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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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Thursday
Jul292021

The Commentariat -- July 30, 2021

Afternoon Update:

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

Erin Banco & Adam Cancryn of Politico: "The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has collected data that suggest fully vaccinated Americans who contract the Delta variant can spread Covid-19 as easily as unvaccinated people infected with the variant. The hotly anticipated study helped convince the agency to revise its guidance on mask-wearing earlier this week, when it said vaccinated people should wear masks indoors in areas with high levels of Covid-19 transmission. But CDC had not made the data underlying its decision public until now." The New York Times story is here.

Clare Foran, et al., of CNN: "The Senate took the next step on Friday to bring up a roughly $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure deal that will fulfill key priorities in President Joe Biden's agenda. Senators voted 66-28 on a motion to proceed, a vote that will open up the legislative package to potential changes through the amendment process. It remains to be seen whether any amendments will be agreed to since they are expected to be subject to a 60-vote threshold. Bill text still has not yet been formally unveiled, and amendments are not expected to be considered until Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer offers up the finalized deal as a substitute amendment, which could happen at some point later Friday afternoon. The expectation is that there could be amendment votes over the weekend."

Maeve Sheehey of Politico: "Attorney General Merrick Garland urged Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to reverse his day-old executive order that aims to restrict migration at the border following a rise in Covid-19 cases. The attorney general called Abbott's order 'both dangerous and unlawful' in a Thursday letter to the governor. 'The Order violates federal law in numerous respects, and Texas cannot lawfully enforce the Executive Order against any federal official or private parties working with the United States,' Garland wrote.... Garland's letter also said Texas does not have authority to interfere with the federal government's 'broad, undoubted power over the subject of immigration.'"

Donald's Very Bad Hair Day:

Lordy, Let There Be Leaks! Rebecca Beitsch & Naomi Jagoda of the Hill: "The Justice Department on Friday said the Treasury Department must turn over former President Trump's long-sought tax returns to the Democratic-led House Ways and Means Committee. In a Friday memo from the Office of Legal Counsel (OLC), acting Assistant Attorney General Dawn Johnsen said that the Treasury Department was required to defer to the congressional committee. 'The statute at issue here is unambiguous: "Upon written request" of the chairman of one of the three congressional tax committees, the Secretary "shall furnish" the requested tax information to the Committee,' Johnsen wrote in the 39-page memo."

** Devlin Barrett & Josh Dawsey of the Washington Post: "President Trump pressed senior Justice Department officials in late 2020 to declare the election corrupt even as those officials pushed back, warning the president that many of the claims he was hearing about voter fraud were false, according to notes taken by an aide who participated in the discussions. The notes were released to Congress this week and made public on Friday -- further evidence of the pressure Trump brought to bear as he sought to throw out President Biden's election victory. In one Dec. 27 conversation, according to the written account, acting attorney general Jeffrey Rosen told Trump the Justice Department 'can't + won't snap its fingers + change the outcome of the election.' The president replied that he understood that, but wanted the agency to 'just say the election was corrupt + leave the rest to me and the R. Congressmen,' according to notes of the conversation taken by another senior Justice Department official, Richard Donoghue.... Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney (D-N.Y.), chairwoman of the House Oversight and Reform Committee, said the notes 'show that President Trump directly instructed our nation's top law enforcement agency to take steps to overturn a free and fair election in the final days of his presidency.'" CNN's story is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Katie Benner of the New York Times: “Mr. Trump did not name the lawmakers [who would help him overturn the election], but at other points during the call, he mentioned Representative Jim Jordan of Ohio, whom he described as a 'fighter'; Representative Scott Perry of Pennsylvania, who at the time promoted the idea that the election was stolen from Mr. Trump; and Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, whom Mr. Trump praised for 'getting to bottom of things.'" MB: Oh, you boys are gonna be subpoenaed.

~~~~~~~~~~

Nicholas Fandos & Nick Corasaniti of the New York Times: "President Biden and the top Democrats in Congress are expected to meet at the White House on Friday to discuss their party's faltering efforts to pass major voting rights legislation, according to two congressional aides familiar with the plans. Mr. Biden's meeting with Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California and Senator Chuck Schumer of New York comes at a crucial moment, as activists are pushing the president to use his power and Democrats' control of Congress to protect voting rights while they have the chance.... In June, [Senate] Republicans successfully stalled Democrat' marquee elections legislation, called the For the People Act, by filibustering> it."

Jim Tankersley of the New York Times: "President Biden's success at propelling an infrastructure deal past its first major hurdle this week was a vindication of his faith in bipartisanship and a repudiation of the slash-and-burn politics of ... Donald J. Trump, who tried and failed to block it. Having campaigned as the anti-Trump -- an insider who regarded compromise as a virtue, rather than a missed opportunity to crush a rival -- Mr. Biden has held up the promise of a broad infrastructure accord not just as a policy priority but as a test of the fundamental rationale for his presidency. His success or failure at keeping the bill on track will go a long way to determining his legacy, and it could be the president's best chance to deliver on his bet that he can unite lawmakers across the political aisle to solve big problems, even at a time of intense polarization.... The measure still has several hurdles to clear, including anger from progressives in the House who are upset at the concessions Mr. Biden made to court Republicans, and skepticism from G.O.P. lawmakers who could still balk at a bill Mr. Trump has repeatedly panned." ~~~

~~~ But Biden Can Be Convinced There Are Limits to Bipartisanship. Rebecca Beitsch & Rafael Bernal of the Hill: "President Biden on Thursday unequivocally backed Democratic efforts to include immigration in the budget as a way to navigate narrow margins in the Senate. 'I think we should include in the reconciliation bill the immigration proposal,' Biden told reporters as he left the White House to accompany first lady Jill Biden to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. The statement came immediately after a meeting with Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) legislators and others who have worked on immigration reform. The meeting was originally set up to discuss the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Earlier this week, Biden said 'it remains to be seen' whether immigration could be included as part of a reconciliation bill, though lawmakers on Thursday said the president in their meeting voiced his strong backing for efforts to include it."

Jada Yuan of the Washington Post: "For the second time this year, President Biden has cleared his schedule to accompany his wife, Jill Biden, to a medical procedure. The first lady was walking along the ocean on Oahu, Hawaii, near Honolulu, last weekend when she 'stepped on an object on the beach which became lodged in her left foot,' her spokesman Michael LaRosa said in a statement. White House officials haven't specified what the object is -- A shell? A piece of broken glass? -- but the condition has become serious enough to require a trip to the hospital.... The first lady was in Hawaii to tour a pop-up coronavirus vaccination clinic at a high school in Waipahu and to attend a barbecue with 75 service members at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. It was the final stretch of her five-day trip to cheer on Team USA at the Tokyo Olympics -- a trip that started with vaccination-related events in Anchorage.... In April, President Biden accompanied the first lady to an outpatient center near George Washington University, where she underwent what the White House said was 'a common medical procedure.'"

Mike DeBonis of the Washington Post: "Congress on Thursday rapidly cleared a $2.1 billion emergency spending package that will avert a Capitol Police funding crisis sparked by the Jan. 6 riot and also provide urgent funds to evacuate and resettle Afghans who aided U.S. forces during the 20-year war in their homeland. Leaders of the Capitol Police and National Guard units warned of imminent cuts if Congress did not act to backfill expenditures made in the wake of the Capitol attack, and lawmakers responded swiftly by congressional standards, delivering a bipartisan package that advanced to the Senate floor with relatively little drama. The Senate voted 98-0, and the House followed suit hours later, 416-11. The White House released a statement Thursday supporting the bill, indicating President Biden will sign it."

Marianne Levine of Politico: "Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Thursday that all 50 Democrats will vote to move forward on the party's $3.5 trillion social spending proposal.... The New York Democrat has long insisted that the Senate will pass both the bipartisan bill and a budget blueprint for the multitrillion-dollar legislative package before the chamber leaves for the August recess.... The final price tag on the bill is not yet clear. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) said Wednesday that while she will vote to move forward, she does not support legislation that costs $3.5 trillion, angering progressives in her party. Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.), another moderate Democrat, said last week that while he was committed to advancing the bill, he reserved the right to do 'whatever the hell I want' on final passage. Senate Republicans, meanwhile, are already waging a messaging war against the social spending bill."

Vanessa Williams of the Washington Post: "Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Tex.) became the third member of Congress to be arrested during nonviolent protests [at the Hart Senate Office Building] aimed at rallying support for federal voting legislation that activists say are necessary to push back against new restrictive state laws.... Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.) was arrested at the Hart Senate Office Building last week. The week before, Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio), chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, was cuffed with zip ties and briefly detained.

Eric Schmitt & Jennifer Steinhauer of the New York Times: "The first group of Afghans promised refuge by the Biden administration for helping the United States during the 20-year war in Afghanistan landed on American soil early Friday, starting a new life chapter after years of waiting. About 250 Afghan interpreters, drivers and others who worked with the U.S. military, as well as their family members, arrived at Dulles International Airport outside Washington after traveling more than 30 hours from Kabul, the Afghan capital, officials said. From Dulles, they were bused to Fort Lee, Va., south of Richmond, where they will stay at a hotel on the base for about a week to complete their processing before being resettled in the United States permanently, officials said. The late-night arrival marked the vanguard of an initial group of about 2,500 Afghans being evacuated under threat of Taliban reprisals in an effort the White House calls Operation Allies Refuge." The Hill's story is here.

Ben Casselman of the New York Times: "The U.S. economy grew 1.6 percent in the second quarter, returning to prepandemic size.... That is a remarkable achievement, exactly a year after the economy's worst quarterly contraction on record. After the last recession ended in 2009, G.D.P. took two years to rebound fully.... Vaccinations and federal aid helped lift the U.S. economy out of its pandemic-induced hole this spring. The next test will be whether that momentum can continue as coronavirus cases rise, masks return and government help wanes.... Other economic measures remain deeply depressed, particularly for certain groups: The United States still has nearly seven million fewer jobs than before the pandemic. The unemployment rate for Black workers in June was 9.2 percent." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ Rachel Siegel & Andrew Van Dam of the Washington Post: "The U.S. economy was officially back and fully recovered from the coronavirus pandemic as of June, although a recent surge in cases could bring new uncertainty. The economy grew at an annual rate of 6.5 percent in the quarter ending in June, below forecasts of at least 8 percent, as coronavirus vaccinations and unleashed consumer spending added momentum to the recovery. The lower-than-expected figures reflect an economy struggling with supply-chain backlogs that have hamstrung business productivity by lowering inventories of basic goods and materials and pushing prices higher, economists say." (Also linked yesterday.)

** Jason DeParle of the New York Times: "The huge increase in government aid prompted by the coronavirus pandemic will cut poverty nearly in half this year from prepandemic levels and push the share of Americans in poverty to the lowest level on record, according to the most comprehensive analysis yet of a vast but temporary expansion of the safety net. The number of poor Americans is expected to fall by nearly 20 million from 2018 levels, a decline of almost 45 percent. The country has never cut poverty so much in such a short period of time, and the development is especially notable since it defies economic headwinds -- the economy has nearly seven million fewer jobs than it did before the pandemic. The extraordinary reduction in poverty has come at extraordinary cost, with annual spending on major programs projected to rise fourfold to more than $1 trillion. Yet without further expensive new measures, millions of families may find the escape from poverty brief. The three programs that cut poverty most -- stimulus checks, increased food stamps and expanded unemployment insurance -- have ended or are scheduled to soon revert to their prepandemic size."

A Stunt that Failed. Meagan Flynn of the Washington Post: "D.C. jail officials turned away GOP members of Congress who showed up Thursday at the jail, saying they intended to inspect the treatment of suspects detained in the Jan. 6 breach of the U.S. Capitol. Trailed by cameras from right-wing news organizations, Reps. Matt Gaetz (Fla.), Marjorie Taylor Greene (Ga.), Paul A. Gosar (Ariz.) and Louie Gohmert (Tex.) crowded into the lobby of the D.C. detention facility demanding to be let inside as members of Congress. A D.C. jail official told them they were 'obstructing entrance into this facility' and appeared to accuse the members of trespassing. 'We're the people that vote on whether or not to fund you, at what level, and we're trespassing?' Gohmert responded. The D.C. detention center is not a federal facility and is fully funded by D.C. taxpayers -- but Congress has oversight over D.C.'s budget. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D), the District's nonvoting representative in Congress, said their 'attempt to basically try to break into the D.C. jail is an abuse of their authority over the District.'"

Here's more on that New York state senate candidate/Capitol insurrectionist (a Hill story was linked yesterday): ~~~

~~~ Andrea Salcedo of the Washington Post: "Moments after Daniel Christmann climbed through an open window to get into the Capitol on Jan. 6, the former New York state senate candidate took out his phone to record the insurrection for his Instagram followers, prosecutors said. That afternoon, Christmann walked around the building taking videos he posted to his @dannyforsenate account, according to a 19-page criminal complaint that was unsealed Wednesday. In the following days, private messages obtained by federal authorities show Christmann bragged about participating in the riot, explaining to those messaging him on Instagram how he reached unauthorized areas. When Christmann later became aware that authorities arrested two people he knew who were inside the Capitol on Jan. 6, he began reaching out to Facebook friends to ask them to delete any videos showing him on the grounds that day, prosecutors said." (Also linked yesterday.)

Steve M. reviews the right's new excuse for the January 6 "unpleasantness": it "was ... not a serious problem because the insurrectionists had no real plan for seizing control of the government -- [a] ... talking point, intended to be widely distributed to serious-minded, well-informed citizens who presumably aren't buying talk of bamboo in the ballots and satellite vote switching from Italy." MB: I did timely read Christopher Caldwell's NYT op-ed, which Steve reviewed, & decided not to link it, even as an example of stupid, because his thesis was so worthless. Let me just add that the January 6 insurrection, unlike the occasional bombings & bank robberies by 1960s leftists (which Steve also mentions) differ drastically from the January 6 insurrection in that no prominent politicians supported the '60s radicals, while the then-POTUS* and many Congressional Repubicans support the January 6 "tourists" and "protesters." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: BTW, essmeier, commenting on Steve M.'s post, refutes the right's argument that the insurrectionists were not dangerous because they did not have a plan. essmeier lays out the plan:

"1. Break into the Capitol
"2. Kill Pence and Pelosi
"3. ???
"4. Win!"

Bob Brigham of the Raw Story: "Donald Trump is lashing out at Capitol Police officers who survived the January 6th insurrection, according to a new report in The Daily Beast. 'In his retelling, Ashli Babbitt -- who was shot and killed trying to enter the House chamber on Jan. 6 -- wasn't so much a rioter as she was an 'innocent, wonderful, incredible woman.' And, in Trump's mind, some of the police officers who defended the Capitol that day aren't the real heroes, calling them liberal "p*ssies" who loathe MAGA, and outliers within a broadly pro-Trump law enforcement community,' The Beast reported." MB: Who's a pussy? The so-called "pussies" withstood hours of unrelenting physical & verbal assaults by Trump's supporters; Trump ducked when one man rushed the stage at one of his 2016 rallies and hid behind Secret Service agents, some of whom subdued the man. And where was Braveheart McDonald -- who promised to lead his troops to the Capitol insurrection -- during the melee? Why he was home in his plush public housing watching the teevee as his followers beat up the "pussies."

Laurence Tribe, in a Washington Post op-ed, explains why the DOJ's decision not to defend Mo Brooks (R-Ala.) in a lawsuit re: Brooks' actions on January 6, filed by Eric Swallwell (D-Calif.), is bad news for Donald Trump.

Zachary Petrizzo of Salon: "MyPillow CEO and fervent Donald Trump supporter Mike Lindell says he's pulling all of his advertisements from Fox News after the network refused to run a spot for his 'cyber symposium,' which he claims will provide enough proof of industrial-scale election fraud to propel the former president back into office.... 'I am pulling everything!' Lindell said. 'Fox [News] denied the [cyber symposium] ad, and they based it on "pending litigation."' The pillow maven told Salon exclusively last week that he planned to get back at the conservative network for their failure to promote -- or cover, or even mention, for that matter -- the 'cyber symposium,' which is set to overtake Sioux Falls, South Dakota, on Aug. 10-12. Fox spurning the event apparently launched the idea for Lindell to run custom ads geared towards drumming up support among conservatives ahead of the gathering.... MyPillow commercials have been a staple on Fox News for years -- indeed, the company was one of the network's largest sponsors last year, according to advertising data from market research firm iSpot.tv." ~~~

~~~ Brad Reed of the Raw Story: "Trump-loving MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell has been the most fervent promote[r] of election conspiracy theories, and journalist Anne Applebaum has grown so alarmed that she's deemed him 'a clear threat to the nation.' In a new piece for The Atlantic [firewalled], Applebaum ... writes that he's spending a fortune ... in his quest to undermine the 2020 election and reinstall ... Donald Trump to the White House. 'Along with Bannon, Giuliani, and the rest of the conspiracy posse, he is helping create profound distrust in the American electoral system, in the American political system, in the American public-health system, and ultimately in American democracy,' she writes. 'The eventual consequences of their actions may well be a genuinely stolen or disputed election in 2024, and political violence on a scale the U.S. hasn't seen in decades.'"

Michael Brown of the Washington Post: "Carl Levin, a six-term Democratic senator from Michigan who was an influential leader on national security and whose intellect and integrity made him one of the most widely respected lawmakers of recent times, died July 29 at a hospital in Detroit. He was 87.... A Harvard-trained lawyer who wore reading glasses perched on the end of his nose, Mr. Levin was known for scholarly analysis of issues, sound-bite-free discourse and a collaborative approach to legislating that earned him the trust of colleagues who did not share his liberal political philosophy.... His brother Sander M. Levin, older by three years, was a Democratic congressman from the Detroit area, and the two served simultaneously for more than three decades." Update: Carl Levin's New York Times obituary is here. An AP obituary is here.

Sarah Bailey of the Washington Post: "Defrocked Catholic cardinal Theodore McCarrick was criminally charged Wednesday with sexually assaulting a 16-year-old boy during a wedding reception at Wellesley College in Massachusetts in 1974, according to court documents obtained by The Washington Post. The charges make McCarrick, a former archbishop of Washington, D.C., the highest-ranking Catholic official in the country to face criminal charges for alleged sex abuse. McCarrick, 91, was for years one of the country's most connected and influential Catholic leaders before allegations of his behavior were made public in 2018, and he was later expelled from the priesthood."

Valeriya Safronova of the New York Times: "For a certain subset of Britney Spears fans, who call themselves her 'Army,' there is no cause greater than emancipating Ms. Spears from the conservatorship that controls her life and finances. Thirteen years into the legal arrangement, which Ms. Spears recently described as 'abusive,' her devotees are watching a movement that was once on the fringes of pop culture turn into one of the year's biggest news stories. Even politicians are paying attention: 'I am squarely and unequivocally in the camp of FreeBritney,' Senator Ted Cruz, Republican of Texas, said on his podcast this month. The growing support for Ms. Spears speaks to the power of fan devotion, unleashed in the modern age through social media. The celebrity may be the famous one, but her followers, or stans (see: Nicki Minaj's Barbz, Beyoncé’s BeyHive, Rihanna's Navy), have the power to mobilize thousands of people online to support a cause." MB: This appears to be one of those rare instances in which a silly fan group does something useful. So good for these fans.

The Pandemic, Ctd.

Michael Shear, et al., of the New York Times: "President Biden on Thursday sought to revive the nation's stalled push to vaccinate Americans against the surging Delta variant of the coronavirus, announcing new requirements for federal workers to be vaccinated and urging local and state governments to offer $100 to anyone willing to get a shot voluntarily. His announcement included only federal civilian employees, but hours later the Pentagon said members of the military would also be subject to the same rules: Get vaccinated or face regular testing, social distancing, mask wearing and limits on official travel. Although those steps fall short of a mandate, Mr. Biden also ordered the Defense Department to move rapidly toward one for all members of the military, a step that would affect almost 1.5 million troops, many of whom have resisted taking a shot that is highly effective against a disease that has claimed the lives of more than 600,000 Americans." ~~~

** Yasmeen Abutaleb, et al., of the Washington Post: "The delta variant of the coronavirus appears to cause more severe illness than earlier variants and spreads as easily as chickenpox, according to an internal federal health document that argues officials must 'acknowledge the war has changed.' The document is an internal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention slide presentation, shared within the CDC and obtained by The Washington Post. It captures the struggle of the nation's top public health agency to persuade the public to embrace vaccination and prevention measures, including mask-wearing, as cases surge across the United States and new research suggests vaccinated people can spread the virus. The document strikes an urgent note, revealing the ... [need for a better] defense against a variant so contagious that it acts almost like a different novel virus, leaping from target to target more swiftly than Ebola or the

John Wagner of the Washington Post: "President Biden on Thursday called on Congress to act 'without delay' to extend a national eviction moratorium that is set to expire Saturday. The White House said Biden is not able to act on his own because of a Supreme Court ruling. In a statement, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Biden would have 'strongly supported' a move by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to again extend a moratorium that began nearly 11 months ago in response to the pandemic, particularly given the spread of the delta variant of the coronavirus." The AP's story is here. And here is Psaki's statement. (Also linked yesterday.)

Such Principled Tough Guys. Scott Wong of the Hill: "Nearly 40 maskless House Republican lawmakers walked across the Capitol and onto the Senate floor in protest of the Capitol physician's decision to reinstate a mask mandate in the lower chamber but not in the upper chamber. Republicans complained that the policy, backed by Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and other Democrats, is inconsistent, infringes on personal liberty, and is based on politics, not science. However, the body of the 100-member Senate is less than a quarter of the size of the 435-member House, and all but a handful of senators are vaccinated while dozens of House Republicans have refused to say whether they got the vaccine.... The GOP lawmakers, who have Senate floor privileges as members of the House, tried to time their protest with a speech by Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) on individual freedom." ~~~

~~~ Mike Lillis of the Hill: "Congressional aides and visitors to the House side of the Capitol will face arrest if they're not wearing masks, the head of the U.S. Capitol Police announced this week. In a Wednesday letter to his officer corps, Capitol Police Chief Thomas Manger ordered that they enforce the new mask guidelines across the Capitol complex. Those new rules, installed by the Capitol physician earlier in the week, include a mask mandate on the House side of the Capitol and all House office buildings.... Although the same mask mandate applies to members of Congress, the same strict enforcement will not. Rather, Capitol Police are asked to report recalcitrant lawmakers to supervising officers 'who will, in turn, refer the matter to the House Sergeant at Arms,' wrote Manger, who took over as head of the Capitol Police just a week ago."

The New York Times' live updates of Covid-19 developments Thursday are here: "The 27 member states of the European Union altogether have now administered more coronavirus vaccine doses per 100 people than the United States, in another sign that inoculations across the bloc have maintained some speed throughout the summer, while they have stagnated for weeks in the United States." MB: Thanks, Freedumb Fighters! You're killing us. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ The Washington Post's live updates for Thursday are here.

~~~ Case in Point. Isaac Stanley-Becker of the Washington Post: "... the communications by Turning Point USA and its affiliate, Turning Point Action, reflect the increasingly hard line [against Covid vaccinations] taken by the group, which describes itself as the 'largest and fastest-growing youth organization in America' and claims a presence on more than 2,500 college and high school campuses. Its dire warnings about a government-backed inoculation program -- now a major theme of its Facebook ads, which have been viewed millions of times -- illustrate how the Trump-allied group is capitalizing on the stark polarization around vaccine policy. Experts say the messages, many of which steer online audiences to donation pages, threaten to undermine vaccine confidence among young people, who have already proved particularly reluctant to roll up their sleeves." MB: It's true that death is a rather drastic "Turning Point," so the name is appropriate for the kids and those whom they may infect. (Also linked yesterday.)

Carolyn Johnson & Shira Rubin of the Washington Post: "Executives of the pharmaceutical giant Pfizer predicted Wednesday that vaccine boosters would soon be needed, a declaration that came on the same day the company published data showing that its coronavirus shots remained robustly protective six months after vaccination, providing nearly complete protection against severe disease. Hours later, Israeli health officials moved toward making boosters available for older residents. Pfizer's paper, which has not yet undergone peer review, showed a slight drop in efficacy against any symptomatic cases of covid-19..., from 96 percent protection in the first two months after vaccination to 84 percent after four months."

Missouri. Gina Harkins of the Washington Post: "When Faisal Khan left the St. Louis County council meeting Tuesday after promoting a new mask mandate, he said he was shoulder-bumped and pushed by people in the aisle. When he made it through the door, the St. Louis County Department of Health's acting director ... was surrounded by an 'angry mob,' he said, and called an expletive and a brown b-----d. Others mocked his accent.... St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones (D) and County Executive Sam Page had announced on Monday a new face mask requirement for indoor public places and transportation. Covid-19 rates in the region have crept up to levels not seen since February, and Khan said during Tuesday&'s council meeting that infections from the new delta variant have reached an all-time high.... Khan said when he walked into the crowded St. Louis County council meeting to find so many people packed into the chamber without face masks, he immediately feared it would become a superspreader event.... Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt (R) also filed a lawsuit on Monday to stop the newly imposed mandate," and some council members said only they had the authority to impose a mandate. Or not.

Wisconsin. Scott Bauer of the AP: "A Republican-controlled committee plans to block the University of Wisconsin from instituting COVID-19 testing, masking and vaccination protocols on campuses across the state, a move that comes as health officials sound warnings about the rapidly spreading, highly contagious delta variant. [Committee chair] State Sen. Steve Nass said Wednesday that he will be moving to require the university to get approval from the Legislature before enacting any virus-related regulations.... UW System interim President Tommy Thompson, a former Republican governor and U.S. Department of Health Services secretary, reacted to the proposal by saying 'the biggest threat to in-person classes this fall would be actions that strip the UW System of the tools it has so successfully utilized to date to address outbreaks and reduce the spread of COVID-19.'"

Marie: I wonder if the people who are incensed that the CDC is recommending mask-wearing again because of an increase in the number & severity of Covid cases have trouble with "regulators" like traffic lights. Do they sit at the intersection shouting, "What? What? A minute ago I could drive right ahead and now you're telling me I have to sit here & let these people going a whole 'nother way zip past right in front of me."? And how do they handle situations where there is no clear regulation. Do they walk out in front of an oncoming vehicle because a minute ago the roadway was clear?

Beyond the Beltway

Arizona. Rosalind Helderman of the Washington Post: "The Arizona Senate returned nearly 2.1 million ballots to the control of the state's largest county Thursday as the GOP-led recount of votes cast in the 2020 presidential election drew to a rocky close, marked by upheaval that is likely to further undermine public confidence in its conclusions, set to be announced next month.... Meanwhile, Twitter on Tuesday suspended a string of accounts that had been promoting the ballot review, including one that had been billed as the audit's official handle, saying that they violated company policies on 'platform manipulation and spam.' Also this week, a previously supportive Republican state senator announced that she believed the audit has been 'botched' -- the third member of a 16-member caucus to express reservations over a process that was ordered up by the chamber's GOP leadership." ~~~

~~~ Rosalind Helderman of the Washington Post: "A private contractor [Cyber Ninjas] conducting a Republican-commissioned review of 2020 presidential ballots in Arizona's largest county announced late Wednesday that it has collected more than $5.7 million in private donations to fund the process. The controversial ballot review, which included a hand recount of Maricopa County's nearly 2.1 million ballots and a review of ballot tabulating machines, has been underway since April. It was ordered by the state's Republican-led Senate, which agreed to spend $150,000 in taxpayer money to fund the audit. But the Senate allowed Cyber Ninjas, a Florida-based firm hired to lead the process, to collect donations as well." (Also linked yesterday.)

Way Beyond

Haiti. Frances Robles of the New York Times: Haiti's former first lady Martine Moïse speaks about the night her husband was assassinated & she was left for dead. "... she needed to speak, she said, because she did not believe that the investigation into his death had answered the central question tormenting her and countless Haitians: Who ordered and paid for the assassination of her husband?"

Japan. The New York Times' live updates of the Tokyo Olympics Thursday are here. (Also linked yesterday.) The Washington Post's liveblog of Olympics highlights Thursday is here.

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Reader Comments (8)

Anne Applebaum's conclusion ( see link to her column above) summed up exactly the portrait of not only a man like Mike Lindell but many Americans who fit her litany of descriptions:

"When we walked outside, I thought that I might say something dramatic, something cutting, something like “You realize that you are destroying our country.” But I didn’t. He is our country after all, or one face of our country: hyper-optimistic and overconfident, ignorant of history and fond of myths, firm in the belief that we alone are the exceptional nation and we alone have access to exceptional truths. Safe in his absolute certainty, he got into his black SUV and drove away."

July 30, 2021 | Unregistered CommenterPD Pepe

"You people are instituting tyranny by either requiring or suggesting that I put my mask back on to go to the grocery store. This is 'Murica, where I have the freedumb to spread this disease or die myself. And I will fight to the death to be able to die of suffocation if I want to."
Said by no one. Implied by thousands of morons, helmed by thousands of other morons.

I say we herd 'em into said grocery store, evacuate the workers, and keep them locked up until it all comes to pass, then burn it down. I bitterly resent the attention-wh***s who have apparently never reached the age of reason and are nothing but spoiled toddlers and brats.

Now I will wash my masks and bring my disposable ones back upstairs. So hard to do...NOT.

July 30, 2021 | Unregistered CommenterJeanne

The Taliban has nothing on confederate assholes in Congress…

John Kennedy (R-Dogpatch), during a hearing on President Biden’s nominee for assistant AG, Hampton Dellinger, lost his runny shit over a tweet in which Dellinger suggested that if there were no Republican men in Congress, there’d be no bans on abortion. I kinda disagree with this (MTG, anyone?), but nonetheless after he was unable to ruffle Dellinger, Kennedy demanded to know whether he believed in god.

Who says there’s no religious test?

There’s always a religious test for these unAmerican holy roller theocrats.

https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2021/07/john-kennedy-hampton-dellinger-god.html

July 30, 2021 | Unregistered CommenterAkhilleus

Here's the link to the Kennedy /Hampton questioning. I couldn't access your link, Ak, cuz I have ad blockers but found it on YT. Mr. "I'm jest a kindly country lawyer" bullshit, pressing Hampton in such a way he cannot reply properly and then asking about god. Well, shucks, why not since those that believe can always use that to justify their stance on abortion ––-that golden ring of light circling their heads, their hands clasped in prayer–-it always works––just the word "Christian" sometimes seals the deal.

Anyway, thanks Ak for calling attention to this kind of grilling.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3pXdqBAlCw

July 30, 2021 | Unregistered CommenterPD Pepe

Q: "Do you believe in God?"

A: "Yes."

Q: "Do you believe people lie?"

A: "No."

Q: "Are you lying now?"

A: "No."

Q: "Well alrighty then."

July 30, 2021 | Unregistered CommenterPatrick

@Akhilleus & @PD Pepe: PD: thanks for the link to the video, a good portion of which I watched.

Akhilleus: The video had a different impact on me than it did on you. I thought Kennedy asked some questions that were easy to answer, & Dellinger did a piss-poor job anyway. I don't blame him -- he's a young man -- but I do blame the Biden administration staff who prepped him (or didn't). I hope if Dellinger gets the job, it doesn't require him to appear in court, because if he lets an old hambone like John Kennedy get the better of him, he won't stand a chance against a smart adversary & an intelligent judge.

The answer to the question, "Do you believe in God?" is, as you suggest. along the lines of, "Senator Kennedy, even a 20-year-old assistant manager at Walmart knows you can't base hiring decisions on a religious test; what we have in this hearing is essentially a job interview. And I would have expected a highly-educated, mature U.S. Senator to know as much about the Constitution as the kid at Walmart. I decline to answer." (Short version: "Fuck you.")

As for Kennedy's question, "Don't you think some of us base our stance on abortion on our faith?" (and I couldn't stand to listen to Dellinger's answer), again the answer should be, "I hope not. You senators & other government officials have an obligation to leave the tenets of your faith outside the doors to these chambers. You are required to follow the rule of law, not the canons of your church. In no case can your religious beliefs guide your legislative decisions." (Short version. "Fuck you.")

July 30, 2021 | Registered CommenterMarie Burns

M/B: YES, YES, YES to your answers, if you had been in the hot seat and I agree that Dellinger was not prepared––which begs the question:


Why Not?

July 30, 2021 | Unregistered CommenterPD Pepe

Damn. You guys are all so smart and I have had far too much tequila tonight to actually sound smartish—

July 30, 2021 | Unregistered CommenterJeanne
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