The Commentariat -- September 2, 2021

Marie: Reality Chex AGAIN is not accepting comments, through no design or fault of my own. However, my dumb interim plan to get around the problem still works. Here, again, are the easy instructions:

1. In the URL (address line), enter www.realitychex.com/display/Login and return. The login is case-sensitive, so that "L" in "Login" must be capitalized.

2. A log-in page will come up. Type squarespace in the Login box. Type nonsense in the password box. And return. That will get you page to the standard Reality Chex page. (Note: Don't use boldface type; I've put the stuff you have to use in boldface only to make it easier to see.)

3. Type your comment in the Comments box as usual. But at the end of the comment, sign it with your usual Reality Chex handle, because the name of the poster will say "See Above."

Also, thanks to Ken W. for alerting me.

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Afternoon Update:

Brett Samuels of the Hill: "President Biden on Thursday said he is directing his administration to look into ways to protect abortion access for women in Texas after the Supreme Court refused to block the state's law that bans almost all abortions[.]... The White House on Wednesday said the proper recourse to ensure abortion access would be for Congress to codify Roe v. Wade. But Biden on Thursday signaled his administration would take unilateral action where possible. The president said he was asking the Gender Policy Council and White House Counsel to 'launch a whole-of-government effort to respond to this decision, looking specifically to the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Justice to see what steps the Federal Government can take to ensure that women in Texas have access to safe and legal abortions as protected by Roe, and what legal tools we have to insulate women and providers from the impact of Texas' bizarre scheme of outsourced enforcement to private parties.'"

Cristina Marcos of the Hill: "Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Thursday that the House will vote on legislation to guarantee access to abortion upon its return to Washington later this month after the Supreme Court refused to block a restrictive Texas law that bans most abortions.... Pelosi said that after the House returns to session on Sept. 20, the chamber will vote on a bill from Rep. Judy Chu (D-Calif.) to statutorily protect a person's ability to seek an abortion and for health care providers to provide abortion services.... The Senate companion bill to Chu's legislation has the support of 48 Democrats. Two Democrats, Sen. Joe Manchin (W.Va.) and Bob Casey (Pa.) have not signed on as co-sponsors. Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) called for abolishing the filibuster so that legislation to enshrine Roe v. Wade can pass in the Senate with a simple majority and for expanding the Supreme Court." MB: IOW, the bill will not pass in the Senate.

Annie Grayer, et al., of CNN: "Democratic Chairman of the January 6 Select Committee Bennie Thompson announced on Thursday that Republican Rep. Liz Cheney will become the panel's vice chair, the latest sign that the Democrat-run committee is attempting to strike a bipartisan tone as it prepares to wade into politically contested waters. Cheney, one of two Republicans to serve on the committee, has defied her party by joining the panel controlled by Democrats and even sacrificed her own position in leadership in order to remain vocal and outspoken about the need to investigate the January 6 insurrection at the US Capitol."

Mayberry Falls to Climate Change. Christopher Flavelle of the New York Times: "Climate shocks are pushing small rural communities..., many of which were already struggling economically, to the brink of insolvency. Rather than bouncing back, places hit repeatedly by hurricanes, floods and wildfires are unraveling: residents and employers leave, the tax base shrinks and it becomes even harder to fund basic services. That downward spiral now threatens low-income communities in the path this week of Hurricane Ida and those hit by the recent flooding in Tennessee -- hamlets regularly pummeled by storms that are growing more frequent and destructive because of climate change." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: IOW, Republicans are destroying their own fairy tale. Republican politicians hold up these small towns as idyllic exemplars of "real America" at the same time they either oppose efforts to curb climate change or outright deny there is such a thing.

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Zelensky Gets His Oval Office Meeting with a Real U.S. President. Annie Karni of the New York Times: "President Biden on Wednesday assured Ukraine's president that the United States remained opposed to 'Russian aggression' in the region, using an Oval Office meeting to affirm his support for a leader unnerved by America's chaotic exit from Afghanistan. The meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine also allowed Mr. Biden to send a message to Russia that he was committed to standing by a strategic partner that Moscow has invaded. 'The partnership between our nations grows stronger and its going to become even stronger,' Mr. Biden said, noting the two countries had a 'similar value system' that included a commitment to a Europe that was 'whole, free and at peace.' Despite a delay of a few days, due in part to the unfolding crisis in Afghanistan, Mr. Zelensky finally got the Oval Office reception he had been seeking since his election in 2019. His earlier efforts to secure such a meeting with ... Donald J. Trump led to Mr. Zelensky unwittingly becoming entangled in an international incident that led to Mr. Trump's first impeachment trial."

The Washington Post's live updates of Thursday's developments related to Afghanistan are here: "Gen. Mark A. Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters Wednesday ... [that] it is 'possible' the United States will coordinate with the Taliban in the fight against the Islamic State, although he declined to make predictions about potential collaboration with Afghanistan's new rulers, who could announce a new government as early as Thursday."

Mitch: Get Over It, People. Alex Rogers & Ali Zaslav of CNN: "Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell said Wednesday that 'there isn't going to be an impeachment' of President Joe Biden over the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan, noting that Democrats control the House and Senate. 'I think the way these behaviors get adjusted in this country is at the ballot box,' said McConnell at an event in Pikeville, Kentucky. 'The President is not going to be removed from office with a Democratic House and a narrowly Democratic Senate. That's not going to happen.'... Some Republicans, including Tennessee Sen. Marsha Blackburn and South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, have since said that the President should resign or face impeachment."

From the IOKIYAR Department Files. Reid Epstein & Catie Edmondson of the New York Times: "Early last year, Representative Kevin McCarthy of California, the House minority leader, praised ... Donald J. Trump's deal to pull American troops out of Afghanistan as 'a positive step.' As secretary of state, Mike Pompeo helped negotiate that agreement with the Taliban. Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri pressed last November for a withdrawal as soon as possible. Now, the three are among dozens of prominent Republicans who, with President Biden seeing the pullout through, have sharply reversed themselves -- assailing Mr. Biden even as he keeps a promise that Mr. Trump had made, and carries out a policy to which they had given their full-throated support. The collective U-turn reflects Republicans' eagerness to attack Mr. Biden and ensure that he pays a political price for the way he ended the war. With Mr. Trump reversing himself as the withdrawal grew chaotic and, in its endgame, deadly, it also offers new evidence of how allegiance to the former president has come to override compunctions about policy flip-flops or political hypocrisy." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: The implication that in recent memory Republicans have had any “compunctions about political hypocrisy” is ludicrous. Hypocrisy is central to their “political philosophy,” such as it is.

Greg Sargent of the Washington Post: "We're now beginning to see just how ugly a House GOP takeover would be for the country. What is unmistakable is that a Republican House would be singularly devoted to using its power to avenge Donald Trump's 2020 loss -- and to whitewashing his efforts to overturn it in every way possible. Case in point: House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) has now openly threatened to use a GOP-controlled House to punish private companies that comply with lawful subpoenas issued by the House select committee examining the Jan. 6 insurrection.... [He made] an explicit threat to use the 'Republican majority' -- his words -- to punish compliance with congressional subpoenas that serve an investigation into an effort to overturn U.S. democracy through mob intimidation and violence.... One option for Democrats would be to refer McCarthy's threat to the House Ethics Committee, [ethicist Norm] Eisen says, under a House rule against bringing discredit on the House. That could result in punitive action, such as censure or a fine." The Ethics Committee's investigation could lead to a criminal referral to the DOJ. "'I see it as clear obstruction of justice,' Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) told me." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Zak Hudak of CBS News: "One of the two Republicans who sit on the House select committee investigating the deadly January 6 attack on the Capitol said a GOP colleague is 'using language that seems intended to incite violence.' 'I think every member ought to condemn that, and I'd like to see Leader McCarthy very clearly condemn it and explain how dangerous that is,' Wyoming Republican Congresswoman Liz Cheney told CBS News. She was talking about freshman GOP Congressman Madison Cawthorn's remarks last weekend while in his home state of North Carolina, he said that there would be 'bloodshed' if elections continue to be 'rigged' and even suggested he, too, might join the fight." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Looks like Cheney is doing reporters' work for them. Yesterday I linked to a Vice story about Cawthorn's remarks. According to the Vice report, "When asked about Cawthorn's comments about busting out prisoners, [Cawthorn spokesman Luke] Ball said his boss 'wants due process for the prisoners and does not believe that is what they are currently receiving. He was not advocating for any form of illegal action, only that they receive full due process.'..." Patrick, in Tuesday's Comments, responded, in part, "GOP person A says something provocatively criminal-ish, and when asked about it his/her bobblehead talker explains it was all OK because it was not intended to be illegal, defamatory, whatever.... We need to get reporters who take the next step and challenge that type of answer, develop the fact that it is evasive and deceitful, and continue to write the story that Rep X advocates political violence despite disclaimers." I agree with Patrick. These spokesmen's after-remarks are not mere clean-up of a garbled message; they're a kind of disingenuous both-siderism, as in both sides of one mouth. The principal says something outrageous, and the spokesperson denies he meant anything outrageous.

The court's order is stunning. Presented with an application to enjoin a flagrantly unconstitutional law engineered to prohibit women from exercising their constitutional rights and evade judicial scrutiny, a majority of justices have opted to bury their heads in the sand. -- Justice Sonia Sotomayor, joined by Justices Stephen G. Breyer and Elena Kagan, in a dissent on the Texas abortion law opinion separate from CJ John Roberts' ~~~

Thanks to Forrest M. for the image.~~~ ** Adam Liptak, et al., of the New York Times: "The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to block a Texas law prohibiting most abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy. The move, a response to an emergency application from abortion providers in the state, came less than a day after the law became effective, severely restricting access to the procedure. The vote was 5 to 4, with Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. joining the court's three liberal members in dissent. The majority opinion was brief and unsigned, and it said the providers had not made out their case.... In reaching this conclusion,' the opinion said, 'we stress that we do not purport to resolve definitively any jurisdictional or substantive claim in the applicants' lawsuit. In particular, this order is not based on any conclusion about the constitutionality of Texas' law, and in no way limits other procedurally proper challenges to the Texas law, including in Texas state courts.' In dissent, Chief Justice Roberts wrote that he would have blocked the law while appeals moved forward." ~~~

~~~ Caroline Kitchener, et al., of the Washington Post: "A Texas law that bans most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy took effect Wednesday, as a midnight deadline for the Supreme Court to stop it came and went without action.... For now, abortion providers in Texas, including Planned Parenthood and Whole Woman's Health, said they will no longer terminate pregnancies more than six weeks from a woman's last period.... The Texas law ... was designed to make it more difficult for abortion rights advocates to win ... pre-enforcement injunctions. The statute empowers individuals, instead of state government officials, to bring legal action in civil court against those who help women seeking a prohibited abortion.... A [federal] District Court judge in Austin said the case could proceed and scheduled a hearing for Monday to consider whether to block the law. But the Texas-based U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit called off the hearing. That action led to the emergency petition to the Supreme Court requesting a stay of the law[, but the Supreme Court failed to grant the request].... In a tweet on Wednesday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi the Supreme Court's 'failure to block #SB8 has delivered catastrophe to women in Texas. This radical law is an all-out effort to erase the rights and protections of Roe v. Wade.'" (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: As I understand it, under the Texas law, a Texan could successfully sue me for $10K, as I am a contributor to Planned Parenthood (although I haven't contributed since this morning, when the law went into effect). Maybe it's a good thing I also contribute to the ACLU. ~~~

     ~~~ Donna Cassata of the Washington Post: "President Biden called a Texas law prohibiting most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy a blatant violation of a woman's constitutional right to abortion established under the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade Supreme Court ruling. In a statement Wednesday, the president said his administration is committed to Roe v. Wade and will 'protect and defend that right.'" President Biden's full statement, via the White House, is here. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

     ~~~ Michelle Goldberg of the New York Times: "Texas fashioned an abortion prohibition whose bizarre, crowdsourced enforcement mechanism gave conservative courts a pretext not to enjoin it despite its conflict with Roe. And the Supreme Court has made Roe momentarily useless without sparking the nationwide convulsion that would have come from overturning it outright. The Texas law, known as Senate Bill 8, is now likely to be copied by conservative states across the country.... Perhaps the most shocking thing about S.B. 8 is the power it gives abortion opponents -- or simple opportunists -- over their fellow citizens.... Over the last several years, Republicans have taken a number of steps to legalize various forms of right-wing intimidation.... The Texas law ... deputizes abortion opponents to harass their enemies. Texas Right to Life has already launched a 'whistle-blower' website where people can submit anonymous tips.... Even if S.B. 8 is eventually knocked down, it's already sent a message about who the Republican Party intends to put in charge of the rest of us." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I suspect there are already some entrepreneurial Texans who already are going around that whistleblower website and combing the Web for individuals whom they can sue for aiding & abetting Texas abortion providers. BTW, Frank Rich's (firewalled) New York post, which I linked a few days ago, the Texas anti-abortion law fits right into his thesis about "America's Greatest Existential Threat." It isn't news; swamp creatures have been crawling out of the mud since before the so-called "United" States was founded, but now they seem to have taken over an increasingly growing and influential portion of the nation, from the former fake president* to Congressional Republicans to the majority of the Supreme Court. And along those lines ... ~~~

     ~~~ ** Dana Milbank of the Washington Post: "Texas this week showed us what a post-democracy America would look like. Thanks to a series of actions by the Texas legislature and governor, we now see exactly what the Trumpified Republican Party wants: to take us to an America where women cannot get abortions, even in cases of rape and incest; an America where almost everybody can openly carry a gun in public, without license, without permit, without safety training and without fingerprinting; and an America where law-abiding Black and Latino citizens are disproportionately denied the right to vote. This is where Texas and other red states are going, or have already gone. It is where the rest of America will go, unless those targeted by these new laws -- women, people of color and all small 'd' democrats -- rise up.... Texans overwhelmingly object to permitless carry.... Texans also oppose banning all abortions if Roe is overturned.... Furthermore, pluralities of Texans opposed the ban on drive-through voting and restrictions on early voting hours.... Texas legislators aren't answering to the people but rather to the White, male voters that put the Republicans in power."

Michael Balsamo, et al., of the AP: "Far right extremist groups like the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers are planning to attend a rally later this month at the U.S. Capitol that is designed to demand 'justice' for the hundreds of people who have been charged in connection with January's insurrection, according to three people familiar with intelligence gathered by federal officials. As a result, U.S. Capitol Police have been discussing in recent weeks whether the large perimeter fence that was erected outside the Capitol after January's riot will need to be put back up, the people said. The officials have been discussing security plans that involve reconstructing the fence as well as another plan that does not involve a fence, the people said." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: This is why you would expect members of Congress, like, say, Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-N.C.). to speak out against the January 6 insurrectionists instead of calling them "political hostages," talking about "trying to 'bust' out those jailed for crimes related to the insurrection, repeatedly referring to them as political prisoners," and predicting "'bloodshed' over his false claims of election-rigging." AND apparently our young Congressman has been caught in a reflective (or reflexive) moment:

     ~~~ Cristina Marcos of the Hill: "Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-N.C.) said Wednesday that he is introducing a resolution to broadly condemn political violence after he faced backlash earlier in the week for warning of potential 'bloodshed' if elections 'continue to be rigged' while describing the people jailed after allegedly attacking the Capitol on Jan. 6 as 'political hostages.'... Speaker Nancy Pelosi's (D-Calif.) office accused Cawthorn of 'calling for another January 6th-style attack' in a statement on Tuesday.... House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), meanwhile, has yet to address the remarks. Cawthorn called on Pelosi to co-sponsor his resolution and claimed his words were taken out of context by a 'left-wing media hit job.'" MB: Oh, I think we get the context. ~~~

~~~ AND There's This. Geneva Sands of CNN: "As the United States-backed government in Afghanistan fell to the Taliban and US troops raced to leave the country, White supremacist and anti-government extremists have expressed admiration for what the Taliban accomplished, a worrying development for US officials who have been grappling with the threat of domestic violent extremism. That praise has also been coupled with a wave of anti-refugee sentiment from far-right groups.... Several concerning trends have emerged in recent weeks on online platforms commonly used by anti-government, White supremacist and other domestic violent extremist groups, including 'framing the activities of the Taliban as a success,' and a model for those who believe in the need for a civil war in the US, the head of the Department of Homeland Security's Office of Intelligence and Analysis, John Cohen, said on a call Friday with local and state law enforcement, obtained by CNN."

As the Worms Turn. David Fahrenthold & Shayna Jacobs of the Washington Post: "The Trump Organization's director of security has agreed to testify before a Manhattan grand jury investigating the former president and his company, according to a person familiar with the case. Matthew Calamari Jr., 28, received a subpoena to testify on Tuesday from Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance Jr. (D) and will appear before the grand jury Thursday afternoon, according to the person. Calamari Jr. is the son of Matthew Calamari Sr., who now serves as the Trump Organization's chief operating officer and has worked for former president Donald Trump as a bodyguard, security man and executive for more than 30 years..... The planned grand jury testimony of Calamari Jr. was first reported by the Wall Street Journal, which also reported that another Trump executive, controller Jeffrey McConney, will testify Thursday, as well." CNN's story is here.

Colin Kalmbacher of Law & Crime: "A federal court in Florida has dismissed a defamation lawsuit filed against Twitter by the Delaware computer repairman who briefly captured national attention during the Hunter Biden laptop story. The lawsuit was dismissed with prejudice, meaning it cannot be filed again, and the plaintiff was ordered to pay Twitter's attorneys' fees. John Paul Mac Isaac sued the technology giant (and a wholly-owned subsidiary) in February. He argued that Twitter's decision to lock The New York Post's account while Post staffers 'attempted to post and disseminate its exposé [about the lurid contents of the laptop] on the social media platform' was akin to calling him a hacker because Twitter cited its rationale for the time-limited ban as a violation of Twitter's rules against 'distribution of hacked material.'"

Jan Hoffman of the New York Times: "Purdue Pharma, the maker of the highly addictive painkiller OxyContin, was dissolved on Wednesday in a wide-ranging bankruptcy settlement that will require the company's owners, members of the Sackler family, to turn over billions of dollars of their fortune to address the deadly opioid epidemic. But the agreement includes a much-disputed condition: It largely absolves the Sacklers of Purdue's opioid-related liability. And as such, they will remain among the richest families in the country. Judge Robert Drain of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in White Plains, N.Y., approved the settlement, saying he wanted modest adjustments. The painstakingly negotiated plan will end thousands of lawsuits brought by state and local governments, tribes, hospitals and individuals to address a public health crisis that led to the deaths of more than 500,000 people nationwide. The settlement terms have been harshly criticized for shielding the Sacklers. They are receiving protections that are typically given to companies that emerge from bankruptcy, but not necessarily to owners who, like the Sacklers, do not themselves file for bankruptcy." NPR's story is here.

Charlie Savage & Adam Goldman of the New York Times: "The special counsel who investigated Russia's 2016 election interference, Robert S. Mueller III, scrutinized 'a member of the news media suspected of participating in the conspiracy' to hack Democrats and make their emails public, the Justice Department disclosed on Wednesday.... No member of the news media was charged with conspiring in the hack-and-dump operation, and the disclosure on Wednesday left many questions unanswered.... The disclosure of the scrutiny of a member of the news media was contained in a revision to a report issued by the Trump administration about investigative activities that affected or involved the news media in 2018. The Trump-era version of that report had omitted the episode. The Justice Department under President Biden also issued reports on Wednesday covering such investigative activities in 2019, which the Trump-era department failed to issue, and in 2020. And it provided new details about leak investigations at the end of the Trump administration that sought records for reporters with CNN, The Washington Post and The New York Times." ~~~

~~~ Matt Zapotosky & Devlin Barrett of the Washington Post: "The Biden Justice Department on Wednesday released a more detailed accounting of recently revealed federal law enforcement efforts to secretly obtain journalists' phone records, attempting to honor a public commitment to transparency and disclosing for the first time that Attorney General Merrick Garland personally approved keeping one case under wraps. Among the records released Wednesday were chronologies of the department's efforts to obtain records from New York Times, CNN and Washington Post reporters to advance leak investigations -- all of which the department said began in the Trump administration with the approval of then-Attorney General William P. Barr.... In all three cases, the department had pursued reporters' records as a means of trying to identify the sources of stories written in the first year of Trump's presidency; the reporters themselves were not targets of investigation."

From the New York Times' live storm updates: Don't Jack with Shaq. "An arrest warrant was issued on Tuesday for a man who angrily confronted an NBC News reporter [Shaquille Brewster] live on TV while covering Hurricane Ida in Gulfport, Miss., screaming, 'Report accurately!' in his face. The man, Benjamin Eugene Dagley, 54, of Wooster, Ohio, will be charged with two counts of simple assault, one count of disturbing the peace and one count of violating an emergency curfew, the Gulfport Police Department said. Mr. Dagley, who is on probation for an incident in Ohio involving a break-in at a metal plating shop, may also be in violation of travel restrictions that are part of his probation, the police said.... It was unclear why Mr. Dagley had been in Gulfport -- about 1,000 miles from his home -- a day after a major hurricane hit the area." MB: Apparently Ben did not go a thousand miles for one of Shaq's smiles. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

The Pandemic, Ctd.

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

The New York Times' live updates of Covid-19 developments Wednesday are here: "Unvaccinated people should avoid traveling during the Labor Day holiday, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.... Dr. Rochelle P. Walensky, the director of the C.D.C., identified vaccination and masking as key factors in preventing the spread of the virus.... Dr. Walensky said that gatherings -- among vaccinated relatives and friends -- should take place outdoors. And everyone, including those who are vaccinated, should wear masks in public indoor settings." MB: Dr. Walensky is just one of those left-coast elite control freaks who is trying to take away my freedom to snort horse dewormer. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Joe & the Covid. Alyssa Lukpat of the New York Times: "Joe Rogan, the host of the hugely popular podcast 'The Joe Rogan Experience,' said on Wednesday that he had tested positive for the coronavirus after he returned from a series of shows in Florida, where the virus is rampant. Mr. Rogan, who was rebuked by federal officials last spring for suggesting on the podcast that young healthy people need not get Covid vaccinations, said that he started feeling sick on Saturday night after he returned from performing in Orlando, Tampa and Fort Lauderdale. He did not say whether he had been vaccinated.... In his video on Wednesday, Mr. Rogan said he had been treated with a series of medications. The list of treatments he mentioned included monoclonal antibodies, which have been shown to protect Covid patients at risk of becoming gravely ill; and prednisone, a steroid widely accepted as a Covid treatment.... Mr. Rogan also said he had received a 'vitamin drip' as well as ivermectin, a drug primarily used as a veterinary deworming agent." MB: So Covid, yes; but worms, probably not. ~~~

     ~~~ The Guardian's story is here: "Rogan, described by the New York Times as 'one of the most consumed media products on the planet', has legions of devoted followers. Some episodes of The Joe Rogan Experience have boasted tens of millions of downloads, and his recommendations for everything from supplements to shaving supplies can be a godsend for companies. That's why his apparent endorsement of a medicine totally unproven as an effective treatment for Covid-19 is concerning."

Beyond the Beltway

Louisiana. Ramon Vargas of the Times-Picayune: "A crew of Jefferson Parish workers was repairing a Metairie water main broken by Hurricane Ida when a woman pulled up in her car Wednesday, called them 'f----ng n----rs' and demanded that they be arrested. The workers then flagged down sheriff's deputies and reported her harassment, at which point the woman twice struck one officer with her car before another deputy shot her to death, said Sheriff Joe Lopinto and an eyewitness who recorded a series of videos of the beginning of the woman's meltdown."

Texas. See links to stories & opinions about Texas under the main section of entries above.

Way Beyond

Aina Khan of the New York Times: "The British TV personality Piers Morgan was cleared on Wednesday by Britain's communications regulator over critical comments he made on air about Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, after her bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey. Mr. Morgan had been under investigation by Ofcom, the media regulator, which received a record number of complaints in March after he criticized Meghan on air and said he did not believe her accounts of being poorly treated by the royal establishment." But he isn't likely to get back his old job as host of ITV's "Good Morning, Britain." MB: Morgan is a twit, and I hate to be on his side, but anybody ought to be able to question the veracity of a royal or other public figure. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

News Ledes

New York Times: "Three days after Hurricane Ida made landfall in Louisiana, its weakened remnants tore into the Northeast and claimed at least 43 lives across New York, New Jersey and two other states in an onslaught that ended Thursday and served as an ominous sign of climate change's capacity to wreak new kinds of havoc. The last storm this deadly in the region, Sandy in 2012, did its damage mostly through tidal surges. But most of this storm's toll -- both in human life and property damage -- reflected the extent to which the sheer volume of rain simply overwhelmed the infrastructure of a region built for a different meteorological era. Officials warned that the unthinkable was quickly becoming the norm."

New York Times: "Cramped basement apartments have long been a prevalent piece of New York City's vast housing stock, a shadowy network of illegal rentals that often lack basic safety features like more than one way to get out, and that yet are a vital source of shelter for many immigrants.... But after Wednesday's record-shattering rainfall, the underground units turned into tormented scenes of life and death: Of the 13 people killed so far in New York City in Wednesday's storm, at least 11 were in basement units, nearly as many dead as in Louisiana, where Hurricane Ida made landfall earlier this week.... Climate change has now made these low-lying homes increasingly treacherous for a different reason: the likelihood of deadly flooding, when a wall of water blocks what is often the only means of escape."

Weather Channel: "It was a night of dual disasters as heavy rain inundated the New York City metro area and tornadoes tore across the Philadelphia suburbs Wednesday evening. The weather was spawned by the remnants of what once was Hurricane Ida. The tornadoes trapped people in their homes, damaged trees, knocked down trees and power lines and left tens of thousands of homes and businesses without power. Homes were flooded and water rescues were ongoing in New York, New Jersey, eastern Pennsylvania, western New Jersey and Maryland." ~~~

~~~ The New York Times is live-updating developments related to damage caused in the Northeast by the remnants of Hurricane Ida: "The New York City area was under a state of emergency early Thursday after the remnants of Hurricane Ida barreled into the region with furious, wind-driven rain that led to at least eight deaths and all but halted subway service, destroyed homes in New Jersey and resulted in a tornado warning for the Bronx. The rain on Wednesday night -- 3.1 inches in Central Park in an hour -- shattered a record set only last week, when 1.94 inches of rain fell in the park during Tropical Storm Henri. The National Weather Service issued a flash flood emergency in New York City for the first time." New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio & New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy declares states of emergencies & urged non-emergency vehicles to stay off the roads. The MTA rail & subway systems services were suspended as was all New Jersey rail transit. Newark airport suspended flights.

The Commentariat -- September 1, 2021

Afternoon Update:

The New York Times' live updates of Covid-19 developments Wednesday are here: "Unvaccinated people should avoid traveling during the Labor Day holiday, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.... Dr. Rochelle P. Walensky, the director of the C.D.C., identified vaccination and masking as key factors in preventing the spread of the virus.... Dr. Walensky said that gatherings -- among vaccinated relatives and friends -- should take place outdoors. And everyone, including those who are vaccinated, should wear masks in public indoor settings." MB: Dr. Walensky is just one of those left-coast elite control freaks who is trying to take away my freedom to snort horse dewormer.

Greg Sargent of the Washington Post: "We're now beginning to see just how ugly a House GOP takeover would be for the country. What is unmistakable is that a Republican House would be singularly devoted to using its power to avenge Donald Trump's 2020 loss -- and to whitewashing his efforts to overturn it in every way possible. Case in point: House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) has now openly threatened to use a GOP-controlled House to punish private companies that comply with lawful subpoenas issued by the House select committee examining the Jan. 6 insurrection.... [He made] an explicit threat to use the 'Republican majority' -- his words -- to punish compliance with congressional subpoenas that serve an investigation into an effort to overturn U.S. democracy through mob intimidation and violence.... One option for Democrats would be to refer McCarthy's threat to the House Ethics Committee, [ethicist Norm] Eisen says, under a House rule against bringing discredit on the House. That could result in punitive action, such as censure or a fine." The Ethics Committee's investigation could lead to a criminal referral to the DOJ. "'I see it as clear obstruction of justice,' Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) told me."

Zak Hudak of CBS News: "One of the two Republicans who sit on the House select committee investigating the deadly January 6 attack on the Capitol said a GOP colleague is 'using language that seems intended to incite violence.' 'I think every member ought to condemn that, and I'd like to see Leader McCarthy very clearly condemn it and explain how dangerous that is,' Wyoming Republican Congresswoman Liz Cheney told CBS News. She was talking about freshman GOP Congressman Madison Cawthorn's remarks last weekend; while in his home state of North Carolina, he said that there would be 'bloodshed' if elections continue to be 'rigged' and even suggested he, too, might join the fight." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Looks like Cheney is doing reporters' work for them. Yesterday I linked to a Vice story about Cawthorn's remarks. According to the Vice report, "When asked about Cawthorn's comments about busting out prisoners, [Cawthorn spokesman Luke] Ball said his boss 'wants due process for the prisoners and does not believe that is what they are currently receiving. He was not advocating for any form of illegal action, only that they receive full due process.'..." Patrick, in yesterday's Comments, responded, in part, "GOP person A says something provocatively criminal-ish, and when asked about it his/her bobblehead talker explains it was all OK because it was not intended to be illegal, defamatory, whatever.... We need to get reporters who take the next step and challenge that type of answer, develop the fact that it is evasive and deceitful, and continue to write the story that Rep X advocates political violence despite disclaimers." I agree with Patrick. These spokesmen's after-remarks are not mere clean-up of a garbled message; they're a kind of disingenuous both-siderism, as in both sides of one mouth. The principal says something outrageous, and the spokesperson denies he meant anything outrageous.

Caroline Kitchener, et al., of the Washington Post: "A Texas law that bans most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy took effect Wednesday, as a midnight deadline for the Supreme Court to stop it came and went without action.... For now, abortion providers in Texas, including Planned Parenthood and Whole Woman's Health, said they will no longer terminate pregnancies more than six weeks from a woman's last period.... The Texas law ... was designed to make it more difficult for abortion rights advocates to win ... pre-enforcement injunctions. The statute empowers individuals, instead of state government officials, to bring legal action in civil court against those who help women seeking a prohibited abortion.... A [federal] District Court judge in Austin said the case could proceed and scheduled a hearing for Monday to consider whether to block the law. But the Texas-based U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit called off the hearing. That action led to the emergency petition to the Supreme Court requesting a stay of the law[, but the Supreme Court failed to grant the request].... In a tweet on Wednesday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi the Supreme Court's 'failure to block #SB8 has delivered catastrophe to women in Texas. This radical law is an all-out effort to erase the rights and protections of Roe v. Wade.'" ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: As I understand it, under the Texas law, a Texan could successfully sue me for $10K, as I am a contributor to Planned Parenthood (although I haven't contributed since this morning, when the law went into effect). Maybe it's a good thing I also contribute to the ACLU. ~~~

     ~~~ Donna Cassata of the Washington Post: "President Biden called a Texas law prohibiting most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy a blatant violation of a woman's constitutional right to abortion established under the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade Supreme Court ruling. In a statement Wednesday, the president said his administration is committed to Roe v. Wade and will 'protect and defend that right.'" President Biden's full statement, via the White House, is here.

From the New York Times' live storm updates: Don't Jack with Shaq. "An arrest warrant was issued on Tuesday for a man who angrily confronted an NBC News reporter [Shaquille Brewster] live on TV while covering Hurricane Ida in Gulfport, Miss., screaming, 'Report accurately!' in his face. The man, Benjamin Eugene Dagley, 54, of Wooster, Ohio, will be charged with two counts of simple assault, one count of disturbing the peace and one count of violating an emergency curfew, the Gulfport Police Department said. Mr. Dagley, who is on probation for an incident in Ohio involving a break-in at a metal plating shop, may also be in violation of travel restrictions that are part of his probation, the police said.... t was unclear why Mr. Dagley had been in Gulfport -- about 1,000 miles from his home -- a day after a major hurricane hit the area." MB: Apparently Ben did not go a thousand miles for one of Shaq's smiles.

Aina Khan of the New York Times: "The British TV personality Piers Morgan was cleared on Wednesday by Britain's communications regulator over critical comments he made on air about Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, after her bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey. Mr. Morgan had been under investigation by Ofcom, the media regulator, which received a record number of complaints in March after he criticized Meghan on air and said he did not believe her accounts of being poorly treated by the royal establishment." But he isn't likely to get back his old job as host of ITV's "Good Morning, Britain." MB: Morgan is a twit, and I hate to be on his side, but anybody ought to be able to question the veracity of a royal or other public figure.

~~~~~~~~~~

The Washington Post's live updates of developments in Afghanistan Wednesday are here. The New York Times' live updates for Wednesday are here.

I don't think enough people understand how much we've asked of the one percent of this country who put that uniform on. -- President Joe Biden, in a speech Tuesday ~~~

~~~ Michael Shear & Jim Tankersley of the New York Times: "President Biden on Tuesday forcefully rejected criticism of his decision to end America's 20-year war in Afghanistan, hailing what he called the 'extraordinary success' of the evacuation of Kabul and declaring the end of an era in which the United States uses military power 'to remake other countries.'... Mr. Biden said the costs to the United States would have been even higher if he had allowed the nation to remain mired for years in a civil war that has dragged on for decades. In blunt terms, he claimed the only alternative to the departure he oversaw was another escalation of the war.... The president sought to justify his handling of the final weeks of the war, saying that the U.S. military and its diplomats deserved credit and thanks for ferrying out more than 120,000 Americans and Afghan allies.... Mr. Biden expressed deep remorse for the loss of lives in the explosions at the airport last Thursday, including scores of Afghans, but he dismissed the argument that his administration should have -- or could have -- conducted the final withdrawal in a 'more orderly manner' by evacuating people earlier, before the Taliban takeover of the country was complete." ~~~

     ~~~ Here's a transcript of the speech, via the White House. ~~~

     ~~~ Jennifer Rubin of the Washington Post: "The speech was one of the most forceful of [Joe Biden's] career, as much laying out the rationale for his own actions as an indictment of the mind-set that supports indefinite wars whose cost is borne by others. For a White House on defense for two weeks, this was as robust a defense as one could imagine.... We need to understand how a war built on wishful thinking and cultural ignorance could grind on for two decades and why our intelligence community consistently gets really big issues wrong (from failing to anticipate the fall of the Soviet Union to the nonexistent weapons of mass destruction in Iraq). If we do not address these more fundamental problems, we will repeat the errors of Afghanistan just as certainly as we repeated the errors of Vietnam in Afghanistan."

Barbara Starr & Brianna Keilar of CNN: "The US military negotiated a secret arrangement with the Taliban that resulted in members of the militant group escorting clusters of Americans to the gates of the Kabul airport as they sought to escape Afghanistan, two defense officials told CNN. One of the officials also revealed that US special operations forces set up a 'secret gate' at the airport and established 'call centers' to guide Americans through the evacuation process. While one of the military officials said the arrangement with the Taliban 'worked beautifully,' Americans involved in an unofficial network dedicated to helping Americans and vulnerable Afghans said there were problems -- particularly in the beginning -- as the Taliban turned away US citizens and legal permanent residents the militant group was supposed to allow through."

Left Behind: An Afghan Who Rescued Biden, Other U.S. Senators. Paul LeBlanc of CNN: "White House press secretary Jen Psaki on Tuesday praised the Afghan interpreter in hiding who helped rescue then-Sen. Joe Biden during a 2008 rescue mission as she reaffirmed the US' commitment to helping Afghan allies. 'Our message to him is: Thank you for fighting by our side for the last 20 years. Thank you for the role you played in helping a number of my favorite people out of a snowstorm and for all the work you did. And our commitment is enduring, not just to American citizens but to our Afghan partners who have fought by our side,' Psaki said.... The interpreter, who is going only by his first name, Mohammed, told the Wall Street Journal that he is asking the President to 'save me and my family' after US forces allowed him to enter Kabul's airport during their evacuation mission but restricted his wife and children." MB: There's a hint in the story that Mohammed's plight might have been sealed by the Trump administration's slow-walking SIV applications.

Tyler Page & John Hudson of the Washington Post: When the U.S. ambassador to Tajikistan refused to help Rep. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) enter the country with an over-the-limit amount of cash so he could chopper into Afghanistan & rescue an Afghan family, "Mullin was outraged by the response, the officials said -- threatening U.S. ambassador John Mark Pommersheim and embassy staff and demanding to know the name of staff members he was speaking with. The episode marked Mullin's second attempt to travel to Afghanistan in as many weeks for an unauthorized evacuation effort despite the perilous security environment. Last week, Mullin traveled to Greece and asked the Department of Defense for permission to visit Kabul. The Pentagon denied Mullin's request.... Mullin's behavior has alarmed top U.S. officials who say he has gone to extraordinary lengths to defy U.S. warnings.... As of late Tuesday, U.S. officials said they were unsure of Mullin's location.... On Tuesday, [Senate Minority Leader Kevin] McCarthy went silent and walked away after being asked if he had spoken to Mullin or if he knew where the Oklahoman was." A summary report by the Hill is here. MB: It would be a shame if Markwayne was lost & alone in Afghanistan with nothing but a sackload of U.S. dollars.

The New York Times' live updates of developments in Afghanistan Tuesday are here. The Washington Post's live updates of developments in Afghanistan Tuesday are here: "The Taliban took control of the Kabul airport Tuesday as celebratory gunfire echoed across the city, capping the militant group's victory in a 20-year war with the United States after the last U.S. military flight left the country. One of the Taliban's top officials, however, cautioned its fighters to be careful in how they treated the local population. Spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid called for international investment and national unity in the country during a speech at the airport." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Marie: No Way to Run a Country. It's impossible to look at the photos coming out of Afghanistan without noticing that almost all of the people controlling the new government are carrying repeating rifles.

Philip Kennicott of the Washington Post complains about the meaning attributed to the green night-goggle photos of Army Maj. Gen. Christopher T. Donahue, commander of the 82nd Airborne Division, whose boots were the last on the ground in our quixotic adventures in Afghanistan. MB: The photos, at least one of which was taken by Army Master Sgt. Alex Burnett are pretty powerful, at least when you know the context.

Myah Ward of Politico: "Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy on Tuesday threatened to use a future GOP majority to punish companies that comply with the House's Jan. 6 investigators, warning that 'a Republican majority will not forget.' McCarthy called out Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for what he called 'attempts to strong-arm private companies to turn over individuals' private data.' He asserted that such a forfeiture of information would 'put every American with a phone or computer in the crosshairs of a surveillance state run by Democrat politicians.'... On the substance of McCarthy's complaint, congressional committees have routinely used subpoena power to obtain data from private companies.... The Jan. 6 committee has not identified whose communications it is seeking, but it has made clear that members of Congress are among the potential targets, which would be a departure from past practices.... The Democratic-led committee's investigators are looking for a fuller picture of the communications between ... Donald Trump and members of Congress during the attack. McCarthy is among the Republicans known to have spoken with Trump on Jan. 6."

A Florida Man.... Sometimes a Plot Against a Conspiracy Theorist Is Real. Matt Zapotosky of the Washington Post: "The Justice Department on Tuesday arrested a Florida man over a scheme that involved seeking money from Florida Republican Don Gaetz to help halt the sex-trafficking investigation of his son, Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), according to court records and a person familiar with the matter. Stephen M. Alford, 62, was charged with wire fraud in connection with the alleged $25 million plot, which famously came to light months ago -- shortly after the revelation that Matt Gaetz was under investigation. In response to the reporting on that probe in March, the congressman said his family had been cooperating with an FBI investigation of people trying use the investigation of his alleged conduct to extort his father. His father, Matt Gaetz said, had even been wearing a wire for investigators." A Politico story is here.

Lying Is Essential to the GOP. Paul Krugman of the New York Times: "I never thought I'd be nostalgic for the era when big money ruled the right. But traditional corporate influence looks benign compared with where we are now. At this point, to be a conservative in good standing you have to pledge allegiance to blatant lies -- Democrats are Marxists, the election was stolen, basic public health measures are sinister assaults on freedom.... [Possibly because Democrats are a looser, less-organized coalition than the GOP monolith,] the blend of craziness and corruption taking place on the American right is special, without anything comparable on the left. Don't both-sides this." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: In yesterday's Comments, PD Pepe pointed to an incident in which a fat old white guy accosted MSNBC reporter Shaq Brewster, who is Black, while Brewster was reporting from Coastal Mississippi on the effects of Hurricane Ida. The fat guy repeatedly shouted at Brewster to "report accurately." It's impossible to know whether or not this was a racist attack: did the guy recognize the MSNBC logo on nearby equipment or did he just assume that Brewster was not "reporting accurately" because he was Black? I'll lean toward the former explanation, which lines up with Krugman's thesis. The white guy no doubt get his "news" from Fox or Worse, where he is fed a diet of lies, lies in which he is invested. So anything any other reporter says about anything, including a fairly nonpolitical event like a hurricane, is not "accurate."

Sony Suits Notice Sexist, Offensive Remarks & Behavior Are Bad for Brand. Michael Grynbaum, et al., of the New York Times: "Sony said on Tuesday that Mike Richards would immediately exit his job as the executive producer of 'Jeopardy!,' completing a stunning downfall for a game-show impresario who just three weeks ago had secured one of the most coveted jobs in television as the replacement for the longtime host Alex Trebek.... Mr. Richards is also set to leave his role as executive producer of 'Wheel of Fortune.'"

The Pandemic, Ctd.

The Washington Post's live udpates of Covid-19 developments Wednesday are here.

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

Shane Goldmacher of the New York Times: "The actions of Republican governors, some of the leading stewards of the country's response to the virus, reveal how the politics of the party's base have hardened when it comes to curbing Covid. As some Republican-led states, including Florida, confront their most serious outbreaks yet, even rising death totals are being treated as less politically damaging than imposing coronavirus mandates of almost any stripe.... Most top Republicans, including every Republican governor, have been vaccinated and have encouraged others to do so. But most have also stopped short of supporting inoculation requirements and have opposed masking requirements." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ The Pro-Virus Party. Jamelle Bouie of the New York Times: “Rather than work with him to vaccinate the country, [President] Biden's Republican opposition has, with only a few exceptions, done everything in its power to politicize the vaccine and make refusal to cooperate a test of partisan loyalty. The party is, for all practical purposes, pro-Covid. If it's sincere, it is monstrous. And if it's not, it is an unbelievably cynical and nihilistic strategy. Unfortunately for both Biden and the country, it appears to be working.... [For instance, after taking aggressive actions to encourage spread of the virus, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said on Fox 'News.'] 'You know, he said he was going to end Covid. He hasn't done that.... At the end of the day, he is trying to find a way to distract from the failures of his presidency.'... The effect of all of [Republican measures] for the country is a pandemic that won't die. The effect of it for the Republican Party is a substantial part of its base that won't take the vaccine.... [The] Republican effort to prolong the pandemic shows no sign of abating." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Florida. Valerie Strauss of the Washington Post: "Florida officials are now withholding some funding from two counties with tough school mask mandates -- despite a court decision against the state's ban on such restrictions and a move by the U.S. Education Department to investigate states with these bans. Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran announced late Monday that the Florida Department of Education has withheld the monthly salaries of school board members in Alachua and Broward counties who voted to impose mask mandates that only provide for a medical exemption from a doctor." (Also linked yesterday.)

Oregon. Liliana Frankel of the Oregonian: "Kevin Purnell was fired Monday as superintendent of the Adrian School District just one week after students returned to school. The Adrian School Board ... voted 4-1 Monday evening to terminate Purnell after meeting in an executive, or closed door, session for less than half an hour.... The board provided no public explanation for its surprise decision to oust a superintendent who has been on the job for three years and in the district for 14 years. But critics and supporters of Purnell's stance on mask mandates made clear it was a pivotal issue in his fissure with the board." The firing came after Purnell enforced the state's mask mandates in the district.

Beyond the Beltway

The Real Compromisers of Election Integrity Are Republican Officials. Nick Corasaniti of the New York Times: "... as Republican state and county officials and their allies mount a relentless effort to discredit the result of the 2020 contest, the torrent of election falsehoods has led to unusual episodes like the one in Mesa County [where three people, including the county clerk, sneaked into a secure area to copy election machine hard drives], as well as to a wave of G.O.P.-driven reviews of the vote count conducted by uncredentialed and partisan companies or people. Roughly half a dozen reviews are underway or completed, and more are being proposed. These reviews -- carried out under the banner of making elections more secure, and misleadingly labeled audits to lend an air of official sanction -- have given rise to their own new set of threats to the integrity of the voting machines, software and other equipment that make up the nation's election infrastructure. Election officials and security experts say the reviews have created problems ranging from the expensive inconvenience of replacing equipment or software whose security has been compromised to what they describe as a graver risk: that previously unknown technical vulnerabilities could be discovered by partisan malefactors and exploited in future elections." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Meanwhile, because it's not the focus of his story, Corasaniti doesn't mention Congressional Republicans, who to (or almost to) a person oppose passage of a federal voting rights bill nor the state GOP legislators & governors whom Congressional Republicans have freed up to pass & impose draconian voter suppression laws.

Texas. Either the Supremes Are on Vacation or They're about to Overturn Roe v. Wade. Robert Barnes & Ann Marimow of the Washington Post: "A Texas law that bans most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy went into effect Wednesday, as a midnight deadline for the Supreme Court to stop it came and went without action. The court could still grant a request from abortion providers to halt the law, one of the nation's most restrictive. But both the statute's proponents and opponents had expected word from the high court before the statute went into effect Sept. 1[.] The law effectively eliminates the guarantee in Roe v. Wade and subsequent Supreme Court decisions that women have a right to end their pregnancies before viability, abortion providers said, and that states may not impose undue burdens on that decision." NPR's story is here.

Texas. Legislature Passes Anti-democratic, Anti-Democratic Voter Suppression Bill. David Goodman, et al., of the New York Times: "The Republican-controlled Texas Legislature on Tuesday passed a major bill overhauling the state's elections, overcoming a six-week walkout by Democrats to cement Texas as one of the most difficult states in the country in which to vote. The voting restrictions were a capstone victory in Republicans' national push to tighten voting rules and alter the administration of elections in the wake of false claims about the integrity of the 2020 presidential contest. Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, vowed on Tuesday to sign the bill. The legislation takes aim in particular at Harris County, a growing Democratic bastion that includes Houston and is the nation's third most populous county. The legislation forbids balloting methods that the county introduced last year to make voting easier during the pandemic, including drive-through polling places and 24-hour voting, as well as temporary voting locations. It also bars election officials from sending voters unsolicited absentee ballot applications and from promoting the use of vote by mail. The bill greatly empowers partisan poll watchers, creates new criminal and civil penalties for poll workers and erects new barriers for those looking to help voters who need assistance, such as with translations. It requires large Texas counties -- where Democrats perform better -- to provide livestreaming video at ballot-counting locations."

Way Beyond

Isabella Kwai of the New York Times: "The Bank of England has stopped displaying art depicting several former governors and directors after a review found they were connected to the trans-Atlantic slave trade. Oil paintings and busts of seven leading figures at the central bank between 1698 and 1814 -- James Bateman, Robert Bristow, Robert Clayton, William Dawsonne, Gilbert Heathcote, William Manning and John Pearse -- have been removed after it was established they had links to slavery, the bank said in a statement Friday. The move was the latest in a difficult reckoning taking place at museums, galleries and longstanding institutions in Britain and other European countries that have begun reframing their exhibitions to more explicitly acknowledge links to slavery and colonialism. Criticism that many had not done enough escalated after the Black Lives Matter protests around the world last summer following the murder of George Floyd by a police officer in the United States." MB: George Floyd, and even most of those who organized protests against his murder, would be surprised by the far-flung influence they wielded.

News Ledes

Washington Post: "An extremely rare high risk for heavy rain and flash flooding has been declared for parts of the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, the most severe outlook category the National Weather Service can hoist ahead of an anticipated flood event. They're calling for 'widespread and potentially life-threatening flooding,' with totals of three to eight inches likely in a broad swath hundreds of miles long. Cities such as New York and Hartford, Conn., are included in the outlook bull's eye, with other places including Baltimore, Philadelphia and Providence, R.I., bracing for major disruptions to travel, too. Flash-flood watches stretch from the Blue Ridge in North Carolina to Maine." ~~~

~~~ The New York Times is live-updating the after-effects of Hurricane Ida & its impact on the mid-Atlantic & Northeast states, where heavy rains & flooding are projected.

The Commentariat -- August 31, 2021

Unbelievably, the Comments section may be messed up again. A comment that was posted in today's Commentariat showed up in my email notifications & in my data files -- but not in the viewable comments. After I made a test comment, the first comment showed up -- more than an hour after it was posted. Although I have some stuff to do today that will keep me away from my computer off and on, I'll try to keep an eye on what's going on with the comments. In the meantime, save your work. -- Marie

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Afternoon Update:

The New York Times' live updates of developments in Afghanistan are here. The Washington Post's live updates of developments in Afghanistan Tuesday are here: "The Taliban took control of the Kabul airport Tuesday as celebratory gunfire echoed across the city, capping the militant group's victory in a 20-year war with the United States after the last U.S. military flight left the country. One of the Taliban's top officials, however, cautioned its fighters to be careful in how they treated the local population. Spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid called for international investment and national unity in the country during a speech at the airport."

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

Shane Goldmacher of the New York Times: "The actions of Republican governors, some of the leading stewards of the country's response to the virus, reveal how the politics of the party's base have hardened when it comes to curbing Covid. As some Republican-led states, including Florida, confront their most serious outbreaks yet, even rising death totals are being treated as less politically damaging than imposing coronavirus mandates of almost any stripe.... Most top Republicans, including every Republican governor, have been vaccinated and have encouraged others to do so. But most have also stopped short of supporting inoculation requirements and have opposed masking requirements." ~~~

~~~ The Pro-Virus Party. Jamelle Bouie of the New York Times: "Rather than work with him to vaccinate the country, [President] Biden's Republican opposition has, with only a few exceptions, done everything in its power to politicize the vaccine and make refusal to cooperate a test of partisan loyalty. The party is, for all practical purposes, pro-Covid. If it's sincere, it is monstrous. And if it's not, it is an unbelievably cynical and nihilistic strategy. Unfortunately for both Biden and the country, it appears to be working.... [For instance, after taking aggressive actions to encourage spread of the virus, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said on Fox 'News.'] 'You know, he said he was going to end Covid. He hasn't done that.... At the end of the day, he is trying to find a way to distract from the failures of his presidency.'... The effect of all of [Republican measures] for the country is a pandemic that won't die. The effect of it for the Republican Party is a substantial part of its base that won't take the vaccine.... [The] Republican effort to prolong the pandemic shows no sign of abating."

Florida. Valerie Strauss of the Washington Post: "Florida officials are now withholding some funding from two counties with tough school mask mandates -- despite a court decision against the state's ban on such restrictions and a move by the U.S. Education Department to investigate states with these bans. Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran announced late Monday that the Florida Department of Education has withheld the monthly salaries of school board members in Alachua and Broward counties who voted to impose mask mandates that only provide for a medical exemption from a doctor."

~~~~~~~~~~

Elvis Has Left the Building

~~~ Adam Nossiter & Eric Schmitt of the New York Times: "The last United States forces left Afghanistan late Monday, ending a 20-year occupation that began shortly after Al Qaeda's attacks on 9/11, cost over $2 trillion, took more than 170,000 lives and ultimately failed to defeat the Taliban, the Islamist militants who allowed Al Qaeda to operate there. Five American C-17 cargo jets flew out of Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul just before midnight, the officials said, completing a hasty evacuation that left behind tens of thousands of Afghans desperate to flee the country, including former members of the security forces and many who held valid visas to enter the United States. 'A new chapter of America's engagement with Afghanistan has begun,' Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken said on Monday evening. 'It's one in which we will lead with our diplomacy. The military mission is over.' But the war prosecuted by four presidents over two decades, which gave Afghans a shot at democracy and freed many women to pursue education and careers, failed in nearly every other goal. Ultimately, the Americans handed the country back to the same militants they drove from power in 2001." ~~~

     ~~~ Robert Burns & Lolita Baldor of the AP: "The United States completed its withdrawal from Afghanistan late Monday, ending America's longest war and closing a chapter in military history likely to be remembered for colossal failures, unfulfilled promises and a frantic final exit that cost the lives of more than 180 Afghans and 13 U.S. service members, some barely older than the war.Hours ahead of President Joe Biden's Tuesday deadline for shutting down a final airlift, and thus ending the U.S. war, Air Force transport planes carried a remaining contingent of troops from Kabul airport.... In announcing the completion of the evacuation and war effort. Gen. Frank McKenzie, head of U.S. Central Command, said the last planes took off from Kabul airport at 3:29 p.m. Washington time, or one minute before midnight in Kabul. He said a number of American citizens, likely numbering in 'the very low hundreds,' were left behind, and that he believes they will still be able to leave the country." (Also linked yesterday.)

Lara Jakes of the New York Times: "American diplomats have left Afghanistan, and the U.S. Embassy in Kabul will remain closed, Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken said on Monday, after the military announced that it had completed its withdrawal from the country. The disintegration of U.S. diplomacy was a stunning turnabout from plans to stay and help Afghanistan transition from 20 years of war and work toward peace, however tenuous, with a government that would share power with the Taliban. Earlier this month, Mr. Blinken had pledged that the United States would remain 'deeply engaged' in Afghanistan long after the military left.... What was one of the largest U.S. diplomatic missions in the world will for now be greatly scaled back, based in Doha, the Qatari capital, and focused largely on processing visas for refugees and other immigrants.... Mr. Blinken said any engagement with the Taliban -- a longtime U.S. enemy that seized power when President Ashraf Ghani fled Afghanistan on Aug. 15 -- 'will be driven by one thing only: our vital national interests.'" Here's a transcript of Blinken's speech, via the State Department.

Laura Smith-Spark, et al., of CNN: "Nine members of one family -- including six children -- were killed in a US drone strike targeting a vehicle in a residential neighborhood of Kabul, a relative of the dead told a local journalist working with CNN. The US carried out a defensive airstrike in Kabul, targeting a suspected ISIS-K suicide bomber who posed an 'imminent' threat to the airport, US Central Command said Sunday. The youngest killed was a 2-year-old girl, according to a brother of the one of those killed. They were 'an ordinary family,' he said. 'We are not ISIS or Daesh and this was a family home -- where my brothers lived with their families.'" (Also linked yesterday.)

** Groundhog Day All Over Again. Frank Rich of New York: "... some two-thirds of Americans ... had never been onboard for [George W.] Bush's pivot from a war against Al Qaeda and the Taliban to a naïve and extravagant colonialist exercise in nation building. And so now we're back where we came in.... 9/11 proved to be Groundhog Day as far as the war was concerned.... Many of the loudest voices in the media and in Washington decrying our inept and catastrophic exit ... are the same voices that helped grease the skids for disaster in Afghanistan by promoting a second new war in Iraq on manufactured intelligence in the months after 9/11." Firewalled, but it's the last day of the month, so if you haven't used up your New York hits for the month, this is a fine place to spend one. Thanks to citizen625 for the link.

Ross Douthat of the New York Times: "... [President] Biden deserves plenty of criticism. But like the Trump administration in its wiser moments, he is trying to disentangle America from a set of failed policies that many of his loudest critics long supported. Our botched withdrawal is the punctuation mark on a general catastrophe, a failure so broad that it should demand purges in the Pentagon, the shamed retirement of innumerable hawkish talking heads, the razing of various NGOs and international-studies programs and the dissolution of countless consultancies and military contractors. Small wonder, then, that making Biden the singular scapegoat seems like a more attractive path. But if the only aspect of this catastrophe that our leaders remember is what went wrong in August 2021, then we'll have learned nothing except to always double down on failure, and the next disaster will be worse." Oh, go ahead, read it.

Lawrence O'Donnell noted Monday evening that when the U.S. fled Vietnam, President Jerry Ford never said a word. Ford issued one written statement about the evacuation.

Ryan Nobles, et al., of CNN: "The House Select Committee investigating the deadly January 6 riot has requested that a group of telecommunications companies preserve the phone records of a group of GOP members of Congress and ... Donald Trump, as well as members of the Trump family, who played some role in the "Stop the Steal" rally that served as the prelude to the Capitol insurrection.... [Sources say] the list is ... evolving and could be added to as the investigation steps up. As of now it includes Republican Reps. Lauren Boebert of Colorado, Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, Jim Jordan of Ohio, Andy Biggs of Arizona, Paul Gosar also of Arizona, Mo Brooks of Alabama, Madison Cawthorn of North Carolina, Matt Gaetz of Florida, Louie Gohmert of Texas, Jody Hice of Georgia and Scott Perry of Pennsylvania.... The committee will also request the records of the former President be preserved, as well as his daughter Ivanka, his sons Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, as well as his daughter-in-law Lara Trump and Kimberly Guilfoyle, who is Trump Jr.'s girlfriend." ~~~

~~~ Anna Massoglia of Open Secrets: "... Donald Trump's political operation reported paying more than $4.3 million to people and firms that organized the Jan. 6 rally since the start of the 2020 election. However, questions remain about the full extent of the Trump campaign's involvement in the 'Save America' rally on the day of the Capitol attack as a House select committee's sweeping requests attempt to shine some light on that day's events." Subpoenas from the Jan. 6 Select Committee requested information from 15 social media companies for some of the principals of the rally organizers who were recipients of Trump campaign cash. The committee asked the National Archives, FBI & DOJ to expedite records collection.

Cameron Joseph of Vice: "When Republican Rep. Madison Cawthorn was asked [at a GOP event Sunday] about what he's doing to help the hundreds in jail awaiting trial for their roles in the violent January 6 riots, he called them 'political prisoners' -- and said he wanted to 'bust them out.'... Someone in the audience then asked, 'When will you call us to Washington again?' 'We are actively working on this,' Cawthorn responded. 'We have a few plans in motion I can't make public right now,' he said, before calling those facing charges for their role in the January 6 insurrection 'political hostages' for the second time.... Cawthorn's remarks came during a question-and-answer period after his speech, where he claimed that 'Trump obviously won' and repeated false claims that voter fraud had stolen the 2020 election for Democrats. 'Can we actually trust our voting system? Because I'll tell you, anybody who tells you that Joe Biden was duly elected is lying to you,' he said to cheers. 'We all saw the fraud. It was on full display in front of us, we all know it was a stolen election.' Cawthorn even claimed issues with his own state and suggested that North Carolina Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper had won because of voter fraud too....

It has been a whole day since we have heard a bizarre story coming out of the bizarro Trumpland Fantasy Fun Fair. So time for another one. ~~~

~~~ January 6 (Alleged) Insurrectionists Have Fake Lawyer. Adam Klasfeld of Law & Crime: &"As high-profile conservative attorney John Pierce reportedly grapples with COVID-19, an employee has started appearing on behalf of suspected Jan. 6th rioters. That employee, Ryan Marshall, has been charged with felonies and is 'not a licensed attorney,' federal prosecutors told a judge on Monday. Known for formerly representing Kenosha shooter Kyle Rittenhouse in his homicide case, Pierce kept picking up clients fighting federal charges associated with the Jan. 6th siege of the U.S. Capitol. Rittenhouse's family fired Pierce after questioning what he did with the millions he raised for the accused murderer. Now, Pierce's relationship with some 17 other clients stands in limbo for health reasons.... Marshall was the same associate who reportedly told a judge in open court on Aug. 15: 'Mr. Pierce is in the hospital, we believe, with COVID-19, on a ventilator, non-responsive.'... Prosecutors say that they have had no contact with Pierce since Aug. 13." However, other associates of Pierce have denied he has Covid-19 or is on a ventilator.

Coral Davenport of the New York Times: "A federal judge on Monday struck down a Trump-era environmental rule that drastically limited federal restrictions against pollution of millions of streams, wetlands and marshes across the country. The Biden administration had already begun the lengthy process of undoing the policy, which ... Donald J. Trump established in 2020 to please real estate developers and farmers. Mr. Trump's policy allowed the discharge of pollutants such as fertilizers, pesticides and industrial chemicals into smaller streams and wetlands. But on Monday, Judge Rosemary Márquez of the United States District Court for the District of Arizona found 'fundamental, substantive flaws' with the Trump administration's policy and said that it was in conflict with the 1972 Clean Water Act. She warned of the 'possibility of serious environmental harm' if the Trump rule remained in place. The Trump policy allowed more than 300 projects across the country to proceed without environmental permitting, the judge noted.... The court ruling is the latest in a series of decisions by federal judges who have struck down Trump environmental policies after noting that the administration had frequently ignored the analysis of career federal scientists."

The Pandemic, Ctd.

Laura Meckler of the Washington Post: "The Education Department opened civil rights investigations Monday into five states for policies banning school districts from requiring masks, upping the Biden administration's battle with Republican governors over pandemic policies for schools. Letters were sent to education officials in Iowa, South Carolina, Utah, Oklahoma and Tennessee, all of which bar local districts from mandating masks. They allege that these states may be preventing districts from meeting the needs of students with disabilities who are at heightened risk for severe illness should they contract the coronavirus. The Education Department did not open investigations in Florida, Texas, Arkansas or Arizona, all of which have tried to ban such mandates as well, because the policies there are not being enforced as a result of court orders or other state actions, the agency said."

Samuel Petrequin of the AP: "The European Union recommended Monday that its 27 nations reinstate restrictions on tourists from the U.S. because of rising coronavirus infections there, but member countries will keep the option of allowing fully vaccinated U.S. travelers in. The decision by the European Council to remove the U.S. from a safe list of countries for nonessential travel reverses the advice that it gave in June, when the bloc recommended lifting restrictions on all U.S. travelers before the summer tourism season."

Martin Pengelly of the Guardian: "Federal researchers will not objectively study ivermectin as a treatment for Covid-19, the Kentucky senator Rand Paul claimed, because 'hatred for Donald Trump' has tainted their view of those who say the drug used to deworm horses can aid the fight against the pandemic. Ivermectin, an anti-parasitic, does have uses in humans, to treat worms, lice and skin problems.... It is not proven to combat Covid-19." MB: Okay, Rand, Donald claims he singlehandedly caused Covid-19 vaccines to be developed quickly. So why don't federal regulators ban vaccines because of "hatred for Donald Trump"? (Also linked yesterday.)

A Hoax that Proved Deadly. David Gilbert of Vice: "Robert David Steele, a former CIA officer turned conspiracy theorist who claimed to be the first person to call COVID-19 a hoax, has died from COVID-19. Steele, who was among the earliest QAnon promoters and helped the conspiracy theory move from the fringes of the internet into the mainstream, was hospitalized with symptoms of COVID-19 earlier this month. But he continued to spread anti-vaccine and COVID-denial conspiracy theories until the end." One of Steele's fellow conspiracy buffs, Mark Tassi, called Steele's death "very suspicious." MB: Well, of course he did. (Also linked yesterday.)

Ohio. Jake Zuckerman of the Ohio Capital Journal: "A Butler County judge ruled in favor of a woman last week who sought to force a hospital to administer Ivermectin -- an animal dewormer that federal regulators have warned against using in COVID-19 patients -- to her husband after several weeks in the ICU with the disease. Butler County Common Pleas Judge Gregory Howard ordered West Chester Hospital, part of the University of Cincinnati network, to treat Jeffrey Smith, 51, with Ivermectin. The order, filed Aug. 23, compels the hospital to provide Smith with 30mg of Ivermectin daily for three weeks. The drug was originally developed to deworm livestock animals before doctors began using it against parasitic diseases among humans. Several researchers won a Nobel Prize in 2015 for establishing its efficacy in humans. It's used to treat head lice, onchocerciasis (river blindness) and others. Both the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have warned Americans against the use of Ivermectin to treat COVID-19, a viral disease. It's unproven as a treatment, they say, and large doses of it can be dangerous and cause serious harm." (Also linked yesterday.) For some nuance, see Patrick's comment in yesterday's thread.