Russia. AP: "Several gunmen burst into a large concert hall on the edge of Moscow on Friday and sprayed visitors with automatic gunfire, killing at least 40 and injuring 100 others in an attack that came just days after President Vladimir Putin cemented his grip on the country in a highly orchestrated electoral landslide. There were no immediate claims of responsibility for the raid..., which state authorities were investigating as an act of terrorism. It was the deadliest attack in Russia in years and came as the country's war in Ukraine dragged into a third year. Russia's Federal Security Service, the main domestic security and counter-terrorism agency, said 40 people were killed and more than 100 were wounded in the attack at Crocus City Hall, a large music venue on Moscow's western edge. Russian news reports said that the assailants threw explosives, triggering the massive blaze at the hall, which can accommodate 6,000. Video from outside showed the building on fire.... The attack followed a statement issued earlier this month by the U.S. Embassy in Moscow that urged the Americans to avoid crowded places in the Russian capital in view of an imminent attack, a warning that was repeated by several other Western embassies." ~~~
~~~ The New York Times is running a liveblog here.
U.K. Karla Adam & Bryan Pietsch of the Washington Post: "Catherine, Princess of Wales, said she has been diagnosed with cancer and that she was in the early stages of chemotherapy, as she asked for 'time, space and privacy' while completing treatment. The news came as a 'huge shock,' Catherine said in a prerecorded message posted on X on Friday and broadcast on the BBC. 'William and I have been doing everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family,' she said. She said that after she underwent major abdominal surgery in January, she thought that her condition was noncancerous. 'The surgery was successful, however, tests after the operation found that cancer had been present,' she said."
Eleanor Mueller & Olivia Beavers of Politico: "Speaker Mike Johnson is about to drop to a one-vote majority, as retiring Rep. Mike Gallagher has decided he will exit the House as soon as next month, according to two people with knowledge of the matter. In a statement shortly after this story published, Gallagher said he planned to leave April 19.... Wisconsin law dictates that Gallagher's seat -- in a solidly red district -- will stay empty for the rest of his term. Departing before April 9 would have triggered a special election. The Wisconsin Republican announced earlier this year that he would not seek reelection, after he received blowback for voting against impeaching Homeland Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. His allies, however, say he was long jaded by the antics of the House following the ouster of Speaker Kevin McCarthy."
Glenn Thrush & Adam Goldman of the New York Times: At the time Merrick Garland was sworn in as attorney general, in March 2021, "some in the Justice Department were pushing for the chance to look at ties between pro-Trump rioters who assaulted the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, his allies who had camped out at the Willard Hotel, and possibly [Donald] Trump himself.... 'Follow the connective tissue upward,' said Mr. Garland.... Mr. Garland, 71, a former federal judge and prosecutor, proceeded with characteristic by-the-book caution, pressure-testing every significant legal maneuver, demanding that prosecutors take no shortcuts and declaring the inquiry would 'take as long as it takes.' As a result, prosecutors and the F.B.I. spent months sticking to their traditional playbook.... It would take the department nearly a year to focus on the actions contained in the indictment ultimately brought by Jack Smith.... Like many before them, Mr. Garland and his team appear to have underestimated Mr. Trump's capacity for reinvention and disruption, in this case through delay."
California Senate Race. M.L. Nestel of the Raw Story: "Steve Garvey, the celebrity candidate angling to fill the late Sen. Diane Feinstein's seat, is deep in the hole with state and federal taxes. Garvey, a Los Angeles Dodger and San Diego Padres great, owes at least $350,000 and as much as $750,000 in back taxes dating over a decade ago, according to his February financial disclosure statement listing two estimated six-figure amounts and first reported by The Sacramento Bee.... Garvey is ... facing off against Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) in the November general election...."
Michael Grynbaum of the New York Times: "Ronna McDaniel, who stepped down as chairwoman of the Republican National Committee this month, is joining NBC News as an on-air contributor, the network said on Friday. The hire adds a reliably conservative voice to NBC's stable of political analysts. Ms. McDaniel is also expected to provide commentary on MSNBC, NBC's left-leaning cable cousin and a network that ... Donald J. Trump and his allies often accuse of being an arm of the Democratic Party." MB: I guess Donnie Junior wasn't available. ~~~
~~~ John Knefel of Media Matters cites the network's own coverage of McDaniel's career as head of the RNC, like her prominent role in the fake electors scheme.
Jacob Bogage of the Washington Post: "The House approved a $1.2 trillion spending package Friday, hours before a midnight government shutdown deadline -- forcing the Senate up against a ticking clock to take up and pass the measure. The bill, which passed by a 286 to 134 vote, would fund about three-quarters of the federal government for the next six months, while also raising military pay, eliminating U.S. funding for the U.N. relief agency for Palestinians and bolstering security at the U.S.-Mexico border. The legislation's passage in the Senate is not in doubt -- it has the support of President Biden, Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.). But a single senator can throw up procedural roadblocks that push the government past the deadline and force a vote days later.... Republican Sens. Rand Paul (Ky.), Mike Lee (Utah) and Bill Hagerty (Tenn.) have already signaled they are likely to offer amendments, which would slow the Senate's progress on the bill." ~~~
~~~ SO THEN. Manu Raju, et al., of CNN: "Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene has filed a motion to oust Mike Johnson from the speakership, according to sources familiar with the matter, amid anger about the government funding bill. The House would have to consider Greene's motion within two legislative days after she is recognized. The chamber is heading for a two-week recess, and Greene told reporters she would not call up the resolution on Friday, which means the clock to force a vote has not started. Asked for a reaction by CNN, Johnson didn't respond, dismissing the question with a wave. After Greene filed the motion, she was swarmed by her Republican colleagues. A source close to the conversations told CNN that a number of fellow GOP lawmakers were trying to convince the Georgia Republican not to bring the motion.... Part of the argument to Greene from her Republican colleagues is that if she goes through with this, it could lead to House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries inadvertently becoming speaker...."
Edith Lederer of the AP: "Russia and China on Friday vetoed a U.S.-sponsored U.N. resolution calling for 'an immediate and sustained cease-fire' in the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza to protect civilians and enable humanitarian aid to be delivered to more than 2 million hungry Palestinians. The vote in the 15-member Security Council was 11 members in favor, three against and one abstention." ~~~
~~~ The New York Times' live updates of Friday's developments in the Israel/Hamas war are here.
Matthew Goldstein of the New York Times: "... Donald J. Trump's social media company on Friday completed a long-awaited merger with a cash-rich shell company, raising Mr. Trump's wealth by billions and potentially providing him a fresh source of cash to pay his mounting legal bills. In approving the merger, shareholders of Digital World Acquisition Corporation will become shareholders of Trump Media & Technology Group, which will trade on the stock market under the stock symbol DJT. The deal will pump more than $300 million into Trump Media, which has all but exhausted its available cash and will allow Truth Social, the company's flagship digital media platform, to keep operating. Based on Digital World's stock price of $44 a share just before the vote announcement, Trump Media will debut with a market value of more than $5 billion. That means Mr. Trump's personal stake will be worth more than $3 billion. Shares of Trump Media could begin trading under the new stock symbol as soon as next week." Related stories linked below.
It's a Miracle! Rebecca Shabad & Dareh Gregorian of NBC News: "... Donald Trump claimed early Friday morning that he has 'almost' $500 million in cash, undercutting his lawyers' claims that he would not be able to comply with the $464 million judgment against him and his co-defendants in the civil fraud case brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James. 'Through hard work, talent, and luck, I currently have almost five hundred million dollars in cash, a substantial amount of which I intended to use in my campaign for president,' Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social in all caps. 'The often overturned political hack judge on the rigged and corrupt A.G. case, where I have done nothing wrong, knew this, wanted to take it away from me, and that's where and why he came up with the shocking number which, coupled with his crazy interest demand, is approximately $454,000,000.'... Trump hasn't contributed any of his own money to his presidential campaigns since 2016." ~~~
~~~ Marie: I'd be curious to see Trump's filings & letters to the appeals court & to Justice Engoron. Does the attorneys assert that he doesn't have the cash? If so, that's a misrepresentation -- assuming he's able to pull $454MM out of a hat now.
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Tara Bernard of the New York Times: "The Biden administration continued its effort to extend student debt relief on Thursday, erasing an additional $5.8 billion in federal loans for nearly 78,000 borrowers, including teachers, firefighters and others who largely work in the public sector. To date, the administration has canceled $143.6 billion in loans for nearly four million borrowers through various actions, fixes and federal relief programs. That's the largest amount of student debt eliminated since the government began backing loans more than six decades ago, but it's still far less than President Biden's initial proposal, which would have canceled up to $400 billion in debt for 43 million borrowers but was blocked by the Supreme Court." The AP story is here. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ Marie: Have I thanked the Supremes yet? Nothing like a cabal of old fogies sticking it to young people and families who not only need the money but also would have put most of that money right back into the economy in the form of purchases that young people need. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ Here's President Biden's statement, via the White House. (Also linked yesterday.)
Lisa Friedman of the New York Times: "Louisiana and 15 other Republican-led states sued the Biden administration on Thursday over its decision to temporarily stop approving new permits for facilities that export liquefied natural gas. The lawsuit contends that the Biden administration acted illegally when it decided in January to pause the approvals so it could study how gas exports affect climate change, the economy and national security."
David McCabe & Tripp Mickle of the New York Times: "The Justice Department joined 16 states and the District of Columbia to file an antitrust lawsuit against Apple on Thursday, the federal government's most significant challenge to the reach and influence of the company that has put iPhones in the hands of more than a billion people. In an 88-page lawsuit, the government argued that Apple had violated antitrust laws with practices that were intended to keep customers reliant on their iPhones and less likely to switch to a competing device. The tech giant prevented other companies from offering applications that compete with Apple products like its digital wallet, which could diminish the value of the iPhone, the government said. Apple's policies hurt consumers and smaller companies that compete with some of Apple's services, in the form of 'higher prices and less innovation,' the lawsuit said." The AP story is here. (Also linked yesterday.)
Catie Edmondson of the New York Times: "Top congressional negotiators in the early hours of Thursday unveiled the $1.2 trillion spending bill to fund the government through September, though it remained unclear whether Congress would be able to complete action on it in time to avert a brief partial government shutdown over the weekend. Lawmakers are racing to pass the legislation before a Friday midnight deadline in order to prevent a lapse in funds for over half the government, including the Department of Homeland Security, the Pentagon and health agencies. They are already six months behind schedule because of lengthy negotiations to resolve funding and policy disputes. Now that they have agreed on a final package, which wraps six spending bills together, passage could slip past 12:01 on Saturday morning because of a set of arcane congressional rules." (Also linked yesterday.)
Annie Grayer & Katelyn Polantz of CNN: "The House Judiciary Committee is suing two Justice Department tax prosecutors involved in the Hunter Biden criminal investigation whom Republicans have been trying to interview for months, ratcheting up a separation of powers fight between Congress and the Biden administration that is now spilling into court. The Republican-led committee filed the lawsuit in Washington, DC's federal court against federal tax prosecutors Mark Daly and Jack Morgan. The committee has been demanding the men testify as part of its impeachment inquiry around the Biden family since September. The complaint asked the court on Thursday to step in immediately with an emergency order that would force Morgan and Daly to testify. That outcome is unlikely, however, as lawsuits like these typically are part of political tactics in standoffs between Congress and the executive branch when they are controlled by opposing political parties.... The Department of Justice has so far repeatedly told the House the DOJ wouldn't allow these employees to testify about their official work, and that the subpoenas were invalid...."
Maegan Vazquez of the Washington Post: "... President Biden and fellow Democrats wasted little time lambasting a budget proposal from a large group of House Republicans that would, among other things, raise the retirement age for Social Security and endorse a bill that would codify that life begins at conception. The fiscal 2025 budget proposal was released Wednesday by the Republican Study Committee -- a bloc that includes 80 percent of Republicans in the House, including every member of House leadership.... While the proposal ... is unlikely to become law, it offers insight into how Republicans could seek to govern if they win control of Congress and the White House in the 2024 elections. The White House, Democratic lawmakers and political groups hoping to elect more Democrats in November seized on the issue.... Biden called RSC's proposal 'extreme' in a statement Thursday.... The White House also circulated a document among reporters about the RSC plan, saying it 'cuts Medicare and Social Security while putting health care at risk for millions,' and 'rigs the economy for the wealthy and large corporations against middle class families.'"
The Trials of Trump
Jesse McKinley & Kate Christobek of the New York Times: "The Manhattan district attorney's office said in court papers Thursday that a large cache of newly disclosed documents contained little that might influence or delay the criminal trial of Donald J. Trump, which is scheduled to begin in mid-April.... 'The people now have good reason to believe that this production contains only limited materials relevant to the subject matter of this case and that have not previously been disclosed to defendant,' the filing read. 'The overwhelming majority of the production is entirely immaterial, duplicative or substantially duplicative of previously disclosed materials.' It added that the current delay -- until April 15 -- 'is a more than reasonable amount of time for defendant to review the information provided.'" CNN's story is here. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ Shayna Jacobs & Devlin Barrett of the Washington Post: "The documents at issue relate to a previous federal investigation into [Michael] Cohen, who is a central witness in [Manhattan D.A. Alvin] Bragg's case.... Thursday's court filing shows that there are two main categories of newly available evidence that are the subject of debate between Trump's lawyers and prosecutors: Cohen's phones, and interviews of Cohen conducted years ago by then-special counsel Robert S. Mueller III when he was investigating Russian interference efforts in the 2016 election.... The filings [also] offer a lot of new information about the types of documents that led to the current dispute -- including how state and federal prosecutors sometimes disagreed over their responsibilities in sharing information with each other, and with Trump's legal team." ~~~
~~~ Jennifer Rubin of the Washington Post: "Four-time indicted ... Donald Trump suffered arguably his worst loss(es) in any criminal matter this week when, in his New York trial for alleged falsification of business records, Judge Juan M. Merchan ruled against him in virtually all of his motions to exclude evidence. By contrast, the judge largely granted Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's motions to exclude evidence for trial that Trump believed might be exculpatory.... Trump, for example, moved to exclude testimony of former fixer Michael Cohen on the grounds Cohen is 'a liar.' The court rebuked this desperate move.... Most important, Merchan refused to exclude more than 100 Trump statements since these can be classified as 'admissions against interest.' Despite Trump's plea, he will also allow in Allen Weisselberg's notes, if the prosecutor shows they are business records. In sum, the lion's share of the evidence that Trump views as damaging will be heard by the jury." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ Marie: If you read through Rubin's quick summary of Merchan's rulings and compare them to the "fantastical, absurd" hoohah from Judge Aileen Cannon (only a bit of which is discussed in the Barrett & Stein WashPo story linked below), you likely will be struck by what a difference a judge makes. Somehow or the other, Jack Smith has got to get Miss Aileen removed to traffic court, where she can equivocate over the meaning of stop signs (hey, maybe they're optional when a rich Republican rolls through them).
Drew Harwell of the Washington Post: "When ... Donald Trump's Trump Media & Technology Group and its proposed merger partner, Digital World Acquisition, announced last month a shareholder vote on their long-delayed deal, it marked a final step for the owner of Truth Social to become a public company potentially worth billions of dollars -- most of which is owned by Trump himself. But in the lead-up to Friday's vote, both companies have been rocked by legal warfare. Their leaders, past and present, have traded heated accusations of deception and impropriety across four lawsuits in three states. And the cases threaten to erode Trump's grasp on a stake in the post-merger company potentially worth hundreds of millions of dollars -- a possible financial lifeline, given that he owes more than $500 million in legal fines.... If the deal is approved, Trump would own about 60 percent of the post-merger company, a stake that at Digital World's current price would be worth more than $3 billion." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ Spoiler Alert. Marie: My guess is that the guy pictured on the cover of "The Art of the Deal" will pull this one off and sweep into the courthouse with bags of cash at the last possible second. All the sturm und drang building over the past week will have played perfectly into the melodrama. End of episode, end of season. Next week, when the reviews come in, all the critics will marvel at what a stable genius Trump is. Oh Lord, let me be wrong. Update: Yay! Looks as if I am! ~~~
~~~ Aimee Picchi & Jacob Rosen of CBS News: "... while a $3.5 billion stake in a publicly traded company could help relieve some of those financial pressures, it's unlikely to immediately help Trump. That's because he and other big shareholders are subject to a so-called 'lock-up' provision that bars him from selling his stock for at least six months.... Trump likely won't be able to use the stock to get a loan, either. That's because the DWAC [Digital World Acquisition Corp., the company that may merge with Trump Media today] regulatory filing states that founding investors can't sell, lend, donate or encumber their shares for six months after the deal closes. Legal experts say 'encumber' is a powerful word that could prevent Trump from using the stock as collateral to raise cash before six months have elapsed." The new company's board could waive the 6-month requirement, but that too seems fairly unlikely. ~~~
~~~ MEANWHILE. Kara Scannell of CNN: "The New York attorney general's office has filed judgments in Westchester County, the first indication that the state is preparing to try to seize Donald TrumpArthur Engoron made official his $464 million decision against Trump, his sons Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, and the Trump Organization.... The judgment is already entered in New York city where Trump's properties including Trump Tower, his penthouse at Trump Tower, 40 Wall Street, his hotel abutting Central Park, and numerous apartment buildings are located....
"Thursday, Engoron expanded the role of the monitor overseeing the Trump Organization to include more expansive oversight of Trump's real estate business' internal financial practices. Engoron also ordered the Trump Organization to supply detailed information to the monitor about its efforts to obtain bonds to cover judgments.... Engoron laid out a timeline of certain steps the Trumps must take within the next month, including providing the monitor, retired Judge Barbara Jones, with full access to its day-to-day financial operations.... Engoron also empowered the monitor to have copies of the Trump Organization's monthly bank and brokerage statements, be notified in advance of any transfers above $5 million, be provided information about the creation or dissolution of business entities, and be informed in advance of any debt financing."
** The Valet. Luke Broadwater & Maggie Haberman of the New York Times: "The threat from ... Donald J. Trump to his vice president, Mike Pence, was clear and direct: If you defy my effort to overturn the 2020 election by certifying the results, your future in Republican politics is over. 'Mike, this is a political career killer if you do this,' Mr. Trump told Mr. Pence by phone on the morning of Jan. 6, 2021, according to the White House valet who was with the president for much of the day and told Congress he had overheard the conversation. The testimony of Mr. Trump's valet, provided to the now-defunct House Jan. 6 Committee in 2022 but not previously released publicly, offers a rare firsthand look into the former president's behavior in the hours before, during and after a mob of his supporters stormed the Capitol seeking to halt the certification of President Biden's victory.... Mr. Trump ... stewed about Mr. Pence's refusal for hours after violence engulfed Congress. Told that a civilian had been shot outside the House chamber amid the mob attack, he recalled, Mr. Trump appeared unconcerned.... [The valet] did recall hearing the president ask about contacting top officials on the possibility of dispatching the National Guard to Capitol Hill -- though there is no indication that he ever followed through.... The copy [of the transcript] reviewed by The Times is heavily redacted, and the valet is referred to simply as 'a White House employee.'" Read on. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ The New York Times' copy of the valet's transcript is here. (Also linked yesterday.) Martin Pengelly of the Guardian has a derivative story here.
Marie: If you wonder why Trump's legal bills are so high (currently $230,000 per day!), it might be because they busy themselves filing crap motions & briefs. Aaron Blake of the Washington Post cites a few of them, including one in which they grab an out-of-context citation from an old law review article by Brett Kavanaugh. The Kavanaugh article, as a whole, "actually took a different position from the one Trump's lawyers advanced.... Trump has pitched his many legal setbacks as a result of a biased and weaponized legal system. But when you have to reach for these kinds of arguments -- including citing your own Supreme Court nominee who clearly took a position at odds with your own -- it would seem to reinforce that you're not working with much."
Presidential Race
Sky Palma of the Raw Story: "During a speech at a fundraiser in Dallas, President Joe Biden took a shot at Donald Trump's legal headaches -- specifically the difficulty he's having obtaining the bond to allow him to appeal a civil judgment amounting to $454 million.... 'Just the other day, this defeated-looking man came up to me and said: "Mr. President I need your help. I'm in crushing debt. I'm completely wiped out,"' Biden said, adding that he then responded, 'Donald, I'm sorry. I can't help you.'"
Shane Goldmacher & Maggie Haberman of the New York Times: "... Donald J. Trump's new shared fund-raising agreement with the Republican National Committee directs a portion of donations to the political account he has used to pay his legal bills before any money goes to the party itself. The order in which entities will receive funds from big donors through what is known as the Trump 47 Committee was disclosed in the fine print of an invitation to a big dinner next month in Palm Beach, Fla., where top donors are asked to contribute up to $814,600 per person to attend.... The new fund-raising agreement comes shortly after Mr. Trump has functionally taken over the R.N.C. as the presumptive Republican nominee.... Mr. Trump is already directing 10 percent of every dollar he raises online to [the] PAC that pays his legal bills], a share that he raised from 1 percent early in his presidential run." This is part of a liveblog. Scroll down. The AP report is here. ~~~
~~~ Marie: According to on-air reports, the Daily Beast has calculated that Trump is spending, on average, $230,000 per day in personal legal costs.
Katherine Doyle of NBC News: "Huge funding from influential conservative donor networks is flowing into groups affiliated with a conservative venture aimed at creating a Republican 'government-in-waiting,' including over $55 million from groups linked to conservative activist Leonard Leo and the Koch network, according to an Accountable.US review shared exclusively with NBC News. Launched by the Heritage Foundation in April 2022, Project 2025 is a two-pronged initiative to develop staunch conservative policy recommendations and grow a roster of thousands of right-wing personnel ready to fill the next Republican administration."
Lauren Weber & Sabrina Malhi of the Washington Post: "Physicians say they're seeing an explosion of birth-control misinformation online targeting a vulnerable demographic: people in their teens and early 20s who are more likely to believe what they see on their phones because of algorithms that feed them a stream of video reinforcing messages often divorced from scientific evidence.... Many social media influencers recommend 'natural' alternatives, such as timing sex to menstrual cycles-- a less effective birth-control method that doctors warn could result in unwanted pregnancies in a country where abortion is now banned or restricted in nearly half the states.... Physicians and researchers say little data is available about the scale of this new phenomenon, but anecdotally, more patients are coming in with misconceptions about birth control fueled by influencers and conservative commentators." ~~~
~~~ Marie: This has to be a manifestation of our "educational system." Clearly, teachers aren't explaining to students the difference between straight reporting from more-or-less reputable news outlets and crap some stranger writes on TikTok or Facebook. Of course before there was an Internet -- and still today -- plain ole gossip and old wives tales influence people, but "my friend says" may not carry the same weight as something "in print" on the Internet. ~~~
~~~ Then There's Elon. Steve M. debunks Musk's latest foray into disinformation: "Greg Sargent reports: 'For much of the last week, Elon Musk's mighty Twitter feed -- sorry, his X feed -- featured as its pinned tweet a video that purports to lay bare a vast conspiracy among Democrats to 'flood' the country with 'illegals' to lock in a 'permanent voting majority.' Many people have picked apart the video's numerous lies. It is a strikingly crafted piece of 'great replacement theory' propaganda....' [Part of the 'Democrat' plan, according to the video, is to include non-citizens in the census.] Counting non-citizens in the census? That's been done in literally every census since the first one in 1790.... Sanctuary cities? They've been around since the 1980s. Mail and early voting? That's also been on the rise since the late twentieth century, though there was a decline in 2022 after a peak in 2020. In other words, for quite a while the elements have been in place for the evil Democrat Party to achieve single-party rule...." ~~~
~~~ Marie: I'd like to think that if I had several huge corporations to run, I would not be wasting my time reading and promoting crap conspiracy theories on the Internet. And that would be true of me even if my rocket ships didn't keep blowing up and my automatic-drive vehicles didn't keep crashing. (But then, who knows? I suppose each of us has the potential to be just as big a jerk as Elon Musk.)
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Alabama. Praveena Somasundaram & Hannah Natanson of the Washington Post: "Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey (R) signed a sweeping bill Wednesday that will restrict the teaching of 'divisive concepts' and limit diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs at public schools, universities and state agencies. The legislation, which the state's GOP-controlled legislature sent to Ivey's desk Tuesday, stipulates that schools and agencies cannot sponsor any DEI programs or require their students or employees to participate in them. It also states that they cannot punish students or employees for their 'refusal to support, believe, endorse, embrace, confess, or otherwise assent to a divisive concept or diversity statement.'... The legislation also includes language that public colleges and universities must require students to use bathrooms based on their biological sex at birth, citing existing state law.... Civil rights groups have condemned the bill, saying it furthers the chilling effect classrooms have experienced in recent years as they become the site of culture wars across the country." (Also linked yesterday.)
Idaho. Frances Vinall of the Washington Post: "An escaped inmate and his suspected accomplice have been captured in Idaho after 36 hours on the run, during which time authorities believe they killed two men. Skylar Meade, 31, escaped custody about 2 a.m. Wednesday during a medical transport after Meade injured himself in prison, authorities said. The transport was about to return him to prison from Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise when Nicholas Umphenour, 28, is accused of ambushing the transport and shooting two officers. A third corrections officer was shot by Boise police on arrival, police said.... [The pair] are suspected of killing two adult men in separate locations before they were recaptured about 2 p.m. Thursday in Twin Falls. Meade and Umphenour are both members of the Aryan Knights, Idaho Department of Correction director Josh Tewalt said at a news conference Thursday -- a white supremacist prison gang based primarily in Idaho.... Two of the three injured corrections workers remain in hospital...."
Mississippi Is Still Mississippi. Brian Howey & Nate Rosenfield of the New York Times: "Sentencing hearings this week for six law enforcement officers, some of whom were members of the Goon Squad, revealed a disturbing portrait of a Mississippi sheriff's department that encouraged deputies to use extreme violence as a policing tool. Prosecutors, along with several of the deputies who were sentenced, described a toxic culture in which senior officers directed the men they oversaw to humiliate and torture people suspected of crimes. Young deputies said they saw violence as a way to earn promotions and to live up to the expectations of their supervisors, who were considered heroes of the Rankin County Sheriff's Department.... An investigation by Mississippi Today and The New York Times last year exposed a decades-long reign of terror by nearly two dozen Rankin County deputies, several of them high-ranking investigators who reported directly to the Rankin County Sheriff, Bryan Bailey.... Judge Tom Lee of U.S. District Court sentenced the last of the officers Thursday. Brett McAlpin, a senior detective who has been described as the Goon Squad's ringleader, was sentenced to more than 27 years in prison. Joshua Hartfield, a narcotics detective for the Richland Police Department, received a 10-year sentence."
New Jersey Senate Race. Nicholas Fandos & Tracey Tully of the New York Times: "Senator Robert Menendez of New Jersey announced on Thursday that he would not run for re-election as a Democrat this year, bowing to intense political pressure and federal charges that place him at the center of an international bribery scheme. But in a nine-minute video posted on social media, Mr. Menendez, 70, reiterated that he would not resign and left the door open to running as a political independent if he is exonerated at a trial scheduled for May." Politico's story is here.
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Israel/Palestine, et al.
The Washington Post's live updates of developments Friday in the Israel/Hamas war are here: "Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Israel Friday and is set to tell officials there that a military incursion into Rafah would be a 'mistake.' During his Middle East trip this week Blinken told reporters gaps 'are narrowing' in cease-fire talks. Later Friday, a U.S.-sponsored resolution supporting an immediate cease-fire and hostage release will be up for a vote at the U.N. Security Council in New York.... Head of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said the agency had lost contact with health personnel at al-Shifa Hospital in northern Gaza during Israeli raids this week.... Britain and Australia on Friday in a joint statement, called for an 'immediate cessation of fighting in Gaza to allow aid to flow and hostages to be released as a crucial step toward a permanent, sustainable cease-fire.' It follows a statement a day earlier from European Union leaders also calling for an 'immediate humanitarian pause leading to a sustainable cease-fire.'"
Michael Crowley & Thomas Fuller of the New York Times: "Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, traveling in the Middle East on Thursday, pressed for a halt to fighting in the Gaza Strip as the United States prepared to introduce a resolution at the United Nations on Friday calling for 'an immediate and sustained cease-fire.' The Security Council resolution drafted by the United States contains the strongest language that Washington has supported so far, and was an apparent shift for Israel's closest ally. In February, the United States vetoed a Council resolution demanding an immediate humanitarian cease-fire." The Hill's story is here.
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