March 5, 2023

Late Afternoon Update:

Matt Viser of the Washington Post: "President Biden came to [Selma, Alabama, a] seminal site of the civil rights movement -- one that lead to the signing of the Voting Rights Act in 1965 -- to try to inject urgency into changing the country's voting rights laws once more.Standing near the Edmund Pettus Bridge, where on March 7, 1965, marchers advocating for voting rights were attacked by police in a day that has become known as 'Bloody Sunday,' Biden said that the right to vote 'was under assault' by a conservative Supreme Court, a host of state legislatures and those who continue to deny the 2020 presidential election results.... Biden is attempting to elevate an issue that he unsuccessfully fought for since the start of his presidency, channeling evocative images to urge Congress to pass voting rights changes despite hardened political divisions on Capitol Hill." MB: I'll post a video of President Biden's speech when one becomes available.

Presidential Race 2024. Veronica Stracqualursi of CNN: "Former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said Sunday that he will not seek the Republican nomination for president in 2024, worried that his candidacy in a crowded primary could help ... Donald Trump clear the GOP field and win the nomination.... After leaving office in January, Hogan said that he was seriously considering running for president. But on Sunday, the longtime Trump critic said that 'the stakes are too high for me to risk being part of another multicar pileup that could potentially help Mr. Trump recapture the nomination.'"

Mirna Alsharif of NBC News & the AP: "There were no hazardous materials on board the 28 cars of a Norfolk Southern train that derailed in Springfield, Ohio on Saturday evening, officials said in a news briefing. This is the second derailment of the company's trains in Ohio in a matter of weeks, after a train carrying dangerous chemicals derailed in East Palestine on Feb. 3. Multiple agencies responded to the train derailment in Clark County, located about 38 minutes from Columbus, at around 5 p.m. The 212-car train was headed to Birmingham, Alabama from Bellevue, Ohio, said Norfolk Southern General Manager of Operations Kraig Barner. 'None of those derailed cars were carrying hazardous material, and there were no injuries reported to the public or the two man crew operating the train,' Barner said." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie's Update: However, CNN is reporting on-air that some of the train's cars that did not derail did contain hazardous materials.

"Fox & Friends" finally publicly addresses the Dominion Voting Systems lawsuit against Fox "News":

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Maggie Haberman of the New York Times: "... Donald J. Trump has filed a motion asking a federal judge to prevent his former vice president, Mike Pence, from testifying to a grand jury about specific issues that Mr. Trump is claiming are protected by executive privilege.... The sealed filing was made on Friday, according to the person briefed on the matter.... Mr. Pence has said he will try to fight the subpoena, but has indicated it will be under the 'speech or debate' clause of the Constitution, which applies to legislators." CNN's report is here.

Marie: I don't feel quite as sleazy linking a New York Post Page Six article (as I did yesterday) about George & Kellyanne Conway's planned divorce inasmuch as both the New York Times and Washington Post also covered it a day later. But I confess I still think it was cheesy of me and none of my business.

Peter Baker of the New York Times reports on a recording of a Fox "News" Zoom conference call among some executives and anchors that shows how they panicked after Fox called Arizona for Joe Biden & Fox viewers turned off the network. The execs soon decided that the way to "handle" the correct call was to fire the guys who made it. Oh, and not surprisingly, some Fox honchos are into paranoid conspiracy theories: "Tom Lowell, the managing editor for news, said Fox had been left 'as the canary in this nasty coal mine,' suggesting other networks had deliberately delayed calls out of malice. 'I think some outlets willfully held back calls that they probably could have made to watch us twist in the wind,' he said."

They Aren't Merely Fascists. They're Also Despicable Deplorables. Christopher Mathias of the Huffington Post: "... it ... became clear at CPAC that the Republican campaign against trans kids isn't just a mere ploy to energize its base -- it could also be the beginning of an insurgent fascist campaign to erase trans people from public life altogether. [After Sebastian Gorka & Marjorie Taylor Greene spoke against transgender medical treatment,] Michael Knowles, the host of 'The Michael Knowles Show' on The Daily Wire, gave a speech at CPAC that, at moments, sounded genocidal.... 'If [transgenderism] is false [as Knowles falsely claims it is], then for the good of society ... transgenderism must be eradicated from public life entirely,' he said. Eradicated. The crowd roared again." And there was more.

Marie: How the GOP continues to thrive baffles me. They don't just oppose Democrats; they're against most Americans: racial, ethnic & religious minorities, women of child-bearing age, the elderly, people who get sick, adults and young people who are not 100% straight, members of the news media, doctors, scientists, college professors, teachers & all government employees, including volunteers on local boards, Republican "freaks" like Jeb Bush (see Trump remark below below). And more! Odds are that you belong to at least one group Republicans mock, deride and try to "eradicate" or at least subdue.

Presidential Race 2024

Meryl Kornfield of the Washington Post: "Speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference on Saturday, [Donald] Trump reveled in his strong showing in the annual confab's 2024 presidential straw poll, winning 62 percent of the vote among the attendees.... The former president spent his wide-ranging, nearly two-hour remarks rehashing the 'America First' agenda that has played well with his base.... 'In 2016, I declared I am your voice,' he said. 'Today, I add: I am your warrior. I am your justice. And for those who have been wronged and betrayed: I am your retribution.'... This year's confab was particularly dominated by conservatives backing Trump, or trying to appeal to his supporters.... Before Trump's speech, Brazil's former president, Jair Bolsonaro, a right-wing leader who was dubbed the Tropical Trump, roused crowds in the afternoon in a wide-ranging speech that touched on his efforts to expand gun rights in the country and to protect the freedom to refuse vaccinations." Politico's report is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Jill Colvin, et al., of the AP: "... Donald Trump cast himself Saturday as the only Republican candidate who can build on his White House legacy but shied away from directly critiquing his potential rivals, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.... 'We had a Republican Party that was ruled by freaks, neo-cons, globalists, open borders zealots and fools. But we are never going back to the party of Paul Ryan, Karl Rove and Jeb Bush,' he said."

Michael Bender, et al., of the New York Times: "... Donald J. Trump said on Saturday that he would not drop out of the 2024 presidential race if he was indicted in one of several investigations he is facing.... 'Oh absolutely. I wouldn't even think about leaving,' he said, adding that he believed an indictment would increase his poll numbers.... Mr. Trump made the comments to a group of conservative media before his speech to the Conservative Political Action Coalition conference in National Harbor, Md.... In his remarks on Saturday, Mr. Trump repeatedly cast the prosecutors as corrupt and politically motivated, citing no evidence. As he has for years, he cast the investigations not as result of his own actions, but as an effort to silence the voices of his supporters. 'I didn't know the word "subpoena,"' said Mr. Trump, who has sued and been sued hundreds and hundreds of times in civil courts and was first investigated by federal officials in the 1970s in Brooklyn."

Reid Epstein of the New York Times: "On Saturday [Marianne Williamson] announced herself as the first Democratic challenger to President Biden -- who hasn't said himself that he's running again. In her campaign kickoff speech, Ms. Williamson, 70..., sounded ... like a Bernie Sanders-style liberal, focused on economic justice, corporate power and what she called the intentional blindness of powerful federal government officials to poverty in America.... Few in Democratic politics are taking her entry into the race seriously."

Beyond the Beltway

Florida, the Fascist State. New York Times Editors: "... a bill that is moving through the Florida House and is based on longstanding goals of Gov. Ron DeSantis..., represents a dangerous threat to free expression in the United States." The editors go into some of the provisions of the bills, and they're no different from what you'd expect in any repressive regime like Russia or China. "A sledgehammer bill like the one in Florida, however, wielded for transparent political reasons, would create enormous damage on the way to the high court, particularly if other states decide to copy its language." MB: The problem, as I see it, is not so much the damage the bill would cause "on the way to the high court," but the damage it would cause after "the high court" approved all or some of its provisions. You won't be able to make fun of Sam Alito any more.

Nevada. Natasha Korecki of NBC News: "Nevada Democrats have ousted a slate of democratic socialists who took over the state party two years ago, ending a troubled reign marked by divisions and infighting. Judith Whitmer was booted from her position as chair in a Saturday vote, with a new slate headed by Nevada Assemblywoman Daniele Munroe-Moreno assuming control of the party. Munroe-Moreno, who is the first Black woman elected to lead Nevada Democrats, was backed by a slew of elected officials as well as the so-called Reid Machine, the powerful organization first brought together by the late Nevada Sen. Harry Reid. The results come after a tumultuous term under Whitmer, who repeatedly clashed with key figures in the party. Establishment Democrats charged that she had at times undermined her own party, including Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, who was in a close re-election race last cycle."

South Carolina. Southern Gothic, Ctd. Gillian Brockell of the Washington Post: Convicted murderer Alex "Murdaugh faces dozens of charges related to financial crimes, and documentaries have highlighted a number of additional deaths that are or could be connected to the family, including of a housekeeper and two classmates of Murdaugh's children. There's also a suicide-for-hire plot Murdaugh is alleged to have arranged, so that a hefty life insurance payout would go to his surviving son, nicknamed Buster. Incredibly, the suspicious 1940 death of Murdaugh's great-grandfather, Randolph Murdaugh Sr. -- who started the family's legendary law firm -- also led to a payout benefiting his son, who was likewise nicknamed Buster.... On his way home [from a visit to a friend who lived a few towns over], at about 1 a.m. on July 19, [1940,] his car somehow came to a stop at a railroad crossing. Moments later, a freight train slammed into the car, killing him instantly, the sheriff said. He was 59.... The train's engineer testified that as the train approached, Murdaugh Sr.'s car was stopped near the tracks, and Murdaugh Sr. raised his hand and seemed to wave at him, according to DeWitt. Moments before the train crossed, the engineer said, the car sped up and then stopped directly on the tracks."

Texas. Nicky Robertson of CNN: "Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales of Texas was censured Saturday by the state GOP for 'for lack of fidelity to Republican principles and priorities,' the party announced. The Texas Republican Party took issue with several House votes and stances by the second-term congressman, including his vote for the Respect for Marriage Act, his opposition to a GOP-led border security measure and the fact that he was the lone House Republican to vote against his conference's rules package earlier this year. Gonzales represents Texas' 23rd Congressional District, which stretches along the US-Mexico border between El Paso and San Antonio. The district is home to Uvalde, where a mass shooting at an elementary school last year killed 19 children and two teachers. After the shooting, Gonzales voted in favor of bipartisan gun-safety legislation -- another vote cited in the censure resolution."

Way Beyond

Ukraine, et al. The Washington Post's live briefing of developments Sunday in Russia's war on Ukraine are here: "A grueling seven-month battle for the front-line city of Bakhmut is coming down to street-by-street fighting and skirmishes on rural roads and settlements on its outskirts, where Ukrainian forces are digging narrow trenches into the muddy ground to fortify their positions. Ukrainian officials say Russian forces have not seized full control of the city, whose capture would offer the Kremlin a symbolic victory after months of battleground setbacks and Ukrainian counteroffensives.... Ukrainian resupply routes out of Bakhmut are 'increasingly limited,' according to the British Defense Ministry."

Israel. Bar Peleg, et al., of Haaretz: "Despite the heightened police presence and the force used by officers against protesters earlier in the week, over 180,000 Israelis protested the government's planned judicial overhaul throughout the country on Saturday night, for the ninth week in a row. After the demonstration ended, protesters attempted to cross the barricade that blocked off the Ayalon Highway in Tel Aviv. Police tried to obstruct those who broke through, but several thousand people made their way onto the main road and began marching."

News Lede

Washington Post: "Storms have knocked out power for more than 1 million Americans and caused at least 10 deaths, after heavy winds and possible tornadoes pummeled Kentucky, Michigan and other parts of the South and Midwest.... Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D) said Saturday that at least five Kentuckians had died as a result of the storm after the state had wind gusts of more than 70 mph and flash flooding. In Alabama, three people were killed by falling trees, and storm-related deaths were also reported in Arkansas, Mississippi and Tennessee, according to the Associated Press." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Yeah, well, I have 14" of snow to shovel from yesterday's storm here in the Northeast, and it snowed a little last night, too.

March 4, 2023

Katie Rogers of the New York Times: "President Biden and Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany on Friday showed a united front on the war in Ukraine, vowing to keep Western support intact amid mounting concerns that China could move to supply weapons to Moscow. Speaking to reporters before a private meeting in the Oval Office, Mr. Biden said that both leaders would work in 'lock step' for as long as it takes to provide military support to Kyiv.... In a statement on Friday, the White House said that the two leaders discussed their 'commitment to impose costs on Russia for its aggression for as long as necessary,' and that they 'exchanged perspectives on other global issues,' without naming China.... Still, Mr. Scholz arrived in Washington hours after speaking to the German Parliament and directly calling on Beijing -- his country's largest trading partner -- to 'use your influence in Moscow to press for the withdrawal of Russian troops.'... Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House press secretary, said on Friday that 'every step China takes toward Russia makes it harder for China with Europe and other countries around the world.'" ~~~

~~~ Glenn Thrush of the New York Times: "Attorney General Merrick B. Garland made an unannounced visit to Ukraine on Friday to reaffirm America's commitment to help hold Russia responsible for war crimes, a Justice Department spokeswoman said. Mr. Garland held several meetings with President Volodymyr Zelensky and foreign law enforcement officials in Lviv, while attending the United for Justice Conference, the department said in an email. During the conference, Mr. Garland 'reaffirmed our determination to hold Russia accountable for crimes committed in its unjust and unprovoked invasion against its sovereign neighbor,' the email said." More on Russia's war against Ukraine linked below under Way Beyond the Beltway. CNN's report is here.

Zolan Kanno-Youngs of the New York Times: "Nearly 60 years after one of the first Black officers in the Special Forces was nominated -- and then overlooked -- for the nation's highest military honor, President Biden on Friday awarded the Medal of Honor to that officer, Col. Paris Davis, for exemplifying 'everything our nation is at our best.... Brave and big hearted. Determined and devoted. Selfless and steadfast. American,' Mr. Biden said of Colonel Davis, who refused to leave behind his fellow soldiers in the midst of battle after suffering multiple gun shot injuries.... Arriving in Vietnam just a month after the bloody civil rights march in Selma, Ala., Colonel Davis and three other Special Forces troops led South Vietnamese volunteers to strike an enemy camp on June 18, 1965, when they came under fire. Even after a grenade blasted off part of his trigger finger and several other soldiers were shot down, he kept fighting. When reinforcements arrived and he was ordered to evacuate, he refused to leave before saving his medic. All four of the Special Forces soldiers made it out alive." ~~~

Katie Rogers of the New York Times: "President Biden had a cancerous lesion removed from his chest during his physical last month, the president's doctor said Friday. The existence of the lesion was included in the summary of Mr. Biden's physical at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in mid-February. On Friday, Dr. Kevin C. O'Connor, the president's longtime physician, said a biopsy confirmed that it was basal cell carcinoma, a common and relatively unaggressive form of skin cancer." An AP story is here.

Joe Jacquez of the Hill: "Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi criticized President Biden's handling of a GOP-led resolution that would overturn parts of a District of Columbia crime bill, decrying that he should have given Democrats 'a heads up.' 'If he was going to do it I wish he would've told us first, because this was a hard vote for the House members,' Pelosi said at a University of Chicago event on Friday, after being asked whether she agreed with Biden on the bill. 'And it's a hard vote for the Senate members. And the mayor of District of Columbia even differed from the legislators who passed it, so it wasn't that clear.'... But if the president's going to do it, hey, could you give us a heads up too in the House?'"

Hannah Dreier & Luke Broadwater of the New York Times: "Members of Congress are pressing for stricter laws to prevent and penalize the use of child labor and tougher vetting by the Biden administration of adults who take custody of unaccompanied migrant children, as revelations about the exploitation of underage migrants by employers have prompted outrage among policymakers. Days after an investigation by The New York Times revealed the explosive growth of migrant child labor in the United States, federal and state enforcement agencies have begun a crackdown on companies that employ children, and the Biden administration is under pressure to make broader changes to the way it deals with minors who arrive in the country without their parents. Top Senate Democrats sent a letter Friday demanding answers from the secretaries of the federal health and labor agencies by April 1, saying they were 'deeply disturbed' that 'large numbers of unaccompanied noncitizen children are being placed with exploitative sponsors and working long hours in dangerous conditions.'... Senator Richard J. Durbin, the No. 2 Senate Democrat and chairman of the Judiciary Committee..., and other Democrats also are proposing tough new legislation to increase maximum civil fines and criminal penalties for violations of child labor laws, as well as make it more difficult for employers to get around existing prohibitions against hiring minors."

First, Indict All the Lawyers. Jacqueline Alemany, et al., of the Washington Post: "Federal prosecutors investigating efforts to overturn the 2020 election have asked witnesses extensive questions about the actions of Rudy Giuliani.... Investigators looking into classified documents taken to Mar-a-Lago ... have sought to force testimony from another Trump lawyer, Evan Corcoran, by saying there is evidence that the former president used the attorney's legal services in furtherance of a crime. And prosecutors have repeatedly sought information on the actions of yet another Trump lawyer, Boris Epshteyn, in connection with both classified documents and Trump's false electors scheme.... They have quizzed multiple Trump attorneys involved with the documents case...."

Judge Curbs McCarthy Plan to Aid & Abet Insurrectionists. Kyle Cheney of Politico: "A federal judge on Friday denied a Jan. 6 defendant's request to delay her imminent trial in order to review thousands of hours of security footage recently made available by Speaker Kevin McCarthy. U.S. District Court Judge James Boasberg said he understood why Sara Carpenter -- who is facing two felony charges for her actions at the Capitol -- would like time to review the material. But he said she had failed to explain why any additional footage of her movements inside the building would be exculpatory, particularly when prosecutors had already turned over footage of the vast majority of Carpenter's 34 minutes inside the building. Boasberg ... -- who is set to become Washington D.C.'s chief district court judge later this month -- ... worried that widely permitting Jan. 6 defendants to slow down their criminal proceedings in order to review this footage could 'derail dozens of trials that are set in the next few months.'"

Casey Gannon of CNN: "A New York man who assaulted former Washington, DC, Metropolitan Police Officer Michael Fanone during the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol pleaded guilty on Friday to several felony charges. Thomas Sibick, 37, pleaded guilty to assaulting, resisting or impeding of an officer and two counts of theft. On January 6, Sibick, along with others, attacked Fanone and forcibly took his badge and radio. Prosecutors said that Sibick falsely claimed to the FBI that he tried to help Fanone and used the emergency button on the radio to signal help. Yet evidence showed that Sibick did not press the button until 16 minutes after Fanone was escorted to safety.... Prosecutors also said that Sibick was not truthful about what he did with Fanone's badge and radio following the attack on the Capitol. While he told law enforcement he threw Fanone's badge in a dumpster in Buffalo, New York, investigators later learned that Sibick had buried Fanone's badge in his backyard. The badge was ultimately returned to investigators covered in dirt."

Daniella Silva of NBC News: "The U.S. Capitol Police confiscated an assault-style 'ghost gun' and a handgun capable of automatic fire during the arrests of two people near the Capitol, police said Friday. Police said they found the M4-style 'ghost gun' and a 'Glock handgun with a full auto switch' on Thursday during the arrests of two suspects while patrolling the complex.... Kwame T. Keith, 24, of Hyattsville, Maryland, and Justin B. Campos, 19, of Landover, Maryland, were arrested after police encountered them while they were in a stolen car, police said. 'The arrests were made a short walk from the Congressional Buildings and across the street from television studios Members of Congress frequently use,' [a police] statement said."

Jane Timm of NBC News: "Two progressive groups want the Federal Election Commission to investigate Fox Corp. and ... Donald Trump's 2020 campaign for breaking campaign finance laws. On Friday, End Citizens United PAC filed a complaint with the FEC arguing that Fox Corp. chair Rupert Murdoch broke the law when he shared Joe Biden's campaign ad and debate strategy with Trump adviser Jared Kushner.... According to a [Dominion Voting system] filing citing Murdoch's sworn deposition, the Fox boss admitted to providing a preview of the ads with Kushner before they were public, as well as sharing Biden's debate strategy during the 2020 campaign.... 'Fox Corporation's blatant and cavalier act is a prohibited corporate contribution. The commission must immediately investigate,' wrote End Citizens United President Tiffany Muller.... Media Matters for America also filed an FEC complaint Friday against the two entities, alleging that Fox made 'illegal corporate in-kind contribution.'"

Annals of "Journalism," Ha Ha Ha. "Mostly Crickets."Katie Robertson & Stuart Thompson of the New York Times: "Over the past two weeks, legal filings containing private messages and testimony from Fox hosts and executives revealed that many of them had serious doubts that Democrats stole the 2020 presidential election through widespread voter fraud, even as those claims were made repeatedly on Fox's shows. The revelations, made public in a defamation lawsuit against Fox brought by Dominion Voting Systems, have generated headlines around the world. But in the conservative media world? Mostly crickets. On 26 of the most popular conservative television news networks, radio shows, podcasts and websites, only four -- The National Review, Townhall, The Federalist and Breitbart News == have mentioned the private messages from Fox News hosts that disparaged election fraud claims since Feb. 16, when the first batch of court filings were released publicly, according to a review by The New York Times. The majority -- 18 in all, including Fox News itself -- did not cover the lawsuit at all with their own staff. (Some of those 18 published wire stories originally written by The Associated Press or other services.)... One of those, The Gateway Pundit, published three articles that included additional unfounded allegations about Dominion...."

From the Gossip Page. Oli Coleman & Ian Mohr of the New York Post's Page Six: "Page Six hears that Kellyanne Conway, the longtime advisor to ... Donald Trump, and George Conway, the longtime tormentor of President Trump, have decided to divorce after 22 years of marriage."

Vaugh Hillyard & Dareh Gregorian of NBC News: "Nick Fuentes, the antisemitic white nationalist provocateur who dined with ... Donald Trump last year, was 'removed' from the premises of the Conservative Political Action Conference in Maryland, the chair of the group that stages the event said Friday. 'We removed Nick Fuentes from his attempt to attend our conference. His hateful racist rhetoric and actions are not consistent with the mission of CPAC,' Matt Schlapp said in a statement posted on Instagram."

Presidential Race 2024

Isaac Arnsdorf & Meryl Kornfield of the Washington Post: "Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley stepped into the hallway after speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference on Friday to supporters asking for selfies and autographs -- and, from others, a less friendly greeting. 'We love Trump, we love Trump!' a crowd around her started chanting. Some Haley supporters shouted her name back as the former U.N. ambassador escaped with staff to an elevator. The dust-up showed the risks of taking the primary fight to what has clearly become Trump's home turf. Though CPAC has long been seen as a big-tent forum for the conservative movement and a mandatory cattle call for presidential hopefuls, the annual conference has increasingly grown into a stomping ground for the 45th president and his 'Make America Great Again' wing of the GOP. Trump will speak at the event Saturday." The report goes on to describe the Trumpy scene at the "conference."

The Jerk Who Dares Not Say His Name. Aarone Blake of the Washington Post: "... Mike Pompeo tested quite a message [at CPAC] Friday. 'Don't hand that government more power under the guise of conservatism,' the likely GOP presidential contender and former secretary of state said. 'We shouldn't look for larger-than-life personalities, but rather we should fight power in the rooms like this one.' Pompeo continued: 'We can't become the left, following celebrity leaders with their own brand of identity politics -- those with fragile egos who refuse to acknowledge reality.... We can't shift blame to others, but must accept the responsibility that comes to those of us who step forward and lead.'" Blake goes on to break down Pompeo's very personal attack on Donald Trump.

Larry Neumeister of the AP: "A former U.S. Army private from Kentucky who was devoted to a violent extremist group seeking to erode or destroy Western civilization was sentenced to the maximum 45 years in prison Friday for plotting a murderous terrorist attack on his paratrooper unit. Ethan Melzer's hands trembled as the judge said he deserved the maximum because of the lasting harm he caused by sharing U.S. military secrets with other followers of a radical violent group known as the Order of Nine Angles, or 09A, and other terrorist groups. U.S. District Judge Gregory H. Woods rejected the 24-year-old's claim to be a remorseful, reformed man, saying it was more likely he was 'playing another role' in pursuit of leniency just as he had 'played soldier' so he could conspire to try to murder fellow paratroopers."

Beyond the Beltway

Florida. Andrew Kaczynski, et al., of CNN: "An appointee to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis&' new oversight board in control of Disney's special tax district called homosexuality 'evil' last year and shared a baseless conspiracy theory that tap water could be making more people gay. On Monday, the Republican governor appointed Ron Peri, an Orlando-based former pastor and the CEO of The Gathering -- a Christian ministry focused on outreach to men -- as one of five people who will now oversee the Reedy Creek Improvement District, the government body that has given Disney unique powers in Central Florida for more than half a century." MB: In case you were wondering what a DeSantis administration would look like. I know it's wrong to laugh at people who are so dangerous & hateful, but it's hard not to suspect Peri is having an affair with the Culligan man.

Ohio. What Could Possibly Go Wrong? Tom Perkins of the Guardian: "Contaminated soil from the site around the East Palestine train wreck in Ohio is being sent to a nearby incinerator with a history of clean air violations, raising fears that the chemicals being removed from the ground will be redistributed across the region. The new plan is 'horrifying', said Kyla Bennett, a former Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) official now with the Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility non-profit. She is one among a number of public health advocates and local residents who have slammed Norfolk Southern and state and federal officials over the decision.... Environmental researchers say the combustion of vinyl chloride almost certainly created dioxins, a highly toxic chemical that can remain in the environment for years. However, the EPA has resisted calls to test for it, and the agency removed from its website the results of its in-depth soil analyses, so it's unclear which chemicals are in the soil.... The ground also likely contains PFAS, informally called 'forever chemicals' because they do not naturally break down, and no human-made method to destroy the compounds has been fully developed."

South Carolina. Nicholas Bogel-Burroughts & Jacey Fortin of the New York Times: "A judge sentenced Alex Murdaugh to life in prison on Friday for the murders of his wife and son, condemning the once-wealthy and influential Southern lawyer to spend the remainder of his life behind bars, a powerful rebuke from the rural South Carolina legal system that his family dominated for more than a century. Judge Clifton Newman handed down the sentence after berating Mr. Murdaugh for nearly 20 minutes, urging the lawyer he had previously encountered in courtrooms to come clean about the shocking crime and the lies he said Mr. Murdaugh had told to cover it up."

Utah. Sam Metz of the AP: "Utah Gov. Spencer Cox [R] said Friday that he plans to sign a measure that would effectively ban abortion clinics from operating in the state, meaning hospitals will soon be the only places where they can be provided in the state. After passing through the [Republican-controlled] state Senate on Thursday with minor amendments, it returned to the [Republican-controlled] Utah House of Representatives Friday morning, where it was approved and then sent to the governor for final approval. The move comes less than a year after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the Roe v. Wade decision, returning the power to regulate abortions to states."

Wyoming. Joanna Slater of the Washington Post: "Lawmakers in Wyoming approved measures on Thursday that will make it nearly impossible to terminate a pregnancy, part of a dramatic reshaping of laws governing abortion across the country in the post-Roe v. Wade era. The two bills prohibit abortions, with narrow exceptions including cases of rape and incest, and criminalize the use of medications to cause abortions. The bills were passed by both houses of the state legislature and await the signature of Gov. Mark Gordon (R), who has approved antiabortion measures in the past."

Way Beyond

Ukraine, et al. The Washington Post's live briefing of developments Saturday in Russia's war on Ukraine is here: "Law enforcement officials from the United States, the European Union, Britain and other jurisdictions met Friday in Lviv, including U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, who traveled to the Ukrainian city unannounced.... The United States signed an agreement designed to expand information-sharing regarding alleged Russian war crimes, involving Ukraine, Lithuania, Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Slovakia and Romania, Garland said. Meanwhile, American prosecutors are aiding their Ukrainian counterparts to build cases against war criminals.... The United States announced a new $400 million military assistance package for Ukraine that includes more ammunition for artillery, armored vehicles and High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or HIMARS.... In Bakhmut, Ukrainian forces appeared to be still in control of some parts of the city, despite claims by pro-Kremlin forces that they had encircled the town, The Washington Post reported. ~~~

     ~~~ The Guardian's live updates for Saturday are here. The Guardian's summary report is here.

March 3, 2023

Marie: I will be away for most of the day today.

Late Morning, Afternoon Update:

First, Indict All the Lawyers. Jacqueline Alemany, et al., of the Washington Post: "Federal prosecutors investigating efforts to overturn the 2020 election have asked witnesses extensive questions about the actions of Rudy Giuliani.... Investigators looking into classified documents taken to Mar-a-Lago ... have sought to force testimony from another Trump lawyer, Evan Corcoran, by saying there is evidence that the former president used the attorney's legal services in furtherance of a crime. And prosecutors have repeatedly sought information on the actions of yet another Trump lawyer, Boris Epshteyn, in connection with both classified documents and Trump's false electors scheme.... They have quizzed multiple Trump attorneys involved with the documents case....

From the CNN liveblog on the Murdaugh murders: "Alex Murdaugh was sentenced to two life sentences without the possibility of parole, for the murders of his wife, Maggie Murdaugh, and hiss son Paul Murdaugh."

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Burgess Everett, et al., of Politico: "President Joe Biden told Senate Democrats on Thursday that he would not veto a GOP-backed bid to repeal changes to the D.C. criminal code, raising the stakes of an upcoming Senate vote on the proposal. Biden's plans not to veto, relayed by three attendees at the party meeting, leave Republicans on track to roll back the new D.C. law when the Senate takes up the House-passed measure as soon as next week. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) had already said he will support the disapproval bid, Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) backed it on Thursday and Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) is on an extended leave for health issues, eliminating the margin for error in the 51-49 Senate." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

     ~~~ Al Weaver & Mychael Schnell of the Hill: "House Democrats were infuriated and taken aback by President Biden's announcement on Thursday that he will sign a resolution to nix the District of Columbia's crime bill. The crime bill has come under heavy criticism from Republicans and centrist Democrats. But last month, 173 House Democrats voted along with what they thought was the White House's stance that Biden would veto the resolution in an attempt to stand up for the District's 'home rule.'... The crime bill passed the D.C. City Council unanimously in January. After Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) vetoed it, the city council overrode it 12-1. Among other things, the bill would eliminate most mandatory sentences and lower penalties for a number of violent offenses, including carjackings and robberies. It would also expand the requirement for jury trials in most misdemeanor cases."

Edward Wong of the New York Times: "Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken and his Russian counterpart on Thursday held the first private, face-to-face exchange between a U.S. cabinet member and a top Kremlin official since the [Russian] invasion [of Ukraine], and Mr. Blinken said he used the encounter to demand that Russia end its war on Ukraine. The unscheduled encounter with Sergey V. Lavrov, Russia's foreign minister, at an international conference in New Delhi showed that the Biden administration saw a need to reestablish in-person diplomatic contacts with Moscow so the two governments can discuss the year-old war as well as issues beyond it. Mr. Blinken said at a news conference on Thursday night that in addition to calling for Russia to halt its 'war of aggression' in Ukraine, he told Mr. Lavrov that Russia should return to the New START nuclear arms control treaty it withdrew from last month and comply with its terms. And he once again urged Moscow to free Paul Whelan, an American citizen who the State Department says is wrongfully imprisoned on espionage charges." ~~~

~~~ John Hudson & Karishma Mehrotra of the Washington Post: "The foreign ministers of the world's 20 largest economies failed on Thursday to reach consensus on a wide-reaching agenda addressing poverty, corruption and counterterrorism because of persistent disagreements over the war in Ukraine, a blow to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had urged nations to set aside their differences.... In a document summarizing the meeting, the Indian government said 'most members strongly condemned the war in Ukraine and stressed it is causing immense human suffering and exacerbating existing fragilities in the global economy.' It noted, however, that there were 'other views' as well as a recognition that 'the G-20 is not the forum to resolve security issues.'"

Ida Lieszkovszky & Emily Cochrane of the New York Times: "The Environmental Protection Agency said on Thursday that it had instructed the operator of the freight train that derailed near the Ohio-Pennsylvania state line to test for dioxins, toxic pollutants that could have formed after officials decided to burn the train's cargo of vinyl chloride in order to avert the threat of an explosion. The increased testing mandate came ahead of a meeting at East Palestine High School on Thursday evening that was expected to be the largest public confrontation yet between the community and officials from Norfolk Southern, the train operator, nearly one month after the derailment on Feb. 3." ~~~

     ~~~ The story has been updated. New Lede: "Frustrations boiled over on Thursday night in the largest public confrontation yet between the people of East Palestine and the operator of the freight train that derailed nearly a month ago, with angry residents in an emotional town hall lashing out at the lone representative from Norfolk Southern who took questions at the meeting. As Darrell Wilson, a top government relations official for Norfolk Southern, tried repeatedly to apologize to the community and outline the company's recovery efforts, residents interrupted and shouted over him, demanding that he commit to getting them out of the area, and that the company 'do the right thing.'" Politico's story on the dioxin testing is here.

Jennifer Rubin of the Washington Post: "... FBI Director Christopher A. Wray ... is not doing his job when it comes to threats from right-wing authoritarianism.... The Government Accountability Office issued a report this week concerning the performance of multiple agencies and police units regarding the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection. Among its findings: The FBI 'did not consistently follow agency policies or procedures for processing tips or potential threats because they did not have controls to ensure compliance with policies.' The extent to which the FBI was aware of credible threats but did not prepare is breathtaking: '... Specifically, the FBI did not process all relevant information related to potential violence on January 6.... While the FBI identified and shared threat information, it did not process certain referrals from social media platforms according to policies and procedures and, as a result, it failed to share critical information with all relevant partners.' Worse, the bureau has not undertaken the kind of systematic self-evaluation needed to correct glaring inadequacies.... The failure of leadership in the Jan. 6 case is inexcusable. Yet Wray has never been held to account for this delinquency.... The Post's recent report concerning FBI's foot-dragging at Mar-a-Lago raises additional red flags.... Why is Wray still there?" Emphasis original. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I could not agree more. Ask Chris for his resignation, Joe.

Michael Gold & Grace Ashford of the New York Times: "The House Ethics Committee announced Thursday that it had opened an investigation into Representative George Santos, the embattled Republican from New York under scrutiny for lies about his background and questions about his campaign finances. The inquiry will cover several areas where Mr. Santos has been accused of financial or sexual misconduct. The committee said in a statement that it would seek to determine whether Mr. Santos had failed to properly disclose information on his House financial disclosures, violated federal conflict of interest laws or engaged in other unlawful activity during his 2022 congressional campaign. It will also examine an allegation of sexual misconduct from a prospective congressional aide who briefly worked in Mr. Santos's office. The action began on Tuesday when the 10-member body, split evenly between Republicans and Democrats, voted unanimously to create an investigative subcommittee to scrutinize Mr. Santos...." NPR's story is here. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

     ~~~ A statement by the chairman & ranking member of the Ethics Committee is here. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

~~~ Oh, Horrors. Azi Paybarah of the Washington Post: "House Ethics Committee said Thursday that it extended its investigation into Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) after a watchdog found that she might have violated House rules by accepting 'impermissible gifts' when she attended the Met Gala in New York in 2021.... 'While Rep. Ocasio-Cortez appears to have now paid for the rental value of the attire she wore to the Met Gala and for the goods and services she and her partner received in connection with this September 2021 event, payment for these goods and services did not occur until after the OCE contacted her in connection with this review,' the [Ethics Committee] statement ... said.... The Met Gala is a charitable event that raises money for the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute.... Ocasio-Cortez drew widespread attention when she attended the event wearing a white dress that said in red letters along the back, 'Tax the Rich.' In its report, the OCE said Ocasio-Cortez received 'a couture dress, handbag, shoes, and jewelry' as well as services for her hair, makeup, transportation and hotel accommodations. It said her partner 'received a bowtie and shoes in advance of the event.'"

** Gym Jordan's Weaponization of (Paid-for) Right-wing Nuts & Malcontents. Luke Broadwater & Adam Goldman of the New York Times: "House Republicans have spent months promising to use their majority to uncover an insidious bias against conservatives on the part of the federal government, vowing to produce a roster of brave whistle-blowers who would come forward to provide damning evidence of abuses aimed at the right. But the first three witnesses to testify privately before the new Republican-led House committee investigating the 'weaponization' of the federal government have offered little firsthand knowledge of any wrongdoing or violation of the law, according to Democrats on the panel who have listened to their accounts. Instead, the trio appears to be a group of aggrieved former F.B.I. officials who have trafficked in right-wing conspiracy theories, including about the Jan. 6, 2021, attack at the Capitol, and received financial support from [Kash Patel,] a top ally of ... Donald J. Trump. The roster of witnesses, whose interviews and statements are detailed in a 316-page report compiled by Democrats..., suggests that Representative Jim Jordan of Ohio, the chairman of the panel, has so far relied on people who do not meet the definition of a whistle-blower and who have engaged in partisan conduct that calls into question their credibility." ~~~

     ~~~ A related CNN report, which does not cite the Democrats' report, is here.

Remy Tumin of the New York Times: "Senator Marco Rubio [R] of Florida reintroduced the Sunshine Protection Act in the Senate on Wednesday, months after the same bill, which the Senate passed unanimously last March, died in the House at the end of the last session. The bill would end the practice of turning the clocks back one hour to standard time every November and make daylight saving time, which currently begins in March, last throughout the year.... Proponents of the bill have argued that a permanent change would make people more productive, well-rested and happy, as some research has suggested. The retail and leisure industries have argued that more daylight could mean more spending hours. Others, including many farmers, find the time change counterproductive, but favor making standard time permanent."

Manu Raju of CNN: "Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the 89-year-old Democrat from California, announced Thursday that she was hospitalized and receiving treatment for shingles, hoping to return to Washington later this month. Feinstein's absence could influence Democratic strategy in the chamber as the Democratic Caucus controls the Senate by a 51-49 margin, and Sen. John Fetterman has also been hospitalized since last month for treatment for depression."

Robert Barnes of the Washington Post: "The Supreme Court on Thursday called for more briefing on whether it should still decide one of the term's most important cases, involving whether state legislators may manipulate congressional district lines and set federal voting rules without any oversight from state courts. The case is one of the most important and potentially far-reaching of the term. Justices said they want to know how a decision by the North Carolina Supreme Court to rehear the lawsuit affects the high court's proceedings. At issue is [MB: far-right] 'independent state legislature theory,' which holds that the U.S. Constitution gives exclusive authority to state legislators to structure federal elections, subject only to intervention by Congress. That is true, those who favor the theory say, even if those plans result in extreme partisan voting maps for congressional seats and violate voter protections enshrined in state constitutions."

Charlie Savage of the New York Times: "The Justice Department told a federal appeals court on Thursday that it should reject ... Donald J. Trump's claims that he is absolutely immune from being sued over his actions related to the attack on the Capitol by his supporters on Jan. 6, 2021. Members of Congress and Capitol Police officers have contended in a lawsuit that Mr. Trump incited the attack, including by delivering a fiery speech falsely claiming that the 2020 election had been stolen and urging his supporters to march on the Capitol. In a 23-page brief, lawyers for the Justice Department's civil division urged the appeals court to allow their lawsuit to proceed.... The Justice Department&'s filing was notable in part because the department usually takes a broad view of executive power and defending the prerogatives of the presidency. But its brief asserted that if Mr. Trump did incite violence then the speech fell outside a president's legally shielded official responsibilities." The AP's report is here. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

OMG! Zach Everson of Forbes: "Donald Trump and a group of individuals incarcerated for their alleged involvement in the Jan. 6 riot have collaborated on a song called 'Justice for All.' It will debut Thursday at midnight on streaming services.... The track interpolates Trump reciting the Pledge of Allegiance into 'The Star-Spangled Banner,' which is performed by a group of about 20 inmates, called the J6 Prison Choir, housed at the Washington, D.C. jail. The song ends with the inmates chanting, 'USA!' Profits are slated to benefit the families of people imprisoned for their alleged roles in the Capitol riots...." MB: The video has dropped, and it's here. I hope some of the people who are suing Trump can use this as evidence of his collaboration with the insurrectionists.

Sad! Ed Pilkington of the Guardian: "Fox News has imposed a 'soft ban' on Donald Trump appearing on the channel, his inner circle is reportedly complaining, even as the broadcaster extends a warm invitation to other Republican hopefuls in next year's presidential election. The news startup Semafor reports that the cooling of relations between the former president and his once-beloved cable news channel has gone so far that a 'soft ban' or 'silent ban' is now holding Trump at arm's length. The former US president has not made a weekday showing on Fox News since he chatted with his closest friend among the network's star hosts, Sean Hannity, in September."

Democratic Wives Are Abusive Harridans. Monica Hesse of the Washington Post: "In a Tuesday evening segment, [Tucker] Carlson and Candace Owens discussed President Biden and Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.), who is seeking inpatient treatment for clinical depression while simultaneously recovering from a stroke. Carlson doesn't believe either man should be in office.... But the point of that particular segment wasn't to blame the politicians. It was to blame their wives.... Carlson demanded, asserting that a 'a woman, a spouse, who loved her husband' would keep her husband away from campaigns.... 'Absolutely,' Owens agreed. 'These women are monsters.' 'Jill Biden and Gisele Fetterman should be ashamed of themselves,' Laura Ingraham declared on air a few weeks ago. 'Who's the bigger elder abuser, Jill Biden or Gisele Fetterman?' radio host Jesse Kelly tweeted a couple of days after that. 'Jill Biden and Gisele Fetterman are failing their husbands,' read the headline of a recent Washington Examiner column, the body of which went on to claim that 'both of these men are arguably victims of terrible women.'... The attacks on Gisele, in particular, are dizzying in scope and ambition.... Women are to blame."

Alice Ollstein of Politico: "The nation's second-largest pharmacy chain confirmed Thursday that it will not dispense abortion pills in several states where they remain legal -- acting out of an abundance of caution amid a shifting policy landscape, threats from state officials and pressure from anti-abortion activists. Nearly two dozen Republican state attorneys general wrote to Walgreens in February, threatening legal action if the company began distributing the drugs, which have become the nation's most popular method for ending a pregnancy.... The list includes several states where abortion in general, and the medications specifically, remain legal -- including Alaska, Iowa, Kansas and Montana."

The Pandemic, Ctd. Melody Schreiber of the Guardian: "Covid was the top cause of death in the line of duty for American law enforcement for the third year in a row in 2022, according to a recent report, though the pace has slowed.... The total number of Covid deaths in 2022 was significantly lower than the previous two years, with 70 deaths in the line of duty, but it still outpaced all other causes of mortality on the job, according to a report from the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF).... As emergency measures enacted during the pandemic end, a key way of counting line-of-duty deaths from Covid will soon disappear, making it harder to discern the virus's toll. It will also signal the loss of benefits for families of officers who die because they contract Covid in the course of their duties."

Presidential Race 2024

Tyler Pager & Matt Viser of the Washington Post: "President Biden's team is moving quickly to build a 'national advisory board' stocked with Democratic governors, senators and other political stars who will travel and speak on Biden's behalf during his expected reelection campaign, an early effort to unify party leaders and minimize the chance of dissent. The group, which will be housed at the Democratic National Committee and formally announced this month, is among steps Biden aides are taking to prepare for the president's likely reelection bid, which he is expected to announce in April. In joining the operation, the political leaders will be asked to travel, attend events, appear on television and perform other duties as high-level surrogates for the Democratic Party, at first, and then Biden once he launches his campaign."

Pamela Paul of the New York Times: "Astonishingly, some people still see Nikki Haley as one of the 'good' Trump cabinet members, the future of a more tolerant and accepting Republican Party. Like those anti-Trumpers who willfully interpreted each casual flick of Melania's wrist as a prospect of rebellion, Haley hopefuls want to believe that a conscience might yet emerge from Trump's Team of Liars.... This requires listening to only half of what Haley says.... Even in short-term-memory Washington..., the serene hypocrisy of Nikki Haley stands out. She wants it both ways -- and she wants it her way most of all.... It's on voters to decide, when choosing between her and those Republican candidates who are ideological to their core, whether they prefer a candidate with no core at all." Paul provides specifics.

Beyond the Beltway

Florida. Sam Sachs of WFLA Tampa: "Florida Sen. Jason Brodeur (R-Lake Mary) wants bloggers who write about Gov. Ron DeSantis, Attorney General Ashley Moody, and other members of the Florida executive cabinet or legislature to register with the state or face fines. Brodeur's proposal, Senate Bill 1316: Information Dissemination, would require any blogger writing about government officials to register with the Florida Office of Legislative Services or the Commission on Ethics.... For blog posts that 'concern an elected member of the legislature' or 'an officer of the executive branch,' monthly reports must disclose the amount of compensation received for the coverage, rounded to the nearest $10 value. Explicitly, the blogger rule would not apply to newspapers or similar publications, under Brodeur's proposed legislation." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I was happy to see that Alex Wagner of MSNBC & Jelani Cobb, Dean of Columbia's journalism school, agreed that it was appropriate to call DeSantis & Co. "fascists" as opposed to "cultural warriors" or something of that nature. We've been doing that here for a while.

New York. Maria Cramer of the New York Times: "As a corrections officer stood outside his cell door in November 2020, Ryan Wilson took a long white bedsheet, looped it around a light fixture, tied it around his neck and stood on a small stool. He began counting down from five. The officer ran to find Capt. Rebecca Hillman, the supervisor on duty at the Manhattan Detention Complex, and told her what was happening. How a jury interprets what she did during the ensuing 15 minutes will determine the outcome of her trial on one count of criminally negligent homicide, which opened Thursday in Manhattan Criminal Court. Prosecutors say that when Captain Hillman walked to the cell, she saw Mr. Wilson, his head hanging at an unnatural angle, his arms dangling and his feet grazing the floor. She did not call for help, and when the officer, Oscar Rojo, pleaded with her to go into the cell and cut him down, she refused, said Matthew Sears, a prosecutor in the Manhattan district attorney's office."

South Carolina. Jeffrey Collins & James Pollard of the AP: "Disgraced South Carolina attorney Alex Murdaugh was convicted of murder Thursday in the shooting deaths of his wife and son in a case that chronicled the unraveling of a powerful Southern family with tales of privilege, greed and addiction. The jury deliberated for less than three hours before finding Murdaugh guilty of two counts of murder at the end of a six-week trial that pulled back the curtain on the once-prominent lawyer's fall from grace. The judge said sentencing would take place at 9:30 a.m. Friday. Murdaugh, 54, faces 30 years to life in prison without parole for each murder charge." (Also linked yesterday evening.)~~~

     ~~~ The New York Times has a liveblog here. (Also linked yesterday evening.)~~~

     ~~~ Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs of the New York Times: "Twelve jurors began deliberating on Thursday afternoon over whether Alex Murdaugh murdered his wife and son, weighing the prominent South Carolina lawyer's fate after listening to nearly six weeks of testimony in a closely watched trial. Before the jury began deliberating, Mr. Murdaugh's lawyer, Jim Griffin made the case in his closing argument that the police had become so fixated on the idea that Mr. Murdaugh himself was the killer that they 'fabricated' evidence and a dubious theory about his possible motive." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) The story has been updated to reflect the jury's verdict.

Tennessee. Livia Albeck-Ripka of the New York Times: "Tennessee on Thursday became the first state to sharply restrict drag performances as the state's governor, Bill Lee, signed a bill banning the shows on public property and in places where they could be watched by minors.... The new law came amid attacks by Republicans on the rights of transgender and L.G.B.T.Q. Americans across the country. On Thursday, Mr. Lee, a Republican, also signed a separate bill banning gender-affirming care for transgender youth.... According to the A.C.L.U., the language of the law, which will restrict performances that are 'harmful to minors,' is narrow, covering only extreme sexual or violent content that has no artistic value. According to the organization, drag performances do not fall into this category and are protected by the First Amendment.... [Stella] Yarbrough [of the Tennessee A.C.L.U.] said the A.C.L.U. would challenge any enforcement of the law used to punish drag performers or to shut down family-friendly events." An NPR story is here. MB: Now let's see if any librarians dare to cross the yahoos & schedule "drag queen story time."

Texas. John Wagner of the Washington Post: "Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Tex.) is facing a censure vote this weekend from the Texas Republican Party for actions including voting in favor of a bipartisan gun-control package during the last Congress after the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, which is in his district. The state party's expected censure would follow a similar move by a county party in Texas, which also cited Gonzales's support for same-sex marriage legislation in the last Congress and votes against a House rules package and border legislation in this Congress. The censure resolution by the Medina County Republicans concluded that Gonzales has been 'a poor representative' of his constituents.... To pass, the effort would need the support of three-fifths of the 64 committee members. If successful, the state GOP's move could encourage other Republicans to run against Gonzales in a primary next year or deny him party funding."

Way Beyond

Ukraine, et al. The New York Times' live briefings of developments Friday in Russia's war on Ukraine are here. The Guardian's live updates for Friday are here. The Guardian's summary report is here. ~~~

     ~~~ The Washington Post's live briefings for Friday are here: "... President Biden will welcome German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to Washington for a working visit Friday, which will involve discussions about Ukraine, among other national security topics.... Wagner boss Yevgeniy Prigozhin said 'the pincers are closing' on Bakhmut, in a video posted on Telegram Friday where he claimed to be speaking from a rooftop in the city. He paraded three men who appeared to be captured locals on camera and said Ukrainian forces should withdraw to 'give them a chance to leave the city.'"

Canada. Norimitsu Onishi of the New York Times: "Nearly 40,000 migrants crossed unlawfully into [Canada] last year -- more than double the number in 2019 -- and the number arriving monthly has spiked recently, including almost 5,000 people in January. Facing labor shortages, Canada is actually opening its doors much wider to legal migrants and recently committed itself to significantly raise the number of legal immigrants and accept 1.5 million newcomers by 2025. But an extraordinary pandemic-era movement of migrants across the world, fueled by economic misery and growing insecurity in many countries, has put Canada in an unusual position. Shielded by geography, strict immigration policies favoring the educated and skilled, and its single border with the United States, Canada is now being forced to deal with an issue that has long bedeviled other wealthy Western nations: mass illegal border crossings by land."

Greece. Monika Pronczuk & Sarah Hurtes of the New York Times: "The Greek government was supposed to install a safety system nearly three years ago that was designed to prevent the kind of head-on train collision that resulted this week in the worst railway disaster in the nation's history. As a freight train and a passenger train barreled toward each other at high speeds on the same track late Tuesday night, railway officials had to rely on a system that was far less sophisticated than those used in many other European countries, according to railroad and union officials and records. But even that more rudimentary system was not fully operational, with lights and signals out of service, union and safety officials said on Thursday as Greek investigators searched for more bodies amid the wreckage. That confluence of delays, warnings and mistakes left Greece's busiest rail corridor vulnerable to what every safety system is designed to prevent: human error.... Officials and experts agreed on one thing: If a modern safety system had been in place as planned, it would have been all but impossible for a freight train to end up on the same track as a crowded passenger train."

Iran. Karen DeYoung & Joby Warrick of the Washington Post: "The discovery in Iran of a small quantity of uranium enriched to near bombmaking level has increased U.S.-Iranian tensions already stretched tight by moribund nuclear talks and Tehran's aid to Moscow's war effort in Ukraine. The nuclear alarm also comes as the Biden administration -- walking a diplomatic tightrope in criticizing domestic policies of Israel';s new far-right government while maintaining strong security cooperation -- appears to have softened its public resistance to potential Israeli military action against Iran. Uranium 'particles' enriched to nearly 84 percent purity were detected during a routine sampling by inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency at Iran&'s Fordow nuclear site last month, the agency said in a restricted report circulated Wednesday among IAEA member states. The particles are only slightly below the 90 percent enrichment level regarded as weapons-grade, or suitable for use in nuclear weapons."

Turkey. Kareem Fahim, et al., of the Washington Post: "Again and again, over at least a decade, engineers, architects and planners had raised concerns about buildings that were shoddily constructed, built before inspection standards were tightened or erected on unsteady agricultural land in Adiyaman[, Turkey,] -- a southern city of more than 290,000 people that sits along one of the world's most active fault lines. But by the time the ground began to shake on Feb. 6, local and national authorities had done little to protect people who lived in some of the city's most vulnerable structures, residents and engineers said -- despite evidence that disaster relief officials were keenly aware of the danger. More than 6,000 people were killed in Adiyaman province, the government has said, most in the city itself. More than 1,200 buildings collapsed. An additional 3,000 to 4,000 buildings -- or more than 10 percent of the city's stock -- were 'heavily damaged,' Suleyman Kilinc, Adiyaman's mayor, told The Washington Post."