The Commentariat -- March 6, 2021

Afternoon Update:

Jordain Carney of the Hill: "The Senate on Saturday approved a sweeping coronavirus relief bill strictly on a party-line vote after a marathon session, giving Democrats their first legislative victory since reclaiming the majority. Democrats cheered the 50-49 vote as it was gaveled closed. Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) missed the vote. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), seen as the only potential swing vote in the end, voted against the $1.9 trillion bill." The Washington Post story by Jeff Stein & others, also linked below, has been updated to reflect passage of the bill.

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Manchin Is Runner-up for Time-Killing Prize. Jeff Stein, et al., of the Washington Post: "The Senate in the early morning hours of Saturday inched toward approving President Biden's $1.9 trillion stimulus plan, as Democrats pressed forward with their major economic and public health relief package. Numerous senators appeared sleepy and tripped over their words on the floor of the Senate, with debate over various amendments pushed by Republicans stretching the process beyond 3 a.m. Democrats plowed ahead with the measure after resolving an approximately nine-hour standoff on Friday over changes to extending unemployment benefits demanded by Sen. Joe Manchin III (D-W.Va.) that resulted in significant changes to the bill. Democrats are within reach of passing the sweeping legislation that would send out a new round of $1,400 stimulus checks, $350 billion to cities and states, $130 billion to schools, billions for a national vaccine program and more. Democrats are moving through dozens of amendments in a chaotic process known as a 'vote-a-rama' that could continue for hours on Saturday." ~~~

     ~~~ Burgess Everett & Marianne Levine of Politico: Sen. Joe "Manchin's outsized influence has cast its shadow over the Senate since the day the Democrats captured their scant 50-50 majority. He's already derailed a Cabinet nominee and led the opposition to a federal $15 minimum wage even as his party's leaders pushed for it.... Friday ... the centrist Democrat paralyzed the entire Senate for more than 10 hours and threatened to side with Republicans seeking to cut weeks of unemployment benefits. In the end, it took a direct call from President Biden, a meeting with [Majority Leader Chuck] Schumer and significant concessions to get Manchin on board. He trimmed several weeks of unemployment benefits off of Sen. Tom Carper's (D-Del.) compromise amendment from earlier in the day and added a $150,000 cap to the proposal's tax deduction for up to $10,200 in unemployment benefits.... Manchin's dramatic play on Friday perplexed even his West Virginia counterpart, Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.). Their state's governor had been pushing Congress to go bigger, not smaller. 'I have no idea what he's doing, to be quite frank,' she said." ~~~

~~~ Burgess Everett of Politico: "The Senate on Friday is set to squash a bid to tack a $15 minimum wage to President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion coronavirus aid bill, with eight Democratic caucus members joining all 50 Republicans in rejecting the change. The Senate parliamentarian had ruled that the wage increase could not be added to the bill and approved by a simple majority of senators despite House passage of the provision last week. After Senate Democrats stripped it from the Covid package, a group of progressive senators led by Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) forced a vote on the policy change anyway." ~~~

~~~ Erica Werner, et al., of the Washington Post: "Democrats maneuvered frantically Friday to push President Biden's $1.9 trillion stimulus bill over the finish line in the Senate, agreeing to a last-minute change sought by moderates to keep federal unemployment benefits at their current $300-per-week level instead of raising them to $400-per-week.... The fast-moving developments came as the Senate launched into rancorous partisan debate on the overall relief measure, with Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) vowing to stay in session until they pass the massive legislation as Republicans threatened a cascade of amendments aimed at slowing if not stopping the bill." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

     ~~~ Side Note on the Stupidest, Biggest Jerk in the Senate. Reuters: "The day after he single-handedly delayed the U.S. Senate's debate on President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill for 11 hours, Republican Senator Ron Johnson said on Friday that he could retire from office when his term expires. The two-term Republican told Wisconsin media outlets that he has not decided whether to run for reelection in 2022 but added that not seeking another term is 'probably my preference now.'" MB: Yes, RonAnon, that would be my preference, too. Thanks to Ken W. for the link.

Katie Benner, et al., of the New York Times: "A member of the far-right nationalist Proud Boys was in communication with a person associated with the White House in the days just before the Jan. 6 assault on the Capitol, according to a law enforcement official briefed on the investigation. Location, cellular and call record data revealed a call tying a Proud Boys member to the Trump White House, the official said. The F.B.I. has not determined what they discussed, and the official would not reveal the names of either party. The connection revealed by the communications data comes as the F.B.I. intensifies its investigation of contacts among far-right extremists, Trump White House associates and conservative members of Congress in the days before the attack. The same data has [have!] revealed no evidence of communications between the rioters and members of Congress during the deadly attack, the official said." ~~~

Marie: This from the report, which I found interesting because I'd never heard of such a law enforcement tool: "The F.B.I. also obtained a 'geofence' warrant for all the Android devices that Google recorded within the building during the assault, the officials said. A geofence warrant legally gives law enforcement a list of mobile devices that are able to be identified in a particular geographic area. Jill Sanborn, the head of counterterrorism at the F.B.I., testified before a Senate panel on Wednesday that all the data the F.B.I. had gathered in its investigation into the riot was obtained legally through subpoenas and search warrants."

Lauren Fox of CNN: "Democratic Rep. Zoe Lofgren has quietly posted a nearly 2,000-page report documenting social media posts by her Republican colleagues who voted against certifying results of the presidential election on January 6. The information compiled isn't secret, but the report is another sign of the deep distrust that has settled into the US Capitol in the weeks since the insurrection. The report chronicles the social media activity of members on public forums immediately before the November election and right after the January 6 riot. The report has been online for a week.... In a preamble to the report, Lofgren -- the chair of the House Administration Committee -- wrote that she had asked her staff to pull the relevant social media posts and compile them in an effort to gather facts." Thanks to RAS for the link. The main page of Lofgren's report, Which RAS also linked, is here.

Nicholas Fandos of the New York Times: "A House Democrat who unsuccessfully prosecuted Donald J. Trump at his impeachment trial last month sued him in federal court on Friday for acts of terrorism and incitement to riot, attempting to use the justice system to punish the former president for his role in the Jan. 6 assault on the Capitol. The suit brought by Representative Eric Swalwell, Democrat of California, accuses Mr. Trump and key allies of inciting the deadly attack and conspiring with rioters to try to prevent Congress from formalizing President Biden's election victory. And like the case laid out in the Senate, which acquitted him, it meticulously traces a monthslong campaign by Mr. Trump to undermine confidence in the 2020 election and then overturn its results.... Though not a criminal case, the suit charges Mr. Trump and his allies with several counts including conspiracy to violate civil rights, negligence, incitement to riot, disorderly conduct, terrorism and inflicting serious emotional distress -- findings that could severely tarnish his legacy and political standing. If found liable, Mr. Trump could be subject to compensatory and punitive damages; if the case proceeds, it might also lead to an open-ended discovery process that could turn up information about his conduct and communications that eluded impeachment prosecutors.... The suit also names as defendants his eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., his lawyer Rudolph W. Giuliani and Representative Mo Brooks, Republican of Alabama, who led the effort to overturn Mr. Trump's election defeat...." An ABC News story is here. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

     ~~~ By the time Swalwell's and other suits against the former terrorist-in-chief get to court, the FBI & other agencies are likely to give the plaintiffs more fodder for their suit.

Katie Benner of the New York Times has more on Federico Klein, the Trump appointee who was arrested on charges of participating in the January 6 Capitol insurrection: "The F.B.I. said on Thursday that it had arrested a former State Department aide on charges related to the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, including unlawful entry, violent and disorderly conduct, obstructing Congress and law enforcement, and assaulting an officer with a dangerous weapon. The former midlevel aide, Federico G. Klein, who federal investigators said in court documents was seen in videos of the riot resisting officers and assaulting them with a stolen riot shield, is the first member of the Trump administration to face criminal charges in connection with the storming of the Capitol by a pro-Trump mob.... The F.B.I. determined that when Mr. Klein allegedly attacked Congress on Jan. 6 to help Mr. Trump unlawfully maintain power, he was still employed by the State Department and possessed a Top Secret security clearance...." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

     ~~~ An earlier Politico report, linked below, did not have the details of Klein's alleged actions on January 6 nor of the charges against him. The Politico story has been updated. BTW, according to the Politico report, Freddie didn't exactly tell his mom the whole truth. As far as she could recall, he told her only that he'd been "on the Mall." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

     ~~~ The Washington Post's headline is on point: "State Department aide appointed by Trump stormed the Capitol, beat police with a riot shield, FBI says." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

     ~~~ Chris Hayes of MSNBC highlights photos & videos of Klein doing stuff he didn't tell his mom about:

     ~~~ Then there's this headline to a story by Pete Williams of NBC News: "Federico Klein, former Trump appointee charged in Capitol riot, wants jail cell without cockroaches." MB: Isn't that an impossible request to fill, what with Klein himself being a coachroach?

But He Saved the Muffins! Josh Gerstein & Kyle Cheney of Politico: "The lawyer for the horned shaman who became one of the most iconic figures involved in the storming of the Capitol in January is in hot water with a federal judge after facilitating an interview that the judge said violated federal rules. At a hearing Friday on the case against QAnon follower Jacob Chansley, U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth dressed down Chansley's attorney Al Watkins for using his privileges as a lawyer to arrange an interview with Chansley for the online edition of '60 Minutes.'... The judge said he was asked by the marshals if he'd approved the interview at the Alexandria Detention Center and he said he had not.... 'The jail was only told this was an attorney-client interview video. I asked for a Zoom conference with him,' the defense lawyer [told Judge Lamberth]. 'I didn't tell them it was for an interview with "60 Minutes."' 'I'm sure you didn't,' Lamberth shot back." Later in the hearing, as Watkins sought to rehabilitate Chansley's reputation as an ordinary, law-abiding half-naked, spear-toting citizen who happened into the Capitol building at the invitation of Capitol Police, the lawyer claimed that Chansley "prevented the theft of muffins from a Capitol break room...." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I am now properly ashamed that on January 7, I republished this photo, obtained via the BBC, of Chansley during the insurrection, before learning he was a hero who "prevented the theft of muffins from a Capitol break room." ~~~

Anders Anglesey of Newsweek: "A D.C. grand jury has indicted a Pennsylvania mother-of-eight over her alleged participation in the storming of the U.S. Capitol building. Rachel Powell, of Mercer County, was indicted by a grand jury in Washington, D.C. on eight charges that allegedly took place on January 6.... Court documents claimed Powell, also known as 'Bullhorn Lady,' had carried an ice axe and wooden pole into the Capitol and called both 'deadly and dangerous weapons,' according to the York Daily Record."

Jerry Lambe of Law & Crime: "Despite publicly welcoming a court fight over his false claims about voting machines being used to steal the 2020 election from Donald Trump, Rudy Giuliani doesn't seem to be in much of a rush to respond to the billion-dollar defamation lawsuit filed against him by Dominion Voting Systems. After repeatedly dodging process servers last month, the former New York City mayor on Thursday asked a federal judge in Washington D.C. for a 35-day extension to respond to the $1.3 billion complaint filed by Dominion. Giuliani's motion for more time, which was unopposed, was filed one day after the deadline for his response had passed. The motion was entered on the docket Friday." Giuliani filed his own plea.

Eli Rosenberg of the Washington Post: "The White House fired the general counsel of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on Friday, continuing a push to oust controversial Trump appointees viewed as hostile to the mission of the agencies they worked for. Sharon Gustafson, who as the commission's general counsel was in charge of its high-stakes litigation over workplace discrimination on issues like race, religion and sex, was dismissed by the White House by letter on Friday afternoon after refusing to resign, according to Gustafson's resignation letter, obtained by The Washington Post, as well as a source familiar with the White House letter.... Gustafson had raised the hackles of civil rights, LGBTQ and women's groups during her confirmation hearing, by what they saw as 'evasive' answers she gave about the rights of LGBTQ workers during her Senate confirmation hearing.... While on the commission, Gustafson had been involved with anti-religious discrimination work."

Brian Schwartz of CNBC: "The billionaire accused of running the biggest tax fraud scheme in U.S. history was a prolific donor to Republican groups and causes. The leaders of those organizations have kept quiet on the federal charges against him. Robert Brockman, former CEO of Ohio-based software company Reynolds & Reynolds, was charged in October with running a $2 billion tax fraud scheme. Department of Justice officials said at the time that the businessman had hidden capital gains income for more than 20 years through various offshore entities in Bermuda and Nevis and secret bank accounts. Brockman has pleaded not guilty to the alleged crimes.... 'Congressional Republicans spent the last four years gutting IRS enforcement and cutting taxes for billionaires while being bankrolled by the biggest tax cheat in American history,' Max Steele, an American Bridge spokesman, told CNBC. [American Bridge is a Democratic super-PAC that "first flagged the Brockman contributions to CNBC."] 'While they should return or donate the money, we know they won't. After all, how can a party blindly loyal to Donald Trump afford to oppose billionaires committing tax fraud?' Brockman, through companies he controlled, also heavily financed a super PAC backing Mitt Romney for president in 2012, according to a report by Mother Jones." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Hmmm. I wonder if Offshore Mitt will express outrage & return Brockman's contributions.

Michael Ruane of the Washington Post: "The remains of Emil J. Kapaun, the Catholic priest and Korean War POW who was given the Medal of Honor posthumously in 2013, have been identified, the Pentagon said Friday. The almost complete set of Kapaun's remains had been exhumed from a cemetery in Hawaii where they had been buried as unknown after the 1950-1953 war, his nephew, Ray Kapaun, said Friday. The identification was made using dental records and DNA, he said.... Emil Kapaun, who is also a candidate for sainthood in the Roman Catholic Church, was beloved for ministering to American soldiers during the war's fierce fighting, rescuing them under fire and caring for them when they became prisoners of war. He died of illness and maltreatment on May 23, 1951, and his place of burial was lost. He was 35." An NBC News story is here. ~~~

The Pandemic, Ctd.

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

Todd Frankel of the Washington Post: "Today, most employees forced by the pandemic to work at home fail to qualify for the home office deduction, which might have shaved hundreds or even thousands of dollars off an individual tax bill. No deduction for the cost of printer paper, new office furniture or the additional heating required for being home during the workday.... The pandemic forced two-thirds of the full-time U.S. workforce to work at home for at least part of 2020, according to surveys. At one point over the summer, nearly twice as many employees were working from home than traditional workplaces, the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research reported.... The federal tax code for years used to help out this kind of WFH employee. They could reduce taxable income by deducting the cost of running home offices and for other unreimbursed employee expenses. But those deductions were killed off by the 2017 tax overhaul passed under ... Donald Trump, which slashed corporate tax rates while rejiggering individual rates -- allowing for a higher standard deduction but fewer itemized deductions.... In an ironic twist, companies still enjoy a tax benefit for providing office space for employees, despite many workplaces sitting empty as those same employees work at home." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: So if you had to clear out your exercise room, your crafts room or your guest room to accommodate a home office, if you spent hundreds on office supplies, file drawers, faster printer, etc., about the only thing you can do is go out in the front yard and yell an ironic, "Thanks, Donald!"

Jeff Schogol of Task & Purpose: "The Navy has repeatedly blamed Capt. Brett Crozier for the unprecedented novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak aboard the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt last year, but newly-released emails show several of Crozier's colleagues instantly recognized that he had put the lives of his crew above his own career. 'You are a great leader and Naval Officer,' Rear Adm. Stephen Barnett, commander of Navy Region Northwest, told Crozier in April. The Navy's top brass would say the opposite two months later when Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday accused Crozier of acting too slowly to contain the disease and putting his ship at risk by lifting a quarantine.... Crozier wrote an urgent letter to other Navy commanders on March 30 warning that his sailors would die unless most of the ship's crew was moved into individual quarantine ashore. He was fired on April 2, shortly after the San Francisco Chronicle published a leaked copy of his letter.... Before Crozier was relieved of command, the commanding officer of the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson sent him an email with words of encouragement. 'I read your letter yesterday in the SF Chronicle,' Capt. Matthew Paradise wrote on April 1. 'I thought it was awesome and a textbook example of speaking truth to power and taking care of your troops.'"

Alabama. Richard Fausset of the New York Times: "Gov. Kay Ivey of Alabama has proved, in her four years in office, to be a reliably conformist Southern Republican, with a record of defending ... Donald J. Trump, the Second Amendment and monuments to the Confederacy. But this week, Ms. Ivey, a 76-year-old veteran of Southern politics, demonstrated, yet again, that she harbored a pronounced maverick streak when it came to the emotionally charged matter of mask-wearing during the coronavirus pandemic. Bucking pressure from fellow Alabama Republicans, Ms. Ivey declared on Thursday that she would extend the state's mask mandate until April 9, even as Republican governors in Texas and Mississippi lifted such requirements in the name of personal freedom." MB: Yesterday, I misstated Ivey's position, based on something I heard on the teevee.

Beyond the Beltway

New York. Twenty-four Years in Jail for a Crime They Didn't Commit. Troy Closson of the New York Times: "On the weekend before Christmas in 1996, a shop owner was opening his check-cashing store in East Elmhurst, Queens, alongside an off-duty police officer who was working security, when the two were ambushed by a group of men, shot and killed. The case touched off a ferocious manhunt, and within days, three men were arrested. They were convicted in separate trials and sentenced to between 50 years and life in prison for murder. But more than two decades later, the case has collapsed. On Friday, a state judge in Queens threw out the convictions of all three men and admonished prosecutors for withholding evidence that would have cast serious doubt on their guilt. Prosecutors never turned over police reports showing that investigators had linked the killings to other men, the members of a local robbery ring. And five witness accounts -- never seen by defense lawyers -- contradicted the men's confessions, which were wrong on key details of the crime, and which lawyers say were coerced. The three men -- Gary Johnson, 46, George Bell, 44, and Rohan Bolt, 59 -- stepped outside the walls of Green Haven Correctional Facility..., on Friday afternoon, each with tears streaming down their faces as they embraced their families." A Greenpoint Post report is here.

New York. Norah O'Donnell, et al., of CBS News: "When asked Wednesday if he had completed sexual harassment training, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said the 'Short answer is yes.' But Charlotte Bennett, one of the women accusing the governor of sexual harassment, said his office director completed the training for him in 2019. 'In 2019, he did not take the sexual harassment training,' Bennett told 'CBS Evening News' anchor and managing editor Norah O'Donnell. 'I was there. I heard [the office director] say, "I can't believe I'm doing this for you" and making a joke about the fact that she was completing the training for him. And then I heard her at the end ask him to sign the certificate.' Stephanie Benton, Cuomo's office director, 'categorically denies the exchange,' according to a statement from the governor's office that added, 'this is not true.'" MB: Whatever the case, he flunked. ~~~

~~~ Shannon Young & Bill Mahoney of Politico: "Democrats in the New York Legislature on Friday took their most concrete step against an increasingly embattled Gov. Andrew Cuomo, passing a bill that imposes some limits on his king-like emergency powers as they grow increasingly frustrated with the leader of their party. Republicans weren't sold that this bill actually does much. But as the allegations against the three-term governor continue to snowball, the list of Democrats hinting at more severe steps against Cuomo continued to grow in the hours before the vote.... The Senate passed the bill on party lines mid-afternoon Friday. The Assembly did the same later in the day.... Cuomo was not involved in the negotiations. But he announced on Wednesday that he had 'worked with the Legislature' in reaching an agreement on the bill, giving plenty of Republicans fodder to argue that the measure was not a terribly serious blow against the governor." MB: Seems to me Cuomo still has to sign the bill.

Way Beyond

Nicole Winfield & Qassim Abdul-Zahra of the AP: "Pope Francis and Iraq's top Shiite cleric delivered a powerful message of peaceful coexistence Saturday, urging Muslims in the war-weary Arab nation to embrace Iraq's long-beleaguered Christian minority during a historic meeting in the holy city of Najaf. Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani said religious authorities have a role in protecting Iraq's Christians, and that Christians should live in peace and enjoy the same rights as other Iraqis. The Vatican said Francis thanked al-Sistani for having 'raised his voice in defense of the weakest and most persecuted' during some of the most violent times in Iraq's recent history. Al-Sistani, 90, is one of the most senior clerics in Shiite Islam and his rare but powerful political interventions have helped shape present-day Iraq."

The Commentariat -- March 5, 2021

Afternoon Update:

Erica Werner, et al., of the Washington Post: "Democrats maneuvered frantically Friday to push President Biden's $1.9 trillion stimulus bill over the finish line in the Senate, agreeing to a last-minute change sought by moderates to keep federal unemploymen benefits at their current $300-per-week level instead of raising them to $400-per-week.... The fast-moving developments came as the Senate launched into rancorous partisan debate on the overall relief measure, with Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) vowing to stay in session until they pass the massive legislation as Republicans threatened a cascade of amendments aimed at slowing if not stopping the bill." ~~~

Nicholas Fandos of the New York Times: "A House Democrat who unsuccessfully prosecuted Donald J. Trump at his impeachment trial last month sued him in federal court on Friday for acts of terrorism and incitement to riot, attempting to use the justice system to punish the former president for his role in the Jan. 6 assault on the Capitol. The suit brought by Representative Eric Swalwell, Democrat of California, accuses Mr. Trump and key allies of inciting the deadly attack and conspiring with rioters to try to prevent Congress from formalizing President Biden's election victory. And like the case laid out in the Senate, which acquitted him, it meticulously traces a monthslong campaign by Mr. Trump to undermine confidence in the 2020 election and then overturn its results.... Though not a criminal case, the suit charges Mr. Trump and his allies with several counts including conspiracy to violate civil rights, negligence, incitement to riot, disorderly conduct, terrorism and inflicting serious emotional distress -- findings that could severely tarnish his legacy and political standing. If found liable, Mr. Trump could be subject to compensatory and punitive damages; if the case proceeds, it might also lead to an open-ended discovery process that could turn up information about his conduct and communications that eluded impeachment prosecutors.... The suit also names as defendants his eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., his lawyer Rudolph W. Giuliani and Representative Mo Brooks, Republican of Alabama, who led the effort to overturn Mr. Trump's election defeat...." An ABC News story is here.

Katie Benner of the New York Times has more on Federico Klein, the Trump appointee who was arrested on charges of participating in the January 6 Capitol insurrection: "The F.B.I. said on Thursday that it had arrested a former State Department aide on charges related to the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, including unlawful entry, violent and disorderly conduct, obstructing Congress and law enforcement, and assaulting an officer with a dangerous weapon. The former midlevel aide, Federico G. Klein, who federal investigators said in court documents was seen in videos of the riot resisting officers and assaulting them with a stolen riot shield, is the first member of the Trump administration to face criminal charges in connection with the storming of the Capitol by a pro-Trump mob.... The F.B.I. determined that when Mr. Klein allegedly attacked Congress on Jan. 6 to help Mr. Trump unlawfully maintain power, he was still employed by the State Department and possessed a Top Secret security clearance...." ~~~

     ~~~ An earlier Politico report, linked below, did not have the details of Klein's alleged actions on January 6 nor of the charges against him. The Politico story has been updated. BTW, according to the Politico report, Freddie didn't exactly tell his mom the whole truth. As far as she could recall, he told her only that he'd been "on the Mall." ~~~

     ~~~ The Washington Post's headline is on point: "State Department aide appointed by Trump stormed the Capitol, beat police with a riot shield, FBI says."

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Joe vs. the Junta. Simon Lewis & Humeyra Pamuk of Reuters: "Myanmar's military rulers attempted to move about $1 billion held at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York days after seizing power on Feb. 1, prompting U.S. officials to put a freeze on the funds, according to three people familiar with the matter, including one U.S. government official. The transaction on Feb. 4 in the name of the Central Bank of Myanmar was first blocked by Fed safeguards. U.S. government officials then stalled on approving the transfer until an executive order issued by President Joe Biden gave them legal authority to block it indefinitely, the sources said."

President* Trump Is Still Not President* Trump. Kevin Roose of the New York Times: "QAnon ... had another bad day on Thursday. Following the letdown of Jan. 20 -- when, contrary to QAnon belief..., Donald J. Trump did not declare martial law, announce mass arrests of satanic pedophiles and stop President Biden from taking office -- some QAnon believers ... told themselves that 'the storm' -- the day of reckoning, in QAnon lore, when the global cabal would be brought to justice -- would take place on March 4.... But the Capitol was quiet on Thursday, and QAnon supporters did not erupt in violence. Mr. Trump remains a former president, and no mass arrests of pedophiles have been made.... [As the day passed without incident,] one Telegram channel devoted to QAnon chatter lit up with false claims that Bill Gates, Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and other prominent officials had been arrested or executed for treason already, and that 'doubles and A.I. clones' had been activated to preserve the illusion that they were still alive." From a liveblog on election misrepresentations. ~~~

~~~ Jonathan Landay & Julia Harte of Reuters: "A smattering of followers of the QAnon conspiracy theory gathered near the U.S. Capitol on Thursday, the day the movement had predicted ... Donald Trump's return to office, but they were far outnumbered by security forces deployed to deter any possible attack.... Media reports said that QAnon influencers had backtracked, posting on message boards that the March 4 theory was planted by the movement's enemies to make it look foolish." MB: Uh, it doesn't take your "enemies" to make you look foolish. You do very well on your own.

     ~~~ Marie: Aren't the faithful a little disappointed that their hero, Donald Trump, did not show up for his own fake inauguration? At least on January 6, he promised to be there even though he wasn't. Thursday, there was no word from the Don, nor any sightings of him in D.C.

Trump's Extremist Backers Still Pose a Threat. Dan Lamothe of the Washington Post: "The U.S. Capitol Police have requested a 60-day extension of some of the 5,200 National Guard members activated in the District in response to security threats and the Jan. 6 assault on Congress, opening the door to a military presence in the nation's capital into spring, defense officials said Thursday. Acting chief Yogananda Pittman submitted the request to the Defense Department for an extension, the Capitol Police said in a statement on Thursday evening, without saying for how long." ~~~

~~~ Carl Hulse of the New York Times: "The congressional inquiry into the security failures surrounding the Jan. 6 Capitol assault has barely begun, but one outcome already seems certain: The Capitol Police Board, the secretive three-member panel that oversees protection of the complex where Congress meets, is headed for major changes, if not outright elimination. Lawmakers of both parties in the House and the Senate, some previously unfamiliar with the sweeping authority of the board, have expressed astonishment at its lack of accountability and its inability to rapidly respond to the riot at the Capitol.... New tension over the board's power emerged on Thursday as Yogananda D. Pittman, the acting chief of the Capitol Police," told House & Senate leaders that the board was unresponsive to her request to extend National Guard deployments to protect the Capitol.

FBI Looking at Possible Congressional Collaborators. Evan Perez of CNN: "Federal investigators are examining records of communications between members of Congress and the pro-Trump mob that attacked the US Capitol, as the investigation moves closer to exploring whether lawmakers wittingly or unwittingly helped the insurrectionists, according to a US official briefed on the matter. The data gathered so far includes indications of contact with lawmakers in the days around January 6, as well as communications between alleged rioters discussing their associations with members of Congress, the official said. The existence of such communications doesn't necessarily indicate wrongdoing by lawmakers and investigators aren't yet targeting members of Congress in the investigation, the official noted. Should investigators find probable cause that lawmakers or their staffs possibly aided the insurrectionists, they could seek warrants to obtain the content of the communications."

Trump Appointee Arrested for Insurrection-Related Activities. Josh Gerstein of Politico: "The FBI on Thursday arrested Federico Klein, a former State Department aide, on charges related to the storming of the Capitol on Jan. 6, marking the first known instance of an appointee of ... Donald Trump facing criminal prosecution in connection with the attempt to block Congress from certifying President Joe Biden's victory. Klein, 42, was taken into custody in Virginia, said ... a spokesperson for the FBI's Washington Field Office. Details on the charges against him were not immediately available. Klein worked on Trump's 2016 campaign and was then hired at the State Department. As of last summer, he was listed in a federal directory as serving as a special assistant in the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs and was designated as a 'Schedule C' political appointee." The story has been updated.

Meryl Kornfield of the Washington Post: "Richard Barnett, infamously photographed during the Jan. 6 Capitol riot with his feet propped on a desk in House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's (D-Calif.) office, shouted that it was 'not fair' that he remained in jail, in an outburst before a federal judge on Thursday. In a virtual hearing, Barnett, 60, of Gravette, Ark., complained of his pretrial detention after U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper set the next court date for May." MB: Are we surprised that this loon can't control himself during a court proceeding?

Spencer Hsu of the Washington Post: "A federal judge on Wednesday released a Washington state leader of the Proud Boys from jail pending trial, chiding prosecutors for withdrawing some of the more sensational allegations against him in the Jan. 6 breach of the Capitol. Chief U.S. District Judge Beryl A. Howell of Washington upheld a lower court's Feb. 8 release order for Ethan Nordean, 30, of Seattle. She found that although Nordean appeared to be a key leader in raising money, gear and assembling Proud Boys to Washington before leading them to breach police lines in a '1776'-style revolt against the presidential election results, the government had not supplied evidence to date that he directly ordered individuals to break into the Capitol.... Nordean's release marked a stumble for prosecutors, who have cast him as a key figure based on what Howell agreed were 'ominous' communications before Jan. 6 that they said indicated he and other Proud Boys were planning 'violent action' to overwhelm police and force entry to the Capitol." (Also linked yesterday.)

Marianne Levine of Politico: "Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) will slow down the confirmation of Merrick Garland, President Joe Biden's pick to lead the Department of Justice.... The hold that Cotton has placed on Garland's nomination means that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer will need to clear a procedural hurdle before a final confirmation vote. Democrats had hoped that Republicans would agree to skip that step, particularly given that several of them -- including Minority Leader Mitch McConnell -- plan to support the nominee."

A la Carte Election Interference. Igor Bobic & Paul Blumenthal of the Huffington Post: "... many of [the] same Republican lawmakers [who voted to overturn states' presidential election results] are up in arms about a Democratic bill on voting and campaign finance reform that passed by a near party-line vote in the House of Representatives on Wednesday. The legislation ... would effectively nullify the new wave of voter restrictions that Republicans are pushing at the state level. It faces exceedingly difficult odds of passage in the Senate.... Republicans are objecting to the House bill on the grounds that it would force states to adopt procedures decreed by the federal government, arguing that states should be left free to decide how they run elections. This is a principle that many Republicans abandoned in January when they sought to overturn the 2020 presidential election because they opposed state laws governing that election, which were passed in some cases by GOP-controlled state legislatures."

The Trumpiest. Michael Kranish of the Washington Post: "North Carolina's Republican Party acted quickly last month to censure one of its most senior members, Sen. Richard Burr, for voting to convict ... Donald Trump in his second impeachment trial. Burr's vote was 'shocking and disappointing,' said Michael Whatley, chairman of the state party. But the state GOP has shown no interest in exploring a similar action against one of its youngest elected leaders, Rep. Madison Cawthorn, a pro-Trump freshman who is accused by a number of women of sexual harassment and has a record of making false statements and baseless claims." MB: According to Republicans then, it's okay to lie and harass women, but voting to convict a terrorist provocateur is unforgivable. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Take the Filibuster Back to Its Roots: Make the Senate Minority Defend Their Opposition. Norm Ornstein, in a Washington Post op-ed (March 2): "Instead of naming and shaming them, Democrats might consider looking at what [Democratic Sens. Joe] Manchin and [Kyrsten] Sinema like about the filibuster.... If you take their views at face value, the goal is to preserve some rights for the Senate minority, with the aim of fostering compromise. The key, then, is to find ways not to eliminate the filibuster on legislation but to reform it to fit that vision.... Currently, it takes 60 senators to reach cloture -- to end debate and move to a vote on final passage of a bill. The burden is on the majority, a consequence of filibuster reform in 1975, which moved the standard from two-thirds of senators present and voting to three-fifths of the entire Senate.... One way to restore the filibuster's original intent would be requiring at least two-fifths of the full Senate, or 40 senators, to keep debating instead requiring 60 to end debate. The burden would fall to the minority, who'd have to be prepared for several votes, potentially over several days and nights.... Go back to the 'present and voting' standard." MB: Ornstein's ideas make a lot of sense to me. He wouldn't eliminate the filibuster; rather, he would force the minority opposed to a piece of legislation do the work of showing their opposition.

David Folkenflik of NPR: "Michael Pack, [whom Trump appointed to be] CEO of the U.S. Agency for Global Media that oversees Voice of America, in August suspended ... top executives [of the agency]. He also immediately ordered up an investigation to determine what wrongdoing the executives might have committed. Instead of turning to inspectors general or civil servants to investigate, Pack personally signed a no-bid contract to hire a high-profile law firm with strong Republican ties. The bill &-- footed by taxpayers -- exceeded $1 million in just the first few months of the contract. Government Accountability Project, a nonprofit that represents federal whistleblowers accusing Pack and some of his inner circle of breaking U.S. laws and regulations, shared an analysis it conducted of documents related to the contract between Pack and the law firm."

Kelly Loeffler Gets Her Comuppance. Again. Jay Connor of the Root: "In the immediate aftermath of George Floyd's death, the WNBA ... launched a Social Justice Council, players donned warmups with phrases like 'Black Lives Matter' and 'Say Her Name', and similar messaging was emblazoned on the court itself. But ... former Georgia Senator and Atlanta Dream co-owner Kelly Loeffler was vocal in her opposition to everything Black Lives Matter stands for. And now, in a full-circle moment, [Dream guard Renee] Montgomery -- the same player whom Loeffler once refused to meet in order to address her racist rhetoric -- is part of a three-member investment group that's been approved to purchase the Dream, per ESPN.... [Montgomery,] who recently retired from the WNBA after 11 seasons (and two championships), becomes the first former player in the history of the league to become both an owner and executive of a WNBA franchise." MB: That leaves Kelly to sit home in her counting house to count her millions. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Amy Tells Sierra Club to Take a Hike, Ha Ha. Robert Barnes of the Washington Post: "Justice Amy Coney Barrett issued her first signed majority opinion for the Supreme Court on Thursday, siding with the government over an environmental group seeking draft agenda reports about potential harm to endangered species.... Barrett's 7-to-2 opinion said the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service did not have to provide the Sierra Club the guidance it gave the Environmental Protection Agency about a proposed rule regarding power plants that use water to cool their equipment.... Liberal Justices Stephen G. Breyer and Sonia Sotomayor issued a mild dissent."

The Pandemic, Ctd.

The Washington Post's live updates of Covid-19 developments Friday are here: "With newly reported coronavirus cases stalling at high levels, after weeks of decline, and fewer Americans getting tested, health experts warned that pandemic fatigue in the United States could jeopardize recent progress against the virus. Despite the warnings, some states with still-growing outbreaks, such as Texas and Mississippi, have relaxed restrictions. 'I don't know why they're doing it but it's certainly, from a public health standpoint, ill-advised,' infectious-disease expert Anthony S. Fauci told CNN on Thursday. Citing what he said was a high baseline for new infections, Fauci called the decision to pull back on precautions 'inexplicable.'"

Burgess Everett, et al., of Politico: "Senate Democrats muscled through the votes to begin consideration of President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill on Thursday afternoon, putting the party on course to clinch a new stimulus law well before its official March 14 deadline. Early Thursday afternoon, Democrats rallied their 50 senators to kick off debate on their own version of the stimulus bill, a key test vote that demonstrated that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has the support to prevail in the end, whenever it may be." ~~~

~~~ Emily Cochrane of the New York Times: "With President Biden's nearly $2 trillion stimulus bill moving toward passage, Senator Ron Johnson brought proceedings to a halt on Thursday by demanding that Senate clerks recite the 628-page plan word by word, delaying action to register his objections. The maneuver by Mr. Johnson, Republican of Wisconsin, was unlikely to change any minds about the sweeping pandemic aid plan, which ... has broad bipartisan support among voters. Republicans signaled that they would be unified against it, and Democrats were ready to push it through on their own, using a special fast-track process to blow past the opposition.... With Vice President Kamala Harris casting the tiebreaking vote, the Senate voted 51-50 to begin debating the bill on Thursday, just before Mr. Johnson made his objection, pushing off any substantive debate until Friday." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: "'The positions are throwbacks to the days before Xerox machines and the ready availability of hard copies, or now digital copies of legislation,' said Paul Hays, who served as the reading clerk in the House for nearly two decades in the 1990s.&" Doesn't it seem way past time to change this archaic rule, Senators? You won't be surprised to learn, BTW, the clerks were reading to a largely empty Senate chamber, so there's absolutely no doubt they were being used as hapless pawns to Sen. RonAnon's well-documented histrionics. But guess who's the "real" victim of political shenanigans. ~~~

~~~ I think it's obvious that I'm target number one here. People are out to destroy me. -- Ron Johnson, to CNN ~~~

~~~ Even Though.... Philip Bump of the Washington Post: "At this moment, on this issue, time can be measured in human lives.... [Based upon the time it took to read the first 40 pages of the bill,] it will take about 17 hours to read it in its entirety.... Given the current rate at which people are dying of covid-19, we can expect just shy of 1,400 Americans to succumb to the disease during that period.... [Ron] Johnson can end the reading whenever he wishes, though he's also indicated that he plans to introduce numerous amendments in an effort to obstruct its passage."

Paul Krugman of the New York Times: "Wearing a mask in public ... is slightly inconvenient, but hardly a major burden. And the case for imposing that mild burden in a pandemic is overwhelming.... Covering our faces while the pandemic lasts would appear to be simple good citizenship, not to mention an act of basic human decency. Yet Texas and Mississippi [MB: and now Alabama*] have just ended their statewide mask requirements.... Refusing to wear a mask has become a badge of political identity, a barefaced declaration that you reject liberal values like civic responsibility and belief in science.... These days conservatives don't seem to care about anything except identity politics, often expressed over the pettiest of issues.... I don't know how many people will die unnecessarily because the governor of Texas has decided that ignoring the science and ending the mask requirement is a good way to own the libs. But the number won't be zero." ~~~

     ~~~ * Marie: My mistake. Alabama's Gov. Kay Ivey has not lifted the state's mask ban. I must quit believing everything I half-hear on the teevee.

Casey Smith of the AP: "The national rush to vaccinate teachers in hopes of soon reopening pandemic-shuttered schools is running into one basic problem: Almost no one knows how many are getting the shots, or refusing to get them. States and many districts have not been keeping track of school employee vaccinations, even as the U.S. prioritizes teachers nationwide. Vaccines are not required for educators to return to school buildings, but the absence of data complicates efforts to address parents' concerns about health risk levels and some teachers unions' calls for widespread vaccinations as a condition of reopening schools."

Unwashed writes from personal experience how to successfully garner a Covid-19 vaccination appointment at Walgreens: "... it appears that the magic witching minutes is at 7:00 a.m. After spending several days trying to secure an appointment with no result, it wasn't until yesterday at exactly 7 am when I signed on to their website that I was successful in being able to register for both dose 1 and 2 (Phizer/Moderna) of the vaccine. My wife was able to achieve the same result at exactly the same time this morning, 7 a.m. on the minute. Available appointments disappeared within minutes from that time. Pre-register and be ready to hit search, by zip code, on the dot."

The New York Times' live updates of Covid-19 developments Thursday are here. The Washington Post's live updates for Thursday are here. (Also linked yesterday.)

New York. David Goodman & Danny Hakim of the New York Times: "A [June 2020] report written by state health officials ... included a count of how many nursing home residents in New York had died in the pandemic. The number -- more than 9,000 by that point in June -- was not public, and the governor's most senior aides wanted to keep it that way. They rewrote the report to take it out, according to interviews and documents reviewed by The New York Times. The extraordinary intervention, which came just as [Gov Andrew] Cuomo was starting to write a book on his pandemic achievements, was the earliest act yet known in what critics have called a monthslong effort by the governor and his aides to obscure the full scope of nursing home deaths. After the state attorney general revealed earlier this year that thousands of deaths of nursing home residents had been undercounted, Mr. Cuomo ... [said] he had withheld it out of concern that the Trump administration might pursue a politically motivated inquiry into the state's handling of the outbreak in nursing homes. But Mr. Cuomo and his aides actually began concealing the numbers months earlier, as his aides were battling their own top health officials, and well before requests for data arrived from federal authorities...." ~~~

     ~~~ The Raw Story has a summary report here. An AP report, based on NYT & Wall Street Journal stories, is here.

Beyond the Beltway

Jaclyn Peiser of the Washington Post: "In the dead of night on Sept. 28, 2019, Mark Russo [a New Jersey man --] sneaked into a wooded area in Salem, N.H., armed with a power tool, police said. His destination was 'America's Stonehenge,' a grouping of man-made rock formations that some say may date back thousands of years. His intent, police said, was to vandalize the stones with a message associated with QAnon, an extremist ideology that the FBI has deemed a domestic terrorism threat. 'The stone table was carved with "WWG1WGA" and "IAMMARK,"' an officer wrote in a vandalism report reviewed by Patch. The former stands for 'Where We Go One, We Go All,' a slogan often used by QAnon followers. The latter, police later learned, referred to his name and Twitter handle." MB: Hint to aspiring monument-defacers: do not leave a signature; do not admit to your crime on Twitter.

Way Beyond

AP: "Pope Francis arrived inside the heavily fortified Green Zone, the seat of Iraq's government, to meet with President Barham Salih and other officials." This is a liveblog of the Pope's visit to Iraq.

News Lede

CNBC: "Hiring surged in February as U.S. economic activity picked up with Covid-19 cases steadily dropping and vaccine rollouts providing hope for more growth. The Labor Department reported Friday that nonfarm payrolls jumped by 379,000 for the month and the unemployment rate fell to 6.2%. That compared with expectations of 210,000 new jobs and the unemployment rate holding steady from the 6.3% rate in January."

The Commentariat -- March 4, 2021

Afternoon Update:

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

The Trumpiest. Michael Kranish of the Washington Post: "North Carolina's Republican Party acted quickly last month to censure one of its most senior members, Sen. Richard Burr, for voting to convict ... Donald Trump in his second impeachment trial. Burr's vote was 'shocking and disappointing,' said Michael Whatley, chairman of the state party. But the state GOP has shown no interest in exploring a similar action against one of its youngest elected leaders, Rep. Madison Cawthorn, a pro-Trump freshman who is accused by a number of women of sexual harassment and has a record of making false statements and baseless claims." MB: According to Republicans then, it's okay to lie and harass women, but voting to convict a terrorist provocateur is unforgivable.

Kelly Loeffler Gets Her Comuppance. Again. Jay Connor of the Root: "In the immediate aftermath of George Floyd's death, the WNBA ... launched a Social Justice Council, players donned warmups with phrases like 'Black Lives Matter' and 'Say Her Name', and similar messaging was emblazoned on the court itself. But ... former Georgia Senator and Atlanta Dream co-owner Kelly Loeffler was vocal in her opposition to everything Black Lives Matter stands for. And now, in a full-circle moment, [Dream guard Renee] Montgomery -- the same player whom Loeffler once refused to meet in order to address her racist rhetoric -- is part of a three-member investment group that's been approved to purchase the Dream, per ESPN.... [Montgomery,] who recently retired from the WNBA after 11 seasons (and two championships), becomes the first former player in the history of the league to become both an owner and executive of a WNBA franchise." MB: That leaves Kelly to sit home and count her millions.

Spencer Hsu of the Washington Post: "A federal judge on Wednesday released a Washington state leader of the Proud Boys from jail pending trial, chiding prosecutors for withdrawing some of the more sensational allegations against him in the Jan. 6 breach of the Capitol. Chief U.S. District Judge Beryl A. Howell of Washington upheld a lower court's Feb. 8 release order for Ethan Nordean, 30, of Seattle. She found that although Nordean appeared to be a key leader in raising money, gear and assembling Proud Boys to Washington before leading them to breach police lines in a '1776'-style revolt against the presidential election results, the government had not supplied evidence to date that he directly ordered individuals to break into the Capitol.... Nordean's release marked a stumble for prosecutors, who have cast him as a key figure based on what Howell agreed were 'ominous' communications before Jan. 6 that they said indicated he and other Proud Boys were planning 'violent action' to overwhelm police and force entry to the Capitol."

~~~~~~~~~~

** Tom Jackman, et al., of the Washington Post: "The U.S. Capitol Police said Wednesday that they have information regarding a possible plot by a militant group to breach the Capitol on Thursday, a date that some followers of the QAnon extremist ideology falsely claim will mark ... Donald Trump's return to the White House. The department declined to name the militia group or provide additional details, citing the 'sensitive nature' of the information. In a statement, the department said it is 'prepared for any potential threats.'" The AP's report is here. ~~~

      ~~~ The New York Times report, by Zolan Kanno-Youngs & Matthew Rosenberg, adds this: "Representative Michael McCaul of Texas, a senior Republican on the House Homeland Security Committee, pleaded on CNN on Wednesday: 'President Trump has a responsibility to tell them to stand down. This threat is credible. It's real. It's a right-wing militia group.'" MB: But the report also suggests why Trump won't call for a stand-down: "... in Washington on Thursday, rates at the Trump International Hotel for March 3 and 4 have spiked to three or four times their usual prices, much as they did before Jan. 6." ~~~

~~~ Julia Ainsley of NBC News: "The Department of Homeland Security and the FBI sent a joint intelligence bulletin to state and local law enforcement agencies late Tuesday warning that some domestic groups have 'discussed plans to take control of the U.S. Capitol and remove Democratic lawmakers on or about' March 4, according to a senior law enforcement official who described the document to NBC News. The bulletin, titled 'National Capital Region Remains Attractive Target for Domestic Violent Extremists,' warned that "Domestic Violent Extremists" or 'Militia Violent Extremists' were emboldened by the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol and therefore pose a higher overall threat. The bulletin said the militia violent extremists may 'exploit public gatherings either formally organized or spontaneous to engage in violence,' according to the description of the document." ~~~

~~~ Heather Caygle, et al., of Politico: "Top House Democrats are abruptly wrapping up all work on Wednesday and sending members home -- a day earlier than planned -- as congressional leaders grapple with another potential threat to the Capitol, nearly two months after deadly riots overtook the complex. While the extent of the concerns is not yet clear, U.S. Capitol Police have stepped up the security around the Capitol and related office buildings after both federal authorities and the sergeant-at-arms warned of discussions by 'militia violent extremists' to seize control of the complex on or around March 4."

Matt Zapotosky, et al., of the Washington Post: "The commanding general of the D.C. National Guard told lawmakers Wednesday how restrictions the Pentagon placed on him in the run-up to Capitol riot prevented him from more quickly sending forces to help quell the violence. Maj. Gen. William J. Walker said he didn't receive approval to change the D.C. Guard's mission and send his forces to the Capitol on Jan. 6 until three hours and 19 minutes after he first received an emotional call from the Capitol Police chief requesting urgent backup. Walker described the Pentagon's restrictions as 'unusual,' noting that he didn't have such limitations last June when the D.C. Guard was tasked with responding to local racial justice protests.... Walker's timeline for when he was finally authorized to send forces to the Capitol differed from that of another witness at the hearing, Robert G. Salesses, the Pentagon official performing the duties of the assistant secretary of defense for homeland defense and global security. Walker said that he didn't receive the order from senior Army officials to send his forces to the Capitol until 5:08 p.m., but Salesses said the acting defense secretary ordered forces to depart at 4:32 p.m. Walker said personnel did not arrive until 5:20 p.m." The story has been updated. Politico's story is here. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

     ~~~ Missy Ryan & Dan Lamothe of the Washington Post: "The Pentagon acted as quickly as possible when asked to help respond to rioting at the Capitol on Jan. 6, the top U.S. military officer said, calling the turnaround 'sprint speed' in his first public comments about the Pentagon's reaction to the lethal siege. Army Gen. Mark A. Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said defense officials approved a police request for assistance in about 60 minutes as a mob smashed into Congress in an effort to stop the certification of Joe Biden's presidential win. It then took several hours for D.C. National Guard members to mobilize and get in place, he said. Milley spoke as lawmakers prepared to hold another hearing on the riot, which has become a defining moment in ... Donald Trump's months-long attempt to remain in office and overturn the Biden victory."

Dana Milbank of the Washington Post Dares to Ask: "Three hours and 19 minutes. That's how long it took from the first, desperate pleas for help from the Capitol Police to the Trump Pentagon on Jan. 6 until the D.C. National Guard finally received permission to help put down the bloody insurrection.... The man ultimately responsible for the delay, Christopher Miller, had been a White House aide before Donald Trump installed him as acting defense secretary in November, as the president began his attempt to overturn his election defeat.... The Pentagon's 199-minute delay looks worse in light of a Jan. 4 memo Miller issued saying that without his 'personal authorization' the D.C. Guard couldn't 'be issued weapons, ammunition, bayonets, batons or ballistic protection equipment such as helmets and body armor.' The Army secretary added more restrictions the next day.... Also involved in the Pentagon delay was Lt. Gen. Charles Flynn, brother of disgraced former Trump adviser Michael Flynn..., [who] had suggested Trump declare martial law.... During this moment of crisis -- an attempted coup in the Capitol -- the defense secretary and the Army secretary were 'not available,' [Maj. Gen. William J.] Walker[, commander of the D.C. Guard,] testified.... Curiously, the Pentagon claims Miller's authorization came at 4:32 -- 15 minutes after Trump told his 'very special' insurrectionists to 'go home in peace.' Was Miller waiting for Trump's blessing before defending the Capitol?" Emphasis added.

** Shane Harris, et al., of the Washington Post: "Internal reports and emails from the Homeland Security Department show that federal law enforcement authorities were alert to the potential for violence by extremist groups attending a pro-Trump rally in Washington on Jan. 6, which preceded the attack on the Capitol. A security bulletin, along with other reports on protests, was compiled by the department's Federal Protective Service (FPS) a day before the attack and warned that anti-government and racially motivated extremists were likely to participate in the rally near the White House and 'use the activities as an opportunity to promote their ideologies and motivate followers to promote violence.'... The bulletin indicates that it was shared with other DHS security teams. It's not clear whether it was provided to the FBI, D.C. police or Capitol Police.... But the documents do show a level of awareness of potential threats on the part of the FPS, which is responsible for protecting federal properties, including some buildings around the Capitol." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Brad Heath of Reuters: "The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration has suspended an agent who was outside the Capitol when a mob of Donald Trump supporters stormed the building, his lawyer said, in the first known case of authorities examining the conduct of a fellow federal agent during the deadly riot.... One of [Mark] Ibrahim's lawyers ... said DEA officials told Ibrahim that they were putting him on leave and suspending his security clearance 'because of his presence on Jan. 6.' She said Ibrahim, who was off duty but carrying his service weapon at the time, was part of the crowd outside the Capitol as Trump supporters stormed the building in a bid to stop Congress from certifying Democrat Joe Biden's presidential election victory.... She said he did not pass a set of metal barricades outside the building that were quickly overrun by the crowd."

Anthony Adragna & Ben LeFebvre of Politico: "Rep. Deb Haaland (D-N.M.) won the support of a key Republican senator Wednesday, giving her a likely path to winning confirmation as the first Native American Cabinet secretary, despite heavy criticism from other GOP lawmakers. Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) said she would vote to approve Haaland's nomination to lead the Interior Department, giving her a crucial but narrow buffer in a Senate that's split 50-50 between the parties. Two other moderate senators -- Arizona Democrat Kyrsten Sinema and Alaska Republican Lisa Murkowski -- have not said publicly how they plan to vote on Haaland's nomination, which comes up for a key committee vote Thursday."

Alice Ollstein of Politico: "The Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday split evenly along party lines on whether to advance Xavier Becerra for Health and Human Services secretary, leaving it to Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to bring the nomination up for a full Senate vote. The 14-14 tally reflected the sharp partisan divisions around Becerra, now California's attorney general, who's drawn fire from conservatives eager to make his confirmation a political liability for Democrats facing reelection next year. He is the first of President Joe Biden's Cabinet nominees not to be favorably reported out of committee, which will force Democrats to bring up a motion to discharge his nomination and hold an additional four hours of debate before a confirmation vote. The Senate's ongoing work on Biden's $1.9 trillion Covid relief bill and a pile-up of other nominees awaiting confirmation complicates the timeline for Becerra -- particularly if Vice President Kamala Harris needs to be on hand to break a tie." MB: Biden's bipartisan kumbaya does not seem to be going well.

** Mitch's Wife Is Not Above Suspicion. Eric Lipton & Michael Forsythe of the New York Times: "The Transportation Department's inspector general asked the Justice Department in December to consider a criminal investigation into what it said was Elaine Chao's misuse of her office as transportation secretary in the Trump administration to help promote her family's shipping business, which is run by her sister and has extensive business ties with China. In a report made public on Wednesday, the inspector general said the Justice Department's criminal and public integrity divisions both declined to take up the matter in the closing weeks of the Trump administration, even after the inspector general found repeated examples of Ms. Chao using her staff and her office to help benefit her family and their business operations and revealed that staff members at the agency had raised ethics concerns. 'A formal investigation into potential misuses of position was warranted,' Mitch Behm, the department's deputy inspector general, said on Tuesday in a letter to House lawmakers, accompanying a 44-page report detailing the investigation and the findings of wrongdoing. Ms. Chao [is] the wife of Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky...."

Oh, to Flip the Accountant. David Fahrenthold, et al., of the Washington Post: "The Manhattan district attorney is delving deeply into the personal and financial affairs of the chief financial officer for ... Donald Trump's company..., Allen Weisselberg.... This questioning is now led by a former mob prosecutor [Mark F. Pomerantz], and one person familiar with the investigation said it is aimed at 'flipping' Weisselberg.... "

** Mike DeBonis of the Washington Post: "The House late Wednesday night passed expansive legislation to create uniform national voting standards, overhaul campaign finance laws and outlaw partisan redistricting, advancing a centerpiece of the Democratic voting rights agenda amid fierce Republican attacks that threaten to stop it cold in the Senate. The bill, titled the 'For the People Act,' was given the symbolic designation of H.R. 1 by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), and it largely mirrors a bill passed two years ago in the early weeks of the House Democratic majority. This year, however, the bill has taken on additional significance because of the new Democratic majority in the Senate and President Biden's November win, as well as the efforts underway in dozens of Republican-controlled state legislatures to roll back voting access in reaction to ... Donald Trump's loss and his subsequent campaign to question the election results." CNN's story is here. The New York Times' story is here.

** Felicia Sonmez & Colby Itkowitz of the Washington Post: "The House on Wednesday passed the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, an expansive policing overhaul measure named for the 46-year-old Black man who died last Memorial Day after a Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee against his neck for over nine minutes. The bill passed 220 to 212 along mostly party lines, with two Democratic Reps. Jared Golden (Maine) and Ron Kind (Wis.) voting against it. and one Republican, Rep. Lance Gooden (Tex.), accidentally voting for it. Soon after the vote, Gooden tweeted that he'd pressed the wrong button and had meant to vote 'no.' He said he would submit a corection to his vote." MB: As a person given to making many typos, I love it when I see a word like "correction" misspelled ... by somebody else. I suppose a copy editor will fix this later, but honestly, what you see is what I copied & pasted. More important, of course, is the paradigmatic moment here wherein the one and only Republican to vote for a bill designed to bring fairer treatment to people of color cast that vote by mistake. ~~~

     ~~~ Politico's story, by Nolan McCaskill, is here.

John Amato of the Crooks & Liars: "The Federal Election Commission has its eye on Rep. Jim Jordan and his campaign committee, because of huge discrepancies in their filings. Cleveland.com reports that many of discrepancies are over $100,000 -- in one instance, the amount was over $900,000. Rep. Jordan claims the problems arose because of massive donations he's received as a Trump apologist and voter fraud grifter." The Cleveland.com page is subscriber-firewalled. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

The New York Times now has a story on the DOD inspector general's report on Ronny Jackson, doctor to presidents and now a member of Congress. CNN's report was linked yesterday. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Daniel Dale, et al., of CNN: "In an opinion article published on Wednesday, former Vice President Mike Pence did something he used to do in office: echo a lie from ... Donald Trump in a slightly more sophisticated way. Pence's op-ed, published on the Daily Signal website run by the conservative think tank The Heritage Foundation, was mostly filled with attacks on a Democratic elections reform bill known as HR 1. But Pence also made claims about what happened in the 2020 election. Most notably, he began the article by claiming that the election involved 'significant voting irregularities.'"

Annals of "Journalism," Ctd. Craig Silverman & Ryan Mac of BuzzFeed News: "New York Times columnist David Brooks is drawing a second salary for his work on an Aspen Institute project funded by Facebook and other large donors -- a fact he has not disclosed in his columns. A Times spokesperson refused to tell BuzzFeed News whether the paper was aware Brooks was taking a salary for his work on Weave, a project he founded and leads for the Aspen Institute, a prominent think tank based in Washington, DC. The spokesperson also wouldn't say if the Times knew that Weave took money from Facebook.... Brooks has published multiple columns [in the New York Times] that promote Weave, in addition to writing pieces that mention Facebook, its founder Mark Zuckerberg, and the company's products without disclosing his financial ties to the social networking giant.... The Times said it's reviewing Brooks's work with Weave."

The Pandemic, Ctd.

Biden Calls Out "Neanderthal" Governors. Peter Sullivan of the Hill: "President Biden on Wednesday denounced the governors of Texas and Mississippi for lifting coronavirus restrictions, calling the moves 'Neanderthal thinking.' 'I think it's a big mistake,' Biden told reporters in the Oval Office when asked about the two states lifting their mask mandates and all capacity limits on businesses on Tuesday. 'I hope everybody's realized by now these masks make a difference,' he added. 'We are on the cusp of being able to fundamentally change the nature of this disease because of the way we're able to get vaccines in people's arms.... The last thing we need is Neanderthal thinking that in the meantime everything's fine, take off your mask, forget it,' he said." The New York Times story is here. As Ken W. pointed out in yesterday's Comments, Biden was kinda unfair to Neanderthals.

Dumbest Senator Has an Idea. Alexander Bolton of the Hill: "Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) ... has told colleagues that he plans to force the Senate clerks to read aloud the entire $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill on the Senate floor, which could slow it down by as much as 10 hours.... Any senator can force a reading of a bill on the floor, but the formality is almost always skipped by unanimous consent to avoid wasting time.... 'It just delays things a day,' said Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.). 'I feel sorry for the reading clerk.'" ~~~

     ~~~ In Lieu of Flowers, Send Money to Ron Johnson's Opponent. Mary Spicuzza of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: "Carol Lindeen raised her children to avoid certain topics -- like politics, religion and money -- in mixed company.... But recently, Carol ... was furious as she listened to Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson speak during the Senate hearing on the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol, her daughter [Laurie Lindeen] said. 'We were watching TV and Ron Johnson was totally whitewashing and, you know, making January 6 sound like it was just a bunch of goofy people having fun. And she was just irate, so she was going off,' Laurie said. 'She said she wished that she had spoken up more and done more and that she wanted to be a freedom fighter....'... Carol Lindeen, 81, died in her sleep on Wednesday.... Her obituary ... noted her opinion of& Johnson: 'In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to Ron Johnson's opponent in 2022.'"

Drs. Jill & Miguel Go on a School Field Trip. Katie Rogers & Erica Green of the New York Times: "Having told educators that they would soon be vaccinated, the Biden administration began an aggressive push on Wednesday to drum up support for reopening schools, putting on a show of unity with the leaders of teachers unions and highlighting measures to keep students and staff safe from the coronavirus.... To carry the message, the White House dispatched the first lady, Jill Biden, and the newly confirmed education secretary, Miguel Cardona, on a trip to Connecticut and Pennsylvania to emphasize that teachers should no longer fear returning unprotected to the classroom. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said that teachers do not have to be vaccinated for schools to reopen safely." ~~~

Erica Werner & Jeff Stein of the Washington Post: "President Biden has agreed to narrow eligibility for a new round of $1,400 stimulus payments in his $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill, a concession to moderate Senate Democrats as party leaders moved Wednesday to lock down support and finalize the sweeping legislation. Under the new structure, the checks would phase out faster for those at higher income levels, compared to the way the direct payments were structured in Biden's initial proposal and the version of the bill passed by the House on Saturday." (An earlier version of this story was linked yesterday afternoon.)

Mark Pratt & Tammy Webber of the AP: "Buoyed by a surge in vaccine shipments, states and cities are rapidly expanding eligibility for COVID-19 shots to teachers, Americans 50 and over and others as the U.S. races to beat back the virus and reopen businesses and schools. Indiana and Michigan will begin vaccinating those 50 and over, while Arizona and Connecticut have thrown open the line to those who are at least 55. Pennsylvania and Wisconsin are reserving the first doses of the new one-shot vaccine from Johnson & Johnson for teachers. And in Detroit, factory workers can get vaccinated starting this week, regardless of age. Giving the vaccine to teachers and other school staff 'will help protect our communities,' Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf said. 'It's going to take burdens off our parents and families. It's going to make our schools get back to the business of teaching our kids.'"

Beyond the Beltway

California. Miriam Jordan of the New York Times: "Thirteen people killed in a traffic collision in a remote stretch of Southern California near the Mexican border were among 44 migrants apparently smuggled through a large breach in the border wall, the U.S. Border Patrol said on Wednesday. The migrants were traveling in a pair of S.U.V.s that crossed from Mexico into California's Imperial Valley before dawn on Tuesday, border officials said. One of the vehicles, a red Chevrolet Suburban, burst into flames shortly after crossing, they said. The other, a maroon Ford Expedition crammed with 25 people, traveled about 30 miles west to the town of Holtville, Calif., where shortly after sunrise it drove through an intersection and into the path of a large tractor-trailer rig."

"Happy Women's History Month, Idaho!" Brian Holmes of KTVB Boise: "March is Women's History Month and on Tuesday, one Idaho state representative voted against accepting federal grants to help kids get ready for kindergarten because it 'makes it easier or more convenient for mothers to come out of the home.' Rep. Charlie Shepherd (R-Pollock) testified against House Bill 226, which would allow the State Board of Education to use nearly $6 million in federal grants to increase early childhood education in the Gem State by making it more available and accessible.... The bill failed on a 34-36 vote, but it is expected to be reconsidered." MB: I checked & Charlie is married. (Also linked yesterday.)

New York. Here's a story New York Times editors should not have assigned to male writers, or at least not these male writers: ~~~

~~~ Headline: "Cuomo, Contrite Over Sexual Harassment Accusations, Refuses to Resign." Jesse McKinley & Luis Ferré-Sadurní of the NYT: "In his first public remarks since a sexual harassment scandal enveloped his administration, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said on Wednesday that he was embarrassed by his actions and apologized, but that he would not resign from office.... Mr. Cuomo, his voice appearing to crack at times..., said..., 'It was unintentional and I truly and deeply apologize for it. I feel awful about it and frankly, I'm embarrassed by it, and that's not easy to say...." Blah blah. Cuomo "insist[ed] twice that he never 'touched anyone inappropriately.'" ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Never "touched anyone inappropriately"??? There's a fucking photo of you out there touching a young woman inappropriately. Anna Ruch told the New York Times that Cuomo had greeted her, in their very first meeting evah, by putting his hand on her bare back. She quickly brushed his hand away, and a moment later he got back at her by grasping her head in his hands and asking for a kiss. McKinley & Ferré-Sadurní refer to this incident but only to report that "Kissing and hugging, he said, was his 'usual and customary way of greeting,' but he apologized if it had made Ms. Ruch uncomfortable, reiterating it was not his intention to do so." For the most part, the report just reiterates how bad Cuomo feels about these incidents and what a hardship it all has been on ... Andrew Cuomo. ~~~

     ~~~ Update: I transferred my comment here to the Comments section of the Patrick replied to my NYT comment, "The feminist man haters are out in force as usual. Cuomo at most is guilty of being inappropriate, nothing more. Also of course in my book guilty of working alone with women at work which is a mistake nowadays." Thanks for setting me straight, Patrick! P.S. Two people liked my comment; 11 liked Patrick's reply. The Times has since taken down comments on the article.

Way Beyond

Myanmar. Shibani Mahtani of the Washington Post: "s the protest movement gains traction across the country, the Myanmar military is responding with brutality, shooting randomly into crowds and gunning down protesters. Shooting to kill -- aiming for protesters' heads or chests -- has emerged as a crowd-control tactic, as snipers pick off targets and hope their deaths will send protesters fleeing and disperse the crowd.... On Wednesday..., at least 38 people ... died at the hands of security forces..., according to the United Nations." The AP's story is here.