;)
The Commentariat -- June 10, 2021
Late Morning, Afternoon Update:
Denise Lu of the New York Times: "More than half of the U.S. population has received at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, and it's the remaining unvaccinated population that is driving the lingering deaths, experts say. After the first vaccines were authorized for emergency use in December, with priority given to senior populations before younger groups, the share of those dying who were 75 or older started dropping immediately. In turn, younger populations began to make up higher shares of Covid-19 deaths compared with their shares at the peak of the pandemic -- a trend that continued when vaccine eligibility opened up to all adults. While the number of deaths dropped in all age groups, about half of Covid-19 deaths are now of people aged 50 to 74, compared with only a third in December." ~~~
~~~ Marie: If I were a person who for some reason was afraid to receive the vaccine, this report would make me afraid not to. However, I doubt the vaccine-shy read the lying' librul NYT.
Spencer Hsu of the Washington Post: As part of a plea deal, Emma Coronel Aispuro, 'the wife of Joaquín Archivaldo Guzmán Loera, the infamous drug lord known as 'El Chapo,' pleaded guilty Thursday morning in Washington to helping his multibillion-dollar criminal enterprise smuggle at least 100 tons of marijuana, cocaine and heroin into the United States."
Matt Zapotosky of the Washington Post: "Democrats and Republicans lobbed withering questions at the FBI as Director Christopher A. Wray testified before the House Judiciary Committee Thursday, though their concerns diverged significantly along partisan lines. Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) blasted Wray for the bureau's failure to detect in advance and respond to the mob that attacked the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, while ranking Republican Jim Jordan (Ohio) accused the bureau of intruding on Americans' civil liberties in an eclectic mix of circumstances." ~~~
~~~ Marie: In his presumably-prepared opening statement, Jim Jordan claimed that when the FBI aided Rudy Giuliani's home, officers "kicked in his door." This was news to me, so I looked it up. According to Rudy himself, agents wakened him at 6 am with a "bang, bang, bang" on his door. So that was a lie, Jim. "Wray repeatedly declined to answer questions about ... the search involving Giuliani." Oh, and Matt Gaetz, whom the FBI is investigating, showed up for the committee hearing & asked questions about the origins of the coronavirus.
The New York Times' live updates of President Biden's European trip Thursday are here.
Patrick Wintour of the Guardian: "Senior US embassy diplomats in London, backed by the US national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, have directly warned the UK's Brexit negotiator, Lord Frost, that he will inflame tensions in Northern Ireland if he does not compromise over border checks. A meeting between the US charge d'affaires Yael Lampert, currently America's most senior diplomat in London, and Frost led to an urging by the US for Britain to come to a negotiated settlement with the EU, according to an internal UK government note.... Sullivan told a briefing on Air Force One before Joe Biden landed in the UK on Wednesday evening: 'Any steps that imperil or undermine the Good Friday agreement will not be welcomed by the US.'... The US tone suggests the Biden administration is taking close interest in details of the talks, given it has a formal role to uphold the Good Friday deal."
Rachel Siegel of the Washington Post: "Prices rose by 5 percent in May compared with a year ago, the largest increase since the Great Recession, continuing a steady climb in inflation even as policymakers insist on staying the course. Price spikes often coincide with downturns, and officials from the White House and Federal Reserve have predicted that prices will climb over the coming months, especially compared to a year ago, when the economy was reeling from coronavirus pandemic shutdown. However, the move adds new fuel to the Republican criticism that the Biden administration is spending too much, which could lead to an overheated economy. The most recent inflation figures, released Thursday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, are not rattling the Biden administration nor the Fed. Both predict that prices will continue to rise until supply chains and consumer demand recalibrate and the economy has time to heal."
Michael Wayland of CNBC: "The immediate past president of the United Auto Workers was sentenced Thursday to 28 months in prison for his part in a scheme with other leaders to steal as much as $1.5 million in union funds for lavish trips, golfing, alcohol and other luxuries. Gary Jones is the second UAW president to be sentenced as part of a multiyear corruption probe into the prominent American labor union. He is one of 15 people to have been charged, including three Fiat Chrysler executives and his predecessor, Dennis Williams, who was sentenced last month to 21 months in prison. His sentencing is among the last in the investigation, which has tarnished the union's reputation, created mistrust among its members and led to federal oversight of the UAW." MB: These guys are such cliches.
Adam Klasfeld of Law & Crime: "Finding a Proud Boys member's complaints of inadequate medical care behind bars 'without merit,' a federal judge [Royce Lambeth] issued a scathing ruling on Wednesday explaining why he kept him in jail -- and highlighting his vulgar Facebook tirades against the 'pu**y ass bitch' he believed 'ratted' him out following an FBI visit. 'Believe I know who ratted,' Christopher Worrell, 49, told an unidentified user on Jan. 18, the day the FBI interviewed him, according to the ruling. Then, prosecutors quote him indiscreetly posting publicly on his Facebook page: 'SO WHOMEVER [sic] CALLED THE "FEDS" ON ME REST ASSURED I KNOW WHO YOU ARE AND WE WILL BE DISCUSSING THIS SOON!! The best part is you have NOTHING accept [sic] empty accusations!! You are the piece of shit I knew you were!!'"
The New York Times' live updates of Covid-19 developments Friday are here.
Jenny Gross of the New York Times: "... companies are legally permitted to make employees get vaccinated, according to recent guidance from the federal agency that enforces workplace discrimination laws, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Here's the latest about the rules in the United States on vaccinations in the workplace."
"The Trump Coast." Travis Gettys of the Raw Story: Donald Trump "basks in a 'biosphere' of adoration at [Mar-a-Lago], where he rubs elbows with members and guests who posts photos and videos of the twice-impeached one-term president at engagement parties, memorial services and other events, reported Bloomberg.... 'At every moment of his day, Trump is bathed in adulation,' reported Bloomberg's Joshua Green. 'When he enters the dining room, people stand and applaud. When he returns from golf, he's met with squeals and selfie requests. When he leaves Mar-a-Lago, he often encounters flag-waving throngs organized by Willy Guardiola, a former professional harmonica player and anti-abortion activist who runs weekly pro-Trump rallies in Palm Beach.... A steady stream of Republican lawmakers has visited Trump at his club, and his children Ivanka and Donald Jr. have bought multi-million-dollar homes nearby, as have Fox News broadcasters Sean Hannity and Neal Cavuto.... 'It's like if Rachel Maddow and the Pod Save America guys all bought condos in Chicago because they wanted to be close to Barack Obama,' [said Democratic strategist Eddie Vale]." ~~~
~~~ Marie: This is what I mean when I cast Trump as a third-rate "celebrity." His biggest fans are Hannity and "a former professional harmonica player."
~~~~~~~~~~
The New York Times is liveblogging President Biden's European adventure. The linked page is Wednesday's liveblog. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~
~~~ You can watch President Biden's full remarks at RAF Mildenhall, U.K. here. Dr. Jill Biden's remarks begin at about 7:00 minutes in. President Biden's remarks begin at 15:25 minutes in.
Biden Press Plane Bugged! Katie Shepherd of the Washington Post: "The Brood X cicadas that rose from the earth after 17 years underground ... ground[ed] the White House press corps as it headed to Europe for President Biden's first overseas trip in office.... Reporters gathered at a Marriott hotel near Dulles International Airport were told by a White House aide that the insects had flown into the engine, causing mechanical problems that required the airline to obtain a new plane and a new captain for the flight. The journalists ended up delayed more than five hours." MB: Wow! Reporters stuck for five hours in a hotel with a bar. Whatever will they do? (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
Lisa Friedman of the New York Times: "The Biden administration intends to revive federal environmental protections for millions of streams, marshes and other bodies of water across the country that had been eliminated by ... Donald Trump in his quest to please home builders, farmers and ranchers. The Environmental Protection Agency made the announcement Wednesday after it said it had found that the changes under Mr. Trump caused 'significant environmental degradation.' The problem is particularly glaring in arid states such as New Mexico and Arizona, where nearly every one of more than 1,500 streams lost environmental protections under the Trump rules, said Michael S. Regan, the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency."
Matt O'Brien, et al., of the AP: "The White House dropped Trump-era executive orders that attempted to ban the popular apps TikTok and WeChat and will conduct its own review aimed at identifying national security risks with software applications tied to China, officials said Wednesday. A new executive order directs the Commerce Department to undertake what officials describe as an 'evidence-based' analysis of transactions involving apps that are manufactured or supplied or controlled by China. Officials are particularly concerned about apps that collect users' persona data or have connections to Chinese military or intelligence activities. The department also will make recommendations on how to further protect Americans' genetic and personal health information, and will address the risks of certain software apps connected to China or other adversaries, according to senior administration officials." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
Zachary Cohen & Christina Carrega of CNN: "Attorney General Merrick Garland on Wednesday defended a series of controversial arguments made by the Justice Department in recent weeks that endorsed legal positions held by ... Donald Trump and the previous administration. Garland was pressed to explain those moves while testifying before several Senate subcommittees. Specifically, he was asked about the department's support for arguments related to an assault allegation against the former President and the release of a memo of regarding handling the Mueller investigation." MB: Gosh, Merrick, I am not persuaded. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
Paul Murphy of CNN: "Texas' Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland is on 'active shooter lockdown,' according to the base's Facebook page. 'All base personnel implement LOCKDOWN procedures and immediately take cover," the base posted on Facebook and Twitter. A second post said there were no immediate reports of injuries after the incident that took place outside one of the gates. '(Base) emergency responders are working with the San Antonio police department to clear the area and search for the shooters,' the post says." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
Laurie McGinley of the Washington Post: "Two members of a Food and Drug Administration advisory panel resigned this week after the agency's contentious decision to approve an Alzheimer's drug over the objections of its outside advisers. David S. Knopman, a neurologist at the Mayo Clinic, said Wednesday in an email to The Washington Post that he did not 'wish to be part of a sham process' that ultimately resulted in the agency's approval Monday of Biogen's Aduhelm, also known as aducanumab.... Earlier this week, Joel S. Perlmutter, a neurologist at Washington University in St. Louis, resigned from the committee ... 'due to this ruling by the FDA without further discussion with our advisory committee.'"
Jonathan Weisman & Alan Rappeport of the New York Times: "A jaw-dropping report by ProPublica detailing how America's richest men avoided paying taxes has intensified interest in Congress, even among some Republicans, in changing the tax code to ensure that people like Jeff Bezos and Warren Buffett pay their fair share. For Republicans, the idea that the tax code should give preferential treatment to investment has been sacrosanct, ostensibly to promote economic growth and innovation that could benefit everyone. But the news this week showed how the treatment of stocks, bonds, real estate and huge loans taken off those assets has sent the tax bills of the richest Americans plummeting. 'My intention as the author of the 2017 tax reform was not that multibillionaires ought to pay no taxes,' said Senator Patrick J. Toomey, Republican of Pennsylvania, who helped write the law that slashed taxes by more than $1 trillion. 'I believe dividends and capital gains should be taxed at a lower rate, but certainly not zero.'" The ProPublica report, also linked here Tuesday (June 8), is here. ~~~
~~~ Marie: Something else that's "jaw-dropping" is that members of Congress either didn't know about this or are pretending it's news to them ... inasmuch as even billionaires like Buffett himself have been complaining publicly about this inequity for at least ten years. How is it we knew but Pat Toomey didn't?
GOP "Negotiator" Doesn't Know What "Negotiation" Means. Ben Leonard of Politico: "Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) said Wednesday that she was 'frustrated' that the White House 'kept moving the goalposts on us' after infrastructure negotiations with the Biden administration fell apart Tuesday. 'I'm a bit disappointed and frustrated that the White House really kept moving the ball on me and then just finally brought me negotiations that were untenable and then ended the negotiations altogether,' Capito said in a Fox News interview." MB: Shelley, dear, "moving the goalposts" is exactly what negotiators do. You tell Joe Manchin you'll sell him your golden Trump ring for $5,000. Joe offers you $1,000 & a promise to endorse you in a radio ad. You tell Joe $2,500 & a TV endorsement. Joe counters back at $2,000 & two radio ads. That's negotiating, Shelley. Both of you "move the goalposts." And you do know that ring will turn Joe's finger green, don't you? You Republicans always cheat. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
Joel Shannon of USA Today: "U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert, a Texas Republican, appeared to stun a Forest Service official by suggesting the agency fight climate change by altering the orbits of Earth or the moon. The question came during a live-streamed national parks, forests and public lands subcommittee meeting of the National Resources Committee on Tuesday and was followed by social media mockery.... Gohmert said he understood NASA's data shows the Earth's and the moon's orbits are 'changing slightly.... And so, is there anything that the National Forest Service or BLM can do to change the course of the moon's orbit or the Earth's orbit around the sun? Obviously, that would have profound effects on our climate.'... '... if you figure out a way that you in the Forest Service can make that change, I'd like to know,' Gohmert said.... 'I know the answer to the question...," tweeted U.S. Rep. Ted Lieu, a Democrat from California. 'Captain Marvel. She can alter planetary orbits with her superpowers. I’m going to work on a bipartisan resolution asking for her help.'" Thanks to Akhilleus for the link. See also his commentary below. ~~~
~~~ Marie: Reading about Louie's scientific expertise wasn't a complete waste of time for me. Thanks to the always-well-informed Ted Lieu, I learned that Captain Marvel had changed her sexual identity.
Florida U.S. Senate Race. Rebecca Shabad of NBC News: "Rep. Val Demings, D-Fla., made her Senate bid official Wednesday, announcing that she plans to challenge Republican Marco Rubio for his seat next year. Demings made the announcement in a three-minute video in which she shared her story serving in Orlando's police department, where she worked her way up to serving as its first female chief of police.... In a statement Wednesday, Rubio bashed Demings...," ... MB: essentially revealing that Demings is a Democrat. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
Katelyn Polantz & Evan Perez of CNN: "The Trump administration battled with CNN for half a year to obtain the email records of a reporter and insisted it all take place under an extraordinary order of secrecy, CNN's lead attorney revealed on Wednesday. The pursuit -- which started in July 2020 under then-Attorney General William Barr with a demand for two months' of CNN Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr's 2017 email logs -- continued even after a federal judge told the Justice Department its argument for access to Starr's internal emails was 'speculative' and 'unanchored in any facts.' The Trump administration's secret pursuit represents a highly unusual and unrelenting push for journalists' records. It included putting CNN general counsel David Vigilante under a gag order prohibiting him from sharing any details about the government's efforts with anyone beyond the network's president, top attorneys at CNN's corporate parent and attorneys at an outside law firm."
Alex Rogers, et al., of CNN: "Former Trump White House counsel Don McGahn confirmed before a congressional panel last week that ... Donald Trump urged him to oust special counsel Robert Mueller, who investigated his 2016 campaign's ties to Russia, according to a transcript released Wednesday.... McGahn told the committee that he didn't call [Deputy AG Rod] Rosenstein in part because he feared that Rosenstein could resign if he felt pressured. 'What I was not going to do is cause any sort of chain reaction that would cause this to spiral out of control in a way that wasn't in the best interests, at least as a lawyer, what I thought was in the best interests of my client, which was the President,' said McGahn.... McGahn's retelling of his interactions largely affirmed Mueller's final, public report, and the questioning was limited to topics documented in the Mueller investigation.... Trump has denied the episodes with McGahn -- but the interview with Congress has allowed McGahn to again put on record -- under threat of criminal penalty if he were to lie -- that Trump pushed to shut down the Mueller investigation." ~~~
~~~ Betsy Swan & Sarah Ferris of Politico: "Former White House lawyer Don McGahn said he felt 'trapped' by ... Donald Trump's relentless insistence that he have Special Counsel Robert Mueller ousted, according to newly released transcript of his testimony to the House Judiciary Committee." The New York Times report is here.
Annie Karni of the New York Times: "A federal watchdog said on Wednesday that the United States Park Police had been planning to clear protesters from a park near the White House well before they learned that ... Donald J. Trump was going to walk through the area last year. The report by the Interior Department's inspector general concluded that 'the evidence did not support a finding' that the Park Police had cleared the area just for Mr. Trump, who strode through it on June 1 last year before posing for photographs in front of St. John's Episcopal Church holding a Bible.... The 30-page report by the Interior Department's inspector general offers new details about the Park Police's decision-making. And the sequence of events described in the report suggests that the operation to clear the area turned violent soon after the Park Police were informed of Mr. Trump's arrival. But the report's author was careful to warn it was not to be seen as a definitive account of the day, in part because so many other law enforcement agencies were involved. The inspector general, Mark L. Greenblatt, noted that it was not in his jurisdiction to investigate what the Secret Service and other law enforcement agencies knew and who might have ordered them to use force to clear the park." The Washington Post's report is here. A CNN report is here. ~~~
~~~ Marie: According to Karni, Greenblatt calls his report "a fulsome review of everything in our jurisdiction." I wonder if Greenblatt is aware that "fulsome" means "complimentary or flattering to an excessive degree." I don't think if I had written a fulsome report, I would advertise it. I did write to Greenblatt asking him about his remarkable admission. ~~~
~~~ The fulsome report, via the Interior Department, is here.
Travis Gettys of the Raw Story: "The editorial board for the Boston Globe made the case this week for holding [Donald] Trump criminally accountable for his obstruction of justice, efforts to overturn his election loss in Georgia and inciting an insurrection Jan. 6 aimed at stopping the certification of Joe Biden's electoral win, arguing that prosecution was the only way to ensure future presidents conducted themselves honorably and lawfully.... The editors agreed the decision to prosecute a former president for crimes committed in office was a heavy responsibility, but they argued that it was necessary to preserve the rule of law -- and other democracies had successfully charged former leaders.... 'A commander in chief tried his very best to subvert democracy,' they argued. 'He attacked his own country. Five people died. Allowing him to go unpunished would set a far more dangerous precedent than having Trump stand trial. To reform the presidency so that the last four years are never repeated, the country must go beyond passing laws: It must make clear through its actions that no person, not even the president, is above them.'" The Globe editorial is here.
Samantha Gross & Martin Vassolo of the Miami Herald: "The Doral city council on Wednesday voted 4-0 to ban gambling and casinos from the city unless approved by residents in a referendum, weeks after Gov. Ron DeSantis negotiated a $500 million gaming deal with the Seminole Tribe of Florida. Critics believe the compact was tailored to allow casinos at properties such as the Trump National Doral Miami resort or the Fontainebleau Miami Beach hotel, which local officials fear will bring negative impacts to their communities. DeSantis has dismissed those concerns as 'idiotic politics.'... The gaming deal, among other things, stops the Tribe from objecting to the transfer of existing slot machine licenses to anywhere 15 miles from its flagship casino in Hollywood, language that opens the door to ... Donald Trump purchasing a license and transferring it to his Doral golf resort. The Trump Doral resort is about 18 miles from the Hollywood casino and is run by Eric Trump, who told The Washington Post in March that a Doral location would be 'unmatched from a gaming perspective.'... Local gambling bans alone may not be enough. Miami Beach, which banned casinos in 2017, retained law firm Shubin & Bass to help fend off any attempts from the Legislature to bring gambling to the city." MB: You have to sign in to read the story. ~~~
~~~ Marie: This is such a shame, because you only have to look at Donald to see how perfectly he fits the role of sleazy casino owner, strutting around a slot machine room, putting his hand too low on the back of a scantily-clad waitress, sitting down at a large table with a bunch of small-time gangsters while a Sinatra impersonator sings "I Did It My Way." Donald Trump was born to be a creepy casino owner, and those thoughtless Doral councilmembers have a nerve depriving him of his destiny.
** Brady Dennis & Steven Mufson of the Washington Post: "The firm behind the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline officially scrapped the project on Wednesday, months after President Biden revoked a cross-border permit for the controversial pipeline and more than a decade after political wrangling over its fate began. The pipeline, which would have stretched from Alberta's boreal forests to the refineries along the U.S. Gulf Coast, became the center of a broader controversy over climate change, pipeline safety, eminent domain and jobs. Those same concerns have spawned similar battles to stop pipelines in states including Montana, Minnesota and Virginia.... Donald Trump approved a right of way for the Keystone XL on his third day in office, though the pipeline remained bogged down in courts and by the Nebraska Public Service Commission.... 'When this fight began, people thought Big Oil couldn't be beat,' Bill McKibben, the founder of environmental activism group 350.org who led sit-ins against Keystone XL in 2011 at the White House, said in a statement. 'But when enough people rise up we"re stronger even than the richest fossil fuel companies.'"
Nicole Perlroth, et al., of the New York Times: "Criminals, often operating in hidden reaches of the internet,flocked to Bitcoin to do illicit business without revealing their names or locations. The digital currency quickly became as popular with drug dealers and tax evaders as it was with contrarian libertarians. But this week's revelation that federal officials had recovered most of the Bitcoin ransom paid in the recent Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack exposed a fundamental misconception about cryptocurrencies: They are not as hard to track as cybercriminals think. On Monday, the Justice Department announced it had traced 63.7 of the 75 Bitcoins -- some $2.3 million of the $4.3 million -- that Colonial Pipeline had paid to the hackers...."
Brian Fung of CNN: "The meat supplier JBS USA paid an $11 million ransom in response to a cyberattack that led to the shutdown of its entire US beef processing operation last week, the company said in a statement Wednesday evening. The ransom was paid after most of the company's facilities had come back online, JBS said." The Washington Post's story is here.
The Pandemic, Ctd.
Sharon LaFraniere, et al., of the New York Times: "President Biden, under pressure to aggressively address the global coronavirus vaccine shortage, will announce as early as Thursday that his administration will buy 500 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and donate them among about 100 countries over the next year, according to people familiar with the plan. The White House reached the deal just in time for Mr. Biden's eight-day European trip.... 'We have to end Covid-19, not just at home, which we're doing, but everywhere,' Mr. Biden told American troops after landing at R.A.F. Mildenhall in Suffolk, England. 'There's no wall high enough to keep us safe from this pandemic or the next biological threat we face, and there will be others. It requires coordinated multilateral action.'" MB: That's half-a-billion doses, in case you didn't notice.
Ohio. Andrea Salcedo of the Washington Post: "Sherri Tenpenny, a Cleveland-based doctor invited as an expert witness Tuesday to a hearing in the Ohio House..., falsely told legislators that the drugs could leave people 'magnetized.'... 'They can put a key on their forehead. It sticks. They can put spoons and forks all over them and they can stick..., [she testified].... Her baseless remarks -- which also suggested that vaccines 'interface' with 5G cellular towers -- didn't elicit strong pushback from legislators.... Instead, some GOP representatives thanked Tenpenny for testifying in front of the Ohio House Health Committee, with one praising a podcast she hosts as 'enlightening in terms of thinking.'" (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~
~~~ Marie: I've been vaccinated, so as soon as I heard Dr. Tenpenny's testimony, I tossed all my keyrings, what with their now being useless, antiquated hardware. Well, imagine my surprise when I tried to slap my housekey on my forehead & the sucker fell right off!
Beyond the Beltway
Massachusetts. Hannah Knowles of the Washington Post: "Verda Tetteh used her graduation speech [at Fitchburg High School, where most students are 'economically disadvantaged,] to talk about resilience.... Tetteh, whose family is from Ghana..., had secur[ed] a prestigious state scholarship and admission to Harvard. Later at last Friday's graduation she got her school's highest honor: a 'General Excellence' award that came with $40,000.... The ceremony went on. But as the assistant principal wrapped up his address, Tetteh made her way back to the podium for something unscripted.... She hoped that administrators would consider giving her award money to someone going to a community college like the one that helped her mom. 'I am so very grateful for this, but I also know that I am not the one who needs this the most,' she said. Out on the grass, her classmates [gave her] ... her second standing ovation that day.... The school will honor Tetteh's wishes for the money."
Texas. Jake Bleiberg of the AP: "The Texas bar association is investigating whether state Attorney General Ken Paxton's failed efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election based on bogus claims of fraud amounted to professional misconduct. The State Bar of Texas initially declined to take up a Democratic Party activist's complaint that Paxton's petitioning of the U.S. Supreme Court to block Joe Biden's victory was frivolous and unethical. But a tribunal that oversees grievances against lawyers overturned that decision late last month and ordered the bar to look into the accusations against the Republican official. The investigation is yet another liability for the embattled attorney general, who is facing a years-old criminal case, a separate, newer FBI investigation, and a Republican primary opponent who is seeking to make electoral hay of the various controversies."
Way Beyond
Russia. Andrew E. Kramer & Anton Troianovski of the New York Times: "A Russian court on Wednesday designated Aleksei A. Navalny's political movement as an extremist network, a remarkable move that sent a message to President Biden ahead of his meeting next week with President Vladimir V. Putin: Russian domestic affairs are not up for discussion. The court decision -- taken almost certainly with Mr. Putin;s blessing -- is bound to push the movement further underground after several months in which the Kremlin;s yearslong effort to suppress dissent had entered a more aggressive phase. Under the law, Mr. Navalny's organizers, donors, or even social-media supporters could now be prosecuted and face prison time."
News Lede
USA Today: "Hiring picked up in May as employers added 559,000 jobs amid falling COVID-19 cases, a loosening of business constraints and stepped-up vaccinations, more than offsetting persistent worker shortages. The unemployment rate fell sharply from 6.1% to 5.8%, the Labor Department said Friday. The labor shortages continued to temper hiring. Economists surveyed by Bloomberg had estimated that 674,000 jobs were added last month."
Share Article
Reader Comments (20)
What is stupider than stupid? Is it possible to be stupider than stupidest? And if so, would that be stupidester? Or stupidestest?
Whatever, the answer has to be Louie Gohmert, dimwittiest of the dimwits.
So, ol’ Louie is sick and tired of all this global warming business. It gives his stupid confederate ass saddle sores. And besides, it takes time away from legislating for more guns. What to do? Well, Louie must have been up late one night watching the Syfy channel—or maybe Newsmax, or maybe guzzling some Syrian hash oil—watching some suck ass movie about knocking the earth out of its orbit, which could entail all sorts of nastiness. BUT, suggests Sir Dumbass, it could also “fix” climate change. Hooray! Or maybe we could just knock the moon out of its orbit. Something, something, something, right? That’d be just as good.
Suuuuure! But who could do this? Why, the BLM, natch. No, not Black Lives Matter, silly. The Bureau of Land Management. Cuz they manage LAND, right? Piece O cake. Or maybe the Forest Service. Don’t they have, like, really really tall ladders? Surely they could get someone to pop the earth off its axis or climb up to the moon and do some jiggly wiggly stuff and “fix” the climate thingy.
Right?
How do these people even know how to operate a can opener? Do they hire specialists for that? How ‘bout opening a box of Rice Krispies? Or peeling an orange? “Where’s my left handed monkey wrench?”
Even more astounding, people VOTE for idiots like this.
Retarded would be seven steps up from this thought process. But thank god Texas has gerrymandered the living crap out of the state to guarantee this flatlined fleck of feculence a lifetime sinecure. Otherwise he’d have to learn to tie his shoes without tying them together.
https://m.sacurrent.com/the-daily/archives/2021/06/09/during-climate-hearing-rep-louie-gohmert-of-texas-asks-if-agencies-can-change-the-earths-orbit
On the other hand, does this mean Louie believes that climate change is a thing? I mean, knocking the earth off its axis is pretty severe for something that’s a hoax.
I think it's "stupidissimo." Or, maybe, " mo stupidissimo."
Though keys often have a silvery plating, they are made of brass for easy machining, and THEY DO NOT REACT TO MAGNETS! The media need stop giving these morons any airtime, other than to point out how utterly stupid they are. Come on, reality!
OK, let's check Dr. Tenpenny's work, about the vaccine magnetizing your body.
First, though, let's check to world record for having metal spoons on your face: (wait a few seconds for the picture)
https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/most-spoons-balanced-on-the-face
31 spoons. That was in 2013, before there was a vaccine. But ... hold on ... there were OTHER TYPES of vaccines then, so maybe, just maybe, it's ANY vaccine that can turn you into Mr. Magneto.
And I suppose in Serbia (where the record was set) they use ferrous spoons, but, in my utensil drawer, the spoons are made of something non-ferrous, because they are not attracted to a strong magnet. So, maybe, the vaccines have discovered non-ferrous magnetism? Could be, and that is a matter of opinion, not your old physics.
And ... finally ... I applied that magnet to my keychain. Would you believe not ONE of my many keys is ferrous? Not one was attracted to a magnet. Once again proving that the magnetism that makes keys stick to your forehead is a new kind of vaccine-based magnetism, not your old bipolar iron-based field. Dr. T shoujld get the Nobel for this!
PS keep the magnet away from your smart carkeys and credit cards. That old physics still works, not replaced just supplemented with the new vax physics.
@Patrick: We seem to have been drawn together by a mysterious invisible force… but I think that force is just basic scientific knowledge.
What a kick! Poor ole Louie and when he hears all the blowback he'll once again accuse us of laying aspersions on his asparagus–-oh woe begone! I've said this before but I'm still wondering: Are those that vote for this chump as dumb as he is?
I was struck by the report of one M.B: "[Fatty] fits the role of sleazy casino owner, strutting around a slot machine room, putting his hard too low on the back of a scantily-clad waitress, sitting down at a large table with a bunch of small-time gangsters while a Sinatra impersonator sings "I Did It My Way."
Now I reckon Ms. Burns meant to say "head" instead of "hard" but the image of Fatty's widdle weenie excited to be on the bare back of a damsel in undress is just too deliciously abhorrent to pass by. I'd even go as far as using the word fulsome?
The keystone pipeline kaput! Finally! Joe and I once had stock in that company but got rid of it after understanding the environmental problems.
And Sherri Tenpenny: We need to introduce her to Louie; the two of them could go on the road touting their wares with such fiery flair on their no there-theres. And I bet ten pennies Sherri won't be given a seat at the table of reputable scientists any time soon. Cold asparagus for the two of them.
P.S. Kudos to the Boston Globe! they took on the Catholic Church and they are now taking on Trump and his administration with vigor. Are we finally moving in the right albeit left direction?
@PD Pepe: You must learn to interpret my typos! "hard" was supposed to be "hand." I fixed it.
@Patrick: Thanks for the picture of spoon-faced champ, But it's clear to me that that Serbian lady was cheating. She must have secretly had one of those vaccinations Dr. Tenpenny has warned us about, so she was able to affix as many spoons to her face as she wanted.
As for me, I think I have smartkeys for my vehicles, so I suppose I'll never be able to drive again because the first time I get near the keys, I'll zap them with my new super-magnetism. None of this is going to be right until Louie talks some forest rangers into re-aligning the Earth's orbit.
Dr. Tenpenny and Louis Gohmert are a match made in heaven. I'd say they spawned from the same seed. And finally, two villages are missing their idiots; with apologies to idiots.
Mark Schoof's essay on exposing the truth about dirty money:
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/10/opinion/fincen-buzzfeed-edwards-prison.html?action=click&module=Opinion&pgtype=Homepage
"The value of Ms. Edward's disclosures, like those of so many people prosecuted for divulging documents of urgent public interest, far outweighs any harms they did. The Biden administration should acknowledge–-in word and deed–- that individuals who reveal public imprtance are not criminals. They are patriots who deserve our gratitude."
Re the spoon magnet guy:
https://tenor.com/view/austin-powers-its-aman-man-gif-10702529
https://peoplepill.com/people/dalibor-jablanovic
@Marie
Thought "hard" a typo, but kinda liked it. Like PD, I also thought it appropriate.
And the McGahn admission that he was one of the WH leakers perhaps said more about the Pretender circus than the remainder of his testimony, most of which we already knew.
The pressure in that place must have been immense, especially for anyone with even a shred of conscience.
I imagine some leakers might have hoped they were enlisting the press in an attempt to bolster those guard rails we heard so much about for four years, but it's likely many of the leaks were just venting.
Picture it: A WH counsel, who works for the president, whispering to the press...
I think within the listings of idiots who speak their idiocy should belong a certain presidential moron who advocated on national teevee the ingesting of bleach and/or the swallowing of an ultaviolet light device. I think that rates right up there with Gohmert's casting of asparaguses. Has anyone checked his calves for melon monstrosity?
Did that woman buy her "medical degree" from Dollar General? Everyone knows the vaccine doesn't magnetize you-- that teeny tiny weensie computer chip injected into your bloodstream just adds you to the CDC's data base so you can be shipped off to a detention camp during your birthday week. Silly thing...
@Jeanne: Don't forget the Ohio woman who claims that her
vaccinations caused her blood to stop circulating. Every morning
she has to stand on her head and beat her butt with a butcher knife
to get it flowing. At least she's getting some exercise.
I see this one I linked earlier today didn't make the trip.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/10/us/politics/ilhan-omar-israel.html
The accompanying question: Am I wrong to think Representative Omar is right?
The "The Trump Coast." story reminds me of a tweet I saw the other day. Brueghel the Younger's The Flatters perfectly encapsulates the Mar-a-lago crowd.
I believe this is what Louis Gohmert had in mind for his global warming fix.
@RAS: Mystery solved! You absolutely found the source of Louie's scientific explorations. Lesson to all of us: our first thoughts, upon reading Gohmert's Hypothesis, should have been, "Probably has something to do with farts."