The Commentariat -- April 4, 2021

Afternoon Update:

The New York Times' live updates of Covid-19 developments Sunday are here: "Vaccinations against Covid-19 may be accelerating in the United States, but the Biden administration's intervention at a troubled plant that ruined millions of vaccine doses, along with the continuing threat of dangerous variants of the coronavirus, suggest that the road to defeating the virus is likely to take many unpredictable twists and turns. Saturday marked the first time the country reported more than four million Covid-19 doses in a single day, bringing the average to higher than three million people for the first time, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. On the same day, the fallout continued over a debacle at a Baltimore contract plant that ruined 15 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. The Biden administration put Johnson & Johnson in charge of the facility and moved to stop the facility from making another vaccine, developed by AstraZeneca...."

The Little White Card -- and More. Concepción de León of the New York Times: "Here's everything you need to know about your vaccine record, why it';s important and how to keep it safe."

An Easter Message from the Pope. Elisabetta Povoledo of the New York Times: "Pope Francis delivered his annual 'Urbi et Orbi' ('To the City and to the World') Easter message to a small group of the faithful inside St. Peter's Basilica on Sunday.... The pope delivered the message after presiding over Easter Mass in the presence of about 200 worshipers. Francis spoke of the economic and social hardships that many people, and especially the poor, are experiencing because of the pandemic.... He also addressed the continuing armed conflicts, unrest and increased military spending in Myanmar, Syria, Yemen, Nigeria and other regions and nations. As he has in the past, the leader of the world's 1.3 billion Catholics called on the international community 'in a spirit of global responsibility' to ensure that everyone has access to vaccines, which he called 'an essential tool' in the fight against the pandemic. Delivery delays had to be overcome to 'facilitate their distribution, especially in the poorest countries,' Francis said."

Marie: I purposely have not linked reports on What Donald Trump Said Today, but here's one to sum it all up in one fell foul swoop: ~~~

     ~~~ An Easter Message from the Dope. David Jackson of USA Today: "... Donald Trump marked Easter weekend by attacking his political enemies, repeating false claims about the election, and calling for a boycott of Major League Baseball and other corporations that oppose Georgia's new election law. 'Happy Easter to ALL, including the Radical Left CRAZIES who rigged our Presidential Election, and want to destroy our Country!' Trump said in a written statement early Sunday."

Peter Jamison of the Washington Post: "... the family and friends of Thomas 'Tommy' Bloom Raskin, son of Rep. Jamie B. Raskin (D-Md.), came together Saturday morning to remember the young man, who died by suicide. The memorial service was tailored to prevent communicable disease: Eulogists stood by turns on a stage in a parking lot outside RFK Stadium, dwarfed by a pair of screens that alternately displayed the speakers and family photos. Guests sat in parked cars that they had been asked not to leave, except for visits to a row of yellow portable toilets."

Weiyi Cai, et al., of the New York Times: "Over the last year, in an unrelenting series of episodes with clear racial animus, people of Asian descent have been pushed, beaten, kicked, spit on and called slurs. Homes and businesses have been vandalized. The violence has known no boundaries, spanning generations, income brackets and regions. The New York Times attempted to capture a sense of the rising tide of anti-Asian bias nationwide. Using media reports from across the country, The Times found more than 110 episodes since March 2020 in which there was clear evidence of race-based hate.... [In] assaults in which the assailants expressed explicit racial hostility..., nearly half included a reference to the coronavirus...." MB: Another Trump effect, IMO.

More Bicycles, Better Health. Veronica Penney of the New York Times: "Adding bike lanes to urban streets can increase the number of cyclists across an entire city, not just on the streets with new bike lanes, according to a new study. The finding adds to a growing body of research indicating that investments in cycling infrastructure can encourage more people to commute by bike, which helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve health.... The research, published online Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, found that in cities where bike infrastructure was added, cycling had increased up to 48 percent more than in cities that did not add bike lanes."

Annals of "Journalism," Ha Ha Ha. Matt Gertz of Media Matters: "Ask not for whom the world's tiniest violin plays -- it plays for Fox News. Three months ago the network's hosts enjoyed unprecedented political power and privileged access to ... Donald Trump, the subject of their propaganda. Now its employees are reduced to whining about President Joe Biden not calling on their correspondent during Thursday's press conference, as their lies on behalf of his predecessor's effort to steal the election draw a $1.6 billion lawsuit. Fox's pity party launched roughly two minutes after the press conference concluded and remained a regular facet of the network's coverage of the event into Friday morning. Eleven different programs have combined to mention how Biden did not call on Fox White House correspondent Peter Doocy at least 24 times as of 10 a.m. ET, according to a Media Matters review.

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Black Votes Matter. Gillian Friedman of the New York Times: "More large companies have voiced their opposition to Republican-led efforts to restrict voting, this time in Texas. On Thursday, American Airlines and Dell Technologies declared their objections to proposals in the state that would restrict local measures intended to make voting easier, such as by extending early voting hours. The pushback in Texas came just a day after Delta Air Lines and Coca-Cola spoke out against similar efforts in Georgia, though both companies waited until after Georgia's governor had already signed the law to criticize it.... Those comments came a day after a group of Black executives, led by the former chief executive of American Express and the current chief executive of the drugmaker Merck, called on companies to oppose proposed bills making it more difficult to vote across the country -- saying that they would particularly impact the voting rights of Black Americans." ~~~

~~~ Hannah Denham & Jena McGregor of the Washington Post: "Nearly 200 companies on Friday joined in a strong statement against proposals that threaten to restrict voting access in dozens of states, in a further sign of corporate willingness to speak out on social justice issues. As Major League Baseball announced that it will be moving this summer's All-Star Game out of Atlanta in response to the passage of Georgia's restrictive voting law, executives from at least 193 companies -- including Dow, HP, Twitter and Estée Lauder -- urged the protection of voting rights across the country." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ In yesterday's Comments, Bobby Lee has a great suggestion: "Why not award the [MLB's All-Star] game to the District of Columbia?" ~~~

~~~ In presumably less-great commentary, some guy writing an opinion piece on Fox "News"' site is very upset that the MLB requires photo IDs at its ticket will-call centers (so not just any dude can claim to be you & walk away with the game tickets you bought) but opposes Georgia's voter suppression law. No link. ~~~

~~~ Mike Huckabee Is Not Dead. Blake Montgomery of the Daily Beast: "Mike Huckabee joked on Saturday that he would now 'identify' as Chinese, mocking both LGBTQ people and Asian-Americans simultaneously. The Fox News contributor wrote, 'I've decided to "identify" as Chinese. Coke will like me, Delta will agree with my "values" and I'll probably get shoes from Nike & tickets to @MLB games. Ain't America great?'

Haley Britzky of Task & Purpose: "The Army has suspended several instructors at Fort Sill over allegations they sexually assaulted a female soldier going through initial training at the Oklahoma base.... According to The Intercept, the trainee reported multiple assaults by 22 service members, including several drill sergeants. The trainee's report 'identified seven of the 22 members she said assaulted her,' according to The Intercept." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Ken Klippenstein & Matthew Cole of the Intercept: "The Army is investigating a possible series of sexual assaults of a female soldier at the Army training base in Fort Sill, Oklahoma, a commander at the base told press yesterday. The investigation, according to a military official with direct knowledge, is scrutinizing allegations of multiple assaults against the soldier by 22 service members. Video of one incident under investigation involving several drill sergeants was circulating at the base and was obtained by Army investigators, the official said." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: The nature of the assaults is not specified in either of the reports linked. It seems odd that nearly two dozen men would assault one particular trainee. So is she one of many who were assaulted but the only one to report the assaults? Surely there is more to the story.

Another Treasonous "Law Enforcement Officer." Sara Tabin & Scott Pierce of the Salt Lake Tribune: "A Kaysville[, Utah,] man who formerly worked as a Salt Lake City police officer has been arrested by the FBI for allegedly taking part in the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. Michael Lee Hardin, 50, was taken into custody without incident by members of the FBI's joint terrorism task force, with assistance from the Utah's State Bureau of Investigation, for 'crimes committed at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.,' according to a news release from the FBI's Utah office.... According to charging documents, [Hardin] was caught on video as part of a crowd pushing its way past police officers and yelling that he had a knife.... The FBI caught Hardin by following up on tips from two people who know him.... '[The first tipster] further claimed that Hardin had sent ... text messages on January 6, 2021, stating, "We stormed the Capitol, I am in here now!" "I know you don't like [Donald] Trump, but He is the rightful President!;" and "We will return until we win!"' the [DOJ] statement reads. The second tipster ... gave authorities a photo of Hardin standing next to a bust of Abraham Lincoln, 'in what appears to be the Capitol Crypt,' according to the statement." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Wait, wait! The Capitol has a crypt? Yes, it does. It is not, however, a real crypt holding the remains of American political figures. Rather, it holds statues of these people, one from each of the 13 colonies (except for Virginia, which removed the statue of Robert E. Lee last December. A statue of civil rights leader Barbara Johns will replace the statue of Lee.) AND it leads to Washington's Tomb. What? George Washington is buried in the Capitol basement? Well, no. That didn't work out. BUT photos of the tomb of no one suggest to me it is a ready-made holding cell for the Capitol's sergeants-at-arms could use to temporarily jail misbehaving senators & reps before transferring them to more permanent digs in federal pens. ~~~

     ~~~ A Washington Post story about Michael Hardin's arrest is here: "More than a dozen current and former law enforcement officers have been arrested and charged in connection with the insurrection at the Capitol.... The arrests have raised alarms about the presence of right-wing extremists among the rank-and-file of police departments across the country. Police leaders, long reluctant to scrutinize their own officers' extremist ties, are now facing intense pressure to root out staff with links to white supremacist and armed far-right groups."

Maureen Dowd of the New York Times writes in shades of our Comments thread yesterday: "A Twitter wag summed it up best: Matt Gaetz is everything the Republicans were looking for in Hunter Biden.'... A federal investigation [of Gaetz] ... has set off a scandal worthy of a pulp paperback, one swirling with claims of extortion, Ecstasy, an orgy, a hula hoop and sex trafficking, along with an Iranian hostage and, of course, a cameo by Roger Stone." Dowd goes on to review Hunter Biden's memoir. ~~~

~~~ Marie's rating of last night's Weekend Update: funnier than usual, and it's usually pretty funny (tho last week it wasn't funny enough for me to embed). In fairness, when the main topic is Matt Gaetz, there's a built-in Yuk and Eew:

Remembering the Extraordinary Grifter. How Trump Scammed a Dying Man -- and Many Other Supporters. Shane Goldmacher of the New York Times: Last September, when the Trump campaign was strapped for cash, Donald Trump & a for-profit donation-processing company devised "an intentional scheme to boost revenues.... [They] set up recurring donations by default for online donors, for every week until the election. Contributors had to wade through a fine-print disclaimer and manually uncheck a box to opt out. As the election neared, the Trump team made that disclaimer increasingly opaque.... It introduced a second prechecked box, known internally as a 'money bomb,' that doubled a person's contribution. Eventually its solicitations featured lines of text in bold and capital letters that overwhelmed the opt-out language. The tactic ensnared scores of unsuspecting Trump loyalists -- retirees, military veterans, nurses and even experienced political operatives.... The recurring donations swelled Mr. Trump's treasury in September and October, just as his finances were deteriorating." The campaign was forced to return millions of dollars to the supporters it bilked, but "in effect, the money that Mr. Trump eventually had to refund amounted to an interest-free loan from unwitting supporters at the most important juncture of the 2020 race." The Guardian has a summary story here. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: For the umpteenth time, a major newspaper has published a front-page story on how Donald Trump deceived his own supporters, and it will scarcely matter. Millions of bona fide American dimwits believe Trump's claim that legitimate news outlets publish nothing but "fake news," and they will continue to support him. I'll bet even some of the marks in this particular scam remain his fans & didn't even ask for their money back: they probably gave only small amounts initially and blame themselves for not noticing they had signed on to a recurring donation. ~~~

     ~~~ If you don't have a NYT subscription, Shakezula of LG&$ republishes some of the Times story's details (or what you might call "the fine print.") Plus commentary. Like this: "... Rep. Kevin McCarthy and Sen. Mitch McConnell both use the platform and I'm sure they'll eventually come up with a formula that satisfies Republican politicians need to rip off their voters and outstrips refund demands. Or maybe they'll get back in power and make campaign refund demands a capital crime."

Capitalism Is Awesome, Ctd.

Marie: Shortly before Christmas, I ordered something thru Amazon. I definitely ordered it to be sent by standard delivery. I was surprised when it showed up within 24 hours of my ordering it. Now I know why: ~~~

     ~~~ Too. Much. Information. Hannah Knowles of the Washington Post: "Last week, in an unusually combative tweet response to a congressman, Amazon insisted that its workers did not urinate in bottles. If that were true, nobody would work for us,' wrote the e-commerce giant, which employs more than 1 million people worldwide. Disbelief, derision and fact-checking ensued as journalists weighed in with reported memos and contractor policies suggesting otherwise: 'Documents show Amazon is aware drivers pee in bottles and even defecate en route,' the Intercept reported, citing workers who described intense pressure to hit their quotas. Now Amazon says it was wrong. '[We] know that drivers can and do have trouble finding restrooms because of traffic or sometimes rural routes, and this has been especially the case during Covid when many public restrooms have been closed,' the retail giant wrote in a Friday blog post, apologizing to Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.) for its 'incorrect' response to him.... ~~~

"Pocan rebuffed Amazon's apology Saturday, tweeting that it is 'not about me' but about Amazon's workers 'who you don't treat with enough respect or dignity. Start by acknowledging the inadequate working conditions you've created for ALL your workers, then fix that for everyone & finally, let them unionize without interference,'... Amazon founder and chief executive Jeff Bezos owns The Washington Post."

     ~~~ Marie: There is only one house on my road, and it's mine. On the other side of the road, there's a public park, which has no full-time employees on site. I have often wondered why delivery trucks so often drive past my house and return moments later, yet they leave me no gifts. Mystery solved. There's a Porta Potty on the park grounds. If you live long enough, all truth and wisdom will come to you.

AP: "Details from more than 500 million Facebook users have been found available on a website for hackers. The information appears to be several years old, but it is another example of the vast amount of information collected by Facebook and other social media sites, and the limits to how secure that information is. The availability of the data set was first reported by Business Insider. According to that publication, it has information from 106 countries including phone numbers, Facebook IDs, full names, locations, birthdates, and email addresses." MB: This is one of those genies that can't be stuffed back in the bottle.

The Pandemic, Ctd.

The New York Times' live updates of Covid-19 developments Saturday are here.: "As President Biden enters the homestretch of his first 100 days in office, the general declines in new virus cases, deaths and hospitalizations since January offer signs of hope for a weary nation. But the average number of new cases has risen 19 percent over the past two weeks, and federal health officials say that complacency about the coronavirus could bring on another severe wave of infections." (Also linked yesterday.)

Way Beyond the Beltway

Joby Warrick, et al., of the Washington Post: "Jordanian authorities on Saturday arrested as many as 20 people and sought to restrain the movement of a former crown prince amid what officials called a threat to the 'security and stability' of a country long regarded as a vital U.S. ally in the Middle East. Prince Hamzeh bin Hussein, the eldest son of the late King Hussein and his American-born fourth wife, Queen Noor, was told to remain at his Amman palace amid an investigation into an alleged plot to unseat his older half brother, King Abdullah II, according to a senior Middle Eastern intelligence official briefed on the events. The move followed the discovery of what officials described as a complex and far-reaching plot that included at least one other Jordanian royal as well as tribal leaders and members of the country's political and security establishment. One official cited unspecified evidence of 'foreign' backing for the plan." The BBC's story is here. An AP story is here.

The Commentariat -- April 3, 2021

Late Morning Update:

Black Votes Matter. Gillian Friedman of the New York Times: "More large companies have voiced their opposition to Republican-led efforts to restrict voting, this time in Texas. On Thursday, American Airlines and Dell Technologies declared their objections to proposals in the state that would restrict local measures intended to make voting easier, such as by extending early voting hours. The pushback in Texas came just a day after Delta Air Lines and Coca-Cola spoke out against similar efforts in Georgia, though both companies waited until after Georgia's governor had already signed the law to criticize it.... Those comments came a day after a group of Black executives, led by the former chief executive of American Express and the current chief executive of the drugmaker Merck, called on companies to oppose proposed bills making it more difficult to vote across the country -- saying that they would particularly impact the voting rights of Black Americans." ~~~

~~~ Hannah Denham & Jena McGregor of the Washington Post: "Nearly 200 companies on Friday joined in a strong statement against proposals that threaten to restrict voting access in dozens of states, in a further sign of corporate willingness to speak out on social justice issues. As Major League Baseball announced that it will be moving this summer's All-Star Game out of Atlanta in response to the passage of Georgia's restrictive voting law, executives from at least 193 companies -- including Dow, HP, Twitter and Estée Lauder -- urged the protection of voting rights across the country." ~~~

~~~ In today's Comments, Bobby Lee has a great suggestion: "Why not award the [MLB's All-Star] game to the District of Columbia?"

The New York Times' live updates of Covid-19 developments Saturday are here.: "As President Biden enters the homestretch of his first 100 days in office, the general declines in new virus cases, deaths and hospitalizations since January offer signs of hope for a weary nation. But the average number of new cases has risen 19 percent over the past two weeks, and federal health officials say that complacency about the coronavirus could bring on another severe wave of infections."

Sara Tabin & Scott Pierce of the Salt Lake Tribune: "A Kaysville[, Utah,] man who formerly worked as a Salt Lake City police officer has been arrested by the FBI for allegedly taking part in the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. Michael Lee Hardin, 50, was taken into custody without incident by members of the FBI's joint terrorism task force, with assistance from the Utah's State Bureau of Investigation, for 'crimes committed at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.,' according to a news release from the FBI's Utah office.... According to charging documents, [Hardin] was caught on video as part of a crowd pushing its way past police officers and yelling that he had a knife.... The FBI caught Hardin by following up on tips from two people who know him.... '[The first tipster] further claimed that Hardin had sent ... text messages on January 6, 2021, stating, "We stormed the Capitol, I am in here now!" "I know you don't like [Donald] Trump, but He is the rightful President!" and "We will return until we win!",' the [DOJ] statement reads. The second tipster ... gave authorities a photo of Hardin standing next to a bust of Abraham Lincoln, 'in what appears to be the Capitol Crypt,' according to the statement."

Haley Britzky of Task & Purpose: "The Army has suspended several instructors at Fort Sill over allegations they sexually assaulted a female soldier going through initial training at the Oklahoma base.... According to The Intercept, the trainee reported multiple assaults by 22 service members, including several drill sergeants. The trainee's report 'identified seven of the 22 members she said assaulted her,' according to The Intercept." ~~~

     ~~~ Ken Klippenstein & Matthew Cole of the Intercept: "The Army is investigating a possible series of sexual assaults of a female soldier at the Army training base in Fort Sill, Oklahoma, a commander at the base told press yesterday. The investigation, according to a military official with direct knowledge, is scrutinizing allegations of multiple assaults against the soldier by 22 service members. Video of one incident under investigation involving several drill sergeants was circulating at the base and was obtained by Army investigators, the official said." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: The nature of the assaults is not specified in either of the reports linked. It seems odd that nearly two dozen men would assault one particular trainee. So is she one of many who were assaulted but the only one to report the assaults? Surely there is more to the story.

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Peter Hermann, et al., of the Washington Post: "One Capitol Police officer was killed and another injured Friday when a vehicle rammed into them near the U.S. Capitol, an attack that once again put the city on edge as threats stemming from the deadly insurrection in January had started to wane. It was not immediately clear how the slain officer, identified as William 'Billy' Evans, an 18-year veteran, was fatally injured. Acting U.S. Capitol Police chief Yogananda Pittman said a man exited the vehicle with a knife and started lunging. She said at least one police officer opened fire, killing the suspect. Several people familiar with the investigation identified the suspect as Noah Green. One of those people said Green has an address in Virginia." (This is an update of a story linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ CNN's story is here. CNN has live updates here. The New York Times story is here. (All linked yesterday afternoon.) The NYT is liveblogging developments here.

Laura Reiley of the Washington Post: "The Biden administration has abandoned the Trump administration's opposition to emergency nutrition assistance going to the lowest income households already at the maximum benefit levels. In two lawsuits in Pennsylvania and California, plaintiffs argued that ... Donald Trump's agriculture secretary, Sonny Perdue, misinterpreted a section of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act in a way that denied millions of the neediest Americans access to emergency allotments of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.... Tom Vilsack, the current agriculture secretary, moved on Thursday for voluntary dismissal of the agency's appeal in these cases, entering into a settlement that will provide $1 billion per month in additional food assistance to an estimated 25 million people in very low-income American households." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I thought maybe I had linked a story on this yesterday, but I didn't. That was a different Trump cutback Biden has reversed. Little by little, the Biden administration is dumping the entire Trump Cruelty Agenda.

Patricia Cohen of the New York Times: "Just as the Biden administration is pushing to raise taxes on corporations, a new study finds that at least 55 of America's largest paid no taxes last year on billions of dollars in profits. The sweeping tax bill passed in 2017 by a Republican Congress and signed into law by ... Donald J. Trump reduced the corporate tax rate to 21 percent from 35 percent. But dozens of Fortune 500 companies were able to further shrink their tax bill -- sometimes to zero -- thanks to a range of legal deductions and exemptions that have become staples of the tax code, according to the analysis. Salesforce, Archer-Daniels-Midland and Consolidated Edison were among those named in the report, which was done by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, a left-leaning research group in Washington." (Also linked yesterday.)

Loveday Morris, et al., of the Washington Post: "The United States and other original signatories to the Iran nuclear deal will convene in Vienna next week in an effort to revive the 2015 nuclear agreement that President Biden has said he wants to see salvaged. Representatives of Iran, France, Germany, Russia, Britain and China will convene Tuesday with two challenges on the table: how to roll back sanctions imposed by the Trump administration and bring Tehran's nuclear program back into the limits set by the deal. U.S. envoys will not be part of those discussions, but will be on hand for 'separate contacts' with the group, according to a European Commission statement." MB: The reason the U.S. doesn't have a seat at the table, of course, is because Donald Trump pulled the U.S. out of the agreement.

Michael Scherer & Matt Zapotosky of the Washington Post: "Rep. Matt Gaetz repeatedly boasted to people involved in Florida politics about women he met through a county tax collector who has since been charged by federal authorities with sex trafficking of a minor, according to two people who heard his comments directly. They said the Republican congressman, first elected in 2016, also showed them videos on his phone of naked or topless women on multiple occasions, including at parties with Joel Greenberg, the former tax collector for Seminole County. The women appeared to be adults.... 'Matt was never shy about talking about his relationship to Joel and the access to women that Joel provided him,' said one of these people...." ~~~

~~~ Jose Lambiet & Karen Ruiz of the Daily Mail: "Rep Matt Gaetz is expected to be indicted within the next few weeks as former Florida official and friend Joel Greenberg is believed to have turned on the congressman in the sex trafficking investigation against him, a source close to the probe tells DailyMail.com. Greenberg, who was elected Seminole County Tax Collector in 2016, is currently in jail awaiting trial after being slapped with a string of charges last year including sex trafficking a minor between the age of 14 and 17.... Gaetz's arrest is said to be imminent after the alleged victim, who has not been named, testified before a Florida grand jury this week saying she had sex with the conservative Republican before she turned 18, DailyMail.com has learned." MB: It's the Daily Mail, so any veracity to this story is purely accidental. But it is fun to speculate that Gaetz is toast. ~~~

~~~ The Receipts: Incriminating text messages! Creepy voicemails! Fake IDs! Cash App receipts! Nude photos! On Friday, Business Insider published new reporting on a sex game Gaetz reportedly created as a state legislator.Grainy surveillance tapes! And more (like dodgy hotel bills & middle-of-the-night hotel ATM hits)! Jose Pagliery of the Daily Beast: "When [Joel] Greenberg ... came under investigation by the Secret Service for identity theft and stalking, agents approached former employees at the tax office to obtain proof of the public official's activities. That's when they were suddenly directed to [Matt] Gaetz." Firewalled. MB: Wish I'd been around when the team investigating Greenberg first discovered they'd snagged Gaetz, too. ~~~

~~~ Bob Brigham of the Raw Story: "On Friday, Business Insider published new reporting on a sex game [Matt] Gaetz reportedly created as a state legislator. 'Sleeping with married legislators. Spending the night at a college sorority house. These were specific ways now-US Rep. Matt Gaetz and other Florida lawmakers could earn "extra points" in a sex competition in which Gaetz is accused of participating when he served in the state's House of Representatives, a female GOP insider who worked with Gaetz in the 2010s told Insider in an interview,' Business Insider reported Friday.... 'The GOP source said she "heard specific references of Gaetz being involved and scoring points."'" ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I know this isn't funny because Gaetz & Greeberg victimized real people, possibly including a young girl. But I can't help being happy that Gaetz may finally get his comeuppance for years of sexually harassing & abusing young women & girls. ~~~

~~~ Juliegrace Brufke of the Hill: Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) told the Hill ... in a text exchange with the Hill ... said rumors he plans to resign from his office are 'false' and it is 'very safe' to say he doesn't have any intention to do so." MB: The best laid schemes o' Mice an' Men gang aft agley, Matt. Not to mention, really stupid schemes. ~~~

~~~ Nicholas Fandos of the New York Times: "The spokesman for Representative Matt Gaetz, the Florida Republican under federal investigation into whether he violated laws against sex trafficking, has abruptly resigned amid mounting scrutiny of his boss, the congressman's office confirmed on Friday. Luke Ball, a longtime aide to Mr. Gaetz who was serving as his communications director, had as recently as this week been helping Mr. Gaetz mount a defense against the newly disclosed Justice Department investigation." MB: Sorry, Luke, nobody who was willing to work for Matt Gaetz for years earns points for bowing out the defense of sexual abuse & other crimes. ~~~

~~~ Colby Hall of Mediaite: "CNN's Dana Bash revealed that she received several texts from some of Rep. Matt Gaetz's current and former Republican colleagues in Congress. Many include language that she [said she] can't repeat on morning television."

Trump Treasury Went Full Q, Sanctioned a Pizza Place. Adam Taylor of the Washington Post: "On the very last day ... Donald Trump was in office in January, his administration announced new sanctions targeting a catering company in Verona, Italy. According to the U.S. Treasury, the measures were designed to defeat a 'network attempting to evade United States sanctions on Venezuela's oil sector.' But ... Alessandro Bazzoni, the owner of the catering company..., was not involved in sanctions evasion with Venezuela.... The U.S. Treasury announced this week that it was removing the company linked to Bazzoni -- a catering firm that shares an address with his pizza shop, Dolce Gusto -- from its sanctions blacklist." Turns out the Trumpies sanctioned the wrong Alessandro Bazzoni. MB: Because gross incompetence.

Politico Magazine has published an adapted excerpt from an upcoming book by former House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio). It's quite entertaining. Really. (Also linked yesterday.)

Michael Ruane of the Washington Post: "Near the end, the battered American destroyer USS Johnston was surrounded by Japanese warships closing in to finish her off. The Johnston was ablaze. Scores of sailors lay dead. And after three hours of heroic battle, only one of its guns could return fire. At 9:45 a.m. on Oct. 25, 1944, the wounded skipper, Cmdr. Ernest E. Evans, gave the order to abandon ship, and 25 minutes later the Johnston sank off the Philippine island of Samar. Evans and 185 members of the crew were lost, and he would become the first Native American in the Navy to receive the Medal of Honor. On Thursday, the Navy and a team of undersea explorers announced that the wreck of the Johnston had been positively identified in 21,180 feet of water. Scattered wreckage had been found at the site in 2019 but could not be positively identified."

The Pandemic, Ctd.

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

Lena Sun & Lori Aratani of the Washington Post: "Federal health officials said fully vaccinated people may travel as evidence mounts of the shots' effectiveness at helping to protect against coronavirus infections and their spread. But the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that even though fully vaccinated individuals are at lower risk of infection, travel is still not recommended due to the rising number of cases in the United States and globally. The long-awaited guidance is still welcome news for the growing number of vaccinated adults who want greater freedom to visit family members and take vacations for the first time in a year. It is also expected to help boost the travel and airline industries that have been seeking a relaxation of the restrictions." The article is free to nonsubscribers.

Beyond the Beltway

Georgia. Kevin Draper, et al., of the New York Times: "Major League Baseball sent a warning shot on Friday to Republicans considering new restrictions on voting laws, pulling its summer All-Star game out of suburban Atlanta in a rebuke to Georgia's new election restrictions that will make it harder to vote in the state's urban areas. The decision by the baseball commissioner, Rob Manfred, came after days of pressure from civil rights groups and discussions with stakeholders like the Major League Baseball Players Association. The action is likely to put additional pressure on other leading organizations and corporations to consider pulling business out of Georgia, a move that both Republicans and Democrats in the state oppose despite fiercely disagreeing about the new voting law."

Minnesota. Holly Bailey & Robert Samuels of the Washington Post: "Derek Chauvin used force that was 'totally unnecessary' when he knelt on George Floyd's neck for nine minutes and 29 seconds while Floyd was handcuffed and no longer a threat, the longest-serving officer in the Minneapolis department testified Friday. Capping a dramatic first week of testimony in Chauvin's murder trial, Lt. Richard Zimmerman, a 35-year veteran who leads the department's homicide division, questioned the reasoning and technique behind Floyd's restraint, saying the man no longer appeared to be a threat.... Zimmerman, who was called to the scene of Floyd's death at 38th and Chicago on May 25, testified that once someone is handcuffed, 'they are not a threat to you at that point' and the amount of force should be immediately reduced.... The longtime homicide detective, who used to work patrol, said he and other Minneapolis officers had been specifically trained to take particular care with handcuffed suspects and warned to limit use of the prone position...."

The Commentariat -- April 2, 2021

Late Morning/Afternoon Update:

Peter Hermann, et al., of the Washington Post: "One Capitol police officer was killed and another injured Friday when a vehicle rammed into them near the U.S. Capitol, the department's chief said at a news conference. Chief Yogananda Pittman said a person exited the vehicle with a knife and started lunging. She said police opened fire, killing the suspect." The New York Times story is here. CNN's story is here. CNN has live updates here.

~~~ 1:30 pm ET: The U.S. Capitol is on lockdown, with little info available. The cable networks have showed videos of a blue sedan which apparently rammed into a big concrete Jersey steel barricade. It's surrounded by law enforcement officials. The vehicle reportedly slammed into two officers, injuring them. They have been hospitalized. The driver is said to have exited the vehicle brandishing a knife, and police shot him/her. S/he is in custody & has been taken to a hospital. Updates: according to Pete Williams of NBC News, the driver has died. Acting Capitol Police Chief Yogananda Pittman confirmed that the suspect died. She said one of the injured officers also died. She indicated the deceased suspect was a male. Nancy Pelosi has ordered Capitol flags flown at half-staff to honor the fallen officer. At about 3 pm ET, police lifted the lockdown.

The New York Times is liveblogging Day 5 the murder trial of Derek Chauvin here. The Washington Post's live updates are here. CNN's liveblog is here. All linked pages also include livefeeds of courtroom proceedings.

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

Patricia Cohen of the New York Times: "Just as the Biden administration is pushing to raise taxes on corporations, a new study finds that at least 55 of America's largest paid no taxes last year on billions of dollars in profits. The sweeping tax bill passed in 2017 by a Republican Congress and signed into law by ... Donald J. Trump reduced the corporate tax rate to 21 percent from 35 percent. But dozens of Fortune 500 companies were able to further shrink their tax bill -- sometimes to zero -- thanks to a range of legal deductions and exemptions that have become staples of the tax code, according to the analysis. Salesforce, Archer-Daniels-Midland and Consolidated Edison were among those named in the report, which was done by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, a left-leaning research group in Washington."

Politico Magazine has published an adapted excerpt from an upcoming book by former House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio). It's quite entertaining. Really.

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Darlene Superville & Zeke Miller of the AP: President Joe "Biden's full Cabinet met Thursday in the spacious White House East Room, not the comparatively cramped West Wing room that bears the group's name, to allow for social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic. Many smaller tables were pushed together to create one gigantic square. Department secretaries and other participants wore face masks. And the portion of the meeting opened to press coverage lacked the over-the-top, hail-to-the chief tributes that came to define Donald Trump's Cabinet meetings. Biden immediately pointed out the diversity of his Cabinet, which includes the first Black defense secretary in Lloyd Austin, the first openly gay Cabinet member in Pete Buttigieg at transportation, the first Native American secretary in Deb Halaand at Interior and the first female treasury secretary in Janet Yellen, among others. Vice President Kamala Harris is the first woman, Black person and Indian American elected to her office. Biden declared the group 'looks like America.'... Trump's Cabinet was largely white and male. Thursday's meeting came a week after the Senate confirmed the final Cabinet member...." ~~~

~~~ Molly Nagle of ABC News: "One day after announcing his massive infrastructure plan, President Joe Biden held his first in-person Cabinet meeting Thursday afternoon at the White House, tasking five members of his Cabinet to take the lead on selling the proposal to the American people -- and Congress. In brief remarks at the top of the meeting, Biden announced that Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Marcia Fudge, Labor Secretary Marty Walsh and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo would take on the additional responsibility." ~~~

     ~~~ Josh Boak & Lisa Mascaro of the AP: "But the enormity of his task was clear as Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's vowed to oppose the plan 'every step of the way.' Speaking in Kentucky, McConnell said he personally likes [President] Biden and they've been friends a long time. But the president will get no cooperation from the GOP, which objects to the corporate tax increases in the plan.... White House chief of staff Ron Klain said the key to any outreach is that the proposal's ideas are already popular.... 'We're happy to have a conversation with people, less about the price tag, more about what are the elements that should be in the plan that people think are missing.' Those conversations could be limited to Democrats...." MB: That's fine, Rachel Maddow pointed out Thursday night. Now Democrats don't have to do a Kabuki dance with Republicans pretending to have an interest in shaping the bill.

Aimee Picchi of CBS News: "A Trump-era plan to cut food stamps is now off the table after the Biden administration said it is abandoning a previous plan to tighten work requirements for working-age adults without children. Those restrictions were projected to deny federal food assistance benefits to 700,000 adults, a proposal that had had drawn strong condemnation from anti-hunger advocates. The U.S. Department of Agriculture on March 24 said it is withdrawing a Trump administration appeal of a federal court ruling that had blocked the planned restrictions on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), better known as food stamps. Trump officials had filed the appeal in May, two months after the coronavirus pandemic had shuttered the economy and caused millions of people to lose their jobs."

Sam Mintz of Politico: "President Joe Biden's Department of Transportation is invoking the Civil Rights Act to pause a highway project near Houston, a rare move that offers an early test of the administration's willingness to wield federal power to address a long history of government-driven racial inequities. DOT's intervention follows complaints from local activists that the state's proposed widening of Interstate 45 would displace an overwhelmingly Black and Hispanic community, including schools, places of worship and more than 1,000 homes and businesses. It also comes as Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has identified racial equity as a major priority for his department -- after decades in which federal highway money has paid for projects that leveled minority and low-income communities."

Daniel Lippman of Politico: "The White House is removing the Interior Department's chief of staff, Jennifer Van der Heide, who recently planned a 50-person indoor party at the agency that the White House ordered canceled, and is moving her to a senior counselor job at the agency, according to two Biden administration officials. The White House's Cabinet affairs office ordered that party, which was intended to celebrate Interior Secretary Deb Haaland's confirmation, to be called off amid fears it could become a superspreader event, as Politico first reported late last week." MB: Van der Heide said she thought the fact that the agency was called the Interior Department meant they could party in the interior of the building. She's quite bright, and we're sure she'll make a great senior counselor. (Also linked yesterday.)

Marie: Looks as if Matt Gaetz may resign his Congressional seat soon to spend more time with his (wealthy) family -- and his lawyer. It appears the DOJ already has collected a pile of receipts. ~~~

Katie Benner & Michael Schmidt of the New York Times: "A Justice Department investigation into Representative Matt Gaetz and an indicted Florida politician is focusing on their involvement with multiple women who were recruited online for sex and received cash payments, according to people close to the investigation and text messages and payment receipts reviewed by The New York Times. Investigators believe Joel Greenberg, the former tax collector in Seminole County, Fla., who was indicted last year on a federal sex trafficking charge and other crimes, initially met the women through websites that connect people who go on dates in exchange for gifts, fine dining, travel and allowances, according to three people with knowledge of the encounters. Mr. Greenberg introduced the women to Mr. Gaetz, who also had sex with them, the people said.... In encounters during 2019 and 2020, Mr. Gaetz and Mr. Greenberg instructed the women to meet at certain times and places, often at hotels around Florida, and would tell them the amount of money they were willing to pay, according to the messages and interviews. One person said that the men also paid in cash.... Some of the men and women took ecstasy, an illegal hallucinogenic drug...." The Hill has a summary report here. ~~~

~~~ Evan Perez, et al., of CNN: "Federal investigators looking into Rep. Matt Gaetz's relationships with young women have examined whether any federal campaign money was involved in paying for travel and expenses for the women, a person briefed on the matter said. Investigators are examining whether the Florida Republican engaged in a relationship with a woman that began when she was 17 years old and whether his involvement with other young women broke federal sex trafficking and prostitution laws, according to that source and another person briefed on the matter. Investigators are also pursuing allegations from witnesses and other evidence that Gaetz may have used cash and drugs in his dealings with young women, the sources said.... Information that may connect Gaetz to a fake ID scheme at the center of the case against [a] second Florida politician, Joel Greenberg, was presented to federal investigators in a meeting early last year, according to two other people.... According to one of the people familiar with the matter, an employee at the tax collector's office saw Greenberg and Gaetz on internal office surveillance video looking through driver licenses on a weekend evening." ~~~

~~~ Jeremy Herb, et al., of CNN: "Rep. Matt Gaetz, the Florida Republican being investigated by the Justice Department over sex trafficking allegations..., gained a reputation in Congress over his relationships with women and bragging about his sexual escapades to his colleagues, multiple sources told CNN. Gaetz allegedly showed off to other lawmakers photos and videos of nude women he said he had slept with, the sources told CNN, including while on the House floor. The sources, including two people directly shown the material, said Gaetz displayed the images of women on his phone and talked about having sex with them. One of the videos showed a naked woman with a hula hoop, according to one source." MB: The thing is, Matt, we now know you paid for it. So no bragging rights, you slimy, twisted creep. ~~~

~~~ Thomas Moore of the Hill: "Fox News has confirmed it has no plans to hire Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) for a job at the network. 'No one with any level of authority has had conversations with Matt Gaetz for any of our platforms, and we have no interest in hiring him,' the network said in a statement. The statement was issued after a report in The Daily Beast Wednesday that Gaetz was talking with people at Fox News, One America News Network and Newsmax about possible jobs. Axios first reported Tuesday that Gaetz was considering retiring from Congress and possibly working at Newsmax." (Also linked yesterday.)

The Pandemic, Ctd.

Near the end of yesterday's Comments thread, Rose in Michigan made a wonderful contribution.

Beyond the Beltway

Minnesota. Steve Karnowski, et al., of the AP: "A Minneapolis police supervisory sergeant who was on duty the night George Floyd died testified that he believes the officers who restrained Floyd could have ended it after he stopped resisting. David Pleoger testified Thursday at the trial of since-fired officer Derek Chauvin, who is charged with murder and manslaughter in Floyd's death. He noted that officers are trained to roll people on their side to help with their breathing after they have been restrained in the prone position.... Thursday's testimony began with Floyd's girlfriend tearfully telling the jury how they met in 2017 -- at a Salvation Army shelter where he was a security guard with 'this great, deep Southern voice, raspy' -- and how they both struggled with an addiction to painkillers." The Washington Post's story is here.

Georgia. Sarah Burris of the Raw Story: "The Georgia State House passed a bill that would eliminate tax breaks for Delta Airlines for jet fuel. The vote was 97-73 and moves onto the state Senate. In a memo Wednesday, Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian told employees that Georgia's new voter suppression law was 'unacceptable' and 'based on a lie' of widespread fraud in the 2020 presidential election." MB: Looks as if Georgia Republicans have learned from Donald Trump how to misuse their positions to exact retribution.

Yin. Texas. Jane Timm of NBC News: "The Texas Senate in the early morning hours Thursday passed a package of election bills that would put new restrictions on voting in the state. The final version of the Senate Bill 7 is not yet online for review, but the original bill banned overnight early voting hours and drive-thru early voting, while restricting how election officials handle mail voting." (Also linked yesterday.)

~~~ And Yang. Virginia. John Kruzel of the Hill: "Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (D) signed into law Wednesday a measure that fills some of the gaps in voter protections created nearly a decade ago when the Supreme Court gutted federal voting rights oversight. A key piece of the Virginia law is a requirement that state election officials get prior approval -- or preclearance -- before making changes to voting rules, a provision that aims to blunt would-be voter suppression efforts." Thanks to RockyGirl for the link. ~~~

     ~~~ Reid Epstein & Nick Corasaniti of the New York Times: "As states across the South race to establish new voting restrictions, Virginia is bolting in the opposite direction. The Democratic governor, Ralph Northam, this week capped a multiyear liberal movement for greater ballot access by signing off on sweeping legislation to recreate pivotal elements of the federal Voting Rights Act that were struck down by the Supreme Court's conservative majority in 2013. Alone among the states of the former Confederacy, Virginia has become a voting rights bastion, increasingly encouraging its citizens -- especially people of color -- to exercise their democratic rights. Virginia, which for nearly 50 years had to submit changes to its elections to the federal government for approval under the Voting Rights Act's preclearance requirements, has now effectively imposed the same covenants on itself, an extraordinary step for a state with a long history of segregation and racially targeted voting laws." ~~~

~~~ Gregory Schneider of the Washington Post: "The Supreme Court of Virginia has cleared the way for the city of Charlottesville to take down the statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee that was the focus of 2017's deadly Unite the Right rally, and the ruling appears to open the door for statue removals around the state. The Charlottesville City Council voted to take down both the Lee and a nearby statue of Stonewall Jackson shortly after the rally in which white supremacists defended Confederate iconography, with one of them driving his car through a crowd of counterprotesters and killing a young woman. But several local residents sued to prevent the statues from coming down. They argued that a state law passed in 1997 prohibited localities from removing Confederate war memorials." (Also linked yesterday.)

Wisconsin. Jerry Lambe of Law & Crime: "Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers on Wednesday asked a federal judge to order ... Donald Trump to reimburse the city [state??] for attorneys' fees and court costs associated with his unsuccessful attempts to overturn the state's 2020 election results through 'frivolous' legal action. The motion was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin by attorneys for the Democratic governor. They said that Trump's claims were 'bereft of legal or factual basis,' but the state still had no choice but to spend taxpayer dollars to defend against the 'scattershot litigation tactics' employed by Trump's legal team. The state is now seeking to recoup $145,174.90 in legal expenditures associated with the case."

Way Beyond

Robyn Dixon of the Washington Post: "Jailed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, on a hunger strike after being denied medical care, has been hoping for a visit from a doctor. Instead he got a less welcome visitor Thursday: Maria Butina, the Russian agent convicted and jailed for conspiring to infiltrate political organizations in the United States without registering with authorities. According to a post by Navalny's team on his Twitter account, Butina was reporting for the Kremlin-funded RT television network, formerly Russia Today.... 'Instead of a doctor, Butina, a wretched propagandist from RT channel, arrived today accompanied by video cameras,' said a post Thursday on Navalny's Twitter account. She was 'shouting that this is the best and most comfortable prison.' The account said Navalny lectured her for 15 minutes in front of the other prisoners, calling her 'a parasite and a servant of thieves.' Posts on Navalny's social media are made in his name by members of his team since he has no access to the Internet."

News Lede

CNBC: "Job growth boomed in March at the fastest pace since last summer, as stronger economic growth and an aggressive vaccination effort contributed to a surge in hospitality and construction jobs, the Labor Department reported Friday. Nonfarm payrolls increased by 916,000 for the month while the unemployment rate fell to 6%. Economists surveyed by Dow Jones had been looking for an increase of 675,000...."