The Commentariat -- August 24, 2021
Marie: For the SEVENTH day, Reality Chex is not accepting comments, through no design or fault of my own. In desperation, I have come up with a brilliant interim plan to get around the problem, one that will mean only a little extra work for those of you who have something to say. Here are the easy instructions:
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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."
Special thanks to all of you who have gone to the trouble to comment under this somewhat cumbersome system.
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Late Morning/Afternoon Update:
Kevin Liptak of CNN: "President Joe Biden has decided, in consultation with his national security team, to stick with the August 31 deadline for withdrawing troops from Afghanistan, according to a senior administration official. Biden made the decision mindful of the security risks in remaining the country longer, the official said, and he has asked for contingency plans in case he determines at a later date the US needs to remain in the country for longer." ~~~
~~~ From Tuesday's Washington Post live updates: "The Taliban was still allowing foreign nationals to leave, but [Zabihullah] Mujahid said that the group was stopping Afghan nationals from reaching the airport as it was dangerous and their skills were needed to rebuild the country. 'We are asking the American please change your policy and don't encourage Afghans to leave,' he said." A CNBC story is here. MB: Yeah, I wondered how long it would take the Taliban to notice that the best & the brightest were leaving the country.
John Hudson of the Washington Post: "CIA Director William J. Burns held a secret meeting Monday in Kabul with the Taliban's de facto leader, Abdul Ghani Baradar, in the highest-level face-to-face encounter between the Taliban and the Biden administration since the militants seized the Afghan capital, according to U.S. officials.... The CIA declined to comment on the Taliban meeting, but the discussions are likely to have involved an impending Aug. 31 deadline for the U.S. military to conclude its airlift of U.S. citizens and Afghan allies." MB: Based on the stories linked above, it would seem the meeting didn't go to well for the U.S.
Toljaso. Heather Caygle, et al., of Politico: "Speaker Nancy Pelosi and a band of Democratic centrists are finalizing a deal that would clear the way for passage of the party's $3.5 trillion budget framework and set a Sept. 27 House vote on infrastructure -- an offer both sides hope will end their weekslong standoff. After several hours of furious negotiating Monday night, Pelosi and her team are close to announcing the compromise, which they hope to put on the floor as soon as Tuesday afternoon, according to several people familiar with discussions. Most, if not all, of the recalcitrant moderates -- led by Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J..) -- were expected to accept the deal and back the budget blueprint on the floor later Tuesday, though terms are not yet finalized."
The New York Times' live updates of Covid-19 developments Tuesday are here.
Michael Wilson & Jesus Jiménez of the New York Times: "In the waning hours of his final day in office, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo commuted the prison sentence of one of the members of the gang behind the infamous robbery of a Brink's armored car in 1981 that left two police officers and a guard dead, a politically motivated ambush that continues to reverberate 40 years later.David Gilbert is serving a 75-years-to-life sentence for his role in the crime as a member of the Weather Underground, which stole $1.6 million in cash from the armored car outside the Nanuet Mall near Nyack, N.Y. The decision does not mean he will automatically be released from prison. Mr. Gilbert will be granted a parole hearing in the weeks to come, according to Monday's announcement." Cuomo also commuted the sentences of four others who had been convicted for murder.
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The Washington Post's live updates of developments in Afghanistan Tuesday are here.
Mark Landler & Megan Stack of the New York Times: "American officials are increasingly worried that even with the vast number of Afghans, Americans and people of other nationalities evacuated in recent days..., many still remain to be rescued. In recent days, that operation has increasingly focused on the Americans still left, over the Afghans who worked with the United States. On Monday, a State Department official said that some former Afghan military interpreters or other close U.S. allies, a designated priority group for evacuations, were being turned away from the airport by American officials in order to give priority to U.S. passport and Green Card holders in recent days.... On Monday night, the State Department denied the accounts of Afghans' being turned away.... But at Kabul's international airport, where all the flights are being organized, chaos and violence were still keeping thousands of Afghans from entering for evacuation." ~~~
~~~ Missy Ryan, et al., of the Washington Post: "The United States faced mounting global pressure on Monday to extend its evacuation mission in Afghanistan past President Biden's Aug. 31 deadline, despite a Taliban warning against doing so. The admonition from Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen ... came as the U.S. military accelerated flights out of the Afghan capital following a week of chaos and insecurity that thwarted attempts by thousands of foreigners and desperate Afghans to depart. 'If they extend it, that means they are extending occupation,' Shaheen told Sky News. 'If they are intent on continuing the occupation, it will provoke a reaction.' The militants' resistance to any prolonged foreign presence injected fresh uncertainty into international coordination efforts a day before Biden holds crisis talks with leaders from the Group of Seven industrial bloc. British officials have said that Prime Minister Boris Johnson will use the emergency meeting to propose new sanctions on the Taliban and push Biden to extend the evacuation operation." ~~~
~~~ Nicole Gaouette, et al., of CNN: "The US military is advising President Joe Biden that he must decide by Tuesday whether to extend the evacuation in Afghanistan beyond August 31, according to a defense official directly familiar with the discussions.... [The military needs a decision] in order to have enough time to withdraw the 5,800 troops currently on the ground, as well as their equipment and weapons. If the President agrees, the military anticipates 'a few more days' of trying to evacuate as many people as possible before the drawdown of US forces begins, possibly at the end of this week. As of Monday, Biden was still deciding whether to extend the deadline for removing all US troops...."
Antonio Olivo of the Washington Post: "Planeloads of Afghan refugees and Afghan Americans arrived in Northern Virginia on Monday, their faces showing relief and exhaustion after being harassed by Taliban fighters on the way to the Kabul airport and, in some cases, going without much food for days. After landing at Dulles International Airport, many of the families boarded buses ferrying them to the nearby Dulles Expo Center in Fairfax County, a 100,000-square-foot facility meant for business conventions that has been converted into a temporary shelter. The families were waiting to be sent to military installations in the Washington region and elsewhere in the country -- yet another leg on a journey that, for many, included waiting several days for a flight at Kabul's crowded airport and then being held at a refugee site in Qatar.... Between Sunday morning and Monday morning, 10,400 people were evacuated from Kabul on military flights, and 5,900 people flew out on commercial airlines recruited by the United States for the effort, the spokesman said."
Quint Forgey of Politico: "The Pentagon on Monday revealed it had performed another rescue mission to transport Americans stranded in Kabul to the Afghan capital's international airport, where the urgent U.S. evacuation effort remains underway. The announcement comes after the Pentagon confirmed that three Army CH-47 Chinook helicopters last Thursday airlifted a group of 169 Americans from the Baron Hotel in Kabul to the Hamid Karzai International Airport just 200 meters away.... Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby ... also indicated that rescue missions by U.S. troops in recent days have been more frequent than senior administration officials have thus far acknowledged -- and that some have been facilitated by means other than military helicopters."
Cristina Marcos & Scott Wong of the Hill: "Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and her leadership team are pressing forward with a risky strategy Monday to move forward on key parts of President Biden's domestic agenda while refusing to bend to demands from a handful of centrists. The plan would see the House vote on a rule Monday night that would deem a $3.5 trillion budget as adopted while setting up a process for considering a bipartisan infrastructure bill approved by the Senate at an unspecified time. The strategy is risky because 10 centrist Democrats have said they will not back the $3.5 billion budget without voting first on the infrastructure bill. It is not clear these Democrats will vote for the rule deeming the budget as being adopted." MB: Pelosi is pretty risk-averse, so I suspect she knows something we don't.
Zachary Cohen, et al., of CNN: "The House Select Committee investigating the January 6 Capitol riot is poised to send notices to various telecommunications companies requesting that they preserve the phone records of several people, including members of Congress, multiple sources tell CNN. Preserving communications records is the first step in an investigatory process that could eventually lead to witness testimony."
Paul Duggan of the Washington Post: "Henry 'Enrique' Tarrio, a national leader of the Proud Boys, a far-right group with a history of violence, was sentenced Monday to five months in jail for two crimes, including setting fire to a stolen Black Lives Matter banner during a tumultuous demonstration in Washington after the election defeat of ... Donald Trump. Noting that the Constitution protects the right to protest, D.C. Superior Court Judge Harold L. Cushenberry Jr. said Tarrio's conduct in the Dec. 12 demonstration 'vindicated none of these democratic values. Instead, Mr. Tarrio's actions betrayed them.' The banner was stolen from Asbury United Methodist Church, a historic Black church at 11th and K streets NW, as far-right protesters marched in Washington in support of Trump's effort to delegitimize President Biden's election victory. Tarrio pleaded guilty last month to burning the banner and to a charge of attempted possession of a high-capacity ammunition magazine." A BuzzFeed News story is here.
Shayna Jacobs of the Washington Post: "Igor Fruman, an associate of Rudolph W. Giuliani who aided his political activities on behalf of ... Donald Trump, is expected to plead guilty this week in connection with his indictment on campaign finance fraud charges, according to court records made public Monday. Fruman, who unlike his co-defendant Lev Parnas has remained out of the public spotlight since his arrest in 2019, is expected to appear in federal court on Wednesday for a change-of-plea proceeding, according to the docket notation. Fruman and Parnas -- who also faces separate charges he stole from investors in a bogus start-up company -- previously pleaded not guilty on all counts." CNN's story is here.
Nunes Loses Court Case to His Cow. Moo-ove on, Devin. Matthew Chapman of the Raw Story: "On Monday, the Fresno Bee reported that Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA) suffered yet another loss in his series of defamation suits against an anonymous set of Twitter accounts trying to satirize him -- this time, his case against a Never Trump Republican strategist on Twitter who has criticized him.... 'Judge John Marshall's ruling from earlier this month in Virginia's Henrico County Circuit Court dismisses Liz Mair from a case Nunes filed against her, Twitter and anonymous writers who heckled him on Twitter under the fictional personas of a cow and his mother,' [the Bee reported]. This comes after the judge also ruled that Nunes cannot name Twitter as a defendant in the lawsuit. According to the report, 'Nunes continues to attempt to sue the Twitter personalities known as "Devin Nunes' cow," @DevinCow, and "Devin Nunes' Alt-Mom," @NunesAlt, although he has not been able to serve them with a complaint.." The Fresno Bee report is here.
Sarah Kaplan of the Washington Post: "Tennessee's flash floods underscore the peril climate change poses even in inland areas, where people once thought themselves immune. A warmer atmosphere that holds more water, combined with rapid development and crumbling infrastructure, is turning once-rare disasters into common occurrences. Yet Americans, who often associate global warming with melting glaciers and intense heat, are not prepared for the coming deluge. Inland flooding is the leading cause of death associated with tropical cyclones in the past 50 years, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency. On average, damage from inland floods costs more than any other severe weather event."
The Pandemic, Ctd.
The Washington Post's live updates of Covid-19 developments Tuesday are here.
Sarah Owermohle of Politico: "President Joe Biden on Monday pressed businesses and public leaders to implement vaccine mandates after the federal government issued its first full approval of a Covid-19 vaccine.... 'If you're a business leader, a nonprofit leader, a state or local leader, who has been waiting for full FDA approval to require vaccinations, I call on you now to do that -- require it. It only makes sense to require a vaccine to stop the spread of Covid-19.... 'If you're one of the millions of Americans who said that they will not get the shot until it has full and final approval of FDA: It has now happened,' he said. 'The moment you've been waiting for is here.'"
Robert Barnes of the Washington Post: 'The Biden administration on Monday urged the Supreme Court to leave in place a moratorium on evictions in parts of the country ravaged by the coronavirus pandemic, saying it is a 'lawful and urgently needed response to an unprecedented public emergency.' A coalition of landlords and real estate trade groups in Alabama and Georgia are challenging the latest moratorium imposed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, issued Aug. 3 and intended to run through Oct. 3.... In June, the justices on a narrow vote left a previous version of the eviction ban in place, when it was supposed to expire at the end of July. Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh, who cast the deciding vote, said he thought the ban should be allowed to wind down. But he added that he believed CDC lacked authority, and that congressional action would be needed to impose a new moratorium. Congress did not act, though, and initially the Biden administration said its hands were tied. After pressure from constituent groups and liberals in Congress, one of whom camped out to draw attention to the issue, the administration issued a new and slightly narrowed version of the plan. But even the president was skeptical it would last."
The New York Times' live updates of Covid 19 developments Monday are here. The Washington Post's live Covid updates for Monday are here: "Fresh data from Israel is providing encouraging news about the effectiveness of coronavirus boosters in seniors. A study by the Israeli Health Ministry found that a third dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine provided four times as much protection against infection as two doses in people 60 and older. The level of protection was five to six times higher against serious illness and hospitalization, according to the study published Sunday, which looked at protection provided 10 days after a third dose. Israel approved booster shots for people 60 and older late last month, and lowered the age of eligibility to 40 last week." (Also linked yesterday.)
** Ben Guarino, et al., of the Washington Post: "Federal regulators Monday granted full approval to the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine -- a milestone that could help increase inoculation rates and spark a wave of vaccine mandates by employers and universities amid a surge of new cases and hospitalizations fueled by the ferocious delta variant. The Food and Drug Administration action marks the first licensing of a vaccine for the coronavirus.... The vaccine has been approved for two doses, three weeks apart, in people 16 and older. It remains available under emergency use authorization adolescents ages 12 to 15." CNN's report is here. The FDA's press release is here. (Also linked yesterday.)
Lolita Baldor of the AP: "The Pentagon said Monday that it will require service members to receive the COVID-19 vaccine now that the Pfizer vaccine has received full approval. Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is making good on his vow earlier this month to require the shots once the Food and Drug Administration approved the vaccine. He said guidance is being developed and a timeline will be provided in the coming days. Austin's decision reflects similar moves by governments and companies around the world...."
New York. Eliza Shapiro & Tracey Tully of the New York Times: "New York City will require every employee of the city's Department of Education -- including teachers, principals, custodians and all central office staff -- to have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine by Sept. 27, without the option of instead submitting to weekly testing, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced on Monday. Hours later, Gov. Philip D. Murphy of New Jersey announced that all employees of public, private and parochial schools in his state must be fully inoculated by Oct. 18 or be tested once or twice a week for the coronavirus. He said the rules also apply to all state employees and all substitute teachers, who are already in short supply." (Also linked yesterday.)
New York. Oliver Darcy of CNN: "The New York Post, the Rupert Murdoch-owned tabloid that has peddled a high volume of anti-mask rhetoric during the pandemic, informed employees this month that they are required to wear a mask while at the office, according to a memo obtained by CNN Business.... The New York Post's mask mandate is the latest example of the brazen hypocrisy in Murdoch's media empire. Murdoch's media organizations, such as Fox News and the Post, have disparaged public health officials and the guidance they issue about vaccines and masks. But these media organizations have quietly required their employees to follow the very same health protocols that they've lampooned in print and on air."
Texas. A Texas Grifter Walked into a Press Conference.... Brad Reed of the Raw Story: "Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who served as Secretary of Energy under ... Donald Trump, is pitching Texas schools on a new product to deal with the state's COVID-19 crisis. The Houston Chronicle reports that Perry held a lengthy press conference in which he pitched an air-filtration system called Integrated Viral Protection as an alternative to mask mandates in schools. However, the Chronicle reports that Perry has a financial interest in the company behind the product, and he got snippy when a reporter asked him about how much of a stake he had in seeing its products succeed. 'Well, that's none of your business,' he replied to a reporter. 'I'm not a public official anymore.'"
Beyond the Beltway
Arizona. Cyber Ninjas Out Sick with the Covid. Rosalind Helderman of the Washington Post: "The [MB: totally fake!] report detailing the conclusions of a GOP-backed review of ballots cast last year in Arizona has been delayed after the chief executive of the private company conducting the widely pilloried audit and two other members of his team tested positive for the coronavirus. Arizona Senate President Karen Fann (R) announced the delay Monday, saying that Doug Logan, chief executive of the Florida firm Cyber Ninjas, and two other members of the audit team had been infected and were 'quite sick.'" ~~~
~~~ Eric Bradner & Stephanie Becker of CNN: "The report detailing the findings of contractors who conducted Arizona's sham 'audit' of last year's election results -- which had been expected Monday -- will be late because three of the five members of the auditing team have tested positive for coronavirus...." MB: Rachel Maddow thought the big news here was that Cyber Ninjas had a five-person board; previously, the only "board member" she had heard of was Top Ninja Doug Logan.
California. Antifa Is Coming! Antifa Is Coming! Sam Levin of the Guardian: Early last summer, "authorities in rural northern [California] counties spread misinformation and launched aircraft surveillance in response to false rumors about antifa 'infiltrators', according to records obtained by the Guardian.... [Records] show how officers in [Shasta and Humboldt] counties, known for weed farms and hiking and overwhelmingly white, were swiftly duped by unfounde allegations about 'Antifa buses' threatening to 'infiltrate' the community as the United States wrestled with the death of George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter demonstrations that sprung up in the aftermath. The records also show how the agencies' response to those unsubstantiated allegations helped spread misinformation rooted in online conspiracy theories. The files were particularly troubling, experts said, because antifa conspiracy theories have inspired armed rightwing vigilantes to organize in response, sometimes with violent demonstrations." ~~~
~~~ Marie: I'm pretty sure antifa used the same buses that Massachusetts Democrats used to roll into New Hampshire on Election Day 2016 & throw the Granite State's vote to Clinton. Those buses get around.
Massachusetts. Neil Vigdor of the New York Times: "In a 19-page indictment that was unsealed on Monday in U.S. District Court in Massachusetts, Ali Jaafar and his sons Mohamed Jaafar and Yousef Jaafar were collectively charged with more than a dozen counts of fraud, money laundering and tax evasion for taking part in what the authorities say was a ticket-cashing scheme. A vast majority of the tickets were the scratch-off type that are typically sold at convenience stores, prosecutors said. From 2011 to 2019, according to the indictment, the Jaafars claimed the prizes on behalf of the actual winners, who potentially avoided having their winnings garnished for unpaid taxes or child support, a requirement for any prize over $600 in Massachusetts. The Jaafars then falsely reported six- and seven-figure gambling losse on their tax returns, allowing them to drastically reduce the taxes they paid on the winnings, prosecutors said." MB: For someone like me who doesn't even know how to play the lottery, this is an impressive scam.
New York. Marina Villeneuve of the AP: "Kathy Hochul became the first female governor of New York at the stroke of midnight Tuesday, taking control of a state government desperate to get back to business after months of distractions over sexual harassment allegations against Andrew Cuomo. The Democrat from western New York was sworn in as governor in a brief, private ceremony in the New York State Capitol overseen by the state's chief judge, Janet DiFiore. Hochul's ascent to the top job was a history-making moment in a capital where women have only recently begun chipping away at a notoriously male-dominated political culture." The New York Times story is here. ~~~
~~~ Dana Rubinstein & Luis Ferré-Sadurní of the New York Times: "A day before Kathy Hochul becomes the first female governor of New York State, she announced that her top two aides will be women, too. Karen Persichilli Keogh, who is known in political circles by her initials 'KPK,' will become secretary to the governor, the highest-ranking appointed position in the state. She will succeed Melissa DeRosa, who was the first woman to hold the position. In a tweet, Ms. DeRosa described Ms. Keogh as a 'superstar.' Ms. Keogh's appointment, along with the selection of Elizabeth Fine as Ms. Hochul's counsel, means that a trio of women will be at the helm of the executive branch roiled by allegations of sexual harassment by the outgoing governor." ~~~
~~~ So Long, Goodbye. I Wuz Framed. Luis Ferré-Sadurní & Katie Glueck of the New York Times: "Abandoned by virtually every political ally he once had, [Andrew Cuomo] held no public event on Monday, confining his lone appearance to a prerecorded farewell address where he defiantly cast his resignation as the unavoidable outcome of a rush to judgment on sexual harassment allegations made against him. Mr. Cuomo, seated by himself and staring into a camera, characterized a damning 165-page report by the state attorney general's office as a 'political firecracker on an explosive topic,' forcing his resignation and clearing the way for his lieutenant governor, Kathy Hochul, to succeed him." CNN's story is here. ~~~
~~~ Jenny Zhang of Gawker: "If almost-former Gov. Andrew Cuomo wasn't considered a disgraced man before (he was), he will be now. The Albany Times Union reports that the governor, who resigned after being accused of sexual misconduct by 11 women, left his dog, Captain, at the Executive Mansion in Albany and has been asking household staff members if anyone would like to keep him.... Cuomo is planning to go on vacation after he leaves office before midnight tonight." Cuomo's director of communications said the story was, like, totally untrue. MB: Once when I was walking my dog in downtown Manhattan, Andy's dad Mario stopped me & asked me all about the dog. Apparently a love of pets doesn't run in the family. (Also linked yesterday.)
** North Carolina. Paulina Villegas of the Washington Post: In a 2-1 decision, "North Carolina judges ordered the restoration of voting rights for thousands of people with a felony conviction in what advocates call the largest expansion of voting rights in decades in the state. Under state law, individuals are prohibited from voting until they are fully discharged from probation, parole or suspended sentence -- often years after they are released from prison. Monday's ruling by a panel of the state Superior Court in Raleigh could make North Carolina the only state in the South to automatically restore voting rights to people after they leave prison.... GOP state lawmakers who defended the existing law in court have said they plan to appeal Monday';s decision to a higher court."
Oregon. Getting Stupid Again in Portland. Andrew Jeong of the Washington Post: "Hundreds of far-left and far-right demonstrators clashed in Portland, Ore., on Sunday afternoon, firing paintballs, spraying chemicals and destroying property. Police have not reported any deaths or injuries. But footage from the two areas where the demonstrations occurred showed gunshots being fired, people being shoved to the ground and some protesters breaking the windows of parked vehicles. Images showed at least one person surrendering to law enforcement officials where the shots had been fired. Dennis G. Anderson, 65, was charged with unlawful use and possession of a firearm shortly after the shooting, police said." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ Oh, Wait. It Was Supposed to Be a "Summer of Love' Thing. Tess Owen of Vice: "Gunfire erupted in Portland on Sunday amid what may have been the most chaotic display of political violence between far-right agitators and antifascists in the Oregon city yet. A coalition of heavily-armed groups, including the Proud Boys, rallied for a 'Summer of Love' event in Portland, Oregon, Sunday. The event had been advertised online with a colorful Hippie-esque flier, promising 'Patriots spreading LOVE not HATE.'... Many of the approximately 200 people who showed up to participate in the event seemed prepared for anything but a 1960's-style 'love in.' Instead, they came openly carrying handguns, baseball bats, chemical spray bottles, and at least one pickaxe featuring Proud Boys insignia, The Guardian's Jason Wilson reported."
Way Beyond
Sweden. Reis Thebault of the Washington Post: "Stefan Lofven..., the Swedish prime minister, navigated seven years of fractious politics and fragile governing coalitions. He hung on as the coronavirus pandemic devastated his country -- its response coming under increasingly harsh scrutiny -- and he recaptured his seat after being ousted in June. Then on Sunday, with no warning, he resigned. The surprise announcement sent a tremor through Swedish politics at an already turbulent time in Stockholm, with leaders in a divided government pressing to pass a budget proposal, national elections looming in 2022 and public support growing for a far-right party with neo-Nazi roots.... His resignation becomes official in November.... Lofven's departure leaves a leadership vacuum. But it also presents an opportunity for a country that has long thought of itself as a world leader on gender equality: the prospect of Sweden's first female prime minister." ~~~
~~~ Under New Management. Marie: Just to put things in perspective, Kathy Hochul became the governmental leader of 19.45 million people. Stefan Lofven leads 10.23 million people.
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