January 8, 2022

Afternoon Update:

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

Hugo Lowell of the Guardian: "The House select committee investigating the Capitol attack is examining whether Donald Trump oversaw a criminal conspiracy on 6 January that connected the White House's scheme to stop Joe Biden's certification with the insurrection, say two senior sources familiar with the matter. The committee's new focus on the potential for a conspiracy marks an aggressive escalation in its inquiry as it confronts evidence that suggests the former president potentially engaged in criminal conduct egregious enough to warrant a referral to the justice department. House investigators are interested in whether Trump oversaw a criminal conspiracy after communications turned over by Trump;s former chief of staff Mark Meadows and others suggested the White House coordinated efforts to stop Biden's certification, the sources said." MB: This is different from bringing a possible obstruction or dereliction of duty charge for failure to try to stop the mob violence.

South Dakota Senate Race. Jonathan Martin of the New York Times: "Senator John Thune of South Dakota, the second-ranking Senate Republican, announced on Saturday that he would seek re-election, after an aggressive lobbying campaign by colleagues prompted him to put aside concerns about the future of his party and pursue a fourth term.... The South Dakotan, who turned 61 on Friday, had recently told associates that he was considering retirement, complaining about the strain of congressional service and privately expressing concern about ... Donald J. Trump's continuing grip on the Republican Party. But by seeking re-election in a heavily conservative state, Mr. Thune is well positioned to win again and potentially succeed Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the minority leader, as the chamber's top Republican." A CNN story is here.

Marie: Following well-established Republican tradition, Mike Pompeo lies about everything. According to experts consulted by the Kansas City Star Mike's most recent whopped was his claim that he lost 90 pounds in six months simply by improving his diet & working out at home for half-an-hour five or six days a week. The experts' "Their response? Absolutely not, almost certainly not, and hahaha."

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Zolan Kanno-Youngs of the New York Times: "President Biden flew to Colorado on Friday to console residents suffering from swift wildfires that destroyed nearly 1,000 homes, while pointing to the devastation as evidence of the urgent need to address natural disasters rooted in the global climate crisis.... Mr. Biden and the first lady, Jill Biden, met with firefighters and families.... This week, Mr. Biden approved a disaster declaration in Boulder County, freeing up federal funds for temporary housing, home repairs and loans.... The blaze in Colorado was a reminder of how many millions of Americans in the West are now on the front lines of devastation from a warming climate prone to long droughts and extreme wind conditions."

Nick Niedzwiadek & Sarah Ferris of Politico: "Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Friday invited President Joe Biden to deliver his first State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress on March 1." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

     ~~~ Update. Felicia Sonmez of the Washington Post: "White House principal deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters Friday afternoon aboard Air Force One that [President] Biden has accepted [Speaker] Pelosi's invitation." Sure sounds like Pelosi's people & Biden's people got together & agreed on a date for the SOTU before Pelosi issued her "invitation." Sounds like a left-wing conspiracy to me.

Claudia Grisales of NPR: "Rep. Bennie Thompson, chair of the Democratic-led House select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, says members expect this month to ask former Vice President Mike Pence to voluntarily appear.... Thompson, a Mississippi Democrat, shared the timing plans for the Pence ask in an interview with NPR.... He described Pence's appearance as critical, especially as the former vice president ultimately issued a letter before the Jan. 6 proceedings that said he would not step out of his ceremonial role."

Marie: RAS raised an excellent point in yesterday's Comments. Why weren't Republicans at least at Thursday's ceremonies honoring the police officers who saved their lives? Where was Mitt Romney? Where was Mike Pence, for Pete's sake? Our last image of the veep might have been of his broken, limp body dangling from the gallows in front of the Capitol if not for D.C. and Capitol police. Republicans' ingratitude is stunning.

     ~~~ Update: When I suggested that Mitch McConnell might have arranged to have the funeral of former Sen. Johnny Isakson (d. 12/19/21) take place on January 6 so a majority of senators could scoot down to Georgia for the rites as an excuse to miss the Capitol insurrection commemoration, Patrick countered: "Maybe Addison M. McConnell was involved, but I think that by now these R's are like flocks of starlings, or schools of mullet, they all move as one without a command discernible by humans. (They may hear the commands; they are not humans?)"

Charlie Savage of the New York Times weighs in on the latest Ted Cruz debacle: "... on Thursday..., the Fox News host Tucker Carlson accused Senator Ted Cruz of purposefully lying because he had continued to call the events of Jan. 6 a terrorist attack, including at a Senate hearing this week. Mr. Cruz, Republican of Texas, apologized.... Mr. Carlson, who has insinuated that Jan. 6 may have been a plot to justify a 'purge' of Trump-supporting 'patriots,' rejected Mr. Cruz's explanation, citing his consistent use of that term over the past year to describe the Capitol attack.... Mr. Carlson declared that 'by no definition' was Jan. 6 'a terror attack.' But Congress has enacted a statute that defines domestic terrorism as criminal offenses that are dangerous to human life, lack a foreign nexus and appear to be seeking 'to influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion.'... Mr. Carlson asked Mr. Cruz, 'How many people have been charged with terrorism on Jan. 6?' The answer is zero.... Congress ... has not created any stand-alone federal crime called ['terrorism.'] As a result, it is not possible for prosecutors to charge any of the Jan. 6 rioters 'with terrorism' regardless of whether they committed terrorist acts." ~~~

~~~ Daniel Dale of CNN: In his interview by Tucker Carlson, Ted" Cruz claimed, 'The way I phrased things yesterday -- it was sloppy and it was frankly dumb.' Carlson immediately interjected to say, 'I don't buy that,' noting that Cruz is known to be a precise speaker.... In fact, he had described the Capitol riot as a terrorist attack or broadly described rioters as terrorists over and over for months -- at least 17 previous times in official written statements, in tweets, in remarks at Senate hearings and in interviews." ~~~

~~~ AND Chris Hayes is so mean to Cancun Ted: ~~~

The Insurrection in Song. Thanks to Forrest M. for this link:

Fox "News" has published an opinion piece about Tucker Carlson & January 6 controversies subtitled, "The yelling is getting louder and wilder and still more disconnected from reality." Oh, wait. No. The piece is by Tukkker.

Steve Erlanger of the New York Times: "NATO foreign ministers met virtually on Friday to prepare their responses to Russia's ongoing military buildup near Ukraine amid general skepticism about Moscow's willingness to de-escalate and negotiate in earnest. After the meeting, the NATO secretary-general, Jens Stoltenberg, warned that 'the risk of conflict is real' involving a further Russian invasion of Ukraine. But he asserted that the 30-member alliance was united in its desire for peaceful diplomacy. If diplomacy fails, he said, the alliance is prepared to continue supporting the integrity and independence of Ukraine both 'politically and practically' while creating 'significant consequences' that 'carry a heavy price for Russia.'... The meeting was a chance to confirm allied agreement about how to respond to varying Russian actions, and, importantly, an opportunity for Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken to consult with allies and brief them about the U.S. position before U.S.-Russia bilateral talks next week in Geneva." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I get that isolating Russia as much as possible & imposing harsh economic sanctions are about all its adversaries can do here, short of some more bellicose tack. But looming over these "solutions" -- in my mind -- is what happened when other Western powers, including the U.S., tried to bring Germany to its knees after World War I. It is possible that the Russian people will blame Putin for forcing them into bread lines; on the other hand, they're apt to show some national pride & resent the countries that sanctioned theirs -- just as 20th-century Germans did. As for a better solution on dealing with Russian aggression, I don't have one. Update: Whyte O. suggested yesterday that given our history of gumming up nearly every attempt to "spread democracy around the world," perhaps we should let Russia & Ukraine work out their differences themselves.

Sad News. Dartunorro Clark of NBC News: "Cyber Ninjas, the company that led a partisan review of 2020 ballots in Arizona, is closing down following a scathing report by election officials and the threat of $50,000 a day in fines. 'Cyber Ninjas is shutting down. All employees have been let go,' Rod Thomson, the company's representative, said in a text message Thursday evening. The Florida-based company, founded in 2013, has less than a dozen employees, according to its LinkedIn page.... Maricopa County Superior Court Judge John Hannah said he would impose a $50,000 fine against Cyber Ninjas every day until it hands over documents related to the so-called audit after the Arizona Republic newspaper filed a public records request, The Associated Press reported Thursday." MB: Seems to me that even if Cyber Ninjas closes down, principals of the defunct company will have to provide the court-ordered docs or pay the daily fines. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Clay Risen of the New York Times: "Lani Guinier, a legal scholar whose work on voting rights and affirmative action led President Bill Clinton to nominate her in 1993 to be an assistant attorney general, only to withdraw her name two months later in the face of a Republican campaign against her, died on Friday at an assisted living facility in Cambridge, Mass. She was 71."

Lori Aratani & Ian Duncan of the Washington Post: "... an epic travel meltdown [is] in its third week that has forced the cancellation of more than 27,000 flights since the first signs of trouble on Christmas Eve, according to flight-tracking website FlightAware. What began as a pandemic-related challenge quickly snowballed into a multitiered test -- coupling the uncertainties of omicron with the more familiar headache of winter weather.... The disruption for airlines and travelers is on track to become the most severe since more than 56,000 flights were canceled in a single week at the outset of the pandemic, when people didn't want to fly.... [Also,] About one-third of flights nationwide that have taken off in the past two weeks have been late, with the average delay topping 50 minutes on some days...."

The Pandemic, Ctd.

Adam Liptak of the New York Times: "Members of the Supreme Court's conservative majority seemed skeptical on Friday that the Biden administration has the legal power to mandate that the nation's large employers require workers to be vaccinated against the coronavirus or to undergo frequent testing. A federal workplace safety law, they indicated during a two-hour argument, did not provide legal authority for the sweeping emergency measure. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and Justice Neil M. Gorsuch said the states and Congress, rather than a federal agency, were better situated to address the pandemic. Justice Amy Coney Barrett said the challenged regulation appeared to reach too broadly in covering all large employers. Justices Gorsuch and Brett M. Kavanaugh suggested that the governing statute had not authorized the agency to impose the mandate clearly enough...." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) NPR's report, by Nina Totenberg, is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Liptak slyly notes that the Supremes have imposed strict Covid protocols for their workplace. But, you know, if a liberal does it, it must be wrong. ~~~

~~~ Oh, Guess What? Rebecca Shabad of NBC News: "Ohio's solicitor general,Ben Flowers, participated in Supreme Court oral arguments [against] the Biden administration's vaccine mandates remotely on Friday after testing positive for Covid. He had been vaccinated and boosted against the disease [MB: which almost certainly is why he reportedly had mild symptoms].... The Supreme Court had required participants to take a PCR test Thursday, which detected the virus in Flowers, Irwin said, 'so for that reason, he is arguing remotely.' Louisiana Solicitor General Liz Murrill also made remote arguments before the court against the mandates on Friday 'in accordance with Covid protocols,' according to a statement her office gave to Reuters, but the statement did not elaborate further." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

So who decides? Should it be the agency full of expert policymakers and completely politically accountable through the President?... This is ... a politically accountable policy. It also has the virtue of expertise.... So, on the one hand, the agency with their political leadership can decide. Or, on the other hand, courts can decide. Courts are not politically accountable.... Courts have no epidemiological expertise. Why in the world would courts decide this question? -- Justice Elena Kagan, oral arguments, Friday

** Yo, Elena, Here's the Reason. Dahlia Lithwick & Mark Stern of Slate: "A majority of the justices on the Supreme Court ... see [Covid-19] as an opportunity. This unprecedented pandemic ... has forced the executive branch to act swiftly and creatively at each stage of the crisis. Facing an often-deadlocked Congress, President Joe Biden has drawn on old statutes to establish new regulations to stop the coronavirus from spreading and killing more people. Yet in so doing, he has given the Supreme Court's Republican-appointed justices a chance to hobble his whole agenda. And during oral arguments over Biden's vaccine mandates on Friday, these justices made it painfully clear that they will also seize this moment to grind down the federal government's ability to perform even its most basic functions as well.... The nihilism, hypocrisy, and armchair epidemiology on display [during oral arguments] at times bled into rank anti-vax-ism.... That's because these justices emerged from a conservative legal movement that has grown obsessed with obliterating 'the administrative state' -- the hundreds of federal agencies that actually implement laws passed by Congress." Firewalled. ~~~

~~~ Ian Millhiser of Vox: "... the oral argument in the first case, NFIB, suggests that the Court's 6-3 conservative majority is inclined to hand down a very broad decision -- one that won't simply hobble many of the Biden administration's efforts to quell a pandemic that has killed nearly 830,000 Americans, but that could also fundamentally rework the balance of power between elected federal officials and an unelected judiciary." MB: It would be ironic that an authoritarian president* put together a Court that would hobble the presidency; it would be, I say, because these same justices who are so upset that a Democratic President is saving American lives will find carveouts & excuses for all manner of overreach by a right-wing president.

     ~~~ Marie: AND they don't care if they kill you for going to work. The whole bunch of confederate lunkheads sound a lot like brother Neil Gorsuch: if your working conditions will kill you, you have a duty to die.

Florida. Allan Smith of NBC News: "Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and the state's top emergency management official confirmed Thursday that 800,000 to 1 million Covid test kits in the state's stockpile recently expired without being used.... The issue of the expiring tests was first raised by Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, a Democratic candidate for governor. In a Dec. 30 statement, she said: 'It's come to my attention that Governor DeSantis' Department of Health has a significant number of COVID-19 tests stockpiled that are set to expire imminently.'... State officials had already requested a three-month extension on the tests' use from federal officials when they were last set to expire in September, only for the tests to again sit unused.... Christina Pushaw, a DeSantis spokesperson, told NBC News that ... demand plummeted in the state during the fall months.... Yet last week, Floridians reportedly waited up to three hours to get a Covid test as cases and potential exposures spiked.... Speaking with Fox News on Thursday, DeSantis said that 'not every single person needs to be going out always getting tested,' particularly young, healthy people who aren't at high-risk with the disease."

Walter Einenkel of the Daily Kos: "Cirsten Weldon was a right-wing social media darling of sorts, at least in the QAnon wing of the field. Her MAGA posts, anti-vaxx rhetoric, and willingness to embrace wild and fantastic conspiracy theories gained her tens of thousands of followers. Weldon was a firm 'COVID-is-a-hoax' believer who made videos where she yelled at people waiting in line for vaccines that 'The vaccines kill, don't get it!' She also believed Dr. Anthony Fauci should be executed. According to reports, Weldon passed away Thursday from COVID-19 in a hospital in Camarillo, California."

Beyond the Beltway

Georgia. Richard Fausset of the New York Times: "A Georgia judge on Friday sentenced both Travis McMichael, the man who fatally shot Ahmaud Arbery, and his father to life in prison without the possibility of parole, but issued a lesser sentence of life with the possibility of parole to the other white man convicted of murdering Mr. Arbery, a 25-year-old Black man whom they had chased through their neighborhood. The three men -- Travis McMichael, 35; his father, Gregory McMichael, 66; and their neighbor, William Bryan, 52 -- were convicted of murder and other counts in state court in November, resulting in mandatory life sentences.... The lead prosecutor, Linda Dunikoski, asked the judge to deny the possibility of parole to the McMichaels, arguing that they had displayed a reckless history of 'vigilantism' before the killing. She noted that the elder Mr. McMichael had referred to Mr. Arbery as an 'asshole' as his body lay in the street and authorities responded. 'There's been no remorse and certainly no empathy from either man,' she said. She said that Mr. Bryan should be eligible for parole in part because he had cooperated with investigators."

New York. The Arrogance of Power. As many liberal New Yorkers anticipated, newly-installed NYC Mayor Eric Adams is already looking like a very bad mayor. But very Trumpy!

Wisconsin. Adam Brewster of CBS News: "Wisconsin Republican Senator Ron Johnson is expected to run for reelection and kick off his campaign next week, according to two sources familiar with his decision. For months, the incumbent Republican declined to say whether he would seek a third term in the U.S. Senate."

Way Beyond

Italy(/Spain). Foiled by the Googles. Elisabetta Povoledo of the New York Times: "Ever since he broke out of Rome's Rebibbia prison 20 years ago where he was facing murder charges, Gioacchino Gammino had managed to evade capture. He fled to Spain, changed his name and cut off ties with his family, creating a new life for himself, at one point working as a chef in an Italian restaurant. But last month, Italian investigators finally tracked down Mr. Gammino, 61, in a town northwest of Madrid, thanks in part to ... Google Maps.... Investigators had used the Google tools to look up a fruit and vegetable store -- 'El Huerto de Manu' -- that they believed could have ties to the fugitive, and happened upon an image of a man standing in front of the store.The man in the image had the same size and build as Mr. Gammino...." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

January 7, 2022

Afternoon Update:

Marie: RAS raises an excellent point in today's Comments. Why weren't Republicans at least at Thursday's ceremonies honoring the police officers who saved their lives a year earlier? Where was Mitt Romney? Where was Mike Pence, for Pete's sake? Our last image of him might be of his broken, limp body hanging from the gallows in front of the Capitol if not for D.C. and Capitol police. Republicans' ingratitude is stunning.

Nick Niedzwiadek & Sarah Ferris of Politico: "Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Friday invited President Joe Biden to deliver his first State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress on March 1."

Adam Liptak of the New York Times: "Members of the Supreme Court's conservative majority seemed skeptical on Friday that the Biden administration has the legal power to mandate that the nation's large employers require workers to be vaccinated against the coronavirus or to undergo frequent testing. A federal workplace safety law, they indicated during a two-hour argument, did not provide legal authority for the sweeping emergency measure. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and Justice Neil M. Gorsuch said the states and Congress, rather than a federal agency, were better situated to address the pandemic. Justice Amy Coney Barrett said the challenged regulation appeared to reach too broadly in covering all large employers. Justices Gorsuch and Brett M. Kavanaugh suggested that the governing statute had not authorized the agency to impose the mandate clearly enough...." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Liptak slyly notes that the Supremes have imposed strict Covid protocols for their workplace. But, you know, if a liberal does it, it must be wrong. ~~~

~~~ Oh, Guess What? Rebecca Shabad of NBC News: "Ohio's solicitor general, Ben Flowers, participated in Supreme Court oral arguments [against] the Biden administration's vaccine mandates remotely on Friday after testing positive for Covid. He had been vaccinated and boosted against the disease [MB: which almost certainly is why he reportedly had mild symptoms].... The Supreme Court had required participants to take a PCR test Thursday, which detected the virus in Flowers, Irwin said, 'so for that reason, he is arguing remotely.' Louisiana Solicitor General Liz Murrill also made remote arguments before the court against the mandates on Friday 'in accordance with Covid protocols,' according to a statement her office gave to Reuters, but the statement did not elaborate further."

Steve Erlanger of the New York Times: "NATO foreign ministers met virtually on Friday to prepare their responses to Russia's ongoing military buildup near Ukraine amid general skepticism about Moscow's willingness to de-escalate and negotiate in earnest. After the meeting, the NATO secretary-general, Jens Stoltenberg, warned that 'the risk of conflict is real' involving a further Russian invasion of Ukraine. But he asserted that the 30-member alliance was united in its desire for peaceful diplomacy. If diplomacy fails, he said, the alliance is prepared to continue supporting the integrity and independence of Ukraine both 'politically and practically' while creating 'significant consequences' that 'carry a heavy price for Russia.'... The meeting was a chance to confirm allied agreement about how to respond to varying Russian actions, and, importantly, an opportunity for Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken to consult with allies and brief them about the U.S. position before U.S.-Russia bilateral talks next week in Geneva." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I get that isolating Russia as much as possible & imposing harsh economic sanctions are about all its adversaries can do here, short of some form of violence. But looming over these "solutions" -- in my mind -- is what happened when other Western powers, including the U.S., tried to bring Germany to its knees after World War I. It is possible that the Russian people will blame Putin for forcing them into bread lines; on the other hand, they're apt to show some national pride & resent the countries that sanctioned their country -- just as 20th-century Germans did. As for a better solution on dealing with Russian aggression, I don't have one.

Sad News. Dartunorro Clark of NBC News: "Cyber Ninjas, the company that led a partisan review of 2020 ballots in Arizona, is closing down following a scathing report by election officials and the threat of $50,000 a day in fines. 'Cyber Ninjas is shutting down. All employees have been let go,' Rod Thomson, the company's representative, said in a text message Thursday evening. The Florida-based company, founded in 2013, has less than a dozen employees, according to its LinkedIn page.... Maricopa County Superior Court Judge John Hannah said he would impose a $50,000 fine against Cyber Ninjas every day until it hands over documents related to the so-called audit after the Arizona Republic newspaper filed a public records request, The Associated Press reported Thursday." MB: Seems to me that even if Cyber Ninjas closes down, principals of the defunct company will have to provide the court-ordered docs or pay the daily fines.

Foiled by the Googles. Elisabetta Povoledo of the New York Times: "Ever since he broke out of Rome's Rebibbia prison 20 years ago where he was facing murder charges, Gioacchino Gammino had managed to evade capture. He fled to Spain, changed his name and cut off ties with his family, creating a new life for himself, at one point working as a chef in an Italian restaurant. But last month, Italian investigators finally tracked down Mr. Gammino, 61, in a town northwest of Madrid, thanks in part to ... Google Maps.... Investigators had used the Google tools to look up a fruit and vegetable store -- 'El Huerto de Manu' -- that they believed could have ties to the fugitive, and happened upon an image of a man standing in front of the store. The man in the image had the same size and build as Mr. Gammino...."

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The Washington Post's live updates of events related to the commemoration of last year's insurrection are here. (Also linked yesterday.)

** Mary Jalonick, et al., of the AP: "President Joe Biden on Thursday forcefully condemned Donald Trump's election 'big lie' that sparked the deadly breach of the Capitol by his supporters and continues to motivate deep national division. He marked the anniversary of the insurrection by declaring he will stand and fight for 'the soul of America.' Biden's criticism was blistering of the 'defeated president' who he blamed for the attack that has fundamentally changed Congress and raised global concerns about the future of American democracy. 'For the first time in our history, a president not just lost an election, he tried to prevent the peaceful transfer of power as a violent mob breached the Capitol,' Biden said. 'But they failed.' His voice booming at times, filling the ornate hall with statues of the country's leaders and heroes, he said called on Americans to see Jan. 6 for what it was. 'Democracy was attacked,' Biden said at the Capitol. 'We the people endure. We the people prevailed.'" (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ The text of President Biden's speech is here. The text of Vice President Harris's remarks at the Capitol is here. Both via the White House. ~~~

~~~ Tyler Pager & Annie Linskey of the Washington Post: President "Biden's remarks do not mark a permanent shift in strategy about how to handle Trump, according to the president's aides and allies. Rather, they said, Biden felt he had no choice but to directly address Trump's culpability in the Capitol insurrection last Jan. 6 and the threat he poses to democracy. 'You can't talk about what happened on January 6 without talking about the former president's role in it,' Mike Donilon, a White House senior adviser, said in an interview. 'There's no way to be truthful about what happened there without doing that.' Biden and his team also calculated that his speech at Thursday's remembrance event would draw maximum media attention." ~~~

     ~~~ Jeff Zeleny, et al., of CNN: "It was only a little more than a month ago when President Joe Biden, asked about another head-shaking revelation regarding his predecessor, seemed to balk at a mere mention of the man. 'I don't think about the former President,' he claimed, pausing for dramatic effect before walking offstage at the White House. But on Thursday, it was evident Biden has actually been thinking quite a lot about Donald Trump.... Biden ... helped write some of the lines [in Thursday's speech] himself.... The speech harkened back to themes from Biden's campaign, when he repeatedly pledged to 'restore the soul of the nation.' It was, he said again and again, the central reason for jumping back into the political arena on a mission to defeat Trump."

~~~ Zolan Kanno-Youngs of the New York Times: "The extraordinary moment, in which a sitting president accused his predecessor of holding 'a dagger at the throat of America, at American democracy,' marked a sharp pivot in Mr. Biden's strategy for dealing with Mr. Trump and his continuing promotion of the baseless assertion that the 2020 election was marred by fraud." ~~~

~~~ Marie: On Thursday, Republicans like Lindsey Graham complained about Biden's "brazen politicization" of the insurrection. Really? There was a time, not so very long ago, when every national politician -- no matter his party or political philosophy -- would have spoken out against sedition and insurrection. Politicians may not have given many speeches against attempts to overthrow the government, but that is because such speeches were unnecessary. They did give flowery, "patriotic" speeches, of course, about Constitutional principles and democratic "values." None would have considered the premise of Biden's speech -- that a violent attack on the Capitol was "a dagger at the throat of ... American democracy" -- to be even vaguely controversial. In a country that is not united by race or religion or social and economic experience, the uniting element is a shared adherence to Western democratic principles and norms. Or it was.

~~~ ** Peter Baker of the New York Times: "The president's address began a commemoration that ... only underscored just how riven the country remains a year after rioters armed with hockey sticks, baseball bats, crutches, flagpoles, fire extinguishers, bear spray and stolen police batons broke into the Capitol to disrupt the counting of the Electoral College votes ratifying Mr. Trump's defeat. Democrats ... marked the anniversary with a day of events, including speeches, personal testimony, a panel of historians, videos, moments of silence and a candlelight vigil, while Republicans by and large stayed away and refused to participate. No Republican senators showed up on the floor for a session of remarks recalling that day. Representative Liz Cheney of Wyoming, one of Mr. Trump's most vocal critics, was the only elected member of her party to join a moment of silence in the House chamber, bringing along her father, former Vice President Dick Cheney."

Dana Milbank of the Washington Post: "By shunning Thursday's commemoration of the Jan. 6 attack, Republican leaders, as usual, left a vacuum that let the wing nuts speak for the party. Trumpian Reps. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) and Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) announced that they would give 'a Republican response,' on the Jan. 6 anniversary, and in the absence of any other Republican response, theirs became the Republican response.... And so, in a meeting room in the Cannon House Office Building, two flights up from where Democratic lawmakers were at the same time recalling their personal horrors from Jan. 6, the duo spent 37 minutes telling reporters that Jan. 6 was a 'fed-surrection,' a plot perpetrated by the FBI.... In his address Thursday from the Capitol, President Biden asked: 'Are we going to be a nation that lives not by the light of the truth, but in the shadow of lies? We cannot allow ourselves to be that kind of nation.' But the Republicans' ongoing attempt to disappear Jan. 6 shows that we already are."

Jake Johnson of Common Dreams: "... lofty rhetoric and symbolic commemorations of the deadly Capitol assault won't change the fact that congressional Democrats are running out of time to thwart the GOP's sweeping attacks on the franchise ahead of the crucial 2022 midterms, in which Republicans are well-positioned to gerrymander their way back to control of the House of Representatives.... 'This anniversary calls not only for commemoration, but also for action -- urgently,' Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, said in a statement Thursday. "If Congress fails to pass legislation to secure the right to vote and protect Americans' democratic freedoms, we invite these attacks to continue.'"

Ellie Silverman, et al., of the Washington Post: Harper "White, a 25-year-old legislative assistant and correspondent for Rep. Rosa L. DeLauro (D-Conn.), spoke to a crowd of hundreds on Thursday outside the Capitol on the anniversary of a violent mob's entry into the building. [Other speakers included House Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) & Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.)]... Less than three miles away [outside the back entrance to the D.C. jail], a much smaller crowd -- including the mother of Ashli Babbitt, the pro-Trump rioter who was killed when she stormed the Capitol last January -- gathered outside the D.C. jail to support people who were charged in the insurrection and are being held there. These rival events reflect the fact that a year after the Capitol riot, much of the country remains divided on what happened."

Annals of "Journalism," Ctd. Michael Grynbaum of the New York Times: "Many conservative media outlets covered Thursday's anniversary of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot by lobbing criticism at Mr. Biden for his morning speech.... One chief narrative on conservative platforms was the notion that Democrats and mainstream journalists had overblown the attack on the Capitol and were overly fixated on Thursday's commemoration of Jan. 6, which marked the first interruption of the peaceful transfer of power in American history.... Still, there were long stretches where Fox News entirely set aside the subject of the Capitol attack." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Both CNN & MSNBC devoted most of their coverage Thursday to the insurrection & related stories. During a commercial break, I found Fox "News" on the dial: a host & a guest were discussing how George Soros controlled American district attorneys.

Betsy Swan, et al., of Politico: "Then-Vice President-elect Kamala Harris was inside Democratic National Committee headquarters on Jan. 6, 2021, when a pipe bomb was discovered outside the building, according to four people familiar with her movements that day. Capitol Police began investigating the pipe bomb at 1:07 p.m., according to an official Capitol Police timeline of events obtained by Politico. The timeline says that Capitol Police and the Secret Service evacuated an unnamed 'protectee' at approximately 1:14 p.m, seven minutes later. The four people, among them a White House official and a former law enforcement official, confirmed that Harris was the Secret Service protectee identified in the timeline.... Harris' presence inside the building while a bomb was right outside raises sobering questions about her security that day. It also raises the chilling prospect that the riots could have been far more destructive than they already were, with the incoming vice president's life directly endangered." The Washington Post's story is here.

Mark Moore of the New York Post:"Former White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham said Thursday that ... Donald Trump 'gleefully' watched television coverage of the Capitol riot in a private dining room at the White House and praised how his supporters were 'fighting' for him.... 'All I know about that day was, he was in the dining room gleefully watching on his TV as he often did, [saying] "Look at all of the people fighting for me," hitting rewind, watching it again,' Grisham said.&" MB: According to an on-air report I heard, Grisham was not at the White House on Jan. 6 but learned about Trump's reactions from other staff who observed him. ~~~

~~~ Jim Acosta of CNN: "A former Trump White House official said ... Donald Trump initially refused to tweet the words 'stay peaceful' as the attack on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, was escalating.... Trump tweeted at 2:38 p.m. ET that day: 'Please support our Capitol Police and Law Enforcement. They are truly on the side of our Country. Stay peaceful!' The tweet came 20 minutes after Trump supporters were smashing through windows and evacuations of lawmakers had begun. The former official ... said Trump did not want to include the words 'stay peaceful' and was 'very reluctant to put out anything when it was unfolding.' Trump was 'letting it play out,' the official said of the violence at the Capitol. Top Trump aides -- including the then-President's daughter, Ivanka, and former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows -- were pleading with Trump to call off the mob, the ex-aide said. Those officials eventually convinced Trump to include the 'stay peaceful' message in the tweet about the Capitol Police, the former aide added."

About Mo. Brad Reed of the Raw Story: "In an interview with CNN's Jake Tapper, former [Kevin] McCarthy staffer Ryan O'Toole recalled sheltering with lawmakers who were hiding in fear after a mob of Trump supporters breached the Capitol.... [However,] 'You had some members express a different view,' he said. 'One member, Mo Brooks for example, was glad. He was cheering on the fact that the 117th congress had started this way. That was much to the dismay of others in the room.'" MB: I suppose the reason Mo thought the attack was a laugh riot was that he (1) had foreknowledge of the insurrection, so (2) was probably still wearing body armor.

Aaron Blake of the Washington Post: After Ted Cruz rightly called the Capitol insurrection a "terrorist attack" on Wednesday -- and not for the first time -- Fox "News" host & VIP Tucker Carlson criticized Cruz. So Ted asked to appear on Tucker's Thursday night show, whereupon TuKKK "began the interview by calling Cruz a liar -- repeatedly -- and Cruz didn't even directly dispute the premise." Cruz's groveling at Tucker's feet continued from there.

Mean Judge Nixes Insurrectionist's Jamaican Vacay. Jonathan Edwards of the Washington Post: Anthony "Williams, a Michigan man accused of storming the U.S. Capitol a year ago in what he allegedly called the 'proudest day of my life,' can't travel outside the country without a federal judge's approval. So on Thursday, the anniversary of the Capitol riot, he filed a motion to [vacation with his girlfriend in Jamaica]. Chief U.S. District Judge Beryl A. Howell denied his request within hours.... Williams is indicted on five charges, including violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds, and has pleaded not guilty."

The Pandemic, Ctd.

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

Jacob Bogage & Dan Diamond of the Washington Post: "The White House is finalizing details with the U.S. Postal Service to deliver 500 million coronavirus test kits to households across the country, according to four people familiar with the plans, kick-starting a key part of President Biden's response to the raging omicron variant. The administration will launch a website allowing individuals to request the rapid tests.... Officials aim to begin shipping the kits by mid-January."

Adam Liptak of the New York Times: "The Supreme Court will hear arguments on Friday on the legality of two initiatives at the heart of the Biden administration's efforts to address the coronavirus in the workplace. The challengers -- states led by Republican officials, businesses, religious groups and others -- say Congress has not authorized the measures, adding that they are unnecessary and in some ways counterproductive. The administration says that workplace safety and health care laws have given it ample authority to take bold action in the face of a lethal pandemic."

New Jersey. Tracey Tully of the New York Times: "One in every three residents of [an Edison,] New Jersey, nursing home for frail military veterans died as the [corona]virus raced unchecked through the state-run facility.... [One-hundred-one] residents who died in the first eight months of the pandemic.... A state-run veterans home in Paramus ... had an equally devastating death toll: 89. Now, in a sober acknowledgment of failings, New Jersey has agreed to pay $53 million to families of 119 veterans who lived in the two facilities. The families had been preparing to file lawsuits that accused the state of gross negligence. The average payout is expected to be roughly $445,000 as part of an out-of-court settlement that is believed to be the first of its kind nationwide.... Similar lawsuits are pending across the country against private and public nursing homes."

Beyond the Beltway

Oregon Gubernatorial Race. Mike Baker of the New York Times: "Nicholas Kristof, a former New York Times columnist seeking to become the next governor of Oregon, does not qualify to run for the office this year because he failed to meet the state's three-year residency requirement, state officials announced on Thursday. Secretary of State Shemia Fagan said the decision came after the agency reviewed the voting and taxpaying history of Mr. Kristof, including his registration as an Oregon voter in December 2020 after having been previously registered in New York.... Mr. Kristof said that he planned to challenge the decision in court and that he was confident he would prevail." Politico's report is here.

Virginia. Lisa Friedman of the New York Times: "A rare confirmation battle is brewing around the nomination of Andrew Wheeler, who ran the Environmental Protection Agency under ... Donald J. Trump, to take a similar role in an incoming Republican state administration in Virginia. Democratic leaders said they would try to block Mr. Wheeler from taking charge of conservation programs, environmental cleanups and climate change initiatives like the ones he opposed as E.P.A. administrator. Resistance to Mr. Wheeler began building just moments after his nomination to be natural resources secretary was announced on Wednesday by Governor-elect Glenn Youngkin, a Republican who will be sworn in on Jan. 15."

Way Beyond

Kazakhstan. Ivan Nechepurenko, et al., of the New York Times: "The authoritarian leader of Kazakhstan said Friday that he had authorized the nation's security forces to 'fire without warning' as the government moved to bring an end to two days of chaos and violence after peaceful protests descended into scenes of anarchy. 'We hear calls from abroad for the parties to negotiate to find a peaceful solution to the problems,' President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said in an address to the nation. 'This is just nonsense. What negotiations can there be with criminals and murderers,' he said. 'They need to be destroyed and this will be done.' The government said that order had been 'mainly restored' across the country as Russian troops joined with the country's security forces to quell widespread unrest." ~~~

~~~ Andrew Higgins of the New York Times: "... if the turmoil in Kazakhstan has once again exposed the vulnerability of the strongman leaders the Kremlin has trusted to keep order, it has also presented Russia with yet another opportunity to reassert its influence in its former Soviet domain, one of Mr. Putin's most cherished long-term goals. The arrival in Kazakhstan of 2,500 troops from a Russian-led military alliance amid continuing spasms of violent protest was the fourth time in just two years that Moscow has flexed its muscle in neighboring states -- Belarus, Armenia and Ukraine being the other three -- that the West has long tried to woo.... And once Russian troops arrive, they seldom, if ever, go home."

News Ledes

When you walk through the door of opportunity, you have one responsibility, and that is to make sure you leave the door open. -- Sidney Poitier, to a friend, Franklyn Wilson, a former Bahamanian cabinet minister ~~~

~~~ CNN: "Sidney Poitier, whose elegant bearing and principled onscreen characters made him Hollywood's first Black movie star and the first Black man to win the best actor Oscar, has died. He was 94." Update: Poitier's New York Times obituary is here. ~~~

~~~ New York Times: "President Biden, Former President Barack Obama, Harry Belafonte, Denzel Washington, Oprah Winfrey and others paid tribute to Mr. Poitier. Flags in the Bahamas, where he grew up, were lowered to half-staff." This is a live-blog, with some interesting items.

CNBC: "The U.S. economy added far fewer jobs than expected in December just as the nation was grappling with a massive surge in Covid cases, the Labor Department said Friday. Nonfarm payrolls grew by 199,000, while the unemployment rate fell to 3.9%, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data. That compared to the Dow Jones estimate of 422,000 for the payrolls number and 4.1% for the unemployment rate."

January 6, 2022

Late Morning Update:

The Washington Post's live updates of events related to the commemoration of last year's insurrection are here.

** Mary Jalonick, et al., of the AP: “President Joe Biden on Thursday forcefully condemned Donald Trump’s election 'big lie' that sparked the deadly breach of the Capitol by his supporters and continues to motivate deep national division. He marked the anniversary of the insurrection by declaring he will stand and fight for 'the soul of America.' Biden’s criticism was blistering of the 'defeated president' who he blamed for the attack that has fundamentally changed Congress and raised global concerns about the future of American democracy. 'For the first time in our history, a president not just lost an election, he tried to prevent the peaceful transfer of power as a violent mob breached the Capitol,' Biden said. 'But they failed.' His voice booming at times, filling the ornate hall with statues of the country’s leaders and heroes, he said called on Americans to see Jan. 6 for what it was. 'Democracy was attacked,' Biden said at the Capitol. 'We the people endure. We the people prevailed.'” ~~~

~~~~~~~~~~

The New York Times is live-updating events related to the commemoration of the January 6 insurrection.

Annie Linskey of the Washington Post: “President Biden will squarely blame ... Donald Trump for the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol, and for continuing to propagate falsehoods and unrest over the past year, when he speaks Thursday on the first anniversary of the insurrection. 'President Biden will lay out the significance of what happened at the Capitol, the singular responsibility President Trump has for the chaos and carnage that we saw,' White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Wednesday. She added that Biden 'has been clear-eyed about the threat the former president represents to our democracy and how the former president constantly works to undermine basic American values and rule of law.'... Biden and Vice President Harris plan to deliver remarks at 9 a.m. Thursday in Statuary Hall, a marble-filled chamber in the Capitol that was breached by the insurrectionists.”

Katie Benner of the New York Times: “Under pressure from Democrats and a few Republicans to hold ... Donald J. Trump accountable for his role in inspiring the attack on the Capitol, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland [said] on Wednesday..., 'The Justice Department remains committed to holding all Jan. 6 perpetrators, at any level, accountable under law — whether they were present that day or were otherwise criminally responsible for the assault on our democracy.'... Several of the attorney general’s remarks appeared to respond to critics who have urged him to say more about the department’s investigation into what he called 'an unprecedented attack on the seat of our democracy,' and to address whether investigators were scrutinizing Mr. Trump.... Mr. Garland did not mention Mr. Trump or any specific investigation the department might be pursuing.” (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

     ~~~ Video of the AG's speech is here. ~~~

~~~ David Rohde of the New Yorker: “Despite Garland’s attempts to divorce the Justice Department from politically charged prosecutions, it is increasingly clear that investigating Trump is becoming the defining issue of his tenure.... In an era when the majority of Republicans falsely believe that the 2020 election was fraudulent and the majority of Democrats think that it was not, Garland will be demonized no matter what action he takes regarding Trump. The Attorney General, based on his speech, continues to believe that he can restore 'normal order' — a Justice Department term for basing decisions on whether to charge defendants strictly on the facts of a case. He continues to believe that the majority of Americans still support [that] principle.... At the moment, that belief, for Garland and all Americans, is an enormous political gamble.” Firewalled. ~~~

The President of the United States summoned this mob, assembled the mob, and lit the flame of this attack. -- Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wy.) in announcing her vote to impeach ...

~~~ Lock Him Up. George Conway in a Washington Post op-ed: “If Garland means what he says, then the investigative road must lead prosecutors to the individual most responsible for the events of Jan. 6:... Donald Trump.... As the pawns meet their fates, the man who led them to try to stop the peaceful, democratic transfer of power remains safe in his Palm Beach palace.... Not only did Trump deceive the mob, but also he directed it.... The Justice Department has plenty of statutory tools available [to charge Trump].... Most notably, it could invoke one of the same provisions it has applied to individual rioters: Title 18, section 1512(c)(2) of the U.S. Code punishes 'whoever corruptly … obstructs … or impedes any official proceeding.' The statute makes clear that an 'official proceeding' includes one 'before the Congress.'... The criminal code provides that whoever 'aids, abets, counsels, commands, induces or procures' the commission of an offense, or 'willfully causes … another' to commit an offense, 'is punishable as a principal,' as though they had directly committed the deed himself.”

** President Jimmy Carter in a New York Times op-ed: "One year ago, a violent mob, guided by unscrupulous politicians, stormed the Capitol and almost succeeded in preventing the democratic transfer of power. All four of us former presidents condemned their actions and affirmed the legitimacy of the 2020 election.... However, one year on, promoters of the lie that the election was stolen have taken over one political party and stoked distrust in our electoral systems.... I now fear that what we have fought so hard to achieve globally — the right to free, fair elections, unhindered by strongman politicians who seek nothing more than to grow their own power — has become dangerously fragile at home.... After I left the White House and founded the Carter Center, we worked to promote free, fair and orderly elections across the globe.... I have also seen how new democratic systems — and sometimes even established ones — can fall to military juntas or power-hungry despots." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Ghosts of the Insurrection. Carl Hulse of the New York Times: “The citadel of democracy is almost inaccessible to the public it is supposed to welcome and serve. The Jan. 6, 2021, assault has shaken the foundations of the Capitol, a symbol of American strength and unity, transforming how lawmakers view their surroundings and one another. A dark mood lingers and the scars will be long in healing.... The events of last year have turned everyday spaces in the Capitol into testaments to what transpired.... For [many lawmakers], the ever-present reminders of the attack are the officers who were charged with repelling it as best they could, sustaining serious injuries as they did so.Much of the time, the once-vibrant Capitol seems eerily empty....”

Mike DeBonis & Seung Min Kim of the Washington Post: “Ahead of the first anniversary of the Capitol insurrection, several Senate Republicans said they were open to overhauling the presidential vote certification procedure in Congress that was targeted by ... Donald Trump and allies as they sought to overturn his 2020 election loss.... Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said Wednesday that changes to Electoral Count Act, the 1887 law governing the congressional certification process, were 'worth discussing,' while several other GOP senators said they were interested in clarifying ambiguous provisions in the statute and potentially raising the threshold for a challenge to a state’s electoral results.... This week’s expressions of support, modest as they are, amount to the most significant Republican backing for modifications to the nation’s democratic infrastructure in response to the stresses of the 2020 election. But top Democrats ... seek to pass a much broader package of election-related legislation. Those bills are aimed at countering new GOP-authored state laws that Democrats say are aimed at making it harder for citizens to vote and easier for legislatures to throw out results they don’t support.” A related Politico story is here. ~~~

~~~ BUT. Jennifer Rubin of the Washington Post: Jiggering with the Electoral Count Act is not enough. "If you are suspicious that Sen. Joe Manchin III is unserious about filibuster reform required to pass essential election reform, you are not alone. With every utterance, the West Virginia Democrat sounds more like he does on the Build Back Better bill — issuing a never-ending stream of objections that are unmoored to political reality and maddeningly vague or contradictory so as to prevent dealmaking.... [Mitch] McConnell knows well that Manchin will take any out when it comes to challenging the filibuster and moving forward with substantive reform.... The ECA covers the election of the president and vice president, so reforming the law would leave every other election at the mercy of Republican partisans.... There are three sets of discrete problems. The first two — election subversion and election suppression — should be resolved through the Freedom to Vote Act (Manchin’s own voting reform bill). The third, the potential for a peaceful presidential coup, requires amendments to the ECA."

Peter Alexander, et al., of NBC News: "Former White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham said she 'cooperated fully' after meeting with the Jan. 6 committee on the eve of the anniversary of the attack on the Capitol.... Grisham has distanced herself from Trump’s orbit since Jan. 6, the day she resigned from the White House in response to the riot."

Brian Schwartz of CNBC: “MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell, an ally of ... Donald Trump, said his phone records have been subpoenaed by the House committee investigating the origins of the deadly riot that took place on Jan. 6.... 'I wasn’t there on January 6th and yes they did subpoena my phone records but we filed a complaint for declaratory and injunctive relief against the January 6th committee and Verizon to completely invalidate this corrupt subpoena,' Lindell said in a text message to CNBC on Wednesday....”

Alayna Treene of Axios: "People in and around former Vice President Mike Pence's office have been particularly cooperative as the Jan. 6 select committee focuses on what former President Trump was doing during the more than three hours the Capitol was under attack, sources familiar with the testimony tell Axios.... Both Pence's former chief of staff Marc Short, and former press secretary Alyssa Farah, who later served as communications director to Trump chief of staff Mark Meadows, are among those cooperating with the committee. Keith Kellogg also has given a deposition. One source familiar with their involvement said Short, who was subpoenaed by the committee, would not have cooperated without the approval of Pence."

Kyle Cheney of Politico writes that what the January 6 committee knows, and what the public does not, is the timeline of White House communications. "Precision on the timing and order of these exchanges is crucial. Did Donald Trump receive urgent pleas to call off the rioters before he decided to call [Sen. Tommy] Tuberville [R-Ala.] and ask him to continue challenging the election?"

Mark Your Calendar. Caroline Vakil of the Hill: “Republican Reps. Matt Gaetz (Fla.) and Marjorie Taylor Greene (Ga.) will be holding a presser on Thursday, the one-year anniversary of the Jan. 6 insurrection, after former President Trump announced that he would be canceling his news conference scheduled for the same day. The two conservative members of Congress are set to hold 'a Republican response on the anniversary of the January 6th protests' on Thursday afternoon, according to a release from Gaetz’s office.”

We have seen how people react when they think that an election has been stolen. They storm the U.S. Capitol. They threaten to kill and hang and shoot election workers. And they called other Americans traitors. The American family cannot stand for that. I will not stand for that. -- Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Chairman Bill Gates (R), Wednesday

~~~ Maricopa County (Arizona) Republicans Refute Trump's Big Lie. Rosalind Helderman of the Washington Post: “The November 2020 election in Arizona’s largest county was administered properly and not marred by fraud, the Republican-led local government concluded in a lengthy report released Wednesday. The 93-page document debunks, one by one, vague allegations of potential problems previously identified by the GOP-led state Senate and championed by ... Donald Trump and his allies. County officials said the blunt rebuttal, released on the eve of the anniversary of the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, was intended to highlight the ongoing dangers of unfounded claims of mass election fraud.”

Georgia Republicans Cancel “Homage to Treason.” Travis Gettys of the Raw Story: “A Georgia county's Republican Party called off a prayer vigil intended to honor the insurrectionists who tried to help Donald Trump overturn his election loss. The Cobb County GOP canceled its event scheduled for Thursday, the one-year anniversary of the Jan. 6 insurrection, after a barrage of criticism -- which the group called a 'mischaracterization' of their plans, reported the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. 'Celebrate freedom,' the invitation read. 'The Patriots are Awake, Willing and Eager to Protect Their American Freedom & Liberties.'”

American Terrorists. Blake Hounshell & Leah Askarinam of the New York Times: “Drawing on years of research, [Nathan Kalmoe and Lilliana Mason] warn that rising public support for political violence is creating a toxic public atmosphere that encourages a tiny but growing number to act.... The bottom line, said Kalmoe: 'Millions of Americans — and perhaps tens of millions — think that violence against their partisan opponents is at least a little bit justified.'... According to a February 2021 survey, [Kalmoe & Mason write,] 'Twelve percent of Republicans and 11 percent of Democrats said assassinations carried out by their party were at least “a little bit” justified.'... It’s ... harder to measure how many Americans are ready to actually commit political violence.”

Ashley Parker, et al., of the Washington Post: "As the nation prepares Thursday to mark the anniversary of the deadly Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, Trump has pushed a majority of his party into a full embrace of his false election fraud charges, while simultaneously leading the ongoing efforts to whitewash the violence carried out that day by a pro-Trump mob. At least 163 Republicans who have embraced Trump’s false claims are running for statewide positions that would give them authority over the administration of elections, according to a Post tally.... Democrats and voting-rights advocates say the threat to democracy that these candidates represent cannot be overstated.... Trump has spent much of his post-presidency marinating in false voting claims and electoral conspiracy theories."

Margaret Sullivan of the Washington Post: “Everything about [Sean] Hannity’s text messages, part of a trove of documents the House panel received from former chief of staff Mark Meadows after a subpoena, scream one thing: that the prime-time host is not a journalist.... If he really were a journalist, the possible defection of the entire White House Counsel’s Office would have been a world-class scoop. Reporting the news didn’t seem to be on Hannity’s mind.... 'All of us are free to weigh in on public events,' the First Amendment lawyer Floyd Abrams told me in an email Wednesday, 'but when Hannity advised the president about the ongoing insurrection he did not do so as a journalist but as an ally, a confederate, a teammate, rather than an umpire or observer.'... Hannity himself has said on more than one occasion that he doesn’t consider himself a member of the press.... He even appeared onstage with Trump at a rally in 2018 — something so far outside the bounds of journalistic behavior that it earned a mild reprimand from his normally all-forgiving employers at Fox.” ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: As an expert (Neal Katyal maybe?) said on MSNBC Tuesday, if a reporter happens to see a traffic accident, she -- like anyone else -- is a fact witness. NBC reporter Josh Lederman was one of hundreds of people caught in the Big Snow Jam on I-95 earlier this week. Lederman even reported live from his car; ergo, he was acting as a journalist. But if the state or feds investigate the traffic stoppage (as likely they will [WashPo link]), there's no reason Lederman could not be called as a witness to describe what he observed, experienced (and reported). Similarly, Hannity is a fact witness to what-all was going on in the White House around the January 6 insurrection. As Sullivan notes, even though he was near the center of the biggest attack on a federal facility since the War of 1812, Hannity never reported on what he learned. He was acting as a participant & advisor, not as a journalist, even if, for convenience, he suddenly decides to declare himself a reporter with the protections the First Amendment provides. Indeed, ~~~

    ~~~ Erik Wemple of the Washington Post: “... Hannity covered up what he knew was happening at the White House.... His work over the course of the Trump presidency, though dressed in the trappings of cable news, was indistinguishable from that of a White House consigliere or propagandist.... The Justice Department ... in July issued fresh protections for journalists from intrusive federal investigative methods, and stipulated that the safeguards are limited to 'members of the news media acting within the scope of newsgathering activities.' That’s a scope within which Hannity rarely acts.”

Oh Noes! I missed Tuesday's biggest story: ~~~

~~~ Kate Bennett of CNN: "Melania Trump announced Tuesday morning that she is holding an auction of the white hat she wore during the visit of the French first family, the Macrons, to the White House in 2018. In a statement from her office, Trump said that, in addition to the hat, the auction lot will include a watercolor by Marc-Antoine Coulon -- a French artist who drew her eyes for her NFT last month -- as well as what the statement defines as 'an exclusive digital artwork NFT with motion.' The NFT, the second Trump has sold in less than a month, features the drawing of the hat with some animation. Trump's office says some of the proceeds will go toward an initiative that is a part of the former first lady's Be Best program, but it's not clear how much will be donated. The centerpiece of the auction, the custom white hat, which Trump has signed, was created for Trump by her personal stylist, Hervé Pierre, to match the $2,105 white crepe Michael Kors Collection suit Trump wore for the daytime ceremonies at the White House attended by Emmanuel Macron and Brigitte Macron.... The three items will have an opening bid of $250,000, and bidding will only be accepted via SOL, a form of cryptocurrency." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

     ~~~ Thanks to Akhilleus for the lead. Also to Patrick for his commentary. For some reason, both writers seem to suspect there are scams involved here. See yesterday's Comments.

Ryan Johnson in Medium, republished by Popular Resistance on what he sees is the real reason for the U.S. shipping crisis: "I’m a Class A truck driver with experience in nearly every aspect of freight. Think of going to the port as going to WalMart on Black Friday, but imagine only ONE cashier for thousands of customers. Think about the lines. Except at a port, there are at least THREE lines to get a container in or out. The first line is the ‘in’ gate, where hundreds of trucks daily have to pass through 5–10 available gates. The second line is waiting to pick up your container. The third line is for waiting to get out. For each of these lines the wait time is a minimum of an hour, and I’ve waited up to 8 hours in the first line just to get into the port. Some ports are worse than others, but excessive wait times are not uncommon. It’s a rare day when a driver gets in and out in under two hours." Thanks to Bonnie for the link.

The Pandemic, Ctd.

The New York Times' live updates of Covid-19 developments Thursday are here. The Washington Post's live Covid-19 updates for Thursday are here: "More than 4,000 children were hospitalized with covid-19 across the United States on Wednesday, Washington Post figures show, marking a new high that towers above previous peaks set during the summer when the delta variant was driving up infections."

Lena Sun & Katie Shepherd of the Washington Post: "he Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended Wednesday that children ages 12 to 17 get a Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine booster, expanding protection to adolescents and teens as surging omicron infections threaten to disrupt schools and workplaces across the country. Director Rochelle Walensky endorsed a recommendation that came several hours earlier from the agency’s vaccine advisory panel that urged the boosters for 10 million young people.... The CDC had previously said 16- and 17-year-olds were eligible for a booster but stopped short of saying they should get them." The story is free to nonsubscribers.

Sailing, Sailing over the Ocean Blue -- in a Petri Dish. Hannah Sampson of the Washington Post: "Coronavirus cases have been reported on every cruise ship sailing with passengers in U.S. waters. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, all 92 ships with passengers have met the threshold for investigation by the public health agency."

Australia. Liz Clarke, et al., of the Washington Post: "With a medical exemption to mandatory coronavirus vaccination in hand, [professional tennis star] Novak Djokovic landed at Melbourne’s Tullamarine Airport shortly before midnight Wednesday, eager to launch preparations for the Australian Open and his pursuit of a record 21st major title....However..., the world’s No. 1 player ...was escorted to a windowless immigration room as authorities reviewed potential irregularities with his visa and questions about the legitimacy of the medical exemption granted by state officials in Victoria that enabled him to enter the tournament. Border authorities then canceled his visa.... By midmorning Thursday, Djokovic, 34..., was transferred to a government-approved hotel pending a flight out of the country. Meanwhile, he engaged lawyers to overturn the decision.... Djokovic has not made known his reasons for seeking an exemption from getting vaccinated.... Djokovic and his team have responded to the past two years of pandemic protocols with a mixture of nonchalance and hostility."

Beyond the Beltway

California. Adela Suliman of the Washington Post: “The Pacific Gas and Electric utility company is to blame for the Dixie Fire, which ravaged swaths of Northern California last summer, after a tree fell on electrical distribution lines that it owns and operates, a state investigation found. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, known as Cal Fire, said in a statement Tuesday that its 'meticulous and thorough investigation' determined the Dixie Fire was caused by a tree contacting PG&E distribution lines west of Cresta Dam. The report has been forwarded to the Butte County District Attorney’s Office, the agency added, which will determine whether criminal charges will be filed.”

Way Beyond

Kazakhstan. New York Times: "Paratroopers from a Russia-led military alliance began arriving in Kazakhstan on Thursday to restore order after a night of protests in the Central Asian country turned violent, with the police reporting that dozens of antigovernment demonstrators had been killed and hundreds injured." The link is to a liveblog.