The Commentariat -- May 16, 2021

Afternoon Update:

David Holtgrave & Eli Rosenberg, public health experts, in a CNN opinion piece: "Unfortunately, we are still not across the finish line in the US pandemic. There is still a Covid-19 death about every 2.5 minutes in the nation, and serious racial and ethnic disparities exists (e.g., in disproportionate access to vaccination services). There are six major concerns about the decision to roll back some key safety measures when in fact we need all of the tools we have in the Covid-19 prevention toolbox for perhaps just a short time longer.... We are going to keep wearing our masks." MB: Me, too, although I've liberalized that a lot. For instance, a friend -- who like me is fully vaccinated -- stopped by yesterday. We chatted outside, and neither of us wore masks. I have a couple of nearly immovable iron benches that are, by happenstance, set about six feet apart, so they provide just the right "social distancing." A couple of weeks ago, we both would have masked up.

Aubree Weaver of Politico: "While Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hopes that the escalating violence between Israeli and Palestinian forces doesn't continue for very long, he acknowledged Sunday morning that he doesn't foresee an 'immediate' end to the conflict. [Speaking on CBS' 'Face the Nation,'] Netanyahu also denied reports that he had rejected a truce offered by Egypt, which also borders on Gaza, and accepted by Hamas. 'That's not what I know,' he said of the suggested truce."

Henry Gomez of NBC News: “Rep. Matt Gaetz, the Florida Republican mired in controversy, told a crowd of Republican activists Saturday that sexual misconduct allegations involving him are as benign as legislative earmarks. 'I'm being falsely accused of exchanging money for naughty favors,' Gaetz said at the Ohio Political Summit, a gathering sponsored by the Strongsville GOP in suburban Cleveland. 'Yet, Congress has reinstituted a process that legalizes the corrupt act of exchanging money for favors, through earmarks, and everybody knows that that's the corruption.'" MB: Earmarks are sometimes useful in obtaining the votes of reluctant MOCs, yet Congress, in its wisdom, is unlikely to approve legislation providing MOCs with hookups with underaged prostitutes and rentboys in exchange for their votes on an infrastructure bill. As far as I know. But nice try, Matt. Maybe you could introduce a sex-for-votes bill?

Emily Flitter & Matthew Goldstein of the New York Times: "By the time Melinda French Gates decided to end her 27-year marriage, her husband was known globally as a software pioneer, a billionaire and a leading philanthropist. But in some circles, Bill Gates had also developed a reputation for questionable conduct in work-related settings. That is attracting new scrutiny amid the breakup of one of the world’s richest, most powerful couples." The report details some of Bill's "questionable conduct." MB: This doesn't surprise me. Not long after his marriage, my daughter told me she observed Bill "behaving inappropriately" at an industry party.

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Pay-to-Play. Because Everything They Did Was Crooked. Jeff McDonald of the San Diego Union-Tribune: "A federal grand jury in Washington, D.C., has begun issuing subpoenas in a criminal investigation into the nomination of San Diego developer Douglas F. Manchester as ambassador to the Bahamas by ... Donald Trump. The case appears to focus on the Republican National Committee and its two senior leaders, and possibly members of Congress. Manchester, a well-known contributor to the Republican Party and to GOP elected officials and candidates, was nominated to become the U.S. ambassador to the Bahamas in May 2017, just months into the Trump administration. But the nomination stalled in the U.S. Senate, prompting Trump to re-nominate Manchester to the post early in 2018. That nomination also was held up from Senate approval. Manchester withdrew his nomination in October 2019, saying that he was removing his name from consideration due to threats to his family.... Weeks after Manchester withdrew his nomination, emails surfaced indicating that Manchester was at the center of a possible 'pay-to-play' arrangement with the Republican National Committee."

Space Farce. Oriana Pawlyk of Military.com: "A commander of a U.S. Space Force unit tasked with detecting ballistic missile launches has been fired for comments made during a podcast promoting his new book, which claims Marxist ideologies are becoming prevalent in the United States military. Lt Col. Matthew Lohmeier, commander of 11th Space Warning Squadron at Buckley Air Force Base, Colorado, was relieved from his post Friday by Lt. Gen. Stephen Whiting, the head of Space Operations Command, over a loss of confidence in his ability to lead, Military.com has exclusively learned.... [Lohmeier] spoke about U.S. institutions, including universities, media and federal agencies including the military, that he said are increasingly adopting leftist practices. These practices -- such as diversity and inclusion training -- are the systemic cause for the divisive climate across America today, he said."

Jennifer Jacquet in a Washington Post op-ed: "Since at least 2006, when the United Nations published a report, 'Livestock's Long Shadow,' cataloguing the sector's global environmental impacts, the industry has been borrowing tactics from the fossil fuel playbook. While meat and dairy producers have not claimed that climate change is a liberal hoax, as oil and gas producers did starting in the 1990s, companies have been downplaying the industry's environmental footprint and undermining climate policy, as my colleagues Oliver Lazarus and Sonali McDermid and I have written in a recent study. For decades, the meat industry, acting through major agricultural trade groups such as the Farm Bureau, has pressured lawmakers to prevent environmental regulations. More recently, that's taken the form of resisting climate regulations, including rules on greenhouse gases and emissions reporting."

Beyond the Beltway

Philip Bump of the Washington Post: Voter suppression "is not the only arena in which states -- meaning largely Republican legislators in states -- are responding to the events of 2020 with new legislation. New analysis from the nonprofit organization PEN America has identified 100 pieces of legislation that in some way aim to amplify or introduce penalties associated with what the group calls 'protest-related activity.' A number of those bills have been abandoned, as is the case with the voting legislation tracked by the Brennan Center. But six have been signed into law.... The intent of the restrictions is generally obvious. Many of the bills targeting protest, for example, both increase penalties for rioting and adjust the threshold for declaring a riot downward, as is the case with legislation signed into law in Florida. Many increase penalties for acts of vandalism or for obstructing traffic. Others introduce new trespassing rules, including, as a bill proposed in South Carolina would do, making it a felony to camp on state property without authorization. Another common component of these bills reduces penalties for drivers who strike protesters if the driver feels as though his or her life is at risk."

Arizona. James Arkin of Politico: "Republicans in the state are still divided over the results of the last election, months after President Joe Biden was sworn into office. An ongoing and extraordinary audit of the 2020 vote count in the state's largest county -- rooted in conspiracy theories and the false belief that Biden's election was not legitimate -- is deepening the schism six months after the election, with no clear end in sight.... [Some] Republicans are speaking out to warn that the amateurish conduct of the audit and the conspiracy theories it has amplified could cause lasting damage to the party." ~~~

~~~ Bob Christie of the AP: "The Republican who now leads the Arizona county elections department targeted by a GOP audit of the 2020 election results is slamming ... Donald Trump and others in his party for their continued falsehoods about how the election was run. Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer on Saturday called a Trump statement accusing the county of deleting an elections database 'unhinged' and called on other Republicans to stop the unfounded accusations. 'We can't indulge these insane lies any longer. As a party. As a state. As a country,' Richer tweeted. Richer became recorder in January, after defeating the Democratic incumbent. The former president's statement came as Republican Senate President Karen Fann has demanded the Republican-dominated Maricopa County Board of Supervisors come to the Senate to answer questions raised by the private auditors she has hired."

Georgia. Marc Caputo of Politico: "Pro-Trump lawyer Lin Wood's bid to bring 'chaos' to South Carolina's GOP was halted on Saturday when he failed to unseat the party's chairman after baselessly accusing the incumbent of voter fraud and a host of other slurs. Chairman Drew McKissick's reelection was not in doubt among knowledgeable Republicans who say the party delegate rules favor longtime insiders. Wood, an accomplished trial lawyer from Georgia who turned into a conspiracy theorist, moved this year from Georgia and mounted an unexpectedly strong candidacy for a complete outsider."

New Mexico. Pilar Melendez of the Daily Beast, republished in Yahoo! News: "A suspected white supremacist is facing charges after allegedly ditching a bullet-riddled car containing three dead men in the parking lot of an Albuquerque hospital this week. Richard Kuykendall, a 41-year-old with an 'apparent association' with the Aryan Brotherhood prison gang, was charged Friday with being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition for his role in the Wednesday triple homicide, according to a criminal complaint filed Friday in the U.S. District Court for New Mexico. Prosecutors allege that after a deadly shootout in a nearby alley, Kuykendall drove to Presbyterian Kaseman Hospital with the victims, removed his shirt and told a security officer 'that there were three dead guys in the Chevy' before he walked away." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Not sure what the idea was to dropping dead bodies at a hospital. Maybe Kookendall thought the coronor's office was too creepy. Or maybe it's just that your average Nazi is none too bright.

Texas. Derek Hawkins of the Washington Post: "When former Dallas County prosecutor Richard E. Jackson put two homeless Black men on trial in 2000 for the murder of a local pastor, he allegedly withheld a heap of evidence that could have cleared them. Witnesses couldn't pick the suspects out of a lineup, neither of the men matched descriptions provided to investigators, and prosecutors had brokered secret deals with jailhouse informants for favorable testimony, appeals court papers would later show. In separate trials, jurors heard none of it. Jackson got his convictions, and Dennis Allen and Stanley Mozee were sentenced to life in prison. Only after an extensive review by the Innocence Project and Jackson's successors were the men exonerated -- 14 years later. Now, after two decades of legal wrangling, Jackson has been disbarred from practicing law in Texas, in a rare example of severe punishment for misconduct in a wrongful conviction case.... One recent study found more than half of wrongfully convicted defendants were victimized by government misconduct -- but prosecutors almost never face consequences as serious as disbarment."

Texas. The Lady & the Tiger. Juan Lozano of the AP: "A tiger that frightened residents after it was last seen briefly wandering around a Houston neighborhood has been found after a nearly week-long search and appears to be unharmed, police announced Saturday evening.... The tiger was being held at BARC, the city of Houston's animal shelter, but was expected to be taken Sunday morning to ... an animal sanctuary in Murchison, Texas, located southeast of Dallas." Cmdr. Ron Borza of the Houston Police said "that the tiger was passed around to different people but that [the wife of the tiger's owner] knew where the tiger was at all times this week as authorities searched for it. Police are still trying to determine ... if any charges related to having the tiger will be filed." Victor Hugo Cuevas, the tiger's owner, "was arrested Monday by Houston police ... for allegedly fleeing his home with the tiger after officers had responded to a call about a dangerous animal. At the time of his arrest by Houston police, Cuevas was already out on bond for a murder charge in a 2017 fatal shooting in neighboring Fort Bend County." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: The lovely Mr. and Mrs. Cuevas should be charged with something. The story of the misisng tiger went national. So they certainly knew public funds were being spent to search for a big cat that was in their custody, even as Houston residents must have been terrified that the tiger was roaming about their neighborhoods.

Way Beyond

Israel. The New York Times' liveblog of developments Sunday in the deadly conflict are here.

~~~ Shira Rubin of the Washington Post: "Predawn Israeli airstrikes on several homes along a main road leading to Shifa Hospital in Gaza City killed 26 people, including eight children, said Gaza's Ministry of Health -- a number expected to rise. It is believed to be the single deadliest attack since the current bout of violence began last week. Diplomatic efforts by President Biden and U.S. regional allies to reach a cease-fire have had little impact on the escalation between Israel and Hamas, which on Sunday trudged into its seventh day, and has spilled over into mass protests in Israeli towns and in the West Bank." ~~~

~~~ Fares Akram & Lee Keath of the AP: "With a U.S. envoy on the ground, calls increased for a cease-fire after five days of mayhem that have left at least 145 Palestinians dead in Gaza -- including 41 children and 23 women -- and eight dead on the Israeli side, all but one of them civilians, including a 5-year-old. President Joe Biden, who has called for a de-escalation but has backed Israel's campaign, spoke separately by phone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Still, Israel stepped up its assault, vowing to shatter the capabilities of Gaza's Hamas rulers. The week of deadly violence, set off by a Hamas rocket Monday, came after weeks of mounting tensions and heavy-handed Israeli measures in contested Jerusalem. Early Sunday, Israeli warplanes struck several buildings and roads in a vital part of Gaza City. Photos circulated by residents and journalists showed the airstrikes created a crater that blocked one of the main roads leading to Shifa, the largest hospital in the strip." ~~~

~~~ Fares Akram & Joseph Krauss of the AP: "An Israeli airstrike targeted and destroyed a high-rise building in Gaza City that housed offices of The Associated Press and other media outlets hours after another Israeli airraid on a densely populated refugee camp killed at least 10 Palestinians from an extended family, mostly children, on Saturday. The strike on the high-rise came nearly an hour after the military ordered people to evacuate the 12-story building, which also housed Al-Jazeera, other offices and residential apartments. The strike brought down the entire structure, which collapsed in a gigantic cloud of dust. There was no immediate explanation for why it was attacked. The earlier Israeli airstrike on the Gaza City refugee camp was the deadliest single strike of the current conflict between Israel and the militant group Hamas. Both sides are pressing for an advantage as cease-fire efforts gather strength." MB: Gosh, just can't think why Israel would destroy a building housing media outlets. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ In a statement, AP President and CEO Gary Pruitt said, "We are shocked and horrified that the Israeli military would target and destroy the building housing AP's bureau and other news organizations in Gaza. They have long known the location of our bureau and knew journalists were there. We received a warning that the building would be hit.... The world will know less about what is happening in Gaza because of what happened today." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ Paul Shinkman of U.S. News: Donald "Trump's attempts to sell the world on the merits of the so-called Abraham Accords -- access to a revered holy site and better conditions for Palestinians -- have come undone.... The U.S.-brokered Abraham Accords ... involving the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan have undercut Palestinians' traditional supporters and empowered Israel, which has capitalized in recent months on a policy that appears to persist under the Biden administration of not imposing pressure on the Jewish state.... The accords ... essentially muzzl[ed] signatory countries from providing anything but token criticism of the violence."

News Lede

New York Times: "Damon Weaver, who at age 11 became one of the youngest people to interview a sitting president [-- Barack Obama --], and who later gained attention for scoring other high-profile interviews with celebrities like Dwyane Wade and Oprah Winfrey, died on May 1. He was 23.... The cause was not made known.... Before his meeting with Mr. Obama, Mr. Weaver gained sizable attention from an interview in 2008 with Joseph R. Biden Jr., then Mr. Obama's running mate."

The Commentariat -- May 15, 2021

Late Morning Update:

Fares Akram & Joseph Krauss of the AP: "An Israeli airstrike targeted and destroyed a high-rise building in Gaza City that housed offices of The Associated Press and other media outlets hours after another Israeli air raid on a densely populated refugee camp killed at least 10 Palestinians from an extended family, mostly children, on Saturday. The strike on the high-rise came nearly an hour after the military ordered people to evacuate the 12-story building, which also housed Al-Jazeera, other offices and residential apartments. The strike brought down the entire structure, which collapsed in a gigantic cloud of dust. There was no immediate explanation for why it was attacked. The earlier Israeli airstrike on the Gaza City refugee camp was the deadliest single strike of the current conflict between Israel and the militant group Hamas. Both sides are pressing for an advantage as cease-fire efforts gather strength." MB: Gosh, just can't think why Israel would destroy a building housing media outlets. ~~~

~~~ In a statement, AP President and CEO Gary Pruitt said, "We are shocked and horrified that the Israeli military would target and destroy the building housing AP's bureau and other news organizations in Gaza. They have long known the location of our bureau and knew journalists were there. We received a warning that the building would be hit.... The world will know less about what is happening in Gaza because of what happened today."

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Alana Wise of NPR: "President Biden has revoked a number of executive actions taken by ... Donald Trump in the last year of his administration, mostly in response to the protests over systemic racism and police violence. The orders include Trump's move to establish a National Garden of American Heroes, an order related to conservative complaints about social media censorship and orders he signed to protect monuments and statues when protesters were targeting Confederate symbols last year. Those demonstrations intersected with the summer protests against the murder of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police. The president also revoked a 2019 Trump proclamation that purported to prevent immigrants 'who will financially burden the United States healthcare system' from entering the United States. In announcing the suspension, Biden said the Trump health care order 'does not advance the interests of the United States.'"

Jeremy Herb & Katelyn Polantz of CNN: "The General Services Administration has provided House Democrats with documents related to ... Donald Trump's Washington hotel, in the second case this week where the Biden administration gave the House information that the Trump administration had blocked it from obtaining. The Biden administration revealed in a court filing on Friday that the House committee had asked for the records and the GSA had turned over some of them last week. House Transportation Chairman Peter DeFazio, an Oregon Democrat, requested a slew of records in March related to the Trump International Hotel lease of the Old Post Office Building, which is not far from the White House. It was a request he had resubmitted to the GSA after it had been blocked by the Trump administration."

John Harwood of CNN: "Neera Tanden, the new administration's only Cabinet nominee rebuffed by the Senate, has become a senior adviser to President Joe Biden.... A longtime health policy expert, Tanden will begin planning for potential policy changes that could result from the forthcoming US Supreme Court decision on Republican legal efforts to strike down the Affordable Care Act. She worked in former President Barack Obama's administration as the act was designed and implemented. Among other duties, the official said, Tanden will also launch a review of the US Digital Service. The service is charged with solving the federal government's information technology and online security issues, recruiting technologists for tours of service akin to the Peace Corps."

Nicholas Fandos of the New York Times: "House Democrats pressed ahead on Friday with a bipartisan proposal to create an independent commission to investigate the Jan. 6 Capitol attack, after reaching agreement with a key Republican to drop his party's demand that it look at left-wing violence unrelated to the assault. But it was not clear whether G.O.P. leaders, who have insisted any such inquiry study Black Lives Matter and antifa, a loose collective of antifascist activists, would go along with the deal. The uncertainty raised the prospect of a showdown in the House next week over the investigation and the Republican Party's reluctance to reckon with the deadly attack on Congress by a pro-Trump mob." ~~~

~~~ Nicholas Wu & Sarah Ferris of Politico: "House Democrats on Friday announced plans to create a bipartisan commission to investigate the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol, though it doesn't yet have the backing of the chamber's top Republican. Gridlock over the bill's provisions and partisan sniping had stalled progress on the commission for months after the attack. And while House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said Friday he hadn't formally signed off on the agreement, the deal announced Friday by House Homeland Security Committee Chair Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) and ranking member John Katko (R-N.Y.) does include some key concessions to Republicans. The bill could come to the floor 'as soon as next week,' Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced Friday, noting that the panel is modeled after a bipartisan study of events leading up to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. That floor vote will likely be followed by a long-awaited emergency funding bill to address security flaws within the Capitol that the siege exposed." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Olivia Beavers of Politico: "Progressive Rep. David Cicilline (D-R.I.) is asking his colleagues to sign onto a resolution that calls for censuring members who claim the fateful day was 'not an insurrection' and who are engaging in other efforts to undermine the 'damage that was done.'... He specifically pointed to recent comments made by GOP Reps. Andrew Clyde (Ga.), Jody Hice (Ga.) and Paul Gosar (Ariz.). The resolution may face headwinds getting a vote on the House floor." ~~~

~~~ Liz Unbound. Clara Hill of Yahoo! News: "Representative Liz Cheney ... has called for a criminal investigation into ... Donald Trump for inciting the deadly Capitol insurrection on 6 January. In an interview with Savannah Guthrie on NBC's Today Show on Thursday, Ms Cheney said she was not 'surprised' by her removal as the chair of the Republican conference. She added that the GOP now finds itself in a 'moment where we have to decide whether we as a party whether we are going to embrace the truth.' She described the grip that Mr Trump had on the Republican party as 'dangerous' and 'a cult of personality,' saying it was a 'betrayal' to see him try to burn down the party and American democracy in an attempt to regain power." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

~~~ Caroline Kelly of CNN: "Wyoming Republican Rep. Liz Cheney ... said Friday that several Republican members of Congress had voted against impeaching Trump out of fear for their own lives.... '... there were members who told me that they were afraid for their own security -- afraid, in some instances, for their lives,' she said. 'And that tells you something about where we are as a country, that members of Congress aren't able to cast votes, or feel that they can't, because of their own security.'"

Marianna Sotomayor of the Washington Post: "House Republicans chose Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) on Friday to fill the leadership post recently occupied by Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), replacing a harsh critic of ... Donald Trump with a lawmaker who has become one of his staunchest defenders. She received 134 votes while Rep. Chip Roy (R-Tex.) received 46, according to GOP aides, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe the closed meeting. Nine members voted present and three wrote in a person who was not running." An AP story is here. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Margie The Stalker. Em Steck & Andrew Kaczynski of CNN: "During a February 2019 visit to congressional offices at the US Capitol [-- and before she was a MOC --] with associates who include a man who would later enter the Capitol during the January 6 insurrection, [Marjorie Taylor] Greene ... can be seen [in a video] taunting [Alexandria] Ocasio-Cortez's staff outside the congresswoman's locked office by talking through a mailbox slot urging her to come out. In the video, from a since-deleted Facebook Live of Greene's that was saved by CNN's KFile, Greene tells Ocasio-Cortez to 'get rid of your diaper,' referring to the congresswoman's office as a 'day care.' Greene repeatedly indicates throughout her stream that security has been called on them. 'We're going to go see, we're going to visit, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Crazy eyes. Crazy eyes. Nutty. Cortez,' Greene says to the camera on the way to the congresswoman's office, mispronouncing 'Ocasio.'" MB: And you wonder why AOC is concerned for her safety as MTG continues to stalk her. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ Margie the Tax Cheat. Justin Gray of WSB-TV Atlanta: "... Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and her husband have two active homestead exemptions, which is against Georgia law. A homestead exemption is a big tax break any Georgia homeowner is entitled to for their primary residence. It is against the law to file for more than one.... In a statement, Greene's office told [Justin] Gray to mind his own business and called it a 'pathetic smear' when he asked them about the homestead exemptions." MB: What's particularly disgusting about Homesteader Margie is that she is well-to-do. One of her two "homesteads" -- the one she bought last year so she could "live" in a county she "represents" -- cost $610,000.

Michael Schmidt of the New York Times: "A former confidant of Representative Matt Gaetz admitted in court papers on Friday to an array of federal crimes, including sex trafficking of a 17-year-old girl, and agreed to cooperate with the Justice Department's ongoing investigations. The plea deal by Joel Greenberg, the onetime associate of Mr. Gaetz who had served as a tax collector in Seminole County, Fla., north of Orlando, until he was indicted last year, provided prosecutors a potential key witness as they decide whether to charge Mr. Gaetz, the Florida Republican who is a close ally of ... Donald J. Trump. Mr. Gaetz is said to be under investigation over whether he violated sex trafficking laws by having sex with the same 17-year-old. Mr. Greenberg did not implicate Mr. Gaetz by name in court papers filed by prosecutors in Federal District Court in Orlando. But Mr. Greenberg admitted that he 'introduced the minor to other adult men, who engaged in commercial sex acts' with her, according to the documents, and that he was sometimes present. The others were not named." Includes copy of the plea deal, which runs to 86 pages. An AP story is here. ~~~

~~~ Jose Pagliery & Roger Sollenberger of the Daily Beast: "When Rep. Matt Gaetz attended a 2019 GOP fundraiser in Orlando, his date that night was someone he knew well: a paid escort and amateur Instagram model who led a cocaine-fueled party after the event, according to two witnesses.... Joel Greenberg will identify that escort to investigators as one of more than 15 young women Gaetz paid for sex, according to a source familiar with the investigation.... Megan Zalonka ... turned her relationship with Greenberg into a taxpayer-funded no-show job that earned her an estimated $7,000 to $17,500, according to three sources and corresponding government records.... On Oct. 26, 2019, Gaetz attended the 'Trump Defender Gala' fundraiser as the featured speaker at the Westgate Lake Resort in Orlando. Two witnesses present recalled friends reconvening at Gaetz's hotel room for an after-party, where Zalonka prepared lines of cocaine on the bathroom counter. One of those witnesses distinctly remembers Zalonka pulling the drugs out of her makeup bag, rolling a bill of cash, and joining Gaetz in snorting the cocaine.... Two sources said the pair had an ongoing financial relationship in exchange for sex.” ~~~

     ~~~ The Beast story is subscriber-firewalled. Daily Kos has a summary story here.

Tom Jackman & Rachel Weiner of the Washington Post: "A former captain in the U.S. Army Special Forces who last year admitted to spying for Russia was sentenced Friday to more than 15 years in prison by a federal judge in Alexandria. Peter Dzibinski Debbins, 46, pleaded guilty in November to the espionage-related charge of conspiracy to gather or deliver defense information to aid a foreign government. He was living in Manassas, Va., before his August arrest, which followed a failed polygraph test, court records show. 'He conspired with the Russian intelligence agents for his entire service in the U.S. Army,' prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memo. In court filings, Debbins said he was motivated by a combination of familial loyalty, financial opportunity and personal grievance against the U.S. Army." The AP's story is here.

Extreme Voter Fraud. KDVR Fox 31 (Denver): "Prosecutors have filed new charges against Barry Morphew, alleging the man accused of murdering his missing wife submitted a presidential ballot in her name. Morphew was recently arrested on charges of murdering his wife, Suzanne, after she disappeared a year ago. She still has yet to be found.... The ballot didn't contain Suzanne's signature, but it did list Barry as the witness.... On April 22, Barry was asked by FBI agents why he submitted a ballot for Suzanne. 'Just because I wanted Trump to win ... I know she (Suzanne) was going to vote for Trump anyways,' he told investigators. He also said he thought the 'other guys' were cheating so he would 'give him (former president Trump) another vote.'" MB: Trump voters are the best people. This guy allegedly kills his wife, then votes for Trump on her ballot. You can't make up this stuff. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

John Koblin of the New York Times: "Leslie Moonves, who led CBS as chief executive for 15 years before he was ousted in 2018, will receive nothing from the $120 million the company had set aside in a potential severance package, according to a federal filing on Friday. Mr. Moonves left CBS on Sept. 9, 2018, after more than a dozen women accused him of sexual misconduct, allegations that appeared in two articles in The New Yorker by Ronan Farrow. Mr. Moonves has denied the allegations."

Annals of "Journalism," Ctd. Michael Levenson of the New York Times: "The journalist Martin Bashir has left the British Broadcasting Corporation, as it prepares to publish the findings of an investigation into accusations that he used dishonest tactics to secure a major 1995 television interview with Diana, Princess of Wales.... An estimated 23 million people watched the interview, which rocked England and catapulted Mr. Bashir to international renown.... In November, longstanding questions about the methods that Mr. Bashir had used to earn Diana's trust came under renewed scrutiny in a two-part documentary that was broadcast on the British network ITV. The documentary contended that doctored bank statements -- purportedly proving that royal employees close to the princess were being paid to spy on her -- were used to gain Diana's confidence."

Your Feel-Good Story for Today. Sydney Page of the Washington Post: "Latonya Young, a 44-year-old single mother of three, received a bachelor's degree last week. It was a lifelong goal -- and she credits one of her Uber passengers [-- Kevin Esch --] with making it possible." At critical junctures, Esch helped Young pay her bills. "She also received support from the Jeanette Rankin Women's Scholarship Fund, which offers financial aid to low-income women older than 35 pursuing postsecondary education. Esch is now a board member of the organization, after Karen Sterk, the chief operating officer of the charity, heard about his friendship with Young and thought he'd be a perfect fit."

The Pandemic, Ctd.

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

Because Republicans Cheat. Ivana Saric of Axios: "House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) told CNN Thursday that members will still be required to wear masks on the House floor, despite new CDC guidance allowing fully vaccinated people to remove their masks indoors.... Pelosi's spokesperson cited the lack of clarity about which House members and their staffs are fully vaccinated, per Bloomberg." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Edgar Sandoval, et al., of the New York Times: "Across the country, governors, store owners and people running errands were scrambling on Friday to make sense of the abrupt change in federal guidelines, which said fully vaccinated people could now safely go most places, indoors or outdoors, without a mask. At least 20 states that still had mask mandates in place this week said by Friday evening that they would exempt fully vaccinated people or repeal the orders entirely, while at least five others with mask requirements had not announced any changes. The rapidly changing rules brought an end to more than a year of mandatory masking in much of the country, even as some said they were not yet ready to take off their face coverings."

Abha Bhattaraiy of the Washington Post: "Walmart, the country's largest retailer, said it will stop requiring masks for fully vaccinated customers and employees, joining Costco and Trader Joe's in easing store mandates after a contentious change in national guidelines.... Walmart announced its policy change in a memo to employees Friday, but noted that its 5,300 U.S. stores will continue to abide by local and state mask mandates. Unvaccinated shoppers and employees should continue wearing masks, the company said, though it did not offer details on how it would confirm whether customers have been inoculated. It also encouraged all employees to get vaccinated, and said it would give $75 to those who did.... But other major retailers, including Target, Home Depot, CVS and Harris Teeter, say they will continue to require masks in store as they review new CDC guidance and reevaluate store policies. The Retail Industry Leaders Association said the CDC's revised guidelines conflict with some state and local orders, creating ambiguity for retailers and their employees." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I shop at Walmart every couple of months, and you can bet I'll still be wearing my mask even tho I'm fully vaccinated. Because this: ~~~

~~~ Aaron Blake of the Washington Post: "Freeing up the unverifiable unvaccinated to blend in with their vaccinated neighbors by taking off their masks could allow them to more easily spread the disease among themselves. That could, in turn, make it more difficult to stamp out the virus. People have been talking about this in terms of whether the unvaccinated will simply 'lie' about their status, but they won't really even have to do that; they can just take off their masks.... Polling before the CDC's decision was announced suggests it's quite likely that a huge number of [the unvaccinated] will [go around unmasked]. And not only that, but unvaccinated people are also more likely to engage in riskier activities, in large part because they don't take the virus as seriously as those who have sought inoculation." MB: You didn't need Aaron Blake to tell you this; we already know a huge minority of our fellow citizens are irresponsible asses. AND ~~~

~~~ This interactive New York Times graphic will let you know what percentage of people in your county are vaccinated. Where I live, only 38 percent of people are fully vaccinated. So chances are, if I'm standing between two people in the check-out line, neither of the two lunkheads is vaccinated. (Luckily for me, I'm able to grocery-shop during the 6 am "senior hour," and the percent of those over the age of 65 who are vaccinated in 88 percent.

Beyond the Beltway

South Carolina. Richard Fausset of the New York Times: "The death of a Black man after police used pepper spray and Tasers on him in a South Carolina jail has stirred outrage as well as widespread calls for changes to the treatment of people in custody suffering from mental illness. Video footage released late on Thursday shows sheriff's deputies in Charleston County extracting the man, Jamal Sutherland, from his jail cell on Jan. 5, first using pepper spray on him, and then Tasers while he screams out in pain. He was declared dead soon after, and the graphic video spurred denunciations on Friday of the officers' response."

Way Beyond

Israel. The New York Times' live updates of the armed conflict in Israel on Saturday are here. ~~~

~~~ Vivian Yee of the New York Times: "Violence between Israelis and Palestinians expanded in new directions on Friday, with deadly clashes convulsing the occupied West Bank and anti-Israeli protests erupting along Israel's borders with two Arab neighbors. The widening sense of mayhem in Israel and the Palestinian territories came as Israeli airstrikes brought mass evacuations and funerals to Gaza, and as Hamas rockets singed Israeli towns for a fifth consecutive day. Hamas and Israeli officials signaled they were open to discussing a cease-fire amid global calls for peace and frantic diplomacy aimed at heading off a further fracturing in one of the Middle East's most intractable struggles." ~~~

~~~ The New York Times' live updates of the armed conflict in Israel on Friday are here. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

~~~ Bernie Sanders, in a New York Times op-ed: "In this moment of crisis, the United States should be urging an immediate cease-fire. We should also understand that, while Hamas firing rockets into Israeli communities is absolutely unacceptable, today's conflict did not begin with those rockets.... We have seen Benjamin Netanyahu's government work to marginalize and demonize Palestinian citizens of Israel, pursue settlement policies designed to foreclose the possibility of a two-state solution and pass laws that entrench systemic inequality between Jewish and Palestinian citizens of Israel.... Over more than a decade of his right-wing rule in Israel, Mr. Netanyahu has cultivated an increasingly intolerant and authoritarian type of racist nationalism.... In the Middle East, where we provide nearly $4 billion a year in aid to Israel, we can no longer be apologists for the right-wing Netanyahu government and its undemocratic and racist behavior. We must change course and adopt an evenhanded approach, one that upholds and strengthens international law regarding the protection of civilians, as well as existing U.S. law holding that the provision of U.S. military aid must not enable human rights abuses."

The Commentariat -- May 14, 2021

Afternoon Update:

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

Because Republicans Cheat. Ivana Saric of Axios: "House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) told CNN Thursday that members will still be required to wear masks on the House floor, despite new CDC guidance allowing fully vaccinated people to remove their masks indoors.... Pelosi's spokesperson cited the lack of clarity about which House members and their staffs are fully vaccinated, per Bloomberg."

Nicholas Wu & Sarah Ferris of Politico: "House Democrats on Friday announced plans to create a bipartisan commission to investigate the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol, though it doesn't yet have the backing of the chamber's top Republican. Gridlock over the bill's provisions and partisan sniping had stalled progress on the commission for months after the attack. And while House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said Friday he hadn't formally signed off on the agreement, the deal announced Friday by House Homeland Security Committee Chair Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) and ranking member John Katko (R-N.Y.) does include some key concessions to Republicans. The bill could come to the floor 'as soon as next week,' Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced Friday, noting that the panel is modeled after a bipartisan study of events leading up to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. That floor vote will likely be followed by a long-awaited emergency funding bill to address security flaws within the Capitol that the siege exposed."

Marianna Sotomayor of the Washington Post: "House Republicans chose Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) on Friday to fill the leadership post recently occupied by Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), replacing a harsh critic of ... Donald Trump with a lawmaker who has become one of his staunchest defenders. She received 134 votes while Rep. Chip Roy (R-Tex.) received 46, according to GOP aides, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe the closed meeting. Nine members voted present and three wrote in a person who was not running." An AP story is here.

Liz Unbound. Clara Hill of Yahoo! News: "Representative Liz Cheney ... has called for a criminal investigation into ... Donald Trump for inciting the deadly Capitol insurrection on 6 January. In an interview with Savannah Guthrie on NBC's Today Show on Thursday, Ms Cheney said she was not 'surprised' by her removal as the chair of the Republican conference. She added that the GOP now finds itself in a 'moment where we have to decide whether we as a party whether we are going to embrace the truth.' She described the grip that Mr Trump had on the Republican party as 'dangerous' and 'a cult of personality,' saying it was a 'betrayal' to see him try to burn down the party and American democracy in an attempt to regain power."

Em Steck & Andrew Kaczynski of CNN: "During a February 2019 visit to congressional offices at the US Capitol [-- and before she was a MOC --] with associates who include a man who would later enter the Capitol during the January 6 insurrection, [Marjorie Taylor] Greene ... can be seen [in a video] taunting [Alexandria] Ocasio-Cortez's staff outside the congresswoman's locked office by talking through a mailbox slot urging her to come out. In the video, from a since-deleted Facebook Live of Greene's that was saved by CNN's KFile, Greene tells Ocasio-Cortez to 'get rid of your diaper,' referring to the congresswoman's office as a 'day care.' Greene repeatedly indicates throughout her stream that security has been called on them. 'We're going to go see, we're going to visit, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Crazy eyes. Crazy eyes. Nutty. Cortez,' Greene says to the camera on the way to the congresswoman's office, mispronouncing 'Ocasio.'" MB: And you wonder why AOC is concerned for her safety as MTG continues to stalk her.

Yo, Donald, We've Found Some Extreme Voter Fraud. KDVR Fox 31 (Denver): "Prosecutors have filed new charges against Barry Morphew, alleging the man accused of murdering his missing wife submitted a presidential ballot in her name. Morphew was recently arrested on charges of murdering his wife, Suzanne, after she disappeared a year ago. She still has yet to be found.... The ballot didn't contain Suzanne's signature, but it did list Barry as the witness.... On April 22, Barry was asked by FBI agents why he submitted a ballot for Suzanne. 'Just because I wanted Trump to win ... I know she (Suzanne) was going to vote for Trump anyways,' he told investigators. He also said he thought the 'other guys' were cheating so he would 'give him (former president Trump) another vote.'" MB: Trump voters are the best people. This guy allegedly kills his wife, then votes for Trump on her ballot. You can't make up this stuff.

The New York Times' live updates of the armed conflict in Israel are here.

~~~~~~~~~~

The Pandemic, Ctd.

Maskless Joe. Zeke Miller & Michael Balsamo of the AP: "'Today is a great day for America,' President Joe Biden said during a Rose Garden address heralding the new guidance, an event where he and his staff went without masks. Hours earlier in the Oval Office, where Biden was meeting with vaccinated Republican lawmakers, he led the group in removing their masks when the guidance was announced. 'If you are fully vaccinated, you no longer need to wear a mask,' he said, summarizing the new guidance and encouraging more Americans to roll up their sleeves. 'Get vaccinated -- or wear a mask until you do.'... The guidance still calls for wearing masks in crowded indoor settings like buses, planes, hospitals, prisons and homeless shelters, but it will help clear the way for reopening workplaces, schools and other venues -- even removing the need for social distancing for those who are fully vaccinated." The Washington Post's story is here. ~~~

** Yasmeen Abutaleb & Laurie McGinley of the Washington Post: "Americans who are fully vaccinated can go without masks or physical distancing in most cases, even when they are indoors or in large groups, federal officials said Thursday, paving the way for a full reopening of society. The change represents a huge shift symbolically and practically for pandemic-weary Americans.... More than 117 million Americans are now fully vaccinated, or about 35 percent of the population.... The relaxation of restrictions does not apply to airplanes or health-care settings. Officials also noted that some occupational settings may still require masks. They urged those who are immune-compromised to speak with their doctors before giving up their masks.... Officials cautioned the guidelines could change again if the pandemic should worsen." The story is free to nonsubscribers. (Also linked yesterday.) The New York Times story is here, and this morning it gets the banner headline it deserves. ~~~

~~~ Planes, Trains & Buses. Ian Duncan of the Washington Post: "Fully vaccinated people traveling in buses, trains and airplanes must continue to wear a mask, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday, even as it said they could go without one in most other indoor settings. CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said the agency is continuing to review its travel policies, but she did not explain the reasoning during a briefing Thursday on the new recommendations."

William Wan of the Washington Post: "The White House announced Thursday that it is investing $7.4 billion to hire more public health workers to deal with the coronavirus pandemic and future health crises. The money will come from the $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package, which Congress passed in March. The funds could give a much-needed boost to America's crumbling public health infrastructure. After decades of chronic underfunding, U.S. public health departments last year showed how ill-equipped they are to carry out basic functions, let alone serve as the last line of defense against the most acute threat to the nation's health in generations."

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

Tony Romm & Eli Rosenberg of the Washington Post: "More than 1.9 million Americans in Alabama, Mississippi and 14 other Republican-led states are set to have their unemployment checks slashed significantly starting in June, as GOP governors seek to restrict jobless assistance in an effort to force more people to return to work. The cuts are likely to fall hardest on roughly 1.4 million people who benefit from stimulus programs that Congress adopted at the height of the coronavirus pandemic, including one targeting those who either are self-employed or work on behalf of gig-economy companies such as Uber. Beginning next month, many of these workers are likely to receive no aid at all. The looming cliff reflects an emerging campaign on the part of GOP leaders to combat what they consider a national worker shortage.... The reality is more complicated, labor experts say. The slowdown in hiring may instead reflect workers' concern about their safety and difficulty obtaining child care, or their trouble finding suitable positions in hard-hit industries such as tourism on top of mounting frustration about wages they consider too low." ~~~

~~~ Ooh! Ooh! Look What Happens When Businesses Can't Staff Up. Christopher Rugaber of the AP: "U.S. restaurants and stores are rapidly raising pay in an urgent effort to attract more applicants and keep up with a flood of customers as the pandemic eases. McDonald's, Sheetz and Chipotle are just some of the latest companies to follow Amazon, Walmart and Costco in boosting wages, in some cases to $15 an hour or higher.... Restaurants, bars, hotels and stores remain the lowest-paying industries, and many of their workers ran the risk of contracting COVID-19 on the job over the past year while white-collar employees were able to work from home." MB: This, of course, is what Republican governors seek to curb: businesses having to pay workers fair wages.

The Case of the Boy in the Basement. Spencer Hsu of the Washington Post: "A former aide accused U.S. Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-Colo.) of allowing his son to live in a storage space in the basement of the U.S. Capitol for several weeks and recklessly exposing staffers to the novel coronavirus, according to a lawsuit filed in federal court Thursday. Former aide Brandon L. Pope accused Lamborn, 66, of Colorado Springs, of consistently disregarding 'ethical rules and guidelines' for lawmakers, including taking a 'reckless' approach to the pandemic and retaliating against Pope when he raised objections. Pope ... asked a federal judge to find that the eight-term member of Congress violated workplace rights under the Congressional Accountability Act and to award compensatory and punitive damages.... Lamborn's office announced Nov. 18 that he had tested positive for the coronavirus." Read on for details of Pope's claims. The New York Times story is here. NBC News has a story here.

Seung Min Kim & Tony Romm of the Washington Post: "President Biden, Democratic lawmakers and congressional Republicans all say they want to do something -- anything -- to upgrade the nation's infrastructure. But they don't yet agree on much else, including what 'infrastructure' actually means. The lingering schisms surfaced anew as Biden hosted Senate Republicans at a closely watched Oval Office meeting on Thursday. Even as both sides stressed their commitment to a bipartisan deal, they acknowledged afterward that they're still haggling over what it should include -- and haven't even touched the fierce debate over how to pay for it. The latest round of infrastructure talks came as the White House inched closer to its self-imposed Memorial Day deadline, a date by which it says it expects progress on advancing Biden's jobs and infrastructure plan." A Politico story is here.

Sean Sullivan of the Washington Post: "President Biden on Thursday urged motorists not to panic over a severe gasoline shortage in the Southeast and emphasized that a major pipeline would be restoring operations in coming days, part of an effort to quell Republican criticism on an issue long fraught with political peril for the party that controls the White House. After his administration struggled to contain an escalating problem for several days, Biden said Colonial Pipeline was poised to operate normally in affected areas 'beginning this weekend and continuing into next week.' In the meantime, drivers should not hoard fuel, he warned, and should understand that restarting is 'not like flicking on a light switch.'" Politico's story is here. ~~~

~~~ William Watts of MarketWatch: "Colonial Pipeline paid Eastern European hackers nearly $5 million in an untraceable cryptocurrency last week in response to a ransomware attack, Bloomberg reported Thursday, citing people familiar with the transaction." (Also linked yesterday.) A New York Times story, by Nicole Perlroth, is much more extensive than the MarketWatch item: "A spokeswoman for Colonial declined to confirm or deny that the company had paid a ransom."

Lisa Friedman of the New York Times: "The Biden administration on Thursday moved to repeal a Trump-era regulation that it said weakened the government's ability to curb air pollution that threatens public health and is driving climate change. Critics said the regulation distorted the costs of reducing air pollution while diminishing the associated benefits. It is one of several Trump administration policies that have been reversed by Michael S. Regan since he became the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency in March. Finalized at the end of the Trump administration, the so-called cost-benefit rule was designed to change how the E.P.A. calculated the economic costs and benefits of new clean-air and climate-change rules.... Experts said [the Trump rule] appeared designed to give industries a way to legally block the E.P.A. over future air pollution rules." (Also linked yesterday.)

Dino Grandoni & Brady Dennis of the Washington Post (May 12): "For years..., Donald Trump and his deputies played down the impact of greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels and delayed the release of an Environmental Protection Agency report detailing climate-related damage. But on Wednesday, the EPA released a detailed and disturbing account of the startling changes that Earth's warming had on parts of the United States during Trump's presidency. The destruction of year-round permafrost in Alaska, loss of winter ice on the Great Lakes and spike in summer heat waves in U.S. cities all signal that climate change is intensifying, the EPA said in its report. The assessment, which languished under the Trump administration for three years, marks the first time the agency has said such changes are being driven at least in part by human-caused global warming.... EPA Administrator Michael Regan said he wants to make clear to the entire country the dangers of rising temperatures in the United States." Thanks to RAS for the link.

Julian Barnes, et al., of the New York Times: "Mysterious episodes that caused brain injuries in spies, diplomats, soldiers and other U.S. personnel overseas starting five years ago now number more than 130 people, far more than previously known, according to current and former officials. The number of cases within the C.I.A., the State Department, the Defense Department and elsewhere spurred broad concern in the Biden administration. The initial publicly confirmed cases were concentrated in China and Cuba and numbered about 60, not including a group of injured C.I.A. officers whose total is not public. The new total adds cases from Europe and elsewhere in Asia and reflects efforts by the administration to more thoroughly review other incidents amid concern over a spate of them in recent months.... The Biden administration has not determined who or what is responsible for the episodes or whether they constitute attacks.... 'As of now, we have no definitive information about the cause of these incidents, and it is premature and irresponsible to speculate,' said Amanda J. Schoch, the spokeswoman for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence." (Also linked yesterday.)

Daniella Diaz & Annie Grayer of CNN: "The vote to oust Liz Cheney took only 16 minutes. Here's what happened." (Also linked yesterday.)

** Spies Among Us. Adam Goldman & Mark Mazzetti of the New York Times: "A network of conservative activists, aided by a British former spy, mounted a campaign during the Trump administration to discredit perceived enemies of President Trump inside the government, according to documents and people involved in the operations. The campaign included a planned sting operation against Mr. Trump's national security adviser at the time, H.R. McMaster, and secret surveillance operations against F.B.I. employees, aimed at exposing anti-Trump sentiment in the bureau's ranks. The operations against the F.B.I., run by the conservative group Project Veritas, were conducted from a large home in the Georgetown section of Washington that rented for $10,000 per month. Female undercover operatives arranged dates with the F.B.I. employees with the aim of secretly recording them making disparaging comments about Mr. Trump.... Central to the effort, according to interviews, was Richard Seddon, a former undercover British spy who was recruited in 2016 by the security contractor Erik Prince to train Project Veritas operatives to infiltrate trade unions, Democratic congressional campaigns and other targets. He ran field operations for Project Veritas until mid-2018." ~~~

     ~~~ digby, who republishes a good portion of the report, points out that the wife of a Supreme Court justice is thick with these nuts. I'll leave you to guess which justice, which wife.

I don't think anybody is questioning the legitimacy of the presidential election. I think that is all over with. We're sitting here with the president today, so, from that point of view, I don&'t think that's a problem. -- House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), Wednesday ~~~

~~~ "A Refresher for Kevin McCarthy." Salvador Rizzo of the Washington Post: "When a reporter asked a thorny question about the baseless claim, promoted by many Republicans and right-wing media personalities, that Donald Trump really won the 2020 election rather than Biden, McCarthy described it as a thing of the past. It's more like an ongoing dumpster fire.... The claim is incredible, so here's a (non-exhaustive) list of those who are still hawking the idea that the election was tainted by irregularities." In his non-exhaustive list, Rizzo names Trump, "Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.)..., Arizona Republicans..., more than 100 retired generals..., large segments of the right-wing media..., Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.)..., Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.)..., Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Az.)...," and more.

Mary Jalonick of the AP: "Flouting all evidence and their own first-hand experience, a small but growing number of Republican lawmakers are propagating a false portrayal of the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, brazenly arguing that the rioters who used flagpoles as weapons, brutally beat police officers and chanted that they wanted to hang Vice President Mike Pence were somehow acting peacefully in their violent bid to overturn Joe Biden's election. One Republican at a hearing Wednesday called the rioters a 'mob of misfits.' Another compared them to tourists. And a third suggested the sweeping federal investigation into the riot -- which has yielded more than 400 arrests and counting -- amounts to a national campaign of harassment. It's a turn of events that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, another target of the rioters, called 'appalling' and 'sick,' and it raises the possibility that the public's understanding of the worst domestic attack on Congress in 200 years -- an attack that was captured extensively on video -- could become distorted by the same kinds of disinformation that fueled ... Donald Trump's false claims of a stolen election. It was the lie about the election that motivated the rioters in the first place."

** Tim Elfrink of the Washington Post: "Surrounded by rioters who had dragged him down the U.S. Capitol steps, beaten him and Tasered him, D.C. police officer Michael Fanone screamed in pain. 'I got one!' one of the rioters yelled triumphantly. As the crowd pushed in, grabbing at his head, Fanone screamed again and then pleaded for help. 'I got kids!' he yelled.The intense scene plays out in body-camera footage of the attack broadcast by CNN on Wednesday evening, casting new light on Fanone's struggle to escape a clash he later described as 'the most brutal, savage hand-to-hand combat of my entire life.' Fanone suffered a mild heart attack and a concussion in the melee. The vivid violence in the clip stands in stark contrast to claims by some Republicans on Wednesday, who sought to downplay the severity of the deadly insurrection -- with one GOP lawmaker even describing the attack as a 'normal tourist visit.'" (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

Alex Horton & Spencer Hsu of the Washington Post: "A Marine Corps officer was arrested Thursday for alleged crimes during the U.S. Capitol riot on Jan. 6, becoming the first known active-duty service member charged in the violent attempt to thwart the certification of Joe Biden's election as president. Maj. Christopher Warnagiris, 40, stationed at Marine Corps Base Quantico, was charged with five counts, including assaulting and obstructing police during a civil disorder and obstructing an official proceeding of Congress, federal prosecutors said.... His current assignment includes training to 'improve the warfighting skills' of senior commanders." The AP's story is here.

Matt Zapotosky of the Washington Post: "A Florida politician who is central to the investigation into Rep. Matt Gaetz for possible sex trafficking of a minor signaled Thursday that he will plead guilty in his own federal case, a court entry shows, a troubling development for the congressman as it suggests prosecutors have secured a potentially important witness against him. Joel Greenberg, a former tax collector for Seminole County, Fla., had since last year been outlining to prosecutors how he and Gaetz (R-Fla.) would pay women for sex using cash or gifts as he tried to negotiate a plea deal to resolve his own legal woes, according to a person familiar with the matter. Gaetz has adamantly denied paying for sex. On Thursday, a federal court in Orlando scheduled a 'change of plea hearing' in Greenberg's case for Monday, indicating he has reached such a deal." Politico's story is here.

Jonah Bromwich, et al., of the New York Times: "State prosecutors in Manhattan investigating ... Donald J. Trump and his family business are examining the extent to which Mr. Trump handed out valuable benefits to some of his executives [like paying private-school tuition for a grandchild of longtime Trump Org CFO Allen Weisselberg] and whether taxes were paid on those perks, according to people with knowledge of the matter. The scrutiny of how the Trump organization handled what are known as fringe benefits is a growing aspect of the broader investigation." ~~~

~~~ Joseph Choi of the Hill: "Officials in Palm Beach, Fla., are reportedly considering a course of action should former President Trump be indicted by Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance Jr. while he is staying at Mar-a-Lago. According to Politico, law enforcement officials in the town have discussed how to handle a possible extradition if Trump is indicted by authorities investigating whether he committed banking and tax fraud. The news outlet notes Trump's location would affect potential extradition proceedings, as Florida's extradition statute gives Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) the ability to intervene and determine whether someone should be surrendered to out-of-state law enforcement. 'The statute leaves room for interpretation that the governor has the power to order a review and potentially not comply with the extradition notice,' Joseph Abruzzo, circuit court clerk of Palm Beach County, told Politico." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Rachel Maddow imagined Trump's building a moat around his Mar-a-Lago "castle" & holing up there in a stand-off against the authorities. But, um, Trump's Palm Beach abode is already on an island. ("Mar-a-Lago" means "sea-to-lake.") I thought there was a helipad on the grounds, so the sheriff could swoop in on a chopper, but the helipad was demolished in February. So if DeSantis' state police fill in as sort of Praetorian Guard, maybe the Caesar can hold out!

Bob Brigham of the Raw Story: "The son of former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani went on Russian TV to push conspiracy theories about the federal investigation of his father. Andrew Giuliani accused the American government of hacking his father's iCloud account (the feds reportedly gained access via a warrant). '... [People] don't want to live in a country where you're going to have a Justice Department that is going to politicize something to the point where a former president's personal counsel is going actually be spied on by the Justice Department,' he claimed." MB: You do have to wonder why kind of country Andy thinks Russia is. ~~~

~~~ C'mon, Andy, it's a great country. Look what Daddy's friend Sidney can do in the U.S.A. Michael Kunzelman of the AP: "Former Trump attorney ... Sidney Powell has told prospective donors that her group, Defending the Republic, is a legal defense fund to protect the integrity of U.S. elections. But the company suing Powell over her baseless claims of a rigged presidential election says the true beneficiary of her social welfare organization is Powell herself. Dominion Voting Systems claims Powell has raided Defending the Republic's coffers to pay for personal legal expenses, citing her own remarks from a radio interview.... The dispute shines a light on how Trump allies continue to support, spread and allegedly profit from lies about fraud in the 2020 election. Although the election is settled, and all major court challenges have been dismissed, Powell's legal defense fund continues to raise money, with help from conspiracy-minded supporters like QAnon adherents."

Voter Suppression with a "Grassroots Vibe." Ari Berman & Nick Surgey of Mother Jones: "In a private meeting last month with big-money donors, the head of a top conservative group boasted that her outfit had crafted the new voter suppression law in Georgia and was doing the same with similar bills for Republican state legislators across the country. 'In some cases, we actually draft them for them,' she said, 'or we have a sentinel on our behalf give them the model legislation so it has that grassroots, from-the-bottom-up type of vibe.' The Georgia law had 'eight key provisions that Heritage recommended,' Jessica Anderson, the executive director of Heritage Action for America, a sister organization of the Heritage Foundation, told the foundation's donors at an April 22 gathering in Tucson.... Those included policies severely restricting mail ballot drop boxes, preventing election officials from sending absentee ballot request forms to voters, making it easier for partisan workers to monitor the polls, preventing the collection of mail ballots, and restricting the ability of counties to accept donations from nonprofit groups seeking to aid in election administration. All of these recommendations came straight from Heritage's list of 'best practices' drafted in February."

** Michael Harriot of the Root: "... when Mitch McConnell and 38 Republican senators sent a letter to the secretary of education decrying the ghastly prospect of white students having to learn actual facts about slavery, it was not unexpected. For centuries, this country's schools have perpetuated a whitewashed version of history that either erases or reduces the story of Black America.... The Root decided to see what some of the signatories to Mitch McConnell's Strawberry Letter knew about slavery and Black history. We dug through state curriculum standards, yearbooks and spoke with teachers to see which interpretation of history the white tears-spewing politicians learned when they were in elementary and high school." MB: This is fascinating reading. (You have to click on the "Continue reading" bubble for the details.) Although Harriot concentrates on the Senators' objections to the 1619 project, their school "learning" sheds light on their white-worldview of race and the Confederacy. As Harriot points out, the "history" outlined in the textbooks required the approval of groups like the Daughters of the Confederacy & education departments under the thumbs of racists governors like segregationist Dixiecrat Ross Barnett of Mississippi. Thanks to Anonymous for the link.

Beyond the Beltway

Minnesota. Matt Furber of the New York Times: "The trial of three former Minneapolis police officers charged in the death of George Floyd has been delayed several months to allow for a federal case against them to move forward. The decision was announced Thursday by Judge Peter A. Cahill during a pretrial hearing for the three former officers, and comes weeks after another former officer, Derek Chauvin, was convicted of two counts of murder and one of manslaughter for kneeling on Mr. Floyd's neck for more than nine minutes. The three other former officers, who were scheduled to face trial on Aug. 23, will now be tried in March, Judge Cahill said. They face charges of aiding and abetting second-degree murder and aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter."

South Carolina. Christina Morales of the New York Times reports that Robert Caslen, a retired Army lieutenant general (& former West Point president) has resigned as president of the University of South Carolina after delivering a commencement speech last week in which he plagiarized a commencement speech given by retired Admiral William McRaven at UT-Austin a few years back. Caslen also inexplicably congratulated the kids for being "the newest alumni from the University of California." MB: What gets me about Caslen's plagiarism, is that he stole a passage that is not particularly outstanding. Rather, it's boiler-plate "uplifting" pablum that we routinely hear at such events:

Know that life is not fair, and if you're like me, you'll fail often. But if you take some risks, step up when times are toughest, face down the cowardly bullies and lift up the downtrodden, and never, never give up -- if you do those things, the next generation and the generations to follow will live in a world far better than the one we have today. And what started here, today, will indeed change the world for the better.

When I plagiarize, I steal from the best, like Abe Lincoln & MLK, Jr.

Way Beyond

Israel. Josef Federman & Fares Akram of the AP: "Israel on Thursday said it was massing troops along the Gaza frontier and calling up 9,000 reservists ahead of a possible ground invasion of the Hamas-ruled territory, as the two bitter enemies plunged closer to all-out war. Egyptian mediators rushed to Israel for cease-fire efforts but showed no signs of progress. The stepped-up fighting came as communal violence in Israel erupted for a fourth night, with Jewish and Arab mobs clashing in the flashpoint town of Lod. The fighting took place despite a bolstered police presence ordered by the nation's leaders." ~~~

~~~ Steve Hendrix, et al., of the Washington Post: "The Israeli military escalated its campaign against the Hamas militant group in Gaza late Thursday as artillery, tanks and war planes combined in a withering assault on the Palestinian enclave, and the Israeli military readied at least three brigades of troops for action, raising the prospect of a ground invasion. Just after midnight, the Israeli military announced that air and ground forces were attacking in the Gaza Strip, but the extent of the operation remained unclear. A military spokesperson initially said that ground troops were inside Gaza, but another spokesman for the Israeli Defense Forces later clarified that statement, saying, 'There are currently no IDF ground troops inside the Gaza Strip.'Residents of Gaza City said intense, almost continuous airstrikes began to pound the northern Gaza Strip around midnight in the most intense attacks over four nights of aerial bombardments and lasted for about half an hour." ~~~

~~~ Update. Declan Walsh of the New York Times: "Israeli ground forces carried out attacks on the Gaza Strip early Friday in an escalation of a conflict with Palestinian militants that had been waged by airstrikes from Israel and rockets from Gaza. It was not immediately clear if the attack was the prelude to a ground invasion against Hamas, the Islamist militant group that controls Gaza."