The Commentariat -- March 30, 2021

The New York Times' live updates of Day 2 of the Derek Chauvin murder trial are here. The Washington Post's live updates of Day 2 are here. NBC News live updates are here.

The Wind Beneath Our Wings. Juliet Eilperin & Brady Dennis of the Washington Post: "The White House announced on Monday an ambitious plan to expand wind farms along the East Coast and jump-start the country's nascent offshore wind industry, saying it hoped to trigger a massive clean-energy effort in the fight against climate change. The plan would generate 3 gigawatts of offshore wind power by the end of the decade -- enough to power more than 10 million American homes and cut 78 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions. To accomplish that, the Biden administration said, it would speed permitting for projects off the East Coast, invest in research and development, provide low-interest loans to industry and fund changes to U.S. ports. 'We are ready to rock-and-roll,' national climate adviser Gina McCarthy told reporters in a phone call Monday. She framed the effort as being as much about jobs as about clean energy." (Also linked yesterday.) Common Dreams' report is here.

Marianne Levine, et al., of Politico: "The White House is expected to release its first slate of judicial nominees as early as Tuesday, according to three sources.... President Joe Biden plans to tap 11 nominees for the federal bench, including three Black women, sources said. At least two of those women will be named to the appeals courts, according to allies of his administration briefed on the selections." ~~~

     ~~~ Update: Ann Marimow & Matt Viser of the Washington Post: "President Biden announced his first slate of judicial nominees on Tuesday, elevating U.S. District Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the influential appeals court in Washington to succeed Merrick Garland as part of the largest and earliest batch of court picks by a new administration in decades. Jackson, often mentioned as someone who could become the first Black woman on the Supreme Court, is among Biden's 11 nominations that include three Black women for appeals court vacancies and the first Muslim American to serve on a District Court. The group is designed to send a message about the administration's desire for more diversity on the federal bench and how rapidly the president wants to put his mark on it." The story names all the nominees.

Travis Gettys of the Raw Story: "A newly surfaced recording shows a senior adviser to Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell conspiring with the Koch brothers' network and other conservative groups to torpedo sweeping voting rights legislation. The Jan. 8 recording obtained by The New Yorker reveals leading conservative activists are alarmed by public support for House Resolution 1 and Senate Bill 1, commonly known as the For The People Act, and they privately admitted they had no effective way to counter the argument that billionaires should not be able to buy elections." MB: Apparently even many white Republicans aren't gullible enough to support a bill that gives them more rights, too.

Dressed for Success Arrest. Michael Kunzelman of the AP: "Garret Miller didn't speak to the law enforcement officers who arrested him on charges he stormed the U.S. Capitol in January, but the T-shirt he was wearing at his Dallas home that day sent a clear and possibly incriminating message. Miller's shirt had a photograph of ... Donald Trump, and it said 'Take America Back' and 'I Was There, Washington D.C., January 6, 2021,' federal prosecutors noted in a court filing Monday.... On a recorded call immediately after his arrest, Miller told his mother, 'I don't feel that I've done anything wrong and now I'm being locked up,' according to prosecutors. Like many of the more than 300 people facing federal charges in connection with the siege, Miller thoroughly documented and commented on his actions that day in a flurry of social media posts."

Sarah Bailey of the Washington Post: "The proportion of Americans who consider themselves members of a church, synagogue or mosque has dropped below 50 percent, according to a poll from Gallup released Monday. It is the first time that has happened since Gallup first asked the question in 1937, when church membership was 73 percent. In recent years, research data has shown a seismic shift in the U.S. population away from religious institutions and toward general disaffiliation, a trend that analysts say could have major implications for politics, business and how Americans group themselves." The Gallup report is here.

The Pandemic, Ctd.

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

Gina Kolata of the New York Times: "The coronavirus vaccines made by Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech are proving highly effective at preventing symptomatic and asymptomatic infections under real-world conditions, federal health researchers reported on Monday. Consistent with clinical trial data, a two-dose regimen prevented 90 percent of infections by two weeks after the second shot. One dose prevented 80 percent of infections by two weeks after vaccination."

Maegan Vazquez, et al., of CNN: "President Joe Biden announced on Monday that 90% of adults will be eligible to get a coronavirus vaccine within the next three weeks as well as have a vaccination site within five miles of where they live. 'For the vast, vast majority of adults, you won't have to wait until May 1. You'll be eligible for your shot on April 19,' Biden said. The President previously said he was directing states to open eligibility to all adult Americans by May 1. Biden said the US would increase the number of pharmacies participating in the federal pharmacy vaccination program from the current 17,000 locations to 40,000. He also announced a record 33 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines will be made available to vaccination sites this week -- a surge in availability that the administration hopes will mean newly eligible adults can find shots. The President, however, stressed that the country's battle against Covid-19 is 'far from won' as cases are once again on the rise and called on every governor, mayor and local leader to maintain -- and in some cases reinstate -- mask mandates." Video of President Biden's full speech is here. ~~~

~~~ Sharon LaFraniere & Sheryl Stolberg of the New York Times: "President Biden, facing a rise in coronavirus cases around the country, called on Monday for governors and mayors to reinstate mask mandates as the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned of 'impending doom' from a potential fourth surge of the pandemic. The president's comments came only hours after the C.D.C. director, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, appeared to fight back tears as she pleaded with Americans to 'hold on a little while longer' and continue following public health advice, like wearing masks and social distancing, to curb the virus's spread." ~~~

"Impending Doom." Nicholas Florko & Andrew Joseph of STAT News: "As Covid-19 cases begin again to spike throughout the United States, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky issued an urgent plea to Americans Monday to continue following public health measures. 'We have so much to look forward to, so much promise and potential of where we are and so much reason for hope, but right now I'm scared,' said Walensky, who noted she has begun experiencing a 'recurring' feeling of 'impending doom.' The plea came amid news that positive Covid-19 cases have increased by 10.6% compared to the previous seven-day period. Hospitalizations and deaths, which are a lagging metric, also rose over the last seven-day period, by 4.2% and 2.6%, respectively."

Ali Zaslav of CNN: "Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell on Monday encouraged 'all Republican men' to get the Covid-19 vaccine, as new polls indicate many in the group are skeptical of getting the shot. 'I can say as a Republican man, as soon as it was my turn, I took the vaccine. I would encourage all Republican men to do that,' said McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, on Monday, when asked what kind of messaging he can push as the GOP leader to help encourage people, specifically Republican men, that the vaccine is safe and they should get it. McConnell added that there is 'no good argument not to get the vaccination. I would encourage all men regardless of party affiliation to get the vaccination,' at a news conference in Hazard, Kentucky, outside a health care clinic for an event focusing on the state's vaccination efforts. In a CNN poll released earlier this month, 92% of Democrats said they had gotten a dose of the vaccine or planned to get one, while just 50% of Republicans said the same."

Dan Diamond of the Washington Post has a new report on CNN's interviews of top Trump administration Covid-19 response officials."... the finger-pointing and portrayals of some episodes prompted critics to say that former Trump administration officials who managed the pandemic response have turned to a new project: managing their legacies.... Some of those officials also have compared notes and aligned their recollections, a dynamic detailed by Politico last week, as they work to rehabilitate their reputations and shape future perspectives on the pandemic." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Brett Samuels of the Hill: "Former President Trump on Monday went on a tirade against Anthony Fauci and Deborah Birx, two of his former top medical advisers on the COVID-19 pandemic, excoriating their decisionmaking during his administration on the day after CNN aired previews of comments by the top government health experts. Trump issued a lengthy statement in which he argued that he ignored both Fauci and Birx while in office as a benefit to the country and boasted that he was responsible for getting vaccines rapidly developed and approved."

Ken Moritsugu & Jamey Keaten of the AP: "A joint World Health Organization-China study on the origins of COVID-19 says that transmission of the virus from bats to humans through another animal is the most likely scenario and that a lab leak is 'extremely unlikely,' according to a draft copy obtained by The Associated Press. The findings offer little new insight into how the virus first emerged and leave many questions unanswered, though that was as expected. But the report does provide more detail on the reasoning behind the researchers' conclusions. The team proposed further research in every area except the lab leak hypothesis." (Also linked yesterday.)

New York. Troy Closson of the New York Times: "New York must immediately begin to offer Covid vaccines to all incarcerated people in the state's prisons and jails, a judge ruled on Monday, making the state one of few in the nation to provide doses to such a broad population behind bars. The order, the first involving any of the country's largest correctional systems, comes as the coronavirus continues to roar through facilities in New York. At least 1,100 people living behind prison walls have tested positive for the virus since the start of last month, and five have died."

Beyond the Beltway

Minnesota. Holly Bailey & Kim Bellware of the Washington Post: "Derek Chauvin violated his oath as a police officer when he knelt on George Floyd's neck for over nine minutes and ignored Floyd's cries for help 'until the very life was squeezed out of him,' a prosecutor said Monday as testimony began in the landmark trial set to be a defining moment in the nation's reckoning over race and policing.... As the video [of Floyd's death] played on television monitors set up around the socially distanced courtroom, several jurors visibly reacted, including one who drew a sharp breath as Floyd was heard saying, 'I can't breathe.'... Prosecutors opened their case with testimony from three eyewitnesses -- including a 911 dispatcher who phoned a Minneapolis police supervisor after she saw Chauvin and the other officers kneeling on Floyd on a police surveillance camera that overlooks 38th and Chicago.... 'Something was not right,' [dispatcher Jena Scurry] said, testifying she had a 'gut instinct' that she needed to phone a police supervisor to make sure he was aware of the situation."

Georgia. Maya Prabhu of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution: "Two weeks after eight people where gunned down in three Atlanta-area spas, the Georgia Senate on Monday approved legislation to loosen the state's gun laws. House Bill 218 passed 34-18 on a party-line vote, with Republicans in support of the measure.... Canton Republican Rep. Mandi Ballinger initially proposed HB 218 to make it legally easier for travelers to bring their guns into the state. Senators amended the legislation during the committee process to allow probate judges to process gun carry licenses and license renewals online. Currently, applicants must go to the court in person. The legislation also prohibits the governor from closing weapons manufacturers or shooting ranges during a public emergency. The Senate also voted 34-18 to amend HB 218 to include a proposal ... to bar the governor from enacting any guidelines that 'specifically limit the practice of any religion' during a declared state of emergency." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Looks like that last amendment is designed to prevent a governor from imposing safe-distancing rules in churches during a communicable-illness emergency.

Michigan. James Dickson of the Detroit News: "Three men accused in an alleged plot to kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer will not face false report or threat of terrorism charges, a Jackson County judge ruled Monday. Judge Michael Klaeren of 12th District Court in Jackson dismissed the charge against Joseph Morrison and Pete Musico, both of Munith, and declined a request by prosecutors to add it to the charges against Paul Bellar, of Milford.... Klaeren on Monday ordered Bellar, Morrison and Musico to stand trial on three remaining charges, gang membership and providing material support for terrorism, both punishable by up to 20 years in prison, as well as felony firearm, punishable by up to two years in prison." (Also linked yesterday.)

New York. Nick Niedzwiadek of Politico: "Another woman has accused New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo of 'unwanted, unwelcome physical contact,' the latest in a series of allegations of sexual harassment and misconduct levied against the governor. The woman, Sherry Vill, said during a press conference on Monday afternoon that the governor 'suddenly grabbed her face and kissed her' in 2017 outside of her home in the town of Greece, which borders Lake Ontario. Cuomo was visiting the area to survey flood damage in the wake of a storm. She said that Cuomo commented on her appearance and kissed her two times with other family members present, advances that she alternately described as being in a 'highly sexual' and 'highly aggressive' manner.... Vill presented ... a screengrab captured by her daughter from video footage taken by Vill's son that appeared to show the governor grabbing her by the face and kissing her."

Way Beyond

Isabel Debre & Samy Magdy of the AP: "Salvage teams on Monday set free a colossal container ship that has halted global trade through the Suez Canal, bringing an end to a crisis that for nearly a week had clogged one of the world's most vital maritime arteries. Helped by the peak of high tide, a flotilla of tugboats managed to wrench the bulbous bow of the skyscraper-sized Ever Given from the canal's sandy bank, where it had been firmly lodged since last Tuesday. After hauling the fully laden 220,000-ton vessel over the canal bank, the salvage team was pulling the vessel toward the Great Bitter Lake, a wide stretch of water halfway between the north and south end of the canal, where the ship will undergo technical inspection, canal authorities said." See Victoria's comment in yesterday's thread. Funny. (Also linked yesterday.)

The Commentariat -- March 29, 2021

Late Morning/Afternoon Update:

The New York Times is liveblogging Derek Chavin's murder trial. Video of the trial appears on the front page of the Times (so it's free to nonsubscribers). The Washington Post's liveblog with video is here. The Post also has video in its front page. CNN & MSNBC are covering most of the proceedings live. NBC News has live updates here, along with video. NBC News also has video on its front page.

Juliet Eilperin & Brady Dennis of the Washington Post: "The White House announced on Monday an ambitious plan to expand wind farms along the East Coast and jump-start the country's nascent offshore wind industry, saying it hoped to trigger a massive clean-energy effort in the fight against climate change. The plan would generate 30 gigawatts of offshore wind power by the end of the decade -- enough to power more than 10 million American homes and cut 78 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions. To accomplish that, the Biden administration said, it would speed permitting for projects off the East Coast, invest in research and development, provide low-interest loans to industry and fund changes to U.S. ports. 'We are ready to rock-and-roll,' national climate adviser Gina McCarthy told reporters in a phone call Monday. She framed the effort as being as much about jobs as about clean energy."

James Dickson of the Detroit News: "Three men accused in an alleged plot to kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer will not face false report or threat of terrorism charges, a Jackson County judge ruled Monday. Judge Michael Klaeren of 12th District Court in Jackson dismissed the charge against Joseph Morrison and Pete Musico, both of Munith, and declined a request by prosecutors to add it to the charges against Paul Bellar, of Milford.... Klaeren on Monday ordered Bellar, Morrison and Musico to stand trial on three remaining charges, gang membership and providing material support for terrorism, both punishable by up to 20 years in prison, as well as felony firearm, punishable by up to two years in prison."

Dan Diamond of the Washington Post has a new report on CNN's interviews of top Trump administration Covid-19 response officials."... the finger-pointing and portrayals of some episodes prompted critics to say that former Trump administration officials who managed the pandemic response have turned to a new project: managing their legacies.... Some of those officials also have compared notes and aligned their recollections, a dynamic detailed by Politico last week, as they work to rehabilitate their reputations and shape future perspectives on the pandemic."

Isabel Debre & Samy Magdy of the AP: "Salvage teams on Monday set free a colossal container ship that has halted global trade through the Suez Canal, bringing an end to a crisis that for nearly a week had clogged one of the world's most vital maritime arteries. Helped by the peak of high tide, a flotilla of tugboats managed to wrench the bulbous bow of the skyscraper-sized Ever Given from the canal's sandy bank, where it had been firmly lodged since last Tuesday. After hauling the fully laden 220,000-ton vessel over the canal bank, the salvage team was pulling the vessel toward the Great Bitter Lake, a wide stretch of water halfway between the north and south end of the canal, where the ship will undergo technical inspection, canal authorities said." See Victoria's comment in today's thread. Funny.

Ken Moritsugu & Jamey Keaten of the AP: "A joint World Health Organization-China study on the origins of COVID-19 says that transmission of the virus from bats to humans through another animal is the most likely scenario and that a lab leak is 'extremely unlikely,' according to a draft copy obtained by The Associated Press. The findings offer little new insight into how the virus first emerged and leave many questions unanswered, though that was as expected. But the report does provide more detail on the reasoning behind the researchers' conclusions. The team proposed further research in every area except the lab leak hypothesis."

~~~~~~~~~~

Biden's Big ... Deal. Dan Balz of the Washington Post: "The biggest expansion of the federal government in a generation is underway, a pandemic-inspired shift in resources and responsibilities that will challenge President Biden and the Democrats to demonstrate that they can make government work.... For liberal Democrats, Biden's early initiatives represent the fulfillment of a long-sought goal, which is to marshal the full resources of the federal government to attack big problems, from the threats posed by climate change, income and wealth inequality, the country's aging infrastructure and the cost of higher education. Add to that his intention to tackle immigration and voting rights, and it adds up to the most expansive and ambitious agenda in half a century.... Now, the party's liberal wing is cheering a president whom many of them criticized as too centrist, too moderate and too temperate during the 2020 Democratic nominating contest." Balz credits Sen. Bernie Sanders with shifting the party leftward. MB: Oh lordy, we are all socialists now. Eat your hearts out, Republican Scrooges.

Lindsey Walter Mitty Graham. Tim Elfrink of the Washington Post: "As Democrats push again to ban assault weapons after mass shootings in Boulder, Colo., and Atlanta this month, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) on Sunday reiterated his opposition -- and said he has a personal reason for doing so. He needs his own AR-15, he said, in case disaster strikes and he needs to defend his home against a roving 'gang.' 'I own an AR-15,' Graham told Fox News host Chris Wallace. 'If there's a natural disaster in South Carolina where the cops can't protect my neighborhood, my house will be the last one that the gang will come to because I can defend myself.'" MB: Lindsey, who rose to the rank of colonel as an Air force JAG, was apparently not fully satisfied with his prestigious desk job. Instead, he imagines himself as a soldier or fighter pilot strafing the bad guys. ~~~

~~~ MB: Hmm, I think I know what color the "gang" is. Lindsey Jim Crow Graham. Evan Semones of Politico:"Sen. Lindsey Graham on Sunday accused President Joe Biden of playing the 'race card' by slamming Republican efforts to suppress voting across the country.... Graham went on to disparage Democrats and a package of election and government reforms, known as H.R. 1, that passed the House earlier this month and which seeks to counter Republican efforts to stymie voting, calling the sweeping legislation 'the biggest power grab in the history of our country.' It awaits action in the Senate. 'Every time a Republican does anything, we're a racist. If you're a white conservative, you're a racist. If you're a Black Republican, you're either a prop or Uncle Tom'; Graham said. Democrats 'use the racism card to advance a liberal agenda, and we're tired of it. H.R. 1 is sick, not what they're doing in Georgia.'" MB: You know, Lindsey, the term "playing the race card" implies that racism was not actually a factor but was invoked as a pretense. There's no pretense here. Your team is working overtime to ensure that people of color have minimal access to the vote.

Robert McCartney of the Washington Post: "Opponents of D.C. statehood have at most three arguments that deserve any respect. They involve the Founders' intent, retrocession to Maryland and the 23rd Amendment. But none stands up to scrutiny, as I'll discuss below. It's hard to accept that Republicans and other critics believe that these arcane constitutional claims count for more than respecting the nation's founding rallying cry of 'no taxation without representation.' Instead, as GOP leaders are increasingly willing to admit publicly, they care primarily about preventing the deep-blue District from sending two additional Democrats to the Senate and one to the House. Many of the objections raised at last week's House hearing on statehood were plainly laughable." MB: Oh yeah? Among the arguments McCartney calls "laughable": D.C. residents have the advantage of being able to post yard signs that Congressmembers will see; D.C. doesn't have a landfill; D.C. doesn't have enough car dealerships. Strangely, the great majority of states were admitted to the U.S. without any car dealerships at all. Now, Hawaii & Alaska, those are real states. Virginia and Illinois, for instance, not so much.

Ha Ha. Matt Binder of Mashable: After boasting that it "referred violent content and incitement from Parler's platform over 50 times before January 6th" to law enforcement agencies, right-wing social media platform Parler got so much blowback from its base of "Constitutionalist" and "free speech" users that it had to try to explain the First Amendment to them.

Brenna Smith, et al., of USA Today: "Defendants accused in the Capitol riot Jan. 6 crowdfund their legal fees online, using popular payment processors and an expanding network of fundraising platforms, despite a crackdown by tech companies. The Capitol riot extremists and others are engaging these companies in a game of cat-and-mouse as they spring from one fundraising tool to another, utilizing new sites, usernames and accounts. In one case, a crowdfunding website set up in late 2020 has been adopted by a defendant charged with storming the Capitol, who used it to raise almost $180,000. His was one of eight fundraisers on the site as of last week, and his donations accounted for 84% of the money raised on the platform.... In the wake of the insurrection, the popular crowdfunding site GoFundMe said it banned fundraising for travel to political events that have a 'risk for violence.'"

The Pandemic, Ctd.

The New York Times' live updates of Covid-19 developments Monday are here: "In interviews broadcast on CNN Sunday night..., Donald J. Trump's pandemic officials confirmed in stark and no uncertain terms what was already an open secret in Washington: The administration's pandemic response was riddled with dysfunction, and the discord, untruths and infighting most likely cost many lives. Dr. Deborah L. Birx, Mr. Trump's coronavirus response coordinator, suggested that hundreds of thousands of Americans may have died needlessly, and Adm. Brett P. Giroir, the testing czar, said the administration had lied to the public about the availability of testing.... Admiral Giroir said that the administration simply did not have as many tests as top officials claimed at the time.... The comments were among a string of bombshells that emerged during a CNN special report that featured the doctors who led the government's coronavirus response in 2020." ~~~

     ~~~ The Washington Post's live updates for Monday are here: "The former and current officials described a federal government [ostensibly run by Donald Trump] in such disarray that hundreds of thousands of people may have needlessly died as a result. Much of the administration's dysfunction played out in the open, but the insider accounts provided additional confirmation of the chaos and underscored the devastating effects the political polarization had on public health measures."

The New York Times' live updates of Covid-19 developments Sunday are here: "After weeks of decline followed by a steady plateau, coronavirus cases are rising again in the United States. Deaths are still decreasing, but the country averaged 61,545 cases last week, 11 percent more than the average two weeks earlier. Scientists predicted weeks ago that the number of infections would curve upward again in late March, at least in part because of the rise of variants of the coronavirus across the country. The variant that walloped Britain, called B.1.1.7, has led to a new wave of cases across most of Europe. Some scientists warned that it may lead to a new wave in the United States. The rise in infections is also a result of state leaders pulling back on mitigation measures, and large social interactions, like spring break gatherings in Florida, Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, the Biden administration's chief science adviser, said on the CBS program 'Face the Nation' on Sunday." (Also linked yesterday.)

Dan Diamond, et al., of the Washington Post: "The Biden administration and private companies are working to develop a standard way of handling credentials -- often referred to as 'vaccine passports' -- that would allow Americans to prove they have been vaccinated against the novel coronavirus as businesses try to reopen. The effort has gained momentum amid President Biden's pledge that the nation will start to regain normalcy this summer and with a growing number of companies -- from cruise lines to sports teams -- saying they will require proof of vaccination before opening their doors again.... The passports are expected to be free and available through applications for smartphones, which could display a scannable code similar to an airline boarding pass. Americans without smartphone access should be able to print out the passports, developers have said." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Beyond the Beltway

Georgia. Michelle Au, a Georgia state senator, in a Washington Post op-ed, describes the scene as the state Senate was debating the voter suppression bill: most Republican senators could not be bothered to even show up to hear the debate, but in a "small, clubby" anteroom off the chamber, GOP senators could be heard laughing & chortling among themselves. MB: May the people have the last laugh. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Way Beyond

Egypt. A Rising Tide Lifts All Boats. The New York Times (Monday) is liveblogging the progress of dislodging the cargo ship stuck in the sand of the Suez Canal: "The mammoth cargo ship blocking one of the world's most vital maritime arteries was wrenched from the shoreline and set partially afloat again early Monday, raising hopes that traffic could soon resume in the Suez Canal and limit the economic fallout of the disruption. Salvage teams, working on both land and water for five days and nights, were ultimately assisted by ... the moon and the tides. As water levels swelled overnight, the hours spent digging and excavating millions of tons of earth around the Ever Green paid off as the ship slowly regained buoyancy, according to officials. While shipping officials and the Egyptian authorities cautioned that the complicated operation was still underway, they expressed increasing confidence the ship would soon be completely free. The stern was now some 300 feet from shore, according to the Suez Canal Authority." ~~~

~~~ Slowly, Slowly, She Turns. The New York Times (Sunday) liveblogged the progress of the attempts to move a huge Japanese cargo ship that has been grounded for nearly a week in the Suez Canal and is completely blocking the vital international shipping lane. "Late Saturday, tugboat drivers sounded their horns in celebration of the most visible sign of progress since the ship ran aground late Tuesday. The 220,000-ton ship moved ... just two degrees, or about 100 feet...." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

~~~ Sudarsan Raghavan & Jennifer Hassan of the Washington Post: "Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sissi ordered preparations to be made for the unloading of the Ever Given cargo carrier that is blocking the Suez Canal, the head of the canal authority said Sunday. Lt. Gen. Osama Rabie, chairman of the Suez Canal Authority, told Egyptian television that officials were preparing for the 'third scenario' of unloading containers from the massive ship so it can be refloated, opening up one of the world's busiest waterways. The canal has been blocked since Tuesday, leaving more than 300 ships waiting to pass through. Unloading some of the 18,000 containers from the towering ship would require special equipment, so the president authorized its acquisition even as dredging continued, Rabie said. So far, 27,000 cubic feet of sand have been removed from around the vessel to a depth of 18 meters, or about 59 feet." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

News Lede

AP: "Sarah Obama, the matriarch of former U.S. President Barack Obama's Kenyan family has died, relatives and officials confirmed Monday. She was at least 99 years old. Mama Sarah, as the step-grandmother of the former U.S. president was fondly called, promoted education for girls and orphans in her rural Kogelo village. She passed away around 4 a.m. local time while being treated at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral hospital in Kisumu, Kenya's third-largest city in the country's west, according to her daughter Marsat Onyango."

The Commentariat -- March 28, 2021

Afternoon Update:

The New York Times' live updates of Covid-19 developments Sunday are here: "After weeks of decline followed by a steady plateau, coronavirus cases are rising again in the United States. Deaths are still decreasing, but the country averaged 61,545 cases last week, 11 percent more than the average two weeks earlier. Scientists predicted weeks ago that the number of infections would curve upward again in late March, at least in part because of the rise of variants of the coronavirus across the country. The variant that walloped Britain, called B.1.1.7, has led to a new wave of cases across most of Europe. Some scientists warned that it may lead to a new wave in the United States. The rise in infections is also a result of state leaders pulling back on mitigation measures, and large social interactions, like spring break gatherings in Florida, Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, the Biden administration's chief science adviser, said on the CBS program 'Face the Nation' on Sunday."

Dan Diamond, et al., of the Washington Post: "The Biden administration and private companies are working to develop a standard way of handling credentials -- often referred to as 'vaccine passports' -- that would allow Americans to prove they have been vaccinated against the novel coronavirus as businesses try to reopen. The effort has gained momentum amid President Biden's pledge that the nation will start to regain normalcy this summer and with a growing number of companies -- from cruise lines to sports teams -- saying they will require proof of vaccination before opening their doors again.... The passports are expected to be free and available through applications for smartphones, which could display a scannable code similar to an airline boarding pass. Americans without smartphone access should be able to print out the passports, developers have said."

Michelle Au, a Georgia state senator, in a Washington Post op-ed, describes the scene as the state Senate was debating the voter suppression bill: most Republican senators could not be bothered to even show up to hear the debate, but in a "small, clubby" anteroom off the chamber, GOP senators could be heard laughing & chortling among themselves. MB: May the people have the last laugh.

Slowly, Slowly, She Turns. The New York Times is liveblogging the progress of the attempts to move a huge Japanese cargo ship that has been grounded for nearly a week in the Suez Canal and is completely blocking the vital international shipping lane. "Late Saturday, tugboat drivers sounded their horns in celebration of the most visible sign of progress since the ship ran aground late Tuesday. The 220,000-ton ship moved ... just two degrees, or about 100 feet...." ~~~

~~~ Sudarsan Raghavan & Jennifer Hassan of the Washington Post: "Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sissi ordered preparations to be made for the unloading of the Ever Given cargo carrier that is blocking the Suez Canal, the head of the canal authority said Sunday. Lt. Gen. Osama Rabie, chairman of the Suez Canal Authority, told Egyptian television that officials were preparing for the 'third scenario' of unloading containers from the massive ship so it can be refloated, opening up one of the world's busiest waterways. The canal has been blocked since Tuesday, leaving more than 300 ships waiting to pass through. Unloading some of the 18,000 containers from the towering ship would require special equipment, so the president authorized its acquisition even as dredging continued, Rabie said. So far, 27,000 cubic feet of sand have been removed from around the vessel to a depth of 18 meters, or about 59 feet."

~~~~~~~~~~

Maureen Dowd of the New York Times: President "Biden should do what he can to help Senate Democrats dilute the filibuster. And he should insist on the passage of the voting rights bill the Senate designed to target the voter suppression efforts enacted in Georgia, just a preview of what's to come in other states. Nine years after first graders were mowed down at Sandy Hook, couldn't he finally make progress on the nation's most shameful issue -- blind worship of the AR-15?... As Fintan O'Toole wrote in The New York Review of Books in a piece titled 'To Hell With Unity,' it must be dawning on Biden that 'the willingness of most congressional Republicans to endorse Donald Trump's attempts to overturn the November election and their unwillingness to convict Trump for his role in the violent putsch of January 6' proves 'there can be no illusions of accord, or even of civilized dispute.'"

Sheryl Stolberg of the New York Times: "... public health experts say a new round of research could pave the way for gun policies that avoid partisan gridlock -- and ultimately save thousands of lives. The studies ... are being paid for by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which is once again funding research into gun violence after a nearly 25-year hiatus imposed by Congress.... Federal money for gun research all but disappeared after Congress in 1996 enacted the so-called Dickey Amendment, which barred the C.D.C. from spending money to 'advocate or promote gun control.'... In an extraordinary turn of events, [Rep. Jay] Dickey [R-Ark.], who died in 2017 [and for whom the amendment is name], befriended the man whose [gun research] work he had cut off, Dr. [Mark] Rosenberg.... In 2019, Dr. Rosenberg and Mr. Dickey's former wife, Betty, a retired former prosecutor and chief justice of the Arkansas Supreme Court, helped persuade Congress to restore the funding; lawmakers appropriated $25 million, split between the C.D.C. and the National Institutes of Health, for firearm injury prevention research. The agencies are now financing nearly two dozen studies, though backers of the research say the money is a pittance compared with the breadth of the problem."

Kate Bennett of CNN: "t has been more than two months since Kamala Harris was sworn in as vice president of the United States.... Yet, Harris -- along with her husband, Georgetown Law professor Douglas Emhoff -- is still, ostensibly, living out of suitcases, unable to move into the private residence reserved for the vice president because it's still undergoing renovations. It's unclear why the renovations are taking so long, said one administration official, but it's a situation that has left Harris increasingly and understandably bothered, according to several people who spoke to CNN about her situation.... The second couple continues to live in temporary housing at Blair House, the President's official guest quarters, just across Pennsylvania Avenue from the White House." MB: Blair House is not exactly a dump.

Jason Hoffman & Jasmine Wright of CNN: "'Now this is a moment of many firsts,' [Doug] Emhoff declared, sitting solo in front of the White House logo, at a virtual Passover celebration at the White House on Thursday. It's a nod not only to his wife's historic role as the first woman, first Black and South Asian vice president. But also, his own, as the first Jewish spouse in the White House, leading its first Passover event live streamed for the masses, days before the actual holiday. 'We are gathered today for the first Passover celebration of the Biden-Harris administration and I'm excited to join you as the first ever second gentleman, married to the first woman to serve as vice president of the United States. And as the first Jewish spouse of a president or a vice president,' Emhoff added.... The Obamas [held] Seders every year they were in the White House. However once they left office, the official White House Seder went by the wayside."

Yes, He's a Lying SOS, But I'd Vote for Him! Kelly Mena of CNN: "The former chief of staff to ... Donald Trump on Saturday pushed back against his former boss' recent attempt to whitewash the history of the January 6 Capitol riot. Mick Mulvaney, who stepped down as Trump's special envoy to Northern Ireland after the insurrection, called Trump's comments that his supporters were 'hugging and kissing' police officers and posed 'zero threat,' despite widespread violence, 'manifestly false.'... 'It's not right to say there was no risk, I don't know how you can say that when people were killed,' he added.... Still, Mulvaney said he 'absolutely would' still vote for Trump if he were to win the Republican presidential nomination in 2024." MB: I'd like to thank Mulvaney for voicing the moral position endemic to his party: provoking murder, mayhem, inciting terrorism and treason, are of no consequence as long as a person has an "R" after his name.

The Pandemic, Ctd.

Dan Keating, et al., of the Washington Post: "The first nationwide look at vaccination across counties reveals vast differences in the rate that people are receiving protection from the coronavirus, with notably lower rates in predominantly Black areas and counties that voted most heavily for ... Donald Trump in 2020." There's an interactive map as well as a search box so you can check your how your county is doing ... unless you live in one of the states that has provided "insufficient data." MB: If I didn't live in one of those "insufficient data" states, I'd use the info to gauge how safe it was to go out & about.

Maeve Reston of CNN: "Dr. Deborah Birx, who served as the White House coronavirus response coordinator under the Trump administration..., [says] in a new CNN documentary that the number of coronavirus deaths could have been 'decreased substantially' if cities and states across the country had aggressively applied the lessons of the first surge toward mitigation last spring, potentially preventing the surges that followed.... Birx ... stat[ed] that the vast majority of America's deaths could have been prevented.... 'I look at it this way. The first time we have an excuse,' Birx says. 'There were about a hundred thousand deaths that came from that original surge. All of the rest of them, in my mind, could have been mitigated or decreased substantially.' A key study from Columbia University released last year underscored the devastating conclusion that earlier intervention could have saved tens of thousands of lives." ~~~

     ~~~ Amy Wang of the Washington Post: "Birx ... has been criticized for not speaking more frequently and more forcefully against Trump. Last March, Birx praised Trump for being 'so attentive to the scientific literature and the details and the data' with regards to the outbreak. As The Washington Post's Philip Bump reported, Birx had presented overly optimistic data several times[.]... Birx also sat quietly at a news conference last April when Trump pondered whether people could be injected with disinfectant to 'knock out' the coronavirus."

Beyond the Beltway

Kansas. John Hanna of the AP: "One of the Kansas Legislature's most powerful lawmakers was charged Friday with driving under the influence and a felony offense for trying to elude law enforcement while speeding the wrong way on highways in Topeka. Senate Majority Leader Gene Suellentrop faces five criminal charges, including the felony count, the misdemeanor DUI count and a misdemeanor count of reckless driving. The Wichita Republican turned himself in at the local jail Friday evening, and his bond has been set at $5,000.... Suellentrop announced last week that he was stepping away from most of the majority leader's duties until matters surrounding his arrest are resolved."

Michigan. Laina Stebbins of Michigan Advance: "Michigan GOP Chair and University of Michigan Regent Ron Weiser told attendees of a local Republican club on Thursday that the state's top three female Democratic leaders ... Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Attorney General Dana Nessel and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson ... are 'witches' that Republicans need to defeat in 2022 by 'burning at the stake,' and made a casual reference to assassinating two sitting Republican members of Congress [because they voted to impeach Donald Trump].... Last fall, a group of right-wing, anti-government extremists were foiled in their plan to allegedly kidnap and publicly execute Whitmer, take public officials hostage in the state Capitol and burn the Capitol down. Leading up to that point were months of misogynistic, violent rhetoric directed toward Whitmer and other top Democratic officials from Republicans protesting COVID-19 health restrictions." Weiser said his remarks were "taken out of context." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Because you really have to understand the context in which someone recommends burning public figures alive or otherwise assassinating them. I believe what Weiser said "in context" was, "I disagree with their politics, so they should suffer violent, painful deaths." ~~~

     ~~~ Update: Apparently, Weiser discovered that the "out of context" excuse wasn't working for some overly-touchy people, because Hannah Knowles of the Washington Post reports, "On Saturday he issued a more regretful statement. 'In an increasingly vitriolic political environment, we should all do better to treat each other with respect, myself included," etc.

North Carolina. Armed White Vigilantes Want Black Family They Terrorized to Apologize to Them. Eliott McLaughlin of CNN: "... lawyers for the two [armed white men who came with 13 others to the home of a black family] say they ... want an apology from Monica Shepard and her teen son, Dameon, as well as from their family's lawyers, for comments they feel painted their clients as racists. A 'Kumbaya' moment seems unlikely. As the criminal cases against Jordan Kita and Austin Wood unfolded, the Shepards filed a civil lawsuit likening the group to Ku Klux Klan night riders.... The attorneys acknowledge that their clients, Kita and Wood, were armed, that Kita was wearing his law enforcement uniform outside his jurisdiction and the pair were among 15 people who went to the wrong home in the middle of the night wanting to know the whereabouts of a missing girl." The judge who acquitted Kita & Wood did not explain his ruling. MB: Living in the South is terrifying. I'm white, and if this had happened to me, I'd have a hard time getting over it.

Ohio. Timothy Bella of the Washington Post: "Ever since he moved to the United States from China more than a half-century ago, Lee Wong has been told he doesn't look American enough. Despite his 20 years of service in the U.S. Army, he says his patriotism has also been questioned by people who 'can't get over this face.' So when Wong called out the uptick in violence and discrimination against Asian Americans during a meeting of the board of trustees in West Chester Township, Ohio, the board chairman calmly unbuttoned his dress shirt to show those in attendance at the Tuesday meeting what patriotism looked like: red scars across his chest from his military service. 'Here is my proof,' said Wong, 69, who last year ran as a Republican candidate for the state Senate. 'Now, is this patriot enough?' Wong's impassioned speech on Tuesday, captured in a video that's been viewed by millions as of early Saturday, has resonated at a time when hate crimes against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) have become a regular occurrence...." Includes video.

Way Beyond

Richard Paddock of the New York Times: "At a military parade on Saturday, the general who led the overthrow of Myanmar's civilian government last month said the army was determined 'to protect people from all danger.' Before the day was over, the security forces under his command had shot and killed a 5-year-old boy, two 13-year-old boys and a 14-year-old girl. A baby girl in Yangon, Myanmar's largest city, was struck in the eye with a rubber bullet, although her parents said she was expected to live. The slain children were among dozens of people killed on Saturday as the security forces cracked down on protests across Myanmar, in what appeared to be one of the deadliest days since the Feb. 1 coup led by Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, commander of the Tatmadaw, as the military is known. One news outlet, Myanmar Now, put Saturday's death toll as high as 100." The AP's story is here. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

News Lede

Weather Channel: "At least four people are dead and rescues went on through the night as heavy rainfall swamped middle Tennessee and triggered major flooding of homes and roads, including in the south Nashville area.... At least four people are dead and rescues went on through the night as heavy rainfall swamped middle Tennessee and triggered major flooding of homes and roads, including in the south Nashville area."