The Commentariat -- May 17, 2021

Today is the deadline for filing federal tax returns. Here's a New York Times story on what you need to know.

Late Morning/Afternoon Update:

Zeke Miller of the AP: "President Joe Biden said Monday that the U.S. will share an additional 20 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines with the world in the coming six weeks as domestic demand for shots drops and global disparities in distribution have grown more evident. The doses will come from existing production of Pfizer, Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccine stocks, marking the first time that U.S.-controlled doses of vaccines authorized for use in the country will be shared overseas. It will boost the global vaccine sharing commitment from the U.S. to 80 million. 'We know America will never be fully safe until the pandemic that's raging globally is under control,' Biden said at the White House. The announcement comes on top of the Biden's administration's prior commitment to share about 60 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, which is not yet authorized for use in the U.S., by the end of June. The AstraZeneca doses will be available to ship once they clear a safety review by the Food and Drug Administration."

Check out the front page of the New York Times this afternoon; it appears to have an IP-address-specific indicator of the Covid risk in your county. Mine is "very high." The blurb links to a page that provides particulars. Great! I don't know if this works for everyone, but it worked for me.

Chuck Does Some Journalism. Tim Elfrink of the Washington Post: "Meet the Press" host Chuck Todd took on guest Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas), "noting that Trump continues to make baseless claims that the election was stolen -- a view that many GOP leaders have declined to challenge or openly embraced. 'Why should anybody believe a word you say if the Republican Party itself doesn't have credibility?' Todd asked. The fiery exchange, which went viral on Twitter with one clip racking up more than 1 million views, offers vivid evidence of the challenge Republicans face in shifting the conversation from Trump's election lies months after his loss and the deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol by his followers." Includes clip.

News for Racist Parler Users. Kevin Randall of the Washington Post: "When social media network Parler came back to life on Apple's App Store Monday, it was designed to be a less offensive version than what users are able to see elsewhere. Posts that are labeled 'hate' by Parler's new artificial intelligence moderation system won't be visible on iPhones or iPads. There's a different standard for people who look at Parler on other smartphones or on the Web: They will be able to see posts marked as 'hate,' which includes racial slurs, by clicking through to see them. Parler has resisted placing limits on what appears on its social network, and its leaders have equated blocking hate speech to totalitarian censorship, according to Amy Peikoff, chief policy officer. But Peikoff, who leads Parler's content moderation, says she recognizes the importance of the Apple relationship to Parler's future and seeks to find common ground between them."

Alice Ollstein of Politico: "The Supreme Court on Monday said it will review Mississippi's ban on abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy, taking up a direct challenge to Roe v. Wade just a few months after its newest conservative justice joined the bench. The Mississippi ban, which has been blocked by lower courts since it was enacted in 2018, will be one of the first reproductive rights cases argued before the Supreme Court since Justice Amy Coney Barrett was confirmed in October, giving conservatives a 6-3 majority that is widely expected to curtail abortion access." The Washington Post's story is here.

Marie: So I put up a nice story in the PSA section (right column) about how the federal government was accepting applications to reduce your Internet bill. Now this: ~~~

~~~ Geoffrey Fowler of the Washington Post: "The government has a new program [called the Emergency Broadband Benefit] to help Americans pay their Internet bills. Unfortunately, companies like Verizon are twisting it into an opportunity for an upsell.... Verizon elicited the most ire from readers. It requires customers to call a phone line to register for the EBB, rather than just signing up online. And when you do, Verizon tells some customers the EBB can't be used on 'old' data plans, so they'll have to switch. That might be allowed by the letter of the law but certainly isn't the spirit of the program." So you might save money in the short term (Marie: and you might get faster service), but when the EBB program expires, your bill will be higher.

Florida Man Pleads Guilty. Lori Rozsa & Matt Zapotosky of the Washington Post: "A Florida politician considered key to the investigation of Rep. Matt Gaetz formally pleaded guilty Monday to sex trafficking of a minor and a host of other crimes, agreeing to cooperate fully with prosecutors and testify in court in hopes of leniency for himself. Appearing in court Monday, Joel Greenberg, a former tax collector for Seminole County, Fla., repeatedly said, 'I do' in response to questions from the judge, affirming what he had already admitted in a written plea agreement made public last week. His plea and deal to cooperate is a potentially ominous sign for Gaetz, as it signals prosecutors have lined up a critical witness as they continue to investigate the congressman." ~~~

     ~~~ Dareh Gregorian & Natalie Obregon of NBC News: "Wearing a jail jumpsuit and a blue surgical mask and in shackles, Greenberg admitted his guilt to six of the 33 charges initially filed against him -- identity theft, stalking, wire fraud, conspiracy to bribe a public official and sex trafficking of a minor." MB: Please, Florida, that's how we want to see two other Florida men -- Matt & Donald -- in days to come. ~~~

     ~~~ Michael Balsamo & Mike Schneider of the AP: "Outside the courthouse, a plane flew over during the hearing pulling a banner that read: 'TICK TOCK MATT GAETZ.'"

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Henry Gomez of NBC News: "Rep. Matt Gaetz, the Florida Republican mired in controversy, told a crowd of Republican activists Saturday that sexual misconduct allegations involving him are as benign as legislative earmarks. 'I'm being falsely accused of exchanging money for naughty favors,' Gaetz said at the Ohio Political Summit, a gathering sponsored by the Strongsville GOP in suburban Cleveland. 'Yet, Congress has reinstituted a process that legalizes the corrupt act of exchanging money for favors, through earmarks, and everybody knows that that's the corruption.'" MB: Earmarks are sometimes useful in obtaining the votes of reluctant MOCs, yet Congress, in its wisdom, is unlikely to approve legislation providing MOCs with hookups with underaged prostitutes and rentboys in exchange for their votes on an infrastructure bill. As far as I know. But nice try, Matt. Maybe you could introduce a sex-for-votes bill? (Also linked yesterday.)

News Flash! The Former Guy Is an Imbecile. Jonathan Swan & Zachary Basu of Axios: On "Nov. 9, 2020 -- days after Trump lost his re-election bid -- John McEntee, one of Donald Trump's most-favored aides, handed retired Army Col. Douglas Macgregor a piece of paper with a few notes scribbled on it. He explained: 'This is what the president wants you to do.' '1. Get us out of Afghanistan. 2. Get us out of Iraq and Syria. 3. Complete the withdrawal from Germany. 4. Get us out of Africa.' [This] was ... just moments after Macgregor was offered a post as senior adviser to acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller.... The order arrived seemingly out of nowhere, and its instructions, signed by Trump, were stunning.... Top military brass, including Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Milley, were appalled. This was not the way to conduct policy -- with no consultation, no input, no process for gaming out consequences or offering alternatives." This is a much longer-than-usual Axios story and traces the Pentagon's reactions. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Even in the waning days of his failed fake presidency*, Trump did not understand the first thing about the job. He thought presidenting was barking whimsical orders and watching functionaries scramble to fulfill said whims. For him, moving thousands of troops was no more consequential than ordering a Diet Coke. No one over the age of nine should take this view of the American presidency. ~~~

~~~ AND YET. Anthony Salvanto, et al., of CBS News: "... self-identified Republicans ... still very much want their party to show loyalty to Mr. Trump and adhere to the idea that President Biden didn't legitimately win.... Eighty percent of Republicans who'd heard about the vote [to oust Liz Cheney from her House leadership position] agree with Cheney's removal -- they feel she was off-message, unsupportive of Mr. Trump, and that she's wrong about the 2020 presidential election. To a third of them, and most particularly for those who place the highest importance on loyalty, Cheney's removal also shows 'disloyalty will be punished.'" Your neighbors are very stupid. I suppose they think that blithely ordering troop withdrawals all over the world demonstrates Trump is "bold" and "decisive."

Marie: I'm getting a bit weary of these stories about the search for the "soul of the Republican party." The GOP has no soul.  

Strange Phenomena

Katie Williams, et al., of CNN: "Two White House officials were struck by a mysterious illness late last year -- including one who was passing through a gate onto the property -- newly revealed details that come as investigators are still struggling to determine who or what is behind these strange incidents. Multiple sources tell CNN that the episodes affected two officials on the National Security Council in November 2020, one the day after the presidential election and one several weeks later. The cases are consistent with an inexplicable constellation of sensory experiences and physical symptoms that have sickened more than 100 US diplomats, spies and troops around the globe and have come to be known as 'Havana Syndrome.' The intelligence community still isn't sure who is causing the strange array of nervous system symptoms, or if they can be definitively termed 'attacks.' Even the technology that might cause such an inconsistent set of symptoms is a matter of debate."

Bill Whitaker of CBS News' "60 Minutes" interviews Lue Elizondo, formerly of the Pentagon's the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program, as well as former Assistant Secretary of Defense Christopher Mellon & Navy pilots who have seen UFOs. Oh, and Marco Rubio. "... the U.S. government [has] grudging[ly] acknowledg[ed the existence] of unidentified aerial phenomena -- UAP -- more commonly known as UFOs. After decades of public denial the Pentagon now admits there's something out there, and the U.S. Senate wants to know what it is. The intelligence committee has ordered the director of national intelligence and the secretary of defense to deliver a report on the mysterious sightings by next month." A transcript & video of the segment are at the linked page.

Familiar Phenomenon

Emily Flitter & Matthew Goldstein of the New York Times: "By the time Melinda French Gates decided to end her 27-year marriage, her husband was known globally as a software pioneer, a billionaire and a leading philanthropist. But in some circles, Bill Gates had also developed a reputation for questionable conduct in work-related settings. That is attracting new scrutiny amid the breakup of one of the world's richest, most powerful couples." The report details some of Bill's "questionable conduct." MB: I'm not surprises. Not long after his marriage, my daughter told me she observed Bill "behaving inappropriately" at an industry party. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ Bobby Allyn of NPR: "Microsoft's board of directors hired a private law firm to investigate a decades-old 'intimate relationship' Bill Gates had with a company employee. The investigation, according to a company spokesman, took place in the months before the billionaire resigned from the board last year.... A story on Sunday in The Wall Street Journal reported Microsoft's board decided that Gates should step down while the prior romantic relationship, that was deemed to be 'inappropriate,' was still being reviewed. A spokeswoman for Gates, however, denied any connection between his departure and the board's investigation." ~~~

~~~ Jay Greene of Politico: "Bill Gates acknowledged through a spokeswoman that he had an extramarital affair with a Microsoft employee, which Microsoft said led its board to investigate the 'intimate relationship' shortly before he resigned from the board last year. It is not clear what role the investigation or the affair, which took place two decades ago, played in the decision the Microsoft co-founder and his wife, Melinda French Gates, made to divorce after 27 years of marriage." ~~~

     ~~~ Scott Lemieux, in LG&$, who republishes portions of the WSJ & NYT stories linked above, is concerned that our plutocrats are not okay.

Edmund Lee & John Koblin of the New York Times: "AT&T, the wireless carrier that thundered its way into the media business three years ago with grand visions of streaming video on millions of its customers' cellphones, has agreed to spin off its WarnerMedia group and merge it with its rival programmer Discovery Inc., the companies announced Monday. The transaction will combine HBO, Warner Bros. studios, CNN and several other cable networks with a host of reality-based cable channels from Discovery, including Oprah Winfrey's OWN, HGTV, The Food Network and Animal Planet.... In addition to Discovery's strong lineup of reality-based cable channels, the company has a large international sports business.... Industry experts questioned AT&T's [Time Warner foray], and now the spinoff indicates a failed acquisition strategy." CNN's story is here. MB: Other than "It's the Republicans, Stupid," I don't understand why the feds allow these huge monopolies.

The Pandemic, Ctd.

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

Noah Weiland of the New York Times: "... the Biden administration has [begun] a new phase of its vaccination campaign. The federal government has set up mass vaccination sites at stadiums, sent doses to pharmacies and clinics serving lower-income Americans, and, on Friday, enticed the unvaccinated with the prospect of finally being able to shed their masks. But with the ranks of the willing and able dwindling, the campaign has in many places already morphed into a door-to-door and person-by-person effort. The Black Doctors Covid-19 Consortium..., led by Dr. Asa Stanford of Philadelphia], is one of about 11,000 members of what the Department of Health and Human Services is calling its Covid-19 community corps, a loose constellation of volunteers, corporations, advocacy groups and local organizations working to vaccinate Americans often left behind by the nation's health care system.... Andy Slavitt, a White House pandemic adviser, described in an interview last week three categories to organize the unvaccinated: those making a choice at their own pace, those who need easier access to a vaccine and those under 30 who are open to getting a shot but not rushing to."

Dan Diamond of the Washington Post: "The nation's top public health official on Sunday defended her agency's abrupt reversal on wide-ranging mask recommendations, saying that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had weighed new data before announcing that Americans who had been vaccinated could go without masks.'We now have science that has really just evolved, even in the last two weeks,' CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said on ABC News's 'This Week,' citing new data that coronavirus vaccines are curbing the spread of the disease covid-19 and offering protection against virus variants. Walensky, who appeared on four separate Sunday morning news shows to explain her agency's new guidelines, also touted widespread access to those vaccines and called on tens of millions of unvaccinated Americans to go get shots."

AP: Dr. Anthony Fauci "said Sunday that 'the undeniable effects of racism' have led to unacceptable health disparities that especially hurt African Americans, Hispanics and Native Americans during the pandemic. 'COVID-19 has shone a bright light on our own society's failings,' Dr. ... Fauci said during a graduation ceremony for Emory University. Speaking by webcast from Washington, Fauci told the graduates in Atlanta that many members of minority groups work in essential jobs where they might be exposed to the coronavirus. He also said they are more likely to become infected if exposed because of medical conditions such as hypertension, chronic lung disease, diabetes or obesity. 'Now, very few of these comorbidities have racial determinants,' Fauci said. 'Almost all relate to the social determinants of health dating back to disadvantageous conditions that some people of color find themselves in from birth regarding the availability of an adequate diet, access to health care and the undeniable effects of racism in our society.'"

David Holtgrave & Eli Rosenberg, public health experts, in a CNN opinion piece: "Unfortunately, we are still not across the finish line in the US pandemic. There is still a Covid-19 death about every 2.5 minutes in the nation, and serious racial and ethnic disparities exists (e.g., in disproportionate access to vaccination services). There are six major concerns about the decision to roll back some key safety measures when in fact we need all of the tools we have in the Covid-19 prevention toolbox for perhaps just a short time longer.... We are going to keep wearing our masks." MB: Me, too, although I've liberalized that a lot. For instance, a friend -- who like me is fully vaccinated -- stopped by yesterday. We chatted outside, and neither of us wore masks. I have a couple of nearly immovable iron benches that are, by happenstance, set about six feet apart, so they provide just the right "social distancing." A couple of weeks ago, we both would have masked up.

Beyond the Beltway

North Carolina. Lateshia Beachum of the Washington Post: "Two half-brothers with intellectual disabilities who were wrongfully convicted of the rape and murder of an 11-year-old girl in 1983 were awarded $75 million by a jury in Raleigh, N.C., as part of a federal civil rights case. After nearly five hours of deliberation Friday, a jury found that Henry McCollum and Leon Brown should each receive $31 million, representing the 31 years they spent in prison, the Raleigh News & Observer reported. The brothers, who are both Black, were also awarded $13 million in punitive damages.

Way Beyond

Israel. The New York Times' liveblog of developments Monday in Israel's armed conflict are here.

~~~ Fares Akram & Ravi Nessman of the AP: "Israeli warplanes unleashed a new series of heavy airstrikes at several locations in Gaza City early Monday, hours after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signaled the fourth war with Gaza's Hamas rulers would rage on. Explosions rocked the city from north to south for 10 minutes in an attack that was heavier, on a wider area and lasted longer than a series of air raids 24 hours earlier in which 42 Palestinians were killed -- the deadliest single attack in the latest round of violence between Israel and the Hamas militant group that rules Gaza. The earlier Israeli airstrikes flattened three buildings. The Israeli military said it attacked the homes of nine Hamas commanders across Gaza. There were no immediate reports of injuries, and in the predawn darkness there was little information on the extent of damage inflicted early Monday." The Guardian has a story here. ~~~

~~~The New York Times' liveblog of developments in the armed Israel conflict Sunday are here. ~~~

~~~ Julian Borger of the Guardian: "In his staunch defence of Israel, Joe Biden is sticking to a course set decades ago as a young senator, and so far he has not given ground on the issue to the progressive wing of his party or many Jewish Democrats urging a tougher line towards Benjamin Netanyahu. Biden has even been prepared to face isolation at the UN security council, at the potential cost of his own credibility on multilateralism and human rights. But analysts say that as the death toll rises with no sign of a ceasefire, the domestic and international pressures on the president could become impossible to ignore. American Jews have grown increasingly sceptical of Netanyahu and his policies. A Pew Research Center survey published last week found that only 40% thought the prime minister was providing good leadership, falling to 32% among younger Jews. Strikingly, only 34% strongly opposed sanctions or other punitive measures against Israel. The liberal Jewish American lobby, J Street, has growing influence in the Democratic party and has urged Biden to do more to stop the bloodshed and the Israeli policies that have helped drive the conflict." ~~~

~~~ Aubree Weaver of Politico: "While Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hopes that the escalating violence between Israeli and Palestinian forces doesn't continue for very long, he acknowledged Sunday morning that he doesn't foresee an 'immediate' end to the conflict. [Speaking on CBS' 'Face the Nation,'] Netanyahu also denied reports that he had rejected a truce offered by Egypt, which also borders on Gaza, and accepted by Hamas. 'That's not what I know,' he said of the suggested truce." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

The Commentariat -- May 16, 2021

Afternoon Update:

David Holtgrave & Eli Rosenberg, public health experts, in a CNN opinion piece: "Unfortunately, we are still not across the finish line in the US pandemic. There is still a Covid-19 death about every 2.5 minutes in the nation, and serious racial and ethnic disparities exists (e.g., in disproportionate access to vaccination services). There are six major concerns about the decision to roll back some key safety measures when in fact we need all of the tools we have in the Covid-19 prevention toolbox for perhaps just a short time longer.... We are going to keep wearing our masks." MB: Me, too, although I've liberalized that a lot. For instance, a friend -- who like me is fully vaccinated -- stopped by yesterday. We chatted outside, and neither of us wore masks. I have a couple of nearly immovable iron benches that are, by happenstance, set about six feet apart, so they provide just the right "social distancing." A couple of weeks ago, we both would have masked up.

Aubree Weaver of Politico: "While Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hopes that the escalating violence between Israeli and Palestinian forces doesn't continue for very long, he acknowledged Sunday morning that he doesn't foresee an 'immediate' end to the conflict. [Speaking on CBS' 'Face the Nation,'] Netanyahu also denied reports that he had rejected a truce offered by Egypt, which also borders on Gaza, and accepted by Hamas. 'That's not what I know,' he said of the suggested truce."

Henry Gomez of NBC News: “Rep. Matt Gaetz, the Florida Republican mired in controversy, told a crowd of Republican activists Saturday that sexual misconduct allegations involving him are as benign as legislative earmarks. 'I'm being falsely accused of exchanging money for naughty favors,' Gaetz said at the Ohio Political Summit, a gathering sponsored by the Strongsville GOP in suburban Cleveland. 'Yet, Congress has reinstituted a process that legalizes the corrupt act of exchanging money for favors, through earmarks, and everybody knows that that's the corruption.'" MB: Earmarks are sometimes useful in obtaining the votes of reluctant MOCs, yet Congress, in its wisdom, is unlikely to approve legislation providing MOCs with hookups with underaged prostitutes and rentboys in exchange for their votes on an infrastructure bill. As far as I know. But nice try, Matt. Maybe you could introduce a sex-for-votes bill?

Emily Flitter & Matthew Goldstein of the New York Times: "By the time Melinda French Gates decided to end her 27-year marriage, her husband was known globally as a software pioneer, a billionaire and a leading philanthropist. But in some circles, Bill Gates had also developed a reputation for questionable conduct in work-related settings. That is attracting new scrutiny amid the breakup of one of the world’s richest, most powerful couples." The report details some of Bill's "questionable conduct." MB: This doesn't surprise me. Not long after his marriage, my daughter told me she observed Bill "behaving inappropriately" at an industry party.

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Pay-to-Play. Because Everything They Did Was Crooked. Jeff McDonald of the San Diego Union-Tribune: "A federal grand jury in Washington, D.C., has begun issuing subpoenas in a criminal investigation into the nomination of San Diego developer Douglas F. Manchester as ambassador to the Bahamas by ... Donald Trump. The case appears to focus on the Republican National Committee and its two senior leaders, and possibly members of Congress. Manchester, a well-known contributor to the Republican Party and to GOP elected officials and candidates, was nominated to become the U.S. ambassador to the Bahamas in May 2017, just months into the Trump administration. But the nomination stalled in the U.S. Senate, prompting Trump to re-nominate Manchester to the post early in 2018. That nomination also was held up from Senate approval. Manchester withdrew his nomination in October 2019, saying that he was removing his name from consideration due to threats to his family.... Weeks after Manchester withdrew his nomination, emails surfaced indicating that Manchester was at the center of a possible 'pay-to-play' arrangement with the Republican National Committee."

Space Farce. Oriana Pawlyk of Military.com: "A commander of a U.S. Space Force unit tasked with detecting ballistic missile launches has been fired for comments made during a podcast promoting his new book, which claims Marxist ideologies are becoming prevalent in the United States military. Lt Col. Matthew Lohmeier, commander of 11th Space Warning Squadron at Buckley Air Force Base, Colorado, was relieved from his post Friday by Lt. Gen. Stephen Whiting, the head of Space Operations Command, over a loss of confidence in his ability to lead, Military.com has exclusively learned.... [Lohmeier] spoke about U.S. institutions, including universities, media and federal agencies including the military, that he said are increasingly adopting leftist practices. These practices -- such as diversity and inclusion training -- are the systemic cause for the divisive climate across America today, he said."

Jennifer Jacquet in a Washington Post op-ed: "Since at least 2006, when the United Nations published a report, 'Livestock's Long Shadow,' cataloguing the sector's global environmental impacts, the industry has been borrowing tactics from the fossil fuel playbook. While meat and dairy producers have not claimed that climate change is a liberal hoax, as oil and gas producers did starting in the 1990s, companies have been downplaying the industry's environmental footprint and undermining climate policy, as my colleagues Oliver Lazarus and Sonali McDermid and I have written in a recent study. For decades, the meat industry, acting through major agricultural trade groups such as the Farm Bureau, has pressured lawmakers to prevent environmental regulations. More recently, that's taken the form of resisting climate regulations, including rules on greenhouse gases and emissions reporting."

Beyond the Beltway

Philip Bump of the Washington Post: Voter suppression "is not the only arena in which states -- meaning largely Republican legislators in states -- are responding to the events of 2020 with new legislation. New analysis from the nonprofit organization PEN America has identified 100 pieces of legislation that in some way aim to amplify or introduce penalties associated with what the group calls 'protest-related activity.' A number of those bills have been abandoned, as is the case with the voting legislation tracked by the Brennan Center. But six have been signed into law.... The intent of the restrictions is generally obvious. Many of the bills targeting protest, for example, both increase penalties for rioting and adjust the threshold for declaring a riot downward, as is the case with legislation signed into law in Florida. Many increase penalties for acts of vandalism or for obstructing traffic. Others introduce new trespassing rules, including, as a bill proposed in South Carolina would do, making it a felony to camp on state property without authorization. Another common component of these bills reduces penalties for drivers who strike protesters if the driver feels as though his or her life is at risk."

Arizona. James Arkin of Politico: "Republicans in the state are still divided over the results of the last election, months after President Joe Biden was sworn into office. An ongoing and extraordinary audit of the 2020 vote count in the state's largest county -- rooted in conspiracy theories and the false belief that Biden's election was not legitimate -- is deepening the schism six months after the election, with no clear end in sight.... [Some] Republicans are speaking out to warn that the amateurish conduct of the audit and the conspiracy theories it has amplified could cause lasting damage to the party." ~~~

~~~ Bob Christie of the AP: "The Republican who now leads the Arizona county elections department targeted by a GOP audit of the 2020 election results is slamming ... Donald Trump and others in his party for their continued falsehoods about how the election was run. Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer on Saturday called a Trump statement accusing the county of deleting an elections database 'unhinged' and called on other Republicans to stop the unfounded accusations. 'We can't indulge these insane lies any longer. As a party. As a state. As a country,' Richer tweeted. Richer became recorder in January, after defeating the Democratic incumbent. The former president's statement came as Republican Senate President Karen Fann has demanded the Republican-dominated Maricopa County Board of Supervisors come to the Senate to answer questions raised by the private auditors she has hired."

Georgia. Marc Caputo of Politico: "Pro-Trump lawyer Lin Wood's bid to bring 'chaos' to South Carolina's GOP was halted on Saturday when he failed to unseat the party's chairman after baselessly accusing the incumbent of voter fraud and a host of other slurs. Chairman Drew McKissick's reelection was not in doubt among knowledgeable Republicans who say the party delegate rules favor longtime insiders. Wood, an accomplished trial lawyer from Georgia who turned into a conspiracy theorist, moved this year from Georgia and mounted an unexpectedly strong candidacy for a complete outsider."

New Mexico. Pilar Melendez of the Daily Beast, republished in Yahoo! News: "A suspected white supremacist is facing charges after allegedly ditching a bullet-riddled car containing three dead men in the parking lot of an Albuquerque hospital this week. Richard Kuykendall, a 41-year-old with an 'apparent association' with the Aryan Brotherhood prison gang, was charged Friday with being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition for his role in the Wednesday triple homicide, according to a criminal complaint filed Friday in the U.S. District Court for New Mexico. Prosecutors allege that after a deadly shootout in a nearby alley, Kuykendall drove to Presbyterian Kaseman Hospital with the victims, removed his shirt and told a security officer 'that there were three dead guys in the Chevy' before he walked away." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Not sure what the idea was to dropping dead bodies at a hospital. Maybe Kookendall thought the coronor's office was too creepy. Or maybe it's just that your average Nazi is none too bright.

Texas. Derek Hawkins of the Washington Post: "When former Dallas County prosecutor Richard E. Jackson put two homeless Black men on trial in 2000 for the murder of a local pastor, he allegedly withheld a heap of evidence that could have cleared them. Witnesses couldn't pick the suspects out of a lineup, neither of the men matched descriptions provided to investigators, and prosecutors had brokered secret deals with jailhouse informants for favorable testimony, appeals court papers would later show. In separate trials, jurors heard none of it. Jackson got his convictions, and Dennis Allen and Stanley Mozee were sentenced to life in prison. Only after an extensive review by the Innocence Project and Jackson's successors were the men exonerated -- 14 years later. Now, after two decades of legal wrangling, Jackson has been disbarred from practicing law in Texas, in a rare example of severe punishment for misconduct in a wrongful conviction case.... One recent study found more than half of wrongfully convicted defendants were victimized by government misconduct -- but prosecutors almost never face consequences as serious as disbarment."

Texas. The Lady & the Tiger. Juan Lozano of the AP: "A tiger that frightened residents after it was last seen briefly wandering around a Houston neighborhood has been found after a nearly week-long search and appears to be unharmed, police announced Saturday evening.... The tiger was being held at BARC, the city of Houston's animal shelter, but was expected to be taken Sunday morning to ... an animal sanctuary in Murchison, Texas, located southeast of Dallas." Cmdr. Ron Borza of the Houston Police said "that the tiger was passed around to different people but that [the wife of the tiger's owner] knew where the tiger was at all times this week as authorities searched for it. Police are still trying to determine ... if any charges related to having the tiger will be filed." Victor Hugo Cuevas, the tiger's owner, "was arrested Monday by Houston police ... for allegedly fleeing his home with the tiger after officers had responded to a call about a dangerous animal. At the time of his arrest by Houston police, Cuevas was already out on bond for a murder charge in a 2017 fatal shooting in neighboring Fort Bend County." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: The lovely Mr. and Mrs. Cuevas should be charged with something. The story of the misisng tiger went national. So they certainly knew public funds were being spent to search for a big cat that was in their custody, even as Houston residents must have been terrified that the tiger was roaming about their neighborhoods.

Way Beyond

Israel. The New York Times' liveblog of developments Sunday in the deadly conflict are here.

~~~ Shira Rubin of the Washington Post: "Predawn Israeli airstrikes on several homes along a main road leading to Shifa Hospital in Gaza City killed 26 people, including eight children, said Gaza's Ministry of Health -- a number expected to rise. It is believed to be the single deadliest attack since the current bout of violence began last week. Diplomatic efforts by President Biden and U.S. regional allies to reach a cease-fire have had little impact on the escalation between Israel and Hamas, which on Sunday trudged into its seventh day, and has spilled over into mass protests in Israeli towns and in the West Bank." ~~~

~~~ Fares Akram & Lee Keath of the AP: "With a U.S. envoy on the ground, calls increased for a cease-fire after five days of mayhem that have left at least 145 Palestinians dead in Gaza -- including 41 children and 23 women -- and eight dead on the Israeli side, all but one of them civilians, including a 5-year-old. President Joe Biden, who has called for a de-escalation but has backed Israel's campaign, spoke separately by phone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Still, Israel stepped up its assault, vowing to shatter the capabilities of Gaza's Hamas rulers. The week of deadly violence, set off by a Hamas rocket Monday, came after weeks of mounting tensions and heavy-handed Israeli measures in contested Jerusalem. Early Sunday, Israeli warplanes struck several buildings and roads in a vital part of Gaza City. Photos circulated by residents and journalists showed the airstrikes created a crater that blocked one of the main roads leading to Shifa, the largest hospital in the strip." ~~~

~~~ Fares Akram & Joseph Krauss of the AP: "An Israeli airstrike targeted and destroyed a high-rise building in Gaza City that housed offices of The Associated Press and other media outlets hours after another Israeli airraid on a densely populated refugee camp killed at least 10 Palestinians from an extended family, mostly children, on Saturday. The strike on the high-rise came nearly an hour after the military ordered people to evacuate the 12-story building, which also housed Al-Jazeera, other offices and residential apartments. The strike brought down the entire structure, which collapsed in a gigantic cloud of dust. There was no immediate explanation for why it was attacked. The earlier Israeli airstrike on the Gaza City refugee camp was the deadliest single strike of the current conflict between Israel and the militant group Hamas. Both sides are pressing for an advantage as cease-fire efforts gather strength." MB: Gosh, just can't think why Israel would destroy a building housing media outlets. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ In a statement, AP President and CEO Gary Pruitt said, "We are shocked and horrified that the Israeli military would target and destroy the building housing AP's bureau and other news organizations in Gaza. They have long known the location of our bureau and knew journalists were there. We received a warning that the building would be hit.... The world will know less about what is happening in Gaza because of what happened today." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ Paul Shinkman of U.S. News: Donald "Trump's attempts to sell the world on the merits of the so-called Abraham Accords -- access to a revered holy site and better conditions for Palestinians -- have come undone.... The U.S.-brokered Abraham Accords ... involving the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan have undercut Palestinians' traditional supporters and empowered Israel, which has capitalized in recent months on a policy that appears to persist under the Biden administration of not imposing pressure on the Jewish state.... The accords ... essentially muzzl[ed] signatory countries from providing anything but token criticism of the violence."

News Lede

New York Times: "Damon Weaver, who at age 11 became one of the youngest people to interview a sitting president [-- Barack Obama --], and who later gained attention for scoring other high-profile interviews with celebrities like Dwyane Wade and Oprah Winfrey, died on May 1. He was 23.... The cause was not made known.... Before his meeting with Mr. Obama, Mr. Weaver gained sizable attention from an interview in 2008 with Joseph R. Biden Jr., then Mr. Obama's running mate."

The Commentariat -- May 15, 2021

Late Morning Update:

Fares Akram & Joseph Krauss of the AP: "An Israeli airstrike targeted and destroyed a high-rise building in Gaza City that housed offices of The Associated Press and other media outlets hours after another Israeli air raid on a densely populated refugee camp killed at least 10 Palestinians from an extended family, mostly children, on Saturday. The strike on the high-rise came nearly an hour after the military ordered people to evacuate the 12-story building, which also housed Al-Jazeera, other offices and residential apartments. The strike brought down the entire structure, which collapsed in a gigantic cloud of dust. There was no immediate explanation for why it was attacked. The earlier Israeli airstrike on the Gaza City refugee camp was the deadliest single strike of the current conflict between Israel and the militant group Hamas. Both sides are pressing for an advantage as cease-fire efforts gather strength." MB: Gosh, just can't think why Israel would destroy a building housing media outlets. ~~~

~~~ In a statement, AP President and CEO Gary Pruitt said, "We are shocked and horrified that the Israeli military would target and destroy the building housing AP's bureau and other news organizations in Gaza. They have long known the location of our bureau and knew journalists were there. We received a warning that the building would be hit.... The world will know less about what is happening in Gaza because of what happened today."

~~~~~~~~~~

Alana Wise of NPR: "President Biden has revoked a number of executive actions taken by ... Donald Trump in the last year of his administration, mostly in response to the protests over systemic racism and police violence. The orders include Trump's move to establish a National Garden of American Heroes, an order related to conservative complaints about social media censorship and orders he signed to protect monuments and statues when protesters were targeting Confederate symbols last year. Those demonstrations intersected with the summer protests against the murder of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police. The president also revoked a 2019 Trump proclamation that purported to prevent immigrants 'who will financially burden the United States healthcare system' from entering the United States. In announcing the suspension, Biden said the Trump health care order 'does not advance the interests of the United States.'"

Jeremy Herb & Katelyn Polantz of CNN: "The General Services Administration has provided House Democrats with documents related to ... Donald Trump's Washington hotel, in the second case this week where the Biden administration gave the House information that the Trump administration had blocked it from obtaining. The Biden administration revealed in a court filing on Friday that the House committee had asked for the records and the GSA had turned over some of them last week. House Transportation Chairman Peter DeFazio, an Oregon Democrat, requested a slew of records in March related to the Trump International Hotel lease of the Old Post Office Building, which is not far from the White House. It was a request he had resubmitted to the GSA after it had been blocked by the Trump administration."

John Harwood of CNN: "Neera Tanden, the new administration's only Cabinet nominee rebuffed by the Senate, has become a senior adviser to President Joe Biden.... A longtime health policy expert, Tanden will begin planning for potential policy changes that could result from the forthcoming US Supreme Court decision on Republican legal efforts to strike down the Affordable Care Act. She worked in former President Barack Obama's administration as the act was designed and implemented. Among other duties, the official said, Tanden will also launch a review of the US Digital Service. The service is charged with solving the federal government's information technology and online security issues, recruiting technologists for tours of service akin to the Peace Corps."

Nicholas Fandos of the New York Times: "House Democrats pressed ahead on Friday with a bipartisan proposal to create an independent commission to investigate the Jan. 6 Capitol attack, after reaching agreement with a key Republican to drop his party's demand that it look at left-wing violence unrelated to the assault. But it was not clear whether G.O.P. leaders, who have insisted any such inquiry study Black Lives Matter and antifa, a loose collective of antifascist activists, would go along with the deal. The uncertainty raised the prospect of a showdown in the House next week over the investigation and the Republican Party's reluctance to reckon with the deadly attack on Congress by a pro-Trump mob." ~~~

~~~ Nicholas Wu & Sarah Ferris of Politico: "House Democrats on Friday announced plans to create a bipartisan commission to investigate the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol, though it doesn't yet have the backing of the chamber's top Republican. Gridlock over the bill's provisions and partisan sniping had stalled progress on the commission for months after the attack. And while House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said Friday he hadn't formally signed off on the agreement, the deal announced Friday by House Homeland Security Committee Chair Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) and ranking member John Katko (R-N.Y.) does include some key concessions to Republicans. The bill could come to the floor 'as soon as next week,' Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced Friday, noting that the panel is modeled after a bipartisan study of events leading up to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. That floor vote will likely be followed by a long-awaited emergency funding bill to address security flaws within the Capitol that the siege exposed." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Olivia Beavers of Politico: "Progressive Rep. David Cicilline (D-R.I.) is asking his colleagues to sign onto a resolution that calls for censuring members who claim the fateful day was 'not an insurrection' and who are engaging in other efforts to undermine the 'damage that was done.'... He specifically pointed to recent comments made by GOP Reps. Andrew Clyde (Ga.), Jody Hice (Ga.) and Paul Gosar (Ariz.). The resolution may face headwinds getting a vote on the House floor." ~~~

~~~ Liz Unbound. Clara Hill of Yahoo! News: "Representative Liz Cheney ... has called for a criminal investigation into ... Donald Trump for inciting the deadly Capitol insurrection on 6 January. In an interview with Savannah Guthrie on NBC's Today Show on Thursday, Ms Cheney said she was not 'surprised' by her removal as the chair of the Republican conference. She added that the GOP now finds itself in a 'moment where we have to decide whether we as a party whether we are going to embrace the truth.' She described the grip that Mr Trump had on the Republican party as 'dangerous' and 'a cult of personality,' saying it was a 'betrayal' to see him try to burn down the party and American democracy in an attempt to regain power." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

~~~ Caroline Kelly of CNN: "Wyoming Republican Rep. Liz Cheney ... said Friday that several Republican members of Congress had voted against impeaching Trump out of fear for their own lives.... '... there were members who told me that they were afraid for their own security -- afraid, in some instances, for their lives,' she said. 'And that tells you something about where we are as a country, that members of Congress aren't able to cast votes, or feel that they can't, because of their own security.'"

Marianna Sotomayor of the Washington Post: "House Republicans chose Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) on Friday to fill the leadership post recently occupied by Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), replacing a harsh critic of ... Donald Trump with a lawmaker who has become one of his staunchest defenders. She received 134 votes while Rep. Chip Roy (R-Tex.) received 46, according to GOP aides, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe the closed meeting. Nine members voted present and three wrote in a person who was not running." An AP story is here. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Margie The Stalker. Em Steck & Andrew Kaczynski of CNN: "During a February 2019 visit to congressional offices at the US Capitol [-- and before she was a MOC --] with associates who include a man who would later enter the Capitol during the January 6 insurrection, [Marjorie Taylor] Greene ... can be seen [in a video] taunting [Alexandria] Ocasio-Cortez's staff outside the congresswoman's locked office by talking through a mailbox slot urging her to come out. In the video, from a since-deleted Facebook Live of Greene's that was saved by CNN's KFile, Greene tells Ocasio-Cortez to 'get rid of your diaper,' referring to the congresswoman's office as a 'day care.' Greene repeatedly indicates throughout her stream that security has been called on them. 'We're going to go see, we're going to visit, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Crazy eyes. Crazy eyes. Nutty. Cortez,' Greene says to the camera on the way to the congresswoman's office, mispronouncing 'Ocasio.'" MB: And you wonder why AOC is concerned for her safety as MTG continues to stalk her. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ Margie the Tax Cheat. Justin Gray of WSB-TV Atlanta: "... Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and her husband have two active homestead exemptions, which is against Georgia law. A homestead exemption is a big tax break any Georgia homeowner is entitled to for their primary residence. It is against the law to file for more than one.... In a statement, Greene's office told [Justin] Gray to mind his own business and called it a 'pathetic smear' when he asked them about the homestead exemptions." MB: What's particularly disgusting about Homesteader Margie is that she is well-to-do. One of her two "homesteads" -- the one she bought last year so she could "live" in a county she "represents" -- cost $610,000.

Michael Schmidt of the New York Times: "A former confidant of Representative Matt Gaetz admitted in court papers on Friday to an array of federal crimes, including sex trafficking of a 17-year-old girl, and agreed to cooperate with the Justice Department's ongoing investigations. The plea deal by Joel Greenberg, the onetime associate of Mr. Gaetz who had served as a tax collector in Seminole County, Fla., north of Orlando, until he was indicted last year, provided prosecutors a potential key witness as they decide whether to charge Mr. Gaetz, the Florida Republican who is a close ally of ... Donald J. Trump. Mr. Gaetz is said to be under investigation over whether he violated sex trafficking laws by having sex with the same 17-year-old. Mr. Greenberg did not implicate Mr. Gaetz by name in court papers filed by prosecutors in Federal District Court in Orlando. But Mr. Greenberg admitted that he 'introduced the minor to other adult men, who engaged in commercial sex acts' with her, according to the documents, and that he was sometimes present. The others were not named." Includes copy of the plea deal, which runs to 86 pages. An AP story is here. ~~~

~~~ Jose Pagliery & Roger Sollenberger of the Daily Beast: "When Rep. Matt Gaetz attended a 2019 GOP fundraiser in Orlando, his date that night was someone he knew well: a paid escort and amateur Instagram model who led a cocaine-fueled party after the event, according to two witnesses.... Joel Greenberg will identify that escort to investigators as one of more than 15 young women Gaetz paid for sex, according to a source familiar with the investigation.... Megan Zalonka ... turned her relationship with Greenberg into a taxpayer-funded no-show job that earned her an estimated $7,000 to $17,500, according to three sources and corresponding government records.... On Oct. 26, 2019, Gaetz attended the 'Trump Defender Gala' fundraiser as the featured speaker at the Westgate Lake Resort in Orlando. Two witnesses present recalled friends reconvening at Gaetz's hotel room for an after-party, where Zalonka prepared lines of cocaine on the bathroom counter. One of those witnesses distinctly remembers Zalonka pulling the drugs out of her makeup bag, rolling a bill of cash, and joining Gaetz in snorting the cocaine.... Two sources said the pair had an ongoing financial relationship in exchange for sex.” ~~~

     ~~~ The Beast story is subscriber-firewalled. Daily Kos has a summary story here.

Tom Jackman & Rachel Weiner of the Washington Post: "A former captain in the U.S. Army Special Forces who last year admitted to spying for Russia was sentenced Friday to more than 15 years in prison by a federal judge in Alexandria. Peter Dzibinski Debbins, 46, pleaded guilty in November to the espionage-related charge of conspiracy to gather or deliver defense information to aid a foreign government. He was living in Manassas, Va., before his August arrest, which followed a failed polygraph test, court records show. 'He conspired with the Russian intelligence agents for his entire service in the U.S. Army,' prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memo. In court filings, Debbins said he was motivated by a combination of familial loyalty, financial opportunity and personal grievance against the U.S. Army." The AP's story is here.

Extreme Voter Fraud. KDVR Fox 31 (Denver): "Prosecutors have filed new charges against Barry Morphew, alleging the man accused of murdering his missing wife submitted a presidential ballot in her name. Morphew was recently arrested on charges of murdering his wife, Suzanne, after she disappeared a year ago. She still has yet to be found.... The ballot didn't contain Suzanne's signature, but it did list Barry as the witness.... On April 22, Barry was asked by FBI agents why he submitted a ballot for Suzanne. 'Just because I wanted Trump to win ... I know she (Suzanne) was going to vote for Trump anyways,' he told investigators. He also said he thought the 'other guys' were cheating so he would 'give him (former president Trump) another vote.'" MB: Trump voters are the best people. This guy allegedly kills his wife, then votes for Trump on her ballot. You can't make up this stuff. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

John Koblin of the New York Times: "Leslie Moonves, who led CBS as chief executive for 15 years before he was ousted in 2018, will receive nothing from the $120 million the company had set aside in a potential severance package, according to a federal filing on Friday. Mr. Moonves left CBS on Sept. 9, 2018, after more than a dozen women accused him of sexual misconduct, allegations that appeared in two articles in The New Yorker by Ronan Farrow. Mr. Moonves has denied the allegations."

Annals of "Journalism," Ctd. Michael Levenson of the New York Times: "The journalist Martin Bashir has left the British Broadcasting Corporation, as it prepares to publish the findings of an investigation into accusations that he used dishonest tactics to secure a major 1995 television interview with Diana, Princess of Wales.... An estimated 23 million people watched the interview, which rocked England and catapulted Mr. Bashir to international renown.... In November, longstanding questions about the methods that Mr. Bashir had used to earn Diana's trust came under renewed scrutiny in a two-part documentary that was broadcast on the British network ITV. The documentary contended that doctored bank statements -- purportedly proving that royal employees close to the princess were being paid to spy on her -- were used to gain Diana's confidence."

Your Feel-Good Story for Today. Sydney Page of the Washington Post: "Latonya Young, a 44-year-old single mother of three, received a bachelor's degree last week. It was a lifelong goal -- and she credits one of her Uber passengers [-- Kevin Esch --] with making it possible." At critical junctures, Esch helped Young pay her bills. "She also received support from the Jeanette Rankin Women's Scholarship Fund, which offers financial aid to low-income women older than 35 pursuing postsecondary education. Esch is now a board member of the organization, after Karen Sterk, the chief operating officer of the charity, heard about his friendship with Young and thought he'd be a perfect fit."

The Pandemic, Ctd.

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

Because Republicans Cheat. Ivana Saric of Axios: "House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) told CNN Thursday that members will still be required to wear masks on the House floor, despite new CDC guidance allowing fully vaccinated people to remove their masks indoors.... Pelosi's spokesperson cited the lack of clarity about which House members and their staffs are fully vaccinated, per Bloomberg." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Edgar Sandoval, et al., of the New York Times: "Across the country, governors, store owners and people running errands were scrambling on Friday to make sense of the abrupt change in federal guidelines, which said fully vaccinated people could now safely go most places, indoors or outdoors, without a mask. At least 20 states that still had mask mandates in place this week said by Friday evening that they would exempt fully vaccinated people or repeal the orders entirely, while at least five others with mask requirements had not announced any changes. The rapidly changing rules brought an end to more than a year of mandatory masking in much of the country, even as some said they were not yet ready to take off their face coverings."

Abha Bhattaraiy of the Washington Post: "Walmart, the country's largest retailer, said it will stop requiring masks for fully vaccinated customers and employees, joining Costco and Trader Joe's in easing store mandates after a contentious change in national guidelines.... Walmart announced its policy change in a memo to employees Friday, but noted that its 5,300 U.S. stores will continue to abide by local and state mask mandates. Unvaccinated shoppers and employees should continue wearing masks, the company said, though it did not offer details on how it would confirm whether customers have been inoculated. It also encouraged all employees to get vaccinated, and said it would give $75 to those who did.... But other major retailers, including Target, Home Depot, CVS and Harris Teeter, say they will continue to require masks in store as they review new CDC guidance and reevaluate store policies. The Retail Industry Leaders Association said the CDC's revised guidelines conflict with some state and local orders, creating ambiguity for retailers and their employees." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I shop at Walmart every couple of months, and you can bet I'll still be wearing my mask even tho I'm fully vaccinated. Because this: ~~~

~~~ Aaron Blake of the Washington Post: "Freeing up the unverifiable unvaccinated to blend in with their vaccinated neighbors by taking off their masks could allow them to more easily spread the disease among themselves. That could, in turn, make it more difficult to stamp out the virus. People have been talking about this in terms of whether the unvaccinated will simply 'lie' about their status, but they won't really even have to do that; they can just take off their masks.... Polling before the CDC's decision was announced suggests it's quite likely that a huge number of [the unvaccinated] will [go around unmasked]. And not only that, but unvaccinated people are also more likely to engage in riskier activities, in large part because they don't take the virus as seriously as those who have sought inoculation." MB: You didn't need Aaron Blake to tell you this; we already know a huge minority of our fellow citizens are irresponsible asses. AND ~~~

~~~ This interactive New York Times graphic will let you know what percentage of people in your county are vaccinated. Where I live, only 38 percent of people are fully vaccinated. So chances are, if I'm standing between two people in the check-out line, neither of the two lunkheads is vaccinated. (Luckily for me, I'm able to grocery-shop during the 6 am "senior hour," and the percent of those over the age of 65 who are vaccinated in 88 percent.

Beyond the Beltway

South Carolina. Richard Fausset of the New York Times: "The death of a Black man after police used pepper spray and Tasers on him in a South Carolina jail has stirred outrage as well as widespread calls for changes to the treatment of people in custody suffering from mental illness. Video footage released late on Thursday shows sheriff's deputies in Charleston County extracting the man, Jamal Sutherland, from his jail cell on Jan. 5, first using pepper spray on him, and then Tasers while he screams out in pain. He was declared dead soon after, and the graphic video spurred denunciations on Friday of the officers' response."

Way Beyond

Israel. The New York Times' live updates of the armed conflict in Israel on Saturday are here. ~~~

~~~ Vivian Yee of the New York Times: "Violence between Israelis and Palestinians expanded in new directions on Friday, with deadly clashes convulsing the occupied West Bank and anti-Israeli protests erupting along Israel's borders with two Arab neighbors. The widening sense of mayhem in Israel and the Palestinian territories came as Israeli airstrikes brought mass evacuations and funerals to Gaza, and as Hamas rockets singed Israeli towns for a fifth consecutive day. Hamas and Israeli officials signaled they were open to discussing a cease-fire amid global calls for peace and frantic diplomacy aimed at heading off a further fracturing in one of the Middle East's most intractable struggles." ~~~

~~~ The New York Times' live updates of the armed conflict in Israel on Friday are here. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

~~~ Bernie Sanders, in a New York Times op-ed: "In this moment of crisis, the United States should be urging an immediate cease-fire. We should also understand that, while Hamas firing rockets into Israeli communities is absolutely unacceptable, today's conflict did not begin with those rockets.... We have seen Benjamin Netanyahu's government work to marginalize and demonize Palestinian citizens of Israel, pursue settlement policies designed to foreclose the possibility of a two-state solution and pass laws that entrench systemic inequality between Jewish and Palestinian citizens of Israel.... Over more than a decade of his right-wing rule in Israel, Mr. Netanyahu has cultivated an increasingly intolerant and authoritarian type of racist nationalism.... In the Middle East, where we provide nearly $4 billion a year in aid to Israel, we can no longer be apologists for the right-wing Netanyahu government and its undemocratic and racist behavior. We must change course and adopt an evenhanded approach, one that upholds and strengthens international law regarding the protection of civilians, as well as existing U.S. law holding that the provision of U.S. military aid must not enable human rights abuses."