast track to EU candidate status in their response to Volodymyr Zelenskiy's request.... Russian forces have killed more Ukrainian civilians than soldiers, Ukraine's defence minister [Oleksii Reznikov] said today."

~~~ The Washington Post's live updates of Friday's developments in Russia's war on Ukraine are here: "The northern Ukrainian city [of Chernihiv] has been under intense bombardment, and the Pentagon said Thursday that Chernihiv, like Mariupol, appears to have been isolated by Russian troops. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a defiant address early Friday morning that he would keep up efforts to fight for the city.... The European Union has held off on quickly granting Kyiv membership. European leaders said late Thursday that they had asked the E.U.'s executive arm to review Ukraine's application, but that the bloc would also immediately 'further strengthen our bonds and deepen our partnership to support Ukraine in pursuing its European path.'"

Martin Farrer & Luke Harding of the Guardian: "Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, has accused Russia of being a 'terrorist state' after its tanks prevented a delivery of food, water and medicine to the besieged city of Mariupol, and said Moscow was capable of chemical weapon attacks. As Russian forces appeared to be regrouping in order to encircle Kyiv and the US planned to ratchet up the economic pressure on Vladimir Putin, Zelenskiy tried to rally Ukrainians with another video address late on Thursday condemning Moscow's relentless assault on cities.... More than 400,000 people remain trapped in Mariupol, which is surrounded by Russian forces, and basic supplies are running out.... Mariupol's mayor, Vadym Boichenko, said Russia was targeting residential areas 'every 30 minutes'.... Attacks appeared to be intensifying in western Ukraine with air-raid sirens heard in Lviv, explosions reported in Lutsk, and bombing in Ivano-Frankivsk. Dnipro, a major stronghold in central-eastern Ukraine, suffered air strikes on Friday morning...."

Hannah Knowles of the Washington Post: "More than 40 Republican U.S. senators on Thursday called for President Biden ' to Ukraine after officials quashed Poland's offer to send fighter jets with American help. The senators said in a letter that they 'strongly disagree' with the Biden administration's stance on Poland's proposal, and that the Ukrainian military is in 'dire need of more lethal aid' as it fights Russia's invasion. They urged the president to work with NATO allies on providing those resources -- uniting behind a step that U.S. officials worry could pull the Western alliance into war. American officials have criticized Poland's proposal to transfer MiG-29 jets through the United States as risking escalation without significantly changing the situation in Ukraine, given that Ukraine's air force is largely intact." ~~~

~~~ Why, That's Odd, Because.... Felicia Sonmez & Mariana Alfaro of the Washington Post: "Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-N.C.) recently called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky a 'thug' and said the Ukrainian government is 'incredibly evil,' in remarks that are at odds with the broad bipartisan support for Ukraine among American lawmakers and the public amid Russia's invasion. 'Remember that Zelensky is a thug. Remember that the Ukrainian government is incredibly corrupt, and it is incredibly evil, and it has been pushing woke ideologies,' Cawthorn told supporters at a recent event in North Carolina, according to video published Thursday by Raleigh-based TV station WRAL." The Hill's story is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Steve M. points out that Cawthorn gets some of his information about "evil" Ukrainians from an American white nationalist who has repeatedly warred of "white genocide."

Paul Krugman of the New York Times: "For the most part..., America's [right-wing] Putin lovers are having a moment of truth.... The problem is that the strongman they admired ... is turning out to be remarkably weak. And that's not an accident. Russia is facing disaster precisely because it is ruled by a man who accepts no criticism and brooks no dissent.... Some of this dictator-love reflected the belief that Putin was a champion of antiwokeness.... Some of it reflected a creepy fascination with Putin's alleged masculinity.... Finally, many on the right simply like the idea of authoritarian rule.... While you might imagine that there are big advantages to rule by a strongman..., these advantages are more than offset by the absence of free discussion and independent thought. Nobody can tell the strongman that he's wrong or urge him to think twice before making a disastrous decision."

Aaron Blake of the Washington Post: Donald Trump Junior says Donald Trump Senior was only praising Putin to "play" Putin." As Blake points out, Senior has been "playing" strongman-style leaders for a really long time.

Anton Troianovski of the New York Times: "Besieged by an onslaught of sanctions that have largely undone 30 years of economic integration with the West in the space of two weeks..., Vladimir V. Putin on Thursday opened the door to nationalizing the assets of Western companies pulling out of Russia.... With the ruble having lost nearly half its value in the last month, prices of basic goods have risen sharply, causing panic buying at supermarkets. The central bank, which has kept the Moscow stock exchange closed since the war began, has introduced new capital controls, preventing companies from withdrawing more than $5,000 in cash for the next six months.... Of particular concern are Western companies that once symbolized post-Soviet Russia's integration into the world economy, like McDonald's and Ikea, that have now shuttered hundreds of stores and factories. Mr. Putin told officials in the televised meeting that the assets of such companies should be put under 'external management' and then transferred 'to those who want to work.'" ~~~\

     ~~~ Marie: This sounds a lot like "communism," doesn't it? Turning Big Mak patties into beet burgers should come as no surprise to Russian consumers.

Edward Wong of the New York Times: "One of Russia's most incendiary disinformation campaigns ramped up days ago, when its defense and foreign ministries issued statements falsely claiming that the Pentagon was financing biological weapons labs in Ukraine. Then Chinese diplomats and state media organizations repeated the conspiracy theory at news conferences in Beijing, in articles and on official social media accounts. Now, the Biden White House has taken the extraordinary step of calling out both countries on their coordinated propaganda campaign and saying they might be providing cover for a potential biological or chemical weapons attack on Ukrainians by the Russian military."

The New York Times' live updates of Thursday's developments in Russia's war on Ukraine are here: "Russian forces were making slow, bitterly-fought advances in Ukraine on Thursday as high-level talks failed to yield progress on ending the war or even a temporary cease-fire. Russian troops were laying siege to Chernihiv, near the Belarus border, where the mayor reported that the city was running out of burial space as the death toll rises. Although Russia has failed to capture major cities in the past week, its forces have gradually pushed forward into smaller population centers. Outside of Kyiv, Russian forces gained control of the town of Bucha and moved southwest in an attempt to encircle the capital. They were also approaching Kyiv from the east, with heavy fighting involving a line of Russian tanks reported in the suburb of Brovary, according to videos posted on Thursday." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Alex Gangitano of the Hill: "President Biden issued a warning to his party about the possibility of Republicans taking control of Congress in the upcoming midterm elections during remarks to Democratic National Committee members on Thursday evening.... 'I believe we have a record to be incredibly proud of ... a message that resonates: Build a better America. Now we have to do the work,' Biden said."

A Very Trumpy Census. Maria Cramer of the New York Times: "The 2020 census undercounted the country's population by 18.8 million people, the Census Bureau said on Thursday, acknowledging that the count had underrepresented Black, Latino and Indigenous residents. At the same time, the census overcounted the number of white and Asian residents, the bureau said.... The 2020 census faced a series of challenges. The coronavirus pandemic shut down much of the count just as it was beginning in April 2020, forcing the bureau to extend its work by nearly two months. Later in the year, wildfires in the West and coastal hurricanes upended the bureau's work just as door-knockers were fanning out to survey millions of households that had not filled out their forms." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) An NPR story is here.

Neil Vigdor & Christine Hauser of the New York Times: "... the Interior Department, led by Deb Haaland, the first Native American cabinet secretary, is taking steps to strip the word ['squaw,' which is derogatory,] from mountains, rivers, lakes and other geographic sites and has solicited input from tribes on new names for the landmarks. A task force created by the department will submit the new names for final approval from the Board on Geographic Names, the federal body that standardizes American place names. The National Park Service was ordered to take similar steps.... Several states have passed laws mandating the erasure of the slur from nonfederal sites." MB: By contrast, Donald Trump turned the given name "Pocahontas" into a slur, too. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Emily Cochrane of the New York Times: "Congress cleared the first major federal spending legislation of President Biden's administration on Thursday, approving a $1.5 trillion measure with substantial increases for domestic and national security programs, along with $13.6 billion in emergency aid for Ukraine as it battles Russia's invasion. The Senate approved the more than 2,700-page measure by a vote of 68 to 31 less than two days after it was finalized and pushed through the House, a rapid timetable that reflected strong bipartisan support for assisting Ukraine and a sense of urgency to avert a government shutdown within days. The bill, which funds the government through September, includes generous spending on domestic programs long prioritized by Democrats and military investments championed by Republicans. Mr. Biden was expected to quickly sign the measure, which marked the first time since he took office and Democrats won unified control of Congress that they have been able to enact a spending bill that reflects their priorities, including investing in climate resilience, public assistance programs and unlocking aid for projects contained in the $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure law."

Luke Broadwater of the New York Times: "Michael T. Flynn, a former national security adviser who was one of the most extreme voices in ... Donald J. Trump's push to overturn the election, repeatedly cited the Fifth Amendment before the [January 6] committee because, his lawyer said, he believes the panel is exploring criminal referrals against Mr. Trump and his allies."

But He Loves Turtles! Michael Levenson of the New York Times: "A New York man was arrested on Wednesday and charged with shoving a Capitol Police officer over a ledge on Jan. 6, 2021, when a mob of Trump supporters disrupted Congress as it was certifying the 2020 election results, prosecutors said. The F.B.I. said that it had identified the man, Ralph Joseph Celentano III of Broad Channel, Queens, from a photo on Facebook and Instagram that showed him attending a fund-raiser for a sea turtle foundation in March 2018. Body-camera videos from the Metropolitan Police Department of Washington showed Mr. Celentano engaging in several other 'physical altercations' with officers on the grounds of the Capitol, court papers said." MB: Actually, I'm not sure about the guy's concern for turtles; he went to the fundraiser with a sometimes-girlfriend.

Kyle Cheney & Josh Gerstein of Politico: "A federal judge delivered a warning to special counsel John Durham on Thursday after recent court filings became fodder for pro-Trump media and prompted incendiary allegations from the former president himself. 'Keep in mind that the pleadings in this case are under a microscope and may be employed for one reason or another by folks for reasons that have nothing to do with the ultimate issues in this case,' U.S. District Court Judge Christopher Cooper said after offering the attorneys working for Durham a chance to correct any 'misinterpretation' of their earlier filings. They declined. Cooper's admonishment came in the case of Michael Sussmann, a cybersecurity lawyer with Democratic Party ties whom Durham has charged with making false statements to the FBI."

James Wagner of the New York Times: "An agreement reached Thursday by Major League Baseball's club owners and its players' union after months of heated negotiations will allow for a full season, with opening day scheduled for April 7. The five-year collective bargaining agreement will increase pay for young players and better incentivize teams to compete, among other provisions."

The Pandemic, Ctd.

The New York Times' live updates of Covid-19 developments Friday are here: "The World Health Organization, often criticized for being too slow to declare in 2020 that a pandemic was underway, now says -- two years to the day after making that declaration -- that many countries are being too quick to declare it over and let down their guard."

Meep, Meep! Ellie Silverman, et al., of the Washington Post: "A group of truckers and others opposed to pandemic-related mandates looped the Capital Beltway for a fourth day Thursday, this time with Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.), who rode shotgun in the lead truck. Cruz visited the 'People's Convoy' at the Hagerstown Speedway, telling crowds their voice was being heard. He then boarded a truck and detoured just pass noon to head into Washington, where he and convoy organizers called for an end to such mandates."

The New York Times' live updates of Covid-19 developments Thursday are here: "The Transportation Security Administration will extend its mask mandate for airplanes and other public transportation..., as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention works with federal agencies to revise mask policies, the two agencies announced on Thursday. The requirement will extend at least through April 18 at C.D.C.'s recommendations, and will apply to public transportation and transportation hubs. Under the T.S.A.'s rule, passengers on airplanes buses and trains and people in airports, stations and transit hubs must wear masks." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Beyond the Beltway

Florida. Caroline Vakil of the Hill: "Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) on Thursday brushed off criticism from Disney CEO Bob Chapek over state legislation that would restrict discussions on LGBTQ topics in schools, calling the company 'woke.'... The Florida Republican signaled again he is likely to support the legislation, telling people 'the chance that I am going to back down from my commitment to students and back down from my commitment to parents rights simply because of fraudulent media narratives or pressure from woke corporations, the chances of that are zero.'"; MB: Oooh, Ron, you're so tough.

Illinois. Julia Jacobs & Robert Chiarito of the New York Times: "A judge in Chicago sentenced Jussie Smollett to five months in jail on Thursday, ordering that the actor be incarcerated for falsely reporting to the police that he had been the victim of a racist and homophobic attack in 2019.... Judge James B. Linn excoriated Mr. Smollett from the bench.... His lawyers immediately said they planned to appeal." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Judge Linn said Smollett had faked a hate crime "... for one reason: You wanted to make yourself more famous." It worked. I never heard of Smollett until the initial report of the false claim arose; now I know his name. ~~~

     ~~~ CBS News Chicago: "Judge James Linn sentenced [Jussie] Smollett to 30 months' probation, and said he will be required to spend the first 150 days in jail, beginning immediately. He also ordered Smollett to pay $120,106 in restitution to the city and fined him $25,000."

South Dakota. Stephen Groves of the AP: "South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem's cabinet secretary who oversaw an investigation into the state's attorney general for a 2020 fatal car crash on Wednesday urged House lawmakers to bring impeachment charges against him, alleging in a letter that the attorney general was distracted, was untruthful during the investigation and previously traded 'disparaging and offensive' text messages with his staff about other state officials. Secretary of Public Safety Craig Price released the letter sent to House lawmakers Wednesday, stating that the investigation led him to conclude Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg is 'unfit to hold the position as the chief law enforcement officer' of the state.... Price's letter did not divulge details about the messages besides one -- sent to Ravnsborg from a political consultant -- that stated, 'Well, at least the guy was a Democrat' two days after the crash."

News Lede

New York Times: "Sally Schmitt, who with her husband, Don, opened the French Laundry, the now famous restaurant in the Napa Valley of California, in 1978, and in doing so helped solidify the valley as a food-and-wine destination and start a culinary movement built on seasonal local ingredients, died on Saturday at her home in Philo, Calif. She was 90."