The Commentariat -- May 10, 2020

Afternoon Update:

The New York Times' live updates of coronavirus developments Sunday are here. The Washington Post's live updates for Sunday are here.

Jesse Eisinger of ProPublica: "Ten weeks into the worst crisis in 90 years, the government's effort to save the economy has been both a spectacular success and a catastrophic failure. The clearest illustration of that came on Friday, when the government reported that 20.5 million people lost their jobs in April. [MEANWHILE,] The S&P 500 is now up 30% from its lows in mid-March and back to where it was last October, when the outlook for 2020 corporate earnings looked sunshiny.... Asset holders like Apollo and Blackstone -- disproportionately the wealthiest and most influential -- have been insured by [Federal Reserve,] the world's most powerful central bank. This largess is boundless and without conditions.... Many aspects of the coronavirus bailout that assist individuals or small businesses, meanwhile, are short-term or contingent.... It's a bailout of capital. 'If the theory is: Let's make sure companies are solvent and the workers will be OK, that theory could work. But it's a trickle-down theory,' said Lev Menand, a former New York Fed economist who now teaches at Columbia Law School."

Hope Yen & Michael Balsamo of the AP: "The Senate's top Democrat on Sunday called on the Department of Veterans Affairs to explain why it allowed the use of an unproven drug on veterans for the coronavirus, saying patients may have been put at unnecessary risk. Sen. Charles Schumer of New York said the VA needs to provide Congress more information about a recent bulk order for $208,000 worth of hydroxychloroquine.... Donald Trump has heavily promoted the malaria drug, without evidence, as a treatment for COVID-19.... VA Secretary Robert ... Wilkie in recent weeks has denied that veterans were used as test subjects for the drug and that it was instead administered at government-run VA hospitals only when medically appropriate, with mutual consent between doctor and patient. Still, Wilkie has repeatedly declined to say how widely the drug was being used for COVID-19 and whether the department had issued broad guidance to doctors and patients on the use of the drug."

Mark Sherman of the AP: "... Donald Trump is hoping to persuade a Supreme Court with two of his appointees to keep his tax and other financial records from being turned over to lawmakers and a New York district attorney. The justices are hearing arguments by telephone Tuesday in a pivotal legal fight that could affect the presidential campaign, even with the coronavirus outbreak and the resulting economic fallout. Rulings against the president could result in the quick release of personal financial information that Trump has sought strenuously to keep private."

Axios: "Between late Saturday night and early Sunday morning, President Trump tweeted or retweeted more than 50 times about the investigations by the FBI and the House Intelligence Committee into his campaign's alleged ties to Russia. The tweetstorm shows the degree to which Trump is still consumed by what he believes to be an illegal attempt to end his presidency by Democrats and intelligence officials from the Obama administration."

~~~~~~~~~~~

The New York Times' live updates of coronavirus developments Saturday are here. The Washington Post's live updates Saturday are here.

Josh Dawsey, et al., of the Washington Post: "In a week when the novel coronavirus ravaged new communities across the country and the number of dead soared past 78,000, President Trump and his advisers shifted from hour-by-hour crisis management to what they characterize as a long-term strategy aimed at reviving the decimated economy and preparing for additional outbreaks this fall. But in doing so, the administration is effectively bowing to -- and asking Americans to accept -- a devastating proposition: that a steady, daily accumulation of lonely deaths is the grim cost of reopening the nation.... Some of Trump's advisers described the president as glum and shell-shocked by his declining popularity." Mrs. McC: It is hard to understand why a plan to kill Americans is unpopular with Americans.

Why Won't Trump & pence Self-Quarantine? Orion Rummier & Rebecca Falconer of Axios: "Anthony Fauci has begun a 'modified quarantine' after making a 'low risk' contact with a White House staffer who tested positive for the novel coronavirus, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director told CNN and the New York Times Saturday.... CDC director Robert Redfield and Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Stephen Hahn are in self-quarantine after a similar COVID-19 exposure, officials confirmed earlier Saturday. Vice President Mike Pence's press secretary Katie Miller and President Trump's valet tested positive for the virus this week." ~~~

~~~ Seung Min Kim, et al., of the Washington Post: "But several administration officials said White House staffers were encouraged to come into the office by their supervisors, and that aide who travel with President Trump and Vice President Pence would not stay out for 14 days, the recommended time frame to quarantine once exposed to the virus. The conflicting ways in which officials and aides are responding after two staff members were diagnosed with the coronavirus this past week -- Pence spokeswoman Katie Miller and a military valet to the president -- continued to raise questions about how the White House is responding to the challenge of maintaining a safe work environment for Trump, Pence and their staff.... Both Redfield and Hahn had been scheduled to testify before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee on Tuesday, but will now do so by videoconference, Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), the panel's chairman, said Saturday night."

Maureen Dowd's column on bats, vampires, Trump & his son-in-law the android vampire, is silly, but she makes some valid points in passing ... including this one, Trump is such a fake, "Maybe Trump doesn't seem real to Trump, either."

Nicole Gaouette, et al., of CNN: "The United States has scaled back its role on the world stage, taken actions that are undermining efforts to battle the coronavirus pandemic and left the international community without a traditional global leader, according to experts, diplomats and analysts. The US ... has declined to take a seat at virtual international meetings convened by the World Health Organization and the European Union to coordinate work on potentially lifesaving vaccines.... The administration's decision to halt funding for the WHO, the world body best positioned to coordinate the global response to the raging pandemic, has appalled global health officials. On Friday the US blocked a vote on a UN Security Council resolution that called for a global ceasefire aimed at collectively assisting a planet devastated by the outbreak. The US did not want any reference to the WHO in the text and rejected a compromise version that didn't directly mention the organization -- and instead cited the UN's 'specialized health agencies,' according to two diplomats familiar with the process. The US has similarly blocked expressions of global unity at G7 and G20 meetings due to anger about China and the WHO.... Observers from the Asia Pacific to Europe expressed incredulity, amusement and sadness at ... Donald Trump's briefings on the virus, saying they are deeply damaging to the US image abroad."

The valedictator delivers an inspiring message: ~~~

Robert Mackey of The Intercept: "Mike Pence was unmasked in Iowa on Friday, attending two events without covering his face, even though public health officials say masks slow the spread of the deadly coronavirus and one of the vice president's aides tested positive for Covid-19 just before he departed Washington. What's more, a live video stream of the second event, a roundtable discussion with food industry leaders in Des Moines, showed that all five of the invited guests arrived wearing masks but were asked to remove them shortly before the vice president joined them on stage." --s

... Rachel Roubein &Zachary Brennan of Politico: "The Trump administration outlined its plan to distribute remdesivir -- the sole drug proven to help coronavirus patients -- to areas with the greatest need, after a backlash over its chaotic initial rollout. HHS will ship 14,400 vials of the drug to state health departments, putting the onus on them to decide which hospitals get some of the country's limited supply. Previously the administration had sent a total of 35,360 vials straight to a handpicked list of hospitals, via its contractor AmerisourceBergen. The drug's maker, Gilead, has donated 607,000 vials of remdesivir to the United States government. That's enough to treat about 78,000 patients, HHS said. Gilead had previously said it would make 1.5 million vials available worldwide at no charge.... 'The administration provides zero explanation for why and how the initial shipments were made,' said [Prof.] Rachel Sachs ... [of] Washington University in St. Louis...." Mrs. McC: It's not clear from the story who in the "Trump administration" is making these decisions, but it could be someone in HHS, like Trump's so-called preparedness assistant secretary Robert Kadlec (featured in the next-linked story).

Aaron Davis of the Washington Post: In late January, as the first case of Covid-19 was detected in the U.S., Michael Bowen of Prestigue Ameritech, a medical supply company near Fort Worth, Texas, contacted top administrators in the Department of Health and Human Services offering to 'ramp up production to make an additional 1.7 million N95 masks a week.'" They weren't interested. "Even today, production lines that could be making more than 7 million masks a month sit dormant.... Emails show [that whistleblower Rick] Bright pressed [Robert Kadlec, the assistant secretary for preparedness and emergency response (whom Bowen had contacted),] and other agency leaders on the issue of mask shortages -- and Bowen's proposal specifically -- to no avail. On Jan. 26, Bright wrote to a deputy that Bowen's warnings 'seem to be falling on deaf ears.'... The story of Bowen's offer illustrates a missed opportunity in the early days of the pandemic, one laid out in Bright's whistleblower complaint.... Within weeks, a shortage of masks was endangering health-care workers in hard-hit areas across the country, and the Trump administration was scrambling to buy more masks -- sometimes placing bulk orders with third-party distributors for many times the standard price." The Hill's summary report here. ~~~

     ~~~ Mrs. Bea McCrabbie: So the ha-ha assistant secretary for preparedness and emergency response -- a Trump appointee -- not only was not preparing for the coming pandemic, he refused to get prepared when an offer to help dropped in his lap.

California. Edward Moreno of the Hill: "There are almost 800 positive cases of coronavirus at the Federal Correctional Institution Lompoc in California as of this week, according to the Los Angeles Times. The news marks an increase of over 300 cases in recent days. The increase also means that 70 percent of the prison's population has been infected.... The California prison now accounts for 47 percent of confirmed coronavirus cases in the federal prison system, according to information from the Bureau of Prisons obtained by the Times."

Kentucky. AP: "A federal court halted the Kentucky governor's temporary ban on mass gatherings from applying to in-person religious services, clearing the way for Sunday church services. U.S. District Judge Gregory F. Van Tatenhove on Friday issued a temporary restraining order enjoining Gov. Andy Beshear's administration from enforcing the ban on mass gatherings at 'any in-person religious service which adheres to applicable social distancing and hygiene guidelines.'... Two other federal judges, including U.S. District Judge David Hale, had previously ruled the ban was constitutional. But also on Friday, Hale, of Kentucky's western district, granted Maryville Baptist Church an injunction allowing in-person services at that specific church, provided it abide by public health requirements." Mrs. McC: Van Tatenhove is a Bush II appointee. Hale is an Obama appointee.

Louisiana. "Capitalism is Awesome: Covid-19 Edition." Mike Elk of Payday Report (New Orleans): "On Wednesday, dozens of garbage workers, employed by the temp service People Ready, went on strike, demanding proper safety equipment. The workers, who make only $10.25 an hour are also demanding hazard pay and paid sick leave. '$10.25 to pick up trash -- come on now. It's contaminated now with coronavirus,' strike leader Gregory Woods told Payday Report this week. After striking, the workers were fired en-masse earlier this week.... Now, the city [of New Orleans] has found new workers to replace the striking workers, prison labor from nearby Livingston Parish.... Under state rules, prison inmates, employed by Metro Services, will be paid only 13% of what garbage workers ... were ... making[.]" --s

New Mexico & Arizona. Morgan Lee of the AP: "Small Native American pueblos across New Mexico are embracing extraordinary isolation measures that turn away outsiders as well as near-universal testing to try to insulate themselves from [the coronavirus].... New Mexico's 19 indigenous pueblos -- communities that range from several thousand members to just 300 -- view the coronavirus as an existential threat after early infections raced through San Felipe and Zia pueblos.... Roadblocks against nonessential visitors extend to villages atop mesas in Acoma Pueblo's 'sky city' and on the Hopi reservation in Arizona, which is encircled by the Navajo Nation.... The coronavirus has rampaged across the vast Navajo Nation, one the most populous tribes in the U.S. whose boundaries extend from northwestern New Mexico through portions of Arizona and Utah. That outbreak has public health officials concerned that Native American communities may be especially susceptible to the pandemic because of underlying health issues, including high rates of diabetes, obesity and heart disease.... Native Americans accounted for more than 55% of confirmed COVID-19 infections in New Mexico as of Friday, though they're only 11% of the general population." ~~~

~~~ Rory Carroll of the Guardian: "The list of recent donors reads like an Irish phone book...[on] a GoFundMe page that by Friday had raised $3.15m of a $5m goal. The individual amounts are not remarkable -- $10, $20, $30, some exceeding $100 -- but the story behind the donations stretches back two centuries and encompasses a singular act of generosity that forged a bond between Native Americans and Ireland.... In 1847 the Choctaw nation set aside its own impoverishment and suffering to make a $170 donation to victims of the Irish famine. The tribe had suffered grievously during its Trail of Tears, a forced relocation to Oklahoma, and empathised with Irish people enduring misery and starvation more than 4,000 miles away. The generosity left a lasting mark on Ireland, which remembers it through art and commemorations. Now Irish people are reciprocating by donating to a fund for Navajo and Hopi communities hit by Covid-19." --s

South Dakota. Chris Boyette of CNN: "The governor of South Dakota has given an ultimatum to two Sioux tribes: Remove checkpoints on state and US highways within 48 hours or risk legal action.Gov. Kristi Noem sent letters Friday to the leaders of the Oglala Sioux Tribe and the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe demanding that checkpoints designed to prevent the spread of coronavirus on tribal land be removed, the governor's office said in a statement.... According to Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe checkpoint policies posted on its social media, its reservation residents may travel within South Dakota to areas the state has not deemed a Covid-19 'hotspot' if it's for an essential activity such as medical appointments or to get supplies unavailable on the reservation. But they must complete a health questionnaire when they leave and when they return every time they go through a checkpoint. South Dakota residents who don't live on the reservation are only allowed there if they're not coming from a hotspot and it is for an essential activity. But they must also complete a health questionnaire. Those from a South Dakota hotspot or from outside the state cannot come to the reservation unless it is for an essential activity -- but they must obtain a travel permit available on the tribe's website." Mrs. McC: Apparently in South Dakota, the Sioux are still expendable. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Update. Lee Strubinger of South Dakota Public Broadcasting: "Cheyenne River Sioux Tribal Chairman Harold Fraizer says they're declining the governor's request. He says the tribe will not apologize for being an island of safety in a sea of uncertainty and death. A spokesman for the Oglala Sioux Tribe says Noem's assertions are without legal merit."

A Scientist Gone Nuts Becomes Right-Wing Phenom. Davey Alba of the New York Times: "In a video posted to YouTube on Monday, a woman animatedly described an unsubstantiated secret plot by global elites like Bill Gates and Dr. Anthony Fauci to use the coronavirus pandemic to profit and grab political power. In the 26-minute video, the woman asserted how Dr. Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and a leading voice on the coronavirus, had buried her research about how vaccines can damage people's immune systems. It is those weakened immune systems she declared, that have made people susceptible to illnesses like Covid-19. The video, a scene from a longer dubious documentary called 'Plandemic,' was quickly seized upon by anti-vaccinators, the conspiracy group QAnon and activists from the Reopen America movement, generating more than eight million views. And it has turned the woman -- Dr. Judy Mikovits, 62, a discredited scientist -- into a new star of virus disinformation.... [In April,] Darla Shine, the wife of Bill Shine, a former Fox News executive and former top aide to Mr. Trump, promoted Dr. Mikovits's book in a tweet." ~~~

     ~~~ Mrs. McCrabbie: Bill Shine is still an advisor to Trump's campaign. The Shines' relations with Trump illustrates a problem that RAS highlighted in yesterday's Comments: "... all [Trump's] thoughts and ideas come from his advisors and friends around him. Unfortunately for us his friends and staff are as stupid, selfish and callous as he is. He is easily manipulated by those around him, but never to the good of the country or world. He is a conman who is easily handled by other conmen."

Get to Know Your Local Extremists. Jason Wilson & Robert Evans of the Guardian: "Leaked audio recordings and online materials obtained by the Guardian reveal that one of the most prominent anti-lockdown protest groups, American Revolution 2.0 (AR2), has received extensive assistance from well-established far-right actors, some with extremist connections. [Led by Josh Ellis,] AR2 presents itself as a grassroots network, but the recordings and other materials reveal its allies include a well-connected Tea Party co-founder and a family of serial online activists who have rolled out dozens of 'reopen' websites and Facebook groups.... [I]n recordings of Ellis speaking to an inner circle of AR2 members last week..., Ellis told the group ... that in recent days he had 'talked to the Dorr brothers'. The Dorr brothers -- Chris, Ben, Aaron and Matthew -- are rightwing activists whose methods have been roundly criticized by conservative groups and legislators.... Ellis specified further help he had received, telling his inner circle: 'One of the Utah guys got me hooked up with the owner of mymilitia.com.'... [T]he owner of the mymilitia.com domain is Chad Embrey of New Lexington, Ohio.... The site's extensive library of PDFs includes a Canadian army manual on ambushes, a guide to destroying tanks, and a treatise outlining justifications and strategies for an insurgency in the US. Recent posts include examining the short-term prospect of civil war." --s

Olivia Beavers & John Kruzel of the Hill: "Democrats and other critics are seizing on the Department of Justice's (DOJ) decision to drop the case against former national security adviser Michael Flynn, arguing it shows how heavily politicized it has become under Attorney General William Barr. Anger over the extraordinary move by Justice to drop charges even after it secured a guilty plea has created a new political storm around Barr, who had previously angered Democrats for his handling of former special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation.... 'Overruling the special counsel is without precedent and without respect for the rule of law,' [House Speaker Nancy] Pelosi said in remarks echoed by other Democrats.... 'I think we lost 50 years worth of ground in solidifying the independence of the Justice Department after Watergate,' House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) said Thursday night on MSNBC.... House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) vowed to ask the department's Inspector General to investigate the matter and called on Barr to testify about his Flynn decision as soon as possible[.]" ~~~

~~~ Former US attorney Glenn Kirschner in an NBC opinion piece: "Th[e] attempted dismissal of [Mike] Flynn's case has nothing to do with the strength of the evidence against Flynn or a fair application of the rule of law. Rather, it represents political cronyism and as such is an affront to our system of justice and to the American people. With this move, the corruption of the Department of Justice under Attorney General William Barr is as transparent as it is complete." --s ~~~

~~~ Katelyn Polantz of CNN: "The court filing on Thursday to drop former national security adviser Michael Flynn's criminal case used the attorney identification number for the previous US attorney, a technical error that adds to the twists of the dramatic reversal by the government. The bombshell court filing was signed only by interim DC US attorney Timothy Shea, a political appointee who used the court identity number of his ousted predecessor Jesse Liu. The incorrect ID number is a technical error that may need to be fixed before the judge weighs in." --s

Cassandra Negley of Yahoo! News: "The U.S. Department of Education, led by education secretary Betsy DeVos, announced new Title IX federal regulations that change requirements on who must report sexual assault allegations and how institutions respond to those complaints. The adjustments, outlined in a 2,033-page document and set to go into effect Aug. 14, no longer require coaches and other employees at colleges and universities to report allegations to the Title IX office. They also give schools a choice in what standard of proof they'd like to follow, bolster protections for the accused and require live hearings and cross examinations." --s

Syria. Jeff Seldin of VOA: "U.S.-led coalition special operation forces hit back against an Islamic State cell in Syria, capturing a midlevel leader linked to a rise in attacks by the terror group in the Deir el-Zour countryside.... It also came as [U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces] ... commanders continue to raise concerns about what they see as a sizable increase in IS operations over the past month. A source close to the SDF told VOA that many of the attacks have involved improvised explosive devices (IEDs), but that attacks involving IS fighters have been increasingly lethal." --s

Senate Race. Alabama. Burgess Everett of Politico: "Jeff Sessions is trying to win back his old Senate seat and move on from his rocky tenure as attorney general. But ... Donald Trump won't let it go. On Friday morning, Trump called Sessions a 'disaster' as the nation's top law enforcement officer and said Sessions visited Trump 'four times just begging me to be attorney general.' The stinging attack on Fox News comes during crunch time for a Alabama Senate primary in July pitting Sessions against former Auburn football coach Tommy Tuberville. The winner will face Democratic Sen. Doug Jones.... 'I never begged for the job of attorney general, not four times, not one time, not ever. The president offered me the job, I took it, I stood up for the truth and performed at the highest levels,' Sessions said in a statement.'

Howard Altman & Kyle Rempfer of Military Times: "To Army Special Forces veteran Drew White, the plan to take over Venezuelan oil fields after overthrowing the government -- being pitched by a troubled fellow former 10th Special Forces Group soldier [Sgt. 1st Class Jordan Goudreau] -- seemed too far-fetched to be believed. Documents pitching the plan -- obtained by Military Times -- included letterhead from a Washington consultant firm, as well as the names and credentials of President Donald Trump's longtime bodyguard [Keith Schiller] and another billionaire financier [Roen Kraft], all of whom have denied involvement in the ill-fated adventure.... White said that Goudreau implied that the scheme ... had the backing of the State Department.... Goudreau is now under federal investigation for arms trafficking, current and former U.S. law enforcement officials told AP.... The Trump administration has threatened military action against the Maduro regime for years but recently denied any involvement in the plot.... The U.S. government has offered a $15 million reward for information leading to Maduro's arrest or conviction. He was indicted by the Trump administration in March on charges of narcoterrorism." --s

Comments

[PD Pepe]

Hey! It's Mother's Day––can we possibly ignore all the bad news for just one day (fat chance, that) and celebrate the many mothers out there whose sacrifice right now, especially in the Health field is significant. No breakfast in bed, no flowers from her husband on a tray with cards made by her children; she's holed up in a hotel and every connection with her family is on a screen. Perhaps when this is over we will, for awhile, appreciate the REAL––the touching, the hugging, the kisses, and maybe we will appreciate, too, the once mundane that we always took for granted.

@safari's story about the Irish connection with our Indian population is lovely. One nation's largesse to another nation is indelible and not easily forgotten. But even though history shows us otherwise we can rejoice at the positives.

[unwashed]

@Bea asks why Comrade Tang and half-pence won't self-quarantine? If they did and aren't available to fulfill their duties (which they don't do anyway) wouldn't that place the reins of government into Nancy's hands?

[Marie Burns]

@unwashed: Oh, wouldn't that be dandy? President Pelosi (sounds good, doesn't it?) could wear her hand out signing executive orders. And she could nominate a bunch of federal judges. And fill hundreds of federal positions Trump has left empty. She could fire Jared & Ivanka & a few of those dolts who hold Cabinet posts. Adios, Bill Barr.

However, there is nothing keeping Donnie & mike from "working" from home -- which Trump does anyway, tho he'd have to stay in the residence if he were quarantined. Of course if they both got really sick, Nancy, would have to buy some extra ink cartridges for that pen.

[Akhilleus]

A very happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers past and present who have gotten us (and begotten us) as a species, this far. With very few exceptions, they are not to be blamed for the current woeful state in which we find ourselves. It’s also a reminder that time out, especially for spoiled, narcissistic brats who grow up to be ignorant tyrants, is a very good idea. Maybe time out for several years.

[Akhilleus]

Love the President Pelosi idea. And since confederates have been quick to approve of a unitary executive and now placing unlimited power into the hands of the leader, I’d like to see her go full Catherine the Great. To hell with firing these grifters and traitors..Send them all to the block. Then surround the Capitol Building with their heads on pikes. If donnie and the half-pence survive, present them with orders for immediate deportation to some shithole country where they can live out their days cleaning latrines. Take over Fox (it’s state run TV anyway) and turn it into a 24/7 comedy channel. All the same hosts can remain, except they must do their shows wearing dunce caps. Michael Moore will be hired to dub in laugh tracks after each stupid comment.

[Ken Winkes]

I'm not sure I agree with his conclusion, but this (to me provocative) Posner op-ed is worthy a read.

Do we have a constitutional right to health and safety or not?

There's Covid....and then there's second-hand smoke and all the rules and regs we've enacted to protect the public from its harmful effects...whether it wants to be or not.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/lockdown-legal-challenges-constitution/2020/05/03/389af052-8aff-11ea-9dfd-990f9dcc71fc_story.html

[NiskyGuy]

@AK: donnie and mikey should go to the shithole country of their own making: Federal prison. Everyone will line up to give them a "pleased to meet you" hug and kiss.

[Ken Winkes]

Wish Obama had resisted calling the Pretender's response to Covid a "disaster." The Pretender has wrecked that word, too.

Like "traitor," "warrior," and so many others, it has become meaningless.

[Anonymous]

I know its Mothers Day, but the Lompoc story brought to mind an experience I had with my dad at Lompoc. Many years ago (25) my dad came to visit us (CA). We picked him up at the A/P in San Diego and drove back up to our home near Sacramento, stopping along the way. My dad was charismatic and made friends with everyone. We stopped at Lompoc. Of course we couldn't go in, but my dad quickly hopped out of the car and started taking pictures. About 2 minutes later, 2 guards with a German Shepard appeared. They took my dad's camera and escorted him and my husband into the prison. I was in the car with my 6 year old, having no earthly idea if they would be detained or for how long. NO pictures were allowed of course.

I waited anxiously for 45 minutes. Out came my dad, my husband and guards laughing and joking with my dad. They shook hands all around and cheerfully told us no more pictures. My husband said he was sweating bullets, but my dad was having a great time. They took dad's film. I couldn't drive out of there fast enough. I looked in the rear view to see my dad taking pictures out the back window of the car. A couple weeks later, my dad got an envelope with the pictures on the roll developed minus those he had taken on the grounds. My dad told me later that the guards were ex Marines. He was a WWII Marine vet stationed in the Sth Pacific.

[Ken Winkes]

More language on its head:

According to one of Flynn's attorneys, it's now possible to "frame" someone for something he's done and admitted to doing...

My head hurts.

[Hattie]

Anonymous -

This recollection of your Dad - and your love for him - are deeply moving.

Thank you for sharing both.