November 8, 2021

Late Morning Update:

Jim Sciutto & Natasha Bertrand of CNN: "CIA Director Bill Burns held a rare conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow last week, to convey 'serious' US concerns about Russia's military buildup along the Ukrainian border and to attempt to determine Russian intentions, two sources with direct knowledge told CNN.... 'Of course, cybersecurity issues were also mentioned,' [Putin spokesman Dimitry] Peskov added."

The Washington Post is live-updating developments at the COP26 conference in Glasgow: "In a 44-minute speech in Glasgow, [former U.S. President Barack] Obama affirmed that 'the U.S. is back' at the negotiating table after four years of 'a lack of leadership.' He urged young people to be hopeful in the face of cynicism and despair, and he criticized China, Russia, the Republican Party and the administration of ... Donald Trump for their relative inattention to an 'existential' problem.... Midway through his speech to the U.N. climate summit..., Obama took a shot at Republicans, saying many GOP lawmakers have rejected the overwhelming scientific consensus on global warming. 'One of our two major parties has decided not only to sit on the sidelines, but express active hostility toward climate science and make climate change a partisan issue,' Obama said. He added for his international audience: 'Perhaps some of you have similar a dynamic in your own countries, although, generally speaking, the United States seems to have a more vigorous opposition to climate than in many other places.'" ~~~

~~~ A CNN report on President Obama's Glasgow speech is here. The U.N.'s Youtube video is here.

Michael Kranish of the Washington Post takes a look at Mitch McConnell's long, unprincipled political career.

Rick Scott: Neutral on Spousal Strangulation. John Wagner of the Washington Post: "Sen. Rick Scott, who heads the group that works to elect Senate Republicans, declined Monday to say whether Sean Parnell, a GOP hopeful in Pennsylvania who has been accused of strangling his wife and abusing his children, is the right candidate for the job.... Scott maintained that in his role as NRSC chairman he should remain neutral in primaries, except in the cases of GOP incumbents." MB: Donald Trump has endorsed Parnell ... maybe because strangulation, I don't know.

"Goodbye, America." Isabelle Khurshudyan & Mary Ilyushina of the Washington Post: "A man who allegedly participated in the Capitol riot on Jan. 6 and is wanted by the FBI is now seeking asylum in Belarus, the country's state media reported Monday, presenting him as a 'simple American whose shops were burned by Black Lives Matter activists.' Evan Neumann, who appears to have sat down for an interview with Belarusian state television in a segment entitled 'Goodbye, America,' is wanted in the United States on charges of violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds, as well as for assaulting, resisting and obstructing law enforcement during civil disorder.... But Neumann could be welcomed in Belarus as part of the regime's anti-Western propaganda."

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

Yes, Fox "News" Is Killing off Its Viewers. David Leonhardt of the New York Times: "There simply was not a strong partisan pattern to Covid during the first year that it was circulating in the U.S. Then the vaccines arrived. They proved so powerful, and the partisan attitudes toward them so different, that a gap in Covid's death toll quickly emerged.... The gap in Covid's death toll between red and blue America has grown faster over the past month than at any previous point. In October, 25 out of every 100,000 residents of heavily Trump counties died from Covid, more than three times higher than the rate in heavily Biden counties (7.8 per 100,000). October was the fifth consecutive month that the percentage gap between the death rates in Trump counties and Biden counties widened.... The ... explanation is straightforward: The vaccines are remarkably effective at preventing severe Covid, and almost 40 percent of Republican adults remain unvaccinated, compared with about 10 percent of Democratic adults.... This situation is a tragedy, in which irrational fears about vaccine side effects have overwhelmed rational fears about a deadly virus. It stems from disinformation -- promoted by right-wing media, like Rupert Murdoch's Fox News, the Sinclair Broadcast Group and online sources...."

~~~~~~~~~~

Where Trump Failed, Biden Delivered. Matt Viser of the Washington Post: "... over the past three months, [President] Biden has demonstrated a willingness, and ability, to carry out some of the policies Trump could not.... 'Finally, infrastructure week,' Biden said, adding later of the $1.2 trillion measure funding improvements to transportation, electricity and other needs: 'We did something that's long overdue, that long has been talked about in Washington.' Biden seemed to relish not only besting his predecessor, but also doing so in a bipartisan way that to him began to validate the kind of politics that Biden seeks to practice. At a time of tribal warfare and balkanized politics, Biden could fairly tout legislation that was supported by top Senate Republicans such as Mitch McConnell -- and in many ways saved when 13 Republican House members backed it late Friday night as six Democrats voted against." ~~~

     ~~~ AND Biden's Success Makes Trumpty-Dumpty Vewy Angry. Caroline Vakil of the Hill: "Former President Trump on Sunday doubled down on his criticism of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and other Senate Republicans who voted in favor of passing a $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill. 'All Republicans who voted for Democrat longevity should be ashamed of themselves, in particular Mitch McConnell, for granting a two month stay which allowed the Democrats time to work things out at our Country's, and the Republican Party's, expense!' Trump said in a statement. The former president called Republican lawmakers who voted in favor of the bill 'RINOs.'..."

Jennifer Rubin of the Washington Post: "This week, deputy White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre showed how to start fighting back against Republicans.... Asked about critical race theory in the Virginia contest on Thursday, she began with a full-throated defense of accurate history in instruction: '... great countries are honest, right? They have to be honest with themselves about the history, which is good and the bad. And our kids should be proud to be Americans after learning that history.'... [That is,] eliminating the story of individual and collective struggles to form a more perfect union is not only disinformation, but also unpatriotic.... 'Fundamentally, we believe a school's curriculum isn't a federal decision. It's rightly up to communities around the country -- the parents, the school, the school board, the teachers and the administrators. And that means that politicians .. should not be dictating what our kids are being taught.'... 'Republicans are lying[, Jean-Pierre said. ']... And they're cynically trying to use our kids as a political football.... They're talking about our kids ... when it's election season, but they won't vote for them when it matters.... Republicans did not vote for the American Rescue Plan.'... Democrats should not be shy about arguing that the last thing we want is Confederate flag boosters in Congress writing lesson plans."

Mike Allen of Axios: "Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) told 'Axios on HBO' he'll make masculinity a signature political issue, because he claims 'the left' is telling men: 'You're part of the problem. ... Your masculinity is inherently problematic.'... As an ambitious Republican frequently mentioned as a possible future candidate for president or vice president, Hawley, 41, is using American masculinity to appeal to suburban parents, and to working men won over by Donald Trump. 'As conservatives, we've got to call men back to responsibility,' Hawley said. 'We've got to say that spending your time not working ... spending your time on video games, spending your time watching porn online ... is not good for you, your family or this country.'" MB: If Hawley were a normal person, his sexual identity crisis would not be funny at all. But, well, he's Josh Hawley.

Mary Papenfuss of the Huffington Post: "In a startling address to constituents, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) recently talked about controversial COVID-19 conspiracist Joe Rogan becoming the 'president' of Texas if the state secedes from the union. 'I'm not there yet,' Cruz told an audience last month at Texas A&M University about Texas seceding from the United States -- popularly known as 'Texit.' But 'if there comes a point where it's hopeless, then I think we take NASA, we take the military, we take the oil,' he said to loud applause." More on anti-American Senator Ted linked under "The Pandemic, Ctd."

Sara Boboltz of the Huffington Post: "At least eight people were killed and about two dozen injured when a high-octane Travis Scott show ... descended into scenes of total chaos Friday evening.... Scott is particularly well known ... for giving raucous live performances that have led to legal consequences. He's been arrested at least twice over accusations that he encouraged fans to rush past security barriers.... During 2015's Lollapalooza festival in Chicago..., he took the stage for a packed crowd ― albeit briefly. Police arrested Scott and charged him with disorderly conduct after only a few minutes, saying that he was encouraging fans to jump barriers and rush the stage in defiance of festival security measures. 'Middle finger up to security right now!' Scott shouted into the microphone, Rolling Stone reported at the time. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to one year of probation, according to The Associated Press. In early 2017, Scott was arrested again on a similar charge: Police accused him of inciting a riot during a show at the Walmart Arkansas Music Pavilion. Several people, including a security guard, had been injured while Scott was on stage allegedly encouraging people to join him. He pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct in a deal with prosecutors, reportedly in exchange for dropping more serious charges." ~~~

~~~ When Chaos Is the Point. Sarah Cahlan & Elyse Samuels of the Washington Post "reviewed dozens of videos from the night to understand how the mass-casualty event unfolded.... Key moments of synced videos display a tumultuous scene from the crowd's perspective, which includes concertgoers receiving medical aid and others trying to stop the concert, as the show continues." ~~~

~~~~ David Goodman & Edgar Sandoval of the New York Times: "Concert organizers and Houston city officials knew that the crowd at a music festival planned by Travis Scott, a favorite local rapper turned megastar, could be difficult to control. That's what happened two years earlier, the last time Mr. Scott held his Astroworld Festival. For months, they braced themselves, adding dozens more officers from the Houston Police Department and more private security hired by Live Nation, the concert organizer. The Houston police chief, who knows Mr. Scott personally and felt the musician had been trying to do good for his hometown, said that he visited Mr. Scott in his trailer before his show on Friday and conveyed concerns about the energy in the crowd, according to a person with knowledge of the chief's account.... A spokeswoman for the Houston Police Department declined to comment on their timeline of events or on Chief Finner's private conversations, citing the pending investigation."

Brady Dennis & Sarah Kaplan of the Washington Post: "The pomp and promises that marked the initial days of the COP26 climate conference [in Glasgow, Scotland] are giving way to the difficult task of hammering out an agreement on what nations will actually do together to combat global warming -- and how.... COP26 President Alok Sharma, striving to make Glasgow a success, urged delegates that it was 'the time to shift the mode of work' and enter 'a more political, high-level phase of the conference.'... In coming days, by contrast, negotiators from nearly 200 countries will haggle over every word in every line of an agreement that could shape how nations report progress on cutting greenhouse gas emissions, how global carbon markets function, and how the rich countries of the world deliver on promises to help more vulnerable nations." ~~~

~~~ Chris Mooney, et al., of the Washington Post: "Across the world, many countries underreport their greenhouse gas emissions in their reports to the United Nations, a Washington Post investigation has found. An examination of 196 country reports reveals a giant gap between what nations declare their emissions to be versus the greenhouse gases they are sending into the atmosphere.... The plan to save the world from the worst of climate change is built on data. But the data the world is relying on is inaccurate.... The gap ... is the result of questionably drawn rules, incomplete reporting in some countries and apparently willful mistakes in others -- and the fact that in some cases, humanity's full impacts on the planet are not even required to be reported." MB: Isn't it ridiculous to allow politicians to report such important data on an "honor system"? It's like making Donald Trump the White House ethics advisor or appointing him IRS commissioner. Or, well, (Orwell?) putting Trump in charge of anything.

Will Steakin of ABC News: "In an angry conversation on his final day as president, Donald Trump told the chairwoman of the Republican National Committee he was leaving the GOP and creating his own political party -- and that he didn't care if the move would destroy the Republican Party, according to a new book by ABC News Chief Washington Correspondent Jonathan Karl. Trump only backed down when Republican leaders threatened to take actions that would have cost Trump millions of dollars, Karl writes his upcoming book, 'Betrayal: The Final Act of the Trump Show.' 'I'm done,' Trump told [RNC Chair Ronna Romney] McDaniel. 'I'm starting my own party.' 'You cannot do that,' McDaniel told Trump. 'If you do, we will lose forever.' 'Exactly. You lose forever without me,' Trump responded. 'I don't care.' Trump's attitude was that if he had lost, he wanted everybody around him to lose as well, Karl writes.... According to the book, [over the next several days,] 'McDaniel and her leadership team made it clear that if Trump left, the party would immediately stop paying legal bills incurred during post-election challenges.... But, more significant, the RNC threatened to render Trump's most valuable political asset worthless,' Karl writes, referring to 'the campaign's list of the email addresses of forty million Trump supporters.'"

The Pandemic, Ctd.

David Cohen of Politico: "Surgeon General Vivek Murthy on Sunday defended the Biden administration's workplace rules on vaccine mandates after a federal court blocked a new Occupational Safety and Health Administration policy. Citing historical precedents datin back to George Washington during the American Revolution, Murthy said President Joe Biden had faith in both the legality of the mandate and the effectiveness of such requirements.... Noting that the United States still has '75,000 cases a day,' Murthy said that the mandate ultimately will have great benefits for the economy and for society as a whole.&"

Who Shot Big Bird? Ben Kesslen of NBC News: "'I got the COVID-19 vaccine today! My wing is feeling a little sore, but it'll give my body an extra protective boost that keeps me and others healthy,' ['Sesame Street''s Big Bird] wrote on Twitter. 'Ms. @EricaRHill even said I've been getting vaccines since I was a little bird. I had no idea!' While Big Bird has been on "Sesame Street" for decades, his ageless character is meant to be 6 years old. He became eligible for the vaccine only in late October, when the Food and Drug Administration announced that it had authorized the Pfizer vaccine for children ages 5 to 11. The right wing quickly seized on the Muppet's tweet. 'Government propaganda --- for your 5 year old!' Sen. Ted Cruz tweeted." MB: Don't know who controls the Dr. Seuss franchise now, but I strongly suggest they give a very public shot in the arm to Sam-I-Am of Green Eggs & Ham. It could drive Ted to taking up permanent residence in Cancun.

Lisa Rein, et al., of the Washington Post: "With a Monday deadline looming, high percentages of federal workers are reporting they have been vaccinated against the coronavirus. But tens of thousands of holdouts have requested exemptions on religious grounds, complicating President Biden's sweeping mandate to get the country's largest employer back to normal operations.... The number of religious objectors ranges from a little more than 60 people at the Education Department to many thousands among the 38,000-strong workforce at the Bureau of Prisons, according to federal employee union officials. A Texas-based IRS affinity group, Christian Fundamentalist Internal Revenue Employees, wrote a four-page letter to the official handling exemption requests, citing scripture and mistrust of the government among African Americans, as well as falsely claiming thousands of deaths from the coronavirus vaccine.... The process [of ruling on the requests] could take months for officials designated at each agency.... Managers will soon assume the thorny role of deciding whether someone is sincere or requesting an exemption for political reasons." Thanks to Ken W. for the link. See also his commentary in yesterday's thread. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Here are a few ways to cull the phonies: (1) check their cars to see if they sport faded Trump-Pence bumper stickers; (2) invite every one of the "religious objectors" to a MAGA rally & take the names of those who show up; (3) they work for the Bureau of Prisons or Border Patrol.

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

News Lede

New York Times: "Aaron Feuerstein, a Massachusetts industrialist who became a national hero in 1995 when he refused to lay off workers at his textile plant after a catastrophic fire, then spent hundreds of millions of dollars to rebuild it, died on Thursday at a hospital in Boston. He was 95.... Mr. Feuerstein's commitment to Lawrence and his employees was all the more noteworthy amid the painful waves of deindustrialization during the 1980s and '90s, when private-equity buyouts and wage competition drained millions of jobs from high-income states like Massachusetts.″

November 7, 2021

Finally! Infrastructure week! -- President Joe Biden, Saturday ~~~

~~~ David Sanger of the New York Times: "President Biden celebrated the passage of the $1 trillion infrastructure bill on Saturday, declaring ... that he had made good on two key promises of his campaign: reviving the economy and getting the nation vaccinated.... But for Mr. Biden on Saturday, there was a clear sense of regret that his victory did not come a few days earlier, when it might have made a difference in the off-year elections on Tuesday in which his party fared poorly, an outcome that he acknowledged reflected public frustration with a democratic process that seemed in perpetual gridlock.... Mr. Biden cast the victory -- which he achieved with the support of 13 House Republicans, who proved crucial because of key defections from his own party -- as critical to putting Americans to work on long-neglected projects. But he also described it as central to his strategy for competing with China, from the money for charging stations for electric vehicles -- an investment Beijing made years ago -- to bringing broadband internet service to remote and underserved communities." An NBC News story is here. NPR's report is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Video of the Q&A, which followed Biden's remarks, is here.

Jeff Stein of the Washington Post: President "Biden called the bill a 'once in a generation' investment that would create millions of jobs and improve the domestic economy. He said the measure included the most significant investment in roads and bridges in 70 years, the most significant investment in passenger rail in 50 years, and the most significant investment in public transit in history. Biden said he and Harris would have a formal signing ceremony for the bill soon, citing the desire for those who worked on the legislation to be able to attend.... Biden has now achieved milestones that his predecessors only reached for. He pulled U.S. troops out of Afghanistan, ending the longest U.S. war, which ... Donald Trump and President Barack Obama had hoped to do. He will soon sign an infrastructure package that Trump had promised but never built the political coalition to achieve.... Once he signs it into law, the infrastructure package would be the second major legislative achievement of Biden's presidency, following the March stimulus law."

How the Congressional Black Caucus Saved the Bill. Jonathan Weisman & Carl Hulse of the New York Times: "Seeking to bridge the gap between a resolute clutch of balking Democratic moderates and a much larger group of liberals demanding that the president's $1 trillion infrastructure plan only pass concurrently with his $1.85 trillion social welfare and climate change bill, the Black lawmakers proposed a plan that initially seemed far too timid and convoluted: pass the infrastructure bill immediately, then hold a good-faith procedural vote on the larger bill that would have to suffice before its final vote in mid-November. [Speaker Nancy] Pelosi agreed to the deal and then, tellingly, sent the low-key chairwoman of the Black Caucus, Representative Joyce Beatty of Ohio, out to waiting reporters to tell the world. In effect, the speaker had harnessed one faction of her unruly Democrats to win over two others, and she understood that the soft-spoken African American lawmaker might have had more influence at that point than she did." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: This is more evidence yet that Pelosi is the greatest speaker in modern history. That "P" in Pelosi stands for "pragmatism."

Aaron Blake of the Washington Post: "On Friday, 13 House Republicans delivered the decisive votes to rescue a key part of President Biden's agenda -- an agenda endangered by those in his own party.... And some Republicans are predictably furious -- with undersold questions about House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy's (R-Calif.) future leadership of the party potentially in the offing.... The bill included lots of popular projects and, in another era, probably would've gotten significantly more GOP votes. But we live in this era in which delivering a political win for the other side -- however popular the bill and however much your constituents might want it -- is seen as apostasy." The loudest complaints came from the usual suspects: Matt Gaetz, Chip Roy, Madison Cawthorn, & Margie Greene. Margie accused the 13 of voting to "pass Joe Biden's Communist takeover of America." MB: The whine that gave me a chuckle when I saw it Saturday morning came from Philip Klein, now editor of the National Review online: "Disgraceful House Republicans Rescue Biden's Flailing Agenda." Blake also remarks on Klein's outrage.

Mary Jalonick of the AP: "The $1 trillion infrastructure plan that now goes to President Joe Biden to sign into law has money for roads, bridges, ports, rail transit, safe water, the power grid, broadband internet and more.... The new law promises to reach almost every corner of the country. It's a historic investment that the president has compared to the building of the transcontinental railroad and Interstate Highway System. The White House is projecting that the investments will add, on average, about 2 million jobs per year over the coming decade.... Here's a breakdown of the bill[.]"

Marie: Maureen Dowd of the New York Times reminds us of how important it is to "journalists" to slam Democrats when they accomplish something of historic proportions. No kudos to Democrats for passing a huge infrastucture bill that previous presidents and Congresses did not or could not do. And, as another for-instance, Terry McAuliffe said something stupid months ago. But no mention of Glenn Youngkin, who campaigned on education while his own son is so resistant to education that he tried to vote though surely he learned in school that he was too young to vote, and minutes after a poll worker "educated" him on the age requirement, the kid came right back and tried to vote again. Thanks, MoDo. If you want to know why Democrats have such a hard time legislating, it's because both-sides critics like you keep their majorities razor-thin.

Danny Hakim & Richard Fausset of the New York Times: "As the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol riot fights to extract testimony and documents from Donald J. Trump's White House, an Atlanta district attorney is moving toward convening a special grand jury in her criminal investigation of election interference by the former president and his allies.... The prosecutor, Fani Willis of Fulton County, opened her inquiry in February and her office has been consulting with the House committee, whose evidence could be of considerable value to her investigation.... Her inquiry is seen by legal experts as potentially perilous for the former president, given the myriad interactions he and his allies had with Georgia officials, most notably Mr. Trump's January call to Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, urging him to 'find 11,780 votes' -- enough to reverse the state's election result." The Raw Story has a summary report here.

Marie: This documentary is scheduled to air on MSNBC Sunday at 10 pm ET:

Michael Schmidt, et al., of the New York Times: "Federal authorities on Saturday searched the home of James O'Keefe, the founder of the conservative group Project Veritas ... a day after Mr. O'Keefe acknowledged that the group was under investigation by the Justice Department in connection with a diary reported to have been stolen from Ashley Biden, President Biden's daughter. The F.B.I. carried out a court-ordered search of Mr. O'Keefe's apartment in Mamaroneck, N.Y., early on Saturday morning, after having searched the homes of two associates of Mr. O'Keefe on Thursday as part of the investigation.... Brent Mickol, a teacher who lives across the hall from Mr. O'Keefe, said it was about 6 a.m. when agents arrived.... 'I ran to the door and looked out the peep hole and clearly saw an F.B.I. raid,' he said. 'You saw the jackets. Literally, it was just out of a movie.'" Mediaite has a summary story here. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Since Donald Trump took office, we have from time to time been reading about FBI raids on the homes of his associates & fanboys. It seems the FBI are early risers. If I suspected I was under federal investigation, I would adapt my schedule to be dressed and ready for visitors before 6 am each day.

The Pandemic, Ctd.

Eli Rosenberg of the Washington Post: "A federal appeals court suspended the Biden administration's new vaccine requirement for private companies, delivering a major blow for one of the White House's signature attempts to increase the number of vaccinations to corral the pandemic. The decision was issued by a panel of three judges appointed by Republican presidents in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. The judges wrote that there was 'cause to believe there are grave statutory and constitutional issues with the mandate,' staying the order while the court assesses it in more depth. The ruling came in response to a lawsuit filed Friday by a group of plaintiffs including Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry (R), part of a wave of lawsuits against the order from mostly Republican-aligned groups and politicians." The Texas Tribune report is here.

Way Beyond the Beltway

Iraq. Hamdi Alkhshali & Aqeel Najim of CNN: "Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi escaped an assassination attempt on Sunday after an explosive-laden drone targeted his residence in Baghdad, the country's military said.... Three drones were involved in the assassination attempt, according to Ministry of Interior Spokesman General Saad Maan.... Security forces were able to down two of the drones, Maan said."

News Lede

New York Times: "Stephen Karpiak, whose research into the lives of New Yorkers aging with H.I.V. revealed a scarcity of support networks and high rates of depression, leading to changes in the care of older people living with the virus, died on Oct. 16 at a hospital in Manhattan. He was 74.... Dr. Karpiak, who witnessed the AIDS crisis as a gay man in New York in the 1980s, became an impassioned advocate for those aging with the disease...." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: There are all kinds of heroes that we never know about. Karpiak would seem to be one of them.

November 6, 2021

HOUSE PASSES INFRASTRUCTURE BILL

Whew! Jonathan Weisman, et al., of the New York Times: "The House passed a $1 trillion bill on Friday night to rebuild the country's aging public works system, fund new climate resilience initiatives and expand access to high-speed internet service, giving final approval to a central plank of President Biden's economic agenda after a daylong drama that pitted moderate Democrats against progressives.... In a late-night vote that followed a day of near-death experiences for Mr. Biden's agenda, the House passed the infrastructure measure on a 228-to-206 vote, with 13 Republicans bucking their party leadership and joining all but six Democrats in support.... But an even larger social safety net and climate change bill was back on hold, with a half-dozen moderate-to-conservative Democrats withholding their votes until a nonpartisan analysis could tally its price tag. For Mr. Biden, passage of the infrastructure bill fulfilled a marquee legislative goal that he had promised to deliver since the early days of his presidency: the largest single investment of federal resources into infrastructure projects in more than a decade, including a substantial effort to fortify the nation's response to the warming of the planet.... He was expected to quickly sign the infrastructure bill into law." MB: The vote was gaveled closed at 11:26 pm. With six Democratic defections, the bill would not have passed without GOP votes. ~~~

     ~~~ Alan Fram of the AP: "The House passed the measure 228-206, prompting prolonged cheers from the relieved Democratic side of the chamber. Thirteen Republicans, mostly moderates, supported the legislation while six of Democrats' farthest left members -- including Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Cori Bush of Missouri -- opposed it.... Yet despite the win, Democrats endured a setback when they postponed a vote on a second, even larger measure until later this month ... after moderates demanded a cost estimate on the sprawling measure from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.... But in an evening breakthrough brokered by [President] Biden and House leaders, the moderates later agreed to back that bill if CBO's estimates are consistent with preliminary numbers that White House and congressional tax analysts have provided. The agreement, in which lawmakers promised to vote on the social and environment bill by the week of Nov. 15, stood as a significant step toward a House vote that could ultimately ship it to the Senate." ~~~

The whole day was a clusterfuck, right? But beyond that, you know ... I thought everyone was working in a very congenial way. I mean, rank-and-file members figured out how to get shit done. -- Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.), a progressive, after a meeting between Democratic progressives & moderates ~~~

~~~ Cristina Marcos, et al., of the Hill: After passing the infrastructure bill, "the House then adopted a procedural rule establishing floor debate parameters for the $1.75 trillion social spending package along party lines, 221-213. " ~~~

~~~ The New York Times reports how every House member voted on the infrastructure bill. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: AND let us recall that, despite announcing "Infrastucture Week" after "Infrastucture Week" and holding comfortable majorities in both Houses of Congress during his first two years in office, Donald Trump never came close to getting any infrastructure bill into legislative form, much less passed in either House. It's just as well, because any bill Republicans came up with would have been a big giveaway to special interests. It probably would have included a big grant and forever tax deduction for hotel & golf course "infrastructure." ~~~

~~~ It's 7 pm ET Friday. It appears today is the day that lazy journalists & headline writers can take to their computers & write with perfect accuracy: ~~~

DEMOCRATS IN DISARRAY

Quelle Mess! Tony Romm, et al., of the Washington Post: "House Democrats appeared on the precipice of a self-inflicted political meltdown on Friday, after another revolt among warring liberals and moderates spoiled an attempt to swiftly adopt roughly $3 trillion in spending initiatives backed by President Biden.... The result was a marathon, unresolved stalemate that paralyzed the House, forcing [Speaker Nancy] Pelosi to take to the floor herself to try to whip support among her ever-divided members. At one point, the president phoned directly into a still-unfinished, three-hour meeting of the left-leaning Congressional Progressive Caucus to encourage them to support the infrastructure bill, according to two people familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe the conversation. He placed similar calls to moderates, a White House official later confirmed, urging them to back the remainder of his agenda." ~~~

~~~ The New York Times on Friday liveblogged the blow-by-blow. MB: Every legislator who is voting "no" or not voting on either bill embarrasses me.

Rachel Siegel, et al., of the Washington Post: "President Biden is closing in on a decision on who should run the Federal Reserve, and both Fed Chair Jerome H. Powell and Fed governor Lael Brainard, the only Democrat on the central bank's board, were spotted at the White House on Thursday, a person familiar with the matter confirmed Friday. The president has not made a decision but expects to soon, according to a source familiar with the process. It wasn't clear if Powell or Brainard met directly with the president. Powell's term as chair is up in February." A CNBC story is here. MB: Biden should consult Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen for her input. She is, of course, way too short to be the Fed chair herself, but I'd say she's tall enough to have a considered opinion. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Missy Ryan of the Washington Post: "The State Department on Friday named two senior officials to lead its response to mysterious illnesses among U.S. personnel stationed overseas, as the Biden administration steps up efforts to help those afflicted by the shadowy 'Havana Syndrome.' Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the appointment of veteran diplomats Jonathan Moore and Margaret Uyehara to oversee the department's response to the poorly understood ailments -- which have been reported by personnel from the State Department, CIA and the U.S. military and their families in countries from Cuba to Austria -- signals the urgency with which officials hope to address a problem whose cause remains largely unknown.... The announcement comes as some affected by what the State Department calls 'anomalous health incidents' complain their ailments, including headaches, dizziness and neurological issues, have not been taken seriously enough."

Michael Schmidt, et al., of the New York Times: "The Justice Department searched two locations associated with the conservative group Project Veritas as part of an investigation into how a diary stolen from President Biden's daughter, Ashley, came to be publicly disclosed a week and a half before the 2020 presidential election, according to people briefed on the matter. Federal agents in New York conducted the court-ordered searches on Thursday -- one in New York City and one in suburban Westchester County -- at places linked to people who had worked with the group and its leader, James O;Keefe.... Project Veritas did not publish Ms. Biden's diary, but dozens of handwritten pages from it were posted on a right wing website on Oct. 24, 2020, at a time when ... Donald J. Trump was seeking to undermine Mr. Biden's credibility by portraying his son, Hunter, as engaging in corrupt business dealings. The posting was largely ignored by other conservative outlets and the mainstream media.... The Justice Department, then led by Attorney General William P. Barr, opened an investigation into the matter shortly after a representative of the Biden family reported to federal authorities in October 2020 that several of Ms. Biden's personal items had been stolen in a burglary...." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Betsy Swan & Kyle Cheney of Politico: "A top Trump Justice Department official who aided the former president's quest to overturn the 2020 election met Friday with congressional investigators probing the Jan. 6 Capitol attack -- accompanied by a lawyer who worked on a suit aimed at overturning the Georgia election results. And according to a letter from that lawyer reviewed by Politico, former DOJ official Jeffrey Clark is refusing to cooperate with the Jan. 6 select committee.... The letter is unusual and surprising; to make the case that Clark cannot testify to the Jan. 6 committee, it cites a separate letter in which Trump's lawyer specifically said the former president would not try to block Clark's congressional testimony. In the lengthy letter, Clark counsel Harry MacDougald cites attorney-client privilege -- among other things -- to justify his client's refusal to cooperate. But any such privilege lies with the client to assert, and even if Trump were Clark's client under these circumstances, the former president has already declined to block Clark's testimony.... MacDougald [is] an Atlanta lawyer who partnered with conspiracy theorist Sidney Powell to challenge the results of the 2020 presidential election in Georgia." MB: "Uh, I can't testify because Trump said I could testify." I think what Clark means to say is, "I hereby invoke my Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

     ~~~ Update. Jacqueline Alemany of the Washington Post: “The House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol warned former Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark that it will take more aggressive steps to compel his testimony after he refused to answer questions Friday during a closed door interview with the panel. In a statement released after Clark's appearance, Chairman Bennie G. Thompson (D-Miss.) said Clark has 'a very short time to reconsider and cooperate fully' before the committee moves to 'take strong measures to hold him accountable to meet his obligation.'" MB: Lock 'im up, Chairman Thompson!

** Jamelle Bouie of the New York Times: After the Civil War, "the Republican Party never took for granted that voters would blame the Democratic Party for its role in the rebellion and vote accordingly.... The lesson here, for the present, is straightforward. Democrats who want the Republican Party to pay for the events of Jan. 6 -- to suffer at the ballot box for their allegiance to Donald Trump -- have to tie those events to a language and a narrative that speaks to the fear, anger and anxiety of the public at large. They have to tell a story. And not just once or twice -- they have to do it constantly. It must become a fixture of the party's rhetorical landscape." ~~~

    ~~~ Marie: BTW, Jake Tapper narrated quite a good two-hour CNN special on Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election. It ran Friday night (and Saturday morning). I don't know if it will air again, but if it does, it's worth watching.

Alan Feuer of the New York Times: "Since the spring, a steady tide of school board members across the country have nervously come forward with accounts of threats they have received from enraged local parents. At first, the grievances mainly centered on concerns about the way their children were being taught about race and racism. Now, parents are more often infuriated by Covid-19 restrictions like mask mandates in classrooms. It is an echo of what happened when those faithful to the Tea Party stormed Obamacare town halls across the country more than a decade ago. In recent months, there have been Nazi salutes at school board meetings and emails threatening rape. Obscenities have been hurled -- or burned into people's lawns with weed spray. In one extreme case, in suburban San Diego, a group of people protesting mask mandates ... summarily installed themselves as the district's new board." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: As long as there's a cooperative police presence, it's not that hard to control a school board meeting. The cops eject attendees who won't observe "regular order." As to what the vicious bastids may do in the shadows, that's a whole 'nother thing.

Kim Barker, et al., of the New York Times: "The car was the weapon"; that's how police justify killing unarmed motorists. "In a New York Times investigation of car stops that left more than 400 similarly unarmed people dead over the last five years, those words were routinely used to explain why police officers had fired at drivers.... In about 250 of the cases, The Times found that police officers had fired into vehicles that they later claimed posed such a threat. Relative to the population, Black motorists were overrepresented among those killed.... The other drivers had been pursued for nonviolent offenses, many of them minor.... Most motorists were killed while attempting to flee.... The U.S. Justice Department has warned against [firing into vehicles] for decades, pressuring police departments to forbid it. Police academies don't even train recruits how to fire at a car. The risk of injuring innocent people is considered too great; the idea of stopping a car with a bullet is viewed as wishful thinking.... In many instances..., officers put themselves at risk by jumping in front of moving cars, then aiming their guns at the drivers as if in a Hollywood movie, according to body-camera footage.... Often, the drivers were trying to get away from officers, edging around them, not toward them, the footage shows, and the officers weren't in the path of the vehicle when they fired."

The Pandemic, Ctd.

Barry Wilner of the AP: "Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers said Friday he sought alternative treatments instead of the NFL-endorsed COVID-19 vaccinations because he is allergic to an ingredient in two of the FDA-approved shots. Speaking on SiriusXM's 'Pat McAfee Show,' Rodgers said: 'I'm not an anti-vax, flat-earther. I have an allergy to an ingredient that's in the mRNA vaccines. I found a long-term immunization protocol to protect myself and I'm very proud of the research that went into that.' Rodgers, who turns 38 on Dec. 2, did not say what ingredient he was allergic to, or how he knows he is allergic. Rodgers, who has been tested daily as part of NFL protocols for the unvaccinated, found out he contracted COVID-19 on Wednesday. The reigning NFL MVP said he didn't feel well on Thursday but was much better on Friday." Emphasis added. ~~~

     ~~~ Kylie Cheung of Salon: "The all-star quarterback ... aggressively defends both his position against the COVID vaccine and his choice to lie to the press about his vaccination status. According to Rodgers, he's just 'a critical thinker' who believes 'strongly in bodily autonomy,' though we've yet to see him march in the streets against abortion bans.... 'I've consulted with a now-good friend of mine, Joe Rogan, after he got COVID, and I've been doing a lot of the stuff that he recommended in his podcasts and on the phone to me,' Rodgers says. He then lists some of these 'treatments' as 'monoclonal antibodies, ivermectin, zinc, vitamin C and D, and HCQ.'" MB: Rogan is a "comedian" and podcast host who has admitted he isn't an expert on Covid-19 vaccines. It's a shame there are no doctors in Green Bay or elsewhere who could give Rodgers professional advice about Covid-19 vaccines.

Beyond the Beltway

Florida. DeSantis Looks Best with Egg on His Face. Michael Wines of the New York Times: "Acceding to a storm of protest, the University of Florida abandoned efforts on Friday to keep three political science professors from testifying in a voting-rights lawsuit against the administration of Gov. Ron DeSantis. Hours later, however, the professors sued university officials in federal court, claiming their First Amendment rights had been violated. They asked the court to permanently bar the university from limiting their outside work on matters opposing the state's interests.... The professors, Sharon D. Wright Austin, Daniel A. Smith and Michael McDonald, are providing expert testimony in a case that seeks to overturn restrictions on voting approved by the State Legislature last spring. The legislation was a top priority for Mr. DeSantis, a Republican.... The university's reversal ... came less than a day after Mr. DeSantis's office had ... [said] in a statement that the professors' First Amendment right to speak freely was not relevant because they were being paid to act as expert witnesses.... The lawsuit filed by the professors ... stat[ed] that other professors had been barred from joining lawsuits against the state even though they were not being paid. They also noted that Florida International University, which also limits outside activities that conflict with the state, had allowed a professor to act as an expert witness for the Republican National Committee in the same voting-rights lawsuit from which they had been barred." Emphasis added.

Georgia. Richard Fausset & Tariro Mzezewa of the New York Times: "The trial of the three white men accused of murdering Ahmaud Arbery opened on Friday with the prosecution arguing that Mr. Arbery, a 25-year-old Black man, had come 'under attack,' while defense attorneys said that their clients were justified in suspecting Mr. Arbery of burglary, chasing him in their trucks and trying to detain him until the police arrived.... The lead prosecutor, Linda Dunikoski ... said that ... the other ... defendants ... had made a series of reckless 'driveway decisions' that day as they decided to chase Mr. Arbery. Ms. Dunikoski said the men had 'assumed the worst' about Mr. Arbery and were unjustified in pursuing him because they had no knowledge that he had committed a crime. 'All three of these defendants did everything they did based on assumptions,' said Ms. Dunikoski...."

Nevada. Ben Shpigel of the New York Times: "Raiders receiver Henry Ruggs III faces two felony drunken-driving charges in connection with a car collision early Tuesday morning in Las Vegas that left one person dead. The crash occurred early Tuesday morning when a sports car that Ruggs, 22, was driving hit an S.U.V., the police said.... Ruggs's Corvette had been traveling at 156 miles per hour, Clark County (Nev.) Deputy District Attorney Eric Bauman said at Ruggs's initial court appearance Wednesday morning.... Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson told reporters after Ruggs's court appearance that Ruggs's blood alcohol level was 0.16, or twice Nevada's legal limit."

New York. Luis Ferré-Sadurní, et al., of the New York Times: “The sex-crime case against former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo was thrown into doubt on Friday after the Albany County, N.Y., district attorney delivered an extraordinary public denunciation of the local sheriff, saying the criminal complaint the sheriff filed last week was 'potentially defective.' In a letter to an Albany, N.Y., judge on Thursday, the district attorney, David Soares, took issue with the Albany County sheriff, Craig Apple, for 'unilaterally and inexplicably' filing the complaint without the knowledge of Mr. Soares, whose own investigation was still active. The letter underscored how the sheriff's surprise decision to charge the former governor without coordinating with Mr. Soares could ultimately threaten the case against Mr. Cuomo. Such coordination is typical in long-term, high-profile law enforcement investigations." An AP story is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Update. Felicia Sonmez & Josh Dawsey of the Washington Post: “An Albany judge has postponed until early next year the arraignment of former New York governor Andrew M. Cuomo (D) in a sex-crimes case, after the district attorney accused the sheriff's office of 'unilaterally and inexplicably' filing a complaint without the consent of the alleged victim. Friday's decision by Albany City Court Judge Holly Trexler is a curveball in the case against Cuomo, who was accused in a misdemeanor complaint last week of forcibly touching a woman in the governor's executive mansion last year."

New York City. Ed Shanahan of the New York Times: "Rodents are among New York's permanent features. But across the city, one hears the same thing: They are running amok like never before." The cause, according to some experts, is a "perfect-pandemic-storm scenario." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: For a short time in 1999-2000, we had a small second-storey apartment in the Mews behind Washington Square North. Back in the day, it was servants' quarters for the posh people who lived on the Square. When we had the apartment, NYU owned it, and the super worked & resided in an NYU-owned apartment complex cobbled together from a few of the townhouses on the Square. I had come to know where to find the super, as our toilet would occasionally act up, sometimes running continuously and sometimes trying to overflow. One cold & icy February morning, I was sitting alone in the living room when I heard the toilet acting up again. I went in to see if jiggling the handle would fix it. It would not. The cause of the noise was not faulty plumbing but a rat swimming 'round and 'round in the toilet bowl. I slammed down the toilet seat, slammed shut the bathroom door, and in a feet-don't-fail-me-now comedic moment, I raced down the stairs and around the corner -- barefoot on the icy pavement -- to get the super. He brought along an entourage of helpers, and one way or the other, they extracted the uninvited swimmer from our quarters.

Virginia. Youngkin Family Voter Fraud. Really. Antonio Olivo of the Washington Post: "The 17-year-old son of Virginia Gov.-elect Glenn Youngkin (R) tried to cast a ballot in Tuesday's gubernatorial election twice despite being too young to vote, Fairfax County officials said in a statement released Friday. The statement, which identified the teen as Youngkin's 17-year-old son, emphasized that he did not end up voting and stated that he did not violate any state election laws.... [Gov.-elect] Youngkin had emphasized 'election integrity' as the centerpiece of his campaign...." MB: It's true the kid didn't violate any election laws, but only because he was not allowed to. A spokesperson for Youngkin issued a nasty statement which I won't cite, but you can read it in the story. If you don't have a WashPo subscription, it's not worth purchasing one just to read the statement. As Steve M. writes, the spokesman treats the boy's attempt to vote unlawfully "as a Democratic scandal." ~~~

     ~~~ Steve M.: "It's true that Fairfax County election officials say no laws were broken -- and, in fact, Virginia law makes 'wrongfully' casting a vote a crime, but doesn't criminalize attempting to do so unsuccessfully. However, that's not the case in many states that the Youngkin family's political party regards as models for the rest of the nation." In Florida, Iowa, Georgia & Texas, for instance, an person who is ineligible vote but attempts to do so has committed a felony.

Virginia House Elections. Denise Lavoie of the AP: "Democratic leaders in Virginia conceded Friday that Republicans have won control of the House of Delegates. The Associated Press has not called all of Virginia's House races yet. But the concession means Republicans would complete an elections sweep in which they also reclaimed the offices of governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general. House Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn issued a statement acknowledging the GOP majority shortly after Democratic Del. Martha Mugler conceded defeat in a tight race against Republican challenger A.C. Cordoza in the 91st House district, located in Virginia's Hampton Roads region. With Mugler's concession, Republicans now expect to hold at least 51 seats in the 100-member chamber.... Democrats hold a slim 21-19 majority in the Senate. Senators are not up for reelection until 2023."

Way Beyond

Scotland. Karla Adam, et al., of the Washington Post: "Masses of young people took to the streets outside the global climate summit [of Glasgow] on Friday to voice their impatience, frustration and even disdain for the older generation of leaders and emitters who set the world on a trajectory of catastrophic warming -- and don't have the courage to save the planet now. Swedish teen activist Greta Thunberg led the charge, in a 'Fridays for Future' student demonstration of young adults and children who came out with their parents. There was a family-friendly atmosphere, with pets along for the march and protest signs lettered in crayons. Organizers said 25,000 people attended.... Kids, representing the future, were on the march, while the old guard -- including former vice president Al Gore, 73, and U.S. climate envoy John F. Kerry, 77 -- were inside the hall with negotiators, expressing guarded optimism that more progress was being made than thought possible just a few weeks ago."

News Lede

AP: "At least eight people died and numerous others were injured in what officials described as a surge of the crowd at the Astroworld music festival in Houston while rapper Travis Scott was performing. Officials declared a 'mass casualty incident' just after 9 p.m. Friday during the festival where an estimated 50,000 people were in attendance, Houston Fire Chief Samuel Peña told reporters at a news conference. 'The crowd began to compress towards the front of the stage, and that caused some panic, and it started causing some injuries,' the fire chief said. 'People began to fall out, become unconscious, and it created additional panic.' The show was called off shortly thereafter. The fire chief said 'scores of individuals' were injured. Officials transported 17 people to hospitals, including 11 who were in cardiac arrest, Peña said. Many people were also treated at the scene at NRG Park, where a field hospital had been set up."