March 18, 2022

Late Morning/Afternoon Update:

Michael Luciano of Mediaite recounts an exchange between Sens. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) & Chris Murphy (D-Ct.) in which Sasse in particular seemed to forget he was speaking in the chamber of "the world's greatest deliberative body." Eventually, the presiding officer had to ask the senators to address their remarks to the president of the Senate & not to each other. Luciano notes that Sasse's remarks might include "the first time in history a senator has directly addressed another senator as 'dude' on the floor." Marie: But I find it rather more notable that Sasse used the venue to accuse another senator of verbal masturbation when he asked Murphy, "Do you think a single person that your Twitter self-pleasuring was for ... voted against it because they were against Ukrainian aid?"

The New York Times' live updates of developments in Russia's war against Ukraine are here: "At least 130 survivors have escaped the ruins of a theater that was nearly leveled in a Russian attack in the embattled southern city of Mariupol, a Ukrainian official said on Friday, but hundreds remained unaccounted for in the wreckage.... A missile strike on the outskirts of Lviv, a western city that has been a haven for people fleeing areas under siege, rattled the relative peace there on Friday. The strike may have been an attempt to target the abilities of Ukraine's air force because the local news media has reported that a plant at the airport was 'the only enterprise in Ukraine that refurbishes MiG-29s for the Ukrainian Air Force.'"

Annie Karni of the New York Times: "They were once seatmates in the spare limousine of the White House motorcade, traveling the globe together as part of the president's inner circle. Bonded by the miles they logged on the road and their unique access to power, Pete Souza, the former official White House photographer who took nearly two million photographs of former President Barack Obama, and Representative Ronny Jackson of Texas, the former White House physician who was elected to Congress as a Republican in 2020, were once close friends. Now, they are the most public of enemies on social media, where Mr. Jackson routinely hurls insults and unsubstantiated claims of cognitive decline at President Biden and Mr. Souza responds with bitingly personal, sometimes salacious takedowns of the congressman’s character. He often begins them tauntingly with, 'Hey Ronny.'" MB: All I can say is, "Go Pete!"

Jonathan Edwards of the Washington Post: So this Alabama gunshop owner named Nathan Kirk thought it would be funny to get a vanity plate that read, "LGBFJB," which signified to Kirk, "Let's Go Brandon. Fuck Joe Biden." After a while, Kirk got a letter from Alabama's motor vehicle officials telling him his plate was an affront to the "peace and dignity of the State of Alabama" and Kirk would have to turn it in. Well, sez Kirk, "I wasn't going to just lay down." He means "lie down," but he's an Alabama Republican, so. Then poor Kirk's plight became a right-wing cause célèbre. So the state Motor Vehicle Division reversed itself & told Kirk they were right sorry for any inconvenience that might have caused him.

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

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Putin's War Crimes, Ctd.

The Washington Post's live updates of developments Friday in Russia's war on Ukraine are here: "The Russian invasion of Ukraine, now in its fourth week, is 'basically frozen' on the ground amid fierce resistance and mounting logistical difficulties, according to the Pentagon. But Western officials warned that the Kremlin still has significant combat power in reserve, even though poor logistics and Ukrainian attacks on their supply lines have left Russian forces scrambling for food and fuel. In the absence of major advances, Russia -- which has launched more than 1,000 missiles so far -- is increasingly relying on 'dumb' bombs to wear cities and civilians down. The United Nations has reported 1,900 civilian casualties, including the deaths of 52 children, and the flight of more than 3.1 million refugees. But humanitarian groups have warned that the true scale of human suffering is likely to be far greater.... A video from the besieged city of Chernihiv, verified by The Washington Post, shows blanket-covered bodies of children amid rubble. (A U.S. citizen was killed amid Russian shelling there Thursday.) In Kharkiv, where a Post reporter witnessed evidence of cluster bombs being used in civilian areas, body bags and coffins are in short supply. And on Friday morning, missiles struck near an airport in Lviv, a city close to the Polish border...."

Loveday Morris of the Washington Post: "Before the war, Kharkiv was known as Ukraine's intellectual capital. With more than 30 universities, it brimmed with hundreds of thousands of students. It was a scientific and cultural hub. But today, the 19th-century architectural gems in its center have been ravaged by missile strikes. Burst water pipes leave a cascade of icicles framing blown-out windows. Parts of the city were eerily devoid of people. Around half the population, some 700,000 people, have fled, according to the regional administration. At a checkpoint on a desolate, potholed road into the city -- one of the few safe remaining passages in and out -- a Ukrainian territorial defense soldier warned of what lies ahead. 'Be careful,' he said. 'The sky is on fire there.'" MB: An accompanying photo of plastic body bags piled on the side of the road like trash on pick-up day is devastating. This is Putin's legacy.

Marie: I have no idea if the following is true, because Inside Edition, but I'm passing it along anyway: ~~~

~~~ Inside Edition: "Daily Beast contributing editor Craig Copetas says he's been told that Putin has people tasting his food before he eats it and that last month, he replaced his entire personal staff of 1,000 people. MB: Let's look at the logic of such a staffing decision: You have a thousand fairly anonymous people who've been working for you for various lengths of time and none of them has poisoned you, so you fire them and replace them with a thousand more fairly anonymous people, any one or more of whom might be inclined to poison you or stab you with a fork. So you're moving from the known (= so far, not assassins) to the unknown (= could be assassins).

India, Friend to Russia. Gerry Shih of the Washington Post: "India, the world’s biggest oil importer behind China and the United States, has agreed to purchase 3 million barrels of Russian oil at a heavy discount, an Indian official said Thursday. The purchase, which was first reported by the Wall Street Journal, is relatively small given Russia's production and Indian demand. But the volume could increase in the coming months and reinforce a growing perception that India is determined to preserve its extensive trade and military ties with Moscow, even as the United States and its allies urge governments around the world to isolate Russia. Aside from the oil deal, the Indian government is also exploring ways to maintain trade with Russia by reviving a Cold War-era arrangement called the rupee-ruble trade.... The mechanism ... would let Indian and Russian firms do business while bypassing the need to use U.S. dollars -- the predominant currency of international trade -- and lowering the risk of potential U.S. sanctions."

The New York Times' live updates of developments Thursday in Russia's war on Ukraine are here: "Rescuers on Thursday began pulling some survivors from the wreckage of a theater in the besieged port city of Mariupol, an adviser to the city's mayor said, a day after an attack destroyed the building where hundreds of people were believed to be taking shelter. The extent of casualties was unknown as Russian forces continued to shell the area, he said, hampering recovery efforts. In an overnight address, President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine alleged that a Russian aircraft had 'purposefully dropped a huge bomb' on the theater.'... Cease-fire talks between the Russians and Ukrainians were expected to enter their fourth day on Thursday, but increasingly harsh comments by ... Vladimir V. Putin ... were a dim portent for progress, despite conciliatory public statements by negotiators from both sides.... His statements came amid an increasingly brutal war of attrition unfolding on the ground and in the air, with fierce battles raging in the suburbs of Kyiv, Ukrainian forces claiming to have shot down more Russian aircraft, and Russian warships on the Black Sea launching missiles at towns around the southern city of Odessa.... British intelligence reports say that Russian forces have 'made minimal progress on land, sea or air in recent days,' and that they 'continue to suffer heavy losses.' Still, Russian forces have taken control of large sections of Ukraine, particularly in the east and south. The battle for the skies above Kyiv raged overnight on Thursday, with the Ukrainian military claiming to have shot down 10 Russian planes and missiles. The remnants of one rocket tore through a residential high-rise and killed at least one person, officials said." (Also linked yesterday.)

Andrea Rosa of the AP: "Rescuers searched for survivors Thursday in the ruins of a theater blown apart by a Russian airstrike in the besieged city of Mariupol, while a ferocious bombardment left dozens dead in a northern city over the past day, authorities said. Hundreds of civilians had been taking shelter in the grand, columned theater in central Mariupol after their homes were destroyed in three weeks of fighting in the besieged port city. Nearly a day after the airstrike there were no reports of deaths. With much of the city cut off from the flow of information, there were also conflicting reports on whether anyone had emerged from the rubble. 'We hope and we think that some people who stayed in the shelter under the theater could survive,' Petro Andrushchenko, an official with the mayor's office, told The Associated Press. He said the building had a relatively modern basement bomb shelter designed to withstand airstrikes." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ MEANWHILE. Michael Luciano of Mediaite: Sen. Rand Paul appeared on a Newsmax show where he opined that Ukraine should pay for the military aid the U.S. is sending them. But, hey, Paul does "have sympathy for Ukraine." MB: Thanks to Akhilleus for the lead, and do see his commentary in today's thread. How is it that Li'l Randy is so dense he doesn't understand that Ukrainians are fighting our war? Ukrainians of every age are the missile fodder that is protecting the people of all Western countries. I believe President Zelensky explained that to, you know, members of Congress yesterday. I feel guilty that all I'm doing is sending money & supplies when little children are dying in this war on the West. And all Randy wants is a check. Oddly enough, it never occurred to him that the check he wants should come from Russia, not Ukraine. (Also linked yesterday.)

Jacob Knutson of Axios: "President Biden will speak to Chinese President Xi Jinping Friday as 'part of our ongoing efforts to maintain open lines of communication between the United States and the PRC,' press secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement Thursday. Biden and Xi will in part discuss Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine after reports indicated that Moscow had asked China's government for military ​equipment and other assistance to support its war." (Also linked yesterday.)

Maegan Vazquez & Nikki Carvajal of CNN: "Speaking at the annual Friends of Ireland Luncheon on St. Patrick's Day at Capitol Hill, [President] Biden said Putin is 'a murderous dictator, a pure thug who is waging an immoral war against the people of Ukraine.'" (Also linked yesterday.)>

** Watch What We Say, Not What We Do. It's Impossible to Be More Hypocritcal Than We Are. Mariana Alfaro & Eugene Scott of the Washington Post: "More than two dozen Senate Republicans are demanding that President Biden do more to aid war-torn Ukraine and arm its forces against Russia's brutal assault, after voting last week against $13.6 billion in military and humanitarian assistance for Ukraine.... '"We should send more lethal aid to Ukraine which I voted against last week" is making my brain melt,' tweeted Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii).... 'They voted to exonerate Trump for this specific reason, which was to withhold aid from Zelensky, and here they are again, opposing aid to Zelensky,' Schatz said. 'So now they're doing it twice.'" (Also linked yesterday.)

Catie Edmondson of the New York Times: "The House voted overwhelmingly on Thursday to strip Russia of its preferential trade status with the United States, moving to further penalize the country's economy in response to the invasion of Ukraine. The lopsided 424-to-8 vote came after President Biden announced last week that the United States and its European allies would take new steps to isolate Russia from the global trading system. All of the lawmakers who opposed the measure were Republicans. The bill ... would allow the United States to impose higher tariffs on Russian goods.... The trade measure still needs Senate approval. Senator Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York and the majority leader, said he would work to move it through the chamber quickly. ~~~

     ~~~ The Usual Suspects. Bryan Metzger of Business Insider, republished in Yahoo! News: "Here are the eight Republicans who voted against the bill...."

O Canada! (Click on the letter to call up a readable-sized version. Thanks to RAS for the link.)

Monica Hesse of the Washington Post: In a nine-minute video available to Russians via "various different channels," Arnold Schwarzenegger tries to get across the real strength that's demonstrated by Russians who oppose the war on Ukraine: ~~~

Elisha Fieldstadt of NBC News: "American basketball star Brittney Griner's detention in Russia has been extended until May, the Russian state news agency TASS reported, citing the Khimki Court of the Moscow Region.... Griner has been detained for weeks fter Russian officials said they found vape cartridges containing oil derived from cannabis in her luggage at the Sheremetyevo airport near Moscow." (Also linked yesterday.)

Another Way Donald Trump Is Still Ruining Earth. Lisa Friedman of the New York Times: "The nation's largest federally owned utility plans to invest more than $3.5 billion in new gas-burning electric plants, despite President Biden's commitment to swiftly move away from fossil fuels and eliminate greenhouse gases from the power sector in a little more than a decade. The Tennessee Valley Authority, which provides electricity to nearly 10 million people across the Southeast, is replacing aging power plants that run on coal, the dirtiest fossil fuel. But critics say substituting gas for coal would lock in decades of additional carbon dioxide emissions that are heating the planet and could be avoided by generating more electricity from solar, wind or another renewable source.... It raises the question of whether President Franklin D. Roosevelt's grand 20th-century experiment with electrification can adapt to a 21st-century climate crisis.... Like the Postal Service, the Tennessee Valley Authority is an independent organization governed by a board of directors made up of presidential appointees. And in both cases, the board is dominated by members nominated by ... Donald J. Trump, who frequently mocked climate science and was an ally of the fossil fuel industry."

Can You Hear Me Now? Bob Brigham of the Raw Story: "'Indicted Rep. Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE) may have just staked his political career -- and possibly his freedom -- on a tried-and-true excuse: Bad cell phone reception,' The Daily Beast reported Thursday. 'Attorneys for Fortenberry, who on Thursday became the first sitting member of Congress to stand trial in 21 years, told a federal jury that what the government calls lying to the FBI could boil down to a misunderstanding stemming from "a bad cell phone connection."' In October, the Department of Justice alleged that 'Fortenberry repeatedly lied to and misled authorities during a federal investigation into illegal contributions to Fortenberry's re-election campaign made by a foreign billionaire in early 2016.'"

The Pandemic, Ctd.

Katie Shepherd of the Washington Post: "Biotechnology company Moderna on Thursday asked the Food and Drug Administration to allow adults 18 and older to receive a second booster shot of the company's mRNA vaccine amid concerns that immune protection from the vaccines wanes over time. Moderna's application is substantially broader than what Pfizer and its German partner, BioNTech, sought earlier in the week -- FDA authorization for a second booster shot for adults 65 and older." Free to nonsubscribers.

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

Michael Shear & Sheryl Stoldberg of the New York Times: "Jeffrey D. Zients, an entrepreneur and management consultant who steered President Biden's coronavirus response through successive pandemic waves and the largest vaccination campaign in American history, plans to leave the White House in April to return to private life, President Biden said in a statement. Mr. Zients will be replaced as the White House coronavirus coordinator by Dr. Ashish K. Jha, the dean of the Brown University School of Public Health and a practicing internist who has urged an aggressive approach to the pandemic in frequent television appearances. Dr. Jha will coordinate the government's Covid-19 response from inside the White House, officials said." An NBC News story is here. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ President Biden's statement, via the White House, is here. (Also linked yesterday.)

Beyond the Beltway

New Hampshire. Kathy McCormack of the AP: "New Hampshire Republican Gov. Chris Sununu said Thursday that he will veto a GOP-backed redistricting plan that would tilt the state's 1st Congressional District toward Republicans while solidifying the Democrats- advantage in the 2nd District, shortly after legislators passed the bill.... The Senate's 13-11 vote in favor of the plan on Thursday followed House passage of the bill in January on a vote of 186-164. Republicans lead by a narrow majority in the Legislature. Overturning a veto requires a two-thirds majority in both bodies." (Also linked yesterday.)

North Carolina. Finally. Blatant 2020 Voter Fraud Under Legitimate Investigation. Reid Epstein of the New York Times: "North Carolina officials said on Thursday that they planned to investigate whether Mark Meadows, who as ... Donald J. Trump's chief of staff helped amplify false claims of voter fraud in an attempt to overturn the 2020 election, cast a legal vote in that year's presidential race. The North Carolina Department of Justice has asked the State Bureau of Investigation to examine whether Mr. Meadows broke the law when he registered to vote, and voted from, a remote mobile home where he did not live, said Nazneen Ahmed, a spokeswoman for Josh Stein, the state attorney general, who is a Democrat." Politico's report is here.

News Ledes

New York Times: "A 13-year-old boy was behind the wheel of a pickup truck that struck a van in Texas on Tuesday night in a collision that killed nine people, including a college golf coach and six of his players, along with the boy and a man traveling with him, officials said on Thursday. Bruce Landsberg, vice chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board, said at a news conference that the truck's left front tire was a spare that had blown out before the truck veered into the lane the golf team's van was traveling in and struck the van head-on. It was unclear at what speeds the vehicles were traveling, but Mr. Landsberg noted that the speed limit in the area is 75 miles per hour.... Both vehicles went up in flames in the collision near Andrews, Texas, about 50 miles east of the state line with New Mexico."

New York Times: Domenico DeMarco, who defined the New York slice "has died at age 85, his daughter Margie DeMarco Mieles announced Thursday in a Facebook post. Originally from the Italian province of Caserta, he began making pies at Di Fara Pizza in Midwood, Brooklyn, in 1965."

March 17, 2022

Late Morning/Afternoon Update:

Maegan Vazquez & Nikki Carvajal of CNN: "Speaking at the annual Friends of Ireland Luncheon on St. Patrick's Day at Capitol Hill, [President] Biden said Putin is 'a murderous dictator, a pure thug who is waging an immoral war against the people of Ukraine.'"

** Forget Our Votes; Follow Our Tweets. Mariana Alfaro & Eugene Scott of the Washington Post: "More than two dozen Senate Republicans are demanding that President Biden do more to aid war-torn Ukraine and arm its forces against Russia's brutal assault, after voting last week against $13.6 billion in military and humanitarian assistance for Ukraine.... '"We should send more lethal aid to Ukraine which I voted against last week" is making my brain melt,' tweeted Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii).... 'They voted to exonerate Trump for this specific reason, which was to withhold aid from Zelensky, and here they are again, opposing aid to Zelensky,' Schatz said. 'So now they're doing it twice.'"

Kathy McCormack of the AP: "New Hampshire Republican Gov. Chris Sununu said Thursday that he will veto a GOP-backed redistricting plan that would tilt the state's 1st Congressional District toward Republicans while solidifying the Democrats' advantage in the 2nd District, shortly after legislators passed the bill.... The Senate's 13-11 vote in favor of the plan on Thursday followed House passage of the bill in January on a vote of 186-164. Republicans lead by a narrow majority in the Legislature. Overturning a veto requires a two-thirds majority in both bodies."

The New York Times' live updates of developments Thursday in Russia's war on Ukraine are here: "Rescuers on Thursday began pulling some survivors from the wreckage of a theater in the besieged port city of Mariupol, an adviser to the city's mayor said, a day after an attack destroyed the building where hundreds of people were believed to be taking shelter. The extent of casualties was unknown as Russian forces continued to shell the area, he said, hampering recovery efforts. In an overnight address, President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine alleged that a Russian aircraft had 'purposefully dropped a huge bomb' on the theater.'... Cease-fire talks between the Russians and Ukrainians were expected to enter their fourth day on Thursday, but increasingly harsh comments by ... Vladimir V. Putin ... were a dim portent for progress, despite conciliatory public statements by negotiators from both sides.... His statements came amid an increasingly brutal war of attrition unfolding on the ground and in the air, with fierce battles raging in the suburbs of Kyiv, Ukrainian forces claiming to have shot down more Russian aircraft, and Russian warships on the Black Sea launching missiles at towns around the southern city of Odessa.... British intelligence reports say that Russian forces have 'made minimal progress on land, sea or air in recent days,' and that they 'continue to suffer heavy losses.' Still, Russian forces have taken control of large sections of Ukraine, particularly in the east and south. The battle for the skies above Kyiv raged overnight on Thursday, with the Ukrainian military claiming to have shot down 10 Russian planes and missiles. The remnants of one rocket tore through a residential high-rise and killed at least one person, officials said."

Andrea Rosa of the AP: "Rescuers searched for survivors Thursday in the ruins of a theater blown apart by a Russian airstrike in the besieged city of Mariupol, while a ferocious bombardment left dozens dead in a northern city over the past day, authorities said. Hundreds of civilians had been taking shelter in the grand, columned theater in central Mariupol after their homes were destroyed in three weeks of fighting in the besieged port city. Nearly a day after the airstrike, there were no reports of deaths. With much of the city cut off from the flow of information, there were also conflicting reports on whether anyone had emerged from the rubble. 'We hope and we think that some people who stayed in the shelter under the theater could survive,' Petro Andrushchenko, an official with the mayor's office, told The Associated Press. He said the building had a relatively modern basement bomb shelter designed to withstand airstrikes." ~~~

~~~ MEANWHILE. Michael Luciano of Mediaite: Sen. Rand Paul appeared on a Newsmax show where he opined that Ukraine should pay for the military aid the U.S. is sending them. But, hey, Paul does "have sympathy for Ukraine." MB: Thanks to Akhilleus for the lead, and do see his commentary in today's thread. How is it that Li'l Randy is so dense he doesn't understand that Ukrainians are fighting our war? Ukrainians of every age are the missile fodder that is protecting the people of all Western countries. I believe President Zelensky explained that to, you know, members of Congress yesterday. I feel guilty that all I'm doing is sending money & supplies when little children are dying in this war on the West. And all Randy wants is a check. Oddly enough, it never occurred to him that the check he wants should come from Russia, not Ukraine.

Jacob Knutson of Axios: "President Biden will speak to Chinese President Xi Jinping Friday as 'part of our ongoing efforts to maintain open lines of communication between the United States and the PRC,' press secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement Thursday. Biden and Xi will in part discuss Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine after reports indicated that Moscow had asked China's government for military ​equipment and other assistance to support its war."

Elisha Fieldstadt of NBC News: "American basketball star Brittney Griner's detention in Russia has been extended until May, the Russian state news agency TASS reported, citing the Khimki Court of the Moscow Region.... Griner has been detained for weeks after Russian officials said they found vape cartridges containing oil derived from cannabis in her luggage at the Sheremetyevo airport near Moscow."

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

Michael Shear & Sheryl Stoldberg of the New York Times: "Jeffrey D. Zients, an entrepreneur and management consultant who steered President Biden's coronavirus response through successive pandemic waves and the largest vaccination campaign in American history, plans to leave the White House in April to return to private life, President Biden said in a statement. Mr. Zients will be replaced as the White House coronavirus coordinator by Dr. Ashish K. Jha, the dean of the Brown University School of Public Health and a practicing internist who has urged an aggressive approach to the pandemic in frequent television appearances. Dr. Jha will coordinate the government's Covid-19 response from inside the White House, officials said." An NBC News story is here. ~~~

     ~~~ President Biden's statement, via the White House, is here.

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Putin's War Crimes, Ctd.

The Washington Post's live updates of developments Thursday in Russia's war on Ukraine are here: "Attacks on civilian targets in Ukraine continued Wednesday, as an airstrike hit a theater in the besieged port city of Mariupol where hundreds of residents were sheltering.... On the square near the destroyed theater, the word 'children' was written in large Russian lettering, satellite photos show. And in the northern city of Chernihiv, where heavy fighting has been ongoing for weeks, 10 people were killed by Kremlin forces while waiting in line for bread, U.S. and Ukrainian officials said.... The attacks come as President Biden for the first time publicly called ... Vladimir Putin a 'war criminal.'"

Helene Cooper, et al., of the New York Times: "... according to American intelligence estimates..., more than 7,000 Russian troop[s have been killed in Russia's war on Ukraine]..., greater than the number of American troops killed over 20 years in Iraq and Afghanistan combined.... And the Russian military has also lost at least three generals in the fight, according to Ukrainian, NATO and Russian officials.... It is a staggering number amassed in just three weeks of fighting, American officials say, with implications for the combat effectiveness of Russian units.... 'Losses like this affect morale and unit cohesion, especially since these soldiers don't understand why they're fighting,' said Evelyn Farkas, the top Pentagon official for Russia and Ukraine during the Obama administration.... One recent [Pentagon intelligence] report focused on low morale among Russian troops and described soldiers just parking their vehicles and walking off into the woods." ~~~

~~~ For Example. Brad Reed of the Raw Story: "Wall Street Journal chief foreign affairs correspondent Yaroslav Trofimov has written a lengthy new report illustrating the serious setbacks Russia is facing in its invasion by focusing on the small city of Voznesens'k, which the reporter writes has 'dealt Russian forces one of the most humiliating defeats of the war.' Although Voznesens'k is a small city of only around 35,000 people, it is located in a strategically important area that could have given Russian forces a back door to assault the key port city of Odessa.... 'Russian survivors of the Voznesensk battle left behind nearly 30 of their 43 vehicles -- tanks, armored personnel carriers, multiple-rocket launchers, trucks -- as well as a downed Mi-24 attack helicopter, according to Ukrainian officials in the city,' [Trofimov] writes. 'Russian forces retreated more than 40 miles to the southeast, where other Ukrainian units have continued pounding them. Some dispersed in nearby forests, where local officials said 10 soldiers have been captured.'... Read the full report here." ~~~

~~~ MEANWHILE. Tim Lister, et al., of CNN: "A theater where hundreds of people had taken shelter in Mariupol was bombed on Wednesday, according to local authorities, as hundreds of thousands of people remain trapped in the coastal Ukrainian city that has been encircled for weeks by Russian forces.... Military strikes also hit a building that houses the Neptune Pool, just over four kilometers (approximately 2.5 miles) from the theater, according to videos shared by a local official. Its authenticity has been confirmed by CNN. Maxim Kach, a Mariupol city government official, said the building was for civilians, with only women and young children hiding within it and not military personnel.... A Ukrainian official accused Russian troops of holding some 400 people captive at Mariupol's Regional Intensive Care Hospital." Included is a satellite image showing the word "children" spelled out in large Russian letters in empty parking lots on two sides of the Drama Theatre.

Jeff Stein of the Washington Post: "The Treasury Department on Wednesday gave a new international body a list of 50 Russian elites that the United States views as its top priorities for enacting new sanctions, as global law enforcement steps up its hunt for the assets of oligarchs tied to the Kremlin. Treasury officials provided the list to the Russian Elites, Proxies and Oligarchs (REPO) task force, a new multinational body involving the United States and more than a half-dozen allied nations, for the group's first meeting. The task force will pool the resources of the countries' law enforcement divisions to track down the assets of Russian oligarchs stashed overseas, a difficult task complicated by the opaque or complicated financial instruments frequently used by Russian financial elites to hide their holdings from public view. Treasury publicly released 28 of the 50 names on the list, including ... Vladimir Putin, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Russian mega-billionaire Alisher Usmanov...."

Dana Milbank of the Washington Post suggests a fairly easy way for Americans to help Ukraine's war effort: boycott products made by companies that are funding Russia's war. Milbank lists a number of them, and it's likely you have purchased some of these products. (I have.) Milbank advises, "Go to Jeffrey Sonnenfeld's website via Yale's School of Management to make sure you aren't funding the businesses that are funding Putin's war machine -- and reward the vast majority of companies that share Zelensky's belief that peace is more important than profit.

Raphael Minder & Michael Forsythe of the New York Times: "Spain, which has pledged to seize the suspected superyachts of Russian oligarchs targeted for sanctions..., on Wednesday impounded the third such vessel, one of the world's biggest superyachts, in Spanish territorial waters this week. The ship was impounded in the Spanish port of Tarragona, pending an inspection to establish its exact ownership, Spain's transport ministry said in a statement. The ship, called the Crescent, was registered in the Cayman Islands.... The Crescent, valued by the SuperYachtFan website at $600 million, appears to be the sister ship of the slightly larger, slightly more expensive Scheherazade, a 459-foot superyacht that U.S. officials said could be associated with ... Vladimir V. Putin...."

The New York Times' live updates of developments Wednesday in Russia's war on Ukraine are here: "... President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine delivered an urgent, impassioned plea to Congress on Wednesday for more military aid to defeat Russia, describing the threat his nation faces as an attack on the democratic values championed by the United States.... In a remarkably direct appeal by a wartime leader to policymakers in Washington, Mr. Zelensky addressed lawmakers on a large screen in a movie theater-style auditorium under the Capitol, invoking the memories of Pearl Harbor and the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks -- when the United States came under attack -- as he pleaded for support saying, 'we need you right now.'" Includes reporters' comments on President Zelensky's speech. Missing: the usual snark attacks. (Also linked yesterday.)

Ashley Parker of the Washington Post: "President Biden explicitly called ... Vladimir Putin a 'war criminal' Wednesday, after weeks of avoiding the term and at a time when his administration is still determining whether that label officially applies. Biden made the dramatic accusation seemingly off the cuff, in response to a reporter's shouted question.... 'I think he is a war criminal,' Biden said, after delivering comments on the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act.... [Press Secretary Jen] Psaki depicted it as a heartfelt remark. 'The president's remarks speak for themselves,' she said. 'He was speaking from his heart and speaking from what we've seen on television, which is barbaric actions by a brutal dictator through his invasion of a foreign country.' She reiterated Wednesday that the State Department is conducting a legal review to determine whether the actions in Ukraine are war crimes."

Kaitlin Collins, et al., of CNN: "President Joe Biden on Wednesday announced an additional $800 million in security assistance to Ukraine.... 'The world is united in our support for Ukraine and our determination to make (Russian President Vladimir) Putin pay a very heavy price,' Biden said before signing a presidential memorandum at the White House to deliver the military assistance.... 'This could be a long and difficult battle. But the American people will be steadfast in our support of the people of Ukraine in the face of Putin's immoral, unethical attacks on civilian population.' According to the White House, the $800 million in security assistance will provide Ukraine with: 800 Stinger anti-aircraft systems, 100 drones, 'over 20 million rounds of small arms ammunition and grenade launcher and mortar rounds,' 25,000 sets of body armor, 25,000 helmets, 100 grenade launchers, 5,000 rifles, 1,000 pistols, 400 machine guns, 400 shotguns, as well as "2,000 Javelin, 1,000 light anti-armor weapons, and 6,000 AT-4 anti-armor systems.'" (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

Dan Lamothe of the Washington Post: "The Pentagon will expand the size and scope of weaponry being rushed to Ukraine, the Biden administration said Wednesday, including for the first time armed drones capable of inflicting significant damage to Russian ground units while U.S. officials continue to search for sophisticated antiaircraft systems owned by European allies.... The new aid package approved Wednesday includes 100 Switchblade drones, small unmanned aircraft packed with explosives that crash into targets in 'kamikaze' fashion, said a U.S. official.... The administration has declined to detail what specific additional European surface-to-air missiles could be sent to Ukraine, but [President] Biden said Wednesday that the United States has identified and is helping Ukraine acquire additional 'longer-range antiaircraft systems and the munitions for those systems.'"

Rick Noack of the Washington Post: "Russia was ordered to halt its invasion of Ukraine by the United Nations' top court Wednesday, in a preliminary decision that appeared to have largely symbolic significance. Ukraine initiated the case at the International Court of Justice in The Hague to contest ... Vladimir Putin's official explanation for entering the country as an effort to end a 'genocide' of pro-Russian separatists. The court voted 13 to 2 in favor of ordering Russia to 'suspend' military operations in Ukraine and to prevent armed units that are directed or supported by Russia from taking further action. Of the two judges in opposition, one was from Russia, the other from China." (Also linked yesterday.)

AP: "The Council of Europe on Wednesday expelled Russia from the continent's foremost human rights body in an unprecedented move over Moscow's invasion and war in Ukraine. The 47-nation organization's committee of ministers said in statement that 'the Russian Federation ceases to be a member of the Council of Europe as from today, after 26 years of membership.'... Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov insisted Wednesday that it would have left the body regardless." MB: You can't fire me. I quit. (Also linked yesterday.)

Adela Suliman, et al., of the Washington Post: “Officials from both Russia and Ukraine expressed cautious optimism Wednesday that peace talks were making progress toward ending almost three weeks of fighting across Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a video address overnight Tuesday that negotiations with Moscow were heading in a 'more realistic' direction, and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Wednesday that there is 'hope for reaching a compromise.' However, both sides also stressed that the talks were difficult, with differences remaining over what neutrality, or security guarantees, for Ukraine would look like." An AP story is here. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I suppose it won't happen, but I think Russia should have to fix what they broke, as much as that is possible. They should pay to repair or replace all the structures they damaged or toppled, and they should pay reparations to people they wounded & to the families of those they murdered. This is not the same as bringing Germany to its knees after WWI. Russia has plenty of oil to pay for damages. In the meantime, since China claims it's ever-so dedicated to preserving the peace, President Biden should ring up President Xi & ask China to enforce no-fly zones, at least over humanitarian corridors throughout Ukraine.

Steve Inskeep of NPR: U.S. "Secretary of State Antony Blinken says that merely stopping the invasion of Ukraine may not be enough for Russia to gain relief from Western economic sanctions. The U.S. also wants an assurance that there will never be another such invasion. In an interview with NPR, Blinken spoke of Western sanctions that cratered the Russian ruble, led global firms to shutter their Russian operations, and closed the Moscow stock market. He said the unplugging of much of Russia's economy from the West is beginning to wreak long-term effects that are 'growing over time.' He insisted that U.S. sanctions against Russia are 'not designed to be permanent,' and that they could 'go away' if Russia should change its behavior. But he said any Russian pullback would have to be, 'in effect, irreversible.'..." (Also linked yesterday.)

Christian Shepherd & Lily Kuo of the Washington Post: "Three weeks into the largest military clash in Europe since World War II, China's effort to displease neither Russia nor the international coalition imposing sanctions on Putin is looking increasingly untenable. A disconnect is growing between the image of neutrality Beijing wants to project and President Xi Jinping's long-term strategy of fostering ties with Russia as a critical partner in the standoff with the United States and its allies. Pressure from Western governments -- and from pockets of Chinese academia and public opinion -- is mounting on the Chinese leadership to use its economic ties with Russia to force a cease-fire. But to do so is a risk for Chinese leaders, who have little experience dealing with geopolitical crises far from their shores." (Also linked yesterday.)

I want to thank the Russian Academy for this Lifetime Achievement Award. -- Hillary Clinton, reacting to Russia's sanctioning her, in a tweet

Lisa Mascaro of the AP: “Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy cited Pearl Harbor and the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 on Wednesday as he appealed to the U.S. Congress to do more to help Ukraine's fight against Russia, but acknowledged the no-fly zone he has sought to 'close the sky' over his country may not happen. Livestreamed into the Capitol complex, Zelenskyy said the U.S. must sanction Russian lawmakers and block imports, and he showed a packed auditorium of lawmakers an emotional video of the destruction and devastation his country has suffered in the war." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

Counterprogramming. Paul Shinkman of US News: "... Vladimir Putin put forward a comprehensive, if disjointed, defense of Russia's bloody assault on Ukraine three weeks after it began in an apparent recognition of growing international outrage at the brutality of the campaign. In lengthy remarks Wednesday..., Putin lobbed familiar claims at growing international condemnation for the military campaign he launched..., while also appearing to shift some of the responsibility for it. He offered, for example, that the character of the military assault -- ... originated within the Russian military and the general staff.... And, seemingly acknowledging new political fronts he faces at home, he put forward troubling language about the need for 'cleansing of the nation' against those who do not support the Kremlin's policies.... Putin's lengthy remarks took place while ... Volodymyr Zelenskeyy simultaneously addressed the U.S. Congress...." ~~~

     ~~~ Anton Troianovski of the New York Times: "... Vladimir V. Putin on Wednesday referred to pro-Western Russians as 'scum and traitors' who needed to be removed from society, describing the war in Ukraine as part of an existential clash with the United States and setting the stage for an ever fiercer crackdown at home and even more aggression abroad. Comparing the West to Nazi Germany, the Russian leader laced his speech with derision for the 'political beau monde' in Europe and the United States, and for the 'slave-like' Russians who supported it...."

Paul Kirby of BBC News: "When Marina Ovsyannikova burst into Russian living rooms on Monday's nightly news, denouncing the war in Ukraine and propaganda around it, her protest highlighted a quiet but steady stream of resignations from Russia's tightly controlled state-run TV. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has thanked her, appealing to anyone working for what he calls Russia's propaganda system to resign. Any journalist working in what he calls the fourth branch of power risks sanctions and an international tribunal for 'justifying war crimes', he warns."

Marie: Something I think about every day: what if Trump were still president*? ~~~

~~~ Joyce Vance, in an MSNBC column: “The first impeachment [of Donald Trump] is pivotal to understanding the current war in Ukraine, and how narrowly we escaped an American presidency that could have readily aligned itself with Russia over our NATO allies.... Before the [infamous call between Trump & Ukraine's new president Volodymyr Zelensky], Trump had asked his chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney, to hold back the aid [Congress had allocated to Ukraine. Despite attempts by the White House Office of Legal Counsel & Bill Barr's DOJ to bury the content of the call], the inspector general for the intelligence community, Michael Atkinson (subsequently fired by Trump, in April 2020) advised the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence that the director of national intelligence was sitting on a credible whistleblower complaint.... Trump now takes credit for the aid Ukraine received and suggests that if he were president, Ukraine would be better off. Indeed, 62 percent of Americans believe Putin would not have invaded Ukraine if Trump were president.... Had he won [the 2020 election], Trump could have fully denuded NATO and entered into once discussed joint cyber agreements with Moscow. We could have had a president who wouldn't protest Putin's Ukraine ambitions; after all, as Trump said originally, they were 'smart.'"

Maria Sacchetti & Nick Miroff of the Washington Post: "The Department of Homeland Security said Wednesday that it will grant temporary protected status, or TPS, to Afghan nationals living in the United States without permanent legal status, adding them to a long list of immigrants waiting for the same protection under the law. Approximately 74,500 Afghans are eligible to apply for the status, which grants them protection from deportation for 18 months and eligibility for a work permit. Afghans residing in the United States as of March 15 are eligible to apply, and they must pay a fee and pass a background check. For most Afghans, the protection is redundant: The vast majority were paroled into the United States under Operation Allies Welcome and allowed to apply for work permits free of charge. DHS said in a statement that this additional protection will mainly affect approximately 2,000 foreign nationals who were not evacuated -- such as international students -- and whose visas could expire and leave them in legal limbo." CNN's report is here. (Also linked yesterday.)

Katie Benner, et al., of the New York Times: "In the year after he disclosed a federal investigation into his 'tax affairs' in late 2020, President Biden's son, Hunter Biden, paid off a significant tax liability, even as a grand jury continued to gather evidence in a wide-ranging examination of his international business dealings, according to people familiar with the case.... As recently as last month, the federal grand jury heard testimony in Wilmington, Del., from two witnesses, one of whom was a former employee of Hunter Biden whose lawyer was later subpoenaed for financial records that reflected money Mr. Biden received from a Ukrainian energy company. The investigation, which began as a tax inquiry under the Obama administration, widened in 2018 to include possible criminal violations of tax laws, as well as foreign lobbying and money laundering rules...."

Rachel Siegel of the Washington Post: "The Federal Reserve raised interest rates for the first time in the pandemic on Wednesday, while signaling far more hikes and warning that inflation would remain high through the rest of the year. The quarter-point interest rate hike was expected and considered modest, but the Fed more than doubled the number of rate hikes anticipated this year -- for a total of seven -- to help rein in the highest inflation in 40 years. Wednesday marked the first rate hike since 2018. The Fed Board has faced criticism that it has underestimated inflation over the past year, and now even more uncertainty lurks. Energy prices are spiking because of the war in Ukraine, and coronavirus surges are shutting down major Chinese manufacturing hubs, worsening global supply chain snarls that are pushing prices higher."

Carl Hulse of the New York Times: Senate Republicans have been vilifying Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson and some other judicial nominees for their work as public defenders, "by suggesting that they acted inappropriately in representing clients accused of serious, sometimes vicious crimes. Democrats say the tactic ignores a fundamental principle of the American justice system -- that everyone has the constitutional right to be represented by counsel-- and effectively seeks to disqualify from the bench anyone who has taken that obligation seriously.... The Republican strategy is a response to a concerted push by the Biden administration to diversify the federal bench by nominating more people with experience in criminal defense work, many of them women of color.... The nomination of Judge Jackson, who would be the first public defender and the first Black woman to sit on the high court, will be the biggest test yet of whether a lawyer who represented accused criminals can draw broad Republican support." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ Jennifer Rubin of the Washington Post: "No politician better exemplifies the triumph of partisanship over duty to country than Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.). But unlike some of his more brazen colleagues, he often feels obliged to concoct reasons for his ruthless partisanship, unintentionally revealing that power is his only objective.... He conceded there is 'no question' that President Biden's nominee for the Supreme Court, Ketanji Brown Jackson, is qualified. So ... his reason for opposing her, in all likelihood, is nothing short of ridiculous: Liberal interest groups back her.... White House Chief of Staff Ronald Klain weighed in on Twitter: 'Just for the record, Judge Jackson's supporters include the Fraternal Order of Police, conservative former federal judges Tom Griffith and Michael Luttig, a bipartisan group of former Supreme Court clerks, and the International Association of the Chiefs of Police.'" (Also linked yesterday.)

Allyson Chiu of the Washington Post: "Sleep experts widely agree with the Senate that the country should abandon its twice-yearly seasonal time changes. But ... unlike the Senate, many sleep experts believe the country should adopt year-round standard time. After the Senate voted unanimously and with little discussion Tuesday to make daylight saving time permanent, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine issued a statement cautioning that the move overlooks potential health risks associated with that time system.... The AASM made this stance clear in 2020 when it released a position statement recommending that the country institute year-round standard time. Its reasoning, in part, is that standard time is more closely associated with humans' intrinsic circadian rhythm, and that disrupting that rhythm, as happens with daylight saving time, has been associated with increased risks of obesity, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease and depression."

Anna Phillips of the Washington Post: The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals "on Wednesday lifted a ban blocking the federal government from factoring damage from rising greenhouse gas emissions into its decisions, offering a temporary reprieve for President Biden's plans to tackle climate change.... With sweeping climate legislation stalled in Congress, the administration is counting on these regulations to meet its emissions reduction targets." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Worth bearing in mind: the confederate Supremes are bent on gutting the EPA's regulatory powers anyway.

The Pandemic, Ctd.

Lenny Bernstein & Joel Achenbach of the Washington Post: "A surge in coronavirus infections in Western Europe has experts and health authorities on alert for another wave of the pandemic in the United States, even as most of the country has done away with restrictions after a sharp decline in cases. Infectious-disease experts are closely watching the subvariant of omicron known as BA.2, which appears to be more transmissible than the original strain, BA.1, and is fueling the outbreak overseas.... In all, about a dozen nations are seeing spikes in coronavirus infections caused by BA.2, a cousin of the BA.1 form of the virus that tore through the United States over the past three months.... China and Hong Kong ... are experiencing rapid and severe outbreaks, but the strict 'zero covid' policies they have enforced make them less similar to the United States than Western Europe." The article is free to nonsubscribers.

David Shortell, et al., of CNN: "Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin, known as the Taoiseach, tested positive for Covid-19 Wednesday while attending a gala in Washington, DC, that had just been addressed by President Joe Biden. Martin left the gathering for The Ireland Funds after his positive result was confirmed, according to PA Media, a UK-based news agency. Irish Ambassador to the US Daniel Mulhall announced the results to the room, a person who attended the dinner told CNN. A White House official said Biden is not considered a close contact of Martin. The pair was set to hold a bilateral meeting at the White House on Thursday, but the official said the schedule will be changed.... In a photo posted online by the Press Association, Martin is seen sitting next to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi at the event." A Washington Post story is here.

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

Beyond the Beltway

Illinois. Julia Jacobs of the New York Times: "An Illinois appellate court ruled Wednesday that the actor Jussie Smollett be released from jail on bond pending his appeal of his conviction for falsely reporting that he had been the victim of a hate crime. Mr. Smollett was sentenced last week to five months in jail, but his lawyers quickly asked a panel of judges to stay the sentence while they appealed the conviction." An AP report is here.

Ohio. Jessie Balmert & Laura Bischoff of the Columbus Dispatch: "The Ohio Supreme Court struck down the third set of state House and Senate maps late Wednesday, effectively ending any hope of a May 3rd primary with both legislative and statewide races. The decision marks the third time the Ohio Supreme Court has rejected legislative maps drawn by the Ohio Redistricting Commission. Once again, Chief Justice Maureen O'Connor, a Republican, was the deciding vote in a 4-3 decision. The Ohio Supreme Court ordered the Ohio Redistricting Commission to draw a new set of state House and Senate maps by March 28. In its decision, the court's majority ... made a suggestion for the next round of mapmaking: draft maps in public, convene frequent meetings and use a different mapmaker.... 'Resolving this self-created chaos ... depends not on the number of hands on the computer mouse but, rather, on the political will to honor the people's call to end partisan gerrymandering,' according to the court's decision."

Texas. Aaron Blake of the Washington Post demonstrates how Texas' latest voter suppression law does in fact work to suppress the vote, and it seems to suppress significantly more Democratic votes than Republican votes. ~~~

     ~~~ Paul Weber & Acacia Coronado of the AP: "Texas threw out mail votes at an abnormally high rate during the nation's first primary of 2022, rejecting nearly 23,000 ballots outright under tougher voting rules that are part of a broad campaign by Republicans to reshape American elections, according to an analysis by The Associated Press. Roughly 13% of mail ballots returned in the March 1 primary were discarded and uncounted across 187 counties in Texas. While historical primary comparisons are lacking, the double-digit rejection rate would be far beyond what is typical in a general election, when experts say anything above 2% is usually cause for attention.... The rejection rate was higher in counties that lean Democratic (15.1%) than Republican (9.1%)."

Washington State, Texas, Poland, Ukraine, Etc. Shea as in Shady. David Gutman of the Seattle Times: "Former Washington state Rep. Matt Shea, the far-right Republican who was found by a House-commissioned investigation to have planned and participated in domestic terrorism, is in a small town in Poland with more than 60 Ukrainian children, trying to facilitate their adoption in America. Shea has said his group helped rescue 62 children and their two adult caregivers from an orphanage in Mariupol, the city in southeastern Ukraine that has been bombarded by Russian forces. But international agencies say, with the chaos and confusion of war, now is not an appropriate time for international adoptions from Ukraine. And Shea's presence, and the lack of information surrounding the American group he's with, has raised concerns among some residents of Kazimierz Dolny, the small Polish town where the children are staying at a hotel-guesthouse.... A House-commissioned report found [Shea] had planned and participated in domestic terrorism against the United States with his involvement in a trio of standoffs against the government." MB: Maybe he's planning to bring the kids to the U.S. to make them foot soldiers in a 21st-century Shea's Rebellion.

Way Beyond

Iran/U.K. Karla Adam & Liz Sly of the Washington Post: "Two British Iranians who spent years in prison in Iran are on their way back to the United Kingdom, a development that suggests that a revival of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal could be imminent. Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a charity worker, and Anoosheh Ashoori, a retired civil engineer, 'will return to the U.K. today,' Britain's Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said Wednesday. She also said that a third person, Morad Tahbaz, who has British, Iranian and American citizenship, has been 'released from prison on furlough' to his house in Tehran." (Also linked yesterday.)

News Lede

The New York Times reports new details on the man who shot homeless people in New York City & Washington, D.C.

March 16, 2022

Late Morning/Afternoon Update:

Kaitlin Collins, et al., of CNN: "President Joe Biden on Wednesday announced an additional $800 million in security assistance to Ukraine.... 'The world is united in our support for Ukraine and our determination to make (Russian President Vladimir) Putin pay a very heavy price,' Biden said before signing a presidential memorandum at the White House to deliver the military assistance.... 'This could be a long and difficult battle. But the American people will be steadfast in our support of the people of Ukraine in the face of Putin's immoral, unethical attacks on civilian population.' According to the White House, the $800 million in security assistance will provide Ukraine with: 800 Stinger anti-aircraft systems, 100 drones, 'over 20 million rounds of small arms ammunition and grenade launcher and mortar rounds,' 25,000 sets of body armor, 25,000 helmets, 100 grenade launchers, 5,000 rifles, 1,000 pistols, 400 machine guns, 400 shotguns, as well as "2,000 Javelin, 1,000 light anti-armor weapons, and 6,000 AT-4 anti-armor systems.'" ~~~

Rick Noack of the Washington Post: "Russia was ordered to halt its invasion of Ukraine by the United Nations' top court Wednesday, in a preliminary decision that appeared to have largely symbolic significance. Ukraine initiated the case at the International Court of Justice in The Hague to contest ... Vladimir Putin's official explanation for entering the country as an effort to end a 'genocide' of pro-Russian separatists. The court voted 13 to 2 in favor of ordering Russia to 'suspend' military operations in Ukraine and to prevent armed units that are directed or supported by Russia from taking further action. Of the two judges in opposition, one was from Russia, the other from China."

Adela Suliman, et al., of the Washington Post: "Officials from both Russia and Ukraine expressed cautious optimism Wednesday that peace talks were making progress toward ending almost three weeks of fighting across Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a video address overnight Tuesday that negotiations with Moscow were heading in a 'more realistic' direction, and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Wednesday that there is 'hope for reaching a compromise.' However, both sides also stressed that the talks were difficult, with differences remaining over what neutrality, or security guarantees, for Ukraine would look like." An AP story is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I suppose it won't happen, but I think Russia should have to fix what they broke, as much as that is possible. They should pay to repair or replace all the structures they damaged or toppled, and they should pay reparations to people they wounded & to the families of those they murdered. This is not the same as bringing Germany to its knees after WWI. Russia has plenty of oil to pay for damages. In the meantime, since China claims it's ever-so dedicated to preserving the peace, President Biden should ring up President Xi & ask China to enforce no-fly zones, at least over humanitarian corridors throughout Ukraine.

Steve Inskeep of NPR: U.S. "Secretary of State Antony Blinken says that merely stopping the invasion of Ukraine may not be enough for Russia to gain relief from Western economic sanctions. The U.S. also wants an assurance that there will never be another such invasion. In an interview with NPR, Blinken spoke of Western sanctions that cratered the Russian ruble, led global firms to shutter their Russian operations, and closed the Moscow stock market. He said the unplugging of much of Russia's economy from the West is beginning to wreak long-term effects that are 'growing over time.' He insisted that U.S. sanctions against Russia are 'not designed to be permanent,' and that they could 'go away' if Russia should change its behavior. But he said any Russian pullback would have to be, 'in effect, irreversible.'..."

Christian Shepherd & Lily Kuo of the Washington Post: "Three weeks into the largest military clash in Europe since World War II, China's effort to displease neither Russia nor the international coalition imposing sanctions on Putin is looking increasingly untenable. A disconnect is growing between the image of neutrality Beijing wants to project and President Xi Jinping's long-term strategy of fostering ties with Russia as a critical partner in the standoff with the United States and its allies. Pressure from Western governments -- and from pockets of Chinese academia and public opinion -- is mounting on the Chinese leadership to use its economic ties with Russia to force a cease-fire. But to do so is a risk for Chinese leaders, who have little experience dealing with geopolitical crises far from their shores."

I want to thank the Russian Academy for this Lifetime Achievement Award. -- Hillary Clinton, reacting to Russia's sanctioning her, in a tweet

The New York Times' live updates of developments Wednesday in Russia's war on Ukraine are here: "... President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine delivered an urgent, impassioned plea to Congress on Wednesday for more military aid to defeat Russia, describing the threat his nation faces as an attack on the democratic values championed by the United States.... In a remarkably direct appeal by a wartime leader to policymakers in Washington, Mr. Zelensky addressed lawmakers on a large screen in a movie theater-style auditorium under the Capitol, invoking the memories of Pearl Harbor and the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks -- when the United States came under attack -- as he pleaded for support saying, 'we need you right now.'" Includes reporters' comments on President Zelensky's speech. Missing: the usual snark attacks.

Lisa Mascaro of the AP: "Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy cited Pearl Harbor and the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 on Wednesday as he appealed to the U.S. Congress to do more to help Ukraine's fight against Russia, but acknowledged the no-fly zone he has sought to 'close the sky' over his country may not happen. Livestreamed into the Capitol complex, Zelenskyy said the U.S. must sanction Russian lawmakers and block imports, and he showed a packed auditorium of lawmakers an emotional video of the destruction and devastation his country has suffered in the war." ~~~

AP: “The Council of Europe on Wednesday expelled Russia from the continent’s foremost human rights body in an unprecedented move over Moscow’s invasion and war in Ukraine. The 47-nation organization’s committee of ministers said in statement that 'the Russian Federation ceases to be a member of the Council of Europe as from today, after 26 years of membership.'... Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov insisted Wednesday that it would have left the body regardless.” MB: Yeah, you can't fire me. I quit.

Maria Sacchetti & Nick Miroff of the Washington Post: "The Department of Homeland Security said Wednesday that it will grant temporary protected status, or TPS, to Afghan nationals living in the United States without permanent legal status, adding them to a long list of immigrants waiting for the same protection under the law. Approximately 74,500 Afghans are eligible to apply for the status, which grants them protection from deportation for 18 months and eligibility for a work permit. Afghans residing in the United States as of March 15 are eligible to apply, and they must pay a fee and pass a background check. For most Afghans, the protection is redundant: The vast majority were paroled into the United States under Operation Allies Welcome and allowed to apply for work permits free of charge. DHS said in a statement that this additional protection will mainly affect approximately 2,000 foreign nationals who were not evacuated -- such as international students -- and whose visas could expire and leave them in legal limbo." CNN's report is here.

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

Carl Hulse of the New York Times: Senate Republicans have been vilifying Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson and some other judicial nominees for their work as public defenders, "by suggesting that they acted inappropriately in representing clients accused of serious, sometimes vicious crimes. Democrats say the tactic ignores a fundamental principle of the America justice system -- that everyone has the constitutional right to be represented by counsel -- and effectively seeks to disqualify from the bench anyone who has taken that obligation seriously.... The Republican strategy is a response to a concerted push by the Biden administration to diversify the federal bench by nominating more people with experience in criminal defense work, many of them women of color.... The nomination of Judge Jackson, who would be the first public defender and the first Black woman to sit on the high court, will be the biggest test yet of whether a lawyer who represented accused criminals can draw broad Republican support." ~~~

~~~ Jennifer Rubin of the Washington Post: "No politician better exemplifies the triumph of partisanship over duty to country than Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.). But unlike some of his more brazen colleagues, he often feels obliged to concoct reasons for his ruthless partisanship, unintentionally revealing that power is his only objective.... He conceded there is 'no question' that President Biden's nominee for the Supreme Court, Ketanji Brown Jackson, is qualified. So ... his reason for opposing her, in all likelihood, is nothing short of ridiculous: Liberal interest groups back her.... White House Chief of Staff Ronald Klain weighed in on Twitter: 'Just for the record, Judge Jackson's supporters include the Fraternal Order of Police, conservative former federal judges Tom Griffith and Michael Luttig, a bipartisan group of former Supreme Court clerks, and the International Association of the Chiefs of Police.'"

Karla Adam & Liz Sly of the Washington Post: "Two British Iranians who spent years in prison in Iran are on their way back to the United Kingdom, a development that suggests that a revival of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal could be imminent. Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a charity worker, and Anoosheh Ashoori, a retired civil engineer, 'will return to the U.K. today,' Britain's Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said Wednesday. She also said that a third person, Morad Tahbaz, who has British, Iranian and American citizenship, has been 'released from prison on furlough' to his house in Tehran."

~~~~~~~~~~

Putin's War Crimes, Ctd.

The Washngton Post's live updates of developments Wednesday in Russia's war on Ukraine are here: "President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to renew his plea for air support to protect the skies over Ukraine and push back against Russia's attacks in a virtual speech to U.S. lawmakers Wednesday -- as he has with other Western allies in recent days. The Biden administration has so far resisted Kyiv's call to establish a no-fly zone in Ukraine, worried it could inflame tensions and risk a broader global conflict with nuclear-armed Russia. The White House is, however, set to announce another $800 million in security assistance Wednesday, a senior administration official said, as part of a U.S. government spending bill Biden signed Tuesday that will provide $13.6 billion in new aid to Ukraine.... In the besieged port city of Mariupol, hundreds of people, including doctors and medical personnel, are being held inside a regional hospital, according to Ukrainian officials. As many as 3 million people have fled the war-torn country since the invasion began -- half of them children."

Kaitlan Collins, et al., of CNN: "President Joe Biden is expected to announce an additional $800 million in security assistance to Ukraine on Wednesday, a White House official told CNN, bringing the total to $1 billion announced in just the last week. The package of military assistance will include anti-tank missiles and more of the defensive weapons that the US has already been providing, including Javelin anti-tank and Stinger anti-aircraft missiles.... The assistance, however, will stop short of the no-fly zone or fighter jets that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said are necessary to sustain Ukraine's fight against Russia. News of the additional assistance, which was first reported by The Wall Street Journal, comes as the White House continues to face intense pressure from Congress and Zelensky to find new ways to aid Ukraine."

Darryl Coote of UPI: "The U.S. Senate late Tuesday unanimously passed legislation condemning ... Vladimir Putin and his regime for invading Ukraine as well as calls for investigations into alleged crimes committed amid the ongoing war. The bipartisan resolution, introduced early this month by Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., was passed by a voice vote to condemn the ongoing violence and 'support any investigation into war crimes, crimes against humanity and systematic human rights abuses' levied by Putin and his military against Ukraine."

Guts in a Time of War. Azi Paybarah of the New York Times: "President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked the leaders of three NATO-member countries who traveled into the war-torn capital of Ukraine for an extraordinary meeting on Tuesday and urged others to do the same. The leaders from Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovenia who traveled to Kyiv 'fear nothing,' Mr. Zelensky said after the meeting, adding, 'I am sure that with such friends, with such countries, with such neighbors and partners, we will really be able to win.' The leaders discussed not only increasing sanctions against Russia for the invasion of Ukraine, which began on Feb. 24, but also 'plans to rebuild our country after the end of hostilities,' Mr. Zelensky's office said, projecting an air of confidence despite a brutal campaign that has already driven more than two million Ukrainians to seek refuge in neighboring countries." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Journalist Michael Weiss pointed out on Chris Hayes' show last night that the oft-reported claim that Russian troops have "surrounded" Kyiv is not true. For instance, these leaders traveled by train across Ukraine to and from Kyiv in a pre-announced visit. Obviously, they penetrated Russia's supposed blockade of Kyiv.

"The Horror of the Russian Invasion." Greg Jaffe & Meg Kelly of the Washington Post: "In the more than two weeks that it has been cut off from the outside world, Mariupol, the southern Ukrainian port city, has become synonymous with the horror of the Russian invasion. It is a place of overflowing morgues, newly dug mass graves and bodies in some cases buried under rubble or left in the streets where they fell. Hundreds of people fled Mariupol for the second straight day via a humanitarian corridor on Tuesday, but Ukrainian officials told Reuters that those who escaped were a small fraction of the 200,000 trapped in the city and in need of urgent assistance. Russian forces have continued to block a much-needed aid convoy from getting in, Ukrainian officials said."

Eshe Nelson, et al., of the New York Times: "Russia is teetering on the edge of a possible sovereign debt default, and the first sign could come as soon as Wednesday.... On Wednesday, $117 million in interest payments on dollar-denominated government debt are due. But Russia is increasingly isolated from global financial markets, and investors are losing hope that they will see their money. As the government strives to protect what's left of its access to foreign currency, it has suggested it would pay its dollar- or euro-denominated debt obligations in rubles instead. That has prompted credit rating agencies to warn of an imminent default. The Russian currency has lost nearly 40 percent of its value against the U.S. dollar in the past month. Even if the payments were made, economic sanctions would make it difficult for Western lenders to access the rubles if they are in Russian bank accounts."

Chernobyl. digby has republished, without attribution, a large chunk of a Wall Street Journal story about conditions inside the Chernobyl nuclear facility. "Since Feb. 23, Chernobyl's technicians and support staff have been working nonstop. After arriving at 9 p.m. for a single night shift to monitor electrical transmission levels and the temperature inside the plant's gigantic sarcophagus housing radioactive waste, they are approaching 500 hours on the job -- snatching sleep on chairs in front of beeping machinery and on piles of clothes next to workstations. Their diet has dwindled to porridge and canned food, prepared by a 70-year-old cook who at one point collapsed from exhaustion. Their phones have been confiscated and they are trailed by Russian soldiers through the nuclear plant's labyrinth of reinforced-concrete corridors.... The picture that emerges is of a skeleton crew of nuclear technicians that has been working under duress for nearly three weeks." MB: I was able to find & access the WSJ story, which is firewalled. Maybe you can, too. Try Google if my link doesn't work.

Elizabeth Dwoskin, et al., of the Washington Post: "In the first four days of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, viewership of more than a dozen Russian state-backed propaganda channels on YouTube spiked to unusually high levels. Just a couple of weeks later, it dropped to zero after YouTube blocked those channels globally, helping derail one of the most powerful propaganda engines in the world. Two dozen media channels backed by the Russian government on Facebook experienced similar spikes in traffic, according to a Washington Post data analysis, then plummeted as the company instated a ban in Europe. The muffling of the megaphone of the Russian state media, which has falsely framed the country's invasion of Ukraine as 'special operation' intended to protect Russian-speaking Ukrainians from Nazis, marks an unprecedented move by the social media giants to stop the spread of misinformation. And early signs show it may be working.... Facebook's regional ban appears to have been less effective than YouTube's global ban.&"

Valeriya Safronova of the New York Times: "A Russian state television employee who stormed a live broadcast on Monday was interrogated by the police for 14 hours and fined by a Moscow court on Tuesday. 'I spent two days without sleep,' the woman, Marina Ovsyannikova, said in a video recorded outside of the courtroom on Tuesday by Mediazona, an online news site. 'I wasn't allowed to contact my relatives or people close to me,' Ms. Ovsyannikova said, adding that she was not allowed 'access to any legal representation, so I was in a fairly difficult position.' Ms. Ovsyannikova, who worked for Channel 1 in Moscow, was detained on Monday after she burst onscreen during a popular news show, yelling, 'Stop the war!' and holding up a sign that read, 'They're lying to you here.'"

We Had No Idea! Qin Gang, China's ambassador to the U.S., in a Washington Post op-ed: "Assertions that China knew about, acquiesced to or tacitly supported this war are purely disinformation.... Wielding the baton of sanctions at Chinese companies while seeking China's support and cooperation simply won't work.... Some people are linking Taiwan and Ukraine to play up the risks of a conflict in the Taiwan Strait. This is a mistake. These are totally different things. Ukraine is a sovereign state, while Taiwan is an inseparable part of China's territory. The Taiwan question is a Chinese internal affair.... Our ultimate purpose is the end of war and support regional and global stability." MB: Okay then.

The New York Times' live updates of developments Tuesday in Russia's war on Ukraine are here. (Also linked yesterday.)

David Sanger, et al., of the New York Times: "President Biden will travel to an extraordinary NATO summit meeting in Brussels on March 24 and will also attend the European Union's summit meeting the same day, White House and European officials said on Tuesday. The high-stakes gathering is to discuss ongoing deterrence and defense efforts in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine." CNN's report is here. (Also linked yesterday.)

Oliver Darcy of CNN: "Pierre Zakrzewski, a longtime Fox News photojournalist, was killed while reporting in Ukraine when a vehicle he was traveling in with correspondent Benjamin Hall came under fire, the network said on Tuesday.... Hall remains hospitalized in Ukraine, [Fox News Media CEO Suzanne] Scott said. Zakrzewski was a veteran war photojournalist who had 'covered nearly every international story for Fox News from Iraq to Afghanistan to Syria,' Scott said. Scott said that Zakrzewski had been reporting from Ukraine since February." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ The story has been updated. New lede: "A Monday attack on a Fox News crew reporting near the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv left two of the network's journalists dead and its correspondent severely injured, the channel said on Tuesday. Killed in the attack were Pierre Zakrzewski, a 55-year-old longtime war photojournalist, and Oleksandra 'Sasha' Kuvshynova, a 24-year-old Ukrainian journalist working as a consultant for the network. Fox News correspondent Benjamin Hall was seriously injured and remains hospitalized." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Now that Russians have slaughtered his own colleagues, does Tucker Carlson still think it's a good idea to back Putin? ~~~

Maegan Vazquez of CNN: "Russia on Tuesday imposed sanctions against a wide range of American officials, including President Joe Biden.... According to a statement issued Tuesday by the Russian Foreign Ministry, the government is adding the following individuals to a 'stop list,' barring them from entering Russia: Biden, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley, Biden national security adviser Jake Sullivan, CIA Director William Burns, White House press secretary Jen Psaki, deputy national security adviser Daleep Singh, USAID Director Samantha Power, Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Adewale Adeyemo and US Export-Import Bank President Reta Jo Lewis. The 'stop list' also includes other non-governmental individuals, including the President's son, Hunter Biden, and former US presidential candidate and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton." Thanks to RAS for the link. MB: I'm miffed that -- as far as I know! -- Russia has not sanctioned me. ~~~

     ~~~ Jeff Stein of the Washington Post: "The sanctions on the American officials are expected to bar them from traveling to Russia and freeze any assets they hold there. But it's unlikely many top Democratic officials will be affected by thos measures. At the White House news briefing on Tuesday, [press secretary Jen] Psaki mocked the Russian sanctions as ineffectual.... 'I'd first note that President Biden is a "junior," so they may have sanctioned his dad, may he rest in peace,' Psaki said. 'None of us are planning tourist trips to Russia and none of us have bank accounts we won't be able to access, so we will forge ahead.' The probably ineffectual nature of the Russian sanctions underscores the massive advantage the United States has over Russia in economic and financial power.... Adam Smith, a sanctions expert who served in the Obama administration, pointed out that many U.S. officials will see being hit by Russian sanctions as a badge of honor."

U.K. Mark Landler of the New York Times: "The British government said on Tuesday that it had imposed sanctions on more than 370 individuals it described as oligarchs, political allies or propagandists for ... Vladimir V. Putin..., a major new crackdown that brings it closer in line with the European Union on an issue that has long dogged Britain. The sanctions, announced by the foreign secretary, Liz Truss, include a travel ban and will freeze the assets of prominent Russians in business and government, including some of the wealthiest oligarchs and most senior officials in the Kremlin." (Also linked yesterday.)

Bob Brigham of the Raw Story: "Donald Trump attempted to distance himself from Vladimir Putin in a new interview with David Drucker of the conservative Washington Times. 'I'm surprised -- I'm surprised. I thought he was negotiating when he sent his troops to the border. I thought he was negotiating,' Trump said. 'And then he went in -- and I think he's changed. I think he's changed. It's a very sad thing for the world. He's very much changed.'" MB: Trump's surprise is no surprise. This is hardly the first time Trump believed Putin over U.S. intelligence agencies, who warned for weeks that Russia was about to attack Ukraine. ~~~

it's just shocking how nice, kind, lovely, selfless, decent, sensible, and even-tempered people can suddenly, without warning, and completely unexpectedly become destructive, out-of-control sociopaths pic.twitter.com/qBbL6c7BYI

— George Conway🌻 (@gtconway3d) March 16, 2022

The Manchin Veto Claims Another Victim. Jeanna Smialek & Emily Cochrane of the New York Times: "President Biden will withdraw his nomination of Sarah Bloom Raskin to serve as the Federal Reserve's top bank regulator on Tuesday, after a Democratic senator [Joe Manchin] said he would join Republicans in voting against her, most likely dooming her chances of confirmation. Ms. Raskin earlier on Tuesday sent a letter to the White House asking to withdraw her name from consideration to be the Fed's vice chair for supervision, according to two people familiar with the decision. The New Yorker earlier reported the existence of the letter. 'Sarah was subject to baseless attacks from industry and conservative interest groups,' Mr. Biden said in a statement released on Tuesday afternoon.... [Raskin's withdrawal] could pave the way toward confirmation for the White House's other Fed picks. Republicans ... were holding up the White House's four other Fed nominees, including Jerome H. Powell, who is seeking confirmation to a second term as Fed chair." The AP's story is here.

Emily Cochrane of the New York Times: "The Senate confirmed Shalanda Young on Tuesday to serve as the director of the Office of Management and Budget, giving the agency permanent leadership for the first time in more than a year as it prepares the second budget of the Biden administration. The Senate approved Ms. Young, who is the first Black woman to head the agency, with a vote of 61 to 36. The vote came nearly a year after Ms. Young was confirmed as deputy budget director and began serving as the acting head of the agency."

Luke Broadwater & Amelia Nierenberg of the New York Times: "... on Tuesday, with almost no warning and no debate, the Senate unanimously passed legislation to do away with the biannual springing forward and falling back that most Americans have come to despise, in favor of making daylight saving time permanent. The bill's fate in the House was not immediately clear, but if the legislation were to pass there and be signed by President Biden, it would take effect in November 2023." Politico's story is here. MB: Marco Rubio proposed the legislation; it might be the only useful thing he's ever done in the Senate.

Insurrection -- The Movie. Kyle Cheney of Politico: "The Jan. 6 select committee has obtained footage from a documentary film company that captured crucial moments during the run up to the assault on the Capitol -- including snippets of an encounter between leaders of the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers. The documentary company, Goldcrest Films International, obtained key footage while filming outside the Capitol on Jan. 6 and following members of the mob inside. But most notably, the crew was present during a 30-minute meeting between Proud Boys national leader Enrique Tarrio and Oath Keepers Founder Stewart Rhodes, an exchange that has become of interest to federal prosecutors."

Lachlan Markay of Axios: "The Republican National Committee is suing its own email vendor, Salesforce, in a last-ditch effort to stop it from turning over extensive internal data to the Jan. 6 select committee.... The RNC is seeking an emergency injunction to block the software giant from complying with a subpoena from the panel investigating the Capitol riot by a 10am ET Wednesday deadline."

Christiana Lilly & Spencer Hsu of the Washington Post: "A federal judge Tuesday ordered Henry 'Enrique' Tarrio, a longtime leader of the Proud Boys far-right group, to remain jailed pending trial on charges that he conspired with followers who planned in advance to threaten Congress and battle police at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. U.S. Magistrate Judge Lauren F. Louis of Miami ordered Tarrio to be held after federal prosecutors argued that he and co-defendants 'directed and encouraged' the actions of Proud Boys members who formed 'the tip of the spear' in the breach of the U.S. Capitol. Tarrio poses a risk of flight and danger to the community, prosecutors said, citing his purported efforts to evade law enforcement and discourage witnesses from cooperating."

Spencer Hsu & Tom Jackman of the Washington Post: "U.S. judges including those appointed by Republican presidents are increasingly sentencing defendants who participated in the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the Capitol to three-year terms of court supervision, fearing they could be misled into committing political violence in the 2024 presidential election....James 'Les' Little, 52, pleaded guilty in February after telling the FBI that he saw President Biden's election victory as 'the second Bolshevik revolution' and warned agents and the Democratic Party of civil war if it were not overturned.... Little is the 15th Jan. 6 defendant sentenced this year to probation through Nov. 5, 2024.... [U.S. District Judge Royce] Lamberth, a Ronald Reagan appointee, [who sentenced Little,] is among a growing number of judges who warn that the damage to democracy from last year's assault on the peaceful transfer of presidential power is persisting as Trump has continued to whip a majority of Republican Party officials to embrace his false election fraud charges. Judges have also raised concerns about elected officials who continue to play down the violence of [the Jan. 6] attack...." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I feel sorry for the probation officers who are stuck with trying to supervise these nitwits.

Jamelle Bouie of the New York Times: "... one of the key goals of the Constitution was to curb the power of the states and leash them to the broader authority of a new national government led by a powerful legislature and an unusually strong elected executive. A month before he arrived in Philadelphia as one of 55 delegates to a convention called to amend the Articles of Confederation, James Madison ... wrote a detailed critique of the existing American government, homing in on what he thought was its most glaring weakness: the states themselves.... [Madison's writings provide] a useful corrective in light of emerging theories like the 'independent state legislature' doctrine..., which rests on a states-centric view of the Constitution that falls apart on cursory contact with the history in question.... Remembering that the Constitution was written in significant part to weaken and undermine state governments is, I think, the first step toward asserting the power of Congress, not just over the states but over institutions, like the courts, whose power has run far ahead of our system's checks and balances." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Bouie is stating the obvious here, but it's a necessary statement because confederates don't know what we all learned in school: that the vaunted Founders wrote the Constitution to correct the weaknesses inherent in the Articles of Confederation, which established a form of government (or rather governments) that threatened the very concept of "one nation." Donald Trump if fond of saying, "We won't have a country any more if...," wherein the "if" clause gives him something he wants (like making him winner of the election he lost). But we would not have a country at all if the Constitution had not replaced the Confederation. Instead, there would be a bunch of more-or-less independent states, with only a few -- like maybe California, New York and Texas -- having anything like international power.

The Pandemic, Ctd.

Laurie McGinley, et al., of the Washington Post: "Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer and its partner, BioNTech, filed Tuesday for emergency authorization of a second booster shot of their coronavirus vaccine for people 65 and older, an effort to bolster waning immunity that occurs several months after the first booster, the companies announced. The submission to the Food and Drug Administration includes 'real world data' collected in Israel, one of the few countries that has authorized a second booster for older people. The decision from the FDA could come relatively quickly, especially if officials conclude the data is straightforward and does not have to be reviewed by a panel of outside vaccine experts." Access is free to nonsubscribers.

Amy Goldstein of the Washington Post: "As many as 16 million low-income Americans, including millions of children, are destined to fall off Medicaid when the nation's public health emergency ends, as states face a herculean mission to sort out who no longer belongs on rolls that have swollen to record levels during the pandemic."Marie: What a sad irony that the coronavirus, for all of the millions of Americans it sickened and the hundreds of thousands it killed, it made us -- for a brief time -- a better nation in terms of caring for the poor and the sick. Soon we'll be entirely back to being the cheap-assed nation we were, leaving the most vulnerable -- children and the sickly -- without enough support from the rest of us. (Also linked yesterday.)

Zolan Kanno-Youngs of the New York Times: "Doug Emhoff, the husband of Vice President Kamala Harris, tested positive for the coronavirus on Tuesday, according to a statement from the White House. 'My symptoms are mild and I'm grateful to be both vaccinated and boosted,' Mr. Emhoff wrote on Twitter, encouraging others to get vaccinated and boosted as well. Mr. Emhoff's positive result forced Ms. Harris to back out of an event at the White House with President Biden about equal pay, according to Sabrina Singh, a spokeswoman for Ms. Harris, who said the vice president was skipping the event 'out of an abundance of caution.' Ms. Harris tested negative for the virus on Tuesday, Ms. Singh said." CNN's story is here.

Beyond the Beltway

Georgia Senate Race. Life is a Mysterious Mystery! Felicia Sonmez of the Washington Post: "Herschel Walker, the leading candidate for the Republican Senate nomination in Georgia, questioned evolution at an event over the weekend, asking why apes still exist if humans have evolved from them. Walker made the remark Sunday during an appearance at Sugar Hill Church in Sugar Hill, Ga.... As The Washington Post's 'Dear Science' columnists discussed at length in 2016, humans did not evolve from chimpanzees or any other great apes that are living today. Rather, humans and chimpanzees share a common ancestor that lived about 10 million years ago. They are now on different evolutionary tracks. During the Sunday event, Walker also appeared to question in vitro fertilization and other forms of assisted reproductive technology. 'And then, the conception of a baby,' Walker said. 'Let me tell you, science can't do that. They're still trying to do it, but they can't, because there has to be a God.'" The Huffington Post's story is here.

Ohio Senate Race. Blake Hounshell & Leah Askarinam of the New York Times: "The leading Republican candidate in the Ohio Senate primary employed offensive stereotypes about Asian people in a 2013 podcast, citing a widely discredited book, 'The Bell Curve,' that has drawn allegations of racism and sloppy research. The Senate candidate, Mike Gibbons, a financier who has poured millions of dollars of his own money into his campaign, made the comments during a discussion of how to do business in China. The remarks ... come as Republican candidates grapple with how to address a topic that has inflamed their voters, many of whom blame Beijing for a coronavirus pandemic...." Gibbons objected to the idea that "Asians" were especially intelligent: "They're very good at copying," he said.