;)
February 14, 2022
Afternoon Update:
Mychael Schnell of the Hill: "Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskt on Monday said that he has been informed that Russia will attack on Wednesday. The comments from the Ukrainian leader [were] made in an address to his nation posted on Facebook.... Zelensky wrote in a statement on Facebook that Ukraine will hold a Day of Unity on Wednesday. He said the relevant decree has already been signed. 'We are told that February 16 will be the day of the attack,' he said, according to a Facebook translation of his comments." ~~~
~~~ Update: So now I hear on MSNBC that Zelensky is walking back his prediction.
~~~ MEANWHILE, Robyn Dixon, et al., of the Washington Post: "Russian President Vladimir Putin left the door open Monday to further talks with Western leaders on his efforts to end NATO's open door policy, when his foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, said the scope for dialogue was 'far from exhausted' and called for intensified talks with Washington and NATO. Putin met Lavrov in the Kremlin Monday in what appeared to be a scripted moment on Russia's formal response to the rejection of its key security demands by Washington and NATO -- including its demand that the alliance bar Ukraine from ever joining. Putin opposed 'the endless, in our opinion, and very dangerous expansion of NATO to the East,' but supported the Foreign Ministry's conclusion on a need to keep talking, RIA Novosti reported, citing Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov." An AP story is here.
Accountant Fires Dodgy Client. Ben Protess & William Rashbaum of the New York Times: "Donald J. Trump's longtime accounting firm abruptly cut ties with his family business last week amid ongoing criminal and civil investigations into whether Mr. Trump illegally inflated the value of his assets, court documents filed on Monday show. In a letter to the Trump Organization on Feb. 9, the accounting firm notified the company of its decision and disclosed that it could no longer stand behind annual financial statements it prepared for Mr. Trump. The firm, Mazars USA, compiled the financial statements based on information the former president and his company provided. The letter instructed the Trump Organization to essentially retract the documents, known as statements of financial condition, from 2011 to 2020.... Given what [Mazars] called 'the totality of circumstances,' the letter directed the Trump Organization to notify anyone who received the statements that they should no longer rely on them." An NBC News story is here.
Katelyn Polantz & Chandelis Duster of CNN: "A conservative lawyer who worked with ... Donald Trump has turned over thousands of pages of emails to the House select committee investigating the January 6 insurrection but is withholding thousands of others, according to court filing Sunday. John Eastman, a law professor who helped craft Trump's false argument that the 2020 election was stolen, has turned over nearly 8,000 pages of emails to the committee while holding back about 11,000 pages because it is what he calls privileged material. The new numbers come before Eastman and House attorneys meet with a federal judge Monday afternoon about the ongoing dispute over a subpoena of Eastman's Chapman University email account.... Eastman still has to sort through an additional 48,000 pages."
Rob Gillies & Ted Shaffrey of the AP: "Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has decided to invoke emergency powers to quell the protests by demonstrators who have paralyzed Ottawa and blocked border crossings in anger over the country's COVID-19 restrictions, a senior government official said Monday. The prime minister met virtually with the leaders of Canada's provinces and planned to address the nation late in the afternoon."
Miriam Berger, et al., of the Washington Post: "Police on Monday arrested 11 people and seized guns, body armor and 'a large quantity of ammunition' in Coutts, Alberta, one of several sites around Canada where demonstrators have been protesting coronavirus restrictions, authorities said. The Alberta Royal Canadian Mounted Police said it had learned of a 'small organized group within the larger Coutts protest' that 'had access to a cache of firearms with a large quantity of ammunition' and 'was said to have a willingness to use force against the police if any attempts were made to disrupt the blockade.'"
David Gilbert of Vice: "The Christian crowdfunding site that helped raise $8.7 million for the anti-vax 'freedom convoy' in Canada was hacked on Sunday night, and the names and personal details of over 92,000 donors were leaked online. The database of 92,845 donors is no longer available on the site, but VICE News was able to review a copy of the data. While some of the donors did not provide their names -- such as the person behind the current top donation of $215,000 -- the vast majority did provide them, including American software billionaire Thomas Siebel, who donated $90,000...."
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Molly Nagle of ABC News: "President Joe Biden assured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that the United States and its allies will respond 'swiftly and decisively' to any further aggression by Russia against Ukraine, according to a White House readout of a phone call between the two leaders. The Sunday morning call took place as U.S. officials continue to warn that an attack from Russia could come 'any day now' and urge all Americans still in Ukraine to leave the country." ~~~
~~~ The New York Times' live updates of developments in the Ukraine crisis are here: "With Russian warships massing off Ukraine;s Black Sea coast and the United States warning that Russian ground forces are poised to strike from multiple directions, Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany arrived in Kyiv on Monday as part of an increasingly urgent diplomatic effort to avert a full-scale invasion of Ukraine." ~~~
~~~ The Guardian's liveblog is here: "A senior Russian military official said on Monday that Russia was ready to open fire on foreign ships and submarines that illegally enter its territorial waters, the Interfax news agency reported."
David Cohen of Politico: "Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) ... said Sunday that every Republican will ultimately have to say whether they believe the events of the day represented 'legitimate political discourse.'... During its winter meeting in Salt Lake City earlier this month, the RNC accused [Kinzinger & Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wy.] 'of participating in a Democrat-led persecution of ordinary citizens engaged in legitimate political discourse.'"
Guacamole Wars. Mark Stevenson of the AP: "Mexico has acknowledged that the U.S. government has suspended all imports of Mexican avocados after a U.S. plant safety inspector in Mexico received a threat. The surprise, temporary suspension was confirmed late Saturday on the eve of the Super Bowl, the biggest sales opportunity of the year for Mexican avocado growers -- though it would not affect game-day consumption since those avocados had already been shipped." MB: Seems more serious than last week's Gazpacho Conflict.
Michael Scherer & Josh Dawsey of the Washington Post: "... clashes between Republican leaders and the candidates Trump has embraced have been playing out across the country with growing ferocity in recent months, a chaotic sign that Trump's once unchallenged hold on the party and rank-and-file supporters is waning, even if by degrees. The former president's power within the party and his continued focus on personal grievances is increasingly questioned behind closed doors at Republican gatherings, according to interviews with more than a dozen prominent Republicans in Washington and across the country, including some Trump advisers. Many spoke on the condition of anonymity because there remains significant fear of attracting Trump's public wrath.... Behind the scenes Trump has pushed back on aides, and even screamed at advisers, who have told him not to focus so much on re-litigating the last election.... "
The Pandemic, Ctd.
The New York Times' live updates of Covid-19 developments Monday are here: "President Biden responded to American frustration with pandemic restrictions, saying that it was still too soon to lift indoor mask mandates, while suggesting that other restrictions may soon be able to end. In the roughly 22-minute interview, some of which was previewed before Sunday, Mr. Biden said that decisions by some state governors last week to begin lifting indoor mask mandates were 'probably premature,' but acknowledged that it was a 'tough call.'" ~~~
~~~ The Washington Post's live Covid-19 updates are here: "As Canadian officials announced the reopening of a major border crossing blockaded by 'Freedom Convoy' protesters, demonstrations against vaccine mandates for cross-border truckers continued to fuel spinoff protests around the world.... Demonstrators were en route to Brussels, where convoys from European countries were expected to converge this week -- although warnings from Belgian authorities appear to have kept the rally at bay during Monday morning rush hour. Some groups said they would be arriving by afternoon. The Canadian demonstrations have also inspired protests and heavy police presence in countries and states including New Zealand, France, Australia, Alaska and New York. Meanwhile, concerns that the protests might disrupt the Super Bowl -- Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) suggested truckers should 'clog things up' at the sporting event -- were allayed. A small group appeared outside the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, but no major disruptions were reported, and the L.A. County Sheriff's Department said the gathering was peaceful."
Canada. Sarah Nir of the New York Times: "Canadian law enforcement officials said Sunday that they had reopened a major international bridge that protesters had been blockading for almost a week, raising hopes for industries the unrest had slowed to a near-standstill. As they announced that the Ambassador Bridge, which ties Windsor, Ontario, to Detroit, had been reclaimed after a series of arrests in the morning, some hailed it as a victory for a government shaken by the intransigence of anti-vaccine mandate protests that have mushroomed since they began. But in Canada's capital, Ottawa, hundreds of truckers were entering their third week of occupation of the area around Parliament Hill, where they appeared to be emboldened by a growing sense of impunity. Late Sunday, the mayor of Ottawa, Jim Watson, revealed back-channel negotiations were underway with the truckers' leadership to remove their convoy from residential neighborhoods, among other measures." The AP's story is here. ~~~
~~~ Marie: I have a feeling that if I parked my van in the middle of an Ottawa street, local police would figure out pretty quickly how to get my van & me out of the road. And charge me time & money for their trouble.
The New York Times' live updates of Covid-19 developments Sunday are here.
News Ledes
CNN's live updates of Olympics events are here.
How Not to Handle Another Russian Doping Scandal. New York Times: "The Russian figure skating star at the center of doping questions at the Beijing Olympics will be allowed to continue to compete despite failing a doping test weeks ago, but officials will not conduct an awards ceremony or hand out medals in any event she wins until her case is resolved. The International Olympic Committee took the extraordinary step of serving notice that the athlete, Kamila Valieva, 15, would stay off the podium, as would the other medalists in her events, because of lingering doubts about her eligibility. Valieva became a face of the Games as she helped her Russian team win an earlier competition, and is widely seen as the favorite to win the women's singles event that begins on Tuesday."
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Reader Comments (13)
MITCH MCCONNELL IS NOT OUR VALENTINE:
I don't usually read the exchanges between Gail Collins and Bret Stephens but the title caught my eye and since it's Valentine's Day.... It's clever and full of juicy tid-bits and Mitch is not the only one that doesn't deserve a valentine.
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/14/opinion/mcconnell-greene-valentines.html
I received a message from my good friend yesterday who had been mugged during her walk on Saturday. A young buck, dressed in sweats and bright red high tops, started following her. He confronted her at one point and demanded money which she didn't have. He then pushed her down, pulled down her pants and rummaged around trying to find a wallet. She screamed for help and luckily two guys came to the rescue. The police came almost immediately, even an ambulance in case she needed care, which she didn't. The police nabbed the guy–-twas those red shoes that made it easy–- the police took her home and made sure she was ok––she gave them both kisses.
I know how this incident has shaken her but this is a woman who can find humor in almost anything––a desperate need for someone like her who lost so many relatives in the Holocaust.
"As bad as this experience was I am quite taken with the fact that at my age (74) I was "felt up", pants pulled down, and got to kiss two policeman all on a Saturday afternoon. Not bad for an old lady, I'd say."
Now she is the one who gets the Valentine!
@PD Pepe: I'm glad your friend is all right, but what an awful experience! A good example of the power of pluck!
This is the kind of crime DAs usually take a generous plea deal on because they don't want these punks cluttering up their nice jails. I hope when some kid ADA contacts your friend, she'll put up a fuss & exaggerate how traumatized she was & tell the young lawyer she doesn't want her assailant getting off with a slap on the wrist or he'll be out & about pulling the same stunt at the first opportunity. She should show up for the hearing/trial, too. And try to look really old & feeble! If the DA's office doesn't care, the judge might.
https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-olaf-scholz-moscow-vladimir-putin-europe-ddf76e8b58bfa88a1022fef99bbaf3be
Anyone here have a clear notion of what Putin's end game might be?
Keep having the sense that all the troop movements are for show and Russia's internal consumption but have read and heard to much of the run-up to WWII to wholly trust that sense.
And in the back of my mind is a niggling suspicion that the Pretender and Putin are still working hand in hand to weaken NATO and America's real president.
A way of saying, maybe, that I assert my right as an American citizen to be as paranoid as I wish. Don't see why paranoia should be the exclusive property of the deranged Right.
Ken: There was an interesting exchange Jake Sullivan had with a reporter who kept pressing him on what evidence did he have on the so called Russian persons who had been allegedly roughed up and a few killed. The US reported this incident as "made up"--in other words these were actors. Jake finally had to tell the reporter–-who, I thought, rude in his demand–- that he couldn't be more concise because it would reveal his sources. The reporter then said, "You mean we have to take your word for it." Yeah, buddy, sometimes you DO!
Marie: thanks for the advice––will pass it on to my friend.
@PD Pepe: Yes, and my advice to that nasty piece of work who assaulted your friend are Vicky's dying words in the film "The Red Shoes": "... take off the red shoes!"
@Ken Winkes: As far as I can figure out, Putin's end game is to re-establish the Soviet Union. That means taking countries back by hook or by crook. In Ukraine's case, that will be by crook. Putin missed the late 20th-century, where European countries figured out it was better to work together, even if your cultures & languages were different, than to be constantly warring with each other for all-out conquest or snippets of territory. He's an imperialist from an earlier time.
Replying to Ken's question:
https://www.mearsheimer.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Why-the-Ukraine-Crisis-https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2022/01/26/mearsheimer_ukraine_is_a_vital_strategic_interest_of_russia_not_the_united_states.html
https://thealtworld.com/scott_ritter/the-ultimate-end-of-nato
I hope I've pasted these links correctly. If more is wanted, I'll provide more. NB: Relying on the NYT and WaPo for one's news is not a good idea. Surely we all remember how those organs beat the Iraq war drums, don't we? Cui bono?
I so agree with Keith that WaPo and NYT cannot be trusted. They have proven themselves over and over again. Individual editorials can be read and decided for veracity by readers. I especially hate their headlines-- I think there are people who don't read beyond them, and they invariably inflame and often lie. My best source for what's goin' on is a certain Marie Burns, and for commentary, Charles Pierce. Daughter knows everything before me, though, through Twitter, which I have thus far avoided like the plague.
Happy Valentine's Day! We will celebrate the day by attending a meeting of district commissioners here. They want to assist soulless developers to build 204 apartments, roads and parking lots in the middle of the reserve land/flood plain that we overlook, thereby wrecking the homes of deer, foxes, waterfowl etc. We "heart" them...the animals, not the developers and commissioners. They also have lied to us, the residents who live here too. Guess which party most of these people belong to--
Keith and All,
Had trouble with the first two of Keith's links but think this from The New Yorker makes clear Mearsheimer's (and some of his unlikely allies') point about the Ukraine situation.
https://www.newyorker.com/news/annals-of-inquiry/the-new-doves-on-ukraine
Thanks, Keith, for pointing me in his direction.
I suspect that Putin wants to cash the post-dated check that (I believe) DiJiT handed him a few years back. I imagine DiJiT's offer, one-on-one with no record, was "keep things cool for my first term and in my second I'll support ceding Crimea to you." So, even though DiJiT's account is bust, Putin wants to peddle that IOU.
Russians tend to think that Ukrainians, and all the variety of occupants of the Caucusus, are their property. Putin believes that he can bully Kyiv into letting him have Crimea, and that the US & friends will agree to treat Ukraine like Austria, and the US will throw in lifting of sanctions from 2014 in order to settle.
Ain't gonna happen.
The New York Times & Washington Post are the best newspapers in the country. This is partly because of the quality and number of their reporters & partly because they have the "best" sources. They also usually report in more depth than other outlets, tho that would not be true for special investigative reports that some news outlets pursue. Because of their prominence, the NYT & WashPo also tend to "drive" the news. That doesn't necessarily mean they get the stories first -- tho they often do -- but it does mean that if a story appears in these major papers, it's "worthy" of attention.
But the "best" sources also mean the best government sources, and sources, no matter who they are, have a POV & a bone to pick -- almost always when they initiate a story. So of course where there's any room for opinion as opposed to pure fact, you have to "consider the source." This is how we got the NYT's Judith Miller Iraq debacle & the Hillary emails hysteria, not to mention the 2016 pre-election-day story about how the FBI had "cleared" Trump of any connection to Russia.
Newspaper reports are indeed "the first draft of history," and first drafts are notoriously erroneous. Later "drafts" aren't always better, of course, but they can put things in a less sensational -- and more accurate -- perspective.
Snowflake Harpy Told to Piss Off
Speaking of the Times, the judge overseeing the defamation case brought by ubiquitous wingnut whiner, Sarah Palin, has dismissed the case, stating that as a matter of law, that Hockey Mom confederate superstar has not proven her claim that the paper acted with malice.
So yes, the Times piece in question did go too far in connecting Palin with the Gabby Giffords shooting, but c’mon, when you put gun sight graphics over the faces of those you despise, it’s not a huge leap to the conclusion that you’re suggesting that these people should be hunted down. The usual gag on the right has been, and continues to be, “Oh, we were just kidding. Can’t you take a joke?”
We’ll see if the usual suspects will demonstrate the sort of equanimity they demand of those who find their violent postures beyond the pale.
My guess is a big fat “No!”.
Keith et al., Short op-ed on the same topic:
https://www.counterpunch.org/2022/02/11/roaming-charges-43/