The Commentariat -- March 11, 2021

Late Morning/Afternoon Update:

President Biden is scheduled to sign the American Rescue Act a day early, at 2 pm today.

Alyssa Fowers, et al., of the Washington Post: " In contrast with the emergency bills passed last year, the Democratic [Covid-19 stimulus] bill focuses the vast majority of aid on households, states and cities, and vaccine distribution. There is little money directed this time toward businesses.... Over half the money -- 54 percent -- in the bill goes toward households. In addition to the popular $1,400 checks, there is also funding for extra unemployment insurance through Labor Day, expanded tax credits, and various programs to make rent, food and health insurance more affordable.... Economists say low- and moderate-income Americans will benefit the most from this aid, especially individuals earning $75,000 or less and couples earning $150,000 or less. The number of Americans living in poverty is predicted to drop in 2021 by as much as a third because of this legislation."

Dear Americans: Republicans Despise You. Amy Gardner, et al., of the Washington Post: "The GOP's national push to enact hundreds of new election restrictions could strain every available method of voting for tens of millions of Americans, potentially amounting to the most sweeping contraction of ballot access in the United States since the end of Reconstruction, when Southern states curtailed the voting rights of formerly enslaved Black men, a Washington Post analysis has found. In 43 states across the country, Republican lawmakers have proposed at least 250 laws that would limit mail, early in-person and Election Day voting with such constraints as stricter ID requirements, limited hours or narrower eligibility to vote absentee, according to data compiled as of Feb. 19 by the nonpartisan Brennan Center for Justice. Even more proposals have been introduced since then."

Ezra Klein of the New York Times lays out the main components of two voting rights bills, the For the People Act & the John Lewis Voting Rights Act (both of which I think have passed the House).... Neither is a budget bill, and so -- unlike the American Rescue Plan -- neither can use budget reconciliation to pass with 51 votes.... I've always been partial to the proposal of former Senator Tom Harkin of Iowa, who would have ratcheted the votes required to end the filibuster down every few days: It would start at 60, then fall, after a few days of debate, to 57, and then, after a few more, to 54, and finally, after eight days of deliberation, to 51. I'd pair it with reforms to guarantee that senators of all parties could offer amendments on all bills and weaken the majority leader's control of the floor schedule.... It would be obscene to let the Republican Party use the language of minority rights to deprive actual minorities of the right to vote."

Minnesota. Holly Bailey of the Washington Post: "The judge overseeing the trial of the former Minneapolis police officer charged in the death of George Floyd reinstated a third-degree murder charge in the case Thursday, paving the way for the trial to proceed as scheduled. The decision was a victory for prosecutors who had sought to reinstate the charge against Derek Chauvin, the White officer filmed with his knee on Floyd's neck for more than nine minutes during a police investigation last May. He is already charged with second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the Black man's death. On Wednesday, the Minnesota Supreme Court declined to take up the appeal filed by Eric Nelson, Chauvin's attorney, seeking to overturn a state Court of Appeals ruling that ordered [Judge Peter] Cahill to reconsider a third-degree murder charge in the case. The appellate court issued a final judgment in the case and then sent the issue back to ... Judge ... Cahill, who is overseeing the trial and heard arguments on the issue Thursday morning."

Texas. Michael Levenson of the New York Times: "An arrest warrant has been issued charging a police officer in Austin, Texas, with murder in the shooting death of a man last year that touched off protests against police violence in the state capital, the authorities said on Wednesday. The Travis County Sheriff's Office confirmed that a warrant had been issued for the officer, Christopher Taylor [in the shooting death of Michael Ramos]...." The story reports the details of the incident, which was complicated.

U.K. Isabella Kwai of the New York Times: "Prince William on Thursday denied that Britain's royal family was racist, in his first public comments after his brother, Prince Harry, and Harry's wife, Meghan, alleged in a bombshell interview that a family member had raised concerns about their child's skin tone and shared revelations about a rift in the usually tight-lipped institution." MB: A reporter asked William if the family was racist, and he said no. This is one of those dumb reporter questions where there's only one possible answer.

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Matt Viser & Ashley Parker of the Washington Post: "President Biden, in his first prime-time address since taking office, is planning on Thursday night to speak to a nation still reeling from the deadly coronavirus pandemic, offering a look back on the devastating year as well as previewing what he will characterize as a coming return to some sense of normalcy, according to White House officials. Biden views the speech as a key marker to reflect on his first 50 days in office, one that comes almost exactly a year after the nation began to shut down as a result of the pandemic and at an inflection point in his own presidency, officials said. It was last March 11 that ... Donald Trump gave his own widely criticized Oval Office address, suspending travel from Europe while also telling Americans of the virus: 'The risk is very, very low.'... Biden is expected to travel to Pennsylvania next week and hold his first solo news conference of his presidency this month, as well as offer a joint address to Congress in the coming weeks...."

A Big Fucking Deal. Tony Romm of the Washington Post: "Congress approved a sweeping $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package on Wednesday, authorizing a flurry of new federal spending and a temporary yet dramatic increase in anti-poverty programs to help millions of families still struggling amid the pandemic. The 220-211 vote in the House of Representatives almost entirely along party lines now sends to Biden's desk one of the largest economic rescue packages in U.S. history, which Democrats had promised to pass as one of their first acts of governance after securing narrow but potent majorities in Washington after the 2020 presidential election.... The bill now heads to Biden, who is expected to sign it Friday, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said. The signing comes a day after the president is set to deliver his first prime-time television address on the country's response to the coronavirus." The AP's story is here. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) The New York Times story is here. ~~~

~~~ Democratic leaders take a hard-earned victory lap:

~~~ President Biden on passage of the bill:

~~~ GOP Senator Hails Relief Bill. Emily Cochrane & Thomas Kaplan of the New York Times: "Senator Roger Wicker, Republican of Mississippi, tweeted approvingly just hours after the bill passed.... 'Independent restaurant operators have won $28.6 billion worth of targeted relief. This funding will ensure small businesses can survive the pandemic by helping to adapt their operations and keep their employees on the payroll,' [he tweeted.]... His post did not mention that he had voted no." ~~~

It's typical that they vote no and take the dough. -- Nancy Pelosi, on Republican members of Congress, all of whom voted against the relief bill

Geoff Bennett & Shannon Pettypiece of NBC News: "President Joe Biden will announce plans Wednesday to purchase an additional 100 million doses of the single-dose Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine, giving the U.S. more than enough supply to vaccinate the entire U.S. population. Biden will announce that he is directing his Health and Human Services team to procure the additional doses during a meeting with executives from J&J and Merck, according to two administration officials." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) A Washington Post story is here.

The New York Times' live updates of Covid-19 developments Thursday are here. The Washington Post's live updates for Thursday are here: Donald Ducks. "A new series of public service announcements have been released featuring former presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter encouraging Americans to get vaccinated against the coronavirus -- the latest bid to convince millions of skeptics who say they're holding out.... The ads do not feature Donald Trump." ~~~

Noah Weiland of the New York Times: "The Biden administration published revised guidelines on Wednesday for nursing home visits during the coronavirus pandemic, allowing guests to go inside to see residents regardless of whether they or the residents have been vaccinated. The recommendations, released by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services with comment from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, are the first revision to the federal government's nursing home guidance since September.... Federal officials said in the new guidance that outdoor visits were still preferable because of a lower risk of transmission, even when residents and guests have been fully vaccinated."

Jordain Carney & Rebecca Beitsch of the Hill: "The Senate on Wednesday confirmed Merrick Garland to be President Biden's attorney general, a u-turn from a 2016 stalemate that kept him stuck in Senate limbo. Senators voted 70-30 on Garland's nomination to lead the Justice Department, easily topping the 50 votes needed. The vote comes just days before the five-year anniversary from when then-President Obama nominated Garland to fill the Supreme Court seat left vacant by the death of Justice Antonin Scalia. Republicans, who then controlled the Senate, refused to give Garland a hearing or a vote." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) The New York Times story is here.

Glenn Thrush of the New York Times: "Representative Marcia L. Fudge of Ohio was confirmed as secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development on Wednesday, becoming the first Black woman in decades to run an agency that will be at the forefront of the Biden administration's efforts to fight racial inequity and poverty. Ms. Fudge, a Democratic member of Congress representing the Cleveland area and the former mayor of Warrensville Heights, Ohio, earned the support of all the Senate Democrats and many top Republicans, including that of Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the minority leader. The final vote was 66 to 34. For a fleeting moment on Wednesday, her two jobs, in two branches, overlapped: Ms. Fudge voted by proxy in favor of the administration's $1.9 trillion stimulus bill."

Brady Dennis & Dino Grandoni of the Washington Post: "The Senate confirmed Michael Regan on Wednesday as the next Environmental Protection Agency administrator, a role that lies at the heart of President Biden's promises to cut the nation's greenhouse gas emissions and help poor and minority communities that have long borne the brunt of pollution. In an era defined by partisan divides, Regan won confirmation by a comfortable margin of 66 to 34.... He is the first Black man to lead the EPA in its half-century of existence. The agency's first African American chief was Lisa Jackson, who held the role for four years under President Barack Obama."

Ari Berman of Mother Jones: "As Republicans in the Georgia state legislature passed a series of voting restrictions over the past 10 days, Stacey Abrams, the state's leading voting rights activist, saw an ever more pressing need to reform the filibuster in the US Senate. And she has a plan for how to do it.... 'The judicial appointment exception, the Cabinet appointment exception, the budget reconciliation exception, are all grounded in this idea that these are constitutionally prescribed responsibilities that should not be thwarted by minority imposition,' she says. 'And we should add to it the right to protect democracy. It is a foundational principle in our country. And it is an explicit role and responsibility accorded only to Congress in the elections clause in the Constitution.'" (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Lee Moran of the Huffington Post: "Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) faced backlash this week for releasing an ad attacking Democrats and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) that ended with a gunshot sound. In the spot, the QAnon-endorsing first-term lawmaker called on Pelosi to 'tear down' the security fence that was put up around the U.S. Capitol following the Jan. 6 insurrection, when a violent mob of ... Donald Trump's supporters overran the Capitol building. 'It's time to cut the crap and remember, this is the people's house,' Boebert bombastically declared. The video concluded with audio of a gunshot, followed by the sound of the weapon being reloaded and fired again.&"

Ryan Nobles of CNN: "Democratic Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington [State] has sent letters to the House Committee on Ethics and the Office of Congressional Ethics requesting they launch investigations into three Republican lawmakers, over accusations of the trio 'instigating and aiding' the deadly January 6 riot on the Capitol. Jayapal asks the two groups to 'thoroughly investigate' the activity of the three members of Congress -- Republican Reps. Lauren Boebert of Colorado, Mo Brooks of Alabama and Paul Gosar of Arizona -- in the time leading up to the insurrection and refer all potential criminal wrongdoing to the Department of Justice. For each member, Jayapal lists examples of their conduct in the weeks before January 6."

Alex Horton of the Washington Post: "A Marine Corps veteran charged in the Capitol riot once served as a crew chief for the presidential helicopter squadron, a highly restrictive unit that requires a top-secret security clearance, officials said Wednesday. John Daniel Andries, 35, of Piney Point, Md., was arrested last month and charged with two felonies, including violent entry and disorderly conduct on the Capitol grounds. He pleaded not guilty, WUSA9 reported."

The Former Guy. Jason Morris & Sara Murray of CNN: "In a phone call to the Georgia secretary of state's office in December..., Donald Trump urged a top investigator to find fraud in the 2020 presidential election, telling her that she would be 'praised' for overturning results that were in favor of Joe Biden, according to newly reported audio of the call obtained by The Wall Street Journal. The report is the latest example of Trump's extraordinary efforts to influence Georgia election officials as they certified the results.... 'When the right answer comes out, you'll be praised,' Trump tells Frances Watson, the chief investigator at the Georgia secretary of state's office, in a six-minute conversation on December 23, according to the Journal. 'I won everything but Georgia. And I won Georgia, I know that. By a lot. And the people know it. And something happened there. Something bad happened,' Trump reportedly told Watson during the phone call." You can listen to Trump Call here. (This link is to a WSJ copy of the recording, which is accessible to non-subscribers.)

Carrie Johnson of NPR: "Two whistleblowers assert that a Justice Department official improperly injected politics into the hiring process during his waning days in the Trump administration, according to a new filing obtained by NPR. The whistleblowers accuse Jeffrey Bossert Clark of conducting a 'sham' process and elevating a person who volunteered to defend a controversial Trump policy on abortion access, even though the person had far less experience than other finalists for the job in the Civil Division, they said in a Wednesday letter to House and Senate lawmakers and the Justice Department's inspector general. Clark was then the acting assistant attorney general in charge of the department's Civil Division. Clark drew nationwide attention this year after The New York Times reported he had discussed a way to unseat the acting attorney general, take the job for himself and advance then-President Donald Trump's efforts to overturn Georgia's election results...."

Capitalism Is Bizarre. Teo Armus of the Washington Post: "The Panda Express cashier had already been forced to strip to her underwear in front of her fellow staff during a 'self-improvement' seminar in 2019, she said, and told to open up to the group about her vulnerabilities. But when a male colleague broke down crying while trying to do the same, the session's leaders ordered her to go one step further: She had to 'hug it out' with him, both of them still undressed, as others filmed her or ogled at her body, the 23-year-old employee in California said. That was just part of a bizarre, psychologically abusive four-day seminar that 'more and more resembled a cult initiation ritual as time went on,' according to a lawsuit she filed last month against the fast-food chain in Los Angeles County Superior Court."

Beyond the Beltway

Iowa. Katie Robertson & Rachel Abrams of the New York Times: "An Iowa jury acquitted a journalist on Wednesday in a highly unusual trial of a reporter who was arrested last spring as she covered a protest against racism and police violence. Andrea Sahouri, a public safety reporter for The Des Moines Register, was arrested May 31 while covering a sometimes chaotic demonstration ...l in Des Moines. Police officers ordered protesters to disperse and used pepper spray against them. Ms. Sahouri, who said she had identified herself as a reporter, was arrested along with her boyfriend at the time, Spenser Robnett, who had accompanied her that day. Ms. Sahouri, 25, pleaded not guilty to the misdemeanor charges of failing to disperse and interference with official acts, each punishable by up to 30 days in jail. On Wednesday, a six-person jury found Ms. Sahouri and Mr. Robnett not guilty of both charges." The Des Moines Register story is here.

Killing Protesters is OK-lahoma. Carmen Forman of the Oklahoman: "Republican lawmakers in the Oklahoma House approved legislation to grant immunity to drivers who hit protesters. On a party-line vote Wednesday, the House passed a bill that grants civil and criminal immunity for drivers who unintentionally injure or kill protesters while 'fleeing from a riot.' House Bill 1674 from Rep. Kevin West, R-Moore, is just one of a handful of GOP-sponsored bills in the Oklahoma Legislature this year designed to crack down on protests. The bill came under fire from legislative Democrats said the Republican majority was looking to lash out at protesters instead of taking steps to address systemic racism and police misconduct that have spurred widespread Black Lives Matter protests.&"

Way Beyond

U.K. Caroline Davies of the Guardian: "The Queen missed a crucial opportunity to publicly acknowledge and condemn racism in her response to the allegations made by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, equality campaigners have said. Casting the issue as a 'private' family matter meant there was 'no public accountability' from a public institution and the head of state and Commonwealth, they said." MB: Elizabeth has plenty of advisors, and evidently they, or she, decided to miss the opportunity. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

The Commentariat -- March 10, 2021

Afternoon Update:

Jordain Carney & Rebecca Beitsch of the Hill: "The Senate on Wednesday confirmed Merrick Garland to be President Biden's attorney general, a u-turn from a 2016 stalemate that kept him stuck in Senate limbo. Senators voted 70-30 on Garland's nomination to lead the Justice Department, easily topping the 50 votes needed. The vote comes just days before the five-year anniversary from when then-President Obama nominated Garland to fill the Supreme Court seat left vacant by the death of Justice Antonin Scalia. Republicans, who then controlled the Senate, refused to give Garland a hearing or a vote."

A Big Fucking Deal. Tony Romm of the Washington Post: "Congress approved a sweeping $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package on Wednesday, authorizing a flurry of new federal spending and a temporary yet dramatic increase in anti-poverty programs to help millions of families still struggling amid the pandemic. The 220-211 vote in the House of Representatives almost entirely along party lines now sends to Biden's desk one of the largest economic rescue packages in U.S. history, which Democrats had promised to pass as one of their first acts of governance after securing narrow but potent majorities in Washington after the 2020 presidential election.... The bill now heads to Biden, who is expected to sign it Friday, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said. The signing comes a day after the president is set to deliver his first prime-time television address on the country's response to the coronavirus." The AP's story is here.

Geoff Bennett & Shannon Pettypiece of NBC News: "President Joe Biden will announce plans Wednesday to purchase an additional 100 million doses of the single-dose Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine, giving the U.S. more than enough supply to vaccinate the entire U.S. population. Biden will announce that he is directing his Health and Human Services team to procure the additional doses during a meeting with executives from J&J and Merck, according to two administration officials."

Ari Berman of Mother Jones: "As Republicans in the Georgia state legislature passed a series of voting restrictions over the past 10 days, Stacey Abrams, the state's leading voting rights activist, saw an ever more pressing need to reform the filibuster in the US Senate. And she has a plan for how to do it.... 'The judicial appointment exception, the Cabinet appointment exception, the budget reconciliation exception, are all grounded in this idea that these are constitutionally prescribed responsibilities that should not be thwarted by minority imposition,' she says. 'And we should add to it the right to protect democracy. It is a foundational principle in our country. And it is an explicit role and responsibility accorded only to Congress in the elections clause in the Constitution.'"

Caroline Davies of the Guardian: "The Queen missed a crucial opportunity to publicly acknowledge and condemn racism in her response to the allegations made by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, equality campaigners have said. Casting the issue as a 'private' family matter meant there was 'no public accountability' from a public institution and the head of state and Commonwealth, they said." MB: Elizabeth has plenty of advisors, and evidently they, or she, decided to miss the opportunity.

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

Jeff Stein of the Washington Post: "The White House said Tuesday that President Biden’s name would not appear on the $1,400 stimulus payments set to be sent out to millions of American families as part of the administration's relief package.... White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters on Tuesday that the payments approved under Biden would instead by signed by a career official at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, an office within the Department of Treasury.... The decision marks a reversal from the Trump administration. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin included Trump's signature on the memo line of the payments approved in March last year, as well as a gushing letter signed by Trump taking credit for the benefit."

Erica Werner of the Washington Post: "The House is poised to approve a sweeping $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill Wednesday and send it to President Biden to sign, a major early legislative victory for the new president and the Democrats who control Congress. Despite united GOP opposition and a narrow Democratic majority, House Democratic leaders expressed confidence Tuesday that they will have votes to spare."

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

Alaska. Tal Axelrod of the Hill: "Alaska became the first state in the nation Tuesday to lift all eligibility requirements for adults to get a coronavirus vaccine. Gov. Mike Dunleavy (R) announced Tuesday that all individuals who live or work in Alaska and are age 16 and older can get a shot. The vaccine from Pfizer is available to individuals who are 16 years old and up, while the vaccines from Johnson & Johnson and Moderna are available to those who are at least 18 years old.... Alaska has had one of the lowest death tolls in the nation at 305 and recorded just 91 new cases Monday, according to state data."

Rebecca Kheel of the Hill: "Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has approved keeping nearly 2,300 National Guardsmen at the U.S. Capitol through May 23, the Pentagon said Tuesday evening. The move extends the Guard's deployment more than two months past when it was supposed to end this week. The number of approved troops is about half of the 5,100 currently stationed at the Capitol. 'This decision was made after a thorough review of the request and after close consideration of its potential impact on readiness,' Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said in a statement."

Spencer Hsu & Aaron Davis of the Washington Post: "U.S. prosecutors alleged Monday that Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes was in direct contact before, during and immediately after the Jan. 6 Capitol breach with members since charged with plotting to prevent Congress from confirming the results of the 2020 presidential election. In a late-night court filing, prosecutors alleged that Rhodes directed the right-wing, anti-government group to rally during the riot to the southeast steps of the Capitol, after which several members forcibly entered the east side of the building.... Prosecutors said they found 'no discussion of forcibly entering the Capitol until January 6.' But they said the chat messages, combined with Rhodes's previous statements, 'all show that the co-conspirators joined together to stop Congress's certification of the Electoral College vote, and they were prepared to use violence, if necessary, to effect this purpose....'" (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Now put that together with this, also from the Hsu/David report: "Separately Monday, prosecutors arrested Roberto Minuta, 36, who prosecutors alleged was an Oath Keepers associate who illegally entered the Capitol after appearing to provide security for Republican strategist Roger Stone outside a Washington hotel on the morning of Jan. 6." We're getting mighty close to Trump here. ~~~

~~~ AND Now This. Kyle Cheney & Josh Gerstein of Politico: "A second member of the Oath Keeper militia who provided security to longtime Donald Trump adviser Roger Stone has been charged with storming and breaching the Capitol. Joshua James, who has been seen in photos flanking Stone ahead of the Jan. 6 riot, was later seen on camera inside the building amid a crush of rioters who overran police. Court records show James, 33, was arrested in his home state of Alabama on Tuesday and appeared before a federal magistrate judge in Birmingham. Prosecutors there asked that he be detained pending trial. A bail hearing was set for Thursday. The arrest -- made public a day after prosecutors revealed they had charged fellow Oath Keeper and Stone security guard Roberto Minuta for entering the Capitol -- is the latest evidence that prosecutors are homing in on the extremist group with key ties to organizers of pro-Trump 'Stop the Steal' events."

Rachel Weiner of the Washington Post: "A former State Department staffer with a top-secret security clearance betrayed his oath of office when he joined the Capitol mob that attempted to subvert the electoral process on Jan. 6, a federal magistrate judge said Tuesday. Quoting that oath, which requires federal workers and appointees to 'defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic,' Judge Zia M. Faruqui said that on Jan. 6, domestic enemies were striking 'directly at the heart of our democracy' and Federico Klein 'switched sides.' Faruqui ordered Klein, 42, detained until his trial on charges of assaulting police, trespassing and obstructing Congress. Klein worked on Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign and then served under him as a political appointee; he resigned the day before President Biden took office."

Matt Zapotosky of the Washington Post: "The FBI on Tuesday released new video footage of a person suspected of placing pipe bombs near the headquarters of the Republican and Democratic national committees the night before the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol, asking for the public's help in identifying the elusive figure." And ABC News story is here. ~~~

Katie Shepherd of the Washington Post: "Jacob Anthony Chansley, often referred to as the 'QAnon Shaman' who donned horns and red-white-and-blue face paint to storm the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, has spent nearly two months pleading with a judge -- and with the public in high-profile interviews -- to let him go free.... U.S. District Judge Royce C. Lamberth was not impressed. On Monday, Lamberth denied Chansley's motion for release in a scathing memorandum that rejected his arguments as 'meritless,' 'mistaken' and 'so frivolous as to insult the Court's intelligence.' The judge said that Chansley was too dangerous to release and continues to pose a threat to the public." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Eleanor Mueller & Sarah Ferris of Politico: "The House passed Democrats' wide-ranging overhaul of labor laws Tuesday, inching President Joe Biden closer to fulfilling a campaign promise and coinciding with Amazon workers' ongoing push to unionize an Alabama warehouse.... Just five Republicans voted for the measure.... But the Protecting the Right to Organize Act, which advanced mostly along party lines, is unlikely to win the 60 votes needed for passage in the narrowly controlled Senate. And already, some union leaders -- who hold outsize sway in the Biden administration -- are amping up pressure on Democrats to eliminate the filibuster so they can see one of their top priorities enacted.... The executive board of the AFL-CIO -- the nation's largest federation of unions -- plans to meet Wednesday to discuss its position on eliminating the filibuster, likely the only path forward for seeing the PRO Act enacted.... Businesses, fiercely opposed to the PRO Act, spent the days leading up to passage lobbying against it." ~~~

~~~ Josephine Harvey of the Huffington Post: "Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) erupted Tuesday on the House floor, imploring his Republican colleagues to stop their obsession with stoking culture wars and shift focus to helping Democrats pass legislation to aid Americans struggling through the coronavirus pandemic. 'Stop talking about Dr. Seuss and start working with us on behalf of the American workers!' he shouted...." ~~~

~~~ Jonathan Lemire & Jill Colvin of the AP: "President Joe Biden and the Democrats were on the brink of pushing through sprawling legislation with an eyepopping, $1.9 trillion price tag. But many Republican politicians and conservative commentators had other priorities in recent days. A passionate defense of Dr. Seuss. Serious questions about the future of Mr. Potato Head. Intense scrutiny of Meghan Markle. The conservatives' relentless focus on culture wars rather than the new president highlights both their strategy for regaining power in Washington and their challenge in doing so. Unlike previous Democratic leaders, Biden himself simply isn't proving to be an easy target or animating figure for the GOP base, prompting Republicans to turn to the kind of cultural issues the party has used to cast Democrats as elitist and out of touch with average Americans." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Brian Williams mentioned in an aside that Fox "News" was busy knocking Meghan Markle. Why would that be? Oh, she's black. Be assured that the United States has a staunchly racist cable "news" network.

The Chief Stands Alone. Robert Barnes of the Washington Post: "The Supreme Court on Monday revived a former student's lawsuit against the college that blocked his evangelizing on campus, with Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. -- apparently for the first time in his 16-year tenure -- casting a lone dissenting vote. The issue was not the conduct of Georgia Gwinnett College, which kept student Chike Uzuegbunam from spreading the Gospel on campus. The issue was whether Uzuegbunam's demand the college pay him a nominal amount of money in damages -- which could be as little as $1 -- kept his civil rights case alive or whether it was moot once the university agreed to his complaint and ended its offending speech policy. Justice Clarence Thomas said the request for nominal damages was enough to keep the suit alive, in an 8-to-1 opinion." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Moldy Leftovers

Trump Attempts Hostile Takeover of GOP. Aaron Rupar of Vox: "... Monday night [Donald Trump made a] a tweet-like statement asking supporters to give to him instead of to the party.... 'Send your donation to Save America PAC at DonaldJTrump.com. We will bring it all back stronger than ever before!'... Save America PAC is Trump's 'leadership PAC': a type of political committee formed by current or former elected officials that has relatively few restrictions on what it can do with donations. And, as a result, Trump may have more than just political revenge on his mind in asking supporters to give to him instead of to the Republican Party. 'If you're going to direct a lot of money from a political committee to yourself, this is the way to do it,' Jordan Libowitz ... of CREW told me in an interview.... '... It was a little naive to ever believe he'd become a team player when there were tens, if not hundreds, of millions of dollars on the table.'" ~~~

     ~~~ The New York Times story, by Annie Karni & Maggie Haberman, is here.

Marc Tracy of the New York Times: "A New York State court on Tuesday dismissed a defamation lawsuit filed by the re-election campaign of Donald J. Trump against The New York Times Company, ruling that an opinion essay that argued there had been a 'quid pro quo' between the candidate and Russian officials before the 2016 presidential election was protected speech. The Times published the Op-Ed, written by Max Frankel, a former executive editor of The Times who was not named as a defendant in the suit, in March 2019 under the headline 'The Real Trump-Russia Quid Pro Quo.' Mr. Frankel made the case that in 'an overarching deal' before the 2016 election, Russian officials would help Mr. Trump defeat Hillary Clinton in exchange for his taking U.S. foreign policy in a pro-Russia direction."

Note to Unwashed. Chris Sommerfeldt of the New York Daily News, republished by Yahoo! News: "Donald Trump is in New York City this week to get up to speed about the ins-and-outs of his embattled namesake company, a person close to him said Monday, as the former president and his business associates remain in the cross-hairs of multiple state prosecutors. The Queens-born ex-president, who was spotted arriving at his Trump Tower apartment in Midtown on Sunday night, has recently expressed interest in re-engaging with the Trump Organization, and 'a major part' of his Big Apple trip is about that, said the source...." MB: That's his excuse, anyway.

Annals of "Journalism," Ctd. Katie Robertson of the New York Times: "When >BuzzFeed announced last year that it would buy HuffPost, it was expected that cost-cutting would follow the completion of the deal. On Tuesday, less than a month after the acquisition went through, BuzzFeed laid off 47 workers at HuffPost and closed the publication's Canadian edition. At a virtual company meeting, BuzzFeed's chief executive, Jonah Peretti, said the layoffs were meant to stem losses at HuffPost. HuffPost, which was previously owned by Verizon Media, lost more than $20 million last year and was on track to lose the same amount this year, Mr. Peretti told the staff according to an account of the meeting provided by BuzzFeed.... The HuffPost Union, which is affiliated with the Writers Guild of America East, said in a statement that the layoffs had affected 33 of its members, nearly a third of the local union." The Defector story is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Peretti's method of notifying employees they were being laid off was, ah, insensitive, to say the least. In the Defector photo, he looks as if he's having a good time ruining other people's lives.

Beyond the Beltway

Alabama. Bill Baxley in a Washington Post op-ed: "As the attorney general of Alabama in the 1970s [and] as a lifelong defender of the death penalty, I do not lightly say what follows: An innocent man is trapped on Alabama's death row. His name is Toforest Johnson, and Alabama must not execute him. Johnson's murder trial was so deeply flawed, the evidence presented against him so thin, that no Alabamian should tolerate his incarceration, let alone his execution. This is why I have joined eight former Alabama prosecutors and two former chief justices of Alabama in calling for Johnson's conviction to be set aside.... The facts point to the outright innocence of the defendant, Johnson. No physical evidence links him to the crime. Multiple alibi witnesses place him across town at the time of Hardy's death. The only witness against him was paid $5,000 for her testimony (which was that, while eavesdropping, she overheard someone she thought was Johnson admitting to the crime)."

Arkansas. AP: "Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson on Tuesday signed into law legislation banning nearly all abortions in the state, a sweeping measure that supporters hope will force the U.S. Supreme Court to revisit its landmark Roe v. Wade decision but opponents vow to block before it takes effect later this year. The Republican governor had expressed reservations about the bill, which only allows the procedure to save the life of the mother and does not provide exceptions for those impregnated in an act of rape or incest."

Georgia. Abigail Weinberg of Mother Jones: "Former President Jimmy Carter issued a statement on Tuesday condemning Georgia Republicans' efforts to 'turn back the clock' and make it harder for people to vote. Ca[r]ter spoke out after Georgia Republicans passed some of the most restrictive voting laws since Jim Crow. The state Senate passed a bill that would end no-excuse absentee voting." President Carter's statement is here.

Iowa. Ryan Foley of the AP: "An Iowa journalist recounted getting pepper-sprayed and arrested while covering a protest for racial justice last year, testifying in her own defense Tuesday at her trial on charges stemming from the incident. Des Moines Register reporter Andrea Sahouri told jurors she was running away from a scene where riot police had shot tear gas and were advancing to disperse protesters outside a mall in Des Moines, Iowa. She said that after she rounded the corner of a Verizon store, she saw an officer charging at her and put her hands up. 'I wasn't doing anything wrong,' Sahouri said. "I said, "I'm press, I'm press, I'm press." He grabbed me, pepper-sprayed me and as he was doing so said, "That's not what I asked".'... Body camera video played for jurors before Sahouri's testimony backed up her account, showing that she was temporarily blinded and hurting from pepper spray and repeatedly told police she was a reporter.... Sahouri's testimony came on the second day of a trial in which Sahouri and her former boyfriend, Spenser Robnett, are charged with failure to disperse and interference with official acts."

Minnesota. Holly Bailey of the Washington Post: "The arduous task of seating a jury in the trial of the former Minneapolis police officer charged in George Floyd's death began in earnest on Tuesday, as prosecution and defense attorneys began questioning the first of a large pool of potential jurors even as ongoing appeals over charges in the case threaten to delay the proceedings. Three jurors were selected and six others dismissed after hours of slow and sometimes intense questioning in which nearly all of those questioned admitted to holding 'very negative views' of Derek Chauvin, the White officer filmed with his knee on Floyd's neck who is facing second-degree murder and manslaughter charges in the Black man's death."

New York. AP: "Another woman is accusing New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo of workplace misconduct, a newspaper reported Tuesday. The details of the allegations weren't immediately clear, but the Times Union of Albany reported Tuesday that the woman said Cuomo inappropriately touched her late last year at the governor's mansion, where she had been summoned to work. The newspaper didn't reveal her identity or detail what type of touching was alleged to have taken place. It did not speak to the woman. The paper cited 'an official close to the matter' as confirming the existence of the complaint."

North Carolina. A Very Unhappy Ending. Maria Cramer of the New York Times: "In 2017, Kathy Gillcrist, newly retired from her job as a high school teacher ... took a DNA test, the first step of a genealogical journey that led her to a stunning discovery: Her father was most likely William Bradford Bishop Jr., who vanished in 1976 after bludgeoning his family to death with a sledgehammer, law enforcement officials believe.... The search has also resurrected public interest in a horrifying case that the authorities have been unable to solve." MB: The story provides a broad description of the murders, too grisly for me even to read.

Way Beyond

U.K. We Are Not Amused. Isabella Kwai of the New York Times: "Buckingham Palace broke nearly 48 hours of silence Tuesday about a bombshell interview with Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, saying 'the whole royal family is saddened' and expressing concern about the issue of racism the couple had raised.... In a brief statement, Buckingham Palace said that the issues raised by the couple in the interview, 'particularly that of race,' were concerning.... On Tuesday, Piers Morgan, the co-host of 'Good Morning Britain' on ITV news, who came under attack for saying he 'didn't believe a word' of the interview, resigned, the network said. Britain's communications regulator received more than 41,000 complaints about his comment, it said." MB: The Palace has expressed so much "concern," you'd think they had hired Sen. Susan Collins as their PR manager. And of course it's teddibly, teddibly sad Piers lost his job. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

News Lede

New York Times: "Allan J. McDonald, an engineer who on a chilly January morning in 1986 tried to stop the launch of the Challenger space shuttle, citing the possible effect of the cold on its booster rockets, and who, after it broke apart on liftoff, blew the whistle when government officials tried to cover up his dissent, died on Saturday in Ogden, Utah. He was 83."

The Commentariat -- March 9, 2021

Afternoon Update:

Spencer Hsu & Aaron Davis of the Washington Post: "U.S. prosecutors alleged Monday that Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes was in direct contact before, during and immediately after the Jan. 6 Capitol breach with members since charged with plotting to prevent Congress from confirming the results of the 2020 presidential election. In a late-night court filing, prosecutors alleged that Rhodes directed the right-wing, anti-government group to rally during the riot to the southeast steps of the Capitol, after which several members forcibly entered the east side of the building.... Prosecutors said they found 'no discussion of forcibly entering the Capitol until January 6.' But they said the chat messages, combined with Rhodes's previous statements, 'all show that the co-conspirators joined together to stop Congress's certification of the Electoral College vote, and they were prepared to use violence, if necessary, to effect this purpose....'" ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Now put that together with this, also from the Hsu/David report: "Separately Monday, prosecutors arrested Roberto Minuta, 36, who prosecutors alleged was an Oath Keepers associate who illegally entered the Capitol after appearing to provide security for Republican strategist Roger Stone outside a Washington hotel on the morning of Jan. 6." We're getting mighty close to Trump here.

Katie Shepherd of the Washington Post: "Jacob Anthony Chansley, often referred to as the 'QAnon Shaman' who donned horns and red-white-and-blue face paint to storm the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, has spent nearly two months pleading with a judge -- and with the public in high-profile interviews -- to let him go free.... U.S. District Judge Royce C. Lamberth was not impressed. On Monday, Lamberth denied Chansley's motion for release in a scathing memorandum that rejected his arguments as 'meritless,' 'mistaken' and 'so frivolous as to insult the Court's intelligence.' The judge said that Chansley was too dangerous to release and continues to pose a threat to the public."

The Chief Stands Alone. Robert Barnes of the Washington Post: "The Supreme Court on Monday revived a former student's lawsuit against the college that blocked his evangelizing on campus, with Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. -- apparently for the first time in his 16-year tenure -- casting a lone dissenting vote. The issue was not the conduct of Georgia Gwinnett College, which kept student Chike Uzuegbunam from spreading the Gospel on campus. The issue was whether Uzuegbunam's demand the college pay him a nominal amount of money in damages -- which could be as little as $1 -- kept his civil rights case alive or whether it was moot once the university agreed to his complaint and ended its offending speech policy. Justice Clarence Thomas said the request for nominal damages was enough to keep the suit alive, in an 8-to-1 opinion."

Isabella Kwai of the New York Times: "Buckingham Palace broke nearly 48 hours of silence Tuesday about a bombshell interview with Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, saying 'the whole royal family is saddened' and expressing concern about the issue of racism the couple had raised.... In a brief statement, Buckingham Palace said that the issues raised by the couple in the interview, 'particularly that of race,' were concerning.... On Tuesday, Piers Morgan, the co-host of 'Good Morning Britain' on ITV news, who came under attack for saying he 'didn't believe a word' of the interview, resigned, the network said. Britain's communications regulator received more than 41,000 complaints about his comment, it said." MB: The Palace has expressed so much "concern," you'd think they had hired Sen. Susan Collins as their PR manager. And of course it's teddibly, teddibly sad Piers lost his job.

Ken W. sent me the "1956" video below. He checked around, though, and quickly learned the video was a hoax. It's such a good hoax, I thought I'd share it. And many thanks to Ken, for doing the checking himself: ~~~

~~~~~~~~~~

Jason Horowitz & Barbara Starr of CNN: "President Joe Biden on Monday announced he has nominated two female generals to positions as 4-star combatant commanders after their promotions had been delayed under the Trump administration. The nominations of Gen. Jacqueline Van Ovost of the Air Force to commander of United States Transportation Command and Lt. Gen. Laura Richardson of the Army to commander of United States Southern Command would make them the second and third woman to lead a Combatant Command if confirmed by the Senate. Biden, during remarks on International Women's Day at the White House on Monday, called Van Ovost and Richardson 'two outstanding and eminently qualified warriors and patriots.'... Biden noted that Van Ovost, a first generation American, flew Air Force Two when he served as vice president during the Obama administration, as well as highlighted Richardson's work as commanding general of US Army North, coordinating the military's medical personal deployed to help with the coronavirus response." ~~~

Katie Rogers & Erica Green of the New York Times: "President Biden on Monday directed the Education Department to conduct an expansive review of all policies on sex and gender discrimination and violence in schools, effectively beginning his promised effort to dismantle Trump-era rules on sexual misconduct that afforded greater protections to students accused of assault. With two executive orders -- one ordering the new education secretary to review those policies, and the other establishing a gender-focused White House policy council -- Mr. Biden, an author of the Violence Against Women Act, waded into an area that has been important to him but has been politically charged for more than a decade." The AP's story is here.

Lara Jakes & Anatoly Kurmanaev of the New York Times: "As many as 320,000 Venezuelans living in the United States were given an 18-month reprieve on Monday from the threat of being deported, as the Biden administration sought to highlight how dangerous that country has become under President Nicolás Maduro. The immigrants also will be allowed to work legally in the United States as part of the temporary protective status the administration issued as it considers the next steps in a yearslong American pressure campaign to force Mr. Maduro from power.... Though the Trump administration had resisted issuing the same protections -- despite intense lobbying from Mr. Maduro's opponents -- ... Donald J. Trump delayed deportations for many Venezuelans in the United States on his last day in office. Geoff Ramsey, a Venezuela expert at Washington Office on Latin America..., said the legal protective status was generally more durable than a presidential order...." An AP report is here.

Eric Lipton of the New York Times: "The Biden administration moved on Monday to reimpose financial sanctions on an Israeli mining executive who had turned to a team of lobbyists to have the measures eased during ... Donald J. Trump's final days in office. The reversal came after a chorus of complaints from human rights advocates, members of Congress and activists in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where the businessman, Dan Gertler, secured access to mining rights for decades through what the Treasury Department during the Trump administration called a series of corrupt deals that had shortchanged Congo of more than $1.3 billion in revenue from the sale of minerals."

Dino Grandoni & Juliet Eilperin of the Washington Post: "The Biden administration took a crucial step Monday toward approving the nation's first large-scale offshore wind farm about 12 nautical miles off the coast of Martha's Vineyard, Mass., a project that officials say will launch a massive clean-power expansion in the fight against climate change. In completing a final environmental review of Vineyard Wind, the Interior Department endorsed an idea that had been conceived two decades ago but had run into a well-funded and organized opposition from waterfront property owners near the tony island, including then-Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D), who died in 2009, and the billionaire industrialist William I. Koch. The $2.8 billion project is set to be built several miles south of the original plan fought by the Kennedy family and will be out of sight from the family's Hyannis compound.... Vineyard Wind awaits a final greenlight from several federal agencies, including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which could come as soon as next month." MB: Remember that Trump said the noise from the turbines cause cancer & also causes you to miss your favorite teevee show when the wind dies down. ~~~

     ~~~ This, however, is true: "A Stanford University researcher concluded that wind farms kill birds at a rate of 0.28 bird deaths per gigawatt-hour (GWh) of energy produced -- lower than nuclear power stations (0.41) but higher than fossil fuel generators (0.17). Researchers noted those rates do not take the impact climate change has on bird habitats into account. Information on mortality rates with offshore turbines is incomplete." So maybe concerns about bird mortality are what inspired the following: ~~~

~~~ For the Birds. Matthew Brown & John Flesher of the AP: "The Biden administration on Monday reversed a policy imposed under ... Donald Trump that drastically weakened the government's power to enforce a century-old law that protects most U.S. bird species. Trump ended criminal prosecutions against companies responsible for bird deaths that could have been prevented. The move halted enforcement practices under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act in place for decades -- resulting most notably in a $100 million settlement by energy company BP after the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill killed about 100,000 birds, according to federal data. Some scientists have said that number could be higher. A federal judge in New York in August struck down the Trump administration's legal rationale for changing how the bird treaty was enforced."

Dog Bites Man. Exiled to Delaware. Katie Rogers of the New York Times: "President Biden's two German shepherds have been moved to the family home in Delaware after one of the animals showed ongoing aggressive behavior to White House staff, according to a news report. A report published by CNN on Monday evening said that the dogs, Champ and Major, had been moved after Major had what one person described as a 'biting incident' with a member of the White House's security staff.... A person familiar with the dogs' whereabouts said that Champ and Major had been moved to the family home in Delaware, but added that it was typical for them to stay there when Jill Biden, the first lady, was traveling." CNN's story is here. MB: BTW, this is sort of a big story in Right Wing World. Maybe they'll try to conjure up a "mean dog" scandal.

The Pandemic, Ctd.

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

The New York Times' live updates of Covid-19 developments Monday are here. They include news of the new CDC guidelines for vaccinated people. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) The Washington Post's live updates for Monday are here.

** Lena Sun & Lenny Bernstein of the Washington Post: "Federal health officials released guidance Monday that gives fully vaccinated Americans more freedom to socialize and pursue routine daily activities, providing a pandemic-weary nation a first glimpse of what a new normal may look like in coming months. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said people who are two weeks past their final shot face little risk if they visit indoors with unvaccinated members of a single household at low risk of severe disease, without wearing masks or distancing. That would free many vaccinated grandparents who live near their unvaccinated children and grandchildren to gather for the first time in a year. Long-distance travel is still discouraged, however. The CDC also said fully vaccinated people can gather indoors with those who are also fully vaccinated. And they do not need to quarantine, or be tested after exposure to the coronavirus, if they have no symptoms." This article is free to nonsubscribers. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

     ~~~ The CDC's new guidelines for vaccinated people are here. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Tony Romm & Jeff Stein of the Washington Post: "House lawmakers are set to vote as soon as Tuesday on a roughly $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package, putting President Biden on track to sign his first major legislative accomplishment into law by the end of the week. Democrats in the chamber are expected to approve the bill -- which includes a dramatic expansion of pandemic aid and federal safety net programs -- despite changes to critical elements of the stimulus adopted by the Senate over the weekend." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Karoun Demirjian of the Washington Post: "A review of security at the U.S. Capitol commissioned after the deadly riot on Jan. 6 found that Capitol Police are too 'understaffed, insufficiently equipped, and inadequately trained' -- and woefully lacking in intelligence capabilities -- to protect Congress from a similar future attack. The 15-page draft report from retired Army Lt. Gen Russel Honoré, whom House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) tasked last month with leading the security review, outlines recommendations to address the identified shortfalls in physical and operational security. But it is unclear whether a divided Congress will heed the guidance or whether the report ... will become the latest flash point in an increasingly partisan debate over how thoroughly lawmakers should enhance the Capitol's fortifications -- and how much money they should spend.... Honoré and his team spent Monday briefing rank-and-file House lawmakers about the report's contents. According to their findings, threats to lawmakers have increased fourfold since a year ago, both within D.C. and in members' home states."

Neil Vigdor of the New York Times: "A Missouri man who prosecutors say threatened to lynch a Black congressman the day after the Jan. 6 siege at the U.S. Capitol and a Jewish congressman in 2019 was ordered by a federal judge on Monday to remain in custody. The man, Kenneth R. Hubert, made the menacing comments toward the two Democratic representatives, Emanuel Cleaver II of Missouri and Steve Cohen of Tennessee, according to prosecutors, who contended that Mr. Hubert's release on bond would present a danger to the community."

Rachel Weiner, et al., of the Washington Post: "A man linked by prosecutors to the Oath Keepers and Republican strategist Roger Stone was arrested Monday in New York and charged with criminal involvement in the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. Roberto Minuta, 36, of Texas is accused of obstructing the formal counting of presidential election votes, trespassing and attempting to cover up his crimes. He was ordered released on a $125,000 bond over the objections of federal prosecutors.... [Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin] Gianforti said Minuta came to the Capitol dressed in gear identifying him as a member of the right-wing Oath Keepers group -- citing a video in which he appears with Stone that morning. Federal prosecutors have alleged that members of the Oath Keepers conspired to storm the Capitol to prevent President Biden from taking office. Minuta was carrying a firearm and pepper or bear spray on Jan. 6, according to prosecutors; he was also armed when he was arrested Saturday at his tattoo parlor in New York. Upon his arrest, he questioned why antifa and Black Lives Matter adherents were not being targeted instead, Gianforti said."

The Party of White Supremacists. Christopher Mathias of the Huffington Post: "Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) posted on Twitter the motto of a white nationalist group on Sunday, a little over a week after delivering the keynote address at the group's conference in Florida. '#AmericaFirst,' Gosar tweeted above a meme showing a cartoon of what appears to be a sex worker leaning into a man's car and saying, '$50 WHATEVER YOU WANT BABY.' The man sitting in the car replies: 'CAN YOU ... TELL EVERYONE AMERICA FIRST IS INEVITABLE.' 'America First is inevitable' is the motto of the 'America First' white nationalist movement headed by the racist and anti-Semitic podcaster Nick Fuentes." MB: Gosar's Congression colleagues don't seem a bit concerned about his extensive association with the white supremacist group, though they would like to get rid of members who voted to impeach terrorist-inciter Donald Trump.

Peniel Joseph, in a CNN opinion piece: "While Americans should rightfully applaud (and many are) the voter rights advocacy and organizing done by Stacey Abrams, the voter education campaign waged by the WNBA and LeBron James' continued investment in protecting the franchise for African Americans, the fact that they have to do such work almost 60 years after the Voting Rights Act is a national tragedy.... It is no accident that the White siege at the US Capitol building took place the day after Black voters in Georgia helped elect the first Black senator and gave Democrats a razor-thin Senate majority.... Contemporary voter suppression efforts are simply updated disenfranchisement techniques first institutionalized during the 19th century and now, through the assistance of the former president, the Republican Party and right-wing media outlets, buffed and polished to a high gloss that normalizes anti-Black racism through lies about voter fraud and cheating inevitably occurring wherever Black votes are cast." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Joe Biden isn't helping. In the past 24 hours, I have twice heard his press secretary Jen Psaki insist President Biden opposes eliminating the filibuster. Psaki doesn't hedge the way even Joe Manchin does; she flat-out says Biden is against dumping the filibuster and biparitisanship, blah-blah. The House's voting rights act will not pass in the Senate if at least ten Republican votes are required.

Senate Race 2022. Buh-bye: the Trump Effect. Nicholas Fandos of the New York Times: "Roy Blunt of Missouri, the No. 4 Senate Republican, announced on Monday that he would not seek re-election in 2022, the latest in a string of party veterans who have opted to exit Congress as the G.O.P. remakes itself in the mold of ... Donald J. Trump. Mr. Blunt, a fixture of the Republican establishment, had told reporters in January that he was planning to run for a third term and had taken steps to avoid alienating the former president. But with his surprise announcement on Monday, he joined a growing group of institutionalists who have chosen to leave rather than potentially subject themselves to party primaries that promise to be contests of which candidate can tie himself more closely to Mr. Trump." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: This is hilarious. Republicans are so concerned that they might cross the former Lord High Executive* that they're quitting rather than risk Trump's humiliating them. As Brian Williams said, Blunt "became a full-on Trumper." But that's not enough. Mitch was worried Trump would hurt his attempts to become majority leader again? Ha ha. Trump is already doing it, discouraging even fullblown Trumpists from seeking re-election. In place of the old guard turned Trump apologists, Fandos writes, "... has emerged a crop of Trump acolytes who have mirrored the former president's combative style, shunned compromise with Democrats and so far been more willing to buck Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the long-serving top Republican leader with whom Mr. Blunt closely allied himself."

The Former Guy

The Grifter-in-Chief Demands: Send Me the Money. Jill Colvin of the AP: "The Republican National Committee is defending its right to use ... Donald Trump's name in fundraising appeals after he demanded they put an end to the practice. In a Monday letter to Trump attorney Alex Cannon, RNC chief counsel J. Justin Riemer said the committee 'has every right to refer to public figures as it engages in core, First Amendment-protected political speech' and said 'it will continue to do so in pursuit of these common goals.' But he maintained that Trump had also 'reaffirmed' to the chair of the RNC, Ronna McDaniel, over the weekend 'that he approves of the RNC's current use of his name in fundraising and other materials, including for our upcoming donor retreat event at Palm Beach at which we look forward to him participating.' Trump responded to the letter with a statement that put that agreement in doubt. 'No more money for RINOS'..., he stated. 'They do nothing but hurt the Republican Party and our great voting base -- they will never lead us to Greatness.' He instead again urged his supporters to send their contributions directly to his own Save America PAC by using his personal website, adding, 'We will bring it all back stronger than ever before!'" ~~~

~~~ MEANWHILE. Josh Dawsey of the Washington Post: "The Republican National Committee is moving part of its spring donor retreat next month to Mar-a-Lago from a nearby hotel for a dinner speech that will be headlined by ... Donald Trump, according to Republicans involved in the planning of the event. The move, which highlights the former president's continued grip over the GOP, comes amid a spat over the use by RNC and other Republican organizations of Trump's likeness and image in fundraising, as well as anxiety about how Trump plans to use his influence in the 2022 midterms." The Raw Story has a summary report here. ~~~

Kara Scannell of CNN: "The Manhattan district attorney's office subpoenaed documents from an investment company that loaned the Trump Organization millions of dollars for its Chicago skyscraper in a sign that the investigation into the former president's finances continues to expand, according to people familiar with the investigation. Prosecutors issued the grand jury subpoena to Fortress Investment Management late last year, the people said, as part of their wide-ranging investigation into ... Donald Trump and his company. Investigators' interest in how Trump and his company treated the Chicago loan is an expansion of an inquiry that encompasses multiple aspects of the Trump business." ~~~

~~~ Marie: I did see a couple of media stories yesterday about how Trump is returning to New York City for a brief visit, for the first time since he left D.C. under duress. I ignored the stories, because I don't care, but at the end of yesterday's Comments thread, unwashed did speculate as to why Trump might visit the home town where he is so unwelcome. I endorse any & all of unwashed's best guesses.

Trump Requests Mail-in Ballot. Hannah Morse of the Palm Beach Post: "... Donald Trump is set to fulfill his civic duty as a private citizen and vote in the town of Palm Beach's municipal election. Despite his false claims about mail voting during the 2020 election cycle, Trump requested a mail ballot on Friday for the third time in his Palm Beach County voter history."

Beyond the Beltway

Georgia. Voter Suppression, Jim Crow-style. Ari Berman of Mother Jones: "Following unexpected Democratic victories in Georgia in November and January, Republicans in the state Senate voted Monday to significantly curtail the right to vote. On Monday afternoon, the legislators approved a bill repealing no-excuse absentee voting, which 1.3 million voters used to cast ballots by mail in 2020, including 450,000 Republicans. They were also set to consider a bill on Monday evening ending automatic voter registration, which 5 million of the state's 7.6 million voters used to register since it was implemented in 2016. The Senate bills follow the passage of a sweeping House bill last week that cuts weekend voting days -- including on Sundays, when Black churches hold 'Souls to the Polls' get-out-the-vote drives -- restricts the use of mail ballot drop boxes, prevents counties from accepting grants from nonprofits to improve their elections, adds new voter ID requirements for mail ballots, gives election official less time to send out mail ballots and voters less time to return them, and even makes it a crime to distribute food and water to voters waiting in line. Collectively, these bills represent the most sustained effort to roll back access to the ballot in Georgia since the Jim Crow era. The same is true nationally, where Republicans have introduced 253 bills in 43 states in the first two months of this year to make it harder to vote." ~~~

~~~ Iowa. Voter Suppression, Ignoramus-style. Stephen Gruber-Miller of the Des Moines Register: "Four months after Iowans voted in record numbers, Gov. Kim Reynolds [R] has signed legislation cutting the state's early voting period and closing the polls an hour earlier on Election Day. The Iowa Legislature approved the measure and sent it to Reynolds' desk late last month. Every Republican present for debate in the House and Senate voted for the legislation. Every Democrat voted against it. Reynolds, a Republican, signed the law Tuesday. Iowa is among a national wave of Republican-led states whose leaders have expressed concerns about the integrity of the 2020 elections, taking the lead from ... Donald Trump, who falsely claimed the election was stolen from him. States such as Florida and Georgia have undertaken high-profile efforts to limit absentee voting after the practice surged in 2020." MB: "Expressed concern," my ass. Please tell me how cutting voting hours shows concern for election integrity. C'mon, try.

Iowa. What First Amendment? Ryan Foley of the AP: "Advocates for journalism and human rights in the U.S. and abroad have pressed Iowa authorities to drop the charges [against Des Moines Register reporter Andrea Sahouri], arguing that Sahouri was simply doing her job by documenting the newsworthy event. Iowa Democrats have blasted one of their own, longtime Polk County Attorney John Sarcone, for pursuing the case. [Sahouri's then-boyfriend Spenser Robnett, who came to her rescue when Des Moine police officer Des Moines Officer Luke Wilson pepper-sprayed her. He is also on trial.]... Prosecutors pressed ahead with their case despite local, national and international pressure to drop the rare effort to punish a working reporter.... Wilson testified on the first day of trial for Sahouri and Robnett on misdemeanor charges of failure to disperse and interference with official acts." The Washington Post's story is here.

New York. Jesse McKinley & Luis Ferré-Sadurní of the New York Times: "The New York State attorney general has named Joon H. Kim, a former acting U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Anne L. Clark, an employment discrimination lawyer, to lead the investigation into sexual harassment accusations made against Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo. The selection of the lawyers, who will be armed with subpoena power, clears the way for investigators to begin looking into Mr. Cuomo, a third-term Democrat who has seen his political fortunes hammered in the wake of allegations of sexual harassment and other questionable behavior toward young women." ~~~

~~~ David Goodman & Jesse McKinley of the New York Times: "The publisher of Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo's book on his leadership during the pandemic said it had stopped promoting the title because of an inquiry into the withholding of data on the deaths of nursing home residents. Sales of the book, 'American Crisis: Leadership Lessons from the Covid-19 Pandemic,' had already slowed severely as the governor found himself embroiled in overlapping crises of his own making, including a drumbeat of accusations about his inappropriate behavior toward younger women and his aides' manipulation of nursing home data." A Mediaite summary story is here.

Way Beyond

U.K. The Melancholy Wives of Windsor. Sarah Lyall of the New York Times: "While the British tabloids like to cast Meghan in the villainous role of the Duchess of Windsor -- the American divorcée who lured away their king in 1936 and lived with him in bitter exile, causing an irreparable family rift -- Harry and Meghan seem determined to position her instead as a latter-day Diana, a woman mistreated by her in-laws, more sinned against than sinning.... [Harry] raised the subject again on Sunday, drawing parallels between the experiences of his mother and his wife and saying, of Diana, that he has 'felt her presence through this whole process.'... 'What I was seeing was history repeating itself,' he said, though he described the treatment of Meghan as 'far more dangerous' because of the ubiquity of social media and the corrosive element of racism.... It felt Shakespearean, the sense of history repeating itself through the immutable structure of a royal lineage and an ancient institution.... Meghan's discussion in the interview of her mental health struggles as a royal wife, of loneliness and desolation and thoughts of suicide, was reminiscent of Diana's account of the bulimia and depression that consumed her during her own marriage. Both women said they had desperately sought help from the family, only to be ignored and rebuffed." ~~~

     ~~~ The British Tabloids Are Not Amused. Piers Morgan, for instance, writes in the Daily Mail that the interview was nauseating. Other adjectives that comprised his "initial thoughts": "Sickening. Shameful. Self-pitying. Salacious. Scandalous. Sanctimonious. Spectacularly self-serving." Okay, thanks, Piers.

News Lede

New York Times: "Roger Mudd, the anchorman who delivered the news and narrated documentaries with an urbane edge for three decades on CBS, NBC and PBS and conducted a 1979 interview that undermined the presidential hopes of Senator Edward M. Kennedy, died on Tuesday at his home in McLean, Va. He was 93."