The Commentariat -- August 21, 2021

Marie: For the fourth day, Reality Chex STILL 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:

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."

I've tried this a couple of times, and it works. With any luck, you won't have to do this for long.

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Afternoon Update:

Maureen Dowd of the New York Times: "Americans are not built to occupy feudal countries under scorching suns halfway around the globe.... The idea that we were going to turn Iraq and Afghanistan into mini-mes of Jeffersonian democracy was always an arrogant miscalculation, driven by macho hubris, not national security.... Donald Trump could have made safe and orderly passage a part of his deal when he negotiated his 2020 'surrender agreement,' as his former national security adviser H.R. McMaster called it in an interview with Bari Weiss. We all know Trump is a terrible deal-maker. [President] Biden could have told the Taliban he was not abiding by Trump's fatally flawed deal and renegotiated it to avoid this pell-mell disgrace. But Trump and Biden were so impatient to get out, their screw-ups merged into strangulating red tape.... Still, it is enraging to watch a parade of dunderheads preen on cable -- anchors and generals and chatterers -- the same people whose cheerleading ensnared us in 20 years of quicksand in Iraq and Afghanistan."

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

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

Ezzatullah Mehrdad & Sudarsan Raghavan of the Washington Post: "Groups of armed Afghans attacked the Taliban on Friday, driving Afghanistan's new rulers out of three northern districts, the first assault against the Islamist militants since they swept into Kabul last week and seized control of the government. Local anti-Taliban commanders claimed in interviews they had killed as many as 30 of the group's fighters and captured 20 in the takeover of the districts in Baghlan province, just over 100 miles north of the capital. Former Afghan service members were joined in the fight, they said, by local civilians.... Friday's attack is the latest sign of defiance toward the Taliban, ranging from Afghans refusing to fly the white Taliban flag to women protesting to preserve their rights. Together, they illuminate some of the obstacles the Taliban faces as it seeks to form a government deemed acceptable by a broad spectrum of Afghans and by the international community, especially donors."

Ellen Knickmeyer, et al., of the AP: "President Joe Biden is pledging to Americans still trapped in Afghanistan: 'We will get you home.' Biden also said Friday the United States is committed to evacuating all Afghans who assisted the war effort -- a potentially vast expansion of the administration's commitments on the airlift so far, given the tens of thousands of Afghan translators and others, and their close family members, seeking evacuation. Biden's comments at a White House news conference Friday come as the U.S. government struggles to ramp up a massive airlift clearing Americans and other foreigners and vulnerable Afghans through the Kabul airport.... Evacuation flights at the Kabul airport had stopped for several hours on Friday because of a backup at a transit point for the refugees, a U.S. airbase in Qatar, U.S. officials said. However, flights resumed in the afternoon.... ~~~

(AP story, ctd.) A defense official said about 5,700 people, including about 250 Americans, were flown out of Kabul aboard 16 C-17 transport planes, guarded by a temporary U.S. military deployment that's building to 6,000 troops. On each of the previous two days, about 2,000 people were airlifted.... Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said ... 169 [Americans] had gathered at the Baron Hotel near the airport and were flown across the airport perimeter to safety Thursday. He said they were transported by three U.S. military CH-47 helicopters.... Separately, senior American military officials told The Associated Press that a U.S. helicopter picked up Afghans, mostly women and children, and ferried them to the airport Friday. The 3rd Brigade Combat Team of the Army's 82nd Airborne Division airlifted the Afghans from Camp Sullivan, near the Kabul airport." The New York Times story, which details the harrowing scene at the Kabul airport, is here.

A baby is lifted over concertina wire into Kabul airport. According to CNN, the baby soon received medical treatment inside the airport. No word on whether or not the mother/family got inside, too. Update: According to the NYT story linked above, "The Pentagon said the baby was sick, received treatment and was later returned to his father.":

Marie: When I heard on TV that it took years for our Afghan allies to get special immigration visas (SIVs), I couldn't understand why. Now I do. ~~~

~~~ ** Because Racism. Helen Elfer of the (U.K.) Independent, republished in Yahoo! News: "A former White House Homeland Security official has accused the Trump administration of deliberately obstructing visa processing for US allies in Afghanistan. In a series of posts on Twitter, Olivia Troye, who served as an aide to former Vice President Mike Pence, eviscerated the previous administration's actions, which she said were steeped in racism. 'There were cabinet mtgs about this during the Trump Admin where Stephen Miller would peddle his racist hysteria about Iraq and Afghanistan' she wrote, adding that Mr Miller -- a senior aide and speechwriter for Donald Trump -- would undermine anyone who was trying to resolve the Special Immigrants Visa issue. Ms Troye went on to say that while Mr Pence was fully aware of the problem, it was impossible to make progress because Mr Trump and Mr Miller had 'watchdogs in place' at the Department of Justice, Homeland Security, State and security agencies to make the process even more difficult. According to Ms Troye, the Pentagon weighed in, and there were memos sent from General James Mattis and others attempting to expedite the visas, but to no avail." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: So my repeated complaints about the Biden administration's failure to streamline the visa process need a serious amendment. (1) The system Biden inherited was designed by Stephen Miller & Co. to fail; (2) Reading between the lines of several stories, it appears the Biden administration did speed up visa-vetting procedures in July 2021.

Annie Karni of the New York Times: "President Biden on Friday nominated R. Nicholas Burns, a veteran Foreign Service officer and a former ambassador to NATO, as ambassador to China and Rahm Emanuel, the former mayor of Chicago and former President Barack Obama's first chief of staff, as ambassador to Japan. Mr. Biden settled on both nominees months ago, people involved in the process said. But the official announcement was delayed in part because the United States needs the host countries to sign off on such selections before proceeding." CNN's story is here. MB: Assuming the Senate confirms Rahm, I wonder how long it will take him to insult the Japanese.

Noam Scheiber of the New York Times: "The A.F.L.-C.I.O. has chosen Liz Shuler, its acting president since the death of Richard Trumka this month, to lead the federation until it holds elections next June. Ms. Shuler had served as secretary-treasurer, the A.F.L.-C.I.O.'s second-ranking official, since 2009. The decision to name Ms. Shuler president came at a meeting of the A.F.L.-C.I.O. executive council on Friday, which Ms. Shuler was obligated to call within a few weeks of Mr. Trumka's death under the federation's constitution. Ms. Shuler is the group's first female president." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Rachel Weiner of the Washington Post: "A man who prompted an evacuation of the U.S. Capitol and surrounding buildings on Thursday by claiming to have a bomb inside his truck faces charges of threatening to use explosives and a weapon of mass destruction. Floyd Ray Roseberry of North Carolina surrendered to authorities Thursday about five hours after he drove a truck onto the sidewalk outside the Library of Congress and launched a standoff with law enforcement officers, police said. He had demanded to speak to President Biden about a range of grievances against the Democratic Party and claimed that if he was shot, his vehicle and four others would explode.... Officials said they found no bomb in his car, but there were materials that could be used to make explosives.... Before he was taken into custody, Roseberry delivered a tirade over a Facebook Live video that circulated widely before the website and other social media platforms took it down. In the video, he repeated the false claim that the election was stolen from ... Donald Trump and called on Democrats to resign."

Ken Dilanian & Rich Schapiro of NBC News: "The Capitol Police officer who fatally shot Ashli Babbitt outside a door of the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6 riot has been formally exonerated after an internal investigation, according to a department memo obtained by NBC News. The officer, whose name has not been released, opened fire on Babbitt as she and a mob of other Trump supporters tried to forcefully enter the Capitol. Video of the shooting showed Babbitt in front of a crowd of rioters trying to get through a door leading to where members of Congress were being evacuated on the House side of the building.... [Donald] Trump previously made the false claim that the officer who shot Babbitt was the "head of security" for a 'high-ranking' Democratic member of Congress.... Rep. Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., has said Babbitt's death was 'an execution,' and he accused the officer who shot her of 'lying in wait' to do so."

Zoe Tillman of BuzzFeed News: "Infowars host Owen Shroyer is facing criminal charges in connection with the Jan. 6 riots at the US Capitol. In a new complaint filed on Friday, the US attorney's office in Washington charged Shroyer with illegally going into a restricted area on the Capitol grounds and disorderly conduct. He's one of the highest-profile right-wing media personalities to be prosecuted in connection with the insurrection so far. Shroyer, who is based in Texas, had been photographed on a stage outside the Capitol with right-wing activist and Infowars founder Alex Jones, and the FBI said it received an anonymous tip from someone noting another video that appeared to show Shroyer at the top of a set of stairs on the east side of the Capitol. Jones has not been charged."

Rachel Frazin of the Hill: "Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett denied a last-minute petition seeking to halt construction of a presidential library for former President Obama. The court's website indicated on Friday that Barrett rejected a bid from Chicago-based organizations and individuals that said the construction should be halted on environmental grounds. Barrett handles emergency matters emanating from Illinois. She had the option to act on the petition herself or refer it to other justices. The advocacy group Protect Our Parks and several other plaintiffs claimed that federal, state and local governments illegally segmented the project planned for the city's South Side into smaller pieces in order to evade a full assessment of its environmental impacts.... The Supreme Court petition was submitted on Monday -- the same day construction on the project began. It came after both a rejection from a lower court of the arguments and a previous failure at the Supreme Court level to block construction of the library on different legal grounds." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

"Gay Corner." Andrew Yarrow of the Washington Post: "In a quiet neighborhood of Southeast Washington, Leonard Matlovich has been a persistent advocate for gay rights since the 1980s. Over the years, he has attracted dozens of followers who have gathered nearby. You won't hear him on talk shows or see his byline on op-eds, though, because Matlovich passed away in 1988. Instead, he -- or rather his tombstone -- can be found in Congressional Cemetery, which claims to be the world's only graveyard with an LGBTQ section." MB: I meant to link this story earlier in the week but got distracted. It's a sweet, uplifting punctuation to these difficult times.

Meet Some Excellent GOP Leaders from Around the U.S.:

Louisiana. Sam Carlin of the (Baton Rouge) Advocate: "Louisiana Congressman Clay Higgins has once again threatened someone on Facebook with violence. The Lafayette Republican, who has a long history of bizarre social media antics, told an Alaska man named Joel Dolphin who commented on one of his posts that Higgins is 'easy to find,' and suggested he is prepared to fight the man when he visits Alaska next year. 'I'll be in Alaska next year, with (U.S. Rep.) Don Young,' Higgins wrote after Dolphin said he'd be happy to reiterate his criticisms face-to-face with the congressman. '... Like I said. I'm easy to find. Locate us a ring, or a dojo. I'll give you a few rounds to make your point. Be seeing you. Higgins out.'... Higgins, who has easily won reelection twice since taking office in the conservative 3rd District in 2016..., gained notoriety as a St. Landry Parish sheriff's deputy by filming CrimeStoppers segments where he sternly demanded that criminals surrender, often using insults." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Minnesota. Briana Bierschbach & Alex Chhith of the (Minneapolis) Star Tribune: "Minnesota Republican leaders forced Jennifer Carnahan out as head of the state party on Thursday, turning a page on a scandal that threatened to consume GOP politics ahead of a pivotal election year. Carnahan leaves as chair of the party amid allegations that she created a toxic workplace environment, one that blurred personal and professional lines, ignored concerns about sexual harassment and retaliated against employees who didn't fall in line. The party's 15-member executive board voted 8-7 to give Carnahan a severance of three months salary, roughly $38,000, to leave her role. Carnahan, who attended the meeting virtually, was the deciding vote to give herself severance on the way out. The board also approved investigations into the party's finances and human resources protocols." (Also linked yesterday.)

Texas. What Have the Black People Done Wrong Today? Julian Mark of the Washington Post: "Responding to a question by Fox "News" host Laura Ingraham about rising Covid cases, Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said,] 'Democrats like to blame Republicans on that.... Well, the biggest group in most states are African Americans who have not been vaccinated. The last time I checked, over 90 percent of them vote for Democrats in their major cities and major counties.'... While vaccination rates are low among Black Texans, the highest coronavirus case rates are among Whites and Hispanics." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

The Pandemic, Ctd.

Adam Cancryn & Erin Banco of Politico: "The Food and Drug Administration is on track to approve Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine for adults as soon as next week, three people with knowledge of the matter told Politico. The long-anticipated announcement would make Pfizer's Covid-19 shot the first to receive full licensure from the federal government, a milestone in the nation's year-and-a-half pandemic battle." ~~~

     ~~~ From the New York Times' live updates for Friday: "The Food and Drug Administration is pushing to approve Pfizer-BioNTech's two-dose Covid-19 vaccine on Monday, further expediting an earlier timeline for licensing the shot, according to people familiar with the agency's planning."

Tyler Pager & Laurie McGinley of the Washington Post: "Moderna's coronavirus vaccine for adolescents has yet to be authorized by federal health officials in part because they are investigating emerging reports that the shots may be associated with a higher risk of a heart condition in younger adults than previously believed, according to two people familiar with the review who emphasized the side effect still probably remains very uncommon. The investigation, which involves the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is focusing on Canadian data that suggests the Moderna vaccine may carry a higher risk of myocarditis for young people than the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, especially for males below the age of 30 or so."

Bailey Schulz of USA Today: "The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has updated its guidance for travelers who are at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19 to recommend they avoid cruise ships, regardless of vaccination status. The new guidance applies to older adults, people with certain medical conditions and pregnant and recently pregnant people. Prior to Friday's announcement, the agency recommended that only people who were not fully vaccinated against COVID-19 avoid cruise ships.... The CDC's website says the virus that causes COVID-19 can spread easily between people in close quarters on ships, and the chance of getting COVID-19 on cruise ships is 'high.'" MB: USA Today stories are now subscriber-firewalled; I don't know how many freebies nonsubscribers get before being locked out.

Capitalism Is Awesome, Ctd. Sheri Fink of the New York Times: Abbott Labs had employees at their Maine plant destroy millions of rapid Covid-19 testing devices, then laid them all off. It isn't clear why the company destroyed the products, but the U.S. is now in dire need of more rapid tests and other countries needed the tests, too.

Paul Krugman of the New York Times: "The reason [the U.S.] hasn't [returned to more-or-less normal] -- the reason we are instead still living in fear, with hospitals in much of the South nearing breaking point -- is that not enough people have been vaccinated and not enough people are wearing masks.... So how do you feel about anti-vaxxers and anti-maskers? I'm angry about their antics, even though I'm able to work from home and don't have school-age children. And I suspect that many Americans share that anger.... In a very real sense, the irresponsible minority is depriving the rest of us of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.... So it's time to stop being diffident and call out destructive behavior for what it is." ~~~

~~~ ** Sorry, Paul, They'd Rather Be Poisoned. Mississippi. Ashton Pittman of the Mississippi Free Press: "At least one individual has been hospitalized in Mississippi after ingesting a drug intended for treating worms in livestock, the Mississippi State Department of Health revealed today. The medicine, ivermectin, is not approved for treating COVID-19. 'There are potential toxicities. So it's something, you know, as you know, I think some people are trying to use it as a preventative, which I think is really kind of crazy. So please don't do that,' Mississippi State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs said during a discussion on Zoom [Friday].... Despite a lack of scientific evidence that ivermectin is effective at treating COVID-19, it has become a popular go-to drug ... especially among opponents of COVID-19 vaccines and public-health measures like masking. It's a similar phenomenon to the push last year for COVID-19 patients to take hydroxychloroquine [MB: which Donald Trump pushed] despite studies finding it ineffective against the virus.... After this report published [two days earlier], the Mississippi State Department issued a health alert warning about an increase in ivermectin poisoning incidents." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Rachel Maddow couldn't figure out why people would ingest horse dewormer they bought at the feed store instead of getting free, safe Covid vaccines. Then she played clips of Laura Ingraham, Sean Hannity & Tucker Carlson recommending ivermectin on their Fox "News" shows.

Beyond the Beltway

Arizona. Cyber Ninjas Must Release Docs to Watchdog Group. Caroline Vakil of the Hill: "The Arizona Court of Appeals on Thursday ruled that the leading contractor of Arizona's audit of the Maricopa County 2020 election results must turn over documents related to the effort. American Oversight, a watchdog group, has been seeking documents regarding the county's recount and audit, which was initiated because former President Trump disputed the 2020 election results in battle ground states like Arizona. The watchdog group had been involved in a legal fight with Arizona's Senate over the public release of the documents, The Associated Press reported." (Also linked yesterday.)

California. Kate Conger of the New York Times: "A California law that ensures many gig workers are considered independent contractors, while affording them some limited benefits, is unconstitutional and unenforceable, a California Superior Court judge ruled Friday evening. The decision is not likely to immediately affect the new law and is certain to face appeals from Uber and other so-called gig economy companies. It reopened the debate about whether drivers for ride-hailing services and delivery couriers are employees who deserve full benefits, or independent contractors who are responsible for their own businesses and benefits. Last year's Proposition 22, a ballot initiative backed by Uber, Lyft, DoorDash and other gig economy platforms, carved out a third classification for workers, granting gig workers limited benefits while preventing them from being considered employees of the tech giants. The initiative was approved in November with more than 58 percent of the vote. But drivers and the Service Employees International Union filed a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the law. The group argued that Prop. 22 was unconstitutional because it limited the State Legislature's ability to allow workers to organize and have access to workers' compensation." Judge Frank Roesch agreed. Uber will appeal.

News Ledes

Weather Channel: “Tropical Storm Henri is expected to strengthen into a hurricane over the Atlantic Saturday and will track toward the Northeast, likely making landfall on Long Island near hurricane strength late Sunday. Residents of the Northeast U.S. should monitor Henri's progress closely since it may bring wind, rain and storm surge impacts to parts of the region late this weekend into early next week." ~~~

     ~~~ Weather Channel Update: "Henri has become a Category 1 hurricane and will track toward the Northeast, likely making landfall on Long Island or southern New England near hurricane strength late Sunday."

New York Times: "Hurricane Grace made landfall on the eastern coast of Mexico's mainland early Saturday, hours after strengthening into a Category 3 storm as it passed over the Gulf of Mexico. The National Hurricane Center said the storm made landfall near the resort town of Tecolutla just before 1 a.m., with maximum sustained winds of nearly 125 miles per hour. It was moving west at about 10 m.p.h. and was expected to weaken later Saturday as it continued inland over the mountains. The National Hurricane Center warned that preparations to protect life and property should be rushed in the hurricane warning area, which included the coast of mainland Mexico from Puerto Veracruz to Cabo Rojo."

Washington Post: "It had been raining for days when Tropical Storm Fred swept through western North Carolina this week, killing at least four people, with four others unaccounted for. The flooding ravaged this swath of Appalachia, destroying roads and bridges, washing cars away and displacing an estimated 500 families.... There was no warning before the deluge; no time to prepare."

The Commentariat -- August 20, 2021

Marie: As of Friday morning afternoon evening, Reality Chex STILL is not accepting comments, through no design or fault of my own. If you have a log-in, as a few of you do, you can comment on your own while you're logged in. If not, you can email me @ constantweader@gmail.com , and I'll post your comments for you. I've written to Squarespace to get them to fix the problem, and they have started to think about thinking about it. If you don't remember how to log in, send me an email, and I'll tell you. Also, if you don't have a log-in ID, email it to me (I think it has to be at least 8 characters), and I'll tell you how to proceed from there. With any luck, all this soon will become unnecessary.

Afternoon Update:

Adam Cancryn & Erin Banco of Politico: "The Food and Drug Administration is on track to approve Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine for adults as soon as next week, three people with knowledge of the matter told Politico. The long-anticipated announcement would make Pfizer's Covid-19 shot the first to receive full licensure from the federal government, a milestone in the nation's year-and-a-half pandemic battle." ~~~

     ~~~ From the New York Times' live updates for Friday: "The Food and Drug Administration is pushing to approve Pfizer-BioNTech's two-dose Covid-19 vaccine on Monday, further expediting an earlier timeline for licensing the shot, according to people familiar with the agency's planning."

Ellen Knickmeyer, et al., of the AP: "President Joe Biden is pledging to Americans still trapped in Afghanistan: 'We will get you home.' Biden also said Friday the United States is committed to evacuating all Afghans who assisted the war effort -- a potentially vast expansion of the administration's commitments on the airlift so far, given the tens of thousands of Afghan translators and others, and their close family members, seeking evacuation. Biden's comments at a White House news conference Friday come as the U.S. government struggles to ramp up a massive airlift clearing Americans and other foreigners and vulnerable Afghans through the Kabul airport.... Evacuation flights at the Kabul airport had stopped for several hours on Friday because of a backup at a transit point for the refugees, a U.S. airbase in Qatar, U.S. officials said. However, flights resumed in the afternoon. As many as three flights out of Kabul were expected in the next few hours, going to Bahrain and carrying perhaps 1,500 evacuees in all, said an official...." ~~~

A baby is lifted over concertina wire into Kabul airport. According to CNN, the baby soon received medical treatment inside the airport. No word on whether or not the mother/family got inside, too:

Noam Scheiber of the New York Times: "The A.F.L.-C.I.O. has chosen Liz Shuler, its acting president since the death of Richard Trumka this month, to lead the federation until it holds elections next June. Ms. Shuler had served as secretary-treasurer, the A.F.L.-C.I.O.'s second-ranking official, since 2009. The decision to name Ms. Shuler president came at a meeting of the A.F.L.-C.I.O. executive council on Friday, which Ms. Shuler was obligated to call within a few weeks of Mr. Trumka's death under the federation's constitution. Ms. Shuler is the group's first female president."

Rachel Frazin of the Hill: "Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett denied a last-minute petition seeking to halt construction of a presidential library for former President Obama. The court's website indicated on Friday that Barrett rejected a bid from Chicago-based organizations and individuals that said the construction should be halted on environmental grounds. Barrett handles emergency matters emanating from Illinois. She had the option to act on the petition herself or refer it to other justices. The advocacy group Protect Our Parks and several other plaintiffs claimed that federal, state and local governments illegally segmented the project planned for the city's South Side into smaller pieces in order to evade a full assessment of its environmental impacts.... The Supreme Court petition was submitted on Monday -- the same day construction on the project began. It came after both a rejection from a lower court of the arguments and a previous failure at the Supreme Court level to block construction of the library on different legal grounds."

Meet Some Excellent GOP Leaders:

Louisiana. Sam Carlin of the (Baton Rouge) Advocate: "Louisiana Congressman Clay Higgins has once again threatened someone on Facebook with violence. The Lafayette Republican, who has a long history of bizarre social media antics, told an Alaska man named Joel Dolphin who commented on one of his posts that Higgins is 'easy to find,' and suggested he is prepared to fight the man when he visits Alaska next year. 'I'll be in Alaska next year, with (U.S. Rep.) Don Young,' Higgins wrote after Dolphin said he'd be happy to reiterate his criticisms face-to-face with the congressman. '... Like I said. I'm easy to find. Locate us a ring, or a dojo. I'll give you a few rounds to make your point. Be seeing you. Higgins out.'... Higgins, who has easily won reelection twice since taking office in the conservative 3rd District in 2016..., gained notoriety as a St. Landry Parish sheriff's deputy by filming CrimeStoppers segments where he sternly demanded that criminals surrender, often using insults."

Minnesota. Briana Bierschbach & Alex Chhith of the (Minneapolis) Star Tribune: "Minnesota Republican leaders forced Jennifer Carnahan out as head of the state party on Thursday, turning a page on a scandal that threatened to consume GOP politics ahead of a pivotal election year. Carnahan leaves as chair of the party amid allegations that she created a toxic workplace environment, one that blurred personal and professional lines, ignored concerns about sexual harassment and retaliated against employees who didn't fall in line. The party's 15-member executive board voted 8-7 to give Carnahan a severance of three months salary, roughly $38,000, to leave her role. Carnahan, who attended the meeting virtually, was the deciding vote to give herself severance on the way out. The board also approved investigations into the party's finances and human resources protocols."

Texas. What Have the Black People Done Wrong Today? Julian Mark of the Washington Post: "Responding to a question by Fox "News" host Laura Ingraham about rising Covid cases, Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said,] 'Democrats like to blame Republicans on that.... Well, the biggest group in most states are African Americans who have not been vaccinated. The last time I checked, over 90 percent of them vote for Democrats in their major cities and major counties.'... While vaccination rates are low among Black Texans, the highest coronavirus case rates are among Whites and Hispanics."

Arizona. Cyber Ninjas Must Release Docs to Watchdog Group. Caroline Vakil of the Hill: "The Arizona Court of Appeals on Thursday ruled that the leading contractor of Arizona's audit of the Maricopa County 2020 election results must turn over documents related to the effort. American Oversight, a watchdog group, has been seeking documents regarding the county's recount and audit, which was initiated because former President Trump disputed the 2020 election results in battle ground states like Arizona. The watchdog group had been involved in a legal fight with Arizona's Senate over the public release of the documents, The Associated Press reported."

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The New York Times' live updates of developments in Afghanistan Friday are here: "As the United States tries to ramp up its troubled evacuation in Afghanistan, President Biden is expected on Friday to address the furor over the sluggish process, stymied by mayhem in Kabul and delays in Washington, that threatens to strand thousands of Afghans desperate to flee the Taliban takeover. Mr. Biden, who is expected to speak at 1 p.m. in Washington, has defended the pullout from Afghanistan, while promising not to abandon Afghans who risked their lives by working for the U.S. government during the war." ~~~

     ~~~ The Washington Post's live updates of developments in Afghanistan Friday are here.

Natasha Bertrand, et al., of CNN: "While the US State Department continues to engage in high-level diplomatic talks with the Taliban in the neutral setting of Doha, Qatar, as it has for the past year, the real negotiations have moved to the chaotic streets of Kabul in recent days, where American military commanders are in constant communication with Taliban militants over security around the airport. In an extraordinary move, the top US commander in Afghanistan, Adm. Peter Vasely, has been leading the effort to negotiate with his Taliban counterpart to maintain security at the Kabul airport and ensure the safety of both Americans and Afghans hoping to escape. So far, talks have produced mixed results at best.... One White House official said that while the US has several channels to the militant group, officials are still unclear about which Taliban fighters control what, and whether instructions are being properly passed down the chain of command."

Tony Blinken Has Some Explaining to Do. Lara Jakes, et al., of the New York Times: "A sluggish State Department response to the Taliban's rapid takeover of Kabul, Afghanistan's capital, has stranded thousands of Afghans who helped the United States and are now clamoring to be evacuated as they wait for their immigration visas to be approved, two U.S. officials said. As many as 6,000 people -- including former interpreters and cultural and political advisers -- were on standby to be flown out of Kabul's airport late on Thursday night or early Friday alone, after a days-long pause in the processing of visas for Afghans who had worked for the American military or embassy during the 20-year war, the State Department said. Thousands more are expected to be vetted and evacuated on a daily basis after a small influx of consular officers and other diplomats -- including the former ambassador to Afghanistan, John R. Bass -- arrived in Kabul on Thursday to speed the visa processing. Diplomats are also deploying to Qatar and Kuwait, where U.S. military bases will serve as way stations for people arriving from Afghanistan as they search for a final destination....

"Two ... U.S. officials described growing impatience across the Biden administration with the State Department's inability to process visas more quickly.... Officials also echoed refugee advocates, who accused the State Department of having been caught flat-footed in processing the special immigrant visas for Afghans...."

Ezzatullah Mehrdad, et al., of the Washington Post: "A chaotic and dangerous dynamic at Kabul's airport showed few signs of relenting Thursday as thousands of people attempting to board flights faced beatings by Taliban guards, the crush of heaving crowds and interminable spells in the dust and heat while waiting to escape Afghanistan.... Several people said Thursday they had received confusing signals from the United States about how exactly they were supposed to leave, citing emails from the State Department urging them to go the airport, only to find there was no one to receive them or to answer their questions on how to board flights.... A a confidential threat assessment prepared for the United Nations ... [said] Taliban militants are going house to house, setting up checkpoints and threatening to arrest or kill relatives of 'collaborators' in major cities, the assessment said.... Deutsche Welle said a close relative of one of its journalists had been killed by Taliban fighters ... [during a] house to house [search' for the journalist...."

Friends in High Places. Michael Grynbaum & others at the New York Times detail how management at the NYT, Wall Street Journal & Washington Post pulled strings to help a group of about 200 Afghan aides to their newspapers get out of Afghanistan. MB: I often put myself in the shoes of the unfortunate. I would not have had the Post's publisher contacting the National Security Advisor to save me.

"Greatest Military in the World" Not as Good as French & British Forces. James Webb of the Military Times: "As the [U.S.] Defense Department continues to stick to its plans of not reaching out into Kabul to assist U.S. personnel and Afghan helpers evacuate, British and French forces have done so to rescue their citizens, multiple outlets report.... [U.S.] Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said yesterday that despite the U.S. having at least 5,000 troops on the ground, he does not have the 'capability' to reach out beyond [the Kabul airport].... Austin's comments come amid reports of both British and French military units doing precisely that, pushing out into Kabul to secure the safety of their citizens.... The Daily Mail report[s] that the British contingent numbers less than 1,000 troops."

Carlotta Gall, et al., of the New York Times: "The Taliban cracked down on protests that erupted in at least four cities in Afghanistan on Thursday and rounded up opponents despite promises of amnesty, even as fearful workers stayed home and thousands of people continued a frenzied rush to leave the country. Even as the Taliban moved to assert control, hundreds of protesters took to the streets for a second day to rally against their rule, this time marching in Kabul, the capital, as well as other cities. Again, the Taliban met them with force, using gunfire and beatings to disperse crowds. And again the actions of Taliban foot soldiers undermined the leadership's suggestions that, having taken power, they would moderate the brutality they have long been known for. The police officers who served the old government have melted away, and instead armed Taliban fighters are operating checkpoints and directing traffic, administering their notions of justice as they see fit, with little consistency from one to another."

Where Have All the Soldiers Gone? Matthew Rosenberg of the New York Times: "Columns of Afghan soldiers in armored vehicles and pickup trucks sped through the desert to reach Iran. Military pilots flew low and fast to the safety of Uzbekistan's mountains. Thousands of Afghan security force members managed to make it to other countries over the past few weeks as the Taliban rapidly seized the country. Others managed to negotiate surrenders and went back to their homes -- and some kept their weapons and joined the winning side.... But tens of thousands of other Afghan grunts, commandos and spies who fought to the end, despite the talk in Washington that the Afghan forces simply gave up, have been left behind. They are now on the run, hiding and hunted by the Taliban. Accounts of the Taliban searching for people they believe worked with and fought alongside U.S. and NATO forces are beginning to trickle out, offering a bloody counterpoint to the kinder and gentler face the militants have been trying to present to the world."

Tony Blinken Has Some Explaining to Do. Rebecca Beitsch of the Hill: "About two dozen diplomats working at the U.S. Embassy in Afghanistan warned Secretary of State Antony Blinken in July that Kabul risked falling to the Taliban shortly after the military's withdrawal, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal. The classified cable, sent through the State Department's confidential dissent channel, detailed swift gains by the Taliban throughout the country, the collapse of Afghan forces and offered recommendations for speeding up evacuation efforts.... The cable urged the State Department to begin registering and collecting personal data of Afghan interpreters and other allies who qualify for special immigrant visas to leave the country and said the U.S. should begin evacuation flights no later than Aug. 1.... House Foreign Affairs Committee ... ranking member Michael McCaul (R-Texas) said he wants a full readout on this cable and any other warnings given to the administration."

Here's the full transcript of George Stephanopoulos' interview of President Biden, at least part of which aired on ABC's evening news Wednesday. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Tom Friedman of the New York Times pretends to interview "President Lyndon Johnson, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Mohammed Zahir Shah, the last king of Afghanistan" about President Biden's decision to withdraw from Afghanistan. Thanks to Lynn U. for the link.

Michael Crowley of the New York Times: "Some former senior Trump officials now call [the 2020 agreement Donald Trump & Mike Pompeo made with the Taliban] fatally flawed, saying it did little more than provide cover for a pullout that Mr. Trump was impatient to begin before his re-election bid. They also say it laid the groundwork for the chaos unfolding now in Kabul. 'Our secretary of state signed a surrender agreement with the Taliban,' Mr. Trump's second national security adviser, H.R. McMaster, said of Mr. Pompeo during a podcast interview with the journalist Bari Weiss on Wednesday. 'This collapse goes back to the capitulation agreement of 2020. The Taliban didn't defeat us. We defeated ourselves.' And in an interview with CNN on Wednesday, former Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper said that, while President Biden 'owns' the ultimate outcome in Afghanistan, Mr. Trump had earlier 'undermined' the agreement through his barely disguised impatience to exit the country with little apparent regard for the consequences." Both Trump & Pompeo have harshly criticized President Biden, but their excuses for their own actions & inactions don't hold up to even cursory fact-checking.

Annals of "Journalism," Ctd. How would you like to be in Kabul today, as an American, and you can't get to the airport? Where are you thinking your life is headed? If you're one of those family members, I bet you're not sleeping.... MyPillow.com. That.s where I go. I fall asleep faster, I stay asleep longer. -- Sean Hannity on his radio show, Aug. 17, 2021

Cat Zakrzewski of the Washington Post: "The Federal Trade Commission on Thursday refiled a bolstered version of its antitrust case against Facebook. In the complaint, the agency argues that Facebook holds monopoly power in personal social networking, with no other competitor coming close.... The refiling is the FTC's attempt to course correct after it suffered a stunning setback earlier this summer, when a federal judge threw out its suit against the tech giant, along with a similar case from state attorneys general. The Facebook case is the most high-profile challenge that the agency has brought against a tech company in decades, and it's widely being watched as a bellwether of the growing movement in Washington to curb concentrating in the tech industry." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Isaac Stanley-Becker of the Washington Post: "When Lauren Boebert, the pistol-packing Republican firebrand, was running for Congress last year, she traced her income to Shooters Grill, a restaurant she and her husband own in Rifle, Colo. She suggested her husband did some consulting, listing 'Boebert Consulting -- spouse' on her candidate form, but identified his income source as 'N/A.' Only now, with Boebert not just in Congress but on the House Natural Resources Committee, has she revealed that her husband made $478,000 last year working as a consultant for an energy firm. He made $460,000 the year before, she disclosed in a filing Tuesday with the House of Representatives. Her husband, Jayson Boebert, earned that income as a consultant for Terra Energy Productions, according to the filing.... Federal law requires members of Congress, as well as candidates, to file financial disclosure statements that include the income and assets of spouses and dependent children... Kedric Payne..., a former deputy chief counsel in the Office of Congressional Ethics..., said the matter should be reviewed by the Office of Congressional Ethics.... An intentional failure 'could be criminal,' he said, with the potential to result in 'large fines and possible imprisonment.'" (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I'm shocked, shocked to learn that this lovely young representative of the people might be engaging in a criminal plot to enrich herself & her family. She seemed so sweet.

This "Accidental Tourist" Is Also a Liar. Katie Shepherd of the Washington Post: "Even after Robert Reeder pleaded guilty to illegally picketing inside the U.S. Capitol building on Jan. 6, he remained adamant that he was innocent of the worst allegations leveled against him. Prosecutors argued that Reeder actively participated in chants with rioters and egged on the aggressive crowd, though they could not show that he participated in any violence.... Reeder, a former FedEx driver from Maryland, told FBI agents that he was merely an 'accidental tourist' who got swept up in the crowd. The 55-year-old denied engaging in or inciting violence, according to a sentencing memorandum.... But new video from Jan. 6 that surfaced just before his sentencing hearing on Wednesday upended ... the case.... A group of online sleuths known by the moniker 'Sedition Hunters' said on Twitter that it sent the footage to the FBI about four hours before the court hearing. The group also shared the videos on social media."

Dana Hedgpeth, et al., of the Washington Post: "A man who claimed to have a bomb with him in a pickup truck near the Library of Congress surrendered to authorities Thursday afternoon, ending an hours-long standoff in the heart of the nation's capitol. U.S. Capitol Police said in a Twitter message that they were checking a suspicious vehicle near the Library of Congress. The Cannon, Jefferson and Madison office buildings have been evacuated. Police said there is a possible explosive device in the pickup truck, though no explosives have been found at this point.... Two law enforcement officials familiar with the investigation identified the man as Floyd Ray Roseberry of North Carolina." Roseberry, who apparently was live-streaming on Facebook from his truck, said there were other vehicles in the area that were set to explode, too. He was demanding to speak to President Biden & talked about a revolution. MB: According to MSNBC, Roseberry demanded that Biden resign so that Donald Trump can be returned to office. Nicole Wallace of MSNBC noted out that Roseberry's threats & actions were consistent with the nature of Homeland Security's recent warnings of domestic terrorism threats. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ Emily Cochrane & Maria Cramer of the New York Times: "The United States Capitol Police were negotiating with a man who claimed to have a bomb in a pickup truck outside the Library of Congress on Thursday, prompting evacuations from government buildings in the area. The man drove a black pickup onto the sidewalk of the Library of Congress at about 9:15 Thursday morning.... The man, whom officials identified as a North Carolina resident, was making anti-government statements, according to a law enforcement official." Update: "Andy Stone, a spokesman for Facebook, confirmed that the company had taken down the man's profile from the site and Instagram, and removed a post with a video broadcast from the truck. The company said it would also remove any posts supporting or praising the man." A CNN report is here. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

~~~ ** Mo Brooks Sympathizes with Bomber Suspect. Amy Wang of the Washington Post: "Several members of Congress, including at least one Republican [Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.)], have harshly criticized Rep. Mo Brooks after the Alabama Republican released a statement appearing to commiserate with a man who on Thursday had lodged a bomb threat near the U.S. Capitol.... [The family of the man, Floyd] Roseberry ... told The Washington Post that he disliked [President] Biden's policies and was a supporter of ... Donald Trump.... 'Although this terrorist's motivation is not yet publicly known, and generally speaking, I understand citizenry anger directed at dictatorial Socialism and its threat to liberty, freedom and the very fabric of American society,' Brooks said. 'The way to stop Socialism's march is for patriotic Americans to fight back in the 2022 and 2024 elections. I strongly encourage patriotic Americans to do exactly that more so than ever before.' Nowhere in his statement did Brooks outright denounce the bomb threat. He instead ended on an ominous note. 'Bluntly stated, America's future is at risk,' he said." ~~~

~~~ Apparently Mo is not as bright as most wingers, whom Steve M. correctly predicted would label the incident a false flag "cooked up by the Democrats to distract us from Afghanistan." One winger tags Roseberry as "an FBI crisis actor" & another saw the threat as a false flag designed to "take away our guns." Steve: "It won't matter if the next would-be revolutionary actually destroys multiple city blocks or kills dozens of people -- the right will still say it's a Biden/Deep State/(Soros?)/(Bill Gates?) false flag. They'll insist to the end that 100% of the evil in the world is on our side."

The Pandemic, Ctd.

The New York Times' live updates of Covid-19 developments Friday are here: "The Texas Education Agency said it would temporarily stop enforcing Gov. Greg Abbott's ban on mask mandates and the State Supreme Court issued a ruling allowing school districts to require face-coverings. Both decisions are temporary. The agency said in new guidance on Thursday that it would immediately stop enforcing the ban on mask mandates until litigations were resolved. In a reversal, the agency's new guidance requires schools to notify their local health department if a student tests positive. The school must also notify students in the same classroom as well as those who share extracurricular activities." ~~~

     ~~~ The Washington Post's live updates of Covid-19 developments Friday are here.

Three U.S. Senators -- a Democrat, a Republican & an Independent -- Walked into a Bar. They All Came Out with Covid. Feliciz Sonmez of the Washington Post: "Sens. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Angus King (I-Maine) and John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.) announced Thursday that they have tested positive for the coronavirus, becoming the latest members of the Senate to announc breakthrough infections in recent weeks. Earlier this month, Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) said he had tested positive for the virus. All four senators have been vaccinated." The Hill's story is here.

This. Could. Not. Be. More. Idiotic. Dan Goldberg of Politico: "Republican governors in some of the states hardest hit by the pandemic are pushing expensive Covid cocktails over cheap masks. The governors in Florida, Missouri and Texas are promising millions of dollars in antibody treatments for infected people even as they oppose vaccine and mask mandates, saying they can potentially keep people with mild Covid symptoms out of hospitals that are being swamped by new cases. But the treatments and cost of providing them are thousands of dollars more than preventive vaccines, and tricky to administer because they work best early in the course of an infection. The push to medicate rankles public health officials and some within the Biden administration, who say the governors' stance misleadingly implies Covid-19 can be treated easily, like the common cold. They note treatments like Regeneron's antibody cocktail -- which was administered to ... Donald Trump during his bout with the disease -- are essential but part of a limited arsenal to keep patients from being hospitalized or dying, not a game-changer that could help end the pandemic." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Michigan. Laina Stebbins of Michigan Advance: "A GOP bill to preemptively prohibit mandatory employee vaccinations saw the light of day Thursday, in a House committee hearing saturated with COVID-19 conspiracy theories and anti-vaxxer rhetoric. House Bill 4471, introduced by state Rep. Sue Allor (R-Wolverine), would create the 'informed consent in the workplace act' to prevent employers from 'discriminating' against individuals who have refused to be vaccinated against COVID-19, influenza, tetanus, diphtheria and/or pertussis. The state has not issued vaccination mandates. Some employers, including Spectrum Health and Henry Ford Health System, have issued their own vaccine requirements for employees. The hearing comes as COVID-19 cases are again jumping in Michigan, mostly due to the more contagious Delta variant. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) reported Wednesday that a total of 925,377 Michiganders have tested positive and 20,076 have died from the virus.... All speakers who testified during the hearing espoused misleading or demonstrably false statements about vaccines and COVID-19. Most have been regulars at anti-vax protests and events in Michigan." ~~~

~~~ Steve Neavling of the Detroit Metro Times: "Police are investigating a man who flashed a Nazi salute and chanted 'Heil Hitler' ... while a Black woman and Jewish woman were addressing the [Birmingham (Michigan) School B]oard about their support for the mask ... mandate for students. Unruly anti-maskers booed and hurled insults at board members and speakers, including a high school student, who spoke in favor of face coverings during the meeting Wednesday evening. The anti-maskers spewed falsehoods about COVID-19, telling board members that masks are dangerous and that children aren't at risk of spreading the virus, despite a plethora of evidence to the contrary. Several parents said they're removing their children from school because of the mandate. The remarks came after the board and superintendent announced that students, staff, and teachers will be required to wear masks indoors for the start of the school year.&"

Texas. Bob Brigham of the Raw Story: "Hospitals in North Texas have 'quietly developed' a plan to allow doctors to take vaccination status into account when deciding how to triage intensive-care beds if the coronavirus pandemic overwhelms ICUs, The Dallas Morning News reports.... The change will only occur during a Level 3 alert, which could happen within two weeks." MB: The idea here is that hospitals would give precedence to vaccinated patients over the unvaccinated. Vaccine holdouts might want to weigh this possibility against their freedumb.

Beyond the Beltway

California Gubernatorial Recall. At Least One Toke Over the Line. Carla Marinucci of Politico: "Alexandra Datig, the former fiancee and longtime radio producer for California GOP gubernatorial candidate Larry Elder, says she broke off an 18-month engagement with the conservative talk show host in 2015 after he waved a gun at her while high on marijuana.... Elder has gained momentum in the recall to replace Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, with many observers counting him as the likeliest GOP alternative should voters decide to replace the incumbent." ~~~

~~~ Andrew Kaczynski, et al., of CNN: Larry "Elder has long relished making provocative comments in his time as a radio host and columnist..... He has mocked premenstrual syndrome, known as PMS.... He prominently promoted on his webpage a 1950s textbook on 'how to be a good wife' that said women should 'have dinner ready' and told them, 'Don't complain.' He reposted an article on his website comparing single mothers on welfare to stray cats. Elder has already faced some backlash for derogatory remarks he made about women in a 2000 column, in which he wrote that 'Women know less than men about political issues, economics, and current events.'... [In] January 2017.., he implied women taking part in the Women's March were too unattractive to be sexually assaulted, according to the Los Angeles Times. In [a] ... comment from a January 2017 radio show, Elder mocked women attending the Women's March as 'obese.' 'When you look at all these women that have marched -- something like 2 million women -- Donald Trump has probably gotten more obese woman off the couch and in the streets, working out, than Michelle Obama did in eight years.'..."

Iowa. Azi Paybarah of the New York Times: "A white Iowa woman who admitted that she had tried to kill two children because of their race in 2019 by hitting them with her car was sentenced on Thursday to 25 years in prison on two federal hate crime charges, officials said. The woman, Nicole Poole Franklin, 43 of Des Moines, Iowa, had already been sentenced in May to 25 years in prison on state charges of attempted murder in the attacks. The federal sentence will be served concurrently with the state term, which means, in effect, that she will spend more time in prison, according to Richard D. Westphal, acting U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Iowa.... Court documents described a harrowing pair of unprovoked attacks by Ms. Poole Franklin on Dec. 9, 2019, as she drove her Jeep Grand Cherokee by children who she believed were Middle Eastern, African or Mexican."

News Lede

Weather Channel: "Tropical Storm Henri is expected to strengthen into a hurricane over the Atlantic, but its exact path and strength when it draws closer to New England are still uncertain. Residents of the Northeast U.S., especially New England and Long Island, should monitor Henri's progress closely since it may bring wind, rain and storm surge impacts to parts of the region late this weekend into early next week. A hurricane watch has been issued for Long Island from Fire Island Inlet and from Port Jefferson Harbor eastward, as well as from New Haven, Connecticut, to Sagamore Beach, Massachusetts, including Nantucket, Martha's Vineyard and Block Island."

The Commentariat -- August 19, 2021

Marie: Reality Chex is not accepting comments, through no design or fault of my own. If you have a log-in, as a few of you do, you can comment on your own while you're logged in. If not, you can email me @ constantweader@gmail.com , and I'll post your comments for you. I've written to Squarespace to get them to fix the problem, but I don't expect immediate, or even timely, satisfaction. If you don't remember how to log in, send me an email, and I'll tell you. Also, if you don't have a log-in ID, email it to me (I think it has to be at least 8 characters), and I'll tell you how to proceed from there. With any luck, all this soon will become unnecessary.

Afternoon Update:

Dana Hedgpeth, et al., of the Washington Post: "A man who claimed to have a bomb with him in a pickup truck near the Library of Congress surrendered to authorities Thursday afternoon, ending an hours-long standoff in the heart of the nation's capitol. U.S. Capitol Police said in a Twitter message that they were checking a suspicious vehicle near the Library of Congress. The Cannon, Jefferson and Madison office buildings have been evacuated. Police said there is a possible explosive device in the pickup truck, though no explosives have been found at this point.... Two law enforcement officials familiar with the investigation identified the man as Floyd Ray Roseberry of North Carolina." Roseberry, who was live-streaming on Facebook from his truck, said there were other vehicles in the area that were set to explode, too. He was demanding to speak to President Biden & talked about a revolution. MB: According to MSNBC, Roseberry demanded that Biden resign. Nicole Wallace of MSNBC pointed out that Roseberry's threats & actions were consistent with the nature of Homeland Security's recent warnings of domestic terrorism threats. ~~~

~~~ Emily Cochrane & Maria Cramer of the New York Times: "The United States Capitol Police were negotiating with a man who claimed to have a bomb in a pickup truck outside the Library of Congress on Thursday, prompting evacuations from government buildings in the area. The man drove a black pickup onto the sidewalk of the Library of Congress at about 9:15 Thursday morning.... The man, whom officials identified as a North Carolina resident, was making anti-government statements, according to a law enforcement official." Update: "... A spokesman for Facebook confirmed that the company had taken down the man's profile from the site and Instagram, and removed a post with a video broadcast from the truck. The company said it would also remove any posts supporting or praising the man." A CNN report is here.

New York Times: "The United States Capitol Police were negotiating with a man who claimed to have a bomb in a pickup truck outside the Library of Congress on Thursday, prompting evacuations from government buildings in the area. The man drove a black pickup onto the sidewalk of the Library of Congress at about 9:15 Thursday morning.... The man, whom officials identified as a North Carolina resident, was making anti-government statements, according to a law enforcement official." A CNN report is here.

Here's the full transcript of George Stephanopoulos' interview of President Biden, at least part of which aired on ABC evening news Wednesday night.

Cat Zakrzewski of the Washington Post: "The Federal Trade Commission on Thursday refiled a bolstered version of its antitrust case against Facebook. In the complaint, the agency argues that Facebook holds monopoly power in personal social networking, with no other competitor coming close.... The refiling is the FTC's attempt to course correct after it suffered a stunning setback earlier this summer, when a federal judge threw out its suit against the tech giant, along with a similar case from state attorneys general. The Facebook case is the most high-profile challenge that the agency has brought against a tech company in decades, and it's widely being watched as a bellwether of the growing movement in Washington to curb concentration in the tech industry."

This. Could. Not. Be. More. Idiotic. Dan Goldberg of Politico: "Republican governors in some of the states hardest hit by the pandemic are pushing expensive Covid cocktails over cheap masks. The governors in Florida, Missouri and Texas are promising millions of dollars in antibody treatments for infected people even as they oppose vaccine and mask mandates, saying they can potentially keep people with mild Covid symptoms out of hospitals that are being swamped by new cases. But the treatments and cost of providing them are thousands of dollars more than preventive vaccines, and tricky to administer because they work best early in the course of an infection. The push to medicate rankles public health officials and some within the Biden administration, who say the governors' stance misleadingly implies Covid-19 can be treated easily, like the common cold. They note treatments like Regeneron's antibody cocktail -- which was administered to ... Donald Trump during his bout with the disease -- are essential but part of a limited arsenal to keep patients from being hospitalized or dying, not a game-changer that could help end the pandemic."

Isaac Stanley-Becker of the Washington Post: "When Lauren Boebert, the pistol-packing Republican firebrand, was running for Congress last year, she traced her income to Shooters Grill, a restaurant she and her husband own in Rifle, Colo. She suggested her husband did some consulting, listing 'Boebert Consulting -- spouse' on her candidate form, but identified his income source as 'N/A.' Only now, with Boebert not just in Congress but on the House Natural Resources Committee, has she revealed that her husband made $478,000 last year working as a consultant for an energy firm. He made $460,000 the year before, she disclosed in a filing Tuesday with the House of Representatives. Her husband, Jayson Boebert, earned that income as a consultant for Terra Energy Productions, according to the filing.... Federal law requires members of Congress, as well as candidates, to file financial disclosure statements that include the income and assets of spouses and dependent children... Kedric Payne..., a former deputy chief counsel in the Office of Congressional Ethics..., said the matter should be reviewed by the Office of Congressional Ethics.... An intentional failure 'could be criminal,' he said, with the potential to result in 'large fines and possible imprisonment.'"

~~~~~~~~~~

The New York Times' live updates of developments in Afghanistan Thursday are here: "As the Taliban celebrated the anniversary of the nation's independence from Britain more than a century ago, they reaffirmed an 'Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan' on Thursday, even as tens of thousands sought flee the country.... The mammoth evacuation effort gathered pace, with Afghan refugees and international repatriates landing in Europe, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and elsewhere.... The road to the airport has been particularly dangerous, with Taliban patrolling checkpoints.... The Pentagon, which has deployed 5,000 U.S. troops to secure the airport, said that it had asked the Taliban to allow safe passage for American citizens, but that it did not have the ability to go out and fetch people from Kabul or other cities.... A Spanish military plane landed before dawn at Torrejon air base outside Madrid, one of three aircraft that the Spanish defense ministry has sent to evacuate citizens and Afghans who worked with the Spanish government, along with their families." ~~~

     ~~~ The Washington Post's live updates of Afghanistan developments Thursday are here: "Waheedullah Hashimi, a high-ranking Taliban commander, told Reuters that [Afghanistan] would probably be governed by a council under sharia law. The movement's supreme leader, Haibatullah Akhundzada, is likely to remain in charge, above the head of the council, whose role he likened to a president. 'There will be no democratic system at all because it does not have any base in our country,' Hashimi said. 'We will not discuss what type of political system should we apply in Afghanistan because it is clear. It is sharia law and that is it.' The Taliban has a particularly strict interpretation of sharia law. It has said that women's rights will be respected under the framework of the religious code and Hashimi told Reuters issues like what women can wear will be determined by a council of Islamic scholars."

Sarah Kolinovsky of ABC News: "In an exclusive interview with ABC News' George Stephanopoulos, and the president's first since the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban, President Joe Biden stood firm in his defense of the United States' withdrawal, but asserted for the first time that he believes the chaos was unavoidable." ~~~

~~~ Molly Nagle of ABC News: "In an ... interview with ABC News' George Stephanopoulos, President Joe Biden said the U.S. is committed to getting every American out of Afghanistan -- even if it means potentially extending the mission beyond his Aug. 31 deadline for a total withdrawal.... Biden told ABC News that in addition to the 10,000 to 15,000 Americans who need to be evacuated, there are between 50,000 and 65,000 Afghans and their families the U.S. also wants to get out." ~~~

~~~ Zolan Kanno-Youngs & Annie Karni of the New York Times: "As President Biden last month defended his decision to end the U.S. military presence in Afghanistan, he delivered a promise as old as the war itself to the Afghans who had risked their lives to assist American troops. 'Our message to those women and men is clear: There is a home for you in the United States, if you so choose,' the president said. 'We will stand with you, just as you stood with us.' But his decision not to begin a mass evacuation of Afghan interpreters, guides and their relatives earlier this year has left thousands of people in limbo, stranded in a country now controlled by the Taliban after 20 years of war. Even before Mr. Biden announced the withdrawal of U.S. troops, his administration rejected frantic calls from lawmakers and activists to evacuate Afghans, who now find themselves in jeopardy.... Mr. Biden instead took steps to streamline a visa system plagued with backlogs, even though it was never intended for the mass transfer of people in a short amount of time. And in the United States, some officials were expressing concerns about potential political blowback over an influx of refugees." ~~~

~~~ ** Anne Gearan, et al., of the Washington Post: "The Biden administration moved slowly for months to address the plight of vulnerable Afghans who had worked for the United States even as a deadline for U.S. military withdrawal loomed, refugee advocates said -- a lull some blamed on White House concern that the influx would invite partisan political backlash amid a rush of migrants at the southern border. Afghans who served as interpreters, fixers and other staff for the U.S. military and diplomats over the nearly 20-year U.S. military mission were among thousands evacuated in recent days, following the stunning collapse of the U.S.-backed government. Getting thousands more out of the country is a top priority now ahead of an Aug. 31 deadline to exit, the nation's top military officials said Wednesday. 'We have a moral obligation to help those who helped us, and I feel the urgency deeply,' Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said at the Pentagon.... But the administration showed little public urgency to expedite visas for Afghans in the months before and immediately after Biden's announcement in April that the United States would pull U.S. forces out." Read on.

digby points out that the U.S. & allies have nearly $10 billion in chips to play against the Taliban inasmuch as the West, particularly the U.S., is holding Taliban assets in that amount.

THIS. Intel Agencies Did Not Tell Biden Collapse Was Imminent. Julian Barnes of the New York Times: "Intelligence reports presented to President Biden in the final days before the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan this past week failed to predict the imminence of the Afghan government's collapse, even after their earlier warnings had grown increasingly grim, senior intelligence and defense officials said on Wednesday. The intelligence agencies had been stepping up their warnings about the deteriorating conditions in Afghanistan throughout the summer. Their reports grew more specific in July, noting how the Taliban had taken control of roads leading to Kabul and how the group had learned lessons from its takeover of the country in the 1990s. But senior administration officials acknowledged that as the pace of White House meetings on Afghanistan grew more frenzied in August and in the days leading up to the Taliban takeover this weekend, the intelligence agencies did not say the collapse was imminent. 'As the president indicated, this unfolded more quickly than we anticipated, including in the intelligence community,' Avril D. Haines, the director of national intelligence, said in a statement to The New York Times." ~~~

~~~ AND THIS. Julian Borger, et al., of the Guardian: "Both the Trump and Biden administrations were warned by US intelligence that the Afghan army's resistance to the Taliban could collapse 'within days' after an over-hasty withdrawal, according to a former CIA counter-terrorism chief.... On Wednesday, the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, Gen Mark Milley told reporters: 'There was nothing that I or anyone else saw that indicated a collapse of this army or this government in 11 days.' Speaking to the nation on Monday, Biden said: 'The truth is: This did unfold more quickly than we had anticipated.' Douglas London, the CIA's former counter-terrorism chief for south and south-west Asia, said the president was being 'misleading at best.... The CIA anticipated it as a possible scenario,' London said. London left his post in 2019 but served as a volunteer adviser to the Biden campaign. In a detailed account on the Just Security website on Wednesday, he described intelligence briefings to the Trump and Biden teams which gave different estimates of how long Ghani and the Afghan forces could endure a Taliban offensive, depending on the speed and depth of the US retreat." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Both can be true; that is, imminent collapse was one of several possibilities presented. IMO, the government's biggest failure was not rushing the paperwork to clear U.S. assets & their families for emigration in the months before the collapse. While it might have been a mistake to actually put these people on planes, it would have shown reasonable foresight to hand them the documentation they needed to beat a hasty exit. And, for Pete's sake, why not keep Bagram Airfield open for U.S. & allied flights?

Yuliya Talmazan & Mushtaq Yusufzai of NBC News: "Images of the Taliban cracking down on a protest and bloodied women and children beaten by fighters are contradicting the more moderate image the militant group has been trying to project as it tries to consolidate power in Afghanistan. Less than 24 hours after the Taliban spokesperson delivered security guarantees during a press conference in Kabul, the militants on Wednesday tried to stop locals from installing Afghanistan's national black, red and green flag in the eastern city of Jalalabad, according to local resident Anwar Khan. A former police official told Reuters four people had been killed in the protest and 13 injured. Afghanistan's Pajhwok news agency shared video of what it said was the incident, showing crowds running as gunfire was heard. NBC News was not able to verify the footage." MB: The idea that Taliban leadership has control over its far-flung soldiers is rather fanciful. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Henry Austin of NBC News: "Ousted Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has been 'welcomed' into the United Arab Emirates on 'humanitarian grounds,' the country's foreign ministry said in a statement Wednesday. Ghani fled Afghanistan as the Taliban approached Kabul, the capital, on Sunday, less than 24 hours after he tried to rally his people in a televised address in which he pledged not to give up the 'achievements' of the 20 years since the U.S. toppled the Taliban." (Also linked yesterday.)

Just Kidding! Patrick Tucker of Defense One: "... Donald Trump's top national security officials never intended to pull all U.S. troops out of Afghanistan, according to new statements by Chris Miller, Trump's last acting defense secretary. Miller said the president's public promise to finish withdrawing U.S. forces by May 1, as negotiated with the Taliban, was actually a 'play' that masked the Trump administration's true intentions: to convince Afghan President Ashraf Ghani to quit or accept a bitter power-sharing agreement with the Taliban, and to keep some U.S. troops in Afghanistan for counterrorism missions.... The new [Trump-engineered Afghan] government would then permit U.S. forces to remain in country to support the Afghan military and fight terrorist elements. That plan never happened, in part because Trump lost his reelection bid.... And at least one other former senior Trump administration official questioned Miller's retelling. But in revealing it, Miller challenged recent assertions that Trump is to blame for setting up this week's chaotic scenes unfolding across Kabul."

Coral Davenport of the New York Times: "The Biden administration announced on Wednesday that it is banning a common pesticide, widely used since 1965 on fruits and vegetables, from use on food crops because it has been linked to neurological damage in children. The Environmental Protection Agency said this week it would publish a regulation to block the use of chlorpyrifos on food. One of the most widely used pesticides, chlorpyrifos is commonly applied to corn, soybeans, apples, broccoli, asparagus and other produce. The new rule, which will take effect in six months, follows an order in April by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals that directed the E.P.A. to halt the agricultural use of the chemical unless it could demonstrate its safety.... The Obama administration began the process of revoking all uses of the pesticide in 2015 but, in 2020, the Trump administration ignored the recommendations of E.P.A. scientists and kept chlorpyrifos on the market. That set off a wave of legal challenges. Those challenges concluded with the court order in April...."

Vance Charges Friend of Jared. Jonah Bromwich & Kate Christobek of the New York Times: "Seven months after being pardoned by ... Donald J. Trump, a onetime editor of The New York Observer faces new charges of unlawfully spying on his former wife by secretly gaining access to her computer. The editor, Ken Kurson, a close friend of Mr. Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, was charged in state criminal court in Manhattan on Wednesday with eavesdropping and computer trespass, both felonies. Prosecutors accuse Mr. Kurson of using spyware to breach his wife's computer in 2015 as the couple's marriage fell apart. Each crime is punishable by up to four years in prison. 'We will not accept presidential pardons as get-out-of-jail-free cards for the well-connected in New York,' the Manhattan district attorney, Cyrus R. Vance Jr., said in a statement announcing the charges." The AP's report is here.

Joshua Partlow of the Washington Post: "A federal judge on Wednesday threw out the permits for a controversial oil project planned for Alaska's North Slope, faulting the way the federal government had assessed its environmental impact, including how it might harm polar bears. ConocoPhillips's Willow project had been backed by both the Trump and Bide administrations, despite a host of concerns environmentalists and others raised about how the large operation might impact wildlife and the Indigenous communities. U.S. District Judge Sharon Gleason -- an Obama appointee -- wrote in her ruling that the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service incorrectly approved the project because it failed to adequately analyze its climate impact and other possible development plans, and didn't specify how polar bears would be protected." Politico's story is here.

Jan Hoffman of the New York Times: "Deep into the third hour of testimony in federal bankruptcy court by Dr. Richard Sackler, a former president and co-chairman of the board of directors of Purdue Pharma," Sackler testified that he, his family & Purdue Pharmacy had no responsibility for the opioid crisis in the U.S. During testimony, Sackler "was evasive and defiant."

Marie's Sports Report. Cindy Boren of the Washington Post: "Jack Morris, the Detroit Tigers Hall of Fame pitcher-turned-TV analyst for Tigers games, was suspended indefinitely Wednesday by Bally Sports Detroit after using an accent often used to mock Asian people as Shohei Ohtani came to bat in [the sixth inning of] Tuesday night's game.... In the ninth inning, Morris said..., '... it's been brought to my attention, and I sincerely apologize if I offended anybody, especially anybody in the Asian community for what I said....' Reaction to Morris's remark was swift Tuesday night.... ESPN's Joon Lee tweeted, 'It's impossible for Jack Morris to play something like this off as "sorry if you were offended" when there's not any purpose in doing this accent other than to make a caricature of AAPI people.'"~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I'm not proud of the fact that in 1953, after watching a Saturday morning kids' movie program that included a B-movie about Pacific Theater WWII battles, we neighborhood kids ran around playing "Japs & G.I.s." But -- unlike Morris -- I'm not still living in 1953.

When Stars Collide -- on the Vineyard. Michael Luciano of Mediaite: Larry David & Alan Dershowitz got into a disagreement "on the porch of the Chilmark General Store [on Martha's Vineyard], according to a 'spy' for the New York Post. During the exchange, Dershowitz is reported to have said, 'We can still talk, Larry.' 'No,' said David. 'No. We really can't. I saw you. I saw you with your arm around [Trump's former Secretary of State Mike] Pompeo! It's disgusting!' Dershowitz told David that Pompeo was a student of his at Harvard Law School. 'I can't greet my former students?'... Dershowitz confirmed the encounter to the Post. He said he had been friends with David until he entered the Trump orbit." If only Larry were as brilliant & well-informed as Alan is! -- "'Larry is a knee-jerk radical,' Dershowitz told the Post, 'He takes his politics from Hollywood. He doesn't read a lot. He doesn't think a lot.'"

The Pandemic, Ctd.

The Washington Post's live updates of Covid-19 developments Thursday are here: "Some schools in the Sun Belt are defying Republican governors by finding ways to mandate masks as cases in the region surge, while Democrats including President Biden lean into vaccination requirements for public institutions. In Texas, a school system has made masks a part of its dress code for the academic year, hoping to exploit a possible loophole in a statewide ban by Gov. Greg Abbott (R), who currently has covid-19, on face coverings. And in Florida, where Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) has ordered schools not to require masks, Miami-Dade County's school board defied the governor on Wednesday by voting to enact a mask mandate when classes resume next week. In Washington state -- in a sweeping mandate that is one of the strictest for U.S. educators -- all public, private and charter school employees will need to be vaccinated before Oct. 18 as a condition of employment, Gov. Jay Inslee (D) announced Wednesday."

Sharon LaFraniere, et al., of the New York Times: "The Biden administration moved on multiple fronts on Wednesday to fight back against the surging Delta variant, strongly recommending booster shots for most vaccinated American adults and using federal leverage to force nursing homes to vaccinate their staffs. In remarks from the East Room of the White House, President Biden also directed his education secretary to 'use all of his authority, and legal action if appropriate,' to deter states from banning universal masking in classrooms. That move is destined to escalate a fight with some Republican governors who are blocking local school districts from requiring masks to protect against the virus.... Wednesday..., [Biden] said his administration would make employee vaccination a condition for nursing homes to receive Medicare and Medicaid funding.... The shifts in strategy reflect the administration's growing concern that the highly contagious Delta variant is erasing its hard-fought progress against the pandemic and thrusting the nation back to the more precarious point it was at earlier in the year." ~~~

~~~ Biden, Cardona Signal Mask Bans Violate Civil Rights Laws. Bianca Quilantan of Politico: "President Joe Biden is directing the Education Department to 'use all available tools' to combat Republican governors whose state policies prohibit Covid-19 mitigation strategies like masking in the classroom. Biden, in a memo sent Wednesday to Education Secretary Miguel Cardona, said the Education Department must take action to ensure governors and other officials are allowing a safe return to in-person learning and 'not standing in the way of local leaders making such preparations.... Cardona, in an interview with The New York Times, signaled that he could use the Education Department's Office for Civil Rights to prevent states from banning mask wearing in schools. The department could launch civil rights investigations for school districts if their policies impede students' access to education." (Also linked yesterday.)

Mike Stobbe & Matthew Perrone of the AP: "U.S. health officials Wednesday announced plans to offer COVID-19 booster shots to all Americans to shore up their protection amid the surging delta variant and signs that the vaccines' effectiveness is falling. The plan, as outlined by the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other top authorities, calls for an extra dose eight months after people get their second shot of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine. The doses could begin the week of Sept. 20. 'Our plan is to protect the American people, to stay ahead of this virus,' CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said at the White House. People who received the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine will also probably need extra shots, health officials said. But they said they are waiting for more data." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Yasmeen Abutaleb & Lena Sun of the Washington Post: "When Pfizer representatives met with senior U.S. government health officials on July 12, they laid out why they thought booster shots would soon be necessary in the United States.... But officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention disagreed, saying their own data showed something quite different.... Other senior health officials in the meeting were stunned. Why hadn't the CDC looped other government officials on the data? Could the agency share it -- at least with the Food and Drug Administration, which was responsible for deciding whether booster shots were necessary? But CDC officials demurred, saying they planned to publish it soon. That episode, say senior administration officials and outside experts, illustrates the growing frustration with the CDC's slow and siloed approach to sharing data, which prevented officials across the government from getting real-time information about how the delta variant was bearing down on the United States...." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: This is another story from the Bureaucracy Sucks Department. Sometimes the suckiness is just an inconvenience, an annoyance, or a source for minor unfairness. But today, we're seeing two egregious examples -- slow-walking visas for our Afghan friends and hoarding vital health data -- where Bureacracy Kills. (Meanwhile, I learned today that the IRS, which has been happy to accept my tax payments, doesn't know who I am and insists I "verify my identity," a process which apparently takes weeks. [What's a Social Security number for anyway?] This falls along the inconvenience/annoyance spectrum and is something I just don't get.)

Alabama. Dr. Valentine Is Tired of Trying to Reason with You People. Timothy Bella of the Washington Post: "In Alabama, where the nation's lowest vaccination rate has helped push the state closer to a record number of hospitalizations, a physician has sent a clear message to his patients: Don't come in for medical treatment if you are unvaccinated. Jason Valentine, a physician at Diagnostic and Medical Clinic Infirmary Health in Mobile, Ala., posted a photo on Facebook this week of him pointing to a sign taped to a door informing patients of his new policy coming Oct. 1. 'Dr. Valentine will no longer see patients that are not vaccinated against covid-19,' the sign reads. Valentine wrote in the post, which has since been made private but was captured in online images, that there were 'no conspiracy theories, no excuses' stopping anyone from being vaccinated, AL.com reported." The article is free to nonsubscribers.

Texas. Teach Your Children Well. Jaclyn Peiser of the Washington Post: At recent public school events in Austin, Texas, the school district's superintendent said "Some parents physically and verbally assaulted teachers because of masks. One parent ripped a teacher's mask off her face.... Others yelled at another teacher to remove her mask because they claimed it made it difficult to understand what she was saying."

Beyond the Beltway

Texas. Azi Paybarah of the New York Times: "A federal appeals court on Wednesday upheld a Texas law banning the most common form of second-trimester abortion, ruling that a lower court had erred in finding that the law imposed 'an undue burden on a large fraction of women.' At issue is a Texas law that was passed in 2017 but has not yet been in effect because of legal battles. The law, known as Senate Bill 8, prohibits a dilation-and-evacuation abortion method and requires doctors to use alternative abortion methods, according to Wednesday's decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.... The lower court 'committed numerous, reversible legal and factual errors,' according to the decision on Wednesday."

News Lede

Weather Channel: "Tropical Storm Henri is expected to strengthen into a hurricane over the Atlantic, but its exact path and strength when it draws closer to New England are still uncertain. Residents of the Northeast U.S., especially New England and Long Island, should monitor Henri's progress closely since it might bring wind, rain and storm surge impacts to parts of the region late weekend into early next week. Hurricane and/or tropical storm watches could be required for these areas by Friday."