The Commentariat -- March 7, 2021

Afternoon Update:

Aamer Madhani of the AP: "A new executive order from President Joe Biden directs federal agencies to take a series of steps to promote voting access, a move that comes as congressional Democrats press for a sweeping voting and elections bill to counter efforts to restrict voting access. His plan was announced during a recorded address on the 56th commemoration of 'Bloody Sunday,' the 1965 incident in which some 600 civil rights activists were viciously beaten by state troopers as they tried to march for voting rights in Selma, Alabama. 'Every eligible voter should be able to vote and have it counted,' Biden said in his remarks to Sunday's Martin and Coretta King Unity Breakfast before signing the order. 'If you have the best ideas, you have nothing to hide. Let the people vote.'" The text of President Biden's order is here.

Manchin Okay with Forcing "Talking Filibuster." Nick Niedzwiadek of Politico: "Sen. Joe Manchin said Sunday he is open to altering the Senate filibuster to make it more 'painful' for the minority party to wield, while reiterating his opposition to ending the procedural hurdle altogether. 'The filibuster should be painful, it really should be painful and we've made it more comfortable over the years,' he said on 'Fox News Sunday.'... Manchin (D-W.Va.) has previously supported efforts to require senators to filibuster by talking on the chamber floor in order to hold up a bill, an idea he raised on NBC's 'Meet the Press.' 'If you want to make it a little bit more painful, make him stand there and talk,' Manchin said. 'I'm willing to look at any way we can, but I'm not willing to take away the involvement of the minority.'... Manchin did not rule out using the budget reconciliation process to pass a voting rights bill with a simple majority, keeping the door open to a potential workaround for Democrats to push through a voting overhaul while preserving the filibuster."

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

Idaho Potato Heads. Teach Your Children Well. Kim Bellware of the Washington Post: "Cheering parents watched as children tossed surgical masks into a fire outside the Idaho Capitol in Boise on Saturday as more than 100 people gathered to protest mask mandates as an affront to their civil liberties.The rally was one of several held statewide in opposition to the coronavirus-related requirements, which health experts have said remain crucial even as vaccines are distributed and the number of new reported cases has dropped. Idaho Gov. Brad Little (R) has never implemented a statewide mask requirement, though nearly a dozen areas of the state have local restrictions, including Boise. For months, Little has been at odds with Lt. Gov Janice McGeachin (R) over pandemic restrictions (in Idaho, the governor and lieutenant governor run on separate tickets). McGeachin vehemently opposes any mask mandates. McGeachin, who appeared in a video last fall that suggested the pandemic 'may or may not be occurring,' was photographed speaking at the Boise protest Saturday.... Idaho has tallied more than 173,000 cases of the coronavirus since the start of the pandemic and at least 1,800 deaths."

     ~~~ Marie: I suppose it should be noted that the individuals tossing the masks -- children -- have few civil liberties. So making children burn masks as an affront to civil liberties doesn't make a lot of sense. The next time any of those kids gets in trouble for staying out past dinnertime or whatever, maybe he'll tell Mom & Dad their punishment is an affront to his civil liberties. See how far that gets you, Kid.

Texas Boneheads. Customers Punish Restaurateurs for Trying to Save Their Lives. Meryl Kornfield of the Washington Post: "This week, after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) said Tuesday that he would rescind the statewide mask mandate while the vast majority of residents remain unvaccinated, the tough choice to enforce public health guidance fell to business owners, and Picos [-- a Mexican restaurant in Houston --] announced it would continue requiring masks. But ... co-owner Monica Richards said: Several people sent hateful messages through social media and called the restaurant, threatening to report staffers to Immigration and Customs Enforcement."

New York. "There Is No Way I Resign." -- Cuomo. Jesse McKinley & David Goodman of the New York Times: "In a potentially crippling defection in Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo's efforts to maintain power amid a sexual harassment scandal, the leader of the New York State Senate declared on Sunday that the governor should resign 'for the good of the state.' The leader of the Senate, Andrea Stewart-Cousins, a Democrat from Westchester County, said that New York was facing multiple challenges -- including the ongoing pandemic -- and had been buffeted by allegations about Mr. Cuomo's behavior, his administration's 'toxic work environment,' and handling of the state's nursing homes.... Carl E. Heastie of the Bronx, [a Democrat & the Assembly's leader,] issued a statement shortly after his Senate counterpart on Sunday that expressed concerns about 'the governor's ability to continue to lead this state.... I think it is time for the governor to seriously consider whether he can effectively meet the needs of the people of New York,' Mr. Heastie said in a statement. The legislative leaders' remarks came just moments after Mr. Cuomo [said] ... in a conference call with reporters..., that he would not be distracted by the accusations, arguing that he was elected by the people, not 'by politicians.'" ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Cuomo is apparently unaware that impeachment & conviction are political actions, and that he, too, is a "politician."

Jason Horowitz & Jane Arraf of the New York Times: "In an extraordinary moment on the last full day of the first papal trip to Iraq, [Pope] Francis went to the wounded heart of the country, [Mosul,] directly addressing the suffering, persecution and sectarian conflict that have torn the nation apart.... In [visiting Iraq], he has sought to protect an ancient but battered and shrunken Christian community, build relations with the Muslim world and reassert himself on the global stage after being grounded for more than a year because of the coronavirus pandemic. Following a prayer in Mosul for the dead, Francis went to the northern towns where many Christians now live, visiting a church packed with jubilant -- and often unmasked -- faithful in Qaraqosh, home of the country's largest Christian population. He crossed into Iraqi Kurdistan in a long and heavily armed convoy protected by helicopters. It raced past sprawling refugee camps toward Erbil, where he ended the day celebrating a Mass for thousands in a stadium. There too, the flouting of social distancing restrictions raised concerns that the pope's efforts to be close to his flock might endanger them."

North Carolina. Methodists Accidentally Sell Their Church to the Devil. Billy Ball of the Washington Post: "Parkers Grove United Methodist Church has stood for a century along the road into tiny Linden.... The church's wood exterior is cracked, its steeple weathered, its sign broken. Its congregation, which had struggled to fill the 18 pews, held the final service several years ago. Parkers Grove was sold in early 2020.... The buyer was the Asatru Folk Assembly, an obscure white supremacist group. 'It's appalling,' Bishop Hope Morgan Ward, who leads the United Methodist Church in North Carolina, said recently. 'But we have no control over it. It's a reminder that hate groups are closer at hand than we think.'"

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President Biden speaks about the Senate's passage of the huge (and yes, Donald, here's something that really is yu-u-uge) Covid-19 relief package:

~~~ Jordain Carney of the Hill: "The Senate on Saturday approved a sweeping coronavirus relief bill strictly on a party-line vote after a marathon session, giving Democrats their first legislative victory since reclaiming the majority. Democrats cheered the 50-49 vote as it was gaveled closed. Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) missed the vote. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), seen as the only potential swing vote in the end, voted against the $1.9 trillion bill." The Washington Post story by Jeff Stein & others, also linked yesterday, has been updated to reflect passage of the bill. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) The New York Times story is here. ~~~

~~~ Ron Lieber & Tara Bernard of the New York Times break down who gets what, assuming the bill passes the House in its current form & President Biden signs it. ~~~

~~~ Michelle Singletary of the Washington Post on how to get your third stimulus payment: "... the IRS will probably issue advance payments either based on your 2019 federal return or your 2020 return if you have filed one already. If your income was too high for a payment based on your adjusted gross income for 2019 but you think you may be eligible based on your circumstances from last year, you should file your tax return as soon as you can.... To claim your stimulus payments from the previous two rounds of relief, look for Line 30 on your tax return." MB: The WashPo often makes Covid-related stories free to nonsubscribers. But this story is firewalled. It shouldn't be, inasmuch as many people who are eligible for stimulus checks can't afford a subscription. ~~~

~~~ More on the pandemic linked below.

Amy Wang of the Washington Post: "... Donald Trump has sent a cease-and-desist letter to at least three Republican organizations demanding they stop using his name and likeness to fundraise, two Trump advisers confirmed Saturday. The letter ... was sent to the Republican National Committee, the National Republican Congressional Committee and the National Republican Senatorial Committee.... [Politico] reported that Trump has been angry that those groups could use his name to support Republicans who voted to impeach him a second time. An NBC New report is here. The RNC, NRCC & NRSC have not responded to reporters' requests for comment. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Thanks to RAS for the lead. See also discussion in yesterday's Comments section, which is pretty funny. As Patrick noted, however, it's unlikely that a public figure like Trump could prevail in court against the party's top organizations using his likeness. "And of course if he sends a C&D to the DNC et al, the hootin and hollerin laughter will be heard from Maine to SoCal," Patrick wrote. Ras wrote, "His new grift is going to be to make every Republican pay him a royalty each time they use his name. The GOP is eventually going to be literally paying for the privilege to praise Trump." RAS is correct, both definitionally & etymologically (as in old French "royal right"), to call Trump's latest grift a "royalty," but it also seems fair to suggest the Kaiser is calling for a "tribute." (Or, in the Catholic sense, that the Lord High Executive* is demanding an "indulgence.")

The Racketeer. Linda So of Reuters: "The district attorney investigating whether ... Donald Trump illegally interfered with Georgia's 2020 election has hired an outside lawyer who is a national authority on racketeering, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has enlisted the help of Atlanta lawyer John Floyd, who wrote a national guide on prosecuting state racketeering cases.... The move bolsters the team investigating Trump as Willis prepares to issue subpoenas for evidence on whether the former president and his allies broke the law in their campaign to pressure state officials to reverse his Georgia election loss."

Senate Race 2022. Alex Isenstadt of Politico: "... Donald Trump is making official his plans to target Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski, vowing to travel to Alaska to campaign against her ahead of the 2022 midterm elections. In a statement to Politico on Saturday, Trump said: '... I do not know where other people will be next year, but I know where I will be -- in Alaska campaigning against a disloyal and very bad Senator.'... Trump's political team has commissioned polling on the Alaska senator, further evidence of its interest in unseating her.... Unseating Murkowski won't be easy, however. Under Alaska's new ranked-choice voting system, candidates of all parties will compete in an open primary, with the top four finishers advancing to the general election. That means Murkowski won't face the pressure of a Republican nomination battle, such as the one she had in 2010. That year, Murkowski lost the GOP primary to a right-wing activist, Joe Miller, but then waged a successful write-in campaign to win reelection." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: It seems likely the only way Murkowski would lose is if Trump targeted her in the general election, giving a Democratic candidate a leg up. Would Trump do this? Yeah, sure.

Walking While Black. Marisa Iati of the Washington Post: "Amanda Gorman, who was widely praised after she recited her poetry at President Biden's inauguration, alleged Friday that a security guard had followed her home and told her she appeared 'suspicious.' 'A security guard tailed me on my walk home tonight,' Gorman, 22, wrote on Twitter. 'He demanded if I lived there because "you look suspicious." I showed my keys & buzzed myself into my building. He left, no apology. This is the reality of black girls: One day you're called an icon, the next day, a threat.' The poet added: 'In a sense, he was right. I AM A THREAT: a threat to injustice, to inequality, to ignorance. Anyone who speaks the truth and walks with hope is an obvious and fatal danger to the powers that be.'... The Washington Post could not independently verify her claims."

New York Times Drubs Dodgy Columnist. Annals of "Journalism," Ctd. Marc Tracy of the New York Times: "The New York Times said Saturday that it was adding disclosures to past articles by the opinion columnist David Brooks that mention the Weave Project, a community-building program that he founded, and the project's donors, including the social media company Facebook. The Times also said that Mr. Brooks had resigned from a paid position at the Aspen Institute, a think tank where the Weave Project is one of dozens of programs and initiatives. Mr. Brooks will continue to be involved with the Weave Project only on a volunteer basis, and will need to disclose the relationship should he write about the project in the future. The moves came after reports in BuzzFeed News about Facebook's donation that raised questions about whether Mr. Brooks should have informed readers of the nature of his involvement with the Weave Project. Mr. Brooks had received approval to take the paid position at Aspen in 2018..., but the current editors of the opinion section did not know about the arrangement. Upon learning of it, Ms. Murphy said, they 'concluded that holding a paid position' for the Weave Project 'presents a conflict of interest for David in writing about the work of the project, its donors or the broader issues it focuses on.'" The BuzzFeed News story is here.

The Pandemic, Ctd.

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

Herd Immunity Against Covid-19 Is in Sight. Deidre McPhillips of CNN: "The pace of Covid-19 vaccine administration in the US continues to improve, each day bringing the country closer to herd immunity -- the point at which enough people are protected against a disease that it cannot spread.... At the current pace of about 2 million shots per day -- the latest seven-day average of doses administered reported by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention -- the US could reach herd immunity by summer through vaccinations alone. It will likely be even sooner, if factoring in individuals who may have some natural immunity due to prior infection."

Rachel Chason & Erin Cox of the Washington Post: "Gov. Larry Hogan (R) [who is white] has repeatedly cited vaccine hesitancy among minority groups as the key cause for the lagging rates, saying at one point that African American and Latino residents in Prince George's, who represent 84 percent of the county's population, are 'refusing to take the vaccine.' But local, state and federal leaders from across Maryland -- all of them Democrats -- blame the state's decentralized sign-up system, which they say prioritizes those with more time, technology and information at their disposal over those who are disproportionately dying. In interviews, more than a dozen vaccine-seeking Prince Georgians agreed.... Stephen B. Thomas, head of the Maryland Center for Health Equity at the University of Maryland, said Hogan should stop 'blaming the victim.' 'The people who control the system,' he said, 'need to be more empathetic with the people who have lost all hope in the system.'" ~~~

~~~ Rhea Boyd in a New York Times op-ed (March 5): "Despite having one of the highest risks of dying from Covid-19, about twice that of white Americans, Black Americans remain one of the least vaccinated racial or ethnic groups, with data showing that only 5.7 percent have received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine. Many are quick to blame 'vaccine hesitancy' as the reason, putting the onus on Black Americans to develop better attitudes around vaccination. But this hyper-focus on hesitancy implicitly blames Black communities for their undervaccination, and it obscures opportunities to address the primary barrier to Covid-19 vaccination: access. Access matters. A closer look at the data reveals that when Black people are given the opportunity, they do get vaccinated."

Chris Hamby & Sheryl Stolberg of the New York Times: "A year ago..., Donald J. Trump declared a national emergency, promising a wartime footing to combat the coronavirus. But as Covid-19 spread unchecked, sending thousands of dying people to the hospital, desperate pleas for protective masks and other medical supplies went unanswered.... An investigation by The New York Times found a hidden explanation: Government purchases for the Strategic National Stockpile, the country's emergency medical reserve where such equipment is kept, have largely been driven by the demands and financial interests of a handful of biotech firms that have specialized in products that address terrorist threats rather than infectious disease. Chief among them is Emergent BioSolutions, a Maryland-based company.... Throughout most of the last decade, the government has spent nearly half of the stockpile's half-billion-dollar annual budget on the company's anthrax vaccines [even after a study showed the huge supply of anthrax vaccines was not needed].... That left the government with less money to buy supplies needed in a pandemic, despite repeatedly being advised to do so.... Purchases are supposed to be based on careful assessments by government officials of how best to save lives, but many have also been influenced by Emergent's bottom line.... In the two decades since the repository was created, Emergent's aggressive tactics, broad political connections and penchant for undercutting competitors have given it remarkable sway over the government's purchasing decisions...." ~~~

     ~~~ Read on. The report details how Emergent used strongarm tactics to muscle other companies out of contracts & intimidated government purchasing agents. And there's this: "After Dr. [Thomas] Frieden and others in the Obama administration tried but failed to lessen Emergent's dominance over stockpile purchases, the company's fortunes rose under Mr. Trump, who appointed a former Emergent consultant with a background in bioterrorism to run the office that now oversees the stockpile."

Beyond the Beltway

Georgia. Nick Corasaniti & Jim Rutenberg of the New York Times: "Voting after Sunday church services, known colloquially as 'souls to the polls,' is a tradition in Black communities across the country.... Now, Georgia Republicans are proposing new restrictions on weekend voting that could severely curtail one of the Black church's central roles in civic engagement and elections. Stung by losses in the presidential race and two Senate contests, the state party is moving quickly to push through these limits and a raft of other measures aimed directly at suppressing the Black turnout that helped Democrats prevail in the critical battleground state.... The targeting of Sunday voting in new bills that are moving through Georgia's Legislature has stirred the most passionate reaction, with critics saying it recalls some of the racist voting laws from the state's past."

Michigan. Joe Guillen & Omar Abdel-Baqui of the Detroit Free Press: "A confidential FBI informant testified Friday in a Jackson court about being embedded for months alongside leaders of a group accused of plotting to kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. The informant's identity was concealed for his safety. Introduced only as 'Dan,' an online video feed of Friday's hearing was cut off during his testimony so court observers only could hear him.... Dan's acceptance into [a Wolverine Watchmen] Facebook group was the beginning of his journey as a confidential FBI 'human source' that took him to protests at the state Capitol and to rural training exercises with members of the group who expressed a desire to hurt and kill law enforcement officers and politicians. Dan testified he sometimes wore a wire and feared for his safety, eventually deciding to sell his house when his address became known."

New York. Amy Brittain, et al., of the Washington Post: "What [Gov. Andrew] Cuomo has touted as an 'aggressive' style goes far beyond that behind the scenes, according to more than 20 people who have worked with him from the 1990s to the present. Many former aides and advisers described to The Post a toxic culture in which the governor unleashes searing verbal attacks on subordinates. Some said he seemed to delight in humiliating his employees, particularly in group meetings, and would mock male aides for not being tough enough.... A former press aide of ... Cuomo says he summoned her to his dimly lit hotel room and embraced her after a work event in 2000, when Cuomo led the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and she was a consultant for the agency. The woman, Karen Hinton, says she pulled away from Cuomo, but he pulled her back toward his body, holding her before she backed away and left the room. Two male aides who worked for Cuomo in the New York governor's office say he routinely berated them with explicit language, making comments such as calling them 'pussies' and saying, 'You have no balls.' And three women, all of whom worked in the governor's office as young staffers in recent years, say Cuomo quizzed them about their dating lives. They say they did not view the encounters as propositions, but rather as part of an office culture they believed was degrading to young women." Cuomo denied the accounts through aides. The Raw Story has a summary report here. ~~~

~~~ Celine Castronuovo of the Hill: "A third former aide of New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) has come forward with allegations of sexual harassment, including inappropriate remarks and unsolicited touching while she worked in his office. Ana Liss, who served as a policy and operations aide in Cuomo's office from 2013 to 2015, told The Wall Street Journal in an interview published Saturday that Cuomo asked if she had a boyfriend and also called her 'sweetheart.' Liss, now 35, also said that Cuomo on one occasion touched her lower back at a reception, and also once kissed her hand when she sat up from her desk, which was near the governor's office in the Executive Chamber of the New York State Capitol in Albany. The former aide told the Journal that while she initially saw Cuomo's behavior as harmless, she eventually perceived it as patronizing, adding that she felt diminished from an educated professional to 'just a skirt.'" ~~~

~~~ David Smith of the Guardian: "Flannery Amdahl's memories of working for Andrew Cuomo are sharply at odds with the rock-star status the New York governor enjoyed last year. 'People talked all the time about how he would yell and berate and belittle people,' says Amdahl, 37, who describes the governor's office as the most toxic and abusive place she has ever worked. 'His staff members copied that behaviour and so I felt like I was treated that way by my supervisor. I think it was rampant and well-known: everybody in Albany talks about how nasty the chamber is.'... As Cuomo goes from hero to zero, such complaints are just the tip of the iceberg.... Four women have come forward to accuse Cuomo, 63, of sexual harassment.... The Axios website branded it the party's 'hypocrisy moment', arguing: 'Governor Andrew Cuomo should be facing explicit calls to resign from President Biden on down, if you apply the standard that Democrats set for similar allegations against Republicans. And it's not a close call.'" ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I'd say Andrew Cuomo has a future selling vitamins in early-morning half-hour infomercials. Or maybe as the past Secretary of HUD, he could take over Tom Selleck's job of selling reverse mortgages to seniors. "I trust them. You can, too." ~~~

~~~ "Resign, Mr. Cuomo." Albany Times Union Editors: "First Gov. Andrew Cuomo hid the truth about deaths of nursing home residents from the public. Then his administration lied about why. Then, pretending to come clean, it lied about why it lied. Enough. Mr. Cuomo has squandered the public's trust at a time when it's needed more than ever. Amid an enduring pandemic, it is vital that people can believe what their governor and their government are telling them, and that the rules they're asked to follow and the sacrifices they're asked to make are truly in the interest of public health. It is time for Mr. Cuomo to resign, and for those who helped him deceive the public to go, too." Oops! Turns out this page is firewalled. But you catch the drift.

The Commentariat -- March 6, 2021

Afternoon Update:

Jordain Carney of the Hill: "The Senate on Saturday approved a sweeping coronavirus relief bill strictly on a party-line vote after a marathon session, giving Democrats their first legislative victory since reclaiming the majority. Democrats cheered the 50-49 vote as it was gaveled closed. Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) missed the vote. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), seen as the only potential swing vote in the end, voted against the $1.9 trillion bill." The Washington Post story by Jeff Stein & others, also linked below, has been updated to reflect passage of the bill.

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Manchin Is Runner-up for Time-Killing Prize. Jeff Stein, et al., of the Washington Post: "The Senate in the early morning hours of Saturday inched toward approving President Biden's $1.9 trillion stimulus plan, as Democrats pressed forward with their major economic and public health relief package. Numerous senators appeared sleepy and tripped over their words on the floor of the Senate, with debate over various amendments pushed by Republicans stretching the process beyond 3 a.m. Democrats plowed ahead with the measure after resolving an approximately nine-hour standoff on Friday over changes to extending unemployment benefits demanded by Sen. Joe Manchin III (D-W.Va.) that resulted in significant changes to the bill. Democrats are within reach of passing the sweeping legislation that would send out a new round of $1,400 stimulus checks, $350 billion to cities and states, $130 billion to schools, billions for a national vaccine program and more. Democrats are moving through dozens of amendments in a chaotic process known as a 'vote-a-rama' that could continue for hours on Saturday." ~~~

     ~~~ Burgess Everett & Marianne Levine of Politico: Sen. Joe "Manchin's outsized influence has cast its shadow over the Senate since the day the Democrats captured their scant 50-50 majority. He's already derailed a Cabinet nominee and led the opposition to a federal $15 minimum wage even as his party's leaders pushed for it.... Friday ... the centrist Democrat paralyzed the entire Senate for more than 10 hours and threatened to side with Republicans seeking to cut weeks of unemployment benefits. In the end, it took a direct call from President Biden, a meeting with [Majority Leader Chuck] Schumer and significant concessions to get Manchin on board. He trimmed several weeks of unemployment benefits off of Sen. Tom Carper's (D-Del.) compromise amendment from earlier in the day and added a $150,000 cap to the proposal's tax deduction for up to $10,200 in unemployment benefits.... Manchin's dramatic play on Friday perplexed even his West Virginia counterpart, Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.). Their state's governor had been pushing Congress to go bigger, not smaller. 'I have no idea what he's doing, to be quite frank,' she said." ~~~

~~~ Burgess Everett of Politico: "The Senate on Friday is set to squash a bid to tack a $15 minimum wage to President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion coronavirus aid bill, with eight Democratic caucus members joining all 50 Republicans in rejecting the change. The Senate parliamentarian had ruled that the wage increase could not be added to the bill and approved by a simple majority of senators despite House passage of the provision last week. After Senate Democrats stripped it from the Covid package, a group of progressive senators led by Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) forced a vote on the policy change anyway." ~~~

~~~ Erica Werner, et al., of the Washington Post: "Democrats maneuvered frantically Friday to push President Biden's $1.9 trillion stimulus bill over the finish line in the Senate, agreeing to a last-minute change sought by moderates to keep federal unemployment benefits at their current $300-per-week level instead of raising them to $400-per-week.... The fast-moving developments came as the Senate launched into rancorous partisan debate on the overall relief measure, with Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) vowing to stay in session until they pass the massive legislation as Republicans threatened a cascade of amendments aimed at slowing if not stopping the bill." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

     ~~~ Side Note on the Stupidest, Biggest Jerk in the Senate. Reuters: "The day after he single-handedly delayed the U.S. Senate's debate on President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill for 11 hours, Republican Senator Ron Johnson said on Friday that he could retire from office when his term expires. The two-term Republican told Wisconsin media outlets that he has not decided whether to run for reelection in 2022 but added that not seeking another term is 'probably my preference now.'" MB: Yes, RonAnon, that would be my preference, too. Thanks to Ken W. for the link.

Katie Benner, et al., of the New York Times: "A member of the far-right nationalist Proud Boys was in communication with a person associated with the White House in the days just before the Jan. 6 assault on the Capitol, according to a law enforcement official briefed on the investigation. Location, cellular and call record data revealed a call tying a Proud Boys member to the Trump White House, the official said. The F.B.I. has not determined what they discussed, and the official would not reveal the names of either party. The connection revealed by the communications data comes as the F.B.I. intensifies its investigation of contacts among far-right extremists, Trump White House associates and conservative members of Congress in the days before the attack. The same data has [have!] revealed no evidence of communications between the rioters and members of Congress during the deadly attack, the official said." ~~~

Marie: This from the report, which I found interesting because I'd never heard of such a law enforcement tool: "The F.B.I. also obtained a 'geofence' warrant for all the Android devices that Google recorded within the building during the assault, the officials said. A geofence warrant legally gives law enforcement a list of mobile devices that are able to be identified in a particular geographic area. Jill Sanborn, the head of counterterrorism at the F.B.I., testified before a Senate panel on Wednesday that all the data the F.B.I. had gathered in its investigation into the riot was obtained legally through subpoenas and search warrants."

Lauren Fox of CNN: "Democratic Rep. Zoe Lofgren has quietly posted a nearly 2,000-page report documenting social media posts by her Republican colleagues who voted against certifying results of the presidential election on January 6. The information compiled isn't secret, but the report is another sign of the deep distrust that has settled into the US Capitol in the weeks since the insurrection. The report chronicles the social media activity of members on public forums immediately before the November election and right after the January 6 riot. The report has been online for a week.... In a preamble to the report, Lofgren -- the chair of the House Administration Committee -- wrote that she had asked her staff to pull the relevant social media posts and compile them in an effort to gather facts." Thanks to RAS for the link. The main page of Lofgren's report, Which RAS also linked, is here.

Nicholas Fandos of the New York Times: "A House Democrat who unsuccessfully prosecuted Donald J. Trump at his impeachment trial last month sued him in federal court on Friday for acts of terrorism and incitement to riot, attempting to use the justice system to punish the former president for his role in the Jan. 6 assault on the Capitol. The suit brought by Representative Eric Swalwell, Democrat of California, accuses Mr. Trump and key allies of inciting the deadly attack and conspiring with rioters to try to prevent Congress from formalizing President Biden's election victory. And like the case laid out in the Senate, which acquitted him, it meticulously traces a monthslong campaign by Mr. Trump to undermine confidence in the 2020 election and then overturn its results.... Though not a criminal case, the suit charges Mr. Trump and his allies with several counts including conspiracy to violate civil rights, negligence, incitement to riot, disorderly conduct, terrorism and inflicting serious emotional distress -- findings that could severely tarnish his legacy and political standing. If found liable, Mr. Trump could be subject to compensatory and punitive damages; if the case proceeds, it might also lead to an open-ended discovery process that could turn up information about his conduct and communications that eluded impeachment prosecutors.... The suit also names as defendants his eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., his lawyer Rudolph W. Giuliani and Representative Mo Brooks, Republican of Alabama, who led the effort to overturn Mr. Trump's election defeat...." An ABC News story is here. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

     ~~~ By the time Swalwell's and other suits against the former terrorist-in-chief get to court, the FBI & other agencies are likely to give the plaintiffs more fodder for their suit.

Katie Benner of the New York Times has more on Federico Klein, the Trump appointee who was arrested on charges of participating in the January 6 Capitol insurrection: "The F.B.I. said on Thursday that it had arrested a former State Department aide on charges related to the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, including unlawful entry, violent and disorderly conduct, obstructing Congress and law enforcement, and assaulting an officer with a dangerous weapon. The former midlevel aide, Federico G. Klein, who federal investigators said in court documents was seen in videos of the riot resisting officers and assaulting them with a stolen riot shield, is the first member of the Trump administration to face criminal charges in connection with the storming of the Capitol by a pro-Trump mob.... The F.B.I. determined that when Mr. Klein allegedly attacked Congress on Jan. 6 to help Mr. Trump unlawfully maintain power, he was still employed by the State Department and possessed a Top Secret security clearance...." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

     ~~~ An earlier Politico report, linked below, did not have the details of Klein's alleged actions on January 6 nor of the charges against him. The Politico story has been updated. BTW, according to the Politico report, Freddie didn't exactly tell his mom the whole truth. As far as she could recall, he told her only that he'd been "on the Mall." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

     ~~~ The Washington Post's headline is on point: "State Department aide appointed by Trump stormed the Capitol, beat police with a riot shield, FBI says." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

     ~~~ Chris Hayes of MSNBC highlights photos & videos of Klein doing stuff he didn't tell his mom about:

     ~~~ Then there's this headline to a story by Pete Williams of NBC News: "Federico Klein, former Trump appointee charged in Capitol riot, wants jail cell without cockroaches." MB: Isn't that an impossible request to fill, what with Klein himself being a coachroach?

But He Saved the Muffins! Josh Gerstein & Kyle Cheney of Politico: "The lawyer for the horned shaman who became one of the most iconic figures involved in the storming of the Capitol in January is in hot water with a federal judge after facilitating an interview that the judge said violated federal rules. At a hearing Friday on the case against QAnon follower Jacob Chansley, U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth dressed down Chansley's attorney Al Watkins for using his privileges as a lawyer to arrange an interview with Chansley for the online edition of '60 Minutes.'... The judge said he was asked by the marshals if he'd approved the interview at the Alexandria Detention Center and he said he had not.... 'The jail was only told this was an attorney-client interview video. I asked for a Zoom conference with him,' the defense lawyer [told Judge Lamberth]. 'I didn't tell them it was for an interview with "60 Minutes."' 'I'm sure you didn't,' Lamberth shot back." Later in the hearing, as Watkins sought to rehabilitate Chansley's reputation as an ordinary, law-abiding half-naked, spear-toting citizen who happened into the Capitol building at the invitation of Capitol Police, the lawyer claimed that Chansley "prevented the theft of muffins from a Capitol break room...." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I am now properly ashamed that on January 7, I republished this photo, obtained via the BBC, of Chansley during the insurrection, before learning he was a hero who "prevented the theft of muffins from a Capitol break room." ~~~

Anders Anglesey of Newsweek: "A D.C. grand jury has indicted a Pennsylvania mother-of-eight over her alleged participation in the storming of the U.S. Capitol building. Rachel Powell, of Mercer County, was indicted by a grand jury in Washington, D.C. on eight charges that allegedly took place on January 6.... Court documents claimed Powell, also known as 'Bullhorn Lady,' had carried an ice axe and wooden pole into the Capitol and called both 'deadly and dangerous weapons,' according to the York Daily Record."

Jerry Lambe of Law & Crime: "Despite publicly welcoming a court fight over his false claims about voting machines being used to steal the 2020 election from Donald Trump, Rudy Giuliani doesn't seem to be in much of a rush to respond to the billion-dollar defamation lawsuit filed against him by Dominion Voting Systems. After repeatedly dodging process servers last month, the former New York City mayor on Thursday asked a federal judge in Washington D.C. for a 35-day extension to respond to the $1.3 billion complaint filed by Dominion. Giuliani's motion for more time, which was unopposed, was filed one day after the deadline for his response had passed. The motion was entered on the docket Friday." Giuliani filed his own plea.

Eli Rosenberg of the Washington Post: "The White House fired the general counsel of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on Friday, continuing a push to oust controversial Trump appointees viewed as hostile to the mission of the agencies they worked for. Sharon Gustafson, who as the commission's general counsel was in charge of its high-stakes litigation over workplace discrimination on issues like race, religion and sex, was dismissed by the White House by letter on Friday afternoon after refusing to resign, according to Gustafson's resignation letter, obtained by The Washington Post, as well as a source familiar with the White House letter.... Gustafson had raised the hackles of civil rights, LGBTQ and women's groups during her confirmation hearing, by what they saw as 'evasive' answers she gave about the rights of LGBTQ workers during her Senate confirmation hearing.... While on the commission, Gustafson had been involved with anti-religious discrimination work."

Brian Schwartz of CNBC: "The billionaire accused of running the biggest tax fraud scheme in U.S. history was a prolific donor to Republican groups and causes. The leaders of those organizations have kept quiet on the federal charges against him. Robert Brockman, former CEO of Ohio-based software company Reynolds & Reynolds, was charged in October with running a $2 billion tax fraud scheme. Department of Justice officials said at the time that the businessman had hidden capital gains income for more than 20 years through various offshore entities in Bermuda and Nevis and secret bank accounts. Brockman has pleaded not guilty to the alleged crimes.... 'Congressional Republicans spent the last four years gutting IRS enforcement and cutting taxes for billionaires while being bankrolled by the biggest tax cheat in American history,' Max Steele, an American Bridge spokesman, told CNBC. [American Bridge is a Democratic super-PAC that "first flagged the Brockman contributions to CNBC."] 'While they should return or donate the money, we know they won't. After all, how can a party blindly loyal to Donald Trump afford to oppose billionaires committing tax fraud?' Brockman, through companies he controlled, also heavily financed a super PAC backing Mitt Romney for president in 2012, according to a report by Mother Jones." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Hmmm. I wonder if Offshore Mitt will express outrage & return Brockman's contributions.

Michael Ruane of the Washington Post: "The remains of Emil J. Kapaun, the Catholic priest and Korean War POW who was given the Medal of Honor posthumously in 2013, have been identified, the Pentagon said Friday. The almost complete set of Kapaun's remains had been exhumed from a cemetery in Hawaii where they had been buried as unknown after the 1950-1953 war, his nephew, Ray Kapaun, said Friday. The identification was made using dental records and DNA, he said.... Emil Kapaun, who is also a candidate for sainthood in the Roman Catholic Church, was beloved for ministering to American soldiers during the war's fierce fighting, rescuing them under fire and caring for them when they became prisoners of war. He died of illness and maltreatment on May 23, 1951, and his place of burial was lost. He was 35." An NBC News story is here. ~~~

The Pandemic, Ctd.

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

Todd Frankel of the Washington Post: "Today, most employees forced by the pandemic to work at home fail to qualify for the home office deduction, which might have shaved hundreds or even thousands of dollars off an individual tax bill. No deduction for the cost of printer paper, new office furniture or the additional heating required for being home during the workday.... The pandemic forced two-thirds of the full-time U.S. workforce to work at home for at least part of 2020, according to surveys. At one point over the summer, nearly twice as many employees were working from home than traditional workplaces, the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research reported.... The federal tax code for years used to help out this kind of WFH employee. They could reduce taxable income by deducting the cost of running home offices and for other unreimbursed employee expenses. But those deductions were killed off by the 2017 tax overhaul passed under ... Donald Trump, which slashed corporate tax rates while rejiggering individual rates -- allowing for a higher standard deduction but fewer itemized deductions.... In an ironic twist, companies still enjoy a tax benefit for providing office space for employees, despite many workplaces sitting empty as those same employees work at home." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: So if you had to clear out your exercise room, your crafts room or your guest room to accommodate a home office, if you spent hundreds on office supplies, file drawers, faster printer, etc., about the only thing you can do is go out in the front yard and yell an ironic, "Thanks, Donald!"

Jeff Schogol of Task & Purpose: "The Navy has repeatedly blamed Capt. Brett Crozier for the unprecedented novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak aboard the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt last year, but newly-released emails show several of Crozier's colleagues instantly recognized that he had put the lives of his crew above his own career. 'You are a great leader and Naval Officer,' Rear Adm. Stephen Barnett, commander of Navy Region Northwest, told Crozier in April. The Navy's top brass would say the opposite two months later when Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday accused Crozier of acting too slowly to contain the disease and putting his ship at risk by lifting a quarantine.... Crozier wrote an urgent letter to other Navy commanders on March 30 warning that his sailors would die unless most of the ship's crew was moved into individual quarantine ashore. He was fired on April 2, shortly after the San Francisco Chronicle published a leaked copy of his letter.... Before Crozier was relieved of command, the commanding officer of the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson sent him an email with words of encouragement. 'I read your letter yesterday in the SF Chronicle,' Capt. Matthew Paradise wrote on April 1. 'I thought it was awesome and a textbook example of speaking truth to power and taking care of your troops.'"

Alabama. Richard Fausset of the New York Times: "Gov. Kay Ivey of Alabama has proved, in her four years in office, to be a reliably conformist Southern Republican, with a record of defending ... Donald J. Trump, the Second Amendment and monuments to the Confederacy. But this week, Ms. Ivey, a 76-year-old veteran of Southern politics, demonstrated, yet again, that she harbored a pronounced maverick streak when it came to the emotionally charged matter of mask-wearing during the coronavirus pandemic. Bucking pressure from fellow Alabama Republicans, Ms. Ivey declared on Thursday that she would extend the state's mask mandate until April 9, even as Republican governors in Texas and Mississippi lifted such requirements in the name of personal freedom." MB: Yesterday, I misstated Ivey's position, based on something I heard on the teevee.

Beyond the Beltway

New York. Twenty-four Years in Jail for a Crime They Didn't Commit. Troy Closson of the New York Times: "On the weekend before Christmas in 1996, a shop owner was opening his check-cashing store in East Elmhurst, Queens, alongside an off-duty police officer who was working security, when the two were ambushed by a group of men, shot and killed. The case touched off a ferocious manhunt, and within days, three men were arrested. They were convicted in separate trials and sentenced to between 50 years and life in prison for murder. But more than two decades later, the case has collapsed. On Friday, a state judge in Queens threw out the convictions of all three men and admonished prosecutors for withholding evidence that would have cast serious doubt on their guilt. Prosecutors never turned over police reports showing that investigators had linked the killings to other men, the members of a local robbery ring. And five witness accounts -- never seen by defense lawyers -- contradicted the men's confessions, which were wrong on key details of the crime, and which lawyers say were coerced. The three men -- Gary Johnson, 46, George Bell, 44, and Rohan Bolt, 59 -- stepped outside the walls of Green Haven Correctional Facility..., on Friday afternoon, each with tears streaming down their faces as they embraced their families." A Greenpoint Post report is here.

New York. Norah O'Donnell, et al., of CBS News: "When asked Wednesday if he had completed sexual harassment training, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said the 'Short answer is yes.' But Charlotte Bennett, one of the women accusing the governor of sexual harassment, said his office director completed the training for him in 2019. 'In 2019, he did not take the sexual harassment training,' Bennett told 'CBS Evening News' anchor and managing editor Norah O'Donnell. 'I was there. I heard [the office director] say, "I can't believe I'm doing this for you" and making a joke about the fact that she was completing the training for him. And then I heard her at the end ask him to sign the certificate.' Stephanie Benton, Cuomo's office director, 'categorically denies the exchange,' according to a statement from the governor's office that added, 'this is not true.'" MB: Whatever the case, he flunked. ~~~

~~~ Shannon Young & Bill Mahoney of Politico: "Democrats in the New York Legislature on Friday took their most concrete step against an increasingly embattled Gov. Andrew Cuomo, passing a bill that imposes some limits on his king-like emergency powers as they grow increasingly frustrated with the leader of their party. Republicans weren't sold that this bill actually does much. But as the allegations against the three-term governor continue to snowball, the list of Democrats hinting at more severe steps against Cuomo continued to grow in the hours before the vote.... The Senate passed the bill on party lines mid-afternoon Friday. The Assembly did the same later in the day.... Cuomo was not involved in the negotiations. But he announced on Wednesday that he had 'worked with the Legislature' in reaching an agreement on the bill, giving plenty of Republicans fodder to argue that the measure was not a terribly serious blow against the governor." MB: Seems to me Cuomo still has to sign the bill.

Way Beyond

Nicole Winfield & Qassim Abdul-Zahra of the AP: "Pope Francis and Iraq's top Shiite cleric delivered a powerful message of peaceful coexistence Saturday, urging Muslims in the war-weary Arab nation to embrace Iraq's long-beleaguered Christian minority during a historic meeting in the holy city of Najaf. Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani said religious authorities have a role in protecting Iraq's Christians, and that Christians should live in peace and enjoy the same rights as other Iraqis. The Vatican said Francis thanked al-Sistani for having 'raised his voice in defense of the weakest and most persecuted' during some of the most violent times in Iraq's recent history. Al-Sistani, 90, is one of the most senior clerics in Shiite Islam and his rare but powerful political interventions have helped shape present-day Iraq."

The Commentariat -- March 5, 2021

Afternoon Update:

Erica Werner, et al., of the Washington Post: "Democrats maneuvered frantically Friday to push President Biden's $1.9 trillion stimulus bill over the finish line in the Senate, agreeing to a last-minute change sought by moderates to keep federal unemploymen benefits at their current $300-per-week level instead of raising them to $400-per-week.... The fast-moving developments came as the Senate launched into rancorous partisan debate on the overall relief measure, with Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) vowing to stay in session until they pass the massive legislation as Republicans threatened a cascade of amendments aimed at slowing if not stopping the bill." ~~~

Nicholas Fandos of the New York Times: "A House Democrat who unsuccessfully prosecuted Donald J. Trump at his impeachment trial last month sued him in federal court on Friday for acts of terrorism and incitement to riot, attempting to use the justice system to punish the former president for his role in the Jan. 6 assault on the Capitol. The suit brought by Representative Eric Swalwell, Democrat of California, accuses Mr. Trump and key allies of inciting the deadly attack and conspiring with rioters to try to prevent Congress from formalizing President Biden's election victory. And like the case laid out in the Senate, which acquitted him, it meticulously traces a monthslong campaign by Mr. Trump to undermine confidence in the 2020 election and then overturn its results.... Though not a criminal case, the suit charges Mr. Trump and his allies with several counts including conspiracy to violate civil rights, negligence, incitement to riot, disorderly conduct, terrorism and inflicting serious emotional distress -- findings that could severely tarnish his legacy and political standing. If found liable, Mr. Trump could be subject to compensatory and punitive damages; if the case proceeds, it might also lead to an open-ended discovery process that could turn up information about his conduct and communications that eluded impeachment prosecutors.... The suit also names as defendants his eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., his lawyer Rudolph W. Giuliani and Representative Mo Brooks, Republican of Alabama, who led the effort to overturn Mr. Trump's election defeat...." An ABC News story is here.

Katie Benner of the New York Times has more on Federico Klein, the Trump appointee who was arrested on charges of participating in the January 6 Capitol insurrection: "The F.B.I. said on Thursday that it had arrested a former State Department aide on charges related to the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, including unlawful entry, violent and disorderly conduct, obstructing Congress and law enforcement, and assaulting an officer with a dangerous weapon. The former midlevel aide, Federico G. Klein, who federal investigators said in court documents was seen in videos of the riot resisting officers and assaulting them with a stolen riot shield, is the first member of the Trump administration to face criminal charges in connection with the storming of the Capitol by a pro-Trump mob.... The F.B.I. determined that when Mr. Klein allegedly attacked Congress on Jan. 6 to help Mr. Trump unlawfully maintain power, he was still employed by the State Department and possessed a Top Secret security clearance...." ~~~

     ~~~ An earlier Politico report, linked below, did not have the details of Klein's alleged actions on January 6 nor of the charges against him. The Politico story has been updated. BTW, according to the Politico report, Freddie didn't exactly tell his mom the whole truth. As far as she could recall, he told her only that he'd been "on the Mall." ~~~

     ~~~ The Washington Post's headline is on point: "State Department aide appointed by Trump stormed the Capitol, beat police with a riot shield, FBI says."

~~~~~~~~~~

Joe vs. the Junta. Simon Lewis & Humeyra Pamuk of Reuters: "Myanmar's military rulers attempted to move about $1 billion held at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York days after seizing power on Feb. 1, prompting U.S. officials to put a freeze on the funds, according to three people familiar with the matter, including one U.S. government official. The transaction on Feb. 4 in the name of the Central Bank of Myanmar was first blocked by Fed safeguards. U.S. government officials then stalled on approving the transfer until an executive order issued by President Joe Biden gave them legal authority to block it indefinitely, the sources said."

President* Trump Is Still Not President* Trump. Kevin Roose of the New York Times: "QAnon ... had another bad day on Thursday. Following the letdown of Jan. 20 -- when, contrary to QAnon belief..., Donald J. Trump did not declare martial law, announce mass arrests of satanic pedophiles and stop President Biden from taking office -- some QAnon believers ... told themselves that 'the storm' -- the day of reckoning, in QAnon lore, when the global cabal would be brought to justice -- would take place on March 4.... But the Capitol was quiet on Thursday, and QAnon supporters did not erupt in violence. Mr. Trump remains a former president, and no mass arrests of pedophiles have been made.... [As the day passed without incident,] one Telegram channel devoted to QAnon chatter lit up with false claims that Bill Gates, Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and other prominent officials had been arrested or executed for treason already, and that 'doubles and A.I. clones' had been activated to preserve the illusion that they were still alive." From a liveblog on election misrepresentations. ~~~

~~~ Jonathan Landay & Julia Harte of Reuters: "A smattering of followers of the QAnon conspiracy theory gathered near the U.S. Capitol on Thursday, the day the movement had predicted ... Donald Trump's return to office, but they were far outnumbered by security forces deployed to deter any possible attack.... Media reports said that QAnon influencers had backtracked, posting on message boards that the March 4 theory was planted by the movement's enemies to make it look foolish." MB: Uh, it doesn't take your "enemies" to make you look foolish. You do very well on your own.

     ~~~ Marie: Aren't the faithful a little disappointed that their hero, Donald Trump, did not show up for his own fake inauguration? At least on January 6, he promised to be there even though he wasn't. Thursday, there was no word from the Don, nor any sightings of him in D.C.

Trump's Extremist Backers Still Pose a Threat. Dan Lamothe of the Washington Post: "The U.S. Capitol Police have requested a 60-day extension of some of the 5,200 National Guard members activated in the District in response to security threats and the Jan. 6 assault on Congress, opening the door to a military presence in the nation's capital into spring, defense officials said Thursday. Acting chief Yogananda Pittman submitted the request to the Defense Department for an extension, the Capitol Police said in a statement on Thursday evening, without saying for how long." ~~~

~~~ Carl Hulse of the New York Times: "The congressional inquiry into the security failures surrounding the Jan. 6 Capitol assault has barely begun, but one outcome already seems certain: The Capitol Police Board, the secretive three-member panel that oversees protection of the complex where Congress meets, is headed for major changes, if not outright elimination. Lawmakers of both parties in the House and the Senate, some previously unfamiliar with the sweeping authority of the board, have expressed astonishment at its lack of accountability and its inability to rapidly respond to the riot at the Capitol.... New tension over the board's power emerged on Thursday as Yogananda D. Pittman, the acting chief of the Capitol Police," told House & Senate leaders that the board was unresponsive to her request to extend National Guard deployments to protect the Capitol.

FBI Looking at Possible Congressional Collaborators. Evan Perez of CNN: "Federal investigators are examining records of communications between members of Congress and the pro-Trump mob that attacked the US Capitol, as the investigation moves closer to exploring whether lawmakers wittingly or unwittingly helped the insurrectionists, according to a US official briefed on the matter. The data gathered so far includes indications of contact with lawmakers in the days around January 6, as well as communications between alleged rioters discussing their associations with members of Congress, the official said. The existence of such communications doesn't necessarily indicate wrongdoing by lawmakers and investigators aren't yet targeting members of Congress in the investigation, the official noted. Should investigators find probable cause that lawmakers or their staffs possibly aided the insurrectionists, they could seek warrants to obtain the content of the communications."

Trump Appointee Arrested for Insurrection-Related Activities. Josh Gerstein of Politico: "The FBI on Thursday arrested Federico Klein, a former State Department aide, on charges related to the storming of the Capitol on Jan. 6, marking the first known instance of an appointee of ... Donald Trump facing criminal prosecution in connection with the attempt to block Congress from certifying President Joe Biden's victory. Klein, 42, was taken into custody in Virginia, said ... a spokesperson for the FBI's Washington Field Office. Details on the charges against him were not immediately available. Klein worked on Trump's 2016 campaign and was then hired at the State Department. As of last summer, he was listed in a federal directory as serving as a special assistant in the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs and was designated as a 'Schedule C' political appointee." The story has been updated.

Meryl Kornfield of the Washington Post: "Richard Barnett, infamously photographed during the Jan. 6 Capitol riot with his feet propped on a desk in House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's (D-Calif.) office, shouted that it was 'not fair' that he remained in jail, in an outburst before a federal judge on Thursday. In a virtual hearing, Barnett, 60, of Gravette, Ark., complained of his pretrial detention after U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper set the next court date for May." MB: Are we surprised that this loon can't control himself during a court proceeding?

Spencer Hsu of the Washington Post: "A federal judge on Wednesday released a Washington state leader of the Proud Boys from jail pending trial, chiding prosecutors for withdrawing some of the more sensational allegations against him in the Jan. 6 breach of the Capitol. Chief U.S. District Judge Beryl A. Howell of Washington upheld a lower court's Feb. 8 release order for Ethan Nordean, 30, of Seattle. She found that although Nordean appeared to be a key leader in raising money, gear and assembling Proud Boys to Washington before leading them to breach police lines in a '1776'-style revolt against the presidential election results, the government had not supplied evidence to date that he directly ordered individuals to break into the Capitol.... Nordean's release marked a stumble for prosecutors, who have cast him as a key figure based on what Howell agreed were 'ominous' communications before Jan. 6 that they said indicated he and other Proud Boys were planning 'violent action' to overwhelm police and force entry to the Capitol." (Also linked yesterday.)

Marianne Levine of Politico: "Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) will slow down the confirmation of Merrick Garland, President Joe Biden's pick to lead the Department of Justice.... The hold that Cotton has placed on Garland's nomination means that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer will need to clear a procedural hurdle before a final confirmation vote. Democrats had hoped that Republicans would agree to skip that step, particularly given that several of them -- including Minority Leader Mitch McConnell -- plan to support the nominee."

A la Carte Election Interference. Igor Bobic & Paul Blumenthal of the Huffington Post: "... many of [the] same Republican lawmakers [who voted to overturn states' presidential election results] are up in arms about a Democratic bill on voting and campaign finance reform that passed by a near party-line vote in the House of Representatives on Wednesday. The legislation ... would effectively nullify the new wave of voter restrictions that Republicans are pushing at the state level. It faces exceedingly difficult odds of passage in the Senate.... Republicans are objecting to the House bill on the grounds that it would force states to adopt procedures decreed by the federal government, arguing that states should be left free to decide how they run elections. This is a principle that many Republicans abandoned in January when they sought to overturn the 2020 presidential election because they opposed state laws governing that election, which were passed in some cases by GOP-controlled state legislatures."

The Trumpiest. Michael Kranish of the Washington Post: "North Carolina's Republican Party acted quickly last month to censure one of its most senior members, Sen. Richard Burr, for voting to convict ... Donald Trump in his second impeachment trial. Burr's vote was 'shocking and disappointing,' said Michael Whatley, chairman of the state party. But the state GOP has shown no interest in exploring a similar action against one of its youngest elected leaders, Rep. Madison Cawthorn, a pro-Trump freshman who is accused by a number of women of sexual harassment and has a record of making false statements and baseless claims." MB: According to Republicans then, it's okay to lie and harass women, but voting to convict a terrorist provocateur is unforgivable. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Take the Filibuster Back to Its Roots: Make the Senate Minority Defend Their Opposition. Norm Ornstein, in a Washington Post op-ed (March 2): "Instead of naming and shaming them, Democrats might consider looking at what [Democratic Sens. Joe] Manchin and [Kyrsten] Sinema like about the filibuster.... If you take their views at face value, the goal is to preserve some rights for the Senate minority, with the aim of fostering compromise. The key, then, is to find ways not to eliminate the filibuster on legislation but to reform it to fit that vision.... Currently, it takes 60 senators to reach cloture -- to end debate and move to a vote on final passage of a bill. The burden is on the majority, a consequence of filibuster reform in 1975, which moved the standard from two-thirds of senators present and voting to three-fifths of the entire Senate.... One way to restore the filibuster's original intent would be requiring at least two-fifths of the full Senate, or 40 senators, to keep debating instead requiring 60 to end debate. The burden would fall to the minority, who'd have to be prepared for several votes, potentially over several days and nights.... Go back to the 'present and voting' standard." MB: Ornstein's ideas make a lot of sense to me. He wouldn't eliminate the filibuster; rather, he would force the minority opposed to a piece of legislation do the work of showing their opposition.

David Folkenflik of NPR: "Michael Pack, [whom Trump appointed to be] CEO of the U.S. Agency for Global Media that oversees Voice of America, in August suspended ... top executives [of the agency]. He also immediately ordered up an investigation to determine what wrongdoing the executives might have committed. Instead of turning to inspectors general or civil servants to investigate, Pack personally signed a no-bid contract to hire a high-profile law firm with strong Republican ties. The bill &-- footed by taxpayers -- exceeded $1 million in just the first few months of the contract. Government Accountability Project, a nonprofit that represents federal whistleblowers accusing Pack and some of his inner circle of breaking U.S. laws and regulations, shared an analysis it conducted of documents related to the contract between Pack and the law firm."

Kelly Loeffler Gets Her Comuppance. Again. Jay Connor of the Root: "In the immediate aftermath of George Floyd's death, the WNBA ... launched a Social Justice Council, players donned warmups with phrases like 'Black Lives Matter' and 'Say Her Name', and similar messaging was emblazoned on the court itself. But ... former Georgia Senator and Atlanta Dream co-owner Kelly Loeffler was vocal in her opposition to everything Black Lives Matter stands for. And now, in a full-circle moment, [Dream guard Renee] Montgomery -- the same player whom Loeffler once refused to meet in order to address her racist rhetoric -- is part of a three-member investment group that's been approved to purchase the Dream, per ESPN.... [Montgomery,] who recently retired from the WNBA after 11 seasons (and two championships), becomes the first former player in the history of the league to become both an owner and executive of a WNBA franchise." MB: That leaves Kelly to sit home in her counting house to count her millions. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Amy Tells Sierra Club to Take a Hike, Ha Ha. Robert Barnes of the Washington Post: "Justice Amy Coney Barrett issued her first signed majority opinion for the Supreme Court on Thursday, siding with the government over an environmental group seeking draft agenda reports about potential harm to endangered species.... Barrett's 7-to-2 opinion said the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service did not have to provide the Sierra Club the guidance it gave the Environmental Protection Agency about a proposed rule regarding power plants that use water to cool their equipment.... Liberal Justices Stephen G. Breyer and Sonia Sotomayor issued a mild dissent."

The Pandemic, Ctd.

The Washington Post's live updates of Covid-19 developments Friday are here: "With newly reported coronavirus cases stalling at high levels, after weeks of decline, and fewer Americans getting tested, health experts warned that pandemic fatigue in the United States could jeopardize recent progress against the virus. Despite the warnings, some states with still-growing outbreaks, such as Texas and Mississippi, have relaxed restrictions. 'I don't know why they're doing it but it's certainly, from a public health standpoint, ill-advised,' infectious-disease expert Anthony S. Fauci told CNN on Thursday. Citing what he said was a high baseline for new infections, Fauci called the decision to pull back on precautions 'inexplicable.'"

Burgess Everett, et al., of Politico: "Senate Democrats muscled through the votes to begin consideration of President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill on Thursday afternoon, putting the party on course to clinch a new stimulus law well before its official March 14 deadline. Early Thursday afternoon, Democrats rallied their 50 senators to kick off debate on their own version of the stimulus bill, a key test vote that demonstrated that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has the support to prevail in the end, whenever it may be." ~~~

~~~ Emily Cochrane of the New York Times: "With President Biden's nearly $2 trillion stimulus bill moving toward passage, Senator Ron Johnson brought proceedings to a halt on Thursday by demanding that Senate clerks recite the 628-page plan word by word, delaying action to register his objections. The maneuver by Mr. Johnson, Republican of Wisconsin, was unlikely to change any minds about the sweeping pandemic aid plan, which ... has broad bipartisan support among voters. Republicans signaled that they would be unified against it, and Democrats were ready to push it through on their own, using a special fast-track process to blow past the opposition.... With Vice President Kamala Harris casting the tiebreaking vote, the Senate voted 51-50 to begin debating the bill on Thursday, just before Mr. Johnson made his objection, pushing off any substantive debate until Friday." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: "'The positions are throwbacks to the days before Xerox machines and the ready availability of hard copies, or now digital copies of legislation,' said Paul Hays, who served as the reading clerk in the House for nearly two decades in the 1990s.&" Doesn't it seem way past time to change this archaic rule, Senators? You won't be surprised to learn, BTW, the clerks were reading to a largely empty Senate chamber, so there's absolutely no doubt they were being used as hapless pawns to Sen. RonAnon's well-documented histrionics. But guess who's the "real" victim of political shenanigans. ~~~

~~~ I think it's obvious that I'm target number one here. People are out to destroy me. -- Ron Johnson, to CNN ~~~

~~~ Even Though.... Philip Bump of the Washington Post: "At this moment, on this issue, time can be measured in human lives.... [Based upon the time it took to read the first 40 pages of the bill,] it will take about 17 hours to read it in its entirety.... Given the current rate at which people are dying of covid-19, we can expect just shy of 1,400 Americans to succumb to the disease during that period.... [Ron] Johnson can end the reading whenever he wishes, though he's also indicated that he plans to introduce numerous amendments in an effort to obstruct its passage."

Paul Krugman of the New York Times: "Wearing a mask in public ... is slightly inconvenient, but hardly a major burden. And the case for imposing that mild burden in a pandemic is overwhelming.... Covering our faces while the pandemic lasts would appear to be simple good citizenship, not to mention an act of basic human decency. Yet Texas and Mississippi [MB: and now Alabama*] have just ended their statewide mask requirements.... Refusing to wear a mask has become a badge of political identity, a barefaced declaration that you reject liberal values like civic responsibility and belief in science.... These days conservatives don't seem to care about anything except identity politics, often expressed over the pettiest of issues.... I don't know how many people will die unnecessarily because the governor of Texas has decided that ignoring the science and ending the mask requirement is a good way to own the libs. But the number won't be zero." ~~~

     ~~~ * Marie: My mistake. Alabama's Gov. Kay Ivey has not lifted the state's mask ban. I must quit believing everything I half-hear on the teevee.

Casey Smith of the AP: "The national rush to vaccinate teachers in hopes of soon reopening pandemic-shuttered schools is running into one basic problem: Almost no one knows how many are getting the shots, or refusing to get them. States and many districts have not been keeping track of school employee vaccinations, even as the U.S. prioritizes teachers nationwide. Vaccines are not required for educators to return to school buildings, but the absence of data complicates efforts to address parents' concerns about health risk levels and some teachers unions' calls for widespread vaccinations as a condition of reopening schools."

Unwashed writes from personal experience how to successfully garner a Covid-19 vaccination appointment at Walgreens: "... it appears that the magic witching minutes is at 7:00 a.m. After spending several days trying to secure an appointment with no result, it wasn't until yesterday at exactly 7 am when I signed on to their website that I was successful in being able to register for both dose 1 and 2 (Phizer/Moderna) of the vaccine. My wife was able to achieve the same result at exactly the same time this morning, 7 a.m. on the minute. Available appointments disappeared within minutes from that time. Pre-register and be ready to hit search, by zip code, on the dot."

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

New York. David Goodman & Danny Hakim of the New York Times: "A [June 2020] report written by state health officials ... included a count of how many nursing home residents in New York had died in the pandemic. The number -- more than 9,000 by that point in June -- was not public, and the governor's most senior aides wanted to keep it that way. They rewrote the report to take it out, according to interviews and documents reviewed by The New York Times. The extraordinary intervention, which came just as [Gov Andrew] Cuomo was starting to write a book on his pandemic achievements, was the earliest act yet known in what critics have called a monthslong effort by the governor and his aides to obscure the full scope of nursing home deaths. After the state attorney general revealed earlier this year that thousands of deaths of nursing home residents had been undercounted, Mr. Cuomo ... [said] he had withheld it out of concern that the Trump administration might pursue a politically motivated inquiry into the state's handling of the outbreak in nursing homes. But Mr. Cuomo and his aides actually began concealing the numbers months earlier, as his aides were battling their own top health officials, and well before requests for data arrived from federal authorities...." ~~~

     ~~~ The Raw Story has a summary report here. An AP report, based on NYT & Wall Street Journal stories, is here.

Beyond the Beltway

Jaclyn Peiser of the Washington Post: "In the dead of night on Sept. 28, 2019, Mark Russo [a New Jersey man --] sneaked into a wooded area in Salem, N.H., armed with a power tool, police said. His destination was 'America's Stonehenge,' a grouping of man-made rock formations that some say may date back thousands of years. His intent, police said, was to vandalize the stones with a message associated with QAnon, an extremist ideology that the FBI has deemed a domestic terrorism threat. 'The stone table was carved with "WWG1WGA" and "IAMMARK,"' an officer wrote in a vandalism report reviewed by Patch. The former stands for 'Where We Go One, We Go All,' a slogan often used by QAnon followers. The latter, police later learned, referred to his name and Twitter handle." MB: Hint to aspiring monument-defacers: do not leave a signature; do not admit to your crime on Twitter.

Way Beyond

AP: "Pope Francis arrived inside the heavily fortified Green Zone, the seat of Iraq's government, to meet with President Barham Salih and other officials." This is a liveblog of the Pope's visit to Iraq.

News Lede

CNBC: "Hiring surged in February as U.S. economic activity picked up with Covid-19 cases steadily dropping and vaccine rollouts providing hope for more growth. The Labor Department reported Friday that nonfarm payrolls jumped by 379,000 for the month and the unemployment rate fell to 6.2%. That compared with expectations of 210,000 new jobs and the unemployment rate holding steady from the 6.3% rate in January."