March 3, 2023

Marie: I will be away for most of the day today.

Late Morning, Afternoon Update:

First, Indict All the Lawyers. Jacqueline Alemany, et al., of the Washington Post: "Federal prosecutors investigating efforts to overturn the 2020 election have asked witnesses extensive questions about the actions of Rudy Giuliani.... Investigators looking into classified documents taken to Mar-a-Lago ... have sought to force testimony from another Trump lawyer, Evan Corcoran, by saying there is evidence that the former president used the attorney's legal services in furtherance of a crime. And prosecutors have repeatedly sought information on the actions of yet another Trump lawyer, Boris Epshteyn, in connection with both classified documents and Trump's false electors scheme.... They have quizzed multiple Trump attorneys involved with the documents case....

From the CNN liveblog on the Murdaugh murders: "Alex Murdaugh was sentenced to two life sentences without the possibility of parole, for the murders of his wife, Maggie Murdaugh, and hiss son Paul Murdaugh."

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Burgess Everett, et al., of Politico: "President Joe Biden told Senate Democrats on Thursday that he would not veto a GOP-backed bid to repeal changes to the D.C. criminal code, raising the stakes of an upcoming Senate vote on the proposal. Biden's plans not to veto, relayed by three attendees at the party meeting, leave Republicans on track to roll back the new D.C. law when the Senate takes up the House-passed measure as soon as next week. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) had already said he will support the disapproval bid, Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) backed it on Thursday and Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) is on an extended leave for health issues, eliminating the margin for error in the 51-49 Senate." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

     ~~~ Al Weaver & Mychael Schnell of the Hill: "House Democrats were infuriated and taken aback by President Biden's announcement on Thursday that he will sign a resolution to nix the District of Columbia's crime bill. The crime bill has come under heavy criticism from Republicans and centrist Democrats. But last month, 173 House Democrats voted along with what they thought was the White House's stance that Biden would veto the resolution in an attempt to stand up for the District's 'home rule.'... The crime bill passed the D.C. City Council unanimously in January. After Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) vetoed it, the city council overrode it 12-1. Among other things, the bill would eliminate most mandatory sentences and lower penalties for a number of violent offenses, including carjackings and robberies. It would also expand the requirement for jury trials in most misdemeanor cases."

Edward Wong of the New York Times: "Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken and his Russian counterpart on Thursday held the first private, face-to-face exchange between a U.S. cabinet member and a top Kremlin official since the [Russian] invasion [of Ukraine], and Mr. Blinken said he used the encounter to demand that Russia end its war on Ukraine. The unscheduled encounter with Sergey V. Lavrov, Russia's foreign minister, at an international conference in New Delhi showed that the Biden administration saw a need to reestablish in-person diplomatic contacts with Moscow so the two governments can discuss the year-old war as well as issues beyond it. Mr. Blinken said at a news conference on Thursday night that in addition to calling for Russia to halt its 'war of aggression' in Ukraine, he told Mr. Lavrov that Russia should return to the New START nuclear arms control treaty it withdrew from last month and comply with its terms. And he once again urged Moscow to free Paul Whelan, an American citizen who the State Department says is wrongfully imprisoned on espionage charges." ~~~

~~~ John Hudson & Karishma Mehrotra of the Washington Post: "The foreign ministers of the world's 20 largest economies failed on Thursday to reach consensus on a wide-reaching agenda addressing poverty, corruption and counterterrorism because of persistent disagreements over the war in Ukraine, a blow to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had urged nations to set aside their differences.... In a document summarizing the meeting, the Indian government said 'most members strongly condemned the war in Ukraine and stressed it is causing immense human suffering and exacerbating existing fragilities in the global economy.' It noted, however, that there were 'other views' as well as a recognition that 'the G-20 is not the forum to resolve security issues.'"

Ida Lieszkovszky & Emily Cochrane of the New York Times: "The Environmental Protection Agency said on Thursday that it had instructed the operator of the freight train that derailed near the Ohio-Pennsylvania state line to test for dioxins, toxic pollutants that could have formed after officials decided to burn the train's cargo of vinyl chloride in order to avert the threat of an explosion. The increased testing mandate came ahead of a meeting at East Palestine High School on Thursday evening that was expected to be the largest public confrontation yet between the community and officials from Norfolk Southern, the train operator, nearly one month after the derailment on Feb. 3." ~~~

     ~~~ The story has been updated. New Lede: "Frustrations boiled over on Thursday night in the largest public confrontation yet between the people of East Palestine and the operator of the freight train that derailed nearly a month ago, with angry residents in an emotional town hall lashing out at the lone representative from Norfolk Southern who took questions at the meeting. As Darrell Wilson, a top government relations official for Norfolk Southern, tried repeatedly to apologize to the community and outline the company's recovery efforts, residents interrupted and shouted over him, demanding that he commit to getting them out of the area, and that the company 'do the right thing.'" Politico's story on the dioxin testing is here.

Jennifer Rubin of the Washington Post: "... FBI Director Christopher A. Wray ... is not doing his job when it comes to threats from right-wing authoritarianism.... The Government Accountability Office issued a report this week concerning the performance of multiple agencies and police units regarding the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection. Among its findings: The FBI 'did not consistently follow agency policies or procedures for processing tips or potential threats because they did not have controls to ensure compliance with policies.' The extent to which the FBI was aware of credible threats but did not prepare is breathtaking: '... Specifically, the FBI did not process all relevant information related to potential violence on January 6.... While the FBI identified and shared threat information, it did not process certain referrals from social media platforms according to policies and procedures and, as a result, it failed to share critical information with all relevant partners.' Worse, the bureau has not undertaken the kind of systematic self-evaluation needed to correct glaring inadequacies.... The failure of leadership in the Jan. 6 case is inexcusable. Yet Wray has never been held to account for this delinquency.... The Post's recent report concerning FBI's foot-dragging at Mar-a-Lago raises additional red flags.... Why is Wray still there?" Emphasis original. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I could not agree more. Ask Chris for his resignation, Joe.

Michael Gold & Grace Ashford of the New York Times: "The House Ethics Committee announced Thursday that it had opened an investigation into Representative George Santos, the embattled Republican from New York under scrutiny for lies about his background and questions about his campaign finances. The inquiry will cover several areas where Mr. Santos has been accused of financial or sexual misconduct. The committee said in a statement that it would seek to determine whether Mr. Santos had failed to properly disclose information on his House financial disclosures, violated federal conflict of interest laws or engaged in other unlawful activity during his 2022 congressional campaign. It will also examine an allegation of sexual misconduct from a prospective congressional aide who briefly worked in Mr. Santos's office. The action began on Tuesday when the 10-member body, split evenly between Republicans and Democrats, voted unanimously to create an investigative subcommittee to scrutinize Mr. Santos...." NPR's story is here. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

     ~~~ A statement by the chairman & ranking member of the Ethics Committee is here. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

~~~ Oh, Horrors. Azi Paybarah of the Washington Post: "House Ethics Committee said Thursday that it extended its investigation into Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) after a watchdog found that she might have violated House rules by accepting 'impermissible gifts' when she attended the Met Gala in New York in 2021.... 'While Rep. Ocasio-Cortez appears to have now paid for the rental value of the attire she wore to the Met Gala and for the goods and services she and her partner received in connection with this September 2021 event, payment for these goods and services did not occur until after the OCE contacted her in connection with this review,' the [Ethics Committee] statement ... said.... The Met Gala is a charitable event that raises money for the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute.... Ocasio-Cortez drew widespread attention when she attended the event wearing a white dress that said in red letters along the back, 'Tax the Rich.' In its report, the OCE said Ocasio-Cortez received 'a couture dress, handbag, shoes, and jewelry' as well as services for her hair, makeup, transportation and hotel accommodations. It said her partner 'received a bowtie and shoes in advance of the event.'"

** Gym Jordan's Weaponization of (Paid-for) Right-wing Nuts & Malcontents. Luke Broadwater & Adam Goldman of the New York Times: "House Republicans have spent months promising to use their majority to uncover an insidious bias against conservatives on the part of the federal government, vowing to produce a roster of brave whistle-blowers who would come forward to provide damning evidence of abuses aimed at the right. But the first three witnesses to testify privately before the new Republican-led House committee investigating the 'weaponization' of the federal government have offered little firsthand knowledge of any wrongdoing or violation of the law, according to Democrats on the panel who have listened to their accounts. Instead, the trio appears to be a group of aggrieved former F.B.I. officials who have trafficked in right-wing conspiracy theories, including about the Jan. 6, 2021, attack at the Capitol, and received financial support from [Kash Patel,] a top ally of ... Donald J. Trump. The roster of witnesses, whose interviews and statements are detailed in a 316-page report compiled by Democrats..., suggests that Representative Jim Jordan of Ohio, the chairman of the panel, has so far relied on people who do not meet the definition of a whistle-blower and who have engaged in partisan conduct that calls into question their credibility." ~~~

     ~~~ A related CNN report, which does not cite the Democrats' report, is here.

Remy Tumin of the New York Times: "Senator Marco Rubio [R] of Florida reintroduced the Sunshine Protection Act in the Senate on Wednesday, months after the same bill, which the Senate passed unanimously last March, died in the House at the end of the last session. The bill would end the practice of turning the clocks back one hour to standard time every November and make daylight saving time, which currently begins in March, last throughout the year.... Proponents of the bill have argued that a permanent change would make people more productive, well-rested and happy, as some research has suggested. The retail and leisure industries have argued that more daylight could mean more spending hours. Others, including many farmers, find the time change counterproductive, but favor making standard time permanent."

Manu Raju of CNN: "Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the 89-year-old Democrat from California, announced Thursday that she was hospitalized and receiving treatment for shingles, hoping to return to Washington later this month. Feinstein's absence could influence Democratic strategy in the chamber as the Democratic Caucus controls the Senate by a 51-49 margin, and Sen. John Fetterman has also been hospitalized since last month for treatment for depression."

Robert Barnes of the Washington Post: "The Supreme Court on Thursday called for more briefing on whether it should still decide one of the term's most important cases, involving whether state legislators may manipulate congressional district lines and set federal voting rules without any oversight from state courts. The case is one of the most important and potentially far-reaching of the term. Justices said they want to know how a decision by the North Carolina Supreme Court to rehear the lawsuit affects the high court's proceedings. At issue is [MB: far-right] 'independent state legislature theory,' which holds that the U.S. Constitution gives exclusive authority to state legislators to structure federal elections, subject only to intervention by Congress. That is true, those who favor the theory say, even if those plans result in extreme partisan voting maps for congressional seats and violate voter protections enshrined in state constitutions."

Charlie Savage of the New York Times: "The Justice Department told a federal appeals court on Thursday that it should reject ... Donald J. Trump's claims that he is absolutely immune from being sued over his actions related to the attack on the Capitol by his supporters on Jan. 6, 2021. Members of Congress and Capitol Police officers have contended in a lawsuit that Mr. Trump incited the attack, including by delivering a fiery speech falsely claiming that the 2020 election had been stolen and urging his supporters to march on the Capitol. In a 23-page brief, lawyers for the Justice Department's civil division urged the appeals court to allow their lawsuit to proceed.... The Justice Department&'s filing was notable in part because the department usually takes a broad view of executive power and defending the prerogatives of the presidency. But its brief asserted that if Mr. Trump did incite violence then the speech fell outside a president's legally shielded official responsibilities." The AP's report is here. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

OMG! Zach Everson of Forbes: "Donald Trump and a group of individuals incarcerated for their alleged involvement in the Jan. 6 riot have collaborated on a song called 'Justice for All.' It will debut Thursday at midnight on streaming services.... The track interpolates Trump reciting the Pledge of Allegiance into 'The Star-Spangled Banner,' which is performed by a group of about 20 inmates, called the J6 Prison Choir, housed at the Washington, D.C. jail. The song ends with the inmates chanting, 'USA!' Profits are slated to benefit the families of people imprisoned for their alleged roles in the Capitol riots...." MB: The video has dropped, and it's here. I hope some of the people who are suing Trump can use this as evidence of his collaboration with the insurrectionists.

Sad! Ed Pilkington of the Guardian: "Fox News has imposed a 'soft ban' on Donald Trump appearing on the channel, his inner circle is reportedly complaining, even as the broadcaster extends a warm invitation to other Republican hopefuls in next year's presidential election. The news startup Semafor reports that the cooling of relations between the former president and his once-beloved cable news channel has gone so far that a 'soft ban' or 'silent ban' is now holding Trump at arm's length. The former US president has not made a weekday showing on Fox News since he chatted with his closest friend among the network's star hosts, Sean Hannity, in September."

Democratic Wives Are Abusive Harridans. Monica Hesse of the Washington Post: "In a Tuesday evening segment, [Tucker] Carlson and Candace Owens discussed President Biden and Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.), who is seeking inpatient treatment for clinical depression while simultaneously recovering from a stroke. Carlson doesn't believe either man should be in office.... But the point of that particular segment wasn't to blame the politicians. It was to blame their wives.... Carlson demanded, asserting that a 'a woman, a spouse, who loved her husband' would keep her husband away from campaigns.... 'Absolutely,' Owens agreed. 'These women are monsters.' 'Jill Biden and Gisele Fetterman should be ashamed of themselves,' Laura Ingraham declared on air a few weeks ago. 'Who's the bigger elder abuser, Jill Biden or Gisele Fetterman?' radio host Jesse Kelly tweeted a couple of days after that. 'Jill Biden and Gisele Fetterman are failing their husbands,' read the headline of a recent Washington Examiner column, the body of which went on to claim that 'both of these men are arguably victims of terrible women.'... The attacks on Gisele, in particular, are dizzying in scope and ambition.... Women are to blame."

Alice Ollstein of Politico: "The nation's second-largest pharmacy chain confirmed Thursday that it will not dispense abortion pills in several states where they remain legal -- acting out of an abundance of caution amid a shifting policy landscape, threats from state officials and pressure from anti-abortion activists. Nearly two dozen Republican state attorneys general wrote to Walgreens in February, threatening legal action if the company began distributing the drugs, which have become the nation's most popular method for ending a pregnancy.... The list includes several states where abortion in general, and the medications specifically, remain legal -- including Alaska, Iowa, Kansas and Montana."

The Pandemic, Ctd. Melody Schreiber of the Guardian: "Covid was the top cause of death in the line of duty for American law enforcement for the third year in a row in 2022, according to a recent report, though the pace has slowed.... The total number of Covid deaths in 2022 was significantly lower than the previous two years, with 70 deaths in the line of duty, but it still outpaced all other causes of mortality on the job, according to a report from the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF).... As emergency measures enacted during the pandemic end, a key way of counting line-of-duty deaths from Covid will soon disappear, making it harder to discern the virus's toll. It will also signal the loss of benefits for families of officers who die because they contract Covid in the course of their duties."

Presidential Race 2024

Tyler Pager & Matt Viser of the Washington Post: "President Biden's team is moving quickly to build a 'national advisory board' stocked with Democratic governors, senators and other political stars who will travel and speak on Biden's behalf during his expected reelection campaign, an early effort to unify party leaders and minimize the chance of dissent. The group, which will be housed at the Democratic National Committee and formally announced this month, is among steps Biden aides are taking to prepare for the president's likely reelection bid, which he is expected to announce in April. In joining the operation, the political leaders will be asked to travel, attend events, appear on television and perform other duties as high-level surrogates for the Democratic Party, at first, and then Biden once he launches his campaign."

Pamela Paul of the New York Times: "Astonishingly, some people still see Nikki Haley as one of the 'good' Trump cabinet members, the future of a more tolerant and accepting Republican Party. Like those anti-Trumpers who willfully interpreted each casual flick of Melania's wrist as a prospect of rebellion, Haley hopefuls want to believe that a conscience might yet emerge from Trump's Team of Liars.... This requires listening to only half of what Haley says.... Even in short-term-memory Washington..., the serene hypocrisy of Nikki Haley stands out. She wants it both ways -- and she wants it her way most of all.... It's on voters to decide, when choosing between her and those Republican candidates who are ideological to their core, whether they prefer a candidate with no core at all." Paul provides specifics.

Beyond the Beltway

Florida. Sam Sachs of WFLA Tampa: "Florida Sen. Jason Brodeur (R-Lake Mary) wants bloggers who write about Gov. Ron DeSantis, Attorney General Ashley Moody, and other members of the Florida executive cabinet or legislature to register with the state or face fines. Brodeur's proposal, Senate Bill 1316: Information Dissemination, would require any blogger writing about government officials to register with the Florida Office of Legislative Services or the Commission on Ethics.... For blog posts that 'concern an elected member of the legislature' or 'an officer of the executive branch,' monthly reports must disclose the amount of compensation received for the coverage, rounded to the nearest $10 value. Explicitly, the blogger rule would not apply to newspapers or similar publications, under Brodeur's proposed legislation." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I was happy to see that Alex Wagner of MSNBC & Jelani Cobb, Dean of Columbia's journalism school, agreed that it was appropriate to call DeSantis & Co. "fascists" as opposed to "cultural warriors" or something of that nature. We've been doing that here for a while.

New York. Maria Cramer of the New York Times: "As a corrections officer stood outside his cell door in November 2020, Ryan Wilson took a long white bedsheet, looped it around a light fixture, tied it around his neck and stood on a small stool. He began counting down from five. The officer ran to find Capt. Rebecca Hillman, the supervisor on duty at the Manhattan Detention Complex, and told her what was happening. How a jury interprets what she did during the ensuing 15 minutes will determine the outcome of her trial on one count of criminally negligent homicide, which opened Thursday in Manhattan Criminal Court. Prosecutors say that when Captain Hillman walked to the cell, she saw Mr. Wilson, his head hanging at an unnatural angle, his arms dangling and his feet grazing the floor. She did not call for help, and when the officer, Oscar Rojo, pleaded with her to go into the cell and cut him down, she refused, said Matthew Sears, a prosecutor in the Manhattan district attorney's office."

South Carolina. Jeffrey Collins & James Pollard of the AP: "Disgraced South Carolina attorney Alex Murdaugh was convicted of murder Thursday in the shooting deaths of his wife and son in a case that chronicled the unraveling of a powerful Southern family with tales of privilege, greed and addiction. The jury deliberated for less than three hours before finding Murdaugh guilty of two counts of murder at the end of a six-week trial that pulled back the curtain on the once-prominent lawyer's fall from grace. The judge said sentencing would take place at 9:30 a.m. Friday. Murdaugh, 54, faces 30 years to life in prison without parole for each murder charge." (Also linked yesterday evening.)~~~

     ~~~ The New York Times has a liveblog here. (Also linked yesterday evening.)~~~

     ~~~ Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs of the New York Times: "Twelve jurors began deliberating on Thursday afternoon over whether Alex Murdaugh murdered his wife and son, weighing the prominent South Carolina lawyer's fate after listening to nearly six weeks of testimony in a closely watched trial. Before the jury began deliberating, Mr. Murdaugh's lawyer, Jim Griffin made the case in his closing argument that the police had become so fixated on the idea that Mr. Murdaugh himself was the killer that they 'fabricated' evidence and a dubious theory about his possible motive." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) The story has been updated to reflect the jury's verdict.

Tennessee. Livia Albeck-Ripka of the New York Times: "Tennessee on Thursday became the first state to sharply restrict drag performances as the state's governor, Bill Lee, signed a bill banning the shows on public property and in places where they could be watched by minors.... The new law came amid attacks by Republicans on the rights of transgender and L.G.B.T.Q. Americans across the country. On Thursday, Mr. Lee, a Republican, also signed a separate bill banning gender-affirming care for transgender youth.... According to the A.C.L.U., the language of the law, which will restrict performances that are 'harmful to minors,' is narrow, covering only extreme sexual or violent content that has no artistic value. According to the organization, drag performances do not fall into this category and are protected by the First Amendment.... [Stella] Yarbrough [of the Tennessee A.C.L.U.] said the A.C.L.U. would challenge any enforcement of the law used to punish drag performers or to shut down family-friendly events." An NPR story is here. MB: Now let's see if any librarians dare to cross the yahoos & schedule "drag queen story time."

Texas. John Wagner of the Washington Post: "Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Tex.) is facing a censure vote this weekend from the Texas Republican Party for actions including voting in favor of a bipartisan gun-control package during the last Congress after the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, which is in his district. The state party's expected censure would follow a similar move by a county party in Texas, which also cited Gonzales's support for same-sex marriage legislation in the last Congress and votes against a House rules package and border legislation in this Congress. The censure resolution by the Medina County Republicans concluded that Gonzales has been 'a poor representative' of his constituents.... To pass, the effort would need the support of three-fifths of the 64 committee members. If successful, the state GOP's move could encourage other Republicans to run against Gonzales in a primary next year or deny him party funding."

Way Beyond

Ukraine, et al. The New York Times' live briefings of developments Friday in Russia's war on Ukraine are here. The Guardian's live updates for Friday are here. The Guardian's summary report is here. ~~~

     ~~~ The Washington Post's live briefings for Friday are here: "... President Biden will welcome German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to Washington for a working visit Friday, which will involve discussions about Ukraine, among other national security topics.... Wagner boss Yevgeniy Prigozhin said 'the pincers are closing' on Bakhmut, in a video posted on Telegram Friday where he claimed to be speaking from a rooftop in the city. He paraded three men who appeared to be captured locals on camera and said Ukrainian forces should withdraw to 'give them a chance to leave the city.'"

Canada. Norimitsu Onishi of the New York Times: "Nearly 40,000 migrants crossed unlawfully into [Canada] last year -- more than double the number in 2019 -- and the number arriving monthly has spiked recently, including almost 5,000 people in January. Facing labor shortages, Canada is actually opening its doors much wider to legal migrants and recently committed itself to significantly raise the number of legal immigrants and accept 1.5 million newcomers by 2025. But an extraordinary pandemic-era movement of migrants across the world, fueled by economic misery and growing insecurity in many countries, has put Canada in an unusual position. Shielded by geography, strict immigration policies favoring the educated and skilled, and its single border with the United States, Canada is now being forced to deal with an issue that has long bedeviled other wealthy Western nations: mass illegal border crossings by land."

Greece. Monika Pronczuk & Sarah Hurtes of the New York Times: "The Greek government was supposed to install a safety system nearly three years ago that was designed to prevent the kind of head-on train collision that resulted this week in the worst railway disaster in the nation's history. As a freight train and a passenger train barreled toward each other at high speeds on the same track late Tuesday night, railway officials had to rely on a system that was far less sophisticated than those used in many other European countries, according to railroad and union officials and records. But even that more rudimentary system was not fully operational, with lights and signals out of service, union and safety officials said on Thursday as Greek investigators searched for more bodies amid the wreckage. That confluence of delays, warnings and mistakes left Greece's busiest rail corridor vulnerable to what every safety system is designed to prevent: human error.... Officials and experts agreed on one thing: If a modern safety system had been in place as planned, it would have been all but impossible for a freight train to end up on the same track as a crowded passenger train."

Iran. Karen DeYoung & Joby Warrick of the Washington Post: "The discovery in Iran of a small quantity of uranium enriched to near bombmaking level has increased U.S.-Iranian tensions already stretched tight by moribund nuclear talks and Tehran's aid to Moscow's war effort in Ukraine. The nuclear alarm also comes as the Biden administration -- walking a diplomatic tightrope in criticizing domestic policies of Israel';s new far-right government while maintaining strong security cooperation -- appears to have softened its public resistance to potential Israeli military action against Iran. Uranium 'particles' enriched to nearly 84 percent purity were detected during a routine sampling by inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency at Iran&'s Fordow nuclear site last month, the agency said in a restricted report circulated Wednesday among IAEA member states. The particles are only slightly below the 90 percent enrichment level regarded as weapons-grade, or suitable for use in nuclear weapons."

Turkey. Kareem Fahim, et al., of the Washington Post: "Again and again, over at least a decade, engineers, architects and planners had raised concerns about buildings that were shoddily constructed, built before inspection standards were tightened or erected on unsteady agricultural land in Adiyaman[, Turkey,] -- a southern city of more than 290,000 people that sits along one of the world's most active fault lines. But by the time the ground began to shake on Feb. 6, local and national authorities had done little to protect people who lived in some of the city's most vulnerable structures, residents and engineers said -- despite evidence that disaster relief officials were keenly aware of the danger. More than 6,000 people were killed in Adiyaman province, the government has said, most in the city itself. More than 1,200 buildings collapsed. An additional 3,000 to 4,000 buildings -- or more than 10 percent of the city's stock -- were 'heavily damaged,' Suleyman Kilinc, Adiyaman's mayor, told The Washington Post."

Comments

[Akhilleus]

A jury in SC took less than three hours to find that rich asshole guilty.

Can we get that same jury for another rich asshole? Murdaugh murdered only two people. Trump murdered hundreds of thousands. That should be 300,000 life sentences without the possibility of parole. A steady diet of mineral water and raw artichokes, no internet access, and no TV except for one outside his cell playing an endless loop of Obama making that joke about him.

[Jeanne]

Wrote a note this morning-- it seems to have disappeared. I wonder what happened... oh well.

[P.D.Pepe]

Through the years the New Yorker has had covers that have become iconic–--I saved some of them intending to put them up in the laundry room but haven't so far. Today the cover is by the wonderful Barry Blitt called "The Florida Book of the Month Club. DeSantis is standing over a table dressed in an apron with a picture of a palm tree on it; he is sharping a large knife and on the table is an open book and beside it a stack of books as well as many others strewed about on the floor.

Barry nails it again!

[Julia]

Start the National Walgreens BOYCOTT immediately not a single cough drop, toothbrush or pack of gum. Do not shop Walgreens!