The Commentariat -- June 13, 2021

Afternoon Update:

Karla Adam, et al., of the Washington Post: "As Group of Seven leaders wrapped their three-day summit [in Cornwall, England,] on Sunday, President Biden said democratic governments face a defining challenge: to show they can meet tests such as global health crises and climate change better than autocracies such as China and Russia. 'I think we're in a contest, not with China per se, but a contest with autocrats, autocratic governments around the world, as to whether or not democracies can compete with them in a rapidly changing 21st century,' Biden told reporters during the first news conference of his first foreign trip as president. He singled out China and Russia for reprobation after working here to enlist U.S. allies in what he has repeatedly cast as the existential battle of the 21st century.... In the summit-concluding communique issued Sunday, the leaders said they would work together to challenge China's 'non-market policies,' and they called on Beijing to respect human rights in Xinjiang and Hong Kong, pushed for greater transparency on the origins of the coronavirus and raised concerns about tensions in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea. The language fell short of an explicit condemnation of China's human rights practices." ~~~

~~~ Jordyn Phelps of ABC News: "President Joe Biden declared that 'America is back at the table' Sunday as he concluded his first Group of Seven summit on his first overseas trip as president and prepared to head for Brussels for another round of talks with top allies at a NATO summit. 'America's back in the business of leading the world alongside nations who share our most deeply held values,' Biden said during a press conference at the conclusion of the G-7 summit. 'I think we've made some progress in re-establishing American credibility among our closest friends,' Biden continued, in an indirect reference to his predecessor...."

To Windsor, to Windsor, to Visit the Queen. Karla Adam of the Washington Post: "President Biden and first lady Jill Biden met Queen Elizabeth II for tea at Windsor Castle on Sunday, concluding the U.K. leg of their first overseas presidential trip.... The monarch greeted the Bidens in the castle's quadrangle. Assembled soldiers gave a royal salute, which was followed by the American national anthem. There was then an inspection of the Honour Guard, though the queen didn't walk with President Biden, as she did in 2019 with ... Donald Trump, who was accused of breaking protocol by walking in front of her. Instead, the queen, 95, stayed with Jill Biden on the dais, which shielded them from the sun. This is the queen's first prominent weekend since the funeral of her husband, Prince Philip, and she was seen managing her duties as she always has." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I don't know why so many news stories describe Trump as having "broken protocol" by walking in front of Elizabeth. Any idiot knows you don't try to outpace your hostess at a reception, and you certainly don't race to outrun an elderly lady, much less a head of state. Trump didn't "break protocol"; he behaved like the bumptious, rude rube he is.

AP: "Churchgoers in a seaside resort in England say they have been left 'gobsmacked' when U.S. President Joe Biden and the first lady Jill Biden dropped in for a Sunday service.... On Sunday morning, ahead of the summit's conclusion, they were seen attending mass at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in St. Ives.... [Parishoner] Gayle Wood, 63, said Biden appeared to make a 'very generous donation' to the church before leaving."

Michael Schmidt & Charlie Savage of the New York Times: "Apple told Donald F. McGahn II, the White House counsel to ... Donald J. Trump, last month that the Justice Department had subpoenaed information about an account that belonged to him in February 2018, and that the government barred the company from telling him at the time, according to two people briefed on the matter. Mr. McGahn's wife received a similar notice from Apple.... It is not clear ... [that] Mr. McGahn was [the FBI's] specific focus.... Gag orders for subpoenas may be renewed for up to a year at a time, suggesting that prosecutors went to court several times to prevent Apple from notifying the McGahns earlier." In January 2018 -- just prior to the DOJ's issuing the McGahn subpoenas to Apple -- the NYT reported that Trump had tried to get McGahn to order the firing of Robert Mueller, then demanding that McGahn deny Trump had ordered Mueller's firing. Trump then blew up at McGahn & called him "a liar and a leaker." Schmidt & Savage say it's unlikely there a connection because a leak from McGahn to the press about the attempted Mueller firing would not be illegal. MB: Sorry, I think the time is not coincidental. Thanks to RAS for the link. An AP story is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Just as there was a certain cachet to making Nixon's "enemies list," I suspect that among some of Washington's elite, a secret Trumpy subpoena will become a point of pride.

Israel. Steve Hendrix & Shira Rubin of the Washington Post: "For the first time in 12 years, Israeli lawmakers voted Sunday to install a government led by someone other than Benjamin Netanyahu, breaking a two-year electoral deadlock, marking a likely shift toward the political center and ending -- for now -- the reign of the country's longest-serving prime minister, and one of its most consequential."

Exit, Stage Right. David Halbfinger of the New York Times: Benjamin Netanyahu, "Israel's longest-serving leader..., [inspired] such admiration that supporters likened him to the biblical King David. His political agility got him out of so many tight spots that even his detractors called him a magician. He presided over an extraordinary economic turnaround, kept the perennially embattled country out of major wars and kept casualty tolls to historic lows. He feuded with Democratic American presidents, then capitalized on a symbiosis with the Trump administration to cement historic gains, including the opening of a U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem.... He struck watershed accords with four Arab countries that had long shunned Israel in solidarity with the Palestinians.... Mr. Netanyahu ... was ousted as prime minister on Sunday.... He compartmentalized the Palestinian conflict, snubbing the endless peace talks that had stymied his predecessors, unilaterally expanding the Jewish presence in the occupied West Bank and treating Palestinians largely as a security threat to be contained."

Bob Brigham of the Raw story: "Despite violent rhetoric from her family inciting the January 6th insurrection, Lara Trump suggested vigilante violence against people perceived to be from south of the southern border during a Saturday night appearance with Fox News personality Jeanine Pirro.... '... I don't know what you tell the people that live at the southern border,' she said. 'I guess they better arm up and get guns and be ready -- and maybe they're going to have to start taking matters into their own hands.'"

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The New York Times' live updates of G7 developments Sunday are here.

Patrick Wintour of the Guardian: "The G7 group of rich nations has agreed [to] plans to set up an alternative to China's belt and road initiative as part of a broad push back against Beijing covering human rights, supply chains, support for Taiwan and demands to reveal more about the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic. Some G7 leaders, however, including the Italian prime minister, Mario Draghi, the current chair of the G20, have urged Joe Biden not to push competition with China to the extent that it prevents cooperation on other vital issues such as the climate crisis. The EU is also pressing the US to back a legally binding code of conduct for the South China Sea that Beijing has been negotiating with regional powers."

G7 Leaders Glad to Be Rid of Trump. Kevin Liptak, et al., of CNN: "Officials attending this week's Group of 7 summit on the Cornish coast in England are emerging shell-shocked after four years dealing with a US president who often appeared intent on injecting animosity into their gatherings. In front of cameras and behind-the-scenes this weekend, officials said the abrasive interjections and lengthy tangents Trump brought to world summits were absent, replaced by a more businesslike and predictable agenda, including on areas of serious disagreement like China. Asked alongside Biden on Saturday whether the United States was back, French President Emmanuel Macron answered yes. 'Definitely, he said.... 'Are you supposed to be looking as if you're enjoying yourself?' quipped Britain's Queen Elizabeth, who later was pictured in friendly conversation with [President] Biden and his wife outside a futuristic biosphere...." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

She Really Does Care, Do U? Alexandra Jaffe & Aamer Madhani of the AP (June 10): Dr. Jill Biden “wore a black jacket with the word 'love' outlined on the back in silver beading as she and the president met with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his wife Thursday. She wore the same jacket more than two years ago to kick off Biden's presidential campaign. 'We're bringing love from America,' she told reporters, explaining her fashion choice."

Here's a fun Washington Post slideshow of Queen Elizabeth's meetings U.S. presidents. Photos, some videos. (Also linked yesterday.)

Ben Leonard of Politico: "Five years to the day after the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, Fla., President Joe Biden called for the Senate to pass gun legislation to address what he called a 'public health epidemic of gun violence.'... A lone shooter at the gay Florida club killed 49 people in June 2016, when Biden was serving as vice president. To mark the five-year anniversary of the mass shooting, the victims are being honored with a number of events, including a remembrance ceremony Saturday. Since the shooting, Biden has 'stayed in touch' with survivors and victims families, he said in the statement Saturday. Biden said in the statement that he will soon sign a bill that will make the nightclub a national memorial."

Freedom of the Press ... Or Not? Charlie Savage of the New York Times: "Enshrined in the First Amendment, the role of the free press in bringing to light information beyond what those in power approve for release is a foundational principle of the American system of self-government. In Senate testimony this past week, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said the transparency that comes from investigative journalism about 'wrongdoing and error in the government' gives people faith in democracy. An essential task for journalists who report such material is to talk with officials who are not authorized to publicly speak about government matters and to protect their confidentiality. Leak prosecutions and seizures of journalists' communications data not only jeopardizes particular sources, but can also frighten others with newsworthy information into staying silent. But the confluence of recent events ... has brought into focus how fragile the protections for journalism are in the 21st century. [President] Biden has vowed a major course correction. Mr. Garland, who as a federal appeals court judge in 2005 stressed 'the public interest in protecting' reporters' sources..., has signed onto that effort while acknowledging this past week that 'there are some definitional questions, but I think they are quite resolvable.' The unresolved details are expected to be a focus of a meeting on Monday between Mr. Garland and leaders of The Times, The Post and CNN."

The Mysterious Subpoenas Nobody Knew About. Katelyn Polantz & Pamela Brown of CNN: "Ex-top Trump Justice Department official Rod Rosenstein has told people in recent days he was not aware of a subpoena that targeted the data of Democratic members of Congress while he was deputy attorney general, a source familiar with Rosenstein told CNN on Saturday. The attorney general at the time of the Apple subpoena, Jeff Sessions, was recused from all matters related to the Russia probe so a related leak investigation would have fallen under Rosenstein, CNN has reported. Former Attorney General Bill Barr, who took office a year after the subpoena was issued, also said Friday he does not recall discussing a probe of lawmakers.... The Justice Department has not publicly explained why Apple was being ordered to hand over the data ... [nor] why the request was so broad, who approved it, and what was being investigated." MB: According to the Daily Beast (story linked yesterday) JeffBo also said he didn't know about the subpoenas. ~~~

~~~ Josh Gerstein of Politico: "Friends and allies of a federal prosecutor tapped last year to dig into a series of leak cases are pushing back against perceptions that he was a pro-Trump crony brought in to try to pin leaks on Democratic members of Congress. Associates said Osmar Benvenuto, 39, had misgivings about taking the assignment because he feared he might be seen as tarnished by the work given the perceived politicization of the Justice Department under Attorney General William Barr, but the New Jersey-based career prosecutor ultimately decided to accept the job after friends counseled him to do so. Several of Benvenuto's friends and mentors said they found it utterly implausible that he would have taken on a political mission for the Trump administration. For one thing, Benvenuto is registered to vote in New Jersey as a Democrat and previously registered as a Democrat in New York City." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: So it wasn't Barr's fault, and it wasn't JeffBo's fault, and it wasn't Rosenstein's fault and it wasn't Benvenuto's fault. Apparently all those subpoenas just typed themselves and flew out of the Kennedy DOJ building and wafted in the air till they found an Apple store and landed on the counter.

"Private Inequity." Jesse Drucker & Danny Hakim of the New York Times: The day before the Jan. 6 insurrection, Trump's Treasury Department handed down new "regulations," "overseen by a senior Treasury official whose previous job involved helping the wealthy avoid taxes..., ensur[ing] that executives in the $4.5 trillion [private equity] industry ... could avoid paying hundreds of millions in taxes. The Trump administration's farewell gift to the buyout industry was part of a pattern that has spanned Republican and Democratic presidencies and Congresses: Private equity has conquered the American tax system.... The I.R.S., its staff hollowed out after years of budget cuts, has thrown up its hands when it comes to policing the politically powerful industry.... The private equity industry, which has a fleet of almost 200 lobbyists and has doled out nearly $600 million in campaign contributions over the last decade, has repeatedly derailed past efforts to increase its tax burden.... One [reform] bill after another has died, generally without a vote."

Oh, the Rich Get Richer & the Poor Get Poorer. Maureen Dowd: "Forgive me if I don't want to celebrate Jeff Bezos’ midlife crisis rocket ride. Given what this country has been through with Covid, given all the corrupt bankers who got off scot-free after the economic collapse, and given how hard it is to earn a buck, this new glimpse into inequities is genuinely disgusting.... We're halfway to a plutocracy here."

Valerie Strauss of the Washington Post: "On Saturday, thousands of educators and others gathered virtually and in person at historic locations in more than 20 cities to make clear that they would resist efforts in at least 15 Republican-led states to restrict what teachers can say in class about racism, sexism and oppression in America. Organized by local educators across the country in association with several social justice organizations, the National Day of Action is meant to raise public awareness about the legislation and to send a message that they will not lie to students about the country's racist past and present. Several thousand teachers have signed a pledge that says: 'We, the undersigned educators, refuse to lie to young people about U.S. history and current events -- regardless of the law.'"

Marie: I guess I don't care much, but if you'd like to read about Southern Baptists behaving badly, Sarah Bailey of the Washington Post has a story here, and Ruth Graham & Elizabeth Dias of the New York Times have a story here. The whole thing a big ole power play, and it's all coming to a head this week when the conservative & the ultra-conservatives and the confederates go to Nashville to fight it out. Jesus loves you, folks! ~~~

     ~~~ I've been wondering if those beings running the UFOs might be built without our greed genes. Maybe they're stopping by to see what's wrong with the dominant Earth creatures. If they are, I'll bet they feel sorry for us, because we are so messed up.

The Pandemic, Ctd.

Sharon LaFraniere of the New York Times: "A Baltimore factory that rendered useless 75 million doses of a coronavirus vaccine developed by Johnson & Johnson failed for weeks to seal off a preparation area for vaccine ingredients and allowed production waste to be hauled through the area, the Food and Drug Administration said in a memorandum analyzing the plant's operations. The memo, posted on the agency's website late Friday, offered the most extensive explanation to date of why regulators believe that tens of millions of doses of Johnson & Johnson's vaccine produced at that factory must be discarded." The FDA memo is here. MB: You wonder if the supervisors of this plant made it through their junior high school health & safety week classes.

Jordan Williams of the Hill: "A federal judge in Texas has dismissed a lawsuit from more than 100 employees of the Houston Methodist hospital system over the hospital's COVID-19 vaccine mandate. U.S. District Judge Lynn Hughes said the employees weren't illegally being forced to get vaccinated in order to keep their jobs. The decision is a victory for Houston Methodist, which was the first hospital system in the U.S. to mandate its employees get vaccinated, though plaintiffs plan to appeal the ruling.... The judge specifically blasted the plaintiffs for equating the vaccine mandate to forced experimentation during the Holocaust. 'Equating the injection requirement to medical experimentation in concentration camps is reprehensible,' Hughes wrote. 'Nazi doctors conducted medical experiments on victims that caused pain, mutilation, permanent disability, and in many cases, death.'" MB: Hughes is a Reagan appointee. According to his Wikipage, "His federal judicial service has been hallmarked by being one of the most reversed judges in the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit."

The New York Times' live updates of Covid-19 developments Saturday are here. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Beyond the Beltway

North Carolina. Learn All about It: Black Emancipation Was So Hard on White People. Hannah Knowles of the Washington Post: "... most of the event description for a Juneteenth activity at Historic Latta Plantation dealt with White people, seemingly fallen on hard times. 'White refugees have been displaced and have a story to tell as well,' it declared. Visitors to the site just north of Charlotte would hear from defeated Confederate soldiers, the description said. Also from 'the massa himself who is now living in the woods' and on the run from the Yankees, his home taken over by the people he used to own. Then there was the overseer, 'now out of a job.'... The event was canceled. And the plantation's Facebook page filled with scathing reviews and dismay that a historic site would so whitewash a cruel and racist past." ~~~

     ~~~ Dear Latta Plantation Events Planners: You know what's hard on white people? It's knowing that Black people look at us and can't tell whether or not we're just like you horrible excuses for humanity. S/Marie

Virginia. Rachel Weiner of the Washington Post: At the instigation of Black students, Alexandria's T.C. Williams High School -- named for a white segregationist who was superintendent of the city's public schools from the 1930s to the 1960s -- will be changed to Alexandria City High School. Ironically, the school is famous as the site of the film "Remember the Titans," the script of which is loosely based on the true story of the school's first Black football coach Herman Boone. "Another school, Matthew Maury Elementary, is also changing its name -- to Naomi L. Brooks Elementary School, honoring a local Black educator who died last year, replacing the name of a Confederate veteran who tried to reestablish the plantation system in Mexico. Both new names go into effect July 1."

Way Beyond

Israel. Bye-bye, Bibi. Joseph Krauss of the AP: "Israel is set to swear in a new government on Sunday that will send Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu into the opposition after a record 12 years in office and a political crisis that sparked four elections in two years. Naftali Bennett, the head of a small ultranationalist party, will take over as prime minister. But if he wants to keep the job, he will have to maintain an unwieldy coalition of parties from the political right, left and center. The eight parties, including a small Arab faction that is making history by sitting in the ruling coalition, are united in their opposition to Netanyahu and new elections but agree on little else." The Washington Post's story is here.

News Ledes

New York Times: "Ned Beatty, who during a prolific acting career that spanned more than four decades earned an Oscar nomination for his role in 'Network' and gave a cringe-inducing performance as a weekend outdoorsman assaulted by backwoods brutes in 'Deliverance,' died on Sunday at his home in Los Angeles. He was 83."

Washington Post: "Douglas B. Huron, a lawyer who won several major cases concerning the rights of employees, including a landmark Supreme Court decision that declared gender stereotyping a form of workplace discrimination, died June 7 at his home in Washington. He was 75.... During President Jimmy Carter's administration from 1977 to 1981, Mr. Huron was a White House adviser, leading efforts to nominate female and minority candidates for federal judgeships. Among those he recommended was Ruth Bader Ginsburg...."

AP: "Police have arrested one suspect and are searching for another after a mass shooting on a crowded downtown Austin[, Texas,] street left 14 people wounded early Saturday, two of them critically."

Hill: "An off-duty flight attendant forced a Delta Air Lines flight headed to Atlanta from Los Angeles to divert in Oklahoma after he attempted to access the plane's intercom system. Oklahoma City Police told CNN that the man was subdued after assaulting two fight attendants, and threatened to 'take the plane down.'... The incident marks the second Delta flight in as many weeks to be diverted due to an unruly passenger. Earlier this month, a Delta flight was forced to make an emergency landing after it took off from Los Angeles International Airport after a passenger attempted to breach the cockpit."

The Commentariat -- June 12, 2021

Afternoon Update:

G7 Leaders Glad to Be Rid of Trump. Kevin Liptak, et al., of CNN: "Officials attending this week's Group of 7 summit on the Cornish coast in England are emerging shell-shocked after four years dealing with a US president who often appeared intent on injecting animosity into their gatherings. In front of cameras and behind-the-scenes this weekend, officials said the abrasive interjections and lengthy tangents Trump brought to world summits were absent, replaced by a more businesslike and predictable agenda, including on areas of serious disagreement like China. Asked alongside Biden on Saturday whether the United States was back, French President Emmanuel Macron answered yes. 'Definitely, he said.... 'Are you supposed to be looking as if you're enjoying yourself?' quipped Britain's Queen Elizabeth, who later was pictured in friendly conversation with [President] Biden and his wife outside a futuristic biosphere...."

The New York Times' live updates of Covid-19 developments Saturday are here.

Here's a fun Washington Post slideshow of Queen Elizabeth's meetings U.S. presidents. Photos, some videos.

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The New York Times is liveblogging Saturday's G7 developments. The Guardian's liveblog is here.

Jonathan Lemire, et al., of the AP: "The United States plans to push democratic allies on Saturday to publicly call out China for forced labor practices as the Group of Seven leaders gather at a summit where they will also unveil an infrastructure plan meant to compete with Beijing's efforts in the developing world. The provocative proposal is part of President Joe Biden's escalating campaign to get fellow democratic leaders to present a more unified front to compete economically with China in the century ahead...."

Nick Niedzwiadek of Politico: "Attorney General Merrick Garland affirmed Friday the expansion of voting rights as a 'central pillar' to American democracy.... He said that within 30 days the department would double the Civil Rights Division's voting rights enforcement staff and committed to working with other agencies to combat voting-related disinformation.... Garland urged Congress to enact [the John Lewis Voting Rights Act and the For the People Act], an unlikely proposition, but added 'we will not wait for that legislation to act.'" (Also linked yesterday.) The Washington Post story is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: IMO, Merrick Garland just doesn't get it. However much he does or doesn't know about the corrupt, anti-American Trump presidency, he has decided to treat it as a presidency. He probably asks himself before making a decision on a Trump-era DOJ matter, "Is this what I would do with an Obama DOJ case?" Wrong question. Garland needs to do pretty much what his boss did when he became president. Go over every damned thing his predecessor did & get rid of 95 percent of it. And that includes staff hires. And it remains to be seen how aggressively his DOJ will try to attack state voter suppression laws. ~~~

     ~~~ Christina Cassidy & Mark Balsamo of the AP: "The Justice Department will scrutinize a wave of new laws in Republican-controlled states that tighten voting rules, Attorney General Merrick Garland said Friday, vowing to take action on any violations of federal law.... 'There are many things open to debate in America, but the right of all eligible citizens to vote is not one of them,' Garland said in his first direct response to the restrictive voting laws being passed in more than a dozen states where Republicans control the legislature and governor's office."

     ~~~ Nicholas Riccardi of the AP explains the differences between the two voting rights bills. (Also linked yesterday.)

Brian Fung & Evan Perez of CNN: "The Department of Justice sent a broad request in February 2018 to Apple as part of its investigation that collected data on members of Congress, staffers and their families. The department demanded metadata on 73 phone numbers and 36 email addresses from Apple, the company said Friday evening. Apple received the subpoena from the Justice Department on Feb. 6, 2018, but it contained no information about who the investigation was targeting or why, the company said. Apple also said determining who the targeted accounts belonged to would have required extensive research." ~~~

~~~ Felicia Sonmez, et al., of the Washington Post: "Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz announced Friday that his office is launching a probe following reports that the department had sought the records of journalists and prominent critics of ... Donald Trump on the House Intelligence Committee. In a statement, Horowitz said the review 'will examine the Department's compliance with applicable DOJ policies and procedures, and whether any such uses, or the investigations, were based upon improper considerations.'... Earlier Friday, Senate Democratic leaders on Friday demanded that former attorneys general in the Trump administration testify over secret subpoenas of [California Democrats Adam] Schiff and [Eric] Swalwell." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Mary Jalonick & Michael Balsamo have the AP's story: "Senate Democratic leaders immediately demanded that former Attorneys General Bill Barr and Jeff Sessions, who both oversaw Trump's leak probes, testify about the secret subpoenas. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin said in a statement that 'this appalling politicization of the Department of Justice by Donald Trump and his sycophants' must be investigated. They said that Barr and Sessions are subject to a subpoena if they refuse." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Nadler Sends a Warning to Garland. Guardian (at 18:46 in this liveblog): "Jerry Nadler, the chair of the House judiciary committee..., appears unwilling to wait for the inspector general's investigation, saying that there is 'a very short window' for the justice department to hold those responsible accountable before his committee will 'have no choice but to step in and do the work ourselves'." In a statement, Nadler said, in part, "The Department has a very short window to make a clean break from the Trump era on this matter. We expect the Department to provide a full accounting of these cases, and we expect the Attorney General to hold the relevant personnel accountable for their conduct. If the Department does not make substantial progress towards these two goals, then we on the Judiciary Committee will have no choice but to step in and do the work ourselves." ~~~

~~~ Daniel Lippman, et al., of Politico: "Former Attorney General William Barr on Friday distanced himself from reports that the Trump Justice Department seized communications records belonging to two prominent Democratic lawmakers who were spearheading investigations into ... Donald Trump. In a phone interview, Barr said he didn't recall getting briefed on the moves.... Barr said that while he was attorney general, he was 'not aware of any congressman's records being sought in a leak case.'... Trump 'was not aware of who we were looking at in any of the cases,' Barr said. 'I never discussed the leak cases with Trump. He didn't really ask me any of the specifics.'... Barr said he installed Osmar Benvenuto in DOJ's National Security Division in February 2020 to try to revive the leak investigations after Craig Carpenito, the U.S. attorney for New Jersey, recommended him to Barr...."

     ~~~ Marie: The reporting is confusing & seemingly contradictory: Barr says on the one hand, he has no recollection of any congressman's records being sought in connection with leaks, but on the other hand, he hired a top guy to look into the leaks. Is he saying he authorized continuation of investigations of leaks but didn't know the targets of the leaks were members of Congress? As for Barr's attempts to "distance himself" from Trump's demands, that's pretty ludicrous. As Betsy Swan -- one of the reporters on the Politico story -- pointed out on Chris Hayes' MSNBC show Friday, there's plenty in the public record indicating that Trump expected Barr to come down on Adam Schiff. For instance, after repeatedly accusing Schiff of being a "liar and a leaker," in February 2020 (when Barr was AG), Trump told reporters, "They ought to investigate Adam Schiff for leaking that intelligence," where "that intelligence" referred to Russia's interference in the 2016 election. In another tweet the next day, Trump wrote about, "Just another Shifty Schiff leak. Isn't there a law about this stuff?" This was precisely at the time Barr hired Benvenuto (and others) to re-up leak investigations and about a week after Barr complained in an interview that Trump's tweets "make it impossible for me to do my job." Trump's response to Barr's complaint was a series of tweets in which he asserted that he had a "legal right" to demand that Barr intervene in criminal cases. (And it was at the same time Barr recommended a lighter sentence for Roger Stone than his own prosecutors had suggested and ordered a "review" of the criminal case of Michael Flynn, who previously had pleaded guilty to a felony.) ~~~

     ~~~ Anyhow, I have obtained genuine Zoom video of Barr's phone interview with a Politico reporter: ~~~

~~~ Asawin Suebsaeng & Adam Rawnsley of the Daily Beast: "Former Attorney General Jeff Sessions is telling associates he had no idea his Justice Department seized phone records of two top Democratic congressional critics of... Donald Trump.... Under Sessions, the Justice Department launched dozens of probes into leaks of classified information. Leak investigations skyrocketed 800 percent over the Obama administration -- a statistic he proudly touted in congressional testimony. One of those investigations concerned the disclosure of key details of the probe into Russian election meddling. The targeting of members of Congress' communications -- as well as the seizure of records from reporters at The New York Times, Washington Post, and CNN -- are all believed to be part of that Russia-related leak hunt." The Raw Story has a summary report here. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: This story, oddly enough, seems to give Barr some plausible deniability, too. DOJ accessed metadata from more than 100 phone numbers and emails associated with just Schiff & Swalwell. If they accessed approximately the same number of accounts allied with the "dozens" of other marks, that would mean they accessed hundred or thousands of accounts. So if Barr's sleuths wanted to de-emphasize their sweeping up the congressmen's metadata, they could have handed him a thick report listing thousands of names, and Barr could have missed a few "Schiffs" and "Swalwells" on that list. As for Sessions, if he really didn't know, then it seems likely Rod Rosenstein, who ran the Russia investigation, is the culprit. Both Sessions & Barr could avoid accountability, and Rosenstein could take the rap.

Coral Davenport of the New York Times: "The Biden administration plans to restore environmental protections to Tongass National Forest in Alaska, one of the world's largest intact temperate rain forests, that had been stripped away by ... Donald J. Trump. The administration intends to 'repeal or replace' a Trump-era rule which opened about nine million acres, or more than half of the forest, to logging and road construction, according to a White House document published on Friday. The Tongass, in southeastern Alaska, is home to more than 400 species of wildlife, fish and shellfish, including nesting bald eagles, moose and the world's highest concentration of black bears. Among its snowy peaks, fijords and rushing rivers are stands of red and yellow cedar and Western hemlock as well as Sitka spruce trees at least 800 years old."

Biden Hides Trump Hotel Emoluments. Jonathan O'Connell & David Fahrenthold of the Washington Post: "For Donald Trump's entire presidency, top congressional Democrats used every tool at their disposal to investigate the Washington hotel he leased from the federal government, issuing subpoenas, holding hearings and filing a lawsuit to try to bring the inner workings of Trump's luxury property to light.... [President] Biden's team has steadfastly defended some of the protections the Trump administration put in place to conceal Trump's financial interests. The Justice Department under Biden is appealing a lower court judgment in favor of the congressional Democrats in their suit, another move by the agency to defend Trump-era legal positions. Biden's General Services Administration, which holds the lease for the Trump International hotel, has provided only a portion of the documents Congress is seeking and asked that none of them be disclosed publicly." (Also linked yesterday.)

Cecilia Kang of the New York Times: "House lawmakers on Friday introduced sweeping antitrust legislation aimed at restraining the power of Big Tech and staving off corporate consolidation. If passed, the bills would be the most ambitious update to monopoly laws in decades. The bills -- five in total -- take direct aim at Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google and their grip on online commerce, information and entertainment. The proposals would make it easier to break up businesses that used their dominance in one area to get a stronghold in another, would create new hurdles for acquisitions of nascent rivals and would empower regulators with more funds to police companies.... The introduction of the bills, which have some bipartisan support, is the most aggressive challenge yet from Capitol Hill to Silicon Valley's tech giants...."

Felicia Sonmez & Amy Wang of the Washington Post: "YouTube has suspended Sen. Ron Johnson from uploading videos for one week after the Wisconsin Republican's account shared a clip in which he touted the supposed benefits of hydroxychloroquine and another drug in fighting covid-19. According to Fox News Channel, a YouTube spokesperson said the video was in violation of Google's policy against medical misinformation.... Johnson's hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin claims are just the latest instance of the senator dispensing false or questionable information about covid-19 and downplaying the seriousness of the pandemic." The Hill's story is here.

Sarah Burnett of the AP: "A Chicago police officer charged with breaching the U.S. Capitol and entering a senator's office during the Jan. 6 insurrection texted photos of himself inside the building while wearing a police department sweatshirt after telling someone he was going to Washington 'to save the nation.' Karol Chwiesiuk, 29, was arrested Friday and faces five misdemeanor counts, including entering a restricted building, disrupting government business and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds with the intent to impede a congressional proceeding. Prosecutors allege in a criminal complaint that Chwiesiuk was among a mob of people who broke into and damaged the office of Sen. Jeff Merkley, an Oregon Democrat. They also say that days before he traveled to Washington to attend a rally supporting ... Donald Trump, Chwiesiuk said in a text to a friend that he was ... was 'Busy planning how to (expletive) up commies.' He later sent photos of himself inside the Capitol, according to prosecutors."

** Ryan Cooper of the Week: "The inspector general (IG) of the U.S. Park Police recently published a report [asserting that] ... 'evidence did not support a finding that the USPP cleared [Lafayette P]ark on June 1, 2020, so that then President Trump could enter the park.'... IG Mark Lee Greenblatt ... instead found that the park was cleared so that some fencing could be put up. Multiple news outlets repeated the IG line.... Don't be led astray by the headlines or the conservative propaganda here. This report does not actually exonerate Trump, and even the most charitable possible conception of events is hideously damning of the former president.... The report does not firmly conclude that Trump's visit had nothing to do with the park clearance, and more importantly, does not remotely count as a thorough investigation into that question.... One of the worst takes on the report (as usual these days) comes from Glenn Greenwald.... In short, whether [or not] the park clearance was initially planned as a cynical political stunt, Trump instantly turned it into one." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: My first thought when I ready theNYT report on the report was that the IG report didn't make a lot of sense because officers began violently clearing the park some 45 minutes before the scheduled evening curfew began. Why would they do that if not to accommodate Trump? Thursday night, Chris Hayes of MSNBC & Carol Leonnig of the Washington Post, without mentioning the timing of the attack on the protesters raised some other questions about the report's conclusions, emphasizing what Cooper also highlights: the IG didn't do much investigating. (Sorry, can't find video of the Hayes/Leonnig discussion.) Also too, Trump appointed Greenblatt to the IG position.

Volker Played Dumb. Aaron Blake of the Washington Post: "When ... Donald Trump faced his first impeachment in 2019, Republicans focused on a firsthand witness who they claimed helped exonerate Trump: Kurt Volker. But new evidence calls into question a key portion of Volker's testimony, in which he repeatedly downplayed personal knowledge that the investigations the Trump team sought in Ukraine involved now-President Biden.... [Volker] said hadn't been aware of a quid pro quo in which Ukraine would be given something for launching politically convenient investigations for Trump.... CNN this week published a recording of a call between Volker, Trump lawyer Rudolph W. Giuliani and a top Ukrainina official, Andriy Yermak, from July 2019.... The recording obtained by CNN shows Giuliani indeed making those [quid pro quo] connections in [the] call.... [Giuliani mentioned Ukraine's investigating Biden more than once during the call.]" MB: Let's face it: anyone associated with Donald Trump is a crook, a liar or both.

Katie Robertson of the New York Times: "Pulitzer Prizes were awarded on Friday to news organizations that provided in-depth coverage of the dramatic turns of 2020, a year dominated by a pandemic that left millions dead and a national conversation on race after the murder of George Floyd. The prize for public service, considered the most prestigious of the Pulitzers, went to The New York Times for its coverage of the coronavirus pandemic, an award shared by many departments at the newspaper. The Pulitzer board also recognized journalism that examined law enforcement practices during a year of worldwide street protests inspired, in part, by the murder of Mr. Floyd, a Black man, by a police officer in Minneapolis. The national reporting award went to The Marshall Project, AL.com, IndyStar and the Invisible Institute for a collaborative investigation on police dogs used as weapons, often against innocent citizens, reporting that led to government reforms.... The board also announced that Darnella Frazier, the teenager who filmed the murder of Mr. Floyd, would receive a special citation." CNN's report is here. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Poynter has the list of winners here. ~~~

~~~ Elahe Izadi of the Washington Post: "The Pulitzer Prize board awarded a special citation on Friday to Darnella Frazier, the teenager whose cellphone footage of George Floyd's murder last summer led to massive protests and sparked a racial reckoning in the country. Frazier was 17 at the time she filmed Floyd's death under the knee of Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, and she testified at Chauvin's trial, where he would eventually be convicted. Her video contradicted the initial police account of Floyd's death. In Friday's announcement, the board said Frazier received the citation for 'courageously reporting the murder of George Floyd, a video that spurred protests against police brutality around the world, highlighting the crucial role of citizens in journalists' quest for truth and justice.'" ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Frazier herself has written, "A lot of people call me a hero even though I don't see myself as one. I was just in the right place at the right time." But that isn't quite right. Frazier showed that even as a child, she had the journalistic instincts to record a bad act, at her peril, and publish it on Facebook. The Pulitzer committee would have been egregiously remiss had it not recognized her. ~~~

~~~ Amaris Costillo of Poynter: Freelance writer Mitchell S. "Jackson, a columnist for Esquire and an assistant professor at the University of Chicago, was named a co-winner of a Pulitzer Prize in Feature Writing for the essay ['Twelve Minutes and a Life,' published in Runner's World], which is a striking portrait of ... [(Ahmaud) Arbery -- a Black man -- [who] was pursued by armed white men and fatally shot while jogging in Glynn County, Georgia.... The account, published on June 18, 2020, is filled with radiant prose and draws from reporting and a bit of Jackson's own personal experience: He described himself as one of the 'rarest of Americans,' a Black Oregonian, and also wrote about the whiteness of the American pastime that is recreational running."

The Pandemic, Ctd.

The New York Times' live updates of Covid-19 developments are here: "Federal regulators have told Johnson & Johnson that about 60 million doses of its coronavirus vaccine produced at a troubled Baltimore factory cannot be used because of possible contamination, according to people familiar with the situation. The Food and Drug Administration plans to allow about 10 million doses to be distributed in the United States or sent to other countries, but with a warning that regulators cannot guarantee that Emergent BioSolutions, the company that operates the plant, followed good manufacturing practices. The agency has not yet decided whether Emergent can reopen the factory, which has been closed for two months because of regulatory concerns, the people said." (Also linked yesterday.)

Jordan Williams of the Hill: "An advisory panel of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will hold an emergency meeting on June 18 to discuss rare reports of heart inflammation after doses of COVID-19 vaccine. The meeting comes as the CDC looks into few cases of myocarditis, inflammation of the heart muscles, in young people and adolescents who received the shot. During a meeting of the Food and Drug Administration's advisory committee on vaccines on Thursday, the CDC revealed that it had identified 475 cases of myocarditis and pericarditis in people younger than 30 years old."

Sarah Kliff of the New York Times: "The Biden administration is reminding doctors, hospitals, pharmacies and insurers that it is illegal to bill patients for coronavirus vaccines, a letter obtained by The Times shows. The new warning responds to concerns among unvaccinated Americans that they could receive a bill with their shot. A recent Kaiser Family Foundation poll found that about a third of unvaccinated adults were unsure whether insurance covered the new vaccine." (Also linked yesterday.)

Beyond the Beltway

Missouri. AP: "Republican Missouri Gov. Mike Parson says addressing the clemency petition for a man who's been behind bars for a triple murder for more than four decades is not a 'priority,' even though prosecutors say he didn't commit the crime. Parson noted that Kevin Strickland, 62, was tried 'by a jury of his peers' and found guilty. But he added that he knew there was 'a lot more information out there.' Parson has a backlog of about 3,000 clemency requests, the Kansas City Star reported. He issued almost no pardons before his reelection in 2020 but has since begun issuing a group of pardons monthly.... Several state lawmakers from both sides of the aisle signed a letter seeking a pardon for Strickland, who has maintained his innocence since he was convicted in the April 1978 deaths of three people in Kansas City." MB: A photo of Strickland accompanying the article suggests why Parson is too busy to pardon the victim of such a striking miscarriage of justice: Strickland appears to be Black. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Of course, Parson is way busy locking down other -- probably unconstitutional -- matters. ~~~

~~~ Cameron Jenkins of the Hill: "Missouri Gov. Mike Parson (R) on Thursday announced he will sign legislation to ban state police from enforcing federal gun laws. Under the 'Second Amendment Preservation Act,' federal gun laws that regulate registration for weapons and the tracking and possession of weapons by domestic violence offenders will no longer be enforced, according to the Kansas City Star. Gun control advocates and Democrats have slammed the bill as a 'domestic violence loophole' and dangerous, noting that Missouri faces high rates of gun violence and had the nation's third-highest per-capita rate of gun deaths in 2020.... With the passage of the Second Amendment Preservation Act, the federal law prohibiting gun possession for those convicted of domestic violence would reportedly be deemed 'invalid' in Missouri."

News Ledes

Before Rosa, There Was Martha. New York Times: Martha "White died at 99 on Saturday at a nursing home in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.... White, a Black housekeeper in Baton Rouge, La., was bone-weary coming home from work one day in 1953. As she climbed aboard a city bus, she saw only one seat left, in the 'whites only' section at the front. She took it. 'I was tired,' she told Southern Digest in 2005. 'I looked at the seat, and I sat down.' That simple act was a startling move in the Jim Crow South. She was thrown off the bus, prompting Black residents of the city, Louisiana's capital, to mount a bus boycott. And that protest -- which was settled by a partial desegregation of the city's buses -- would serve as the template for the bigger and more famous bus boycott in Montgomery, Ala., two and a half years later."

Another Weekend In the NRA-USA. KXAN Austin, Texas: "At least 13 people were injured in a shooting in downtown Austin early Saturday morning.... There are many bars in the area.... Two of these patients are in critical condition, according to [Police Chief Joseph] Chacon.... Chacon said he could not say there's not a danger to the public since the suspect's not in custody. However, he said the shooting appears to be isolated just to this area in downtown."

The Commentariat -- June 11, 2021

Afternoon Update:

Nick Niedzwiadek of Politico: "Attorney General Merrick Garland affirmed Friday the expansion of voting rights as a 'central pillar' to American democracy.... He said that within 30 days the department would double the Civil Rights Division's voting rights enforcement staff and committed to working with other agencies to combat voting-related disinformation.... Garland urged Congress to enact [the John Lewis Voting Rights Act and the For the People Act], an unlikely proposition, but added 'we will not wait for that legislation to act.'" ~~~

     ~~~ Nicholas Riccardi of the AP explains the differences between the two bills.

Felicia Sonmez, et al., of the Washington Post: "Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz announced Friday that his office is launching a probe following reports that the department had sought the records of journalists and prominent critics of ... Donald Trump on the House Intelligence Committee. In a statement, Horowitz said the review 'will examine the Department's compliance with applicable DOJ policies and procedures, and whether any such uses, or the investigations, were based upon improper considerations.'... Earlier Friday, Senate Democratic leaders on Friday demanded that former attorneys general in the Trump administration testify over secret subpoenas of [California Democrats Adam] Schiff and [Eric] Swalwell." ~~~

     ~~~ Mary Jalonick & Michael Balsamo have the AP's story: "Senate Democratic leaders immediately demanded that former Attorneys General Bill Barr and Jeff Sessions, who both oversaw Trump's leak probes, testify about the secret subpoenas. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin said in a statement that 'this appalling politicization of the Department of Justice by Donald Trump and his sycophants' must be investigated. They said that Barr and Sessions are subject to a subpoena if they refuse."

Biden Hides Trump Hotel Shenanigans. Jonathan O'Connell & David Fahrenthold of the Washington Post: "For Donald Trump's entire presidency, top congressional Democrats used every tool at their disposal to investigate the Washington hotel he leased from the federal government, issuing subpoenas, holding hearings and filing a lawsuit to try to bring the inner workings of Trump's luxury property to light.... [President] Biden's team has steadfastly defended some of the protections the Trump administration put in place to conceal Trump's financial interests. The Justice Department under Biden is appealing a lower court judgment in favor of the congressional Democrats in their suit, another move by the agency to defend Trump-era legal positions. Biden's General Services Administration, which holds the lease for the Trump International hotel, has provided only a portion of the documents Congress is seeking and asked that none of them be disclosed publicly."

The New York Times' live updates of Covid-19 developments are here: "Federal regulators have told Johnson & Johnson that about 60 million doses of its coronavirus vaccine produced at a troubled Baltimore factory cannot be used because of possible contamination, according to people familiar with the situation. The Food and Drug Administration plans to allow about 10 million doses to be distributed in the United States or sent to other countries, but with a warning that regulators cannot guarantee that Emergent BioSolutions, the company that operates the plant, followed good manufacturing practices. The agency has not yet decided whether Emergent can reopen the factory, which has been closed for two months because of regulatory concerns, the people said."

Sarah Kliff of the New York Times: "The Biden administration is reminding doctors, hospitals, pharmacies and insurers that it is illegal to bill patients for coronavirus vaccines, a letter obtained by The Times shows. The new warning responds to concerns among unvaccinated Americans that they could receive a bill with their shot. A recent Kaiser Family Foundation poll found that about a third of unvaccinated adults were unsure whether insurance covered the new vaccine."

Katie Robertson of the New York Times: "Pulitzer Prizes were awarded on Friday to news organizations that provided in-depth coverage of the dramatic turns of 2020, a year dominated by a pandemic that left millions dead and a national conversation on race after the murder of George Floyd. The prize for public service, considered the most prestigious of the Pulitzers, went to The New York Times for its coverage of the coronavirus pandemic, an award shared by many departments at the newspaper. The Pulitzer board also recognized journalism that examined law enforcement practices during a year of worldwide street protests inspired, in part, by the murder of Mr. Floyd, a Black man, by a police officer in Minneapolis. The national reporting award went to The Marshall Project, AL.com, IndyStar and the Invisible Institute for a collaborative investigation on police dogs used as weapons, often against innocent citizens, reporting that led to government reforms.... The board also announced that Darnella Frazier, the teenager who filmed the murder of Mr. Floyd, would receive a special citation." CNN's report is here.

~~~~~~~~~~

The New York Times is live-updating Friday's G7 meeting developments.

David Sanger & Michael Shear of the New York Times: "President Biden and Prime Minister Boris Johnson of Britain signed a new version of the 80-year old 'Atlantic Charter' on Thursday, using their first meeting to redefine the Western alliance and accentuate what they said was a growing divide between battered democracies and their autocratic rivals, led by Russia and China. The two leaders unveiled the new charter as they sought to focus the world's attention on emerging threats from cyber attacks, the Covid-19 pandemic that has upended the global economy, and climate change, using language about reinforcing NATO and international institutions that Mr. Biden hoped would make clear< that the Trump era of America First was over." A BBC News story is here.

The New York Times' live updates of President Biden's European trip Thursday are here. (Also linked yesterday.)

Patrick Wintour of the Guardian: "Senior US embassy diplomats in London, backed by the US national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, have directly warned the UK's Brexit negotiator, Lord Frost, that he will inflame tensions in Northern Ireland if he does not compromise over border checks. A meeting between the US charge d'affaires Yael Lampert, currently America's most senior diplomat in London, and Frost led to an urging by the US for Britain to come to a negotiated settlement with the EU, according to an internal UK government note.... Sullivan told a briefing on Air Force One before Joe Biden landed in the UK on Wednesday evening: 'Any steps that imperil or undermine the Good Friday agreement will not be welcomed by the US.'... The US tone suggests the Biden administration is taking close interest in details of the talks, given it has a formal role to uphold the Good Friday deal." (Also linked yesterday.)

Lisa Rein & Eric Yoder of the Washington Post: "The Biden administration on Thursday told federal agencies that more employees can return to their offices as the threat of the coronavirus pandemic ebbs, but it also laid out a permanent work-from-home expansion that will drastically alter the federal government's workplace culture.... The 20-page memo to federal agencies ... maintains what started as an experiment in March 2020 to contend with the public health crisis -- for the immediate future and potentially the long term. As they make plans for a post-pandemic workplace, agencies across the government will be allowed to offer employees flexible schedules and remote work, depending on their needs.... The new policy comes a day after the administration told agencies they should not require their employees to be vaccinated against the coronavirus to return to the office or require them to disclose whether they are vaccinated." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I'm all for this change, but in "government towns," this is a serious, probably fatal, blow to downtown business districts that rely on lunchtime walk-in trade -- especially restaurants of course, but also gift shops, bookstores, etc., where workers with nearly an hour to kill would drop in to browse & buy.

Emily Cochrane of the New York Times: "A bipartisan group of senators announced on Thursday that they had reached an agreement on a framework to invest in the nation's aging public works system.... By early evening, five Democrats and five Republicans issued a joint statement announcing an agreement that would be fully paid for, albeit without any specific details about funding.... The preliminary agreement faces steep headwinds on Capitol Hill...." MB: Don't get your hopes up. Besides the hitches Cochrane mentions, Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) said the proposal was a non-starter if, as Mitt Romney -- one of the gang of ten -- said, the proposal was not centered on (or didn't even include) climate-change considerations.

Scott Wong of the Hill: "With a rare joint statement, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and her entire leadership team on Thursday sought to quell a growing controversy over Rep. Ilhan Omar's (D-Minn.) remarks equating war crimes committed by the U.S. and Israel to those by the Taliban and Hamas terrorist groups. The joint statement by Pelosi, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.), Assistant Speaker Katherine Clark (D-Mass.), Democratic Caucus Chairman Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) and Vice Caucus Chairman Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.) came after Omar responded to a request from a dozen Jewish House Democrats to 'clarify' what she meant in her original remarks.... '... drawing false equivalencies between democracies like the U.S. and Israel and groups that engage in terrorism like Hamas and the Taliban foments prejudice and undermines progress toward a future of peace and security for all,' the statement adds. In her clarification, Omar, a progressive Minnesota Democrat and one of the first Muslim women elected to Congress, explained that her original comments had focused on ongoing International Criminal Court probes -- 'not a moral comparison between Hamas and the Taliban and the U.S. and Israel.'"

Matt Zapotosky of the Washington Post: "Democrats and Republicans lobbed withering questions at the FBI as Director Christopher A. Wray testified before the House Judiciary Committee Thursday, though their concerns diverged significantly along partisan lines. Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) blasted Wray for the bureau's failure to detect in advance and respond to the mob that attacked the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, while ranking Republican Jim Jordan (Ohio) accused the bureau of intruding on Americans' civil liberties in an eclectic mix of circumstances." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: In his presumably-prepared opening statement, Jim Jordan claimed that when the FBI aided Rudy Giuliani's home, officers "kicked in his door." This was news to me, so I looked it up. According to Rudy himself, agents wakened him at 6 am with a "bang, bang, bang" on his door. So that was a lie, Jim. "Wray repeatedly declined to answer questions about ... the search involving Giuliani." Oh, and Matt Gaetz, whom the FBI is investigating, showed up for the committee hearing & asked questions about the origins of the coronavirus. ~~~

~~~ Alan Feuer & Matthew Rosenberg of the New York Times: "Federal prosecutors filed a wide-ranging conspiracy indictment on Thursday accusing six California men said to be connected to a radical gun rights movement called the Three Percenters with plotting to assault the Capitol on Jan. 6, in the first charges lodged against anyone involved with planning any of the political events held the week of the attack. The 20-page indictment was also the first to be brought against a group of alleged Three Percenters, a loosely organized movement that takes its name from the supposed 3 percent of the U.S. colonial population that fought against the British. The new charges, filed in Federal District Court in Washington, came on the same day that Christopher A. Wray, the F.B.I. director, testified in front of a House committee that prosecutors were pursuing additional conspiracy charges against some of the rioters who stormed the Capitol....

"The two top defendants in the indictment -- Alan Hostetter, 56, a former police chief turned yoga instructor; and Russell Taylor, 40, a wealthy graphic designer with a taste for red Corvettes -- were already under scrutiny by the government after the F.B.I.... Mr. Hostetter and Mr. Taylor were leaders of a group called the American Phoenix Project, which was founded to fight the 'fear-based tyranny' of coronavirus-related restrictions. The group later embraced ... Donald J. Trump's lies about a stolen election, and helped organize a well-attended rally outside the Supreme Court on Jan. 5, where the speakers included Roger J. Stone Jr...." Politico's story is here.

Adam Klasfeld of Law & Crime: "Finding a Proud Boys member's complaints of inadequate medical care behind bars 'without merit,' a federal judge [Royce Lambeth] issued a scathing ruling on Wednesday explaining why he kept him in jail -- and highlighting his vulgar Facebook tirades against the 'pu**y ass bitch' he believed 'ratted' him out following an FBI visit. 'Believe I know who ratted,' Christopher Worrell, 49, told an unidentified user on Jan. 18, the day the FBI interviewed him, according to the ruling. Then, prosecutors quote him indiscreetly posting publicly on his Facebook page: 'SO WHOMEVER [sic] CALLED THE "FEDS" ON ME REST ASSURED I KNOW WHO YOU ARE AND WE WILL BE DISCUSSING THIS SOON!! The best part is you have NOTHING accept [sic] empty accusations!! You are the piece of shit I knew you were!!'" (Also linked yesterday.)

Scott Allen of the Washington Post: "U.S. Capitol Police officer Eugene Goodman, who has been hailed as a hero for protecting lawmakers and facing down a wave of rioters who breached the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, will throw out the ceremonial first pitch at Nationals Park before Washington's game against the New York Mets on June 18, the team announced Thursday."

** This Was a Witch Hunt. Katie Benner, et al., of the New York Times: "As the Justice Department investigated who was behind leaks of classified information early in the Trump administration, it took a highly unusual step: Prosecutors subpoenaed Apple for data from the accounts of at least two Democrats on the House Intelligence Committee, aides and family members. One was a minor. All told, the records of at least a dozen people tied to the committee were seized in 2017 and early 2018, including those of Representative Adam B. Schiff of California, then the panel's top Democrat and now its chairman, according to committee officials and two other people briefed on the inquiry.... Ultimately, the data and other evidence did not tie the committee to the leaks.... But William P. Barr revived languishing leak investigations after he became attorney general a year later. He moved a trusted prosecutor from New Jersey with little relevant experience to the main Justice Department to work on the Schiff-related case and about a half-dozen others...." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: As Rachel Maddow said, this fishing expedition "profoundly threatened the separation of powers." ~~~

     ~~~ Manu Raju, et al., of CNN: "Rep. Eric Swalwell of California, another Democrat on the [House Intelligence C]ommittee, told CNN's Don Lemon on Thursday evening that he was notified that his data had been seized as part of the probe as well." ~~~

     ~~~ Myah Ward of Politico: "Rep. Adam Schiff, chair of the House Intelligence Committee, called for an inspector general investigation of the Trump Justice Department on Thursday after a report said that his phone records, along with those of aides and another member of the committee, had been seized — what he condemned as a 'terrible abuse of power.' 'It also makes the Department of Justice just a fully owned subsidiary of the president's personal legal interests and political interests,' the California Democrat told MSNBC's Rachel Maddow."

Azi Paybarah of the New York Times: "Zahid N. Quraishi, a federal magistrate judge and the son of Pakistani immigrants, was confirmed by the U.S. Senate for a federal judgeship in New Jersey on Thursday, becoming the first Muslim Federal District Court judge in the nation's history. Judge Quraishi acknowledged his history-making status after President Biden announced his intention to nominate him in March. 'Candidly,' the judge said, 'I would prefer to be the hundredth, if not the thousandth.' He added, 'I understand what it means to the community.'"

Michael Wayland of CNBC: "The immediate past president of the United Auto Workers was sentenced Thursday to 28 months in prison for his part in a scheme with other leaders to steal as much as $1.5 million in union funds for lavish trips, golfing, alcohol and other luxuries. Gary Jones is the second UAW president to be sentenced as part of a multiyear corruption probe into the prominent American labor union. He is one of 15 people to have been charged, including three Fiat Chrysler executives and his predecessor, Dennis Williams, who was sentenced last month to 21 months in prison. His sentencing is among the last in the investigation, which has tarnished the union's reputation, created mistrust among its members and led to federal oversight of the UAW." MB: These guys are such cliches. (Also linked yesterday.)

Spencer Hsu of the Washington Post: As part of a plea deal, Emma Coronel Aispuro, "the wife of Joaquín Archivaldo Guzmán Loera, the infamous drug lord known as 'El Chapo,' pleaded guilty Thursday morning in Washington to helping his multibillion-dollar criminal enterprise smuggle at least 100 tons of marijuana, cocaine and heroin into the United States." (Also linked yesterday.)

"The Trump Coast." Travis Gettys of the Raw Story: Donald Trump "basks in a 'biosphere' of adoration at [Mar-a-Lago], where he rub elbows with members and guests who posts photos and videos of the twice-impeached one-term president at engagement parties, memorial services and other events, reported Bloomberg.... 'At every moment of his day, Trump is bathed in adulation,' reported Bloomberg's Joshua Green. 'When he enters the dining room, people stand and applaud. When he returns from golf, he's met with squeals and selfie requests. When he leaves Mar-a-Lago, he often encounters flag-waving throngs organized by Willy Guardiola, a former professional harmonica player and anti-abortion activist who runs weekly pro-Trump rallies in Palm Beach.... A steady stream of Republican lawmakers has visited Trump at his club, and his children Ivanka and Donald Jr. have bought multi-million-dollar homes nearby, as have Fox News broadcasters Sean Hannity and Neal Cavuto.... 'It's like if Rachel Maddow and the Pod Save America guys all bought condos in Chicago because they wanted to be close to Barack Obama,' [said Democratic strategist Eddie Vale]." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: This is what I mean when I cast Trump as a third-rate "celebrity." His biggest fans seem to be Hannity and "a former professional harmonica player."

Rachel Siegel of the Washington Post: "Prices rose by 5 percent in May compared with a year ago, the largest increase since the Great Recession, continuing a steady climb in inflation even as policymakers insist on staying the course. Price spikes often coincide with downturns, and officials from the White House and Federal Reserve have predicted that prices will climb over the coming months, especially compared to a year ago, when the economy was reeling from coronavirus pandemic shutdown. However, the move adds new fuel to the Republican criticism that the Biden administration is spending too much, which could lead to an overheated economy. The most recent inflation figures, released Thursday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, are not rattling the Biden administration nor the Fed. Both predict that prices will continue to rise until supply chains and consumer demand recalibrate and the economy has time to heal." (Also linked yesterday.)

Zoom, Zoom. Annals of "Journalism," Ctd. Brian Stelter & Oliver Darcy of CNN: "Jeffrey Toobin returned to CNN as the network's chief legal analyst on Thursday, eight months after he exposed himself during a Zoom call with colleagues at The New Yorker. Toobin was interviewed by anchor Alisyn Camerota ... about that incident, and about recent legal news.... Toobin described himself as a 'flawed human being who makes mistakes' and said his conduct was 'deeply moronic and indefensible.' He added, 'I didn't think other people could see me,' but he admitted that was no defense. In the interview, Toobin expressed apologies to his wife and family, to the people who were on the Zoom call that day, and to his colleagues.... People familiar with the matter said that Toobin exposed himself when he began masturbating during the Zoom, apparently as part of a different video call.... The New Yorker suspended Toobin and fired him a month later, after its internal investigation had been completed." Includes video of the Camerota interview. MB: Maybe old-timers just shouldn't try to multi-task, especially where there's technology involved.

Joe DePaolo of Mediaite: "CNN anchor Jim Acosta is utterly unsparing in his criticism of rival network Fox News -- dismissing the network as a 'bullshit factory' and going hard at one of their lead hosts. Speaking with Mediaite's Aidan McLaughlin for this week's episode of The Interview podcast, the CNN anchor bashed Fox News for what he deemed to be an increasing trend towards outrage content.... '[Tucker Carlson] has these moments where he just sounds like a race-baiting tyrant,' Acosta said. '... It's ginning up anger, and rage, and frustration in a certain segment of the American public. And I do think it does just a great deal of harm to this country.'"

The Pandemic, Ctd.

The Washington Post's live updates of Covid-19 developments Friday are here.

Denise Lu of the New York Times: "More than half of the U.S. population has received at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, and it's the remaining unvaccinated population that is driving the lingering deaths, experts say. After the first vaccines were authorized for emergency use in December, with priority given to senior populations before younger groups, the share of those dying who were 75 or older started dropping immediately. In turn, younger populations began to make up higher shares of Covid-19 deaths compared with their shares at the peak of the pandemic -- a trend that continued when vaccine eligibility opened up to all adults. While the number of deaths dropped in all age groups, about half of Covid-19 deaths are now of people aged 50 to 74, compared with only a third in December." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: If I were a person who for some reason was afraid to receive the vaccine, this report would make me afraid not to. However, I doubt the vaccine-shy read the lying' librul NYT.

The New York Times' live updates of Covid-19 developments Friday are here. (Also linked yesterday.)

Jenny Gross of the New York Times: "... companies are legally permitted to make employees get vaccinated, according to recent guidance from the federal agency that enforces workplace discrimination laws, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Here's the latest about the rules in the United States on vaccinations in the workplace." (Also linked yesterday.)

Dana Milbank of the Washington Post got the coronavirus vaccine and now he's magnetized. He relates some of the upsides & downsides of his altered state. For instance, the morning after he got his first shot, "... as I was eating my oatmeal, my spoon stuck to the roof of my mouth. I might have choked, but fortunately the spoon was jarred loose when the magnetic force slammed me against the refrigerator...."

Beyond the Beltway

Oregon. Mike Baker of the New York Times: "Lawmakers in Oregon ejected one of their colleagues from office for the first time in state history late Thursday night, voting 59 to 1 to oust Representative Mike Nearman for his role in helping a far-right crowd breach the State Capitol in December. Mr. Nearman, who was the only no vote, had faced rising pressure from his Republican colleagues to resign from office this week, days after newly surfaced video showed him apparently coaching people on how they might get inside the closed Capitol. Previous security footage had showed how Mr. Nearman exited the building where protesters had gathered, allowing them inside and setting off a confrontation with law enforcement officers. Mr. Nearman, who faces misdemeanor charges for his actions, said on Thursday that legislative leaders should have never excluded the public from the Capitol -- a decision that was a coronavirus precaution."

Texas. Trumpity-Trump-Trump. Heidi Pérez-Moreno of the Texas Tribune: "Gov. Greg Abbott announced Thursday that Texas will build a border wall along the state's boundary with Mexico -- but provided no details on where or when. Abbott declared his plans during a press conference in Del Rio. He said he would discuss the plans next week. The Biden administration issued a proclamation that stopped border wall construction on his first day of office. Abbott announced the news while discussing a slew of border initiatives...."