January 26, 2022
Afternoon Update:
** New York Times: "Justice Stephen G. Breyer, the senior member of the Supreme Court's three-member liberal wing, will retire, two people familiar with the decision said, providing President Biden a chance to make good on his campaign pledge to name a Black woman to the court. Mr. Biden is expected to formally announce the retirement at the White House on Thursday, according to one person familiar with the planning for the event." This is a liveblog. ~~~
~~~ The Washington Post report, by Robert Barnes, is here. The Post has a liveblog here. The NBC News story, by Pete Williams -- who broke the news -- is here. NPR's report, by Nina Totenberg, is here. ~~~
~~~ Carl Hulse of the New York Times: "Democrats could confirm a successor to Justice Stephen G. Breyer without any Republican support under Senate rules that shield a Supreme Court nomination from a filibuster, but would have to hold their bare majority together to do so. The announcement of Justice Breyer's imminent retirement on Wednesday set off a sprint by top Democrats to prepare for a coming confirmation fight over President Biden's nominee to succeed him. It also prompted a collective sigh of relief from the party and its progressive allies, who had worried that a Senate takeover by Republicans in the coming midterm elections could block the president from filling any vacancies."
Robyn Dixon, et al., of the Washington Post: "The United States on Wednesday delivered written responses to Russia's demands for security guarantees over NATO expansion and activities in Eastern Europe, as senior government representatives of France, Germany, Russia and Ukraine met in Paris in a bid to revive the stalled Ukraine peace process. The responses, which the U.S. ambassador to Russia sent to Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 'sets out a serious diplomatic path forward, should Russia choose it,' Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters. The document also lays out concerns 'about Russia's actions that undermine our security' and it offers 'our own proposals for areas where we may be able to find common ground,' he added.:
Ryan Nobles, et al., of CNN: "Ben Williamson, a top aide to former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, met on Tuesday with the House select committee investigating the January 6 insurrection.... Williamson was in the West Wing of the White House while the attack on the US Capitol was underway.... His cooperation with the committee is significant, given that his boss, Meadows, is currently facing possible criminal contempt of Congress charges because of his lack of cooperation with the committee." MB: I'm thinking a top aide to the chief of staff would know quite a lot about what-all was going on.
Another of Matt's Very Fine Friends May Be Turning on Him. Steph Bazzle of the Hill Reporter: "... another associate and friend [of Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.)] just pled guilty.... According to the Daily Beast, Joe Ellicot, known as a radio 'shock jock,' has pleaded guilty to fraud regarding 'bribes and kickbacks' to a public official, as well as to illegally selling Adderall. The public official in question is said to be Joel Greenberg -- that's right, the same Gaetz associate who pled guilty months ago [to "sex trafficking of a child, production of false identification, aggravated identity theft, wire fraud, stalking and conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States,"] and agreed to cooperate with further investigations.... Text messages circulated last year in which Ellicott seemed to refer to the sex-trafficking allegations. Now, his attorney, Joe Zwick, says that Ellicot is specifically helping investigators with Gaetz’ case, and will have a hearing to enter a plea deal in February."
** Colby Itkowitz & Harry Stevens of the Washington Post: "New congressional maps are completed in more than half the country, and so far Democrats have been spared the redistricting losses they endured a decade ago.... [That's because] the extreme gerrymandering of a decade ago maximized Republican seats so much that it gave Republicans fewer options to draw themselves new seats this time.... But advocates for voting rights say that raw political calculation overshadows another reality -- how map drawers have manipulated the lines mostly at the expense of minorities. Across the country, the White population has shrunk over the past decade as minority communities have swelled, according to the 2020 Census. Yet, the rapid growth of Latinos and Blacks is not reflected in any of the new maps passed so far, except California's, which added five seats where Latinos make up the majority of adults. Black-majority districts decreased by five seats while majority-White districts grew by eight seats, according to a Washington Post analysis looking at the 28 states that have completed congressional maps.... Judges have intervened in two states [-- Ohio & Alabama --] where Republican state legislators were accused by voting rights advocates of disenfranchising Black voters."
Meghan McCain gets a serious case of Covid, & blames President Biden for her depression in a Daily Mail op-ed. She also blames him for the lack of test kits, and I tend to agree with her that the Biden administration dropped the ball on test kits because there was some warming that Omicron was coming & a lot of people were going to get sick. However, she knew darned well she had Covid, so a test kit was a bit superfluous. Besides, it doesn't hurt that a white lady just found out what it's like to live in a Black shopping desert.
~~~~~~~~~~
Libby Cathey & Justin Gomez of ABC News: "President Joe Biden said Tuesday there could be some U.S. troop movements in the 'nearer term' in Eastern Europe -- and that he would consider personally sanctioning Russian President Vladimir Putin if Russia invades Ukraine -- a day after 8,500 American forces were put on 'heightened alert' in the region. 'If he were to move in with all those forces, it would be the largest invasion since World War II. It would change the world,' Biden told reporters at an unannounced stop at a local business in Washington." Includes video.
David Sanger of the New York Times: "The Biden administration announced on Tuesday that it was working with gas and crude oil suppliers from the Middle East, North Africa and Asia to bolster supplies to Europe in the coming weeks, in an effort to blunt the threat that Russia could cut off fuel shipments in the escalating conflict over Ukraine. European allies have been cautious in public about how far they would go in placing severe sanctions on Moscow if it invades Ukraine. Germany has been especially wary; it has shuttered many of its nuclear plants, increasing its dependence on natural gas imports to generate electricity." ~~~
~~~ Zachary Basu & Hans Nichols of Axios: "The emir of Qatar will meet with President Biden at the White House on Monday to discuss Afghanistan as well as contingency plans to provide natural gas to Europe in the event of a Russian invasion of Ukraine, Axios has learned."
Anonymous pointed out in commentary the other day that Marcy Wheeler of emptywheel had tweeted that "Russia has alerted Ireland that they plan war games off of Ireland's coast -- in what appears to be waters above the most important cable landings in the world[.]" ~~~
~~~ Kenneth Fox of the Breaking News Ireland: "... there are a number of underwater cables stretching across the Atlantic not far from where the drills are taking place. This underwater infrastructure runs along the southern coast and connect Europe and North America. The drills are due to take place directly above the nexus of many of the Internet cables which connect the two continents. Cutting them would immediately cripple the economies of Nato countries as well as Ireland. Cutting the cables was described by one naval source as 'the perfect counterpunch' against any Nato or US military response in Ukraine. 'If I wanted to invade Ukraine and hamstring my opponents, I would want to cut those cables. It would be lights out for the economy of western Europe.[']... While these exercises will not take place in Irish waters, they will be in Ireland's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) where many ships travelling to Europe pass through.... As The Irish Times reports, despite being in Ireland's EEZ, there is nothing illegal about these drills because they are technically taking place in international waters as opposed to Irish waters." So ~~~
~~~ Louis Westendarp of Politico: "Irish fishing boats are planning to peacefully disrupt military exercises by the Russian navy, Patrick Murphy, chief executive of the Irish South and West Fish Producers Organisation, said Tuesday.... Irish fishermen are claiming that the drills threaten a crucial area for marine life and an important fishing region. According to Murphy, there are half a billion tonnes of blue whiting in the area where the Russian military drills would take place. He also fears seismic shocks that could be created by missiles fired during the drills as they could change the migration pattern of tuna for years.... 'Our boats will be going out to that area on the first of February to go fishing,' Murphy [told Politico]. When one boat needs to return to port, another will head out so there is a continuous presence on the water, he continued. 'If that is in proximity to where the [military] exercise is going, we are expecting that the Russian naval services abide by the anti-collision regulations.'"
Stef Kight & Jonathan Swan of Axios: "President Biden's advisers are crafting a plan to accelerate bringing potentially thousands of Afghans to the U.S. from Qatar, according to a source with direct knowledge of the administration's internal deliberations on the subject.... It would allow Afghans to be screened, vetted, approved for refugee status and placed on planes to the United States within 30 days of their arrival at the military site in Qatar being used to house them. It usually takes two to five years for refugee applicants to be resettled in the U.S."
Ana Swanson & Catie Edmondson of the New York Times: "The United States is facing an 'alarming' shortage of semiconductors, a government survey of more than 150 companies that make and buy chips found; the situation is threatening American factory production and helping to fuel inflation, Gina M. Raimondo, the commerce secretary, said in an interview on Monday. She said the findings showed a critical need to support domestic manufacturing and called on Congress to pass legislation aimed at bolstering U.S. competitiveness with China by enabling more American production." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
Evan Perez & Tierney Sneed of CNN: "Federal prosecutors are reviewing fake Electoral College certifications that declared ... Donald Trump the winner of states that he lost, Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco told CNN on Tuesday. 'We've received those referrals. Our prosecutors are looking at those and I can't say anything more on ongoing investigations,' Monaco said in an exclusive interview.... This is the first time that the Justice Department has commented on requests from lawmakers and state officials that it investigate the fake certifications. The fake certificates falsely declaring Trump's victory were sent to the National Archives by Trump's allies in mid-December 2020. They have attracted public scrutiny amid the House's January 6 investigation into the pressure campaign that sought to reverse Trump's electoral defeat."
Felicia Sonmez & Donna Cassata of the Washington Post: "House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) announced Tuesday that she is running for reelection, citing the 'crucial' need to defend American democracy through legislation on voting rights and other issues. Pelosi, 81, has served in Congress since 1987.&" The AP's story is here.
Dareh Gregorian of NBC News: "Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones said on his radio show Tuesday that he was deposed by the House Jan. 6 committee and that he exercised his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination 'almost 100 times.' Jones said he testified remotely Monday, and ... the committee lawyers who questioned him were 'polite, but they were dogged.... The questions were overall pretty reasonable. And I wanted to answer the questions. But at the same time, it's a good thing I didn't, because I'm the type that tries to answer things correctly, even if I don't know all the answers, and they can then kind of claim that's perjury' he said.... Despite his calls to action before the rally, Jones was seen on video outside the Capitol during the riot urging people not to be violent." ~~~
~~~ Marie: Not surprisingly, Jones made up a lame excuse for invoking the Fifth. I heard audio of Jones' on-air remarks, and right after he said that bit about trying to answer correctly even if he didn't know the answers, he elaborated on the idea that interviewers asked him a lot of questions about things like emails he hadn't seen or didn't remember. Of course that happens during legal proceedings all the time, & you don't plead the Fifth; you say, truthfully, that you don't recall (an evasion made famous by John Ehrlichman during his testimony before the Senate Watergate committee) or you aren't familiar with the document presented, or something to that effect. Every lawyer will tell her client never to answer a question with a guess. BTW, Jones, one of the nation's craziest conspiracy theorists, sounds more reasonable here than Donald Trump.
Spencer Hsu of the Washington Post: "Stewart Rhodes and nine alleged co-conspirators with the extremist Oath Keepers group pleaded not guilty Tuesday to seditious conspiracy and other charges in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by a pro-Trump mob. An 11th defendant arrested with Rhodes on Jan. 13, Edward Vallejo, was not present during a court hearing in the case Tuesday and will be arraigned later. Rhodes and those charged with him are accused of plotting violence to prevent the confirmation of Joe Biden's election victory."
Colby Hall of Mediaite: “Brianna Keilar [of CNN] flatly called Tucker Carlson 'chief propagandist' after Fox News repeatedly called for political support for authoritarian Russian President Vladimir Putin over the emerging democracy of Ukraine. She then simply asked why Fox Corp. chairman Rupert Murdoch is letting this 'bs' on the air.... CNN's New Day producers played a clip of Tucker Carlson arguing for Russia that ended with him saying 'Why is it disloyal to side with Russia but loyal to side with Ukraine? They're both foreign countries that don't care anything about the United States. Kind of strange." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~
~~~ Derek Saul of Forbes: "Michael Flynn, the former national security advisor who resigned and pleaded guilty for misleading authorities over his ties to the Russian government -- before later pardoned by former President Donald Trump -- attacked the Biden Administration Monday for its support of Ukraine in an op-ed article on a right-wing site criticized for spreading misinformation, appearing to parrot the views of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Flynn alleged in his column appearing in Western Journal that the White House has 'sold an illusion' that the potential Russian invasion of Ukraine is not justified, reasoning that an increased NATO presence in eastern Europe will cause an 'existential threat' to Russia.... According to Flynn, NATO's bolstering of resources and reinforcements in countries close to Ukraine would be the 'principal cause of a devastating war,' echoing what Putin has suggested, though the NATO measures are in response to Russia's military buildup at the border." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
So Sad. Looks as if Mercenary Melanie, former White House denizen, didn't make nearly as much as she'd hoped auctioning off her broad-brimmed white chapeau, thanks to the crash of Solana, the cryptocurrency she required bidders to use. (WashPo link.) (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
Marie: Doesn't this troubled young man have any family members who can help? But seriously, Junior is past due for an intervention. Thanks to unwashed for the link, via Jon Amato of Crooks & Liars:
Room Rater Weekend at Dumb Dumb's. After the blow was gone, he started drinking. #AllLinesMatter 0/10 @DonaldJTrumpJr pic.twitter.com/QdMBirhJVI
— Room Rater (@ratemyskyperoom) January 23, 2022
"He Who Represents Himself Has a Fool for a Client." Colin Moynihan of the New York Times: "Michael Avenatti, the brash lawyer who represented the pornographic film actress Stormy Daniels in a dispute with ... Donald J. Trump, seized center stage at his criminal trial on Tuesday, suddenly announcing that he wanted to act as his own lawyer.... Mr. Avenatti is accused of impersonating Ms. Daniels and persuading her literary agent to send him nearly $300,000 in publisher's payments that had been meant for her. His request to represent himself, which Judge Jesse M. Furman granted, makes it likely that Mr. Avenatti will cross-examine Ms. Daniels, who is widely expected to be called as a witness during the trial."
The Pandemic, Ctd.
The New York Times' live updates of Covid-19 developments Wednesday are here: "A coronavirus wave driven by the highly infectious Omicron variant wave may be cresting in parts of North America and Europe, but new cases are still climbing in less-vaccinated regions, and World Health Organization leaders warn that the global surge and the world's wide vaccine gap could set the stage for another dangerous variant."
~~~ The Washington Post's live Covid-19 updates for Wednesday are here.
Pam Belluck of the New York Times A study, published Tuesday by the journal Cell, found four factors that could be identified early in a person's coronavirus infection that appeared to correlate with increased risk of having lasting symptoms weeks later. The researchers said they had found that there was an association between these factors and long Covid (which goes by the medical name post-acute sequelae of Covid-19, or PASC) whether the initial infection was serious or mild.... One of the four factors ... is the level of coronavirus RNA in the blood early in the infection, an indicator of viral load. Another is the presence of certain autoantibodies -- antibodies that mistakenly attack tissues in the body as they do in conditions like lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. A third factor is the reactivation of Epstein-Barr virus, a virus that infects most people, often when they are young, and then usually becomes dormant. The final factor is having Type 2 diabetes, although ... it might turn out that diabetes is only one of several medical conditions that increase the risk of long Covid."
Liz Stark of CNN: "The Biden administration is withdrawing its Covid-19 vaccination and testing regulation aimed at large businesses, following the Supreme Court's decision to block the rule earlier this month. The US Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration said Tuesday it will be withdrawing the vaccination and testing emergency temporary standard for businesses with 100 or more employees, according to a statement on the agency's website. 'Although OSHA is withdrawing the vaccination and testing ETS as an enforceable emergency temporary standard, the agency is not withdrawing the ETS as a proposed rule. The agency is prioritizing its resources to focus on finalizing a permanent COVID-19 Healthcare Standard,' the statement read. The withdrawal of the emergency temporary standard 'does not affect the ETS's continuing status as a proposed rule,' a US Department of Labor spokesperson told CNN in a statement."
Aaron Blake of the Washington Post: "The Food and Drug Administration announced Monday that it would halt emergency-use authorizations for two monoclonal antibody therapies, one made by Regeneron Pharmaceuticals and one by Eli Lilly.... Citing studies showing a lack of efficacy, the FDA said it was no longer 'reasonable to believe that the known and potential benefits of these products outweigh their known and potential risks.'... The FDA decision has led to a vehement outcry from some on the right, including the Republican who has most forcefully promoted monoclonal antibodies: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. DeSantis said Monday that President Biden 'has forced medical pros to choose treating their patients or breaking the law. The governor added Tuesday morning, 'Without a shred of clinical data to support its decision, the Biden Administration has revoked the emergency use authorization for lifesaving monoclonal antibody treatments.'... DeSantis spokeswoman Christina Pushaw on Monday night even promoted a claim by a conservative conspiracy theorist that 'the FDA is trying to make it so that people in Florida die of Covid. They'll kill people to harm Republicans.'" ~~~
~~~ Marie: Not really, dear. You-all have been doing a bang-up job of that on your own.
Caitlin O'Kane of CBS News: "Neil Young had a strong message for Spotify on Monday: 'They can have Rogan or Young. Not both.'... Joe Rogan ... has an exclusive deal with Spotify and has frequently spread false information about COVID-19. Rogan has famously questioned COVID-19 vaccines on his show, and when he got COVID-19 last year, said he took ivermectin, an anti-parasite drug that's been heavily promoted on social media despite having no proven benefit against COVID-19. In an open letter to his management and record label posted on his website, Young, who survived polio as a child, said he wanted to remove his music from Spotify because of the 'false information about vaccines being spread -- potentially causing death to those who believe the disinformation being spread by them.' Polio has been eliminated in the United States due to widespread vaccination against it." Young later deleted the statement from his Website. The New York Times story is here.
The New York Times' live updates of Covid-19 developments Tuesday are here. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
South Carolina. Matt Kaufax of Fox Carolina: "A newly proposed law in the South Carolina Statehouse would make it a criminal offense for your employer -- or anyone -- to ask about your vaccination status.... 'The government has no place in making you or telling you to take the vaccination, or threatening your livelihood if you don't,' said Upstate representative William 'Bill' Chumley (R, District 35), one of the co-sponsors of the bill. House bill H.4848 now heads to committee after being filed just days ago. It states: '...any representative of a public, private, or nonprofit entity ... who inquires about Covid-19 vaccination status ... must be fined not more than $14,000 or imprisoned not more than one year.'"
Beyond the Beltway
Florida. John Wagner of the Washington Post: "Chasten Buttigieg, an educator and husband of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, is speaking out against legislation advancing in Florida that critics have dubbed the 'Don't say gay bill,' arguing that it could lead to more suicides among LGBTQ youths. The legislation, which supporters say is about parental rights, would, among its provisions, bar school districts in Florida from encouraging classroom discussion about sexual orientation or gender identity in primary-grade levels or 'in a manner that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students.' Parents would be empowered to sue if they think schools are violating the law. 'You're essentially pushing kids back into the closet,' Chasten Buttigieg said Tuesday during an appearance on CNN. 'You're saying we can't even talk about your families.'" (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~
~~~ Marie: So in Florida's schools, in the name of "parental rights" -- that would be straight parents' rights -- you can't talk about gay people. In the name of possible white "discomfort," you can't talk about the history (and present) of infringing on Black people's fundamental rights. Who else will cause straight white people "discomfort"? Maybe the straight white people are Christians so talking about other religions will cause them "discomfort." What about other races, like Florida's Native American tribes? When I was in second grade, we little white kids made a field trip to a Seminole community in the Everglades and learned about a lifestyle different from our own. But, gosh, now that might discomfit some white parents. The Sunshine State? Bobby Lee in today's Comments says it's "gotten steadily darker" in Florida. The state may have to dream up a new motto. ~~~
~~~ Update. Bobby Lee suggests "the Swamp State." MB: As a long-time Floridian, that works for me, too. ~~~
~~~ As David Corn of Mother Jones pointed out on MSNBC, the underlying point to not educating students about the country's social failings is that if the public doesn't know about the problems, politicians won't have to take measures to mitigate them.
~~~ MEANWHILE, "concerned white parents" might want to take note that there now appears to be a Critical Race Theory Avenger. Thanks to RAS for the link.
New Hampshire. Marie: Speaking of state mottoes in states where I have lived, Lawrence O'Donnell of MSNBC disparaged New Hampshire's motto "Live Free or Die," which he correctly noted is embossed on state license plates. Just so you know, I went out of my to acquire four license plate frames that hide the motto.
New Jersey. Ed Shanahan & Tracey Tully of the New York Times: "A New Jersey political consultant admitted on Tuesday that he hired two men to kill a longtime associate who had worked for him on campaigns, and was found fatally stabbed in his burning apartment eight years ago, federal officials said. Over the years, the consultant, Sean Caddle, has counted several prominent North Jersey Democrats among his clients, including Senator Robert Menendez, according to interviews and federal election records. Mr. Caddle, 44, of Hamburg, N.J., pleaded guilty via videoconference in Federal District Court in Newark to conspiracy to commit murder for hire. A judge allowed him to remain free, confined to his home, on a $1 million bond. He faces up to life in prison. A sentencing date has not been set." ~~~
~~~ Marie: When it comes to having shady friends & associates, Bob Menendez seems to be trying to rival Donald Trump. In a list of stereotypes about New Jersey, Bart Brooks of NJ.com debunked them all, except one: "New Jersey has corrupt politicians." (Unfortunately, the page Brooks links for this category comes up "Page Not Found.")
New York. Ali Watkins & Ashley Southall of the New York Times: "On Friday, as ... two [NYPD] officers [-- Wilbert Mora & Jason Rivera --] responded to a domestic disturbance call in Harlem, a gunman opened fire inside a cramped hallway, killing Officer Rivera and gravely wounding Officer Mora. On Tuesday, the police announced that Officer Mora had also died of his injuries. The two young officers -- Mora was 27, Rivera was 22 -- were emblematic of a changing police force that has struggled to repair its relationships with the city's Black and Hispanic communities. Both Latino in a department that was once overwhelmingly white, the officers were cognizant of problems with policing and eager to play a role in confronting them.... Officers Rivera and Mora were part of a growing contingency of Dominican officers."
Tennessee. Melissa Brown of the Tennessean: "Republicans in the Tennessee General Assembly pushed ahead Monday night on a once-a-decade redistricting plan, with a House vote all but guaranteeing the division of Davidson County [Nashville] into three separate congressional districts that will dilute the county's minority vote. The congressional plan cracks Davidson County through downtown Nashville, parceling pieces of the current 5th Congressional District into the largely white, historically Republican 6th and 7th districts. A new 5th would take in parts of Davidson, Williamson and Wilson counties, along with rural Lewis, Maury and Marshall counties. Political experts say the plan, approved on a 70-26 party-line vote, could flip the 5th to the Republicans, further entrenching the GOP in Tennessee with an 8-1 advantage in the congressional delegation." ~~~
~~~ Ally Mutnick of Politico: "Democratic Rep. Jim Cooper, a 32-year veteran of Congress, will retire at the end of this year, after Tennessee Republicans shredded his Nashville-based seat into three pieces in redistricting. He is the 29th House Democrat to leave the chamber to retire or seek higher office during this Congress. 'No one tried harder to keep our city whole,' Cooper wrote in a statement announcing his decision. 'I explored every possible way, including lawsuits, to stop the gerrymandering and to win one of the three congressional districts that now divide Nashville. There's no way, at least for me, in this election cycle.'" ~~~
~~~ Feliciz Sonmez of the Washington Post: Cooper accused Tennessee's "General Assembly of 'dismembering Nashville' in the once-a-decade redistricting process." MB: Don't know if they "dismembered" Nashville, but they sure "dismembered" him, inasmuch as he will no longer even be a member ... of Congress, that is.
Virginia. Youngkin's Tattletale Fail. Brad Reed of the Raw Story: "Virginia Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin this week announced his office was opening a 'tip line' for parents who want to report their local schools teaching "divisive" topics such as critical race theory.... It has not taken long for pranksters to flood the email address he promoted with bogus tips.... 'I have heard reports that schools in Virginia are teaching ARABIC NUMERALS!' read one fake complaint. 'I fear we've become so focused on exposing Critical Race Theory in public education that we've forgotten all about creeping Sharia Law.'"
Wyoming. There's a New Sheriff in Town. (And He's Black.) Julian Mark of the Washington Post: According to a lawsuit filed by former Laramie, Wyoming, sheriff's deputy Jamin Johnson, Sgt. Sgt. Christian Handley, who is white, made racist remarks for years against Johnson (who is Black), Black arrestees, and even against Johnson's family members. But Johnson's complaints resulted only in "sham" disciplinary actions against Handley. "The lawsuit also reveals that Handley was fired last year following an internal investigation ordered by Wyoming&'s first Black sheriff, Aaron Appelhans, who was appointed to the post in December 2020." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
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Reader Comments (8)
Thing One:
Alex Jones is quoted above as saying "...because I'm the type that tries to answer things correctly, even if I don't know all the answers, and they can then kind of claim that's perjury ...", justifying his pleading the 5th over 100 times before the 1/6 committee.
Shorter version: "My lawyer said shut up because I lie compulsively and transparently and can go to jail for that."
Thing 2: FLAGuber Ron says Biden is forcing docs to choose between caring for patients and breaking the law, because FDA is taking off the emergency approval for Regeneron and other post-infection COVID treatments.
Ol' Ron don't know the docs' secret: they can prescribe ANYTHING off label, so don't break the law prescribing Regeneron. HOWEVER, when they do that, docs increase their potential liability for medical harm. Given their litigious client base (and, we do mean base), docs might be loathe to prescribe an ineffectual med for a lethal disease. Except, in FL, it's always "hold my beer," so maybe they would.
Last night Chris Hayes had David Remnick on and they discussed the excellent piece by Joshua Yaffa on "The Historical Dispute Behind Russia's Threat to Invade Ukraine." Here it is:
https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/the-historical-dispute-behind-russias-threat-to-invade-ukraine
And on that sad little island called Ireland the plucky fishermen are going to show their mettle by interfering with the Big Bear's ship at sea. I love this move! Leave it to the Irish not to be taken for fools–-beneath their songs of Sally gardens and Christian crossings, their messages are always "Don't mess with me––EVER!"
The video of Junior full of booze or blow or both is pathetic. His Papa, if he sees this, is going to rip up the floorboards cuz he's against any drinking due to his brother dying of it. I often imagined Fatty fueled up by something and wondered whether we could tell the difference.
There's a logical explanation for that clip of Don Jr.
He heard there will be a re-make of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf,
and that was his audition for the part of professor George after 10
martinis, after all, Don Jr. does have a BS degree (Ha, Ha!).
Can't wait to see Kimberly Puckerlips try out for Martha's part.
Junior's intoxicated ramblings are probably why he no longer has a direct line to daddy and had to call Meadows to get a message through to TFG.
@Forrest Morris: So among your many talents is casting director. In the film "Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolff?" Elizabeth Taylor greatly exaggerated Bette Davis's "What a dump!" from the movie "Beyond the Forest." (Maybe that was "Beyond Forrest"; can't quite recall.) So imagine what Screaming Kimberly would do with the line. Shout it from the fire escape, maybe. I think you've got a winner, not that Junior could remember his lines. You'd better do a movie ("Take 37, Mr. Trump"), not a play.
When I was going thru my father's old papers, I came upon a Trinity College (Hartford) literary magazine that had a story by him as its main feature. The story was about sex, which, you know, shocked me. And what I found on let's say, page 10, was another surprise: a short, if unmemorable, poem by Edward Albee, who would have been a freshman then, I guess. If I find the magazine again (it's in storage), I should try to find out who's curating Albee's papers & let that person/people know about the poem. I doubt they've seen it.
Bold Headline:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/courts_law/stephen-breyer-supreme-court-retire/2022/01/26/02a47db0-ace1-11eb-b476-c3b287e52a01_story.html
Here's Biden's chance to make lots of heads explode. Nominate
Hillary.
@Forrest Morris: I hope he nominates a 25-year-old Black lesbian. I think I'll get one out of three there. And expect Republicans to spend a lot of time asking the nominee how she'll rule on critical race theory cases.