The Commentariat -- April 21, 2021

Late Morning/Afternoon Update:

Carrie Johnson of NPR: "One day after a jury convicted former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin on murder charges, the U.S. Justice Department launched an investigation into possible patterns of discrimination and excessive force among the police department there. Attorney General Merrick Garland announced the new civil inquiry on Wednesday, the first such 'pattern or practice' investigation in the Biden administration, which has pledged to build trust between police and communities."

Jeremy Herb of CNN: "The Senate narrowly voted to advance the nomination of President Joe Biden's nominee to be associate attorney general, Vanita Gupta, setting up a final vote expected later Wednesday despite fierce opposition from most Republican senators. Vice President Kamala Harris was on hand in case she was needed for a possible 50-50 tie on the procedural vote for Gupta's nomination Wednesday, but Sen. Lisa Murkowski, a moderate Republican from Alaska, broke with her Republican colleagues and joined all Democratic senators to advance the nomination 51-49."

Reid Epstein & Patricia Mazzei of the New York Times: "Republican legislators in Oklahoma and Iowa have passed bills granting immunity to drivers whose vehicles strike and injure protesters in public streets. A Republican proposal in Indiana would bar anyone convicted of unlawful assembly from holding state employment, including elected office. A Minnesota bill would prohibit those convicted of unlawful protesting from receiving student loans, unemployment benefits or housing assistance. And in Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed sweeping legislation this week that toughened existing laws governing public disorder and created a harsh new level of infractions.... The measures are part of a wave of new anti-protest legislation, sponsored and supported by Republicans, in the 11 months since Black Lives Matter protests swept the country following the death of George Floyd.... G.O.P. lawmakers in 34 states have introduced 81 anti-protest bills during the 2021 legislative session -- more than twice as many proposals as in any other year...."

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The Verdict

Amy Forliti, et al., of the AP: "Former Minneapolis Officer Derek Chauvin was convicted Tuesday of murder and manslaughter for pinning George Floyd to the pavement with his knee on the Black man's neck in a case that triggered worldwide protests, violence and a furious reexamination of racism and policing in the U.S. Chauvin, 45, was immediately led away with his hands cuffed behind his back and could be sent to prison for decades." The New York Times report is here. ~~~

Jonathan Lemire, et al., of the AP: "President Joe Biden said Tuesday the conviction of former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin in the killing of George Floyd 'can be a giant step forward' for the nation in the fight against systemic racism. But he declared that 'it's not enough.' Biden spoke from the White House hours after the verdict alongside Vice President Kamala Harris, with the pair saying the country's work is far from finished with the verdict. 'We can't stop here,' Biden declared." The Washington Post's report is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Here's a transcript of remarks by President Biden & Vice President Harris, via the New York Times. ~~~

~~~ AP: "Before Tuesday's guilty verdicts were read out [MB: and after the jury was sequestered, President] Biden said he was praying for 'the right verdict.' Telephoning [George] Floyd's family later, he said of himself and [Vice President] Harris: 'We're all so relieved.'... Biden said he hoped the verdict would give momentum to congressional police reform efforts. Floyd family attorney Ben Crump posted video on Twitter of a phone call from Biden and Harris to the family. Asked by a family member how he was doing, Biden said, 'Feeling better now. Nothing is going to make it all better, but at least now there is some justice.' 'This is a day of justice,' Harris told the family after joining Biden to watch the verdict in the private dining room off the Oval Office." ~~~

     ~~~ MEANWHILE. David Edwards of the Raw Story: "Former White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany on Tuesday blasted President Joe Biden for speaking out about the Derek Chauvin trial even though her former boss, Donald Trump, often expressed his opinion on similar events.... '... I think it's the role of the president of the United States to stay back, to not inflame the tensions,' she [said]. 'I think he should have just reserved comment and said he's praying for the family as we all are.'... After Kyle Rittenhouse was charged with homicide for shootings that left two protesters in Wisconsin dead last August, Trump offered a defense of the suspect. 'He was trying to get away from them, I guess, it looks like,' Trump opined at the time. 'I guess he was in very big trouble. He probably would have been killed.'"

From the New York Times' liveblog of the trial: "Derek Chauvin was found guilty of two counts of murder on Tuesday in the death of George Floyd, whose final breaths last May under the knee of Mr. Chauvin, a former Minneapolis police officer, were captured on video, setting off months of protests against the police abuse of Black people. After deliberating for about 10 hours over two days following an emotional trial that lasted three weeks, the jury found Mr. Chauvin, who is white, guilty of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and manslaughter for the killing of Mr. Floyd, a Black man, on a street corner last year on Memorial Day." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

~~~ Marty Johnson of the Hill: "Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin has been found guilty on all charges in the murder trial of George Floyd, whose death led to months of demonstrations against police brutality last summer." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

~~~ Marie: Chauvin Trial Verdicts. Count 1, unintentional 2nd-degree murder: guilty. Count 2, 3rd-degree murder, guilty. Count 3, 2nd-degree manslaugter, guilty. The judge polled the jury and sent them out; he will consult with them. Bail is revoked & defendant is remanded. Court adjourned.

Margaret Sullivan of the Washington Post: "After so many previous instances in which police officers were acquitted of what looked to many people like murder, this time was different. And it was different, in some significant portion, because of a teenager's sense of right and wrong.... On May 25, [2020,] while taking her younger cousin on a stroll to get a snack..., [17-year-old Darnella Frazier] observed a struggle between a Black man and White police officer. After ushering the child into the convenience store, Cup Foods, Frazier stayed on the sidewalk and started recording.... Later, she posted a video clip of about 10 minutes to Facebook. That video clip, now seen millions of times around the world, was a powerful, irrefutable act of bearing witness.... 'The world needed to see what I was seeing,' she [told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune last year]." MB: If not for Frazier, ~~~

~~~ ** Another Cop Would Have Got Away with Murder. Josh Marcus of Yahoo! News: "An early-stage police report describing George Floyd's death as a vague 'medical incident' went viral on Tuesday.... In the original police bulletin that went out to the public, here's how the Minneapolis police department categorised the gruesome murder millions of people would later see on social media video:

"'He was ordered to step from his car. After he got out, he physically resisted officers. Officers were able to get the suspect into handcuffs and noted he appeared to be suffering medical distress. Officers called for an ambulance. He was transported to Hennepin County Medical Center by ambulance where he died a short time later.'...

"John Elder, the Minneapolis Police Department's director of public information, authored the bulletin. He told The Los AngelesTimes last summer he was working from information he got from officers on the ground, who didn't log any use of force initially." ~~~

     ~~~ Update. Azi Paybarah of the New York Times reports on the contrast between the police narrative and fact. MB: I can see where people are going to start writing "police report"-style parodies on everything: describing football games, for instance, in terms reminiscent of society-page reports on afternoon tea parties.

Karen Attaih of the Washington Post: "At the heart of this story will always lie a criminally fatal encounter between two individuals. But its boundaries came to stretch far beyond two men. In a sense, by the time the verdict was read, White America itself was on trial for the violent subjugation of Black peoples -- the original sin it has escaped accountability for more than 400 years. Chauvin was found guilty, but that is a low bar in a minutely documented, open-and-shut case. The sobering truth is that instances of White accountability for Black bloodshed are all too rare in the United States.... A few arrests and convictions of officers do not add up to justice.... Full justice for George Floyd ... will only come when policing as we know it is done away with. In the meantime, those who imagine a better and safer America must keep speaking, writing and marching these dreams into existence."

Audra Burch, et al., of the New York Times: "The verdict brought some solace to activists for racial justice who had been riveted to the courtroom drama for the past several weeks. But for many Black Americans, real change feels elusive, particularly given how relentlessly the killing of Black men by the police has continued on.... In the months after Mr. Floyd's death, some change has been concrete. Scores of policing reform laws were introduced at the state level. Corporations pledged billions to racial equity causes, and the N.F.L. apologized for its failure to support protests against police violence by its Black players. Even the backlash was different. Racist statements by dozens of public officials, from mayors to fire chiefs, related to Mr. Floyd's death -- perhaps tolerated before -- cost them their jobs.... There are also signs of backlash: Legislation that would reduce voting access, protect the police and effectively criminalize public protests have sprung up in Republican-controlled state legislatures."

Let's Ask Tucker! Tim Elfrink of the Washington Post: Fox "News" star Tucker "Carlson argued, the jurors were intimidated into the guilty verdict by the months of racial justice protests that followed [George] Floyd's death. 'The jurors in the Derek Chauvin trial came to a unanimous and unequivocal verdict this afternoon: "Please don't hurt us,"' Carlson said on 'Tucker Carlson Tonight.' Carlson added, 'Everyone understood perfectly well the consequences of an acquittal in this case. After nearly a year of burning and looting and murder by BLM, that was never in doubt.' Carlson's show, which was devoted entirely to attacking the trial as unfair because of protests and statements by Democrats urging a guilty verdict, stood in stark contrast to several prominent colleagues on Fox News who celebrated the result." MB: How convenient to be able to get the white supremacist view, right on national TV. ~~~

.@tuckercarlson is in full cry tonight about Biden's comments today, asking: "When was the last time a sitting president weighed in on a jury decision before it was made? Never!" Really? https://t.co/QyjNEHNpgJ

— Karen Tumulty (@ktumulty) April 21, 2021

Jennifer Rubin of the Washington Post: "The nomination of Vanita Gupta, an exceptionally well-qualified nominee for the No. 3 spot at the Justice Department and the recipient of numerous endorsements from law enforcement, moved ahead by a 50-to-49 margin in the Senate on Monday despite the hysterical allegations from Republicans that she is 'radical,' 'extreme' or 'anti-police.' That move comes after Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee attacked Kristen Clarke, another immensely qualified civil rights lawyer who was nominated to head the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. Republicans' spurious claims against Clarke included that she is antisemitic (roundly rejected by Jewish organizations), that she supports defunding the police (she doesn't) and, again, that she is radical.... The Republican Party, as it morphs into a party of white supremacy and grievance (including embracing 'replacement' theory), is increasingly using women of color (e.g., Gupta, Clarke, Neera Tanden, California Rep. Maxine Waters) to frighten and anger its White, male base.... They remain emphatic that Whites are the real victims.... Republicans have endeavored for years to turn the meaning of 'civil rights' upside down and to dismantle the Justice Department's role in enforcing it.... An effective civil rights division would prosecute the White supremacist groups whom Republicans have increasingly attempted to normalize and defend...."

Jerry Nadler (N.Y.) tries to modulate a shouting match between Val Demings (Fla.) & Jim Jordan (Ohio):

     ~~~ Jaclyn Peiser of the Washington Post: "Rep. Val Demings (D-Fla.) was midway through an impassioned speech on Tuesday accusing Republicans of using police officers as 'pawns' in their efforts to amend a hate-crime bill when Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) interrupted to object. 'I have the floor, Mr. Jordan,' Demings exclaimed, banging her open palm on the table. 'Did I strike a nerve?'... The exchange underscores the deep divisions in Congress over attempts to change policing in the wake of Floyd's death, with the Democrats facing a steep battle in the Senate to overcome GOP opposition to an expansive law enforcement overhaul package named for Floyd.... Demings took her Republican colleagues to task over a proposed amendment [to another bill (the Covid-19 Hate Crime Act)] that would prevent efforts to defund police.... Demings called the amendment 'completely irrelevant' because the bill makes no mention of defunding law enforcement."

Marianna Sotomayor of the Washington Post: "The House rejected a Republican attempt Tuesday to censure Rep. Maxine Waters for calling on protesters to 'get more active' and 'get more confrontational' if a jury voted to acquit former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin in the killing of George Floyd. House Democratic leaders quickly came to Waters's defense and denounced the resolution as a cynical political ploy to draw attention away from inflammatory and extremist remarks made by Republicans in recent months, including former president Donald Trump. They argued that Waters (D-Calif.) was calling for peaceful protests, not violence.... Democrats held firm in their support for Waters, with all party members voting to 'table,' or kill, the censure resolution introduced by Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.). The resolution failed, 216 to 210. 'I'm not celebrating,' Waters said after the vote. 'I&'m relieved.'"

An Immigration Promise Broken. Tyler Page, et al., of the Washington Post: "President Biden overruled his top foreign policy and national security aides, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken, when he kept in place the Trump administration's record low cap on the number of refugees admitted to the United States, according to three people familiar with the matter, a decision that was reversed after a public outcry. Biden harbored concerns about what the sharp increase in migrants at the southern border meant for the government's capacity to handle an influx of refugees from elsewhere, according to the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to share private deliberations. In the end, the president's own misgivings fueled the decision more than anything else, the people said." The New York Times story is here.

Paul Sonne, et al., of the Washington Post: "The Defense Department is focusing on how to weed out possible extremists from the active-duty ranks in the wake of the Capitol riot, with a recent, military-wide 'stand down' for troops to discuss the issue ahead of policy decisions on the matter by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. But the arrest data from the riot shows that allegedly criminal participation in the insurrection on Jan. 6 was far more prevalent among veterans than active-duty forces, a more difficult problem for the U.S. government to address.... So far veterans do not appear to be getting much targeted attention. The Department of Veterans Affairs has no dedicated program to combat extremism among former members of the military and has resisted calls to address other factors that contribute to domestic radicalization, such as online disinformation that targets veterans to inflame political tensions.... The Department of Homeland Security is stepping up its efforts to prevent domestic extremism under the Biden administration but hasn't announced any initiatives specific to veterans." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: The only way to guarantee that veterans will receive instruction on "how to tell fact from fiction" would be to condition veterans' benefits on taking the training. What chance do you think there is that Republicans would okay that?

Ryan Reilly of the Huffington Post: "Federal authorities arrested a suspect in the U.S. Capitol riot in Harrodsburg, Kentucky, on Tuesday after they used facial recognition programs to find an image of him on his girlfriend's Instagram page. Stephen Chase Randolph, federal authorities say, knocked over a U.S. Capitol Police officer manning the barriers at the building, 'causing [Officer-1]'s head to hit the stairs behind her, resulting in a loss of consciousness.' He then 'continued to assault two other USCP officers by physically pushing, shoving, grabbing, and generally resisting the officers and interfering with their official duties,' the federal officials said. The FBI released images of Randolph in late January.... At some point, the FBI ran an image of Randolph through an 'open source facial comparison tool' that had been 'known to provide reliable results in the past.'... On April 13, the federal authorities said, two FBI special agents went undercover at Randolph's workplace and talked to him about the Capitol riot. Randolph, the feds said, said 'shit went crazy' at the Capitol and that 'it was fucking fun' to be a part of the mob.&" MB: You probably won't find the consequences "fucking fun," Steve-o.

** Thanks, Supremes! Battle of the Billionaires. Shane Goldmacher of the New York Times: "A dozen megadonors and their spouses contributed a combined $3.4 billion to federal candidates and political groups since 2009, accounting for nearly one out of every 13 dollars raised, according to a new report. The report, produced by Issue One, a nonpartisan group that seeks to reduce the influence of money in politics, shows the top 12 donors split equally between six Democrats and six Republicans. The list includes multiple Wall Street billionaires and investors, a Facebook co-founder, a shipping magnate and the heir to a family fortune dating back to the Gilded Age. The study quantifies the intensifying concentration and increasing role of the super rich in American politics following the loosening of restrictions on political spending by the U.S. Supreme Court more than a decade ago." (Also linked yesterday.)

The Pandemic, Ctd.

The New York Times' live updates of Covid-19 developments Wednesday are here: "New York City health officials estimate that nearly a quarter of adult New Yorkers were infected with the coronavirus during the catastrophic wave of last spring, and that the toll was even higher among Black and Hispanic residents. The estimates, based on antibody test results for more than 45,000 city residents last year, suggest that Black and Hispanic New Yorkers were twice as likely as white New Yorkers to have had antibodies to the coronavirus -- evidence of prior infection. Hispanic New Yorkers had the highest rate, with about 35 percent testing positive for antibodies...."

The New York Times' live updates of Covid-19 developments Tuesday are here: "The United States has come a long way since Covid-19 vaccines first arrived at hospitals and long-term care facilities in December. More than 209 million doses have been administered. But the next phase of the rollout will bring new challenges, and some scientists and health officials worry that some of the most vulnerable people -- including those 65 and older -- may have trouble competing for a shot now that all adults are eligible for inoculation.... As it stands, older adults are the most vaccinated age group in the country. Yet about a fifth of those 65 and older, a group that is particularly vulnerable to serious complications and death from the virus, have not received even one shot." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ The Washington Post's updates of Covid-19 developments Tuesday are here: "The coronavirus pandemic has contributed to a 'dramatic deterioration' in people's access to information around the globe, helping governments block news coverage and criminalizing reports critical of authorities' response to the crisis, Reporters Without Borders said Tuesday.... Some of the most egregious moves to silence journalists reporting on the pandemic took place in Brazil, Egypt, Iran, Venezuela and Zimbabwe, the group said." (Also linked yesterday.)

Michael Birnbaum & Loveday Morris of the Washington Post: "European regulators on Tuesday said the coronavirus vaccine made by Johnson & Johnson should carry a warning about rare blood clots, but they placed no restrictions on the use of the vaccine inside the European Union. The decision by the European Medicines Agency was based on the same U.S. data that led American regulators last week to pause the use of the vaccine inside the United States. Johnson & Johnson said after Tuesday's announcement that it would resume distribution in Europe. But the U.S. hold remains in place as American authorities make an independent evaluation. New guidance is expected as early as Friday, and top officials, including Anthony S. Fauci, say they expect the vaccine will also be given a green light."

DIY Covid Testing Now! Ken Alltucker of USA Today: "Consumers will be able to buy rapid coronavirus tests without a prescription this week at three national chain retailers, an expansion that comes as the nation's vaccination effort accelerates and states relax distancing requirements and mask mandates. Abbott Laboratories' BinaxNOW coronavirus self-test kits will be shipped to CVS Pharmacy, Walgreens and Walmart locations, and also will be sold online. The two-test kit, which last month received Food and Drug Administration emergency-use authorization for serial screening, will cost $23.99, the company said. Another rapid test made by Australia-based Ellume will be sold at CVS stores in Rhode Island and Massachusetts for $38.99. It also can be purchased online or at most CVS stores in other states by the end of May. These retail tests eliminate another barrier for people who want to test themselves without visiting a doctor or a telehealth provider. Both tests deliver results in about 15 minutes and don't require a lab." (Also linked yesterday.)

Joanne Kenen & Meredith McGraw of Politico: "... Trump supporters remain stubbornly resistant to vaccination -- and it's sparking a new round of questions over what role, if any, the former president could play to move those efforts along.... Donald Trump's unwillingness to pitch his voters on getting the jab has become the source of frustration for former aides, who lament the political benefits that would have come had he done so. It has also worried health officials from his own administration, who told Politico about a monthslong effort to get him to publicly take the lead; and medical experts, who say a full-throated endorsement could sway vaccine skeptics on the right and get the country closer to herd immunity." On Hannity's show Monday night, Trump scoffed at the idea of doing an ad promoting vaccinations.

Beyond the Beltway

MEANWHILE in Ohio. Blake Montgomery & Chris Bornea of the Daily Beast: "A Columbus police officer shot and killed a Black teenage girl on Tuesday afternoon just as a guilty verdict was being handed down in the Derek Chauvin murder case, a family member said. The shooting victim has not been officially identified, but was named as 15-year-old Makiyah Bryant by a relative early Tuesday evening. [Makiyah's aunt Hazel] Bryant said her niece has been living in a foster home on the east side of Columbus where the fatal shooting took place. She said several adult women had come to the foster home and started an altercation with the teenager, who called police and her biological father and grandmother for help. She grabbed a knife to defend herself, Bryant said. According to Bryant..., Makiyah was in front of the house fending off a physical assault when police arrived, and she had already dropped the knife in the yard. But police shot her four times without any warning, she said." MB: Bearing in mind that initial stories are not always accurate, the story still raises alarms. ~~~

     ~~~ Update. Here's the New York Times account, which is markedly different from the Daily Beast report. The Times report relies heavily on police statements.

Virginia. Jonathan Edwards of the Virginian-Pilot: "The second in command of the Norfolk Police Department's internal affairs unit [-- Lt. William K. Kelly III --] has been fired after he made what the city manager called 'egregious' comments praising Kyle Rittenhouse, the white man accused of shooting and killing protestors last year. Those comments violated departmental policies and 'erode the trust between the Norfolk Police Department and those they are sworn to serve,' City Manager Chip Filer said in a statement Tuesday afternoon.... An anonymous donor in September gave $25 to the legal defense of Kyle Rittenhouse, but the donation came from Kelly's official email address, according to data from the Christian crowdfunding website GiveSendGo that was hacked." The Washington Post's report is here.

The Commentariat -- April 20, 2021

Late Morning/Afternoon Update:

From the New York Times' liveblog of the trial: "Derek Chauvin was found guilty of two counts of murder on Tuesday in the death of George Floyd, whose final breaths last May under the knee of Mr. Chauvin, a former Minneapolis police officer, were captured on video, setting off months of protests against the police abuse of Black people. After deliberating for about 10 hours over two days following an emotional trial that lasted three weeks, the jury found Mr. Chauvin, who is white, guilty of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and manslaughter for the killing of Mr. Floyd, a Black man, on a street corner last year on Memorial Day." ~~~

~~~ Marty Johnson of the Hill: "Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin has been found guilty on all charges in the murder trial of George Floyd, whose death led to months of demonstrations against police brutality last summer." ~~~

~~~ Marie: Chauvin Trial Verdicts. Count 1, unintentional 2nd-degree murder: guilty. Count 2, 3rd-degree murder, guilty. Count 3, 2nd-degree manslaugter, guilty. The judge polled the jury and sent them out; he will consult with them. Bail is revoked & defendant is remanded. Court adjourned.

The New York Times' live updates of Covid-19 developments Tuesday are here: "The United States has come a long way since Covid-19 vaccines first arrived at hospitals and long-term care facilities in December. More than 209 million doses have been administered. But the next phase of the rollout will bring new challenges, and some scientists and health officials worry that some of the most vulnerable people -- including those 65 and older -- may have trouble competing for a shot now that all adults are eligible for inoculation.... As it stands, older adults are the most vaccinated age group in the country. Yet about a fifth of those 65 and older, a group that is particularly vulnerable to serious complications and death from the virus, have not received even one shot." ~~~

~~~ The Washington Post's updates of Covid-19 developments Tuesday are here: "The coronavirus pandemic has contributed to a 'dramatic deterioration' in people's access to information around the globe, helping governments block news coverage and criminalizing reports critical of authorities' response to the crisis, Reporters Without Borders said Tuesday.... Some of the most egregious moves to silence journalists reporting on the pandemic took place in Brazil, Egypt, Iran, Venezuela and Zimbabwe, the group said."

DIY Covid Testing Now! Ken Alltucker of USA Today: "Consumers will be able to buy rapid coronavirus tests without a prescription this week at three national chain retailers, an expansion that comes as the nation's vaccination effort accelerates and states relax distancing requirements and mask mandates. Abbott Laboratories' BinaxNOW coronavirus self-test kits will be shipped to CVS Pharmacy, Walgreens and Walmart locations, and also will be sold online. The two-test kit, which last month received Food and Drug Administration emergency-use authorization for serial screening, will cost $23.99, the company said. Another rapid test made by Australia-based Ellume will be sold at CVS stores in Rhode Island and Massachusetts for $38.99. It also can be purchased online or at most CVS stores in other states by the end of May. These retail tests eliminate another barrier for people who want to test themselves without visiting a doctor or a telehealth provider. Both tests deliver results in about 15 minutes and don't require a lab."

** Thanks, Supremes! Battle of the Billionaires. Shane Goldmacher of the New York Times: "A dozen megadonors and their spouses contributed a combined $3.4 billion to federal candidates and political groups since 2009, accounting for nearly one out of every 13 dollars raised, according to a new report. The report, produced by Issue One, a nonpartisan group that seeks to reduce the influence of money in politics, shows the top 12 donors split equally between six Democrats and six Republicans. The list includes multiple Wall Street billionaires and investors, a Facebook co-founder, a shipping magnate and the heir to a family fortune dating back to the Gilded Age. The study quantifies the intensifying concentration and increasing role of the super rich in American politics following the loosening of restrictions on political spending by the U.S. Supreme Court more than a decade ago."

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Steven Weisman of the New York Times: "Walter F. Mondale, the former vice president and champion of liberal politics, activist government and civil rights who ran as the Democratic candidate for president in 1984, losing to President Ronald Reagan in a landslide, died on Monday at his home in Minneapolis. He was 93.... A son of a minister of modest means, Fritz Mondale, as he was widely known, led a rich public life that began in Minnesota under the tutelage of his state's progressive pathfinder, Hubert H. Humphrey. He achieved his own historic firsts, especially with his selection of Representative Geraldine A. Ferraro of New York as his running mate in 1984, the first woman to seek the vice presidency on a major national ticket." Politico's obituary is here. The Washington Post's obituary of Vice President Mondale is here. ~~~

~~~ Walter Mears & Kathleen Hennessey of the AP: "In the last days of his life, former Vice President Walter Mondale received a steady stream of phone calls of appreciation. Former Presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris all called to say goodbye and thank you.... Well after his bruising loss, Mondale remained a revered liberal elder -- with a list of accomplishments that are still relevant today. As a young senator, he co-wrote the Fair Housing Act of 1968, a pillar of federal civil rights legislation. He later engineered a 1975 bipartisan deal that ended the two-thirds rule for stopping filibusters, so that 60 senators instead of 67 could cut off debate. Under President Jimmy Carter, he became the first vice president with a day job, as adviser to the president, not just a bystander. He called it the 'executivization' of the vice presidency. And as a Democratic presidential nominee, he chose the first female nominee for vice president from a major party." ~~~

~~~ The statement of President Joe Biden and Dr. Jill Biden is here. ~~~

~~~ Karen Tumulty of the Washington Post: "Walter F. Mondale, who died Monday at the age of 93, will be remembered for many achievements during his nearly four decades of public service in Minnesota, on Capitol Hill, in the White House and as U.S. ambassador to Japan. But his most enduring contribution may well have been the invention of the modern vice presidency, and his creation of a template that has been followed to some degree ever since. Mondale's activist model as an all-purpose adviser and troubleshooter is one for which President Biden, a former vice president, and Kamala D. Harris, the current occupant of the office, should be grateful. Before Mondale, the vice president was largely a figurehead. When Dwight D. Eisenhower was asked to name a meaningful contribution Richard M. Nixon had made to his administration, he said -- jokingly, he would later contend -- that 'if you give me a week, I might think of one.' During John F. Kennedy's time in office, his vice president, Lyndon B. Johnson, bristled under the slights and contempt he felt from Kennedy's Ivy League circle. After Kennedy's 1963 assassination, Johnson himself went without a vice president for nearly 14 months."

Katie Benner of the New York Times: "Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said on Monday that the Justice Department was pouring resources into its effort to stop domestic violent extremists and that those who attacked the United States would be brought to justice, in a speech commemorating the 26th anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing. As a young Justice Department official, Mr. Garland led the investigation into the 1995 attack on the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, the worst domestic terror attack in American history. Timothy J McVeigh, an Army veteran who hoped to use violence to spark an anti-government revolution, was ultimately convicted of using a massive truck bomb to destroy the federal building and kill 168 people, including 19 children. 'Although many years have passed, the terror perpetrated by people like Timothy McVeigh is still with us,' Mr. Garland said." A USA Today story is here.

Jonathan Swan of Axios: "The State Department said Monday that the U.S. ambassador to Russia, John Sullivan, will now be returning to the United States this week before returning to Moscow 'in the coming weeks.'... The statement, from a State Department spokesperson, comes just hours after Axios reported that Sullivan had indicated he intended to stand his ground and stay in Russia after the Kremlin 'advised' him to return home to talk with his team. The Russians did not forcibly expel Sullivan as they did with 10 other U.S. diplomats in retaliation for President Biden's sanctions last week. 'Ambassador Sullivan will be returning to the U.S. this week to visit his family and meet with members of the new administration with whom he has not had a chance to consult since he agreed to continue serving in his post indefinitely,' a State Department spokesperson told Axios Monday night."

Peter Hermann & Spencer Hsu of the Washington Post: "Capitol Police officer Brian D. Sicknick suffered two strokes and died of natural causes a day after he confronted rioters at the Jan. 6 insurrection, the District's chief medical examiner has ruled. The ruling, released Monday, will make it difficult for prosecutors to pursue homicide charges in the officer's death. Two men are accused of assaulting Sicknick by spraying a powerful chemical irritant at him during the siege, but prosecutors have not tied that exposure to Sicknick's death. In an interview with The Washington Post, Francisco J. Diaz, the medical examiner, said the autopsy found no evidence the 42-year-old officer suffered an allergic reaction to chemical irritants, which Diaz said would have caused Sicknick’s throat to quickly seize. Diaz also said there was no evidence of internal or external injuries. Diaz said Sicknick suffered two strokes at the base of the brain stem caused by a clot in an artery that supplies blood to that area of the body." The AP's story is here.

Benjamin Din of Politico: "House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said on Monday that he would introduce a resolution to censure Rep. Maxine Waters for comments she made over the weekend in Minnesota that Republican lawmakers said stoked further violence. 'This weekend in Minnesota, Maxine Waters broke the law by violating curfew and then incited violence,' he said on Twitter. 'Speaker Pelosi is ignoring Waters' behavior -- that's why I am introducing a resolution to censure Rep. Waters for these dangerous comments.' His tweet came hours after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi came to Waters' defense on Monday, saying that Waters did not need to apologize for her comments. When asked whether Waters (D-Calif.) incited violence with her comments, Pelosi told a reporter, 'No, absolutely not.'" ~~~

~~~ Gerren Gaynor of the Grio: "In an ... interview with theGrio, [Rep. Maxine] Waters dismissed suggestions that she was encouraging violence. 'I am nonviolent,' she said. The congresswoman said attempts to characterize her words and suggest otherwise is nothing more than a political tactic by the GOP.... Further clarifying her comments on being 'confrontational,' the California congresswoman said 'I talk about confronting the justice system, confronting the policing that's going on, I'm talking about speaking up. I'm talking about legislation. I'm talking about elected officials doing what needs to be done to control their budgets and to pass legislation.'"

Annie Grayer & Kristin Wilson of CNN: "Republican Rep. Steve Stivers of Ohio announced Monday on Twitter that he is leaving Congress next month to become the president and CEO of the Ohio Chamber of Commerce, giving the GOP at least temporarily one fewer vote in the narrowly divided House of Representatives." (Also linked yesterday.)

Spencer Hsu of the Washington Post: "The American Civil Liberties Union asked the Supreme Court on Monday to open a window on the government's secretive system for approving national security surveillance on U.S. soil. Transparency advocates petitioned the high court to review whether the public has a right to access the decisions of a largely secret federal surveillance court, whose growing reach and brushes with political controversy have drawn increasing attention -- and contrasting opinions about public access within the court itself. The filing comes after the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISA) and an associated review panel issued rulings in September and October saying they lacked authority even to consider a public claim under the First Amendment to their secret decisions and lawmaking." An AP story is here. (Also linked yesterday.)

Michael Isikoff of Yahoo! News: "Foreign-based actors, principally in China and Russia, are spreading online disinformation rooted in QAnon conspiracy theories, fueling a movement that has become a mounting domestic terrorism threat, according to new analysis of online propaganda by a security firm. The analysis by the Soufan Center, a New York-based research firm focused on national security threats, found that nearly one-fifth of 166,820 QAnon-related Facebook posts between January 2020 and the end of February 2021 originated from overseas administrators.... The report injects a new element into the debate about how to counter QAnon -- a bizarre but increasingly widespread conspiracy movement that has pushed the idea that the U.S. government is secretly run by Satan worshipers involved in a global sex trafficking ring."

Do as I Say, Not as I Do. Nathaniel Meyersohn of CNN: Despite asking his supporters to boycott Coca Cola products, Donald Trump is still drinking Diet Coke and his resorts & Trump hotels are still serving Coke products. "A CNN reporter on April 8 enjoyed a Diet Coke at the Trump International Hotel in Washington D.C.... The soda cost $9.00, but a friendly and professional waiter did offer two free refills of the drink...."

The Pandemic, Ctd.

The New York Times' live updates of Covid-19 developments Monday are here. The Washington Post's live updates for Monday are here: "All adults in the United States are now eligible for a coronavirus vaccine -- and President Biden marked the milestone with a video urging Americans to get their shots. 'Folks, I have good news,' Biden said in a White House clip. 'Everybody is eligible, as of today, to get the vaccine. We have enough of it; you need to be protected, and you need, in turn, to protect your neighbors and your family. So please, get the vaccine.'" (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

Beyond the Beltway

Florida. Greg Allen of NPR: "Florida's governor has signed a law that he called the 'strongest anti-rioting, pro-law enforcement measure in the country.' The law was written in response to protests around the country following the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police. It provides new protections for police and increases the penalties for people who take part in property damage or violence during protests. Florida experienced little of the violence seen elsewhere in the country last summer following Floyd's death.... The law increases penalties for protesters who block roadways or deface public monuments. It creates a new crime, 'mob intimidation.' And it requires that anyone arrested at a protest be denied bail until their first court appearance, likely making for overnight jail stays.... Civil rights and social justice groups said it's an unconstitutional attack on free speech."

Indiana. Campbell Robertson of the New York Times: "The senior county prosecutor in Indianapolis said on Monday that his office never sought to invoke a law that could have prevented Brandon Hole from buying two firearms before he shot and killed eight people last week at a FedEx packaging warehouse. In a news conference, Ryan Mears, the prosecutor for Marion County, said his office had decided not to use Indiana's so-called red flag law last year, even though Mr. Hole's mother's warnings about her son's mental instability had prompted the police to seize a shotgun from him. The tight deadlines and constraints on evidence gathering built into the state's 16-year-old statute gave prosecutors too little time to make a convincing case to a judge, Mr. Mears said, adding that losing in court could have backfired. 'If we move forward with that proceeding, and we lose, guess what happens: that firearm goes right back to that person,' he said. 'We weren't willing to take that.'" An AP story is here.

Minnesota. Shaila Dewan, et al., of the New York Times: "The two sides in one of the nation's most closely watched police brutality trials returned one last time to the graphic video of George Floyd's final moments on Monday, with the prosecution asking jurors to 'believe your eyes' and the defense warning them not to be 'misled' by a freeze-frame view. After 14 days of testimony from policing experts, medical doctors, members of the Minneapolis Police Department and bystanders, lawyers made their closing arguments, urging the jurors to use common sense as the case was placed in their hands. The prosecution focused on the nine minutes and 29 seconds that Derek Chauvin, the white police officer charged with murder, kept his knee on the neck of Mr. Floyd, a handcuffed Black man, on a Minneapolis street last Memorial Day.... In a lengthy rebuttal, the defense emphasized the 17 minutes leading up to that time -- suggesting that Mr. Floyd had taken illicit drugs and had actively resisted when several officers tried to get him into a squad car. Mr. Chauvin's lawyer, Eric J. Nelson, repeatedly told jurors to look at the 'totality of the circumstances.'" The AP story is here. ~~~

~~~ Tim Sullivan of the AP: "More than 3,000 National Guard soldiers, along with police officers, state police, sheriffs deputies and other law enforcement personnel have flooded [Minneapolis] in recent days, with a verdict looming in the trial of Derek Chauvin, the former police officer charged with murder in the death last year of George Floyd.... Concrete barriers, chain-link fences and barbed wire now ring parts of downtown Minneapolis so that authorities can quickly close off the courthouse where the trial is being held. It's become normal in recent days to pass convoys of desert-tan military vehicles on nearby highways, and stumble across armed men and women standing guard."

New York. Jesse McKinley of the New York Times: "The New York State attorney general has opened an investigation into Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo's use of state resources as he wrote and promoted his recent pandemic memoir, the latest inquiry to engulf the embattled three-term Democrat. The investigation followed disclosures that junior staff members and senior aides worked on Mr. Cuomo's book..., including editing early drafts, sitting in on pitch meetings, and menial tasks like printing and delivering manuscript pages to the governor's mansion. Mr. Cuomo has insisted that any work done by government employees on the book -- which garnered a seven-figure advance -- was voluntary, allowing that some minor work may have been 'incidental.'"

The Commentariat -- April 19, 2021

Late Morning/Afternoon Update:

Closing arguments have begun in Derek Chauvin's murder trial. The New York Times' liveblog for today is here. The Washington Post's liveblog is here. CNN's liveblog is here.

Annie Grayer & Kristin Wilson of CNN: "Republican Rep. Steve Stivers of Ohio announced Monday on Twitter that he is leaving Congress next month to become the president and CEO of the Ohio Chamber of Commerce, giving the GOP at least temporarily one fewer vote in the narrowly divided House of Representatives."

Spencer Hsu of the Washington Post: "The American Civil Liberties Union asked the Supreme Court on Monday to open a window on the government's secretive system for approving national security surveillance on U.S. soil. Transparency advocates petitioned the high court to review whether the public has a right to access the decisions of a largely secret federal surveillance court, whose growing reach and brushes with political controversy have drawn increasing attention -- and contrasting opinions about public access within the court itself. The filing comes after the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISA) and an associated review panel issued rulings in September and October saying they lacked authority even to consider a public claim under the First Amendment to their secret decisions and lawmaking." An AP story is here.

~~~~~~~~~~

So far, another Slow Gnus Monday. Thank you, Joe Biden.

Ishan Tharoor of the Washington Post: "Of the many fronts the Biden administration is diverging from its predecessor, the most striking -- and likely most consequential -- is on climate. For four years under ... Donald Trump, the federal government of the United States cut itself adrift from the broad international consensus. It turned its back on the Paris climate accords, undermined coordination on climate efforts at major summits, boosted the fossil fuel industry and championed narrow national interests in the face of what the U.S.'s own intelligence community sees as a looming global catastrophe. President Biden immediately shifted course. He restored American participation in the 2015 Paris climate agreement, while recognizing that the world's biggest economies are already lagging behind in the face of an escalating climate emergency. He issued executive orders mobilizing agencies across the federal government to focus on tackling climate change and has proposed a multitrillion dollar infrastructure and jobs plan that would accelerate the country';s transition to a greener economy." ~~~

~~~ Jason Samenow of the Washington Post: "White House officials have removed Betsy Weatherhead, an experienced atmospheric scientist tapped by a Trump appointee to oversee the U.S. government's definitive report on the effects of climate change, from her position. According to two officials, she has been reassigned to the U.S. Geological Survey, the Interior Department's scientific arm.... Officials at the White House Office of Science Technology Policy, which oversees the research program, made the decision to reassign Weatherhead.... Jane Lubchenco, who headed the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration during President Barack Obama's first term, leads climate matters at the OSTP.... According to people with knowledge of the situation, there was friction between Weatherhead and some of the officials among the 13 agencies participating in the research program on the direction of the report. It came as a surprise when Weatherhead was selected to lead the assessment in November because she is considered a mainstream climate scientist and does not question the seriousness of climate change like other scientists who were installed by the Trump administration to work on the issue." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Do you think "Weatherhead" really is Betsy's last name? And if it is, isn't it morally wrong, or at least bad karma, to remove her as head of a group assigned to assess, well, the weather? BTW, I do know the difference between "weather" and "climate," but maybe the name "Elisabetta Climatico" was taken.

Republicans Cheat at Everything. Paul Farhi of the Washington Post: "Four party-affiliated organizations, including the Republican National Committee, collectively spent more than $1 million during the past election cycle mass-purchasing books written by GOP candidates, elected officials and personalities, according to Federal Election Commission expenditure reports. The purchases helped turn several volumes into bestsellers. While there's no prohibition on such second-party purchases, a new complaint alleges that another Texas Republican, Sen. Ted Cruz, crossed the line into illegal activity when he used campaign money to boost sales of his newest book. A government watchdog organization, the Campaign Legal Center..., said Cruz's campaign committee effectively converted campaign contributions to Cruz's personal enrichment, an illegal practice."

Gary Fineout of Politico: "Matt Gaetz's political trail was not just preceded but heavily influenced by his father, a Republican multi-millionaire businessman who had a reputation for rhetorical flourishes and drag-out political fights. Don Gaetz all but paved his son's way into Florida's political world, and some suggest that his father's stature and influence is even helping his son as he faces a probe into potential sex trafficking." MB: I didn't feel like reading about Matt's hereditary issues, but maybe you will.

John Bowden of the Hill: "Nearly two-thirds of all U.S. adults surveyed in a new poll said that they believed Supreme Court justices should face term limits and leave the court after a certain amount of time on the bench. The Reuters-Ipsos survey conducted between April 15 and April 16 found that just 22 percent of respondents supported lifetime appointments for Supreme Court justices, while 63 percent supported term limits. The remainder of respondents had no opinion or were unsure. While having new faces join the court was important for many Americans, doing it without a vacancy on the court at its current size was not nearly as popular. Just 38 percent said they supported court packing, or expanding the size of the Supreme Court and adding more justices to the bench, while 42 percent opposed such an idea. The remaining 20 percent of respondents were unsure."

The Pandemic, Ctd.

The New York Times' live updates of Covid-19 developments Monday are here: "All adults in every U.S. state, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico are now eligible for a Covid-19 vaccine, meeting the April 19 deadline that President Biden set two weeks ago. The United States is administering an average of 3.2 million doses a day, up from roughly 2.5 million a month before. More than 131 million people, or half of all American adults, had received at least one shot as of Sunday, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and about 84.3 million people have been fully vaccinated." MB: Thank you, Joe Biden. ~~~

     ~~~ The Washington Post's live updates for Monday are here.

The New York Times' live updates of Covid-19 developments Sunday are here: "A decision about whether to resume administering the Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine should come this Friday, when an expert panel that is advising the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is scheduled to meet, according to Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, the nation's leading infectious disease expert."

Dan Diamond of the Washington Post: eBay listings of fake vaccination cards "listings are a 'perfect example' of burgeoning scams involving coronavirus vaccination cards that could undermine people's safety, as well as the success of the nation's largest mass vaccination effort, said North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein. Individuals might use them to misrepresent their vaccination status at school, work or in various living and travel situations, potentially exposing others to risk. Stein, who led a recent effort with 47 colleagues demanding that eBay and other e-commerce platforms crack down on the scams, pointed to the FBI's warning that anyone who makes or buys a fake vaccine card is breaking the law, and said he would consider prosecution, too.... For months, officials have been a step behind the scammers, who have openly discussed strategies to fake the cards on social media, sold them on sites such as eBay and pulled blank photos off state websites. Federal officials' decision to use paper cards that can be easily photocopied or even printed off a template, rather than a digital tracking system, worsened those risks."

Beyond the Beltway

Colorado. Jaclyn Peiser of the Washington Post: "Cloaked and seated on her bench, Colorado district judge Natalie T. Chase asked two Black court employees last May to explain the Black Lives Matter movement after overhearing them talk about protests in Denver over the death of George Floyd. After hearing their explanation, Chase, who is White, said she thought the police involved in Floyd's death sound be investigated. But then she maintained that, in fact, 'all lives matter.' The incident was one of numerous claims of racist or unprofessional behavior raised against Chase, including another occasion where she used the n-word multiple times while talking to a Black colleague, court officials said. On Friday, Chase agreed to resign after the Colorado Supreme Court censured her based on a report finding that she had 'undermined confidence in the impartiality of the judiciary by expressing [her] views about criminal justice, police brutality, race and racial bias, specifically while wearing [her] robe in court staff work areas and from the bench.'... Former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper (D) appointed Chase...."

Minnesota. Kellen Browning of the New York Times: "Tim Walz, the governor of Minnesota, on Sunday responded to reports that the state's police officers had assaulted journalists covering the unrest in a Minneapolis suburb, saying, 'Apologies are not enough; it just cannot happen.' Protests have erupted in Brooklyn Center, Minn., in the wake of the death of Daunte Wright, a 20-year-old Black man who was killed by a veteran police officer during a traffic stop. Law enforcement officers have fired tear gas or pepper spray into crowds and have made dozens of arrests. 'I think we all need to recognize the assault on media across the world and even in our country over the last few years is chilling,' Mr. Walz said in an interview with a local CBS station. 'We cannot function as a democracy if they're not there.'" ~~~

~~~ Samantha Hendrickson of the Minnesota Daily: "A new bill proposed in the Minnesota Legislature would make anyone convicted of a crime at a protest ineligible for student loans and many other forms of state financial aid. The bill, authored by Sen. David Osmek (R- Mound), states that 'A person convicted of a criminal offense related to the person's illegal conduct at a protest, demonstration, rally, civil unrest, or march is ineligible for any type of state loan, grant, or assistance, including but not limited to college student loans and grants ...' Other forms of state financial aid, including food stamps, rent assistance and unemployment benefits, are also in the bill."

Way Beyond

Ireland. Mark Landler of the New York Times: "Seeking to salve an old wound at a time of sorrow for Britain's royal family, the political leader of the Irish republican movement apologized on Sunday for the 1979 assassination of Louis Mountbatten, an uncle of Prince Philip. Mary Lou McDonald, the leader of Sinn Fein, which was once the political wing of the underground Irish Republican Army, told a London radio station, 'Of course, I am sorry that happened; of course, that is heartbreaking.' Ms. McDonald offered the landmark apology a day after Queen Elizabeth II buried her husband, Philip, in a ceremony at Windsor Castle that paid tribute to his military career. His uncle Lord Mountbatten, a celebrated commander during World War II who later served as the last viceroy of India, overseeing its partition and transition to independence, was killed after a bomb exploded on his fishing boat off the coast of Ireland."

Russia. BBC: "The US has warned Russia there will be 'consequences' if the opposition activist Alexei Navalny dies in jail. The UK, France, Germany and the European Union have also expressed their concern over his treatment. Navalny's doctors say he 'will die within the next few days' if not given urgen medical attention for acute back pain and leg numbness. Russia's ambassador to the UK has said that Navalny is attention seeking and /will not be allowed to die in prison'." ~~~

     ~~~ Update: Daria Litvinova of the AP: "The Russian state penitentiary service said Monday a decision has been made to transfer imprisoned Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who is in the third week of a hunger strike, to a hospital. The announcement comes two days after Navalny's physician said his health was deteriorating rapidly and the 44-year-old Kremlin critic could be on the verge of death. The state prison service, FSIN, said in a statement that Navalny would be transferred to a hospital for convicts located in another penal colony in Vladimir, a city 180 kilometers (110 miles) east of Moscow. According to the statement, Navalny's condition is deemed 'satisfactory' and he has agreed to take vitamin therapy." ~~~

~~~ Michael Schwirtz of the New York Times: "A day after the government of the Czech Republic blamed operatives from Russia's military intelligence agency for a series of mysterious explosions at an ammunition depot in 2014 and expelled 18 Russian diplomats, the Russian government announced on Sunday that 20 Czech diplomats would be ejected in response. The expulsions signal further escalation of tensions between the Kremlin and western governments, reaching an intensity not seen since the Cold War."

News Ledes

Washington Post: "The former law enforcement officer suspected of gunning down three people Sunday in Austin has been captured after a 20-hour manhunt, according to the Travis County District Attorney's Office. Authorities tracked down Stephen Nicholas Broderick, 41, an ex-detective at the Travis County Sheriff's Office, early Monday after getting two 911 calls about a man walking along a road in the Austin suburb of Manor. He had a pistol in his waistband but was taken into custody without any further violence, the Associated Press reported.

AP: "NASA's experimental Mars helicopter rose from the dusty red surface into the thin air Monday, achieving the first powered, controlled flight on another planet. The triumph was hailed as a Wright Brothers moment. The mini 4-pound (1.8-kilogram) copter named Ingenuity, in fact, carried a bit of wing fabric from the 1903 Wright Flyer, which made similar history at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. 'We can now say that human beings have flown a rotorcraft on another planet,' project manager MiMi Aung announced to her team. Flight controllers in California confirmed Ingenuity's brief hop after receiving data via the Perseverance rover, which stood watch more than 200 feet (65 meters) away. Ingenuity hitched a ride to Mars on Perseverance, clinging to the rover's belly upon their arrival in an ancient river delta in February." A New York Times story is here. And here's video, mostly of NASA scientists cheering!