The Commentariat -- March 28, 2021

Afternoon Update:

The New York Times' live updates of Covid-19 developments Sunday are here: "After weeks of decline followed by a steady plateau, coronavirus cases are rising again in the United States. Deaths are still decreasing, but the country averaged 61,545 cases last week, 11 percent more than the average two weeks earlier. Scientists predicted weeks ago that the number of infections would curve upward again in late March, at least in part because of the rise of variants of the coronavirus across the country. The variant that walloped Britain, called B.1.1.7, has led to a new wave of cases across most of Europe. Some scientists warned that it may lead to a new wave in the United States. The rise in infections is also a result of state leaders pulling back on mitigation measures, and large social interactions, like spring break gatherings in Florida, Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, the Biden administration's chief science adviser, said on the CBS program 'Face the Nation' on Sunday."

Dan Diamond, et al., of the Washington Post: "The Biden administration and private companies are working to develop a standard way of handling credentials -- often referred to as 'vaccine passports' -- that would allow Americans to prove they have been vaccinated against the novel coronavirus as businesses try to reopen. The effort has gained momentum amid President Biden's pledge that the nation will start to regain normalcy this summer and with a growing number of companies -- from cruise lines to sports teams -- saying they will require proof of vaccination before opening their doors again.... The passports are expected to be free and available through applications for smartphones, which could display a scannable code similar to an airline boarding pass. Americans without smartphone access should be able to print out the passports, developers have said."

Michelle Au, a Georgia state senator, in a Washington Post op-ed, describes the scene as the state Senate was debating the voter suppression bill: most Republican senators could not be bothered to even show up to hear the debate, but in a "small, clubby" anteroom off the chamber, GOP senators could be heard laughing & chortling among themselves. MB: May the people have the last laugh.

Slowly, Slowly, She Turns. The New York Times is liveblogging the progress of the attempts to move a huge Japanese cargo ship that has been grounded for nearly a week in the Suez Canal and is completely blocking the vital international shipping lane. "Late Saturday, tugboat drivers sounded their horns in celebration of the most visible sign of progress since the ship ran aground late Tuesday. The 220,000-ton ship moved ... just two degrees, or about 100 feet...." ~~~

~~~ Sudarsan Raghavan & Jennifer Hassan of the Washington Post: "Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sissi ordered preparations to be made for the unloading of the Ever Given cargo carrier that is blocking the Suez Canal, the head of the canal authority said Sunday. Lt. Gen. Osama Rabie, chairman of the Suez Canal Authority, told Egyptian television that officials were preparing for the 'third scenario' of unloading containers from the massive ship so it can be refloated, opening up one of the world's busiest waterways. The canal has been blocked since Tuesday, leaving more than 300 ships waiting to pass through. Unloading some of the 18,000 containers from the towering ship would require special equipment, so the president authorized its acquisition even as dredging continued, Rabie said. So far, 27,000 cubic feet of sand have been removed from around the vessel to a depth of 18 meters, or about 59 feet."

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Maureen Dowd of the New York Times: President "Biden should do what he can to help Senate Democrats dilute the filibuster. And he should insist on the passage of the voting rights bill the Senate designed to target the voter suppression efforts enacted in Georgia, just a preview of what's to come in other states. Nine years after first graders were mowed down at Sandy Hook, couldn't he finally make progress on the nation's most shameful issue -- blind worship of the AR-15?... As Fintan O'Toole wrote in The New York Review of Books in a piece titled 'To Hell With Unity,' it must be dawning on Biden that 'the willingness of most congressional Republicans to endorse Donald Trump's attempts to overturn the November election and their unwillingness to convict Trump for his role in the violent putsch of January 6' proves 'there can be no illusions of accord, or even of civilized dispute.'"

Sheryl Stolberg of the New York Times: "... public health experts say a new round of research could pave the way for gun policies that avoid partisan gridlock -- and ultimately save thousands of lives. The studies ... are being paid for by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which is once again funding research into gun violence after a nearly 25-year hiatus imposed by Congress.... Federal money for gun research all but disappeared after Congress in 1996 enacted the so-called Dickey Amendment, which barred the C.D.C. from spending money to 'advocate or promote gun control.'... In an extraordinary turn of events, [Rep. Jay] Dickey [R-Ark.], who died in 2017 [and for whom the amendment is name], befriended the man whose [gun research] work he had cut off, Dr. [Mark] Rosenberg.... In 2019, Dr. Rosenberg and Mr. Dickey's former wife, Betty, a retired former prosecutor and chief justice of the Arkansas Supreme Court, helped persuade Congress to restore the funding; lawmakers appropriated $25 million, split between the C.D.C. and the National Institutes of Health, for firearm injury prevention research. The agencies are now financing nearly two dozen studies, though backers of the research say the money is a pittance compared with the breadth of the problem."

Kate Bennett of CNN: "t has been more than two months since Kamala Harris was sworn in as vice president of the United States.... Yet, Harris -- along with her husband, Georgetown Law professor Douglas Emhoff -- is still, ostensibly, living out of suitcases, unable to move into the private residence reserved for the vice president because it's still undergoing renovations. It's unclear why the renovations are taking so long, said one administration official, but it's a situation that has left Harris increasingly and understandably bothered, according to several people who spoke to CNN about her situation.... The second couple continues to live in temporary housing at Blair House, the President's official guest quarters, just across Pennsylvania Avenue from the White House." MB: Blair House is not exactly a dump.

Jason Hoffman & Jasmine Wright of CNN: "'Now this is a moment of many firsts,' [Doug] Emhoff declared, sitting solo in front of the White House logo, at a virtual Passover celebration at the White House on Thursday. It's a nod not only to his wife's historic role as the first woman, first Black and South Asian vice president. But also, his own, as the first Jewish spouse in the White House, leading its first Passover event live streamed for the masses, days before the actual holiday. 'We are gathered today for the first Passover celebration of the Biden-Harris administration and I'm excited to join you as the first ever second gentleman, married to the first woman to serve as vice president of the United States. And as the first Jewish spouse of a president or a vice president,' Emhoff added.... The Obamas [held] Seders every year they were in the White House. However once they left office, the official White House Seder went by the wayside."

Yes, He's a Lying SOS, But I'd Vote for Him! Kelly Mena of CNN: "The former chief of staff to ... Donald Trump on Saturday pushed back against his former boss' recent attempt to whitewash the history of the January 6 Capitol riot. Mick Mulvaney, who stepped down as Trump's special envoy to Northern Ireland after the insurrection, called Trump's comments that his supporters were 'hugging and kissing' police officers and posed 'zero threat,' despite widespread violence, 'manifestly false.'... 'It's not right to say there was no risk, I don't know how you can say that when people were killed,' he added.... Still, Mulvaney said he 'absolutely would' still vote for Trump if he were to win the Republican presidential nomination in 2024." MB: I'd like to thank Mulvaney for voicing the moral position endemic to his party: provoking murder, mayhem, inciting terrorism and treason, are of no consequence as long as a person has an "R" after his name.

The Pandemic, Ctd.

Dan Keating, et al., of the Washington Post: "The first nationwide look at vaccination across counties reveals vast differences in the rate that people are receiving protection from the coronavirus, with notably lower rates in predominantly Black areas and counties that voted most heavily for ... Donald Trump in 2020." There's an interactive map as well as a search box so you can check your how your county is doing ... unless you live in one of the states that has provided "insufficient data." MB: If I didn't live in one of those "insufficient data" states, I'd use the info to gauge how safe it was to go out & about.

Maeve Reston of CNN: "Dr. Deborah Birx, who served as the White House coronavirus response coordinator under the Trump administration..., [says] in a new CNN documentary that the number of coronavirus deaths could have been 'decreased substantially' if cities and states across the country had aggressively applied the lessons of the first surge toward mitigation last spring, potentially preventing the surges that followed.... Birx ... stat[ed] that the vast majority of America's deaths could have been prevented.... 'I look at it this way. The first time we have an excuse,' Birx says. 'There were about a hundred thousand deaths that came from that original surge. All of the rest of them, in my mind, could have been mitigated or decreased substantially.' A key study from Columbia University released last year underscored the devastating conclusion that earlier intervention could have saved tens of thousands of lives." ~~~

     ~~~ Amy Wang of the Washington Post: "Birx ... has been criticized for not speaking more frequently and more forcefully against Trump. Last March, Birx praised Trump for being 'so attentive to the scientific literature and the details and the data' with regards to the outbreak. As The Washington Post's Philip Bump reported, Birx had presented overly optimistic data several times[.]... Birx also sat quietly at a news conference last April when Trump pondered whether people could be injected with disinfectant to 'knock out' the coronavirus."

Beyond the Beltway

Kansas. John Hanna of the AP: "One of the Kansas Legislature's most powerful lawmakers was charged Friday with driving under the influence and a felony offense for trying to elude law enforcement while speeding the wrong way on highways in Topeka. Senate Majority Leader Gene Suellentrop faces five criminal charges, including the felony count, the misdemeanor DUI count and a misdemeanor count of reckless driving. The Wichita Republican turned himself in at the local jail Friday evening, and his bond has been set at $5,000.... Suellentrop announced last week that he was stepping away from most of the majority leader's duties until matters surrounding his arrest are resolved."

Michigan. Laina Stebbins of Michigan Advance: "Michigan GOP Chair and University of Michigan Regent Ron Weiser told attendees of a local Republican club on Thursday that the state's top three female Democratic leaders ... Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Attorney General Dana Nessel and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson ... are 'witches' that Republicans need to defeat in 2022 by 'burning at the stake,' and made a casual reference to assassinating two sitting Republican members of Congress [because they voted to impeach Donald Trump].... Last fall, a group of right-wing, anti-government extremists were foiled in their plan to allegedly kidnap and publicly execute Whitmer, take public officials hostage in the state Capitol and burn the Capitol down. Leading up to that point were months of misogynistic, violent rhetoric directed toward Whitmer and other top Democratic officials from Republicans protesting COVID-19 health restrictions." Weiser said his remarks were "taken out of context." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Because you really have to understand the context in which someone recommends burning public figures alive or otherwise assassinating them. I believe what Weiser said "in context" was, "I disagree with their politics, so they should suffer violent, painful deaths." ~~~

     ~~~ Update: Apparently, Weiser discovered that the "out of context" excuse wasn't working for some overly-touchy people, because Hannah Knowles of the Washington Post reports, "On Saturday he issued a more regretful statement. 'In an increasingly vitriolic political environment, we should all do better to treat each other with respect, myself included," etc.

North Carolina. Armed White Vigilantes Want Black Family They Terrorized to Apologize to Them. Eliott McLaughlin of CNN: "... lawyers for the two [armed white men who came with 13 others to the home of a black family] say they ... want an apology from Monica Shepard and her teen son, Dameon, as well as from their family's lawyers, for comments they feel painted their clients as racists. A 'Kumbaya' moment seems unlikely. As the criminal cases against Jordan Kita and Austin Wood unfolded, the Shepards filed a civil lawsuit likening the group to Ku Klux Klan night riders.... The attorneys acknowledge that their clients, Kita and Wood, were armed, that Kita was wearing his law enforcement uniform outside his jurisdiction and the pair were among 15 people who went to the wrong home in the middle of the night wanting to know the whereabouts of a missing girl." The judge who acquitted Kita & Wood did not explain his ruling. MB: Living in the South is terrifying. I'm white, and if this had happened to me, I'd have a hard time getting over it.

Ohio. Timothy Bella of the Washington Post: "Ever since he moved to the United States from China more than a half-century ago, Lee Wong has been told he doesn't look American enough. Despite his 20 years of service in the U.S. Army, he says his patriotism has also been questioned by people who 'can't get over this face.' So when Wong called out the uptick in violence and discrimination against Asian Americans during a meeting of the board of trustees in West Chester Township, Ohio, the board chairman calmly unbuttoned his dress shirt to show those in attendance at the Tuesday meeting what patriotism looked like: red scars across his chest from his military service. 'Here is my proof,' said Wong, 69, who last year ran as a Republican candidate for the state Senate. 'Now, is this patriot enough?' Wong's impassioned speech on Tuesday, captured in a video that's been viewed by millions as of early Saturday, has resonated at a time when hate crimes against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) have become a regular occurrence...." Includes video.

Way Beyond

Richard Paddock of the New York Times: "At a military parade on Saturday, the general who led the overthrow of Myanmar's civilian government last month said the army was determined 'to protect people from all danger.' Before the day was over, the security forces under his command had shot and killed a 5-year-old boy, two 13-year-old boys and a 14-year-old girl. A baby girl in Yangon, Myanmar's largest city, was struck in the eye with a rubber bullet, although her parents said she was expected to live. The slain children were among dozens of people killed on Saturday as the security forces cracked down on protests across Myanmar, in what appeared to be one of the deadliest days since the Feb. 1 coup led by Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, commander of the Tatmadaw, as the military is known. One news outlet, Myanmar Now, put Saturday's death toll as high as 100." The AP's story is here. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

News Lede

Weather Channel: "At least four people are dead and rescues went on through the night as heavy rainfall swamped middle Tennessee and triggered major flooding of homes and roads, including in the south Nashville area.... At least four people are dead and rescues went on through the night as heavy rainfall swamped middle Tennessee and triggered major flooding of homes and roads, including in the south Nashville area."

The Commentariat -- March 27, 2021

Afternoon Update:

Richard Paddock of the New York Times: "At a military parade on Saturday, the general who led the overthrow of Myanmar's civilian government last month said the army was determined 'to protect people from all danger.' Before the day was over, the security forces under his command had shot and killed a 5-year-old boy, two 13-year-old boys and a 14-year-old girl. A baby girl in Yangon, Myanmar's largest city, was struck in the eye with a rubber bullet, although her parents said she was expected to live. The slain children were among dozens of people killed on Saturday as the security forces cracked down on protests across Myanmar, in what appeared to be one of the deadliest days since the Feb. 1 coup led by Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, commander of the Tatmadaw, as the military is known. One news outlet, Myanmar Now, put Saturday's death toll as high as 100." The AP's story is here.

James Walker of Newsweek: "Republican Senator Ted Cruz posted a video from the Rio Grande river [link fixed] that runs along the U.S.-Mexico border on social media Thursday night as President Joe Biden spoke about the border crisis at his first press briefing. The Texas Republican said he and other senators had seen 'overrun' detention facilities on their trip to the border, and witnessed migrant mothers and infants sleeping on the floor. He also claimed that traffickers on the Mexican side of the border could be seen taunting U.S. border officials with flashlights." Thanks to PD Pepe for the link. See also her commentary in today's thread.

     ~~~ Marie: Newsweek's "Ted Talks" video wouldn't load for me, so I had to go to the YouTubes to find a comparable video. The one I found cuts off the part where Ted, speaking in hushed tones amid the rushes on the U.S. banks of the Rio Grande, finds the baby Moses among the reeds. Cliffhanger: does Ted (a) rescue the infant and raise him as his own so Pharaoh Joe can't deport him, or (b) turn little Moses over to a gruff, gun-toting Border Patrolman?

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AFP: "Joe Biden has invited 40 world leaders to a virtual summit on the climate crisis, the White House said in a statement on Friday. Heads of state, including Xi Jinping of China and Russia's Vladimir Putin, have been asked to attend the two-day meeting meant to mark Washington's return to the front lines of the fight against human-caused climate change, after Donald Trump disengaged from the process. 'They know they're invited,' Biden said of Xi and Putin. 'But I haven't spoken to either one of them yet.' The start of the summit on 22 April coincides with Earth Day, and it will come ahead of a major UN meeting on the crisis, scheduled for November in Glasgow, Scotland."

Guardian: "Joe Biden has said the US is looking at what it can do to help free the 400-metre container ship Ever Given from its position blocking the Suez canal as the trade route crisis stretched into a fifth day. We have equipment and capacity that most countries don't have. And we are seeing what help we can be,' the US president said on Friday in Delaware. His comments came after a US official said the navy was prepared to send a team of dredging experts to the canal, but was awaiting approval from local authorities. Meanwhile, as the latest effort to dislodge the ship with tug boats was suspended late on Friday, shipping companies began to reroute cargoes elsewhere to avoid worsening the huge logjam that has built up at either end of the crucial trade artery." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Pardon my simple-mindedness, but reports make it seem the super-barge is stuck in the sand (i.e., essentially run aground) because it is so heavy, what with its being loaded with cargo. So, um, maybe offload the cargo? The equipment needed may be a few of those big ole cranes that move shipping containers.

"Scandal! Horror!" Poppy Noor of the Guardian: "Joe Biden's first press conference has caused some strong reactions [link fixed] from the conservative side of the aisle after he was caught ... reading notes.... 'New photos show cheat sheets used by Biden during his first press conference,' a New York Post headline read last night.... It is customary for politicians to speak using notes.... [For instance,] there was the time [Donald Trump] used cue cards to remind him to listen to shooting survivors."

Ben Leonard of Politico: "President Joe Biden slammed Georgia's new voting restrictions, calling them 21st-century 'Jim Crow' and urging Congress to pass election reform bills. 'This law, like so many others being pursued by Republicans in statehouses across the country is a blatant attack on the Constitution and good conscience,' Biden said in a statement Friday afternoon. 'This is Jim Crow in the 21st Century. It must end. We have a moral and Constitutional obligation to act.'" The President's full statement is here.

** Still Longing for the Old Plantation. Will Bunch of the Philadelphia Inquirer: "Sometimes America’s legacy of white supremacy is hiding in plain sight, literally. When Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed a hastily passed voter suppression law that many are calling the new, new Jim Crow on Thursday night, surrounded by a half-dozen white men, he did so in front of a painting of a plantation where more than 100 Black people had been enslaved. The fitting symbolism is somehow both shocking and unsurprising. In using the antebellum image of the notorious Callaway Plantation -- in a region where enslaved Black people seeking freedom were hunted with hounds -- in Wilkes County, Ga., as the backdrop for signing a bill that would make it a crime to hand water to a thirsty voter waiting on Georgia's sometimes hours-long voter lines, the GOP governor was sending a clear message about race and human rights in the American South.... At the very moment that Kemp was signing the law with his all-white posse, a Black female Georgia lawmaker -- Rep. Park Cannon -- who'd knocked on the governor's door in the hopes of watching the bill signing was instead dragged away and arrested by state troopers, in a scene that probably had the Deep South's racist sheriffs of yesteryear like Bull Connor or Jim Clark smiling in whatever fiery hellhole they now inhabit." Subscriber-firewalled. MB: I happily spent one of my few Inquirer freebies on this classic. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Bunch suggests Kemp knew what he was doing. But I doubt it. People like Kemp are such knee-jerk racists that screaming symbols of racism don't even register with them. That Callaway Plantation picture just seems right. In fact, Bunch lets us know that Brian & his lovely wife Marty especially picked it out for a place of prominence in Brian's office. I'll bet "Gone with the Wind" is Brian Kemp's favorite movie.

Maria Sacchetti & Nick Miroff of the Washington Post: "Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas fired most members of the department's independent advisory council on Friday, a purge that included several allies of ... Donald Trump and veteran officials who served under both parties. Former Department of Homeland Security officials and advisory board members who worked under Democratic and Republican administrations said they could not remember so many members being dismissed at once.... The council is unpaid and includes leaders from state and local government, law enforcement, the private sector and academia who advise the agency on issues such as immigration, terrorism, crime and national disasters. Members serve one- to three-year terms and meet about four times a year.... DHS officials said Mayorkas would conduct an assessment of the council and reconstitute it with bipartisan members who better reflect the diversity of the United States and the people DHS serves."

Dan Lamothe of the Washington Post: "A fatal cocktail of factors resulted in the deaths of eight Marines and a Navy sailor last summer after their 35-year-old armored vehicle sank off the coast of California, according to the results of a Marine Corps investigation. Insufficient training and maintenance, complacency by Marine officers, and a delayed, chaotic rescue effort contributed to the crisis after the 26-ton amphibious assault vehicle (AAV) sprung numerous leaks. Pumps on the vehicle did not work quickly enough, some Marines aboard did not know how to respond, and there were no safety boats, the investigation said. In the absence of required precautions, a second AAV crew attempted to rescue the first group of Marines. But in heavy surf, their vehicle collided with the first, turning it on its side with an open hatch. A wave swept over the first vehicle, water rushed inside, and it quickly sank.... The disaster, one of several during training in recent years, has prompted hard questions about whether the U.S. military has done enough to prioritize the welfare of its people over training requirements."

Jacob Bogage of the Washington Post: "A group of House Democrats on Friday introduced legislation to prohibit the Postal Service from lengthening mail-delivery windows and require it to adhere to present service expectations. They named the bill the Delivering Envelopes Judiciously On-time Year-round Act, or DEJOY Act."

Paul Sonne, et al., of the Washington Post: "Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has tapped the commander of the D.C. National Guard to become the next House sergeant-at-arms, selecting the first African American for the post that is responsible for the chamber's safety, as Congress overhauls its security arrangements in the wake of the Capitol riot. Pelosi asked Maj. Gen. William J. Walker to take the job in recent days, according to people familiar with the discussions. The previous holder resigned in the wake of the insurrection on Jan. 6.... If confirmed by a majority of the House, Walker will be tasked with all security and logistical planning of the House chamber, its wing of the Capitol and all associated office buildings." Walker is a registered Republican; Donald Trump appointed him to his current job.

Philip Bump of the Washington Post: "The familiarity of [Donald Trump's claim that the Capitol insurrection was really a harmless love-in with nice visitors hugging & kissing police] ... can blur how dangerous it is. When coupled with other developments on Thursday, it becomes much more difficult to ignore the risk posed by a president rationalizing a violent attack on his political opponents." In Missouri, Republican legislators have blocked a voter-approved referendum because a majority of Republican/rural voters voted against it, thus rendering the total favorable vote not really "the will of the people." Meanwhile, in Georgia, legislators are doing their best to make sure the will of the people is never revealed. Oh, and Tucker Carlson says Hunter Biden causes fascism -- we won't even try to unpack that "logic." ~~~

     ~~~ Sarah Rumpf of Mediaite: "Fox News host Laura Ingraham had to awkwardly interrupt ... Donald Trump during an interview on The Ingraham Angle, as he launched into a rant about the 2020 election being stolen -- some of the same rhetoric that got Fox News and several of their on-air personalities sued for defamation earlier this year. The $2.7 billion lawsuit by Smartmatic Voting Systems accused Fox News, Lou Dobbs, Maria Bartiromo, Jeanine Pirro, as well as pro-Trump lawyers Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell, of engaging in a 'disinformation campaign' that defamed their company." Part-way into his rant, Trump began hammering the Supreme Court: "'... the numbers were vastly in favor of us in the presidential election. It was disgraceful that they were able to get away -- the Supreme Court did not have the courage to do what they had to do.' 'Mr. ...yeah, well...' Ingraham began broke in, as Trump began to re-up his election fraud claims and hammer the Court. 'Speaking as a lawyer, we are not going to relitigate the past tonight,' the Fox host ... added."

The Grifter Next Door. Matt Zapotosky of the Washington Post: "The Justice Department has charged 474 people over the past year with trying to swipe more than $569 million by using criminal fraud schemes connected to the covid-19 pandemic and seized at least $580 million in civil proceedings, officials announced Friday, demonstrating how taxpayer-funded programs meant to ease the economic burden of the crisis have become susceptible to scammers. The department said it has seen fraud attempts connected to several government aid programs. The Criminal Division's Fraud Section, for example, has charged at least 120 people in connection with fraud of the Paycheck Protection Program, a taxpayer-subsidized loan program regulated by the Small Business Administration which has long been of concern because of how funds were disbursed with relatively little oversight. The department said it had also seen immense fraud in connection with the Economic Injury Disaster Loans program, and, along with the Secret Service and U.S. attorney's office in Colorado, had seized $580 million of possibly stolen money from that program through administrative procedures." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Looks like people who didn't have much to do because they were stuck at home decided to go into the federal fraud business. Idle hands are the devil's tools. As for me, I stuck to Netflix.

Spencer Hsu & Emily Davies of the Washington Post: "A Proud Boys member and his brother from Oregon have been ordered jailed pending trial on federal charges of conspiring to breach the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, including by allegedly wrenching open a door and impeding police using a pole with a 'Don't Tread on Me' flag. The arrests Tuesday of Jonathanpeter Allen Klein, 21, of Heppner, Ore., and Matthew Leland Klein, 24, of Sherwood, Ore., bring to at least 25 the number of Proud Boys members and associates charged in the rioting that ... led to assaults on nearly 140 police officers. Prosecutors have alleged that four leaders communicated with as many 60 users of an encrypted 'Boots on the Ground' channel to coordinate actions in Washington that day by members of the Proud Boys, a far-right group with a history of violence. On Friday, a federal magistrate released one of the four, Zach Rehl, 35, of Philadelphia, to house arrest from jail pending trial, but stayed his order pending any appeal."

Neil MacFarquhar of the New York Times: "If the so-called Stop the Steal movement appeared to be chasing a lost cause once President Biden was inaugurated, its supporters among extremist organizations are now adopting a new agenda from the anti-vaccination campaign to try to undermine the government.... Adherents of far-right groups who cluster online have turned repeatedly to one particular website in recent weeks -- the federal database showing deaths and adverse reactions nationwide among people who have received Covid-19 vaccinations. Although negative reactions have been relatively rare, the numbers are used by many extremist groups to try to bolster a rash of false and alarmist disinformation in articles and videos with titles like 'Covid-19 Vaccines Are Weapons of Mass Destruction -- and Could Wipe out the Human Race' or 'Doctors and Nurses Giving the Covid-19 Vaccine Will be Tried as War Criminals.'" (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: We should get over the idea that these extremists are well-meaning but deluded nutjobs & dimwits who read too many Trump tweets & QAnon posts, and face the fact that they are malevolent perpetrators of anti-American hoaxes whose aim is to bring down the U.S. government. While a percentage of them are violent insurrectionists, most are probably armchair terrorists. And we should bear in mind that these traitors have supporters who hold high government posts, like Sens. Ron Johnson, Josh Hawley & Rand Paul.

Devin Nunes' Mom. Roger Sollenberger of the Daily Beast: "Two political committees belonging to Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA) have spent the past two days filing amended FEC reports to correct errors and omissions by their treasurer: his mom. The fundraising committees -- Nunes Victory Fund, and his leadership PAC, NEW PAC -- have also removed Nunes' mother's email address and replaced them with an unspecified 'Treasurer 1' and 'Treasurer 2.'... All but one of the campaign's 2020 FEC reports filed by Nunes' mom contain material errors, according to the [Requests for Additional Information]." MB: The report goes on to cite a lawsuit Nunes brought in which he complained that journalist Ryan Lizza falsely claimed that Mom there had tailed Lizza while Lizza was working on a story about the Nunes family. Don't sue me, Devin, but I'll bet your mom did tail Lizza, in the manner of your hiding in the White House bushes at midnight. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree. You folks are about one episode away from Season 1 of a madcap NBC sitcom.

Shayna Jacobs of the Washington Post: "The New York attorney general's office has partnered with Manhattan's district attorney to investigate Stephen K. Bannon for the alleged fundraising scam that prompted his federal pardon in the waning hours of Donald Trump's presidency, according to people familiar with the matter. The move adds prosecutorial firepower to a criminal case widely seen as an attempted end-run around the former president's bid to protect a political ally. Investigators employed by the state attorney general were deputized to work as prosecutors with the team led by Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance Jr. (D), whose investigation of Bannon began shortly after his pardon was announced in January, these people said." (Also linked yesterday.)

A Florida Man Analyzes Capitol Insurrection. Quint Forgey of Politico: "... Donald Trump falsely claimed Thursday that his supporters who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6 posed 'zero threat' -- despite the fact that five people died as a result of the violent insurrection, including a Capitol Police officer. 'It was zero threat. Right from the start, it was zero threat,' Trump told Fox News host Laura Ingraham. 'Look, they went in -- they shouldn't have done it -- some of them went in, and they're hugging and kissing the police and the guards, you know? They had great relationships. A lot of the people were waved in, and then they walked in, and they walked out.' The former president's remarks represent perhaps his most serious distortion yet of the events of Jan. 6.... Prosecutors have arrested more than 300 participants in the Capitol attack, and ... the head of the Capitol Police officers' union has indicated that roughly 140 officers were injured in the insurrection." Thanks to Forrest M. for the lead. MB: Yeah, it was like a kindergarten field trip, wasn't it? (Also linked yesterday.)

Colleen Long of the AP: "Dominion Voting Systems filed a $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit against Fox News on Friday, arguing the cable news giant falsely claimed in an effort to boost faltering ratings that the voting company had rigged the 2020 election. The lawsuit is part of a growing body of legal action filed by the voting company and other targets of misleading, false and bizarre claims spread by ... Donald Trump and his allies in the aftermath of Trump's election loss to Joe Biden." (Also linked yesterday.)

The Pandemic, Ctd.

Axios: "The U.S. broke its previous record for most COVID-19 vaccines administered in a single day, with 3.4 million doses reported on Friday, according to the White House.... States have reported a total of 133.3 million vaccine doses, with about 117 million administered since [President] Biden was inaugurated, according to Bloomberg's vaccine tracker."

The New York Times' live updates of Covid-19 developments Friday are here: "States are racing to vaccinate as many people as possible as the United States' coronavirus infection curve continues its plateau for a third week at more than 55,000 new cases per day, a level that health experts warn could rapidly escalate into a new wave.... At least 31 states have pledged to make vaccines universally available to their adult populations by mid-April, and many more have announced plans to expand eligibility on or before May 1, a goal set by President Biden." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ The Washington Post's live Covid-19 updates for Friday are here. (Also linked yesterday.)

Beyond the Beltway

Arkansas. Another Southern State Proudly Leans toward the Dark Ages. Andrew DeMillo of the AP: "Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson on Friday signed into law legislation allowing doctors to refuse to treat someone because of religious or moral objections, a move opponents have said will give providers broad powers to turn away LGBTQ patients and others. The measure says health care workers and institutions have the right to not participate in non-emergency treatments that violate their conscience. The new law won't take effect until late this summer. Opponents of the law, including the Human Rights Campaign and the American Civil Liberties Union, have said it will allow doctors to refuse to offer a host of services for LGBTQ patients. The state Chamber of Commerce also opposed the measure, saying it sends the wrong message about the state."

News Lede

CNN: "Two people are dead and at least eight injured after shootings near the oceanfront in Virginia Beach, Virginia, police said Saturday. Police found at least eight victims at 'the original crime scene' when they arrived shortly after 11 p.m. Friday, Virginia Beach Police Chief Paul Neudigate said at a press briefing. While police were investigating, shots were fired about a block away, resulting in 'an individual being confronted by a uniform Virginia Beach police officer,' Neudigate said. The officer shot and killed the person in what the chief described as a 'police intervention shooting.' A second person was killed in a separate nearby shooting, Neudigate said. He said police do not believe it was related to the first two shootings."

The Commentariat -- March 26, 2021

Late Morning/Afternoon Update:

A Florida Man Analyzes Capitol Insurrection. Quint Forgey of Politico: "... Donald Trump falsely claimed Thursday that his supporters who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6 posed 'zero threat' -- despite the fact that five people died as a result of the violent insurrection, including a Capitol Police officer. 'It was zero threat. Right from the start, it was zero threat,' Trump told Fox News host Laura Ingraham. 'Look, they went in -- they shouldn't have done it -- some of them went in, and they're hugging and kissing the police and the guards, you know? They had great relationships. A lot of the people were waved in, and then they walked in, and they walked out.' The former president's remarks represent perhaps his most serious distortion yet of the events of Jan. 6.... Prosecutors have arrested more than 300 participants in the Capitol attack, and ... the head of the Capitol Police officers' union has indicated that roughly 140 officers were injured in the insurrection." Thanks to Forrest M. for the lead. MB: Yeah, just like a kindergarten field trip.

The New York Times' live updates of Covid-19 developments Friday are here: "States are racing to vaccinate as many people as possible as the United States coronavirus infection curve continues its plateau for a third week at more than 55,000 new cases per day, a level that health experts warn could rapidly escalate into a new wave.... At least 31 states have pledged to make vaccines universally available to their adult populations by mid-April, and many more have announced plans to expand eligibility on or before May 1, a goal set by President Biden." ~~~

     ~~~ The Washington Post's live Covid-19 updates for Friday are here.

The Grifter Next Door. Matt Zapotosky of the Washington Post: "The Justice Department has charged 474 people over the past year with trying to swipe more than $569 million by using criminal fraud schemes connected to the covid-19 pandemic and seized at least $580 million in civil proceedings, officials announced Friday, demonstrating how taxpayer-funded programs meant to ease the economic burden of the crisis have become susceptible to scammers. The department said it has seen fraud attempts connected to several government aid programs. The Criminal Division's Fraud Section, for example, has charged at least 120 people in connection with fraud of the Paycheck Protection Program, a taxpayer-subsidized loan program regulated by the Small Business Administration which has long been of concern because of how funds were disbursed with relatively little oversight. The department said it had also seen immense fraud in connection with the Economic Injury Disaster Loans program, and, along with the Secret Service and U.S. attorney's office in Colorado, had seized $580 million of possibly stolen money from that program through administrative procedures." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Looks like people who didn't have much to do because they were stuck at home decided to go into the federal fraud business. Idle hands are the devil's tools. As for me, I stuck to Netflix.

Neil MacFarquhar of the New York Times: "If the so-called Stop the Steal movement appeared to be chasing a lost cause once President Biden was inaugurated, its supporters among extremist organizations are now adopting a new agenda from the anti-vaccination campaign to try to undermine the government.... Adherents of far-right groups who cluster online have turned repeatedly to one particular website in recent weeks -- the federal database showing deaths and adverse reactions nationwide among people who have received Covid-19 vaccinations. Although negative reactions have been relatively rare, the numbers are used by many extremist groups to try to bolster a rash of false and alarmist disinformation in articles and videos with titles like 'Covid-19 Vaccines Are Weapons of Mass Destruction -- and Could Wipe out the Human Race' or 'Doctors and Nurses Giving the Covid-19 Vaccine Will be Tried as War Criminals.'" ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: We should get over the idea that these extremists are well-meaning but deluded nutjobs & dimwits who read too many Trump tweets & QAnon posts, and face the fact that they are malevolent perpetrators of anti-American hoaxes whose aim is to bring down the U.S. government. While a percentage of them are violent insurrectionists, most are probably armchair terrorists. And we should bear in mind that these traitors have supporters who hold high government posts, like Sens. Ron Johnson, Josh Hawley & Rand Paul.

Colleen Long of the AP: "Dominion Voting Systems filed a $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit against Fox News on Friday, arguing the cable news giant falsely claimed in an effort to boost faltering ratings that the voting company had rigged the 2020 election. The lawsuit is part of a growing body of legal action filed by the voting company and other targets of misleading, false and bizarre claims spread by ... Donald Trump and his allies in the aftermath of Trump's election loss to Joe Biden."

Shayna Jacobs of the Washington Post: "The New York attorney general's office has partnered with Manhattan's district attorney to investigate Stephen K. Bannon for the alleged fundraising scam that prompted his federal pardon in the waning hours of Donald Trump's presidency, according to people familiar with the matter. The move adds prosecutorial firepower to a criminal case widely seen as an attempted end-run around the former president's bid to protect a political ally. Investigators employed by the state attorney general were deputized to work as prosecutors with the team led by Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance Jr. (D), whose investigation of Bannon began shortly after his pardon was announced in January, these people said."

~~~~~~~~~~

** Welcome Back, Jim Crow. Nick Corasaniti of the New York Times: "Georgia Republicans on Thursday passed a sweeping law to restrict voting access in the state, introducing more rigid voter identification requirements for absentee balloting, limiting drop boxes and expanding the Legislature's power over elections.... The law is less stringent than the initial iterations of the bill, it introduces a raft of new restrictions for voting and elections in the state..., stripping the secretary of state of some of his authority, imposing new oversight of county election boards, restricting who can vote with provisional ballots, and making it a crime to offer food or water to voters waiting in lines.... The law passed the Georgia House on Thursday morning by a party-line vote of 100 to 75, and was approved by the Senate in the evening on a 34-to-20 vote before being signed by Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican.... The new measures make Georgia the first major battleground to overhaul its election system since the turmoil of last year's presidential contest.... Seeking to appease a conservative base that remains incensed about the results of the 2020 election, Republicans have already passed a similar law in Iowa, and are moving forward with efforts to restrict voting in states including Arizona, Florida and Texas.... [President] Biden joined Georgia Democrats on Thursday in denouncing efforts to limit voting, calling Republicans' push around the country 'the most pernicious thing.'" ~~~

     ~~~ Michael Shear & Zolan Kanno-Youngs of the New York Times: "President Biden said on Thursday that Republican efforts to limit voting rights were 'sick' and 'un-American,' vowing to prevent states from taking what he called 'despicable' actions that undermine democracy by making it harder for people to cast ballots.... But when asked about ending the Senate rule that requires 60 votes to approve most legislation -- one of the biggest obstacles to the voting rights bill and much of the rest of his agenda -- the president was more cautious, suggesting he was open to change but not committing himself to it.... But he also signaled more directly than he has previously that he might eventually back more far-reaching proposals to limit or abolish the filibuster if doing so turned out to be essential for passage of a voting rights measure and other key elements of his agenda...." The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's story is here. CNN's story is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Ari Berman of Mother Jones: "During the 2020 election cycle in Georgia, Donald Trump pressured Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to 'find 11,780 votes' to overturn Joe Biden's victory in the state. His efforts to manipulate the electoral process failed after Raffensperger stood up to the president.... But if the Georgia legislature has its way, Republicans could have a much easier time overturning the will of voters in future elections. The Georgia House of Representatives passed a major power grab on Thursday on a party-line vote that would remove Raffensperger as the chair and a voting member of the state election board ... and instead allow the GOP-controlled legislature to appoint a majority of the board's members, including the chair.... The state board, in turn, would have extraordinary power under the bill to take over county election boards..., raising the possibility that elections officials appointed by and beholden to the heavily gerrymandered Republican legislature could take over election operations in Democratic strongholds.... UPDATE: The Georgia Senate passed the House bill on Thursday afternoon. It was signed by Gov. Brian Kemp a few hours later." ~~~

     ~~~ As Rachel Maddow put it, the new law sanctions what Trump tried, and failed, to do. Other Republican-led states plan to do the same. ~~~

~~~ Adding Injury to Insult. Shades of Bull Connor. Celine Castronuovo of the Hill: "A Democratic Georgia state lawmaker was arrested by state troopers and charged on Thursday after she knocked on Gov. Brian Kemp's (R) door multiple times as he signed a controversial voting bill into law. Police told The Hill that Rep. Park Cannon (D) was taken to the Fulton County Jail, where she was charged with obstruction of law enforcement, as well as 'Preventing or disrupting General Assembly sessions or other meetings of members.' Late Thursday night, NAACP Attorney Gerald Griggs confirmed to reporters that the representative had been released during an impromptu press gaggle outside the jail. He added that Cannon sustained bruises during her arrest." ~~~

     ~~~ Pamela Kirkland, et al., of CNN: "Georgia US Sen. Raphael Warnock, who has slammed the bill signed Thursday for restricting voter access, visited [Rep. Park] Cannon at the jail. His office said in a statement that Cannon is a parishioner at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, where Warnock has served as senior pastor. Cannon faces two felony charges -- felony obstruction and preventing or disrupting general assembly session, according to an arrest affidavit seen by CNN. The affidavit states that Cannon was charged with disrupting General Assembly session because she 'knowingly and intentionally did by knocking the governor's door during session of singing [sic] a bill.'" MB: I do wish Kemp had been required to sing the bill.

     ~~~ Marie: Officials acts of racism did not end well for the racists in the 1860s nor in the 1960s. It took a long time then and it could take a long time now, but I don't think white racists are going to win this recidivist fight, either.

Jonathan Lemire & Zeke Miller of the AP: "President Joe Biden at his first news conference Thursday left the door open to pushing for fundamental changes in Senate procedures to muscle key elements of his agenda such as immigration and voting rights past firm Republican opposition 'if there's complete lockdown and chaos.' The 78-year-old president also, for the first time, said his 'plan is to run for reelection, that is my expectation.'" (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ Sean Sullivan & Seung Min Kim of the Washington Post: "President Biden on Thursday set a hierarchy for the country's numerous crises, pledging to administer 200 million coronavirus vaccine shots by the end of April, repair the country's infrastructure and move aggressively to expand voting rights -- while presenting guns and immigration as secondary priorities. In his first presidential news conference, Biden outlined a sort of triage, signaling that his focus for now is chiefly on addressing the pandemic and embarking on a push to rebuild roads, bridges and technology.... Much of the hour-long session was taken up with a discussion of the border, heated at times.... He blamed the Trump administration's policies, saying they left him at a disadvantage, and said he has not traveled to the border because he felt it would be a distraction." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Biden & Schumer should be prioritizing passage of the For the People bill because time is of the essence. Passage of the bill would mean that most states would have to revise their election laws to conform to the new federal law. Plus, there will certainly be a lot of lawsuits challenging both the federal law & nonconforming state laws. ~~~

~~~ Jennifer Rubin of the Washington Post: "President Biden used [his first presidential news conference] to pledge that 200 million covid-19 vaccinations would be administered by the end of his first 100 days, double his original goal.... He also announced that a survey showed nearly half of K-12 schools are open full-time for in-person learning.... Certainly, that should be near the top of any news coverage.... On immigration, he made clear that crowded facilities at the southern border are not the result of a policy change from his administration or the fact that migrants see him as a 'nice guy.' He pointed out that there was a higher surge under his predecessor last spring, which certainly was not because migrants believed the former president was a 'nice' guy.... Try as they might to seem 'tough,' the media did not succeed in knocking Biden off message. Biden spoke in great detail and length to show not only his mastery of the issues but also to suck tension and conflict out of the room.... The media did not distinguish themselves. They pleaded for a news conference and then showed themselves to be unserious." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I agree with Rubin. Most reporters were looking for gotcha questions, and they figured immigration was the place to pounce. Therefore, they asked overlapping questions; after many questions -- asked & answered -- of a similar vein, one reporter cited a horror story of a 9-year-old walking from Honduras to the U.S.-Mexican border, & what would he do about that child?Biden's answer, BTW, was spot on: since the reporter mentioned the child's mother in Honduras, Biden said he would send the child back to his mother. ~~~

     ~~~ A reporter asked President Biden if he agreed with President Obama that the filibuster was a relic of the Jim Crow era. Biden said "Yes." Zack Beauchamp of Vox explains that "the modern version [of the filibuster], created in 1917, really does have a racist history.... The defenders of Jim Crow pioneered this new filibuster, successfully deploying it again and again to block civil rights bills.... 'It's been a tool used overwhelmingly by racists,' says Kevin Kruse, a historian of race and American politics...." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Dan Froomkin of Press Watch: "The White House press corps' abysmal failure to ask important questions about pressing issues during President Biden's first news conference on Thursday was the clearest demonstration yet of the contrast between what the political media cares about and what is real.... The questions reflected the insider, horse-racy obsessions of the political press corps. There were repeated questions about the filibuster, and about the 2024 election(!). There were several contentious questions about the situation at the border, which the right-wing is intent on turning into a cause for hysteria -- with the mainstream media's collaboration. The first border question, from PBS's Yamiche Alcindor, contained such a false and loaded assumption -- direct from far-right talking points -- that Biden actually fact-checked it. That's right, after four years of the media desperately needing to fact-check the president (and often failing), now the president has to fact-check the media.... [White House reporters] should all be replaced with people who care about governing, not politics...." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Froomkin is right. Watching the presser was like listening to a high-school teacher parrying with a classful of smartass, callow students.

Ellen Knickmeyer of the AP: "The United States on Thursday imposed what it calls its most significant sanctions to date over the military coup in Myanmar, restricting American dealings with two giant Myanmar military holding companies that dominate much of that country's economy. The sanctions are the latest that the Biden administration and Europea governments have laid on Myanmar since Feb. 1, when the country's generals seized power on the day a newly elected parliament was due to be sworn in. Security forces since then have killed and detained street protesters amid demands for a return to civilian government." (Also linked yesterday.)

Zach Montellaro & Eugene Daniels of Politico: "Black civil rights leaders, voting rights advocates and elected officials are ramping up their lobbying of Senate Democrats to nix the filibuster, arguing that they can keep the rule in place or pass voting rights legislation, but not both. In a half-dozen interviews, top officials framed the choice as existential for a party that depends on Black and brown voters -- and they are planning pressure campaigns privately and publicly to make that clear.... 'The pressure that we are going to put on [Sens.] Sinema and Manchin is calling [the filibuster] racist and saying that they are, in effect, supporting racism,' Sharpton said. 'Why would they be wedded to something that has those results? Their voters need to know that.'" (Also linked yesterday.)

Matt Zapotosky of the Washington Post: "The conservative social network Parler informed the FBI of 'specific threats of violence being planned at the Capitol' in advance of the Jan. 6 riot there, the company asserted in a letter to lawmakers Thursday, deepening questions about why the bureau did not muster a more aggressive response. In a lengthy letter to Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney (D-N.Y.), chair of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, lawyers for Parler wrote that the company referred violent content from its platform to the FBI more than 50 times, and those referrals included specific threats to the U.S. Capitol.... FBI officials have since said it can be challenging to distinguish aspirational boasts from actual threats in the massive amount of incendiary chatter online, though FBI Director Christopher A. Wray has conceded that what happened at the Capitol was not 'an acceptable result.'" MB: If the content of the Parler letter is true -- and it appears Parler has the receipts -- Chris Wray should fall on his sword & resign. To do less is not "an acceptable result."

John Tedesco of the Houston Chronicle, et al., published in the Texas Tribune: "The Texas attorney general's office is attempting to withhold all messages [AG] Ken Paxton sent or received while in Washington for the pro-Donald Trump rally that devolved into a riot at the U.S. Capitol. Several news organizations in Texas have requested copies of the attorney general's work-related communications. The Texas Public Information Act guarantees the public's right to government records -- even if those records are stored on personal devices or online accounts of public officials. After Paxton's office refused to release copies of his emails and text messages, The Texas Tribune and ProPublica, The Austin American-Statesman, The Dallas Morning News, The Houston Chronicle, and The San Antonio Express-News are working together in an effort to obtain the documents and review Paxton's open-records practices."

Brian Fung of CNN: "The chief executives of Facebook, Google and Twitter faced withering criticism from members of Congress on Thursday about their handling of misinformation and online extremism during their first appearance before lawmakers since the Jan. 6 Capitol riots and the rollout of the coronavirus vaccine. Members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee pressed Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Google CEO Sundar Pichai and Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey about their platforms' efforts to stem baseless election fraud claims and vaccine skepticism. Opaque algorithms that prioritize user engagement and promote misinformation also came under scrutiny.... In his introductory remarks, Zuckerberg rejected responsibility for fomenting the riots, pinning the blame squarely on Trump and a 'political and media environment that drives Americans apart.' Zuckerberg said Facebook 'did our part to secure the integrity of the election. And then on Jan. 6, President Trump gave a speech ... calling on people to fight.'" The Washington Post's story -- a sort-of liveblog -- is here.

Politico has a story about a 2018 incident involving Hunter Biden, a fight with his wife Hallie, a gun his wife tossed in a trash can but then went missing, and some mysterious Secret Service agents. In case you want to read it. ~~~

~~~ U.S. Senate Race, Ohio. AND for anyone who would like to be reminded of Ways of Donald Trump, Alex Isenstadt of Politico describes a surprise meeting Trump called before a fundraising reception in West Palm Beach among four GOP candidates for the open Ohio U.S. Senate seat. Trump, according to the report, forced the candidates into a "Hunger Games"/"Apprentice"-style contest. One of the candidates, a snarky twerp named Josh Mandel who is the Ohio state treasurer, said at one point, "Mr. President I only know two ways to do things: either not at all, or balls to the wall. I hired a bunch of killers on my team. I'm a killer, and we're going to win the primary and then the general."; So if you want a homicidal maniac as your U.S. senator, Josh is your guy.

The Pandemic, Ctd.

Isaac Stanley-Becker & Lena Sun of the Washington Post: "President Biden's first vaccine promise -- 100 million shots in his first 100 days -- was met 42 days early. So on Thursday he doubled it, saying 200 million doses will have been administered under his presidency by April 30. The nation is already poised to meet the revised target, as the seven-day average of daily vaccinations surpasses 2.5 million. Vaccine supply is also expected to expand in April, prompting numerous states to throw open eligibility to everyone 16 and older.... 'I know it's ambitious -- twice our original goal -- but no other country in the world has even come close, not even close, to what we're doing,' Biden said as part of introductory remarks before his first formal news conference. 'I believe we can do it.'"

Howard Schneider of Reuters: "The United States squandered both money and lives in its response to the coronavirus pandemic, and it could have avoided nearly 400,000 deaths with a more effective health strategy and trimmed federal spending by hundreds of billions of dollars while still supporting those who needed it. That is the conclusion of a group of research papers released at a Brookings Institution conference this week, offering an early and broad start to what will likely be an intense effort in coming years to assess the response to the worst pandemic in a century. U.S. COVID-19 fatalities could have stayed under 300,000, versus a death toll of 540,000 and rising, if by last May the country had adopted widespread mask, social distancing, and testing protocols while awaiting a vaccine, estimated Andrew Atkeson, economics professor at University of California, Los Angeles."

Beyond the Beltway

California. Shawn Hubler, et al., of the New York Times: "The University of Southern California on Thursday announced that it will pay more than $1.1 billion to the former patients of a campus gynecologist accused of preying sexually on hundreds of patients.... The staggering sum -- a combination of three sets of settlements with thousands of alleged victims of Dr. George Tyndall -- sets a record for collegiate sex abuse payouts, compensating a generation of young U.S.C. women. The U.S.C. claims -- which arose from only one of several scandals to engulf the university in recent years -- reflected a 2018 federal class action settled earlier for $215 million, a second group of several dozen cases in which the amount of the settlement was not made public and a third settlement for $852 million with about 700 plaintiffs, which the university said was reached with the aid of a private mediator and a Los Angeles Superior Court judge."

Georgia. Lateshia Beachum of the Washington Post: A Peachtree City auto mechanics shop paid a former employee his last paycheck in 91,515 greasy pennies left at the end of his driveway, after the employee repeatedly demanded payment. the ex-employee, Andreas Flaten, "said the working relationship soured when the business's owner, Miles Walker, didn't honor their agreement that Flaten could pick up his child from day-care at 5 p.m. each day." Flaten quit, giving two weeks' notice & returning his laundered uniform in a box. "Allegations of dysfunction have dogged the auto shop.... One former employee told CBS 46 that Walker has ripped up final paychecks in front of employees before, and another former employee alleged that he pulled down her pants in a lobby as a joke.... Flaten probably doesn't have any legal options to pursue because being paid in greasy pennies for work isn't exactly illegal, a spokesperson for the Labor Department told the New York Times." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I'm not sure that's true. Since the pennies were dropped on Flaten's driveway without his consent, he did not "accept" them. Federal law does not require that a business or individual accept the particular legal tender offered. For instance, you've probably seen signs in convenience stores advising that the store won't accept, say, $50 bills & higher. Plus the fact that Walker had the pennies dumped on Flaten's driveway suggests that Walker obstructed Flaten's full use of his property: he couldn't get vehicles in and out; that could breach some local nuisance law.

New York. David Goodman & Luis Ferré-Sadurní of the New York Times: "An impeachment investigation into Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo widened on Thursday to include revelations that the governor's family and other influential people were given special access to state-run coronavirus tests early in the pandemic. The judiciary committee of the New York State Assembly has been looking into several allegations of sexual harassment made in recent weeks against Mr. Cuomo, as well as the manipulation by his senior staff of data related to nursing home deaths. On Thursday, the chair of the committee, Assemblyman Charles D. Lavine, said the preferential access for Mr. Cuomo's family to hard-to-get tests in the beginning of the pandemic would also become part of the inquiry. Those who got tests, mostly during last March when few were available, included the governor's brother, the CNN anchor Chris Cuomo, their mother, Matilda Cuomo, and at least one of their sisters." MB: Things are not looking good for our own Prince Randy Andy. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Ted Johnson of Deadline: "CNN is defending anchor Chris Cuomo in the wake of a report that New York Governor Andrew Cuomo secured access to Covid-19 testing for family members.... Chris Cuomo tested positive for the virus almost a year ago and publicly talked about his symptoms and recovery process on the show. [CNN made an excuse for that, too.] Earlier this month, Cuomo said that he would not cover controversies surrounding his brother, including sexual harassment allegations that have led to calls for his resignation."

~~~ David Goodman, et al., of the New York Times: “The president of Regeneron, a pharmaceutical company with longstanding ties to Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, received special access to coronavirus testing last year as the first wave of the pandemic tore through New York and tests were severely limited. The company requested tests from the state for its president, Dr. George Yancopoulos, and his family after a 'member of his household became infected with Covid-19,' a company spokeswoman said. State officials granted the request and tested the family at home in March."

New York. We Do Smoke Marijuana in Oswego. Luis Ferré-Sadurní of the New York Times: "New York State officials finalized a deal on Thursday to legalize recreational marijuana in the state, paving the way for a potential $4.2 billion industry that could create tens of thousands of jobs and become one of the largest markets in the country. Following several failed attempts, lawmakers in Albany struck an agreement with Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo to legalize cannabis for adults 21 and older, a move that officials hope will help end years of racially disproportionate policing that saw Black and Hispanic people arrested on low-level marijuana charges far more frequently than white people."

Way Beyond

Egypt. Vivian Yee of the New York Times: "As tugboats strained against the weight of the mammoth ship and dredgers worked to clear sand and mud, a salvage company working on the operation warned on Thursday that releasing the container vessel blocking traffic in the Suez Canal could take days or even weeks. Dozens of ships laden with oil and goods destined for ports around the world are stranded in the canal, and with each passing hour, the economic cost of the disruption grows more consequential. The stuck ship, the Ever Given, has been wedged in the canal since running aground amid the heavy winds of a sandstorm on Tuesday. Its bow is lodged in the canal's eastern bank and its stern in the western bank." The AP's story is here. (Also linked yesterday.)

Israel. Steve Hendrix of the Washington Post: "Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has fallen short of securing the parliamentary majority he needs to stay in office, according to the official election count announced Thursday, raising the possibility that Israel's political gridlock will continue. The results of Tuesday's election confirm that Netanyahu's Likud party won the most seats in the Israeli Knesset. But the bloc of parties that are certain to support him has only won 52 seats, nine shy of the number needed for a majority in the parliament. His opponents, too, failed to garner a majority, with the disparate group of anti-Netanyahu parties securing 57 seats."

News Ledes

New York Times: "Larry McMurtry, a prolific novelist and screenwriter who demythologized the American West with his unromantic depictions of life on the 19th-century frontier and in contemporary small-town Texas, died on Thursday at home in Archer City, Texas. He was 84."

New York Times: "Beverly Cleary, who enthralled tens of millions of young readers with the adventures and mishaps of Henry Huggins and his dog Ribsy, the bratty Ramona Quimby and her older sister Beezus, and other residents of Klickitat Street, died on Thursday in Carmel, Calif. She was 104."

Weather Channel: "Severe storms that left at least five people dead in Alabama continued to cause damage early Friday after moving into Georgia. The National Weather Service declared a tornado emergency for Newnan, Georgia, shortly after midnight. The city, about 35 miles southwest of Atlanta, experienced heavy damage in and around its historic downtown, according to a tweet from city officials."