The Commentariat -- May 20, 2021

Late Morning Update:

Dana Milbank: Mitch McConnell came to Donald Trump's rescue -- again. "And McConnell did it with a baldfaced lie.... McConnell announced on Wednesday morning, before the House vote, that he would 'oppose the House Democrats' slanted and unbalanced proposal.' For good measure, he accused Democrats of 'partisan bad faith.'... The bipartisan commission bill was negotiated by Rep. John Katko (N.Y.), the top Republican on the Homeland Security Committee, with House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy's blessing.... Katko argued on the House floor Wednesday ... that the bill was 'nearly identical' to one Republicans introduced.... 'Thanks for not throwing me under the bus, Kevin,' Katko said at a Republican caucus meeting Tuesday, tire treads still imprinted on his face."

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

Having trouble getting a Covid vaccine in your area? Why not take a vacci-cation -- to Mongolia! ~~~

~~~ Alexandra Stevenson of the New York Times: "Mongolia, a country of grassy hills, vast deserts and endless skies, has a population not much bigger than Chicago's.... But during a pandemic, being a small nation sandwiched between two vaccine makers with global ambitions can have advantages. At a time when most countries are scrambling for coronavirus vaccines, Mongolia now has enough to fully vaccinate its entire adult population, in large part thanks to deals with both China and Russia. Officials are so confident about the nation's vaccine riches that they are promising citizens a 'Covid-free summer.'"

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Loveday Morris, et al., of the Washington Post: "President Biden told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on a phone call Wednesday that he 'expected a significant de-escalation today on the path to a ceasefire,' according to the White House, in the most assertive language used publicly by the administration since Israel and Hamas began exchanging rocket fire 10 days ago. Biden's urging came amid mounting international demands for a cease-fire. Netanyahu has repeatedly said that the operation will not stop until Israel achieves its military objectives." (Also linked yesterday.) CNN's story is here.

Mike DeBonis, et al., of the Washington Post: "Republican leaders are trying to sink legislation establishing an independent commission on the deadly Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol that would probably scrutinize ... Donald Trump's role in the riot and his conversations with Republican lawmakers that day. The bill passed the House on a 252-to-175 vote Wednesday with 35 Republicans supporting the measure, but its chances of clearing the Senate dimmed after Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) came out against the bill earlier in the day." A CNN story is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Alayna Treene & Jacob Knutson of Axios: "[Thirty-five] House Republicans voted in support of the bill, underscoring the fault lines within the party in the aftermath of the insurrection. The amount of Republican support makes it far more difficult for Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to try to dismiss the commission outright as a partisan effort.... Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has promised the bill will get a vote, but it's still unclear how many Republicans will get on board." ~~~

~~~ Yeah, Well, Mom Always Liked Mikey More. Amanda Turkel of the Huffington Post: "Rep. Greg Pence (R-Ind.) opposes an independent commission to investigate the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, even though his own brother [mike] was a central target of the mob's fury." ~~~

Ed Mazza of the Huffington Post: "Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) has had it with the Republican members of the House who attacked a proposed bipartisan commission to investigate the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol that was carried out by pro-Trump insurrectionists. After thanking those in the GOP who supported the measure ― 35 Republicans ultimately broke ranks and voted in favor of the commission ― Ryan lit into those who voted against it." Thanks to PD Pepe for the link. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: So yeah, I guess Tim Ryan is running for Senate. ~~~

~~~ Mike DeBonis of the Washington Post: "Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said Wednesday that he will oppose legislation to create a commission tasked with investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol -- a signal that the legislation will not have the votes to get through the Senate. 'After careful consideration. I've made the decision to oppose the House Democrats slanted and unbalanced proposal for another commission to study the events of January the 6th,' he said on the Senate floor. The bipartisan commission would have an equal number of Republicans and Democrats, five on each side[.]" Politico's story is here. MB: Yes, but the proposed commission is "slanted & unbalanced" because it won't have a majority of Republicans, all of them complaining about antifa communists in Oregon & praising "patriot tourists" in D.C. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ Marie: Sorry for the language, but it looks as if the Turtle is still Trump's bitch. ~~~

     ~~~ Olafimihan Oshin of the Hill: "... [Donald] Trump called for an immediate end to the debate over a commission to investigate the Jan. 6 Capitol riot the night before the House is expected to approve the plan. 'Republicans in the House and Senate should not approve the Democrat trap of the January 6 Commission. It is just more partisan unfairness and unless the murders, riots, and fire bombings in Portland, Minneapolis, Seattle, Chicago, and New York are also going to be studied, this discussion should be ended immediately,' Trump said in a statement Tuesday night. 'Republicans must get much tougher and much smarter, and stop being used by the Radical Left. Hopefully, Mitch McConnell and Kevin McCarthy are listening!' he added." MB: Mitch, evidently, was listening. ~~~

~~~ Olivia Beavers & Sarah Ferris of Politico: "A statement released Wednesday on Capitol Police letterhead, said to be authored by multiple officers on the force, delivered a rare public rebuke of top Republicans for opposing a proposed bipartisan commission to investigate the Jan. 6 Capitol riot that injured scores on their force. The unsigned missive was sent to the offices of every member of Congress hours before the House was set to vote on legislation creating the commission.... The department distanced itself from the statement, noting that it 'has no way of confirming it was even authored by USCP personnel. The U.S. Capitol Police does NOT take positions on legislation.'... [The letter] was distributed by the office of Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.)... Raskin's staff told fellow House offices that multiple officers were behind the letter and chose to remain anonymous 'because they are afraid of retribution for speaking out.'"

Doha Madani of NBC News: "A New York man was charged in connection with the Capitol riot in Washington after allegedly talking about his involvement in the Jan. 6 mob at his dentist's office. Daniel Warmus, of Alden, New York, was arrested Tuesday and charged with violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds, knowingly entering or remaining in a restricted building or without authority, and knowingly with the intent to impede and the orderly conduct of government, according to the Department of Justice. The FBI received a tip about Warmus' involvement from an unidentified person who overheard Warmus discussing his experience at his dentist's office, the complaint against him said. Warmus allegedly played a video he took inside the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6 riot and said he had smoked marijuana while he was there. A subsequent investigation identified Warmus on security footage inside the Capitol...." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I guess it didn't occur to Dan that his dental hygienist might be a patriot who believes, however vaguely, in the orderly transfer of power.

Ray Hartmann of the Raw Story: "Daniel Paul Gray of Florida was charged [Tuesday] with multiple crimes of violence against police officers at the January 6 Capitol riot.... Gray is accused of having altercations with multiple police, one in which he caused a female police officer to fall down the western rotunda stairs 'and became visibly injured.' Gray bragged about it all in a self-shot monologue, the FBI said.... Now the video itself has been captured by the FBI.... 'We started pushing the police out the back of the Capitol. We pushed them from the front to the back of the Capitol.... This is far from over, that was the coolest thing I've ever done in my life, so stay tuned.'" (Also linked yesterday.)

Nina Golgowski of the Huffington Post: "Centenarians who survived the 1921 destruction of a thriving Black district in Tulsa, Oklahoma, told members of Congress at a hearing on Wednesday that they are still waiting for justice. 'By the grace of God, I am still here. I have survived. I have survived to tell this story,' Lessie Benningfield Randle, 106, said in front of the House Judiciary;s Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Subcommittee. 'Hopefully now you all will listen to us while we are still here.' The hearing was timed to align with the centennial of what's known as the Tulsa race massacre, in which a white mob leveled a Black community called Greenwood in May 1921, razing businesses, killing an estimated 300 Black people and leaving another 10,000 homeless. Randle was one of three survivors to speak about the atrocities and is part of a reparations lawsuit filed last year against the city of Tulsa, the county of Tulsa, the state of Oklahoma, and the Tulsa Chamber of Commerce for the two-day attack."

Kara Scannell & Sonia Moghe of CNN: "The New York attorney general's office has opened a criminal tax investigation into top Trump Organization officer Allen Weisselberg, increasing the legal pressure on the long-time aide to ... Donald Trump, people familiar with the investigation say. The pressure on Weisselberg is mounting from two directions with the attorney general looking into his personal taxes, while prosecutors in the district attorney's office are digging into his role at the Trump Organization, his personal finances, and benefits given to his son Barry, a long-time employee of the Trump Organization." The New York Times story is here. ~~~

~~~ Marie: It turns out that the Desk of Donald J. Trump is as stupid. vain & unintentionally funny as he is. (Why does Donald get only an inanimate desk? Devin Nunes got a cow.) Here's the first (long) sentence of a pathetic, hilariously Trumpy screed the desk wrote: "I have just learned, through leaks in the mainstream media, that after being under investigation from the time I came down the escalator 5 ½ years ago, including the fake Russia Russia Russia Hoax, the 2 year, $48M, No Collusion Mueller Witch Hunt, Impeachment Hoax #1, Impeachment Hoax #2, and others, that the Democrat New York Attorney General has 'informed' my organization that their 'investigation' is no longer just a civil matter but also potentially a 'criminal' investigation working with the Manhattan District Attorney's Office." ~~~

     ~~~ Donald doesn't understand what the media do. They don't "leak" stories; people leak to them, and they report the leaks. So there are no "leaks in the media." But the reports of the criminal investigation were not leaks. New York AG Letitia James put out a public statement announcing that she had joined with the Manhattan D.A. in conducting a criminal investigation. CNN & others simply reported the public statement (with added context). And why did Trump learn of this through the media? Since James had -- according to her statement -- already informed the Trump Org (would that be you, Eric?) of the criminal turn of events, you might think someone in the Trump Org would phone the Top Guy with the news. Maybe those who constitute the Trump Organization are too afraid of Donald to be the messengers.

Stating the Obvious, Again. Martin Pengelly of the Guardian: "... behind the scenes [during the 2020 election campaign], with donors and advisers, [President] Obama ... called [Donald] Trump a 'madman', a 'racist, sexist pig', 'that fucking lunatic' and a 'corrupt motherfucker'. The remarks are reported in Battle for the Soul: Inside the Democrats' Campaigns to Defeat Donald Trump by Edward-Isaac Dovere, a staff writer at the Atlantic, which will be published next week. The Guardian obtained a copy. Extracts of Dovere's candid reporting have been published elsewhere -- including a passage in which the now first lady, Jill Biden, is quoted as saying now Vice-President Kamala Harris should 'go fuck herself' after a memorable debate-stage attack on Joe Biden early in the primary." ~~~

     ~~~ Here's an excerpt from Dovere's book, republished in Politico. Dovere was, until recently, a reporter for Politico. The excerpt centers on the campaign-trail dust-up between Biden & Harris.

Quoctrung Bui, et al., of the New York Times: "The Supreme Court's decision Monday to hear a case about a Mississippi law that would ban most abortions after 15 weeks could end up weakening or even overturning Roe v. Wade. Depending on the ruling, legal abortion access could effectively end for those living in much of the American South and Midwest, especially those who are poor, according to an analysis updated this week. In more than half of states, though, legal abortion access would be unchanged, according to the analysis...." Includes map. (Also linked yesterday.) A related story, on Texas' new no-abortion law, is linked below under "Beyond the Beltway."

Missouri U.S. Senate Race. Katie Shepherd of the Washington Post: "Mark McCloskey's star rose quickly in the Republican Party after he and his wife pointed guns at racial justice protesters marching through their gated St. Louis neighborhood last summer -- even as the couple was each hit with a felony weapons charge over the incident. He appeared on cable news to defend his actions and to vilify the peaceful crowd that was marching to St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson's nearby house. He gave a prime-time address at the 2020 Republican National Convention last August. Now, nearly a year after video of the tense faceoff with protesters went viral, McCloskey, 64, has announced plans to run for the Senate. On Tuesday, McCloskey told Fox News host Tucker Carlson that he would seek to replace Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), who is retiring and will not run for reelection in 2022." MB: Words fail me. (Also linked yesterday.) A CBS News story is here.

The Pandemic, Ctd.

The New York Times' live updates of Covid-19 developments Wednesday are here. (Also linked yesterday.)

Michael Birnbaum & Chico Harlan of the Washington Post: "The European Union has agreed to open its borders to vaccinated Americans and others, after more than a year in which travel into the bloc has been severely restricted, a spokesman said Wednesday.... One final round of approvals will be necessary in the coming days, but the sign-off is not in doubt after ambassadors agreed to the plan on Wednesday. The precise timing of when the borders will actually open is not yet clear.... All the coronavirus vaccines available in the United States would be greenlighted, but vaccines manufactured in Russia and China would not be. The E.U. guidance is not binding, meaning that some countries could choose to be more or less restrictive than the bloc as a whole." (Also linked yesterday.) The Hill has a story here.

Beyond the Beltway

The United States of Trump

Cameron Joseph of Vice: "The Republican Party chairs of Texas and Wyoming have flirted with secession from the United States. Oklahoma's Republican chair has called Islam a 'cancer.' The Oregon GOP called the Capitol insurrection a 'false flag' operation. And at least 19 Republican state chairs -- including most of the ones in key swing states -- publicly pushed former President Trump's big lie about the election. A Vice News review of public positions of all 50 GOP state chairs shows a significant number are openly pushing conspiracy theories, spouting unhinged rhetoric, and actively undermining voters' trust in democracy.... [Trump's] conspiratorial claims about the election run even deeper in the states than in Washington -- and will guide the grassroots for years to come.... Former GOP officials say it was entirely predictable that the state parties would get Trumpier while he was president, but found it notable that the trend has continued since he left office.

Matthew Chapman of the Raw Story: "On Wednesday, writing for the Los Angeles Times, Doyle McManus warned that GOP allies of ... Donald Trump are doing their utmost to strip power from local election officials, in a bid to give the national party more power to challenge and review election results they don't like. 'Pro-Trump forces in dozens of states are now working to change election laws to make it harder for Democrats to win -- and easier for Republicans to challenge the results if their candidate loses,' wrote McManus. 'If they're successful, the chaotic aftermath of the 2020 election may only have been a rehearsal for a second round in 2024. In at least 36 states, Republican legislators have proposed laws to weaken the autonomy of local election officials and put more power over vote-counting in the hands of legislators.'..." McManus's column is here.

Florida. Trump 1, Seminoles 0. Jonathan O'Connell & Lori Rozsa of the Washington Post: "Florida legislators approved a legislative package Wednesday that will dramatically expand gambling in the state and sets the stage for ... Donald Trump to pursue a casino license at his Doral golf resort. The legislation includes a 30-year compact with the Seminole Tribe of Florida, negotiated by Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), a Trump ally. The compact includes a provision barring the tribe from interfering should the state issue a gambling license to a facility more than 15 miles 'in a straight line' from the tribe's Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood. Trump's Doral resort, which he purchased in 2012 and then spent an estimated $250 million renovating, is slightly more than 15 miles away.... The tribe's opposition has been a major obstacle to efforts to establish new casinos.... It's unclear whether Donald Trump played a role in shaping the legislation, but the former president unexpectedly issued a statement last week endorsing the bill's author, Senate President Wilton Simpson, for state agriculture commissioner (even though Simpson has not announced a run for the position)." The Hill has a summary story here.

Georgia. Eric Bradner of CNN: "In a bid to bolster ... Donald Trump's lies about widespread fraud in the 2020 election, Trump's Republican allies are now seeking Arizona-style audits in other swing states -- including Georgia, where the former President's false claims have set off an intraparty war. A day after Trump said in a statement that Georgia should follow Arizona's lead, former Georgia state Rep. Vernon Jones, a Trump supporter who is challenging incumbent Republican Gov. Brian Kemp in next year's GOP primary, proposed an audit Wednesday."

Kansas. Fine! I'll Call My Own Damned Grand Jury! A Young Woman with Guts. Peter Kendall of the Washington Post: "For three years, the local [Kansas] prosecutor has resolutely refused to make [a rape case against a person then-college student Madison Smith says raped her]: that what began as consensual sex in a college dorm room became a rape, and that she was unable to say 'stop' because her classmate was strangling her. But Smith invoked a vestige of frontier justice that allows citizens in Kansas to summon a grand jury when they think prosecutors are neglecting to bring charges in a crime. The law, dating to the 1800s, was originally used to go after saloonkeepers when authorities ignored violations of statewide prohibition. The 22-year-old graduate is believed to be the first to convene a citizen grand jury after a prosecutor declined to pursue a sex-crime charge." (Also linked yesterday.)

Louisiana. Jim Mustian of the AP: "Louisiana state troopers were captured on body camera video stunning, punching and dragging a Black man [-- Ronald Greene --] as he apologized for leading them on a high-speed chase -- footage of the man's last moments alive that The Associated Press obtained after authorities refused to release it for two years.... The 2019 arrest outside Monroe, Louisiana, is the subject of a federal civil rights investigation.... Louisiana officials have rebuffed repeated calls to release footage and details about what caused the 49-year-old's death. Troopers initially told Greene's family he died on impact after crashing into a tree during the chase. Later, State Police released a one-page statement acknowledging only that Greene struggled with troopers and died on his way to the hospital." MB: Read the whole story. It's horrible. It's torture. It's murder. It's a big fat cover-up. And forget the "allegedly."

Ore-Ida Potatoheads. Douglas Perry of the Oregonian: "Five eastern Oregon counties voted Tuesday in favor of considering becoming part of Idaho. Baker, Grant, Lake, Malheur and Sherman counties join Union and Jefferson, which voted last year to require county officials to study or promote joining Idaho.... Several prominent elected officials in Idaho, including Gov. Brad Little, have expressed support for the movement.... Moving Oregon counties into Idaho remains a long shot, for no matter how many Oregon counties say they want to be part of Idaho, the two state legislatures -- and ultimately the U.S. Congress -- would have to give their approval."

Texas. Edgar Sandoval & Dave Montgomery of the New York Times: "Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas signed into law on Wednesday one of the nation's most restrictive abortion measures, banning the procedure after six weeks of pregnancy and thrusting the state into the advancing national debate over reproductive rights. The legislation, also known as the 'heartbeat law,' amounts to an outright ban on abortion, as many women are not aware they are pregnant at the six-week mark. It also would allow any private citizen to sue doctors or abortion clinic employees who would perform or help arrange for the procedure. The Texas law arrives at a potentially pivotal moment.... This week the Supreme Court announced it would consider a case from Mississippi that could undermine Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision that established a constitutional right to abortion."

Way Beyond

Israel. Fares Akram & Joseph Krauss of the AP: "Israel unleashed another wave of airstrikes across the Gaza Strip early Thursday, killing at least one Palestinian and wounding several, and Hamas fired more rockets, even as expectations rose that a cease-fire could be coming. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pushed back against calls from the U.S. to wind down the Gaza offensive, appearing determined to inflict maximum damage on Hamas in a war that could help save his political career. Still, officials close to the negotiations say they expect a truce to be announced in the next 24 hours. Explosions shook Gaza City and orange flares lit up the pre-dawn sky, with bombing raids also reported in the central town of Deir al-Balah and the southern town of Khan Younis. As the sun rose, residents surveyed the rubble from at least five family homes destroyed in Khan Younis. There were also heavy airstrikes on a commercial thoroughfare in Gaza City."

News Lede

CNBC: "The procession of Americans heading to the unemployment line fell last week, with jobless claims totaling a fresh pandemic-era low of 444,000, the Labor Department reported Thursday. Economist surveyed by Dow Jones had been expecting 452,000 new claims as the jobs picture improves thanks to an accelerated economic reopening across the country. The total represented a decline from the previous week's 478,000."

The Commentariat -- May 19, 2021

Late Morning Update:

Mike DeBonis of the Washington Post: "Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said Wednesday that he will oppose legislation to create a commission tasked with investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol -- a signal that the legislation will not have the votes to get through the Senate. 'After careful consideration. I've made the decision to oppose the House Democrats slanted and unbalanced proposal for another commission to study the events of January the 6th,' he said on the Senate floor. The bipartisan commission would have an equal number of Republicans and Democrats, five on each side[.]" Politico's story is here. MB: Yes, but the proposed commission is "slanted & unbalanced" because it won't have a GOP majority, all of them complainingg about antifa communists in Oregon & praising "patriot tourists" in D.C.

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

Michael Birnbaum & Chico Harlan of the Washington Post: "The European Union has agreed to open its borders to vaccinated Americans and others, after more than a year in which travel into the bloc has been severely restricted, a spokesman said Wednesday.... One final round of approvals will be necessary in the coming days, but the sign-off is not in doubt after ambassadors agreed to the plan on Wednesday. The precise timing of when the borders will actually open is not yet clear.... All the coronavirus vaccines available in the United States would be greenlighted, but vaccines manufactured in Russia and China would not be. The E.U. guidance is not binding, meaning that some countries could choose to be more or less restrictive than the bloc as a whole."

Loveday Morris, et al., of the Washington Post: "President Biden told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on a phone call Wednesday that he 'expected a significant de-escalation today on the path to a ceasefire,' according to the White House, in the most assertive language used publicly by the administration since Israel and Hamas began exchanging rocket fire 10 days ago. Biden's urging came amid mounting international demands for a cease-fire. Netanyahu has repeatedly said that the operation will not stop until Israel achieves its military objectives."

Quoctrung Bui, et al., of the New York Times: "The Supreme Court's decision Monday to hear a case about a Mississippi law that would ban most abortions after 15 weeks could end up weakening or even overturning Roe v. Wade. Depending on the ruling, legal abortion access could effectively end for those living in much of the American South and Midwest, especially those who are poor, according to an analysis updated this week. In more than half of states, though, legal abortion access would be unchanged, according to the analysis...." Includes map.

Ray Hartmann of the Raw Story: "Daniel Paul Gray of Florida was charged [Tuesday] with multiple crimes of violence against police officers at the January 6 Capitol riot.... Gray is accused of having altercations with multiple police, one in which he caused a female police officer to fall down the western rotunda stairs 'and became visibly injured.' Gray bragged about it all in a self-shot monologue, the FBI said.... Now the video itself has been captured by the FBI.... 'We started pushing the police out the back of the Capitol. We pushed them from the front to the back of the Capitol.... This is far from over, that was the coolest thing I've ever done in my life, so stay tuned.'"

Missouri U.S. Senate Race. Katie Shepherd of the Washington Post: "Mark McCloskey's star rose quickly in the Republican Party after he and his wife pointed guns at racial justice protesters marching through their gated St. Louis neighborhood last summer -- even as the couple was each hit with a felony weapons charge over the incident. He appeared on cable news to defend his actions and to vilify the peaceful crowd that was marching to St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson's nearby house. He gave a prime-time address at the 2020 Republican National Convention last August. Now, nearly a year after video of the tense faceoff with protesters went viral, McCloskey, 64, has announced plans to run for the Senate. On Tuesday, McCloskey told Fox News host Tucker Carlson that he would seek to replace Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), who is retiring and will not run for reelection in 2022." MB: Words fail me.

Fine! I'll Call My Own Damned Grand Jury! A Young Woman with Guts. Peter Kendall of the Washington Post: "For three years, the local [Kansas] prosecutor has resolutely refused to make [a rape case against a person then-college student Madison Smith says raped her]: that what began as consensual sex in a college dorm room became a rape, and that she was unable to say 'stop' because her classmate was strangling her. But Smith invoked a vestige of frontier justice that allows citizens in Kansas to summon a grand jury when they think prosecutors are neglecting to bring charges in a crime. The law, dating to the 1800s, was originally used to go after saloonkeepers when authorities ignored violations of statewide prohibition. The 22-year-old graduate is believed to be the first to convene a citizen grand jury after a prosecutor declined to pursue a sex-crime charge."

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Kathryn Watson of CBS News: "President Biden traveled Tuesday to Dearborn, Michigan, to visit Ford's electric vehicle plant as his administration continues to push for alternative forms of energy and transportation. 'The future of the auto industry is electric. There's no turning back,' Mr. Biden said in remarks from the auto plant, known as the Ford Rouge Electric Vehicle Center." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ My name is Joe Biden, and I'm a car guy." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: This is Joe at his best, connecting with people. The contrast between Real Joe & the Fake Former Guy is stark. And remember when the Fake Former Guy pretended to drive a truck? Meep, meep! ~~~

~~~ Robin Givhan of the Washington Post: "President Biden had come to this Detroit suburb [Dearborn] on Tuesday afternoon to draw attention to Ford Motor Co.'s F-150 Lightning electric truck, as well as his administration's infrastructure plan. He flew in to express awe during a tour of American technology and to demonstrate his blue-collar bona fides by settling into one of the new pickups with familiarity and ease. And after all the speechifying was finished, Biden headed over to Ford's test track and gunned an F-150 down the asphalt. 'This sucker's quick,' he announced to the assembled press.... Politicking. There it was in all its effervescent certainty." ~~~

~~~ Luke Broadwater & Nicholas Fandos of the New York Times: "Representative Rashida Tlaib, Democrat of Michigan, confronted President Biden on Tuesday over his support for Israel amid its bombing campaign against Hamas in Gaza, urging him to stop enabling a government she said was committing crimes against Palestinians, according to a Democratic aide familiar with the exchange. During a conversation on a tarmac in Detroit, where Mr. Biden had arrived to visit a Ford factory near her congressional district, Ms. Tlaib echoed a scathing speech she delivered last week on the House floor, telling the president that he must do more to protect Palestinian lives and human rights, said the aide, who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe her remarks." MB: During his introductory remarks at the Dearborn plant, Biden offered prayers for Tlaib's grandmother & her other family members who live in the West Bank. More on the Israeli-Palestinian war linked under "Way Beyond the Beltway" below.

Lara Jakes & Sarah Mervosh of the New York Times: "In a victory for same-sex couples, the State Department on Tuesday said it would grant U.S. citizenship to babies born abroad to married couples with at least one American parent -- no matter which parent was biologically related to the child. The new policy effectively guarantees that American and binational couples who use assisted reproductive technology to give birth overseas -- such as surrogates or sperm donations -- can pass along citizenship to their children.... Previously, the State Department, based on an interpretation of 1950s immigration law, required a child born abroad to have a biological connection to an American parent in order to receive citizenship at birth. The emphasis on biology drew scrutiny in particular for its impact on same-sex couples, who are more likely to use artificial reproductive technology."

Harper Neidig of the Hill: "The Senate on Tuesday narrowly voted to proceed with the confirmation of Kristen Clarke, President Biden's nominee to lead the Justice Department's civil rights division, over stiff Republican opposition. The Senate approved a procedural motion by a 50-48 margin to break a tied committee vote over Clarke's nomination, which divided 11-11 on party lines last week. The floor vote on Tuesday broke mostly along partisan lines as well, with just one Republican, Sen. Susan Collins (Maine), voting in favor. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), who has crossed party lines to support other Biden nominees, was absent." Because most Republicans don't want the Civil Rights Division to be doing civil rights things.

Eugene Scott of the Washington Post: "The House on Tuesday passed legislation to aggressively investigate hate crimes, especially those targeting Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, that have increased during the coronavirus pandemic. The vote was 364 to 62; all the votes in opposition came from Republicans. The legislation heads to President Biden for his signature. Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) introduced the Covid-19 Hate Crimes Act in March after attacks against Asian Americans increased after the coronavirus emerged in China. Just five days after Hirono introduced the legislation, eight people were killed -- including six women of Asian descent -- in a mass shooting at three Atlanta-area spas." The Hill's story is here.

Mary Jalonick, et al., of the AP: “The House is poised to vote on a 9/11-style commission on the deadly Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, a first step toward creating an independent, bipartisan panel that would investigate the siege and try to prevent it from happening again. While the measure is expected to be approved Wednesday by the House, a commission will likely be a more difficult sell in the Senate. Republicans there are signaling that they will try to block -- or at least slow down -- the effort. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said Tuesday that he is 'pushing the pause button' on the legislation to form the commission. While controlling the Senate, Democrats would need at least 10 GOP votes to pass the measure under Senate rules. McConnell told reporters that his caucus is 'undecided' but willing to listen to arguments about 'whether such a commission is needed.'" ~~~

~~~ Cristina Marcos & Mychael Schnell of the Hill: "House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) on Tuesday said he will not support bipartisan legislation for the 9/11-style commission to probe the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. 'Given the political misdirections that have marred this process, given the now duplicative and potentially counterproductive nature of this effort, and given the Speaker's shortsighted scope that does not examine interrelated forms of political violence in America, I cannot support this legislation,' McCarthy said in a statement released Tuesday morning. This statement comes after the top Democrat and Republican on the House Homeland Security Committee reached an agreement last week on legislation to create the commission to investigate the Jan. 6 attack that resulted in the deaths of several people, including a Capitol Police officer." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ Mike Lillis of the Hill: "Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Tuesday slammed Republicans after the House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said that he would not support legislation to create a 9/11-style commission to investigate the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. Addressing reporters on Tuesday morning, Pelosi lamented the 'cowardice' of those Republicans like McCarthy who oppose bipartisan legislation to form the independent panel." (Also linked yesterday.)

Insurrection Causes Severe GOP Memory Lapse. Brittany Shammas of the Washington Post: "Rep. Andrew S. Clyde (R-Ga.) last week downplayed the Jan. 6 assault on the Capitol, comparing the mob's breaching of the building to a 'normal tourist visit.' But photos from that day show the congressman, mouth agape, rushing toward the doors to the House gallery and helping barricade them to prevent rioters from entering. The images have resurfaced in recent days on social media amid a wave of disbelief and outrage over Clyde's comments, including from several Republicans.... His remarks came during a Wednesday congressional hearing aimed at understanding the security lapses that led up to the Jan. 6 riot.... Clyde was among a handful of Republicans who sought to recast the incident, claiming that calling it an insurrection was 'a boldfaced lie.'" The article features two photos of Clyde on January 6: in one, he and others are barricading a door to the House chamber; in another, Clyde looks terrified as he stands behind a guard aiming a gun at a window in the chamber.

Liar, Liar. Daniel Dale of CNN: "Texas Rep. Dan Crenshaw [R-Texas] tried Sunday to downplay his December decision to sign on to a legal brief in support of the Texas lawsuit that sought to get the Supreme Court to overturn the 2020 presidential election.... Crenshaw [told Chuck Todd,] 'That amicus brief was a simple question of the Supreme Court, in saying, "Can you please speak to this question of whether, of whether process changes in the election -- last minute, not approved by the legislature -- can be deemed constitutional?" It was a question, and they didn't want to answer that question.'... In reality, the brief expressed a firm opinion -- that the four Biden-won states had taken 'unconstitutional actions' -- and asked the Supreme Court for a specific response: to allow Texas' lawsuit to proceed and to grant Texas' request for a preliminary injunction forbidding the four states from certifying Biden's victories until the lawsuit was resolved. The brief also invoked baseless claims of election fraud, saying that 'the election of 2020 has been riddled with an unprecedented number of serious allegations of fraud and irregularities.'" (Also linked yesterday.)

Sonia Moghe & Kara Scannell of CNN: "New York Attorney General Letitia James is joining the Manhattan district attorney's office in a criminal investigation of the Trump Organization, James' office said Tuesday. The attorney general office's investigation into the Trump Organization, which has been underway since 2019, will also continue as an ongoing civil probe, but the office recently informed Trump Organization officials of the criminal component."

He Probably Needs the Money. Travis Gettys of the Raw Story: "Since leaving the White House in January..., [Donald Trump] has taken $65,600 in presidential pension payments, a spokesperson for the General Services Administration told Insider. Trump unquietly donated his $400,000 annual salary during his four-year term, as he had promised to do as a candidate in 2016, and it's not clear what he has done with the pension he's been receiving since January. The U.S. Constitution requires presidents to be paid a salary in office but does not require them to receive pension payments." (Also linked yesterday.)

Katelyn Polantz of CNN: "Lawyers for Rudy Giuliani -- who exhorted Trump supporters in Washington on the day of the Capitol riot to 'have trial by combat' -- are now arguing that he wasn't literally advocating for an insurrection over the 2020 election results. The assertion comes in Giuliani's response to a lawsuit filed by Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell seeking to hold Giuliani..., Donald Trump and others accountable for inciting the violent siege on January 6 at the US Capitol. In a court filing Monday, Giuliani wrote that his words to Trump supporters were 'hyperbolic.'" MB: Apparently Rudy's audience missed that subtle implication of hyperbole. Maybe it was Rudy's shouting; maybe it was his twisted, angry face & wild eyes; maybe it was the spittle & drool. It's sorta like the brigade commander yelling "Charge!" whereupon his men, bayonets fixed, rush the enemy. Months later, during a court martial, the commander explains that when he hollered "charge," he was "being hyperbolic." ~~~

~~~ Betsy Swan & Daniel Lippman of Politico: "Justice Department investigators have asked questions about Rudy Giuliani's work connected to Romania...." Giuliani's advocacy for Gabriel 'Puiu' Popoviciu, "a Romanian property mogul," may have violated the U.S. Foreign Agents Registration Act. And here's the funny part: Rudy took on Popoviciu as a client after Hunter Biden quit working on behalf of the mogul. "Giuliani has severely criticized Hunter Biden for his ties to foreign companies." Uh, yeah.

Maine 2020 U.S. Senate Race. Lachlan Markay of Axios: "The FBI is investigating what it describes as a massive scheme to illegally finance Sen. Susan Collins' 2020 re-election bid.... A recently unsealed search warrant application shows the FBI believes a Hawaii defense contractor illegally funneled $150,000 to a pro-Collins super PAC and reimbursed donations to Collins' campaign. There's no indication that Collins or her team were aware of any of it. Collins helped the contractor at issue, then called Navatek and since renamed the Martin Defense Group, secure an $8 million Navy contract before most of the donations took place. Former Navatek CEO Martin Kao was indicted last year for allegedly bilking the federal government of millions in coronavirus relief loans." MB: Collins expressed ConcernTM.

Florida 2022 U.S. Senate Race. Marc Caputo of Politico: "Florida Rep. Val Demings is planning to run for the U.S. Senate, rather than governor, providing Democrats with a big-name candidate to take on Republican Sen. Marco Rubio next year.... Demings, 64, was first elected to the House in 2016 from Orlando and held the distinction of being the city's first Black woman police chief. She rose to national prominence as the only non-lawyer on the first House impeachment committee to charge President Donald Trump with wrongdoing. As a Black woman and law enforcement officer, her background made her uniquely situated to be a national Democratic spokesperson for policing and race issues -- it helped catapult her to President Joe Biden's shortlist as a possible running mate in 2020." (Also linked yesterday.)

Drew Harwell of the Washington Post: "Amazon is extending its global ban on police use of its facial recognition software until further notice, the company said Tuesday, prolonging a one-year moratorium on a surveillance technology that has stirred controversy because of its problems with racial bias and false arrests. The tech giant said in June, amid nationwide protests over racial injustice and police violence, that it was instituting a one-year police ban of its software, Rekognition, to 'give Congress enough time to implement appropriate rules' governing the technology's ethical use."

The Pandemic, Ctd.

Dr. Sema Sgaier, in a New York Times op-ed, breaks down the four reasons people give for not getting Covid-19 vaccines, and a rough estimate of the share of such people, state-by-state. MB: Interesting. Those in the South & fly-over country are the dimwittiest, according to the graphs. There are plenty of dummies in my state. If you want smarter neighbors, move to Vermont. (Also linked yesterday.)

Sheryl Stolberg, et al., of the New York Times: "When Fuad El-Hibri, founder and executive chairman of Emergent BioSolutions, appears Wednesday before a House subcommittee to explain how the company's Baltimore plant ruined millions of doses of coronavirus vaccine, he will be questioned by lawmakers he and his employees spent tens of thousands of dollars helping to elect. Since 2018, federal campaign records show, Mr. El-Hibri and his wife, Nancy, have donated at least $150,000 to groups affiliated with the top Republican on the panel, Representative Steve Scalise of Louisiana, as well as Mr. Scalise's campaigns. At least two other members of the subcommittee received donations during the 2020 election cycle from the company's political action committee, which has given about $1.4 million over the past 10 years to members of both parties.... Mr. El-Hibri and the company he founded have spent years cultivating ties on Capitol Hill, helping Emergent carve out a lucrative niche market as a government contractor under both Democratic and Republican administrations."

Ohio. Philip Bump of the Washington Post: "Last week, Gov. Mike DeWine (R) announced that any adult who had been vaccinated could enter a lottery to win 1 of 5 $1 million jackpots. On Tuesday, the state's website for the 'Vax-a-Million' contest went live.... It's styled like a lottery website, as the name might suggest, with lots of flashy graphics and links to extensive qualification rules.... State data suggest that the proposal has had the intended effect, at least to a degree. The seven-day average number of Ohioans getting their first shots increased the day after DeWine's announcement and continued heading up through Sunday. It's worth noting that this happened while the number of vaccinations nationally remained flat...." A related NBC News story is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Answer (a) or (b): "I'm getting the vaccine because (a) there's a teensy weensy chance I'll win a million dollars; (b) I don't want to get sick & die or spread a deadly disease to friends, family, & strangers." Apparently the answer for some Ohioans is (a).

Stating the Obvious. Jason Abbruzzese of NBC News: "Former President Barack Obama on Monday offered a blunt assessment of the videos of unidentified aerial phenomenon that have continued to gain attention in the United States. 'What is true, and I'm actually being serious here, is that there is footage and records of objects in the skies that we don't know exactly what they are,' he said. Obama's comments add to the growing legitimacy of the reports of the unidentified phenomenon and the government's awareness of them at high levels."

Beyond the Beltway

Arizona. Cyber Ninjas Don't Know What They're Doing. Eric Bradner of CNN: "Auditors hired by the Arizona state Senate backtracked Tuesday from claims that a key database had been deleted from Maricopa County's elections servers -- admitting in a hearing held by the Senate Republicans overseeing the audit that the data is intact and they'd been looking the wrong way. The blunder was the latest embarrassment for state Senate President Karen Fann and the Republicans who sought the audit, which is being overseen by a company called Cyber Ninjas." ~~~

~~~ Philip Bump of the Washington Post: "Something particularly interesting is happening with the Arizona 'audit' (as its proponents call it) that has otherwise been missing in the months since the 2020 election. Because it's happening now, in relative isolation, and because it carries at least some sort of authoritative stamp that provides a process for feedback, the nation is at long last able to directly confront false election claims promoted by ... Donald Trump and his allies. The result is Republicans stepping up to deride the process as a grotesque, unfounded sham. To be very clear..., with no obvious exception, all of the allegations of fraud and malfeasance that have emerged since Trump lost six months ago have been equally shoddy and baseless.... What's happening in Arizona is unusual only in that it is happening in a spotlight, and it is happening through a formal system that allows it to be held to account."

Michigan. Don't You Come Back, Bill Bailey. Clara Hendrickson of the Detroit Free Press: "An Antrim County judge dismissed an election fraud lawsuit Tuesday that has served as a vehicle to advance the unfounded conspiracy theory that tabulators manufactured by Dominion Voting Systems switched votes last fall from Donald Trump to Joe Biden. More than six months after the election, the lawsuit sought an audit of Michigan's election results. Michigan election officials already undertook a statewide audit of the presidential election starting in January in which more than 18,000 randomly selected ballots from more than 1,300 jurisdictions were reviewed by clerks. The Bureau of Elections found that the tabulators counted ballots properly and uncovered no evidence of widespread issues with the machines. The judge declared the case moot, ruling Central Lake Township resident Bill Bailey, who brought the lawsuit, had already been granted the forensic imaging of the election equipment he requested and there had also been a lawful election audit." ~~~

     ~~~ So This Didn't Work Out. Rachel Olding of the Daily Beast: "Last week..., Donald Trump released a statement claiming that a pending lawsuit in Michigan would, finally, uncover massive election fraud."

New York Gubernatorial Race. Creepy Scions Named Andrew Run for Governor. Quint Forgey of Politico: "Andrew Giuliani, the son of former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and a former Trump White House official, announced on Tuesday that he would run for New York governor next year. 'I'm a politician out of the womb. It's in my DNA,' Andrew Giuliani, a Republican, told The New York Post in an interview, hyping a potential general election faceoff against incumbent Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo." (Also linked yesterday.)

North Carolina. Lateshia Beachum of the Washington Post: "The sheriff's deputies who shot a 42-year-old Black man [-- Andrew Brown, Jr.,] to death as he drove his vehicle last month in Elizabeth City, N.C., were justified in their actions because they had reason to believe they were in danger, Pasquotank County District Attorney R. Andrew Womble said during a news conference Tuesday morning." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Yeah, maybe. I watched some of Womble's presentation, and it was pretty convincing -- until you got to wondering why he showed mostly stills from the body cam videos & only a short portion of video (which I did not see). Womble's interpretation of what occurred disputes the small portion of the videos Brown's family & attorneys were able to see. Eventually, we'll get more answers. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ John Bowden of the Hill: "Officials in Pasquotank County, North Carolina, said Tuesday that three officers involved in the killing of Andrew Brown Jr., a Black man who died when he was shot by officers while trying to escape in a car, will be disciplined but remain with the county sheriff's office. Pasquotank County Sheriff Tommy Wooten told local NBC affiliate WITN 7 that the three officers would be disciplined and receive retraining on issues including the use of body cameras as well as when to have emergency medical services on standby. 'This was a terrible and tragic outcome and we could do better,' Wooten said, according to WITN 7."

North Dakota. Dave Kolpack of the AP: "Federal authorities say a man on trial in Fargo, North Dakota, slashed his own throat in the courtroom Monday and died. North Dakota U.S. Marshal Dallas Carlson said the incident happened after a jury returned a partial guilty verdict against the man, who had faced terrorizing-related charges. Carlson said the man had a sharp instrument that might have been made of plastic. Carlson said the jury had left the courtroom, but U.S. District Judge Peter Welte, courtroom staff and others witnessed the incident. Court security officers and deputy marshals attempted live-saving measures in the courtroom. FBI spokesman Kevin Smith said the man had been acquitted on one charge and found guilty on the other charge, and was about to be taken into custody."

Way Beyond

Israel. The New York Times live updates of developments in Israel's armed conflict Tuesday are here. ~~~

~~~ Fares Akram & Joseph Krauss of the AP: "Israeli airstrikes killed at least six people across the Gaza Strip and destroyed the home of an extended family early Wednesday. Despite growing international pressure for a cease-fire, the military said it widened its strikes on militant targets in the Palestinian territory's south to blunt continuing rocket fire from Hamas." ~~~

~~~ Nahal Toosi of Politico: "The Biden administration is increasingly hopeful that the deadly conflict between Israel and Palestinian militants is in its final stages, and U.S. officials are confident their mostly behind-the-scenes intervention helped avert an early Israeli ground invasion of the Gaza Strip. American officials have privately urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his aides to wind down his country's operations against the Gaza Strip, which have included airstrikes and killed more than 200 Palestinians, a person familiar with the situation told Politico on Tuesday. Netanyahu recently said that a 'few days' of fighting lie ahead, adding to hopes that an end is near." ~~~

~~~ Ellen Knickmeyer, et al., of the AP: "President Joe Biden and administration officials have encouraged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other top Israeli officials to wind down the bombardment of Gaza, a person with knowledge of the discussions said Tuesday, as the Israeli and Palestinian death tolls mounted and pressure grew on Biden to move more forcefully to stop the fighting. Top Biden administration officials underscored to the Israelis on Monday and Tuesday that time is not on their side in terms of international objections to nine days of Israeli airstrikes and Hamas rockets, and that it is in their interest to wind down the operations soon...."

~~~ Michael Crowley & Annie Karni of the New York Times: "President Biden has maintained his public support toward Israel even as he adopted a somewhat sharper private tone with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a calculus shaped by Mr. Biden's longtime relationship with the Israeli leader as well as by growing hopes that Israel's military operations against Hamas are nearing an end. In a phone call on Monday, Mr. Biden warned Mr. Netanyahu that he could fend off criticism of the Gaza strikes for only so long, according to two people familiar with the call. That conversation was said to be significantly stronger than an official summary released by the White House. It affirmed Israel's right to self-defense and did not repeat calls by many congressional Democrats for an immediate cease-fire. That phone call and others since the fighting started last week reflect Mr. Biden and Mr. Netanyahu's complicated 40-year relationship." MB: These reports seem to be the results of approved leaks.

The Commentariat -- May 18, 2021

Late Morning/Afternoon Update:

Kathryn Watson of CBS News: "President Biden traveled Tuesday to Dearborn, Michigan, to visit Ford's electric vehicle plant as his administration continues to push for alternative forms of energy and transportation. 'The future of the auto industry is electric. There's no turning back,' Mr. Biden said in remarks from the auto plant, known as the Ford Rouge Electric Vehicle Center." ~~~

~~~ My name is Joe Biden, and I'm a car guy." ~~~

Lateshia Beachum of the Washington Post: "The sheriff's deputies who shot a 42-year-old Black man [-- Andrew Brown, Jr.,] to death as he drove his vehicle last month in Elizabeth City, N.C., were justified in their actions because they had reason to believe they were in danger, Pasquotank County District Attorney R. Andrew Womble said during a news conference Tuesday morning." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Yeah, well, maybe. I watched some of Womble's presentation, and it was pretty convincing -- until you got to wondering why he showed mostly stills from the body cam videos & only a short portion of video (which I did not see). Womble's interpretation of what occurred disputes the small portion of the videos Brown's family & attorneys were able to see. Eventually, we'll get more answers.

Dr. Sema Sgaier, in a New York Times op-ed, breaks down the four reasons people give for not getting Covid-19 vaccines, and a rough estimate of the share of such people, state-by-state. MB: Interesting. Those in the South & fly-over country are the dimwittiest, according to the graphs. There are plenty of dummies in my state. If you want smarter neighbors, move to Vermont. ~~~

~~~ Speaking of the none-too-bright: ~~~

~~~ Cristina Marcos & Mychael Schnell of the Hill: "House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) on Tuesday said he will not support bipartisan legislation for the 9/11-style commission to probe the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. 'Given the political misdirections that have marred this process, given the now duplicative and potentially counterproductive nature of this effort, and given the Speaker's shortsighted scope that does not examine interrelated forms of political violence in America, I cannot support this legislation,' McCarthy said in a statement released Tuesday morning. This statement comes after the top Democrat and Republican on the House Homeland Security Committee reached an agreement last week on legislation to create the commission to investigate the Jan. 6 attack that resulted in the deaths of several people, including a Capitol Police officer." ~~~

~~~ Mike Lillis of the Hill: "Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Tuesday slammed Republicans after the House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said that he would not support legislation to create a 9/11-style commission to investigate the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. Addressing reporters on Tuesday morning, Pelosi lamented the 'cowardice' of those Republicans like McCarthy who oppose bipartisan legislation to form the independent panel."

Liar, Liar. Daniel Dale of CNN: "Texas Rep. Dan Crenshaw [R-Texas] tried Sunday to downplay his December decision to sign on to a legal brief in support of the Texas lawsuit that sought to get the Supreme Court to overturn the 2020 presidential election.... Crenshaw [told Chuck Todd,] 'That amicus brief was a simple question of the Supreme Court, in saying, "Can you please speak to this question of whether, of whether process changes in the election -- last minute, not approved by the legislature -- can be deemed constitutional?" It was a question, and they didn't want to answer that question.'... In reality, the brief expressed a firm opinion -- that the four Biden-won states had taken 'unconstitutional actions' -- and asked the Supreme Court for a specific response: to allow Texas' lawsuit to proceed and to grant Texas' request for a preliminary injunction forbidding the four states from certifying Biden's victories until the lawsuit was resolved. The brief also invoked baseless claims of election fraud, saying that 'the election of 2020 has been riddled with an unprecedented number of serious allegations of fraud and irregularities.'"

He Probably Needs the Money. Travis Gettys of the Raw Story: "Since leaving the White House in January..., [Donald Trump] has taken $65,600 in presidential pension payments, a spokesperson for the General Services Administration told Insider. Trump unquietly donated his $400,000 annual salary during his four-year term, as he had promised to do as a candidate in 2016, and it's not clear what he has done with the pension he's been receiving since January. The U.S. Constitution requires presidents to be paid a salary in office but does not require them to receive pension payments."

Florida U.S. Senate Race. Marc Caputo of Politico: "Florida Rep. Val Demings is planning to run for the U.S. Senate, rather than governor, providing Democrats with a big-name candidate to take on Republican Sen. Marco Rubio next year.... Demings, 64, was first elected to the House in 2016 from Orlando and held the distinction of being the city's first Black woman police chief. She rose to national prominence as the only non-lawyer on the first House impeachment committee to charge President Donald Trump with wrongdoing. As a Black woman and law enforcement officer, her background made her uniquely situated to be a national Democratic spokesperson for policing and race issues -- it helped catapult her to President Joe Biden's shortlist as a possible running mate in 2020."

New York Gubernatorial Race. Creepy Scions Named Andrew Run for Governor. Quint Forgey of Politico: "Andrew Giuliani, the son of former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and a former Trump White House official, announced on Tuesday that he would run for New York governor next year. 'I'm a politician out of the womb. It's in my DNA,' Andrew Giuliani, a Republican, told The New York Post in an interview, hyping a potential general election faceoff against incumbent Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo."

~~~~~~~~~~

Biden Inches Toward Getting Real. Anne Gearan, et al., of the Washington Post: "President Biden on Monday called for a cease-fire to end a week of fierce fighting between Israel and Hamas militants, urging both sides to 'protect innocent civilians' in a statement that amounted to a subtle rebuke of the Israeli government, a close ally of the United States. Biden 'reiterated his firm support for Israel's right to defend itself against indiscriminate rocket attacks' during a call with ­Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the White House said. But in adding that Biden 'expressed support for a cease-fire,' the administration went further than previous accounts of U.S. interactions with Israeli officials in describing the closed-door diplomacy and suggesting a private push. Even as pressure mounted from fellow Democrats and others urging a cease-fire, Biden administration officials had stopped short of joining their calls until Biden spoke to Netanyahu and then issued a carefully worded statement afterward.... Secretary of State Antony Blinken drew short of calling for a cease-fire or a statement at the U.N. Security Council on Monday." ~~~

~~~ Ellen Knickmeyer, et al., of the AP: "President Joe Biden expressed support for a cease-fire between Israel and Gaza's militant Hamas rulers in a call to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, but stopped short of demanding an immediate stop to the eight days of Israeli airstrikes and Hamas rocket barrages that have killed more than 200 people, most of them Palestinian."

Nicholas Fandos & Catie Edmondson of the New York Times: "... a growing number of Democrats in Washington say they are no longer willing to give [Israel] a pass for its harsh treatment of the Palestinians and the spasms of violence that have defined the conflict for years. Representative Gregory W. Meeks of New York, the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, told Democrats on the panel on Monday that he would ask the Biden administration to delay a $735 million tranche of precision-guided weapons to Israel.... Mr. Meeks, a fixture at the annual conference of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, or AIPAC, the most powerful pro-Israel lobbying group, convened an emergency meeting of Foreign Affairs Committee Democrats on Monday night to discuss delaying the arms package.... A day earlier, 28 Democratic senators -- more than half of the party's caucus -- put out a letter publicly calling for a cease-fire. The effort was led by Senator Jon Ossoff, Democrat of Georgia and, at 34, the face of a younger generation of American Jews in Congress."

Marie: In all fairness, and I'm serious here, we can't blame Jared Kushner for not resolving a 3,000-year-old ethnic conflict. But the guy is so dense it takes your breath away. I gasped when I read this: ~~~

We are witnessing the last vestiges of what has been known as the Arab-Israeli conflict... The Abraham Accords exposed the conflict as nothing more than a real-estate dispute between Israelis and Palestinians that need not hold up Israel's relations with the broader Arab world. -- Jared Kushner, boasting in a Wall Street Journal op-ed, March 14, ~~~

~~~ Michelle Goldberg of the New York Times: "... the explosion of fighting in Israel and Palestine in recent days makes clear something that never should have been in doubt: justice for the Palestinians is a precondition for peace. And one reason there has been so little justice for the Palestinians is because of the foreign policy of the United States.... The United States has underwritten both Palestinian subjugation and the growing power of Jewish ethnonationalism. It's not enough for Joe Biden to be a little bit better than Trump or to try to restart a spectral 'peace process.' If Israel can no longer afford to ignore the demands of the Palestinians, neither can we." More on the conflict linked under "Way Beyond the Beltway" below.

Normality Returns. Jason Hoffman, et al., of CNN: "The White House released the 2020 tax returns for both President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on Monday, restoring a presidential tradition that had been ignored under ... Donald Trump. The White House also released the first and second families' financial public financial disclosure reports. The Bidens filed their federal tax return jointly, reported a federal adjusted gross income of $607,336 and owed $157,414 in federal income tax, according to a summary of their taxes released by the White House. According to the first family's 1040 form, they paid $162,063 and received a refund of $4,649. Their 2020 effective federal income tax rate is 25.9%. The Bidens saw a significant drop in income in 2020 as then-candidate Joe Biden was on the campaign trail and not earning an income through speaking engagements or his post with the University of Pennsylvania.... According to the federal tax return for Harris and second gentleman Douglas Emhoff, the couple reported $1,695,225 in adjusted gross income and owed $621,893 in tax." ~~~

     ~~~ The Bidens' tax return is here.The Emhoff-Harris return is here.

Ken Vogel & Annie Karni of the New York Times: "Administration officials have quietly begun evaluating clemency requests and have signaled to activists that President Biden could begin issuing pardons or commutations by the midpoint of his term. The effort, which is being overseen by the White House Counsel's Office and the Justice Department, is an implicit rebuke of ... Donald J. Trump's approach to clemency, which mostly bypassed the Justice Department and relied on an ad hoc network of friends and allies, resulting in a wave of late pardons and commutations to people with wealth or connections. Mr. Biden's team, by contrast, has signaled in discussions with outside groups that it is establishing a more deliberate, systemic process geared toward identifying entire classes of people who deserve mercy. The approach could allow the president to make good on his campaign promise to weave issues of racial equity and justice throughout his government."

Florida Man Pleads Guilty. Lori Rozsa & Matt Zapotosky of the Washington Post: "A Florida politician considered key to the investigation of Rep. Matt Gaetz formally pleaded guilty Monday to sex trafficking of a minor and a host of other crimes, agreeing to cooperate fully with prosecutors and testify in court in hopes of leniency for himself. Appearing in court Monday, Joel Greenberg, a former tax collector for Seminole County, Fla., repeatedly said, 'I do' in response to questions from the judge, affirming what he had already admitted in a written plea agreement made public last week. His plea and deal to cooperate is a potentially ominous sign for Gaetz, as it signals prosecutors have lined up a critical witness as they continue to investigate the congressman." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Dareh Gregorian & Natalie Obregon of NBC News: "Wearing a jail jumpsuit and a blue surgical mask and in shackles, Greenberg admitted his guilt to six of the 33 charges initially filed against him -- identity theft, stalking, wire fraud, conspiracy to bribe a public official and sex trafficking of a minor." MB: Oh, please, Florida, that's how we want to see two other Florida men -- Matt & Donald -- in days to come. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Michael Balsamo & Mike Schneider of the AP: "Outside the courthouse, a plane flew over during the hearing pulling a banner that read: 'TICK TOCK MATT GAETZ.'" (Also linked yesterday.)

Because Everything They Did Was Corrupt. Charlie Savage of the New York Times: "The Justice Department under President Trump secretly obtained a grand-jury subpoena last year in an attempt to identify the person behind a Twitter account dedicated to mocking Representative Devin Nunes of California, according to a newly unsealed court document. But Twitter fought the subpoena, as well as an associated gag order barring the company from talking about it publicly. Twitter executives raised skepticism about whether the Justice Department might be abusing federal criminal law-enforcement power to retaliate against a critic of Mr. Nunes, a Republican who is a close ally of Mr. Trump, in violation of the First Amendment. Ultimately, according to a person familiar with the matter, the Justice Department withdrew the subpoena this spring, after President Biden took office." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Although this particular subpoena was not about Devin Nunes' Cow, Nunes himself did try to use the court system to unmask the cow. Seems like animal cruelty to me; PETA, take note.

Jeanne Whalen, et al., of the Washington Post: "A sprawling online network tied to Chinese businessman Guo Wengui has become a potent platform for disinformation in the United States, attacking the safety of coronavirus vaccines, promoting false election-fraud claims and spreading baseless QAnon conspiracies, according to research published Monday by the network analysis company Graphika. The report, provided in advance to The Washington Post, details a network that Graphika says amplifies the views of Guo, a Chinese real estate developer whose association with former Trump White House adviser Stephen K. Bannon became a focus of news coverage last year after Bannon was arrested aboard Guo's yacht on federal fraud charges."

Chuck Does Some Journalism. Tim Elfrink of the Washington Post: "Meet the Press" host Chuck Todd took on guest Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas), "noting that Trump continues to make baseless claims that the election was stolen -- a view that many GOP leaders have declined to challenge or openly embraced. 'Why should anybody believe a word you say if the Republican Party itself doesn't have credibility?' Todd asked. The fiery exchange, which went viral on Twitter with one clip racking up more than 1 million views, offers vivid evidence of the challenge Republicans face in shifting the conversation from Trump's election lies months after his loss and the deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol by his followers." Includes clip. (Also linked yesterday.)

John Schwartz of the New York Times: "The Supreme Court handed a victory to fossil fuel companies on Monday in a major climate change case, but gave the industry far less than it had asked for. The decision in the case did not deal with the merits of the lawsuit, which Baltimore filed to try to compel fossil fuel companies to help pay the costs of dealing with climate change. Instead, the justices focused on narrow issues concerning the rules for appealing lower-court decisions that send cases to state courts. By a 7-1 decision, the Supreme Court on Monday sent the case back to the Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit to reconsider the industry's demand that it review a lower-court decision to have the case proceed in state courts. The issue of whether to hear these cases in federal or state court has been a major point of contention in about 20 similar cases filed around the country.... The lone dissenter, Justice Sonia Sotomayor, said that the fossil fuel companies had used what amounts to procedural sleight of hand to avoid the normal limits on review for a decision on appeal."

Alice Ollstein of Politico: "The Supreme Court on Monday said it will review Mississippi's ban on abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy, taking up a direct challenge to Roe v. Wade just a few months after its newest conservative justice joined the bench. The Mississippi ban, which has been blocked by lower courts since it was enacted in 2018, will be one of the first reproductive rights cases argued before the Supreme Court since Justice Amy Coney Barrett was confirmed in October, giving conservatives a 6-3 majority that is widely expected to curtail abortion access." The Washington Post's story is here. (Also linked yesterday.)

Marie: So I put up a nice story in the PSA section (right column) about how the federal government was accepting applications to reduce your Internet bill. Now this: ~~~

~~~ Capitalism Is Awesome, Ctd. Geoffrey Fowler of the Washington Post: "The government has a new program [called the Emergency Broadband Benefit] to help Americans pay their Internet bills. Unfortunately, companies like Verizon are twisting it into an opportunity for an upsell.... Verizon elicited the most ire from readers. It requires customers to call a phone line to register for the EBB, rather than just signing up online. And when you do, Verizon tells some customers the EBB can't be used on 'old' data plans, so they'll have to switch. That might be allowed by the letter of the law but certainly isn't the spirit of the program." So you might save money in the short term (Marie: and you might get faster service), but when the EBB program expires, your bill will be higher. (Also linked yesterday.)

News for Racist Parler Users. Kevin Randall of the Washington Post: "When social media network Parler came back to life on Apple's App Store Monday, it was designed to be a less offensive version than what users are able to see elsewhere. Posts that are labeled 'hate' by Parler's new artificial intelligence moderation system won't be visible on iPhones or iPads. There's a different standard for people who look at Parler on other smartphones or on the Web: They will be able to see posts marked as 'hate,' which includes racial slurs, by clicking through to see them. Parler has resisted placing limits on what appears on its social network, and its leaders have equated blocking hate speech to totalitarian censorship, according to Amy Peikoff, chief policy officer. But Peikoff, who leads Parler's content moderation, says she recognizes the importance of the Apple relationship to Parler's future and seeks to find common ground between them." (Also linked yesterday.)

Gillian Brockell of the Washington Post: In his last full day in office, President Jimmy Carter granted a full pardon to folk singer Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul & Mary. Yarrow had admitted to and was convicted for molesting a 14-year-old girl. The pardon "escaped scrutiny when it happened. It was granted just hours before the American hostages in Iran were freed, which captured headlines for weeks. The Washington Post didn't write about the pardon until Feb. 7, 1981. Even then, it was buried in the back of the Metro section.... Then, 40 years after Carter's pardon, another woman stepped forward with an accusation of her own. In a lawsuit filed in New York on Feb. 24, 2021, she alleged that Yarrow lured her to a Manhattan hotel when she was a minor in 1969 and raped her." MB: I was following the news closely at this particular time, and I never read about this. Just shocking!

The Pandemic, Ctd.

The Washington Post's live updates of Covid-19 developments Tuesday are here.

Jeff Stein of the Washington Post: "The Biden administration announced Monday that roughly 39 million American families will begin receiving direct cash payments in July under a child benefit created by Democrats' coronavirus relief bill. The Internal Revenue Service on July 15 will start delivering a monthly payment of $300 per child under 6 and $250 per child 6 or older for those who qualify. The monthly benefits will be deposited directly in most families' bank accounts on the 15th of every month -- or the closest day to that date, if the 15th falls on a holiday or weekend -- for the rest of the year, without any action required. For instance, an eligible family with two children ages 5 and 13 will receive $550 from the IRS directly to their bank accounts on or close to the 15th of every month from July to December." A USA Today story is here. President Biden spoke about the child tax credit at the top of his speech; video below. ~~~

~~~ Zeke Miller of the AP: "President Joe Biden said Monday that the U.S. will share an additional 20 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines with the world in the coming six weeks as domestic demand for shots drops and global disparities in distribution have grown more evident. The doses will come from existing production of Pfizer, Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccine stocks, marking the first time that U.S.-controlled doses of vaccines authorized for use in the country will be shared overseas. It will boost the global vaccine sharing commitment from the U.S. to 80 million. 'We know America will never be fully safe until the pandemic that's raging globally is under control,' Biden said at the White House. The announcement comes on top of the Biden's administration's prior commitment to share about 60 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, which is not yet authorized for use in the U.S., by the end of June. The AstraZeneca doses will be available to ship once they clear a safety review by the Food and Drug Administration." ~~~

Monday afternoon, the front page of the New York Times had an IP-address-specific indicator of the Covid risk in your county. Mine is "very high." The blurb links to a page that provides particulars. Great! I don't know if this works for everyone or how long the feature will remain on the front page, but it worked for me.

Beyond the Beltway

Marie: When you're musing on what's wrong with "the system," bear in mind that all of the (alleged) miscreants identified below are officials in our law & justice system: governors, legislators, a judge, a cop.

Arizona. A "Sham" and a "Con." Rosalind Helderman of the Washington Post: "The Republican-dominated Maricopa County Board of Supervisors on Monday denounced an ongoing audit of the 2020 election vote as a 'sham' and a 'con,' calling on the GOP-led state Senate to end the controversial recount that has been championed by ... Donald Trump. In a fiery public meeting and subsequent letter to state Senate President Karen Fann, the board members said the audit has been inept, promoted falsehoods and defamed the public servants who ran the fall election. Calling the process a 'spectacle that is harming all of us,' the five members of the board -- including four Republicans -- asked the state Senate to recognize that it is essential to call off the audit, which officials have said is only about one-quarter complete.... In a calculated show of unity, they were joined by Maricopa's other elected officials: the sheriff, a Democrat; and the Republican county recorder, who leads the elections office.... Jointly, the county officials agreed that they would refuse to attend a meeting that had been called Tuesday by Fann to discuss what she had termed 'serious issues' with the vote that Cyber Ninjas claims to have identified." An AP story is here.

Iowa. Erin Murphy of the Sioux City Journal: "Mike Marshall, executive director of the Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board [which monitors lobbying of Iowa's executive branch], said Monday that he has requested more information from Washington, D.C.-based Heritage Action after a leaked video showed the group's director claiming the organization helped Iowa lawmakers draft legislation that ... significantly shortened the state's early voting period and constrained other early voting programs. The legislation, Senate File 413, was approved by Republican majorities in the Iowa House and Iowa Senate, and passed into law by Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds.... In a letter to Heritage Action, Marshall requested any information regarding any contact the group made with Reynolds' office.... Because the board is not responsible for overseeing the Iowa Legislature, any inquiries there would fall to the Legislature's ethics committees, which are chaired by majority Republicans."

New Jersey. Paulina Villegas of the Washington Post: "When police arrived at a fellow officer's home on a domestic disturbance call, they found a surprising scene: explosives, poison, an unsecured gun safe -- and all the chemicals and instruments needed to produce methamphetamine, according to the prosecutor's office in New Jersey's Monmouth County. Long Branch Police Officer Christopher Walls was running a meth lab in the home he shared with his wife and child, in the very community he served, prosecutors said.... Meth labs are considered extremely hazardous, as the chemicals used to produce the drug are highly explosive and toxic and can pose serious health risks to those exposed to them."

New York. Adam Brewster of CBS News: "New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is set to earn $5.1 million from his memoir about leading New York through the COVID-19 pandemic, according to information provided by his office on Monday. Cuomo received $3,120,000 in gross income from the book in 2020 and is set to be paid an additional $2 million over the next two years.... New York Attorney General Letitia James issued a report that found the Cuomo administration may have 'undercounted' nursing home deaths 'by as much as 50%' and multiple women have accused Cuomo of sexual harassment, which he has repeatedly denied.... In April, the New York state comptroller ... [asking James] to look into whether state resources were used to help with Cuomo's book...." The New York Times' story is here.

North Carolina. Judge (Allegedly) Tries to Mow Down BLM Protesters. Lateshia Beachum of the Washington Post: "A North Carolina court of appeals judge was summoned by a criminal court Friday after being accused of nearly hitting Black Lives Matter protesters at a demonstration in downtown Fayetteville on May 7. Judge John M. Tyson of Cumberland County has been summoned to appear in a courtroom in his own county next month where he will need to answer to a charge of assault with a deadly weapon, the Fayetteville Observer reported.... The summons came after local activist Myah Warren, 23, told a Cumberland County magistrate judge Friday that Tyson was the one who drove the vehicle that nearly hit her and other Fayetteville Activist Movement rally goers who were protesting fatal police shootings, according to the newspaper. Warren told The Washington Post on Monday that she believes Tyson was intentionally trying to harm protesters based on his track record as a judge. 'He's a well-known racist,' she said.... The city released a 12-minute video of the incident Friday...."

Way Beyond

Israel. The New York Times' live updates of developments in Israel's armed conflict Tuesday are here. ~~~

~~~ Fares Akram & Joseph Krauss of the AP: "Israel carried out a wave of airstrikes on what it said were militant targets in Gaza, leveling a six-story building, and militants fired dozens of rockets into Israel on Tuesday. Palestinians across the region observed a general strike as the war, now in its second week, showed no signs of abating. The strikes toppled a building that housed libraries and educational centers belonging to the Islamic University, leaving behind a massive mound of rebar and concrete slabs.... Israel warned the building's residents ahead of time, sending them fleeing into the predawn darkness, and there were no reports of casualties." ~~~

~~~ Loveday Morris, et al., of the Washington Post: "More than 60 Israeli fighter jets bombarded targets in Gaza in the early hours of Tuesday morning, as Israel showed little sign of easing up its campaign despite growing international pressure and President Biden's call for a cease-fire. Hamas also fired volleys of rockets into southern Israel overnight, but their attacks have slowed in recent days as the Israeli military has pummeled their underground tunnel networks and launch sites. The Israeli military said 62 fighter jets had dropped 110 'guided armaments' on 65 targets, including Hamas commanders, rocket launchpads and the militant group's tunnel network. Neither side reported casualties. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday night said that he would 'continue to take whatever action necessary to restore quiet.'..." At the top of today's comments, Bobby Lee explains Bibi's rationale in terms we can all understand.

News Lede

New York Times: "Charles Grodin, the versatile actor familiar from 'Same Time, Next Year' on Broadway, popular movies like 'The Heartbreak Kid,' 'Midnight Run' and 'Beethoven' and numerous television appearances, died on Tuesday at his home in Wilton, Conn. He was 86."