The Commentariat -- May 11, 2021

Late Morning Update:

Lisa Friedman & Coral Davenport of the New York Times: "The Biden administration on Tuesday will announce its final approval of the nation's first commercial-scale offshore wind farm, a major step toward President Biden's goal of expanding renewable energy production across the United States, according to two people familiar with the matter. The Vineyard Wind project calls for up to 84 turbines to be installed in the Atlantic Ocean about 12 nautical miles off the coast of Martha's Vineyard, Mass. Together, they could generate about 800 megawatts of electricity, enough to power about 400,000 homes. The $2.8 billion project is a joint venture of the energy firms Avangrid Renewables and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners."

Paula Reid, et al., of CNN: "Federal investigators scrutinizing Rep. Matt Gaetz are seeking the cooperation of a former Capitol Hill intern who was once a girlfriend of the Florida Republican, sources familiar with the matter tell CNN. Investigators could also soon gain the formal cooperation of a second key witness, former Florida county tax collector Joel Greenberg, who is approaching a deadline this week to strike a plea agreement with the government on more than two dozen charges he's facing. The pursuit of the cooperation comes as investigators are nearly finished collecting evidence, one source said. The probe, which is examining whether Gaetz broke federal sex trafficking, prostitution and public corruption laws and whether he had sex with a minor, has been ongoing for months."

Daniel Strauss of the Guardian: "Joe Biden has picked former Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel to be his ambassador to Japan." MB: Oh, that's great. Rahm is so diplomatic.

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Alana Wise of NPR: "Those collecting unemployment benefits under the American Rescue Plan must accept 'suitable' employment when offered, President Biden said Monday, responding to last week's underwhelming April jobs report. 'We're going to make it clear that anyone collecting unemployment, who was offered a suitable job, must take the job or lose their unemployment benefits,' Biden said before adding: 'We don't see much evidence of that.' The president's remarks come just days after the latest jobs report showed fewer jobs created than expected: 260,000 vs. about 1 million. Some employers say that they're finding it difficult to find workers, and Republican critics argue that's because of the checks Americans are receiving from the coronavirus stimulus package." (Also linked yesterday.) The New York Times report is here. ~~~

~~~ Paul Krugman of the New York Times: "Has the Republican Party, which has championed the interests of big business and sought to keep wages low since the late 19th century, suddenly become populist?... But while Republicans have lately attacked selected businesses, their beef with big companies seems to be over noneconomic issues. It bothers them a lot that some of corporate America has taken a mild stand in favor of social equality and against voter suppression. What doesn't bother them is the fact that many corporations pay little or nothing in taxes and pay their workers poorly. On such matters the G.O.P. is the same as it ever was: It's for tax cuts that favor corporations and the wealthy, against anything that might improve the lives of ordinary workers.... The G.O.P. has always been determined to make the lives of the jobless miserable, regardless of economic conditions.... You should never make much of one month's numbers, especially in an economy still distorted by the pandemic. For example, that low reported number was 'seasonally adjusted.' The economy actually added more than a million jobs...." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: This is why it makes me a little crazy when so-called journalists write about Republicans' "populist impulses" or whatever. We have not heard any populist impulses from the likes of Josh Hawley & the Former Guy. What we have heard is "populist pandering." If I'm telling you I'm fighting for your freeedumb while I filibuster tiny tax hikes for corporations & the rich, unemployment benefits & pro-union legislation, I'm a hypocrite, not a populist.

Michael Shear of the New York Times: "The Biden administration announced Monday that health care providers cannot discriminate against transgender individuals, the latest step in President Biden's efforts to restore civil rights protections for L.G.B.T.Q. people that were eliminated by his predecessor. Under the new policy, the Department of Health and Human Services will once again prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity by health care organizations that receive federal funding. The move will reverse a policy adopted by H.H.S. under ... Donald J. Trump which said that anti-discrimination provisions of the Affordable Care Act of 2010 did not apply to transgender people." (Also linked yesterday.)

Ken Dilanian & Kelly O'Donnell of NBC News: "A Russian criminal group may be responsible for a ransomware attack that shut down a major U.S. fuel pipeline, two sources familiar with the matter said Sunday. The group, known as DarkSide, is relatively new, but it has a sophisticated approach to the business of extortion, the sources said. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said Sunday that the White House was working to help Colonial Pipeline, the Georgia-based company that operates the pipeline, to restart its 5,500-mile network." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Update. David Sanger & Pranshu Verma of the New York Times: "The F.B.I. confirmed on Monday that the hacking group DarkSide was responsible for the ransomware attack that closed a U.S. pipeline providing the East Coast with nearly half of its gasoline and jet fuel.... President Biden said on Monday that the government had mitigated any impact the hack on the petroleum pipeline might have had on the U.S. fuel supply. He added that his administration had efforts underway to 'disrupt and prosecute ransomware criminals.' Colonial Pipeline, the operator of the system..., [said] the company would restore service incrementally, with the goal of 'substantially' resuming service by the end of the week." The AP's story is here. (Also linked yesterday.)

Karoun Demirjian of the Washington Post: "Capitol Police Inspector General Michael Bolton told House lawmakers Monday that the agency must begin to think of itself as a 'protective agency' if it is to prevent future attacks on Congress like the one pro-Trump rioters carried out Jan. 6.... Bolton told lawmakers Monday that the force needs additional resources, including a stand-alone countersurveillance unit, to adequately address a growing number of threats to the U.S. Capitol and those who work there.... He also faulted outdated guidance and seemingly garbled orders for adding to the sense of chaos on Jan. 6 and the agency's flailing response as rioters forced their way into the building.... Committee Chairwoman Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) read to Bolton from a Capitol Police timeline, which she said indicated that a group of about 200 members of the Proud Boys ... were allowed to roam the Capitol on the morning of Jan. 6 while officers were sent to monitor just 'three or four' counterdemonstrators." The Hill has a report here. A Politico story is here.

Dana Milbank of the Washington Post: "A few days before the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol, the House Republican leader had a conference call with GOP lawmakers. On the call, Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois warned [Minority Leader Kevin] McCarthy that his and other party leaders' claims -- that the election had been stolen and that Republicans had the power to block Joe Biden's victory from being certified -- 'would lead to violence on January 6th.' The response? Crickets, Kinzinger said, and then McCarthy 'dismissively' blew off the warning. 'Ok, Adam,' the GOP leader replied, 'operator next question.' The rest -- a Capitol ransacked, certification halted, five dead -- is history.... [At a National Press Club virtural meeting Monday, Kinzinger said,] 'Liz [Cheney] is being chased out for one thing[:]... Her consistency. She said the same exact thing that Kevin McCarthy said on January 6th, which is Donald Trump is responsible' for the insurrection.... 'the person that should have their leadership challenged is Kevin McCarthy.' [Kinzinger] has been relentless in calling out McCarthy's cowardice."

A Room of His Own. Glenn Kessler of the Washington Post: "Last week, The Fact Checker revealed that the 'room' that [Kevin] McCarthy [said he] rented from prominent pollster Frank Luntz for at least two months was in a 7,000-square-foot space -- a combination of four penthouse apartments. It turns out that the bylaws of the condo building, Clara Barton at Penn Quarter, specifically prohibit condo owners from renting anything less than the entire space -- and for not less than six months.... Besides the 'room' he rented, McCarthy would have had access to a 24/7 concierge, a rooftop pool, a fitness center, a media room, a business center and a party room with a bar and pool table.... The Campaign for Accountability, a nonpartisan watchdog organization, has asked the Office of Congressional Ethics to investigate the McCarthy-Luntz arrangement." Renting out a portion of his $4.3 million condo complex to McCarthy also required Luntz to acquire a business license, which apparently he did not. McCarthy's spokesperson claimed the room he rented was about "400 square feet." MB: That's a very big room. And I didn't know that being a pollster was such a high-paying gig; Luntz claims he lives in L.A., and usually doesn't occupy his D.C. condo.

AP: "The head of the Vatican's doctrine office is warning U.S. bishops to deliberate carefully and minimize divisions before proceeding with a possible plan to rebuke Roman Catholic politicians such as President Joe Biden for receiving Communion even though they support abortion rights. The strong words of caution came in a letter from Cardinal Luis Ladaria, prefect of the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, addressed to Archbishop José Gomez of Los Angeles, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The USCCB will convene for a national meeting June 16, with plans to vote on drafting a document on the Communion issue[.]... Ladaria, in his letter, said any new policy 'requires that dialogue occurs in two stages: first among the bishops themselves, and then between bishops and Catholic pro-choice politicians within their jurisdictions.'"

Luisa Beck & Chico Harlan of the Washington Post: "German priests across more than 100 churches have been blessing gay relationships in recent days in a coordinated -- and sometimes live-streamed -- defiance of a Vatican order signed by Pope Francis. For gay Catholics who have long felt marginalized by Catholic teaching, the events are a celebratory moment, marked by sermons on inclusivity and rainbow church decorations. But the events also amount to an open rebellion -- and a test for a pontiff whose tenure has been marked by divisions over hot-button issues, especially the church's stance on homosexuality....The German ceremonies are taking place two months after Francis signed off on a declaration barring priests from blessing same-sex unions.... It marked a jarring message from a pontiff who has generally sought to welcome gays, and who famously said,'Who am I to judge?'" (Also linked yesterday.)

The Pandemic, Ctd.

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

Lauren Neergaard & Candice Choi of the AP: "... regulators [at the Food and Drug Administration] on Monday expanded use of Pfizer's [Covid-19] shot to those as young as 12, sparking a race to protect middle and high school students before they head back to class in the fall. Shots could begin as soon as a federal vaccine advisory committee issues recommendations for using the two-dose vaccine in 12- to 15-year-olds, expected Wednesday." (Also linked yesterday.) The New York Times report is here.

Eric Levenson of CNN: "About 58% of American adults have received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine -- but the rates differ depending on where you look. At the top of the list is Vermont, where 74.5% of adults have had at least one vaccine dose. Every state in the Northeast has given at least one dose to over 60% of its adult residents, according to data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. At the bottom is Mississippi, where 41.5% of adults have received at least one vaccine dose. Similarly, every state on its border has vaccinated less than half of its adult residents. The contrast between states and regions largely fits along partisan political lines: States that voted Democratic in the most recent presidential election have higher vaccination rates than those that voted Republican. In fact, the 19 states with the highest percentage of vaccinated adults all voted for President Joe Biden. Among the 16 states with the lowest vaccination rates, only Georgia went for Biden, according to the CDC." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Hey, Republicans (I'm talking to you, TucKKKer), this is a correlation that is not a coincidence.

** More Fuzzy Math. David Leonhardt of the New York Times: "When the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released new guidelines last month for mask wearing, it announced that 'less than 10 percent' of Covid-19 transmission was occurring outdoors.... But the number is almost certainly misleading.... In truth, the share of transmission that has occurred outdoors seems to be below 1 percent and may be below 0.1 percent, multiple epidemiologists told me.... [The CDC's number] is an example of how the C.D.C. is struggling to communicate effectively, and leaving many people confused about what's truly risky.... They continue to treat outdoor transmission as a major risk.... There is not a single documented Covid infection anywhere in the world from casual outdoor interactions, such as walking past someone on a street or eating at a nearby table."

Kentucky. AP: "Kentuckians aged 18 and up who get their first or second dose [of a Covid-19 vaccine] at a participating Kroger or Walmart can now receive a coupon for a Kentucky lottery ticket. Some 225,000 coupons are available for the Kentucky Cash Ball through May 21, which has a top prize of $225,000. Customers have until June 1 to redeem their coupons. Around 1.86 million Kentucky residents have been vaccinated."

Romania. Vlad the Impaler Offers Covid Shots. Jack Guy & Cristiana Moisescu of CNN: "A Romanian castle said to be the home of Dracula is offering free Covid-19 jabs to visitors as part of a vaccination drive. Bran Castle, in Transylvania, announced its Pfizer BionTech Vaccine Marathon in a Facebook post published Friday. Completed in 1388, the castle sits outside the city of Brasov. It resembles the castle inhabited by Count Dracula, the main character in Irish author Bram Stoker's novel 'Dracula,' published in 1897. Dracula is thought to have been inspired by the bloodthirsty 15th-century ruler Vlad III Dracula, commonly known as Vlad the Impaler, who ordered the brutal torture and killing of tens of thousands of people during his reign."

Beyond the Beltway

Kentucky. Marisa Iati of the Washington Post: "Two Louisville police officers whose shots struck and killed Breonna Taylor never should have fired their weapons, a department investigator found -- a conclusion that the force's upper brass partly rejected. Although the officers had a right to protect themselves when Taylor's boyfriend fired at them, the 'circumstances made it unsafe to take a single shot' in response, Sgt. Andrew Meyer wrote in a Dec. 4 memo summarizing his investigation.... The newly released records, first reported by the Courier-Journal, show that then-Chief Yvette Gentry partly rejected the investigator's finding that both officers violated the department's use of deadly force policy during the incident on March 13, 2020. Although Gentry agreed that now-fired Detective Myles Cosgrove breached the rule, she absolved Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly."

New York City Mayoral Race. The New York Times endorses Kathryn Garcia as the Democratic nominee for mayor in New York City's Democratic primary.

Texas. The Man and the Tiger -- An Unusual Entry on the Police Blotter. CNN: So the Houston police were chasing a murder suspect who had a tiger in his car. They caught the guy, but the tiger got away. MB: Uh, you might want to keep small pets & children inside.

Virginia Gubernatorial Race. Trip Gabriel of the New York Times: "Glenn Youngkin, a wealthy first-time candidate who walked a line between his party's Trump-centric base and appeals to business interests, won the Republican nomination for governor of Virginia on Monday. He heads into a general election in one of only two states choosing their governors in 2021, in the latest running of an off-year race often viewed as a referendum on the party holding the White House.... The results were tabulated by Republican officials two days after roughly 30,000 voters cast ranked-choice ballots at 39 locations around the state.... In the sixth round of counting, Mr. Youngkin passed the required 50 percent threshold.... Mr. Youngkin ... will face the winner of the Democratic primary next month. In that race, former Gov. Terry McAuliffe has held a significant lead in fund-raising as well as in recent polls over four rivals." Politico's story is here.

Way Beyond

Marie: I guess it's Big Cat Day:

Hong Kong. James Griffiths of CNN: "A leopard remains on the loose near one of China's biggest cities after three of the big cats escaped a zoo over the busy May Day holiday. Residents living near the Hangzhou Safari Park, which did not inform the public for a week that the leopards had escaped, spotted the wild cats last week and alerted authorities, according to an announcement from the Fuyang District government. Surveillance footage posted online showed one of the leopards walking near the upscale Jinyuan Villa area east of the park on Friday. Search teams were dispatched, and two of the leopards were recovered, the local government said in a statement. It was not until the search was already underway, and seven days since the animals were reportedly first spotted, that the park officially notified the public. According to state-backed The Paper, park staff had initially denied reports any leopards had escaped.... The person in charge of the park was taken into police custody."

Israel. Steve Hendrix & Shira Rubin of the Washington Post: "The militant group Hamas fired seven rockets at Jerusalem and dozens more at southern Israel on Monday evening after violent clashes near the al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem between Israeli police and Arab protesters left more than 300 Palestinians injured. Israel retaliated for the rocket attacks with airstrikes against the Gaza Strip, killing 20 people, including nine children, according to Gaza's Ministry of Health. The Israeli military said three Hamas operatives were among the dead." The AP's story is here. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Update. Fares Akram & Karin Laub of the AP: "Israel unleashed new airstrikes on Gaza early Tuesday, hitting the high-rise home of a Hamas field commander and two border tunnels dug by militants, as Hamas and other armed groups fired dozens of rockets toward Israel. It was an escalation sparked by weeks of tensions in contested Jerusalem. Since sundown Monday when the cross-border fighting erupted, 24 Palestinians - including nine children - were killed in Gaza, most by airstrikes, Gaza health officials said. The Israeli military said 15 of the dead were militants. During the same period, Gaza militants fired more than 200 rockets toward Israel, injuring six Israeli civilians in a direct hit on an apartment building. This was preceded by hours of clashes Monday between Palestinians and Israeli security forces, mainly in Jerusalem but also across the West Bank. More than 700 Palestinians were hurt, including nearly 500 who were treated at hospitals."

News Lede

Guardian: "At least 11 people have died and many more have been wounded in a school shooting in the Russian city of Kazan, Russia's state RIA Novosti news agency has reported. Students were seen jumping from the third floor of the four-storey School No 175, where more than 1,000 pupils are enrolled."

The Commentariat -- May 10, 2021

Late Morning/Afternoon Update:

Lauren Neergaard & Candice Choi of the AP: "... regulators [at the Food and Drug Administration] on Monday expanded use of Pfizer's [Covid-19] shot to those as young as 12, sparking a race to protect middle and high school students before they head back to class in the fall. Shots could begin as soon as a federal vaccine advisory committee issues recommendations for using the two-dose vaccine in 12- to 15-year-olds, expected Wednesday."

Alana Wise of NPR: "Those collecting unemployment benefits under the American Rescue Plan must accept 'suitable' employment when offered, President Biden said Monday, responding to last week's underwhelming April jobs report. 'We're going to make it clear that anyone collecting unemployment, who was offered a suitable job, must take the job or lose their unemployment benefits,' Biden said before adding: 'We don't see much evidence of that.' The president's remarks come just days after the latest jobs report showed fewer jobs created than expected: 260,000 vs. about 1 million. Some employers say that they're finding it difficult to find workers, and Republican critics argue that's because of the checks Americans are receiving from the coronavirus stimulus package."

Steve Hendrix & Shira Rubin of the Washington Post: "The militant group Hamas fired seven rockets at Jerusalem and dozens more at southern Israel on Monday evening after violent clashes near the al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem between Israeli police and Arab protesters left more than 300 Palestinians injured. Israel retaliated for the rocket attacks with airstrikes against the Gaza Strip, killing 20 people, including nine children, according to Gaza's Ministry of Health. The Israeli military said three Hamas operatives were among the dead." The AP's story is here.

Michael Shear of the New York Times: "The Biden administration announced Monday that health care providers cannot discriminate against transgender individuals, the latest step in President Biden's efforts to restore civil rights protections for L.G.B.T.Q. people that were eliminated by his predecessor. Under the new policy, the Department of Health and Human Services will once again prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity by health care organizations that receive federal funding. The move will reverse a policy adopted by H.H.S. under ... Donald J. Trump which said that anti-discrimination provisions of the Affordable Care Act of 2010 did not apply to transgender people."

Luisa Beck & Chico Harlan of the Washington Post: "German priests across more than 100 churches have been blessing gay relationships in recent days in a coordinated -- and sometimes live-streamed -- defiance of a Vatican order signed by Pope Francis. For gay Catholics who have long felt marginalized by Catholic teaching, the events are a celebratory moment, marked by sermons on inclusivity and rainbow church decorations. But the events also amount to an open rebellion -- and a test for a pontiff whose tenure has been marked by divisions over hot-button issues, especially the church's stance on homosexuality....The German ceremonies are taking place two months after Francis signed off on a declaration barring priests from blessing same-sex unions.... It marked a jarring message from a pontiff who has generally sought to welcome gays, and who famously said,'Who am I to judge?'"

Ken Dilanian & Kelly O'Donnell of NBC News: "A Russian criminal group may be responsible for a ransomware attack that shut down a major U.S. fuel pipeline, two sources familiar with the matter said Sunday. The group, known as DarkSide, is relatively new, but it has a sophisticated approach to the business of extortion, the sources said. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said Sunday that the White House was working to help Colonial Pipeline, the Georgia-based company that operates the pipeline, to restart its 5,500-mile network." ~~~

     ~~~ Update. David Sanger & Pranshu Verma of the New York Times: "The F.B.I. confirmed on Monday that the hacking group DarkSide was responsible for the ransomware attack that closed a U.S. pipeline providing the East Coast with nearly half of its gasoline and jet fuel.... President Biden said on Monday that the government had mitigated any impact the hack on the petroleum pipeline might have had on the U.S. fuel supply. He added that his administration had efforts underway to 'disrupt and prosecute ransomware criminals.' Colonial Pipeline, the operator of the system..., [said] the company would restore service incrementally, with the goal of 'substantially' resuming service by the end of the week." The AP's story is here.

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Clifford Krauss of the New York Times: "The operator of the largest petroleum pipeline between Texas and New York, which was shut down after a ransomware attack, declined on Sunday to say when it would reopen, raising concerns about a critical piece of infrastructure that carries nearly half of the East Coast's fuel supplies. While the shutdown has so far had little impact on supplies of gasoline, diesel or jet fuel, some energy analysts warned that a prolonged suspension could raise prices at the pump along the East Coast and leave some smaller airports scrambling for jet fuel. Colonial Pipeline, the pipeline operator, said on Sunday afternoon that it was developing 'a system restart plan' and would restore service to some small lines between terminals and delivery points but 'will bring our full system back online only when we believe it is safe to do so.'" ~~~

~~~ Joseph Choi of the Hill: "The White House on Sunday declared a state of emergency in 17 states and the District of Columbia in response to the shutdown of one of the largest pipelines in the U.S., which supplies around 45 percent of fuel consumed by the East Coast. The regional emergency declaration from the U.S. Department of Transportation lifts restrictions for motor carriers and drivers who are providing assistance to areas that are suffering a shortages of 'gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, and other refined petroleum products.'..." ~~~

~~~ Alan Suderman of the AP: "Criminal hackers are increasingly using brazen methods to increase pressure on law enforcement agencies to pay ransoms, including leaking or threatening to leak highly sensitive and potentially life-threatening information. The threat of ransomware has risen to a level that's impossible to ignore, with hardly a day going by without news of a hospital, private business or government agency being victimized.... Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has called ransomware a 'threat to national security' and said the issue is a top priority of the White House."

Jon Gambrell of the AP: "The U.S. Navy announced Sunday it seized an arms shipment of thousands of assault weapons, machines guns and sniper rifles hidden aboard a ship in the Arabian Sea, apparently bound for Yemen to support the country's Houthi rebels. An American defense official told The Associated Press that the Navy's initial investigation found the vessel came from Iran, again tying the Islamic Republic to arming the Houthis despite a United Nations arms embargo. Iran's mission to the U.N. did not immediately respond to a request for comment, though Tehran has denied in the past giving the rebels weapons. The seizure, one of several amid the yearslong war in Yemen, comes as the U.S. and others try to end a conflict that spawned one of the world's worst humanitarian disasters. The arms shipment, described as sizeable, shows that the war may still have far to run." ~~~

     ~~~ Brad Lendon of CNN: "The cruiser USS Monterey stopped the stateless dhow on May 6 during a routine operation to verify its registry, the Navy said.... The massive arms haul covered much of the rear flight deck of the 567-foot (173-meter) US warship after it was transferred over in what the Navy said was a two-day operation. 'The cache of weapons included dozens of advanced Russian-made anti-tank guided missiles, thousands of Chinese Type 56 assault rifles, and hundreds of PKM machine guns, sniper rifles and rocket-propelled grenade launchers. Other weapon components included advanced optical sights,' the Navy statement said."

Bryan Pietsch of the New York Times: "The writer and poet Maya Angelou and the astronaut Sally Ride, the first American woman to fly in space, are the first women who will appear on a series of quarters to be issued by the U.S. Mint over the next four years. Each woman will be honored on the reverse, or tails, side of the coins, which will enter circulation in January as part of the American Women Quarters Program. The heads side of the coin will feature a new desig of George Washington."

FEC Commissioner Ellen Weintraub in a Washington Post op-ed: "Last week ... Republican members ... [of] the Federal Election Commission [killed the] hush-money case against ... Donald Trump.... Under current law, no court can overturn this decision.... Republican commissioners continue to deem a breathtaking variety of campaign finance law violations as not worth our time...." MB: And here I thought the FEC was notoriously dysfunctional. Turns out the Republicans on the commission are highly functional at prohibiting accountability for their side.

Luke Broadwater & Chris Cameron of the New York Times: "Representative Kevin McCarthy, the minority leader, on Sunday officially endorsed Representative Elise Stefanik in her bid to oust the No. 3 House Republican, Representative Liz Cheney, who has hemorrhaged support over her repudiation of ... Donald J. Trump's lies about election fraud." An AP story is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: After the November election, and especially after the January 6 insurrection, Republicans had golden opportunities to lick their wounds, repudiate Trump & Trumpism and revitalize their party. Under the "leadership" of Kevin McCarthy & a number of governors & senators, they instead chose to identify with white supremacists, fearmongers, science deniers, insane conspiracy theorists & seditionists. They have no redeeming values. None.

The Birth of a Conspiracy Theory. Emma Brown, et al., of the Washington Post: "Key elements of the baseless claim that the 2020 election was stolen from ... Donald Trump took shape in an airplane hangar [in Addison, Texas,] two years earlier, promoted by a Republican businessman who has sold everything from Tex-Mex food in London to a wellness technology that beams light into the human bloodstream. At meetings beginning late in 2018..., Russell J. Ramsland Jr. and his associates delivered alarming presentations on electronic voting to a procession of conservative lawmakers, activists and donors.... The idea of widespread vote manipulation remained on the political fringe -- until 2020, when Ramsland's assertions were seized upon by influential allies of Trump.... By late 2019, Ramsland was [claiming] ... that election software used in the United States originated in Venezuela and saying nefarious actors could surreptitiously manipulate votes on a massive scale. As the 2020 election approached, he privately briefed GOP lawmakers in Washington and met with officials from the Department of Homeland Security.... After the Nov. 3 election..., Ramsland and others associated with ASOG played key roles in spreading the claims of fraud.... They were circulated by Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Tex.).... In the aftermath of the election, Trump was surrounded by those repeating claims Ramsland had made...."

Tony Romm of the Washington Post: "An unexpected slowdown in hiring nationwide has prompted some Republican governors to start slashing jobless benefits in their states, hoping that the loss of generous federal aid might force more people to try to return to work. The new GOP cuts chiefly target the extra $300 in weekly payments that millions of Americans have received for months in addition to their usual unemployment checks. Arkansas on Friday became the latest to announce plans to cancel the extra benefits, joining Montana and South Carolina earlier in the week, in a move that signals a new effort on the part of Republicans to try to combat what they see as a national worker shortage.... Business groups including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, meanwhile, called on Washington this week to cancel the program nationally before its planned expiration in early September." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) Politico's story is here.

Derby Winner Drugged, Trainer "Shocked." Joe Drape of the New York Times: "The Kentucky Derby winner, Medina Spirit, failed a postrace drug test, once more putting the practices of his Hall of Fame trainer, Bob Baffert, the embattled sport's most recognizable personality, under uncomfortable scrutiny. If disqualified, Medina Spirit would be stripped of the Derby title and the winning purse.... In a statement, Churchill Downs officials said that if Medina Spirit's positive test were confirmed, the Derby's runner-up, Mandaloun, would be declared the winner. 'Given the seriousness of the alleged offense, Churchill Downs will immediately suspend Bob Baffert, the trainer of Medina Spirit, from entering any horses at Churchill Downs Racetrack,' the statement said. In a news conference Sunday morning outside his barn at Churchill Downs, Baffert ... insisted the colt had not been treated with the drug, a corticosteroid injected into joints to reduce pain and swelling. 'I was totally shocked when I heard this news,' Baffert said." CNN's story is here. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Tom Boggioni of the Raw Story: "According to a report from the Wall Street Journal, Melinda Gates -- wife of Microsoft founder Bill Gates -- began seeking legal advice for a possible divorce two years ago. The report states that the wife of the billionaire technology pioneer became concerned after her husband's ties to accused pedophile Jeffrey Epstein had become public.... You can read more here -- subscription required."

Beyond the Beltway

Oklahoma. Jesus Jiménez of the New York Times: "Two brothers, 8 and 5, were removed from their Oklahoma elementary school classrooms this past week and made to wait out the school day in a front office for wearing T-shirts that read 'Black Lives Matter,' according to the boys' mother. The superintendent of the Ardmore, Okla., school district where the brothers, Bentlee and Rodney Herbert, attend different schools had previously told their mother, Jordan Herbert, that politics would 'not be allowed at school,' Ms. Herbert recalled on Friday. The American Civil Liberties Union of Oklahoma has called the incident a violation of the students' First Amendment rights."

Oregon. Katie Shepherd of the Washington Post: "Just after midnight on Halloween, a blaring car alarm and a loud banging sound startled Mirella Castaneda and woke her young son. A man stood in her driveway in Forest Grove, Ore., slamming his fist into the Black Lives Matter flag draped over the metal garage door as the security alarm on the family's pickup truck continued to beep. Castaneda immediately called 911 -- but when police showed up they recognized the man as an off-duty officer named Steven Teets. Instead of arresting Teets, though, one of the responding officers simply drove him home. Now, Teets and that officer, Bradley Schuetz, face criminal charges in the incident that Castaneda's lawyers say 'terrorized' her family. A grand jury has indicted Schuetz for official misconduct, following an outside investigation by the Beaverton Police Department, the agency said in a statement Friday." If you read on, you'll find that the cops' alleged actions were worse than the summary indicates.

Way Beyond

Afghanistan. Akhtar Makoii of the Guardian: "Dozens of girls were buried on Sunday at a desolate hilltop cemetery in Kabul, a day after a secondary school was targeted in the bloodiest attack in Afghanistan in over a year. A series of blasts outside the school during a peak holiday shopping period killed more than 50 people, mostly female students, and wounded more than 100 in Dasht-e-Barchi, a suburb of west Kabul populated mostly by Hazara Shias. The government blamed the Taliban for the carnage, but the insurgents denied responsibility and issued a statement saying the nation needed to 'safeguard and look after educational centres and institutions'."

News Lede

Another NRA Weekend. CNN: There were "at least nine mass shootings that occurred across the US over the weekend.... CNN defines a mass shooting as incident with four or more people killed or wounded by gunfire -- excluding the shooter." MB: Apparently, in the U.S., the odds of dying in a mass shooting are far higher than the odds of a Chinese rocket part falling from the sky & taking you out.

The Commentariat -- May 9, 2021

Afternoon Update:

Tony Romm of the Washington Post: "An unexpected slowdown in hiring nationwide has prompted some Republican governors to start slashing jobless benefits in their states, hoping that the loss of generous federal aid might force more people to try to return to work. The new GOP cuts chiefly target the extra $300 in weekly payments that millions of Americans have received for months in addition to their usual unemployment checks. Arkansas on Friday became the latest to announce plans to cancel the extra benefits, joining Montana and South Carolina earlier in the week, in a move that signals a new effort on the part of Republicans to try to combat what they see as a national worker shortage.... Business groups including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, meanwhile, called on Washington this week to cancel the program nationally before its planned expiration in early September."

Derby Winner Drugged, Trainer "Shocked." Joe Drape of the New York Times: "The Kentucky Derby winner, Medina Spirit, failed a postrace drug test, once more putting the practices of his Hall of Fame trainer, Bob Baffert, the embattled sport's most recognizable personality, under uncomfortable scrutiny. If disqualified, Medina Spirit would be stripped of the Derby title and the winning purse.... In a statement, Churchill Downs officials said that if Medina Spirit's positive test were confirmed, the Derby's runner-up, Mandaloun, would be declared the winner. 'Given the seriousness of the alleged offense, Churchill Downs will immediately suspend Bob Baffert, the trainer of Medina Spirit, from entering any horses at Churchill Downs Racetrack,' the statement said. In a news conference Sunday morning outside his barn at Churchill Downs, Baffert ... insisted the colt had not been treated with the drug, a corticosteroid injected into joints to reduce pain and swelling. 'I was totally shocked when I heard this news,' Baffert said." CNN's story is here.

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Maureeen Dowd of the New York Times: "How naïve I was to think that Republicans would be eager to change the channel after Trump cost them the Senate and the White House and unleashed a mob on them.... Let's acknowledge who created the template for Trump's Big Lie. It was [Liz's] father, Dick Cheney, whose Big Lie about the Iraq war led to the worst mistake in the history of American foreign policy.... From her patronage perch in the State Department during the Bush-Cheney years, [Liz Cheney] bolstered her father's trumped-up case for an invasion of Iraq.... She was a staunch defender of the torture program.... She backed the futile, 20-year occupation of the feudal Afghanistan.... Because of 9/11, Dick Cheney thought he could suspend the Constitution, attack nations preemptively and trample civil liberties in the name of the war on terror. (And for his own political survival.)... Trump built a movement based on lies. The Cheneys showed him how it's done." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

In case you'd like to read about Matt & Margie's excellent trip to the Villages of Florida -- a huge retirement community in Central Florida where wingers dominate -- the Washington Post has a story here, and the Hill has a report here. MB: I skipped them.

Ellen Nakashima, et al., of the Washington Post: "A ransomware attack led one of the nation's biggest fuel pipeline operators to shut down its entire network on Friday, according to the company and two U.S. officials familiar with the matter. While it is not expected to have an immediate impact on fuel supply or prices, the attack on Colonial Pipeline, which carries almost half of the gasoline, diesel and other fuels used on the East Coast, underscores the potential vulnerability of industrial sectors to the expanding threat of ransomware strikes. It appears to have been carried out by an Eastern European-based criminal gang -- DarkSide, according to a U.S. official and another person familiar with the matter." Politico's story is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I suppose international law enforcement agencies can't do much about the 400-pound man on his bed in the basement in New Jersey, but surely they can find & deter these gangs of hackers.

Emily Yahr of the Washington Post: Elon Musk hosted "Saturday Night Live," and "the show proceeded mostly as usual.... 'I'm actually making history tonight as the first person with Asperger's to host SNL,' he said, to much applause from the audience. 'Or at least the first to admit it....'... Many social media users quickly ... pointed out that former SNL cast member Dan Aykroyd ... has spoken out over the years about his Asperger's diagnosis as a child." A related AP story is here. ~~~

The Pandemic, Ctd.

The New York Times' live updates of Covid-19 developments Sunday are here: "Several states are turning away Covid vaccine doses from their federal government allocations, as the daily average of coronavirus vaccine doses administered across the United States has fallen below two million for the first time since early March. Experts say the states' smaller requests reflect a steep drop in vaccine demand in the United States." ~~~

~~~ An AP story on decreased demand for shots is here.

Erin Schumaker of ABC News: "While early polls indicated that Black Americans were less inclined to get vaccinated than other racial groups, by spring 2021 those polls had shifted dramatically, showing a steep rise in the proportion of Black people who wanted to get the vaccine. Despite that shift and despite newer polls reflecting that Black people were not more hesitant than other groups, the narrative that hesitancy was the primary vaccination barrier in the Black community persisted.... But experts say ... lack of access to vaccines and structural barriers are also hurting vaccination rates in these communities.... Overemphasizing hesitancy diverts attention away from policies that could fix those access problems and hinders the U.S. vaccine distribution strategy at large." One expert points out that having a vaccination site within five miles is not all that helpful if you don't have transportation to the site or if the site runs out of does. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Also, if the hours of the day that shots are available are limited to regular business hours Monday through Friday, many people in low-paying jobs cannot take the time off to get the shots. And if people don't have access to computers, they may not be able to easily find the sites & info about when the shots are administered.

Beyond the Beltway

Arizona. Ben Leonard of Politico: "A deputy campaign manager to former Sen. Martha McSally pleaded guilty Friday to stealing more than six figures from her campaign, the Justice Department announced. Anthony Barry, who was a consultant and a deputy campaign manager for the Arizona Republican, is facing up to five years in prison after pleading guilty to taking more than $115,000 from her campaign in 2018 and 2019, according to a release from the Justice Department. His sentencing is slated for July 6."

Maryland. Emily Davies of the Washington Post: "Maryland Attorney General Brian E. Frosh's office plans to appoint a panel of independent experts to audit and release a public report on all cases of deaths in police custody overseen by David Fowler, the state's former chief medical examiner who testified in Derek Chauvin's defense. In a statement Friday, Frosh (D) said his office would be 'consulting experts, examining similar audits in other jurisdictions, and doing a preliminary review of [the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner] data and protocols.'"

Maryland. Brian Witte of the AP: "Maryland's governor on Saturday posthumously pardoned 34 victims of racial lynching in the state dating between 1854 and 1933, saying they were denied legal due process against the allegations they faced. It was a first-of-its-kind pardon by a governor of a U.S. state. Gov. Larry Hogan signed the order at an event honoring Howard Cooper, a 15-year-old who was dragged from a jailhouse and hanged from a tree by a mob of white men in 1885 before his attorneys could file an appeal of a rape conviction that an all-white jury reached within minutes. 'My hope is that this action will at least in some way help to right these horrific wrongs and perhaps bring a measure of peace to the memories of these individuals and to their descendants and their loved ones,' Hogan said."

Massachusetts Senate Race. Alex Thompson of Politico: "In a move that may surprise some ambitious Massachusetts Democrats, Sen. Elizabeth Warren says that she's going to run for reelection in 2024."

Pennsylvania. DA Candidate: About That Body in My Bathtub. Sarah Polus of the Hill: "A Philadelphia district attorney candidate on his campaign website is addressing the death of a woman whose body was found in his home. Charles Peruto Jr.'s website features multiple sections, including ones titled 'Black Lives Matter,' 'The Opioid Crisis' and, on his 'About Me' page, 'The Girl in My Bathtub.' The lengthy section details the incident involving an ex-girlfriend who was found dead in his bathtub. '... because some people will not let this go away, I must address it,' he begins the statement. Peruto goes on to explain that he was out of town when the incident occurred, which he claims can be corroborated by cell phone records.... Peruto then details a feud with a political rival he claims tried to implicate him in a crime.... The Daily Beast noted that at the time of her death, the woman was 26 years old and had been a paralegal in 66-year-old Peruto's law office.... Many times, 'qualified people won't get into politics because silly things in their background will come up, that they have no control over,' he added." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Characterizing the suspicious death of a girlfriend -- decades younger than he -- as a "silly thing" doesn't seem to suggest Peruto would be a responsible DA pursuing justice for Philadelphians. How many suspicious deaths would he dismiss as "silly"? Oh, the Daily Beast story, which is firewalled, says Peruto is a Republican.

Wa-a-ay Beyond

China/Space/Earth. Steven Myers & Kenneth Chang of the New York Times: "Debris from a large Chinese rocket landed in the Indian Ocean near the Maldives early Sunday morning, China's space administration announced. It said most of the debris had burned up on re-entry. It was not immediately clear whether any of what remained had landed on any of the Maldives's 1,192 islands.... The administrator of NASA, Bill Nelson, issued an unusual rebuke after China's announcement, accusing the country of 'failing to meet responsible standards regarding their space debris.'" MB: I heard on the news yesterday that the expected re-entry site of the debris shower was the Atlantic Ocean, half the world away. So clearly, China had no idea what was going on.

News Lede

AP: "A gunman opened fire at a birthday party in Colorado, slaying six adults before killing himself Sunday, police said. The shooting happened just after midnight in a mobile home park on the east side of Colorado Springs, police said. Officers arrived at a trailer to find six dead adults and a man with serious injuries who died later at a hospital, the Colorado Springs Gazette reported."