The Commentariat -- April 18, 2021

Helene Cooper, et al., of the New York Times: "Over two decades of war that spanned four presidents, the Pentagon had always managed to fend off the political instincts of elected leaders frustrated with the grind of Afghanistan, as commanders repeatedly requested more time and more troops. Even as the number of American forces in Afghanistan steadily decreased to the 2,500 who still remained, Defense Department leaders still cobbled together a military effort that managed to protect the United States from terrorist attacks even as it failed, spectacularly, to defeat the Taliban in a place that has crushed foreign occupiers for 2,000 years. The current military leadership hoped it, too, could convince a new president to maintain at least a modest troop presence, trying to talk Mr. Biden into keeping a residual force and setting conditions on any withdrawal. But Mr. Biden refused to be persuaded.... Donald J. Trump declared that all American troops were coming home -- but never carried through a plan to do so." ~~~

~~~ Maureen Dowd of the New York Times: "Taliban leaders say Americans have all the clocks, but they have all the time. The Bush administration was arrogant and ignorant about occupying this medieval moonscape. Officials thought they could bomb the bejesus out of the people who hated us.... Even Barack Obama, once so prescient on the futility of invading Iraq, was suckered by the military into a pointless surge in Afghanistan, a near tripling of troops, in 2009.... We should have respected Afghanistan's reputation as 'the graveyard of empires' and Pakistan's deserved reputation for double-dealing.... As with Vietnam, many of those in charge knew for a long time that the war was unwinnable, but they hid the evidence, giving rosy forecasts while burning through $2.2 trillion and hundreds of thousands of lives.... As vice president, Biden was a lone voice in the Oval Office objecting to the surge in Afghanistan. He told Obama, if you let them, the generals will box you in and string it out."

Ben Leonard of Politico: "President Joe Biden on Saturday denounced Russia over its treatment of prominent Putin critic Alexei Navalny amid reports his health is deteriorating in prison. 'It's totally, totally unfair,' Biden said, according to a pool report. 'Totally inappropriate.'... Navalny's doctor said Saturday he 'could die at any moment.'"

Hyung-Jin Kim of the AP: "The United States and China, the world's two biggest carbon polluters, have agreed to cooperate with other countries to curb climate change, just days before President Joe Biden hosts a virtual summit of world leaders to discuss the issue. The agreement was reached by U.S. special envoy for climate John Kerry and his Chinese counterpart Xie Zhenhua during two days of talks in Shanghai last week, the State Department said in a statement Saturday.... Kerry's Shanghai trip marked the highest-level travel to China by a U.S. official since Biden took office in January.... Biden has invited 40 world leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping, to the April 22-23 summit."

Ta Ta, Trumpie. Ellen Nakashima of the Washington Post: "Michael Ellis, a former Republican political operative, resigned Friday as the National Security Agency's top lawyer, having been sidelined for three months after President Biden took office. The NSA director, Gen. Paul Nakasone, had placed Ellis on administrative leave the day ... Donald Trump left the White House -- just as Ellis was taking up the position. The reasons: a pending Pentagon inspector general probe, an official told The Washington Post at the time, and a security inquiry into Ellis's handling of classified information, according to a letter from Ellis's attorney to Nakasone, a copy of which was obtained by The Post. Nakasone had agreed to install Ellis as general counsel just days earlier under orders from Trump's acting defense secretary. The role does not require Senate confirmation. The inspector general inquiry into the circumstances of Ellis's selection remains open, Nakasone told Congress on Thursday." Ellis was formerly counsel to Devin Nunes.

Interlude in the Sordid History of the Congressional White Supremacy Caucus. Daniella Diaz of CNN: "Conservative Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene is scrapping the planned launch of her 'America First' caucus after receiving blowback from leaders in her own party, despite confirming through a spokesperson on Friday that the caucus would launch.... 'The Congresswoman wants to make clear that she is not launching anything. This was an early planning proposal and nothing was agreed to or approved,' [Greene's spokesman] said in an email to CNN, referring to a flier promoting the caucus, obtained by Punchbowl News, that used inflammatory rhetoric." MB: Wow! Too racist for the Party of Racists! (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

~~~ Amy Wang & Colby Itkowitz of the Washington Post: "Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene on Saturday tried to distance herself from a document published by Punchbowl News that purportedly outlined the goals of a new 'America First Caucus' being formed by Greene and other hard-right GOP lawmakers. The document had received blowback from Democrats and some Republicans for promoting nativist policies and perpetuating the falsehood that there was widespread fraud and corruption in the 2020 election. On Saturday, Greene (R-Ga.) described the document as 'a staff level draft proposal from an outside group' and claimed she had not read it. She blasted the media for 'taking something out of context,' but did not specify to which policies in the document she objected. However, Greene did not deny plans to start an 'America First Caucus' and ended a lengthy Twitter thread by saying she supported former president Donald Trump's 'America First agenda.'... Greene and Rep. Paul A. Gosar (R-Ariz.) are reportedly behind the new caucus, according to Punchbowl News.... Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), who faces federal and House Ethics Committee investigations over allegations of sexual misconduct and illicit drug use, tweeted Friday that he was joining Greene in the caucus." ~~~

~~~ Tommy Christopher of Mediaite gathers Twitter comments from members of Congress, "welcoming" the new White Supremacy Caucus. But some have questions. For instance, Ruben Gallego (D-Az.) wants to know, "So what kind of food will they eat in this Caucus meeting? Just purely Anglo Saxon food? What does that even look like ? Can you use spices? What about tomatoes and potatoes those were cultivated by Indigenous people of the New World?" Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) asks, "When you say Anglo-Saxon, do you mean Aryan? Or master race? Can I join? Will your caucus meetings serve tacos?" ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: According to my extensive research (I Googled "what did anglo saxons eat"): "They ate a mix of vegetables, including onions, peas, parsnips, and cabbage. Their favourite meats included deer and wild boar, which they roasted over a fire in the middle of their houses. They ate their meat with bread and washed their meal down with beer, rather than water." Margie, get your gun. A'hunting you must go.

** How the Supremes Enabled DWB Stops. Christopher Durocher in Politico Magazine: "Traffic stops figure prominently in some of the most high-profile police killings of Black people.... Five decades of Supreme Court precedent ... [have] successively opened the door to -- and given police an incentive to -- use traffic stops as an invasive tool of policing aimed mostly at people of color, primarily Black people.... The Supreme Court opened the door to legally permissible racialized policing with the 1967 case Terry v. Ohio, by allowing police to conduct certain cursory searches, now known as stop-and-frisks, based on the low legal standard of 'reasonable suspicion.'... The practice of racially profiling Black drivers was effectively endorsed by the Court in the 1996 ruling in Whren v. United States, which decided that police are allowed to use minor vehicle infractions as a pretext to initiate traffic stops with the goal of investigating other possible unrelated crimes. According to an analysis of over 100 million traffic stops, Black drivers are about 40 percent more likely to be pulled over than their white counterparts ... [and Blacks and Hispanics] are twice as likely as white drivers to have their cars searched after being pulled over.... In the earlier 1982 case Harlow v. Fitzgerald, the Court made the lethal decision to create the doctrine it called 'qualified immunity,' which has since allowed police to injure and kill with little or no consequence...." More on DWB linked under Virginia below.

Jonathan Capehart of the Washington Post: "Being Black in America is exhausting." MB: Take a walk (don't linger!) in Capehart's shoes; the rules for Black people (and I'd say for others, especially young men, who don't "look White") are different from the rules for White people.

Elahe Izadi & Sarah Ellison of the Washington Post: "A Wyoming-based Swiss billionaire who formed half of the consortium making a bid to buy Tribune Publishing Co. has backed out of the deal, according to two people familiar with negotiations. Hansjörg Wyss had joined with Maryland business executive Stewart Bainum Jr. earlier this month in submitting the $680 million proposal to a special committee of Tribune's board, in an attempt to beat out an offer from Alden Global Capital. The development casts further doubt on whether journalists at Tribune newspapers can avoid a takeover by the hedge fund, which has a reputation for deep cost-cutting."

The Pandemic, Ctd.

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

Thank You, Joe Biden, et al. Celine Castronuovo of the Hill: "Roughly half of U.S. adults have received at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released Saturday. Across the country, more than 128 million people ages 18 and older have received at least one shot, with more than 82 million fully vaccinated with one of the three vaccines approved for emergency use in the U.S., the CDC said. Overall, 49.7 percent of U.S. adults have received at least one vaccine dose, according to the data, and nearly a third are fully vaccinated."

The Washington Post has a story on how to handle your vaccination card. The article is free to nonsubscribers.

David Biller, et al., of the AP: "The global death toll from the coronavirus topped a staggering 3 million people Saturday amid repeated setbacks in the worldwide vaccination campaign and a deepening crisis in places such as Brazil, India and France."

Beyond the Beltway

Indiana. Andrés R. Martínez, et al., of the New York Times: "At least four of the victims [of the Indianapolis mass murder at a FedEx facility] were members of the Sikh community, and the attack renewed the fears of American Sikhs, who have over the years been accosted for wearing turbans and attacked in a house of worship.... The authorities have not said whether hate or bias might have played a role in the attack." The story has been modified to include the details reported in the item linked next. ~~~

~~~ New York Times: "Brandon Hole, the 19-year-old who the police say fatally shot eight people at a FedEx facility on Thursday night, legally purchased two semiautomatic rifles he used in the attack more than six months earlier, according to the chief of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department. In March of 2020, the police had seized a shotgun from Mr. Hole after his mother raised concerns about his mental state, records show. But, Chief Randal Taylor said, the fact that Mr. Hole was legally able to make the more recent gun purchases indicates that, despite his mother's warning and the police seizure of a gun, the authorities had not deemed him subject to Indiana's so-called 'red flag' law, which bars people who are found by a judge to present dangerous risk from possessing a firearm. Under the state's longstanding red flag law, the authorities have two weeks after taking someone's weapon to argue before a judge that the person is unstable and should be barred from possessing a gun for a period of time. But Chief Taylor was unsure whether a hearing like that ever took place -- even though the police never returned the shotgun they had seized last year." The item is part of a NYT liveblog.

Minnesota. Under Court Order Not to Arrest Journalists, Cops Harass Them Instead. Adrianna Rodriguez of USA Today: "Journalists covering a protest in a Minneapolis suburb [Brooklyn Center] Friday night were forced on their stomachs by law enforcement, rounded up and were only released after having their face and press credentials photographed. The incident occurred hours after a judge issued a temporary order barring the Minnesota State Patrol from using physical force or chemical agents against journalists, according to court documents. It also barred police from seizing photographic, audio or video recording equipment, or press passes. Minnesota State Patrol on Saturday said in a statement, 'troopers checked and photographed journalists and their credentials and driver's licenses at the scene in order to expedite the identification process.' While some journalists were 'detained and released during enforcement actions after providing credentials, no journalists have been arrested,' MSP said.... The court order was part of an ongoing case filed by the American Civil Liberties Union after journalists say they were targeted during protests sparked by the death of George Floyd, who was killed by former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin last year."

South Carolina. Hannah Knowles & Meryl Kornfield of the Washington Post: "An Army sergeant and instructor in South Carolina was charged Wednesday with third-degree assault after a video captured him shoving a young Black man and saying he was 'in the wrong neighborhood,' authorities said. The confrontation from earlier this week near Columbia, S.C., sparked a public outcry, and protesters crowded Wednesday on the sidewalk outside the home of the soldier, 42-year-old Jonathan Pentland, who is White.... Two reports of alleged assault were also made against the young man after deputies responded Monday, according to the sheriff's department, and they are being investigated. The young man has 'an underlying medical condition that may explain the behavior exhibited in the alleged incidents,' the agency said."

Virginia. DWB. Gary Harki of the Virginian-Pilot: "The video of Windsor Police drawing guns on Caron Nazario before pepper spraying him may have gone viral, but it wasn't a surprise to some Black people who drive up and down U.S. Route 460 between Suffolk and Petersburg. Many who use the route to travel from Hampton Roads to Virginia State University said they expect to get pulled over there on the pretext of speeding or tinted windows. They say the real reason is because they are Black.... Eight Black former VSU students and faculty ... say it's been common knowledge for decades at VSU that if you travel through the area, you'll be stopped on the pretext of speeding or a minor infraction, then get harassed by police.... In Virginia, about 20% of the state's 8.5 million residents are Black, but in Wakefield, Waverly and Windsor the percentage of cases involving Black people that land in General District Court, where speeding tickets and minor traffic citations are heard, is far higher."

Way Beyond

Myanmar. AP: "Myanmar's junta on Saturday released more than 23,000 prisoners to mark the traditional new year holiday, including at least three political detainees, and the military leader behind the February coup confirmed he would attend a regional summit later this month. It wasn't immediately clear if those released included pro-democracy activists who were detained for protesting the coup. State broadcaster MRTV said that junta chief Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing had pardoned 23,047 prisoners, including 137 foreigners who will be deported from Myanmar. He also reduced sentences for others. As security forces continued the deadly crackdown, unconfirmed but credible accounts with photos on social media said that three people were killed Saturday in the central city of Mogok, in Myanmar's gem mining region."

U.K. Mark Landler of the New York Times: "... Prince Philip was laid to rest on Saturday at Windsor Castle in an austere, meticulously choreographed funeral that captured his steely role in Britain's royal family and offered a solemn glimpse of its uncertain future. Queen Elizabeth II bade farewell to Philip, her husband, who died on April 9, two months shy of his 100th birthday, from solitude inside St. George's Chapel. She was clad in a mask and kept at a distance from her children and grandchildren by pandemic social distancing requirements, which limited attendance to 30 people. Her grandsons Prince William and Prince Harry were separated as well, by one of their cousins, as they walked behind Philip's coffin. This quirk of royal protocol dramatized the rift between the brothers that opened after Harry's marriage to an American former actress, Meghan Markle.... But this was a somber occasion, a family convening in sadness to mark the death of a man whom many credited with providing stability and meting out discipline to younger royals as they struggled to navigate the pressures of duty and celebrity." An AP News story is here. ~~~

~~~ Louis Lucero of the New York Times: "With coronavirus restrictions firmly in place, some of Queen Elizabeth II's relatives sat in small family groups with children and spouses to mourn Prince Philip, her husband. But she sat alone at the end of a pew, and for many watching the proceedings from home, the sight of the newly widowed queen, who will turn 95 next week, was perhaps the saddest image of the day." ~~~

~~~ The Washington Post has a slideshow of scenes from Philip's funeral. If you want to watch video highlights, this 6:15-minute Sky News reel isn't too bad.

News Ledes

Another Saturday Night. AP: "Authorities in [Kenosha,] Wisconsin pleaded Sunday for help in locating a suspect who opened fire at a tavern in a confrontation that left three people dead and two people seriously injured. Kenosha Sheriff David Beth said while the suspected shooter is still at large, the public is not believed to be in danger. The suspect apparently knew the victims and targeted them, although it is not clear whether the victims knew him The shooting happened at Somers House Tavern in Kenosha County after the suspect was asked to leave the bar and then returned and opened fire." ~~~

     ~~~ Washington Post Update: "Sgt. David Wright, a public information officer for the Kenosha County Sheriff's Department, said in a statement Sunday afternoon that a 'person of interest' was located and charged with first-degree homicide. Officials left open the possibility of additional charges as the investigation continued."

~~~ AND Sunday Morning, Too. CNN: "Three people were pronounced dead at the scene of a shooting in Austin, Texas, on Sunday, according to tweets from Austin-Travis County EMS. The shooting appears to be 'a domestic situation that is isolated,' a tweet from Austin police said. Police identified the suspect, still at large, as Stephen Nicholas Broderick, 41.... Broderick is a former Travis County Sheriff's Office detective who was charged with the sexual assault of a child, Travis County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Kristen Dark told CNN."

The Commentariat -- April 17, 2021

Afternoon Update:

Sad Interlude in the History of the Congressional White Caucus. Daniella Diaz of CNN: "Conservative Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene is scrapping the planned launch of her 'America First' caucus after receiving blowback from leaders in her own party, despite confirming through a spokesperson on Friday that the caucus would launch.... 'The Congresswoman wants to make clear that she is not launching anything. This was an early planning proposal and nothing was agreed to or approved,' [Greene's spokesman] said in an email to CNN, referring to a flier promoting the caucus, obtained by Punchbowl News, that used inflammatory rhetoric."

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Anne Gearan & Simon Denyer of the Washington Post: "President Biden was making a point as he welcomed Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga to the White House on Friday, using the first in-person visit by a foreign leader to emphasize that his administration sees Asia as its highest priority. The coveted first invitation was intended to reward a strategic ally who was buffeted by transactional and sometimes capricious treatment under ... Donald Trump, and to send a signal to China that Biden plans to firm up America's Asian alliances. Biden plans to follow up with an invitation to South Korean President Moon Jae-in next month. 'There's no substitute for face-to-face discussions,' Biden said as he and Suga held a news conference in the Rose Garden, Biden's first such event."

Robyn Dixon of the Washington Post: "The Kremlin said Friday it would expel 10 U.S. diplomats and blacklist eight current and former U.S. officials including FBI Director Christopher A. Wray, Susan Rice and John Bolton in response to U.S. sanctions and expulsions. The expected tit-for-tat measures by Russia deepen the strains between the two countries, but Moscow kept its response relatively proportional. The Kremlin also signaled a willingness to consider a summit between President Vladimir Putin and President Biden even as tensions grow." MB: Odd choices of people to blacklist: Although Rice has held important foreign policy positions, she currently is heading the Domestic Policy Council; Wray's job by law is limited to domestic problems, and Bolton doesn't have any government job at all.

Zolan Kanno-Youngs of the New York Times: "After a backlash from Democrats and human rights activists, the White House abruptly reversed course on Friday on the number of refugees it will allow into the United States, a reflection of President Biden's continuing struggle with immigration policy. At midday on Friday, the administration had said it would limit the number of refugees allowed into the United States this year to the historically low level of 15,000 set by the Trump administration, breaking an earlier pledge to greatly increase that number and let in more than 60,000 people fleeing war and persecution.... [Then] Senator Dick Durbin, Democrat of Illinois and the majority whip, called the administration's admissions target 'unacceptable.' Just hours later, the White House put out a statement saying it expected to increase the cap next month. It did not comment when asked to specify the number." CNN's story is here.

Justice! Katie Benner of the New York Times: "Attorney General Merrick B. Garland on Friday rescinded a Trump administration policy that curbed the use of consent decrees to address police misconduct, as the Justice Department prepared to step up its role in investigating allegations of racist and illegal behavior by police forces amid a nationwide outcry about the deaths of Black people at the hands of officers. Mr. Garland's widely expected decision revives one of the department's most effective tools in forcing law enforcement agencies to evaluate and change their practices. Consent decrees are court-approved deals between the Justice Department and local governmental agencies that create a road map for changes to the way they operate."

Science! Amy Goldstein of the Washington Post: "The National Institutes of Health on Friday removed restrictions that the Trump administration imposed on research using fetal tissue, allowing university researchers and government scientists freer rein to use material from elective abortions when studying diseases and possible treatments. A brief update for outside scientists from the NIH director's office said the Department of Health and Human Services was reversing a 2019 decision that had required applicants for federal grants and contracts involving fetal tissue to undergo an extra layer of review by an ethics advisory board. In a separate notice emailed Friday, NIH told its internal scientific and clinical directors that it was lifting a Trump-era ban on using federal money to buy human fetal tissue for biomedical studies by government employees."

Cristina Marcos of the Hill: "Several House Republicans, led by Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (Ga.) and Paul Gosar (Ariz.), are forming a caucus that calls for a 'common respect for uniquely Anglo-Saxon political traditions.' A policy platform for the group, which calls itself the America First Caucus, declares that 'a certain intellectual boldness is needed' in order to 'follow in President Trump's footsteps, and potentially step on some toes and sacrifice sacred cows for the good of the American nation.' The seven-page document, first obtained by Punchbowl News, is explicit in its nativist rhetoric and describes American culture as dominated by 'Anglo-Saxon' and European influences." MB: I wonder if they'll wear pointy white hoods or just go with little KKK lapel pins. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Sadly for Greene, she is unlikely to be very Anglo-Saxon herself. Assuming she thinks she's of English heritage (birth name Taylor), only about 30%-38% of Britons are of Anglo-Saxon heritage. Gosar's claim to Saxon heritage is even thinner; his paternal grandparents were Slovenian & maternal grandparents were Basques. As I'm sure you know, identifying with a specific, historical ethnic group is usually impossible, especially for Americans. As for their politics, I don't know what Marge & Paul think "Anglo-Saxon political traditions" are. The Anglo-Saxons in the British Isles established a fairly typical feudal system, with the addition of an active military class who plundered the locals. Come to think of it, that may be what Marge & Paul have in mind. ~~~

~~~ McCarthy Finally Finds His Line in the Sand. Cristiana Marcos of the Hill: "House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said Friday that the Republican Party is not the party of 'nativist dog whistles' in an apparent response to a new right-wing caucus that explicitly calls for promoting 'Anglo-Saxon political traditions.' McCarthy issued a tweet that does not explicitly reference the new 'America First Caucus' ... but came hours after its policy platform began leaking to the media. 'America is built on the idea that we are all created equal and success is earned through honest, hard work. It isn't built on identity, race, or religion,' McCarthy wrote. 'The Republican Party is the party of Lincoln & the party of more opportunity for all Americans -- not nativist dog whistles,' he added." MB: Of course we know he doth protest too much, but at least he's trying to keep up the fiction of an inclusive GOP.

Alan Feuer of the New York Times: "A member of the Oath Keepers militia who was charged in connection with the riot at the Capitol pleaded guilty on Friday and agreed to cooperate with the government -- potentially against other members of the far-right extremist group. The guilty plea by the Oath Keeper, Jon Ryan Schaffer, 53, of Indiana, was the first to be entered publicly by any of the more than 400 people who have been charged so far in the Jan. 6 attack. News of the plea emerged last week after sealed documents in Mr. Schaffer's case were briefly -- and accidentally -- made available on a federal court database.... Though he was not charged as part of ... a separate and much broader ... case, Mr. Schaffer's agreement to assist the government was apparently significant enough that prosecutors said at a court hearing on Friday that they would sponsor him for the witness protection program.... Mr. Schaffer pleaded guilty in Federal District Court in Washington to two charges: obstruction of an official proceeding and entering a restricted building with a dangerous weapon." The AP's story is here.

Nahal Toosi of Politico: "Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo violated federal ethics rules governing the use of taxpayer-funded resources when he and his wife, Susan, asked State Department employees to carry out tasks for their personal benefit more than 100 times..., the State Department's inspector general's office ... has determined.... Investigators uncovered scores of instances in which Mike or Susan Pompeo asked State Department staffers to handle tasks of a personal nature, from booking salon appointments and private dinner reservations to picking up their dog and arranging tours for the Pompeos' political allies. Employees told investigators that they viewed the requests from Susan Pompeo, who was not on the federal payroll, as being backed by the secretary. Not all of the 100-plus instances were definitively found to constitute a rules violation." MB: I could just kick myself for never asking my husband's secretaries to run my little errands.

Pete Williams & Dennis Romero of NBC News: "The Justice Department on Friday sued Roger Stone, a longtime ally of ... Donald Trump, accusing Stone and his wife, Nydia, of owing nearly $2 million in unpaid federal income taxes and fees. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, says the couple underpaid their income taxes by $1,590,361 from 2007 to 2011. It further says Stone, 68, did not pay his full tax bill in 2018, coming up $407,036 short. The couple, the suit alleges, used a commercial entity to 'shield their personal income from enforced collection and fund a lavish lifestyle despite owing nearly $2 million in unpaid taxes, interest and penalties.'" The New York Times' story is here.

Whom Would Jesus Sue? Ruth Graham of the New York Times: "Liberty University sued its former president Jerry Falwell Jr. this week, exacerbating the messy divorce between the Christian university and the leader whose family name has been synonymous with the school since its founding. The suit, which was filed on Thursday and asks for more than $40 million in damages, alleges breach of contract and fiduciary duty. It claims that Mr. Falwell withheld scandalous and potentially damaging information from Liberty's board of trustees, while negotiating a generous new contract for himself in 2019 under false pretenses. Mr. Falwell also failed to disclose and address 'his personal impairment by alcohol,' the suit alleges." MB: Well, okay, there is the &"demon rum" thing. The AP's story is here.

Luke O'Neil of the Guardian: "Mike Lindell, the man best known for his internet pillow company My Pillow, as well as for his fierce allegiance to Donald Trump, is set to launch a new free speech platform this week that he thinks will put YouTube and Twitter out of business. But it turns out it will limit what users can say -- by stopping them from, among other things, taking the Lord's name in vain. 'Everyone is going to be able to talk freely,' said Mike Lindell about the platform, called Frank, which is set to roll out on 19 April, in an interview with the conservative host Graham Ledger.... 'When you come over now you are going to be able to speak out and have opinions."

The Pandemic, Ctd.

When Killing Your Own Supporters Is a Way to "Own the Libs." Amanda Marcotte in Salon, summary by RockyGirl, from today's Comments thread: "... the right is deliberately undermining the vaccine effort to slow down the economy and hurt Biden. Well, duh. But her solution is interesting. Basically she says that the time (idiot Jordan's 'WHEN??') to roll back restrictions on gatherings and the like is when vaccine supply outstrips demand. She also says that the CDC needs to dial back its messaging on caution and instead start highlighting the freedom of action that vaccines give you. By denying the right the doom & gloom that they can exploit, we can be celebrating all the good things that the vaxxed can do." An excellent read & a pathetic commentary on so-called "conservatism." Thanks to RockyGirl for the link & summary. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

~~~ It's Working! "Poorly Educated" Republicans Less Likely to Be Vaccinated. Danielle Ivory, et al., of the New York Times: "The disparity in vaccination rates has so far mainly broken down along political lines.... Both willingness to receive a vaccine and actual vaccination rates to date were lower, on average, in counties where a majority of residents voted to re-elect ... Donald J. Trump in 2020. The phenomenon has left some places with a shortage of supply and others with a glut.... Vaccine hesitancy is highest in counties that are rural and have lower income levels and college graduation rates -- the same characteristics found in counties that were more likely to have supported Mr. Trump. In wealthier Trump-supporting counties with higher college graduation rates, the vaccination gap is smaller, the analysis found, but the partisan gap holds even after accounting for income, race and age demographics, population density and a county's infection and death rate." Republicans really are killing off their own voters. See also Akhilleus' comment below.

"Reactions Were Mixed." Madeline Marr of the Miami Herald: "'Today, I got the shot!' ... [Ivanka Trump] announced on Twitter and Instagram, with two pics of her behind a screen at a South Florida CVS. 'I hope that you do, too!'... While some followers commended Trump for taking her health seriously during a worldwide pandemic that has killed over 500,000 Americans, others went on the attack." Thanks to Bobby Lee for the lead.

Beyond the Beltway

Illinois. Richard Luscombe & Gloria Oladipo of the Guardian: "Hundreds marched through the streets of Chicago on Friday to protest the police shooting of Adam Toledo, a day after police released of body-cam video showing the deadly shooting of the 13-year-old boy with his hands in the air. About a thousand people gathered on Friday evening in a park on Chicago's north-west side, some holding signs that read 'Stop killing kids' and 'CPD can't be reformed'. A brass band played music as the crowd chanted: 'No justice, no peace.'"

New York. Sarah Nir & Michael Gold of the New York Times: "Over the course of 45 hours, the grand jury convened in the case of Daniel Prude, a Black man who died after being detained by the police in Rochester, N.Y., last year, heard from more than 30 witnesses -- including police officers, medical experts, a tow-truck driver and Mr. Prude's brother, according to minutes of the proceedings released on Friday. In the end, the records show, the jury voted overwhelmingly not to charge three officers with criminally negligent homicide in Mr. Prude's death. Fifteen jurors voted not to indict the officers; five disagreed. The transcripts provide a rare glimpse inside judicial proceedings that are usually kept secret.... Seven officers who were on the scene of Mr. Prude's arrest were later suspended, and the police chief was fired for his involvement in obscuring what had happened. After the footage of Mr. Prude's death was made public, New York's attorney general, Letitia James, convened a grand jury to review evidence in the case. The minutes unsealed Friday show that the attorney general's office asked the grand jury to consider charges against only three of the seven officers; the names of the officers and all other witnesses and jurors are redacted."

Way Beyond

Cuba. Andrea Rodriguez of the AP: "Raul Castro said Friday he is stepping down as head of Cuba's Communist Party, ending an era of formal leadership that began with his brother Fidel and country's 1959 revolution. The 89-year-old Castro made the announcement in a speech at the opening of the eighth congress of the ruling party, the only one allowed on the island. He said he was retiring with the sense of having 'fulfilled his mission and confident in the future of the fatherland.'... Castro didn't say who he would endorse as his successor as first secretary of the Communist Party. But he previously indicated he favors yielding control to 60-year-old Miguel Díaz-Canel, who succeeded him as president in 2018 and is the standard bearer of a younger generation of loyalists who have been pushing an economic opening without touching Cuba's one-party system."

U.K. The Guardian is liveblogging Prince Philip's funeral. The New York Times liveblog is here.

The Commentariat -- April 16, 2021

Afternoon Update:

When Killing Your Own Supporters Is a Way to "Own the Libs." Amanda Marcotte in Salon, summary by RockyGirl, from today's Comments thread: "... the right is deliberately undermining the vaccine effort to slow down the economy and hurt Biden. Well, duh. But her solution is interesting. Basically she says that the time (idiot Jordan's 'WHEN??') to roll back restrictions on gatherings and the like is when vaccine supply outstrips demand. She also says that the CDC needs to dial back its messaging on caution and instead start highlighting the freedom of action that vaccines give you. By denying the right the doom & gloom that they can exploit, we can be celebrating all the good things that the vaxxed can do." An excellent read & a pathetic commentary on so-called "conservatism." Thanks to RockyGirl for the link & summary.

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David Sanger, et al., of the New York Times: "The Biden administration on Thursday announced tough new sanctions on Russia and formally blamed the country's premier intelligence agency for the sophisticated hacking operation that breached American government agencies and the nation's largest companies. In the broadest effort yet to give more teeth to financial sanctions -- which in the past have failed to deter Russian activity -- the actions are aimed at choking off lending to the Russian government. In an executive order, President Biden announced a series of additional steps -- sanctions on 32 entities and individuals for disinformation efforts and for carrying out the Russian government's interference in the 2020 presidential election. Ten Russian diplomats, most of them identified as intelligence operatives, were expelled from the Russian Embassy in Washington. The country also joined with European partners to sanction eight people and entities associated with Russia's occupation in Crimea." Politico's story is here. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ Julian Borger of the Guardian: "US intelligence agencies have only 'low to moderate confidence' in reports last year that Russian spies were offering Taliban militants in Afghanistan bounties for killing US soldiers. The reports in the press citing intelligence sources sparked outrage and demands from Democrats for the Trump administration to confront the Kremlin over the issue. Unveiling a raft of sanctions against Russia on Thursday, US officials said that the allegations of Russian bounties was not one of the grounds for imposing the measures, but a warning had been sent to Moscow that there would be a punitive response if such incentives were found to have been paid in the future." ~~~

~~~ Philip Bump of the Washington Post: "On Thursday, the Treasury Department unveiled new sanctions against the Russian government linked to its apparent hack of U.S. government networks. But the news release also included a statement ... that connects the line from Trump's [2016] campaign to Russian intelligence." ~~~

     ~~~ Mark Mazzetti & Michael Schmidt of the New York Times: "The Biden administration revealed on Thursday that a business associate of Trump campaign officials in 2016 provided campaign polling data to Russian intelligence services, the strongest evidence to date that Russian spies had penetrated the inner workings of the Trump campaign. The revelation, made public in a Treasury Department document announcing new sanctions against Russia, established for the first time that private meetings and communications between the campaign officials, Paul Manafort and Rick Gates, and their business associate were a direct pipeline from the campaign to Russian spies at a time when the Kremlin was engaged in a covert effort to sabotage the 2016 presidential election. Previous government investigations have identified the Trump aides' associate, Konstantin V. Kilimnik, as a Russian intelligence operative, and Mr. Manafort's decision to provide him with internal polling data was one of the mysteries that the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, sought to unravel...."

"Shut Your Mouth." DeMitia Inman of the Grio: "The conversation between Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) and Dr. Anthony Fauci escalated during a meeting of the House Coronavirus Crisis Subcommittee.... The Ohio rep continued to press Fauci ... when Rep. [Maxine] Waters ended the debate after Democratic Rep. James Clyburn of South Carolina announced that Jordan's time expired. 'You need to respect the chair and shut your mouth,' she told Jordan." ~~~

~~~ Arrested Development. Here's how little Jimmy Jordan behaved when he was a toddler & his parents told him it was time to go to bed:

     ~~~ Marie: This country would be a lot better off if Maxine Waters had been little Jimmy's mother.

How the DOJ Came to Investigate Matt Gaetz. Matt Zapotosky & Michael Scherer of the Washington Post: "... allegations [of sexual misconduct] against [Orlando prep-school teacher Brian] Beute, federal investigators concluded, had been fabricated by his incumbent opponent, Joel Greenberg, in a bid to smear him. But when authorities arrested Greenberg and sifted through his electronic records and devices -- according to documents and people involved in the case -- they discovered a medley of other alleged wrongdoing, leading them to open an investigation of possible sex trafficking involving a far more high-profile Florida Republican: Rep. Matt Gaetz.... [An acquaintance of Beute's, lawyer David] Bear, said the Seminole County Sheriff's Office in early November [2019] told him Beute was no longer a suspect, and he urged officials to probe who made the false reports.... Beute -- whose ordeal triggered some of the events that followed -- said he believes fallout from the case could force a reckoning for the lax oversight and clubby nature of Florida's political system.... Bear asserted that were it not for his and Beute's persistence in holding those accountable who made false allegations against him, the case might have gone away altogether. State authorities had known of allegations of misconduct surrounding Greenberg for years and had shown little appetite to bring a criminal case."

Jay Greene of the Washington Post: "Amazon chief executive Jeff Bezos acknowledged the e-commerce giant needs to 'do a better job for our employees,' his first comments since the company's lopsided victory over a unionization effort at an Alabama warehouse last week. In his letter to shareholders, Bezos, who also owns The Washington Post, wrote that some news reports of employee complaints about a brutal warehouse workplace during the union campaign were inaccurate. He cited internal surveys of warehouse staff that found 94 percent would recommend Amazon to a friend as a place to work. But he also said Amazon needs to commit to improving employee satisfaction as much as the company focuses on providing customer care."

One More News Source to Hide Behind a Paywall. Katie Robertson of the New York Times: "Reuters will begin charging for access to its website as it tries to capture a slice of the digital subscription business. The company, one of the largest news organizations in the world, announced the new paywall on Thursday, as well as a redesigned website aimed at a 'professional' audience wanting business, financial and general news."

The Pandemic, Ctd.

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

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

Berkeley Lovelace of CNBC: "Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said people will 'likely' need a booster dose of a Covid-19 vaccine within 12 months of getting fully vaccinated. His comments were made public Thursday but were taped April 1. Bourla said it's possible people will need to get vaccinated against the coronavirus annually."

Beyond the Beltway

Kentucky. Tessa Duvall of the Louisville Courier Journal: Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly, "one of the Louisville Metro Police officers who fired shots during the attempted search warrant execution that left Breonna Taylor dead in her apartment last year, is writing a book about the case.... Some of [his publisher's] most high-profile authors include right-wing favorites Dan Bongino, Laura Loomer and embattled GOP Congressman Matt Gaetz. News of Mattingly's book was swiftly met with criticism on social media." MB: I hope if Mattingly makes any money on this book, every penny goes to Breonna Taylor's family. ~~~

     ~~~ Update. Neil Vigdor of the New York Times: "Simon & Schuster said late Thursday night that it had scrapped plans to distribute a book by one of the Louisville police officers who shot Breonna Taylor during the botched drug raid last year that resulted in her death.... The officer's book... was to be distributed by Simon & Schuster, which had said in a statement earlier Thursday that it had no editorial control over book releases by smaller publishing houses for which it provides third-party distribution, including Post Hill Press[, the publisher of Mattingly's book]. But hours later, after news about the book had drawn sharp criticism, Simon & Schuster reversed course on the project."

Illinois. Abigail Weinberg of Mother Jones: "Chicago police on Thursday released body-cam video from the police officer who fatally shot 13-year-old Adam Toledo late last month. The video contains a crucial detail that was lacking in the Chicago Police Department's initial statement: The boy appeared to have both hands raised the moment he was shot.... In a court hearing for the 21-year-old man who was with Toledo on the night of his death, a prosecutor claimed that Toledo had a gun in his right hand the moment he was shot. The state's attorney's office later said that the prosecutor 'failed to fully inform himself' of the details of the case. An attorney for the boy's family said that he was not holding a weapon at the time he was shot -- a conclusion the body cam video seems to uphold.... The Chicago Police have until now intentionally kept the details of the case murky. Especially after the release of the new video, the police's actions following the boy's death look increasingly like a cover-up[.]"

Minnesota. Holly Bailey of the Washington Post: "Derek Chauvin spoke publicly for the first time since his arrest in May, telling a judge Thursday that he would invoke his constitutional right against self-incrimination and not testify in his own defense in his murder trial in the death of George Floyd. The defense rested its case minutes later, after just two days of testimony, paving the way for closing arguments and jury deliberations in the landmark trial to begin Monday.... The court recessed shortly thereafter, with Cahill telling the jury to enjoy a long weekend before returning to court Monday with a packed bag to hear closing arguments and to sequester as they deliberate a verdict."

New York. A Story Too Good to Check. Paul Krugman of the New York Times: "Will Andrew Yang, the current front-runner, become New York City's next mayor?... My guess is that the mayoral office needs an effective political brawler, not an intellectual, and Yang, who has never held office, owes his prominence largely to his reputation as a thought leader, someone with big ideas about economics and policy.... Yang's big ideas are demonstrably wrong.... Even if we don't think Yang is right about the problem [i.e., automation], what about his solution?... His universal basic income proposal ... [is] both too expensive to be sustainable without a very large tax increase and inadequate for Americans who really need help. I've done the math."

Virginia. Ian Shapira of the Washington Post: "The Virginia Military Institute, under fire for its treatment of minorities, has selected its first Black superintendent in the school's 182-year-old history.Cedric T. Wins, a retired Army Major General and 1985 VMI graduate, was appointed Thursday to the top job in a unanimous vote by the college's Board of Visitors, the body that oversees the Lexington school. Wins, 57, who grew up in Hyattsville, Md., and was the first in his family to attend college, has been leading the nation's oldest state-supported military college since Nov. 13, when he was appointed as interim superintendent. He replaced retired Army Gen. J.H. Binford Peay III, 80, who resigned Oct. 26, seven days after Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (D) ordered an investigation into the school, and nine days after The Washington Post chronicled rampant racism on the campus." (Also linked yesterday.)

Way Beyond

Hong Kong. Shibani Mahtani & Theodora Yu of the Washington Post: "A Hong Kong court on Friday sentenced veteran pro-democracy leaders to between eight and 18 months in prison, and gave others suspended sentences, on charges of unauthorized assembly stemming from the 2019 protests against China's tightening control of the city. The penalties handed to the nine defendants, following guilty verdicts earlier this month, marked a new low for the viability of democratic opposition in Hong Kong as Beijing remodels the city into one that resembles any other on the Chinese mainland. Media tycoon Jimmy Lai, already jailed and denied bail over separate national security charges, was sentenced to 14 months prison for his role in two protests. Lai, who Chinese state media describes as a 'traitor,' is facing several criminal prosecutions, four of which were heard in court on Friday. At one of these hearings, the authorities handed him an additional charge under the national security law -- punishable by life in prison." The AP's story is here.

News Ledes

New York Times: "Vartan Gregorian, the ebullient Armenian immigrant who climbed to pinnacles of academic and philanthropic achievement but took a detour in the 1980s to restore a fading New York Public Library to its place at the heart of American intellectual life, died on Thursday in Manhattan. He was 87."

New York Times: "Helen McCrory, the accomplished and versatile British stage and screen actress who played Narcissa Malfoy in three Harry Potter films and the matriarch Polly Gray on the BBC series 'Peaky Blinders,' in addition to earning critical plaudits for her stage work, has died at her home in north London. She was 52."

AP: "Eight people were shot and killed in a late-night shooting at a FedEx facility in Indianapolis, and the shooter killed himself, police said. Several other people were injured Thursday night when gunfire erupted at the facility near the Indianapolis International Airport, police spokesperson Genae Cook said. At least four were hospitalized, including one person with critical injuries. Another two people were treated and released at the scene, she said. The shooter wasn't immediately identified, and investigators were in the process of conducting interviews and gathering information. Cook said it was too early to tell whether the shooter was an employee at the facility." ~~~

     ~~~ The New York Times is liveblogging developments. ~~~

     ~~~ Washington Post Update: "The gunman who carried out a massacre at a FedEx sorting facility, killing eight people before shooting himself, was a 19-year-old former employee who had had a shotgun seized by authorities last year, Indianapolis police said Friday. The shooting, which also injured seven, came during a shift break at the facility, and left bodies throughout the parking lot and inside the cavernous warehouse just after 11 p.m. Thursday night. Authorities said they were investigating what might have motivated the killer, whom they identified as Brandon Hole. He appeared to have fired his assault rifle at 'random,' officials said, and the entire attack lasted no more than a couple of minutes. For hours afterward, relatives of those who had been at work at FedEx waited to learn whether their loved ones had lived or died.... Last spring, after his mother reported her fears that he would attempt to die by 'suicide by cop,' he was questioned by authorities, and the police temporarily detained him for mental health reasons, FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge Paul Keenan said. With Hole's shotgun seized and not returned, it was unclear how he had obtained the rifle used Thursday night."