The Commentariat -- April 19, 2021

Late Morning/Afternoon Update:

Closing arguments have begun in Derek Chauvin's murder trial. The New York Times' liveblog for today is here. The Washington Post's liveblog is here. CNN's liveblog is here.

Annie Grayer & Kristin Wilson of CNN: "Republican Rep. Steve Stivers of Ohio announced Monday on Twitter that he is leaving Congress next month to become the president and CEO of the Ohio Chamber of Commerce, giving the GOP at least temporarily one fewer vote in the narrowly divided House of Representatives."

Spencer Hsu of the Washington Post: "The American Civil Liberties Union asked the Supreme Court on Monday to open a window on the government's secretive system for approving national security surveillance on U.S. soil. Transparency advocates petitioned the high court to review whether the public has a right to access the decisions of a largely secret federal surveillance court, whose growing reach and brushes with political controversy have drawn increasing attention -- and contrasting opinions about public access within the court itself. The filing comes after the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISA) and an associated review panel issued rulings in September and October saying they lacked authority even to consider a public claim under the First Amendment to their secret decisions and lawmaking." An AP story is here.

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So far, another Slow Gnus Monday. Thank you, Joe Biden.

Ishan Tharoor of the Washington Post: "Of the many fronts the Biden administration is diverging from its predecessor, the most striking -- and likely most consequential -- is on climate. For four years under ... Donald Trump, the federal government of the United States cut itself adrift from the broad international consensus. It turned its back on the Paris climate accords, undermined coordination on climate efforts at major summits, boosted the fossil fuel industry and championed narrow national interests in the face of what the U.S.'s own intelligence community sees as a looming global catastrophe. President Biden immediately shifted course. He restored American participation in the 2015 Paris climate agreement, while recognizing that the world's biggest economies are already lagging behind in the face of an escalating climate emergency. He issued executive orders mobilizing agencies across the federal government to focus on tackling climate change and has proposed a multitrillion dollar infrastructure and jobs plan that would accelerate the country';s transition to a greener economy." ~~~

~~~ Jason Samenow of the Washington Post: "White House officials have removed Betsy Weatherhead, an experienced atmospheric scientist tapped by a Trump appointee to oversee the U.S. government's definitive report on the effects of climate change, from her position. According to two officials, she has been reassigned to the U.S. Geological Survey, the Interior Department's scientific arm.... Officials at the White House Office of Science Technology Policy, which oversees the research program, made the decision to reassign Weatherhead.... Jane Lubchenco, who headed the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration during President Barack Obama's first term, leads climate matters at the OSTP.... According to people with knowledge of the situation, there was friction between Weatherhead and some of the officials among the 13 agencies participating in the research program on the direction of the report. It came as a surprise when Weatherhead was selected to lead the assessment in November because she is considered a mainstream climate scientist and does not question the seriousness of climate change like other scientists who were installed by the Trump administration to work on the issue." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Do you think "Weatherhead" really is Betsy's last name? And if it is, isn't it morally wrong, or at least bad karma, to remove her as head of a group assigned to assess, well, the weather? BTW, I do know the difference between "weather" and "climate," but maybe the name "Elisabetta Climatico" was taken.

Republicans Cheat at Everything. Paul Farhi of the Washington Post: "Four party-affiliated organizations, including the Republican National Committee, collectively spent more than $1 million during the past election cycle mass-purchasing books written by GOP candidates, elected officials and personalities, according to Federal Election Commission expenditure reports. The purchases helped turn several volumes into bestsellers. While there's no prohibition on such second-party purchases, a new complaint alleges that another Texas Republican, Sen. Ted Cruz, crossed the line into illegal activity when he used campaign money to boost sales of his newest book. A government watchdog organization, the Campaign Legal Center..., said Cruz's campaign committee effectively converted campaign contributions to Cruz's personal enrichment, an illegal practice."

Gary Fineout of Politico: "Matt Gaetz's political trail was not just preceded but heavily influenced by his father, a Republican multi-millionaire businessman who had a reputation for rhetorical flourishes and drag-out political fights. Don Gaetz all but paved his son's way into Florida's political world, and some suggest that his father's stature and influence is even helping his son as he faces a probe into potential sex trafficking." MB: I didn't feel like reading about Matt's hereditary issues, but maybe you will.

John Bowden of the Hill: "Nearly two-thirds of all U.S. adults surveyed in a new poll said that they believed Supreme Court justices should face term limits and leave the court after a certain amount of time on the bench. The Reuters-Ipsos survey conducted between April 15 and April 16 found that just 22 percent of respondents supported lifetime appointments for Supreme Court justices, while 63 percent supported term limits. The remainder of respondents had no opinion or were unsure. While having new faces join the court was important for many Americans, doing it without a vacancy on the court at its current size was not nearly as popular. Just 38 percent said they supported court packing, or expanding the size of the Supreme Court and adding more justices to the bench, while 42 percent opposed such an idea. The remaining 20 percent of respondents were unsure."

The Pandemic, Ctd.

The New York Times' live updates of Covid-19 developments Monday are here: "All adults in every U.S. state, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico are now eligible for a Covid-19 vaccine, meeting the April 19 deadline that President Biden set two weeks ago. The United States is administering an average of 3.2 million doses a day, up from roughly 2.5 million a month before. More than 131 million people, or half of all American adults, had received at least one shot as of Sunday, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and about 84.3 million people have been fully vaccinated." MB: Thank you, Joe Biden. ~~~

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

The New York Times' live updates of Covid-19 developments Sunday are here: "A decision about whether to resume administering the Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine should come this Friday, when an expert panel that is advising the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is scheduled to meet, according to Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, the nation's leading infectious disease expert."

Dan Diamond of the Washington Post: eBay listings of fake vaccination cards "listings are a 'perfect example' of burgeoning scams involving coronavirus vaccination cards that could undermine people's safety, as well as the success of the nation's largest mass vaccination effort, said North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein. Individuals might use them to misrepresent their vaccination status at school, work or in various living and travel situations, potentially exposing others to risk. Stein, who led a recent effort with 47 colleagues demanding that eBay and other e-commerce platforms crack down on the scams, pointed to the FBI's warning that anyone who makes or buys a fake vaccine card is breaking the law, and said he would consider prosecution, too.... For months, officials have been a step behind the scammers, who have openly discussed strategies to fake the cards on social media, sold them on sites such as eBay and pulled blank photos off state websites. Federal officials' decision to use paper cards that can be easily photocopied or even printed off a template, rather than a digital tracking system, worsened those risks."

Beyond the Beltway

Colorado. Jaclyn Peiser of the Washington Post: "Cloaked and seated on her bench, Colorado district judge Natalie T. Chase asked two Black court employees last May to explain the Black Lives Matter movement after overhearing them talk about protests in Denver over the death of George Floyd. After hearing their explanation, Chase, who is White, said she thought the police involved in Floyd's death sound be investigated. But then she maintained that, in fact, 'all lives matter.' The incident was one of numerous claims of racist or unprofessional behavior raised against Chase, including another occasion where she used the n-word multiple times while talking to a Black colleague, court officials said. On Friday, Chase agreed to resign after the Colorado Supreme Court censured her based on a report finding that she had 'undermined confidence in the impartiality of the judiciary by expressing [her] views about criminal justice, police brutality, race and racial bias, specifically while wearing [her] robe in court staff work areas and from the bench.'... Former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper (D) appointed Chase...."

Minnesota. Kellen Browning of the New York Times: "Tim Walz, the governor of Minnesota, on Sunday responded to reports that the state's police officers had assaulted journalists covering the unrest in a Minneapolis suburb, saying, 'Apologies are not enough; it just cannot happen.' Protests have erupted in Brooklyn Center, Minn., in the wake of the death of Daunte Wright, a 20-year-old Black man who was killed by a veteran police officer during a traffic stop. Law enforcement officers have fired tear gas or pepper spray into crowds and have made dozens of arrests. 'I think we all need to recognize the assault on media across the world and even in our country over the last few years is chilling,' Mr. Walz said in an interview with a local CBS station. 'We cannot function as a democracy if they're not there.'" ~~~

~~~ Samantha Hendrickson of the Minnesota Daily: "A new bill proposed in the Minnesota Legislature would make anyone convicted of a crime at a protest ineligible for student loans and many other forms of state financial aid. The bill, authored by Sen. David Osmek (R- Mound), states that 'A person convicted of a criminal offense related to the person's illegal conduct at a protest, demonstration, rally, civil unrest, or march is ineligible for any type of state loan, grant, or assistance, including but not limited to college student loans and grants ...' Other forms of state financial aid, including food stamps, rent assistance and unemployment benefits, are also in the bill."

Way Beyond

Ireland. Mark Landler of the New York Times: "Seeking to salve an old wound at a time of sorrow for Britain's royal family, the political leader of the Irish republican movement apologized on Sunday for the 1979 assassination of Louis Mountbatten, an uncle of Prince Philip. Mary Lou McDonald, the leader of Sinn Fein, which was once the political wing of the underground Irish Republican Army, told a London radio station, 'Of course, I am sorry that happened; of course, that is heartbreaking.' Ms. McDonald offered the landmark apology a day after Queen Elizabeth II buried her husband, Philip, in a ceremony at Windsor Castle that paid tribute to his military career. His uncle Lord Mountbatten, a celebrated commander during World War II who later served as the last viceroy of India, overseeing its partition and transition to independence, was killed after a bomb exploded on his fishing boat off the coast of Ireland."

Russia. BBC: "The US has warned Russia there will be 'consequences' if the opposition activist Alexei Navalny dies in jail. The UK, France, Germany and the European Union have also expressed their concern over his treatment. Navalny's doctors say he 'will die within the next few days' if not given urgen medical attention for acute back pain and leg numbness. Russia's ambassador to the UK has said that Navalny is attention seeking and /will not be allowed to die in prison'." ~~~

     ~~~ Update: Daria Litvinova of the AP: "The Russian state penitentiary service said Monday a decision has been made to transfer imprisoned Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who is in the third week of a hunger strike, to a hospital. The announcement comes two days after Navalny's physician said his health was deteriorating rapidly and the 44-year-old Kremlin critic could be on the verge of death. The state prison service, FSIN, said in a statement that Navalny would be transferred to a hospital for convicts located in another penal colony in Vladimir, a city 180 kilometers (110 miles) east of Moscow. According to the statement, Navalny's condition is deemed 'satisfactory' and he has agreed to take vitamin therapy." ~~~

~~~ Michael Schwirtz of the New York Times: "A day after the government of the Czech Republic blamed operatives from Russia's military intelligence agency for a series of mysterious explosions at an ammunition depot in 2014 and expelled 18 Russian diplomats, the Russian government announced on Sunday that 20 Czech diplomats would be ejected in response. The expulsions signal further escalation of tensions between the Kremlin and western governments, reaching an intensity not seen since the Cold War."

News Ledes

Washington Post: "The former law enforcement officer suspected of gunning down three people Sunday in Austin has been captured after a 20-hour manhunt, according to the Travis County District Attorney's Office. Authorities tracked down Stephen Nicholas Broderick, 41, an ex-detective at the Travis County Sheriff's Office, early Monday after getting two 911 calls about a man walking along a road in the Austin suburb of Manor. He had a pistol in his waistband but was taken into custody without any further violence, the Associated Press reported.

AP: "NASA's experimental Mars helicopter rose from the dusty red surface into the thin air Monday, achieving the first powered, controlled flight on another planet. The triumph was hailed as a Wright Brothers moment. The mini 4-pound (1.8-kilogram) copter named Ingenuity, in fact, carried a bit of wing fabric from the 1903 Wright Flyer, which made similar history at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. 'We can now say that human beings have flown a rotorcraft on another planet,' project manager MiMi Aung announced to her team. Flight controllers in California confirmed Ingenuity's brief hop after receiving data via the Perseverance rover, which stood watch more than 200 feet (65 meters) away. Ingenuity hitched a ride to Mars on Perseverance, clinging to the rover's belly upon their arrival in an ancient river delta in February." A New York Times story is here. And here's video, mostly of NASA scientists cheering!

The Commentariat -- April 18, 2021

Helene Cooper, et al., of the New York Times: "Over two decades of war that spanned four presidents, the Pentagon had always managed to fend off the political instincts of elected leaders frustrated with the grind of Afghanistan, as commanders repeatedly requested more time and more troops. Even as the number of American forces in Afghanistan steadily decreased to the 2,500 who still remained, Defense Department leaders still cobbled together a military effort that managed to protect the United States from terrorist attacks even as it failed, spectacularly, to defeat the Taliban in a place that has crushed foreign occupiers for 2,000 years. The current military leadership hoped it, too, could convince a new president to maintain at least a modest troop presence, trying to talk Mr. Biden into keeping a residual force and setting conditions on any withdrawal. But Mr. Biden refused to be persuaded.... Donald J. Trump declared that all American troops were coming home -- but never carried through a plan to do so." ~~~

~~~ Maureen Dowd of the New York Times: "Taliban leaders say Americans have all the clocks, but they have all the time. The Bush administration was arrogant and ignorant about occupying this medieval moonscape. Officials thought they could bomb the bejesus out of the people who hated us.... Even Barack Obama, once so prescient on the futility of invading Iraq, was suckered by the military into a pointless surge in Afghanistan, a near tripling of troops, in 2009.... We should have respected Afghanistan's reputation as 'the graveyard of empires' and Pakistan's deserved reputation for double-dealing.... As with Vietnam, many of those in charge knew for a long time that the war was unwinnable, but they hid the evidence, giving rosy forecasts while burning through $2.2 trillion and hundreds of thousands of lives.... As vice president, Biden was a lone voice in the Oval Office objecting to the surge in Afghanistan. He told Obama, if you let them, the generals will box you in and string it out."

Ben Leonard of Politico: "President Joe Biden on Saturday denounced Russia over its treatment of prominent Putin critic Alexei Navalny amid reports his health is deteriorating in prison. 'It's totally, totally unfair,' Biden said, according to a pool report. 'Totally inappropriate.'... Navalny's doctor said Saturday he 'could die at any moment.'"

Hyung-Jin Kim of the AP: "The United States and China, the world's two biggest carbon polluters, have agreed to cooperate with other countries to curb climate change, just days before President Joe Biden hosts a virtual summit of world leaders to discuss the issue. The agreement was reached by U.S. special envoy for climate John Kerry and his Chinese counterpart Xie Zhenhua during two days of talks in Shanghai last week, the State Department said in a statement Saturday.... Kerry's Shanghai trip marked the highest-level travel to China by a U.S. official since Biden took office in January.... Biden has invited 40 world leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping, to the April 22-23 summit."

Ta Ta, Trumpie. Ellen Nakashima of the Washington Post: "Michael Ellis, a former Republican political operative, resigned Friday as the National Security Agency's top lawyer, having been sidelined for three months after President Biden took office. The NSA director, Gen. Paul Nakasone, had placed Ellis on administrative leave the day ... Donald Trump left the White House -- just as Ellis was taking up the position. The reasons: a pending Pentagon inspector general probe, an official told The Washington Post at the time, and a security inquiry into Ellis's handling of classified information, according to a letter from Ellis's attorney to Nakasone, a copy of which was obtained by The Post. Nakasone had agreed to install Ellis as general counsel just days earlier under orders from Trump's acting defense secretary. The role does not require Senate confirmation. The inspector general inquiry into the circumstances of Ellis's selection remains open, Nakasone told Congress on Thursday." Ellis was formerly counsel to Devin Nunes.

Interlude in the Sordid History of the Congressional White Supremacy Caucus. Daniella Diaz of CNN: "Conservative Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene is scrapping the planned launch of her 'America First' caucus after receiving blowback from leaders in her own party, despite confirming through a spokesperson on Friday that the caucus would launch.... 'The Congresswoman wants to make clear that she is not launching anything. This was an early planning proposal and nothing was agreed to or approved,' [Greene's spokesman] said in an email to CNN, referring to a flier promoting the caucus, obtained by Punchbowl News, that used inflammatory rhetoric." MB: Wow! Too racist for the Party of Racists! (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

~~~ Amy Wang & Colby Itkowitz of the Washington Post: "Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene on Saturday tried to distance herself from a document published by Punchbowl News that purportedly outlined the goals of a new 'America First Caucus' being formed by Greene and other hard-right GOP lawmakers. The document had received blowback from Democrats and some Republicans for promoting nativist policies and perpetuating the falsehood that there was widespread fraud and corruption in the 2020 election. On Saturday, Greene (R-Ga.) described the document as 'a staff level draft proposal from an outside group' and claimed she had not read it. She blasted the media for 'taking something out of context,' but did not specify to which policies in the document she objected. However, Greene did not deny plans to start an 'America First Caucus' and ended a lengthy Twitter thread by saying she supported former president Donald Trump's 'America First agenda.'... Greene and Rep. Paul A. Gosar (R-Ariz.) are reportedly behind the new caucus, according to Punchbowl News.... Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), who faces federal and House Ethics Committee investigations over allegations of sexual misconduct and illicit drug use, tweeted Friday that he was joining Greene in the caucus." ~~~

~~~ Tommy Christopher of Mediaite gathers Twitter comments from members of Congress, "welcoming" the new White Supremacy Caucus. But some have questions. For instance, Ruben Gallego (D-Az.) wants to know, "So what kind of food will they eat in this Caucus meeting? Just purely Anglo Saxon food? What does that even look like ? Can you use spices? What about tomatoes and potatoes those were cultivated by Indigenous people of the New World?" Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) asks, "When you say Anglo-Saxon, do you mean Aryan? Or master race? Can I join? Will your caucus meetings serve tacos?" ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: According to my extensive research (I Googled "what did anglo saxons eat"): "They ate a mix of vegetables, including onions, peas, parsnips, and cabbage. Their favourite meats included deer and wild boar, which they roasted over a fire in the middle of their houses. They ate their meat with bread and washed their meal down with beer, rather than water." Margie, get your gun. A'hunting you must go.

** How the Supremes Enabled DWB Stops. Christopher Durocher in Politico Magazine: "Traffic stops figure prominently in some of the most high-profile police killings of Black people.... Five decades of Supreme Court precedent ... [have] successively opened the door to -- and given police an incentive to -- use traffic stops as an invasive tool of policing aimed mostly at people of color, primarily Black people.... The Supreme Court opened the door to legally permissible racialized policing with the 1967 case Terry v. Ohio, by allowing police to conduct certain cursory searches, now known as stop-and-frisks, based on the low legal standard of 'reasonable suspicion.'... The practice of racially profiling Black drivers was effectively endorsed by the Court in the 1996 ruling in Whren v. United States, which decided that police are allowed to use minor vehicle infractions as a pretext to initiate traffic stops with the goal of investigating other possible unrelated crimes. According to an analysis of over 100 million traffic stops, Black drivers are about 40 percent more likely to be pulled over than their white counterparts ... [and Blacks and Hispanics] are twice as likely as white drivers to have their cars searched after being pulled over.... In the earlier 1982 case Harlow v. Fitzgerald, the Court made the lethal decision to create the doctrine it called 'qualified immunity,' which has since allowed police to injure and kill with little or no consequence...." More on DWB linked under Virginia below.

Jonathan Capehart of the Washington Post: "Being Black in America is exhausting." MB: Take a walk (don't linger!) in Capehart's shoes; the rules for Black people (and I'd say for others, especially young men, who don't "look White") are different from the rules for White people.

Elahe Izadi & Sarah Ellison of the Washington Post: "A Wyoming-based Swiss billionaire who formed half of the consortium making a bid to buy Tribune Publishing Co. has backed out of the deal, according to two people familiar with negotiations. Hansjörg Wyss had joined with Maryland business executive Stewart Bainum Jr. earlier this month in submitting the $680 million proposal to a special committee of Tribune's board, in an attempt to beat out an offer from Alden Global Capital. The development casts further doubt on whether journalists at Tribune newspapers can avoid a takeover by the hedge fund, which has a reputation for deep cost-cutting."

The Pandemic, Ctd.

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

Thank You, Joe Biden, et al. Celine Castronuovo of the Hill: "Roughly half of U.S. adults have received at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released Saturday. Across the country, more than 128 million people ages 18 and older have received at least one shot, with more than 82 million fully vaccinated with one of the three vaccines approved for emergency use in the U.S., the CDC said. Overall, 49.7 percent of U.S. adults have received at least one vaccine dose, according to the data, and nearly a third are fully vaccinated."

The Washington Post has a story on how to handle your vaccination card. The article is free to nonsubscribers.

David Biller, et al., of the AP: "The global death toll from the coronavirus topped a staggering 3 million people Saturday amid repeated setbacks in the worldwide vaccination campaign and a deepening crisis in places such as Brazil, India and France."

Beyond the Beltway

Indiana. Andrés R. Martínez, et al., of the New York Times: "At least four of the victims [of the Indianapolis mass murder at a FedEx facility] were members of the Sikh community, and the attack renewed the fears of American Sikhs, who have over the years been accosted for wearing turbans and attacked in a house of worship.... The authorities have not said whether hate or bias might have played a role in the attack." The story has been modified to include the details reported in the item linked next. ~~~

~~~ New York Times: "Brandon Hole, the 19-year-old who the police say fatally shot eight people at a FedEx facility on Thursday night, legally purchased two semiautomatic rifles he used in the attack more than six months earlier, according to the chief of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department. In March of 2020, the police had seized a shotgun from Mr. Hole after his mother raised concerns about his mental state, records show. But, Chief Randal Taylor said, the fact that Mr. Hole was legally able to make the more recent gun purchases indicates that, despite his mother's warning and the police seizure of a gun, the authorities had not deemed him subject to Indiana's so-called 'red flag' law, which bars people who are found by a judge to present dangerous risk from possessing a firearm. Under the state's longstanding red flag law, the authorities have two weeks after taking someone's weapon to argue before a judge that the person is unstable and should be barred from possessing a gun for a period of time. But Chief Taylor was unsure whether a hearing like that ever took place -- even though the police never returned the shotgun they had seized last year." The item is part of a NYT liveblog.

Minnesota. Under Court Order Not to Arrest Journalists, Cops Harass Them Instead. Adrianna Rodriguez of USA Today: "Journalists covering a protest in a Minneapolis suburb [Brooklyn Center] Friday night were forced on their stomachs by law enforcement, rounded up and were only released after having their face and press credentials photographed. The incident occurred hours after a judge issued a temporary order barring the Minnesota State Patrol from using physical force or chemical agents against journalists, according to court documents. It also barred police from seizing photographic, audio or video recording equipment, or press passes. Minnesota State Patrol on Saturday said in a statement, 'troopers checked and photographed journalists and their credentials and driver's licenses at the scene in order to expedite the identification process.' While some journalists were 'detained and released during enforcement actions after providing credentials, no journalists have been arrested,' MSP said.... The court order was part of an ongoing case filed by the American Civil Liberties Union after journalists say they were targeted during protests sparked by the death of George Floyd, who was killed by former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin last year."

South Carolina. Hannah Knowles & Meryl Kornfield of the Washington Post: "An Army sergeant and instructor in South Carolina was charged Wednesday with third-degree assault after a video captured him shoving a young Black man and saying he was 'in the wrong neighborhood,' authorities said. The confrontation from earlier this week near Columbia, S.C., sparked a public outcry, and protesters crowded Wednesday on the sidewalk outside the home of the soldier, 42-year-old Jonathan Pentland, who is White.... Two reports of alleged assault were also made against the young man after deputies responded Monday, according to the sheriff's department, and they are being investigated. The young man has 'an underlying medical condition that may explain the behavior exhibited in the alleged incidents,' the agency said."

Virginia. DWB. Gary Harki of the Virginian-Pilot: "The video of Windsor Police drawing guns on Caron Nazario before pepper spraying him may have gone viral, but it wasn't a surprise to some Black people who drive up and down U.S. Route 460 between Suffolk and Petersburg. Many who use the route to travel from Hampton Roads to Virginia State University said they expect to get pulled over there on the pretext of speeding or tinted windows. They say the real reason is because they are Black.... Eight Black former VSU students and faculty ... say it's been common knowledge for decades at VSU that if you travel through the area, you'll be stopped on the pretext of speeding or a minor infraction, then get harassed by police.... In Virginia, about 20% of the state's 8.5 million residents are Black, but in Wakefield, Waverly and Windsor the percentage of cases involving Black people that land in General District Court, where speeding tickets and minor traffic citations are heard, is far higher."

Way Beyond

Myanmar. AP: "Myanmar's junta on Saturday released more than 23,000 prisoners to mark the traditional new year holiday, including at least three political detainees, and the military leader behind the February coup confirmed he would attend a regional summit later this month. It wasn't immediately clear if those released included pro-democracy activists who were detained for protesting the coup. State broadcaster MRTV said that junta chief Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing had pardoned 23,047 prisoners, including 137 foreigners who will be deported from Myanmar. He also reduced sentences for others. As security forces continued the deadly crackdown, unconfirmed but credible accounts with photos on social media said that three people were killed Saturday in the central city of Mogok, in Myanmar's gem mining region."

U.K. Mark Landler of the New York Times: "... Prince Philip was laid to rest on Saturday at Windsor Castle in an austere, meticulously choreographed funeral that captured his steely role in Britain's royal family and offered a solemn glimpse of its uncertain future. Queen Elizabeth II bade farewell to Philip, her husband, who died on April 9, two months shy of his 100th birthday, from solitude inside St. George's Chapel. She was clad in a mask and kept at a distance from her children and grandchildren by pandemic social distancing requirements, which limited attendance to 30 people. Her grandsons Prince William and Prince Harry were separated as well, by one of their cousins, as they walked behind Philip's coffin. This quirk of royal protocol dramatized the rift between the brothers that opened after Harry's marriage to an American former actress, Meghan Markle.... But this was a somber occasion, a family convening in sadness to mark the death of a man whom many credited with providing stability and meting out discipline to younger royals as they struggled to navigate the pressures of duty and celebrity." An AP News story is here. ~~~

~~~ Louis Lucero of the New York Times: "With coronavirus restrictions firmly in place, some of Queen Elizabeth II's relatives sat in small family groups with children and spouses to mourn Prince Philip, her husband. But she sat alone at the end of a pew, and for many watching the proceedings from home, the sight of the newly widowed queen, who will turn 95 next week, was perhaps the saddest image of the day." ~~~

~~~ The Washington Post has a slideshow of scenes from Philip's funeral. If you want to watch video highlights, this 6:15-minute Sky News reel isn't too bad.

News Ledes

Another Saturday Night. AP: "Authorities in [Kenosha,] Wisconsin pleaded Sunday for help in locating a suspect who opened fire at a tavern in a confrontation that left three people dead and two people seriously injured. Kenosha Sheriff David Beth said while the suspected shooter is still at large, the public is not believed to be in danger. The suspect apparently knew the victims and targeted them, although it is not clear whether the victims knew him The shooting happened at Somers House Tavern in Kenosha County after the suspect was asked to leave the bar and then returned and opened fire." ~~~

     ~~~ Washington Post Update: "Sgt. David Wright, a public information officer for the Kenosha County Sheriff's Department, said in a statement Sunday afternoon that a 'person of interest' was located and charged with first-degree homicide. Officials left open the possibility of additional charges as the investigation continued."

~~~ AND Sunday Morning, Too. CNN: "Three people were pronounced dead at the scene of a shooting in Austin, Texas, on Sunday, according to tweets from Austin-Travis County EMS. The shooting appears to be 'a domestic situation that is isolated,' a tweet from Austin police said. Police identified the suspect, still at large, as Stephen Nicholas Broderick, 41.... Broderick is a former Travis County Sheriff's Office detective who was charged with the sexual assault of a child, Travis County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Kristen Dark told CNN."

The Commentariat -- April 17, 2021

Afternoon Update:

Sad Interlude in the History of the Congressional White Caucus. Daniella Diaz of CNN: "Conservative Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene is scrapping the planned launch of her 'America First' caucus after receiving blowback from leaders in her own party, despite confirming through a spokesperson on Friday that the caucus would launch.... 'The Congresswoman wants to make clear that she is not launching anything. This was an early planning proposal and nothing was agreed to or approved,' [Greene's spokesman] said in an email to CNN, referring to a flier promoting the caucus, obtained by Punchbowl News, that used inflammatory rhetoric."

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Anne Gearan & Simon Denyer of the Washington Post: "President Biden was making a point as he welcomed Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga to the White House on Friday, using the first in-person visit by a foreign leader to emphasize that his administration sees Asia as its highest priority. The coveted first invitation was intended to reward a strategic ally who was buffeted by transactional and sometimes capricious treatment under ... Donald Trump, and to send a signal to China that Biden plans to firm up America's Asian alliances. Biden plans to follow up with an invitation to South Korean President Moon Jae-in next month. 'There's no substitute for face-to-face discussions,' Biden said as he and Suga held a news conference in the Rose Garden, Biden's first such event."

Robyn Dixon of the Washington Post: "The Kremlin said Friday it would expel 10 U.S. diplomats and blacklist eight current and former U.S. officials including FBI Director Christopher A. Wray, Susan Rice and John Bolton in response to U.S. sanctions and expulsions. The expected tit-for-tat measures by Russia deepen the strains between the two countries, but Moscow kept its response relatively proportional. The Kremlin also signaled a willingness to consider a summit between President Vladimir Putin and President Biden even as tensions grow." MB: Odd choices of people to blacklist: Although Rice has held important foreign policy positions, she currently is heading the Domestic Policy Council; Wray's job by law is limited to domestic problems, and Bolton doesn't have any government job at all.

Zolan Kanno-Youngs of the New York Times: "After a backlash from Democrats and human rights activists, the White House abruptly reversed course on Friday on the number of refugees it will allow into the United States, a reflection of President Biden's continuing struggle with immigration policy. At midday on Friday, the administration had said it would limit the number of refugees allowed into the United States this year to the historically low level of 15,000 set by the Trump administration, breaking an earlier pledge to greatly increase that number and let in more than 60,000 people fleeing war and persecution.... [Then] Senator Dick Durbin, Democrat of Illinois and the majority whip, called the administration's admissions target 'unacceptable.' Just hours later, the White House put out a statement saying it expected to increase the cap next month. It did not comment when asked to specify the number." CNN's story is here.

Justice! Katie Benner of the New York Times: "Attorney General Merrick B. Garland on Friday rescinded a Trump administration policy that curbed the use of consent decrees to address police misconduct, as the Justice Department prepared to step up its role in investigating allegations of racist and illegal behavior by police forces amid a nationwide outcry about the deaths of Black people at the hands of officers. Mr. Garland's widely expected decision revives one of the department's most effective tools in forcing law enforcement agencies to evaluate and change their practices. Consent decrees are court-approved deals between the Justice Department and local governmental agencies that create a road map for changes to the way they operate."

Science! Amy Goldstein of the Washington Post: "The National Institutes of Health on Friday removed restrictions that the Trump administration imposed on research using fetal tissue, allowing university researchers and government scientists freer rein to use material from elective abortions when studying diseases and possible treatments. A brief update for outside scientists from the NIH director's office said the Department of Health and Human Services was reversing a 2019 decision that had required applicants for federal grants and contracts involving fetal tissue to undergo an extra layer of review by an ethics advisory board. In a separate notice emailed Friday, NIH told its internal scientific and clinical directors that it was lifting a Trump-era ban on using federal money to buy human fetal tissue for biomedical studies by government employees."

Cristina Marcos of the Hill: "Several House Republicans, led by Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (Ga.) and Paul Gosar (Ariz.), are forming a caucus that calls for a 'common respect for uniquely Anglo-Saxon political traditions.' A policy platform for the group, which calls itself the America First Caucus, declares that 'a certain intellectual boldness is needed' in order to 'follow in President Trump's footsteps, and potentially step on some toes and sacrifice sacred cows for the good of the American nation.' The seven-page document, first obtained by Punchbowl News, is explicit in its nativist rhetoric and describes American culture as dominated by 'Anglo-Saxon' and European influences." MB: I wonder if they'll wear pointy white hoods or just go with little KKK lapel pins. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Sadly for Greene, she is unlikely to be very Anglo-Saxon herself. Assuming she thinks she's of English heritage (birth name Taylor), only about 30%-38% of Britons are of Anglo-Saxon heritage. Gosar's claim to Saxon heritage is even thinner; his paternal grandparents were Slovenian & maternal grandparents were Basques. As I'm sure you know, identifying with a specific, historical ethnic group is usually impossible, especially for Americans. As for their politics, I don't know what Marge & Paul think "Anglo-Saxon political traditions" are. The Anglo-Saxons in the British Isles established a fairly typical feudal system, with the addition of an active military class who plundered the locals. Come to think of it, that may be what Marge & Paul have in mind. ~~~

~~~ McCarthy Finally Finds His Line in the Sand. Cristiana Marcos of the Hill: "House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said Friday that the Republican Party is not the party of 'nativist dog whistles' in an apparent response to a new right-wing caucus that explicitly calls for promoting 'Anglo-Saxon political traditions.' McCarthy issued a tweet that does not explicitly reference the new 'America First Caucus' ... but came hours after its policy platform began leaking to the media. 'America is built on the idea that we are all created equal and success is earned through honest, hard work. It isn't built on identity, race, or religion,' McCarthy wrote. 'The Republican Party is the party of Lincoln & the party of more opportunity for all Americans -- not nativist dog whistles,' he added." MB: Of course we know he doth protest too much, but at least he's trying to keep up the fiction of an inclusive GOP.

Alan Feuer of the New York Times: "A member of the Oath Keepers militia who was charged in connection with the riot at the Capitol pleaded guilty on Friday and agreed to cooperate with the government -- potentially against other members of the far-right extremist group. The guilty plea by the Oath Keeper, Jon Ryan Schaffer, 53, of Indiana, was the first to be entered publicly by any of the more than 400 people who have been charged so far in the Jan. 6 attack. News of the plea emerged last week after sealed documents in Mr. Schaffer's case were briefly -- and accidentally -- made available on a federal court database.... Though he was not charged as part of ... a separate and much broader ... case, Mr. Schaffer's agreement to assist the government was apparently significant enough that prosecutors said at a court hearing on Friday that they would sponsor him for the witness protection program.... Mr. Schaffer pleaded guilty in Federal District Court in Washington to two charges: obstruction of an official proceeding and entering a restricted building with a dangerous weapon." The AP's story is here.

Nahal Toosi of Politico: "Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo violated federal ethics rules governing the use of taxpayer-funded resources when he and his wife, Susan, asked State Department employees to carry out tasks for their personal benefit more than 100 times..., the State Department's inspector general's office ... has determined.... Investigators uncovered scores of instances in which Mike or Susan Pompeo asked State Department staffers to handle tasks of a personal nature, from booking salon appointments and private dinner reservations to picking up their dog and arranging tours for the Pompeos' political allies. Employees told investigators that they viewed the requests from Susan Pompeo, who was not on the federal payroll, as being backed by the secretary. Not all of the 100-plus instances were definitively found to constitute a rules violation." MB: I could just kick myself for never asking my husband's secretaries to run my little errands.

Pete Williams & Dennis Romero of NBC News: "The Justice Department on Friday sued Roger Stone, a longtime ally of ... Donald Trump, accusing Stone and his wife, Nydia, of owing nearly $2 million in unpaid federal income taxes and fees. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, says the couple underpaid their income taxes by $1,590,361 from 2007 to 2011. It further says Stone, 68, did not pay his full tax bill in 2018, coming up $407,036 short. The couple, the suit alleges, used a commercial entity to 'shield their personal income from enforced collection and fund a lavish lifestyle despite owing nearly $2 million in unpaid taxes, interest and penalties.'" The New York Times' story is here.

Whom Would Jesus Sue? Ruth Graham of the New York Times: "Liberty University sued its former president Jerry Falwell Jr. this week, exacerbating the messy divorce between the Christian university and the leader whose family name has been synonymous with the school since its founding. The suit, which was filed on Thursday and asks for more than $40 million in damages, alleges breach of contract and fiduciary duty. It claims that Mr. Falwell withheld scandalous and potentially damaging information from Liberty's board of trustees, while negotiating a generous new contract for himself in 2019 under false pretenses. Mr. Falwell also failed to disclose and address 'his personal impairment by alcohol,' the suit alleges." MB: Well, okay, there is the &"demon rum" thing. The AP's story is here.

Luke O'Neil of the Guardian: "Mike Lindell, the man best known for his internet pillow company My Pillow, as well as for his fierce allegiance to Donald Trump, is set to launch a new free speech platform this week that he thinks will put YouTube and Twitter out of business. But it turns out it will limit what users can say -- by stopping them from, among other things, taking the Lord's name in vain. 'Everyone is going to be able to talk freely,' said Mike Lindell about the platform, called Frank, which is set to roll out on 19 April, in an interview with the conservative host Graham Ledger.... 'When you come over now you are going to be able to speak out and have opinions."

The Pandemic, Ctd.

When Killing Your Own Supporters Is a Way to "Own the Libs." Amanda Marcotte in Salon, summary by RockyGirl, from today's Comments thread: "... the right is deliberately undermining the vaccine effort to slow down the economy and hurt Biden. Well, duh. But her solution is interesting. Basically she says that the time (idiot Jordan's 'WHEN??') to roll back restrictions on gatherings and the like is when vaccine supply outstrips demand. She also says that the CDC needs to dial back its messaging on caution and instead start highlighting the freedom of action that vaccines give you. By denying the right the doom & gloom that they can exploit, we can be celebrating all the good things that the vaxxed can do." An excellent read & a pathetic commentary on so-called "conservatism." Thanks to RockyGirl for the link & summary. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

~~~ It's Working! "Poorly Educated" Republicans Less Likely to Be Vaccinated. Danielle Ivory, et al., of the New York Times: "The disparity in vaccination rates has so far mainly broken down along political lines.... Both willingness to receive a vaccine and actual vaccination rates to date were lower, on average, in counties where a majority of residents voted to re-elect ... Donald J. Trump in 2020. The phenomenon has left some places with a shortage of supply and others with a glut.... Vaccine hesitancy is highest in counties that are rural and have lower income levels and college graduation rates -- the same characteristics found in counties that were more likely to have supported Mr. Trump. In wealthier Trump-supporting counties with higher college graduation rates, the vaccination gap is smaller, the analysis found, but the partisan gap holds even after accounting for income, race and age demographics, population density and a county's infection and death rate." Republicans really are killing off their own voters. See also Akhilleus' comment below.

"Reactions Were Mixed." Madeline Marr of the Miami Herald: "'Today, I got the shot!' ... [Ivanka Trump] announced on Twitter and Instagram, with two pics of her behind a screen at a South Florida CVS. 'I hope that you do, too!'... While some followers commended Trump for taking her health seriously during a worldwide pandemic that has killed over 500,000 Americans, others went on the attack." Thanks to Bobby Lee for the lead.

Beyond the Beltway

Illinois. Richard Luscombe & Gloria Oladipo of the Guardian: "Hundreds marched through the streets of Chicago on Friday to protest the police shooting of Adam Toledo, a day after police released of body-cam video showing the deadly shooting of the 13-year-old boy with his hands in the air. About a thousand people gathered on Friday evening in a park on Chicago's north-west side, some holding signs that read 'Stop killing kids' and 'CPD can't be reformed'. A brass band played music as the crowd chanted: 'No justice, no peace.'"

New York. Sarah Nir & Michael Gold of the New York Times: "Over the course of 45 hours, the grand jury convened in the case of Daniel Prude, a Black man who died after being detained by the police in Rochester, N.Y., last year, heard from more than 30 witnesses -- including police officers, medical experts, a tow-truck driver and Mr. Prude's brother, according to minutes of the proceedings released on Friday. In the end, the records show, the jury voted overwhelmingly not to charge three officers with criminally negligent homicide in Mr. Prude's death. Fifteen jurors voted not to indict the officers; five disagreed. The transcripts provide a rare glimpse inside judicial proceedings that are usually kept secret.... Seven officers who were on the scene of Mr. Prude's arrest were later suspended, and the police chief was fired for his involvement in obscuring what had happened. After the footage of Mr. Prude's death was made public, New York's attorney general, Letitia James, convened a grand jury to review evidence in the case. The minutes unsealed Friday show that the attorney general's office asked the grand jury to consider charges against only three of the seven officers; the names of the officers and all other witnesses and jurors are redacted."

Way Beyond

Cuba. Andrea Rodriguez of the AP: "Raul Castro said Friday he is stepping down as head of Cuba's Communist Party, ending an era of formal leadership that began with his brother Fidel and country's 1959 revolution. The 89-year-old Castro made the announcement in a speech at the opening of the eighth congress of the ruling party, the only one allowed on the island. He said he was retiring with the sense of having 'fulfilled his mission and confident in the future of the fatherland.'... Castro didn't say who he would endorse as his successor as first secretary of the Communist Party. But he previously indicated he favors yielding control to 60-year-old Miguel Díaz-Canel, who succeeded him as president in 2018 and is the standard bearer of a younger generation of loyalists who have been pushing an economic opening without touching Cuba's one-party system."

U.K. The Guardian is liveblogging Prince Philip's funeral. The New York Times liveblog is here.