The Commentariat -- April 17, 2021

Afternoon Update:

Sad Interlude in the History of the Congressional White Caucus. Daniella Diaz of CNN: "Conservative Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene is scrapping the planned launch of her 'America First' caucus after receiving blowback from leaders in her own party, despite confirming through a spokesperson on Friday that the caucus would launch.... 'The Congresswoman wants to make clear that she is not launching anything. This was an early planning proposal and nothing was agreed to or approved,' [Greene's spokesman] said in an email to CNN, referring to a flier promoting the caucus, obtained by Punchbowl News, that used inflammatory rhetoric."

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Anne Gearan & Simon Denyer of the Washington Post: "President Biden was making a point as he welcomed Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga to the White House on Friday, using the first in-person visit by a foreign leader to emphasize that his administration sees Asia as its highest priority. The coveted first invitation was intended to reward a strategic ally who was buffeted by transactional and sometimes capricious treatment under ... Donald Trump, and to send a signal to China that Biden plans to firm up America's Asian alliances. Biden plans to follow up with an invitation to South Korean President Moon Jae-in next month. 'There's no substitute for face-to-face discussions,' Biden said as he and Suga held a news conference in the Rose Garden, Biden's first such event."

Robyn Dixon of the Washington Post: "The Kremlin said Friday it would expel 10 U.S. diplomats and blacklist eight current and former U.S. officials including FBI Director Christopher A. Wray, Susan Rice and John Bolton in response to U.S. sanctions and expulsions. The expected tit-for-tat measures by Russia deepen the strains between the two countries, but Moscow kept its response relatively proportional. The Kremlin also signaled a willingness to consider a summit between President Vladimir Putin and President Biden even as tensions grow." MB: Odd choices of people to blacklist: Although Rice has held important foreign policy positions, she currently is heading the Domestic Policy Council; Wray's job by law is limited to domestic problems, and Bolton doesn't have any government job at all.

Zolan Kanno-Youngs of the New York Times: "After a backlash from Democrats and human rights activists, the White House abruptly reversed course on Friday on the number of refugees it will allow into the United States, a reflection of President Biden's continuing struggle with immigration policy. At midday on Friday, the administration had said it would limit the number of refugees allowed into the United States this year to the historically low level of 15,000 set by the Trump administration, breaking an earlier pledge to greatly increase that number and let in more than 60,000 people fleeing war and persecution.... [Then] Senator Dick Durbin, Democrat of Illinois and the majority whip, called the administration's admissions target 'unacceptable.' Just hours later, the White House put out a statement saying it expected to increase the cap next month. It did not comment when asked to specify the number." CNN's story is here.

Justice! Katie Benner of the New York Times: "Attorney General Merrick B. Garland on Friday rescinded a Trump administration policy that curbed the use of consent decrees to address police misconduct, as the Justice Department prepared to step up its role in investigating allegations of racist and illegal behavior by police forces amid a nationwide outcry about the deaths of Black people at the hands of officers. Mr. Garland's widely expected decision revives one of the department's most effective tools in forcing law enforcement agencies to evaluate and change their practices. Consent decrees are court-approved deals between the Justice Department and local governmental agencies that create a road map for changes to the way they operate."

Science! Amy Goldstein of the Washington Post: "The National Institutes of Health on Friday removed restrictions that the Trump administration imposed on research using fetal tissue, allowing university researchers and government scientists freer rein to use material from elective abortions when studying diseases and possible treatments. A brief update for outside scientists from the NIH director's office said the Department of Health and Human Services was reversing a 2019 decision that had required applicants for federal grants and contracts involving fetal tissue to undergo an extra layer of review by an ethics advisory board. In a separate notice emailed Friday, NIH told its internal scientific and clinical directors that it was lifting a Trump-era ban on using federal money to buy human fetal tissue for biomedical studies by government employees."

Cristina Marcos of the Hill: "Several House Republicans, led by Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (Ga.) and Paul Gosar (Ariz.), are forming a caucus that calls for a 'common respect for uniquely Anglo-Saxon political traditions.' A policy platform for the group, which calls itself the America First Caucus, declares that 'a certain intellectual boldness is needed' in order to 'follow in President Trump's footsteps, and potentially step on some toes and sacrifice sacred cows for the good of the American nation.' The seven-page document, first obtained by Punchbowl News, is explicit in its nativist rhetoric and describes American culture as dominated by 'Anglo-Saxon' and European influences." MB: I wonder if they'll wear pointy white hoods or just go with little KKK lapel pins. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Sadly for Greene, she is unlikely to be very Anglo-Saxon herself. Assuming she thinks she's of English heritage (birth name Taylor), only about 30%-38% of Britons are of Anglo-Saxon heritage. Gosar's claim to Saxon heritage is even thinner; his paternal grandparents were Slovenian & maternal grandparents were Basques. As I'm sure you know, identifying with a specific, historical ethnic group is usually impossible, especially for Americans. As for their politics, I don't know what Marge & Paul think "Anglo-Saxon political traditions" are. The Anglo-Saxons in the British Isles established a fairly typical feudal system, with the addition of an active military class who plundered the locals. Come to think of it, that may be what Marge & Paul have in mind. ~~~

~~~ McCarthy Finally Finds His Line in the Sand. Cristiana Marcos of the Hill: "House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said Friday that the Republican Party is not the party of 'nativist dog whistles' in an apparent response to a new right-wing caucus that explicitly calls for promoting 'Anglo-Saxon political traditions.' McCarthy issued a tweet that does not explicitly reference the new 'America First Caucus' ... but came hours after its policy platform began leaking to the media. 'America is built on the idea that we are all created equal and success is earned through honest, hard work. It isn't built on identity, race, or religion,' McCarthy wrote. 'The Republican Party is the party of Lincoln & the party of more opportunity for all Americans -- not nativist dog whistles,' he added." MB: Of course we know he doth protest too much, but at least he's trying to keep up the fiction of an inclusive GOP.

Alan Feuer of the New York Times: "A member of the Oath Keepers militia who was charged in connection with the riot at the Capitol pleaded guilty on Friday and agreed to cooperate with the government -- potentially against other members of the far-right extremist group. The guilty plea by the Oath Keeper, Jon Ryan Schaffer, 53, of Indiana, was the first to be entered publicly by any of the more than 400 people who have been charged so far in the Jan. 6 attack. News of the plea emerged last week after sealed documents in Mr. Schaffer's case were briefly -- and accidentally -- made available on a federal court database.... Though he was not charged as part of ... a separate and much broader ... case, Mr. Schaffer's agreement to assist the government was apparently significant enough that prosecutors said at a court hearing on Friday that they would sponsor him for the witness protection program.... Mr. Schaffer pleaded guilty in Federal District Court in Washington to two charges: obstruction of an official proceeding and entering a restricted building with a dangerous weapon." The AP's story is here.

Nahal Toosi of Politico: "Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo violated federal ethics rules governing the use of taxpayer-funded resources when he and his wife, Susan, asked State Department employees to carry out tasks for their personal benefit more than 100 times..., the State Department's inspector general's office ... has determined.... Investigators uncovered scores of instances in which Mike or Susan Pompeo asked State Department staffers to handle tasks of a personal nature, from booking salon appointments and private dinner reservations to picking up their dog and arranging tours for the Pompeos' political allies. Employees told investigators that they viewed the requests from Susan Pompeo, who was not on the federal payroll, as being backed by the secretary. Not all of the 100-plus instances were definitively found to constitute a rules violation." MB: I could just kick myself for never asking my husband's secretaries to run my little errands.

Pete Williams & Dennis Romero of NBC News: "The Justice Department on Friday sued Roger Stone, a longtime ally of ... Donald Trump, accusing Stone and his wife, Nydia, of owing nearly $2 million in unpaid federal income taxes and fees. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, says the couple underpaid their income taxes by $1,590,361 from 2007 to 2011. It further says Stone, 68, did not pay his full tax bill in 2018, coming up $407,036 short. The couple, the suit alleges, used a commercial entity to 'shield their personal income from enforced collection and fund a lavish lifestyle despite owing nearly $2 million in unpaid taxes, interest and penalties.'" The New York Times' story is here.

Whom Would Jesus Sue? Ruth Graham of the New York Times: "Liberty University sued its former president Jerry Falwell Jr. this week, exacerbating the messy divorce between the Christian university and the leader whose family name has been synonymous with the school since its founding. The suit, which was filed on Thursday and asks for more than $40 million in damages, alleges breach of contract and fiduciary duty. It claims that Mr. Falwell withheld scandalous and potentially damaging information from Liberty's board of trustees, while negotiating a generous new contract for himself in 2019 under false pretenses. Mr. Falwell also failed to disclose and address 'his personal impairment by alcohol,' the suit alleges." MB: Well, okay, there is the &"demon rum" thing. The AP's story is here.

Luke O'Neil of the Guardian: "Mike Lindell, the man best known for his internet pillow company My Pillow, as well as for his fierce allegiance to Donald Trump, is set to launch a new free speech platform this week that he thinks will put YouTube and Twitter out of business. But it turns out it will limit what users can say -- by stopping them from, among other things, taking the Lord's name in vain. 'Everyone is going to be able to talk freely,' said Mike Lindell about the platform, called Frank, which is set to roll out on 19 April, in an interview with the conservative host Graham Ledger.... 'When you come over now you are going to be able to speak out and have opinions."

The Pandemic, Ctd.

When Killing Your Own Supporters Is a Way to "Own the Libs." Amanda Marcotte in Salon, summary by RockyGirl, from today's Comments thread: "... the right is deliberately undermining the vaccine effort to slow down the economy and hurt Biden. Well, duh. But her solution is interesting. Basically she says that the time (idiot Jordan's 'WHEN??') to roll back restrictions on gatherings and the like is when vaccine supply outstrips demand. She also says that the CDC needs to dial back its messaging on caution and instead start highlighting the freedom of action that vaccines give you. By denying the right the doom & gloom that they can exploit, we can be celebrating all the good things that the vaxxed can do." An excellent read & a pathetic commentary on so-called "conservatism." Thanks to RockyGirl for the link & summary. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

~~~ It's Working! "Poorly Educated" Republicans Less Likely to Be Vaccinated. Danielle Ivory, et al., of the New York Times: "The disparity in vaccination rates has so far mainly broken down along political lines.... Both willingness to receive a vaccine and actual vaccination rates to date were lower, on average, in counties where a majority of residents voted to re-elect ... Donald J. Trump in 2020. The phenomenon has left some places with a shortage of supply and others with a glut.... Vaccine hesitancy is highest in counties that are rural and have lower income levels and college graduation rates -- the same characteristics found in counties that were more likely to have supported Mr. Trump. In wealthier Trump-supporting counties with higher college graduation rates, the vaccination gap is smaller, the analysis found, but the partisan gap holds even after accounting for income, race and age demographics, population density and a county's infection and death rate." Republicans really are killing off their own voters. See also Akhilleus' comment below.

"Reactions Were Mixed." Madeline Marr of the Miami Herald: "'Today, I got the shot!' ... [Ivanka Trump] announced on Twitter and Instagram, with two pics of her behind a screen at a South Florida CVS. 'I hope that you do, too!'... While some followers commended Trump for taking her health seriously during a worldwide pandemic that has killed over 500,000 Americans, others went on the attack." Thanks to Bobby Lee for the lead.

Beyond the Beltway

Illinois. Richard Luscombe & Gloria Oladipo of the Guardian: "Hundreds marched through the streets of Chicago on Friday to protest the police shooting of Adam Toledo, a day after police released of body-cam video showing the deadly shooting of the 13-year-old boy with his hands in the air. About a thousand people gathered on Friday evening in a park on Chicago's north-west side, some holding signs that read 'Stop killing kids' and 'CPD can't be reformed'. A brass band played music as the crowd chanted: 'No justice, no peace.'"

New York. Sarah Nir & Michael Gold of the New York Times: "Over the course of 45 hours, the grand jury convened in the case of Daniel Prude, a Black man who died after being detained by the police in Rochester, N.Y., last year, heard from more than 30 witnesses -- including police officers, medical experts, a tow-truck driver and Mr. Prude's brother, according to minutes of the proceedings released on Friday. In the end, the records show, the jury voted overwhelmingly not to charge three officers with criminally negligent homicide in Mr. Prude's death. Fifteen jurors voted not to indict the officers; five disagreed. The transcripts provide a rare glimpse inside judicial proceedings that are usually kept secret.... Seven officers who were on the scene of Mr. Prude's arrest were later suspended, and the police chief was fired for his involvement in obscuring what had happened. After the footage of Mr. Prude's death was made public, New York's attorney general, Letitia James, convened a grand jury to review evidence in the case. The minutes unsealed Friday show that the attorney general's office asked the grand jury to consider charges against only three of the seven officers; the names of the officers and all other witnesses and jurors are redacted."

Way Beyond

Cuba. Andrea Rodriguez of the AP: "Raul Castro said Friday he is stepping down as head of Cuba's Communist Party, ending an era of formal leadership that began with his brother Fidel and country's 1959 revolution. The 89-year-old Castro made the announcement in a speech at the opening of the eighth congress of the ruling party, the only one allowed on the island. He said he was retiring with the sense of having 'fulfilled his mission and confident in the future of the fatherland.'... Castro didn't say who he would endorse as his successor as first secretary of the Communist Party. But he previously indicated he favors yielding control to 60-year-old Miguel Díaz-Canel, who succeeded him as president in 2018 and is the standard bearer of a younger generation of loyalists who have been pushing an economic opening without touching Cuba's one-party system."

U.K. The Guardian is liveblogging Prince Philip's funeral. The New York Times liveblog is here.

The Commentariat -- April 16, 2021

Afternoon Update:

When Killing Your Own Supporters Is a Way to "Own the Libs." Amanda Marcotte in Salon, summary by RockyGirl, from today's Comments thread: "... the right is deliberately undermining the vaccine effort to slow down the economy and hurt Biden. Well, duh. But her solution is interesting. Basically she says that the time (idiot Jordan's 'WHEN??') to roll back restrictions on gatherings and the like is when vaccine supply outstrips demand. She also says that the CDC needs to dial back its messaging on caution and instead start highlighting the freedom of action that vaccines give you. By denying the right the doom & gloom that they can exploit, we can be celebrating all the good things that the vaxxed can do." An excellent read & a pathetic commentary on so-called "conservatism." Thanks to RockyGirl for the link & summary.

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David Sanger, et al., of the New York Times: "The Biden administration on Thursday announced tough new sanctions on Russia and formally blamed the country's premier intelligence agency for the sophisticated hacking operation that breached American government agencies and the nation's largest companies. In the broadest effort yet to give more teeth to financial sanctions -- which in the past have failed to deter Russian activity -- the actions are aimed at choking off lending to the Russian government. In an executive order, President Biden announced a series of additional steps -- sanctions on 32 entities and individuals for disinformation efforts and for carrying out the Russian government's interference in the 2020 presidential election. Ten Russian diplomats, most of them identified as intelligence operatives, were expelled from the Russian Embassy in Washington. The country also joined with European partners to sanction eight people and entities associated with Russia's occupation in Crimea." Politico's story is here. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ Julian Borger of the Guardian: "US intelligence agencies have only 'low to moderate confidence' in reports last year that Russian spies were offering Taliban militants in Afghanistan bounties for killing US soldiers. The reports in the press citing intelligence sources sparked outrage and demands from Democrats for the Trump administration to confront the Kremlin over the issue. Unveiling a raft of sanctions against Russia on Thursday, US officials said that the allegations of Russian bounties was not one of the grounds for imposing the measures, but a warning had been sent to Moscow that there would be a punitive response if such incentives were found to have been paid in the future." ~~~

~~~ Philip Bump of the Washington Post: "On Thursday, the Treasury Department unveiled new sanctions against the Russian government linked to its apparent hack of U.S. government networks. But the news release also included a statement ... that connects the line from Trump's [2016] campaign to Russian intelligence." ~~~

     ~~~ Mark Mazzetti & Michael Schmidt of the New York Times: "The Biden administration revealed on Thursday that a business associate of Trump campaign officials in 2016 provided campaign polling data to Russian intelligence services, the strongest evidence to date that Russian spies had penetrated the inner workings of the Trump campaign. The revelation, made public in a Treasury Department document announcing new sanctions against Russia, established for the first time that private meetings and communications between the campaign officials, Paul Manafort and Rick Gates, and their business associate were a direct pipeline from the campaign to Russian spies at a time when the Kremlin was engaged in a covert effort to sabotage the 2016 presidential election. Previous government investigations have identified the Trump aides' associate, Konstantin V. Kilimnik, as a Russian intelligence operative, and Mr. Manafort's decision to provide him with internal polling data was one of the mysteries that the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, sought to unravel...."

"Shut Your Mouth." DeMitia Inman of the Grio: "The conversation between Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) and Dr. Anthony Fauci escalated during a meeting of the House Coronavirus Crisis Subcommittee.... The Ohio rep continued to press Fauci ... when Rep. [Maxine] Waters ended the debate after Democratic Rep. James Clyburn of South Carolina announced that Jordan's time expired. 'You need to respect the chair and shut your mouth,' she told Jordan." ~~~

~~~ Arrested Development. Here's how little Jimmy Jordan behaved when he was a toddler & his parents told him it was time to go to bed:

     ~~~ Marie: This country would be a lot better off if Maxine Waters had been little Jimmy's mother.

How the DOJ Came to Investigate Matt Gaetz. Matt Zapotosky & Michael Scherer of the Washington Post: "... allegations [of sexual misconduct] against [Orlando prep-school teacher Brian] Beute, federal investigators concluded, had been fabricated by his incumbent opponent, Joel Greenberg, in a bid to smear him. But when authorities arrested Greenberg and sifted through his electronic records and devices -- according to documents and people involved in the case -- they discovered a medley of other alleged wrongdoing, leading them to open an investigation of possible sex trafficking involving a far more high-profile Florida Republican: Rep. Matt Gaetz.... [An acquaintance of Beute's, lawyer David] Bear, said the Seminole County Sheriff's Office in early November [2019] told him Beute was no longer a suspect, and he urged officials to probe who made the false reports.... Beute -- whose ordeal triggered some of the events that followed -- said he believes fallout from the case could force a reckoning for the lax oversight and clubby nature of Florida's political system.... Bear asserted that were it not for his and Beute's persistence in holding those accountable who made false allegations against him, the case might have gone away altogether. State authorities had known of allegations of misconduct surrounding Greenberg for years and had shown little appetite to bring a criminal case."

Jay Greene of the Washington Post: "Amazon chief executive Jeff Bezos acknowledged the e-commerce giant needs to 'do a better job for our employees,' his first comments since the company's lopsided victory over a unionization effort at an Alabama warehouse last week. In his letter to shareholders, Bezos, who also owns The Washington Post, wrote that some news reports of employee complaints about a brutal warehouse workplace during the union campaign were inaccurate. He cited internal surveys of warehouse staff that found 94 percent would recommend Amazon to a friend as a place to work. But he also said Amazon needs to commit to improving employee satisfaction as much as the company focuses on providing customer care."

One More News Source to Hide Behind a Paywall. Katie Robertson of the New York Times: "Reuters will begin charging for access to its website as it tries to capture a slice of the digital subscription business. The company, one of the largest news organizations in the world, announced the new paywall on Thursday, as well as a redesigned website aimed at a 'professional' audience wanting business, financial and general news."

The Pandemic, Ctd.

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

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

Berkeley Lovelace of CNBC: "Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said people will 'likely' need a booster dose of a Covid-19 vaccine within 12 months of getting fully vaccinated. His comments were made public Thursday but were taped April 1. Bourla said it's possible people will need to get vaccinated against the coronavirus annually."

Beyond the Beltway

Kentucky. Tessa Duvall of the Louisville Courier Journal: Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly, "one of the Louisville Metro Police officers who fired shots during the attempted search warrant execution that left Breonna Taylor dead in her apartment last year, is writing a book about the case.... Some of [his publisher's] most high-profile authors include right-wing favorites Dan Bongino, Laura Loomer and embattled GOP Congressman Matt Gaetz. News of Mattingly's book was swiftly met with criticism on social media." MB: I hope if Mattingly makes any money on this book, every penny goes to Breonna Taylor's family. ~~~

     ~~~ Update. Neil Vigdor of the New York Times: "Simon & Schuster said late Thursday night that it had scrapped plans to distribute a book by one of the Louisville police officers who shot Breonna Taylor during the botched drug raid last year that resulted in her death.... The officer's book... was to be distributed by Simon & Schuster, which had said in a statement earlier Thursday that it had no editorial control over book releases by smaller publishing houses for which it provides third-party distribution, including Post Hill Press[, the publisher of Mattingly's book]. But hours later, after news about the book had drawn sharp criticism, Simon & Schuster reversed course on the project."

Illinois. Abigail Weinberg of Mother Jones: "Chicago police on Thursday released body-cam video from the police officer who fatally shot 13-year-old Adam Toledo late last month. The video contains a crucial detail that was lacking in the Chicago Police Department's initial statement: The boy appeared to have both hands raised the moment he was shot.... In a court hearing for the 21-year-old man who was with Toledo on the night of his death, a prosecutor claimed that Toledo had a gun in his right hand the moment he was shot. The state's attorney's office later said that the prosecutor 'failed to fully inform himself' of the details of the case. An attorney for the boy's family said that he was not holding a weapon at the time he was shot -- a conclusion the body cam video seems to uphold.... The Chicago Police have until now intentionally kept the details of the case murky. Especially after the release of the new video, the police's actions following the boy's death look increasingly like a cover-up[.]"

Minnesota. Holly Bailey of the Washington Post: "Derek Chauvin spoke publicly for the first time since his arrest in May, telling a judge Thursday that he would invoke his constitutional right against self-incrimination and not testify in his own defense in his murder trial in the death of George Floyd. The defense rested its case minutes later, after just two days of testimony, paving the way for closing arguments and jury deliberations in the landmark trial to begin Monday.... The court recessed shortly thereafter, with Cahill telling the jury to enjoy a long weekend before returning to court Monday with a packed bag to hear closing arguments and to sequester as they deliberate a verdict."

New York. A Story Too Good to Check. Paul Krugman of the New York Times: "Will Andrew Yang, the current front-runner, become New York City's next mayor?... My guess is that the mayoral office needs an effective political brawler, not an intellectual, and Yang, who has never held office, owes his prominence largely to his reputation as a thought leader, someone with big ideas about economics and policy.... Yang's big ideas are demonstrably wrong.... Even if we don't think Yang is right about the problem [i.e., automation], what about his solution?... His universal basic income proposal ... [is] both too expensive to be sustainable without a very large tax increase and inadequate for Americans who really need help. I've done the math."

Virginia. Ian Shapira of the Washington Post: "The Virginia Military Institute, under fire for its treatment of minorities, has selected its first Black superintendent in the school's 182-year-old history.Cedric T. Wins, a retired Army Major General and 1985 VMI graduate, was appointed Thursday to the top job in a unanimous vote by the college's Board of Visitors, the body that oversees the Lexington school. Wins, 57, who grew up in Hyattsville, Md., and was the first in his family to attend college, has been leading the nation's oldest state-supported military college since Nov. 13, when he was appointed as interim superintendent. He replaced retired Army Gen. J.H. Binford Peay III, 80, who resigned Oct. 26, seven days after Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (D) ordered an investigation into the school, and nine days after The Washington Post chronicled rampant racism on the campus." (Also linked yesterday.)

Way Beyond

Hong Kong. Shibani Mahtani & Theodora Yu of the Washington Post: "A Hong Kong court on Friday sentenced veteran pro-democracy leaders to between eight and 18 months in prison, and gave others suspended sentences, on charges of unauthorized assembly stemming from the 2019 protests against China's tightening control of the city. The penalties handed to the nine defendants, following guilty verdicts earlier this month, marked a new low for the viability of democratic opposition in Hong Kong as Beijing remodels the city into one that resembles any other on the Chinese mainland. Media tycoon Jimmy Lai, already jailed and denied bail over separate national security charges, was sentenced to 14 months prison for his role in two protests. Lai, who Chinese state media describes as a 'traitor,' is facing several criminal prosecutions, four of which were heard in court on Friday. At one of these hearings, the authorities handed him an additional charge under the national security law -- punishable by life in prison." The AP's story is here.

News Ledes

New York Times: "Vartan Gregorian, the ebullient Armenian immigrant who climbed to pinnacles of academic and philanthropic achievement but took a detour in the 1980s to restore a fading New York Public Library to its place at the heart of American intellectual life, died on Thursday in Manhattan. He was 87."

New York Times: "Helen McCrory, the accomplished and versatile British stage and screen actress who played Narcissa Malfoy in three Harry Potter films and the matriarch Polly Gray on the BBC series 'Peaky Blinders,' in addition to earning critical plaudits for her stage work, has died at her home in north London. She was 52."

AP: "Eight people were shot and killed in a late-night shooting at a FedEx facility in Indianapolis, and the shooter killed himself, police said. Several other people were injured Thursday night when gunfire erupted at the facility near the Indianapolis International Airport, police spokesperson Genae Cook said. At least four were hospitalized, including one person with critical injuries. Another two people were treated and released at the scene, she said. The shooter wasn't immediately identified, and investigators were in the process of conducting interviews and gathering information. Cook said it was too early to tell whether the shooter was an employee at the facility." ~~~

     ~~~ The New York Times is liveblogging developments. ~~~

     ~~~ Washington Post Update: "The gunman who carried out a massacre at a FedEx sorting facility, killing eight people before shooting himself, was a 19-year-old former employee who had had a shotgun seized by authorities last year, Indianapolis police said Friday. The shooting, which also injured seven, came during a shift break at the facility, and left bodies throughout the parking lot and inside the cavernous warehouse just after 11 p.m. Thursday night. Authorities said they were investigating what might have motivated the killer, whom they identified as Brandon Hole. He appeared to have fired his assault rifle at 'random,' officials said, and the entire attack lasted no more than a couple of minutes. For hours afterward, relatives of those who had been at work at FedEx waited to learn whether their loved ones had lived or died.... Last spring, after his mother reported her fears that he would attempt to die by 'suicide by cop,' he was questioned by authorities, and the police temporarily detained him for mental health reasons, FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge Paul Keenan said. With Hole's shotgun seized and not returned, it was unclear how he had obtained the rifle used Thursday night."

The Commentariat -- April 15, 2021

Late Morning/Afternoon Update:

Arrested Development. Here's how little Jimmy Jordan behaved when he was a toddler & his parents told him it was time for bed:

The New York Times' live updates of Derek Chauvin's murder trial are here. The Washington Post's live updates are here.

David Sanger, et al., of the New York Times: "The Biden administration on Thursday announced tough new sanctions on Russia and formally blamed the country's premier intelligence agency for the sophisticated hacking operation that breached American government agencies and the nation's largest companies. In the broadest effort yet to give more teeth to financial sanctions -- which in the past have failed to deter Russian activity -- the actions are aimed at choking off lending to the Russian government. In an executive order, President Biden announced a series of additional steps -- sanctions on 32 entities and individuals for disinformation efforts and for carrying out the Russian government's interference in the 2020 presidential election. Ten Russian diplomats, most of them identified as intelligence operatives, were expelled from the Russian Embassy in Washington. The country also joined with European partners to sanction eight people and entities associated with Russia's occupation in Crimea." Politico's story is here.

Virginia. Ian Shapira of the Washington Post: "The Virginia Military Institute, under fire for its treatment of minorities, has selected its first Black superintendent in the school's 182-year-old history. Cedric T. Wins, a retired Army Major General and 1985 VMI graduate, was appointed Thursday to the top job in a unanimous vote by the college's Board of Visitors, the body that oversees the Lexington school. Wins, 57, who grew up in Hyattsville, Md., and was the first in his family to attend college, has been leading the nations oldest state-supported military college since Nov. 13, when he was appointed as interim superintendent. He replaced retired Army Gen. J.H. Binford Peay III, 80, who resigned Oct. 26, seven days after Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (D) ordered an investigation into the school, and nine days after The Washington Post chronicled rampant racism on the campus."

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Anne Gearan, et al., of the Washington Post: "President Biden formally announced Wednesday that the United States will withdraw all troops from Afghanistan by Sept. 11, saying in a speech from the White House that more time and more troops have failed to end the conflict and that is now time to close down America's longest war. Biden did not declare a military victory. He said instead that a perpetual presence does not serve U.S. interests. 'It is time for American troops to come home,' he said in televised remarks from the Treaty Room, the same location where President George W. Bush announced that the war in Afghanistan had begun in 2001.... Biden said he had spoken with Bush in recent days to tell him of the decision.... Biden said the deal [Donald] Trump struck with the Taliban isn't perfect, but said he would substantially abide by it." The AP's report is here. ~~~

~~~ Ryan Grenoble of the Huffington Post: "President Joe Biden visited Arlington National Cemetery on Wednesday with a specific plot of land in mind: Section 60, where America's most recent war dead are buried.Biden's visit came shortly after he announced plans to end the U.S. military presence in Afghanistan later this year, marking the end of a two-decade conflict that has killed 2,488 service members and wounded 20,722. The president said he has carried a card with him for 12 years that he regularly updates with the exact number of troops killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. 'There's no comforting distance of history in Section 60,' Biden said Wednesday ahead of his visit. 'The grief is raw. It's a visceral reminder of the living cost of war. That exact number -- not an approximation or a rounded off number, because every one of those dead are sacred human beings who left behind entire families -- an exact accounting of every single, solitary one, needs to be had,' he added." ~~~

~~~ John Hudson of the Washington Post: "Secretary of State Antony Blinken made an unannounced stop in Afghanistan on Thursday for meetings with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah, who is heading up negotiations with the Taliban, to reassure them that Washington's support for the war-torn country will continue despite the U.S. decision to withdraw all military forces by Sept. 11.... Ghani and his advisers met Blinken and his aides at Kabul's ornate presidential palace." An ABC News story is here.

Julian Barnes, et al., of the New York Times: "The Biden administration is set to announce on Thursday a string of long-awaited measures against Russia, including far-reaching financial sanctions, for the hacking of government and private networks and a range of other activity, according to people who have been briefed on the moves. The sanctions will be among what President Biden's aides say are 'seen and unseen' steps in response to the hacking, known as SolarWinds; to the C.I.A.'s assessment that Russia offered to pay bounties to militants in Afghanistan to kill American troops; and to Russia's yearslong effort to interfere in United States elections, according to American officials and others who have been briefed on the actions. The moves will include the expulsion of a limited number of diplomats...." CNN's story is here.

Karoun Demirjian of the Washington Post: "House lawmakers are bracing for scathing testimony Thursday about the intelligence failures and operational lapses that left Capitol Police woefully underprepared for the deadly pro-Trump riot on Jan. 6, after preliminary internal reviews exposed several glaring concerns. Capitol Police Inspector General Michael Bolton is leading an ongoing investigation into why campus law enforcement failed to contain and ultimately was overwhelmed by a mob seeking to stop Congress from certifying President Biden's victory in the 2020 election. He has disclosed his initial findings and recommendations to lawmakers in two confidential reports.... To date, Bolton's investigation has uncovered an alarming level of disorganization within the Capitol Police -- such that officials tasked with analyzing intelligence warnings leading up to the riot lacked the training to do so effectively, and that the units designated to respond to civil disturbances at the Capitol were operating with outdated rosters and inadequate equipment, according to the summaries."

** Rachel Weiner & Spencer Hsu of the Washington Post: "As the Capitol was overrun on Jan. 6, armed supporters of ... Donald Trump were waiting across the Potomac in Virginia for orders to bring guns into the fray, a prosecutor said Wednesday in federal court. The Justice Department has repeatedly highlighted comments from some alleged riot participants who discussed being part of a 'quick reaction force' with stashes of weapons. Defendants have dismissed those conversations as bluster. But in a detention hearing for Kenneth Harrelson, accused of conspiring with other members of the Oath Keepers militia group to stop the certification of Joe Biden's election win, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey S. Nestler said the government has evidence indicating otherwise. 'This is not pure conjecture,' Nestler said[, citing cellphone and video evidence].... Judge Amit Mehta called the evidence among the 'most troubling and most disconcerting' he has seen in nearly a dozen cases related to Oath Keepers." MB: Frankly, the report reads like a war story. ~~~

     ~~~ A BuzzFeed News story is here. MB: I feel pretty confident that the reason Trump reportedly was so pumped that day was that he was waiting for his allies to heroically cross the Potomac (even if He Donald was not standing bravely at the bow a la Washington crossing the Delaware), shoot up the Capitol and vanquish Trump.

Keith Alexander, et al., of the Washington Post: "A U.S. Capitol Police officer has been cleared of criminal wrongdoing for fatally shooting Air Force veteran Ashli Babbitt as she attempted to breach a set of doors deep in the Capitol during the January siege, federal prosecutors in D.C. announced Wednesday. Authorities determined that there was insufficient evidence to prove Babbitt's civil rights were violated, and that it was reasonable for the officer to believe he was firing in self-defense or in defense of members of Congress and aides who were fleeing the House chamber. Prosecutors did not identify the officer." Politico's story is here.

Alex Horton of the Washington Post: "The D.C. National Guard's deployment of helicopters to quell racial justice demonstrations in Washington last summer, a chilling scene in which two aircraft hovered extremely low over clusters of protesters, was a misuse of military medical aircraft and resulted in the disciplining of multiple soldiers, the Army said Wednesday.... Senior officials, including then-Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy, have maintained that the mission was to observe crowds and help police track people's movements, and they have dismissed assertions that the maneuvers were intended to frighten and scatter protesters.... But a redacted investigative report released Wednesday appears to contradict those claims, with some soldiers involved in the operation telling investigators they believed their mission was to deter looting and vandalism with their helicopters. 'Be loud ... fly low over the crowds,' said one unidentified member of the Lakota crew, describing the mission parameters as they understood them.... [The brigadier general who oversaw the deployment] did not direct the helicopters to scatter protesters, the report found, but an unidentified subordinate misunderstood or 'modified' the general's intent and told others the mission included crowd dispersal."

Shawna Chen of Axios: "In a rare bipartisan vote of 92-6, the Senate advanced legislation aimed at improving anti-Asian hate crime tracking and identification.... The bill had looked initially unlikely to garner the 60 votes necessary to end debate and move to a final vote. But Republicans decided to not filibuster, in part because Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, whose wife Elaine Chao is Taiwanese American, signaled openness to working on it with Democrats prior to final passage, the Associated Press reports." MB: Once again we see the GOP Humanitarian Rule in action: Approve humanitarian bills only if you are personally affected.

Meagan Flynn of the Washington Post: "Legislation to make D.C. the 51st state advanced from the House Committee on Oversight and Reform on Wednesday, paving the way for approval by the full House for the second consecutive year -- possibly as soon as next week. The Democratic-majority committee voted along party lines to pass the Washington, D.C. Admission Act, quashing every Republican amendment during Wednesday's markup session."

Ryan Grim of the Intercept: "Congressional Democrats plan to unveil legislation expanding the size of the Supreme Court on Thursday, according to three congressional sources.... The bill would add four seats to the high court, bringing the total to 13 from the current nine. The bill is led by House Judiciary Committee Chair Jerry Nadler, Subcommittee chair Hank Johnson, and freshman Rep. Mondaire Jones. In the Senate, the bill is being championed by Ed Markey of Massachusetts. The number of justices on the Court, which is set by Congress, has fluctuated throughout the course of the nation's history, reaching as many as ten seats before settling on nine in 1869. In 2016, Sen. Ted Cruz suggested that, if Hillary Clinton were elected, the Republican Senate should keep Justice Antonin Scalia's seat empty, effectively bringing the number of justices down to eight."

Marianna Sotomayor of the Washington Post: "A House committee on Wednesday approved legislation to create a commission to make recommendations on paying reparations to the descendants of enslaved people, the furthest the bill has advanced since it was first introduced more than 30 years ago. As expected, the vote broke on party lines, 25 to 17." A CBS News report is here.

Jose Pagliery & Roger Sollenberger of the Daily Beast: "As new details emerge about Rep. Matt Gaetz's role in an alleged sex ring, The Daily Beast has obtained several documents showing that the suspected ringleader of the group, Joel Greenberg, made more than 150 Venmo payments to dozens of young women, and to a girl who was 17 at the time.... Gaetz made only one previously unreported transaction in the newly obtained documents: a payment from [Gaetz] ... to [Greenberg] ... for $300 on November 1, 2018, with the love hotel emoji ... in the memo field. The Daily Beast was unable to tie that transaction directly to any woman, but confirmed that Greenberg booked one night for that date at The Alfond Inn, a luxury hotel in Winter Park, Florida.... In the Venmo transactions..., there are at least 16 payments in 2017 totaling nearly $5,000 to a woman who would later go on to date Matt Gaetz." The story is subscriber-firewalled. Here's a Raw Story summary report. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: It looks as if Greenberg's job was to pimp for Gaetz (and others). Greenberg is described in most stories as a good friend of Gaetz', but Gaetz may have been more a client that a buddy.

From Tucker's Lips to a GOP Congressman's. Philip Bump of the Washington Post: "On Wednesday morning..., a subcommittee of the House Foreign Affairs Committee was meeting to examine the root causes of migration from Central American countries.... when Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.) ... [said], 'For many Americans..., what seems to be happening ... is we're replacing ... native-born Americans to permanently transform the landscape of this very nation.' He went on to [blame Biden administration policies for increased immigration from these countries].... He simply throws it out with an indifferent 'people are saying' line, as though it were not the subject of intense national controversy.... The irony is that Perry was at the heart of the efforts in January to 'transform the landscape of this very nation' by overturning the results of the 2020 presidential election.... [This is] a reminder that the effort to cast immigrants as dangerous invaders aided by cynical leftist politicians may have started with self-identified white nationalists but isn't stopping at [Tucker] Carlson. It's progressing to others in the conservative media and, now, to the House."

Michael Balsamo of the AP: "Bernie Madoff, the financier who pleaded guilty to orchestrating the largest Ponzi scheme in history, died in a federal prison early Wednesday, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press. Madoff died at the Federal Medical Center in Butner, North Carolina, apparently from natural causes, the person said." Update: Madoff's New York Times obituary is here. (Also linked yesterday.)

The Pandemic, Ctd.

The New York Times' live updates of Covid-19 developments Thursday are here: "After considering whether to reinstate the [Johnson & Johnson] vaccine, a panel of expert advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention determined on Wednesday that it needed more time to assess a possible link to a rare but serious blood-clotting disorder."

The New York Times' live updates of Covid-19 developments Wednesday are here. The Washington Post's live updates for Wednesday are here. (Also linked yesterday.)

Get Your Shots or Get Out. Ezekiel Emanuel, et al., in a New York Times op-ed: "The next coronavirus surge seems to be underway.... We need to sharply reduce coronavirus infections to turn the tide.... The best hope is to maximize the number of people vaccinated, especially among those who interact with many others and are likely to transmit the virus. How can we increase vaccinations? Mandates. Vaccines should be required for health care workers and for all students who plan to attend in-person classes this fall -- including younger children once the vaccine is authorized for them.... Employers should also be prepared to make vaccines mandatory for prison guards, E.M.T.s, police officers, firefighters and teachers if overall vaccinations do not reach the level required for herd immunity." ~~~

     ~~~ Florida. Brittany Chang of Business Insider, republished at MSN: "Florida and cruise companies could be locked in a battle over vaccine requirements as the state puts a ban on vaccine passports while cruise lines continue to mandate the jabs for passengers and crew. On April 2, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis issued an executive order banning vaccine passports and local businesses from requiring this proof of vaccination. This ban applies to cruise lines as well...." ~~~

~~~ GOP State Legislators Push Anti-Vaxxer Bills. Anna Merlan of Vice News: "Legislators in at least five states ... have introduced a so-called 'Vaccine Bill of Rights.' The text of these bills is strikingly similar...: They're all based on a document released in January by a group called America's Frontline Doctors (AFLD), a pseudo-medical collection of physicians and not-at-all-physicians devoted to spreading the worst possible information about COVID. Resolutions using language similar or identical to the group's have been proposed by Republican lawmakers in Wyoming..., Kansas, Missouri, Minnesota, and South Carolina.... In several proposed 'Bill of Rights' resolutions, there's language that explicitly seeks to bar [so-called] vaccine passports, saying that 'such required documentation pose[s] substantial risks to personal privacy and equal treatment before the law for all citizens.' The text of many of these proposed pieces of legislation also says that employers [including hospitals] should be prohibited from mandating vaccines for any of their employees..., [and that schools should be prevented from mandating vaccinations for returning students].<" ~~~

~~~ Russ Bynum of the AP: "With coronavirus shots now in the arms of nearly half of American adults, the parts of the U.S. that are excelling and those that are struggling with vaccinations are starting to look like the nation's political map: deeply divided between red and blue states.... Americans in blue states that lean Democratic appear to be getting vaccinated at more robust rates, while those in red Republican states seem to be more hesitant.... Out in front is New Hampshire, where 65% of the population age 18 and older has received at least one dose of the vaccine, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Following close behind are New Mexico, Connecticut, Maine and Massachusetts at 55% or greater. All have a history of voting Democratic and supported President Joe Biden in the 2020 election. Meanwhile, at the bottom are five states where fewer than 40% have rolled up their sleeves for a shot. Four of them -- Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana and Tennessee -- lean Republican and voted for Donald Trump last fall. The fifth is Georgia, which has a Republican governor and supported GOP presidential candidates for nearly three decades before narrowly backing Biden." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Absolute proof that Trump won Georgia. Election fraud!!! Recount, recount!!

~~~ Patrick Murray of Monmouth University Polling: "About 1 in 5 American adults remain unwilling to get the Covid vaccine, even as more people are getting the shot. The Monmouth ... University Poll also finds that President Joe Biden continues to get positive job ratings overall as well as high marks for his handling of the pandemic. Nearly half of the public feels the country is heading in the right direction, which is an eight-year high in Monmouth's national polling."

** Pam Belluck of the New York Times: "The Biden administration has decided to allow women to receive abortion pills by mail for the duration of the coronavirus pandemic, the latest development in an issue that has increasingly taken center stage in the American abortion debate. In a letter sent Monday to two leading organizations representing reproductive health physicians, the acting commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration said that the agency would temporarily stop enforcing its requirement that the first of two drugs needed to terminate an early pregnancy be dispensed in a medical clinic. The new policy counters a Supreme Court decision in January that sided with the Trump administration, which had appealed a federal judge's decision last July to suspend the requirement."

Beyond the Beltway

Minnesota. Scott Bauer & Mike Householder of the AP: "A white former suburban Minneapolis police officer was charged Wednesday with second-degree manslaughter for killing 20-year-old Black motorist Daunte Wright in a shooting that ignited days of unrest and clashes between protesters and police. The charge against former Brooklyn Center police Officer Kim Potter was filed three days after Wright was killed during a traffic stop and as the nearby murder trial progresses for the ex-officer charged with killing George Floyd last May." The New York Times story is here. ~~~

~~~ According to this Fox "News" story, at the time a policewoman shot him dead, Daunte Wright had an outstanding warrant for armed robbery. The police who stopped him were trying to arrest him on the warrant. Policy bodycam video shows that "As an officer attempts to handcuff him, Wright pries himself loose and jumps back into his car." Potter then shot him as he sped away. MB: The media often portray Wright's story as a case in which police kill a Black man because of a minor violation: an expired vehicle license. Meanwhile, family members talk about how sweet he was. Assuming the Fox story is true, it appears Wright had jumped $100,000 bail, imposed for an alleged attempted robbery at gunpoint. Shooting an accused felon dead was not justified, but IMO, shooting out his tires or taking other non-lethal offensive action would have been.

Minnesota. Mark Berman & Ovetta Wiggins of the Washington Post: "When the video of George Floyd gasping for air under the knee of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin emerged last year, it told a story that was painfully familiar to Anton Black's family. Black encountered police on Maryland's Eastern Shore in the fall of 2018, when officers responding to a call about a possible kidnapping wrestled the 19-year-old to the ground. Video footage released later showed the officers in Greensboro, Md., struggling with Black before pinning him down. Black died, and no officers were charged in his death. Then came Floyd's death last year, another video of a Black man being held down by police and dying. The cases, Black's family said in a court filing, were 'chillingly similar.' Now they are connected in another way: Among the experts Chauvin's defense is expected to call this week is the former Maryland medical examiner -- David Fowler -- who deemed Black's death an accident, a determination his family pilloried in a federal lawsuit filed in December." MB: Fowler is on the stand now @ 11 am ET Wednesday. Sure hope the judge lets the prosecution examine Fowler's history. (Also linked yesterday.)

New York State. Jonah Bromwich of the New York Times: "Cariol Horne acted to keep a white officer from using what she saw as excessive force. Fifteen years later, a judge said her firing was wrong. It was a cold November day in Buffalo when Officer Cariol Horne responded to a call for a colleague in need of help. What she encountered was a white officer who appeared to be 'in a rage' punching a handcuffed Black man in the face repeatedly as other officers stood by. Officer Horne, who is Black, heard the handcuffed man say he could not breathe and saw the white officer put him in a chokehold. At that point..., she forcibly removed the white officer and began to trade blows with him. In the altercation's aftermath, Officer Horne was reassigned, hit with departmental charges and, eventually, fired just one year short of the 20 on the force she needed to collect her full pension.... On Tuesday, in an outcome explicitly informed by the police killing of George Floyd, a state court judge vacated an earlier ruling that affirmed her firing, essentially rewriting the end of her police career, and granting her the back pay and benefits she had previously been denied." Thanks to PD Pepe for the link. MB: If you have a NYT subscription, read the whole story. (Also linked yesterday.) CNN's story is here.

News Ledes

Yahoo! News: "New weekly jobless claims plunged to a pandemic-era low after last week's unexpected jump, with the labor market's choppy recovery closely following the trajectory of new COVID-19 infections.... Here were the main metrics from the [Department of Labor] report, compared to consensus data compiled by Bloomberg: Initial jobless claims, week ended April 10: 576,000 vs. 700,000 expected and a revised 769,000 during the prior week[.] Continuing claims, week ended April 3: 3.731 million vs. 3.700 million expected vs. 3.727 million during the prior week[.] Initial unemployment claims were expected to hold at or above the 700,000 level for a third consecutive week, remaining close to levels from November. Instead, new claims unexpectedly broke below the Great Recession-era high of 665,000 new claims filed in March 2009 for the first time in more than a year."

CNBC: "A fresh batch of stimulus checks sent consumer purchases surging in March as the U.S. economy continued to get juice from aggressive congressional spending. Retail sales rose 9.8% for the month, the Commerce Department reported Thursday. That compared to the Dow Jones estimate of a 6.1% gain and a decline of 2.7% in February. Sporting goods, clothing and building materials led the gains in spending and contributed to the best month for retail since the May 2020 gain of 18.3%, which came after the first round of stimulus checks."