The Ledes

Saturday, September 28, 2024

Washington Post: “Rescue teams raced to submerged homes, scoured collapsed buildings and steered thousands from overflowing dams as Helene carved a destructive path Friday, knocking out power and flooding a vast arc of communities across the southeastern United States. At least 40 people were confirmed killed in five states since the storm made landfall late Thursday as a Category 4 behemoth, unleashing record-breaking storm surge and tree-snapping gusts. 4 million homes and businesses have lost electricity across Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas, prompting concerns that outages could drag on for weeks. Mudslides closed highways. Water swept over roofs and snapped phone lines. Houses vanished from their foundations. Tornadoes added to the chaos. The mayor of hard-hit Canton, N.C., called the scene 'apocalyptic.'” An AP report is here.

The Wires
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The Ledes

Friday, September 27, 2024

New York Times: “Maggie Smith, one of the finest British stage and screen actors of her generation, whose award-winning roles ranged from a freethinking Scottish schoolteacher in 'The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie' to the acid-tongued dowager countess on 'Downton Abbey,' died on Friday in London. She was 89.”

The Washington Post's live updates of developments related to Hurricane Helene are here: “Hurricane Helene left one person dead in Florida and two in Georgia as it sped north. One of the biggest storms on record to hit the Gulf Coast, Helene slammed into Florida’s Big Bend area on Thursday night as a Category 4 colossus with winds of up to 140 mph before weakening to Category 1. Catastrophic winds and torrential rain from the storm — which the National Hurricane Center forecast would eventually slow over the Tennessee Valley — were expected to continue Friday across the Southeast and southern Appalachians.” ~~~

     ~~~ The New York Times' live updates are here.

Mediaite: “Fox Weather’s Bob Van Dillen was reporting live on Fox & Friends about flooding in Atlanta from Hurricane Helene when he was interrupted by the screams of a woman trapped in her car. During the 7 a.m. hour, Van Dillen was filing a live report on the massive flooding in the area. Fox News viewers could clearly hear the urgent screams for help emerging from a car stuck on a flooded road in the background of the live shot. Van Dillen ... told Fox & Friends that 911 had been called and that the local Fire Department was on its way. But as he continued to file the report, the screams did not stop, so Van Dillen cut the live shot short.... Some 10 minutes later, Fox & Friends aired live footage of Van Dillen carrying the woman to safety, waking through chest-deep water while the flooding engulfed her car in the background[.]”

Help!

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The New York Times lists Emmy winners. The AP has an overview story here.

New York Times: “Hvaldimir, a beluga whale who had captured the public’s imagination since 2019 after he was spotted wearing a harness seemingly designed for a camera, was found dead on Saturday in Norway, according to a nonprofit that worked to protect the whale.... [Hvaldimir] was wearing a harness that identified it as “equipment” from St. Petersburg. There also appeared to be a camera mount. Some wondered if the whale was on a Russian reconnaissance mission. Russia has never claimed ownership of the whale. If Hvaldimir was a spy, he was an exceptionally friendly one. The whale showed signs of domestication, and was comfortable around people. He remained in busier waters than are typical for belugas....” ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Oh, Lord, do not let Bobby Kennedy, Jr., near that carcass. ~~~

     ~~~ AP Update: “There’s no evidence that a well-known beluga whale that lived off Norway’s coast and whose harness ignited speculation it was a Russian spy was shot to death last month as claimed by animal rights groups, Norwegian police said Monday.... Police said that the Norwegian Veterinary Institute conducted a preliminary autopsy on the animal, which was become known as 'Hvaldimir,' combining the Norwegian word for whale — hval — and the first name of Russian President Vladimir Putin. 'There are no findings from the autopsy that indicate that Hvaldimir has been shot,' police said in a statement.”

New York Times: Botswana's “President Mokgweetsi Masisi grinned as he lifted the diamond, a 2,492-carat stone that is the biggest diamond unearthed in more than a century and the second-largest ever found, according to the Vancouver-based mining operator Lucara, which owns the mine where it was found. This exceptional discovery could bring back the luster of the natural diamond mining industry, mining companies and experts say. The diamond was discovered in the same relatively small mine in northeastern Botswana that has produced several of the largest such stones in living memory. Such gemstones typically surface as a result of volcanic activity.... The diamond will likely sell in the range of tens of millions of dollars....”

Click on photo to enlarge.

~~~ Guardian: "On a distant reef 16,000km from Paris, surfer Gabriel Medina has given Olympic viewers one of the most memorable images of the Games yet, with an airborne celebration so well poised it looked too good to be true. The Brazilian took off a thundering wave at Teahupo’o in Tahiti on Monday, emerging from a barrelling section before soaring into the air and appearing to settle on a Pacific cloud, pointing to the sky with biblical serenity, his movements mirrored precisely by his surfboard. The shot was taken by Agence France-Presse photographer Jérôme Brouillet, who said “the conditions were perfect, the waves were taller than we expected”. He took the photo while aboard a boat nearby, capturing the surreal image with such accuracy that at first some suspected Photoshop or AI." 

Washington Post: “'Mary Cassatt at Work' is a large and mostly satisfying exhibition devoted to the career of the great American artist beloved for her sensitive and often sentimental views of family life. The 'at work' in the title of the Philadelphia Museum of Art show references the curators’ interest in Cassatt’s pioneering effort to establish herself as a professional artist within a male-dominated field. Throughout the show, which includes some 130 paintings, pastels, prints and drawings, the wall text and the art on view stresses Cassatt’s fixation on art as a career rather than a pastime.... Mary Cassatt at Work is on view at the Philadelphia Museum of Art through Sept. 8. philamuseum.org”

New York Times: “Bob Newhart, who died on Thursday at the age of 94, has been such a beloved giant of popular culture for so long that it’s easy to forget how unlikely it was that he became one of the founding fathers of stand-up comedy. Before basically inventing the hit stand-up special, with the 1960 Grammy-winning album 'The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart' — that doesn’t even count his pay-per-view event broadcast on Canadian television that some cite as the first filmed special — he was a soft-spoken accountant who had never done a set in a nightclub. That he made a classic with so little preparation is one of the great miracles in the history of comedy.... Bob Newhart holds up. In fact, it’s hard to think of a stand-up from that era who is a better argument against the commonplace idea that comedy does not age well.”

Washington Post: “An early Titian masterpiece — once looted by Napolean’s troops and a part of royal collections for centuries — caused a stir when it was stolen from the home of a British marquess in 1995. Seven years later, it was found inside an unassuming white and blue plastic bag at a bus stop in southwest London by an art detective, and returned. This week, the oil painting 'The Rest on the Flight into Egypt' sold for more than $22 million at Christie’s. It was a record for the Renaissance artist, whom museums describe as the greatest painter of 16th-century Venice. Ahead of the sale in April, the auction house billed it as 'the most important work by Titian to come to the auction market in more than a generation.'”

Washington Post: The Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, D.C., which houses the world's largest collection of Shakespeare material, has undergone a major renovation. "The change to the building is pervasive, both subtle and transformational."

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Monday
Apr102023

April 11, 2023

Afternoon Update:

Darlene Superville, et al., of the AP: "President Joe Biden embarked Tuesday on a journey of diplomatic and family celebration, highlighting the U.S. role of 25 years ago in ending deadly bloodshed in Northern Ireland while catching up with distant relatives in the Republic of Ireland. It's his first trip back as America's president. Biden arrived in Belfast on Tuesday night and was greeted at the airport by United Kingdom Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. He will spend about half a day in the city on Wednesday, holding talks with Sunak before going to Ulster University to mark the Good Friday accord anniversary.... Monday marked a quarter-century since the Good Friday Agreement, signed on that day in April 1998, ended decades of violence in Northern Ireland that killed 3,600 people. Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom, is observing the milestone anniversary with a reunion of key players in the peace process along with Biden's visit."

** Alvin Bragg Is Tired of Trying to Reason with Gym Jordan. Jonah Bromwich, et al., of the New York Times: "The Manhattan district attorney on Tuesday sued Representative Jim Jordan of Ohio in an extraordinary step intended to keep congressional Republicans from interfering in the office's criminal case against ... Donald J. Trump. The 50-page suit, filed in federal court in the Southern District of New York, accuses Mr. Jordan of a 'brazen and unconstitutional attack' on the prosecution of Mr. Trump and a 'transparent campaign to intimidate and attack' the district attorney, Alvin L. Bragg.... Lawyers for Mr. Bragg are seeking to bar Mr. Jordan and his congressional allies from enforcing a subpoena sent to Mark F. Pomerantz, who was once a leader of the district attorney's Trump investigation and who later wrote a book about that experience.... Mr. Bragg's lawyers ... also intend to prevent any other such subpoenas, the lawsuit says.... 'Rather than allowing the criminal process to proceed in the ordinary course, Chairman Jordan and the committee are participating in a campaign of intimidation, retaliation and obstruction,' the suit said, adding that the district attorney's office had received more than 1,000 calls and emails from Mr. Trump's supporters -- many of them 'threatening and racially charged' -- since the former president predicted his own arrest last month." The AP's story is here.

Leigh Ann Caldwell, et al., of the Washington Post: "Congressional leaders in the House and Senate have been given access to the classified documents recovered from the homes of former president Donald Trump, President Biden and former vice president Mike Pence, according to two people familiar with the information who spoke on the condition of anonymity.... The classified documents were shared last week with the 'Gang of Eight,' a bipartisan group of congressional leaders who typically receive briefings on classified intelligence. The documents were shared after months of pressure on the Biden administration from Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-Va.) and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), the chairman and vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee."

John Wagner of the Washington Post: “The Senate plans to consider a resolution next week condemning Donald Trump's call to 'defund' the Justice Department and FBI, Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) said in a letter to colleagues Tuesday, setting up a vote that will test the loyalties of Republicans to the former president. A day after being arraigned in a Manhattan courtroom on state charges last week, Trump said in a social media post that 'Republicans in Congress should defund' the two federal law enforcement agencies 'until they come to their senses.' His comments echoed those of several Republican House members, notably Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), who has called for using Congress's 'power of the purse' against agencies that he claims have engaged in 'egregious behavior.'" MB: A political gesture that seems a little stupid to me.

Election 2024. Katie Glueck & Shane Goldmacher of the New York Times: "President Biden and his party have selected Chicago to host the 2024 Democratic National Convention, according to the Democratic National Committee, elevating a large liberal city in the heart of the Midwest, a critical battleground region. The convention will be held Aug. 19-22 of next year at the United Center, the committee announced." An ABC News report is here.

Casey Gannon & Katelyn Polantz of CNN: "Donald Trump's close presidential aide and speechwriter Stephen Miller returned to testify to a federal grand jury in Washington on Tuesday after the courts ordered that he and other top advisers must share their recollections of direct conversations with the then-president related to the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot."

Kentucky. Tim Arango of the New York Times: "The 25-year-old man who opened fire Monday at a bank in downtown Louisville, Ky., killing five people, told at least one person that he was suicidal before the rampage and legally purchased the AR-15-style rifle used in the shooting at a local dealership last week, officials said Tuesday morning."

~~~~~~~~~~

Perry Stein, et al., of the Washington Post: "The Justice Department on Monday appealed a Texas judge's decision that would block access to a key abortion drug across the country, arguing that the challengers had no right to file the lawsuit since they were not personally harmed by the abortion pill. The 49-page appeal, filed in the right-leaning U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit, landed less than one business day after Judge Matthew J. Kacsmaryk suspended Federal Drug Administration approval of mifepristone -- one of the two medications used in more than half of all abortions in the United States.... In its filing Monday, the government asked the 5th Circuit judges to keep the order on hold until the appeal is decided.... The government and the drug manufacturer, Danco Laboratories, asked the appeals court to issue its decision on pausing Kacsmaryk's order by noon Thursday [in order to fall within the period of Kacsmaryk's seven-day stay of his own ruling]. In a brief order late Monday afternoon, the 5th Circuit asked the groups challenging mifepristone's approval to file their response by midnight Tuesday." The CBS News report is here. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

If courts can overturn drug approvals without regard for science or evidence, or for the complexity required to fully vet the safety and efficacy of new drugs, any medicine is at risk for the same outcome as mifepristone. -- 400+ Pharmaceutical Industry Leaders, in a statement ~~~

~~~ Pam Belluck & Christina Jewett of the New York Times: "The pharmaceutical industry plunged into a legal showdown over the abortion pill mifepristone on Monday, issuing a scorching condemnation of a ruling by a federal judge that invalidated the Food and Drug Administration's approval of the drug and calling for the decision to be reversed. The statement was signed by more than 400 leaders of some of the drug and biotech industry's most prominent investment firms and companies, none of which make[s!] mifepristone, the first pill in the two-drug medication abortion regimen. It shows that the reach of this case stretches far beyond abortion. Unlike Roe v. Wade and other past landmark abortion lawsuits, this one could challenge the foundation of the regulatory system for all medicines in the United States."

Lauren Gambino of the Guardian: "Several Democratic governors have moved swiftly to protect access to medication abortion in their states after a ruling by a Texas judge late last week threatened access to the widely used abortion drug mifepristone. In an announcement on Monday, Governor Maura Healey of Massachusetts said her state had ordered about 15,000 doses of mifepristone, the first of two drugs in a medication abortion regimen that has been approved for use up to the 10th week of pregnancy.... California, Governor Gavin Newsom, also a Democrat, said his state had secured an emergency stockpile of up to 2m pills of misoprostol, the second drug in the regimen that can be used safely on its own, though is slightly less effective as a single medication.... In anticipation of the Texas ruling [banning mifepristone], the Democratic governor of Washington, Jay Inslee, announced last week that his state would stockpile a three-year supply of mifepristone in the event the drug became more difficult to access."


The Thomas-Crow Affair, Ctd. Carl Hulse of the New York Times: "Democratic members of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday promised a hearing looking into the Supreme Court's ethical standards and urged Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. to investigate Justice Clarence Thomas's undisclosed acceptance of gifts and luxurious excursions from a wealthy businessman and Republican donor. In a letter to the chief justice, Senator Richard J. Durbin, Democrat of Illinois and chairman of the committee, joined the 10 other Democratic senators on the panel in writing that if the court did not act in response to an investigation by ProPublica into Justice Thomas's relationship with Harlan Crow, a Texas real estate billionaire, the committee would consider drafting legislation clarifying the court's ethics rules.... In the letter, the senators said the conduct of Justice Thomas 'is plainly inconsistent with the ethical standards the American people expect of any person in a position of public trust.'... No date was immediately announced for the planned hearing. Citing its status as a separate branch of government, the Supreme Court has in the past insisted it is capable of policing itself." A ProPublica report is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Oh, don't snicker. The Supremes are just as good at policing themselves as they are at writing decisions in the interest of American democracy (Shelby County, Citizens United). ~~~

Jamelle Bouie of the New York Times: Clarence Thomas "is still as free as he's ever been to treat his seat on the court -- ostensibly a public trust -- like a winning lottery ticket, to redeem with the nearest friendly billionaire (who happens to have a collection of Nazi paraphernalia and Hitler-related souvenirs).... The framers of the Constitution embraced service on 'good behavior' because they wanted a truly independent judiciary, free from the corruption and venality of ordinary politics.... The Maryland antifederalist Samuel Chase complained [of the proposed Supreme Court] that 'its members are too few' and that its small size leaves it vulnerable to 'bribery and corruption.'... Build an exclusive, oligarchical institution, and you'll get an exclusive, oligarchical politics.... With his close ties to a powerful, property-owning billionaire, Thomas embodies the historic role of the Supreme Court in American politics, not as a liberator or defender of the rights of political and social minorities, but as a partner to and ally of moneyed interests.... If [Supreme Court justices] won't act in the spirit of public service, then we should make them."

Adam Cohen, in a New York Times op-ed: "... the last time such serious allegations were made against a sitting justice, Congress did respond firmly, and in bipartisan fashion. Justice Abe Fortas's departure from the court in 1969 is both a blueprint for how lawmakers could respond today and a benchmark of how far we have fallen. Fortas, a Democratic appointee, got caught up in a scandal that involved much smaller dollar amounts than the lavish trips Justice Thomas took.... He also had an unfortunate habit of continuing to offer advice to President Lyndon Johnson.... We now know the Nixon administration was helping Life [magazine] with its investigation [of Fortas], including with some improper leaks, in an attempt to drive Fortas off the court.... Republicans in Congress demanded that Fortas resign.... Democrats demanded his ouster, too.... Fortas insisted he had done nothing wrong, but he stepped down.... Justice Thomas’s conduct has been far more egregious in scale than Fortas's.... Republicans, however, have been deafeningly silent."


Field Trip! Ed Shanahan of the New York Times: "The Republican-led House Judiciary Committee said on Monday that it would hold a hearing in Manhattan on what it called the 'pro-crime' policies of the borough's district attorney, Alvin L. Bragg, a Democrat who is leading the criminal prosecution of ... Donald J. Trump. The move was the latest by Mr. Trump's congressional defenders to try to tarnish Mr. Bragg, a target of their attacks even before he announced in late March that the former president had been indicted.... Dismissing the premise of the hearing -- that Manhattan is experiencing a surging crime wave -- Mr. Bragg's spokeswoman said that data issued by the Police Department last week showed declines in Manhattan in murders (down 14 percent), shootings (17 percent), burglaries (21 percent) and robberies (8 percent) through April 2, compared with the same period last year." ~~~

     ~~~ Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) has a question: ~~~

Kyle Cheney of Politico: "Donald Trump has appealed a judge's order requiring his former vice president, Mike Pence, to testify to the grand jury probing the effort to subvert the 2020 election. Trump's appeal, filed under seal, was lodged on the court docket Monday morning. The former president had challenged the bid by special counsel Jack Smith to compel Pence's testimony earlier this year, claiming it would intrude on conversations protected by executive privilege. But Chief U.S. District Court Judge James Boasberg rejected Trump's challenge, ruling last month that Pence could be compelled to testify. Boasberg, however, did fashion some limits to Smith's inquiry; he agreed, in part, with a separate argument by Pence that some of his actions are protected by the Constitution's 'speech or debate' clause -- which typically prevents Justice Department inquiry into members of Congress and their aides. Under the Constitution, Pence as vice president also served as president of the Senate, entitling him to some measure of congressional immunity, Boasberg found. Although Pence and his allies felt that the ruling didn't extend far enough, Pence opted not to appeal the decision." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Shayna Jacobs & Josh Dawsey of the Washington Post: "... Donald Trump plans to return to New York for a second round of questioning Thursday in a lawsuit brought by Attorney General Letitia James over his business dealings, according to two people familiar with the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal details.... James's lawsuit alleges that Trump, three of his adult children and others at the Trump Organization purposely misled lenders and insurance companies about the value of his assets to secure favorable rates. The lawsuit has the potential to effectively cripple the Trump family's business operations in New York, where the commercial real estate and golf resort business is headquartered." An ABC News story is here.

Menace to Society. Adam Klasfeld of Law & Crime: "Some weeks after cloaking a jury in complete anonymity to preside over E. Jean Carroll's lawsuit accusing ... Donald Trump of rape, a federal judge refused to relax that ruling even enough to confidentially share their identities with the attorneys. Senior U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan said he couldn't issue such an order in 'good conscience,' especially in light of Trump's continuing attacks on the jurist presiding over the former president's criminal case.... Judge Kaplan footnotes multiple reports about threats pouring into the chambers of Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan in the wake of Trump's attacks."

Shane Goldmacher of the New York Times: "... Donald J. Trump has a minor addition to his mounting pile of legal challenges after he failed to meet the deadline to disclose his personal financial holdings. But the threatened initial penalty -- a meager $200 -- is the latest sign of how weak federal enforcement of campaign laws has become.... Mr. Trump was warned that the fee could be imposed if he does not file within 30 days of the March 16 deadline, which is later this week, in a letter from the Federal Election Commission's acting general counsel that denied his request for a third extension last month. Meredith McGehee, a longtime campaign watchdog, said, 'It's very clear that former President Trump doesn't feel the law applies to him and has spent much of his career hiring legal representation to delay and distract. This is in line with his general approach.'"


Leo Sands of the Washington Post: "Twitter attached a government-affiliation label to the BBC's main Twitter account over the weekend, sparking a stern objection from the public broadcaster and a debate within Britain over the label's accuracy.... Twitter responded to [the BBC's] request for clarification early Monday with a poop emoji, its automated response to all media inquiries.... [Elon] Musk appeared late Sunday to be distancing himself from the new label.... '... I don't actually think the BBC is as biased as some other government-funded media,' he said.... The decision to label the BBC's main non-news account rather than its news account was also puzzling." Roger Mosey, a former editorial director of the BBC said the way Twitter was labeling media outlets looked the work of an intern. Yeah, or a nitwit like Twitter's owner. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Elon really is like a child who puts his hand on a flaming-red stove burner because he wanted to see if it was hot. Unfortunately, Elon is not the person getting burned in his thoughtless "experiments." BUT, as Akhilleus pointed out in yesterday's Comments, the smarter kids learn from their little experiments; Elon does not.

~~~ Marie: One would think that a billionaire entrepreneur who ran several big businesses would be far too busy to get into petty spats with his retainers. Wrong. ~~~

     ~~~ Mike Masnick of TechDirt: "The refrain to remember with Twitter under Elon Musk: it can always get dumber.... On Thursday, Musk's original hand-picked Twitter Files scribe, Matt Taibbi, went on Mehdi Hasan's show.... The interview did not go well for Taibbi in the same manner that finding an iceberg did not go well for the Titanic.... Due to a separate dispute that Elon was having with Substack..., he decided to arbitrarily bar anyone from retweeting, replying, or even liking any tweet that had a Substack link in it. But Taibbi's vast income stems from having one of the largest paying Substack subscriber bases. So, in rapid succession he announced that he was leaving Twitter, and would rely on Substack, and that this would likely limit his ability to continue working on the Twitter Files. Minutes later, Elon Musk unfollowed Taibbi on Twitter.... [By Saturday, it was apparent that] Taibbi's [Twitter] account appears to have been 'max deboosted'..., meaning you can't find Taibbi in search.... So, yes, we went from Taibbi praising Elon Musk for supporting free speech and supposedly helping to expose the evil shadowbanning of the old regime, and refusing to criticize Musk on anything, to Taibbi leaving Twitter, and Musk not just unfollowing him but shadowbanning him and all his Twitter Files. In about 48 hours."


Chris Mooney & Brady Dennis of the Washington Post: "Scientists have documented an abnormal and dramatic surge in sea levels along the U.S. gulf and southeastern coastlines since about 2010, raising new questions about whether New Orleans, Miami, Houston and other coastal communities might be even more at risk from rising seas than once predicted. The acceleration, while relatively short-lived so far, could have far-reaching consequences in an area of the United States that has seen massive development as the wetlands, mangroves and shorelines that once protected it are shrinking. An already vulnerable landscape that is home to millions of people is growing more vulnerable, more quickly, potentially putting a large swath of America at greater risk from severe storms and flooding.... [A University of Arizona] study, published in the Journal of Climate, calculates the rate of sea-level rise since 2010 at ... nearly 5 inches in total through 2022. That is more than double the global average rate of about 4.5 millimeters per year since 2010, based on satellite observations of sea level from experts at the University of Colorado at Boulder. While the annual totals might sound minor, even small changes in sea levels over time can have destructive consequences. [The] study suggested that Hurricanes Michael and Ian, two of the strongest storms ever to hit the United States, were made considerably worse in part from additional sea level rise."

2024 Senate Races. Sarah Burris of the Raw Story: "The Washington Examiner reported Monday that the GOP is begging Donald Trump to keep out of the 2024 [Senate] race[s]. [Sen.] Steve 'Daines has reportedly been in touch with the former president and Donald Trump Jr...., as part of a larger effort to keep all camps on the same page about candidate selection matters,' said the report. 'The goal is to avoid messy primary fights that left weakened some 2022 candidates in their general election contests. The stakes are especially high given that Republicans only need to net two seats to win back the Senate in 2024.... Read the full report here."

The Pandemic, Ctd. Dan Diamond of the Washington Post: "The Biden administration is launching a $5 billion-plus program to accelerate development of new coronavirus vaccines and treatments, seeking to better protect against a still-mutating virus, as well as other coronaviruses that might threaten us in the future. 'Project Next Gen' -- the long-anticipated follow-up to 'Operation Warp Speed,' the Trump-era program that sped coronavirus vaccines to patients in 2020 -- would take a similar approach to partnering with private-sector companies to expedite development of vaccines and therapies. Scientists, public heath experts and politicians have called for the initiative, warning that existing therapies have steadily lost their effectiveness and that new ones are needed."

Beyond the Beltway

Caroline Kitchener of the Washington Post: "... a new reality playing out in hospitals in antiabortion states across the country -- where because of newly enacted abortion bans, people with potentially life-threatening pregnancy complications are being denied care that was readily available before the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June.... In the 18 states where abortion is now banned before fetal viability, many hospitals have been turning away pre-viability PPROM [-- pre-viability preterm prelabor rupture of the membranes --] patients as doctors and administrators fear the legal risk that could come with terminating even a pregnancy that could jeopardize the mother's well-being, according to 12 physicians practicing in antiabortion states.... Of all the pregnancy complications affected by abortion bans, pre-viability PPROM is one of the most widespread, according to doctors interviewed for this story." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Florida. Miriam Jordan of the New York Times: "Led by Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican with presidential ambitions, the Florida Legislature is considering a sweeping package of immigration measures that would represent the toughest crackdown on undocumented immigration by any state in more than a decade. Expected to pass within weeks because Republicans have supermajorities in both chambers, the bills are part of what Mr. DeSantis describes as a response to President Biden's 'open borders agenda,' which he said has allowed an uncontrolled flow of immigrants to cross into the United States from Mexico. The bills would expose people to felony charges for sheltering, hiring and transporting undocumented immigrants; require hospitals to ask patients their immigration status and report to the state; invalidate out-of-state driver's licenses issued to undocumented immigrants; prevent undocumented immigrants from being admitted to the bar in Florida; and direct the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to provide assistance to federal authorities in enforcing the nation's immigration laws. Mr. DeSantis has separately proposed eliminating in-state college tuition for undocumented students and beneficiaries of the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program...." (Also linked yesterday.)

Iowa. AP (April 9): "The Iowa Attorney General's Office has paused its practice of paying for emergency contraception -- and in rare cases, abortions -- for victims of sexual assault.... Federal regulations and state law require Iowa to pay many of the expenses for sexual assault victims who seek medical help, such as the costs of forensic exams and treatment for sexually transmitted infections. Under the previous attorney general, Democrat Tom Miller, Iowa's victim compensation fund also paid for Plan B, the so-called morning after pill, as well as other treatments to prevent pregnancy. A spokeswoman for Republican Attorney General Brenna Bird, who defeated Miller's bid for an 11th term in November, told the Des Moines Register that those payments are now on hold as part of a review of victim services." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Bear in mind that the morning-after pill does not cause an abortion, rather it prevents a pregnancy. As Rachel Maddow noted Monday night, the Republican Iowa AG wants rape victims to have to give birth to the children of their rapists.

Mississippi. Ilyssa Daly & Jerry Mitchell of the New York Times: "... an investigation by The New York Times and the Mississippi Center for Investigative Reporting at Mississippi Today reveals that allegations of wrongdoing against [former sheriff & jail supervisor Terry] Grassaree have been far more wide-ranging and serious than ... federal charges [against him] suggest.... At worst, they tell the story of a sheriff who operated with impunity, even as he was accused of abusing the people in his custody, turning a blind eye to women who were raped and trying to cover it up when caught.... In Mississippi, as in many states, rural sheriffs are left largely to police themselves and their jails.... No state agency oversees Mississippi's county jails...."

Pennsylvania Senate Race. John Wagner of the Washington Post: "Sen. Robert P. Casey Jr. (D-Pa.) announced Monday that he will seek a fourth term next year despite a recent health scare, providing a boost to Democrats in one of a bevy of battleground states that the party is defending as it tries to maintain its narrow majority in the Senate." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

** Tennessee. Emily Cochrane of the New York Times: "Local officials in Nashville unanimously voted to appoint one of two expelled Democratic lawmakers back to his seat in the state House of Representatives, a swift rebuke to the Republican supermajority over its decision to expel the two lawmakers for leading a gun control protest on the House floor. The Metropolitan Nashville Council voted to temporarily appoint Justin Jones back to his Nashville seat in the state legislature, just days after Republicans overwhelmingly voted to expel him. The move by the Nashville councilors paves the way for Mr. Jones to be quickly reinstated to his seat, ahead of a special election later this year.... On Monday, dozens of people rallied outside the meeting in Nashville, carrying signs that read 'No Justin, No Peace.'... Lawyers for the men -- a group that includes Eric H. Holder Jr., the former U.S. attorney general -- warned the legislature on Monday against any further action against them or their cities." The NBC News story is here. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: We should take a moment to congratulate Tennessee's Republican legislators for making national heroes of local Democrats. As I write, Jones is about to re-enter the House chamber. Kids, it turns out the Resurrection is true, after all. And Jesus is Black. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Gee, maybe one council member should have voted for the House's majority leader, because -- in violation of the state's constitution -- he lives in Nashville, not in the district he supposedly represents. ~~~

~~~ Jud Legum of Popular Information: Last week Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton voted to oust three Democrats for violating "several rules of decorum and procedure." But Sexton himself seems to be violating a more fundamental rule: he doesn't appear to live in the Republican-leaning district he represents, as is required by the state's constitution. He sold his house there in 2020, & purchased a small nearby condo, but he and his family apparently live in a Nashville burb in a district that leans Democratic. Nonetheless, he accepts per diem during the legislative session as if he lived far outside of Nashville. In 2022, he billed the taxpayers $19,093 in per diems. "In total, Sexton may have overcharged Tennessee taxpayers as much as $78,756 [in per diems] since 2020." MB: Gosh, the House Speaker appears to be violating the state constitution and bilking taxpayers, but at least he's not leading chants to save schoolchildren from gun violence. So rude. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

     ~~~ Update: "After yesterday's story was published and spread rapidly online, Sexton did communicate with Phil Williams, a high-profile Tennessee reporter. Williams reported that 'Sexton argues, as Speaker, he has to be in Nashville so often that it's easier to have his family here.' So now we know the answer to the question: Sexton, and his family, live in Nashville. In addition to not living in Crossville, Sexton has also not paid his property taxes on his two-bedroom condo in Crossville for the last two years, according to the Cumberland County website. Under Tennessee law, '[t]he place where a married person's spouse and family have their habitation is presumed to be the person's place of residence.' So, now that Sexton admitted he and his family live in Nashville, there is a presumption that Sexton also resides in Nashville for the purpose of voting registration. That would make his representation of District 25 unconstitutional since he wouldn't be ;a qualified voter of that district."

Virginia. Jane Timm of NBC News: "In January, the GOP assumed control of the Buckingham County[, Virginia,] Electoral Board..., and local Republicans began advancing baseless voter fraud claims that baffled [the registrar, Lindsey Taylor]. The electoral board made it clear it wanted her out of the job. 'There were people saying that they had heard all these rumors -- that the attorney general was going to indict me,' Taylor said, days after leaving the office for the last time.... Three weeks ago, frustrated and heartbroken, Taylor, along with two part-time staffers, quit. Their resignations followed a deputy registrar who left in February, citing the same conflict. The four departures left residents without a functioning registrar's office; there was no way to register to vote or certify candidate paperwork...." At a meeting of the county board in early January, a local Republican said to Taylor, "I am putting you on notice -- for treason!" "The Virginia Attorney General's office confirmed that [the county's election board chairwoman] had contacted them, but they said they had not, and were not, investigating elections issues in Buckingham County." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Virginia. Justin Jouvenal of the Washington Post: "The mother of a 6-year-old boy who shot a teacher at a Virginia school in January has been charged criminally in connection with the case, and a special grand jury will be convened to explore others' conduct, authorities said Monday. Deja Taylor, 25, of Newport News, is facing one felony count of child neglect and one misdemeanor count of recklessly storing a firearm so a child could gain access to it. The weapon the boy used belonged to Taylor, authorities have said. If convicted, Taylor faces up to five years in prison on the felony and up to a one-year sentence on the misdemeanor. Howard Gwynn, the Newport News commonwealth's attorney, said in a statement he also has asked a judge to impanel a special grand jury to continue to probe any 'security issues' that 'may have contributed to this shooting,' suggesting that the conduct of administrators or others who allegedly failed to act after being warned the boy had a weapon would be further scrutinized." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) A Guardian report is here.

Way Beyond

Ukraine, et al.

The Washington Post's live briefing of developments Tuesday in Russia's war on Ukraine is here: "The [leaked Pentagon] documents show that the U.S. intelligence community has deeply infiltrated the Russian military -- in some cases enabling Washington to warn Kyiv of attacks. >Washington has been working with Kyiv to shape the anticipated counteroffensive, and U.S. officials have held tabletop exercises with Ukrainian military leaders, The Washington Post reported.... Moscow ordered military preparations in response to the NATO accession of Finland, which was formerly militarily nonaligned." ~~~

     ~~~ The Guardian's live updates for Tuesday are here. The Guardian's summary report is here.

The Perp Left Clues. Julian Barnes, et al., of the New York Times: "A surprisingly large number of people potentially had access to the Pentagon intelligence documents leaked on a social media site in early March, but clues left online may help investigators narrow down the pool of possible suspects relatively quickly, U.S. officials said on Monday.... While some documents were doctored, those revisions appear to have been made later. Officials have acknowledged that many of the documents are genuine, and they were initially posted on the internet without alterations.... The intelligence materials appear to have been first photographed and then uploaded online, a kind of sloppy procedure that suggests the person leaking the documents probably took few steps to conceal the IP addresses used or the date stamps from photographs, said Javed Ali, a former senior U.S. counterterrorism official...."

With Friends Like This ... Evan Hill, et al., of the Washington Post: "President Abdel Fatah El-Sisi of Egypt, one of America's closest allies in the Middle East and a major recipient of U.S. aid, recently ordered subordinates to produce up to 40,000 rockets to be covertly shipped to Russia, according to a leaked U.S. intelligence document. A portion of a top secret document, dated Feb. 17, summarizes purported conversations between Sisi and senior Egyptian military officials and also references plans to supply Russia with artillery rounds and gunpowder. In the document, Sisi instructs the officials to keep the production and shipment of the rockets secret 'to avoid problems with the West.' The Washington Post obtained the document from a trove of images of classified files posted in February and March on Discord, a chat app popular with gamers."

Justin McCurry, et al., of the Guardian: "The US is attempting to mend fences with key allies after leaked Pentagon documents claimed Washington had been spying on friendly countries including South Korea and Israel. The US secretary of defence, Lloyd Austin, spoke to his South Korean counterpart on Tuesday as officials in Seoul denied the possibility that the president's office could have been the source of leaks over South Korean arms sales to the US."

David Inatius of the Washington Post: "The leaked documents on the Ukraine war are chilling.... First, Ukraine is facing a severe shortage of air defense weapons that could cost it the war.... Second, the West's 'arsenal of democracy' isn't close to matching Ukraine's needs.... Why hasn't President Biden appointed the equivalent of Franklin D. Roosevelt's War Production Board? Third, the Biden administration has been more risk averse than some allies -- and more than seems necessary.... Finally, journalists have been hearing privately for many months from top U.S. officials that they believe this conflict is at a deadly impasse, with heavy casualties depleting both sides."

Matthew Lee of the AP: "The Biden administration formally determined Monday that a Wall Street Journal reporter arrested in Russia on espionage charges has been 'wrongfully detained.' The designation elevates the case of Evan Gershkovich in the U.S. government hierarchy and means that a dedicated State Department office will take the lead on securing his release. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced the determination on Monday, saying he condemned the arrest and Russia's repression of independent media." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)


Israel. Never Mind. Justin Kingsley & Hiba Yakbek of the New York Times: "Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel announced on Monday night that he had reversed his decision to fire Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, 15 days after Mr. Gallant was nominally dismissed for criticizing the pace of the government's contentious plan to overhaul Israel's justice system. Mr. Netanyahu had never formally confirmed Mr. Gallant's ouster, which set off widespread unrest and led the government to suspend its judicial plan until the summer."

Comments Off

Reader Comments (11)

From Florida: A House committee has approved a bill which would ban businesses and government agencies from requiring COVID tests or the wearing of masks.

April 11, 2023 | Unregistered CommenterBobby Lee

Bobby Lee,

I feel your pain.

Always wondered where Vonnegut's "Harrison Bergeron" would end up, (he does get around) but seems he's apparently right at home there in Florida. Don't know if he's changed his residence or whether he's just on an extended vacation, but with laws like the one you cite, it would seem he's right at home.

As Vonnegut knew so well, the most effective source of comfort for stupid people has always been to outlaw smart ones.

April 11, 2023 | Unregistered CommenterKen Winkes

FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS:

From Jamelle Bouie's opinion piece in the NYT:

"The Supreme Court is not going to police itself. The only remedy to the problem of the court’s corruption — to say nothing of its power, — is to subject it to the same checks and limits we associate with the other branches. The court may adjudicate disputes within the constitutional order, but it does not exist above or outside its reach. In practice, this means the Democratic Party will have to abandon its squeamishness about challenging and shaping the Supreme Court and the federal judiciary. Whether it’s through structural change or a simple ethics code, it is up to elected officials to remind the court that it serves the republic, and not the other way around."

April 11, 2023 | Unregistered CommenterP.D.Pepe

Several bits of silliness.

First, it appears that Party of Traitor poobahs* are begging the Orange Monster and his motor mouth spawn, especially Junior, who starts each day with a rotten egg, a tumbler of Trump Vodka, and an eight ball, to please be staying out of the 2024 senate races, given Fatty’s Typhoid Mary impersonation in the 2022 elections. Remember Herschel (Another secret child?) Walker?

So, okay, but telling Trump to shut the pie hole is like instructing Clarence Thomas not to be corrupt. Ain’t gonna happen, no way, no how. First, he’ll point to the fact that even though he was complete dead man walking moron of a candidate, Herschel Walker almost won. Trump still believes that he could get Mr. Potato Head elected to high office. Oh, wait…

Second, even should the universe shift on its training wheels and both Trumps STFU, no non-MAGA candidate is gonna get elected. The droolers don’t want “electable” or “acceptable to non-MAGAs”. They want hatred, vengeance, bigotry, stupidity, and LIB OWNING!!

The trick here is for (non-traitor) voters to understand that whether or not the Fat Fuck is directly involved in an election, Trumpism will be on the ballot for the foreseeable future.

Vote accordingly.

*And remember, speaking of POT poobahs, the Grand Poobah was the supreme leader of the Loyal Order of Water Buffaloes, Fred Flintstone and Barney Rubble, charter members. Even if these guys are picking the candidates, we’re still gonna get prehistoric cartoon characters.

April 11, 2023 | Unregistered CommenterAkhilleus

C’mon, he just likes history…

Herr Harlan Crow, who expects nothing—NOT A THING— from the millions he’s lavished on corrupt Supreme Court supporter of treason, Clarence Thomas and his extremist wife, has a house full of Nazi artifacts and, out in the backyard next to the charcoal grill, statues of some of the worst, murderous despots and autocrats of the 20th century. Among his Nazi treasures are an autographed copy of “Mein Kampf”, a set of Hitler’s personal dinner plates, and a signed painting by der Führer proudly hanging on the wall.

Party of Traitor supporters of, well, fascism, are outraged, OUTRAGED, I tells ya, that anyone might think all of this a tad troubling, especially given the fact he’s such a close influencer, er, pal of a Supreme Court Justice of a country that lost hundreds of thousands of lives in a war to stop fascism, specifically the Hitler brand.

Why? Cuz he’s just a big ol’ fan of history, and um…um…well, he wants to, um…commemorate all that WWII stuff. Yeah…that’s it. Com-mem-O-rate.

Ah, okay. He’s saving Hitler stuff to remember…or something.

I texted a black friend of mine who’s a history professor to see how many confederate flags he has hanging in his living room, and how many statues of Confederate generals he has in his backyard, ya know, so he can com-mem-O-rate the heyday of slavery.

Guess what?

None. He doesn’t have a single confederate artifact. Wow. How can he possibly remember all that horrible shit?!? (Okay, I didn’t actually ask him that…)

The wingers go into their dance on command. Nothing to see here…and don’t you dare say anything about our pal Herr Harlan.

Heil Trump!

April 11, 2023 | Unregistered CommenterAkhilleus

@Akhilleus: I had missed the part about the Hitler dinner plates. Don't you suppose Harlan and a bevy of his Aryan friends dress up in commemorative Nazi uniforms, the men wearing little Hitler mustaches and everyone dines on wienerschnitzel & sauerkraut carefully arrange on the treasured plates? What a creepy guy. Sadly, I don't think Clarence would be invited to the dinner -- or be tapped as a member of the new American reich. But he's had his uses, hasn't he?

April 11, 2023 | Registered CommenterMarie Burns

Harlan, Clarence, Ginni & Co. are starting to look like the cast of characters in a later-period Elmore Leonard novel. Seemingly funny but truly dangerous.

April 11, 2023 | Unregistered CommenterPatrick

Marie, Marie, Marie…

Of COURSE Clarence would be at one of those Republican Reich dinners.

He’d be shining shoes. You’re correct though, Clarence is useful only so far as he helps bring about their dream of a white Christian nationalist state. I don’t know what goes through his head when he’s offered hors d’oeuvres at Herr Harlan’s National Socialist festspiels on a plate with a swastika. Does he think, well, the dude just likes history?

He should recall the fact that regime Herr Harlan obviously reveres picked certain Jews in death camps as “kapos” to help control and supervise other Jewish prisoners, helping to shepherd them to the ovens.

Before it was their turn,

April 11, 2023 | Unregistered CommenterAkhilleus

Shooting? What shooting?

Here’s how Fox reports the murders in a Louisville bank by a clearly disturbed individual who bought the AR-15 he used to end the lives of innocent people:

A bank employee used “a rifle” to kill multiple victims and wound others.

BUT, brave Louisville police (the people who murdered Breonna Taylor, because…) defused the incident.

The End. Right….

Or not. Because in Kentucky, deadly weapons used to murder innocents are auctioned off. That’s right. Auctioned off. Put back into circulation.

“Under current state law, guns confiscated by local police - including those used in homicides - are returned to state police and then made available for purchase at auction.

In February, the mayor ordered local police to temporarily disable seized weapons and affix warning labels before handing them over to state police for resale.

The labels, which bear some resemblance to the health warnings on cigarette packages, say: ‘Deadly weapons like this one caused 146 homicides by gunshot wound in Louisville in 2022. Fourteen of those deaths were children.’

But so what?

According to the Mayor of Louisville, a Democrat (natch)…

“Under current Kentucky law, the assault rifle that was used to murder five of our neighbours and shoot at rescuing police officers will one day be auctioned off. Mr Greenberg said at Tuesday's news conference. ‘Think about that. That murder weapon will be back on the streets.’”

April 11, 2023 | Unregistered CommenterAkhilleus

For Republicans Realpolitik most often means starting wars, lying, or creating enough resentments and divisions to gain or retain power.

For Democrats, Realpolitik might mean finding or even imposing a politically acceptable solution to the undeniable and unavoidable challenge of apportioning a diminishing supply of Colorado River water.

Nature plays Realpolitik, too, and she ain't no Kissinger.

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/11/climate/colorado-river-water-cuts-drought.html

April 11, 2023 | Unregistered CommenterKen Winkes

It's not a swimming pool, but...if you can't have it your way...no one should have it.

https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/libraries/article/91958-texas-county-to-consider-shutting-down-library-after-book-ban-ruling.html

April 11, 2023 | Unregistered CommenterKen Winkes
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