February 21, 2022
Afternoon Update:
Vladimir Isachenkov, et al., of the AP: "Russian President Vladimir Putin said he will decide later Monday whether to recognize the independence of separatist regions in eastern Ukraine, a move that would ratchet up tensions with the West amid fears that Moscow could launch an invasion of Ukraine imminently. At the carefully orchestrated, pre-recorded meeting of the presidential Security Council, a stream of top Russian officials argued for recognizing the separatist regions' independence, though some suggested Putin didn't have to do it immediately. It came amid a spike in skirmishes in those regions that Western powers believe Russia could use as a pretext for an attack on the western-looking democracy that has defied Moscow's attempts to pull it back into its orbit." ~~~
** The story has been UPDATED: "Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered forces Monday to 'maintain peace' in separatist regions of eastern Ukraine in a further escalation of tensions that followed the Kremlin's recognition of the areas' independence despite warnings of sanctions and international condemnation. The Kremlin decree, spelled out in an order signed by Putin, left unclear when, or even whether, troops would enter Ukraine. But it further fueled fears of an imminent invasion and underscored the steep challenges the U.S. and Western nations face in staving off a military conflict they have portrayed as near-inevitable. The Kremlin's announcement came just hours after Putin, in a rambling, fact-bending discourse on European history, recognized the independence of the eastern separatist regions...."
~~~ Marie: Sorta like the U.S. noting that there are many English-speaking people living in Toronto, Ottawa & Montreal, so we'll just "recognize-by-force" that region of Canada as an "independent nation" allied with the U.S. Too bad, Canada, our military is bigger than your military.
Another Democratic President Cleans Up Mess Left by Republican President*. Nick Miroff of the Washington Post: "In the year since President Biden halted border wall construction, his administration has been developing plans to put its own stamp on Trump's pet project.... In recent weeks, CBP officials have been soliciting input from ranchers, environmental advocates, landowners and others as the Biden administration prepares to spend hundreds of millions for border wall remediation. The money, which will include unused construction funds, will go to clean up worksites, stabilize areas facing erosion and remedy some of the worst environmental damage, while also allowing CBP to close gaps in the wall. The precise details -- where and how much money -- remain undefined."
Devin Nunes Is in Charge. What Could Go Wrong? Matthew Chapman of the Raw Story: "'Truth Social, the Trump-created Twitter alternative, went live in Apple's App Store on Sunday night, and would-be users immediately ran into glitches and error messages, [the Daily Beast reported]. 'Around 11 p.m. ET, select users who tried to create accounts were repeatedly met with a red error warning: "Something went wrong. Please try again." Shortly thereafter, around midnight, others were told told...: "Due to massive demand, we have placed you on our waitlist."'... Former Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA), now heading up ... Donald Trump's just-launched Twitter competitor 'Truth Social' is saying he hopes to have all of the problems in the service fixed by late March." The Beast story, which is firewalled, is here.
~~~~~~~~~~
Marie Note: I had planned to run one of those U.S. presidents morphing videos for Presidents Day, but oddly enough, they all had a president* near the end, so I scrapped my plan.
Vlad the Imperialist. The New York Times' live updates of developments in the Ukraine/Russia crisis are here: "President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia will hold an unscheduled meeting of his Security Council on Monday, the Kremlin said.... Mr. Putin held a second call with President Emmanuel Macron of France at 1 a.m. Moscow time on Monday morning.... Mr. Macron proposed a summit between President Biden and Mr. Putin, the French presidency said, but [Kremlin spokesman Dmitri] Peskov did not confirm that preparations for such a meeting had begun.... At Monday's extraordinary meeting of the Security Council, Mr. Putin would deliver a speech, Mr. Peskov said." ~~~
~~~ The Washington Post's live updates of Ukraine/Russia developments are here.
Dan Lamothe, et al., of the Washington Post: "President Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed 'in principle' on Sunday to meet, U.S. and French officials said, leaving a narrow window for diplomacy as Russia appeared on the brink of launching a new war in Ukraine. The office of French President Emmanuel Macron said the two leaders had accepted the meeting and it would take place only if an attack doesn't occur. The details of the summit will be worked out this week, when Secretary of State Antony Blinken is scheduled to meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov."
Everything leading up to the actual invasion appears to be taking place. All of these false-flag operations, all these provocations to create justifications -- all that is already in train. -- U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on CNN, Sunday ~~~
~~~ David Sanger of the New York Times: "When President Biden declared on Friday he was convinced President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia had decided to attack Ukraine 'in the coming week, in the coming days,' the skeptics among American allies suddenly fell quiet. Hours before, Mr. Biden had informed them that American intelligence agencies had just learned that the Kremlin had given the order for Russian military units to proceed with an invasion. Now the debate has shifted to how Mr. Putin will do it: in one massive nationwide attack; a series of bites that dismantle the country, piece by piece; or a pythonlike squeeze. That last option is made all the easier with the news Sunday morning that Belarus is allowing Russian troops to remain indefinitely, where they can menace Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital. Mr. Putin might be betting that he can shatter Ukraine's economy and oust its government without having to immediately roll in tanks."
Lori Hinnant, et al., of the AP: "Russia on Sunday rescinded earlier pledges to pull tens of thousands of its troops back from Ukraine's northern border, a move that U.S. leaders said put Russia another step closer to what they said was the planned invasion of Ukraine.... Russia's action extends what it said were military exercises, originally set to end Sunday, that brought an estimated 30,000 Russian forces to Belarus, Ukraine's neighbor to the north. They are among at least 150,000 Russian troops now deployed outside Ukraine's borders, along with tanks, warplanes, artillery and other war materiel."
Christoph Koettl of the New York Times: "Satellite imagery collected this weekend shows an apparent shift in Russia's military deployment around Ukraine. In contrast to the large-scale deployments visible in imagery over recent weeks, some smaller deployments are now visible. Several units or troops have been deployed outside of bases or training grounds, with some positioned along tree lines, according to an analysis by Maxar Technologies, who released the imagery.... The new findings come after U.S. intelligence officials claimed that 40 to 50 percent of the more than 150,000 Russian forces surrounding Ukraine have moved out of staging and into combat formation."
John Hudson & Missy Ryan of the Washington Post: "The United States has informed the United Nations it has credible information showing that Moscow is compiling lists of Ukrainians 'to be killed or sent to camps following a military occupation,' according to a letter to the U.N. human rights chief obtained by The Washington Post on Sunday night. The letter alleges that Moscow's post-invasion planning would involve torture, forced disappearances and 'widespread human suffering.' It does not describe the nature of the intelligence that undergirds its assessment."
Catherine Kim of Politico: "Finnish President Sauli Niinistö said Sunday that he's recently seen changes in Russian President Vladimir Putin's behavior, saying that he now sounds more 'decisive' [in making demands of Finland] than in the past. Niinistö ... has been in close contact with Putin.... For decades, Finland has kept a delicate balance in its relationship with Russia, having been invaded by the Soviet Union in 1939. The country, which borders Russia, stayed scrupulously neutral throughout the Cold War, becoming neither part of the Warsaw Pact nor of NATO.... While Niinistö emphasized his country wasn't planning on a dramatic change in its relationship with Russia, he suggested Russia's actions are making Finnish people rethink joining NATO.... However, he emphasized that Finland doesn't feel threatened by Russia as of now."
Okay Then, Screw You All. Biden Plays Hardball with Oil & Gas. Lisa Friedman of the New York Times: "The Biden administration is indefinitely freezing decisions about new federal oil and gas drilling as part of a legal brawl with Republican-led states that could significantly impact President Biden's plans to tackle climate change. The move, which came Saturday, was a response to a recent federal ruling that blocked the way the Biden administration was calculating the real cost of climate change...."
Havana Syndrome Strikes the White House. Scott Pelley of CBS News/"60 Minutes": "Since 2016, U.S. government officials overseas and their families have reported sudden, unexplained, brain injuries with symptoms of vertigo, confusion and memory loss. The CIA, FBI and State Department are investigating a theory that some of these officials were injured by an unseen weapon. Who might be targeting Americans and why are unknown. Incidents have been reported in Europe, Asia, and Latin America, but our reporting has found senior national security officials who say they were stricken in Washington and on the grounds of the White House." Includes transcript & video.
Cancun Cruz v. Mexico. AP: "Sen. Ted Cruz [R-Texas] has accused Mexico of 'undermining the rule of law,' and Mexico's government shot back on Friday, saying at least candidates in Mexico concede defeat when they lose elections. The exchange came after ... [Cruz] claimed earlier this week there was "deepening civil unrest in Mexico and the breakdown there of civil society, the breakdown of the rule of law." Cruz was referring to recent killings of journalists and politicians in Mexico. Responding in a letter to Cruz late Thursday, Mexico's ambassador to the United States wrote, 'I invite you to look at what happened in our national election.... Without exception, all of the political parties accepted the results and got on with the task of strengthening our democracy and freedom of expression,' Ambassador Esteban Moctezuma wrote. That was a clear reference to Sen. Cruz's actions after the riot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, that left several people dead in the immediate aftermath, hundreds facing charges and millions of dollars in property damage. Cruz was one of a handful of GOP senators who continued to champion... Donald Trump's false claims of voter fraud even after the riot...." ~~~
~~~ Marie: Now where is Ted going to go the next time Texas has a crisis & he's in need of a hideout/vacation spot?
About Those Swiss Bank Accounts. Jesse Drucker & Ben Hub bard of the New York Times: "... an extraordinary leak of data from Credit Suisse, one of the world's most iconic banks, is exposing how the bank held hundreds of millions of dollars for heads of state, intelligence officials, sanctioned businessmen and human rights abusers, among many others. A self-described whistle-blower leaked data on more than 18,000 bank accounts, collectively holding more than $100 billion, to the German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung. The newspaper shared the data with a nonprofit journalism group, the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, and 46 other news organizations around the world, including The New York Times. The data covers accounts that were open from the 1940s until well into the 2010s but not the bank's current operations.... The leak shows that Credit Suisse opened accounts for and continued to serve not only the ultrawealthy but also people whose problematic backgrounds would have been obvious to anyone who ran their names through a search engine. Swiss banks have long faced legal prohibitions on taking money linked to criminal activity, said Daniel Thelesklaf, the former head of Switzerland's anti-money laundering agency. But, he said, the law generally hasn't been enforced." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~
~~~ The OCCRP summary report is here. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
Rats! Anabelle Timsit of the Washington Post: "A rodent infestation at a Family Dollar warehouse has prompted the discount store chain to recall a wide range of products sold at hundreds of stores throughout the southern United States. Health concerns about the rat infestation at an Arkansas distribution center have also led to the temporary closure of more than 400 stores in six states. Family Dollar, which is owned by the retail giant Dollar Tree, announced a voluntary recall late Friday of some products that came from the West Memphis facility." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
Tara Bernard of the New York Times: "Bernie Madoff's sister, Sondra Wiener, and her husband were found dead on Thursday in their home in Boynton Beach, Fla., in what the authorities said was an apparent murder-suicide. The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office said deputies responded to a 911 call and found Ms. Wiener, 87, and her husband, Marvin, 90, both dead from gunshot wounds." Messages on the sheriff's social media accounts suggest Mrs. Weiner was the shooter, though the medical examiner has not yet made a determination of causes of death.
The Pandemic, Ctd.
The New York Times' live updates of Covid -19 developments Monday are here.
Secrets of the CDC. Apoorva Mandavilli of the New York Times: "For more than a year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has collected data on hospitalizations for Covid-19 in the United States and broken it down by age, race and vaccination status. But it has not made most of the information public.... Two full years into the pandemic, the agency leading the country's response to the public health emergency has published only a tiny fraction of the data it has collected, several people familiar with the data said. Much of the withheld information could help state and local health officials better target their efforts to bring the virus under control.... Kristen Nordlund, a spokeswoman for the C.D.C., said the agency has been slow to release the different streams of data 'because basically, at the end of the day, it's not yet ready for prime time.... Another reason is fear that the information might be misinterpreted, Ms. Nordlund said."
The New York Times' live updates of Covid -19 developments Sunday are here.
Florida. DeSantis: Saving Lives of Children & Teachers Will Cost You. Richard Luscombe of the Guardian: "Florida's Republican governor, Ron DeSantis, is backing a controversial proposal to strip $200m in education funding from Democratic counties that defied his executive order last year banning mask mandates in schools.... The plan, which some analysts believe is almost certainly unconstitutional, was part of a budget bill that passed the Republican-dominated Florida house on Wednesday. It was immediately attacked by teachers unions, school districts and education advocates, who say the penalties will strip further resources from classrooms in a state already in the bottom four of per-student spending nationally."
Canada. Natalie Kitroeff & Sarah Nir of the New York Times: "Police officers on Saturday cleared out the central area of a sprawling demonstration in Ottawa, moving from truck to truck and arresting protesters as they continued to subdue the occupation that has disrupted the Canadian capital for weeks." This is an update of a story linked below. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
Beyond the Beltway
Oregon. Sergio Olmos, et al., of the New York Times: "One person was killed and five others were wounded in a shooting on Saturday night during a protest in Portland against killings by police officers. The Portland Police Bureau said a woman was dead when officers arrived. Two men and three other women were taken to a nearby hospital, the police said. Information on their conditions was not immediately released. The shooting took place near a park in Portland that has been the staging ground for a number of protests against police killings in recent years." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
Wisconsin, Michigan. Adam Zagoria of the New York Times: "After Wisconsin routed his team, 77-63, Sunday afternoon, Michigan Coach Juwan Howard slapped Joe Krabbenhoft, a Wisconsin assistant coach, in the head during the postgame handshake line, precipitating a scrum between the two teams." ~~~
Share Article
Reader Comments (11)
Trump probably thinks this is a new holiday just for him.
But it's Presidents Day, not presidents* day. His holiday will come
eventually. How about Grifters Day, or Liars Day. Or much better,
Orange Jumpsuit Day, a family event if there ever was one.
With Russia breathing down our necks we still have that other country, the one WE invaded, to be concerned about. Its people are starving and its children are perishing. Ezra Klein's column this morning addresses this case:
"If Biden doesn't change course this will be his worst failure."
"I make no pretense of knowing how to solve a problem as wicked as Afghanistan. But Joe Biden chose this policy.. For his own legacy and more important, for the tens of millions of human beings suffering in Afghanistan, he needs to figure out how to fix it."
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/20/opinion/afghanistan-starvation-biden.html
The 60 minutes' feature on the Havana Syndrome is enough to give you nightmares. This is so weird –--if this were a sci-fi novel we'd love it, but this is REAL stuff and what exactly it is or whom it is that is responsible is apparently very difficult to figure out. What kept popping into my mind last night was Kellyann Conway chortling about secret messages via electronic waves–-coming forth from her micro-wave oven ( Sting would love it). Perhaps Conway's way wasn't too off course.
Marie,
In my delicate state, I very much appreciate your sensitivity this morning, choosing not to sully a gallery of real presidents with the portrait of the Pretender.
Trump's social media site "Truth" goes on the Apple App store today. Is there any way to find out how long it goes before the first lie?
Marie: Yes, I join Ken in your decision. To see that fat fuck stuck in the gallery of past presidents, (all with some amount of clay feet) and our recent addition, that guy's fealty was one sided–-HIS feet firmly planted in swampy waters––"one for me and all for me!" Even the fish avoided him–-they knows poison prey when they smells it.
Ted Cruz: senator from Texaco. He's the sort of house guest that abuses the host until he makes the host impolitely kick his ass out. And he will never think twice about that. Now, about Mrs. Ted from Goldman Sachs...it takes one to know one.
Putin and his feints and fakes just learns more about our observational capabilities when he does this every decade or so. He also learns (as do his friends and enemies) who is arrayed against him. What does he learn when Macron takes the lead? Without Merkel, Germany is rudderless with its population of 80 million.
P.D.
The Klein piece depressed me yesterday, so masochist that I am, read it per your link yet again this morning and came to the same sad conclusion.
I have no more solution to offer than Klein does, but it does seem to me that while we certainly changed the country's economy with our overlong, whack-a-doodle presence in Afghanistan, beginning long before 9/11 with Reagan's proxy war against the Soviet invasion forty years ago, we are not solely responsible for the mess the country has always been in, the causes of which could be more properly ascribed to its geography, culture and religion.
My feelings, which do not ascend to the height of an idea, would have me say let them stew in their own juice for a while and see how they like this Taliban regime they've chosen for themselves.
As we should have come to know from our own (recent) history, by its very nature insanity cannot be treated by reason.
Besides, if thing have not changed that much over the last forty years, we're still sending them millions for their opium.
Make that billions, since opium exports are still at least ten percent of the Afghani economy...
Ken: I hear you––-but we had a responsibility to many Afghans who helped us, who fought for their own freedom, and who have been left behind or stuck in bureaucratic regulations. The fact is that much of this has to do with money and how to distribute it to the starving population without the Taliban snatching it away. But you make excellent points re: the opium exports and your "As we should have come to know from our own (recent) history, by its very nature insanity cannot be treated by reason." My own take on this is we left without thinking it through thoroughly enough and I think about all those females who had dreams of progress and now are withering away along with their dreams. However––I'm just an ordinary citizen responding to what I can understand and that understanding is probably clouded by my lack of understanding–-if that makes any sense. Thanks for responding.
@Ken Winkes & @P.D. Pepe: Afghanistan is famous for having defeated every well-manned and -equipped army from that of Darius II of Persia to the forces of George Bush of the U.S.A. However much the present-day Afghans may have enjoyed or been subjected to Western ways, I tend to agree with Ken that the U.S. is not responsible for taking care of people in a country which, not unreasonably, fought us to the death.
It's true there are many Afghans who helped U.S. troops and should be repaid with safe homes in the U.S. (as safe as homes in the U.S. may be), and I am as sorry as the next person for the suffering of innocent Afghans under the never-ready-to-govern Taliban. I'm glad some humanitarian organizations may be trying to help them in a crisis, but I don't quite feel it's my job to do much more. That may be callous of me, and I'm not saying I couldn't change my mind, but that is my perhaps-not-well-considered sense of the situation right now.
30,573.
The number of documented lies and misleading statements that in only four years passed the lips of Truth Social's inspiration and partial owner.
Comes to about 21/day in office.
Great start, I'd say.
Can't wait to tune in.
I'm sure Trump would love to see this on his great border wall. Maybe the artist has some ideas for Trump Tower.