CNBC: “The U.S. economy added far more jobs than expected in September, pointing to a vital employment picture as the unemployment rate edged lower, the Labor Department reported Friday. Nonfarm payrolls surged by 254,000 for the month, up from a revised 159,000 in August and better than the 150,000 Dow Jones consensus forecast. The unemployment rate fell to 4.1%, down 0.1 percentage point.”
To keep the Conversation going, please help me by linking news articles, opinion pieces and other political content in today's Comments section.
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Public Service Announcement
Washington Post: "Americans can again order free rapid coronavirus tests by mail, the Biden administration announced Thursday. People can request four free at-home tests per household through covidtests.gov. They will begin shipping Monday. The move comes ahead of an expected winter wave of coronavirus cases. The September revival of the free testing program is in line with the Biden administration’s strategy to respond to the coronavirus as part of a broader public health campaign to protect Americans from respiratory viruses, including influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), that surge every fall and winter. But free tests were not mailed during the summer wave, which wastewater surveillance data shows is now receding."
Washington Post: “Comedy news outlet the Onion —reinvigorated by new ownership over this year — is bringing back its once-popular video parodies of cable news. But this time, there’s someone with real news anchor experience in the chair. When the first episodes appear online Monday, former WAMU and MSNBC host Joshua Johnson will be the face of the resurrected 'Onion News Network.' Playing an ONN anchor character named Dwight Richmond, Johnson says he’s bringing a real anchor’s sense of clarity — and self-importance — to the job. 'If ONN is anything, it’s a news organization that is so unaware of its own ridiculousness that it has the confidence of a serial killer,' says Johnson, 44.” ~~~
~~~ Marie: I'll be darned if I can figured out how to watch ONN. If anybody knows, do tell. Thanks.
Washington Post: “First came the surprising discovery that Earth’s atmosphere is leaking. But for roughly 60 years, the reason remained a mystery. Since the late 1960s, satellites over the poles detected an extremely fast flow of particles escaping into space — at speeds of 20 kilometers per second. Scientists suspected that gravity and the magnetic field alone could not fully explain the stream. There had to be another source creating this leaky faucet. It turns out the mysterious force is a previously undiscovered global electric field, a recent study found. The field is only about the strength of a watch battery — but it’s enough to thrust lighter ions from our atmosphere into space. It’s also generated unlike other electric fields on Earth. This newly discovered aspect of our planet provides clues about the evolution of our atmosphere, perhaps explaining why Earth is habitable. The electric field is 'an agent of chaos,' said Glyn Collinson, a NASA rocket scientist and lead author of the study. 'It undoes gravity.... Without it, Earth would be very different.'”
New York Times: “Hvaldimir, a beluga whale who had captured the public’s imagination since 2019 after he was spotted wearing a harness seemingly designed for a camera, was found dead on Saturday in Norway, according to a nonprofit that worked to protect the whale.... [Hvaldimir] was wearing a harness that identified it as “equipment” from St. Petersburg. There also appeared to be a camera mount. Some wondered if the whale was on a Russian reconnaissance mission. Russia has never claimed ownership of the whale. If Hvaldimir was a spy, he was an exceptionally friendly one. The whale showed signs of domestication, and was comfortable around people. He remained in busier waters than are typical for belugas....” ~~~
~~~ Marie: Oh, Lord, do not let Bobby Kennedy, Jr., near that carcass. ~~~
~~~ AP Update: “There’s no evidence that a well-known beluga whale that lived off Norway’s coast and whose harness ignited speculation it was a Russian spy was shot to death last month as claimed by animal rights groups, Norwegian police said Monday.... Police said that the Norwegian Veterinary Institute conducted a preliminary autopsy on the animal, which was become known as 'Hvaldimir,' combining the Norwegian word for whale — hval — and the first name of Russian President Vladimir Putin. 'There are no findings from the autopsy that indicate that Hvaldimir has been shot,' police said in a statement.”
New York Times: Botswana's “President Mokgweetsi Masisi grinned as he lifted the diamond, a 2,492-carat stone that is the biggest diamond unearthed in more than a century and the second-largest ever found, according to the Vancouver-based mining operator Lucara, which owns the mine where it was found. This exceptional discovery could bring back the luster of the natural diamond mining industry, mining companies and experts say. The diamond was discovered in the same relatively small mine in northeastern Botswana that has produced several of the largest such stones in living memory. Such gemstones typically surface as a result of volcanic activity.... The diamond will likely sell in the range of tens of millions of dollars....”
Click on photo to enlarge.
~~~ Guardian: "On a distant reef 16,000km from Paris, surfer Gabriel Medina has given Olympic viewers one of the most memorable images of the Games yet, with an airborne celebration so well poised it looked too good to be true. The Brazilian took off a thundering wave at Teahupo’o in Tahiti on Monday, emerging from a barrelling section before soaring into the air and appearing to settle on a Pacific cloud, pointing to the sky with biblical serenity, his movements mirrored precisely by his surfboard. The shot was taken by Agence France-Presse photographer Jérôme Brouillet, who said “the conditions were perfect, the waves were taller than we expected”. He took the photo while aboard a boat nearby, capturing the surreal image with such accuracy that at first some suspected Photoshop or AI."
Washington Post: “'Mary Cassatt at Work' is a large and mostly satisfying exhibition devoted to the career of the great American artist beloved for her sensitive and often sentimental views of family life. The 'at work' in the title of the Philadelphia Museum of Art show references the curators’ interest in Cassatt’s pioneering effort to establish herself as a professional artist within a male-dominated field. Throughout the show, which includes some 130 paintings, pastels, prints and drawings, the wall text and the art on view stresses Cassatt’s fixation on art as a career rather than a pastime.... Mary Cassatt at Work is on view at the Philadelphia Museum of Art through Sept. 8. philamuseum.org”
New York Times: “Bob Newhart, who died on Thursday at the age of 94, has been such a beloved giant of popular culture for so long that it’s easy to forget how unlikely it was that he became one of the founding fathers of stand-up comedy. Before basically inventing the hit stand-up special, with the 1960 Grammy-winning album 'The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart' — that doesn’t even count his pay-per-view event broadcast on Canadian television that some cite as the first filmed special — he was a soft-spoken accountant who had never done a set in a nightclub. That he made a classic with so little preparation is one of the great miracles in the history of comedy.... Bob Newhart holds up. In fact, it’s hard to think of a stand-up from that era who is a better argument against the commonplace idea that comedy does not age well.”
Ashley Parker & Josh Dawsey of the Washington Post examine how important Fox "News" was to setting Donald Trump's policy priorities. Not only were Fox "News" personalities acting as advisors to Trump -- a relationship they did not reveal to their audience -- but Trump would make some decisions based on what their guests said.
The New York Times' live updates of Covid-19 developments Sunday are here.
Virginia. Gregory Schneider of the Washington Post: "Over three tumultuous years, [Gov. Ralph] Northam recovered from the scandal [of appearing in blackface in his medical school yearbook] to become what Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) [-- a former Virginia governor himself --] calls the most consequential Virginia governor of the modern era. Northam led a Democratic majority in the General Assembly to abolish the death penalty, expand access to the vote, legalize marijuana and pass a long list of other changes, large and small.
Georgia. Michael Levenson of the New York Times: "The owner of a Georgia auto-repair shop who dumped 91,500 oil-covered pennies in a former employee's driveway was not just creating a sticky mess..., the U.S. Department of Labor said. He was also retaliating against the former employee for having complained to the department that he had not received his final paycheck, the agency said in a lawsuit that accuses the shop owner of violating federal labor law. The lawsuit represents the latest turn in an employment dispute that gained nationwide attention last year after the former employee's girlfriend posted a video of the oily pennies on Instagram, attracting the sympathies of thousands of people who said they, too, had contended with difficult bosses.... 'By law, worker engagement with the U.S. Department of Labor is protected activity,' Steven Salazar, district director of the department's wage and hour division in Atlanta, said in a statement. 'Workers are entitled to receive information about their rights in the workplace and obtain the wages they earned without fear of harassment or intimidation.'"
~~~~~~~~~~
David Sanger & Eric Schmitt of the New York Times: "The Biden administration and its allies are assembling a punishing set of financial, technology and military sanctions against Russia that they say would go into effect within hours of an invasion of Ukraine, hoping to make clear to President Vladimir V. Putin the high cost he would pay if he sends troops across the border. In interviews, officials described details of those plans for the first time, just ahead of a series of diplomatic negotiations to defuse the crisis with Moscow, one of the most perilous moments in Europe since the end of the Cold War. The talks begin on Monday in Geneva and then move across Europe." ~~~
~~~ Marie: Yesterday, I inadvertently misrepresented Whyte O.'s skepticism about U.S. intervention in other nations' affairs. What Whyte most objects to intervention based on fear of "the other" and, worse, at the behest of U.S. capitalists; for instance, on behalf of United Fruit in Central America.
Maureen Dowd of the New York Timesreflects on the "topsy-turvy" nature of Thursday's commemorations of the Capitol insurrection: Democrats greeted Darth VaderDick Cheney "warmly," while supposed "law & order" Republican members of Congress "deserted the Capitol en masse on a day of appreciation for the bravery of the police, dead and alive, who risked their lives holding back the horde...." Meanwhile, a former "Dancing with the Stars" contestant was shaming a U.S. Senator for accurately describing the coup attempt as a "terrorist attack." But there was some encouraging news, MoDo concluded: "At least Joe Biden finally seemed to recognize that the old days are gone and that the Republicans are not going to be working with him. MB: And there's even more encouraging news: even MoDo, sister of Kevin, realizes "Trump's coup attempt is in its second stage."
Hugo Lowell of the Guardian: "The House select committee investigating the Capitol attack is examining whether Donald Trumpoversaw a criminal conspiracy on 6 January that connected the White House's scheme to stop Joe Biden's certification with the insurrection, say two senior sources familiar with the matter. The committee's new focus on the potential for a conspiracy marks an aggressive escalation in its inquiry as it confronts evidence that suggests the former president potentially engaged in criminal conduct egregious enough to warrant a referral to the justice department. House investigators are interested in whether Trump oversaw a criminal conspiracy after communications turned over by Trump's former chief of staff Mark Meadows and others suggested the White House coordinated efforts to stop Biden's certification, the sources said." MB: This is different from bringing a possible obstruction or dereliction of duty charge for failure to try to stop the mob violence. (Also linked yesterday.)
Zolan Kanno-Youngs & Carl Hulse of the New York Times: "President Biden and former President Barack ObamahonoredHarry M. Reid on Saturday as a loyal son of Nevada who rose to become a plain-spoken but pivotal leader in the Senate, where he steered landmark Democratic legislation while tolerating little vanity or praise. 'Harry cared so much about his fellow Americans and so little what anyone felt of him,' Mr. Biden said at a memorial service for Mr. Reid, who died late last month at 82, at the Smith Center for the Performing Arts in Las Vegas. 'He was all Searchlight and no spotlight,' the president added, referring to the mining outpost in Nevada where Mr. Reid grew up.... The memorial service also included testimonials from other prominent Democrats, including Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the majority leader, a sign of Mr. Reid's influence on his party. Vice President Kamala Harris and Doug Emhoff, the second gentleman, as well as Jill Biden, the first lady, were also seated in the audience."
Marie: Following well-established Republican tradition, Mike Pompeo lies about everything. According to experts consulted by the Kansas City Star Mike's most recent whopped was his claim that he lost 90 pounds in six months simply by improving his diet & working out at home for half-an-hour five or six days a week. The experts' "Their response? Absolutely not, almost certainly not, and hahaha." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
The Pandemic, Ctd.
The New York Times' live updates of Covid-19 developments Saturday are here. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
Beyond the Beltway
A Florida Man.... AP: "Authorities said they found homemade explosives, including hand-style grenades and a pipe explosive, along with nails and duct tape while searching the home of a Florida man arrested after he was spotted running away from a Jan. 6 anniversary rally. Pinellas County [Clearwater, St. Pete] Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said Garrett Smith, 22, was near a political assembly supporting a jailed Oath Keeper who is charged with participating in the Capitol riot last year. When they searched his backpack, they found a pipe-style explosive device and a checklist detailing items to bring including armor, helmet, shaded goggles, a gas mask, duct tape and flammable rags. Deputies said they also found a helmet with a logo on it that had been seen at other protests in cities such as Portland, where Smith had spent time."
Iowa. Freedom Fear of the Press. Kim Bellware of the Washington Post: "Republican leaders in the state Senate told journalists last week they will no longer be allowed to work on the chamber floor, a change that breaks with a more than 140-year tradition in the Iowa Capitol. The move raised concerns among free press and freedom of information advocates who said it is a blow to transparency and open government that makes it harder for the public to understand, let alone scrutinize, elected officials. The new rule denies reporters access to the press benches near senators' desks, a proximity current and former statehouse reporters told The Washington Post is crucial for the most accurate and nuanced coverage. The position allows reporters to see and hear everything clearly on the Senate floor and to get real-time answers and clarifications during debates. Beginning this session, reporters will be seated in a public upper-level gallery."
New Hampshire. Dan Balz of the Washington PostinterviewsBill Gardner, New Hampshire's nominally Democratic secretary of state, who is retiring after 45 years on the job. Gardner is at least partially responsible for New Hampshire's retaining its status as "first in the nation" to hold presidential primary elections.
New York. Troy Closson of the New York Times: "An Asian immigrant in New York died last week after he was left in a coma by a brutal assault in April that the police said was a hate crime, officials said. The man, Yao Pan Ma, was pushing a grocery cart full of bottles and cans that he had collected on April 23 when he was ... attacked in East Harlem. He fell onto the sidewalk, was kicked in the head and stomped on several times, the police said. Mr. Ma, 61, was placed on a ventilator and remained hospitalized since the assault occurred.... The man arrested in the attack, Jarrod Powell, 49, was charged with attempted murder and two counts of assault as a hate crime at the time. The Manhattan district attorney's office said on Saturday that upgraded murder charges were expected to be filed."
South Dakota Senate Race. Jonathan Martin of the New York Times: "Senator John Thune of South Dakota, the second-ranking Senate Republican, announced on Saturday that he would seek re-election, after an aggressive lobbying campaign by colleagues prompted him to put aside concerns about the future of his party and pursue a fourth term.... The South Dakotan, who turned 61 on Friday, had recently told associates that he was considering retirement, complaining about the strain of congressional service and privately expressing concern about ... Donald J. Trump's continuing grip on the Republican Party. But by seeking re-election in a heavily conservative state, Mr. Thune is well positioned to win again and potentially succeed Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the minority leader, as the chamber's top Republican." A CNN story is here. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
Washington State. Austin Jenkins of NW News Network: "In a surprise announcement Thursday, the anniversary of the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee [D] announced that he's drafting legislation to make it a crime for elected officials and candidates for public office to make false statements about election outcomes with the goal of inciting lawlessness. Inslee said such a law could withstand free speech challenges and is necessary to guard against ongoing attacks on democracy.... Hugh Spitzer, a University of Washington law professor..., said it would be difficult to make criminal charges stick in a case against a state official or candidate for making false statements about an election." ~~~
~~~ Marie: No kidding. However, I can see why Inslee wishes such a law were constitutional & enforceable: On Trump insurrection day, "Inslee was rushed to a safe room after pro-Trump supporters, including some who were armed, breached the security gate at the governor's residence in Olympia and made their way to the front portico.... 'They brought AR-15s to my front door and tried to get in...,' Inslee said Thursday."
News Ledes
New York Times: "At least 19 people, including nine children, were killed in a fire in a Bronx apartment building on Sunday morning, according to a city official who was not authorized to speak publicly, in what officials described as one of the city's worst fires in recent memory." The Times is live-updating developments at the linked page.
New York Times: "Dwayne Hickman, the affable, apple-cheeked actor whose starring role in the revered sitcom 'The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis' would dog him for more than half a century, died on Sunday in Los Angeles. He was 87."
The New York Times' live updates of Covid-19 developments Saturday are here.
Hugo Lowell of the Guardian: "The House select committee investigating the Capitol attack is examining whether Donald Trumpoversaw a criminal conspiracy on 6 January that connected the White House's scheme to stop Joe Biden's certification with the insurrection, say two senior sources familiar with the matter. The committee's new focus on the potential for a conspiracy marks an aggressive escalation in its inquiry as it confronts evidence that suggests the former president potentially engaged in criminal conduct egregious enough to warrant a referral to the justice department. House investigators are interested in whether Trump oversaw a criminal conspiracy after communications turned over by Trump;s former chief of staff Mark Meadows and others suggested the White House coordinated efforts to stop Biden's certification, the sources said." MB: This is different from bringing a possible obstruction or dereliction of duty charge for failure to try to stop the mob violence.
South Dakota Senate Race. Jonathan Martin of the New York Times: "Senator John Thune of South Dakota, the second-ranking Senate Republican, announced on Saturday that he would seek re-election, after an aggressive lobbying campaign by colleagues prompted him to put aside concerns about the future of his party and pursue a fourth term.... The South Dakotan, who turned 61 on Friday, had recently told associates that he was considering retirement, complaining about the strain of congressional service and privately expressing concern about ... Donald J. Trump's continuing grip on the Republican Party. But by seeking re-election in a heavily conservative state, Mr. Thune is well positioned to win again and potentially succeed Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the minority leader, as the chamber's top Republican." A CNN story is here.
Marie: Following well-established Republican tradition, Mike Pompeo lies about everything. According to experts consulted by the Kansas City Star Mike's most recent whopped was his claim that he lost 90 pounds in six months simply by improving his diet & working out at home for half-an-hour five or six days a week. The experts' "Their response? Absolutely not, almost certainly not, and hahaha."
~~~~~~~~~~
Zolan Kanno-Youngs of the New York Times: "President Biden flew to Colorado on Friday to console residents suffering from swift wildfires that destroyed nearly 1,000 homes, while pointing to the devastation as evidence of the urgent need to address natural disasters rooted in the global climate crisis.... Mr. Biden and the first lady, Jill Biden, met with firefighters and families.... This week, Mr. Biden approved a disaster declaration in Boulder County, freeing up federal funds for temporary housing, home repairs and loans.... The blaze in Colorado was a reminder of how many millions of Americans in the West are now on the front lines of devastation from a warming climate prone to long droughts and extreme wind conditions."
Nick Niedzwiadek & Sarah Ferris of Politico: "Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Friday invited President Joe Bidento deliver his first State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress on March 1." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~
~~~ Update. Felicia Sonmez of the Washington Post: "White House principal deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters Friday afternoon aboard Air Force One that [President] Biden has accepted [Speaker] Pelosi's invitation." Sure sounds like Pelosi's people & Biden's people got together & agreed on a date for the SOTU before Pelosi issued her "invitation." Sounds like a left-wing conspiracy to me.
Claudia Grisales of NPR: "Rep. Bennie Thompson, chair of the Democratic-led House select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, says members expect this month to ask former Vice President Mike Pence to voluntarily appear.... Thompson, a Mississippi Democrat, shared the timing plans for the Pence ask in an interview with NPR.... He described Pence's appearance as critical, especially as the former vicepresident ultimately issued a letter before the Jan. 6 proceedings that said he would not step out of his ceremonial role."
Marie: RAS raised an excellent point in yesterday's Comments. Why weren't Republicans at least at Thursday's ceremonies honoring the police officers who saved their lives? Where was Mitt Romney? Where was Mike Pence, for Pete's sake? Our last image of the veep might have been of his broken, limp body dangling from the gallows in front of the Capitol if not for D.C. and Capitol police. Republicans' ingratitude is stunning.
~~~ Update: When I suggested that Mitch McConnell might have arranged to have the funeral of former Sen. Johnny Isakson (d. 12/19/21) take place on January 6 so a majority of senators could scoot down to Georgia for the rites as an excuse to miss the Capitol insurrection commemoration, Patrick countered: "Maybe Addison M. McConnell was involved, but I think that by now these R's are like flocks of starlings, or schools of mullet, they all move as one without a command discernible by humans. (They may hear the commands; they are not humans?)"
Charlie Savage of the New York Times weighs in on the latest Ted Cruz debacle: "... on Thursday..., the Fox News host Tucker Carlson accused Senator Ted Cruzof purposefully lying because he had continued to call the events of Jan. 6 a terrorist attack, including at a Senate hearing this week. Mr. Cruz, Republican of Texas, apologized.... Mr. Carlson, who has insinuated that Jan. 6 may have been a plot to justify a 'purge' of Trump-supporting 'patriots,' rejected Mr. Cruz's explanation, citing his consistent use of that term over the past year to describe the Capitol attack.... Mr. Carlson declared that 'by no definition' was Jan. 6 'a terror attack.' But Congress has enacted a statute that defines domestic terrorism as criminal offenses that are dangerous to human life, lack a foreign nexus and appear to be seeking 'to influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion.'... Mr. Carlson asked Mr. Cruz, 'How many people have been charged with terrorism on Jan. 6?' The answer is zero.... Congress ... has not created any stand-alone federal crime called ['terrorism.'] As a result, it is not possible for prosecutors to charge any of the Jan. 6 rioters 'with terrorism' regardless of whether they committed terrorist acts." ~~~
~~~ Daniel Dale of CNN: In his interview by Tucker Carlson, Ted" Cruz claimed, 'The way I phrased things yesterday -- it was sloppy and it was frankly dumb.' Carlson immediately interjected to say, 'I don't buy that,' noting that Cruz is known to be a precise speaker.... In fact, he had described the Capitol riot as a terrorist attack or broadly described rioters as terrorists over and over for months -- at least 17 previous times in official written statements, in tweets, in remarks at Senate hearings and in interviews." ~~~
~~~ AND Chris Hayes is so mean to Cancun Ted: ~~~
The Insurrection in Song. Thanks to Forrest M. for this link:
Fox "News" has published an opinion piece about Tucker Carlson & January 6 controversies subtitled, "The yelling is getting louder and wilder and still more disconnected from reality." Oh, wait. No. The piece is by Tukkker.
Steve Erlanger of the New York Times: "NATO foreign ministers met virtually on Friday to prepare their responses to Russia's ongoing military buildup near Ukraine amid general skepticism about Moscow's willingness to de-escalate and negotiate in earnest. After the meeting, the NATO secretary-general, Jens Stoltenberg, warned that 'the risk of conflict is real' involving a further Russian invasion of Ukraine. But he asserted that the 30-member alliance was united in its desire for peaceful diplomacy. If diplomacy fails, he said, the alliance is prepared to continue supporting the integrity and independence of Ukraine both 'politically and practically' while creating 'significant consequences' that 'carry a heavy price for Russia.'... The meeting was a chance to confirm allied agreement about how to respond to varying Russian actions, and, importantly, an opportunity for Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken to consult with allies and brief them about the U.S. position before U.S.-Russia bilateral talks next week in Geneva." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~
~~~ Marie: I get that isolating Russia as much as possible & imposing harsh economic sanctions are about all its adversaries can do here, short of some more bellicose tack. But looming over these "solutions" -- in my mind -- is what happened when other Western powers, including the U.S., tried to bring Germany to its knees after World War I. It is possible that the Russian people will blame Putin for forcing them into bread lines; on the other hand, they're apt to show some national pride & resent the countries that sanctioned theirs -- just as 20th-century Germans did. As for a better solution on dealing with Russian aggression, I don't have one. Update: Whyte O. suggested yesterday that given our history of gumming up nearly every attempt to "spread democracy around the world," perhaps we should let Russia & Ukraine work out their differences themselves.
Sad News. Dartunorro Clark of NBC News: "Cyber Ninjas, the company that led a partisan review of 2020 ballots in Arizona, is closing down following a scathing report by election officials and the threat of $50,000 a day in fines. 'Cyber Ninjas is shutting down. All employees have been let go,' Rod Thomson, the company's representative, said in a text message Thursday evening. The Florida-based company, founded in 2013, has less than a dozen employees, according to its LinkedIn page.... Maricopa County Superior Court Judge John Hannah said he would impose a $50,000 fine against Cyber Ninjas every day until it hands over documents related to the so-called audit after the Arizona Republic newspaper filed a public records request, The Associated Press reported Thursday." MB: Seems to me that even if Cyber Ninjas closes down, principals of the defunct company will have to provide the court-ordered docs or pay the daily fines. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
Clay Risen of the New York Times: "Lani Guinier, a legal scholar whose work on voting rights and affirmative action led President Bill Clinton to nominate her in 1993 to be an assistant attorney general, only to withdraw her name two months later in the face of a Republican campaign against her, died on Friday at an assisted living facility in Cambridge, Mass. She was 71."
Lori Aratani & Ian Duncan of the Washington Post: "... an epic travel meltdown [is] in its third week that has forced the cancellation of more than 27,000 flights since the first signs of trouble on Christmas Eve, according to flight-tracking website FlightAware. What began as a pandemic-related challenge quickly snowballed into a multitiered test -- coupling the uncertainties of omicron with the more familiar headache of winter weather.... The disruption for airlines and travelers is on track to become the most severe since more than 56,000 flights were canceled in a single week at the outset of the pandemic, when people didn't want to fly.... [Also,] About one-third of flights nationwide that have taken off in the past two weeks have been late, with the average delay topping 50 minutes on some days...."
The Pandemic, Ctd.
Adam Liptak of the New York Times: "Members of the Supreme Court's conservative majority seemed skeptical on Friday that the Biden administration has the legal power to mandate that the nation's large employers require workers to be vaccinated against the coronavirus or to undergo frequent testing. A federal workplace safety law, they indicated during a two-hour argument, did not provide legal authority for the sweeping emergency measure. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and Justice Neil M. Gorsuch said the states and Congress, rather than a federal agency, were better situated to address the pandemic. Justice Amy Coney Barrett said the challenged regulation appeared to reach too broadly in covering all large employers. Justices Gorsuch and Brett M. Kavanaugh suggested that the governing statute had not authorized the agency to impose the mandate clearly enough...." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) NPR's report, by Nina Totenberg, is here. ~~~
~~~ Marie: Liptak slyly notes that the Supremes have imposed strict Covid protocols for their workplace. But, you know, if a liberal does it, it must be wrong. ~~~
~~~ Oh, Guess What? Rebecca Shabad of NBC News: "Ohio's solicitor general,Ben Flowers, participated in Supreme Court oral arguments [against] the Biden administration's vaccine mandates remotely on Friday after testing positive for Covid. He had been vaccinated and boosted against the disease [MB: which almost certainly is why he reportedly had mild symptoms].... The Supreme Court had required participants to take a PCR test Thursday, which detected the virus in Flowers, Irwin said, 'so for that reason, he is arguing remotely.' Louisiana Solicitor General Liz Murrill also made remote arguments before the court against the mandates on Friday 'in accordance with Covid protocols,' according to a statement her office gave to Reuters, but the statement did not elaborate further." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
So who decides? Should it be the agency full of expert policymakers and completely politically accountable through the President?... This is ... a politically accountable policy. It also has the virtue of expertise.... So, on the one hand, the agency with their political leadership can decide. Or, on the other hand, courts can decide. Courts are not politically accountable.... Courts have no epidemiological expertise. Why in the world would courts decide this question? -- Justice Elena Kagan, oral arguments, Friday
** Yo, Elena, Here's the Reason. Dahlia Lithwick & Mark Stern of Slate: "A majority of the justices on the Supreme Court ... see [Covid-19] as an opportunity. This unprecedented pandemic ... has forced the executive branch to act swiftly and creatively at each stage of the crisis. Facing an often-deadlocked Congress, President Joe Biden has drawn on old statutes to establish new regulations to stop the coronavirus from spreading and killing more people. Yet in so doing, he has given the Supreme Court's Republican-appointed justices a chance to hobble his whole agenda. And during oral arguments over Biden's vaccine mandates on Friday, these justices made it painfully clear that they will also seize this moment to grind down the federal government's ability to perform even its most basic functions as well.... The nihilism, hypocrisy, and armchair epidemiology on display [during oral arguments] at times bled into rank anti-vax-ism.... That's because these justices emerged from a conservative legal movement that has grown obsessed with obliterating 'the administrative state' -- the hundreds of federal agencies that actually implement laws passed by Congress." Firewalled. ~~~
~~~ Ian Millhiser of Vox: "... the oral argument in the first case, NFIB, suggests that the Court's 6-3 conservative majority is inclined to hand down a very broad decision -- one that won't simply hobble many of the Biden administration's efforts to quell a pandemic that has killed nearly 830,000 Americans, but that could also fundamentally rework the balance of power between elected federal officials and an unelected judiciary." MB: It would be ironic that an authoritarian president* put together a Court that would hobble the presidency; it would be, I say, because these same justices who are so upset that a Democratic President is saving American lives will find carveouts & excuses for all manner of overreach by a right-wing president.
~~~ Marie: AND they don't care if they kill you for going to work. The whole bunch of confederate lunkheads sound a lot like brother Neil Gorsuch: if your working conditions will kill you, you have a duty to die.
Florida. Allan Smith of NBC News: "Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and the state's top emergency management official confirmed Thursday that 800,000 to 1 million Covid test kits in the state's stockpile recently expired without being used.... The issue of the expiring tests was first raised by Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, a Democratic candidate for governor. In a Dec. 30 statement, she said: 'It's come to my attention that Governor DeSantis' Department of Health has a significant number of COVID-19 tests stockpiled that are set to expire imminently.'... State officials had already requested a three-month extension on the tests' use from federal officials when they were last set to expire in September, only for the tests to again sit unused.... Christina Pushaw, a DeSantis spokesperson, told NBC News that ... demand plummeted in the state during the fall months.... Yet last week, Floridians reportedly waited up to three hours to get a Covid test as cases and potential exposures spiked.... Speaking with Fox News on Thursday, DeSantis said that 'not every single person needs to be going out always getting tested,' particularly young, healthy people who aren't at high-risk with the disease."
Walter Einenkel of the Daily Kos: "Cirsten Weldonwas a right-wing social media darling of sorts, at least in the QAnon wing of the field. Her MAGA posts, anti-vaxx rhetoric, and willingness to embrace wild and fantastic conspiracy theories gained her tens of thousands of followers. Weldon was a firm 'COVID-is-a-hoax' believer who made videos where she yelled at people waiting in line for vaccines that 'The vaccines kill, don't get it!' She also believed Dr. Anthony Fauci should be executed. According to reports, Weldon passed away Thursday from COVID-19 in a hospital in Camarillo, California."
Beyond the Beltway
Georgia. Richard Fausset of the New York Times: "A Georgia judge on Friday sentenced both Travis McMichael, the man who fatally shot Ahmaud Arbery, and his father to life in prison without the possibility of parole, but issued a lesser sentence of life with the possibility of parole to the other white man convicted of murdering Mr. Arbery, a 25-year-old Black man whom they had chased through their neighborhood. The three men -- Travis McMichael, 35; his father, Gregory McMichael, 66; and their neighbor, William Bryan, 52 -- were convicted of murder and other counts in state court in November, resulting in mandatory life sentences.... The lead prosecutor, Linda Dunikoski, asked the judge to deny the possibility of parole to the McMichaels, arguing that they had displayed a reckless history of 'vigilantism' before the killing. She noted that the elder Mr. McMichael had referred to Mr. Arbery as an 'asshole' as his body lay in the street and authorities responded. 'There's been no remorse and certainly no empathy from either man,' she said. She said that Mr. Bryan should be eligible for parole in part because he had cooperated with investigators."
New York. The Arrogance of Power. As many liberal New Yorkers anticipated, newly-installed NYC Mayor Eric Adamsis already looking like a very bad mayor. But very Trumpy!
Wisconsin. Adam Brewster of CBS News: "Wisconsin Republican Senator Ron Johnsonis expected to run for reelection and kick off his campaign next week, according to two sources familiar with his decision. For months, the incumbent Republican declined to say whether he would seek a third term in the U.S. Senate."
Way Beyond
Italy(/Spain). Foiled by the Googles. Elisabetta Povoledo of the New York Times: "Ever since he broke out of Rome's Rebibbia prison 20 years ago where he was facing murder charges, Gioacchino Gammino had managed to evade capture. He fled to Spain, changed his name and cut off ties with his family, creating a new life for himself, at one point working as a chef in an Italian restaurant. But last month, Italian investigators finally tracked down Mr. Gammino, 61, in a town northwest of Madrid, thanks in part to ... Google Maps.... Investigators had used the Google tools to look up a fruit and vegetable store -- 'El Huerto de Manu' -- that they believed could have ties to the fugitive, and happened upon an image of a man standing in front of the store.The man in the image had the same size and build as Mr. Gammino...." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
Marie: RAS raises an excellent point in today's Comments. Why weren't Republicans at least at Thursday's ceremonies honoring the police officers who saved their lives a year earlier? Where was Mitt Romney? Where was Mike Pence, for Pete's sake? Our last image of him might be of his broken, limp body hanging from the gallows in front of the Capitol if not for D.C. and Capitol police. Republicans' ingratitude is stunning.
Nick Niedzwiadek & Sarah Ferris of Politico: "Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Friday invited President Joe Bidento deliver his first State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress on March 1."
Adam Liptak of the New York Times: "Members of the Supreme Court's conservative majority seemed skeptical on Friday that the Biden administration has the legal power to mandate that the nation's large employers require workers to be vaccinated against the coronavirus or to undergo frequent testing. A federal workplace safety law, they indicated during a two-hour argument, did not provide legal authority for the sweeping emergency measure. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and Justice Neil M. Gorsuch said the states and Congress, rather than a federal agency, were better situated to address the pandemic. Justice Amy Coney Barrett said the challenged regulation appeared to reach too broadly in covering all large employers. Justices Gorsuch and Brett M. Kavanaugh suggested that the governing statute had not authorized the agency to impose the mandate clearly enough...." ~~~
~~~ Marie: Liptak slyly notes that the Supremes have imposed strict Covid protocols for their workplace. But, you know, if a liberal does it, it must be wrong. ~~~
~~~ Oh, Guess What? Rebecca Shabad of NBC News: "Ohio's solicitor general, Ben Flowers, participated in Supreme Court oral arguments [against] the Biden administration's vaccine mandates remotely on Friday after testing positive for Covid. He had been vaccinated and boosted against the disease [MB: which almost certainly is why he reportedly had mild symptoms].... The Supreme Court had required participants to take a PCR test Thursday, which detected the virus in Flowers, Irwin said, 'so for that reason, he is arguing remotely.' Louisiana Solicitor General Liz Murrill also made remote arguments before the court against the mandates on Friday 'in accordance with Covid protocols,' according to a statement her office gave to Reuters, but the statement did not elaborate further."
Steve Erlanger of the New York Times: "NATO foreign ministers met virtually on Friday to prepare their responses to Russia's ongoing military buildup near Ukraine amid general skepticism about Moscow's willingness to de-escalate and negotiate in earnest. After the meeting, the NATO secretary-general, Jens Stoltenberg, warned that 'the risk of conflict is real' involving a further Russian invasion of Ukraine. But he asserted that the 30-member alliance was united in its desire for peaceful diplomacy. If diplomacy fails, he said, the alliance is prepared to continue supporting the integrity and independence of Ukraine both 'politically and practically' while creating 'significant consequences' that 'carry a heavy price for Russia.'... The meeting was a chance to confirm allied agreement about how to respond to varying Russian actions, and, importantly, an opportunity for Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken to consult with allies and brief them about the U.S. position before U.S.-Russia bilateral talks next week in Geneva." ~~~
~~~ Marie: I get that isolating Russia as much as possible & imposing harsh economic sanctions are about all its adversaries can do here, short of some form of violence. But looming over these "solutions" -- in my mind -- is what happened when other Western powers, including the U.S., tried to bring Germany to its knees after World War I. It is possible that the Russian people will blame Putin for forcing them into bread lines; on the other hand, they're apt to show some national pride & resent the countries that sanctioned their country -- just as 20th-century Germans did. As for a better solution on dealing with Russian aggression, I don't have one.
Sad News. Dartunorro Clark of NBC News: "Cyber Ninjas, the company that led a partisan review of 2020 ballots in Arizona, is closing down following a scathing report by election officials and the threat of $50,000 a day in fines. 'Cyber Ninjas is shutting down. All employees have been let go,' Rod Thomson, the company's representative, said in a text message Thursday evening. The Florida-based company, founded in 2013, has less than a dozen employees, according to its LinkedIn page.... Maricopa County Superior Court Judge John Hannah said he would impose a $50,000 fine against Cyber Ninjas every day until it hands over documents related to the so-called audit after the Arizona Republic newspaper filed a public records request, The Associated Press reported Thursday." MB: Seems to me that even if Cyber Ninjas closes down, principals of the defunct company will have to provide the court-ordered docs or pay the daily fines.
Foiled by the Googles. Elisabetta Povoledo of the New York Times: "Ever since he broke out of Rome's Rebibbia prison 20 years ago where he was facing murder charges, Gioacchino Gammino had managed to evade capture. He fled to Spain, changed his name and cut off ties with his family, creating a new life for himself, at one point working as a chef in an Italian restaurant. But last month, Italian investigators finally tracked down Mr. Gammino, 61, in a town northwest of Madrid, thanks in part to ... Google Maps.... Investigators had used the Google tools to look up a fruit and vegetable store -- 'El Huerto de Manu' -- that they believed could have ties to the fugitive, and happened upon an image of a man standing in front of the store. The man in the image had the same size and build as Mr. Gammino...."
~~~~~~~~~~
The Washington Post's live updates of events related to the commemoration of last year's insurrection are here. (Also linked yesterday.)
** Mary Jalonick, et al., of the AP: "President Joe Biden on Thursday forcefully condemnedDonald Trump's election 'big lie' that sparked the deadly breach of the Capitol by his supporters and continues to motivate deep national division. He marked the anniversary of the insurrection by declaring he will stand and fight for 'the soul of America.' Biden's criticism was blistering of the 'defeated president' who he blamed for the attack that has fundamentally changed Congress and raised global concerns about the future of American democracy. 'For the first time in our history, a president not just lost an election, he tried to prevent the peaceful transfer of power as a violent mob breached the Capitol,' Biden said. 'But they failed.' His voice booming at times, filling the ornate hall with statues of the country's leaders and heroes, he said called on Americans to see Jan. 6 for what it was. 'Democracy was attacked,' Biden said at the Capitol. 'We the people endure. We the people prevailed.'" (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ The text of President Biden's speech is here. The text of Vice President Harris's remarks at the Capitol is here. Both via the White House. ~~~
~~~ Tyler Pager & Annie Linskey of the Washington Post: President "Biden's remarks do not mark a permanent shift in strategy about how to handle Trump, according to the president's aides and allies. Rather, they said, Biden felt he had no choice but to directly address Trump's culpability in the Capitol insurrection last Jan. 6 and the threat he poses to democracy. 'You can't talk about what happened on January 6 without talking about the former president's role in it,' Mike Donilon, a White House senior adviser, said in an interview. 'There's no way to be truthful about what happened there without doing that.' Biden and his team also calculated that his speech at Thursday's remembrance event would draw maximum media attention." ~~~
~~~ Jeff Zeleny, et al., of CNN: "It was only a little more than a month ago when President Joe Biden, asked about another head-shaking revelation regarding his predecessor, seemed to balk at a mere mention of the man. 'I don't think about the former President,' he claimed, pausing for dramatic effect before walking offstage at the White House. But on Thursday, it was evident Biden has actually been thinking quite a lot about Donald Trump.... Biden ... helped write some of the lines [in Thursday's speech] himself.... The speech harkened back to themes from Biden's campaign, when he repeatedly pledged to 'restore the soul of the nation.' It was, he said again and again, the central reason for jumping back into the political arena on a mission to defeat Trump."
~~~ Zolan Kanno-Youngs of the New York Times: "The extraordinary moment, in which a sitting president accused his predecessor of holding 'a dagger at the throat of America, at American democracy,' marked a sharp pivot in Mr. Biden's strategy for dealing with Mr. Trump and his continuing promotion of the baseless assertion that the 2020 election was marred by fraud." ~~~
~~~ Marie: On Thursday, Republicans like Lindsey Graham complained about Biden's "brazen politicization" of the insurrection. Really? There was a time, not so very long ago, when every national politician -- no matter his party or political philosophy -- would have spoken out against sedition and insurrection. Politicians may not have given many speeches against attempts to overthrow the government, but that is because such speeches were unnecessary. They did give flowery, "patriotic" speeches, of course, about Constitutional principles and democratic "values." None would have considered the premise of Biden's speech -- that a violent attack on the Capitol was "a dagger at the throat of ... American democracy" -- to be even vaguely controversial. In a country that is not united by race or religion or social and economic experience, the uniting element is a shared adherence to Western democratic principles and norms. Or it was.
~~~ ** Peter Baker of the New York Times: "The president's address began a commemoration that ... only underscored just how riven the country remains a year after rioters armed with hockey sticks, baseball bats, crutches, flagpoles, fire extinguishers, bear spray and stolen police batons broke into the Capitol to disrupt the counting of the Electoral College votes ratifying Mr. Trump's defeat. Democrats ... marked the anniversary with a day of events, including speeches, personal testimony, a panel of historians, videos, moments of silence and a candlelight vigil, while Republicans by and large stayed away and refused to participate. No Republican senators showed up on the floor for a session of remarks recalling that day. Representative Liz Cheney of Wyoming, one of Mr. Trump's most vocal critics, was the only elected member of her party to join a moment of silence in the House chamber, bringing along her father, former Vice President Dick Cheney."
Dana Milbank of the Washington Post: "By shunning Thursday's commemoration of the Jan. 6 attack, Republican leaders, as usual, left a vacuum that let the wing nuts speak for the party. Trumpian Reps. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) and Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) announced that they would give 'a Republican response,' on the Jan. 6 anniversary, and in the absence of any other Republican response, theirs became the Republican response.... And so, in a meeting room in the Cannon House Office Building, two flights up from where Democratic lawmakers were at the same time recalling their personal horrors from Jan. 6, the duo spent 37 minutes telling reporters that Jan. 6 was a 'fed-surrection,' a plot perpetrated by the FBI.... In his address Thursday from the Capitol, President Biden asked: 'Are we going to be a nation that lives not by the light of the truth, but in the shadow of lies? We cannot allow ourselves to be that kind of nation.' But the Republicans' ongoing attempt to disappear Jan. 6 shows that we already are."
Jake Johnson of Common Dreams: "... lofty rhetoric and symbolic commemorations of the deadly Capitol assault won't change the fact that congressional Democrats are running out of time to thwart the GOP's sweeping attacks on the franchise ahead of the crucial 2022 midterms, in which Republicans are well-positioned to gerrymander their way back to control of the House of Representatives.... 'This anniversary calls not only for commemoration, but also for action -- urgently,' Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, said in a statement Thursday. "If Congress fails to pass legislation to secure the right to vote and protect Americans' democratic freedoms, we invite these attacks to continue.'"
Ellie Silverman, et al., of the Washington Post: Harper "White, a 25-year-old legislative assistant and correspondent for Rep. Rosa L. DeLauro (D-Conn.), spoke to a crowd of hundreds on Thursday outside the Capitol on the anniversary of a violent mob's entry into the building. [Other speakers included House Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) & Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.)]... Less than three miles away [outside the back entrance to the D.C. jail], a much smaller crowd -- including the mother of Ashli Babbitt, the pro-Trump rioter who was killed when she stormed the Capitol last January -- gathered outside the D.C. jail to support people who were charged in the insurrection and are being held there. These rival events reflect the fact that a year after the Capitol riot, much of the country remains divided on what happened."
Annals of "Journalism," Ctd. Michael Grynbaum of the New York Times: "Many conservative media outlets covered Thursday's anniversary of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot by lobbing criticism at Mr. Biden for his morning speech.... One chief narrative on conservative platforms was the notion that Democrats and mainstream journalists had overblown the attack on the Capitol and were overly fixated on Thursday's commemoration of Jan. 6, which marked the first interruption of the peaceful transfer of power in American history.... Still, there were long stretches where Fox News entirely set aside the subject of the Capitol attack." ~~~
~~~ Marie: Both CNN & MSNBC devoted most of their coverage Thursday to the insurrection & related stories. During a commercial break, I found Fox "News" on the dial: a host & a guest were discussing how George Soros controlled American district attorneys.
Betsy Swan, et al., of Politico: "Then-Vice President-elect Kamala Harris was inside Democratic National Committee headquarters on Jan. 6, 2021, when a pipe bomb was discovered outside the building, according to four people familiar with her movements that day. Capitol Police began investigating the pipe bomb at 1:07 p.m., according to an official Capitol Police timeline of events obtained by Politico. The timeline says that Capitol Police and the Secret Service evacuated an unnamed 'protectee' at approximately 1:14 p.m, seven minutes later. The four people, among them a White House official and a former law enforcement official, confirmed that Harris was the Secret Service protectee identified in the timeline.... Harris' presence inside the building while a bomb was right outside raises sobering questions about her security that day. It also raises the chilling prospect that the riots could have been far more destructive than they already were, with the incoming vice president's life directly endangered." The Washington Post's story is here.
Mark Moore of the New York Post:"Former White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham said Thursday that ... Donald Trump 'gleefully' watched television coverage of the Capitol riot in a private dining room at the White House and praised how his supporters were 'fighting' for him.... 'All I know about that day was, he was in the dining room gleefully watching on his TV as he often did, [saying] "Look at all of the people fighting for me," hitting rewind, watching it again,' Grisham said.&" MB: According to an on-air report I heard, Grisham was not at the White House on Jan. 6 but learned about Trump's reactions from other staff who observed him. ~~~
~~~ Jim Acosta of CNN: "A former Trump White House official said ... Donald Trump initially refused to tweet the words 'stay peaceful' as the attack on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, was escalating.... Trump tweeted at 2:38 p.m. ET that day: 'Please support our Capitol Police and Law Enforcement. They are truly on the side of our Country. Stay peaceful!' The tweet came 20 minutes after Trump supporters were smashing through windows and evacuations of lawmakers had begun. The former official ... said Trump did not want to include the words 'stay peaceful' and was 'very reluctant to put out anything when it was unfolding.' Trump was 'letting it play out,' the official said of the violence at the Capitol. Top Trump aides -- including the then-President's daughter, Ivanka, and former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows -- were pleading with Trump to call off the mob, the ex-aide said. Those officials eventually convinced Trump to include the 'stay peaceful' message in the tweet about the Capitol Police, the former aide added."
About Mo. Brad Reed of the Raw Story: "In an interview with CNN's Jake Tapper, former [Kevin] McCarthy staffer Ryan O'Toolerecalled sheltering with lawmakers who were hiding in fear after a mob of Trump supporters breached the Capitol.... [However,] 'You had some members express a different view,' he said. 'One member, Mo Brooks for example, was glad. He was cheering on the fact that the 117th congress had started this way. That was much to the dismay of others in the room.'" MB: I suppose the reason Mo thought the attack was a laugh riot was that he (1) had foreknowledge of the insurrection, so (2) was probably still wearing body armor.
Aaron Blake of the Washington Post: After Ted Cruz rightly called the Capitol insurrection a "terrorist attack" on Wednesday -- and not for the first time -- Fox "News" host & VIP Tucker Carlson criticized Cruz. So Ted asked to appear on Tucker's Thursday night show, whereupon TuKKK "began the interview by calling Cruz a liar -- repeatedly -- and Cruz didn't even directly dispute the premise." Cruz's groveling at Tucker's feet continued from there.
Mean Judge Nixes Insurrectionist's Jamaican Vacay. Jonathan Edwards of the Washington Post: Anthony "Williams, a Michigan man accused of storming the U.S. Capitol a year ago in what he allegedly called the 'proudest day of my life,' can't travel outside the country without a federal judge's approval. So on Thursday, theanniversary of the Capitol riot, he filed a motion to [vacation with his girlfriend in Jamaica]. Chief U.S. District Judge Beryl A. Howell denied his request within hours.... Williams is indicted on five charges, including violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds, and has pleaded not guilty."
The Pandemic, Ctd.
The New York Times' live updates of Covid-19 developments Friday are here. The Washington Post's live Covid-19 updates for Friday are here.
Jacob Bogage & Dan Diamond of the Washington Post: "The White House is finalizing details with the U.S. Postal Service to deliver 500 million coronavirus test kits to households across the country, according to four people familiar with the plans, kick-starting a key part of President Biden's response to the raging omicron variant. The administration will launch a website allowing individuals to request the rapid tests.... Officials aim to begin shipping the kits by mid-January."
Adam Liptak of the New York Times: "The Supreme Court will hear arguments on Friday on the legality of two initiatives at the heart of the Biden administration's efforts to address the coronavirus in the workplace. The challengers -- states led by Republican officials, businesses, religious groups and others -- say Congress has not authorized the measures, adding that they are unnecessary and in some ways counterproductive. The administration says that workplace safety and health care laws have given it ample authority to take bold action in the face of a lethal pandemic."
New Jersey. Tracey Tully of the New York Times: "One in every three residents of [an Edison,] New Jersey, nursing home for frail military veterans died as the [corona]virus raced unchecked through the state-run facility.... [One-hundred-one] residents who died in the first eight months of the pandemic.... A state-run veterans home in Paramus ... had an equally devastating death toll: 89. Now, in a sober acknowledgment of failings, New Jersey has agreed to pay $53 million to families of 119 veterans who lived in the two facilities. The families had been preparing to file lawsuits that accused the state of gross negligence. The average payout is expected to be roughly $445,000 as part of an out-of-court settlement that is believed to be the first of its kind nationwide.... Similar lawsuits are pending across the country against private and public nursing homes."
Beyond the Beltway
Oregon Gubernatorial Race. Mike Baker of the New York Times: "Nicholas Kristof, a former New York Times columnist seeking to become the next governor of Oregon, does not qualify to run for the office this year because he failed to meet the state's three-year residency requirement, state officials announced on Thursday. Secretary of State Shemia Fagan said the decision came after the agency reviewed the voting and taxpaying history of Mr. Kristof, including his registration as an Oregon voter in December 2020 after having been previously registered in New York.... Mr. Kristof said that he planned to challenge the decision in court and that he was confident he would prevail." Politico's report is here.
Virginia. Lisa Friedman of the New York Times: "A rare confirmation battle is brewing around the nomination of Andrew Wheeler, who ran the Environmental Protection Agency under ... Donald J. Trump, to take a similar role in an incoming Republican state administration in Virginia. Democratic leaders said they would try to block Mr. Wheeler from taking charge of conservation programs, environmental cleanups and climate change initiatives like the ones he opposed as E.P.A. administrator. Resistance to Mr. Wheeler began building just moments after his nomination to be natural resources secretary was announced on Wednesday by Governor-elect Glenn Youngkin, a Republican who will be sworn in on Jan. 15."
Way Beyond
Kazakhstan. Ivan Nechepurenko, et al., of the New York Times: "The authoritarian leader of Kazakhstan said Friday that he had authorized the nation's security forces to 'fire without warning' as the government moved to bring an end to two days of chaos and violence after peaceful protests descended into scenes of anarchy. 'We hear calls from abroad for the parties to negotiate to find a peaceful solution to the problems,' President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said in an address to the nation. 'This is just nonsense. What negotiations can there be with criminals and murderers,' he said. 'They need to be destroyed and this will be done.' The government said that order had been 'mainly restored' across the country as Russian troops joined with the country's security forces to quell widespread unrest." ~~~
~~~ Andrew Higgins of the New York Times: "... if the turmoil in Kazakhstan has once again exposed the vulnerability of the strongman leaders the Kremlin has trusted to keep order, it has also presented Russia with yet another opportunity to reassert its influence in its former Soviet domain, one of Mr. Putin's most cherished long-term goals. The arrival in Kazakhstan of 2,500 troops from a Russian-led military alliance amid continuing spasms of violent protest was the fourth time in just two years that Moscow has flexed its muscle in neighboring states -- Belarus, Armenia and Ukraine being the other three -- that the West has long tried to woo.... And once Russian troops arrive, they seldom, if ever, go home."
News Ledes
When you walk through the door of opportunity, you have one responsibility, and that is to make sure you leave the door open. -- Sidney Poitier, to a friend, Franklyn Wilson, a former Bahamanian cabinet minister ~~~
~~~ CNN: "Sidney Poitier, whose elegant bearing and principled onscreen characters made him Hollywood's first Black movie star and the first Black man to win the best actor Oscar, has died. He was 94." Update: Poitier's New York Times obituary is here. ~~~
~~~ New York Times: "President Biden, Former President Barack Obama, Harry Belafonte, Denzel Washington, Oprah Winfrey and others paid tribute to Mr. Poitier. Flags in the Bahamas, where he grew up, were lowered to half-staff." This is a live-blog, with some interesting items.
CNBC: "The U.S. economy added far fewer jobs than expected in December just as the nation was grappling with a massive surge in Covid cases, the Labor Department said Friday. Nonfarm payrolls grew by 199,000, while the unemployment rate fell to 3.9%, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data. That compared to the Dow Jones estimate of 422,000 for the payrolls number and 4.1% for the unemployment rate."
;)
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